1
Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900
@thedailytexan
facebook.com/dailytexan
Monday, February 27, 2017
dailytexanonline.com
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
Student files SG campaign complaint By Will Clark @_willclark_
A complaint was filed to the Election Supervisory Board on Friday evening by engineering fifth year Amber Camilleri in response to Friday’s Daily Texan article regarding the emails from the Isaiah Carter-Sydney O’Connell campaign that appear to have violated the 2016 Student Government Election Code. Carter’s campaign sent emails to multiple freshmen whose contact information he acquired from a list of students who expressed interest in SG during summer orientation 2016. Carter has
access to this list because of his position as Chief of Staff of SG. The emails, sent three weeks before the sanctioned campaign period, were all identical and asked the students, who say they do not know Carter personally, to join his campaign. Catrin Watts, chair of the Election Supervisory Board, said such emails could constitute a violation of the Election Code. Camilleri did not receive one of the emails, but said she was outraged by the reports of possible violations and wanted to file a complaint. “I’m just a student who’s tired of seeing
corruption in our Student Government campaigns,” Camilleri said. “I’d like to see a fair campaign happen for once.” There will be a public hearing today at 5:30 p.m. in SAC 3.106, where each party will be given five minutes to present information and evidence, followed by a three-minute rebuttal from each side and closing with a period of questioning from the Board. “Either the Board will find that there is a violation of the code, and we will debate the type of violation it is, or if there’s not sufficient evidence to find a violation, then there is no violation and we close
I’m just a student who’s tired of seeing corruption in our student government campaigns. I’d like to see a fair campaign happen for once. —Amber Camilleri, Engineering fifth year
the case,” Watts said. The specific part of the code in question, Section 8.2, states “All candidates are prohibited from campaigning … before the sanctioned campaign period … However, this prohibition does not include
the personal individual recruitment by a candidate of individual team members.” Carter said last week the emails did not violate any Election Code because he
COMPLAINT page 2
CITY
WHAT’S INSIDE
Austinites rally against ban, wall By Lisa Dreher @lisa_dreher97
NEWS Austin has high number of undocumented detainees. PAGE 3 Texans rarely interact with communities. PAGE 3
OPINION
On Saturday, U.S. Rep. Joaquín Castro, D-San Antonio, said divisive rhetoric in America is nothing new, saying his grandmother remembered derogatory signs about Mexicans like herself in the 90s. “Signs above Texas establishments, they said ‘No dogs or Mexicans allowed,’” Castro said. “But in every generation
there have been people like you, Americans who have stood up and said that’s not the kind of country we want.” According to Texas Capitol Police, 5,000 to 7,000 people overflowed the Capitol’s steps during a No Ban No Wall rally. Rallies supporting undocumented immigrants and Muslims under the same message swept the country this month. Refugees, immigrants, lawyers and lawmakers spoke about their experiences
as subjects and allies amidst President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders, toughening immigration law. Similar rallies were held in major cities in states like California, Oregon, Virginia and Kansas during different times this month. Adonias Arevalo-Melara, an undocumented student and member of immigrant-rights group United We Dream, spoke and challenged recent Immigration and
Customs Enforcement raids. Arevalo-Melera then urged the crowd to chant “unafraid, undocumented.” “I am standing here today because people of my community are being criminalized by the system,” Arevalo-Melara said. “No ban, no wall and no raids. No more separation from our families.” Brazilian band Maracatu Texas pounded on
RALLY page 2
Ken Paxton is no martyr worth rallying around. PAGE 4 Hate speech bans attack rights worth protecting. PAGE 4
SPORTS Pierce’s squad powers past Huskies, 9-3. PAGE 6 Longhorns lose thirdstraight to Iowa State. PAGE 6
LIFE&ARTS Students debate coffee, tea shops. PAGE 8 Thundercat impresses in new album. PAGE 8
REASON TO PARTY
Noel Mahouch | Daily Texan Staff
Protestors rallied at the Capitol on Satuday afternoon to oppose Washington’s toughened stance on immigrants and refugees. The “No Ban No Wall” rally drew hundreds of demonstrators who oppose Trump’s executive orders.
STATE
@claireallbright
PAGE 7
ONLINE Men’s track & field earn Big 12 Indoor Title Swimming & Diving takes Big 12 championship at dailytexanonline.com
A UT student was the inspiration behind a bill filed Thursday that would limit the amount a public institution of higher education could charge for an official transcript to $10. Juliette Perrier, an intern for State Rep. Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City, said House Bill 2307 was inspired after talking with her classmates about the University raising the cost of an official transcript to $20 last fall.
POLICE
Fake callers clone phone numbers in recent scam By Catherine Marfin @catherinemarfin
The UT Police Department warned the community last week of an uptick in reports of a phone scam that continually targets UT students. A caller clones the number of a law enforcement agency, Internal Revenue Service office or a University office and tells the student they owe back taxes, tuition or failed to complete university paperwork. The caller then tells the individual they must provide payment over the phone and if they end the call for any reason, a warrant will be put out for their arrest. The caller then instructs the student to purchase gift cards in the value of the “owed” amount and read the gift card number over the phone as payment. “(The callers) can ask from anywhere to a couple hundred to a couple thousand dollars,” UTPD Sgt. Samantha Carter said. “Unfortunately we have had students (fall victim to the scam).” While demanded payments are usually consistent, Carter said there was an incident this semester in which a student fell victim to the scam and paid the caller $10,000, the largest loss value Carter said she has seen in this particular scam. The investigation is ongoing. Additionally, scammers have recently begun cloning FBI phone numbers, UTPD Spokeswoman Cindy Posey said. English sophomore Julio Diaz said he received a call from these scammers last fall. “I didn’t pay, but students (are easy targets),” Diaz said. “We’re gullible and fear the law, and we fear the uncertain.” Carter said in recent years the department has seen increased occurrences of the scam during tax season and the beginning of each semester, when FAFSA applications and tuition payments are due for students. “We have the belief that it’s the same group of people calling each time, but it’s not something we can prove,” Carter said. Neuroscience junior Tamanna Basri said she nearly fell victim to the scam last semester, and when she disconnected
SCAM page 2
CAMPUS
State Rep introduces $10 transcript fee bill By Claire Allbright
bit.ly/dtvid
“The motivation behind it was really with all the money that students are already paying for college, is there any way to lessen it, especially in areas where it doesn’t really require $15 or $20 to get a transcript,” Perrier said. Perrier said she filed this bill as a part of a program in Guillen’s office that encourages the interns to submit bill proposals. “I was shocked to learn that the days of 10 cent copies are long gone. I’m
TRANSCRIPT page 2
Cockrell School’s ‘Girl Day’ promotes female engineers By Jenan Taha @jenan_a_taha
Hundreds of elementary and middle school girls from around Austin celebrated UT’s 16th annual Girl Day on Saturday at the Cockrell School of Engineering, where they participated in hands-on engineering activities ranging from building makeshift prosthetics to coding. Tricia Berry, director of the Women in Engineering Program, said the activities
GIRL DAY page 2
Gabby Lanza| Daily Texan Staff
Addison, 12, catches a ball thrown by a machine built by the Girl Scouts of Central Texas Lady Cans Robotics Team. “Girl Scouts CAN Drive Robots: Can You?” was one of the many exhibitions showcased out Saturday.