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COMICS PAGE 6
LIFE&ARTS PAGE 8
SPORTS PAGE 7
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CITY
SYSTEM
Petition may halt ride-hailing initiative
UT System promotes senior staff diversity
By Forrest Milburn @forrestmilburn
For the 2015 Austin City Limits Music Festival, Safi Jenkins was looking for a quick way to make some cash that could work around her schedule. For Jenkins — like many UT students wanting a source for extra money not bound by 8-hour retail shifts — it was Uber’s flexibility and easygoing atmosphere that pushed her to become a driver.
“You get to drive whenever you want. I can drive between classes, I can start really late and I can start really early,” said Jenkins, a human development and family sciences junior. “For finals, I was able to take off for a whole week, which is something that’s really hard for a normal job.” While ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft debate about regulations passed in December with City Hall, students like Jenkins are stuck
in a complex situation that starkly contrasts the simplicity that initially attracted them. In the latest round of debate, City Council members voted 7-4 Thursday to approve an initiative called “Thumbs Up!” that would provide incentives, such as free metered parking, to Jenkins and other transportation network company drivers who voluntarily get their fingerprints scanned. “Uber and Lyft have
UBER page 3
By Caleb Wong @caleber96
her when she stays on campus late at night. Despite never using the device on anyone, she said it makes her feel safe when walking back to her apartment
The UT System took a play from the NFL on Thursday to eliminate gendered differences in pay and promote faculty and staff diversity. All System institutions must invite minority candidates to interview during the final rounds of interviews for “senior administrative positions” and submit a plan to the System to end the gender pay gap in five years, effective immediately. The plan is based off the Rooney Rule, a policy which requires NFL coaches to interview minority candidates for head coaching jobs. Chancellor William McRaven said in a statement that the rule would ensure faculty and staff at each System institution would reflect the diverse student bodies they serve. “We want to ensure that qualified women and minorities have an opportunity to be considered for every senior level position,” McRaven said in a statement. “Making sure our leadership, faculty and staff reflect the changing look of Texas is not just about fairness. It’s also about effectiveness. Change starts at the top. We need administrators, campus leaders and faculty whom women and minority students can look to as role models and mentors, and who better understand the students they’re serving and where they’re from.” Across all UT System institutions, 53 percent of the students are women compared to 42
STUN GUNS page 2
DIVERSITY page 3
Gabriel Lopez | Daily Texan Staff
Mayor Steve Adler presents the “Thumbs Up!” initiative to the public at City Hall Thursday morning.
CAMPUS
Stun guns remain allowed on campus By Mikaela Cannizzo @mikaelac16
Campus carry will allow licensed handgun owners to bring concealed handguns on campus starting Aug. 1, but students can also freely carry other types of weapons, such as stun guns or Tasers, around campus as a self-defense mechanism. UTPD officer William Pieper said there is no specific policy regarding stun guns or Tasers on campus. He said the law regarding handguns should not affect students’ abilities to continue carrying stun guns and Tasers. “Stun guns and Tasers aren’t qualified as a firearm and it’s really not a part of that law,” Pieper said. While there are no policies in place regarding use on the general campus, stun guns and Tasers are restricted in all on-campus residence halls, according to the Division of Housing and Food Services’ Residence Hall Manual. While the manual does not provide a detailed list of prohibited items, it forbids “any weapons that could inflict bodily harm or result in disturbances of the peace,” including
Illustration by Albert Lee | Daily Texan Staff
stun guns and Tasers. “Safety and security is our top concern in the residence halls,” residence life director Mylon Kirksy said. “That’s the motivation for having the policy in the residence halls.”
Pieper said understanding the difference between the two devices is important for students to know. While stun guns are contact devices that require someone to be within arm’s reach of their attacker,
Tasers fire out two prongs at a distance of up to 18 feet in order to temporarily immobilize an offender. Mathematics sophomore Alexa Lewis said she owns a stun gun and carries it with
CAMPUS
STATE
University Democrats preview Students, faculty share thoughts Texas House party candidates on McRaven’s first year in office By Forrest Milburn @forrestmilburn
University Democrats had its first glimpse at candidates vying to represent it in an open state House seat Wednesday before the group makes an endorsement in the coming weeks. The speaking candidates, who are running in a field of seven Democrats for House District 49, were Austin ISD School Board member Gina Hinojosa, attorney Kenton Johnson, former legislative aide Huey Rey Fischer and UT law professor Heather Way. Way said she believes her platform — which includes providing more affordable housing, getting guns off
campuses, legalizing marijuana and funding higher education — will resonate with students throughout campus. “There’s been a 26 percent drop in investment in higher education since 2008 and tuition is on the rise,” Way said. “Nationally, student debt is at an all-time high at over $1 trillion, and that’s unacceptable. We have to be investing in students to ensure that they have the opportunity for an affordable, quality education.” Fischer, a 2014 UT graduate, said he is running as the student choice who can actively push for student debt relief and fight against guns on campuses. “We need somebody to sort of push back against those sort of attitudes at the
Capitol, and nobody is really listening to us from either party,” Fischer said. “This is our opportunity for youth representation, and we’re going to seize it.” Nora Martinez, government and Hispanic studies senior, said she is leaning towards endorsing Huey, but plans to endorse a candidate who is honest and who has experience working with the legislature. “I am really interested in Huey because he’s in contact with all of us,” Martinez said. “I feel like it’s important to have a vision for what we want in the legislature.” On Feb. 7, after hearing positions and stances on
UDEMS page 2
By Caleb Wong @caleber96
Admiral William McRaven gave students a memorable piece of advice during UT-Austin’s 2014 commencement ceremony: If you want to change the world, start by making your bed. Mere months later, the UT System Board of Regents appointed him as chancellor of the UT System starting Jan. 5, 2015 — just a few weeks from the start of the 84th Texas legislative session. McRaven has received both positive and negative feedback from the UT System community regarding changes made during his first year as chancellor. McRaven launched a $1.7 million initiative last August to study sexual assault, an issue he
Joshua Guerra | Daily Texan file photo
Over the past year Chancellor William McRaven has launched several initiatives including to study sexual assault.
has also addressed while in the military, across the UT System. Rachel Osterloh, president of Senate of College Councils, said she was impressed by his willingness to address sexual assault on campus.
