1
COMICS PAGE 7
SPORTS PAGE 6
LIFE&ARTS PAGE 8
Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900
@thedailytexan
facebook.com/dailytexan
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
dailytexanonline.com
POLICY
New bills fight campus sexual assault By Claire Allbright @clairealbright
At UT Austin, nearly one in five female undergraduates reported being the victim of sexual assault by force or incapacitation and 5 percent of male undergraduates reported a similar experience, according to a UT Campus Assault Survey. Texas Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, filed five bills Tuesday addressing sexual assault at Texas institutions of higher education by clearly defining what constitutes as consent
and by protecting students who are the victims or witnesses of such occurrences. Citing recent scandals at Baylor University and at Stanford, Watson said on his website that his legislation is needed to address weaknesses in handling sexual assault cases at private and public institutions of higher education. “Sexual assault is a crime that happens to an alarming number of people and yet very few victims ever report this crime to law enforcement,” Watson said in a statement. “These bills seek
to encourage victims of sexual assault to report without fear of campus or law enforcement authorities penalizing them for minor alcohol-related offenses or student conduct code violations that may have occurred ancillary to the incident.” Senate Bill 967 would change the definition of consent in the current Texas Penal Code. Under the bill, consent isn’t present if the victim is unaware the situation is occurring or if consent is knowingly withdrawn. The bill also removes as a defense
BILLS page 3
On Tuesday a federal judge delayed the removal of Planned Parenthood from the state’s Medicaid program for the second time this year, again citing a lack of evidence from state attorneys. Tuesday’s temporary injunction is the second block since U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks issued the first in January after a three-day trial. The state has attempted to defund Planned Parenthood since 2015 following accusations the health provider profited from fetal tissue donation. The health provider received a final notice of termination in December. In 2015 anti-abortion rights group Center for Medical Progress released a video of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast employees allegedly discussing the sale of fetal tissue. The group’s members went undercover in the video, disguising themselves as employees from a tissue procurement company and speaking with Melissa Farrell, PP Gulf Coast employee. Sparks wrote in his decision that the video may have been
Joshua Guerra | Daily Texan file photo
Former Austin mayor and State Rep. Kirk Watson speaks at a Texas Tribune Panel on Jan. 31.
altered and state attorneys lacked evidence the health provider profited from any fetal tissue procurement. “The Inspector General had no evidence any PPGC doctor altered an abortion procedure, and the video he relied upon, the CMP Video, features unclear and ambiguous dialogue by Ms. Farrell, who had no personal knowledge of abortion procedures and conversations exploring theoretical possibilities,” Sparks wrote. Sparks said the case warrants a full trial, which will be scheduled after attorneys provide more evidence within the next 30 days. State Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a prepared statement the video was enough to prove the health provider engaged in unethical behavior. “The raw, unedited footage from undercover videos exposed a brazen willingness by Planned Parenthood officials to traffic in fetal body parts, as well as manipulate the timing and method of an abortion,” Paxton said in the satement. Sparks also wrote that removing the health provider
CUTS page 3
CAMPUS
Tip helps UT police apprehend burglar @catherinemarfin
Judge delays cuts to Planned Parenthood @lisa_dreher97
POLICE
By Catherine Marfin
STATE
By Lisa Dreher
bit.ly/dtvid
Illustration by Elizabeth Jones | Daily Texan Staff
The UT Police Department arrested a burglary suspect on campus Monday afternoon, just four days after warning the community of his repeated property crimes. At 2 p.m. Monday, a UT staff member called UTPD after spotting 62-year-old Daryl Rembert in the Jackson Geological Sciences Building. Rembert has since been booked in Travis County Jail. The staff member recognized Rembert from a “Be on the Lookout” notice that the department had sent out to the UT community through the Campus Watch that afternoon. The BOLO included pictures of Rembert, height and weight descriptions and other identifiers. “Since we are a small geographical area at the University, it’s possible for the officers to get to know some of the repeat offenders,” Lt. Greg Stephenson said. “Normally people who want to come and steal will start realizing that officers recognize them and they’ll stop coming around; but we’ve seen him several times and we said, ‘This guy is not learning, he’s not moving on — we need to make him a priority.’” UTPD currently has three arrest warrants against Rembert for property crimes committed against UT students and faculty. UTPD has reports of Rembert’s involvement in campus crimes from as early as 2014, according to Stephenson. Rembert has been known to frequent campus and has been seen entering unlocked offices and buildings, taking purses, backpacks, wallets
BURGLAR page 2
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
VAV introduces new SG reviews student immigration resources peer support program By Reagan Ritterbush @Reagan0720
By Catherine Marfin @catherinemarfin
After spending a year working with Voices Against Violence, radio-television-film sophomore Mia Goldstein began paving a new way for student survivors of interpersonal violence to navigate support resources at the University. “I realized the way we support survivors on campus is much weaker than the way we educate and work to prevent interpersonal violence,” Goldstein said. “There’s not much in terms of basic support.” Goldstein is currently the president of VAV, an agency of the UT Counseling and Mental Health Center that
provides interpersonal violence prevention and response programs on campus. After collaborating with Linda Serna, women’s and gender studies senior and VAV student coordinator, the two presented the idea for the Interpersonal Violence Peer Support Program to the CMHC, the Title IX Office and Student Emergency Services. Nearly one year after their initial meetings last spring, IVPS has become a reality. IVPS, which will officially launch next fall, is a confidential peer support program in which volunteers will be trained to assist fellow students who request support, resources
VAV page 2
Since the beginning of his administration, President Trump has taken a stance on immigration, and UT Student Government is doing the same. On Tuesday, UT’s University Leadership Initiative organization fast-tracked Assembly Resolution 23, which calls out the federal government for actions attempting to intimidate undocumented students. The resolution appeals to UT student body to help educate the community about immigrant rights. “During the Trump administration, we have seen an increase in (attacks) on undocumented immigrants,” said Alejandra Zenedejas Castillo,
a member of the University Leadership Initiative and one of the authors of the resolution. “I believe this resolution helps voice the University’s opinion of Trump’s treatment of immigrants and the first initiative in taking a stance against him.” Speaker Santiago Rosales, who is another author of the resolution, said he wants to emphasize the fact that this issue very much affects students at UT and anyone who has undocumented family and friends. “Several students across the country have already been detained, which wasn’t an issue during the Obama administration,” Rosales said. “This resolution essentially helps inform students what rights undocumented immigrants have and what their response
Name: UT Athletics; Width: 60p0; Depth: 2 in; Color: Process color; Ad Number: -
Yifan Lyu| Daily Texan Staff
Student Government Assembly Speaker Santiago Rosales addressed the Student Government meeting on Feb. 21.
should be if they are personally affected by the current immigration bills.” Currently, there are no services on campus for undocumented immigrants to seek advice regarding current immigration policies, according to the resolution.
