The Daily Texan 2017-08-31

1

Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2017

@thedailytexan | thedailytexan.com

CITY

Volume 118, Issue 13

CAMPUS

City housing financial aid becomes available to local co-ops

A year later

The campus carry law went into effect Aug. 1, 2016. This is what’s happened since then.

By Chase Karacostas Senior Reporter

Austin is in the process of allowing housing cooperatives to apply for city housing financial aid in an effort to expand housing options and reduce rent for members of co-ops.

In a resolution passed unanimously by the Austin City Council on Aug. 17, the city manager is now tasked with finding ways to allow co-ops to become eligible for financial aid through the city’s affordable housing initiatives.

Residential co-ops, or buildings owned by a corporation whose residents are shareholders, have been cheaper alternatives for student living compared to dormitories or apartments for over 50 years.

Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo, whose district encompasses West Campus and the surrounding areas, sponsored the resolution and said it only made sense to give co-ops the same help other affordable housing alternatives receive. “(Co-op residents) have a vested interest in making sure it remains affordable,” Tovo said. “The assets are shared, so you’re not subject to the whims of private development and market prices. There’s a built-in

CO-OP page 2

Illustration by Jacky Tovar | Daily Texan Staff

By Wesley Story News Desk Editor

Some UT students’ bathroom cabinets may still house controversial rubber duplicates of the male appendage, left over from a protest they attended about a year ago.

On the first day of classes last fall, UT students and anti-campus carry groups made national headlines when they rallied against Texas’ new gun law at a protest called Cocks not Glocks. The “campus carry” law allows individuals to carry a concealed handgun on public college campuses

with a concealed carry license. Since the law was enacted on August 1, 2016, the University of Texas Police Department has responded to four gun-related incidents.

Each of these incidents involved the presence of a gun on campus, said Bob Harkins, associate vice president of Campus Safety and Security.

The first incident involved a vehicle that was stopped on inner campus drive, and police made arrests for drug-related charges. The second incident involved an unlocked vehicle in a parking garage that had a partially visible gun, and police told

the owner to put the gun away. The third incident involved an individual who showed his gun to a friend in the Cactus Cafe and was referred to the Dean of Students. The final incident involved an individual leaving their gun in their dorm room, which is not permissible under the University’s policies.

“When you consider that we’ve got a population of about 70,000 people on campus every day, and you start talking about four gun-related incidents on campus, I think the numbers reflected the approach that we tried to take with the

campus,” Harkins said. “We feel that the campus carry law was implemented properly, and we feel that the students at the University have been respectful of that law, and we don’t anticipate any change.”

As part of a campus-wide protest last fall, demonstrators passed out dildos to garner attention and “fight absurdity with absurdity.” Students participating in the Cocks Not Glocks protest hoisted dildos in the air or strapped them to their backpacks.

Jessica Jin, UT alumna and

CAMPUS CARRY page 2

STATE

Balancing free speech, safety poses challenge nationwide

By Will Clark

Enterprise Reporter

Earlier this month Texas A&M canceled a “White Lives Matter” rally scheduled to occur on its campus in September, furthering conversations about free speech on college campuses.

The organizer of the rally, Preston Wiginton, is not affiliated with A&M, but he has hosted events on its campus in the past. Last December, Wiginton brought white nationalist Richard Spencer to A&M. The controversial visit sparked protests and led to a change in A&M’s policy, which no longer allows outside individuals to use campus facilities.

“His views and those of the group he represents are counter to the core values of Texas A&M,” A&M spokesperson Amy Smith told The Battalion, the university’s student newspaper. “While he has the right of free speech, so too do we have the right to refute those views and get on with the daily business of a world-class university.”

This change in policy more closely aligns with UT’s policy on invited speakers. UT Spokesperson J.B. Bird said only the University itself, the faculty, staff and student groups can use UT facilities for events.

“Within the University community, the campus is a place for the vigorous exchange of

diverse viewpoints, but our campus at UT Austin is not open to outside groups to hold rallies or protests,” Bird said.

Bird said each situation is unique, so he could not speculate on what would happen if such an event was planned at UT. The campus will continue to be a space reserved for business, research and the educational purposes of UT, Bird said.

“The safety of students is always a top priority for the University,” Bird said. “The University also vigorously protects freedom of inquiry and expression. Problems arise if people engage in threatening or violent actions, which the University prohibits.”

Last year the Young Conservatives of Texas hosted Ben Shapiro at UT who talked about the censorship of free speech and the “fascist left.”

While no students protested Shapiro at UT, police did escort Shapiro out of an event at California State University in Los Angeles last February because of safety concerns brought about by student protests.

This week, more violence over free speech broke out at University of California at Berkeley, where members of the left-wing group antifa attacked conservative protestors, according to The

A&M page 2

SYSTEM

Juan Figueroa | Daily Texan Staff

Students protest Richard Spencer’s vist to Texas A&M on December 6, 2016. A&M changed its policy to ban outside individuals from using campus facilities following the visit.

CAMPUS

UT System develops tuition increase strategy Dell Medical School

By Maria Mendez Senior Reporter

New principles for tuition-setting guidelines were approved by the UT System Board of Regents this past Thursday.

Though the principles do not impact tuition immediately, they signal the development of a new strategy to gain the support of Texas politicians for possible future tuition increases.

During last week’s board meetings, UT System Regent Sara Martinez Tucker, head of the Academic Affairs Committee, said the board wants UT universities to expand communication with stakeholders outside of university communities to explain the need for higher tuition.

“We want to reinforce the importance of an external relations strategy,” Tucker said.

“Over the fall, you will have a

lot of elected officials back at their home district. While we understand that it is in process and that you are thinking about (tuition), socialize with your elected officials what you’re thinking and what the impact will be on the families.”

The regents’ push for UT System universities to become “allies with the state leadership” follows questioning and alarm in recent years from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and legislators over UT Austin’s tuition increases in 2011 and 2016.

Tuition for this 2017 fall semester increased by $152 once again; approximately $300 has been added to the tuition price within the last two years.

The approved principles will become part of new guidelines for UT System universities to propose tuition. The Academic Affairs Committee is drafting the guidelines, and a date for implementation has yet to be

creates long-awaited oncology department

By Jenan Taha Senior Reporter

Joshua Guerra | Daily Texan File Photo

The UT System Board of Regents passed new principles for tuition-setting guidelines last Thursday.

set. Once released, UT System universities can draft tuition proposals, due in December to be voted on in February, for the 2019 and 2020 academic years.

When presenting the approved principles, Tucker said universities should demonstrate “a real need for any proposed

increase,” and communicate it with “local champions.” Tucker added that universities should review data on tuition at peer institutions to best determine when increases are necessary.

Middle Eastern studies sophomore Raphael Jaquette

TUITION page 2

Different areas of cancer research and treatment in the Dell Medical School have been brought together under the new Department of Oncology.

The department, which opened in the Health Discovery Building in mid-August, is headed by Gail Eckhardt, associate dean of cancer programs and director of LIVESTRONG Cancer Institutes.

“The department allows us to better operationalize, and it gives us more of a construct to really bring people all together,” Eckhardt said. “It really allows us to better integrate the

patient care component as well as research. These are things that have already been happening but weren’t integrating with one another.”

Eckhardt said a lot of students and researchers, both on campus and in Austin, have been waiting for the creation of an exclusive oncology department.

“There are not only medical students but also students on campus that are really interested in cancer research,” Eckhardt said.

“We can really start to think about programs to expose them to not only lab research but also clinical research as well as more community and population-based research.”