“He’s a champion for students,” said Osterloh, a government and philosophy senior. “This sexual assault [initiative] is incredible, especially
REASON TO PARTY
NEWS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFE&ARTS
ONLINE
APD shortage results in delayed response times. PAGE 3
Primaries steal too much voter and media attention. PAGE 4
Ibeh shows improvement on men’s basketball team. PAGE 7
Vanessa Carlton discusses tour. PAGE 8
Air Force contractor discusses service. PAGE 2
Austin school districts remain segregated. PAGE 4
Women’s basketball moving on from 1,000th win. PAGE 7
UT alumni teach meditation in studio. PAGE 8
Need to relive the Chainsmokers concert from Tuesday? Check out our video recap at dailytexanonline.com
MCRAVEN page 2
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Friday, January 29, 2016
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Volume 116, Issue 89
CONTACT US Main Telephone (512) 471-4591 Editor-in-Chief Claire Smith (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com Managing Editor Amy Zhang (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com News Office (512) 232-2207 news@dailytexanonline.com Sports Office (512) 232-2210 sports@dailytexanonline.com Life & Arts Office (512) 232-2209 lifeandarts@dailytexanonline.com Multimedia Office (512) 471-7835 multimedia@ dailytexanonline.com Retail Advertising (512) 471-1865 advertise@texasstudentmedia.com Classified Advertising (512) 471-5244 classifieds@ dailytexanonline.com
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Valentine, the six-month-old chihuahua, eats whipped cream out of a Starbucks cup as students look on at the Main Mall on Thursday afternoon.
CAMPUS
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.
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Air Force contracting officer talks leadership, service By Kate Thackrey @thedailytexan
Rows of UT ROTC cadets watched a contracting officer for the Air Force talked about his experiences in the service, especially Iraq and Afghanistan, on Thursday. Lieutenant Colonel Ronnie Doud works in aircraft maintenance at the 89th airlift wing, which provides flights for the president, vice president and heads of state. He is also a contracting officer, the one who decides which companies can best provide needed goods and services and making contracts to buy them. “I have 20 aircraft, four different types, and we support the vice president on down to some of the combatant-commanders,” Doud said. “I’m a contracting guy launching the president … What a freaking
This issue of The Daily Texan is valued at $1.25 Permanent Staff
Editor-in-Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Claire Smith Associate Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alexander Chase, Davis Clark, Mary Dolan, Mohammad Syed Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amy Zhang Associate Managing Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nick Castillo, Jackie Wang News Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wynne Davis Associate News Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Natalie Sullivan News Desk Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ellie Breed, Estefania Espinosa, Rund Khayyat, Catherine Marfin Senior Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mikaela Cannizzo, Forrest Milburn, Caleb Wong Life&Arts Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cat Cardenas Life&Arts Associate Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Megan Hix, Katie Walsh Senior Life&Arts Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Duncan, Elizabeth Hlavinka, Charles Liu Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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Nashwa Bawab, Marisa Charpentier, Aaron Torres Special Ventures Photo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jesús Nazario Science&Technology Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ellen Airhart Associate Science&Technology Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eva Frederick Forum Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Walker Fountain Senior Opinion Columnists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Benroy Chan, Mubarrat Choudhury, Laura Hallas, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Noah Horwitz, Leah Kashar, Khadija Saifullah Copy Desk Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kailey Thompson Associate Copy Desk Chiefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vera Bespalova, Nicole Farrell, Michelle Zhang Design Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Iliana Storch Associate Design Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kelly Smith Senior Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sammy Jarrar, Elizabeth Jones, Lillian Michel Video Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hannah Evans Senior Videographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Charlotte Carpenter, Heather Finnegan, Monica Silverio Photo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rachel Zein Associate Photo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Daulton Venglar Senior Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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Tom Li Senior Tech Team Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adam Humphrey, Sam Limerick Podcast Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anthony Green Associate Podcast Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lillian Michel Editorial Adviser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter Chen
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awesome job.” Doud said his first contract was for $5 million, which increased to spending $14 million a week for the Air Force when he was serving in Iraq. Costs were higher for things like transportation due to the risk involved, but Doud learned to haggle to find more reasonable prices. “Car dealers hate me,” Doud said. His job requires sifting through many different government regulations, Doud said. “The book I use to buy stuff … is about 1,500 pages. The Department of Defense Supplement is another thousand pages. The Air Force supplement, thank God, is about 80 pages. That’s what it takes to buy something from the Air Force,” Doud said. Doud said he had to immerse himself in the customs and culture while working in Afghanistan and Iraq in order to successfully make deals.
MCRAVEN
continues from page 1 when people are not willing to talk about sexual assault on campuses.” McRaven also dove into the Texas legislative session during his first months in office, where he opposed the passage of campus carry — and now is expected to implement the law across the UT System. Howard Prince, a faculty member in the Lyndon B. Johnson School, said McRaven’s leadership on campus carry and other issues has balanced University interests while carrying out the law.
STUN GUNS
continues from page 1 in West Campus. “If a homeless person ever got too close, I would pull [the stun gun] out and maybe zap it to let them know that I have it,” Lewis said. “I feel pretty safe on campus though, so if I ever had to use it, it would probably be in West Campus.”
UDEMS
continues from page 1 issues from all candidates running in local races, UDems will meet separately with Central Austin Democrats so the organizations can decide on endorsements. If both groups end up endorsing the same candidate, then he or she will have the backing of the Austin Progressive Coalition, which carries a lot of weight in local
Lietenant Colonel Ronnie Doud, a contracting officer for the Air Force, speaks to a group of ROTC students at the College of Liberal Arts building on Thursday morning.