“This is supposed to serve as an introduction for undocumented students to learn about what kind of steps they can take when dealing with immigration officials,” Rosales said. Following along the same
IMMIGRATION page 2
2 2
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
FRAMES featured photo
NEWS
M
thedailytexan
Volume 117, Issue 107
CONTACT US Main Telephone (512) 471-4591 Editor-in-Chief Alexander Chase (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com Managing Editor Akshay Mirchandani (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com News Office (512) 232-2207 news@dailytexanonline.com Sports Office 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
The Alpha Rho chapter of Alpha Phi Omega, a service fraternity, practices its flag drop of the world’s largest Texas flag on Tuesday aftenoon in front of the tower.
BURGLAR
IMMIGRATION
and other valuables left unattended, according to Officer Michael Murphy. Murphy writes the Campus Watch, which presents selected daily crimes reported to or observed by UTPD in the form of emails to subscribers. “We are always so incredibly thankful,” UTPD spokeswoman Cindy Posey said. “We can get so much more accomplished when everyone’s paying attention.” Additionally, UTPD announced Tuesday that the department plans to reward the staff member who submitted the tip through its Hungry for Justice Program, in which UTPD rewards anyone who reports a tip that leads to a criminal arrest with a free pizza. “To the staff member who submitted that tip: Thank You from all of us at The University of Texas at Austin Police Department,” Murphy wrote in the Campus Watch. “You went above and beyond, and we are truly grateful.”
lines as A.R. 23, ULI also introduced Assembly Resolution 24, which states that SG resists any efforts by the state legislature to prohibit undocumented students from being eligible for in-state tuition. The resolution is in response to Rep. Mark Keough, R-The Woodlands, House Bill 753, which seeks to amend Texas law to remove the ability of undocumented students to be charged in-state tuition. “The point of the bill was to target students who have no right to be detained or hurt by immigration policies,” Rosales said. “We
continues from page 1 The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely. If we have made an error, let us know about it. Call (512) 232-2217 or e-mail managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com.
COPYRIGHT Copyright 2017 Texas Student Media. All articles, photographs and graphics, both in the print and online editions, are the property of Texas Student Media and may not be reproduced or republished in part or in whole without written permission.
TOMORROW’S WEATHER
Low
High
86
57
Puppies!
Alec Blair | Daily Texan Staff
This issue of The Daily Texan is valued at $1.25 Permanent Staff
Editor-in-Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alexander Chase Associate Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Jensen, Janhavi Nemawarkar, Khadija Saifullah, Caleb Wong Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Akshay Mirchandani Associate Managing Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eva Frederick, Michelle Zhang News Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ellie Breed Associate News Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Forrest Milburn News Desk Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Will Clark, Hannah Daniel, Sunny Kim, Sarah Phillips, Wesley Story Senior Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Claire Allbright, Mikaela Cannizzo, Lisa Dreher, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anusha Lalani, Catherine Marfin, Kayla Meyertons Senior Investigative Reporter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Van Nguyen Copy Desk Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kasey Salisbury Associate Copy Desk Chiefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jaree Campbell, Vanessa Martinez, Bella McWhorter, Colin Traver Design Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elizabeth Jones Associate Design Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Megan McFarren Senior Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Liza Anderson, Sierra Garcia, Sunnie Lee, Rena Li Photo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Zoe Fu Associate Photo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emmanuel Briseno, Gabriel Lopez Senior Photographer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Juan Figueroa, Joshua Guerra, Mary Pistorius, Briana Vargas, Rachel Zein Video Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monica Silverio Senior Videographer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thomas Negrete, Faley Goyette Science&Tech Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Zia Lyle Associate Science&Tech Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Julianne Hodges, Kate Thackrey Senior Science&Tech Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sarah Bloodworth, Angela Kang, Freya Preimesberger Forum Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jordan Shenhar, Emily Vernon Senior Columnists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Emma Bernadier, Alyssa Fernandez, Sam Groves, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Noah M. Horwitz, Josephine MacLean, G. Elliott Morris Life&Arts Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mae Hamilton Associate Life&Arts Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Daisy Wang, Morgan O’Hanlon Senior Life&Arts Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stephen Acevedo, Acacia Coronado, Chris Duncan, Justin Jones Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tyler Horka Associate Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sydney Rubin Senior Sports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alex Briseno, Vanessa Le, Shane Lewis Comics Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Audrey McNay Associate Comics Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Victoria Smith, Melanie Westfall Senior Comics Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Geovanni Casillas, Albert Lee, Bixie Mathieu, Jacky Tovar Social Media Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Stephanie Martinez-Arndt Editorial Adviser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter Chen
Issue Staff
Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Eric Goodman, Jahnavi Muppaneni, Reagan Ritterbush Sports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maria Cowley, Travis Hlavinka, Drew King, Keshav Prathivadi Life&Arts Writers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Peck, Ashley Salinas, Andrea Tinning Columnists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alina Agha, Emma Berdanier, Olivia Griffin Copy Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elizabeth Huang, Kelsey Machala, Taylor Presley Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mallika Gandhi, Maya Haws-Shaddock Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alec Blair, Chase Karacostas, Yifan Liu, Ramya Srikanth Comics Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mia Batts, Laura Moyer, Michelle Peck, Rachel Tyler
Business and Advertising
(512) 471-8590 | advertise@texasstudentmedia.com Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gerald Johnson Business/Operations Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frank Serpas III Advertising Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emily Cohen Assistant Advertising Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Colten Crist Account Executives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tim Bauer, Brady Beal, Blake Gentry, Monica Taylor, Celeste Schurman Product Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Stephen Salisbury Senior Graphic Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amanda O’Brien Production. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Zac Crofford The Daily Texan, a student newspaper at The University of Texas at Austin, is published by Texas Student Media, 2500 Whitis Ave., Austin, TX 78712. The Daily Texan is published daily, Monday through Friday, during the regular academic year and is published once weekly during the summer semester. The Daily Texan does not publish during academic breaks, most Federal Holidays and exam periods. News contributions will be accepted by telephone (471-4591), or at the editorial office (HSM 2.120). Entire contents copyright 2017 Texas Student Media.
The Daily Texan Mail Subscription Rates One Semester (Fall or Spring) $60.00 Two Semesters (Fall and Spring) $120.00 Summer Session $40.00 One Year (Fall, Spring and Summer) $150.00 To charge by VISA or MasterCard, call 471-5083. Send orders and address changes to Texas Student Media, P.O. Box D, Austin, TX 78713-8904.
02/22/17 Texan Ad Deadlines Monday .............Wednesday, 12 p.m.
Thursday.................Monday, 12 p.m. Tuesday.................Thursday, 12 p.m. Friday......................Tuesday, 12 p.m. Word Ads 11 a.m. Wednesday................Friday, 12 p.m. Classified (Last Business Day Prior to Publication)
continues from page 1
want to address this bill as quickly as possible.” Samuel Cervantes, a member of the ULI, said this resolution is a great way for SG to take a stance on the bill and show Texas Legislature the University is against the effort to pass the bill. “One of the only ways I could go to UT is because of the in-state tuition,” Cervantes said. “If the UT community wants to continue to let undocumented students know that they are and always will be Longhorns, this resolution is the key.” Cervantes said UT students with citizenship status have the ability to call their
representatives and voice their opposition to the bill in a way undocumented students cannot. “Through the resolution, students have an ability to help those who don’t have a voice,” Cervantes said. “It’s one thing to say you’ll take action against the bill, but passing this resolution is actual action.” ULI is an organization that fights for the rights of the undocumented community at the local, state, and national levels focusing on education equity, deportation defense, LGBTQ inclusion and legislation, according to the ULI website. A.R. 23 was passed and A.R. 24 was submitted to the Student Committee.