ONCOLOGY page 2

NEWS

OPINION

LIFE&ARTS

SPORTS

SCI&TECH

UT computer tracked progress and intensity of Harvey. PAGE 3

Columnists call for improvements to student resources. PAGE 4

Veracruz All Natural gets a new brick-andmortar. PAGE 8

Soccer heads to California for weekend matchups. PAGE 6

UT chemists discover new pain relief alternative. PAGE 5

2 2

Thursday, August 31, 2017T

U

This issue of The Daily Texan is valued at $1.25

PERMANENT STAFF Editor-in-Chief Laura Hallas

Photo Editor Juan Figueroa

Assoc. Editors Chastain-Howley, Caleb Wong, Jaree Campbell, Liza Anderson

Assoc. Photo Editor Gabriel Lopez

Senior Columnists Emily Vernon, Noah Horwitz, Michael Jensen, Josie MacLean, Sam Groves, Emma Berdanier, Ryan Young Forum Editors Ryan Young, Janhavi Nemawarkar Managing Editor Michelle Zhang Assoc. Managing Editor Matthew Adams, Natalia Ruiz News Editor Ellie Breed Assoc. News Editor Catherine Marfin, Kayla Meyertons News Desk Editors Paul Cobler, Hannah Daniel, Lisa Dreher, Lisa Nhan, Wesley Story Senior Reporters Chase Karacostas, London Gibson, Jenan Taha, Reagan Ritterbush, Ashley Liu, Maria Mendez Enterprise Reporters Forrest Milburn, Will Clark Copy Desk Chief Bella McWhorter Associate Copy Desk Chiefs Ryan Steppe, Taylor Presley, Morgan Kuehler, Kirsten Handler Design Editor Rena Li

Senior Photographer Carlos Garcia, Angel Ulloa, Brooke Crim, Katie Bauer, Gabriella Lanza Life&Arts Editor Morgan O’Hanlon Assoc. Life&Arts Editor Justin Jones, Daisy Wang Sr. Life&Arts Writers Stephen Acevedo, Chris Duncan, Acacia Coronado, Albert Zhao Sports Editor Michael Shapiro Assoc.Sports Editor Trenton Daeschner Senior Sports Reporters Alex Briseno, Drew King, Steve Helwick, Dalton Phillips Double Coverage Editor Vanessa Le Comics Editor Geovanni Casillas Assoc. Comics Editor Melanie Westfall, Victoria Smith Senior Comics Artists Channing Miller, Rachel Tyler, Alexis Acevedo, Amber Perry Social Media Editor Alexandria Dominguez Assoc. Social Media Editor Forrest Milburn Sr. Social Media Editor Giselle Suazo, Carlos Garcia Science&Tech Editor Julianne Hodges Assoc. S&T Editor Freya Preimesberger, Sarah Bloodworth

Associate Design Editor Sunnie Lee Senior Designer Mallika Gandhi, Sierra Garcia, Aaliyah Jenkins Video Editor Thomas Negrete Assoc. Video Editor Monica Silverio, Courtney Joyney Senior Videographer Faley Goyette, Petyon Young, Van Hershey, Taylor Herselman, Audrey Black

Podcast Director Zeke Fritts Assoc. Podcast Director Sam Groves, Morgan Kuehler, JT Lindsey Digital Operations Director Anna Wang Editorial Adviser Peter Chen

L&A Writer Jose Gonzalez Designer Wendy Lopez

CONTACT US MAIN TELEPHONE (512) 471-4591

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Laura Hallas (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com

MANAGING EDITOR

Michelle Zhang (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com

NEWS OFFICE

(512) 232-2207 news@dailytexanonline.com 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.

AUSTIN WEATHER TODAY Aug 31

HI LO

TOMORROW Sept 1

92º 69º

BUSINESS & ADVERTISING (512) 471-8590 advertise@texasstudentmedia.com

Business/ Operations Manager Frank Serpas III Advertising Manager Emily Cohen Assistant Advertising Manager Colten Crist

Account Executives Tim Bauer, Brady Beal, Paulina Siller Product Manager Stephen Salisbury Senior Graphic Designer Amanda O’Brien Production Zac Crofford

THE DAILY TEXAN MAIL SUBSCRIPTION RATES $60.00

One Semester (Fall/Spring)

$120.00

Two Semesters (Fall & Spring)

$40.00

Summer Session One Year (Fall, Spring and Summer)

$150.00

To charge by VISA or MasterCard, call 471-5083.

Send orders and address changes to Texas Student Media, P.O. Box D, Austin, TX 78713-8904.

ADVERTISING DEADLINES Monday

Wednesday, 12 p.m.

Tuesday

Thursday, 12 p.m.

Wednesday Thursday Friday Classified Word Ads

continues from page 1 Washington Post. The protests were sparked by UC Berkeley’s plan to host Shapiro and right-wing figure Milo Yiannopoulos this fall.

“You have the right at Berkeley to expect the university to keep you physically safe,” UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ wrote in an open letter on August 23. “But we would be providing students with a less valuable education, preparing them less well for the world after graduation, if we tried to shelter them from ideas that many find wrong, even dangerous.”

Geoscience sophomore Spencer Czerniak thinks A&M should have allowed Richard Spencer to speak.

Czerniak attended Shapiro’s speech last year and said while there were people who disagreed in the audience, they were able to ask questions and have a conversation with the speaker.

“They talked to him, they had questions, they asked

continues from page 1

i havent seen a sunset in a whole week this is a cry for hel-flaksdc

Director Gerald Johnson

A&M

CAMPUS CARRY

HI 93º LO 69º

Katie Bauer | Daily Texan Staff

Featured photo

Senior S&T Reporters Areeba Khwaja, Aditya Singh

ISSUE STAFF Opinion Columnists Zachary Price, Danial Naqvi, Jeff Rose

thedailytexan

founder of anti-campus carry group Cocks Not Glocks, said the organization is now doing more creative cultural work to change narratives about the normalization of gun culture, seeking resources and funding from unconventional places, such as the sex industry.

Jin said her goal is not to take away anyone’s sense of safety with her work, but she believes the real problem is why a person feels a gun is necessary to be safe.

“Guns are a double-edged sword,” Jin said. “They can provide a sense of safety, but what I’m interested in addressing is why people feel unsafe in the first place. Nobody wants to live in a world

for his opinion on certain things, and I think that’s really good for all kind of speeches,” Czerniak said. “It’s nice that people from ideologies that don’t necessarily correlate with the speakers, they’ll go and they’ll still try to understand the point of view of that speaker.”

Jessie Yin, a government and international relations freshman, said A&M made the right call shutting down the “White Lives Matter” rally. Even though hate speech isn’t defined by the Supreme Court, Yin said, it still should not be allowed.

“A big part of the problem when it comes to shutting down controversial things like white supremacist marches and demonstrations is people always bring up freedom of speech and limiting that,” Yin said. “A big part of the issue is that there’s never been a case where the Supreme Court has defined hate speech and on what grounds it’s okay to shut something down on the basis of hate speech.” where the only way anyone can feel safe is by leveraging the threat of violence against another one.”

Government senior Carly Allen attended the protest and said that day she felt empowered walking to class with a dildo strapped to her backpack.

“Some people just brushed us off as immature college students looking for an excuse to play with dildos,” Allen said. “But just look at the attention the protest got. Texas has taken more heat from the nation because now a lot more people know about our ridiculous gun laws.”

Cocks Not Glocks ended up distributing more than 5,000 donated dildos to students during last year’s protest, resulting in the biggest gun protest ever held in Texas, according to Cosmopolitan.

Students play Gaga Ball at campus ministry Chi Alpha’s First Day Fiesta in front of Gregory Gym on Wednesday afternoon.

CO-OP

continues from page 1 incentive to keep rent low.”

The resolution does not have an implementation deadline, but the city manager is directed to update the Council on their progress by Oct. 16.