Mary Pistorius Daily Texan Staff
“I got personal contact with the contractors, you get to know their culture, get outside the wire,” Doud said. When it comes to training, Doud emphasized the importance of leadership. “It’s important to have excellent officers when you’ve got a thousand 18-yearolds armed to the teeth,” Doud said. Doud used his experiences
to encourage cadets in attendance to become leaders and keep learning to develop their careers. “There’s nothing special about me,” Doud said. “You could be here one day.” Sociology sophomore Michelle French said she joined ROTC because she is from a military family, and Doud’s talk helped her see the advantages of her
career choice. “I wanted to go to college before I enlisted,” French said. Petroleum engineering freshman Joseph Vo said he learned a lot from the talk and thought more about the military as a future job option afterwards. “I was always interested [in the military] but never really thought of it as a career,” Vo said.
“I think he’s done very well,” Prince said. “It’s [his] duty to support whatever the decision is, and he’s working to help campuses come to grips with this in a way they can live with and support.” However, there have been clashes in the legislature over other issues. McRaven has faced opposition from Texas lawmakers on an expansion into southwest Houston and has made several controversial remarks doubting the effectiveness of the top 10 percent rule in increasing diversity at Texas public universities. Student Government representative Santiago Rosales de-
fended the top 10 percent rule as a way to help students from a wider variety of backgrounds get into UT-Austin. “Personally, I believe the top 10 percent rules help with diversity,” finance sophomore Rosales said. “I’ve met countless students from other parts of the state who got in as part of the top 10 percent rule, and from the student perspective I’ve seen, the top 10 percent has assisted in the goal of increasing diversity.” As part of his strategic plan for the future of the UT System, McRaven recently announced he would implement a required leadership program
for students at UT System institutions. Annie Albrecht, Plan II and corporate communications junior, said she thinks the leadership program will help students learn more about themselves and how they can use those skills in the service of others. “I’m really encouraged by his new push for making sure students have leadership experience on campus,” Albrecht said. “I think my positions of leadership are the way I’ve grown most and contributed to UT and the city of Austin, and I think leadership is valuable and students should have this opportunity.”
Both stun guns and Tasers have significant drawbacks, Pieper said. He said the proximity involved in using a stun gun against an attacker is his biggest concern for that device. “It takes time for the full effect of [the stun gun] to work and until that time is met, the person who’s attacking you has an opportunity to continue to
attack you or even worse, take the stun gun from you or use it against you,” Pieper said. He said Tasers also have shortcomings including the requirement of both prongs needing to make contact with the attacker for the attempted defense to be successful. Due to the separation of prongs once fired, Pieper said students who carry Tasers should
know how to use them and be prepared before attempting to use one in a stressful situation. While criminal charges would not be issued to students using either of these weapons for self-defense on campus, Pieper said students using them to cause intentional harm to others could face simple or aggravated assault charges.
Democratic politics. “It’s big because we’re a coalition that will be active in the community for you,” government senior Maliha Mazhar said. “We’ll spend money, we’ll volunteer, we’ll blockwalk and we’ll phone bank for you.” Attorney Aspen Dunaway, former NARAL Pro-Choice Texas counsel Blake Rocap and attorney Matt Shrum were not in attendance during the meeting. The seven candidates
are all running for longtime Democratic state Rep. Elliott Naishtat’s seat after he decided not to seek re-election back in December. Although she won’t be able to attend the endorsement meeting and candidate forum, biochemistry freshman Renee Raines, who is still undecided, said she wants a representative who will take progressive stances on immigration, the death penalty and lowering
student debt. “I really like the candidates who are focused on the students and come out to these meetings. It really shows that they are interested in the young community, which is important in getting those votes,” Rains said. “It’s really important in politics for candidates to be really straightforward and honest with the people they’re representing, so that’s a big thing for me.”
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Friday, January 29, 2016
CITY
Lack of police officers delays response times By Mikaela Cannizzo @mikaelac16
Austin police officers often delay action when responding to low-priority crimes around the city, such as petty theft, due to a lack of officers. Currently, the department is understaffed with at least 118 vacancies. Austin Police Department Commander Troy Officer said the shortage is a result of the city’s rapid population growth. “The city has grown faster than the police department has been able to expand,” Officer said. “You have to plan years ahead to maintain your authorized strength, but when your city is growing as fast as we have and the police department has not grown to meet that challenge, you start falling into a shortage, and I think that’s where we are at this point.” Officer said APD is not sure if crime rates for lowerlevel crimes have increased significantly despite the delay in response times, The shortage in Austin is not unique and is part of a nationwide problem of po-
UBER
continues from page 1 said that they don’t want anything that penalizes non-fingerprinted drivers,” said Josh Jones-Dilworth, a member of the “Thumbs Up!” task force. “We’ve been really careful to only add in new stuff that is not taking [anything] away. We want to never hurt a driver’s ability to earn their living, and we want to make it easier to go through this process.” Anyone opting to get fingerprinted could go to an HEB or City Hall, for example, equipped with
nd be ng to ation. harges o stuthese e on dents ntencould vated
Austin police officers stand in the middle of 6th Street during SXSW 2014. APD staff has not grown proportionately with the city, resulting in understaffing.
lice departments operating without a full staff, according to Officer. He said the time-consuming qualification process makes it difficult to hire new officers. Officer said APD is taking initiative by increasing staff involvement in recruiting and training programs to produce an appropriate sized workforce for the city. APD Commander Darryl Jamail said the department compensates for vacancies by recruiting officers to serve overtime. Jamail said overtime officers provide immediate responses to high-priority calls that have a potential impact on public safety such as car crashes, robberies or assaults. “We are going to allocate our resources to be sure those calls that affect public safety are answered on time,” Jamail said. “However, some of the less urgent calls may be delayed because of the shortage because we don’t have the officers we would if we were fully staffed.” Instead of 40-hour work weeks, some officers work 60 hours a week. While requiring officers to work overtime is essential due to
the shortage, Officer said there are consequences in the extended hours officers commit to the job. According to Officer, this difference in time commitment can be draining and potentially result in officers retiring, quitting or suffering injuries. “In the long term, it’s not good for individual officers or the department if you’re
constantly maximizing the number of hours your officers work,” Officer said. “Plus, when emergencies come up, you don’t want to have to pull from existing resources; you always want to have reserved resources to pull from.” UTPD Captain Don Verett said while University officers work closely with APD, their primary
jurisdiction is any property owned, leased or rented by the UT System. He said the staffing levels of APD do not significantly affect the actions of UTPD. Verett said more UTPD officers have started patrolling areas close to campus, such as Guadalupe Street, on bicycle and on foot in order to ensure the safety of students.
