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Herman comes ‘home’ to Texas By Michael Shapiro @mshap2
Tom Herman didn’t need much of an introduction Sunday as he took the podium at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Herman has been a known commodity on the 40 Acres since 2014, when former head coach Charlie Strong reportedly pursued Herman for the Longhorns’ offensive coordinator job. And after two successful seasons and a 22–4 record at Houston, Herman quickly became the Longhorns’ top choice to become the 30th head coach in Texas football history following Strong’s dismissal on Saturday. “[Herman] is the real deal, the right choice and a great choice for Texas,” athletic director Mike Perrin said. “I have no doubt that he will bring championships to Austin.” Texas’ administration quickly pinpointed Herman to lead the program, hiring him just hours after firing Strong on Saturday morning. And while neither Perrin nor University President Gregory Fenves confirmed he was the only candidate interviewed, they did state he was “a clear top choice” after
speaking with him on Saturday. Herman’s ties to Texas date back more than a decade. He began his journey as a wide receivers coach at Texas Lutheran in 1998 before taking a graduate assistant gig at Texas a year later. One of his first duties with the program was to sit with Heisman Trophy-winning running back Ricky Williams on a parade float, where he learned the “Hook ‘em Horns” hand sign. His time as a graduate assistant was short-lived. But in the two years he spent with Texas, Herman said he learned a great deal from former head coach Mack Brown, who attended Herman’s introduction Sunday. “The thing I credit coach Brown for the most is his inclusivity,” Herman said. “He’s got an unbelievable way of coaching people and managing people. And just sitting in that staff room for two years, it was very eye-opening.” Herman detailed his coaching philosophy as well as his goals for Texas. He stressed building relationships with his players and the necessity of proper preparation. The 41-year-old coach preached the “practice of alignment” as one of his main
Joshua Guerra | Daily Texan Staff
Texas introduced head coach Tom Herman on Sunday. He finished with a 22–4 record in two years as Houston’s head coach.
coaching principles. Taking note from Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer, who he coached under as offensive coordinator from 2012–14, Herman said the Longhorn staff
will work to send a disciplined and consistent message to its players on and off the field. While Strong entered the program in 2014 with little experience recruiting in
RESEARCH
Texas, that won’t be a problem for Herman. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native spent time as an assistant at Sam Houston State, Texas State and Rice, canvassing the state on the
recruiting trail. Herman spoke like a triedand-true Texan while discussing recruiting. He took time to
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CITY
Study finds new class of flu antibodies Recent K2 usage spike By Wesley Story
A team of researchers at UT discovered a new class of antibodies that could be used to create a better flu vaccine.
@wesleystory0
A team of researchers at UT discovered a new class of antibodies that can protect against a wide range of virus strains while studying the influenza vaccine. The discovery of the new antibodies provides information that could potentially be used to redesign the influenza vaccine to better elicit these types of antibodies. The research also showed that the trivalent vaccine, which protects against three strains of the flu virus, is good at generating antibodies also produced by the quadrivalent vaccine, which protects
Jesús Nazario Daily Texan file photo
against four strains of the flu virus. Jiwon Lee, a chemical engineering doctoral student, helped lead and design the
study. Lee said the team developed new technology that played a major role in the research. “Characterizing what
type of antibodies are generated by the vaccine is really important for
FLU page 3
hospitalizes at least 39 By Will Clark @_willclark_
At least 39 people were hospitalized over the weekend in cases involving synthetic marijuana, also known as K2, according to Austin EMS Captain Darren Noak. The spree started Friday around 3:30 p.m. when EMS responded to 12 K2-related calls in less than two hours. As of 7 p.m. on Saturday, 36 people had been hospitalized for similar reasons, with three more cases reported by Sunday morning. “It’s numbers like that that perk our ears up and make us
take more of an interest in the trend so we can make a plan of attack,” Noak said. “We’re still monitoring and looking at the situation.” In August, a series of hospitalizations from synthetic marijuana resulted in the arrests of 56-year-old Charles Herd and his 41-year-old wife, Juanita Price. Kurt Thomas, a lieutenant with the Austin Police Department, told Fox 7 News in October the two were supplying K2 to much of the downtown area where the August incidents occurred.
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CITY
Capital Metro phases out last of orange University shuttle buses By Paul Cobler @PaulCobler
Capital Metro’s last burnt orange and white bus was retired Tuesday, completing an upgrade of the buses that have serviced the UT campus since 1998. New, blue Capital Metro buses will now serve the area, continuing CapMetro’s partnership with the University, according to a press release. “We love hearing stories from the UT community, especially from students who
rode the orange and white buses over the last 20 years,” said Dottie Watkins, CapMetro vice president of bus and paratransit services. “It’s time for a new and exciting change. The new high-tech buses are the next generation of public transportation and will offer upgraded vehicles that are reliable, comfortable and environmentally friendly.” Several of the new buses have been used since the beginning of the summer and include cushioned seats, air conditioning upgrades, safety
upgrades and upgrades for disabled passengers, according to the press release. Economics freshman Tony Cabanas said the changes to the buses are welcome and something he believes will make riding the bus easier and safer. “It’s a good thing to have newer buses, because it shows Capital Metro cares about us,” Cabanas said. “For drivers and passengers, it makes things safer, and that’s what’s the most important.” The bus colors may be changing, but there will be no
change to the partnership Capital Metro has with the University. The UT Shuttle provided 3.7 million rides to UT students last year, according to the press release, and CapMetro bus rides will still be free of charge to UT students. The addition of new buses should also help eliminate confusion for passengers between UT Shuttle buses and normal local Capital Metro buses by creating a standardized look. UT Shuttle routes will now
CAPMETRO page 3
Juan Figueroa | Daily Texan Staff
Capital Metro has phased out the use of the burnt orange and white buses with new blue Capital Metro buses.
