The Daily Texan 2017-02-23

LIFE AND ARTS PAGE 8

COMICS PAGE 7

SPORTS PAGE 6

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Thursday, February 23, 2017

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CITY

Bill calls for looser ride-hailing rules

By Mikaela Cannizzo @mikaelac16

Uber and Lyft might have the opportunity to return to Austin if a bill proposing restrictions on the city’s regulation of transportation network companies passes during this legislative session.

Sen. Don Huffines, R-Dallas, authored Senate Bill 113, which would limit government’s involvement with ride-hailing services. He

said he wants to allow users, rather than the government, to determine the success of the companies.

“I believe in the free market and allowing consumers to choose winners and losers,” Huffines said. “(My bill) levels the playing field for all ride-sharing companies, opens up the free market and (lets) the consumer be the regulatory body.”

The current law permits local government to set require-

ments for all ride-hailing services including taxis and limousines. This law enables the city to regulate the number of drivers operating each service, set rates charged for rides and implement safety and insurance policies. Huffines said his proposed bill deregulates government and will eliminate these controls.

When Uber and Lyft left the city last May, Austin felt the effects of these

RIDE-HAILING page 2

LEGACY

Colleagues remember Tillerson’s time at UT

By Lisa Dreher @lisa_dreher97

Illustration by Lexi Acevedo | Daily Texan Staff

CAMPUS

UT president hosts town hall meeting

By Kayla Meyertons @kemeyertons

Students and UT administrators came together in an open forum Wednesday afternoon to discuss the current state of UT’s campus climate, but in a matter of two hours, the conversation became overwhelmed by shouts from the audience.

The town hall was hosted

by President Gregory Fenves, Vice President for Diversity and Community Engagement Gregory Vincent, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Soncia Reagins-Lilly and Provost Maurie McInnis.

This event was primarily inspired by posters containing hate speech that appeared around campus last week and were promptly removed by students and faculty.

Management information system sophomore Racha-

TOWN HALL page 2

bit.ly/dtvid

Joshua Guerra | Daily Texan Staff

Law student Mohammad Nabulsi confronts UT President Fenves during the UT Town Hall at the SAC Wednesday afternoon.

LECTURE

In the 1970s, then UT undergraduate Jack Randall befriended a freshman percussionist in the Longhorn Band who frequented barbecue joints as a drummer in a country western band.

Decades later Rex Tillerson, former chair and CEO of Exxon Mobil, told his college friend Randall he planned to retire, but a job offer as Secretary of State put those plans on hold.

“I am absolutely satisfied that the reason he was able to postpone his retirement and take this job was out of a sense of duty and out of a sense of service,” Randall said.

Tillerson, a Boy Scout and Wichita Falls native from a middle-class family, enrolled at UT in 1970 as a civil engineering major. Tillerson haas said his favorite professor, mathematician James Vick, brought him out of a dip in his grades.

“If what we did in class and what we did talking outside of class helped him, then that’s, to me, exactly what we’re supposed to be doing,” Vick said.

Over a dinner with several engineering students in the mid-2000s, Tillerson and Randall were invited to give career advice. The dialogue turned into a playful recollection of their days in the UT marching band fraternity, Kappa Kappa Psi.

TILLERSON page 2

POLICY

Barbara Jordan National Forum hosts Committee moves to Senfronia Thompson as guest speaker end tuition set-asides

By Albert Zhao @thedailytexan

State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, the longest-serving African-American and the longest-serving woman in Texas legislative history, discussed her experience Wednesday in government during the Barbara Jordan National Forum at the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

Thompson, a civil rights activist, said she felt trepidation after her election in 1973, because she would have been stopped for the color of her skin if seen walking around the Capitol building as an unelected citizen.

“That was a time I couldn’t even walk on the grounds of the Capitol because I was African-American,” Thompson said. “Yet African-Americans built the building.”

LBJ Professor Peniel Jo-

seph described Thompson, who works extensively for women’s and minorities’ rights in Texas, as one of the “unsung champions” of the Civil Rights Movement’s legacy.

“When we think about Representative Thompson, she is really somebody who speaks truth to power,” Joseph said.

Joseph listed Thompson’s numerous achievements, such as authoring the state’s first alimony bill and the James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act, which increased penalties for crimes that targets minorities, gay people and others after the 1998 murder of an African-American male in Jasper, Texas.

Thompson said she had to defend herself in the Legislature against racial discrimination, which was sometimes in the form of sexual harassment.

By Claire Allbright @claireallbright

Joshua Guerra | Daily Texan Staff

State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston was the keynote speaker at the Barbara Jordan National Forum at the LBJ School Wednesday afternoon.

“One of my colleagues called me ‘his black mistress,’” Thompson said.

The state has made historic progress in rectifying discrimination, Thompson said, but people must be prepared to raise their voices against further injustice.

“We cannot afford to

be silent,” Thompson said. “It’s up to each one of us (to) speak up about what’s wrong.”

Thompson said the Texas Legislature has still not resolved issues that have been debated since she

FORUM page 2

After a back-and-forth debate, a Texas Senate Committee pushed a bill to the Senate floor Wednesday which would do away with the requirement for public institutions of education to participate in the tuition setaside program.

The Senate Committee on Higher Education voted 4-2 along party lines in favor of Senate Bill 18, authored by the committee chairman, Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo.

The tuition set-aside program, established by the Legislature in 2003, requires public universities and colleges to put at least 15 percent of tuition cost above $46 per credit hour toward financial aid programs.

Wednesday’s hearing centered around the uncertainty as to how the legislation would impact the cost of tuition or the availability of financial aid.

Name: 5400/Carnaval Mike Quinn Market; Width: 60p0; Depth: 2 in; Color: Process color; Ad Number: 5400

Sen. Dawn Buckingham, R-Lakeway, said tuition setasides are “a hidden tax on kids.”

Seliger said while schools would not have to continue the set-aside program under the bill, they could if they wanted to. Keeping college affordable is important, but the Legislature “shouldn’t do it for some students on the backs of others,” Seliger said.

Many proponents to tuition set-asides said the program makes it possible for poorer students to afford an education.

“The main reason students drop out of college is because of financial aid,” Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, who was present but didn’t vote, said. “We really don’t know the full impact of the bill.”

Raymund Paredes, Texas Commissioner of Higher Education, said $459 is the average amount set aside annually per student across Texas who pay tuition. If the bill is passed and

TUITION page 2

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TUITION

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tuition set-asides are eliminated throughout the state, up to 106,000 students could lose financial aid in 2018, according to the Legislative Budget Board.

During the hearing, representatives from university systems across the state, including the University of Texas, testified and the majority said even

RIDE-HAILING continues from page 1

restrictions. A law passed by Austin City Council mandating stricter background checks and a fingerprint requirement for employees contributed to the companies’ decision to stop operating in Austin.

