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Students unaware of allocation of tuition
Protest criticizes UT contract with Nike
By Rajya Atluri @rayjaatluri
The cost of attending a public university has been closely examined with the recent passage of Senate Bill 19 out of the Texas Senate. The bill, if approved, would stop increases in college tuition for the next four years. UT tuition increases in 2016– 17 and 2017–18 will go toward Student Success Initiatives, faculty salaries and other programming, but many students are still unaware about tuition raises and its allocation. According to the University budget summary for the 2016–17 school year, $610 million — 21 percent of the budget — came from tuition. The other 79 percent of the budget came from other resources. In a February 2016 letter to the UT System, President Gregory Fenves addressed a decision from the UT Board
TUITION page 3
WHAT’S INSIDE NEWS UT student patents oil spill prevention device. PAGE 3
OPINION UT should implement mandatory sex education. PAGE 4
SPORTS Texas pitchers continue to impress. PAGE 7
LIFE&ARTS Planet Longhorn unites international students. PAGE 8
REASON TO PARTY
PAGE 6
ONLINE Professor studies rise and fall of cities. Read more online at dailytexanonline.com
By Chase Karacostas @chasekaracostas
Students gathered on the steps of the UT Tower at noon Monday to protest the University’s contract with Nike, accusing the multinational footwear company of letting human rights abuses occur in their Hansae Vietnam factory. United Students Against Sweatshops, Native American and Indigenous Collective and three other student organizations demanded an audience with President
Gregory Fenves to insist the University end its contract with Nike. The Hansae factory — located in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam — produces the University’s Nike-branded athletic apparel. Mass fainting of workers, unsafe spraying of toxic solvents and working conditions exceeding 90 degrees are some of the alleged human rights abuses at the factory, according to the Worker Rights Consortium. USAS has met with university leadership for the
past two years to discuss these issues. Fenves attended one out of approximately five total meetings, chief communications officer Gary Susswein said. USAS member Aileen Bazan said their talks have still not amounted to enough and that she’s been “disheartened” by the University’s lackluster response. “It’s extremely frustrating,” said Bazan, a Mexican-American studies and history sophomore.
NIKE page 2
Angel Ulloa | Daily Texan Staff
Psychology senior Andi Flores leads a chant in a group of protesters advocating against UT’s promotion of Nike on Monday afternoon at Main Mall.
POLICE
UTPD plans to increase number of officers By Catherine Marfin @catherine marfin
The UT Police Department is gearing up to hire nearly two dozen new officers to begin working on campus by next fall, almost three years after chief of police David Carter first began pushing for an increase. Before Carter began as chief of police in 2013, UTPD was authorized a maximum of 67 officers and had been at that number for more than 40 years. Carter has since worked to authorize 99 officers for the department, UTPD Recruiting Sgt. Jimmy Moore said. While the increase in personnel was officially approved more than a year ago, hiring new personnel can take up to a year or more, Moore said. UTPD has increased to 78 officers since 2013, all of whom are currently operating on campus. Thirteen new cadets, who will begin next fall, are
Current breakdown of UTPD officers UTPD hires new officers to up patrol Current UTPD officers
78
Cadets in training
13
to begin Fall 2017
Lateral Transfers
8
Source by UTPD officer
OFFICERS page 2
Infographic by Rena Li | Daily Texan Staff
CAMPUS
UNIVERSITY
Award honors students’ battles with adversity
Mellon foundation donates $3 million to support arts
By Lisa Nhan @lmnhan24
Seniors Dana Le and Maria Suarez-Magana received the Mike Wacker Award from Texas Parents earlier this month as a reward for their positive mindsets during times of hardships in college. Texas Parents director Susie Smith said the award, which started in 1985, is only given out when the committee feels a student’s story has “embodied the spirit of the award.” Named after former UT basketball player Mike Wacker, the award goes to a student for persevering through adversity. “In my case, adversity has meant a fight you’re about to face,” said Le, a finance senior. “You have to decide what creates your character in those moments.” Throughout college, Le said she has been in the hospital a number of times because of multiple reasons, such as a moped accident and recurring health problems. In her sophomore year, she suffered a
concussion during a car accident, which she said led to problems with her cognitive ability. With a lack of support from her estranged family, Le said she learned to take care of herself from a young age. Le said the friendships she’s formed at UT have made her journey a positive one, despite the hardships. “I’ve made a UT family here,” Le said. “Since I didn’t have a great support system at home, (it) has really redefined what support means to me.” For Suarez-Magana, a sociology senior, growing up with her mom and brothers taught her to be independent and how to support those around her. For a period of time, she was homeless in high school but knew she had to keep persevering. Throughout college, she’s had to pay for everything independently while trying to support her family back home. “I have my mom and brothers who need me,”
AWARD page 2
By Meraal Hakeem @meraal_hakeem
The University of Texas at Austin received two grants totaling $2.7 million from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation this month to strengthen, promote and defend the contributions of the humanities and arts departments. The grants were received April 13 and consisted of $2 million to support The Engaged Scholar Initiative, a Texas Model to help thirdyear humanities graduate students develop research skills. The other $700,000 grant will help preserve and digitize human rights archives in Latin America. Esther Raizen, associate dean for research at the College of Liberal Arts, said the grant will allow graduate students to write a different kind of dissertation that involves multiple graduates, undergraduates, post-doctoral fellows, faculty and community members. “The project itself will be a growth project as opposed to one person working on their own,” Raizen said. “We’re
Name: UT Athletics; Width: 60p0; Depth: 2 in; Color: Process color; Ad Number: -
Courtesy of Mellon Grant
This month, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation donated $2.7 million in two grants to UT for third-year humanities graduate student research and digitizing human rights archives.
thinking in terms of reshaping, to some extent, the way dissertations and education in the humanities are perceived, because what starts here changes the world.” Richard Flores, senior associate dean for academic affairs at the College of Liberal Arts, said the grant equips humanities students with the proper tools and research experience to pursue different career options. “Our students, for the most part, are going into academic jobs, but some of them want
to go into other careers where academic training at the Ph.D. level is still important,” Flores said. “This allows them to explore those avenues while they are still doing their graduate work and shape their work in that direction up front.” The $700,000 grant was given to the LLILAS Benson Latin American Studies and Collections project to preserve rare and fragile archives relating to human rights,
MELLON page 2
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Tuesday, April 25, 2017
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NEWS
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Volume 117, Issue 146
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Carolina Mueller, one of the head farmers at Farmshare Austin, cultivates carrots on Monday morning. Farmshare Austin is designed to provide aspiring farmers with the essential skills and training needed to manage a sustainable farming business.