One new source of financial aid for co-ops would be from the city’s Down Payment Assistance Program.

This program offers 0 percent interest deferred loans for up to $40,000, eliminating the need for current or potential co-ops to require large sums of money for their mortgage down payments.

The City Council also tasked the city manager with researching the possible inclusion of co-ops in the “right of first refusal” policy for tenants living in properties on the Repeat Offender Program. The program allows tenants to purchase their residences if the quality of housing is consistently substandard, such as residences with frequent mold or water damage. If implemented, the policy also gives tenants the right to block a sale of their residence to another owner in order to form a co-op.

Tovo said this policy is especially important to ensure residents are not forced out of their homes because of higher

ONCOLOGY

continues from page 1 Carla Van Den Berg, co-director of the Developmental Therapeutics Laboratory within the Dell Oncology Department, said the department allows the different cancer research labs to work more efficiently and closely together.

“We tried to unite, we had small groups that were working together, but it was very difficult,” Van Den Berg said.

“We didn’t have a common mission. (The department)

Gabby Lanza | Daily Texan Staff

In an era of rising living costs, co-ops have become crucial to students looking for affordable living. Austin City Council is looking for ways to make financial aid available for this housing option.

rent placed by new owners.

In some cases, the policy can even prevent residences from being purchased and demolished to build newer, more expensive apartment complexes, Tovo said.

Kim Garmany, development director for College Houses, a nonprofit that runs several co-ops in West Campus, said she’s especially excited about the resolution because College Houses just voted to build another co-op in West Campus, which is scheduled to open in the next several years and could likely be included in the Down Payment Assistance Program.

“Living closer to campus is best for students, and they allows us to communicate better with each other.”

The oncology department will also help organize things like oncology budgeting, management and programs, Van Den Berg said.

“We have more independence to make decisions that directly affect our progress, so we can do things in a more timely fashion,” Van Den Berg said.

Second-year medical student Marisa Simon knew she wanted to be involved in oncology since she started at Dell and has been in contact with Eckhardt about

Friday, 12 p.m.

6081/Trudy’s; Black

Monday, 12 p.m.

Tuesday, 12 p.m.

11 a.m. (Last Business Day Prior to Publication)

COPYRIGHT Copyright 2017 Texas Student Media. All articles, photographs and graphics, both in the print and online editions, are the property of Texas Student Media and may not be reproduced or republished in part or in whole without written permission.

The Daily Texan, a student newspaper at The University of Texas at Austin, is published

by Texas Student Media, 2500 Whitis Ave., Austin, TX 78712. The Daily Texan is published daily, Monday through Friday, during the regular academic year and is published once weekly during the summer semester. The Daily Texan does not publish during academic breaks, most Federal Holidays and exam periods. News contributions will be accepted by telephone (471-4591), or at the editorial office (HSM 2.120). Entire contents copyright 2017 Texas Student Media.

TUITION

continues from page 1 said he sees the relationship between regents and legislators as complicated but necessary in making policy decisions.

“Politicians were absolutely right to question these tuition increases, and the University should continue to work with the legislature to outline reasonable alternatives to charging students more,” Jaquette said in an email. “However, the two will always be at odds, as long as the regents prioritize long-term institutional viability, and the legislature values immediate constituent satisfaction.”

Joey Williams, director of communications for the vice president and provost, said UT had not received any additional instructions or guidance from the Board

of Regents. If UT were to propose a tuition increase, a Tuition Policy Advisory Committee, consisting of students and University leadership, would convene.

“If that decision were to be made, the campus would be notified,” Williams said.

“So (the Tuition Policy Advisory Committee) could start engaging the students and everybody on campus.”

Jaquette said he doesn’t think further tuition increases are necessary and UT should focus on affordability and cutting back on unnecessary expenses.

“As a student struggling through to pay my way through college, I want lower tuition rates,” Jaquette said, in an email.

“I need lower tuition rates.

But I also want the University to improve upon the programs and academics that make UT such a worldclass research university.”

need somewhere affordable to live,” Garmany said. “It’s becoming a real barrier for students being able to live conveniently close to the University.”

Computer science freshman Ella Robertson, a resident of Taos Co-op, said co-opsi were the only housing optionn that was both in her price range and close to campus.H Robertson said the city’s effortsn to increase affordable housings are vital because of the lack ofc cheap places near campus.

U “It’s much needed, espe-f cially with the cost of tuitionn rising at UT,” RobertsonB said. “I just don’t see howM they can expect us to afford housing as it is now and tui-t tion. It’s not reasonable.” b

oncology opportunities.

“I think I was the only one in the first class who was rew motely interested in pursuing e oncology from the get-go,” d Simon said. “I just kept aski ing, ‘Is there going to be a l cancer department?’” a Simon said because canu cer is the leading cause of t death in Austin, it was essential for oncology at Dell u to expand.

P “It’s extremely valut able,” Simon said. “It’s goc ing to bring in a whole lot t of researchers and help a p lot of the cancer patients t in Austin.” f w n

SPECIALS

New FOOD TRUCK THE PICNIC AT BARTON SPRINGS 1720 BARTON SPRINGS ROAD AUSTIN, TX 78704

IT’S NOT ABOUT WINNING OR LOSING IT’S ABOUT

TAILGATING!

m u H

$2.50 BRUNCH DRINKS UNTIL NOON & $4.50 BRUNCH DRINKS UNTIL 4PM

MAKE YOUR NEXT TAILGATING EVENT EASY BY LETTING TRUDY’S HELP!

g p l e T C s f e n

r y c c H r d t p n

a s m r FOURSTAREVENTS@TRUDYS.COM D c i c

TEXAS STAR · 409 WEST 30TH ST., AUSTIN, TX 78705 · 512-477-2935

W&N 3 3

Thursday, August 31, 2017

CAMPUS

UT institute braces for post-Harvey repairs

By Maria Mendez Senior Reporter

All of the students, staff and animals at UT’s Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas survived Hurricane Harvey’s impact last Friday, but the community is now preparing for extensive repairs.

The Institute, which serves as a coastal research, teaching and animal rehabilitation facility for UT’s Department of Marine Science, was shut down Thursday morning, prior to Harvey’s landfall. Roof failures, debris and power outage from wind and water damage currently render the Institute too damaged to reopen at the time.

Institute spokesperson Sally Palmer said all of the Institute’s facilities, including the pier, were impacted, but that the laboratories were the most damaged.

“We had a lot of roof failures and that caused a lot of rain water to come into the laboratories,” Palmer said.

“We don’t know the full extent, so we’re hopeful that we do not have a significant sample loss, but we’re still assessing that situation.”

Palmer said 486 students and 130 staff members left the Institute by Thursday, when mandatory evacuations were announced for Port Aransas.

The Institute began preparing for Harvey last Tuesday

by backing up computers and connecting sample freezers to an emergency power circuit. Prior to Harvey’s landfall, the Institute released its birds and after the hurricane they transferred sea turtles to other marine life centers.

Biology senior Jenelle Estrada conducted research and mentored at the Institute during the spring and summer, and before evacuating on Wednesday night, she helped prepare for Harvey’s arrival.

“I was there for several months, and it kind of became like my home,” Estrada said. “It’s a very weird feeling to see pictures of these places I was walking by last week that are now kind of just destroyed. So it’s difficult and kind of heartbreaking to watch the destruction.”

Austin-based Institute coordinator Heather Herrick helped relocate seven graduate students and their pets into Austin family homes found through Facebook, so students wouldn’t have to pay for hotel stays. Herrick teared up when she talked about the Institute’s close-knit community.

“These are friends and co-workers of mine that I work closely with everyday even if I’m not down there everyday,” Herrick said. “Seeing how scared and stressed they are, knowing that some of their homes are destroyed,

Infographic by Rena Li | Daily Texan Staff

it’s heartbreaking.”