Both companies released statements expressing their disappointment in leaving Austin, but emphasized the rules passed by City Council infringed on their business models of employing

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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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without mandatory tuition setasides, they would continue the program to fund financial aid.

“I can’t imagine schools would simply abandon any desire to help these students stay in school,” Paredes said.

Under the bill, senators said institutions of higher education could continue to collect the same portion of tuition and put it towards other expenses.

“The bill’s intent allows the

universities to have more flexibility with what to do with that money,” Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, said.

Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, said the bill creates uncertainty for students receiving financial aid. Watson said higher education programs might see major “Draconian cuts” this session, and although University representatives plan on keeping set-aside programs now, Wat-

son worried they might change their mind in the future from a lack of funding.

Watson questioned the purpose of the bill and said it would not guarantee a decrease in the cost of tuition.

UT System spokeswoman Jenny LaCoste-Caputo said system leaders are willing to work with legislators to review set-aside programs to ensure higher education remains af-

fordable and accessible.

“The set-asides provide more than $100 million that UT institutions use for financial assistance in the way of grants, work-study programs and scholarships,” LaCoste-Caputo said in an email. “These dollars help thousands of needy and deserving students attend UT universities.”

The next step for SB 18 is consideration on the Senate floor.

part-time drivers. Huffines said the restriction of local control proposed in his bill would likely prompt Uber and Lyft to start operating in Austin again.

Huffines said he believes his bill will create a competitive environment in which the most innovative company will attract the most customers.

“Competition lowers the price and increases the quality and that’s what we need, a lot of competition in the ride-sharing business,”

Huffines said.

After Uber and Lyfts’ departures, new apps offering similar services emerged in hopes of becoming the new standard for the ride-hailing industry.

Apps pairing users with vehicles such as Fasten, Fare and Ride Austin have gained traction over the past few months.

UT transportation engineering professor Kara Kockelman said she believes the return of Uber and Lyft would decrease competition and opportunities for new participants in the

smartphone-based ride-hailing market.

“Uber and Lyft dominate almost all markets right now,” Kockelman said. “Without a special situation, like Austin is offering, other (transportation network companies) can hardly get started.”

Dana Summers, advertising and radio-television-film senior, said she uses ride-hailing services multiple times a week to travel to and from her job in East Austin. Prior to its departure, Summers said Lyft was her top transportation

option. While she said she has adjusted to new services and frequently uses Ride Austin, she would primarily use Lyft again if it were to return.

“I’m very brand-loyal to Lyft,” Summers said. “If Uber and Lyft came back, I would be in a Lyft car the next day.”

The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Business and Commerce last month, but has received no further action yet. Huffines said he expects the bill to be considered during a hearing within the next four weeks.

TOWN HALL

pervasive and they are to intimidate and they are promoting genocide, we will take action,” Reagins-Lilly said. “We need to figure out a way to convey a way to honor our limitations but also to push that boundary.”

In addition to the posters, students said they were frustrated by the general lack of action from UT officials regarding racist, Islamophobic and anti-immigration sentiments on and off campus.

Law student Mohammad Nabulsi expressed his outrage at the UT administration for failing to act when he said the Palestine Solidarity Committee, a student organization for Palestinian rights, was physically confronted by UT Israeli studies professor Ami Pedahzur in November 2015.

After this incident in 2015, Fenves released a

statement saying the University defends and supports free speech on campus.

Fenves also addressed the issue of immigration rights and said undocumented students are part of UT campus and have been for 10 years.

“I’ve spoken out in favor of DACA (and) students who are undocumented with DACA status have all been contacted working with the international office,” Fenves said.

History junior Nishiki Maredia called out from the crowd wanting to know who is involved in making these policies after she said she tried for three months to report a racist professor.

“I had to defend my humanity every day in class …

What’s your answer to that?”

Maredia said. “Your institutions are bullshit.”

When Fenves suggested he and Maredia talk after

the forum, students urged the administrators to discuss the matter now as Reagins-Lilly moved on to the next question.

By the end of the event, no concrete plans were made to combat hate crimes on campus. Reagins-Lilly said the bias incident policy that has been in progress for a year is set to be implemented before spring break and will provide students with resources on how to report hate crimes.

“I heard, we all heard, and it’s heartbreaking,” Fenves said. “This will redouble our efforts, triple our efforts.

This is a place of education and enlightenment.”

Nabulsi said a coalition of student organizations on campus are organizing their own town hall meeting called “ATXResist” on Friday afternoon in GWB 2.206.

just a regular person like the rest of us.”

Tillerson joined the Tejas Club, a men’s social organization at UT, and met Steve King, the marching band’s saxophone player. They lost contact with each other about 40 years ago, but King said he remembers Tillerson’s calm and delegative demeanor.

“I think he’s someone that is a good decision-maker,” King said. “I think one of the most important things is to be able to listen and to know when you have enough information to make that decision.”

In 1975, Exxon welcomed the UT graduate as a production engineer, paving the way to lead the multi-billion dollar company. About a decade later, Randall bumped into Tillerson as the two often negotiated deals next to and opposite the table.

Despite reports that members of President Donald Trump’s campaign team have contacted Russian intelligence officials, Randall said Tillerson would not engage in unethical behavior.

“He’s not going to do anything to help out the Russians

to the detriment of the United States, that’s just a bunch of malarkey,” Randall said. “Or it’s coming from people who just don’t know the man.”

Randall said Tillerson will be a good decision maker and will be straightforward with Trump.

“I’m sure he’s going to tell Trump what Trump needs to hear,” Randall said. “And if Trump doesn’t want to accept it, I guess Rex can’t do much about that, but I know Rex will tell him what he needs to hear, not maybe what he wants to hear.”

Regarding women’s issues, Thompson said there is the lack of treatment for postpartum depression, which only provides 60 days of free counseling under Medicare.

“Everyone is different in the

treatment process,” Thompson said. “Sixty days may be enough time, (but) in many cases it is not enough time.”

Forum co-chair Roosevelt Neely, a public affairs graduate student, said Thompson’s

speech reminded him of the importance of public service in politics.

“To hear her experience … gave the perspective of why you should be a public servant,” Neely said.

continues from page 1 na Jadala said the posters were calling for a literal genocide of Muslim people, which the administration failed to both address and investigate.

“There is no investigation that happens from the administration, or if this investigation takes place there is minimal transparency,” Jadala said. “Students are just left to deal with the consequences.”

Jadala said the University needs to give quicker and harsher punishments for individuals who have committed hate crimes.

Reagins-Lilly said the administration is here for the students and always takes action when needed.