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Volume 117, Issue 75
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HERMAN
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name-drop numerous Texas high schools, displaying his deep understanding of the state. “I’ve recruited this state for 20-some-odd years,” Herman said. “I’ve grown up with the high school football coaches in this great state. … It doesn’t get any better than this. It’s not even close anywhere in the country.” Texas football is undoubtedly a pressure cooker, drawing constant attention throughout the nation. And while Herman has headcoaching experience at
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Editor-in-Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alexander Chase Associate Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Benroy Chan, Mubarrat Choudhury, Michael Jensen, Emily Vernon Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jackie Wang Associate Managing Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Megan Hix, Iliana Storch News Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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Elizabeth Hlavinka Associate Life&Arts Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cat Cardenas, Katie Walsh Senior Life&Arts Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Duncan, Mae Hamilton Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ezra Siegel Associate Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tyler Horka Senior Sports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Claire Cruz, Shane Lewis, Sydney Rubin, Michael Shapiro Science&Tech Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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Joshua Guerra Associate Photo Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Stephanie Tacy, Daulton Venglar Senior Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emmanual Briseño, Juan Figueroa, Zoe Fu, Gabriel Lopez, Mary Pistorius Video Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monica Silverio Senior Videographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Corey Cave, Maria Luisa Santos, Jane Zeng Comics Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lex Rojas Associate Comics Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Melanie Westfall, Victoria Smith Senior Comics Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tiffany Hinojosa, Albert Lee, Audrey McNay, Jaqueline Tovar Social Media Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Andrea Liu Technical Operations Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jun Tan Podcast Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lillian Michel Editorial Adviser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter Chen
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Houston, the scrutiny that comes with leading the Longhorns dwarfs that of coaching the Cougars. But Herman insists he isn’t concerned with the pressure. He said he’s ready to guide the Longhorns and bring them back to the top of college football. “Now we are home, and I can’t wait to get started,” Herman said. “The University of Texas is a special place and deservedly holds a seat among college football elite. … We will win championships, we will build men of character, we will graduate our players, and we will do it with integrity and class.”
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APD did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the recent K2 cases. Noak did not confirm if these new incidents are related, saying it’s too early to tell. “It would be hard to say right now,” Noak said. “We’ve seen upticks come, we’ve seen upticks go.” Noak said most of the incidents this time came from Chase Karacostas | Daily Texan file photo the East Seventh Street and Emergency responders reported at least 39 hospitalizations Sixth Street areas downtown, resulting from K2 usage over the weekend. and EMS utilized seven amMost patients were taken bulances to transport the pa- said there were no incidents tients. UT Police Department involving K2 on campus over to Brackenridge Hospital or St. David’s Medical Center spokesperson Cindy Posey the weekend. for treatment, according to Noak, but because of the high number of cases, EMS Name: 5203/PPD Development; Width: 29p6; Depth: 10 in; Color: spread out the patient load Black, 5203/PPD Development; Ad Number: 5203 so as not to overwhelm the hospitals. EMS receives between 40 and 60 K2 calls per month, but they’ve seen numbers as high as 400 in one month. “This is an uptick, but it’s a small blip compared to what we’ve seen in the past,” Noak said. EMS did not perform any life-saving interventions, Noak said. All patients were alive on scene, and they all arrived at the hospitals alive, but Noak could not comment on their condition after they reached the hospital. Brackenridge Hospital and St. David’s Medical Center were not available for comment. UT social work professor Jane Maxwell researches patterns of substance abuse in Texas and said over the last five years, a collection of drugs have come to the country as research or industrial chemicals, particularly from India or China. Maxwell said because the drug is cheap and readily available, it poses a threat to the homeless population. “It seems to be targeted particularly to the homeless population and people who don’t have the amount of money to go buy other drugs,” Maxwell said. Maxwell said when a string of hospitalizations occurs, it’s because “somebody mixed up a bad batch.” “So far we haven’t had that many deaths, but we’re paying a terrible price with the emergency services and hospitals,” Maxwell said. Biochemistry freshman Salar Khan said the danger of synthetic marijuana is the lack of knowledge about the drug. “With any synthetic drug, it’s dangerous because you don’t know what’s inside it, and it’s not regulated by the government,” Khan said.
W&N 3
NEWS
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Monday, November 28, 2016
BUSINESS
UT startup offers new way to hang out By Michelle Zhang
UT alumna Olivia Nguyen co-founded a startup called Nido along with three other UT students in June to prevent the killing of trees that can result from repeated hammocking.
@michelle05155
Worried that the increasing popularity of hammocks will kill the trees supporting them, a group of UT students created their own hammock structure with reclaimed steel from oil pipes. Olivia Nguyen, a 2016 aerospace engineering graduate, co-founded a startup called Nido — the Spanish word for nest — along with three other UT students in June. The startup sells hammock structures made of locally sourced recycled steel to public institutions. “Our current product holds eight hammocks and 16 people,” Nguyen said. “We work with a local hammock company. We rent out and also sell structures mostly to festivals, universities and state parks.” UT is one of Nido’s customers. By the next spring semester, there will be one hammock structure by Nido set up on campus as part of the Speedway Mall Project. When the weather is nice, the Nido team sets up their hammock stand in front of the Chemi-
Courtesy of David Duyker
cal and Petroleum Engineering Building for students to hang out using their hammocks. “I have so much respect for people that take the Earth’s limited resources into account when they create new things,” said Katherine Newton, an international relations and global studies freshman. “Now, with utmost confidence, I can invest in products that help me do the things I love,
like hammocking.” The initial idea of creating the structures came from the 2012 hammock ban on UT campus. As a response to the ban, Nguyen started the Texas Hammocking Club in 2014 and encouraged students to enjoy nature in a responsible and environmentally friendly way. “Hammocks are banned in parks and universities,” Nguyen said. “People are going to the same tree and
RESEARCH UT researchers have discovered that Mars’ ice deposits hold nearly as much water as Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes.