fingerprint scanners to get background checked, Jones-Dilworth said. Members of the council argued that the “Thumbs Up!” ordinance would only work if TNCs could come to a compromise with City Hall, but officials have already come out against the initiative. “It’s been very clear that there is not going to be cooperation,” councilmember Delia Garza said. In the December ordinance, the council voted to make regulations voluntary by setting up compliance dates for the
companies that wouldn’t begin until May 1, but TNCs and their supporters didn’t believe it was an efficient compromise. “The existing regulations that are in place — they are working,” bar owner Suzette Christensen said at the meeting concerning the comparatively few existing pre-initiative regulations. “I see things that you guys don’t see at two or three in the morning … people are not drinking and driving when they leave the bar at night.” On Jan. 19, Ridesharing Works for Austin — a group
of local nonprofits backed by TNCs — announced it had collected 65,103 signatures on a petition, requiring City Council to either roll back regulations themselves or put the issue up to voters. “The city council pissed off the people in the city of Austin, and they responded with a 65,000-person petition that legally mandates us to either adopt the ordinance or hold an election,” councilmember Ellen Troxclair said during the meeting. The City Clerk is expected to announce it has
validated enough signatures — at least 20,000 by law — to either force the council to solidify existing TNC regulations or let voters decide. “We believe the city council’s action should be guided by the over 65,000 Austinites who trust their voice of disapproval will be heard,” Lyft official Chelsea Wilson said in a statement. The debate between the city and TNCs will continue into the coming weeks, when the City Clerk continues to work on the petition, and the council discusses it in a work session next week.
Sam Ortega Daily Texan file photo
“Our primary responsibility is the main campus, but we realize we have high concentrations of students living in the area west of campus,” Verett said. “We have a responsibility to keep our people safe so we’re going to be out patrolling in those areas where there’s either reports of crime or a perception that things are not safe.”
DIVERSITY
continues from page 1 percent of the faculty, and 39 percent of students identify as Hispanic compared to 11 percent of the faculty, according to a UT System press release. Women faculty members are paid 90 percent of what their male colleagues are paid at doctoral institutions, according to data released in 2014 by the American Association of University Professors.
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CLAIRE SMITH, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | @TexanEditorial Friday, January 29, 2016
COLUMN
Book drive promotes future learning By Khadija Saifullah
Daily Texan Senior Columnist @coolstorysunao
Humanity First — Texas Chapter is holding a book drive that aims to assist underprivileged children in the greater Austin community. Unlike usual fundraisers, the book drive provides a more personal and unique approach to donation by transferring knowledge from college students to younger children. These books will act as a means of educational giving between the two age groups. The initiative should be recognized because of its motive of promoting the perpetual utility of books. Humanity First’s national chapter has been running international campaigns that work on helping developing countries. These previous initiatives raised over $2,000 to provide drinkable water worldwide and almost $10,000 for marginalized youth in Bosnia. The organization’s Knowledge for Life campaign is an ongoing project throughout the fall and spring semesters, which has the goal of building schools and providing uniforms and books for a basic education system in countries such as Guatemala, Nigeria and Pakistan. However, HF catered the Charity Book Drive to focus on the local community of Austin. This initiative promotes the principles of providing education and knowl-
edge for the underprivileged, as does the Knowledge for Life campaign. “We work to help better community however we can,” said Al Hirani, Humanity First national programs director. “We hosted a blanket drive that was held during last semester’s winter and sandwich making for around 200 homeless people in Austin. We felt that one initiative that was lacking in our communities is the transfer of education ... that initiative is beneficial regardless of where you are in the world.” This is a unique way of “giving back,” especially as a means of transferring knowledge from college students to younger children. According to the National Institute for Early Education Research, reading at a young age has a vital role in fostering early literacy development by building background knowledge and forming concepts. The book drive is a small step to improving reading comprehension in young children. An important principle of the Knowledge for Life campaign is realizing of the utility of knowledge and the value of spreading it to others. This drive is essentially a platform that encourages growth for both —college students and children beginning their educational journey. “We take a lot of our smallest belongings for granted,” Hirani said. “Some of our books are just collecting dust on our bookshelves. The book on your shelf may inspire this next kid. This is one way that
COLUMN
Illustration by Jason Cheon | Daily Texan Staff
will strike up and could help out future college students develop their knowledge.” One of the best things donors can do to increase their own knowledge and skill set is to give back that knowledge that will teach them an important set of les-
sons. As UT students, we should be a part of the solution to promoting reading for younger children and providing books for the underprivileged. Saifullah is a neuroscience sophomore from Richardson.
