1
COMICS PAGE 7
NEWS PAGE 3
SPORTS PAGE 6
Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900
@thedailytexan
facebook.com/dailytexan
Thursday,December 3, 2015
dailytexanonline.com
CAMPUS
Few attend tuition increase forum By Jameson Pitts @jamesonpitts
Only a handful of members of the University community attended the first public forum hosted by the Tuition Policy Advisory Committee on Wednesday. Exactly one student spoke to express concern about the recommended tuition increase during an opportunity for student feedback. “I think there’s a combination of factors — finals week, and then it might suggest some sentiment to the $150 increase — I
don’t know,” Student Government President Xavier Rotnofsky said of the low attendance. While tuition committee members were present to listen to student feedback about the recommended tuition increase, interim University CFO Mary Knight said the committee planned public forums to help explain why the recommended increase is necessary. “It’s really just to give information on the current budget situation … so that hopefully students will understand the need,” Knight said.
Knight began the event with a presentation about how inflation and falling state contributions since the last tuition increase in 2011 have led to a budget deficit of around $40 million. Around 30 individuals were present in the presentation room, including the 10-member tuition committee, Daily Texan staff, audio-visual staff and other university officials. After Knight’s presentation, a student in the audience asked
Zoe Fu | Daily Texan Staff
TUITION page 2
Mary Knight, interim university CFO, speaks at the first public forum hosted by the Tuition Policy Advisory Committee.
Sweatt family supports UT’s holistic review in Fisher case @MatthewAdams60
Spoken word poet retells life stories© By Mikaela Cannizzo @mikaelac16
POET page 2
UNIVERSITY
By Matthew Adams
CAMPUS
Sarah Kay, a poet who appeared on a TED talk at the 2011 conference and performed on HBO’s “Def Poetry Jam,” presented a montage of her poems for students on campus Wednesday night. Event coordinators from four Campus Events + Entertainment communities, including Distinguished Speakers, Asian American Culture, Headliners and Creative Arts + Theatre, organized the event to bring awareness to performancebased poetry. Jesse Minchey, event coordinator and English sophomore, said he wanted Kay to present spoken word poetry to students because she pursues an innovative form of art that he and other students can personally connect with. “When I watched her TED talk, it wasn’t a very abstract
bit.ly/dtvid
Morgan Boone | Daily Texan Staff
Sarah Kay, poet and Project V.O.I.C.E. founder, presents some of her spoken word poems at the SAC Ballroom on Wednesday evening.
In 1946, Heman Marion Sweatt, an African-Americant, was denied admission into the UT School of Law on the basis of race. This case was the first time the Supreme Court found that diversity, including racial diversity was a compelling component of higher education and would be referenced again in the University of California Regents v. Bakke and Grutter v. Bollinger at the University of Michigan. Former University president Theophilus Painter wrote a letter to the Texas Attorney General that Sweatt was a citizen of Texas “duly qualified for admission to the Law School at the University of Texas, save and except for the fact that he is a negro.” Once again, the University’s admission practices are in the spotlight. The Supreme Court will hear the Fisher v. University of Texas for the second time addressing the legality of affirmative action. UT filed a response on Oct. 26 to the brief Abigail Fisher filed in September, and the family of Heman Marion Sweatt filed the first brief in support of the University the same day as the University. Hemella Sweatt-Duplechan, the daughter of Sweatt and a dermatological pathologist, said the family filed a brief when Fisher v. UT was heard in 2013. SweattDuplechan said the family has been invested in admissions equality dating back to her father’s case that paved
SWEATT page 2
UNIVERSITY
WEST CAMPUS
UT lacks P.E. requirement despite statewide obesity
Apartments earn poor ‘green’ ratings
By Ashley Tsao @tsaoashley
In the face of rising obesity rates in Texas, mandatory physical education courses at UT would help reduce the number of overweight and obese adults, health education clinical professor Dolly Lambdin said. According to The State of Obesity, a website that provides national obesity statistics, around one-third of all Texans are considered obese, making Texas the 11th most obese state in the United States. P.E. courses were a requirement for UT students 40 years ago but are not currently mandatory. According to Lambdin, a personal health and fitness class would empower students with the skills and knowledge to make physical activity and healthy nutritional choices a part of their daily lives. “Educated citizens would
then demand healthier products and address the problems of the amazing amount of advertising of unhealthy foods in their communities which would make living a healthy lifestyle much easier,” Lambdin said. Mandatory P.E. courses would teach students to feel comfortable going into physical activity settings, according to Lambdin. “Many people buy memberships and then don’t go to the gym because they feel intimidated,” Lambdin said. “They don’t join a dance group or go play golf or tennis because they don’t have confidence in their movement. Education can change this.” Finance junior Rachel Lee said mandatory P.E. courses would benefit both students and the University academically. “Healthier students can also
P.E. COURSES page 2
By Jackie Wang
Finance junior Grant Kjeldsen sits in his 13th floor apartment at 2400 Nueces. The apartment contains many “green” features, including kitchen countertops that are made out of recycled material.
@jcqlnwng
Finance junior Grant Kjeldsen moved into 2400 Nueces at the beginning of the fall semester because a friend offered to give him all of his furniture if he took over his lease. The finance junior loves the building, and said one of his favorite parts about his apartment is the natural lighting. “I hardly ever have the lights on during the day because there are such great windows,” Kjeldsen said. “I don’t notice a huge difference in heating and cooling; I don’t see the bills. But the biggest part for me is the lights — having daylight all the time is useful.” 2400 Nueces is considered the greenest complex in West Campus, according to a rating system established by the Austin Energy Green Building program. AEGB designated 22
Rachel Zein Daily Texan Staff
buildings in West Campus as one-star developments in the program’s most recent rating, which still means the building developer may have gone beyond basic city requirements for construction. It’s very difficult to achieve a high rating on the AEGB scale. The program rated 2400 Nueces four stars on their efficiency and sustainability rating system, the highest
score out of the 34 multifamily complexes rated in 2015 in West Campus. AEGB scores buildings on a point system. Buildings can add points to their total score by installing water-efficient appliances, having efficient cooling and heating systems and so on. Basic city requirements for construction do not count toward points, and buildings must tally up at least 29 points be-
NEWS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFE&ARTS
ONLINE
Author discusses water conservation for the U.S. PAGE 3
Only some win in daily fantasy sports. PAGE 4
Longhorns bully Bulldogs behind Boyette. PAGE 6
Students and faculty discuss racial representation on campus.
Students have a chance to ‘chill’ before finals week. PAGE 3
Filing fees favor few presidential candidates. PAGE 4
Freshmen to face pressure of NCAA Tournament. PAGE 6
Watch our science scene video about the complex relationship between race and genetics.
PAGE 8
dailytexanonline.com
fore breaking into the next level: two stars. While this program exists to encourage sustainable development, there are still no real incentives for developers to exceed basic requirements beyond standing out in the housing market, said Heidi Kasper, the administrator of green building and sustainability at
APARTMENTS page 3 REASON TO PARTY
PAGE 7
2 2
Thursday, December 3, 2015
FRAMES featured photo
NEWS
thedailytexan
Volume 116, Issue 79
CONTACT US Main Telephone (512) 471-4591 Editor-in-Chief Claire Smith (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com Managing Editor Jack Mitts (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com News Office (512) 232-2207 news@dailytexanonline.com Multimedia Office (512) 471-7835 dailytexanmultimedia@ gmail.com Sports Office (512) 232-2210 sports@dailytexanonline.com Life & Arts Office (512) 232-2209 dtlifeandarts@gmail.com Retail Advertising (512) 471-1865 advertise@texasstudentmedia.com
Morgan Boone | Daily Texan Staff
Two women relax in Zilker Park Wednesday afternoon.
