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COMICS PAGE 7
NEWS PAGE 3
SPORTS PAGE 6
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CAMPUS
CITY
Committee seeks green fee renewal
City restricts residential parking near University
By Rachel Freeman @rachel_frmn
The green fee, along with the 83 projects and 103 grants it funded between fall 2011 and spring 2015, are set to end in 2016, according to the Metrics & Measurement report from UT’s Office of Sustainability. The green fee is an al-
location of $5 from student’s tuition for each semester and $2.50 for each summer session used to fund the Green Fee Committee and other eco-friendly projects on campus. An open meeting was held Wednesday to discuss options for different ways to renew the fee and how to move forward from the
legislature’s decision. The green fee created funding for five years which will conclude after the summer of 2016. Despite the Green Fee Committee’s efforts to lobby for bills they introduced in both the House and the Senate, neither of two bills was passed into law. The bill received unanimous consent in the House, but it
didn’t garner the necessary amount of votes in the senate, according to Green Fee Committee Vice Chair and government senior Tanner Long. Long was one of the students who lobbied for passage of the bill and testified in the house and senate committee meetings. “Green fee has done a lot on campus,” Long said. “A lot of people have ben-
efited from the fee, and it ultimately benefits all students in the long run. I think by having it not renewed shows the legislature is not in tune with how the students feel.” The original bill did not clarify what happens after the fifth year. Jaclyn Kachelmeyer, international relations, Plan
GREEN FEE page 2
NATIONAL
CIA releases previously classified briefs By Nashwa Bawab @nashwabawab
CIA director John Brennan and other top officials gathered at the LBJ Library to release 2,500 previously classified presidential briefs that will shed light on decisions made by former President John F. Kennedy and former President Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1960s. The collection of briefs contains the President’s Intelligence Checklist and the President’s Daily Briefs prepared by the CIA, which were daily summaries given to Kennedy and Johnson. The released briefs cover the periods between June 1961 to January 1969 and contain 12 billion pieces of paper, 42 million photographs, miles of film and 5 billion electronic records. “The declassified briefs will give insight into why the president chooses one path over another when it comes
Joshua Guerra | Daily Texan Staff
CIA director John Brennan delivers a keynote address at the LBJ Auditorium on Wednesday afternoon. The CIA released CIA page 2 previously classified daily briefings given to Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.
By Zainab Calcuttawala @zainabroo94
The Residential Permit Parking program, designed to keep UT students from parking along streets in the North Campus area, has been spreading quickly to other parts of Austin, according to the Austin Transportation Department. “The program started in 1997, in the North Campus area, as a pilot program,” RPP program manager Joseph Al-Hajeri said. “Students would park in the area, leave their vehicles in front of residences and use bicycles and buses to get to class while the cars would stay parked in front of houses all day.” As a result of these loitering cars, residents often have trouble finding parking for themselves or their guests near their homes, Al-Hajeri said. This was especially the case with many Austin homes constructed before 1959 that were not built with driveways. The RPP program intended to solve this problem by granting residents of the North Campus area specially allotted hours during which only residents can park on the street. According to AlHajeri, the program succeeded in reducing the number of students parking in the neighborhood. Soon, residents in other areas began using the program to mark off their park-
PARKING page 2
CAMPUS
CAMPUS
UT Libraries unveiled their plans for a new study area Wednesday afternoon. The new area will require students to be quiet and will also have an area designated for graduate students.
UT, A&M professors debate raising state minimum wage By Mikaela Cannizzo @mikaelac16
Jack DuFon Daily Texan Staff
PCL unveils new, silent Scholars Commons Pilot By Ashley Tsao @tsaoashley
The Perry-Castañeda Library previewed what is soon to be the newest study area on campus, the Scholars Commons Pilot, at an informational forum followed by live music and refreshments Wednesday. The study facility is unique because it requires students to be silent, and, while it is open to all students, it will provide an area that is reserved for
graduate students, according to Chris Carter, director of planning and operations for UT Libraries. According to Jenifer Flaxbart, research and liaison services librarian, students can expect to see a data lab, individual study nooks, large and small study rooms, research support services and a graduate landing spot. The Scholars Commons will provide graduate students with study
areas, a lobby, media embedded rooms, a break room and a kitchenette, Flaxbart said. “We decided to make part of the Scholars Commons restricted to graduate students because we would see them working upstairs in individual carols,” Flaxbard said. “There was no place for them to microwave food, relax in a different room or have a totally silent area to study.”
PCL page 3
The national proposition to raise the minimum wage sparked a debate between a UT professor and a Texas A&M professor in front of a student-dominated audience Wednesday. The professors discussed their opposing perspectives regarding a possible $15 minimum wage for Texas, although no formal legislation was mentioned. The Austin Institute For the Study of Family and Culture co-hosted the event with the Texas Economics Association, a student-run economics committee. Kevin Stuart, executive director of the Austin Institute and moderator of the event, chose UT government professor James Galbraith, a supporter of the policy, and A&M economics professor Jonathan Meer, an opponent of the policy to participate in the debate. “We will all think better about the issue at the end of the debate than we did before,” Stuart said. “We will
also get to see two people model how civil debate and discourse should happen.” From a national perspective, Seattle recently increased their minimum wage to $15 an hour, and Los Angles and New York have also proposed an increase. With the $7.25 minimum wage being challenged across the country, Galbraith and Meer took turns presenting their perspectives on the issue. While Galbraith said the
increase of minimum wage is positive for reasons such as re-establishing a level of fairness in the economy, Meer said the proposal is “wishful thinking.” The increase in minimum wage is the wrong policy for the noble goal of reducing the poverty level, according to Meer. “Minimum wage is a blunt instrument ill-suited at fighting poverty,” Meer said. Galbraith said that increased salaries would
REASON TO PARTY
Allison Webster | Daily Texan Staff
UT government professor James Galbraith speaks in favor of raising minimum wage at a debate held by Austin Institute on Wednesday evening.