AWARD
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
Suarez-Magana said. “I can’t quit. They’re in the back of my mind. If something is hard, I remember that if I quit now, then I can’t help them.” Cecilia Lopez Cardenas, Suarez-Magana’s mentor through Horns Helping Horns, said she nominated Suarez-Magana because her work ethic and dedication to
serve others stood out to her. “I wanted her to know that everything she’s gone through has not been in vain,” said Lopez Cardenas, assistant director of the Division of Recreational Sports. “I hope through this award she knows how much of an impact she’s had on all of us, just by knowing her and working with her.” Both recipients were honored on April 7 at an awards luncheon.
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
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Who is Lulu and why does she need so many lemons?
Courtesy of Dana Le
Finance senior Dana Le accepts one of two Mike Wacker Awards, started in 1985, from Texas Parents earlier this month for her perseverence through adversity while in college.
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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Matthew Adams, Will Clark, Hannah Daniel, Sunny Kim, 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, Steve Helwick,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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rajya Atluri, Meraal Hakeem, Chase Karacostas, Lisa Nhan Life&Arts Writer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ashley Salinas Sports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wills Layton, Leah Vann Columnists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Liza Anderson, Audrey Larcher Copy Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sydney Bartlett, Kirsten Handler, Janhavi Nemawarkar Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ravin Rene, Luzdivina Ruiz Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brooke Crim, Carlos Garcia, Stephanie Martinez-Arndt, Angel Ulloa Comics Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lauren Ibanez, Hyeyun Jeong, Channing Miller, Serena Romero
OFFICERS
continues from page 1 currently in training. The remaining eight vacancies will be filled by lateral transfers, or individuals who have prior experience in law enforcement. “Whether they’re a transfer with experience or a new guy going into the academy, it takes a while to train and to teach new officers the rules and procedures for UTPD,” Moore said. “We have to allow for a few months for that to happen. It can be taxing.” For new recruits, Moore opens up the job a full year before the cadets begin working on campus in order to select and enroll them in the UT System Police Academy in January. After completing a 19-week program there, cadets work on campus sideby-side with a UTPD training officer for an additional 17 weeks before they begin working alone on campus. For both new cadets and recruits, applicants are
MELLON
NIKE
LLILAS Benson director Virginia Garrard said. “We keep the original physical materials in the home country and make digital copies here which are then available for open access to anyone in the world who wants to use them,” Garrard said. “This access gives the material potential for a very wide effect.” Garrard said these grants are crucial for the future of the study of humanities. “These grants allow us to do what we really want to do,” Garrard said. “In a time where funding from the U.S. government and the state government is scarce and getting scarcer, it’s important that we have funds for initiatives that help for the future as they are very backfilling for us.”
“Workers are still being treated really badly. They’re still waiting on us to do something and help them.” A report on WRC’s website said it started auditing the factory’s labor conditions in October 2015 and identified more than 10 violations of their labor standards. Even though Nike and other brands who use the factory have been conducting labor rights audits for more than a decade, the report said none of them identified the “most serious labor rights violations.” During the hour-long protest, approximately 25 students performed several chants including “Hey, Fenves. Get off it. Put people over profit” to get Fenves’s attention in front of the Tower. At 12:45 p.m., the
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protesters rushed up to the third floor of the Tower while continuing their chants and holding signs with messages such as “Cut the contract” and “Nike Lies.” Fenves’ chief of staff Carlos Martinez met with Andrea Flores, USAS coordinating committee member, to discuss the group’s grievances. Flores said Martinez understood that USAS isn’t happy with the current status quo. However, Flores recalled that Martinez told her ongoing conversations are crucial to progress, to which she reminded him that they’ve been having talks for more than a year with unsatisfactory progress. “Maybe they have ongoing conversations, and it’s fruitful to them,” said Flores, a psychology senior. “But as far as workers on the ground can tell, absolutely nothing is different … I’ve
made it clear that no matter what ongoing conversations they have, it’s not acceptable that it’s taking this long. If they truly want to protect workers, they’re going to take action.” Supplementing the University’s membership with WRC, Susswein said the administration recently placed Craig Westemeier on WRC’s board in response to lobbying from USAS. Westemeier is also on the board of the Fair Labor Association, which performs inspections of working conditions of factories affiliated with Nike. Nike is accredited by the association, according to their website. “The University takes these issues seriously,” Susswein said. “We are working with Nike to make sure the factories they use treat workers well and respect human rights.”
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have identified the need for increased police patrols in several safety plans discussed since last April. “I’ve never seen a police officer just walking around on campus outside of their car, and I would definitely feel safer if more officers on campus let them do that,” chemistry sophomore Janaleen Domingo said. “Eighty or 90 officers on a campus of 50,000 just seems small. A student could easily be somewhere where the 80 officers aren’t around, and that’s when something bad could happen.” UTPD hopes to increase their numbers beyond 99 officers in the coming years, Moore said. “We’re keeping our fingers crossed that we get approved for even more hires as mentioned by (Fenves),” Moore said. “Other universities that are smaller, they are staffed with even more officers than us. For a university of this size, we need the numbers. It’s just time to grow.”