Classified Advertising (512) 471-5244 classifieds@ dailytexanonline.com
SWEATT
continues from page 1 the way for Brown v. Board of Education but said race and education is more than just an issue UT has to address. “It has been important that we find not only a great institution but one that has diversity, not just ethnic diversity but social and economic diversity,” Sweatt-Duplechan said. “I think all of those factors are important, especially
The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely. If we have made an error, let us know about it. Call (512) 232-2217 or e-mail managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com.
COPYRIGHT Copyright 2015 Texas Student Media. All articles, photographs and graphics, both in the print and online editions, are the property of Texas Student Media and may not be reproduced or republished in part or in whole without written permission.
P.E. COURSES continues from page 1
RECYCLE
your copy of TOMORROW’S WEATHER
High
63
Low
39
“Spy Kids 4” brought me to tears.
This issue of The Daily Texan is valued at $1.25 Permanent Staff
Editor-in-Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Claire Smith Associate Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Adam Hamze, Kat Sampson, Jordan Shenhar Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Mitts Associate Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amy Zhang News Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Samantha Ketterer Associate News Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anthony Green News Desk Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sameer Assanie, Rachel Lew, Josh Willis, Caleb Wong Senior Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Matthew Adams, Nashwa Bawab, Zainab Calcuttawala, Lauren Florence Copy Desk Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cameron Peterson Associate Copy Desk Chiefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Myra Ali, Megan Hix, Kailey Thompson Design Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Virginia Scherer Senior Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lillian Michel, Kelly Smith, Iliana Storch Video Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bryce Seifert Senior Videographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hannah Evans, Heather Finnegan, Lilian Smith Photo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Daulton Venglar Associate Photo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stephanie Tacy Senior Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . Charlotte Carpenter, Joshua Guerra, Graeme Hamilton, Thalia Juarez, Rachel Zein Forum Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Walker Fountain Senior Opinion Columnists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mary Dolan, Noah M. Horwitz Life&Arts Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Danielle Lopez Life&Arts Associate Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cat Cardenas, Marisa Charpentier Senior Life&Arts Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Duncan, Alex Pelham, Katie Walsh Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jori Epstein Associate Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jacob Martella Senior Sports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Akshay Mirchandani, Blanche Schaefer, Michael Shapiro, Aaron Torres Comics Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Albert Lee Associate Comics Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Amber Perry, Lindsay Rojas Senior Comics Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Connor Murphy, Isabella Palacios, Victoria Smith, Melanie Westfall Special Ventures Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Madlin Mekelburg Special Ventures Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Julia Brouillette, Eleanor Dearman, Graham Dickie, Jackie Wang Special Ventures Photo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rachel Zein Social Media Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Erin Duncan Public Outreach Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jenny McKay Technical Operations Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tom Li Senior Tech Team Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nicole Cobler, Adam Humphrey, Sam Limerick, Cameron Peterson Editorial Adviser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter Chen
Issue Staff
Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mikaela Cannizzo, Estefania Espinosa, Jameson Pitts Sports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Claire Cruz, Ezra Siegel, Haley Steinman Copy Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lauren Hanks, Danielle Leighninger, Ryan Steppe Life&Arts Writers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elizabeth Hlavinka, Maluly Martinez Page Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Danny Goodman, Kasturi Kulkarni Comics Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Seth Murchison, Chester Omenukor, Rachel Tyler Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Morgan Boone, Jack DuFon, Zoe Fu
Business and Advertising
(512) 471-1865 | advertise@texasstudentmedia.com Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gerald Johnson Business/Operations Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Frank Serpas III Advertising Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Denise Twellmann Account Executives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brandy Beal, Allysun Gutierrez, Celeste Schurman, Shukree Shabazz Student Account Executives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Camilo Sanchez, Andrew Serice Student Designer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jannice Truong Special Editions/Production Coordinator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Stephen Salisbury
The Daily Texan, a student newspaper at The University of Texas at Austin, is published by Texas Student Media, 2500 Whitis Ave., Austin, TX 78712. The Daily Texan is published daily, Monday through Friday, during the regular academic year and is published once weekly during the summer semester. The Daily Texan does not publish during academic breaks, most Federal Holidays and exam periods. News contributions will be accepted by telephone (471-4591), or at the editorial office (HSM 2.120). Entire contents copyright 2015 Texas Student Media.
The Daily Texan Mail Subscription Rates One Semester (Fall or Spring) $60.00 Two Semesters (Fall and Spring) $120.00 Summer Session $40.00 One Year (Fall, Spring and Summer) $150.00 To charge by VISA or MasterCard, call 471-5083. Send orders and address changes to Texas Student Media, P.O. Box D, Austin, TX 78713-8904.
Texan Ad Deadlines
today as the world becomes more global, so that is why it is important for universities to have a diverse population.” Sweatt-Duplechan said aside from the issue of race in admissions, figuring out how to educate low-income minority students is crucial. “It is important to not only acknowledge but begin to change that experience prior to getting to college,” Sweatt-Duplechan said. “That is really our next step in my mind. I feel like
12/3/15 Monday .............Wednesday, 12 p.m. Thursday.................Monday, 12 p.m. Tuesday.................Thursday, 12 p.m. Friday......................Tuesday, 12 p.m. Word Ads 11 a.m. Wednesday................Friday, 12 p.m. Classified (Last Business Day Prior to Publication)
yield better grades and better statistics for the school,” Lee said. “But I think a variety of classes should be offered so that students can choose … whether they want something rigorous or more laid back.” P.E. courses would benefit students when they are hired for a professional career, according to Lambdin. “The success of careers depends on employees being healthy enough to do their jobs with vitality,” Lambdin said. “The success of most businesses depends on controlling overhead costs, a major one of which
POET
continues from page 1 or distant poetry,” Minchey said. “It didn’t feel like I was looking at something far away — it felt like I was actually there listening to [her performance] and I could feel it.” Kay, who began as a poetry slam competitor at the age of 14, now performs her poetry to audiences throughout the country. She is also the founder and co-director
getting students more prepared for college, especially from lower economic families despite ethnicities is important because as a country we don’t value it as much as other countries and we are paying the price.” Edmund Gordon, chair of the department of the African and African diaspora studies at UT, said the University’s low African-American representation in the student and faculty population, which is less than 5 percent, is an issue is the health of their employees and their families.” Despite the benefits of requiring students to take P.E., the University’s lack of funding for credit hours has been a factor in trying to institute such a course, Lambdin said. International relations freshman Margaux Bartzen believes UT has made the right choice by not implementing a mandatory P.E. course. “We’ve done that all throughout high school and the past 12 years,” Bartzen said. “It would cost extra money that we want to spend on classes that we’re interested in and it would be a waste of our time.” of Project VOICE, a program that encourages students to become more confident in their own voice and creative abilities by learning about spoken word poetry. Elena Pinaroc, a junior biology student who attended the event, said Kay’s ability to present the poems she writes empowers her to think about her own life. “Her messages in her poems speak to me and are really applicable to my life like the theme about falling in
that needs to be addressed. “Black faculty in particular are very much in favor of affirmative action, that we recognize its importance in creating this university,” Gordon said. “And the great majority of us would think this university should do more in its use of affirmative action to make sure the student population, graduate student population and faculty population is as diverse.” Student government
president Rohit Mandalapu said with UT’s initiative for diversity, having the Sweatt family is an important step. “Heman Sweatt is the face of diversity and battling through diversity here at UT,” Mandalapu said. “The fact that his descendants are now in support of UT’s use of race as one of its factors in the admissions process speaks volumes about how racial issues are prevalent in society even today.”