Courtesy of NASA Jet Propulsion Lab
Study: Mars holds vast ice deposits By Catherine Marfin @catherinemarfin
UT researchers have discovered that Mars’ ice deposits hold nearly as much water as Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes. Using data from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, researchers studied part of Mars’ Utopia Planitia region, a basin created by a large impact on the planet’s surface early in its history that has since been filled with water. Using a ground-penetrating device known as a Shallow Radar, scientists analyzed data from more than 600 overhead passes and discovered the ice deposit, which is larger
than the area of New Mexico and ranges from 260 to 560 feet in thickness. The ice deposit is underneath a layer of soil that scientists estimate to be anywhere from 3 to 33 feet thick, according to a UT news release. “This deposit probably formed as snowfall accumulating into an ice sheet mixed with dust during a period in Mars history when the planet’s axis was more tilted than it is today,” Cassie Stuurman, a graduate research assistant at the Institute for Geophysics in the Jackson School of Geosciences, said in an article to NASA. Joe Levy of the University of Texas Institute for
Geophysics, a co-author of study, said the discovery of this ice deposit will further understanding about the history of Mars and could serve as a possible resource for future astronauts. “The ice deposits in Utopia Planitia aren’t just an exploration resource,” Levy said in the news release. “They’re also one of the most accessible climate change records on Mars. We don’t understand fully why ice has built up in some areas of the Martian surface and not in others. Sampling and using this ice with a future mission could help keep astronauts alive, while also helping them unlock the secrets of Martian ice ages.”
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hanging a hammock. If you hang with a strap on a tree repeatedly, it’s gonna harm the bark of the tree, and the tree will eventually die.” The Nido team didn’t intend to launch a startup at the beginning, but after crafting the first hammock structure for a music festival, they realized that it was good idea and a lot of people wanted their products, Nguyen said. Electrical engineering senior Zane Lewin, a
CAPMETRO
continues from page 1 be differentiated from normal routes by a UT logo displayed on the digital destination sign next to the bus number. Business freshman Nicole Aragon thinks there still could be confusion with the bus changes because of students being unsure which buses are UT Shuttle buses and which are normal Capital Metro buses. “For people that rely on buses it can be a big deal,” Aragon said. “It’s a lot less obvious now, and you can’t
founding member of Nido, said UT provided a variety of resources that helped them get their startup up and running, such as the Longhorn Maker Studio, the Machine Shop and the Longhorn Startup course. “The Maker Studio has a ton of 3D printers and laser cutters,” Lewin said. “[In] the Machine Shop, there are all sorts of metal working tools. The people who work there full time, they were a huge help.” just tell from glancing at the bus anymore.” The orange and white CapMetro buses have been a staple on the UT campus for 18 years, and Aragon said she’s disappointed the buses will be gone. “I remember when I came to visit the University, and I thought it was awesome that the buses were orange and the street signs were orange,” Aragon said. “I think it’s a cool part of being on campus and living in Austin that everything is UT-themed, and I think when they switch it up it takes away from that.”
FLU
continues from page 1 understanding the vaccine response,” Lee said. “We developed a tool that allows us to directly analyze the antibodies from blood.” The study was led by multiple institutes and included a team of researchers from UT, Stanford University, the University of Chicago, the University of Georgia, the National Institutes of Health and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. Nutrition senior Carla Cos said she gets the flu vaccination regularly and has never had the flu. “Getting vaccinated is a very easy way to prevent the flu,” Cos said. “If there’s an easy way to prevent a terrible experience, then of course I’m going to take those measures to protect myself.” Vaccines help develop immunity by imitating an infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The imitated infection does not cause illness but instead generates antibodies to help protect the body from the virus in the future. Computer science senior Josh Montgomery said he had the flu when he was younger even though he had been vaccinated. “The flu shot is not a guarantee that you will not get the flu,” Montgomery said. “It’s important that research continues to be done because it still poses a very real danger, and since the virus changes every year, the vaccine needs to change accordingly.” The type of flu vaccine currently recommended by the CDC is the quadrivalent influenza vaccine. However, the discoveries made by this study suggest the value of trivalent influenza vaccines. “The flu vaccine is the only preventative method that we have available that works,” Lee said. “We are not saying that the quadrivalent vaccine is not necessary, but want to emphasize rather that the trivalent vaccine is very good.”
4 OPINION
4
ALEXANDER CHASE, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | @TexanEditorial Monday, November 28, 2016
COLUMN
Texas should not sacrifice integrity for wins By Khadija Saifullah
Daily Texan Senior Columnist @coolstorysunao
Texas’ football season came to an end with the loss of its head coach Charlie Strong, who was fired for not bringing adequate improvement to the team. College football in Texas is an underlying disaster. It’s consumed with drugs, rape culture, corruption, ignorance, racism and elitism when it should be celebrating a great game and a great state. The flaws of its system and culture are the elephant in the room that almost no one is willing to publicly acknowledge. We put people, players and programs on pedestals at the expense of almost anything else. No school or program is without scandal. It’s a mess that is uncomfortable to acknowledge, let alone confront, due to how embedded it’s become. In the midst of this mess, someone had to stand up and take it upon himself to do what they could to abate the symptoms, even if it didn’t yield wins — Charlie Strong did just that. Charlie could have done more with
time. He might have been more successful if he hadn’t been undermined during his entire three-year tenure. Regardless of the team’s improvement not being good enough, he has given his players a reason to never back down. He aspired to higher levels of decency and compassion than any of his contemporaries or coaching peers dared to. He treated his athletes with respect and taught them to treat others the same way they would want to be treated. He cut players who didn’t follow these rules and willingly took care of those who were willing to learn. Football is complicated, with a stark difference between the glory of the game and the reality of the people playing it. Strong believed in guiding his players first, and winning football games second. Sure, it shows in our losses, many of which have been an embarrassment. But I’ll take that embarrassment with the pride I have for a team of students desperately trying to rise above expectations by becoming model citizens and students. Strong was the only African-American head coach in the history of the program. Aside from the core values he instilled within his team, his very presence left an impact on
Emmanuel Briseno | Daily Texan Staff
Former head coach Charlie Strong looks on as TCU defeats the Longhorns on Friday, Nov. 25. The game marked the end of Strong’s career at Texas, raising questions about his legacy.
Texas football. It represented progress in a deeper and more valuable way. Even if he’s remembered for his losing record or his threeyear tenure, the effect that he’s had and the
values for which he stood up for will continue to live on for the future of Texas football. Saifullah is neuroscience junior from Richardson.