NEWS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFE&ARTS
ONLINE
Eight UT professors among most cited in research. PAGE 3
The Forum page focuses on student theatre and the arts on campus for this week’s The Texan Talks.
Fenves names Perrin interim athletic director. PAGE 6
Radio-television-film freshman releases book series. PAGE 8
Football using outside opinions to motivate. PAGE 6
Students write, produce and perform plays in one week. PAGE 8
See our video coverage of the press conference where Fenves named Perrin interim athletic director.
UHS touts resources at Healthyhorns fest. PAGE 3
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Volume 116, Issue 26
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ing spots, according to Susan Somers, board member of urbanist organization Austinites for Urban Rail Action. Currently, 283 city blocks, or 5,246 parking spaces, around Austin require these parking permits. Al-Hajeri said the city’s transportation department makes sure each permit granted merits restricted parking hours for nonresidents. As a part of this
CIA
continues from page 1 to statecraft,” Brennan said. “The release of these documents affirms that the world’s greatest democracy does not keep secrets simply for secrecy’s sake. Whenever we can shed light on the work of our government without harming national security we will do so.” This is the CIA’s 24th major release event in the last seven years, according to Joseph Lambert, director of Information Management Services at the CIA. Lambert said these are important events that don’t occur often. “Public releases of historically significant documents like this don’t just happen.
process, the city talks with affected residents, conducts parking studies and reaches out to nearby businesses. Somers said despite the department’s scrutiny, the RPP program has spread to areas that do not need restricted parking zones. “If you look at a lot of the newer RPPs, they did not have that level of demand, they didn’t have that many cars parked on the street, and most of the houses do have off-street parking,” Somers said. “We have created this
policy for a problem that was kind of limited, and we have really expanded it, so we really need to be looking at where we are going with this.” The extensive growth of the program has allowed residents to unfairly seize public sidewalks and roads, according to Somers. “The bottom line is we are giving up what is really a public resource, paid for with public money, taxpayer money, to private residents,” Somers said. When it comes to enforcement of the permit parking
zones, residents of the North Campus area nowadays usually don’t have to resort to towing cars out of the reserved spots, Daanish Virani, math and MIS senior, said. “We have signs in our lots that say ‘residential permit parking only,’” Virani said. “I would not really say that it’s enforced though. Probably two to three times in our four years here someone has parked in one of our spots, but we usually just leave a note on the car saying, ‘Hey man, this is our spot.’”
They require a tremendous amount of behind the scenes collaboration and work,” Lambert said. “Deciding whether a secret is no longer a secret can be a very difficult task.” UT System Chancellor William McRaven spoke about the importance of national security and the vested interest the CIA has in making sure national intelligence is strong. “The purpose of that intelligence, of course, is to mitigate the risk to a manageable level,” McRaven said. “The defense is stronger than the offense. The better the intelligence, the more likely you are to be successful against the stronger force.” Brennan said although new technology has much
potential for national security, it creates even more chances to harm that security. “Cyber technology has created an entirely new domain for human interactions and, though presents boundless opportunities for advancing our national interest, it also enables individuals and small groups to inflict great harm on our national security,” Brennan said. The daily briefings have evolved from notes written by the CIA to technologically advanced briefings with lengthy and sophisticated graphics and images, according to Brennan. As in the past, the CIA continues to evolve their intelligence gathering and reporting. “We too are taking steps to
optimize our relevance and our effectiveness in our own time,” Brennan said. “When the [brief] is sent to the Oval Office today, for example, it arrives on a tablet computer — an iPad — instead of paper. Indeed the transformational effect of info tech is the single most decisive factor in setting today’s world apart from the 1960s.” Brennan said the CIA plans to release more declassified Presidential Daily Briefs in the near future. “This is just the beginning,” Brennan said. “Some 2,000 additional declassified PDB documents from the Nixon and Ford administrations will be released next year and the process will continue.”
DEBATE
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Issue Staff
Reporters . . . . . Audrey Browning, Mikaela Cannizzo, Estefania Espinosa, Rachel Freeman, Jameson Pitts, Ashley Tsao Life&Arts Writers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eva Frederick, Catherine Marfin, Rebecca Fu Sports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nick Castillo, Trenton Daeschner Copy Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lauren Hanks, Danielle Leghninger, Ryan Steppe Page Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kasturi Kulkarni, Victori Othold Comics Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Andrés Echeverria, Seth Murchison, Lorena Pena, Chester Omenukor, Rachel Tyler Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack DuFon, Allison Webster, Kate Sanchez Videographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jasmine Chavez, Gerardo Gonzalez
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Mike McGraw | Daily Texan Staff
Tanner Long, Green Fee Committee Vice Chair, speaks about renewing the green fee used to fund eco-friendly projects on campus.
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continues from page 1 II and geography senior, said she feels the next step for renewal should be gaining support from the UT System Board of Regents. “I think it’s worth going to the Board of Regents and seeing where it takes us,” Kachelmeyer said. “Otherwise, if we are afraid to follow through with continuing to try to renew the fee, nothing is going to happen.”
I think it’s worth going to the Board of Regents and seeing where it takes us. Otherwise ... nothing is going to happen. —Jaclyn Kachelmeyer Senior
Aerospace engineering junior Darian King said an important part of convincing the regents to support the green fee is to show them how students feel about the fee. “To gain actual student
support, we could get sororities and fraternities involved,” King said. “Greek life represents a large chunk of the student body, which could give us good support.”
enable workers to pay off their debts. The event was intended to shed light on a prevalent issue rather than orchestrate a heated argument, Stuart said. Prarthana Neotia, vice president of the Texas Economics Association, said she believes there are benefits and consequences of raising the minimum wage, but said she wonders if an increase will encourage people to shy away from honing their intellectual skills. “I think pushing it up might have dire consequences because it could encourage people to be a cashier as opposed to doing something more with their life,” Neotia said. Marisa McKnight, an economics and Japanese junior, said she had not thought about a minimum wage increase in terms of the competition that would result from higher wages. “I was surprised at the level of competition that might come from the $15 an hour minimum wage,” McKnight said. “I hadn’t thought about it that way before.”