TUITION
student organizations. He said the online feedback shows low attendance does not necessarily signal student apathy. “You have to also look at the amount of responses online,” Mandalapu said. “Overwhelmingly students aren’t in favor of a tuition increase, but they understand the necessity for one.” Rotnofsky and Mandalapu encouraged students to voice their opinions to both the tuition committee as well as the Texas Legislature. The committee will meet with President Fenves to discuss feedback from the forums before he submits his recommendation to the UT System next week. The second and final forum will be held Thursday at 10 a.m. in the Main Building.
continues from page 1 for clarification about the possibility of additional state funding or contributions from Texas Athletics. The student, who declined a follow-up interview request, also raised concerns to the committee about the tuition policy process. “I think this feedback is going to a trash bin,” the student said at the forum. “The numbers so far have been very sympathetic to the institution.” Student Government Vice President Rohit Mandalapu said committee members have been reviewing the 1,200 online responses as well as feedback from previous presentations by the committee at legislative love,” Pinaroc said. “She says not to lose yourself when you actually do fall in love for the first time.” Kay performed poems about a variety of topics including relationships, her childhood and politics. While Kay said every poem she writes is personal, she said she does not believe in immediately sharing everything she writes. “I believe that there is a difference between personal and private,” Kay said. “If I
write something and the idea of people hearing it makes me want to pass out, it’s private. And I still needed to write it and it still needed to exist, but I don’t need to get on stage and share it.” The event also included opening act performances by members of Spitshine Poetry, a student organization dedicated to cultivating the skill of spoken word poetry and providing a stage for poets to share their work.
CAMPUS
ChillFest provides study break from finals By Estefania Espinosa @essie20
The scene in the Union ballroom was more relaxed, despite the overwhelming intensity of the final week of classes. Every semester, Campus Events + Entertainment hosts ChillFest, an event to help students take a break as they prepare for final exams. Students had the opportunity to play with therapy dogs provided by Austin Pets Alive, pop as much bubble wrap as they pleased, and receive free chair massages from RecSports masseuses. Sean Rose, radio-television-film senior and
organizer for the event, said ChillFest is held so students can unwind and prevent mental health concerns. “The whole point of ChillFest was obviously to relax, take a breath before you dive in deep,” Rose said. “If there’s not a time when you can just come and do something different, then mentally, it damages people.” This semester marks the fifth semester ChillFest was held, and Campus E+E introduced new activities such as board games, iron-on Perler beads and coloring books. Hot chocolate and the gingerbread man decoration are seasonal to fall semesters, since the event takes place
around the holidays. Business pre-med freshman Sana Kidwai said the event helped her fill up gaps in her schedule and stop worrying for a little while. “There are certain times between classes when you don’t know what to do other than stress out,” Kidwai said. “It’s important to have time for yourself in between all of the rigorous studying that you’re going to be doing.” Kidwai said her favorite part was making DIY keychains because it brought back memories of more carefree days. “This used to be a huge thing in elementary school,” Kidwai said. “It’s just like a major throwback. It takes me
back to the time when I didn’t have finals to worry about.” Youth and community studies freshman Robert Morgan said popping the bubble wrap helped him release builtup tension. “It’s really easy to get caught up in schoolwork and get super stressed out really fast,” Morgan said. “I think that’s why it’s so important to have these events so you can take a step back and breathe.” Morgan said this time of the semester can make students lose sight of the bigger picture. “We have to remember that this is all just temporary,” Morgan said. “Your grades are important but they don’t define who you are.”
3
NEWS
3
Thursday, December 3, 2015
CITY
Austin water summit hosts Seth Siegel The world is falling into a water crisis, but the technological advances to manage it already exist, author and activist Seth Siegel said on Wednesday afternoon at the Austin Water Summit. At a summit hosted by the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs and the Jewish National Fund, Siegel, author of “Let There Be Water: Israel’s Solution for a Water-Starved Word,” said the United States can learn from Israel’s water conservation efforts. “When you can pull everyone together to think and move in a common direction, it’s truly quite remarkable what kinds of transformation of that society you can affect,” Siegel said. According to Siegel, 60 percent of the world’s land mass will have severe water problems in fewer than 10 years. In addition, 40 of the 50 U.S. states will also suffer from water shortages within the same time frame, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Siegel said causes of water problems include climate change, growing population
and urbanization. Despite having many of these factors in addition to a desert climate, Israel does not have large problems with water accessibility because the country has chosen to make water an existential priority, according to Siegel. This has resulted in government ownership of water, as well as technological innovations to conserve water, such as desalinization, drip irrigation, sewage treat-
APARTMENTS
TOP 5 AEGB SCORES IN WEST CAMPUS
continues from page 1
Austin Energy. West Campus apartment buildings hardly advertise environmental standards. If they do, they do not promote their sustainability rating as the main selling point, said Ross Colley, a realtor at West Campus Living. The most important factors are location and cost. e said “They just want to know s low what it looks like and how sarily cheap it is,” Colley said. Although cost is the at the biggest factor when apartnline,” ment shopping, most peohelm- ple fail to consider the cost vor of of utilities in their overall y un- rent, which can make the one.” biggest difference in price, alapu Kasper said. Renters need voice to understand that differhe tu- ent buildings may have as the different utility costs, she said. meet “Unless people are goo dis- ing to demand [efficienrums cy] from apartments they com- choose and considering ystem that when they are lookd final ing for an apartment, the day at value to a developer is reng. duced,” Kasper said. “We need smart owners, ones that want to live in green buildings.” 2400 Nueces charges residents an all-inclusive rate, which covers water, electricity, cable and Internet. This adds a competitive edge to their place in the student housing market, said Lawrence Briggs, the complex’s leasing and marketing manager. The electricity is capped, but
didn’t t.” unity Morubble built-
aught et sufast,” that’s have ake a
of the dents cture. r that More imdefine
Author and activist Seth Siegel speaks at the Austin Water Summit hosted by the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Policy and the Jewish National Fund.
By Selah Maya Zighelboim @SelahMaya
Joshua Guerra Daily Texan Staff
ment and genetic modification of seeds to grow in brackish water. “The world is divided into two types of people — people who think water comes from a faucet, and those who walk with a bucket in their hands, looking skyward, wondering when the next rainfall will come,” Siegel said. Joseph Paritzky, former minister of infrastructure and energy in Israel, said the prioritization of water con-
1
2400 Nueces
4
2
Quarters Montgomery
3
3
Villas
2
4
21 Rio
1
5
The Block on 25th
1
residents rarely use more than their allotted energy per month. The building’s sustainability and efficiency is mentioned in tours of the building, but most people are drawn to the apartment because of its location — two blocks from the edge of campus, Briggs said. Kjeldsen pays $1,029 a month for his twobedroom, two-bathroom apartment, but he is moving on because of price increases. 2400 Nueces has some of the highest rental rates in West Campus, but filling his vacancy won’t be hard — the complex always leases out quickly, Briggs said. Building for efficiency and sustainability does not always cost a lot, but some parts of efficient and sustainable development are quite expensive, Kasper said. “The sad part is if the developer pays for really high-efficiency air conditioning units, even if they are owning and operating the building, they are not seeing the direct impact on their line,” she said. “Residents are. [There will be no change] until residents
start understanding there is a total cost to ownership.” AEGB, an Austin Energy program, rates buildings in the entire Austin Energy Service Area, which does not completely coincide with city limits but essentially covers the city. AEGB predates the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED), the national green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices, according to the LEED website. AEGB was the first green building program in the country. The organization started in 1990, and actually inspired LEED, Kasper said. While LEED exists in Austin, AEGB still takes its rating system very seriously because having local ratings is advantageous, Kasper said. The program is tailored to Austin’s climate and keeps in mind other local initiatives when revising their rating system. “We have points in our ratings aligned with Imagine Austin plan,” Kasper said. “You won’t see that in LEED.” The rating system gets
servation will require a cultural shift in the United States to start thinking of water as a precious resource. He said he once suggested to former Gov. Rick Perry that Texas should offer free artificial lawns to conserve on water. “He told me it was a great idea, but it wasn’t going to work because we need to change the mind of the public,” Paritzky said. “It’s an issue of culture, and it takes time to change culture.”