“When we know who is posting flyers and the facts of posting those flyers are

TILLERSON

continues from page 1 To the students’ bewilderment, Tillerson and Randall told them of how they would kidnap an unsuspecting pledge and leave them in the middle of nowhere — with only a dime to call a ride home.

“And the next thing you know, we’re talking like we’re 25 years old again,” Randall said. “And these students I think were completely amazed that the chairman and CEO of a major oil company isn’t a stuffed shirt. He’s

FORUM

continues from page 1 first entered the Capitol, such as CPS funding, public education funding and women’s issues.

d f s t

l r d

l s f t h x o s

ZIA LYLE, SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Thursday, February 23, 2017

Researchers use genes to curb alcoholism

By Justin Mirazee @jmirazee

Under the leadership of neuroscientist Adron Harris, UT and other universities are investigating new ways to treat alcoholism.

The National Institutes of Health granted $29 million to 12 universities this month for the purpose of studying alcoholism. Harris, UT professor and director of the Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, said UT will receive $8.5 million of the grant.

“The advantage of our program is that we bring many different approaches that will allow us to better understand and treat alcoholism,” Harris said. “This challenge is that this requires the coordination of 12 different projects across the U.S. and Canada.”

Laura Ferguson, a postdoctoral researcher in the Harris lab, said that at UT alone, the grant will fund labs to look at

the molecular, electrophysical and behavioral sides of addiction. Specifically, the Harris lab is looking at the levels and regulation of gene expression in alcoholics.

A variety of factors cause alcoholism, including environment and gene interactions, Ferguson said. She added that some people may be more genetically disposed to alcoholism than others but may never develop alcoholism because their environment has a low exposure to alcohol.

According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, drinking alcohol alters the balance of chemicals in the brain, and for heavy drinking, the brain tries to maintain equilibrium through compensation. Through this compensation, different genes will be activated and inactivated and that may be one factor in alcohol dependence.

Ferguson and Harris are seeking to cancel out this bad

gene expression and replace it with normal gene expression using FDA-approved drugs.

In order to measure changes in gene expression, Ferguson said the Harris lab uses a database which shows the effects of different drugs on human cells. The database is from the Broad Institute, which is a collaboration between Harvard and MIT. The FDA-approved drugs in the database are mostly for treating cancer, but Ferguson said the Harris lab and others are finding ways to repurpose them. In cancer, for instance, tumor cells undergo massive changes in gene expression, while the brain has small-scale, regulated expression.

“We have some good validation in mouse models (that this) treatment is effective for psychiatric diseases,” Ferguson said.

Ferguson said thousands of genes are not expressed properly in the brain of an alcoholic, but that some drugs can

change hundreds of genes at once. She added that it is more important to target pathways of many compatible genes than individuals genes.

“The biggest differences between alcoholics and nonalcoholics is the difference in gene connectivity and how their gene patterns are regulated,” Ferguson said.

Because these drugs are repurposed, the funding can be spent looking at ways to optimize gene expression and later fund human clinical laboratory studies, rather than discovering new drugs, Ferguson said.

Soon, a drug may be found that reduces the cravings of alcoholism, but we must remember that the environment plays a critical role in the life of alcoholics, Ferguson said.

“You need the human component — psychosocial therapy,” Ferguson said. “(The drug) could aid addiction for alcoholics.”

study finds cause for binge drinking

By Lawrence Goodwyn @Tyler_Goodwyn

Recent research points toward a specific gene that’s responsible for binge drinking behavior.

UT Southwestern researchers David Mangelsdorf and Steven Kliewer have been studying a protein called β-Klotho for over ten years, which plays a role in moderating a person’s desire for alcohol. They recently teamed up with 108 research institutions on an alcohol preference study of over 100,000 people in Europe.

Mangelsdorf and Kliewer’s lab studies mice to see exactly how the β-Klotho protein functions in living organisms.

The protein is part of a signaling pathway in both

humans and mice that affects an individual’s inclination for alcohol.

“If you eliminate this gene, animals drink more alcohol than they normally would if they’re given the choice between alcohol-laced water and regular water,” Mangelsdorf said.

For the large-scale study, researchers surveyed both frequent and non-frequent drinkers, through a genome-wide association analysis, which involves sampling the participants’ DNA and looking for variations in their genes that could account for drinking behavior. “(The other researchers) took samples of DNA and looked for variations in their genetic makeup that might be associated with binge drinking behaviors, and they found

something in the genes that our lab studies,” Mangelsdorf said. “That was the gene that encodes for β-Klotho.”

The results of these tests pointed towards the β-Klotho protein as the main force controlling people’s craving for alcohol. “β-Klotho, when activated in the brain, suppresses your desire to drink alcohol,” Mangelsdorf said.

Kliewer said the protein acts as a coreceptor for the hormone FGF21, which is excreted by the liver.

Mangelsdorf said roughly 60 percent of participant genomes had the variation that makes alcohol more desirable, while the remainder had the variation that decreases their alcohol cravings.

Historically, food fermentation was a simple way to

prevent foods from decaying and collecting bacteria, so most food tested from before refrigeration contains traces of alcohol, Mangelsdorf said. He added that alcohol was often used medicinally, in order to decrease the chance of infection.

“No one had anticipated that the β-Klotho pathway would affect alcohol consumption. And since this pathway can be activated by FGF21, this may be an entirely new way to treat alcohol addiction,” Kliewer said.

The β-Klotho receptor still has more outlets to be explored in the future to take an even deeper look into this behavior changing gene.

“We’re now focused on understanding precisely how FGF21 acts on the brain to suppress the desire to drink alcohol,” Kliewer said.

discrimination causes LGBTQ alcoholism

By Roma Shah @thedailytexan

Jessica Fish believes ending discrimination towards the LGBTQ community starts with studying the reasons for and the effects of this prejudice.

Fish, a postdoctoral fellow in UT’s Population Research Center, focuses on the relationship between LGBTQ communities and mental health and alcohol use. Fish also uses her research to educate people about how to promote the health and well-being of the LGBTQ community.

Fish said her research has shown that LGBTQ youth are exposed to discrimination and victimization from peers, teachers and parents.

She added that as a result, LGBTQ youth experience more depression and suicidal thoughts and are more likely to experiment with alcohol use than heterosexual youth of the same age.

“One of the most important things I have learned thus far is that experiences of sexual-orientation-based discrimination have measurable

consequences for the health and well-being of LGBTQ people,” Fish said.

Fish said she wanted to explore whether these experiences of discrimination and victimization had a lasting impact on LGBTQ youth as they aged into adulthood.

Fish said she was also interested in finding ways to improve their health outcomes.

“Unfortunately, early experimentation with alcohol use during adolescence is linked to later risk for excessive alcohol use and alcohol use disorders among adults,” Fish said. “If we can prevent early use, we might be able to combat later risk.”