W&N 3
NEWS
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Thursday, September 17, 2015
RESEARCH
Reuters lists UT researchers among most-cited By Jameson Pitts @jamesonpitts
Eight UT faculty members made Thomson Reuters’ 2015 Highly Cited Researchers list, which selects the top 1 percent of researchers in each field. Five engineering professors made the list, as well as professors in business, psychology and physics. The UT faculty on the list are Jeffrey Andrews, for research in computer science, Alan Bovik, for research in engineering, Sam Gosling, for research in psychology, David Harrison, for research in economics and business, Robert Heath, for research in computer science, Thomas Hughes, for research in computer science, Allan MacDonald, for research in physics, and Sriram Vishwanath, for research in computer science. The company develops the list through rigorous analysis of scientific literature. Christopher King, editor of intellectual property and science, said a position on the list is a testament to how the scientific community regards a researcher’s work. “The real selection is that
these people have distinguished themselves through their publications,” King said. “It’s really their peers that are selecting them.” The University of California features the most researchers on the list, with more than 160 researchers of about 3,000 from around the world. King said the UT System consistently ranks highly. “The combined University of Texas System can claim 40 names on the current list,” King said. “[The UT System] easily qualifies for the top 20 again.” Sriram Vishwanath, an engineering professor listed for the second time, said the list will elevate the public profile of his and the engineering department’s research. “I’m really hoping the outcome of this is a long-term appreciation that UT is a great place to do research, within the community and for prospective students,” Vishwanath said. The research track record of professors may not be readily visible to students. Selected psychology professor Sam Gosling said many students only see him as a
Jeffrey Andrews
Engineering professor
Thomas Hughes Jr.
Allan MacDonald
Engineering professor
teacher. “Students come here because it’s a prestigious university, but the secret is it’s not prestigious because of the teaching — it’s prestigious because of the research,” Gosling said. “For good or evil, that’s why people are hired here.”
Healthyhorns Fest showcases UT students health services
CIA deDaily By Estefania Espinosa . @essie20 eginSome lassi- Through games and freefrom bies, University Health min- Services informed stueased dents about the resources ocess it provides at their annual Healthyhorns Fest at Gregory Plaza on Wednesday. Senior program coordinator Sherry Bell said the event, which has changed names several times since its 1 inception, has been held for 34 years. Bell said despite the light rain, UHS expected a turnout of more than 1,000 students, a similar turnout rate to previous years, but won’t have attendance totals for a few days. Activities included sexuality trivia spin-the-wheel, blood pressure checks and a stress management booth. Lines of students gathered at the free chair massages and the photo booth where they were encouraged to share their picture on social media using the hashtag “#HHFest.” UHS booths were staffed by peer educa-
tors, UHS clinic volunteers, the Student Health Advisory Committee and UHS staff who gave away apples, T-shirts, condoms, hand sanitizer and calendars. Plan II senior Alex Ryden, an officer liaison for SHAC, said the organization works closely with UHS and often volunteers at their events. SHAC also conducts surveys and collects feedback from students about UHS services to improve the resources available to students. Chemistry and history senior John Broussard, who has attended Healthyhorns Fest since his first year at UT, said he did not know UHS offered sports medicine and physical therapy programs. “They always seem to have something new,” Broussard said. Broussard said his favorite booth was “Is Your Backpack Causing You Pain?,” where he discovered he was carrying 10 percent of his body weight and was in danger of hurting his back.
English sophomore Seo Kong, who had never attended Healthyhorns Fest prior to this year, said UHS offers diverse programs and helpful information. “Anybody who comes here can find something that they’re interested in,” Kong said. Citing the National College Health Assessment, Bell said the main physical health conditions that negatively impact academic performance in college students are colds, sore throats and the flu. Bell advised students to take advantage of the upcoming UHS 2015 Flu Shot Campaign, which begins Sept. 29. Bell said the standard price will be $10 for any student without insurance but most insurances will cover the cost. Bell said she hopes students will continue to use UHS services after this event. “The goal of UHS is to keep students performing at their best academic level,” Bell said.
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Sriram Vishwanath
Sam Gosling
Psychology professor
Robert Heath
Engineering professor
Biology sophomore Alexander Thomas is one of 1600 students in Gosling’s online introductory psychology course. Thomas said he was weary of the online class format, but Gosling’s research credentials increased both his credibility and the credibility of the online video
format. “I didn’t think about how significant it is to have some of the best professors in their field to teach the fundamentals,” Thomas said. Selected physics professor Allan MacDonald said it was nice to know his work had impact, but that citations are
a limited way to gauge influence. “Citations are just one measure of scientific impact — probably the measure that’s easiest to count,” MacDonald said. “There are many outstanding researchers on our campus who are not on that list.”
of a study area is not only the equipment, but the environment, Juan Yunda, an architecture Ph.D. candidate, said. “It is important to have a combination of privacy and knowing that there are people around you,” Yunda said. “A study area should have lots of natural light, color and be motivating.” The Scholars Commons Pilot will open in January 2016 and if the pilot goes well, there is a proposal to turn a large part of the PCL’s third floor into the Scholars Common proper, Carter said.
Flaxibart said that after the study area does open, staff members will take comments and critiques from students in order to improve it. Evan Todtz, an architecture graduate student, already has a suggestion. “I would like to see a little more personality and color, or generally more life in the space,” Todtz said. “Instead of having a study space that is drab and makes you feel trapped, I hope that the Scholars Commons will have life and personality that engages you.”