Graeme Campbell, history and Jewish studies sophomore who attended the summit, said he thinks it’s important for the U.S. to learn from Israel conservation efforts. “I think that conservation and what they talked about in terms of changing the culture [is important] because I think we have a culture of excess,” Campbell said. “We should think about watering our lawns, better use and managing what we have.”
Rachel Zein | Daily Texan Staff
The Austin Energy Green Building Program gave the 2400 Nueces apartment complex a rating of four out of five stars — the highest in West Campus.
progressively stricter, and AEGB raises the bar about every three years. The baseline of what Austin requires in a building is already fairly efficient, Kasper said. “Building up to code in Austin is pretty efficient,” Kasper said. “Projects coming to us have to do better than that [which is] relatively achievable. Everything we do on the one star is meant to be achievable with a little work and thought.” West Campus apartment buildings’ ratings have improved with the years, even if their ratings haven’t, Kasper said. She could only remember a few five-star projects in recent years, and those were developed by owners aiming to own their buildings for the long haul and had the incentive to build more sustainability to cut down on maintenance and increase durability. “If you’re planning on
owning and operating a building for the next 100 years, you’re going to have a longer term view than if you’re planning on selling it in five,” Kasper said.
TAKE HOME A DOZEN OR MORE!
Just heat and serve.
Pork Tamales $7.99 A DOZEN Jalapeño Cheese Tamales $7.99 A DOZEN Beef Tamales $8.99 A DOZEN Chicken Tamales $8.99 A DOZEN 3909 N I- 35 Service Rd. 5510 South I H 35
Graduate students oppose campus carry As faculty members from Gun-Free UT continue to debate the safety of the University leading up to the implementation of campus carry, graduate students made their voices heard Tuesday in a letter to University President Gregory Fenves. More than 1,000 graduate and professional students across UT expressed their opposition to Senate Bill 11, which allows people 21 years and older to have a concealed handgun. The Texas Senate passed the bill in May and Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill into law in June. In an email the group said these students chose to remain anonymous during their campaign as they call themselves “Coordinators for: UT Graduate Students Oppose Guns in Classrooms.” “Graduate and Professional Students operate as both students in classrooms as well as educators in their roles as Assistant Instructors and Teaching Assistants, and they are therefore particularly affected by the implementation of SB 11,” the group said in an email. “We have managed the campaign with the help of a number of volunteers who are also graduate students at UT Austin.” The group said that the online petition has been open to the public since Oct. 16, with the goal to send a letter to Fenves and the Board of Regents on Dec. 1. This petition will be available online through August 2016 and the group said in an email they expect the number of signatures to grow as media outlets report about it and more student groups become involved in discussions regarding campus carry. Campus carry goes into effect on Aug. 1, 2016, which is also the same day as the 50th anniversary of the Charles Whitman shooting that killed 15 people and left 32 others wounded. —Matthew Adams
Name: 4307/Mellow Mushroom; NEW LOCATION IN ROUND ROCKWidth: IS HIRING 19p4; Depth: 4 in; Color: Process color, 4307/Mellow Mushroom; Ad Number: 4307
MELLOW MUSHROOM on Guadalupe has closed. Good news though... NEW FRANCHISEES are in town and are opening a new location in Round Rock. We are currently hiring for all positions. To join our Mellow Family, go to Mellowmushroom.com or come see us at 2600 N Interstate 35 Round Rock, TX 78681. We look forward to seeing you soon. Stay Mellow!
Name: 4282/Fiesta Mart; Width: 60p0; Depth: 5 in; Color: Process color, 4282/Fiesta Mart; Ad Number: 4282
TAMALES
NEWS BRIEFLY
4 OPINION
4
CLAIRE SMITH, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | @TexanEditorial Thursday, December 3, 2015
COLUMN
Daily fantasy sports: Only some win By Alexander Chase Daily Texan Columnist @alexwchase
Disappointed Dallas Cowboys fans cannot magically make the football season start over. If they wish to throw some money away, though, they can reset their fantasy football season. Fantasy football has long been played in a season-long format parallel to the pros, where players build their teams by divvying out athletes among their fantasy league before the season starts. From there, certain statistics turn into points. The game is more than a competition, it is a social experience: The first event I attended after arriving at UT was a fantasy football draft just like that. If you have watched sports on television in the past few months, however, you might have noticed that fantasy sports have changed. Daily fantasy sports site DraftKings spent $22,535,747 on 6,053 ads on the first weekend of the professional football season alone. Hate them or not, there is no avoiding this explosion of daily fantasy sports. These games operate in a fundamentally different way than their season-long cousins. Daily fantasy sports games allow players to build a one-time team based on a budget and tiered player contract system. These games are not about picking players who will score the most points, but players who provide the best value for their cost. Up to 229,000 players will enter a Draft-
Regardless of superficial characteristics that lend the appearance of a skill-based game, people use these sites like gambling, and they cheat people who are not wealthy enough to win out of money. Kings contest with a top prize of $1 million this weekend, but this game is not designed for the majority of football fans. Optimizing lineups requires accurate performance projections, which many fans just do not have. The most successful players devise elaborate player performance models and then hedge their bets with thousands of entries. While DraftKings and FanDuel tell fans that anyone can win, the truth is much different. A study conducted last summer found that 91 percent of the player profits were won by just 1.3 percent of players. Eighty-five percent of all players are losing more than 30 percent of their entry fees. This means these sites sit in a precarious legal state. Nevada and New York recently banned these sites on the basis that they are gambling. But if they are “skill-based games,” like the sites say, then they are not gambling and, therefore, legal. Earning inequality suggests there is skill, but that skill seems to be modeling and money.
COLUMN
Illustration by Jason Cheon | Daily Texan Staff
Either way, the dangers of daily fantasy as it currently exists are very real. Regardless of superficial characteristics that lend the appearance of a skill-based game, people use these sites for activites similar to gambling, and they cheat people who are not wealthy enough to win out of money. For that reason, regulation of daily fantasy sports needs to be a serious political issue. While it is not necessary for presidential candidate Jeb Bush to brag about his team’s record, how he approaches the regulation of an unfair market is. This is
what daily fantasy has become, and politicians need to address it as such. These games themselves are ultimately somewhat unimportant. It does not matter who won their fantasy league last year, but it does matter that citizens are protected from websites that will take their money in bad faith. While fans cannot change Dallas’ football fortunes all that much, they can choose their own. It is time to make sure they do. Chase is a Plan II and economics junior from Royse City.
COLUMN
Sanders is not a Democrat, should not be treated like one
COSTS TO BE ON THE BALLOT
Estimated cost $2 million* for each candidate to have their name on every district ballot in the nation.
It costs $5,000 to be put on the ballot in the 36 congressional districts in Texas.
*Filing fees vary by state and political party.