Fish’s research looks at parts of the social system, such as families, schools, communities and laws that make youth vulnerable to poor mental health and alcohol use.

“The reason we see the disparities in health and alcohol use in this population is directly related to experiences of prejudice and stigma, so we need to denounce and change those who perpetrate discrimination, not those who experience it,” Fish said.

Fish said she wanted to

approach her research from this perspective. She used survey data from youth and young adults to model how family support and school contexts are associated with alcohol use during adolescence and young adulthood.

“If we can show that positive school and family environments can protect youth as they age, this would provide meaningful information for policies and programs that aim to promote health and well-being for LGBTQ youth,” Fish said.

Human Development and Family Sciences department chair Stephen Russell, who works with Fish in the Human Health and Rights Laboratory, said Fish’s research about LGBTQ alcohol use and LGBTQ research in general is necessary because it helps us understand why some people are more disadvantaged.

“The work is important because there are clear disparities in alcohol problems based on sexual orientation,” Russell said. “We don’t really know why, except that LGBTQ people face discrimination, and yet we

know those alcohol problems are strongly linked to later health problems. If we could prevent alcohol problems, we could reduce many problems later on that are health disparities for LGBTQ people.”

Russell said that there is no federal non-discrimination or anti-bullying law for schools that includes sexual orientation and gender identity, and some teachers do not understand discrimination as a cause of bullying.

However, Russell said LGBTQ research has led to many positive changes. He added that his research has helped LGBTQ youth by leading to more training for teachers, the development of new curriculum and updates to laws and policies.

Fish said she believes everyone can and should play a part in making the LGBTQ community feel more accepted.

“Take it upon yourself to help create safe spaces for LGBTQ people,” Fish said.

“Show your support. Verbalize your support. Stand up and speak out when you encounter homophobia and transphobia.”

3

4

ALEXANDER CHASE, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | @TexanEditorial Thursday, February 23, 2017

COLUMN

Students deserve fall graduation ceremonies

By Alina Agha

Daily Texan Columnist @alinaagha96

Graduation ceremonies celebrate the incredible achievements of one’s college experience, and mark the beginning of the next part of students’ lives. Whether you’re starting a new job or going to graduate school, commencement is a huge moment that so many look back on, and so many look forward to.

Students wait years to walk across the stage surrounded by their peers, family and friends. But unfortunately, for some UT students, that opportunity may not come because last week it was announced that the Liberal Arts and Natural Sciences colleges would no longer hold graduation ceremonies in December. Though they will be given the option to walk in the spring, students in these colleges who are graduating in the fall will not be able to walk right after they graduate, and this decision will diminish the value of the graduation experience.

“I have been dreaming of graduating from UT since I was a little girl, and it’s frustrating that I’m going to have to wait a whole semester and come back in May to walk,” said Kate Richter, a junior English and Women’s and Gender Studies double major, who is graduating in the fall of 2017. “There’s something

about finally finishing this huge goal of college, and getting to immediately celebrate that with your graduation ceremony. What happens for students who take a job across the country, and can’t come back to walk?”

The decision — made by interim provost Judith Langlois and the respective deans of each college, according to Interim Communications Director, Joey Williams — was made based on a study stating that students are more likely to graduate in four years if they are able to “socially integrate with the university,” and that having one graduation ceremony a year will encourage this social integration. The problem with this argument is that for many students, the reason they graduate in more than four years cannot be influenced by “social integration.”

For example, if a student has to work throughout college in order to pay for cost of living, tuition and more, their options are limited and they may take fewer classes and have to graduate late, which will not change just because they want to “socially integrate.” In addition, when it comes to large public universities such as our own, students have to compete with their peers to get into the classes they need to graduate, and if they don’t, this adds time to their degree due to no fault of their own.

Another problem is that a lot of students at UT are in fact graduating a semester early rather than a semester later, yet they are being affected by this decision that is backed by

GALLERY

Students should not have to pick and choose between graduating on time or making the most of their college experience. Moreover, they should certainly be given equal opportunity to celebrate their achievements with their friends and family, regardless of how much time it takes for them to graduate.

reasoning that doesn’t even apply to them. On the other hand, college is a time for students to make the most of their education, to explore and try new things, and sometimes this takes more than four years.

Students should not have to pick and choose between graduating on time or making the most of their college experience. Moreover, they should certainly be given equal opportunity to celebrate their achievements with their friends

and family, regardless of how much time it takes for them to graduate. Walking across the stage to collect your diploma is an invaluable experience, and every student — whether they’re part time, working towards several degrees, or simply wanting to extend their time at college — should have the chance to do so, whether it be in the fall or in the spring.

Agha is a public relations junior from Karachi, Pakistan.

COLUMN

Texas Legislators should not limit mixed-income housing

By Alyssa Fernandez

Daily Texan Senior Columnist @blancoalyssa

Illustration by Yulissa Chavez | Daily Texan Staff

COLUMN

Interdisciplinary work benefits UT computer science students

By Ryan Young

Daily Texan Columnist

Computer science students, we’ve all been there — hunched over the keyboard in the wee hours of the morning. Shuffling between classes in the Dell building looking for study space. Juggling proofs, projects, and algorithms in our heads. Worrying about exam scores, registration and job interviews.

You’re in one of the top computer science programs in the world. You’re here for a reason, and no matter what, you’ll succeed. Just remember that our department is but one piece of the great, big university that we call UT. It’s okay to have interests outside of computer science, and I hope that you explore yours.

Well-rounded students have the advantage in an increasingly demanding job market. A friend of mine, a dual electrical engineering and computer science major, learned practical teamwork and presentation skills from a communications class she took for her engineering degree. She thinks computer science majors should also be encouraged to pick up such invaluable, real-world skills.

Our society also faces new challenges that require interdisciplinary approaches to solve.

Sociology professor William Swearingen, while lecturing on sustainability and climate change, noted that engineers are not taught to worry about the ethics or negative effects of burning fossil fuels. In a similar vein, big questions facing computer scientists — digital privacy, digital equity and computer literacy — demand answers that go beyond algorithms and code. We need help from sociology, economics, government and other disciplines that bring unique perspectives to the table.

Computer science is such a wonderful and empowering field. Like Neo from “The Matrix”, it presents “a world without rules or controls, borders or boundaries … a world where anything is possible.” Embrace

Well-rounded students have the advantage in an increasingly demanding job market. this idea. Question the status quo. Cultivate your unrelated interests that have nothing to do with data structures, data mining, big data or databases.