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and own When Oval Jack DuFon | Daily Texan Staff ple, it A group of students enters to win prizes during the Healthyhorns in front of Gregory Gymnaputer sium on Wednesday. Healthyhorns inspires students to live safe and healthy lives. f parmach is e facworld
David Harrison
Business professor
Phsyics professor
PCL
NorthCAMPUS usurt to e reirani, d. r lots ermit id. “I at it’s bably our e has pots, ave a ‘Hey
♲
Alan Bovik
Engineering professor
The quality and amenities of a study area are important because they can increase the productivity level of students, according to architecture graduate student Brianna Frey. “This can stem from how much you are able to focus to if you have the right equipment around you,” Frey said. “Additionally, it is important, especially because my field has a lot of group work, to have collaborative spaces in study areas.” The most important part
Engineering professor
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4 OPINION WALKER FOUNTAIN, FORUM EDITOR | @TexanEditorial Thursday, September 17, 2015
4
A WEEKLY PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY TEXAN EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
FORUM
The Texan Talks: student theatre and the arts on campus
By Walker Fountain Daily Texan Forum Editor @wf_atx
Often, when people think of UT, they think of the petroleum engineering program, the McCombs School of Business or aerospace engineering. But this week, The Daily Texan Forum will focus on student theatre and the arts. As we examine the impact of student theatre and the arts on campus, this forum will demonstrate that there are a number of artistic opportunities awaiting students outside of academia. As shown by op-eds from members of different stu-
dent theatre groups on campus, a dance student and a faculty member who directs the Shakespeare at Winedale program, student theatre and the arts have a vibrant presence on campus. It is our hope that entertaining both student and faculty perspectives will inform readers of what is available on campus for those interested in the arts, and what the academic and preparatory rigor of theatrical work entails. From an intense focus on acting methods and
stage production to the merits of a more relaxed extracurricular environment, there are numerous ways to get involved in student theater and the arts on campus — and there are a number of varying experiences and outcomes by participants. Join us to learn more about them in detail on Thursday, Sept. 17, at 11 a.m. in the Texas Union Theatre, where we will host the third iteration of The Texan Talks. Fountain is a government senior from Pelham, New York.
FORUM
Sharing Shakespeare: learning on accident By McKay Proctor
Daily Texan Forum Participant
Until three months ago, my stage experience consisted of a show-stopping performance as the Third Little Pig in Mrs. Reinhardt’s first grade production of “Making a Difference.” Allyson Proctor of the McKay’s Mother Gazette lauded the performance as “so precious.” Anna Proctor of the Kindergarten Little Sister Times-Herald was less complimentary, writing in pink crayon, “That was so embarrassing. Why do I have to be related to you?” Lack of experience aside, this summer I leapt into the world of student theater with little regard for how “embarrassing” or “related to Anna Proctor” I may be. I traveled down Highway 290 to learn everything it takes to put on a play in the English department’s Shakespeare at Winedale program. (Winedale, Texas, is outside of Round Top, which is outside of Brenham, which is just south of the Middle of Nowhere.) Under the tutelage of part-time volleyball wizard and full-time Shakespeare savant Dr. James Loehlin, my class staged “Twelfth Night,” “Henry V,” “Pericles,” and John Webster’s ornately grizzly “The Duchess of Malfi” over two life-altering months. I would need a few thousand more words to describe the experience in full, but using this space just to talk about putting the Bard’s work on
stage in a barn in the Hill Country seems like only a minor travesty. Living inside a play taught me about the way Shakespeare wrote — the way his plays live, breathe and move. Any of my classmates could tell you more about his genius than I can, but as the least experienced member of our troupe, I can tell you how much looking at Shakespeare’s work from the inside out can change views on literature and life. My foray in the theatre tested me. I leaned on my classmates on a daily basis. Sometimes I felt insufficient to my task, as if summiting Mount Shakespeare was for the titanic actors and scholars around me, and I was just a pack mule to carry their supplies. Sharing the stage with Renae Jackson’s regal, heart-rending Duchess; or Noah Sgovio’s playful, visceral King Henry; or Nell McKeown’s sparkling, clever Viola; or Rachel Abbott’s lovely, conspiratorial Maria (or any of my classmate’s performances that humbled me this summer) made me feel like the thespian novice I am. It inspired me to chase the best version of myself every day. From the 6:30 morning sports bell until our triumphant “Huzzah!” at the day’s end, life and learning merged. I worked hard to be good at both. If a humble hay barn can be the scaffold for the triumph of Henry V, and I can be the lowly servant of Shakespeare’s works, then I know that anyone can do the same thing anywhere in the world. Acting empowers people to learn about
THE TEXAN TALKS The impact of student theatre and the arts on campus
Courtesy of Sonia Desai
The summer 2015 cast of Shakespeare at Winedale performs “Henry V” in Winedale, Texas.
themselves and their language the world over, and student theatre stands as a pillar of that noble quest. I encourage anyone, no matter their goals, to audition somewhere or at least pick up a play and read it aloud and hear the words artfully bounce off one another. When Allyson Proctor saw one of my per-
formances this summer, she declared in the McKay’s Mother Gazette I was “still cute.” Anna Proctor’s review maintained that I was still “embarrassing” after all these years, but I guess I can’t please everybody. Proctor is an English and business honors junior from Nashville.