Name: 5488/LBJ Library; Width: 29p6; Depth: 10 in; Color: Black; Ad Number: 5488
VAV
continues from page 1 and information on reporting options regarding interpersonal violence. Interpersonal violence situations include sexual assault, dating violence and gender discrimination. Starting next fall, students will be able to schedule oneon-one meetings with a peer volunteer through the IVPS website. “It’s about increasing access, decreasing barriers and decreasing fear around reaching out and getting support,” said Lauren White, health education coordinator for VAV. “It’s the isolation that is the most re-traumatizing experience, feeling like you don’t have anyone to reach out to or anywhere to go. Statistics show that the first people that survivors reach out to are peers, are people in their lives. This program is really jumping off that concept.” Peer volunteers, whom the three offices are currently in the process of hiring, will be required to complete 50 hours of advocacy training before the program launch. During advocacy training, volunteers will be educated on reporting procedures and legal services, both in the community and on campus. While the CMHC and University Health Services remain confidential reporting options, the goal of IVPS is to create a more basic support program for students to gather information and reporting options through confidential peer volunteers, who can provide guidance without triggering a university report or investigation as required by Title IX laws. Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination in education. Under Title IX, University employees are required to report instances of Title IX violations to the University — meaning that few resources exist for survivors to gather information on interpersonal violence without triggering the official Title IX process. “Once we started to get together (with Goldstein and Serna) and look at what other schools were doing, we saw that we had that gap,” Title IX Coordinator LaToya Smith said. “(IVPS) allows students to talk to a peer who is educated on the process and their rights, and then the student can decide for themselves if and when they want to notify a responsible employee or Title IX coordinator.” IVPS plans to hire 10-15 peer volunteers to provide support four hours per week. Students can apply to be peer volunteers online through the Dean of Students website until March 3.
W&N 3
NEWS
3
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
CAMPUS
CAMPUS
McRaven stresses value of communication Lawyer advocates for By Eric Goodman @_egood_
William H. McRaven, retired U.S. Admiral and UT System Chancellor, championed the role of the news media in a speech to Moody College of Communications students and faculty on Tuesday. “We must challenge this statement and this sentiment that the news media is the enemy of the American people,” McRaven said. “This sentiment may be the greatest threat to democracy in my lifetime.” McRaven, a UT journalism graduate of 1977, shared stories from his experience as a Navy SEAL trainee, as a commanding officer in Iraq and Afghanistan and as the man credited with organizing and overseeing the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden, connecting each allegory to one common refrain: To be a great leader, one must effectively use communication in everything they do.
“To be a good leader you have to be a good communicator,” McRaven said. “As a leader you have to communicate your intent every chance you get and if you fail to do that, you will pay the consequences.” According to Moody College dean Jay Bernhardt, that message is the fundamental idea behind the communication and leadership major at the Moody College, which was established in 2016 as Moody’s first interdisciplinary major. “As one of the most respected leaders in the country, when (McRaven) acknowledges the critical importance of communication for leadership, it really helps others understand just how important it is,” Bernhardt said. McRaven’s speech was the first in a series of lectures organized to promote the new communication and leadership program and underscore it’s purpose. Since January 2015, McCraven has served as Chancellor of
women’s healthcare By Jahnavi Muppaneni @jaaahnavi
Joshua Guerra| Daily Texan Staff
Retired U.S. Admiral and UT System Chancellor William H. McRaven spoke at the Belo Media Center Tuesday evening.
the University of Texas System, overseeing 14 academic and health institutions in the state of Texas including his alma mater, UT Austin. International relations majors Christopher Shafilz and Jillian Pflederer were in attendance at the Belo Center for New Media, and said they admire McRaven’s humility in leadership and his commitment to truth. “Honesty, transparency and
truth are so critical to leadership,” Shafilz said, adding that McRaven demonstrated courage Tuesday in defense of those values. In his concluding thoughts, McRaven himself emphasized that virtue. “If you want to be a leader that communicates greatly, or if you want to be a communicator that leads, at the end of the day it is about courage,” McRaven said.
NATIONAL
Colleges dispute acceptance of AP credit By Reagan Ritterbush @Reagan0720
As claiming college credit through AP credit becomes increasingly popular, colleges have begun questioning whether or not the practice should even be allowed. According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, some colleges, including Duke University, are pushing back against AP exam credit because high school courses are not on par with college classes. At least 20 states, including Texas, must award credit for all AP scores of 3–5, according to the article. “We believe that exams can be used to demonstrate mastery of material,” said Tara O’Neill, UT director of curriculum management and
enrollment analytics, in the Wall Street Journal article. Economics and finance junior, Neil Kohli, said he disagrees with the assumption that high school AP courses mirror college courses in difficulty and content. “Some schools like UT have higher expectations for their students and so their classes are more demanding,” Kohli said. “AP courses do not go over the same amount of material as a college courses, and so to say they are even remotely similar is wrong.” Some studies, including one conducted in 2009 by Barbara Dodd and Linda Hargrove, former UT Department of Educational Psychology faculty members, conclude that although AP courses do not generally meet
CUTS
BILLS
would deprive about 12,500 patients of service. Sparks said the state cannot argue there are more alternative providers to use because people have the right to choose which one they want. “The declarations collectively show the Individual Plaintiffs do not know where they would get the same kind and quality of care,” Sparks wrote. “Each citing the nonjudgemental service the Provider Plaintiffs offer, the flexible hours, and the short wait times.” State attorneys used an orthopedic surgeon to interpret and decide if the video showed unethical behavior, to which Sparks said the surgeon’s opinion was unreliable and irrelevant. “While the Chief Medical Officer did provide the Inspector General with his opinion, that opinion was only offered as an analysis of what the CMP video showed, not whether a violation occured,” Sparks wrote. Ken Lambrecht, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, said in a statement that Texans may continue using the health provider’s other services. “This ruling ensures that Medicaid patients can continue to receive birth control, cancer screenings, HIV tests, STD treatment and other essential healthcare services at Planned Parenthood’s health centers throughout Texas,” Lambrecht said. UT law professor John Robertson, who testified for Planned Parenthood during the hearing in January, told the Daily Texan procedures can only be changed after an abortion and health providers cannot profit from, but may donate, fetal tissue. “Donation of tissue is fine after the consent for the abortion,” Robertson said. “Money beyond expenses of procuring tissue cannot be paid.”