Resumes and skills are important, but the ideas and thoughts from your academic fire will last a lifetime. There’s nothing more personally gratifying than daring to dream, discovering new connections and opportunities that were once unimaginable. As one of my computer science professors put it, “it’s a journey” — to discover who you are, and the strange and wonderful interests that make you tick.

Luckily, you’re at UT. From liberal arts to fine arts to business to communication, there’s a department that caters to every niche. And degree plans such as the Bachelor of Science and Arts give computer science students like us the flexibility to branch out and explore. The BSA “(extends) options to (science) students that they (believe) would help them” such as the ability to “take additional classes in other areas or earn a minor or transcript,” according to College of Natural Sciences Dean David Vanden Bout.

The late Edsger Dijkstra, who had a tremendous influence on the computer science department, once said, “It is not the task of the University to offer what society asks for, but to give what society needs.” Society asks for pixel-perfect producers of software — I’m certain there will be plenty of those. But at UT, what starts here changes the world. We make thinkers, not worker bees; people, not robots.

Young is a computer science junior from Bakersfield, California.

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.

Texas State Representative Valoree Swanson filed H.B. 1792, under which the bill would profoundly complicate the development of low-income housing in Texas.

Under this bill, a development has 90 days to identify itself as a “low-income government-subsidized housing” to any neighborhood organization within five miles of the proposed site. It must also submit “an independent study of the development’s anticipated effects” to the local area — and this is just to have its application approved.

This bill goes after the distribution of Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) by adding unnecessary obstacles to the application process that plays on residents’ prejudices and fears that low-income housing would bring crime.

Despite the fact that studies show that introducing low-income housing can actually lower crime.

Don’t let it fool you. The provisions proposed under H.B. 1792 might be sprinkled with buzzwords such as “community participation,” but it’s not designed to provide extra security measures. Instead, it deliberately allows communities to maintain their income and racially-based segregation because it allows the residents to control who is and isn’t allowed to live in their area.

Texas has a long, unpleasant history of segregated housing, and the City of Houston has been under federal investigation for violating the Civil Rights Act for its stark segregation. Neighborhoods significantly populated with minorities and people of color have been repeatedly denied resources to improve their own communities and are excluded from mixing in higher-income areas. Knowing this, it should come as no surprise Rep. Swanson’s district covers the wealthy northern Houston area as she continues

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.

Mixed-income housing disperses low-income households into higher-income areas through either subsidized housing vouchers, zoning laws or through public housing developments.

the deplorable legacy for housing segregation with H.B. 1792.

Addressing an issue such as housing segregation doesn’t have an easy solution, but mixed-income housing does provide relief to these deep divides.

Mixed-income housing disperses low-income households into higher-income areas through either subsidized housing vouchers, zoning laws or through public housing developments. This would allow individuals of diverse backgrounds an opportunity to interact and essentially reduce high concentrations of poverty or wealth in a specific area.

However, mixed-income housing is much easier said than done. Even in Austin, districts have had trouble convincing residents to integrate low-income housing into their area. But there has been local efforts made such as the construction of M Station, an environmentally sustainable and mixed-income housing development.

At the end of the day, housing segregation can’t be fixed by policy change alone. Only communities themselves can make the change. This isn’t an argument about funding low-income housing, rather Houston’s policies and H.B. 1792 are about limiting their location. This is essentially government-funded segregation and can only be combated through increasing diversity, such as mixed-income housing options.

Fernandez is a rhetoric and writing Spanish senior from Allen.

Infographic by Liza Anderson | Daily Texan Staff

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Place the paper in one of the recycling bins on campus or back in the burnt-orange newsstand where you found it.

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CLASS 5

LIFE&ARTS

5

Thursday, February 23, 2017

ALUMNI

UT alumnus runs food truck like laboratory

By Stephen Acevedo @thedailytexan

When Yuzhuo Liu graduated from UT with a math degree, he decided the best lab to go work in would be his own. With Pinch Urban Food Lab, Liu can bring perfectly proportioned foods to life in a controlled environment.

Liu’s approach to food at Pinch is based on scientific precision and perfectionism. When testing new flavors, the food truck transforms into a completely controlled environment.

“I run the restaurant like a lab when I’m testing food so I can control everything and change one thing at a time to find which flavor is the best,” Liu said. “When I was making the chicken at first, we chose what we have now from about 20 different chicken preparations.”

The scientific techniques don’t just stop at flavor testing. Liu also uses a Labmaster machine to precisely measure out every single ingredient that goes into his dishes to make sure that all of his customers are getting the same quality in their food.

“When you’re cooking, you can’t skip steps,” Liu said. “If you miss one thing, it will affect all of the flavor. We never want to shortcut anything.”

Liu said bringing quality food to Austin is his passion and he will keep working hard until everything is at his standard of greatness.

“When I started this, I wasn’t thinking about money. I was just thinking about serving the community, especially the Asian community.”

The menu at Pinch is extremely limited with only three main entree options.

This works to the advantage of the truck’s method of operations, though, and allows them to perfect each dish to Liu’s high standards.

The main attraction at Pinch is the fried chicken.

The chicken can be ordered in the form of the plain fried chicken bowl, which is plenty good in its own right, or ordered in the form of the curry chicken bento, which is definitely the better option.

For one, it’s a nice change to taste fried chicken with curry instead of the braised

or grilled chicken chunks other restaurants usually serve. The marinade and the crunchy breading on the chicken adds much more to the dish than grilled chicken alone would.

The Japanese-style curry brings fantastic flavor from a simple cooked mixture of curry powder, onions and carrots. It tastes similar to a panang curry, but it isn’t spicy at all. That’s okay, though, because the dish comes with a small container of housemade chili oil that does a surprisingly good job of making up for that missing kick some may want in their food. The fresh vegetables and pickled cabbage are great additions to the dish that balance out the savory flavor from the curry and fried chicken.

The cashew pork bento replaces the fried chicken with slow-cooked and sliced pork belly topped in a thick, sweet and salty rue. This pork belly is perfectly executed with an ideal amount of tenderness that maintains enough firmness to not fall apart uncontrollably.

The only shortcoming of the food at Pinch is the

limited amount of sauce on the chicken and pork that will leave customers wanting more when they get through the meat. Especially with the curry, the dish could be significantly improved by simply adding enough sauce to not only cover the meat but to mix in with the steamed rice and vegetables at the bottom.

While the food is definitely good, the most notable thing about Pinch is the amount of care and effort that clearly goes into making each order.

When a restaurant treats every meal like it can make or break business alone, it’s difficult not to put out a quality product. This attention to detail will make Pinch stand out among the plethora of quick-stop food trucks in West Campus.

“PINCH” Hours: Sun-Mon 11am-2pm and 5pm-8pm Location: 24th and San Antonio Rating:

Standing on the corner of 24th and San Antonio Street, Pinch Urban Food combines precision and flavor.