Join us in the Texas Union Theatre on Thursday, Sept. 17 at 11 a.m. for a panel discussion featuring student actors and directors. FORUM
FORUM
Students, faculty work together Student theatre fosters growth, community among friend to preserve student theatre
By Andrew Valdez
Daily Texan Forum Participant
A-rum-tum-tum-a-rum-tum-tum. Little Sally Walker walking down the street. She didn’t know what to do so she walked in front of me. She sang “Hey girl, shake that thing!” Yeehaw! Train! If you’ve entered the F. Loren Winship Drama building on a Tuesday morning, these are some common phrases you’d hear being bellowed through every nook and cranny. The hallways, classroom and atrium are booming with life. You can hear the pitter-patter that are the graceful steps of dancers cascading across the building, the clinks and clanks of a wrench tightening a Par-40 onto a grid and the robust voices of actors and actresses reciting a monologue for an upcoming audition; these are the sounds of our resident artists and theatre makers here at the University of Texas at Austin. A proud group of theatre makers that contribute some of these sounds is the student organization, Alpha Psi Omega, Mu Chapter. Every semester they select three shows (a new work and two published) for their fall and
spring season. This fall, they are debuting “The Extended Tale of Hero the Hero,” a new work written by undergraduate student Ian Alexander on Oct. 2. Following are two published shows directed by undergraduate students Ian Eisenberg and Jordan Moranto; “Dracula,” written by the Department of Theatre and Dance’s own Steven Dietz, opening Halloween weekend, and “Rumors,” written by Neil Simon, opening Nov. 4. Alpha Psi Omega and the Department of Theatre and Dance have done very well these past few years by getting the undergraduate voice involved and active in the theatre-making experience. Unfortunately, one sound that is not as prominent is the intonation of a steady stream of funding. Because of recent budget cuts, janitorial staff does not frequent the building as often as it used to, the furniture does not match the liveliness of its suitors, and major tracts have been cut or “put on hold” for the foreseeable future. Just recently, a new student pricing system has been implemented where students can buy a season-long ticket package at a discounted rate. However, this new ticket package is replacing a previously free system. But for now, organizations such as Alpha Psi Omega, Round About Players and University Theatre Guild are working side-byside with the faculty of the Department of Theatre and Dance to ensure that sounds of theatre makers are not deafened. They will continue yee-hawing, rum-tum-tumming and shaking that thing. Valdez is a biology, pre-med and theatre and dance senior from Donna.
LEGALESE | Opinions expressed in The Daily Texan are those of the editor, the Editorial Board or the writer of the article. They are not necessarily those of the UT administration, the Board of Regents or the Texas Student Media Board of Operating Trustees.
By Victoria Fazzino
Daily Texan Forum Participant
Foot in the Door has greatly impacted my college experience for the better because it allowed me to continue pursuing my passion for theatre without actually majoring in it. My grandmother fostered my love of theatre at an early age; she was a season ticket holder for several local theatres and always brought me along to various plays and musicals. I took theatre classes as electives in grade school whenever they were available, and continued to pursue acting opportunities through local theatre troupes. While I always admired actors, I found that my talents were best suited for the technical aspect of theatre. In high school, I joined the theatre department at the start of my freshman year. Participating in my school’s theatre department shaped my high school experience; I made the majority of my friends through theatre, I spent more time with my “theatre family” than my actual family, and it gave me a place to unwind from the stresses of academics. I stage-managed all four years of high school and seriously considered making a career of it.
SUBMIT A FIRING LINE | Email your Firing Lines to editor@dailytexanonline.com. Letters must be more than 100 and fewer than 300 words. The Texan reserves the right to edit all submissions for brevity, clarity and liability.
I joined Foot in the Door because while I chose not to major in theatre, I still wanted it in my life. … Most importantly, the friendships Foot in the Door has brought me have made my past two years in college the best years of my life. I joined Foot in the Door because while I chose not to major in theatre, I still wanted it in my life. Foot in the Door has given me the sense of community I valued so much in high school. It also allowed me to try new aspects, such as directing, in a fun, collaborative environment. The memories I have made in Foot in the Door remain some of my favorite memories of my years at the University of Texas. Most importantly, the friendships Foot in the Door has brought me have made my past two years in college the best years of my life. Fazzino is a history and French junior from College Station.
Multimedia To read more op-eds for the forum on student theatre and the arts on campus, visit dailytexanonline.com
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PLONSKY
GOLF
Some of the decisions we’ve made have been with those two best interests at heart, but at times our communication has been very poor, and I’ve got to own that.
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Junior Taylor Funk goes through practice with the men’s golf team. The team plays in Chicago this weekend.
Dalton Venglar Daily Texan file pnoto
Men’s team to tee off in Chicago By Trenton Daeschner @TrentDaeschner
The Texas men’s golf team heads into the 201516 campaign ranked No. 2 in the Golf Coaches Association of America Poll, with Texas receiving eight first-place votes in the poll. Texas is coming off a season in which it won seven tournaments, its third-straight Big 12 championship and went to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championships before falling to USC in match play. This season, Texas returns all four All-Americans, including juniors Beau Hossler and Gavin Hall and sophomores Scottie Scheffler and Doug Ghim. Hossler is coming off an impressive showing overseas at the Walker Cup in Lytham St. Annes, England, where he won three out of four sessions for Team USA. Hossler also led the Longhorns in scoring average last season with 70.58. Texas kicks off its season Friday at the Fighting Illini Invitational at the Olympia Fields Country Club in Chicago. The three-day, 54-hole
Schedule
Nike as Texas looks to restructure its licensing apparel and footwear deals with this year. Perrin described the deal as “one of those areas I’ll be drawing heavily on staff experience and intercollegiate experience” to address. “That’s one of the areas we’ve long been tag-teaming,” Plonsky said. “We’re exclusive with our current and great partner, Nike. Mike will step in, and we’ll get him up to speed.” Plonsky also said she doesn’t think Patterson leaving hurts the department’s image. She said college athletics
STRONG
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Sept. 18-20
Olympia Fields/ Fighting Illini Invitational
Oct. 4-6
Nike Swoosh Tournament
Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Portland, Oregon
Oct. 16-18
U.S. Intercollegiate
Cook Golf Club of Georgia in Atlanta, Georgia
Oct. 26-27
The Royal Oaks Intercollegiate
Strong’s motivational tactic paid off as Texas beat Rice, 42-28. The Longhorns hope they can build off the win and upset the favored California Golden Bears. “It’s all about consistency,” Strong said. “Cal is a little different than Rice. They’re going to be uptempo. They score a lot of
—Chris Plonsky, Women’s athletic director
is in a tumultuous era, and such restructuring is common. “If we didn’t have 16 or 17 lawsuits against athletics right now, and if we didn’t see the change that’s happening at all levels, it might worry me,” Plonsky said. “But I think this is par for the course.” Moving forward, Plonsky said her priority is to rebuild and reassure the fan base — which she describes as the
“lifeblood” of every sports organization. The key, she said, is communication. “You have to make sure you’re accountable to your constituencies and your fans — we’re going to work harder and better at that,” Plonsky said. “Some of the decisions we’ve made have been with those two best interests at heart, but at times our communication has been very poor, and I’ve got to own that.”
points. If we do give up the points, can we go match the score? That’s going to be key.” While the team used the negativity to fuel them past Rice, junior safety Dylan Haines said hearing the negativity “pissed him off.” He said the reporters and analysts talking about Texas are looking from the outside in. Haines said the Longhorns are ready to
prove the naysayers wrong. “It just makes us all mad,” Haines said. “We look at ourselves, and we know we’re not the best team in college football. We know we’re not where we’d like to be. We know what we have to work on. Nothing that anyone says outside of the program is going to affect the way we work or affect the view of where we can be.”