Palmer said UT system police and staff visited the Institute this week to assess damage and prepare insurance claims, but there is still no recovery timeline. The University announced on Tuesday that students and researchers would continue their work at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi’s Research Institute.

Herrick said despite the

fCAMPUS

negative impacts of Harvey, researchers can still learn from the environmental changes.

“Even this hurricane will be a research opportunity for people,” Herrick said. “There will be things that happen on the coast differently because of it, and people will study and research from it.”

Port Aransas residents were first allowed back on Tuesday, but city leaders do not want

them to stay at their homes and implemented a curfew from 8 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. each night.

The city implemented the curfew because water, food and electricity are still not available in Port Aransas. Herrick said some Institute members started driving to the city to clean up their homes, but will need help paying for commutes.

The undergraduate Marine Science Club and the

department will collect H-E-B gift cards in UT’s Biological Laboratories building to help Institute members get food and pay for gas.

“I know there’s such a strong spirit and bond within MSI and Port Aransas,” Estrada said. “So I really just hope that kind of shows through, and that they’re really able to do these recovery efforts as fast as they can to get kind of back up on their feet.”

CAMPUS

Professors, students, Air Force University supercomputer aids conduct joint nuclear research Hurricane Harvey rescue efforts

By Ashley Liu Senior Reporter

By Jenan Taha Senior Reporter

A trio of UT engineers is preparing for the worst: nuclear disaster.

This August, Derek Haas, mechanical engineering assistant professor, started a research collaboration with the U.S. Air Force and two first-year nuclear engineering graduate students, Brandon De Luna and Marji Pasman.

Their research will allow the U.S. government to better detect radioactive material and prevent the use of nuclear weapons, Haas said.

“If a nuclear weapon was ever used in the United States, we want to understand how to tease out information that would be left over from that event and the government would use that in order to react to that event,” Haas said.

The team does this by using equipment at the J.J. Pickle Research Campus to create radioactive particles. They can then study the basic physics of these particles and then apply that information to the field of nuclear forensics, which deals with tracking nuclear materials.

The partnership began after Haas wrote a proposal in January and later connected with scientists at the Air Force Technical Applications Center in Florida. Haas said this research is useful for learning how to efficiently respond to a nuclear incident.

“This particular kind of research is the kind that you hope is never used because it means that a nuclear bomb has gone off,” Haas said. “It’s the kind of research that we need to do in order to make sure that if that ever did happen, we’ve got the techniques to respond to it.”

The research is part of a larger ongoing project sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security’s Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, which collaborates with academics around the country to conduct nuclear research,

Courtesy of Derek Haas Derek Haas, a mechanical engineering professor, is working

with the U.S. Air Force and two graduate students on nuclear research.

This particular kind of research is the kind that you hope is never used because it means that a nuclear bomb has gone off.

—Derek Haas, Mechanical engineering assistant professor

according to an Air Force press release.

Other than deterring the use of nuclear weapons, this research allows younger scientists to gain experience in the field, Haas said.

Pasman said she enjoys being able to work on this research because it incorporates subjects she is interested in, such as chemistry and physics.

“I was excited because it combines some of my interests, and it’s just a really cool science,” Pasman said.

De Luna said it gave him the opportunity to do work in radiochemistry, an area he had wanted to get involved in.

“The thing I most enjoy right now is ordering the things I’ve been modeling for the past year and actually seeing it come to fruition,” De Luna said. “We’re actually going to have it, build it and get to hold it.”

The team received funding for the next two years and plans to extend their work to five years.

A key goal of the overall project is to improve the nation’s abilities to monitor and collect data on radioactive and nuclear events and deter adversaries from secretly using these kinds of weapons.

“You want to develop the capabilities that make adversaries not want to test them,” Haas said.

UT’s very own supercomputer, Lonestar 5, helped aerospace engineering professor Clint Dawson track Hurricane Harvey’s movements.

The supercomputer, located at the Texas Advanced Computing Center, consists of a series of central processing units that share information.

CPUs are what control and carry out computer operations. Researchers all over the U.S. come to use the technology for data such as medical analysis, structural engineering and weather forecasts, according to Dawson.

Dawson said supercomputers are faster and able to process more information than standard machines.

“You solve a lot more problems in a lot less time by distributing information across all the CPUs as the simulation runs,” Dawson said.

Dawson explained that the National Hurricane Center first generated a consensus from a collection of forecast models before sending the

information to the supercomputer. Using the consensus, Dawson and his team converted the information into their own model.

“Basically we generate what is called a storm search,” Dawson said. “It gives us our own model of how the hurricane is pushing up the coast and detailed water heights over the entire coastal area.”

The model Lonestar 5 generated is given to agencies such as the Texas Division of Emergency Management and the Texas State Operations Center.

“The model helps these agencies determine where to ship supplies so they can go ahead and start recovery.” Dawson said.

After learning about the role that Lonestar 5 played in tracking Hurricane Harvey, computer science junior Andrei Jaume said he is amazed by how much technology can be used to solve human problems.

“Without technological forecasts, it would be impossible to predict the intensity of the hurricane,” Jaume said. “I think it’s

5940/The Pizza Press; Process color

especially important to concentrate recovery efforts at where they’re needed the most in order to maximize the efficiency of the rescue.”

Jaume said he is also surprised by UT’s advanced resources.

“This supercomputer is one of the most powerful machines in the United States,” Jaume said. “It’s pretty cool to have it right near campus. It’s also nice to know that UT is able to support its community.”

Physics freshman Vania Santos’ family was stranded

by Hurricane Harvey in San Antonio for the past weekend. She said it was critical to keep recuse efforts informed through technology.

“I’m glad the supercomputer helped the state government set up a network of assistance,” Santos said.

“A lot of times it’s not that there aren’t resources, but people don’t know how to distribute them.”

Santos said she is interested in civil engineering, which also uses computational models to alleviate natural disaster aftermaths.

“Harvey made me realize how relevant this field is to real world problems,” Santos said.

4 OPINION

4

LAURA HALLAS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

@TexasOpinion

Thursday, August 31, 2017

COLUMN

Arpaio pardon is inconsistent with law and order

By Liam Verses Columnist

As Category 4 storm Hurricane Harvey bore down on Texas, President Donald Trump chose to pardon former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

The presidential pardon is a powerful tool established by the U.S. Constitution, but it’s also one that is mired in controversy: Ford’s pardon of Nixon, Bush’s pardon of former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, Clinton’s pardon of Marc Rich and so on. Trump’s decision is no less controversial, and its beneficiary is both famous and infamous in his home state of Arizona.

As a conservative, I cannot both believe in law and order and champion a man whose actions defy the law. Other conservatives shouldn’t defend the Arpaio pardon either.

Conservative Republicans fiercely believe

in probity and decorum. Arpaio, however, took “conservative” far beyond its meaning to the point of degradation, running jails that lack basic care and necessities. While our jails and prisons shouldn’t be luxurious or cushy, Arpaio’s “culture of cruelty” is an affront to the Bill of Rights.

“President Trump’s decision to pardon his political ally, Joe Arpaio, is a slap in the face to the many Arizonans who were criminally harassed by the former sheriff,” government professor Raul Madrid said.

“It also undermines the rule of law. One has to wonder if President Trump would similarly pardon any of his aides who are currently under investigation.”

Arpaio was, in fact, found guilty of contempt of court for violating a court order to cease targeting Latinos in Arizona under the suspicion they were in the country illegally, which led to the detainment of some legal

residents and lawful citizens. Undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes should certainly be subject to deportation, but people who are here rightfully shouldn’t be subject to harassment.