Pinch’s main attraction is the fried chicken, served with vegetables on a bed of rice and sauce on the side.

Iris Bilich Daily Texan Staff

PAEGENT

continues from page 8 at UT and said she wants to change that.

“Through the struggle and confusion of finding my identity as a biracial person, I grew to understand it as a strength,” Malonson said.

“You don’t have to look a certain way to be a certain race. If I win, I’ll be able to host an event where I’ll talk about diversity in the media and help students understand how they can make the media more diverse.”

Robertson was inspired by her background in theater to promote the importance of developing public speaking skills as her service platform. Robertson said she also used her experience with the pageant to work on other life skills and building relationships with other contestants.

“I’m a performer, so I’m used to being onstage, but it was awesome seeing my

‘GET OUT’

continues from page 8 danger of his predicament in time.

Only Chris’ best friend, loud-mouthed TSA agent Rod (Lil Rel Howery), seems to know exactly what’s going on. He’s one of the film’s best characters, a brazen, comic figure who gives us nice breathers from the Armitages’ frightening abode.

As an anchor to the outside world, he keeps the film from being too dark.

The film does get considerably darker though, as the Armitages reveal their true nature. The first indication of their intentions takes place when Rose’s mother, Missy, hypnotizes Chris. Using only a tea cup, she pierces into Chris’s mind and sets off a deeply unnerving phenomenon in which he loses control of his body. Peele fashions some incredible imagery during this sequence as

pageant sisters who were so shy just come out of their shell,” Robertson said.

The other seven contestants Robertson participated in the pageant with have come to be some of her best friends. While the pageant can be time-consuming and challenging, in the end, Robertson says it is very rewarding. Robertson, Washington and Moton said they all agree that one of the pageant’s main lessons for contestants is time management and overcoming the challenges associated with that.

“Life is a series of challenges destined to be mastered,” Washington said. “I just want people to know this isn’t just a debutante pageant where we’re throwing eight girls on stage and having them walk around in ball gowns. This is an opportunity for women of color to get up and showcase themselves and tell their stories.”

well, and he establishes a powerful metaphor about black subjugation. The Armitages, like the American elite, grant freedom — and they have the power to steal it.

When the Armitages force Chris to fight for his life in the rousing climax, “Get Out” manages to avoid the ethical questionable nature involved in Nat Turner’s massacre of whites in “Birth of a Nation.” This is due to the fact that the Armitages are irredeemable, and Peele stages the last battle as a primal battle for survival between good and evil. There’s not much blood, but it is oh-so satisfying to finally see Chris break free from his captors and rain vengeance upon them.

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TYLER HORKA, SPORTS EDITOR | @texansports Thursday, Feburary 23, 2017

BASEBALL

BASEBALL|COLUMN

Allen future in question as offseason approaches

By Shane Lewis @theREALsplewis

Joshua Guerra| Daily Texan Staff

Junior left-fielder Travis Jones hit a three-run homer in Texas’ victory over Sam Houston Wednesday night. The home-run extended the Longhorn’s lead to 5-0.

Texas captures 7-2 victory as

Pierce returns to Sam Houston

By Vanessa Le @vanessale

A record 2,815 Bearkat fans fell quiet at Don Sanders Stadium Wednesday as they watched Longhorn base runners trot towards home plate to take a 5-0 lead in the sixth inning.

Texas’ junior batters scared Sam Houston State (2-1) with a big night featuring the long ball during the first ever meeting between the two teams. Texas (2–2) earned a 7-2 victory to celebrate head coach David Pierce’s first return to Bearkat territory since his time at the helm of the program, where he began his career as a head coach from 2012 to 2014.

The Longhorns struggled to find offensive power early in the game, and redshirt junior pitcher Dakota Mills cashed in with four punch outs for the Bearkats.

But junior right fielder Patrick Mathis found a way to combat Mills’ arsenal with a single into right center field to collect Texas’ first hit of the night. Junior catcher Michael Cantu slammed a two-run homer over the left field fence to strike first for Pierce’s squad.

Three consecutive burnt orange hits quickly erased Mills’ dominant start and forced Sam Houston State to hand the ball to freshman relief pitcher Gabriel Sequeira.

Texas continued to pressure the Bearkats during the sixth inning.

Freshman third baseman Ryan Reynolds and senior first baseman Kacy Clemens picked up backto-back walks to crowd the bases before junior left fielder Travis Jones smashed an opposite-field three-run jack to make it a wide-open 5–0 affair for Texas.

Sophomore right hander

Nolan Kingham danced out of trouble for much of his time on the mound.

The Bearkats threatened to score during the bottom of the fourth inning with the bases loaded, but Kingham forced two Bearkat ground outs with a double play to halt the danger.

Sam Houston State found a total of six men on base during the first five innings, but Kingham and his defense quieted the runners with crucial strikeouts and nifty double plays. Kingham’s scoreless five-inning effort allowed him to earn his first win of the season.

Sam Houston State finally found a way to reach home plate with two runs in the sixth inning.

The Longhorns look to build off their powerful offensive performance as they head back to Austin for a three-game series against Connecticut this weekend.

The Longhorns have no reason to speculate about an NCAA tournament appearance. Barring an incredible run in the Big 12 tournament, Texas will be watching March Madness from home after a disappointing season.

But there is plenty of reason to speculate about the future of freshman Jarrett Allen. The forward has largely lived up to his billing as a five-star recruit and will be faced with the tough decision of whether or not he is ready to declare for the NBA draft.

Allen has been noncommittal towards the topic so far.

“I’m just going to leave when the time is right,” Allen said per CBS. Is the time right?

According to DraftExpress. com, Allen is the No. 3 center prospect in college and the No. 18 NBA prospect overall.

The freshman has seen his play steadily improve as the season has progressed.

After timid play early in the year, Allen has embraced his role as the motor that moves this Texas squad. In the month of February Allen has averaged nearly a double-double, notching over 17 points and eight rebounds per game.

With the way Allen has produced as of late, he has every reason to contemplate a jump to the pros. But head coach Shaka Smart said Allen doesn’t think about distractions off the court.

“His mindset is one of I want to grow and I want to get better,” Smart said. “He doesn’t get caught up in anyone’s outside perceptions of him.

That allows him to be much less weighted down than other guys at that age and that talent.”

If Allen’s mindset is to

grow, then he should consider staying another year at Texas. While the freshman has flashed brilliance this season, he still has areas he can improve in.

Listed at 6’11 and 235 pounds, Allen possess a lighter frame than the typical NBA center. Another year of putting on strength could help him make an immediate impact at the professional level.

The freshman would also have the opportunity to further refine his offensive game. Allen’s progress has been hindered this season by a stagnant Texas offense that is hurt by its lack of a playmaking point-guard.