Candidates can also get 4,500 signatures total with 300 signatures from 15 districts for Republican primaries. Sources: National numbers from Politico, Texas numbers from The Texas Tribune.
Infographic by Iliana Storch | Daily Texan Staff
Filing fees favor few presidential candidates By Derek Poludniak Daily Texan Columnist @DerekPoludniak
It’s the most wonderful time of the year: filing season for the presidential candidates. The Texas primary may not be until March of next year, but both major parties in Texas are feeling especially greedy this season by asking their candidates to pay up or pass on Texas’ primary delegates. For Republicans, candidates have two options: either pay $5,000 or gather at least 300 signatures each from 15 of Texas’ 36 congressional districts. (That is, 4,500 signatures altogether.) But $5,000 is a bargain compared to many other states. Gaining access to Alabama’s ballot costs $10,000 and South Carolina’s is a whopping $40,000. By the end of the primary process, it’s estimated that it will cost candidates about $2 million to have their name on every ballot. For the richest of the candidates, such as billionaire Donald Trump, there will be no problem gaining access. But cash-strapped candidates, such as Sen. Rand Paul (RKy.), who has only $2.1 million cash on hand, will either have to pick and choose the most important primary contests or raise more money. The second option might prove easier for financially burdened candidates since Paul will likely not have trouble finding more than 4,500 voters in Texas who want him on the ballot. However, for candidates like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore, it’s hard enough finding one supporter nationally let alone 4,500 in the state of Texas.
State party leaders are taking away one of the most important decisions the voters make: deciding who has the opportunity to be the next president. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party gives their candidates a slightly better bargain. For just $2,500 or 500 signatures, any candidate can get their name on the ballot. But $2,500 is still too much. Gaining access to the primary ballot in Texas and every other state should not cost candidates a single dollar. By doing so, state party leaders are taking away one of the most important decisions the voters make: deciding who has the opportunity to be the next president. The requirements to become president are simple according to the constitution: he or she must be at least 35 years old, be a natural born citizen and have lived in the country for at least 14 years. However, there might as well be an asterisk at the end saying “some restrictions may apply” because unless the candidate is wealthy or well-connected, party leaders aren’t interested. The greatest gift party leaders can give this holiday season is to even the playing field and remove the filing fee so that voters are given every possible option. Poludniak is an international relations and global studies sophomore from San Antonio.
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 Noah M. Horwitz
Daily Texan Senior Columnist @NmHorwitz
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the current runner-up in the Democratic presidential primaries, has been making a splash nationwide. Despite not coming anywhere near the needed level of support to usurp former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the likely Democratic nominee for president, Sanders has energized many on the left, specifically many young people. He has filled stadiums and changed the conversation within the political party that currently occupies the White House and has won the popular vote in five of the last six presidential elections. But Sanders, despite his newfound popularity, is not a good fit for the Democratic Party. In fact, in many ways, he is anathema to its principles. You may have noticed the little “I” in the parenthesis that appears next to his name in the preceding paragraph. It’s an “I,” not a “D.” This is because Sanders has been elected twice to the senate not as a Democrat, but as an independent. Specifically, Sanders declares himself to be a “democratic socialist.” Admittedly, Sanders’ politics are a far cry from European socialism. As has been pointed out already in the press, Sanders does not want to “nationalize the steel mills.” However, words matter, and the word “socialist” has some very ugly associations. In a campaign that obstreperously heralds revolution, Americans would be remiss not to think of the benefits of a capitalist economy. “Capitalism allows for people to work hard to achieve success, which is the premise of the American dream,” said Samantha Minkowitz, a member of the American Enterprise Institute, a center-right think tank active on campus, as well as a Student Government representative for the College of Liberal Arts. “As a country that champions hard work and is founded on the American dream, we must make sure that we remain a land of equal opportunity.” Indeed, eschewing capitalism has been anything but a Democratic value of late. But perhaps Sanders’ most telling departure
When the deficits run amok, it is usually due to unneeded tax cuts by Republican presidents, not outlandish spending by Democrats. Bernie Sanders would change that tradition. from his ostensible compatriots has been his platform’s fiscal irresponsibility. Sanders’ proposals, which include singlepayer health care and free college for every American, among other ideals, have an estimated price tag of $18 trillion over a decade. (That’s about the size of the entire U.S. national debt.) Now, single-payer health care and free college are not necessarily bad ideas. The rest of the industrialized world has largely implemented them in some form, even capitalist power centers such as Germany and Japan. The big problem with Sanders’ ambitious platform is that there is no proposal to pay for it. The same estimates show that only $6.5 trillion in new revenue would be raised. That’s an extra $11.5 trillion in the debt, for those of you playing at home. And, despite what right-wing demagogues may incessantly fib about, Democrats are the party of fiscal responsibility. A Democrat, President Bill Clinton, was the last chief executive to balance the budget. And the current commander-in-chief, President Barack Obama, has slashed the deficit by more than two-thirds since taking office. His signature policy achievement, Obamacare, actually reduces the deficit! (Again, don’t believe the lies on Fox News.) Time and time again, Democrats have stood firm as the party of low deficits and responsible solutions. When the deficits run amok, it is usually due to unneeded tax cuts by Republican presidents, not outlandish spending by Democrats. Bernie Sanders would change that tradition. Horwitz is a government senior from Houston.
ONLINE
Our commentary doesn’t stop on the page. For more of our thoughts on the issues of the day, check out our blog, A Matter of Opinion, at dailytexanonline.com.
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.
RECYCLE | Please recycle this copy of The Daily Texan. Place the paper in one of the recycling bins on campus or back in the burnt-orange newsstand where you found it. EDITORIAL TWITTER | Follow The Daily Texan Editorial Board on Twitter (@TexanEditorial) and receive updates on our latest editorials and columns.
CLASS 5
LIFE&ARTS
5
Thursday, December 3, 2015
INTERNATIONAL continues from page 8
said he’s also noticed a lack of connection among members of the international community and UT students. Gröön, who grew up in Stockholm, Sweden, said the fact that international students all attend the same orientation plays a role in the separation. “It’s hard to branch out,” Gröön said. “You get put in the same room as other international students who also don’t know anybody. You look out the window and see all these Americans already have their community, so of course you’re just going to get to know the people in that room.” After joining Delta Kappa Alpha, a cinematic fraternity on campus, Gröön said he was able to make friends with students native to the United States.
UNDOCUMENTED continues from page 8
authorization and a social security card. DACA is not a form of citizenship, and it must be renewed every two years. “It’s not necessarily what we wanted,” Morales Castro said. “It’s temporary. I’m more comfortable as a student, but just because I have DACA doesn’t mean I can’t be deported. They could still push deportation procedures toward me if they had a reason to. It doesn’t give you protection or perpetual stability.” Business sophomore Yesenia Mondragon, who is also an undocumented student, said she applied for her first DACA about a month ago. Mondragon said she has always been qualified, but has refrained from applying for economic reasons. The application itself cost $465 and takes several months to become effective.
“If I hadn’t joined, I would still be in the international slump — that’s what they call it,” Gröön said. “It’s nothing bad, but when I came here, I really wanted to get to know Americans and that’s part of why I joined.” After advertising freshman Fabiana Feeney moved from Santa Cruz, Bolivia, to Austin in August, she said she made a conscious effort to meet new people. “I could have just come here and stayed with a specific group of people that I was comfortable with,” Feeney said. “I put myself in situations that were awkward sometimes, but that’s how I met a lot of interesting people.” As one of the 4 percent of black students on campus, Ugwu said he has not found a lot of diversity on campus during his four years here. According to the UT admissions website, 45 percent of
the University consists of white students, followed by Asian students at 23 percent and Hispanic students at 21 percent. “I think especially for UT’s size and reputation, the diversity is lacking,” Ugwu said. “It is pretty bad in comparison to other schools. I don’t think there’s enough emphasis on actually addressing that.” Feeney said she can sense more social activism on campus than in her home country. One of Feeney’s first impressions of the University was the removal of the Confederate President Jefferson Davis statue on the Main Mall. “That to me is a step in the right direction,” Feeney said. “You want to make sure that the students here feel welcome and that they are just as much a part of the university as anyone else.”
