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Thursday, Spetmeber 24, 2015
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SYSTEM
System to conduct assault survey By Matthew Adams @MatthewAdams60
While UT-Austin waited for the Association of American Universities results, which was released Monday, the UT System had already initiated an independent sexual assault study across all its campuses. The study, which will be conducted through a survey, is tentatively scheduled to be released in October, according to Noel Busch-Armendariz, director of the Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual
Assault at UT. At the end of August, the UT System announced the four-year study, which is valued at $1.7 million and is the largest comprehensive assessment of campus sexual assaults. While the AAU only surveyed The new survey will examine sexual assault across all UT campuses. UT System Chancellor William H. McRaven said his experience investigating and addressing sexual assault in the U.S. military will inform his approach to safety on UT
System campuses. “I am determined to take similarly aggressive steps to ensure I understand the degree of the problem across our campuses and then, as required, take steps to ensure we are protecting our students and giving them the right tools to prevent and/or report sexual assault and harassment,” McRaven said. Busch-Armendariz said her research team has finalized the survey content, which is
SURVEY page 3
Joshua Guerra | Daily Texan Staff
Chancellor William McRaven is working with other System administrators to produce a system-wide sexual assault survey.
By Rachel Freeman @rachel_frmn
Joshua Guerra | Daily Texan Staff
Middle Eastern studies senior Senan Shaibani speaks at a protest on racism and anti-Islam attitudes in the United States on Wednesday evening. The protest was held in response to the arrest of Ahmed Mohamed in Irving, Texas.
to Islam and that is why he attended the demonstration. “The goal in rallies like this is collective liberation,” said Shaibani, Middle Eastern studies and philosophy senior. “That’s what’s most important, just for us all to be free. Islamophobia in particular is rampant across America. Not to take away from any other
UT ranks among top innovative universities @mikaelac16
Students protest anti-Islamic attitudes
to share their opinion. The speakers consisted of UT professors and students who had prepared statements or poetry to read. Senan Shaibani, who works with multiple activists group on campus and was arrested at the rally against police brutality in downtown Austin last week, said justice is “central”
UNIVERSITY
By Mikaela Cannizzo
CAMPUS
In front of the Martin Luther King Jr. statue on the East Mall, a group of students and community members gathered Wednesday to protest racism and anti-Islam attitudes in the U.S. The Palestine Solidarity Committee sponsored the demonstration, which was promoted through a Facebook event. The protest was inspired specifically by the arrest of Irving teenager Ahmed Mohamed, who was arrested earlier this month after bringing a homemade clock to school that teachers thought was a hoax bomb. The protest also addressed American attitudes and mistreatment of Muslims and minority races, according to Mohammed Nabulsi, committee member and secondyear law student. “We are here not only to protest the deplorable treatment of this young student [Ahmed Mohamed], but to contextualize and historicize this event,” Nabulsi said. “We are here to remind the Austin and UT community that UTAustin plays a critical role in perpetuating racism and violence across Muslims all across the world.” The rally featured eight scheduled speakers and devoted time for other students
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racism, but it’s an issue. My dream for the future is one day my kids will be able to be Muslims without having to explain themselves.” Aerospace engineering sophomore Carly May, who was eating dinner outside the SAC during the rally, said she had not experienced the effects of racism or anti-Islam
attitudes but respected the rally’s message. “The cool thing about UT is to see people standing up for what they believe in,” May said. “I certainly don’t think it’s wrong to bring up publicly what’s bothering you. It’s cool that we’ve had something like this and so many people have come out to support it.”
Advanced research and groundbreaking discoveries earned the UT System a seventh place ranking in Reuters’ top 100 list of “World’s Most Innovative Universities,” according to a Tuesday press release. The UT System received the award based on the total amount of patents filed and their overall impact, according to Jenny LaCoste-Caputo, UT System executive director for public affairs. “The rankings validate extraordinary discoveries from the UT System’s 14 institutions, which are leading to new cures, better treatment options, new technologies and increased scientific knowledge that make our society better,” UT System Chancellor William McRaven said in the press release. The System’s institutions take a collaborative approach through interdisciplinary research programs, according to LaCoste-Caputo. They focus research on science, medicine, engineering, energy, transportation and business. Through applied and clinical studies, the System produces publications, assists patients and educates more than 217,000 students. “The UT System has some of the greatest minds in the world, and those minds are being put to incredible use,” LaCoste-Caputo said. “Whether it’s fighting cancer, protecting the world from cyberthreats or outsmarting an outbreak, we’ve got the best and the brightest working for us from across the globe.” Transformational research and consistency of patents contribute to the System’s innovational success, according to the press release. ”The System receives a U.S. patent every two days, signs a commercialization agreement every three days and starts a new company every nine days,”
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STUDENT GOVERNMENT
CITY
SG works to expand UT amnesty program
Catholic parish undergoes renovations
By Zainab Calcuttawala @zainabroo94
New policies negotiated by Student Government and University administration will grant legal amnesty to students who dial 911 for emergency medical assistance in cases relating to the ingestion of any illicit substances, according to SG Chief of Staff Taral Patel. Earlier in the current legislative session, Student Government passed A.R. 5, a resolution supporting the expansion of the University’s existing alcohol amnesty program, which forgives students for drinking alcohol before the legal age of
21 if caught while procuring or assisting a student procure emergency medical services for alcohol-related crises. Instead of facing official charges for the underage consumption of alcohol, students are directed to Student Judicial Services for counseling under the amnesty policy, according to the University Health Services website. Under the expanded program, students who call for medical assistance relating to the use of any illegal substance will also have the amnesty program available, Patel, a neurobiology and government
AMNESTY page 2
By Ellie Breed
People walk by St. Austin’s Catholic Church on Guadalupe Street on Tuesday afternoon. The 63-year-old building will be undergo practical, safety-related renovations in the coming year.
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St. Austin Catholic Parish, located on Guadalupe Street across from the University, will undergo a $3,750,000 renovation beginning in spring of 2016 to address safety concerns. The metal clips that hold the limestone blocks onto the front façade of the church have rusted and expanded, an issue which will eventually cause pieces of stone to fall from the front of the building onto the sidewalk, head pastor Father Charles Kullmann said. “We needed to address this structural issue more than the cosmetic issues,” Kullmann
Briana Vargas Daily Texan Staff
said. “The church needs to renovate for safety. We certainly don’t want any unsafe conditions on our church campus.”
Kullmann said fundraising for the project was successful because of the parish’s dedicated staff and the plainly evident need for renovation.
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Panelists call out Obama’s Clean Energy Program. PAGE 3
This week’s forum page and The Texan Talks panel focuses on campus safety and security.
Volleyball takes on TCU in Big 12 opener. PAGE 6
Technology affects how students process information. PAGE 8
Steve Patterson’s legacy will go past the scorebard. PAGE 6
UT senior launches travel company for students. PAGE 8
Watch our video recap of the protest against racism and anti-Islamic attitudes at
Architect promotes preservation of Austin church. PAGE 3
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“Parishioners understood and responded generously,” Kullmann said. “It was a lot of
PARISH page 2 REASON TO PARTY
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