Opposing teams have keyed on the forward all-season, at times taking him out of games.

“It’s frustrating for anybody to get double-teamed,” Allen said.

With the addition of incoming four-star recruit Matt Coleman, Allen’s frustrations could be a thing of the past.

Coleman is a true-point guard and the number five guard prospect in the nation per the ESPN 100.

Coleman will help the Longhorns with their ball movement, something that could generate more shots for Allen. With more touches, Allen could conceivably average 20 points next season and improve his draft stock.

The addition of Coleman also makes Texas a much better basketball team by addressing its biggest need. If winning at the college level is something that matters to Allen, he’ll have a much better chance to do so next year.

At this point, draft talk about Allen is all speculation.

But as the season winds down, expect talks to ramp up and for Allen to be the center of Texas’ attention.

SOFTBALL

Longhorns prepare for tough tests at Mary Nutter Classic

By Wills Layton @willsdebeast

Sunny beaches, clear skies, and Longhorn softball. All will be on display this weekend as the team travels to California to compete in the Mary Nutter Classic.

While the forecast shows plenty of sun throughout the weekend, there will be just as much Texas softball to go around in Cathedral City starting today at 5:30 p.m. CT. Texas squares off against Notre Dame in the first of six games to be played through Sunday.

After finishing strong in last weekend’s Texas Invitational with wins against Indiana and Louisiana Tech, the team looks to continue its hot start to the season.

Sophomore outfielder Reagan Hathaway said even though the team is 7-3, there’s much to improve on.

“We’re happy with where we are right now, but we’re still perfecting our approach at the plate, our defense, our pitching,” Hathaway said. “I think we’re all confident because each weekend we’re getting better and better so it’s exciting that there’s room to grow and we know that we’re going to get better each weekend.”

This weekend the Longhorns will play four ranked opponents—No. 8 Washington, No. 15 Tennessee, No. 20 Missouri and No. 21 Arizona State. Considering the amount of tough competition, Texas will have its hands full.

Hathaway said the team isn’t focused on the ranking

Juan Figueroa | Daily Texan Staff

Sophomore outfielder Reagan Hathaway is embracing the weekend’s chance to clash with top teams. Texas begins the Mary Nutter Classic with a contest against Notre Dame.

of its opposition.

“I don’t think that we really think about the ranked opponents,” Hathaway said. “I just kind of focus on the fact that it’s a chance to play a really good team.

(We’ll) see how we match up against them and try to get some wins out of this so that we can move up in the rankings ourselves and get some more confidence going into Big 12 and the rest of the season.”

The tournament presents a great opportunity for the team to enjoy a trip outside of Austin, while still honing its skills for conference play. Senior Stephanie Wong finds joy in playing in large tournaments like the Mary Nutter Classic.

“It’s so fun to play in these big tournaments especially getting to go all the way to California, that’s always fun,” Wong said. “Plus, there’s so many great teams we get to play from different conferences and that’s always great to be around.”

While the team has played a total of 10 games over the last two weeks, head coach Connie Clark still views the six games ahead as a great opportunity to compete.

“It’s such a great field out there,” Clark said. “I mean it’s always just really fun and you can’t turn your head without having a great softball game going on because of the fields and the number of highly ranked teams that are out there.

It’s a great week for us, a great opportunity.”

The stage is certainly large, but much like her players, Clark tries not to get caught up in the hysterics of playing highly ranked opponents so far away from home.

“I just want them to go out and continue to play aggressively, be decisive, be aggressive, and continue to do the things that we’re working on in practice,” Clark said. “I think if we do that good things are going to happen.”

Juan Figueroa | Daily Texan Staff

Freshman forward Jarrett Allen has been impressive in his first year with Texas. Allen may have to decide if he’s ready to make the jump to the NBA this offseason.

SIDELINE TODAY IN HISTORY

1991

North Carolina becomes the first collegiate basketball program to win 1,500 games.

TOP TWEET Quandre Diggs

@qdiggs6

“Healthy meals start today. Lord be with me.”

SPORTS BRIEFLY Two Texas players injured in offseason

Texas will enter spring drills without two contributors from the 2016 season. Junior tight end Andrew Beck and sophomore punter Michael Dickson sustained injuries during off-season workouts and will be sidelined when spring drills begin.

Beck suffers from a broken left foot, and Dickson sustains a right hamstring injury.

Beck saw action at tight end last year, accumulating 82 yards on four catches. He additionally scored two touchdowns, including the final touchdown in Texas’ comeback to beat then-undefeated Baylor on Oct. 29. Beck led all tight ends in production in 2016, but the position may see a larger role in Tom Herman’s new offensive system. “(Tight ends are) a critical role in our offense,” Herman said. “We are a pro-style offense. We run run-plays that are just like the NFL. I think there was one year at Ohio State where we played like 98 percent of our snaps with one back, one tight end and three wide receivers because that tight end was so versatile.”

Dickson starred as one of the top Longhorns in 2016. The Australian punter earned All-American honors and recognition as the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year.

Dickson, averaging a program-record 47.4 yards per punt, stood as one of three finalists for the Ray Guy Award in December.

However, Utah’s punter Mitch Wishnowsky, 47.7 yards per punt, was selected as the recipient.

There is no timetable for either player’s return.

—Steve Helwick

Name: 5454/Department of Philosophy; Width: 29p6; Depth: 5 in; Color: Process color; Ad Number: 5454

COMICS

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Thursday, February 23, 2017

Name: CROSSWORD; Width: 29p6; Depth: 5.5 in; Color: Black; Ad Number: -

Today’s solution will appear here next issue

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This scurrvy beast be today’s answerrrrrr.

SUDOKUFORYOU

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MAE HAMILTON, LIFE&ARTS EDITOR | @thedailytexan Thursday, February 23, 2017

CAMPUS

Texas DAPA promotes safe drinking habits

By Hannah Plantowsky @thedailytexan

Getting sick in a frat house bathroom after a night of drinking is a tale as old as time.

While most professors look down upon the typical college party scene, one UT professor turns that condescension into a source of education for her students.

After noticing the popularity of her signature course, “Young People and Drugs,” Social Work professor Lori Holleran Steiker, was inspired to develop a way for her students to engage in the course material outside of the classroom. Thus UT’s Drug and Alcohol Peer Advisors was born. It’s a student organization dedicated to raising awareness about substance abuse, addiction recognition and dependence prevention.

“I didn’t want to waste their passion, their commitment, their enthusiasm, their learning,” Holleran Steiker said.

“So, I started poking around and I found something at Harvard and at Dartmouth called DAPA: Drug and Alcohol Peer Advisors.”