“My parents would save up money for it, but then we would have to give up [the money] because they needed it for something,” Mondragon said. “I would just give it to them because I saw they needed it more than I did.” Although advertising junior Erasto Renteria is an American citizen, his parents are undocumented. Growing up, he said he never felt too affected by his situation until he came to college. His parents, who live in a border town in the Rio Grande Valley, are unable to cross the traffic checkpoints controlled by Border Patrol. If they try to cross, they risk being taken into custody and sent back to Mexico. They have never seen his apartment, never visited him in Austin and, as graduation approaches, they won’t be able to see him walk across the stage. “I thought it was something normal until I found
out my parents aren’t as privileged,” Renteria said. “It’s hard to see myself graduating without my parents. They’re the main reason I’m here. They pushed me to go to college.” Renteria said he hopes within the next couple of years some sort of legislation will pass that could grant his parents mobility, but the available methods of gaining citizenship remain restricted. Renteria and Morales Castro said if undocumented citizens qualified as victims of a domestic violence or human trafficking case, for example, they could become a citizen. Or, they could also marry a U.S. citizen. “I don’t really like the idea of getting married to someone because I want to become a U.S. citizen,” Morales Castro said. “I’ve always seen myself as an American because I don’t think a piece of paper really establishes what you are.”
RACE
continues from page 8 DNA varies between any two people, according to a study in Nature Genetics. Of this small amount of genetic variation, most occurs between individuals living within the same populations, whereas only a small amount occurs between supposed racially distinct groups. Studies that have tried to demonstrate a genetic basis for race have focused on the small percentage of variation between populations. Since genetic differences can be mapped over prehistoric human migration patterns, genetic features cluster in particular geographical areas. Because traditional concepts of race are related to geographical origins, they sometimes correspond with these genetic pat-
REPRESENTATION continues from page 8
more than half of the overall student population at UT. But the University’s faculty has not been subject to the same trend. More than 75 percent of the teaching faculty in the last five years has been white. Varner, who won’t begin her time at UT until January 2016, will teach in the College of Natural Sciences. As of last year, less than 1 percent of the department’s teaching faculty was black. While conducting research on factors that affect academic achievements of minority students, Varner said having faculty members from different backgrounds benefits both students and the University as a whole. “When you have a diverse faculty, you’re more likely to get diverse perspectives,” Varner said. “Diversity includes not
terns, making it inaccurate to state that race is biologically meaningless. However, the correspondence of racial groups onto geographic patterns of genetic variation is often tenuous. According to a study in Nature Genetics, samples used in analyses are usually collected from individuals living in native populations that haven’t had much recent contact with each other, such as Europe and East Asia. This makes their genetic differences cluster neatly according to geographic origin. But when researchers add a sample of South Indians, who occupy an intermediate geographic position between Europe and East Asia, there is considerable genetic overlap among all individuals. The South Indian individuals do not fall neatly into one of the
categories usually conceived as a ‘race.’ Human genetic variation is never interrupted, so when studies try to define clear-cut racial lines they run into a lot of issues. It’s comparable to differentiating between colors in a spectrum. Distinguishing red from blue wouldn’t be much of an issue, but drawing a line between red, purple and blue can be troublesome. Without natural genetic boundaries to guide people, human racial categories don’t just reflect biology but remain products of their cultures, histories and politics. Those choices are not totally arbitrary or biologically meaningless, but the facets of race that become important in a particular society depend on the interactions between that society’s members.
just faculty of color but also faculty who might be first generation and gender diversity, as well.” When it comes to conversations about increasing representation on campus, Varner said it can be easy for people’s subconscious bias to affect their hiring decisions. “Sometimes when these conversations [about diversity] come up, the first thing some people say is that they don’t want to lower quality,” Varner said. “It represents a bias people already have. There can be an increase in representation without lowering quality.” Varner said throughout her time in higher education, she’s seen the different ways people can benefit from working with a diverse faculty. “It’s important to see people from different backgrounds,” Varner said. “It can decrease stereotypes, and it tends to
increase the diversity of topics presented in class.” Former business lecturer Veronica Stidvent said sometimes, a department or college’s lack of diversity isn’t due to a lack of trying, but a lack of applicants. “It’s a pipeline issue,” Stidvent said. “I think being able to recruit and find the right candidates when there’s a smaller pool of applicants — it plagues a lot of industries and careers.” Stidvent was one of five Hispanic teaching faculty members in the business school last year. She said in terms of classroom discussions, differing perspectives can be more important than different backgrounds. “It’s more about diversity of thought,” Stidvent said. “What you’re looking for in a classroom is diversity in perspectives. People can look very different but think the same.
CLASSIFIEDS THE DAILY TEXAN
Name: Width: 60p0; Depth: 10 in; Color: Black, Classifieds; Ad Number: NS R RUClassifieds; AD INE FO ONL
E! E R F d wor
ad s
only
ADVERTISING TERMS There are no refunds or credits. In the event of errors made in advertisement, notice must be given by 10 am the fi rst day of publication, as the publishers are responsible for only ONE incorrect insertion. In consideration of The Daily Texan’s acceptance of advertising copy for publication, the agency and the advertiser will indemnify and save harmless, Texas Student Media and its officers, employees and agents against all loss, liability, damage and expense of whatsoever nature arising out of the copying, printing or publishing of its advertisement including without limitation reasonable attorney’s fees resulting from claims of suits for libel, violation of right of privacy, plagiarism and copyright and trademark infringement. All ad copy must be approved by the newspaper which reserves the right to request changes, reject or properly classify an ad. The advertiser, and not the newspaper, is responsible for the truthful content of the ad. Advertising is also subject to credit approval.
Self-serve, 24/7 on the Web at www.DailyTexanOnline.com
766 Recruitment DELIVERY EXPERTS WANTED Looking to make some extra money quick?? Dominos UT Campus is searching for fun, energetic drivers looking to make some cash daily. Our top drivers make over $15 an hour! Please come to 1900 Guadalupe to speak to a hiring manager about this great opportunity.