Royal Oaks Country Club in Dallas, Texas
Nov. 7-8
The Western Refining All-American
El Paso Country Club in El Paso, Texas
tournament will host fifteen teams — nine of which are ranked in the top-25 in the nation, including No. 1 Illinois, No. 3 Florida State and No. 5 Stanford. Three other Big 12 teams — No. 12 Texas Tech, No. 19 Oklahoma State and No. 21 Baylor — will also be in the field. Last year, tournament host Illinois posted a winning score of 861 (+21), 11 strokes better than Florida State. Texas finished sixth,
posting 892 (+52). Dylan Meyer of Illinois and Maverick McNealy of Stanford both finished tied for first last year in the individual standings, with a threeover-par 213. Texas’ low player was Gavin Hall, who finished tied for eighth after firing a seven-over-par 217. The Longhorns’ lineup for this year’s tournament includes Scheffler, Ghim, Hall, junior Taylor Funk and redshirt senior Tayler Termeer, in that order.
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Rachel Zein | Daily Texan Staff
BRAVES
Interim athletic director Mike Perrin speaks to the media in his introductory press conference. University President Gregory L. Fenves named Perrin the interim AD after Steve Patterson resigned from the position on Tuesday. Perrin played linebacker for UT in the late 1960s.
Perrin begins tenure as interim AD By Jacob Martella @ViewFromTheBox
New interim athletic director Mike Perrin remembers the very reason he came to Texas in the first place. In 1964, Perrin attended a football practice. The electricity of the team, then led by legendary head coach Darrell K Royal, was all he needed to convince him to come to Austin. “It’s a feeling I’ve never forgotten,” Perrin said. “I hope I never do.” Now, 51 years later, Perrin is returning to the 40 Acres – but in a much different capacity this time around. Perrin was introduced as interim athletic
director at a press conference Wednesday. Perrin said UT President Gregory Fenves first approached him about the position on Labor Day, more than a week before Steve Patterson announced his resignation. “It is a thrill to be back in a different role,” Perrin said. Perrin, who played linebacker for Texas in the late 1960s and graduated from the UT law school in 1971, has spent the last two years as a trial attorney in Houston, but he’s remained connected with the University. He said he attended Saturday’s game against Rice and was concerned about the nearly 15,000 empty seats. “It concerns me that fans voted with their feet,” Perrin said.
Those empty seats are just part of the reason Perrin is in his position. Growing angst among fans about Patterson’s changes — primarily the increases in football and basketball season ticket prices — as well as a disconnect between Patterson and Fenves led to Patterson’s resignation. Fenves declined to specify what led to Patterson’s resignation, but Fenves said relationships with fans and alumni were important to him. “I felt there were certain things that I’d like to see, and so we recognized that we weren’t always seeing eye-to-eye,” Fenves said. Perrin said repairing those broken relationships with boosters and alumni is
FOOTBALL
one of his primary focuses as he gets used to the interim position; however, Perrin added that he didn’t anticipate making any immediate changes to UT athletics. “We’ve got a season under way and we’ve got a school year under way and we’ve got things in place,” Perrin said. “I do think that some of the people that have spoken to me have expressed a desire to revisit some of those issues.” Perrin also expressed firm support for football head coach Charlie Strong and men’s basketball head coach Shaka Smart, both of whom were hired by Patterson. “Charlie Strong is very hardworking, and I consider him a personal friend,” Perrin said. “[Smart] is
Multimedia
Watch our video coverage of the press conference at dailytexanonline.com
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something special, and I wanted to reach out to him that I’m behind him 100 percent.” Perrin said he would stay on as the interim athletic director as long as Fenves wants. Fenves said there’s no timeline for setting up a search committee to find a long-term athletic director. “My focus is a smooth and quick transition with Mike,” Fenves said.
ROYALS
INDIANS
TOP TWEET Elliot DeShon
UNIVERSITY
Women’s AD: ‘Let’s not focus it on me’
@DeShonElliot_4
Mike Perrin understands where we coming from.
By Jori Epstein @JoriEpstein
Rachel Zein | Daily Texan Staff
Junior safety Dylan Haines prepares for a play on Friday against Rice at Darrell K Royal Stadium. Texas beat Rice 42-28, but the defense gave up 462 total yards.
Strong motivates Longhorns through negativity, criticism By Nick Castillo @Nick_Castillo74
Head coach Charlie Strong showed his players the negative comments made about Texas after its 38-3 loss to Notre Dame before the team took the field against Rice. What the players heard sickened them. A Chicago sports radio host said a high school football team could beat Texas, among other negative comments. Freshman linebacker Malik Jefferson sunk in his chair and tried not to listen. He wanted to yell in frustration after hearing the national
media’s perspective. “It was embarrassing how the media talked about us,” Jefferson said. “Normally we don’t keep track with what the media does. It was really depressing because you don’t want that. So you want to bounce back and do something great.” This isn’t the first time Strong has tried to motivate his players with negativity. Before the Longhorns’ game against BYU last season, Strong put up posters highlighting Texas’ 40-21 loss to the Cougars in 2013. He expected his players to rip the signs down. They didn’t, and the
Longhorns lost, 41-7. But this time, the Texas players took the negativity to heart. Sophomore safety Jason Hall, who said he doesn’t pay attention to social media, said it’s been irritating to hear what everyone has had to say, and that hearing motivated him to perform better. “For [the coaches] to bring that information upon us, it gets very irritating,” Hall said. “Of course [it motivates us]. It’s just natural competitiveness. You don’t want those things being said about our team.”