Dr. Holleran Steiker said she noticed students quickly became activists against addiction after taking her course.

“Having had an entire semester of learning about the bio, psycho, social, spiritual model of substance use disorders, this group of people knows more than most doctors in the country about youth and substance use,” Holleran Steiker said.

Michael Campos, Neuroscience senior and current DAPA member, said he appreciates the way the information taught in the course has carried over to the activities and experiences within the organization.

“We have a lot of knowledge on how to deal with overdose

Angel Ulloa | Daily Texan Staff

UT professor Lori Holleran Steiker, teamed up with UT students Katelyn Webster, Anna Hall and Walter Hall to create DAPA, or Drug and Alcohol Peer Advisors.

The organization aims to spread awareness on safe drinking throughout campus.

or how to deal with signs of abuse and dependence,” Campos said.

Mathematics senior and DAPA president Katelyn Webster said she also recognizes the importance of what she learned in the course. After partaking in course related activities, such as observing Alcohol Anonymous meetings, Webster said she feels prepared to support former addicts and advocate addiction prevention.

“Part of being in DAPA is training,” Webster said. “It’s

not a requirement, but that is a huge part of it. Getting people involved is really hard, because a lot of people aren’t educated on alcohol or drugs.”

DAPA has two main parts: volunteering with students from University High School, one of the few sober high schools in the U.S. designed to help students recover from addiction, and oncampus education.

“It’s already a lot going through high school,” Webster said. “But it’s even more

going through with a substance abuse issue.”

In addition to their involvement with the high school, DAPA also has facilitated multiple seminars intended to educate college students on safe alcohol and drug consumption.

“As far as UT students go, our main goal is harm reduction,” Campos said. “A lot of groups will preach abstinence, and we know that’s not really realistic for college students.”

Webster said rather than preaching alcohol avoidance

entirely, DAPA tries to facilitate healthy and regulated substance use. The club is currently trying to fund an on-campus safe drinking demonstration, which would promote and normalize healthy alcohol consumption by allowing students to legally and responsibly drink on campus.

“A lot of people, when they hear of our club, think, ‘they don’t want you drinking or doing drugs at all,’” Webster said.

“But that’s not necessarily the case. It’s all about education.”

Dr. Holleran Steiker said these students have the potential to enact true and important changes with their involvement.

“The thing that I’m most proud of is that it’s a symbol that students are taking their learning to a step way beyond the classroom,” Holleran Steiker said. “Not just into their professions and their careers, but into their civic engagement and into making a difference as humans beings.”

UNIVERSITY

MOVIE REVIEW | ‘GET OUT’

Miss Black UT 2017 empowers young girls

By Sydney Mahl @sydney_mahl

Headline, 32 pt, play 4, 2 deck headliney here yes Courtesey of Universal Pictures

African-American Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) must escape from his malicious white captors in “Get Out.”

Jordan Peele releases new horror film, chilling commentary on racial tensions

By Charles Liu

@CharlieInDaHaus

Jordan Peele is the last person you’d expect to be a master of horror. Yet, this satirist’s creativity finds a perfect home in “Get Out,” which transforms everyday racial tensions into a harrowing life-or-death battle. This is a risky movie that explores uncomfortable issues and a subversive melding of acting and atmosphere that’s hard to resist.

The film opens with Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya), a black man, going to meet the family of his white girlfriend, Rose Armitage (Allison Williams). In spite of Rose’s reassurances, Chris

feels on edge about how her parents (Catherine Keener and Bradley Whitford) will react to their interracial coupling.

But as Rose promised, the Armitages are far from hostile — in fact, they’re eerily eager to display their tolerance. They welcome Chris with open arms, and Rose’s father, Dean, brags about how his father raced Jesse Owens and vows he would’ve voted for Barack Obama a third time. Rose’s odd brother (Caleb Landry Jones) fetishizes the black aesthetic and declares Chris would be a “beast” if he took full advantage of his genetic makeup. Soon, we realize the Armitages may not be cross-burning Klansmen, but their

over-compensatory attempts at acceptance do just as much to drive Chris away. To them, he’s still black first, human second.

With the film’s monster of racism laid bare, all we can do is watch tensions boil. While Peele targets racist liberals who are outwardly pleasant, the Armitages do have stereotypical black servants. The help is polite — perhaps too polite. The maid, Georgina (Betty Gabriel), and the groundskeeper, Walter (Marcus Henderson), creepily eye Chris from afar and seems bent on making him uncomfortable. While polite on the surface, their treatment of Chris suggests they disapprove of his

relationship with Rose. Are they jealous of how much the Armitages seem to like him, or is something else amiss?

The first half of “Get Out” toys with racism and perception — Peele constantly calls upon us to wonder if comments about things such as black culture and Tiger Woods are innocuous and well-meaning, or toxic and misguided.

While Chris’ interactions with white people are rife with humor, racial hostility tinges every moment, and while Chris can’t tell if he’s imagining things, audiences know he isn’t. The film’s dread arises from whether he can comprehend the

‘GET OUT’ page 5

On April 30, eight handpicked contestants who have practiced for two hours, three nights a week for three months in a lecture hall will compete for the title of Miss Black UT 2017.

Miss Black UT is a 35 year old ethnic scholarship and beauty pageant presented by Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. Miss Black UT strives to be more than just a beauty pageant. The competition hopes to empower young black women on campus and build them into the confident voices that shape the UT community.

“Its main purpose that has been successful is empowering black women,” theatre and dance senior and last year’s runner-up Tori Robertson said. “You don’t have to be white to be beautiful, and you don’t have to be in a beauty pageant that only caters to people who don’t look like you. This is just for you.”

Robertson is this year’s pageant mom and is responsible for helping contestants write their statements, polish their walking and poses; she also serves as a role model.

She works with pageant dads general management senior

David Moton and acting junior Nyles Washington, two members of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. By incorporating members of the fraternity in the process, the pageant hopes to alter men’s perception of women and vice versa.

“I enjoy getting to know the girls,” Washington said.

“Being in a fraternity, you get put in a box of guys who look at women in a bad way. This is our opportunity to show the girls in the pageant that we truly and sincerely care about them and their growth.”

Robertson, Washington and Moton said they all agree that one of the more fulfilling aspects of the pageant is getting to see participants who are usually shy and introverted become more confident through their involvement in the pageant.

The pageant is comprised of introductory statements, service platform presentations, a talent portion and final walks in ball gowns.

The service platform requires contestants to make a presentation on an issue they feel strongly about. Journalism senior Rachael Malonson, who is biracial, has noticed a lack of diversity in the media throughout her time

PAEGENT page 5

Courtesey of James De’reoun | Daily Texan Staff Miss Black UT is a 35-year-old ethnic scholarship and beauty paegent presented by Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.