790 Part Time CAMPAIGN JOB! Paid staff needed for progressive political campaign! Flexible schedule, $12/ hour. For interview call 512-766-8644 P/T CHILDREN’S SOCCER COACH Must have experience with young kids. Email resume/cover letter to: texas@supersoccerstars.com 512-842-7177
Sell Pets FREE MALE & FEMALE YORKIE Puppies To A Good Home If Interested Contact:markgreg241@aol.com For More Information
870 Medical
Seeks College-Educated Men 18–39 to Participate in a Six-Month Donor Program
Donors average $150 per specimen. Apply on-line
www.123Donate.com
recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle recycle
WATCH FOR DEALS AND OFFERS
Super Tuesday
COUPONS
Clip & Save! EVERY WEEK
DOUBLE
COVERAGE THIS FRIDAY INSIDE THE DAILY TEXAN
GET THERE FIRST!
twitter: @burnt_x fb: /burntx snapchat: burnt_x instagram: @burnt.x
6 SPORTS
6
JORI EPSTEIN, SPORTS EDITOR | @texansports Thursday, December 3, 2015
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL | NO. 6 TEXAS 53 – NO. 9 MISSISSIPPI STATE 47
Bulldogs hooked by Longhorns, Boyette By Tyler Horka
SIDELINE NBA PELICANS
@TexasTy95
Texas beat its second consecutive top-10 opponent Wednesday night. The No. 6 Longhorns knocked off previously unbeaten No. 9 Mississippi State with a 53-47 win at the Frank Erwin Center. The two teams combined for 42 turnovers in a game that head coach Karen Aston said looked like a football game. “It was an ugly offensive game,” Aston said. “We just couldn’t get into any flow.” The Longhorns (6-0) shot 39.1 percent from the floor while the Bulldogs mustered a season-low 31.5 percent shooting. Mississippi State (5-1) head coach Vic Schaefer said his team was a few adjustments away from beating Texas in its own house. “If we could redo out-ofbounds defense and make five more free throws, we win the game,” Schaefer said. “But that’s why they call it the road. You don’t shoot as well on the road.” Texas shot almost as poorly as No. 9 Mississippi State did from the free-throw line. The Longhorns connected on 15 of 26 shots from the charity stripe, and the Bulldogs made 11 of 20. Senior center Imani Boyette finished with a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds. The 6-7 post
ROCKETS
BUCKS
SPURS
SPORTS BRIEFLY Reports: Perrin to be named Permanent AD
Joshua Guerra | Daily Texan Staff
Senior center Imani Boyette goes up for a lay up agasint Mississippi State on Wednesday night. Boyette led Texas with 21 points and 10 rebounds to keep No. 6 Texas undefeated on the season.
player made more than half the team’s free throws, going 9-of-12 from the line. Still, Boyette said she needs to be better. “I thought I did horrible,” Boyette said. “I think we as a team don’t think we are shooting well from the free-throw line. We have to have a higher standard for ourselves.” Boyette muscled in a layup with 13 seconds left in the first quarter to double Mississippi State, 18-9, heading into the second.
She then completed her first of two threepoint plays in the second quarter to give Texas its first double-digit lead at 21-11. Mississippi State clawed back to 32-28 midway through the third quarter before Boyette drove to the lane on a give-and-go play. She made the bucket and sunk the foul shot, propelling a 9-2 Texas run that left the Longhorns up 41-30 at halftime. Junior guard Brianna
FOOTBALL
Taylor made the game’s first 3-pointer with 7:36 remaining in the contest. Taylor laughed when asked if the shot was one of the biggest of her career, but Aston said it was significant. “I’ll say it was a big shot because I know I took a deep breath when she hit that,” Aston said. “It felt like we needed a bucket at that point. It was pretty big.” Later in the quarter, Boyette crashed to the
floor on a hard foul. She managed to nail both free throws, and Texas once again led by double figures, 53-43. The Longhorns failed to score after, but 53 points proved enough on a night when points were at a premium. Texas travels to Arkansas on Sunday to take on Little Rock at 2 p.m. The Longhorns return home Dec. 13 to play their third ranked opponent in four games, No. 16 Stanford.
VOLLEYBALL
Longhorns’ defense looks to challenge potent Baylor offense By Ezra Siegel @SiegelEzra
Defensive coordinator Vance Bedford said Wednesday he has “no clue” how to contain No. 12 Baylor’s top-ranked scoring offense. But he’s still excited to test his defense against the Bears’ high-powered attack. “I’m looking forward to it – I know that sounds crazy,” Bedford said. “If you don’t like a challenge, why would you want to play? I love playing the Baylors, TCUs and Oklahomas of the world. … It’s a great opportunity.” Bedford said Baylor’s offensive success stems from its physicality. He emphasized the Bears’ reputation of an explosive air attack, which overshadows their efficient run game — No. 4 in yards per game. “People say they’re a
passing team, but they run the ball on everybody,” Bedford said. “Most people in this conference don’t do that – [it’s] a physical brand of football. And then they [can] throw it over your head too.” Longhorns search for more big plays on defense Texas ranks No. 24 in the nation in turnover margin, but Bedford believes the Longhorns must make more big plays to have a
—Aaron Torres
Women notch second place in 800m relay
If you don’t like a challenge, why would you want to play?
Zoe Fu | Daily Texan Staff
—Vance Bedford Defensive coordinator
Freshman Morgan Johnson (12) has contributed to Texas’ success this season. She hopes to keep helping in the NCAA tournament.
do more than just help the team in the short term. He emphasized that defenses can energize the team for the rest of the game with a turnover or big hit. The defense hopes to channel that energy with big plays on Saturday. “When you play good defense you bring excitement to the team,” Bedford said. “When you get big hits and takeaways on defense I think the team gets excited [and] the fans get excited. We’re lacking in those areas at
Freshmen get first taste of NCAA tournament
chance against Baylor. “Defense starts with big hits and takeaways, and we haven’t had many on the road,” Bedford said. “Whether it’s a quarterback sack, pressure, we get an interception or whatever that may be – we need to find a way to do those things.” Bedford said big plays this time.”
After four months as interrum athletic director, Mike Perrin has earned a permanent appointment. The Austin AmericanStatesman reported a high-ranking UT source confirmed to them late Wednesday night that Fenves would extend Perrin’s contract as athletic director by two years. Horns247 first reported Wednesday that Fenves was “strongly considering” extening Perrin’s contract. Perrin was hired in September as the interim athletic director after Steve Patterson and Texas parted ways. Fenves initially hired Perrin to a one-year contract worth $750,000 following Patterson’s resignation after 22 months as AD. Fenves had said multiple times that he would begin the search for a permanent AD after football season, and most likely in the spring. Now he doesn’t have to.
By Claire Cruz @claireecruz5
No. 3 Texas will host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament in Gregory Gym this week. The scheduling sounds like a broken record for many in the program. For freshmen Morgan Johnson and Yaazie Bedart-Ghani, though, Texas’ first-round match against Fairfield on Thursday will be a new experience. “Honestly, it’s like a dream coming true,” Johnson said. “I might’ve been (Texas’) No. 1 fan growing up. I never thought I would be with this team, and actually being here is like ‘Wow, I’m really lucky.’” Johnson and BedartGhani have taken ownership of their roles this season and filled various roles to help the team. Each was recognized with a Big 12 Rookie of the Week award. Bedart-Ghani also made the All-Big 12 Freshmen team behind her .305 hitting percentage and 44 blocks. “We’re so proud of them,” junior outside hitter Paulina Prieto Cerame said. “They’ve done a really good job doing whatever we ask, and they’ve never complained.” The freshmen look to help Texas’ offense against a solid Fairfield (21-9, 14-4 MAAC) defense. In addition to 241 blocks this sea-
son, the Stags average 17 digs per set. Four Fairfield defenders have surpassed 300 digs. Sophomore outside hitters Skyler Day and Megan Theiller lead the Stags offensively with 411 and 327 kills, respectively. Fairfield is a young team with no seniors and nine freshmen, but it enters its first-ever match against Texas riding momentum from a 12-game win streak. Two freshmen and Theiller hail from the Lone Star State. Although Texas has just two freshmen, they say they don’t mind a quick turnaround and stiff competition. Johnson’s hopes extend past this week — she wants a national title run. “I think this is our year,” Johnson said. “I have a lot of confidence in us. We just have to be ready to play the best game of our life every single time.” Head coach Jerritt Elliott said he encourages the freshmen to stay focused in the high-pressure, emotional postseason climate. “We’re letting them know we’re confident in what they can do,” Elliott said. “We’re counting on everybody to play at a high level. We’ve said from the very beginning that in order to win a championship, you need freshmen to be a part of it. They’re embracing that, and they understand that.”