STRONG page 5
At interim athletic director Mike Perrin’s introductory press conference Wednesday, women’s athletic director Chris Plonsky said Perrin is a great choice to replace Steve Patterson. “Mike, to me, will be a welcome voice in the room,” Plonsky said. “His knowledge of Texas, his appreciation for college athletics and, not only that, but higher education — Mike and Melinda have been very involved in our support structure.” Plonsky spoke positively of the staff changes in athletics, the impending responsibilities and working with Perrin, who replaced Patterson as men’s athletic director Tuesday. But questions lingered: Why wasn’t Plonsky — who has worked for Texas athletics for 26 years and collegiate athletics for 39 — considered for the position? “Let’s not focus it on me,” Plonsky said. “I would say this, and I’ve said this for many years: This university and [former athletic director] DeLoss [Dodds], who was here this morning, allowed me to advance my career at UT, and I got there with his support.” Plonsky said she appreciated her “unusual”
TODAY IN HISTORY
2004
Chris Plonsky
Women’s athletic director
opportunity to oversee both external operations and women’s athletics internally. She said she first had “two jobs, two titles” in 2001, when then-UT President Larry Faulkner asked her to oversee women’s athletics on an interim basis. When she was promoted to women’s athletic director full-time in 2002, she, Faulkner and Dodds made a compromise. Plonsky continued her external responsibilities except for oversight of communications. “I owe everything and my role today … to DeLoss and the presidents who have been here,” Plonsky said. “Greg [Fenves] has been very supportive, so I look forward to working with and for Greg and with and for Mike.” Plonsky said she and Perrin will work closely on negotiations with
PLONSKY page 5
Barry Bonds hit his 700th career homerun.
SPORTS BRIEFLY Women’s cross country ranks No. 27 nationally
The women’s cross country team cracked national rankings, moving into No. 27 on the USTFCCCA Coaches Poll. The Longhorns last qualified for the poll - which ranks the top 30 teams - in 2013. The Longhorns opened the season at home against Texas State in the Texas Invitational on Sept. 4, finishing with the top six spots in the 3,000 meter race. Next, the team will compete in the Texas A&M Invitational on Sept. 26 in College Station. The men’s squad was five spots away from breaking into the top 30. They will also run in the Texas A&M Invitational. —Akshay Mirchandani
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Thursday, September 17, 2015
Reason to Party by Lindsay Rojas
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DANIELLE LOPEZ, LIFE&ARTS EDITOR | @thedailytexan Thursday, September 17, 2015
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
University digitizes entomology collection By Eva Frederick @evacharlesanna
A room filled with 500,000 insects is the stuff of most people’s nightmares. But for research scientists who use the University of Texas Insect Collection, it’s a dream come true. The collection, located in the Brackenridge Field Laboratory, serves as a research tool, a gallery of biodiversity and a place to volunteer. With more than half a million specimens, the collection is currently undergoing extensive cataloging in order to be more easily accessible to researchers, students and anyone with an interest in insects. Although it is impossible to have one exhaustive insect collection that includes all species, Alex Wild, entomologist and the collection’s newly hired curator, said one purpose of working research collections is to add to the worldwide collective knowledge of insects. The collection is constantly growing and changing, added to by various Texas state agencies, which deposit specimens from various parks and Texas land. With such a huge volume of specimens, Wild said reorganization was necessary. “[Right now] we are organized by taxonomic grouping,” Wild said.
“But since only five to 10 percent of our roughly 2 million specimen collection is databased electronically, finding an individual specimen is more difficult than it should be.” Wild is spearheading two projects that he said will make the collection more current and accessible. First, Wild and several volunteers are collaborating with the Texas Advanced Computing Center to catalog data from all the specimens in the collection in an online database. Currently, if researchers wanted to find a particular species of dragonfly, they would go through the rows of gray filing cabinets and open one marked “Odonata.” Then, they’d sift through multiple drawers until they found the specimen. Once the collection is databased, researchers will be able to find the data and location of the insect by typing a simple search word. Wild’s second ongoing project, “Insects Unlocked,” has already made thousands of photos of insects available in the public domain. Last semester, Wild crowdfunded over $12,500 to underwrite the project. “The imaging project is part of our efforts to provide useful services to the UT community and to the public,” Wild said.
Illustration by Isabella Palacios | Daily Texan Staff
“Some of these imagesarealreadyseeinguseby government agencies.” Many scientists use the insect collection as a resource to learn about and identify insects, including newly arrived pest species, threatened species and more. Recently, UT researchers have been using the specimens, as well as others collected from Brackenridge Field Laboratories, to investigate different means of biological control for fire ants.
THEATER & DANCE
By Catherine Marfin @ccaatheeerineee
Forty-six students write, direct, perform short plays in four days Students scramble to type out a story line, manage a group of actors and remember their parts as they work through the process of writing, directing and performing a play — all within the span of four days. Groups of students will perform in “Once Upon a Week,” a production of short plays hosted by Creative Arts + Theatre, at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Black Box Theatre in the SAC. Minerva Hernandez, psychology senior and show producer, said “Once Upon a Week” provides an opportunity for students from all disciplines to engage in theater through a shortterm project. The production welcomes students who may not gain exposure to the arts on a daily basis by allowing anyone who is interested to participate. This year, Hernandez accepted all 46 students who applied. “In academics, you don’t get a chance to let your creativity flow,” Hernandez said. “Even if you go watch a play, for that hour you’re not at UT, you’re in the moment and watching the scene unfold.” For “Once Upon a Week,” students split into groups that include a writer, a director and three to four actors. Writers provided a first draft of their scripts Monday and turned in final edits Tuesday night.
collection date back to the late 1800s.” Wild said he is always seeking volunteers to help with the cataloging and imaging projects. He said he hopes that through the projects, the collection will soon be an even more valuable resource. “We’d like our collection data to be accessible and useful to the world online,” he said.