COLUMN
Segregation looms in Austin school districts By Josephine MacLean Daily Texan Guest Columnist @JoseMarieMacLea
Illustration by Connor Murphy | Daily Texan Staff
Early primaries steal all of the limelight By David Bordelon
Daily Texan Guest Columnist @davbord
Iowa, Iowa, Iowa. New Hampshire, New Hampshire — or is it Vermont? With the presidential race in full swing, and the Iowa caucus next week, one might think these two states are the greatest and most important places on the Earth (they are, right?). The Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary are historically the first two states to conduct primary elections in presidential election years. New Hampshire is even required by state law to reschedule its primary if another state schedules its primary too close to, or before, New Hampshire’s. This is a very strategic move. Two states that might otherwise receive little to no attention in presidential campaigns are suddenly front and center. Every politician proclaims their profound love for Iowa, as though loving a state shows their capability to run a country. This hubbub is not necessarily bad, but it is misguided. These primaries act as indicators for the political climate of the country — failing to perform well in them tumbles into a failure to gain a nomination. For instance, George H. W. Bush was expected to lose after placing third in the Iowa caucus in 1988, but he won the nomination. Many candidates would have dropped out after such an abysmal first showing. Herein lies the problem with these early primaries — they’re almost treated as final, but they do not always act with finality. If a Texan voter intended to support Kasich or O’Malley in their primary, they might not be able to do so because those
candidates may have dropped out after an early, poor showing by a largely unrepresentative base. Of course, this could also be construed as a good thing, because now that Texan voter can place a vote that actually “matters,” as opposed to “wasting” his vote on a losing candidate. Continuing this thought, one may reach the conclusion that complaining about the order of primaries is irrelevant to the political process. Government sophomore John Jacobs elucidates this idea by arguing that even if the primaries were all done at one time on the same day, the outcome would be the same as the staggered primaries. “It’s not the best way to do it,” Jacobs said. “But, do I really think it’s going to cause a huge difference if they do it otherwise? No. Either way, I think the same people are going to get chosen, and it’s not going to cause a huge difference.” The problem with the primaries, then, does not seem to lie in their distortion of political outcomes, but rather in their arbitrary, traditional basis that just adds one layer of complexity to the convoluted world of politics. This convolution may confuse and direct one (a columnist) to write about them instead of what really matters. The issue is still important, however. Traditional presuppositions are just one more hindrance in the march of “progress,” one more aspect we think is fine but just might be subtly affecting us. If anything, the staggered primary system that disproportionately weighs two small states as the end-all must be examined like anything else, and not backed merely because it is “the way things are.” Bordelon is a philosophy sophomore from Houston.
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.
In 1928, east of East Avenue and south of the City Cemetery became the only place “non-Caucasians” could receive utility services when Austin instituted the Koch and Fowler City Plan. In the 1940s, Interstate 35 was built right down the same line, physically separating predominantly white west Austin and predominantly black east Austin. The history of segregation has left a profound divide in Austin to this day. This foundation of geographic separation, although no longer officially planned, still enforces cultural segregation. The black student population in the Austin Independent School District has been declining since the mid-1990s. According to Mia Sneed, a state equity specialist with The Center for the Elimination of Disproportionality and Disparity, this is due to a variety of factors. “[The population shrinkage is due in part to] the gentrification that has happened along the east side, and the cost of the housing that is replacing the original housing,” Sneed said. “Affordability of housing and gentrification is [a huge problem].” Now, instead of just affecting AISD, this divide has crept into surrounding areas. Since 1995, the African-American student population enrolled in AISD schools has declined from 19 percent to 8.2 percent. Meanwhile, districts north and east of Austin, such as Pflugerville, have experienced increases of up to 7 percent in African-American enrollment. However, more affluent districts west of Austin, such as Eanes and Lake Travis, have seen virtually no growth in their African American populations. Even within AISD, segregation is still prevalent. The consequences of this are not only geographic and economic, but cultural as well. In 1907, E. H. Anderson High School was
built on the east side of Austin to educate exclusively black students. Despite Anderson’s status as one of the few well-performing schools on the east side, in 1971 AISD forced the permanent closure of “Old” Anderson High School. In response to that closure, AISD opened L.C. Anderson and Lyndon B. Johnson High School. The two new schools straddle I-35, once Austin’s symbolic white-black divide, and show the results of Austin’s historic racial schism. Today, Anderson High School to the west has 7 percent African-American enrollment, while LBJ to the east has 40 percent African-American enrollment. “Two different schools, two different realities,” said Angela Ward, a staffer for AISD’s Department of Cultural Proficiency & Inclusiveness. Today, 15 percent of kids in Austin live in extreme poverty, according to the Burnt Orange Report. “Growing up in poverty has serious consequences for children, especially in education,” author Katie Singh wrote. Unsurprisingly, these numbers disproportionately affect Hispanic and AfricanAmerican children. Austin’s lingering segregation means that these “consequences” disproportionately affect east side schools. Directly to the west, Eanes ISD borders AISD. Since 1995, one percent of EISD students were African-American. In 2014, 0.8 percent of its students were African-American. The next district to the west, Lake Travis ISD, had less than two percent African-American enrollment in 2014. These numbers have held true since the time of legal segregation and are not likely to change any time soon. The east-west divisions don’t just spell separation. Eanes and Lake Travis are currently ranked in the top 10 districts in Texas by Niche, a website that compares, reviews and ranks schools across the nation. To the east, Austin is ranked 80th and Pflugerville is ranked 173rd. That is what segregation looks like, and separate is still not equal. MacLean is an advertising freshman.
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CLASS 5
SPORTS
5
Friday, January 29, 2016
SWIMMING & DIVING
Longhorns back in pool to face Arizona on road By Haley Steinman & Claire Cruz @thedailytexan
Texas swimming and diving will jump back into the competition, traveling to Tucson to take on Arizona this weekend. Unlike the Lee and Joe Jamail Swimming Center, Tuscon provides an outdoor pool for its competition. Men’s head coach Eddie Reese said the outdoor meets give valuable information as to the team’s stance under tougher conditions. “I remember one meet I didn’t let the guys get out of the bus while I went out and kicked all the ice off of the starting blocks,” Reese said. “It can be
cold. I just tell the guys, ‘Don’t let anyone know you’re cold. Just go out and swim and keep going.’” Junior Clark Smith will lead the No. 1 Longhorn men’s team after taking down NCAA and American records in the 1,000 freestyle in last month’s Texas Invitational. The No. 4 Texas women will be led by junior swimmer Madisyn Cox and senior diver Meghan Houston. The duo earned Big 12 Swimmer and Diver of the Week awards, respectively, following their performances in the USA Swimming Arena Pro Swim Series held in Austin two weeks ago. The 7-2 Longhorns will
compete in a two-day meet against the No. 14 Wildcats in one of their last outings before conference championships. The twoday dual meet will start with a traditional 16-event competition on Friday in Tuscon followed by an unscored competition on Saturday. Like the men, Arizona’s outdoor pool will be a change of scenery for the women’s squad. “Arizona is a wellcoached team and they’ve got some talent,” women’s head coach Carol Capitani said. “We only have two dual meets left so now’s the time when you fine-tune and decide the last little pieces we need to work on before championship season.”