COLUMN
COLUMN
Students should investigate suspicious online news claims
Democratic leaders must return to progressive roots
By Josephine MacLean Daily Texan Columnist @maclean_josie
A new study from Stanford examined grade school through college students’ (in)ability to judge a source’s credibility, including bias in news articles and sponsored content. The results do not look good. The researchers who conducted the analysis were “dismayed” by the results, according to NPR. In a separate experiment, more than half of a group of Stanford undergraduate students believed that an article by the fringe source American College of Pediatricians — a source that’s been known to link homosexuality to pedophilia — was more reliable than one by the accredited American Academy of Pediatrics. This news may come as a shock to those of us who consider ourselves digitally fluent. I mean, I grew up in the digital age — my cellphone is practically an extension of my physical being, what do you mean I can’t tell the difference between an ad and real news? Exactly that: Our technology has become an extension of us, so we trust it automatically. We develop confirmation bias about the stories on our newsfeed because we adopt them as a continuation of our own beliefs. We treat content we read like we treat our own thoughts, and we try to defend the things we read or watch because we internalize them as if they were our own. This says something scary about our perception of truth in the content we consume. There is a movement in advertising to engage with consumers in every space possible, and that means both native advertising and sponsored content — when a company pays for content they created to be published on a social or news media website — are hot marketing solutions.
Both of these techniques create advertising that is meant to be consumed as content instead of an ad. They work: About 82 percent of middle schoolers in Stanford’s study failed to distinguish or even question the difference between sponsored content and real news stories. After the election, liberal-leaning but mainstream sources (Vox and Buzzfeed) ran stories explaining how fake news articles overtook mainstream ones in Facebook engagement over the last three months of the election. Vox and Buzzfeed, like producers of fake content, rely heavily on social media to recruit viewers. Both the Case Foundation and the PEW Research Renter found the majority of millennials get their political news from Facebook. Assuming the Stanford study is relatively representative, the majority of people who engaged with the inaccurate news articles believed the content in them. So how do you become digitally literate? An easy way is to Google the source and see what reviews of the source turn up. Ask yourself questions about the source’s background and relevancy. Does this require more effort? Yes, but frankly, with the time you waste on social media, you have time to do a quick search. Checking the credibility of your sources not only makes you look smart, but it keeps you from spreading misinformation. The bottom line is that practicing digital literacy keeps you in check with reality. Instead of whining about the decline of journalism, trusting every article that comes your way or giving into paranoia and making a DIY tinfoil hat, we should react to these findings by becoming more engaged in our own media selection process. It’s time to bring back that decades old adage: Trust but verify. MacLean is an advertising and geography sophomore from Austin.
By Noah M. Horwitz
Daily Texan Senior Columnist @NmHorwitz
For members of the soon-to-be opposition, much consternation, hand-wringing and other assorted recrimination has accompanied the last few weeks. Those prognosticating the demise of the Democratic Party will indubitably be proven to be short-sighted, just as they predicted its destruction after the 2004 election, or how many pundits, including myself, could see the Republican Party’s disemboweling on the horizon just a few weeks ago. Our two-party system is remarkably durable. The Democrats will win again. The question, thus, is what type of party those of us who identify with the jackass want to be in these wilderness years. Pushing back against the presidential administration of Donald Trump is obviously high on the list. And as Trump lays out his plans, many of which include truly evil ideas, it will be the Democrats’ obligation to resist and block. But the opposition party must be about more than opposition. As Hillary Clinton’s loss has taught us, it is not enough to simply be against something. We must stand for something. Democrats must continue to stand for the New Deal. My great-grandfather sold apples, so my grandfather could sell ties, so my father could wear them. It was not that the members of my family became innately more intelligent as time went on, but that social and economic factors within this country created new opportunities that did not exist before. A strong public school system, the wage-augmenting power of labor unions and social security — put together, the New Deal — were responsible. The anachronistic family tale is that my grandfather, a lifelong Democrat who voted twice against President Eisenhower despite serving under his leadership during World War II, voted Democratic because, while Ike kept him safe in Europe, it was Franklin Roosevelt who kept his parents safe back home, safe from
The New Deal, the so-called welfare state policies that conservatives from Hoover to Goldwater to Reagan to Trump have wished to dismantle, contributed immeasurably to my success and that of so many others. the fears of poverty in old age. I have been extraordinarily lucky throughout my life. And that luck is a direct result of policies more than a half-century ago that allowed for upward mobility. It allowed for the Horwitz family to go from Russian peasant to lawyer in two generations. It allowed for a high-school dropout who did not learn English at home to raise his three children in the middle class. Democrats should not wish to pull the ladder up after them. The New Deal, the so-called welfare state policies that conservatives from Hoover to Goldwater to Reagan to Trump have wished to dismantle, contributed immeasurably to my success and that of so many others. To now not be a steadfast defender of that system from which I have benefited would be the height of callous hypocrisy. Defending and supporting the expansion of social programs is the legacy of Democrats. As House Speaker Paul Ryan will invariably attempt to privatize Medicare, it must be Democrats who step up, not only to defend it, but to strengthen and expand it. Democrats must be indefatigable advocates of programs that help the middle class and make upward mobility possible. Merely attempting to obstruct and stymie will afford the Democrats no success in the long-run. They — we — must set out our own course, one that does not leave anyone behind. Horwitz is a first-year law student from Houston.
COLUMN
Service dog scammers harm vulnerable residents By Giselle Suazo
Daily Texan Columnist @giselle_suazo
Spending time with your pet can be as rewarding and as great as spending time with any human — sometimes even better. It is natural to want to bring your dog everywhere you go, but unfortunately not every place will welcome pets with open arms. Pet owners have found a loophole to this issue by buying fake service dog vests and downloading fake certifications so that their dogs are allowed in public places. This is harming actual service dogs that have gone through training to help people with real needs. Don’t scam the service dog system just because you love being with your dog. Differentiating real service dogs from fake ones can be tricky, but a dog’s behavior is a big
indicator. Dogs selected to become service animals are put through an 18-month training period that starts when they’re two days old. Service dogs won’t bounce around a restaurant or snap at people around them. If a dog is behaving badly and not following its owner’s directions, then it’s probably not a trained service animal. This scam is a large contributor to business owners denying entry to all dogs, service animal or not, to avoid bad interactions with customers. It puts a strain on people who actually need service animals around. “The people who are out there misrepresenting service dogs is one of the [largest], if not the largest problem we have,” said Yancy Baer, an Army veteran who needs assistance from his two dogs, Verbena and Beanz, in an interview with KXAN. “You have dogs who don’t have public access rights who aren’t trained to responsibly behave in public.