the claim that the other person gave consent if a “reasonable person” would think otherwise. SB 970 would require institutions of higher education to have an affirmative consent standard. Watson said this definition of consent is important in order to hold perpetrators of sexual assault accountable. “‘No’ means no,” Watson said in a statement. “But the absence of ‘yes’ should also mean no.” The remaining three bills address reporting sexual assaults on campus. SB 966 would provide alcohol amnesty for possession and consumption of alcohol by a minor for students who report being a victim or witness of sexual assault to a healthcare provider, police officer, or TItle IX office. This amnesty would extend to protecting students who violate student conduct code under SB 969. Additionally, SB 968 would require universities to provide an anonymous online reporting system for violations such as sexual assault, domestic
continues from page 1
continues from page 1
the same standards as college courses, students benefit greatly from taking them. According to the study, students who take AP courses and tests significantly outperform their non-AP peers in college. “The findings indicate that even if an AP student who took the course and exam scores two out of a possible five points on an AP test — and most universities require at least a score of three — they still tend to do better in college than students who don’t take AP courses,” Hargrove said in the study. Business honors sophomore, Pranidhi Dadhaniya, said she thinks the UT administration allows students to claim college credit through AP tests because students still learn a significant amount of information in AP violence and stalking. Sofie Karasek, director of education and co-founder of End Rape on Campus, said in a statement on Watson’s website that the legislation would make it easier for students to come forward and participate in investigations. “For years, victims of sexual assault have been discouraged from reporting, fearing that their cases wouldn’t be taken seriously, their assailants wouldn’t be punished, or that they themselves could be penalized in cases involving alcohol or drugs,” Karasek said in a statement. Austin Smith, government and economics sophomore, said he hopes the legislation sets a higher statewide standard for dealing with interpersonal violence. Smith said student initiatives such as Voices Against Violence, which he is a part of, are already working to support survivors and define consent and healthy relationships. “I really hope that other campuses will take this legislation as an opportunity to develop student-led initiatives like the many we have on campus,” Smith said in an email.
Urban Commute:
Name: 5483/AF1 Racing; Width: 19p4; Depth: 4 in; Color: Process color; Ad Number: 5483
Mastered
©Piaggio Group Americas 2017. Vespa® is a worldwide registered trademark of the Piaggio Group of companies. Obey local traffic and safety laws and always wear a helmet, appropriate eyewear and proper apparel.
high school courses. “Even if college courses are harder than AP courses, students still get a good education from high school courses,” Dadhaniya said. “As long as students don’t claim credit for classes that are central to their major, I don’t see the problem with it.” Mechanical engineering senior Steven Aviles said even though AP courses seem to be less rigorous, taking the AP test requires students to know a lot about a subject. “Students have to take the AP test in order to get college credit,” Aviles said. “Since the test is made to assess a student’s knowledge of a subject on a college level, students deserve credit if they get a high enough score.”
Courtroom victories should turn ideologies into improved government services, said Stephanie Toti, attorney for Whole Woman’s Health, at a talk on Tuesday. Toti advocates for reproductive rights through constitutional litigation in The Stephanie Toti Center for Reproductive Attorney for Whole Women’s Health Rights and argued before the Supreme Court in Whole “We need to focus on Woman’s Health vs. Heller- eliminating the socioecostedt, resulting in a 5-3 de- nomic disparities and makcision in June which struck ing sure that everyone is able down restrictions on Texas to share benefits of advancabortion clinics. UT Law Ca- es,” Toti said. “I would hope reer Services and The Wil- that people afford others the liam Wayne Justice Center same respect that they would featured Toti in their “Lives want for themselves.” in the Law” series, which Third-year law student was co-sponsored by the UT Briana Perez said the Whole American Constitution So- Woman’s Health case brings ciety chapter and If/When/ up problems of disproporHow, a national reproductive tionality and doesn’t give justice organization. the option of abortion to “Going forward, we have some women. made great progress in “No abortion clinic was achieving the recognition left open in the Valley so of the fundamental rights to there’s a huge Latino popuaccess contraceptives, abor- lation without the option,” tion and for women to be in Perez said. “Whole Woman’s control of their reproductive Health is a good example of lives,” Toti said. “In the fu- the disproportionate impact ture, we need to focus on en- of ongoing reproductive suring that courtroom victo- rights on Latino women. ries aren’t only about abstract It made requirements for principles. They need to be abortions so high it forced translated into improved ac- abortion clinics to close and cess to healthcare services in the few that had funding the real world.” to stay open were only in Whole Woman’s Health is major cities.” a group of clinics that proRosann Mariappuram, vides reproductive health law student and president of care to women. Government UT’s If/When/How chapter, freshman Jensen Soder- said it is important to focus lund said Whole Woman’s on the state level because Health helps erase stigma abortion access changes so surrounding abortion and much from state to state. promote education about “The focus really needs reproductive health. to be what state laws are ocToti said House Bill 2, curring, what’s happening at the Texas law that restricted the Capitol, what the govabortion clinics until it was ernor and departments like overturned last summer, im- the Health and Human Serpacted certain groups more vices Department are doing,” negatively than others. Mariappuram said.
Name: 5496/Center for Women’s & Gende; Width: 29p6; Depth: 10 in; Color: Process color; Ad Number: 5496
4 OPINION
ALEXANDER CHASE, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | @TexanEditorial Wednesday, February 22, 2017
4
COLUMN
Online voter registration offers benefits to students By Olivia Griffin
Daily Texan Columnist @oglikesdogs
Last November, Sen. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, filed SB 143, which would require the state to develop an online voter registration system. This bill provides a much-needed modernization to our antiquated and complex ritual of voter registration. Simplification of this process will benefit Texans of all ages, political affiliations, geographic location and socioeconomic status. The current voter registration system requires that an individual fill out a form that is then hand-delivered by a voter registrar to the county tax assessor’s office. The current operating system poses a multitude of scenarios that would accidentally disenfranchise voters: a registrar innocently dropping a registration card, one of thousands of paper forms misplaced at the tax assessor’s office, or a voter registrar not having enough forms on hand to register voters. The possibilities for human error aren’t technically endless, but come pretty damn close. On top of simplification, online voter registration will save taxpayer money and volunteer time. This process will require fewer employees to manually process voter registration cards and fewer volunteer hours of deputy voter registrars’ time. Perhaps instead, the state can devote the wasted time, energy and money spent on voter registration to solving real issues, such as improving our schools or reducing crime. Instead of addressing these problems, we’re attempting to conduct a major operation of voter registration with our hands tied behind our back. The main argument against online voter registration is potential voter fraud. Yet, at
Infographic by Elizabeth Jones Daily Texan Staff
the same time, our society uses the Internet to access equally sensitive information, from prescription refills to bank account statements and money transfers to final exams on Canvas. Effective anti-fraud mechanisms have been imposed on all of the above mechanisms, so it seems ridiculous that our state legislature cannot develop a creative solution to prevent online voter fraud. If anything, it appears that transferring voter registration online will allow for the development of more
effective anti-fraud mechanisms than voter registration on paper slips. 38 other states have managed to develop online voter registration — Texas has no excuse. This process should be automated and brought to the Internet. The fact that this process is done by hand is an antiquated ritual of the past that symbolizes how poorly our legislature has adapted to the 21st century — even their website looks like it’s from 2006. Any large corporation that operated as inefficiently
and old-fashioned as the Texas voting system would implode — imagine if Twitter only allowed new users to register through a mail-in registration system. It’s time for old-fashioned voter registration to die off with travel agents, Blockbuster, and print newspapers. Our whole world is transforming to the digital era — and our state laws should do so too. Olivia Griffin is a junior Plan II and government major from Dallas.
