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Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900
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Wednesday, April 13, 2016
dailytexanonline.com
POLICE
New details emerge in UT homicide By Wynne Davis @wynneellyn
Dance freshman Haruka Weiser, the victim of last week’s campus homicide, appears to have been sexually assaulted and was the victim of strangulation, according to a report by the Austin American-Statesman. The Statesman reported this based on preliminary evidence gathered and processed so far, according to officials working on the case. The sources declined
to be identified due to the nature of the ongoing investigation, and because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the case. According to the Statesman, forensic examiners are still processing DNA samples, and the Travis County Medical Examiner’s office still has more time before the final information is released on Weiser’s death. Final results will not be released for many weeks. Previously, officers with the Austin Police Department
and the University of Texas Police Department only said Weiser was assaulted, but declined to offer specifics. Following the discovery of Weiser’s body in Waller Creek on April 3, APD arrested Meechaiel Criner, a 17-year-old homeless man, on Thursday and charged him with murder Friday. Criner has not had an arraignment at this time, but the Statesman reported APD would most likely use these
HOMICIDE page 2
Texas faces seismological activity due to fracking @forrestmilburn
Marshall Tidrick | Daily Texan Staff
The UT Tower was in the darkened configuration on April 7 in honor of dance freshman Haruka Weiser, the victim of an on-campus homicide.
Bike registration plummets in recent years By Caleb Wong @caleber96
New bike registration steadily decreased from the 2009–2010 academic year to the 2013–2014 academic year, according to the most recent data made available by Parking and Transportation Services. According to the 2013– 2014 PTS report, 2,967 bikes were newly registered at UT during the 2009–2010 academic year. In 2013–2014, only 1,404 new bikes were newly registered on campus. Public relations senior Natalie De Leon said she’s never registered her bike on campus, despite seeing constant advertising for bike registration on campus. “Honestly, I don’t see a need for it,” said De Leon, who rides an inexpensive bike to class. “I never leave Infographic by Kelly Smith | Daily Texan Staff
FENCING
STATE
By Forrest Milburn
CAMPUS
BIKES page 2
bit.ly/dtvid
Texas is one of six states facing the most significant threat from earthquakes as a result of both natural earth shaking and energy extraction processes, according to a recent report. On March 28, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) released maps identifying areas around the country with heightened earthquake activity from both natural earthquakes and those resulting from human activity. USGS seismologist George Choy said the maps are a one-year forecast on natural earthquakes and the effects of wastewater disposal from energy extraction, providing research and data to educate the public and to help governmental officials make more informed environmental and energy decisions. “In the past few years, the increase in oil and gas extraction and the need to dispose of the wastewater has caused a tremendous amount of activity,” Choy said. “The problem is, this activity is short term and it could be controlled by external factors.” Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking — an extraction technique that uses water and chemicals to retrieve natural gas from underground deposits — has been at the center of legislative
FRACKING page 3
CAMPUS
Fencing team spars at Michael Dell speaks on entrepreneurship national championship By Hannah Daniel By Elizabeth Huang @lizzthewiz
The UT Fencing Club competed in the United States Associate of Collegiate Fencing Clubs (USACFC) College Fencing National Championships on April 3, placing seventh overall out of 38 schools. The team placed in both team and individual events, with winners including Loktao Shing, a Plan II and civil engineering senior, in first place for men’s foil and biochemistry senior Julia Chernis in second place for women’s epee. The women’s epee and men’s foil teams also won first place in their respective team events. “This is our third year in a row competing at the national level after a long hiatus,” said Chernis, who also serves as the vice president of UT Fencing Club. “I am extremely proud of the achievements of my teammates, for many of whom this was their first year in the sport.” Christopher Chen, president of UT Fencing Club and electrical engineering junior,
said he has enjoyed watching the club consistently grow and improve over the years. “Out of the 40 colleges that attend the USACFC National Championships, we have gone from 12th my freshman year to 10th last year, and finally to seventh this year, so we are now breaching the elite echelon of collegiate fencing clubs,” Chen said. “We also have had an outpouring of interest from the student body, with our beginner night newbie attendance growing from a handful to over a hundred in the last three years.” The club’s other victories this year include winning first place at the Southwest Intercollegiate Fencing Association tournament last year. The fencing club meets every Tuesday and Thursday in BEL 302 at 7:30 p.m. to practice. Practice consists of warm-up games and stretching followed by footwork and blade work drills. In the last part of practice, members free fence or receive lessons from the coaches.
FENCING page 2
Michael Dell, UT alumnus and Dell Inc. CEO, speaks to students at the Hogg Auditorium on Tuesday evening. Dell spoke about his life experiences and emphasized the importance of learning from failure.
@hannahdaniel
Michael Dell discussed Dell Inc.’s evolution and advised students not to be afraid of failure, even in competitive environments, in Hogg Auditorium as a part of the Texas Cowboys Lectureship series Tuesday. Dell, the founder, chairman and CEO of Dell Inc., began working on computers as a UT student before dropping out to pursue his business. According to Forbes, his net worth is now over $22 billion. Texas Cowboys foreman Louis Andres, a management information systems senior, said the group was drawn to Dell because of his involvement with UT and his experience in the fields of business and technology. “We like him a lot because he’s entrepreneurially driven, and I think he’s going to speak not only as a businessman, but also as a former student,” Andres said. “The idea is to inspire anyone there, not to make them drop out, but to make them
Gabriel Lopez Daily Texan Staff
feel like they can accomplish anything and fulfill whatever dreams they have.” The interview was moderated by Clint Tuttle, a McCombs School of Business lecturer. They discussed the evolution of Dell’s company, which began with a business he ran out of his dorm room, Dobie 2713, upgrading and selling computers. Dell said he entered college as a pre-med biology student, and he initially faced resistance from his parents when he switched
career paths. Dell also touched on the business model of his company, discussing the company’s main sources of revenue, the new acquisition of EMC and the recent privatization of Dell Inc. Tuttle asked Dell if he had any advice for budding entrepreneurs at UT, especially given the high level of anxiety about making mistakes that accompanies the increasing caliber of achievement on campus. Dell said he has
learned more during times of failure than he has during successful periods. “Waiting to have a perfect plan or being afraid of failure is not a good recipe for success,” Dell said. “[Opportunity] favors the bold and those who have a new, fresh perspective, which tend to be more in dorm rooms than in boardrooms.” Psychology junior Alina Schmitz-Hübsch said the lecture showed her that a good idea, passion and an
DELL page 2
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VP of student affairs announces departure. PAGE 3
Minority graduations must be a priority. PAGE 4
Longhorns fall to Houston Cougars 3-2. PAGE 6
GLORY wrestlers fight for gender inclusion. PAGE 8
New app aims to improve study abroad experience. PAGE 3
Unlivable prison conditions require reform. PAGE 4
Felix makes seamless transition to Divison 1. PAGE 6
UT alumnus, former rocker composes symphonies.
Did you check out CMHC’s glow in the dark yoga event yesterday as part of Mental Health Promotion Week? Check out our recap video at dailytexanonline.com
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