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.
If a dog is behaving badly and not following its owner’s directions, then it’s probably not a trained service animal. They bark, they growl, they lunge at other dogs or people even.” Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, service dogs are not required to have identification that proves they have been through proper legal training. The act defines service animals as dogs that are individually trained to do work, such as guiding someone who is visually impaired or performing tasks for people with disabilities. This leaves out service animals that
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.
are prescribed for emotional support. If an employee or business owner determines that the service animal isn’t providing a task or doing work for their owner, they can be subjected to further questioning. This is where a method of proper identification would be useful — one that isn’t easily downloaded by scammers from the internet. Dogs that complete the required training under current laws should also be required to have IDs that confirm their service animal status. The reality is service animals provide vital assistance to people with real needs, such as veterans and people with disabilities. The connection between a service dog and its owner is unique and special — nobody should be exploiting that just because they don’t want to leave their dog at home. Suazo is a communication studies senior from Honduras.
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
SPORTS
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Monday, November 28, 2016
FOOTBALL I TEXAS 9-31 TCU
Longhorns fall to TCU in emotional finale By Michael Shapiro
Former head coach Charlie Strong consoles junior running back D’Onta Foreman after Friday’s 31-9 loss to TCU. Foreman reached 2,000 rushing yards on the season.
@mshap2
Less than half the crowd remained at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium as the clock hit zero and head coach Charlie Strong trotted into the locker room. “The Eyes of Texas” blared from the north side of the endzone, playing the Longhorns off to their third losing season in a row. Many Longhorns exited the field despondent, seemingly unaware of how a season once so promising could end in such disappointment. And even on the day he eclipsed the 2,000-yard mark, junior running back D’Onta Foreman crouched at the south goal line with his head in his hands. “I was kneeling, I cried,” Foreman said. “Every step I’ve taken I’ve given my all. To come up short in a game like this, it’s very emotional.” Three years and 37 games after he was hired, Strong approached the podium trying to keep things positive. “I told our players I look forward to coming back,” Strong said. “The foundation has been laid here. We’ve been building it for three years.” Strong’s tenure looked
STRONG
continues from page 6 temporarily silences his critics. Oct. 31, 2015: One-win
OFFENSE
continues from page 6 TCU’s ability to stymie the Longhorn offense in the red zone, and throughout the rest of the game in
I was kneeling, I cried. Every step I’ve taken I’ve given my all. To come up short in a game like this, it’s very emotional. —D’Onta Foreman, Junior running back
to be over last week following Texas’ 2421 loss to Kansas and reports of his dismissal came a day later. But athletic director Mike Perrin sent out a statement refuting that report, starting a circus surrounding the program. Dozens of Texas players showed up in support of Strong at Monday’s press conference and discussed the matter with him throughout the week. “It’s tough [for the players] to focus when so much has been thrown at them,” Strong said. “You just never knew where their minds were. You’re trying to keep them locked in.” But the support from Texas’ players didn’t result into on-field success. Texas’ defense remained stout following an early
touchdown on Friday, but its offensive attack was defined by a slew of missed opportunities. Senior kicker Trent Domingue missed a 38-yard field goal, and the burnt orange were denied the goal line on four plays within the Horned Frogs’ 5-yard line. At the half, Texas trailed, 7-6, despite out-gaining TCU in yards, 254-102. Texas’ offense once again hinged on Foreman’s legs. The Texas City product carried the load for the Longhorns, totaling 165
yards on the day. He ended the season at 2,028 yards, good for the second of all time for a Texas player in a single season behind Ricky Williams’ 2,124 yards in 1998. Despite Foreman’s efforts, the Longhorn defense couldn’t keep up. TCU signal caller Kenny Hill scored with his legs from 44 yards out early in the third quarter, and a pair of Horned Frog running backs iced the game with two touchdown runs in the fourth. By the game’s final
whistle, the Horned Frogs ended the burnt orange’s season with a 22-point victory. Texas’ players pined for Strong postgame, echoing their statements from a week prior. They championed the virtues Strong taught them and the impact he had on their lives. “He’s has made us better men,” senior linebacker Tim Cole said. “He made us want to be better, work hard and never get complacent. … He taught me to how be accountable and
handle adversity.” But Strong’s 16–21 record wasn’t enough to keep his job as Texas administrators fired Strong Saturday morning. Strong was reflective in his postgame comments and stayed positive despite not meeting his — and the University’s — expectations on the field. “When I took this job three years ago, I came here for one reason,” Strong said. “I came here to win a national championship, and I came here to change lives.”
Iowa State shuts out the Longhorns, 24-0, in Ames, Iowa. Texas goes on to finish the season 5–7 and miss a bowl game. Sept. 5, 2016: Strong
picks up his biggest victory as head coach with a 50-47, double-overtime win over No. 10 Notre Dame. Oct. 8, 2016: Texas falls, 45-40, to Oklahoma, marking
a three-game losing streak. Oct. 29, 2016: The Longhorns top No. 8 Baylor, 3534, and re-ignite their bowl hopes after stumbling to a 3–4 start.
Nov. 19, 2016: One-win Kansas shocks Texas, 24-21, in overtime. Strong says he doesn’t know what his future at Texas holds. Nov. 25, 2016: Strong
ends the season with a 31-9 loss to TCU, capping off a three-game losing skid and bringing about another 5–7 finish. Texas fires him the next morning.
general, came down to a simple scheme. “TCU had a great game plan,” Foreman said. “They blitzed off the edges and had extra men that we didn’t block. That’s pretty
much it.” The Horned Frogs weren’t the only ones to zero in on a successful game plan against Texas. Though Foreman broke loose down the stretch of
the season and surpassed 2,000 yards rushing for the second time in school history, it didn’t translate to triumph on the scoreboard. Much of Strong’s stay in Austin revolved around the
idea that he had the right players to secure ample victories, but he could never get them to show success on the turf. That notion lived on even through Strong’s final contest on the
40 Acres. “I don’t know if they were that much better than us,” Strong said. “I think we had opportunities, and we didn’t take advantage of them.”