COLUMN
Austin Congressmen owe their voters town halls By Nahila Bonfiglio Daily Texan Columnist @NahilaBonfliglio
Republican lawmakers are growing ever more wary of town hall style forums. As the number of angry constituents in republican districts grow, the availability to voice their concerns directly to their representative shrink. Pressure is on lawmakers to take part in these public forums, in part because it has always been done that way. Lists of lawmakers who intent on avoiding town halls have been compiled, enhancing the attention on representatives to do their jobs and listen to the concerns of their constituents. This demand for action seems to have had little effect on representatives such as Jim Murphy, Myra Crownover and Drew Darby — none of whom have changed their minds about hosting a town hall. With alarming questions about health care, the environment and immigration arising due to executive orders and congressional rulings, people are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to put pressure on their representatives. They have this right, and deserve a platform from which to voice their concerns. If all else fails, removing this platform will only serve to further anger the people these lawmakers represent, and increase the implied divide between the public and our governmental figures. Though Republicans all over the country
are avoiding town halls, seemingly in an effort to avoid confrontational questions — primarily about the replacement for Obamacare — Texas voters find themselves in a particularly difficult position, as none of the congressmen representing Central Texas have announced town halls during their recess this week. Voters, such as those in the district of West Campus’ own Lamar Smith, have decided to take matters into their own hands, hosting their own town halls whether their representatives plan to attend or not. This at least allows concerned citizens to gather and discuss solutions among themselves — although the efficacy of doing so with no lawmakers present is questionable. However, history has shown similar tactics to be very successful. A Democratic movement that echoes the tactics of the conservative Tea Party has started to reveal itself in the wake of President Trump’s very active first month. This progressive group hopes to stage sit-ins and marches in an effort to put pressure on Trump’s cabinet as well as to urge Democratic lawmakers to move farther to the left. Republican lawmakers are concerned about the environment that may await them if they open themselves up to a public conversation. Though they cannot boast the same level of political influence as the Tea Party, the Democratic movement has gained considerable support in recent weeks, leading to a situation that closely resembles the position
Gabriel Lopez | Daily Texan file photo
Congressman Lamar Smith speaks to members of College Republicans at the UTC on Feb. 15. Smith is among the Austin representatives who owes his constituents greater access.
that Republican voters found themselves in 2010: With anxious Democratic lawmakers sidestepping town halls whenever possible to avoid difficult and often antagonistic questions about — you guessed it — Obamacare. Texas lawmakers, in particular, are making excuses to avoid hearing the concerns of their constituents. By using safer routes such as TeleTown Halls, they avoid the sometimes combative
nature of an in person discussion, but also miss out on all of its benefits. How can representatives understand the concerns of voters if they don’t attend the forum in which they are asked? It is their choice whether they schedule these meetings or not, but they should know: Voters will not forget who took the time to listen, and who opted out. Bonfiglio is a journalism junior from Oak Creek, Colorado.
COLUMN
SG campaigns must provide UT realistic promises By Emma Berdanier
Daily Texan Senior Columnist @eberdanier
With the second semester finally back in full swing, the time is now ripe for new Student Government campaigns to emerge. And as always, these campaigns come with any number of outlandish promises and gilded dreams that the candidates can never hope to accomplish. While these promises grab students’ attention and procure their votes, they’re detrimental to the integrity of SG. UT does little to fully educate students on the nature of SG president and vice president and the associated powers, making it harder for students to determine the validity of campaign promises. UT should communicate descriptions of SGs statutory powers to students more directly through emails and social media posts prior to each election cycle. Students must understand that the SG president holds the power
to represent the student body to the University administration, the Board of Regents and the Texas Legislature. They also have the power to implement-student driven projects and serve on campus-wide committees. Currently there are three pairs of candidates running for the position of SG president and vice president: Blake Burley and Robert Guerra, Isaiah Carter and Sydney O’Connell, and Alejandrina Guzman and Micky Wolf. Each campaign has published a platform containing both reasonable and unreasonable promises. The most outrageous of these promises is also the most coveted. Guzman and Wolf commit themselves to bring back the Texas vs. A&M rivalry football game as the final listing on their platform. To bring back this match, UT would have to work with at least A&M, the Big 12, the SEC and the NCAA, only to solidify the logistics of the match, all of which are outside of SG jurisdiction. But that’s just the first of the many unrealistic
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.
campaign promises being offered this year. Carter and O’Connell have listed the creation of a Texas vs. OU holiday as one of their campaign promises. Guzman and Wolf have also proposed working with West Campus apartment complexes to guarantee housing for underprivileged students, another undertaking that would be outside of their powers. These promises are merely attempts to seek votes rather than campus-wide change. The one campaign that doesn’t have outrageous promises is Burley and Guerra’s. Their platform reads more like a list of issues than a list of solutions — it’s too vague to make promises that can be broken. In a sense, it’s the most reasonable campaign platform. But it still does a disservice to the voters. Voters’ voices are lost amid all these unrealistic campaign promises. Students are left either to vote for the candidate who offers the most, whether they can truly fulfill it or not, or for the candidate who offers change in the vaguest of terms, in the
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.
Campaigns should be based on realistic goals, not gimmicks that grab attention or a lack of tangible possibilities for change. hope that they won’t be left disappointed. This isn’t how student wide elections should be run. Campaigns should be based on realistic goals, not gimmicks that grab attention or a lack of tangible possibilities for change. And there should be a wider understanding of the role of the Executive Alliance, so voters can discern feasible promises from unrealistic ones. UT needs to circulate emails defining the roles of the Executive Alliance prior to each campaign cycle in order to make SG more accessible to students. Berdanier is a philosophy junior from Boulder, Colorado.
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
5
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
TRACK AND FIELD
Track star Mahler tunes into Austin atmopshere By Drew King
The Texas track season shifts to Ames, Iowa this weekend for the Big 12 Indoor Championships. Mahler will be among the Longhorn athletes competing in the event.