UT freshman releases debut dystopian novel, ‘Castigation’
Kate Sanchez Daily Texan Staff
@thedailytexan
themselves before it is processed into books and online,” Wild said. Wild said insect collections are also excellent tools for showing biodiversity through time in part because they are surprisingly resilient. “If they are preserved properly, protected from moisture and pests, specimens should last many hundreds of years,” Wild said. “The oldest specimens in the UT
BOOKS
Members of Once Upon a Week rehearse for an upcoming performance Wednesday afternoon. The group has four days to write and perform plays.
By Rebecca Fu
“Good collections are busy collections, with many researchers looking at specimens, sending loans in and out, publishing research, and engaging with the public,” Wild said. Wild said specimens housed in research collections can also be used for studies of genetics and organismal function as well as archiving specimens from important historical studies. “Knowledge starts in the physical collections
Hernandez said writers have creative freedom to write about any topic, provided they keep it family-friendly. Rehearsals for the show took place Wednesday, with one hour allotted for each group to practice. Hernandez said participants are discouraged from meeting up and rehearsing outside their one hour but can practice their lines individually. On the day of the performance, actors can use their scripts and improvise during their eight to 10 minute play. “‘Once Upon a Week’ provides the space for actors to experiment because it’s safe, and everyone knows that we are making it up as we go,” Hernandez said. “Part of the fun is that we don’t know what’s going to happen.” Xavier Durham, economics sophomore and a writer for one of the plays, said the majority of audience members from last year’s show came from the college of engineering and the college of natural science. Durham said he believes it’s important for students from traditionally non-artistic majors, such as the STEM fields, to participate in the arts. “We live in a world where we downplay the arts,” Durham said. “That’s what really emphasizes creativity and problem solving. The arts are a big component of what we need to cultivate cognitive thinking and the understanding of how the world works.”
Sandy Lam, a Creative Arts + Theatre chair and an actress in the production, said she decided to try out directing in last year’s production. She said the experience eventually led to her writing and directing a musical, “How to be Super.” “A lot of people come to us without theater experience saying, ‘I just like to write,’ or, ‘I just like to sing,’” Lam said. “We want to empower people to eventually continue with leadership roles, and maybe they could also go on to write and direct a musical.” This year, Lam said she is eager to see how taking on an acting role will help her learn and grow. “I’m an introvert, and it’s really hard for me during auditions because I’m afraid of everybody in the room, and I get nervous,” Lam said. “Something that I want work on is how to socialize with others and work as a team instead of shouldering the responsibility and being a lone wolf.” Lam said despite having to stretch comfort zones and put in long rehearsal hours, being part of any theater production is ultimately rewarding. “You put on a show with the people you’ve worked together with, and at the end of it, you’re really proud,” Lam said. “No matter how short the show is, you’re always transformed in some way.”
When she’s not juggling a 22-hour course load, radiotelevision-film freshman Maddy Parkinson spends her time in a world of goddesses and a full-on dystopian rebellion. On Sept. 2, Parkinson released her debut novel, “Castigation,” as an e-book through Amazon Digital Services, Inc. The 420-page science fiction novel is the first installment of her trilogy entitled “Aremihc.” “Castigation” is available for $2.99 on Amazon.com and will be available in print in the coming months. Similar to “The Hunger Games” and “Divergent,” the novel follows the journey of a young woman, Saskia Wires, who rebels against the violent distopian society of Luella where she faces genetically modified monsters. “I had nightmares when I was growing up about creatures with ink and stars on their skin,” Parkinson said. “It used to help me deal with the nightmares to write about it, but I didn’t begin to seriously draw upon these ideas until I was about 14.” Originally born in Melbourne, Australia, Parkinson attended high school in Hong Kong, where she wrote most of the book. The hardest challenge, Parkinson said, was finding time to complete the novel between her intense high school courses. “I’d finish school, and while I took the train home, I’d sometimes type little passages on my phone or scribble bits of dialogue on paper that I just had to get out of my head before I forgot them,” Parkinson said. “I’d get home, eat dinner and do homework for a few hours, and then I’d sit at my desk and set a goal for myself. I’d say: You can’t go to sleep until you’ve written 3,000 words.” Although Parkinson has
Junyuan Tan | Daily Texan Staff
Radio-television-film freshman Maddy Parkinson is the author of “Castigation,” the first installment in the “Aremihc” trilogy.
been writing since she was a young girl, she said she never intended to make her work public. “I just felt this drive to get the world trapped in my head down on paper,” Parkinson said. “Parts of the story would bounce around in my head, and my fingers would twitch because they wanted to be typing, but they couldn’t because I was in class. Publishing the story didn’t cross my mind until much later.” Midway through her junior year of high school, Parkinson searched for a publisher until she met Deborah Gilbert of Soul Mate Publishing. Gilbert partnered with Parkinson in early 2015, and the two are working on releasing the print version of the book later this year. Besides entertaining readers, Parkinson hopes her novel will shed light on the minority groups she feels are underrepresented in modern teen novels. The main character of the novel is bisexual and plus size. Gay and transgender characters are present throughout the story. “There’s a lacking representation of certain troupes, characteristics and minorities in young adult literature,” Parkinson said. “So I made the decision to write ‘Castigation’ with characters that are as diverse as possible.”
CASTIGATION Author: Maddy Parkinson Genre: Science fiction Pages: 420
Now, Parkinson bounces ideas around with her friend, English freshman Carlee Maurier, for part two of the “Aremihc” trilogy, which she hopes to release in late 2016. “Maddy’s dedication and ability to pull readers in and her way of telling interesting and fresh stories are major skills she possesses,” Maurier said. “Her persistence and way with words certainly made any publishing company want to have her.” Up until the publication date, Parkinson said, very few people knew she was working on her novel. Now, she said, she takes pride in seeing others enjoy her novel. “At first it was hard because when I was querying, nobody would take me seriously because of my age,” Parkinson said. “But now, when I talk to people who have read it, it’s as if they know the characters like I do. Before, they only existed in my head.”