Although Arpaio served in the U.S. Army and as an elected official, his career in public service is no excuse for his actions. The medical care in his jails has twice been ruled unconstitutional because of its deficiencies; people reportedly die and hang themselves at an alarming rate in his jails, with at least 157 deaths during his time as sheriff. Two co-founders of The Phoenix New Times won a $3.75 million settlement against Arpaio after they were arrested in their homes following a New Times story on a county subpoena asking for readers’ internet records. Furthermore, Arpaio allegedly staged an assassination attempt against himself and framed an

innocent person, whose family later sued.

Arpaio’s office was also responsible for debacles like a botched SWAT raid that killed a dog, burned a $250,000 home and featured an armored vehicle smashing into a parked car.

Trump’s pardon of Arpaio is highly improper. Both Speaker Ryan and Senator John McCain — the latter from Arizona, where Arpaio was sheriff — were critical of the pardon.

Conservatives cannot advocate law and order and willfully support a man whose reign of terror left people ruined in its wake. As Americans, we cannot tolerate circumventing the justice system or allowing a man whose ethics run wholly contrary to the United States to be hailed as a patriot by anyone, let alone a sitting president.

Verses is a Plan II and environmental engineering freshman from San Antonio.

COLUMN

Financial aid funding cuts limit students’ chances to succeed

By Zachary Price Columnist

Fiscal Year 2015 Award Pell Grant Federal Work-Study Federal Perkins Loan Set-asides

Helping poor kids go to college has always been a bipartisan initiative. Programs like Pell Grants, TEXAS grants, and Federal Work-Study have each received the support of members of both parties in Congress.

Even today, many Republicans have devoted significant political capital into making sure their constituents can afford the rapidly rising cost of a college education.

But these programs are under fire from cowardly Republicans. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has spent the last several years crusading against “tuition set-asides”, a program that has in-state students at public universities in Texas pay into a pool of money that lowers tuition for low and middle-income students. “College education should not be out of reach for the poor,” Patrick told Texas Monthly. “But it also should not be out of reach for middle class and the middle class should not be paying for the poor.”

However, middle-class students also receive financial aid help from the state each year from the same set-asides Patrick derides.

In Fiscal Year 2015, nearly $24 million from set-asides went to 9,382 students — nearly a fifth of the student body. As Tom Melecki, former director of financial services for UT,

# of UT students Amount 10,275 $43,776,396

962 to ensure $1,881,573 said, “If you want that only wealthy 2,732 $9,501,673 students and upper middle-class students can 9,382 $23,993,287 afford to go to Texas public colleges and universities in the future, do away with tuition set-asides.”

Crucial aid programs are under attack from the federal government as well. The budget released by the Trump White House would significantly cut financial aid programs for needy students. The work-study program, which makes it easier for students to obtain on-campus jobs, would have had its allocation cut in half. They proposed ending the Perkins and Stafford loan programs, both of which offer loans to students at low interest rates. Trump’s budget would also end the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which forgives loan debts for students who go into non-profit and government jobs, and the Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant Program, as well as take nearly $4 billion out of surplus Pell Grant funds.

These attacks on students’ ability to attend college are personal for me. I receive aid from threatened state and federal government programs, such as Federal WorkStudy, Perkins and Stafford Loans and Pell Grants. The aid from these programs, along with some other grants, covers tuition, books and part of my housing. Without this

COLUMN

Award

# of UT students

Amount

Federal Work-Study

962

$1.9 mil

Federal Perkins Loan

2,732

$9.5 mil

Set-asides

9,382

Pell Grant

10,275

$24.0 mil

$43.8 mil

Financial aid at UT Fiscal year 2015

Infographic by Rena Li | Daily Texan Staff

help, I likely would’ve ended up at an outof-state private school with more scholarships available than UT could ever offer. As a middle-class student, this had a huge impact on where I went to college. For those less fortunate, it could make-or-break their chances of going to college at all.

So when Patrick and Trump try to cut

financial aid, they aren’t just forcing students to take out more in loans. They’re actively threatening many students chances of making it to campus. And if they get their way, UT could lose the best and brightest of future generations.

Price is a government sophomore from Austin.

COLUMN

Transfer student organization International students require fair lacks adequate resources better housing accomodation

By Jeff Rose

Guest Columnist

Freshman orientation offers new students the chance to find the student organizations and programs that will come to define their college experience. Transfer students, also new to the University, don’t have the same opportunity.

As a transfer student at UT, I was excited to finally be attending my dream school.

Orientation was going to be my gateway to campus life. Since I didn’t get all the time freshmen get to find a place on campus, it was even more important for me to get involved as quickly as possible.

But transfer student orientation failed to provide a sufficient introduction to campus life — the organization fair was tiny. There were maybe a little over a dozen student organizations and several empty tables set up in the tiny Jester Spanish Oaks Terrace.

I thought maybe this was just how all the fairs were at freshman and transfer student orientations, but within days, I saw a tweet from the UT Orientation Twitter with a picture of a freshman orientation organization fair. There were dozens of organizations filling Gregory Plaza with people swarming between tents and booths.

It’s already overwhelming to come to a big school like UT, but it’s even more so when you can’t find ways to get involved and make it feel smaller.”

—Jeff Rose, Guest Columnist

It felt like transfer students weren’t worth the effort. Anthropology sophomore Isabel Zubizarreta Otero, a fellow transfer student, agrees. While she said transfer students have more college experience than freshmen and may have a better grasp of how to get involved, it was still demoralizing and felt as if the University didn’t value transfer students as much as freshmen.

Otero and I got involved with The Shorthorn at the University of Texas at Arlington because they had a booth at freshman orientation. If it wasn’t for this, we may have never gotten the amazing experience of serving our campus community.

UT has over 1,100 student organizations, meaning there’s more to miss with so few represented, especially for those coming from smaller colleges. It’s already overwhelming to come to a big school like UT, but it’s even more so when you can’t find ways to get involved and make it feel smaller.

Regardless of whether or not we’re freshmen or coming from a different school, new students still need to be shown all that UT has to offer.

While there may be several events throughout the semester for student organizations to represent themselves, which transfer students can attend, it’s still an unfair disadvantage, as we don’t get the opportunity to find organizations that interest us during orientation as so many freshmen do. It only makes finding our place on this huge campus that much harder.

I hope to hear from future transfer students about their great experiences at their organization fairs, but until then, you can find me at events hunting for student organizations, catching up.

Rose is a English sophomore from The Woodlands. He is a guest columnist.

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.

By Danial Naqvi Guest Columnist

In January 2017, I applied to UT dorms after being told that applying by Feb. 1 would guarantee housing. In late-May, after I finished my exams and emailed housing, I was reassured that I would get an offer soon. In July, I received confirmation from my home university about my study abroad place, yet no housing offer. A week before I left, I still had no idea where I was staying.

The international office needs to curate a comprehensive, reliable and affordable housing listing, especially for students arriving from all corners of the globe.

Although the International Student and Scholar Services office offers credible solutions for students to explore, their guidance is often weak and misinformed. Even though on-campus housing is often fully occupied, off-campus options don’t widely offer semester-long leases for exchange students.

This already difficult process is often undergone alone. Amalia Martinez-Botas, a British exchange student from London, said, “I was very disappointed with their lack of rooms for international students.” She now lives in the Kinsolving Residence Hall but only received notification on Aug. 14, two weeks prior to the start of the semester.

Martinez-Botas is one of thousands of students who require housing at UT. In the previous academic year, according to the international office, 6,404 international students enrolled from five continents. In the same year, according to U.S. News and World Report, only 19 percent of students stayed on campus, which is less than similar-sized universities such as Ohio State University and University of Florida. Given that international students make up 12.5 percent of UT’s population, on-campus housing can be scarce. In this light, it is imperative that the

SUBMIT A FIRING LINE | E-mail 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.