Daulton Venglar | Daily Texan file photo
Junior Madisyn Cox swims in the Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championships on Feb. 27, 2015. The Longhorns swim against Arizona in Tuscon this weekend.
MEN’S GOLF
Texas steps into teebox for Arizona Intercollegiate, start of spring play By Trenton Daeschner @TrentDaeschner
No. 10 Texas is set to begin its spring season at the Arizona Intercollegiate in Tucson at the Sewailo Golf Club. The 54-hole tournament begins Friday with 36 holes and will conclude Saturday with 18 holes. The course is a Par 71 that stretches 6,707
competition, while junior Kalena Preus and redshirt sophomore Branson Davis will compete individually. After having a threemonth hiatus from team action, the Longhorns are eager to be back on the course. “More than anything, I’m just excited to have some jitters on the first tee,” Hossler said. “[I’m]
[I’m] really excited to get into the competitive mode. —Beau Hossler, Junior
really excited to get into the competitive mode.” Head coach John Fields wants the Longhorns to hit the ground running and gain some momentum out of the weekend.
“What I’d like to do is start building some consistency on this team,” Fields said. “I’m hopeful we can go down there and get ourselves in position on the last day to win.”
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yards and was designed by former PGA Tour player, Notah Begay III. The 16-team field includes two other ranked teams No. 21 California and No. 23 Washington. Fellow Big 12 team Iowa State will also compete. Junior Beau Hossler and sophomore Scottie Scheffler will lead a group of five Longhorns in the team
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SUDOKUFORYOU
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JACOB MARTELLA, SPORTS EDITOR | @texansports Friday, January 29, 2016
SIDELINE
MEN’S BASKETBALL
NCAAM (3) IOWA
(8) MARYLAND
(25) NOTRE DAME
SYRACUSE
TOP TWEET Aaron Williams @ajwilliams23 “Sending positive vibes to everyone, hope y’all are having a great day.”
Joshua Guerra| Daily Texan file photo
Senior center Prince Ibeh goes for a basket in Texas’ 66-71 loss to UConn on Dec. 29. Ibeh has been in the starting lineup for the Longhorns since senior center Cameron Ridley’s foot injury in December. He had 17 points and 10 rebounds against TCU on Tuesday.
Fresh Prince of #ClubErwin Ibeh fills starting role in wake of Ridley’s injury By Jacob Martella @ViewFromTheBox
Prince Ibeh left the Erwin Center court to a standing ovation on Tuesday night; his double-double performance earned him the welldeserved honor. It was a long time coming for the senior center. Ibeh sat behind fellow senior center Cameron Ridley for most of his Texas career. He started just six games in his first three seasons, averaging 2.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. Even in the first ten games of this season, Ibeh played no more than 14 minutes in a game and averaged 1.2 points and three rebounds. But that changed on Dec. 27.
Ridley went down with a fractured left foot in practice, sidelining him indefinitely. Suddenly, Ibeh found himself in the starting lineup. “[Head coach Shaka Smart] told me that there’s no other guy in [the] country perfect for stepping up than me,” Ibeh said. But, Ibeh and the Longhorns struggled through the first four games without Ridley. Ridley averaged 12.7 points and 10 rebounds a game for the Longhorns through 11 games. Ibeh and junior forward Shaquille Cleare — the other half of the “big man rotation” — averaged just nine points and 11 rebounds in the first four games without him, going 1-3 in the process.
But it was more than the statistics that changed when Ridley went down. Texas found success early in the season with an “inside-out” approach on offense. But without Ridley, the Longhorns’ focus turned away from the post and more toward outside shooting. “There was a game earlier in the year where [Ibeh] kind of said half-jokingly, ‘We keep throwing it into Cam, but what about me?’” head coach Shaka Smart said. “I learned a lesson there.” Ibeh kept working through it. After not getting many minutes early in his career, he said every minute on the court helped him find his place on the floor and gain confidence.
“Now I am out there no matter what,” Ibeh said. “I’m depended on. I’m just getting more and more comfortable.” In his last five games, Ibeh is averaging 6.4 points and 6.8 rebounds a game, but he’s also made an impact on the defensive end. He swatted away seven shots at Kansas on Saturday and followed it up with five blocks against TCU. Ibeh said defense is the best part of his game. “My presence changes the game,” Ibeh said. “Opposing teams know I’m out there.” The TCU game Tuesday was his breakout moment. Ibeh posted a careerhigh 17 points along with 10 rebounds — his second career double-double. But
the most surprising part of his game came at the freethrow line. A career 39 percent free-throw shooter, he shot 5-of-6 from the line, each made shot garnering as loud of a cheer as one of his thunderous dunks. “We know that Prince has always had the potential to do what he wants,” junior guard Isaiah Taylor said. “I think that he’s starting to show that now.” But with Vanderbilt coming to Austin on Saturday and over half of the Big 12 season remaining, Ibeh said he still has to work on “everything” to get the Longhorns into the postseason. “The biggest thing for me is just not feeling settled and complacent and to keep working,” Ibeh said.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
No. 6 Texas ready to move past 1,000th win By Tyler Horka @TexasTy95
It’s not often that a team has to find a way to refocus its efforts after earning the 1,000th victory in school history. Only four other teams have ever had to do it. Texas is now the fifth after a victory over Kansas on Wednesday. Head coach Karen Aston said that the anticipation leading up to the milestone was not a distraction for her team. After the game, however, confetti poured over the team as women’s athletics director Chris Plonsky addressed the crowd. The screens at the Frank Erwin Center played a video to commemorate the achievement. It’s a milestone that can be celebrated, but something Aston said shouldn’t distract the Longhorns. “When we have seemed to accomplish something if it is part of what we are trying to do, we will check it off and look toward the next one,” Aston said. “So I think this is something we can check off, but I don’t think they have been distracted.” Aston said that winning the 1,000th game in program history did not surface as a goal until after the season started. What the Longhorns have been eying since the beginning of the season is a conference title.