There was a noticeable excitement in the Lee and Joe Jamail Swimming Center on the first day of the annual Texas invitational. Teams from eight schools gathered around the pool deck loudly cheering for the teammates competing in the Wednesday’s finals — the 800m freestyle relay for both men and women. No. 4 Texas women grabbed second in the relay at 7:2.85. Junior Madisyn Cox led the first 200 meters of the relay in 1:44.93, which is the seventh fastest time in the 200m free in the country this season. Cox was accompanied by junior Tasija Karosas (1:45.64) and freshmen Brooke Hansen (1:46.17) and Nora McCullagh (1:46.11) in the relay. Head coach Carol Capitani said she is impressed with the freshmen talent this year, showcased on the relay team. “They’re big on talent and also big in numbers,” Capitani said, “Those eight — everybody’s making an impact, so that’s a lot of fun. On the No. 1 men’s squad, the “B” relay featuring junior P.J. Dunne, senior Sam Lewis and freshmen Jeff Newkirk and Ryan Harty, took third in 6:25.93. An early exchange caused the men’s “A” relay to be disqualified. Head coach Eddie Reese gave insight on the details of the team’s preparation for the meet. “We rename the months,” Reese said, “October is ‘Rocktober’ because I rock them with workouts. November is ‘Slowvember’ because I rocked them with hard workouts. They renamed September this year ‘Rocktember’ because we worked so hard so early.” —Hailey Steinman
COMICS 9
COMICS
7
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Name: 3974/Princeton Review; Width: 29p6; Depth: 1 in; Color:
Name: Untitled 17; Width: 29p6; Depth: 5.5 in; Color: Black, Untitled 17; Ad Number: -
SUDOKUFORYOU 9 2 3 4 9 4 5 7 6 6 3 4 7 5 9 8 8 5 3 1 4 2 3 9 6 1 2 9 2
7 5 6 1
matey. This scurrvy beast is today’s answerrrrrr.
Today’s solution will appear here next issue
7 1 4 8 6 2 9 5 3
2 9 3 5 4 1 6 8 7
5 8 6 9 7 3 4 1 2
9 7 8 2 1 6 5 3 4
6 4 1 3 5 9 2 7 8
3 5 2 4 8 7 1 6 9
8 2 5 1 3 4 7 9 6
4 3 7 6 9 5 8 2 1
1 6 9 7 2 8 3 4 5
Editor’s Note: This week, the Life&Arts department will cover the semester’s most prevalent issues on campus, from campus carry to sexual assault. Today’s package addresses diversity on campus.
Thursday, December 3, 2015
—Danielle Lopez, Life&Arts editor
8
VOICES OF
DIVERSITY Students discuss life without documented citizenship in US
International students struggle to make connections with peers
By Elizabeth Hlavinka & Danielle Lopez @thedailytexan
During bilingual education sophomore Pamela Morales Castro’s seventh Christmas, her mother mysteriously left for a trip, remaining absent for over a year. It wasn’t until years later that her family revealed to her the real reason for her departure — her mother had been deported. Morales Castro is one of about 600 undocumented students on the UT campus. Her parents, in an effort to provide their child with a better life, moved to the United States from Mexico City when she was three years old. Growing up, Morales Castro said her parents sheltered her from the difficulties of being undocumented. During her sophomore year of high school, however, her classmates began getting their driver’s licenses and first jobs. It was then that Morales Castro’s parents sat her down to tell her the meaning of her legal status, and that her establishment in the country was less reliable than some of her friends’. Morales Castro could not get a license because she didn’t have a social security number. The summer after her sophomore year, on June 15, 2012, the secretary of Homeland Security passed the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, which allowed undocumented young adults — between the ages of 15 and 31 as of the date the bill was passed — to apply for deferred action, work
UNDOCUMENTED page 5
Erasto Renteria Illustrations by Rachel Tyler | Daily Texan Staff
Joel Gröön Emeka Ugwu
By Marisa Charpentier & Jamie Rodriquez
Fabiana Feeney
@marisacharp21
When mechanical engineering senior Emeka Ugwu first stepped foot on campus in 2011, he had a hard time making friends in his dorm complex, couldn’t sing “The Eyes of Texas” song and didn’t know much about other UT traditions. After moving 6,643 miles from Lagos, Nigeria, to attend UT, he struggled to find his place. “Most of the organizations don’t have much experience dealing with interna-
tional students,” Ugwu said. “There’s not really much emphasis on cultural diversity. It’s not really brought up.” Nine to 10 percent of students on campus have come from countries outside the United States each year since 2011. As an international student, Ugwu said he had a difficult time making connections with American students already attending the school. While the International Office
hosted field trips and meetings with other international students, Ugwu said he did not make strong connections with other students until joining National Society of Black Engineers his sophomore year. “Less should be centered on the international office hosting international people and more on integrating the international community with the rest of UT,” Ugwu said. “If you have other actual Americans who grew up here, that would do more in terms of helping integrate national students into the community.” Radio-television-film junior Joel Gröön
INTERNATIONAL page 5
Students, professors seek diversity of faculty on campus By Cat Cardenas @crcardenas8
In her hometown of El Paso, business freshman Anysha Fortenberry said every one of her role models was Hispanic. She admired these family and community members for their passion and hard work, but never felt like she saw any of them in positions of power. Her first five days at UT exposed her to leaders who were often people of color — from political leaders and business professionals to professors and first generation college students. As part of the high school leadership program Subiendo, Fortenberry said the talks and dinners she attended helped her see her potential. “[The speakers] made us feel like we could do anything,” Fortenberry said. “They were minorities, too, and they showed us how far they got and how far we could go.”
Fatima Varner
Fatima Varner, human development and family sciences assistant professor said for students of color, such as Fortenberry, mentorship and representation of diverse faculty can be extremely important. “People in general tend to affiliate with people who look like them, even if
Veronica Stidvent
it’s subconscious,” Varner said. “Students of color can sometimes fall through the cracks if they don’t have anyone to relate to.” Since 2012, minorities have made up
REPRESENTATION page 5
Studies evaluate complex biological relationship between race, population genetics
By Mauly Martinez Benavides @thedailytexan
There was no way to distinguish one ethnicity from another when scientist J. Craig Venter’s team of geneticists first sequenced the full human genome
in 2000. “The concept of race has no genetic or scientific basis,” Venter said in a speech at the White House. It seemed like the latest evidence in the field of genetics had finally confirmed what social scientists had been arguing for decades. Race was a social construct that had no biological basis and worked to reinforce the social order — but many geneticists quickly rose up in opposition to Venter’s statement. In a New York Times article “A Family Tree in Every Gene,” Armand Marie
Leroi defended the use of race by medical researchers to predict their genetic makeup. He said race is a fairly accurate indicator of a person’s genetic ancestry and a person’s genetic makeup can predict their response to certain treatments or their susceptibility to particular diseases. In 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved BiDil, a heart failure medication for African-American patients and the first drug ever developed for a specific race. Certain researchers insist that race is based on
genetics because human genetic diversity patterns on geographical regions, which sometimes correspond with American delineations of race. Modern humans first evolved in Africa, before a small group left the continent and slowly spread throughout the rest of the world. The genetic variation found between populations roughly follows these migration patterns. Humans vary only slightly at the DNA level — about 0.1 percent of
RACE page 5
Illustration by Tiffany Hinojosa | Daily Texan Staff