Because UT is clearly an international university with a global presence and prestige, housing should be simpler to organize.”

—Danial Naqvi, Guest Columnist

international office persistently try to satisfy these students housing needs themselves instead of referring students to third parties.

Because UT is clearly an international university with a global presence and prestige, housing should be simpler to organize.

Through social media, I was able to source my housing and pay my deposit. Despite the worldly reach of UT’s students, I had to resort to social media to find my housing solution. Facebook better connected housing for me than the representatives at the international office.

Given the size of UT, it is clear that the 15 residence halls that currently accommodate 19 percent of the student population are not sufficient for a sustainable future. Although the off-campus market is growing at a competitive rate, more information and guidance from the international office would help to settle the nerves of incoming travelers as they settle into new surroundings and culture.

Housing is hard generally. As an international student, it is even worse. If UT wants to continue as a global university, this process should be streamlined and better communicated to arriving students.

Naqvi is a geography sophomore from London, England. He is a guest columnist.

RECYCLE | Please recycle this copy of The Daily Texan.

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

EDITORIAL TWITTER | Follow The Daily Texan Editorial Board on Twitter (@TexanOpinion) and receive updates on our latest editorials and columns.

CLASS 5

5

JULIANNE HODGES SCIENCE&TECH EDITOR

@thedailytexan

Thursday, August 31, 2017

PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS TO THE CHALLENGES OF EVERYDAY LIFE Available in Paperback and DVD

Courtesy of James Sahn

UT chemists Stephen Martin, left, and James Sahn, right, have discovered a new pain reliever.

RESEARCH

Study finds novel pain reliever, potential non-opioid alternative

By Areeba Khwaja Senior S&T Reporter

UT chemists Stephen Martin and James Sahn published a paper in ACS Chemical Neuroscience earlier this month about a new pain reliever, a compound called UKH-1114, which they synthesized in their lab. The compound acts on the sigma-2 receptor, a receptor found in the brain and spinal cord.

In collaboration with a University of Texas - Dallas research team, Martin and Sahn also were the first to discover that the sigma-2 receptor is involved in a pathway that alleviates pain. Previously, scientists knew about the sigma-2 receptor but had not confirmed its involvement with pain.

“We have discovered that compounds that interact with the sigma-2 receptor can dramatically relieve neuropathic pain in a mouse model,” Martin said.

Current treatments for pain management, including opioids and gabapentin, a drug mimicking the

neurotransmitter GABA, come with numerous side effects.

“Opioids are addictive with a number of other adverse side effects, while gabapentin is often ineffective and can cause cognitive impairment,” Martin said, “This (discovery) opens the door to the possibility of developing a non-opioid pain reliever.”

Although further study is required, UKH-1114 could possibly be used to alleviate neuropathic pain originating from diabetes, injuries and chemotherapy, among a variety of other conditions.

“Preliminary studies show that UKH-1114 is as effective as gabapentin in a mouse model of neuropathic pain, but at a lower dose and with longer duration of action,” Sahn said.

According to their paper, current pain medications are often ineffective: Antidepressants such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors achieve 50 percent pain relief in only one out of four patients, while gabapentinoids, or drugs derived from GABA, are only effective in one out of seven patients.

In contrast, UKH-1114 is as effective as gabapentin at onetenth the dose and lasts longer than gabapentin, Sahn said.

Since UKH-1114 appears to work through a non-opioid pathway, Sahn said it is possible that its binding to the sigma-2 receptor can reduce pain without causing the same issues involved in opioid treatment. The researchers have also discovered that, unlike gabapentin and opioids, UKH-1114 causes no motor impairment to animals.

The next step is to show that UKH-1114 is safe and nonaddictive in humans, which could take years. Once approved, the drug would be orally administered to patients.

Martin and Sahn are currently working on securing funding for further testing in the clinic.

In the future, Sahn said they want to better understand the mechanism of the sigma-2 receptor in pain relief and study whether targeting it can alleviate pain from osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia and other conditions.

The Problems of Work paperback book and companion film are the “secrets” of organization, productivity, success and happiness. They contain the core fundamentals and tools to return joy itself to not only work — but all of life.

Note: The Problems of Work paperback and a viewing of the film are both included in the Personal Efficiency Course.

Book $20 | DVD $20

THE

PROBLEMS OF WORK

SCIENTOLOGY APPLIED TO T H E W O R K A D AY W O R L D

TO ORDER, CALL: (512) 474-6631 or visit us at 2200 Guadalupe St. 78705

CLASSIFIEDS; Black

CONSULTANTS WANTED:

FREE WHITENING KIT

with Exam, X-Rays & Cleaning New patients only. Some restrictions apply.

DELTA DENTAL AND MOST INSURANCES ACCEPTED

811 E 32nd St | Austin TX 78705 | (512) 306-0601 www.AquaDentalAustin.com

Rodan + Fields skincare and Lash Boost consultants are an enthusiastic group of entrepreneurial individuals who all share a love for amazing skincare and long lashes. It is now ranked the #1 skincare in America. Why take on college debt, when you can make BANK? Pay for school as you go. This business is entirely mobile, so you can work whenever or however you want. Customers order from your website, and it is shipped directly to them. No stocking inventory. Many college students around the country are making good money selling our #1 product, Lash Boost to other students in the dormitory, and around campus. I am a fellow UT AUSTIN 1995 graduate. Call April Laird, R + F executive consultant, 512-965-0312.

SOUTH AUSTIN STUDENT RENTAL South Austin Student Rental – Bedroom & Bath with private entrance. 18 years old or older & student ID required. Convenient shopping and bus lines. $500 a Month. Call Tom at 512-788-1863

GYMNASTICS, TUMBLING, TRAMPOLINE, PARKOUR & CHEER

Hiring full or part time coaches!

Personalities or experience a plus…

APPLY ONLINE TO ChampionsTX.com or call 512-628-1788 UT BUS ROUTE ACCESSIBLE

YOUR PURCHASE SUPPORTS STUDENT JOURNALISM THE DAILY TEXAN LONGHORN LIFE TEXAS TRAVESTY CACTUS YEARBOOK BURNT X KVRX RADIO TSTV

TO PURCHASE AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT VISIT WWW.SINCE1791.US

MOPED FOR SALE 2011 KYMCO Red Moped 50cc for sale. 1921 miles. In good condition. Clear Title. 83 yr old grandfather can no longer ride. $1200.00.

Located in Round Rock Tx. Please call Andy or Belma at 512-4230257 for more information.

Total 100.00 paid

TIFF’S TREATS IS HIRING Tiff’s Treats Cookie Delivery is looking for happy, hard-working people who are quick on their feet, passionate and LOVE customer service to deliver treats to our customers! Drivers use their own vehicles for delivery and must have a valid driver’s license and insurance. Delivery Drivers Earn: $10/hour plus tips and delivery fees for a total averaging $15-20/hour. TO APPLY please visit our website at: www.cookiedelivery.com

MEDICAL

Donate Sperm, Get Paid!

Healthy men, age 18-39 apply at

digest.texasstudentmedia.com ADVERTISING TERMS There are no refunds or credits. In the event of errors made in advertisement, notice must be given by 10 am the fi rst day of publication, as the publishers are responsible for only ONE incorrect insertion. In consideration of The Daily Texan’s acceptance of advertising copy for publication, the agency and the advertiser will indemnify and save harmless, Texas Student Media and its offi cers, employees and agents against all loss, liability, damage and expense of whatsoever nature arising out of the copying, print-ing or publishing of its advertisement including without limitation reasonable attorney’s fees resulting from claims of suits for libel, violation of right of privacy, plagiarism and copyright and trademark infringement. All ad copy must be approved by the newspaper which reserves the right to request changes, reject or properly classify an ad. The advertiser, and not the newspaper, is responsible for the truthful content of the ad. Advertising is also subject to credit approval.