Joshua Guerra Daily Texan Staff
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6 SPTS
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EZRA SIEGEL, SPORTS EDITOR | @texansports Monday, November 28, 2016
FOOTBALL
Sorry, Charlie: Texas fires Strong
Gabriel Lopez| Daily Texan Staff
Gabriel Lopez| Daily Texan Staff
Players lift former head coach Charlie Strong over their heads in front of a sellout crowd after a 50-47 win over then-No. 10 Notre Dame on Sept. 4.
Former head coach Charlie Strong guaranteed Texas wouldn’t lose five games again after finishing 6–7 in his first year. The Longhorns went on to lose seven games in 2015 and 2016.
After beating then-No. 10 Oklahoma in 2015, former head coach Charlie Strong and Texas fell short in 2016. The loss marked the first of two three-game losing skids on the year.
ahead,” Strong said in a statement. “And I’ll be pulling for these kids no matter where I am. I want to thank everyone who supported me and this program for the last three years. I don’t regret coming to Texas. I learned a great deal and grew as a person in my time here.” And despite leaving Texas with the worst winning percentage as a coach in school history (43.2 percent), Strong said it’s important to look at the positives he brought to the program. “When I took the job, I just felt like I knew I would impact the players that are inside that locker room,” Strong said after Friday’s game. “I knew I would do that.” Strong didn’t accomplish
yards, isn’t the only Longhorn sad to see Strong move on. Sophomore linebacker Malik Jefferson said it’s frustrating to see Strong’s fate just two years removed from Strong heavily recruiting him to the program. “We love that man; he’s made us better players and better men, of course, on and off the field,” Jefferson said. “You wish you could go back and change things but you can’t.” Strong finished with a 16–21 record during his three years in Austin. But as he exits his office for the final time, he knows that his impact on the program ran much deeper than wins and losses. “You still can’t be afraid to go to the blackboard,” Strong
By Tyler Horka @TexasTy95
Charlie Strong has been fired from his duties as the Longhorns’ head football coach after three seasons, according to a statement Texas athletic director Mike Perrin released Saturday morning. “After thorough evaluation, the body of work over three seasons has not shown the improvement we were hoping for,” Perrin said in a statement. “This was an important year for our program to take the next step, and the results simply aren’t there, so we’ve decided to make a change. We appreciate Coach Strong so much, are grateful for all he has done with our
program and wish him the best in the future.” Strong entered the week following reports that Texas had made the decision to move on in the wake of a 24-21 loss to one-win Kansas. Perrin refuted reports in a statement, saying Strong would be evaluated after the season finale. The head coach battled through the week and prepared his players to perform in an emotional senior day game in Austin. A win may have saved Strong’s position for yet another season while nudging Texas into a bowl game for the second time in his threeyear tenure. But TCU’s 31-9 trouncing of the Longhorns nullified any chance of returning for a fourth season. “There are very bright days
his goal of winning a national championship. He didn’t hold true on his promise to never lose five or more games in a season after Texas went 6–7 in his first year, either. Strong went 5–7 in his final two years here. But he did win the hearts of most of his players, whether they were able to show it on the field or not. Junior running back D’Onta Foreman said the wins and losses don’t reflect the progress Strong made during his time on the 40 Acres. “I feel like people overlook the progress that we’ve made,” Foreman said. “I feel like he can get this program right back to where it needs to be.” Foreman, who finished the season with 2,028 rushing
Emmanuel Briseño | Daily Texan Staff
We love that man; he’s made us better players and better men, of course, on and off the field. You wish you could go back and change things but you can’t. —Malik Jefferson, Sophomore linebacker
said. “The reason why is that you may get knocked down. You’re going to still have to pick yourself up. You don’t quit, you don’t ever quit on yourself.”
Offense sputters as Strong suffers final defeat at Texas By Tyler Horka @TexasTy95
Gabriel Lopez | Daily Texan Staff
Former head coach Charlie Strong endured many ups and downs during his three seasons as the Longhorns’ head football coach. He finished his tenure at Texas with a 16–21 record.
Strong leaves behind legacy of highs and lows at Texas By Ezra Siegel @SiegelEzra
Charlie Strong’s time at Texas is over after spending three seasons delivering a variety of big wins and head-scratching losses. Here are some of the highs and lows of the Charlie Strong era: Jan. 5, 2014: Strong is named head coach of the Longhorns after legendary coach Mack Brown stepped down following an
8–5 season. Aug. 4, 2014: Strong makes headlines for dismissing five players for breaking his “core values.” He went on to dismiss nine players before the end of the season. Aug. 30, 2014: Texas starts the Strong tenure off with a bang, beating North Texas, 38-7, at home. Sept. 6, 2014: Strong takes his first loss: a 41-7 trouncing at the hands of BYU.
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Nov. 8, 2014: The Longhorns top No. 23 West Virginia, 33-16. The victory marked Strong’s first win over a ranked team at Texas. Dec. 29, 2014: Strong’s team loses 31-7 to Arkansas in the Advocare V100 Texas Bowl. The Longhorns mustered just 59 yards, a season low for any FBS team. Feb. 4, 2015: Texas reels in the nation’s No. 10 recruiting class, according to 247sports. Additions included star linebacker Malik Jefferson and offensive tackle Connor Williams. Sept. 5, 2015: Notre Dame dominates the burnt orange, 38-3, to start Strong’s second season. Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson is demoted three days later. Sept. 19, 2015: A missed extra point from Nick Rose overshadows quarterback Jerrod Heard’s recordbreaking day as Texas falls to California, 4544. Heard racked up 527 total yards. Oct. 10, 2015: Texas shocks No. 10 Oklahoma with a 24-17 win at the Cotton Bowl. Strong
STRONG page 5
Charlie Strong hopped on a private jet to Tulsa, Oklahoma, last December. He had just finished a 5–7 season in his second year as the head coach at Texas, and offensive inefficiency was heavily to blame. So when Strong and University President Gregory Fenves landed in Tulsa, they weren’t going to leave without securing Sterlin Gilbert as the Longhorns’ next offensive coordinator. They departed successfully. But unfortunately for Strong, a lack of execution on offense ultimately led to the demise of his tenure in Austin. Gilbert’s offense mustered a measly nine points in Strong’s last game — a 31-9 loss to TCU — on Friday.