Joshua Guerra | Daily Texan Staff
Senior guard Celina Rodrigo avoids a Baylor defender in Texas’ 80-67 loss to the Bears on Jan. 17. The Longhorns won their 1,000th game in program history on Wednesday by beating Kansas.
No. 6 Texas (19-1, 8-1 Big 12) sits tied at the top with Baylor in the Big 12 standings. The Longhorns’ only loss of the season was against the Bears on Jan. 17. Texas followed that up by squeaking out a seven-point win at TCU and then picked up home victories over No. 19 Oklahoma and Kansas. Instead of dropping more games, and dropping out of the championship chase, the
Longhorns have won three straight games. That, Aston said, is the key to keeping the team’s Big 12 title hopes alive. “It’s happened to us before where one disappointing loss can turn into two or three,” Aston said. “And [then] you find yourself in the middle of the pack and not having an opportunity to win a championship.” Senior guard Celina
Rodrigo said that it was great to be a part of a moment that means so much for Texas basketball. But she knows this isn’t what her team has been working for this season. “We definitely have a special team this year,” Rodrigo said. “I think we’re just going to build on it from here. It was a great milestone, but we’re looking forward to getting even more wins.” Rodrigo and fellow
seniors are halfway through the final regular season in conference play of their careers. When they travel to Manhattan, Kansas, to take on Kansas State on Saturday, it will be the last time the seniors play them on the road. “It makes us think we have to play every game like it’s our last because it’s coming to an end,” Rodrigo said. “We don’t want to have any regrets in the long run.”
TODAY IN HISTORY
1936
Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson became the first players to be selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
SPORTS BRIEFLY Texas lands four-star cornerback
Cornerback Eric Cuffee, a four-star recruit from Waco High School, is taking his talents to the University of Texas. Cuffee made his announcement official on ESPNU’s Thursday edition of “Recruiting Nation.” According to the ESPN Top 300, Cuffee is ranked as the nation’s 11th best cornerback and the state of Texas’ 19th best recruit. Cuffee says the deciding factor in his commitment was how comfortable he felt with Texas head coach Charlie Strong. “I love Coach Strong and the entire coaching staff,” Cuffee said on ESPNU. “I had a great time with Coach Strong when he came for the inhome. My family really liked him. He was really straightforward, and I appreciated that from him. I loved my official visit, and my mom loved it, too.” Cuffee says the program is heading in the right direction and it will only be a matter of time until Texas returns to prominence. “Texas is definitely a program on the rise,” Cuffee said on ESPNU. “They had a bad year last year, but there is a lot of talent for a bounce back year. Deshon [Elliott], Malik [Jefferson] and P.J. [Locke] all recruited me. And they are all young and will help the program grow. It’s going to be good in the future.” Cuffee is the 14th player in Texas’ 2016 recruiting class and is the first big domino to fall in the Longhorns’ last big push before National Signing Day on Feb. 3. —Mark Skol
8 L&A
CAT CARDENAS, LIFE&ARTS EDITOR | @thedailytexan Friday, January 29, 2016
8
FILM
Oscar nominations reflect lack of diversity By Charles Liu
@CharlieInDaHaus
For the second year in a row, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominated 20 white actors for all the acting Oscars. Even esteemed movies featuring people of color that received nominations, such as “Straight Outta Compton” and “Creed,” only did so for white cast and crew members. African-American director Spike Lee and African-American actress Jada Pinkett Smith will boycott the ceremony. The Academy’s image has suffered a blow — but in truth, the organization did not have a diverse field to choose nominees from in the first place. In 2015, the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA conducted a study which revealed there are more than two white film leads for every minority lead, two white directors for every minority director and three white writers for every minority writer. Women only make up oneeighth of film directors and one-fourth of the writers in the film industry. Radio-television-film associate professor Mary Beltrán, who specializes in race and gender studies, partially attributed the lack of diversity in Hollywood to white-centric tastes in America. “It doesn’t mean everyone is experiencing racism every minute they don’t fit into [the white] category, but we don’t
really question that most movies are about white people,” Beltrán said. “We have come to take it for granted, and we go pay to watch those movies.” Radio-television-film professor Tom Schatz said that it is tough for minorities and women to break into the film business because it is dominated by white men. “I’ve spent a lot of time with people in the industry, and it’s a boys’ club,” Schatz said. “[People in the industry] like people with similar backgrounds, similar sensibilities.” Studios’ business practices are also responsible for the diversity issue. Filmmaking is an expensive endeavor, so the studios attempt to minimize the risk involved. Among other tactics such as testing movies on focus groups and churning out sequels, studios tend to look toward racial demographics in the United States to determine who their films should appeal to, which leads to the underrepresentation of certain groups. Beltrán recounted an interview she had with AsianAmerican director Justin Lin, famous for directing three “The Fast and the Furious” films, in which Lin said the industry felt the Asian population was too small to warrant making films for. “It’s really kind of sad [the studios don’t feel they] need to tell all these stories, to think about doing it for all the communities in the U.S.,” she said. Beltrán noted that studios believe white stars are an important selling point, and
Illustration by Jason Cheon | Daily Texan Staff
often hesitate to cast minority leads as a result. Schatz argued film schools should help remedy the problem by cultivating the talent of minority and female students in production classes. He and other faculty members of UT’s film department are currently striving to diversify their student body.
On the Hollywood side of things, Beltrán suggested studios should take more chances on films and actors of color, as the fear that minorities and females won’t attract audiences is unwarranted. She pointed to Universal’s “The Fast and the Furious” as a lucrative series that defies executives’ expectations that the
white male hero is what sells. Similarly, last year’s most commercially successful movie, Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” starred a white female, a black male and Hispanic male. While it’s tempting to think bashing the Oscars is an effective way to change Hollywood, Schatz warned that simply
making a ruckus over the nominee list and boycotting can cause people to lose sight of the larger problems at hand. “[Lee and Pinkett Smith] ought to be using the Oscars to address the deeper issues,” he said. “Hopefully, the roiling controversy this year will keep us thinking beyond Oscar night.”