Reduce • Reuse • Recycle

6 SPTS

6

MICHAEL SHAPIRO SPORTS EDITOR

@texansports

Thursday, August 31, 2017

SOCCER

Texas heads to California for weekend matchups

By Dalton Phillips

Senior Sports Reporter

After sweeping its weekend matches to improve to 4–0 on the season, the Longhorn soccer team is now preparing for it’s stiffest competition of the season with a trip to the Golden State.

Texas will face Cal on Friday afternoon before moving inland to face Sacramento State on Sunday night.

Just four short games into the season, Texas has already shown glimpses of a program able to compete in the Big 12.

Friday’s road test will offer a measure of how much progress the team has made and how much further the burnt orange has left to go.

The success of the 2017 season hinges on the growth of the Longhorns’ freshmen.

Head coach Angela Kelly is encouraged thus far by the progression of her young talent, who have already contributed four of the team’s seven goals this season.

“We’re excited because we’re creating,” Kelly said.

“When you don’t create, then there is a concern. But now we’re honing in on the timing of those runs, how dynamic they need to be, the change of pace, the deception. And then you start to fine-tune

Now we’re honing in on the timing of those runs, how dynamic they need to be, the change of pace, the deception. And then you start to fine-tune some of those instincts, and it’s going to be lethal.

—Angela Kelly, Head coach

Joshua Guerra | Daily Texan Staff

The Longhorns are off to a 4–0 start as they prepare to head out on the road to face Cal on Friday and Sacramento State on Sunday. Cal defeated Texas last year in Austin, 1-0. The Longhorns will look to improve to 6–0 on the season by Sunday night.

some of those instincts, and it’s going to be lethal.”

The small adjustments will prove crucial against the pair of formidable California opponents.

Cal is a Pac 12 powerhouse and offensive

juggernaut.

The program notched a 13–5–3 record in 2016, earning its sixth-straight season of 10 or more wins. Even a suffocating Texas defense — which has only allowed two goals this season — will be

hard-pressed to contain the high-octane Bears forwards.

Meanwhile, Sacramento State is coming off of a season which saw 11 seniors graduate, including seven starters.

Their roster, which boasts 11 freshmen, is comparable to

that of Texas’, which has 10.

Texas’ veterans on the roster have mirrored their coach’s optimism in assessing the current freshman group.

Junior midfielder Kayra Dollas attributes the players’ dramatic progress to the

coaching staff as well as the Longhorns’ culture.

“I think that this freshman class is going to learn the most out of the past four freshman classes that have come,” Dollas said. “When you come in, you’re not a freshman anymore. You’re just a part of the UT soccer team. And Kelly emphasizes that a lot as well.”

The freshmen have given credit to the Longhorns’ leaders in easing the transition. A weekend on the road will help them further acclimate to collegiate soccer.

FOOTBALL

Longhorns meet with media before opener

By Trenton Daeschner Assoc. Sports Editor

Texas players met with the media following Tuesday’s practice to preview the season opener against Maryland on Saturday at 11 a.m. Here are three notes from practice.

Williams ready to lead on offense Junior left tackle Connor Williams has already garnered plenty of notoriety in the offseason. The Associated Press named Williams a preseason first team All-American, and after being named a team captain last week, he’s already taken charge as a leader on offense.

“Sometimes the defense stones us (in practice), and it gets the offense down,” Williams said. “I have to remind the O-line and the offense sometimes that, I mean, this is probably one of the best defenses I’ve gone against in the last three years playing here, and we see it every day in practice.”

Williams also praised new offensive line coach Derek Warehime’s effect on the unit.

“It’s been a journey,” Williams said. “I think it’s been a good one. We’ve gotten a lot better in the past nine months. I mean, we’ve progressed a lot as a whole O-line — the ones and the twos — and I

Juan Figueroa | Daily Texan Staff Junior midfielder Kayra Dollas goes for a steal against Texas Tech.

Recently, the Longhorns took part in a team water balloon fight after a game to help the team have a little fun and ease some stress.

SOCCER

Water balloon fight keeps Texas relaxed Zoe Fu | Daily Texan Staff Junior cornerback P.J. Locke III tackles senior wide receiver Dorian Leonard in the 2017 Orange-White game. Locke was named one of the Longhorns’ four team captains last Friday.

feel like we all believe in ourselves and our abilities now.”

Hurricane Harvey impacts Locke and his family Junior cornerback P.J. Locke III didn’t shy away from addressing the concern he has for his family due to the flooding in Houston in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Locke hails from Beaumont, which is located about two hours northeast of Houston.

Following Tuesday’s practice, Locke shared details about his family’s situation back home, stating that his neighborhood is flooded and that there is also concern over displaced

alligators loose in the area.

Locke doesn’t know if his family will be able to make the trek to Austin for the Longhorns’ season opener on Saturday, but he’s trying his best to remain focused on the game.

“As a leader on the team, you got to set stuff aside and just be strong for my teammates, let them know that I’m all locked in,” Locke said. “Because if I’m not locked in, it can have a domino effect.”

In-game playlist not finalized Ever since he arrived in Austin, head coach Tom Herman has made a point to have his hand in everything that revolves around

the program — from monitoring the color of his players’ urine to renovating both the locker room and weight room.

But perhaps the most unique area Herman dove into is what music will play inside Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium this season. Everything ranging from pregame hype to situational moments in the game will be covered. But right now the Longhorns still need a song to play on third down.

“Right now, we’re still trying to figure out what we’re gonna do for third down,” Locke said. “That’s kind of like our discussion right now.

We still haven’t decided.”

5915/Office of Ombudsperson 29-; Process color

University concerns?

Talk to us, we listen What we do: · Develop Options · Clarify Policy · Illuminate Processes We are: · Confidential · Neutral · Independent · Informal

ombuds.utexas.edu/student 512.471.3825

6015/Office of the Registrar; Black

By Dalton Phillips

Senior Sports Reporter

Texas gathered at center field Sunday for a group huddle and team photo. All smiles and celebration after a second-straight victory at Mike A. Myers Stadium.

Around them, staff members slid four large blue bins into place like markers for an impromptu drill. No one on the team knew what was about to happen.

“They told us after the game, ‘Go get something out of the bins,’” junior midfielder Kayra Dollas said. “And so everyone after the huddle ran to the bins.”

The team broke out in all directions. The lids came off.

In an instant, a flurry of water balloons filled center field, offering cool relief from the afternoon sun. Screams

of surprise and disbelief rose from the stadium as half a dozen players ran for cover.

Other members grabbed balloons of their own and joined the fight. No one was safe, coaches included.

“I was standing, and head coach Angela Kella was actually ducking underneath me,” Dollas said.

After the fight, the bright remnants littered the pitch like confetti. The balloons marked a celebration — not of victory, but of teamwork.

“I think they were really proud of us and they wanted us to have a little fun and celebrate, even though it was kind of cruel,” freshman forward Emily Strouphauer said. “But we enjoyed it a lot.”

A family birthday pulled Strouphauer away from the scrum, but she said, “If I were in that pack, I probably would have been throwing them at my teammates.”

Kelly said the unusual postgame activities provide an extra spark to the team. She acknowledged the grind of a college season — especially for Texas’ freshmen — and the need to keep things light.

And in a schedule which revolves around six days a week of soccer, any chance to let loose is a welcome one.

“The players — they’re so young and have a heightened sense of awareness, and everything is new,” Kelly said.