When you get in the game, you can’t press, you got to just let it happen for you. That’s what we didn’t do. —Charlie Strong, Former head coach
“Our players on offense are frustrated because we’ve been there, we’ve scored a lot of points,” Strong said. “When you get in the game, you can’t press, you got to just let it happen for you. That’s what we didn’t do.” The Texas offense kept the team afloat for much of the season. It manufactured 44.7 points per game in the Longhorns’ 2-1 start, including 43 points against California in a high-scoring loss on the road. The narrative to start the season centered around the defense’s inability to keep Gilbert’s high-powered offense within reasonable striking distance. But when Strong took over defensive play calling duties midway through the season, he turned his unit into a turnover-forcing machine. Gilbert’s offense struggled to convert those takeaways into points. And through the final three games of the season — all losses that lead to Strong’s departure from the program — Texas averaged a mere 16.7 points per game. “We just didn’t execute the stuff we had,” Gilbert said. “We just
needed to continue to execute and do well, and we weren’t able to do that at times down the last three games.” Sophomore safety DeShon Elliott set the offense up nicely with a timely interception late in the first half. He returned the pick inside the Horned Frogs’ 10-yard line, giving the Longhorns an opportunity to take a 10-7 lead into halftime if they cashed in with a touchdown. But Texas gained just two yards on the drive and settled for another short field goal, their second attempt from less than 25 yards in the game. They weren’t any better in the second half. Sophomore punter Michael Dickson, a Ray Guy Award finalist, came on to punt five times in the final 30 minutes of Texas’ loss to TCU. Still, the defense allowed Texas to linger within one possession for much of the half. But the Longhorns never found the end zone, and the defense finally relented with two fourth-quarter TCU touchdowns. Junior running back D’Onta Foreman said
OFFENSE page 5
Joshua Guerra | Daily Texan Staff
Freshman quarterback Shane Buechele eyes a receiver in Friday’s 31-9 loss to TCU. The Longhorns averaged just 16.7 points over their last three games of the season.
COMICS 7
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ELIZABETH HLAVINKA, LIFE&ARTS EDITOR | @thedailytexan Monday, November 28, 2016
CLAIMING INDEPENDENCE
Independent students receive waived tuition based on their FAFSA applications. While some independent students age out of foster care, others can be emancipated minors or classified as homeless. Most are financially responsible for themselves and do not receive the family support a majority of students find comfort in. This compilation of stories aims to bring attention to the independent student experience.
ESCAPING HOUSEHOLD ABUSE Editor’s note: The name in this story has been changed to protect the subject’s identity.
By Mae Hamilton @thedailytexan
When she came to UT, electrical engineering senior Jasmine Yu was racked with guilt and fear. Back home, there would be no one to protect her mother and little brother from her abusive father, but Yu knew getting an education was the only way she could save them. Yu grew up in an abusive household where she felt nothing in life was certain. After her father lost his job in Georgia for violently threatening a student, Yu was forced to leave all her friends behind and move to a small town in Texas. Throughout years of struggling to cover up bruises and faking happiness, Yu said her only hope was
school. Despite working two jobs while taking classes, Yu was still unable to support herself and, on top of struggling with PTSD, depression and anxiety, felt like she would never be able to get her family or herself away from her father. “I knew as long as I did well in school, I could get myself out of that situation,” Yu said. “That was the only thing that kept me from killing myself. I threw myself into academics. I could only handle so much, from getting beat up and being treated like that and trying to be the perfect sister, perfect daughter, things like that. For once in my life, I could be selfish.” One day, Yu was approached by a man in a coffee shop seeking an arrangement for a “sugar baby.” Sugar babies are sex workers who receive a monthly allowance from
their “sugar daddy” in exchange for companionship and sex. Initially, Yu was horrified. But after spending a summer hiding from her father in a shelter for domestic abuse victims with her mother and brother, she saw sex work as a way to not only become financially independent but as a means to get her mother and brother away from her father. She has worked for her sugar daddy ever since. “At some point you realize the police aren’t going to help you, the law isn’t going to help you, and lawyers are going to help you only if you have the money,” Yu said. “I was so desperate.” Yu said it’s tough dealing with the stigma around sex work. People often misunderstand her situation and think her life is jet-set and glamorous, but for Yu, being a sugar baby is a way
of survival. “The money he gives me, most of it I save,” Yu said. “I save for emergency situations or for a divorce. This lifestyle, it’s so far removed from me. It’s a job. I wouldn’t want to do this if I had a stable family. If I was financially OK, this would never be something I would consider.” Yu said despite the emotional toll sex work takes on her, the pros outweigh the cons. Financial freedom gives her hope for a better future. Her mother and brother are living on their own now, and her mother is currently trying to divorce their father. “I want to go on and pursue grad school,” Yu said. “I just want to know that my family’s OK while also not neglecting myself. To remember to love and nurture myself in addition to taking care of my family.”
I knew as long as I did well in school, I could get myself out of that situation. ... I threw myself into academics. I could only handle so much, from getting beat up and being treated like that ... For once in my life, I could be selfish.” —Jasmine Yu, Electrical engineering senior
Illustration by Lex Rojas | Daily Texan Staff
FOCUSING ON THE FUTURE Editor’s note: The name in this story has been changed to protect the subject’s identity.