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heavily vetted before being hired, Moore said. “You really have to scrutinize them, because we want to make sure they’re a good fit for our department,” Moore said. “It’s a student-rich environment, and that’s who we primarily serve in this community. We want to make sure we’re hiring good people.” UTPD’s presence on campus has become a heavily discussed topic since the death of dance freshman Haruka Weiser last April. Some students, such as computer science sophomore Sophie Nguyen, feel some areas of campus could use a greater police presence. “The arrangement of officers on campus would make people feel safer more than just an increased number of officers in the usual places would,” Nguyen said. “There are lots of areas on campus right now where you almost never see them.” President Gregory Fenves and other university officials
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Tuesday, April 25, 2017
Source: The University of Texas
Undergraduate tuition rates $19000 $18000
Student loans lose consumer protections By Anusha Lalani
$17000
@anusha_lalani
NON-RESIDENT RESIDENT
$6000
Traditional Longhorn Fixed Tuition
$5000
$4000
NATIONAL
Fall 2015
Fall 2016
Fall 2017
Infographic by Elizabeth Jones | Daily Texan Staff
TUITION
continues from page 1 of Regents to increase tuition for the 2016-17 and 2017-18 school years by 3.1 percent and 3.0 percent for each year respectively. “We will use the new funds to continue improving undergraduate student success through advising, counseling and support programs that help students graduate in four years and, ultimately, spend less on tuition,” Fenves said in the letter. “Revenue from the tuition increase will also allow us to recruit and retain top faculty members to work directly with students and help them receive a worldclass education.” One of the University resources that helps with this goal of helping students graduate in four years is the UT Student Success Initiatives, which began in 2013. Carolyn Connerat, associate vice provost of Student Success Initiatives, said a lot of what they do is work with colleges and schools to develop students and ensure a small-group community. They also provide consistent programming for all entering students, which could take the form of a First-Year Interest Group, honors programs or other groups. “Since then, each year we’ve added more programming to make sure that not only every incoming freshman class had resources, but as that initial group — that 2013 group — as they progressed to become seniors,
that we would have additional programming for them,” Connerat said. “That included everything from our Graduation Help Desk … to Senior Countdown.” A portion of tuition is also allocated across various student services, which includes access to recreational sports, Gregory Gym, shuttle services and University Health Services. Marketing senior Binna Kim, former student body vice president, served as the Student Services Budget Committee chair this past year. Kim said the committee tries to make sure that this money is being allocated correctly and caters to student needs. “When we’re making these decisions and we’re talking about voting power, the students truly do make the decisions,” Kim said. “We’re leading the conversation. That’s a $42 million budget that our university puts in the hands of students, because they believe that the money should be allocated by the priorities of the students.” Although students such as Kim are aware of tuition allocation, there are many students who still don’t know about the increases and distribution of tuition. “Sometimes you just think it’s in the air — here’s all my money, and I don’t really know what it’s going toward,” education freshman Laura Palmer said. “No one really advertises what it goes toward — you just pay the bill and then you’re done.”
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos retracted policy memos two weeks ago that protected students taking out loans, a decision which could impact students across the country. In a letter delivered to James Runcie, Federal Student Aid chief operating officer, DeVos withdrew three memos issued during the Obama administration. One of the memos held companies accountable for providing borrowers with consistent, precise and timely information about their debt. Biology freshman Rifa Marediya said she receives email reminders regarding a loan her family took out to pay for tuition. Considering her hectic student life, Marediya said the emails are a convenience she enjoys. “I don’t like staying on the phone and calling someone
Petroleum engineering esophomore Karan Jerath offficially filed a patent for his toil spill prevention device olast week. Jerath spent more than 800 -hours developing his design for an improved cofferdam, one of the tools British Peytroleum utilized during the -2010 Deepwater Horizon oil -spill. Jarath’s cofferdam started as a high school science fair oproject, but he has since been featured on the 2016 Forbes h30 Under 30: Energy list and fselected as a United Nations -Young Leader for the Sustain.able Development Goals for his invention. o A cofferdam sits over the oil spill to prevent spreading. BP’s cofferdam failed because -it only had one outlet valve -which was choked because of emethane hydrate formation. t Jerath’s design has six outtlet valves that allow water, oil
and gas to be immediately separated and recycled. It prevents methane hydrate from forming, and includes separate pressure, temperature and density sensors located throughout the device to make proper adjustments during the separation. Shahid Ullah, Jerath’s mentor and a member of the UT Engineering Advisory Board, said Jerath’s patent is a viable solution for the oil industry. “There’s a lot of expensive ways to advert oil spill situations, but if you can have something that is not that expensive yet could be a preventative tool, it could be very valuable,” Ullah said. “(Jerath’s invention) is a simple method that could prevent future disasters.” After seeing the differences his invention could make, Jerath became inspired to push for more youth involvement within the energy field. “I think that it’s very important for people to realize that you don’t have to be an expert
cost to taxpayers,” DeVos said in the letter. Although students rely on the emailing service to help them repay their student loans, students can still access their repayment information online, said Trina Manor, associate director for the Office of Financial Aid. “Even if you’re not emailed you can log into an account to see where you are and see who you need to contact,” Manor said. “They’ve got all of the contact information there and where your balance stands.” Manor said DeVos’ removal of the emailing service doesn’t necessarily mean loan-servicing companies will follow through with it. “Just because you’ve taken away the mandate to do it, some servicers just might say, ‘This is a good customer service thing for us to do, so we are going to continue to do it,’ so that’s a possibility there,” Manor said.