CITY
UT alumni opens meditation studio in Austin By Elizabeth Hlavinka @hlavinka_e
Imagine a thin string attached to the ceiling. It enters the top of your scalp, runs taut through your body and connects the balls of your feet to the ground. Focus on your breath. Deep in meditation, you relax your mind and body and begin attending to your inner self — something fundamental to the mission of Meditation Bar, a studio recently opened by UT alumni Cathy Bonner and Lauren Foreman. Bonner believes meditation should be a part of people’s daily life and created the studio to help people new to meditation get started. Bonner said she has already begun seeing the benefits of meditation in her students. In addition to reducing stress, meditation can improve sleep cycles and reduce anxiety, leading to a more present, mindful life. “Living mindfully just means living aware,” Bonner said. “You have a calmness
about you that allows you to not get so excited over things that really don’t matter, so you can focus on things that do matter.” It’s common for students to get emotional while focusing on their heart and mind — Foreman said some have broken out in tears. One student, a businessman who spends half of each week in Austin and the other half in New York, has lost 22 pounds since he started attending classes. Foreman said his meditation simply made him conscious of when he felt full and made him more aware of where his food was coming from. “When you practice a love and gratitude meditation, you think about things all the way back to the seed,” Foreman said. “It’s been really rewarding to see what’s happening in peoples’ lives since they started coming.” The Meditation Bar offers a “flight” of classes, including “Fundamentals,” which is recommended for beginners, “Breathe,” which focuses on the physical aspects of meditation,
and “Happy Hour,” where the group takes “shots” of fruitinfused water after the practice. Bonner said there is something special about meditating in a group as opposed to an individual setting. “There’s this energy from the group that is kind of hard to define and sounds a little woowoo,” Bonner said. “There’s this energy from a group that can transfer [within the group].” Bonner starting meditating when she retired from a hectic life as an entrepreneur. Foreman began in college when her roommate, dedicated to her meditations, woke her up each day at 5 a.m. Almost all of the students at Meditation Bar have never meditated before, and most of their business comes from young adults hoping to relieve stress. UT integrated health counselor Elana Bizer manages the MindBody Lab on campus, which provides meditations involving breathe exercises, body scans and silent techniques. Bizer said meditation increases mindfulness and can help students deal with
Edward Torres | Daily Texan Staff
UT alumni Cathy Bonner and Lauren Foreman advocate a regular routine of meditation at their Meditation Bar, providing space and instruction for others trying to develop a healthier lifestyle.
stress, tough decisions and negative situations. “There are a variety of meditations students can access to begin finding out what is helpful for them,” Bizer said. “I think different people respond better to different meditations.” UT alumnus Premkishore
Shivakumar, who led the Sahaj Marg Meditation club while at UT, said there are plenty of opportunities for students to meditate. His meditations focus on a sense of calm and peace found from within, which he calls “heartfulness.” He said his happiness, calmness and focus
have drastically improved with years of meditation. “You give the mind some kind of resting place [because] if not, it’s always going in all directions,” Shivakumar said. “Being in touch with your inner self can really help bring you joy.”
Q&A
Vanessa Carlton talks touring, motherhood, new album By Megan Hix @meganhix95
Singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton, who catapulted to fame in 2001 with “A Thousand Miles” and “Ordinary Day,” will perform at the Parish on Saturday. Carlton caught up with The Daily Texan to talk about touring, motherhood and her new album, Liberman:
mellow than much of your previous work. What inspired that choice? VC: We wanted [the album] to feel dreamy, almost watery. I think working with [producer] Steve Osborne was a huge part of that, because working with his aesthetic is kind of eerie and beautiful.
The Daily Texan: How’s your tour going? Vanessa Carlton: It’s been probably our best tour so far. I think the shows have been really good. We mostly play Liberman, and people seem to really connect to the new record, so it feels good.
DT: How long did it take for Liberman to come together? VC: It was tricky in the beginning to get the sonic palette right. We tried a few different things, but once we got it, it was the best feeling. We recorded the majority of it in England, so I had to go over there a couple times before we got it right.
DT: This album is more
DT: How has motherhood
impacted your music or how you go about planning a tour? VC: The majority of the album was written and done before I got pregnant, but having a baby on the road is a whole new game. I think this has been a total experiment to see if I could do it, and it’s kind of working, which is great because it means I can perform around the country and still keep my family together. The other way [my daughter] really affected me is in the performance every night. When you become a mom, there’s something about it that makes you very much in the moment. Your baby doesn’t care about your stupid problems, they’re just these pure little beings that want to connect with you.
DT: Initially, how did you approach writing new material after “A Thousand Miles?” Was there added pressure to write another hit? VC: Honestly the way I look at that is I kind of pretend it didn’t happen. This tour is not a nostalgia tour for us — we play mostly new material. [“A Thousand Miles”] was almost a different lifetime ago. I understand people know that song and love that song, but if they’re still connecting with me now, it’s not really about that song anymore. The people who do come to the show just to hear that song often end up connecting to the new stuff, and that’s good. I feel no obligation to fulfill anyone’s expectations from that earlier era.
I’m 35 years old. I’ve grown up. I’ve moved forward. DT: How do you think location, whether it’s recording in England or moving to Nashville, impacted this record? VC: Working in England is really incredible, because you’re kind of in the middle of nowhere. It’s very isolating, in a good way, for an artist. You live like a monk — all you do every day is work on your project. There’s something somber about the record, and I think that really reflects the tone of where we were. Rainy England is a feeling on this album. Nashville is a different thing. We played anything we could get our hands on to create the tracks and to cut the songs in a way that really
linked in with what I’d done in England. I think your environment absolutely affects the kind of music you’re making, at least to a certain degree. DT: Is there a song you’re most proud of or that was particularly difficult to write? VC: I love the story of “Matter of Time,” because it was such a quick and natural recording. and my husband plays with me. I had written the song on piano, and it just didn’t sound right. I asked him to play guitar, and he did this finger picking that was really beautiful. It just made the song. When I started singing over it, it just sounded so good. We ended up taking the first take. It was one of those magic moments in the studio.