By Elizabeth Hlavinka @hlavinka_e
Illustration by Lex Rojas | Daily Texan Staff
I remember one day, I came home from work and my brothers were telling me I had to pack. There were times before when we were going to lose the house and we didn’t, and it never really sunk in that we were actually losing it.” —Martha Cortez, Sociology senior
In an emptied 35-ounce cheese ball container, she saved dollar bills and coins earned from tips at the local pizza joint. After her senior year, Martha Cortez brought the tub to the bank and cashed in her college fund — it was enough to cover her expenses at UT. As soon as she turned 16, Martha got a job at McDonald’s to support her family financially. In high school, her single mother faced lingering effects of Martha’s abusive father and underwent multiple surgeries to treat gallstones, hernias and ovarian issues. “Now I see what kind of person he is, so I’ve stopped talking to him altogether because I’m afraid of what he can do,” Martha said. Eventually, her mother missed so much work due to her hospitalizations that she lost her job. In order
to pay for her surgeries and medical bills, Martha took on another position at a pizza restaurant nearby. But Martha’s funds weren’t enough. They could no longer afford their home and had to give up many of their belongings, including their dog. Her older brother moved to Austin to attend UT and her younger brother went to live with a family friend. For a few weeks, she and her mother moved in with her mother’s boyfriend. “I remember one day, I came home from work and my brothers were telling me I had to pack,” Martha said. “There were times before when we were going to lose the house and we didn’t, and it never really sunk in that we were actually losing it.” She and her mother woke up at 5 a.m. each day to commute to Martha’s high school. Had she transferred to a closer school, she would have lost her GPA, along with her chances of getting into UT. But the commute wasn’t
sustainable. Martha moved in with a family friend in order to finish her senior year at the same school, where she began applying for colleges and scholarships. It wasn’t until she was checking boxes on an application in her guidance counselor’s office that she realized her situation: She was homeless. Her counselor helped her become classified as an independent student, and when she got into UT, her tuition was waived and she was able to apply for reduced-cost housing options off campus. She said the first time she stepped onto campus, a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders. She had made it. “I kind of wanted to get away,” Martha said. “My senior year, I was so worried about tomorrow and not really where I would be in a year. It was really exciting getting onto campus.” Still, Martha needed an additional source of income, so she got a job on campus, where her paycheck went toward food and other
expenses. She also sends money to her mother for her medical bills. Although she adapted to working 40 hours a week while going to school, Martha said things often get stressful during finals week or when she gets a call from her mother telling her she needs yet another surgery. More than anything, Martha said she wishes people would be more understanding of her situation. “A lot of people assume that you’re well off, even if you’re not,” Martha said. “I usually don’t talk about it because a lot of people don’t understand. I wish people would just listen.” Martha said she isn’t exactly sure what is in store for her future, but she wants to get her Master’s degree and doctorate. “Anything that sounds fun or that will be awesome, I’m on board all the time,” Martha said. “I might take a year or two off to figure out what I want to do. I’m pretty much open to anything.”
SEEKING OUT STABILITY By Grace Speas @gracespeas
Physics freshman Madison Round first became aware of her unconventional family situation during a Donuts with Dad event in elementary school. While most children brought their fathers to class, Round would not meet her father until she was 10 years old. “It was hard with a single parent, and my mom was not a good single parent,” Round said. “To put it lightly, she struggled a lot.” Before college, Round attended 21 different schools, lived in multiple foster homes and was removed from the custody of first her mother and then her father. Today, Round’s home base is with her paternal grandparents. She said they are a much-needed source of support, but she often feels as if she is still navigating college alone. “I think it’s a struggle in itself to not have two parents,” Round said. “But not having two parents who are absolutely supportive and have already [attended
college] is the real problem.” Round’s parents divorced shortly after she was born. Afterward, Child Protective Services sporadically placed her in foster care throughout her infancy. Round said living with her mother was a “rollercoaster.” When she was 10 years old, the police took her away from her mother for the final time due to an inadequate and neglectful living situation. It was then she met her father, an Army Ranger who had been serving in the military, for the first time. She was put into his custody just a few weeks before her mother died in 2009. She said she was excited to move from Idaho to Texas to live with her father because he was married at the time to a woman who became her “new mother.” Still, the thought of having a dad seemed foreign. “He had seen me as a baby, but I did not know who he was,” Round said. “As a little girl going to meet him, everyone was saying to me, ‘Okay you’re supposed to love this person.’ You’re just supposed to believe
that from the get-go. That was tough.” After six years, a court ruled Round’s father to be unfit to raise her due to personal struggles. Round was then relocated to another foster home shortly before getting adopted by her grandparents at the age of 16. Round said she fits the FAFSA criterion for being an independent student because she was in foster care after the age of 13, but the courts advised her not to emancipate herself from her grandparents because she was almost 18. “They basically said, ‘You can struggle for a couple of months in college, it’ll be okay,’” Round said. Because Round skipped seventh grade, she entered college at 17. Since she is not emancipated and is under 18, she has experienced significant issues. During her first week on campus, Round cut her leg shaving and could not speak to a nurse on the 24-hour hotline or seek any medical attention until her grandfather called the University Health Center and
took her to a hospital. “It’s cumbersome for him to have to drive an hour to UT to take care of his granddaughter, who’s in college, who’s perfectly capable, just because of the paperwork,” Round said. But the main issue Round faces is money. Her tuition is covered under FAFSA, but her mother’s social security is her only way to pay for housing. Her grandparents support her, but Round is left with little to no money for outside food or incidentals. “If people want to go shopping or go out to get $12 dinners, I just laugh and say ‘I’ll pass,’” Round said. She feels as if she’s in a “better boat” than those who remained cycling through the foster care system. She said her life experiences have pushed her to want more for her future children. “This has all affected me positively,” Round said. “I want to have children who grow up to be like the people I walk the [UT] halls with.”
He had seen me as a baby, but I did not know who he was. As a little girl going to meet him, everyone was saying to me, ‘Okay you’re supposed to love this person.’ You’re just supposed to believe that from the get-go. That was tough.” —Madison Round, Physics freshman
Illustration by Lex Rojas | Daily Texan Staff
8 L&A 8
Monday, November 28, 2016
COMICS
Name: HOUSE; Width: 29p6; Depth: 10 in; Color: Process color, HOUSE; Ad Number: -
Today’s solution will appear here next issue
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matey. This scurrvy beast be today’s answerrrrrr. it out, or it’ll be the fishes for ya!
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