Courtesy of Michael Vadon
UT sophomore patents oil spill prevention device @lmnhan
Department and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau received under the Obama administration, according to The Washington Post. The Bureau reported loan-servicing companies are losing paperwork, charging unexpected fees or providing inconsistent information. Under the Obama administration, a new process was created to make a single place available for students to repay their loans instead of going through different servicers for multiple loans. In response, loan-servicing companies complained the changes would be expensive and a misuse of time. In her letter, DeVos stopped this process and did not offer an alternative. “We must create a student loan servicing environment that provides the highest quality customer service and increases accountability and transparency for all borrowers, while also limiting the
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos earlier this month removed a policy memo under the Obama administration that holds companies accountable for providing student borrowers with timely and precise information about their loan debt.
NATIONAL
By Lisa Nhan
and waiting for them to tell me something that I could’ve figured out if I had the email,” Marediya said. “(Students) can go on (their) emails and just click on the links in the email and figure out how much to pay. It saves time and it’s faster.” Kendall Slagle, content strategist of the Executive Vice President and Provost, said the most recent data from the fall 2015 semester shows 13,996 UT undergraduate students were awarded federal student loans, totaling more than $99 million borrowed. “We now find ourselves in a situation where we must promptly address not only these shortcomings but also any other issues that may impede our ability to ensure borrowers do not experience deficiencies in service,” DeVos said in the letter. The need to hold companies accountable comes from complaints the Education
in your field or have multiple college degrees,” Jerath said. “As long as you allow your ideas to become a reality and continue to pursue them, the world will sit up and notice.” Jerath is also creating a pitch competition called the Energy Olympiad, set to happen at UT in February 2018. Pitch ideas will be related to one of the U.N. sustainable development goals, a list of goals created by the U.N. for their young leaders to tackle. Management sophomore Vivianne Tu, deputy managing director of Energy Olympiad, said the competition will provide a chance for students to become leaders in energy innovation. “I’m really just hoping it brings a sense of pride to UT students, knowing that their university not only just says, ‘What Starts Here Changes the World,’ but we’re actually doing something that actually will help change the world,” Tu said.
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CONGRATULATIONS! Congratulations to Kory Davison, Amie Jean, Kyle Davison, and Rakiya Cunningham on being the BLF Foundation’s 2017 Scholarship Winners of the Richard Fontenot and Susan Moore-Fontenot Honorary Scholarships. Each student won a $1,000 scholarship, and a new Apple 13” MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and Apple iPad Pro 9.7”. To learn more about the scholarship and apply, please visit blffoundation.org/scholarship.
Stephanie Martinez-Ardnt | Daily Texan Staff
Petroleum engineering sophomore Karan Jerath files patent for oil spill prevention device. Jerath is also creating an international pitch competition called Energy Olympiad set to happen at UT next February.
B L F F O U N DAT I O N . O R G
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ALEXANDER CHASE, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | @TexanEditorial Tuesday, April 25, 2017
COLUMN
Condoms, not ignorance, belong in bedroom By Liza Anderson
Daily Texan Columnist @lizabeen
Last week, Student Government approved a resolution to stock high traffic restrooms on campus with menstrual products. This resolution reflects an encouraging trend on their part to promote women’s and sexual health on campus. However, disturbing revelations about the sexual lives of students demonstrate the need for further action to promote sexual health on campus. Almost 90 percent of UT students come from Texas high schools, and these high schools embody some of the nation’s most counterproductive and harmful sex education. About 58 percent of Texas schools teach abstinence-only sex education, and 25 percent of Texas schools offer no sex education at all. Only 17 percent of Texas sex education programs mention or encourages contraception and STI protection. Taken together, this yields a remarkable number of UT students who arrive with very little to no formal education regarding sexual health. It may seem unbelievable that students in the 21st century can get all the way to college without learning about safe sex, but statistics about sexual health on campus prove the naivete of this mindset. The UT Austin Spring 2017 survey from the American College Health Association reports 51 percent of UT students did not use protection the last time they had sex — a disturbing increase from 46 percent in Spring 2016. In the past year, 1.3 percent of sexually active students reported experiencing an unintended pregnancy. Within the last 12 months, 23.3 percent of sexually active female students reported taking the morning after pill. Only 23 percent of students reported having ever been tested for HIV and 31 percent of
I
Infographic by Liza Anderson Daily Texan Staff
UT students reported “pulling out” as a method of birth control. The University Health Center provides a plethora of valuable resources regarding STI prevention and testing, and most residence halls have free condoms available for students. However, these efforts are obviously insufficient. Incoming UT students are required to take brief online classes on sexual consent and alcohol usage, but no mention is made of safe sex practices. Perhaps the University thinks we learned sex education in high school. We didn’t.
The overwhelming majority of Texas students graduate and go to college without receiving sufficient sex education, and this shortcoming is directly influencing UT’s students’ failure to take their health into account. The University must recognize that UT students require a degree of comprehensive sexual education they’re not receiving. In order to fix this, the University must make sex education available to all students — and not on a voluntary basis. Obviously, students aren’t seeking out these resources, and mandatory sex education would reach students who aren’t necessarily aware they need to be informed.
College students shouldn’t need sex education, and colleges shouldn’t have to provide it. But in the midst of a public education system that fails its students so desperately, sexual education on college campuses has become a sad necessity. Poor sexual health on campus is an embarrassing problem, but it’s also a fixable one. The fact that a majority of UT students do not report having used protection the last time they had sex presents a horrifying public health concern for the University, but it also presents a realistic opportunity for the University to improve and prioritize the well-being of its students. Anderson is a Plan II and history freshman from Houston.