@drewking0222
A pregnant woman and the soon-to-be father of her child lay asleep one night. Neither of them knew the sex of the baby, as is custom in Native American tradition. Suddenly, the man woke up from his dream. “It’s going to be a boy,” he said. “And his name is going to be Wolf.” More than 20 years later, redshirt junior Wolf Mahler doesn’t run with the animal who holds his namesake, but he does run with a herd of Longhorns. Mahler is a key member on the Texas track and field team and is one of the top athletes in the nation in the heptathlon. Track accounts for much of Mahler’s fervor in life, but it certainly isn’t his only preoccupation. Mahler’s family spent 10 years living in Nashville, Tenn., where his parents pursued their dream of being major-label recording artists. Not surprisingly, music has been a major influence in his life. “I’ve just always been a musician,” Mahler said. “I started out playing drums, then I started playing piano, and now I pretty much just play guitar and sing.” Mahler and his family later moved to Belton, Texas, where he simultaneously worked toward his two passions: track and music. Austin’s music scene had
BASEBALL
continues from page 6 that, but he’s day-to-day. He could possibly be ready on Wednesday.” Pierce emphasizes aggressive base running. He says he wants the opponent to have to make a play, and he’s willing to accept the consequences when they do.
Rachel Zein Daily Texan Staff
an impact on Mahler’s decision to become a Longhorn. However, being just an hour drive from the “Live Music Capital of the World,” he was well familiar with it before making the commitment. “I’ve played (at the South by Southwest festival) three times,” Mahler said. “I’ve actually played it once before I even came here. (My high school band) won a local competition and got a
chance to play there.” Not much has changed for Mahler since then. He’s performed on Sixth Street a handful of times and started a YouTube channel to share some of his recordings. And, of course, Mahler still enjoys competing in track. However, it hasn’t been as easy as he initially anticipated. “Last year I fractured my calcaneus and tore my plantar fascia,” Mahler said.
Aggressiveness both at the plate and on the bases led Texas to a combined 11-run outburst during the doubleheader against Rice on Saturday. Pierce said Longhorn fans might get frustrated with the way Texas plays offensively, but they might just have to get used to it — he’s not letting up any time soon. “It’s been interesting to
see the dynamic of our offensive base running as we talk about it daily, and how it can put an extra guy in scoring position,” Pierce said. “There’s things there that we’re always going to press. There’s times we’re going to get thrown out by 10 feet and people will want to boo us, but it’s what we do. We want to be aggressive.”
“Pretty much my heel was just messed up after my indoor season.” Mahler knew how important it was to rehabilitate his injuries, and took time off to make a full recovery. He was redshirted for the outdoor season, rested during the summer, and took his time coming back this season — something a track star is never used to. However, Mahler’s patience
GOLF
continues from page 6 individual competition at one-under, only five shots off the pace set by Arizona’s Haley Moore. Freshman Greta Voelker ended a mere four shots behind Schubert at threeover. She ended up in the top 20 individually in every
has paid off. His season-best score of 5654 points at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational ranks as the top performance in the Big 12 and No. 14 nationally. “It hasn’t always been easy for him, but he never gives up,” head coach Mario Sategna said. “I can’t say enough about him.” Mahler said he intends on delivering dominant performances the rest of the season. His goal is for tournament she’s played in thus far. Teammates Julia Beck and Haley Mills didn’t experience similar fortunes as they finished a combined 39-over par. They’ll look to bring stronger games to Lubbock, Texas, when the Longhorns take on Texas Tech on March 5. —Travis Hlavinka
his group to take first, second and third place at the Big 12 Indoor Championships in Ames, Iowa, this weekend. Mahler said he doesn’t know what song he would celebrate to if he were to win the heptathlon. Given his musical prowess, he might just end up listening to his own. “I’ll probably have to write one, I don’t know,” Mahler said.
RECYCLE
your copy of
Name: CLASSIFIEDS; Width: 60p0; Depth: 10 in; Color: Black; Ad Number: -
MALE MODELS
GET SOCIAL WITH TSM Male Models Wanted
Male models wanted for book series by a New York Times bestselling author. Must be 18. No Experience Necessary. See details at www.juliekenner.com/casting-call
INTERNSHIP
Paid Graphic Design Internship
WE SAVED YOU A PARKING SPOT AT THE QUARTERS!
$30 OFF
1ST FULL MONTH OF PARKING TO SIGN UP FOR PARKING STOP BY 2222 RIO GRANDE ST #200 AUSTIN, TX 78705 CALL TODAY 512.531.0123
We are looking for talented design interns who have strong fundamental graphic design skills and a passion for doing meaningful work. Ability to work minimum 10 Hours per week on site in East Austin. Creation & Maintenance of Marketing Materials: Flyers, Texas Student Media will keepwebsite you connected presentations, floor plans, digital graphics, updates, maintenance of other commercial real estate-specific tools, weekly/daily with daily links to the news, sports and culture newsletters, schedule email campaigns, social media blasts, along with completing customer-facing Have necesstoriesother shaping the UTmaterials. community. sary graphic design, multimedia and marketing skills to complete certain tasks. Submit Resume & Portfolio to charlee@beckreit.com
MEDICAL
Donate Sperm, Get Paid! Healthy men, age 18-39 apply at
*MUST HAVE COUPON FOR DISCOUNT | EXPIRES 2/28/17
{ HAVE THE SUMMER OF YOUR LIFE IN NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA! If you love children and want a caring, fun environment we need counselors, program directors and other staff from June 17 to August 13. INTERVIEWS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS | FEBRUARY 27
Select the camp that selects the best staff! Call 1.215.944.3069 or apply online at www.campwaynegirls.com
CACTUSYEARBOOK.COM
ADVERTISING TERMS There are no refunds or credits. In the event of errors made in advertisement, notice must be given by 10 am the fi rst day of publication, as the publishers are responsible for only ONE incorrect insertion. In consideration of The Daily Texan’s acceptance of advertising copy for publication, the agency and the advertiser will indemnify and save harmless, Texas Student Media and its offi cers, employees and agents against all loss, liability, damage and expense of whatsoever nature arising out of the copying, print-ing or publishing of its advertisement including without limitation reasonable attorney’s fees resulting from claims of suits for libel, violation of right of privacy, plagiarism and copyright and trademark infringement. All ad copy must be approved by the newspaper which reserves the right to request changes, reject or properly classify an ad. The advertiser, and not the newspaper, is responsible for the truthful content of the ad. Advertising is also subject to credit approval.
Reduce • Reuse • Recycle
6 SPTS
6
TYLER HORKA, SPORTS EDITOR | @texansports Wednesday, February 22, 2017
SIDELINE
BASEBALL
TODAY IN HISTORY
1893
Auburn defeats Alabama 32-22 in Birmingham in the inaugural Iron Bowl in front of a crowd of 5,000.
SPORTS BRIEFLY
Texas finishes tied for seventh in New Orleans
about … So I think we’ll continue to grow on that and get better.” Senior outfielder Zane Gurwitz, who was one of only two Longhorns that started every game last season, was sidelined by a hamstring injury throughout the opening series. “Right now, he’s jogging and fielding everything,” Pierce said. “He hasn’t sprinted yet. We’re going to play it slow because I don’t want him to re-tweak
In a strange turn of events, the No. 17 Longhorns plummeted down the leaderboard at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate in New Orleans, on Monday. Texas sat just four shots behind Miami after day one of the tournament, but an abysmal second and final round of action left the Longhorns searching for answers. The Longhorns dropped to seventh place with a total team score of 25-over par. Texas looked poised to make a run at the team title after day one, shooting a respectable three-over as a team. But 24 hours later, junior Sophia Schubert and her teammates ended the tournament 26 strokes behind the tournament’s champion, Stanford. Schubert still exhibited her talent over two day stretch. She finished tied for seventh in the
BASEBALL page 5
GOLF page 5
Joshua Guerra | Daily Texan Staff
First-year Texas head coach David Pierce will return to Huntsville Wednesday night to face his former employer. Pierce fared 121-63 during three seasons coaching the Sam Houston State Bearkats, including three NCAA Regional appearances.