“It’s real, they’re here. So we always try to find ways to take off the load a little bit.

Because ultimately they are playing this game because they’ve loved it their whole lives, and we don’t want them to miss opportunities to be able to take a deep breath and find the joy in it as well.”

COMICS 7 7

Thursday, August 31, 2017

GEO

CROSSWORD; Black

Today’s solution will appear here next issue

3 7 2 7 6 4 5 9 4 7 8 3 2 9 6 5 2 1 3 7 1 8 4 8 5 6

8 1 7 4 2 3 1

SUDOKUFORYOU

1 9 7 2 3 8 6 5 4

8 5 2 4 7 6 1 3 9

4 6 3 5 1 9 7 8 2

2 4 8 1 9 3 5 6 7

5 1 6 8 4 7 9 2 3

3 7 9 6 5 2 4 1 8

6 8 1 9 2 4 3 7 5

9 3 5 7 8 1 2 4 6

7 2 4 3 6 5 8 9 1

8

MORGAN O’HANLON LIFE&ARTS EDITOR

@thedailytexan

Thursday, August 31, 2017

ART

Student artists juggle academics, creative projects

By Jose Gonzalez L&A Issue Reporter

Many UT undergrads share a dual identity as students and artists, but the burning question is how to strike a balance without letting day-to-day challenges consume them and their art.

Students who strive for careers as independent artists have to deal with many external and internal pressures on campus, whether it’s a tight schedule or stress and anxiety.

For those who do manage to juggle courses and produce art, their creativity provides an escape and an outlet to express oneself.

English junior Abbi Gamm, for example, writes poetry and has had her work published in Hothouse, an English department journal for creative writing. Gamm said college life can be very suffocating, and it sometimes feels like her studies keep her from expressing who she really is.

“For me, writing is what I enjoy most and makes me feel the most human. So when I physically can’t because I’m so busy, it kind of makes me feel guilty,” Gamm said. “It makes me feel as if I wasn’t reaching my full potential as a student.”

Before coming to UT, Gamm was home-schooled, and she said coping with that transition was very difficult to do. Her work has also been influenced by campus tragedies such as that of Haruka Weiser and Harrison Brown, yet time constraints have affected her artistic style.

“It makes my writing more angsty, and structurally, I just kind of shove a lot of words together, like a stream of consciousness,” Gamm said.

“There’s been limited time to work on what I enjoy, so

Karen Pinilla | Daily Texan Staff

Economics senior Hank Freeman practices the keyboard at The Foundry inside the Liberal Arts Library where he works.

there’s always a haste to get your thoughts out.”

Gamm finds ways to make time for poetry within her daily schedule, such as when she feels the urge to procrastinate on homework. She said she seeks feedback from her professors and that being an artist means both working with and against your situation in order to find your balance.

Economics senior Hank Freeman also found a way for his college life to complement

his artwork. Freeman works at The Foundry in the Fine Arts Library, utilizing the recording studio to produce experimental tracks for his new album, Rebuild.

“There are definitely setbacks, especially when you are pursuing an art that is completely separate from your field of study,” Freeman said.

Freeman likes to experiment with distinct genres, from bluegrass to metal.

He said the reason he didn’t

FOOD

Veracruz All Natural cooks up authentic Mexican food

to drop out of college and devote themselves to their craft. Radio-television-film sophomore John King said he pondered that same thing his freshman year.

“This past semester, I considered numerous times just dropping out and making films full time,” King said.

“The reason I’m okay with going to UT now and juggling both things is I realized I didn’t just want to be thrown into the real world.

I’m 19 years old.”

These circumstances are common since prior to attending UT, Freeman also drove out to New York City to focus on his craft. He said his experience taught him that being a young artist hinges on being challenged intellectually.

“UT wasn’t just a creative scene for me,” Freeman said.

“I also learned to appreciate the slow process of building an artistic career, and gaining that tolerance changed me in so many ways.”

20% off

6121/Growler USA; Process color

Lunch or Dinner Entrees Coupon cannot be combined with any other special. Dine-in only. One coupon per guest.

Expires 9/30/2017

By Acacia Coronado Senior L&A Reporter

Veracruz All Natural’s Migas Taco, with its crunchy tortilla chips and tangy pico de gallo, is listed as one of Food Network’s five best tacos in the nation. To founders Reyna and Maritza Vazquez, it’s more than an item on a list — it’s a taste of home for the two sisters.

It all began in Veracruz, Mexico, where the sisters grew up learning from their parents’ business skills and mom’s hand in the kitchen.

In 2008, they founded Veracruz All Natural, a local restaurant chain dedicated to bringing together traditional flavors with modern cuisine.

Today, they are preparing to open their fourth location: a brick-and-mortar in the heart of Austin.

“It’s our baby,” Maritza Vazquez said. “We enjoy every piece of what we do.

More than a business, it is a family place, a piece of us.”

After learning and working with each other since childhood, they moved to Austin together, where they decided to try their own hand at business. Maritza Vazquez said it was a challenge at first, but their revenue was eventually enough to expand to more elaborate recipes.

“We didn’t want to work for anyone else,” Maritza Vazquez said. “It started as fruit in a cup and raspados, and it took three years to get a return on our money. It was very hard at first, but we were determined to triumph, and we would treat it as a big company, even when it was just (Reyna) and I.” Their recipes, Reyna Vazquez said, are a combination of the traditional

choose music as his major is because focusing on one subject stifles his creativity, and having variety in day-to-day life inspires him.

“Economics and music can be really antithetical, but that helps my creative process because there’s so much contrast there to squeeze great art from,” Freeman said.

With so many resources on campus, there exists the unprecedented issue of students feeling they have all the connections they need

Illustration by Mel Westfall | Daily Texan Staff

recipes and their creative minds, giving each dish a unique take.

“We like to mix ingredients, get new ideas,” Reyna Vazquez said. “A little of Mom’s recipes with a touch of our own ideas.”

Since then, Maritza Vazquez said it has been an honor to see the smiles on customers’ faces after trying what they describe as a taste of the traditional Southern Mexican cuisine — with a twist.

“It is so special when (customers) come up and tell us ‘we loved it,’” Maritza Vazquez said.

With the opening of their new location set to soft open Sept. 26, Reyna Vazquez said they are eager to have more space to cook. This will allow for new menu items, such as regular chilaquiles, a former monthly, Sunday brunch special.

“We are excited to present a wider range of traditional dishes,” Reyna Vazquez said.

“We (will) finally have this opportunity after almost a decade. For us, it has been about showing customers a piece of where we come from and what we ate growing up.”

Graduate student Ryan Myers said he was first drawn to the business after

it was recommended to him several times. Having previously tried a variety of types of Mexican food throughout Texas, he said this easily became his favorite.

During a 2014 visit to the Cesar Chavez location, Myers said he recognized Reyna Vazquez from a promotional video for their Migas Taco.

“I was very impressed with her in the video,” Myers said.

“She was very confident, beautiful, excited about what she was doing, and the food looked delicious.”

Myers eventually married Reyna Vazquez and quit his former job to take over the public relations and marketing aspects of his wife’s business.

“I believed very strongly in her and her sister and what they were doing,” Myers said.

Maritza Vazquez said being able to do this with her sister has been one of the best parts of this journey. She said though many say it is hard to work with family, every success the business has feels like a shared win.

“We feel like we crossed a finish line that seemed distant,” Maritza Vazquez said. “Especially because we have always worked together, we did this together, and we hope to continue working together.”

FIRST DAY OF CLASS….

AND NOW BEER! 100 TAPS OF CRAFT BEER!

(512) 800-9532 · GrowlerUSAATX.com Monday - Saturday 11am - Midnight Sunday: Noon - 10PM 609 W 29th St., Austin TX 78705