COLUMN
Democrats may have chance to flip House seats By G. Elliott Morris
Daily Texan Senior Columnist @gelliottmorris
After Democrat Jon Ossoff came close to an outright victory in last week’s special election in Georgia’s sixth Congressional District, hype for a 2018 blue wave slightly dipped. Ossoff ’s failure to reach 50 percent of the votes in his district came after Democrats performed nearly 20 percent better than they had in Kansas’ fourth district in 2016. There has also been talk (which I think is overconfident, but in the realm of possibility) of Beto O’Rourke defeating Ted Cruz in Texas’ 2018 Senate race. That prompts the question: Can we expect a blue wave to come to Texas? I think we can learn a lot from possible Texas congressional district outcomes in 2018. One of the best predictors of what will happen in the 2018 midterm is, of course, what happened in the 2014 midterm election. At the macro level, Republicans gained 13 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. In Texas, legislators beat their “benchmarks” by an average of 8 percent. These benchmarks are a statistic developed by Harry Enten of FiveThirtyEight that blend the proportion of the vote each congressional district gave to presidential candidates in the past two elections. On its face, that’s hard to untangle. Why would Republicans improve on their performance in 2012? A better question might be: why wouldn’t they?
In 2014, Democrats had recently come off of a (fairly) close presidential election, barely averted a full-scale government shutdown, and were enduring backlash from the passage of the Affordable Care Act. All of this culminated in a negative 11 percent net approval rating for Obama. There are clear parallels here, at least in the data. By the 2018 midterm, barring an unforeseen event, Donald Trump will likely have a net approval rating less than where his is right now — at about negative 11 percent. Thus, using the logic that parties lose support when they are in power, we can expect the Republicans to underperform their benchmarks at similar rates. In particular, GOP Texas legislators would likely see lacking electoral performance similar to the 8 percent of 2014. We can combine that expected loss with the current trends of the district — the difference between GOP margins in 2016 with their margins in 2012 — to get a basic estimate of what may happen in 2018. Doing so among the districts where Democratic candidates have gained ground since 2012 produces an optimistic outlook for Democrats. This analysis predicts eight seats will flip in 2018. They are Ted Poe of TX-02, John Culberson of TX-07, Michael McCaul of TX-10, Lamar Smith of TX-21, Pete Olson of TX-22, Kenny Marchant of TX-24 and Pete Sessions of TX-32. However, that is a very optimistic estimate
Infographic by Liza Anderson | Daily Texan Staff
for Democrats. Reducing the bonus Democrats would get in their districts to half of their improvement from 2012 to 2016 leaves only Culberson, Olson, Hurd, Marchant and Sessions in flipped districts. Given that year-to-year shifts aren’t 100 percent predictive of next year’s shift, this fiveseat shift is closer to what we expect next year. It’s possible still that Trump could gain support and end up with a positive favorability
rating, which would completely discredit this theory. However, based on the massive mobilization of anti-Trump forces (such as the Women’s March and March for Science) and the long-standing trend of congressional elections decreasing the incumbent party’s seats in Congress, Republican candidates should err on the side of caution next year. Morris is a government, history and computer science junior from Port Aransas.
COLUMN
Fenves shows priorities in sheltering Greek life Audrey Larcher
Daily Texan Columnist @AudreyLarcher
While the last week’s string of vandalism elicited anger from Greek communities, it was the University’s response to the incident that infuriated others. President Gregory Fenves issued a statement Wednesday that condemned ‘threats,’ detailed security increases and — paradoxically — committed to making campus safe for all students. The administration’s alliance with fraternities contradicts its promise to support the marginalized on campus. By offering unequivocal support to fraternities, Fenves refuses to address the safety threat these groups pose. If UT wants to foster a safe learning environment, it must recognize the vandalism as a symptom of oppression that Greek life breeds.
The administration’s extension of support to fraternities is a slap in the face to students who are constantly berated with hate. Swaths of the student population were degraded to a few cents on a price tag at the affirmative action bake sale, only for the Dean of Students to defend free speech in response. When a student was attacked with racial slurs and broken bottles in West Campus, Fenves suspended the perpetrator for a semester and waited a year to respond with a Hate and Bias Incident policy. Just trying to earn a quality education as a black UT student can require grappling with advisors who do not really care. For Nicole Ozuna, a Plan II and radio-television-film junior, the disparity is a direct insult to marginalized groups on campus. “At a primarily white institution like UT, the stasis of the administration when confronted by POC who feel threatened daily in contrast to the
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.
administration’s plans for action when wealthy, white men express discontent once speaks volumes to something POC already knew: At UT Austin, we are not 100 percent safe or valued,” the Latinx woman said in a Facebook message. Simply searching “UT FIJI” on Twitter reveals dozens of marginalized voices standing in solidarity with the vandals. Fenves should take a clue and realize that his campus has very clear qualms concerning the Greek community. Greek organizations promote assault. Greek organizations reinforce systemic racism. Fenves cannot create an environment that both accepts rape culture and makes women feel safe. Fenves cannot create an environment that both accepts racism and make people of color feel safe. When Fenves promises to make UT a “safe environment for all,” he is making an empty,
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third-party promise to love both oppressors and the oppressed. Under the guise of protecting all, the University endorses the racism, sexism and oppressive tendencies some students perpetuate in direct attack against other students’ existences. Fenves has a decision to make. He can continue condoning rape culture, racism and violence, or he can follow through with promises to make campus a safe place for students who aren’t privileged white men. He must confront the vile culture of assault and bigotry our Greek systems are entrenched in, and he must present minorities with the same support and resources he currently lends to fraternities. Until then, let us stand in solidarity with those who aren’t afraid to call out the oppressors. Larcher is a Plan II and economics freshman from Austin.
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LIFE&ARTS
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Tuesday, April 25, 2017
CAMPUS Planet Longhorn is an organization of multicultural students that celebrates diversity and helps international students adjust to life at UT. Ciara Seeger, top left, Alex Molina, top right, Diego Meija, bottom left, Aman Salaam Mahar, top right, are four of the 400 members in the club that was founded just eight years ago in 2009.
Editor’s note: Tat-Tuesday is a weekly series that features students around campus and their tattoos.
