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Monday, April 4, 2016
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STATE
Hinojosa vows to focus on education By Forrest Milburn @forrestmilburn
Gina Hinojosa saw stunning examples of public servants dedicating their lives to their communities almost everyday in the form of her parents, both legal aid lawyers. Despite growing up in that world, Hinojosa — who has served on the Austin ISD School Board since 2012 — didn’t think she would ever want to be a part of it. “When you’re in public service, it’s like you belong to everybody,” Hinojosa said. “I
didn’t like that my dad belonged to everybody, I wanted him to belong just to us.” After serving on the board, Hinojosa decided to jump into a crowded field of candidates for an open state House of Representatives race so she could move the needle at the state level on one of her top priorities: education. “We’ve been making good progress [at the board], but our biggest challenge is funding,” Hinojosa said. “That’s a state issue. So whenthis seat came open, I just felt like I had to try.” Earlier this month, Hinojosa
emerged victorious from the pack of six other qualified candidates for House District 49 with around 57 percent of the vote, avoiding a runoff election. Although he remained neutral throughout the campaign, longtime state Rep. Elliott Naishtat — who is currently serving in the interim session until the legislature reconvenes next year — said he was pleased his successor aligns with his stances, including opposing campus carry, and prioritizes public health and education funding. “She is focused on issues I’ve
HINOJOSA page 2
UT system: tuition rise won’t affect affordability @caleber96
Juan Figueroa | Daily Texan Staff
Gina Hinojosa won the District 49 election with 57 percent of the vote. Hinojosa hopes to reform education in Texas as the newly elected representative.
Akinosun shines, sets record at Texas Relays By Jacob Martella @ViewFromTheBox
RELAYS page 6
SYSTEM
By Caleb Wong
TRACK & FIELD
The Nike Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays have been around for 89 years, but the 21,006 fans that filled Mike A. Myers Stadium on Saturday afternoon saw something that’s never happened in the event’s history. Texas senior Morolake Akinosun flew by the packed and brightly colored east stands of the stadium and cruised by her competition in the women’s 100-meter dash. The senior crossed the finish line with a time of 11.07 seconds, taking her third-straight win in the race — a first for the Texas Relays. “I realized about halfway through the training season that I could be the first one to ever do that,” Akinosun said. “It’s an incredible feeling.” The moment, however, was slightly bittersweet for the Illinois native. Her teammate, freshman Teahna Daniels,
bit.ly/dtvid
Joshua Guerra | Daily Texan Staff
Senior Morolake Akinosun sprints ahead of a Purdue runner during one of the weekend’s relay events. Akinosun won the 100-meter-dash for the third straight year at the Texas Relays — a record for the historic meet.
The UT System responded Thursday to a request from top state officials asking for information on student debt, college loan affordability and college completion rates. The system’s report defended recent tuition increases as necessary to the quality of their institutions. The letter cited statistics showing that UT-Austin students typically only pay 40 percent of the listed tuition price and that net tuition in 2014 was $500 less than in 2004 after tuition de-regulation. “UT System institutions are among the most affordable in the state, and modest tuition increases will not impact that,” according to the report. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Senator Kel Seliger, chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee, said they were “alarmed” by recent tuition increases at UT System institutions in a letter written in early March. The 84th legislature, the letter pointedly said, had provided for a “dramatic” increase in funding for higher education. “It is discouraging to see Texas Higher Education institutions seek to increase the financial burden faced by students and their families rather than developing methods to cut costs,” said Patrick and Seliger in the letter. “The cost of higher education must remain at
TUITION page 2
CAMPUS
CAMPUS
Thousands of students gather RoundUp rounds up nearly on LBJ lawn for Holi festivities $100,000 for several charities By Anusha Lalani
By Cassandra Jaramillo
@anusha_lalani
Booming music, thousands of bodies and colored powder filled the air around the LBJ lawn as students gathered to celebrate the Hindu celebration, Holi. Hosted by the Hindu Student Association, Holi, which is celebrated every year, involves public dancing and singing as students throw different colored powders at each other’s faces and bodies. Health and society junior Krishan Sachdev, who is the financial director of HSA, said Holi is a festivity that symbolizes two significances — one spiritual and the other for the coming of a new season. “The religious and spiritual significance behind is that everyone is joined and unified by color,” Sachdev said. “There’s no race there’s nothing, it’s all love. The second significance is celebrating the incoming of spring. Back in India all the
@cassandrajar
Rachel Zein | Daily Texan Staff
Rang, or colored powder, is thrown in the air during the annual Holi festival, which was hosted by the Hindu Students Association.
New fundraising efforts by UT Interfraternity Council (IFC) and University Panhellenic Council (UPC) for the 86th annual RoundUp weekend attracted more than 15,000 people and raised nearly $100,000 for charities. This year, IFC increased its prices on non-UT students wristbands. IFC Stephanie Martinez-Arndt | Daily Texan Staff charged $20 per wrist- Members of the Texas Baseball Diamonds attend a party band for non-UT students, hosted by Sigma Chi on Saturday during RoundUp weekend. compared to $10 last year. RoundUp is free for UT lanthropy chair, said this lanthropy and social situathe organization tions and although it doesn’t students, but this year UPC year held a fast-pass option that chose the B+ Foundation get the same attention, we charged students $10 dol- as its main charity. The choose to do the philanthrolars to cut in wristband foundation helps children py because it feels good.” Will Deer, finance julines. IFC and UPC donated fighting cancer. “I think the Greek com- nior and IFC president, said money raised with wristband sales and personal munity is a great commu- many fraternities and sororidonations to charities of nity of adults,” Sparr said. ties have sponsored children “People focus a lot on the in the foundation, and detheir choice. Wesley Sparr, finance negative [aspect] of Greek cided to use RoundUp as the sophomore and IFC phi- life. We strive in school, phi-
sources of income were farming, [and] the winter was a very, very harsh time. This was the start of the new crops and the better weather.” Sachdev also said this religious celebration allows people be themselves and not worry about the outside world. “Our goal is to get every person of race and gender to join in and celebrate just being
alive and being happy and just unify as one; to bond,” Sachdev said. “Everyone looses the stress of the social life and joins in as one body.” More than 9,000 people attended the event this year, and the number of attendees has increased by 1,000 each year, Sachdev said. Business freshman Kristen
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Softball wins two of three against BYU. PAGE 6
Program brings art to Texas prison. PAGE 8
Check out our video recap of 40 Acres Fest
Profiling Muslims makes no statistical sense. PAGE 4
Baseball falls flat in series loss against rival. PAGE 6
Weezer reestablishes sound on White Album. PAGE 8
HOLI page 2
ROUNDUP page 2
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REASON TO PARTY
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