Homecoming in Huntsville for Pierce By Alex Briseno @AlexxBriseno
Texas is set to make their first visit to Huntsville, Texas in program history, but the Longhorns already have a close connection to the city. Head coach David Pierce returns to Sam Houston State with his Texas ballclub following his three-year stint with the Bearkats from 2012-2014. Pierce guided them to the NCAA Tournament each year during his tenure.
Pierce’s Bearkats won the Southland Conference regular season title in all three of his seasons in Huntsville, but the head coach isn’t expecting the warmest of welcomes when he trots into the visiting dugout tonight. “I’ll probably get booed,” Pierce said. “For me personally, it was great for us, the three years kind of set the stage for us for other opportunities … I’m very appreciative of their administration and I’m very appreciative of the people I’ve worked with. But we’re
going to play a baseball game and that’s what matters.” Don Sanders Stadium holds just over 1,000 seats, but Sam Houston State predicts them all to be full at 6:30 tonight, as a familiar face returns to “The Don.” “Sam is going to be crazy tonight, I can tell you that,” Pierce said. “It’ll be sold out and it’s something that hasn’t happened, I don’t think in the history of Texas, going to Huntsville. They’ve got a quality team and they’re a top-35 team and they’re
SWIMMING AND DIVING
Confident Longhorns dive into Big 12 Championship meet By Maria Cowley and Keshav Prathivadi
@cowley_mv and @kpthefirst
Under men’s head coach Eddie Reese, the Longhorns have racked up 37 consecutive conference championships. With another conference tournament hitting the 40 Acres this week, it’s soon to be 38. Texas, a well-established swimming and diving powerhouse, exudes confidence. The Longhorns are positive they will come out with yet another Big 12 Championship prior to the NCAA Championships in Indianapolis in March. The conference brings only five schools to the championship meet, including Texas. When the events commence Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center, the Longhorns will lurk as clear favorites swimming in their home pool. Critics, however, aren’t too impressed with the Longhorns’ streak of championships. Many believe the Big 12 isn’t as challenging as other conferences and will not serve Texas as good preparation for the
NCAA Championships. Reese simply shrugs it off. “If it’s hurting us, then I hope it keeps hurting us,” Reese said. “What matters is what you do in September through January. That’s the key to March, not a conference championship.” Regardless of the critics, Texas is determined to savor the moment at home for the 12th time swimming in front of family and friends this season, even though some team members have seen bigger stages. Sophomore Townley Haas, a 2016 Olympic gold medalist, said being an Olympian has only helped him grow in his second year as a Longhorn. Last year, he clinched two individual titles paired with two relay titles and helped lift Texas to another national championship. This year, he wants more. “I think I gained a little bit of confidence over the past year,” Haas said. “I am pretty good, and as easy as that sounds, it kind of helps me to be able to know that … I’ve put in the work.” Though the men have gathered a lot of momentum this year, the women are right there
with them. The women’s team, ranked No. 2, has won 14 of 20 Big 12 Championship meets, including last year’s when head coach Carol Capitani was honored as Women’s Swimming Coach of the Meet. “It means a lot to me, but I put it back on the women,” Capitani said. “It’s not one of my goals. Rather, it’s their performances and how they carry themselves. When our team swims well and they respect each other, it makes me happy.” Senior captain Tasija Karosas leads the women as a 10-time Honorable mention All-American and 13-time Big 12 Champion. Karosas holds the school record for several events, including the 100 and 200-meter backstroke. In spite of always performing on a grand stage, Karosas said she doesn’t feel pressure before competing. “It’s almost motivation to hold our spot and keep it,” Karosas said. “We are just trying to prove ourselves. I don’t try to focus on getting another school record, I just try to help push my teammates.” Texas swim and dive coach Eddie Reese directs his team at a meet at the Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center.
Joshua Guerra Daily Texan Staff
very, very solid.” The Longhorns come off a 2-2 series split with No. 25 Rice at UFCU Disch-Falk Field last weekend. Some of the Longhorns’ high points were on full display in their two wins in the doubleheader on Saturday, including their patience at the plate. “I don’t know if y’all noticed, but the first game, we were swing, swing, swing. After that, we really started taking tough pitches,” senior first baseman Kacy Clemens said. “That was one of our bright spots that we talked
Name: 5270/University Co-op; Width: 29p6; Depth: 10 in; Color: Process color; Ad Number: 5270
COMICS 7
COMICS
7
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Today’s solution will appear here next issue
8 1 3 5 7
7
2 5 8 1 3 6 4 3 8 1
9 8 6 8 2 3 1 4 9 4 8 7 6 5 5 9 8 PAID ADVERTISEMENT
SUDOKUFORYOU
2 8 5 6 9 4 3 1 7
4 3 9 7 5 1 2 6 8
7 1 6 3 8 2 9 4 5
8 9 2 5 6 3 1 7 4
1 6 3 4 7 8 5 9 2
5 7 4 1 2 9 8 3 6
6 4 8 9 3 5 7 2 1
3 5 7 2 1 6 4 8 9
Arrr matey. This scurrvy beast be today’s answerrrrrr. Crop it out, or it’ll be the fishes for ya!
Name: 5421/Information Security Offic; Width: 29p6; Depth: 5 in; Color: Black; Ad Number: 5421 Name: CROSSWORD; Width: 29p6; Depth: 5.5 in; Color: Black; Ad Number: -
9 2 1 8 4 7 6 5 3
8 L&A
MAE HAMILTON, LIFE&ARTS EDITOR | @thedailytexan Wednesday, February 22, 2017
ALUMNI
8
CITY
Little Longhorn Saloon attracts crowds with ‘fowl’ twist on bingo By Chris Peck @ChrisBPeck
Gabby Lanza | Daily Texan Staff
Former Longhorn running back Jeremy Hills is the head trainer and founder of The Factory. The training facility works with professional athletes to improve their skills.
Former UT football player opens sports training center By Ashley Salinas @ashley_salinas3
Jeremy Hills’ Austin training facility is a sports fan’s Narnia. Jerseys and posters of NFL players line the walls, but if you look around, those same athletes are working out right there inside the gym. UT alumnus and former Longhorn running back Jeremy Hills is the head trainer and founder of The Factory, a sports training center that focuses on training athletes at a professional level. The Factory opened in 2015 and already has several high profile clients, including Brian Cushing from the Houston Texans and fellow ex-Longhorn and New York Buffalo Bills player, Aaron Williams. Hill picked up his love for football from his family. Most of the men in his family were involved with football in one way or another. “It’s a family tradition,” Hills said. “My uncles played, my dad played professionally and I have a brother who is still playing. It’s kind of like what we do. I fell in love with the game early on and still feel the same.” When Hills began playing for UT in 2008, his love for the game only increased the more time he spent on the field at Darrell K. Royal Stadium.