By Justin Jones @justjustin42
The tattoo of a black-eyed susan — Maryland’s state flower — that marks the leg of journalism senior Emily Gibson is only the first in a planned series of tattoos. “I got it the summer after I moved here from Maryland,” Gibson said. “It’s where I grew up, and I have this plan that I’m gonna get a tattoo for everywhere I live that shapes me as a person.”
Gabriel Lopez Daily Texan Staff
The experience of living in Texas and Maryland have been stark contrasts to one another, with both cultures valuing different sports, different foods and different attitudes. Moving to Texas uprooted her life, and the tattoo helps to commemorate the previous chapter. “The places where you live inform who you are,” Gibson said. “You learn about who you are everywhere you go.”
Club welcomes global students By Ashley Salinas @ashley_salinas3
When home is oceans and continents away, the transition to college can be difficult. But one organization helps international students find comfort and thrive right here on the 40 Acres. Planet Longhorn is an organization of multicultural students who come together and help one another adjust to a new life at UT. Founded in 2009, the club unites students from Chile to Russia through social events and excursions in order to introduce members to American culture and celebrate diversity. Planet Longhorn works to ease the transition for its members by welcoming students and assisting with tasks like housing and transport. Although he was born in Arizona, club president Aman Salaam Mahar, an economics junior, grew up in Pakistan and attended a British international school before he enrolled at UT. He said he felt welcomed by the organization
when he arrived at college and enjoyed meeting members from other cultures. “(Planet Longhorn) unites Longhorns all over the world,” Mahar said. “It’s what our main goal is — to have an international community here at UT.” Mahar recently studied abroad in London, where he was able to meet with friends he met through Planet Longhorn. He said the experience helped him understand the benefits of having a global network. “When you join Planet Longhorn, you always have a place to sleep whenever you travel,” Mahar said. “You make bonds that will last beyond the University.” Advertising junior Diego Mejia lived in Honduras, Barbados and Mexico before he arrived on the 40 Acres. As an international student, he said it is difficult to find a niche on campus. “A lot of people that go to UT are from Texas,” Mejia said. “They have friends from
high school that they know, but when you come in as an international student, you’re lost. It’s important to have an organization like Planet Longhorn so that you can meet people like you.” Mejia was introduced to the organization after he attended one of their social events, which range from barbecues to bar tabs. He said he enjoyed his experience because it let him connect to similar people. “It’s really cool to meet people from all around the world,” Mejia said. “It’s important to celebrate diversity and make people feel included, and Planet Longhorn does that.” Ciara Seeger, a finance and advertising junior, serves as the club’s vice president. Like Mahar, she attended international schools throughout her life and was drawn to Planet Longhorn’s diversity. She said the organization helps students empathize with people from various backgrounds. “We try to create a community that is interested in learning about people from different cultures and
gaining a lot of different perspectives,” Seeger said. “That’s what makes Planet Longhorn unique.” The club currently has over 400 members, but the number of international students within UT’s student body remains low. Seeger said she hopes the organization will give a voice to a group that, due to its size, can be easily overlooked. “The international community is a minority, and I think having representation is fundamental,” Seeger said. “It’s great to have that representation through all of these different organizations who work with UT’s International Office.” Although moving to a new country can be difficult, Seeger said she hopes members feel open to come to the organization with any concerns. “It’s important for international students to know that no matter what issues or controversies come up, you have a community that will support you,” Seeger said.
Carlos Garcia | Daily Texan Staff
Journalism senior Emily Gibson looks at the black-eyed susan — Maryland’s state flower — on her ankle and is instantly taken back home. Gibson believes the places you live make up who you are.
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TYLER HORKA, SPORTS EDITOR | @texansports Tuesday, April 25, 2017
BASEBALL
Texas shows improvement on the mound By Vanessa Le @vanessale
With only three weeks left in the regular season, the Texas pitching staff comfortably sits at the top of the Big 12 with an ERA of 2.85. This is a fresh feat for Texas. Just a year ago, the Longhorns landed in the middle of the spectrum, finishing fifth in the conference with an ERA of 4.08. Although Texas’ performance on the mound has arguably been one of the most improved facets of this year’s team, volunteer coach Phil Haig — who specializes in coaching the pitching staff — said there aren’t any secrets behind the recent success. “As far as the pitchers go, I don’t have the magic touch or anything that you could put your thumb on,” Haig said. “I think it’s (about) the guys just understanding us, but really, them having a plan going into everyday and (realizing) what they need to work on and what they need to improve on.” Haig may not have any aces up his sleeve, but he’s played an integral role in catalyzing the development of aces on the mound this season. The 28-year-old joined Texas during the off-season as a member of the new coaching staff alongside head coach David Pierce. Although it’s his first season in a burnt orange uniform, Haig is no stranger to coaching under Pierce’s regime. After finishing his collegiate pitching career at Florida International University — where he was named an All-Sun Belt second-team selection — Haig began his coaching career when Pierce held
Joshua Guerra | Daily Texan Staff
Redshirt junior Morgan Cooper delivers a pitch at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. Cooper leads the team with an ERA of 1.61 and has thrown a team-high 75 strikeouts. Cooper’s record as a starter improved to 5-2 after Texas’ 3-2 victory over New Orleans on Saturday.
the reins at Sam Houston State in 2012 and has been a helpful hand ever since. “I’ve just watched him evolve with me every year, where I used to do a lot of the day-to-day (routines) and he would follow me around,” Pierce said. “And now, I follow him around. That’s just a tribute to him paying attention and being a baseball rat. He’s been incredible for our pitching staff. He’s got a great baseball IQ, but he also has a good relationship with pitchers.”
Haig’s relationship with the Texas pitching staff is exemplified by the way he approaches his role in coaching. As a former pitcher, Haig has personally experienced a pitcher’s mentality and reflects that in his rapport with the Longhorn pitching staff as a result. “Everything is about them,” Haig said. “It’s not about, ‘Hey, here’s what I want you to do’ — it’s what’s going to work best for you, what feels best for you. I think a lot of it is the
FOOTBALL
communication that I have and that they have with me and with coach Pierce on what’s that best situation for him.” Haig brings strategy to the table in the way he coaches. During his pitching days, Haig said he had to rely on using accurate command and the strategic sequencing of his variety of pitches since he didn’t have a strong fastball in his arsenal. “To be successful, I had to command four pitches and kind of will my way to a lot of wins,” Haig said. “We always
want our guys to develop a change-up. We call it the ‘equalizer’ — it slows the bat down; it speeds your fastball up… (We’re) really going into the game plan of not just throwing, but understanding how to pitch.” Redshirt junior pitcher Morgan Cooper — who leads Longhorn starting pitchers in both ERA (1.61) and number of strikeouts (75) — attributes his improved effectiveness on the mound to Haig’s philosophy on the importance of executing
secondary pitches. “I think the big thing is getting more comfortable with those off-speed pitches,” Cooper said. “I’m just getting more comfortable with adding the curveball and the slider, and I think it’s good at keeping (batters) off-balance.” Haig’s pitching staff will have an opportunity to grow even more as a squad when the Longhorns head to Sugar Land, Texas, to face Louisiana Lafayette tonight at 6:30 p.m.
SOFTBALL
Williams seeks to increase Longhorns look to recover stock for 2018 NFL Draft after shaky start to season By Wills Layton and Leah Vann
Junior offensive tackle Connor Williams opens a hole for his running back against West Virginia on Nov. 12 at DKR Memorial Stadium.
@willsdebeast @Vanntastic_Leah
Joshua Guerra Daily Texan Staff
By Steve Helwick @s_helwick
Although the 2017 NFL Draft is Thursday, one of Texas’ most talented prospects is returning to the 40 Acres. After finishing 2016 as a true sophomore, offensive tackle Connor Williams must wait one more year to attain draft eligibility. But Williams is already one of the most sought-after prospects of the 2018 NFL Draft. Despite Texas ending on a three-game skid to limp to a 5–7 record last season, Williams launched a memorable 2016 campaign. The left tackle was one of three Longhorns to earn AP All-American second team honors at the conclusion of the season. Williams blocked for one of the most prolific running backs in college football a year ago. His primary back, D’Onta Foreman, rushed for over 120 yards in each game during his 2016 run, en route to a 2,028-yard season — second in college football. Foreman has now submitted his name into the
NFL Draft, a grandiose event that commences Thursday night and continues through Saturday. But Williams will stay in Austin, complemented with a new head coach and a new set of running backs. Instead of Foreman, Williams lines up at left tackle to block for junior Chris Warren III and sophomore Kyle Porter, as well as incoming freshman Toneil Carter — who played with the first-team offense during the Orange-White Spring Game. But Williams claims his role will not alter with a new system of running backs. “We just gotta make holes and block with complete faith that the guy behind us can take care of his job,” Williams said. “And if we make big enough holes, it doesn’t matter who’s running it.” Playing for a young team under a new head coach in Tom Herman, Williams is emerging as not only a leader on the field, but a vocal leader as well. He began as a quiet member on the team but his leadership has augmented through his years at Texas.
“My goals coming in were getting better every day, finding something to work on every day and trying to perfect that,” Williams said. “As an o-lineman, (that means) coming together and trying to be a voice in the o-line and trying to get us together to be a family.” Now, Williams’ fellow offensive linemen look up to him as a leader. “It’s awesome having a guy like that in our room,” junior guard Jake McMillon said. “He’s talented, incredibly talented, and he pushes us every day with everything he brings to the table. Lately, he’s stepping in and taking more of a vocal role. He’s working really hard as well and leading by example as well.” Williams will lead the Longhorns’ offensive line for at least one more season, developing his skills in the process. Although he may be pro-ready now, he earns one more opportunity to enshrine himself into Longhorn greatness before hearing his name called at the NFL Draft in the near future.
After 45 games, the Longhorns are not where they thought they would be. In February, junior catcher Randel Leahy stood with her left fist clenched and covered by her right hand. It was the first media day and she was eager to tell everyone how different this team felt from previous Longhorn squads. “We’re always texting in the GroupMe like, ‘Hey, be ready for practice today because we’ve gotta go beat OU this year.’” Leahy said. “One of my teammates sent a picture of all of OU’s rings and we were like, ‘Alright, this is our time.’” The Longhorns looked good on paper with seven seniors on staff — the most since 2005. Head coach Connie Clark beamed under the hot sun talking about the five-member bullpen, completed by sophomore transfer lefty Brooke Bolinger. “I am so excited to
have five pitchers, you have no idea,” Clark said in February. “I think the expectations are high. They’ll be disappointed if we don’t attack conference and win a championship and get ourselves in the Women’s College World Series.” Since then, the team has lost 10 games by a margin of one run, including the first three Big 12 conference games against the Oklahoma State Cowgirls. “We have been losing a lot by one run, and obviously that’s frustrating,” freshman outfielder Kaitlyn Washington said. “We have a lot of potential and just aren’t there yet.” Now at 25–20 (4–8 Big 12), the Longhorns are on the heels of a series loss to Iowa State, the worst team in the Big 12. Texas currently stands in the middle of the seven Big 12 teams at No. 4. The team has two Big 12 series left against Baylor (36–9, 9–3) and Kansas (24–23, 3–9). With eight total games left, Texas softball is in a crucial place to live up to the bar set in February.