“In my first two years, we only lost one game so it was always a good time,” Hills said. “We worked our asses off. We worked hard, we played hard, and we enjoyed the fellowship. You make lifelong friends in that locker room.” After a leg injury in 2012 forced him to cut his time with the Longhorns short, Hills dedicated his career to helping other athletes achieve their goals. Although he did not initially know he wanted to be a trainer, he discovered his talent after helping several football players from his former high school in Houston. “It kind of found me,” Hills said. “The new guys coming out of Alief Elsik (high school) would reach out to me to help them, performance wise. I would spend my free time helping them. Then they started getting scholarships and I realized I might be pretty good at this.” His factory’s clientele was mainly built from trainees referring others to his gym. “I always say that your work will speak for itself,” Hills said. Though Hills’ gym is decorated with jerseys from his clients who play professionally, his facility maintains an atmosphere that humbles everyone who walks through the doors.
“You look around and you see all these jerseys from these guys but it’s a mindset that we have in here,” Hills said. “You can have your name on the back of the jersey but you come in here and you’re just a guy, so we start working.” Seattle Seahawks free safety and fellow former Longhorn Earl Thomas trains with Hills at his gym. Thomas said he often praises Hills for his advanced level of expertise and passion. “He’s been around the game forever and knows how to explain our drills in a way that relate to the field,” Thomas said. “He’s an overall good dude. You can tell he cares about you past being a player and is passionate about his craft.” Even with his growing clientele, Hills still works to build personal relationships with his trainees. He said his favorite aspect about his job is simply seeing others reach their goals. “The best part is helping guys achieve what they set out to achieve,” Hills said. “When that happens, and you go watch them perform on Sundays, and you see what you worked all those countless hours, days, nights, weeks, months doing and you see it in the game? There is not a better feeling.”
CAMPUS
New Cappy’s Place manager pours heart into on-campus coffee shop By Andrea Tinning @andreawinning
Editor’s note: In 300 words or fewer, this series spotlights people in our community whose stories typically go untold. Students and faculty at the Belo Media Center recognize the manager of Cappy’s Place for her warm smile, but they don’t know that when the cafe closes, her job as a mom begins. Jennifer Mier recently started managing Cappy’s Place after working on campus for 16 years, but her Cappy’s Place manager Jennifer Mier’s workday never ends as she heads home to take care of her infant son each day after work. Mier has worked on campus for sixteen years, but only recently started managing Cappy’s.
Chase Karacostas Daily Texan Staff
biggest pride is her infant son, Christopher. Though Mier said she likes her job because of its lenient hours and fun atmosphere, she said her favorite part is interacting with students. “I love the kids here, they come from other buildings just to come see me,” Mier said. After work, Mier spends the rest of her day cooking, cleaning, and spending time with Christopher until he falls asleep. “It’s a challenge but I do what I need to do to take care of my son,” Mier said. Close family members help take care of Christopher, but Mier said the most important source of support is her girlfriend of four years, Letty. Mier said the loving
relationship she has with her partner is an important aspect of her son’s life. “He has two moms. We raise our son together,” Mier said. “Without her, I do not think I would be able to do all this alone.” Letty is also a working mother, but makes her family with Mier a priority. “She’s a sweetheart,” Mier said. “She is the one.” Mier’s advice to other working parents is to remember that despite the difficulties they face, the work they do is for their children. “Whatever it is — whatever the job is — we just gotta keep on doing it for those babies,” Mier said. “It’s rough. Our babies look up to us, we gotta keep raising them.”
Chicken shit isn’t worthless at one Austin bar, where patrons play a game that lets them turn it into cold, hard cash: Chicken Shit Bingo. Terry Gaona and her husband, David, run the Little Longhorn Saloon, which prides itself as the home of Chicken Shit Bingo. Founded over 20 years ago, the now-famous game consists of patrons placing a small donation of $2 on a square and hoping the unsuspecting chicken does his or her business on their square. Winners can receive up to $114. “Chicken Shit Bingo is the luck of the draw,” Terry Gaona said. “Once you experience it, you just want to come back every Sunday.” The game has a distinctly Austin pedigree. Back when Texas music legend Dale Watson used to play at the Little Longhorn, he and former owner Don Kalmbach suggested to Don’s wife Ginny that they should give the game a try. David Gaona said Watson got the idea after spending time in Bakersfield, California, where he saw people playing cow bingo. Eventually, the cow was swapped for the chicken in order to downscale the game while retaining the enjoyment. “It’s fun to watch people’s expressions, watching them have so much fun watching a chicken poop,” David Gaona said. “It is the craziest thing I ever heard of.” The game’s uniqueness has brought the Little Longhorn worldwide fame, and
Brooke Crim | Daily Texan Staff
Chicken Shit Bingo players take photos of the chicken before it chooses a winner. Multiple rounds of the game take place every Monday at Little Longhorn Saloon.
attracted a variety of local and famous musicians like Fingerpistol, Jim Stringer, and Justin Trevino. The bar is an epicenter of the Austin honky-tonk music scene. “The bands really get into chicken shit,” David Gaona said. “They all bring their own eclectic style.” Christie Trapp, who hails from Ennis, Montana was one of the winners at this past Sunday’s bingo. Despite living over 1,650 miles away, this isn’t her first go-round and win at Little Longhorn. 25 years ago, she played Chicken Shit Bingo at the little bar and liked it so much she came back decades later. “It is so basic, and everybody can do it,” Trapp said. “This is something that is family-friendly, (and) is a great opportunity to come out, sit outdoors, drink a few beers, visit with friends, and see all types of people.” The Little Longhorn strives to be a local bar that is welcoming to all ages. “We definitely cater to the young’uns,” David Gaona said. “If they win, we’ll
get them on stage (and) announce who the winners are. The adults are the same way, they act just like little kids when they win.” Although the bar is known for its sense of community, great music and authentic country atmosphere, the true stars of the show are the chickens themselves. David and Terry Gaona alternate between two chickens during the bingo: Little Ginny and Loretta Lynn. “They’re spoiled rotten,” Terry Gaona said. “They get to have anything and everything they want. But they know that their job starts on Sundays.” What has now become a staple of the Little Longhorn is a staple of Austin as well. Chicken Shit Bingo is just another one of those local quirks that makes Austin such a unique city. “It keeps Austin weird,” Terry Gaona said. “People love that it is a tradition here. It will always be a tradition here and it will probably be here for another hundred years.”
Name: 5461/BBVA Compass Austin; Width: 29p6; Depth: 10 in; Color: Process color; Ad Number: 5461