“You have a Texas Softball standard like you have standards at the University of Texas,” Clark said. “A lot of teams talk the talk, but I think you have to be able to walk the walk as well and be accountable for those things and own them and take them.” In Clark’s 20-year era, Texas has been one of 11 schools to qualify for the Women’s College World Series five or more times in the last 19 years. Texas has won four regular-season conference crowns (2002, 2003, 2006, 2010) and four post-season tournament conference crowns (1999, 2002, 2003, 2005), the second and first most in the Big 12, respectively. “When you have Texas on your chest you better have bodies hitting the floor,” Clark said. “I think that flips over to your lack of competitive factor at the plate and assuming that it’s all going to happen. There is a lack of leadership going on and a lack of commitment to how we do business.” Head coach Connie Clark meets with senior pitcher Tiarra Davis and freshman catcher Taylor Ellsworth at McCombs Field.
Joshua Guerra Daily Texan Staff
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Tuesday, April 25, 2017
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MAE HAMILTON, LIFE&ARTS EDITOR | @thedailytexan Tuesday, April 25, 2017
CAMPUS
UT graduate student takes on music industry By Chris Duncan @chr_dunc
When Andy Craig imagines his live performances, he doesn’t picture a typical concert; he dreams of immersive and grand spectacles that inspire memories of adolescence in his audience. “If I am going to do a show, I want to do something concept-driven or narrative-driven, and it’s going to be a spectacle,” Craig said. “I want to encourage people to hopefully feel like a kid again.” UT graduate student Craig kicked off his professional music career while pursuing his film studies degree at Yale. Craig said he enjoyed performing at a young age and often participated in church choirs and theater productions. But Craig said it wasn’t until 2014 when he decided to take the next step and record his debut EP, Death of Day. After sending out a mass promotional email via Yale’s webmail services, Craig said he grabbed the attention of fellow Yale student Christopher McGill. Known professionally as Soleternity, McGill went back to school after becoming a professional producer at 17. During the 2000s, Soleternity had his hands in over 500,000 record sales, producing records for the likes of Snoop Dogg, Tech N9ne and Young Buck of G-Unit. McGill said Craig’s email stood out as a bold move. “I recognized right away that this was really ambitious and shrewd,” McGill said. “I contacted him, listened to his music and said that I was also a music
Courtesy of Therese Stigen
Graduate student Andy Craig began performing at a young age in theater productions and church choirs. Craig recorded Death of Day his debut EP in 2014. Craig is working on releasing the single “Stand Up.”
producer on campus and started working with him from there.” Initially, McGill said he advised Craig, giving him small tips on mixing his own music. But after developing more of a relationship, McGill said he started giving him some of his beats to Craig to use in his work, which eventually turned into his second EP, Rubble. “(Andy) started writing to them and would send me the lyrics,” McGill said. “I
gave him my blessing to go ahead and record to these tracks, and when he sent me the tracks it was super unique sounding stuff, really new.” While building his live performance around a core message to “embrace your imagination,” Craig met the head of Audio Records, Tim Viksand. The Norwegian producer, currently studying at JMC Academy in Sydney, Australia, said he was introduced to Craig by chance at a music expo
in Los Angeles. When he saw him perform, Viksand said he knew immediately he had to sign him. “He was just so cool,” Viksand said. “I was really into his music. I decided to sign him there to release his EP in LA.” Viksand is also the executive producer of Craig’s upcoming single “Stand Up.” Viksand said the first time Craig visited him in Norway, a session artist played the song’s bass line, and they ran with it. Craig said although more
than a year is a while to work on one song, he thinks everyone’s hard work will be evident once “Stand Up” is released. “There is so much within the song that you have to be attentive to,” Craig said. “From the arrangement to the specific sounds. This one is different because it’s not strict hip-hop, more acoustic pop. We’ve created something that’s unique.” With his upcoming single in the works and more live performances planned
for the future, Craig said he intends to build The Andy Craig Show into a sight everyone will want to behold. His goal is to deliver imaginative concepts to the stage with his own music enterprise and collaboration. “Being able to bounce ideas off of people, hearing their ideas and working to achieve a particular sound (is) what I value about this whole process,” Craig said. I’ve learned so much, and it’s something I have to keep doing to grow.”
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Brooke Crim | Daily Texan Staff
UT library specialist Andrew Poggioli works at the Perry-Castañeda Library. He enjoys learning about different subjects from researchers that he works with.
PCL resource specialist supports researchers exploring unknown
By Ashley Salinas @ashley_salinas3
Editor’s note: In 300 words or fewer, this series spotlights people in our community whose stories typically go untold.
When researchers around the globe journey to the Perry-Castañeda Library, they often need a guiding light in the form of a library specialist — like Andrew Poggioli. Poggioli helps patrons beyond just the students cramming for a test or looking for a place to nap. His typical day includes helping alumni, professors and visiting scholars attain the materials they need. “It’s really fascinating because you get to
meet people from other universities and even other countries,” Poggioli said. Poggioli’s love for libraries started at an early age. He recalls certain scientific books that sparked his interest as a child. “I remember reading books about animals and dinosaurs,” Poggioli said. “That’s where it all started.” He attributes his passion for books to his parents, who are also voracious readers. “My mom reads a lot (of) detective novels, and my dad is a history buff,” Poggioli said. “My love for reading comes from them.” Poggioli worked his first job at a library during his undergraduate years as an English major. It was this experience that lead him to choose a career as a college librarian and dedicate his life to research. “I really like working in a
university setting,” Poggioli said. “I wanted to wind up in academia somehow.” Although he is originally from New York, Poggioli was drawn to Austin after several of his friends visited the city. Their words piqued his interest, and an online search lead to a job at UT and a new life in Texas. “The University has a great reputation,” Poggioli said. “I wanted to try something different, so I came here, and I love it.” Scholars enter the PCL to conduct research on numerous subjects. Poggioli said his favorite part of the job is learning about unconventional topics from the researchers he works with. “Someone recently was making a website about farming in Kenya, and another person was researching the history of tea,” Poggioli said. “It’s interesting to hear the things they’re working on.”
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