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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2017
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Volume 118, Issue 20
CITY
Futures uncertain after DACA decision By Forrest Milburn Enterprise Reporter After the rescission of DACA, some students are not sure what their future holds. For nearly a year, Edilsa Lopez endured human trafficking as her captors sent her from house to house in trips across the Mexican-American border
transporting drugs. Lopez had neared the end of her third day crossing the desert into the U.S. one final time before she felt like she wanted to die. She didn’t know which city she was in at the time, but she remembers meeting an English-speaking woman
who would eventually help reunite her with her mother, who had moved to the States. At the time, she was just 11 years old. “No matter who you’re with, you have to earn their trust because they dispose of the weak ones,” Lopez, now 24, said. “I have no idea where I
got my strength, but I knew that I had to be strong, otherwise they’d leave me behind.” A decade later, Lopez is a success story. After finishing high school in Houston, Lopez went on to study
DACA page 3
carlos garcia & juan figueroa| daily texan staff
Latin American studies junior Daniela Rojas, left, and UT alumna Edilsa Lopez, right, are recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the White House planned to rescind the program with a six-month delay, putting their futures in jeopardy.
UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY
Steve Hicks donates to minimize debt upon graduation
UT System bids for nuclear lab By Maria Mendez Senior Reporter
By London Gibson Senior Reporter
A social mission prompted Steve Hicks to donate $25 million to UT’s School of Social Work last week, though he spent a lifetime working in telecommunications. “I was told that each social work graduate positively affects over one thousand people over their working career,” said Hicks, UT System Board of Regents vice chairman. “If I could help that many people … that had a big appeal to me.” The School of Social Work announced the gift and was renamed the Steve Hicks School of Social Work last
DONATION page 2
thalia juarez| daily texan staff
Deputy Chancellor David Daniel speaks at a UT System Board of Regents meeting in 2015. The UT System will compete to run the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Looking to expand in national security and nuclear research, the UT System will compete to run the historic Los Alamos National Laboratory. LANL, the laboratory established under the Manhattan Project to create an atomic
bomb in New Mexico, will formally request management proposals from university and corporation partnerships in September. The UT System Board of Regents encouraged Deputy Chancellor David Daniel and UT-Austin President Gregory Fenves to pursue the management contract for LANL during August board meetings, according to a
press release. “For UT-Austin, it would be a tremendous honor to help serve the nation,” Fenves said in a press release. “The important work at LANL is aligned with our research goals and priorities across the University.” Daniel said the UT System
NUCLEAR page 2
CAMPUS
Former UT presidents share inspirations By Meara Isenberg News Issue Reporter
Former UT President William Cunningham remembers a turbulent 24 hours that began over lunch with former Texas Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock, who wanted to bring quality higher education to South Texas. Cunningham said he told Bullock he had a detailed plan, but there was just one problem.
“There was no plan,” Cunningham said. “Nada, zippo, zero.” Cunningham said he decided at that moment to be focused, act quickly and devise one. Bullock liked Cunningham’s plan and, as a result, gave over a billion dollars to bring South Texas institutions up to par with other parts of the state. Cunningham joined former UT President Bill Powers in the Bass Concert Hall on Monday evening where the two shared turning
points in their lives as part of the University Lectures Series. Cunningham also encouraged students to be flexible, listen to mentors and take advantage of their resources. “Plans are fine, they are important,” Cunningham said. “However, many of you will change your majors, careers, job locations, relationships many times over the course of your lives. We know that life comes with no
INSPIRATION page 2
NEWS
OPINION
LIFE&ARTS
SPORTS
Apologizing may hurt more than it helps, study says. PAGE 3
Columnists debate the impacts of DeVos’ review of Title IX PAGE 4
Student dancer reaches viral status via instagram PAGE 8
Longhorns gain traction as they prepare for No. 4 USC. PAGE 6
UT Athletics Front Strip; Process color
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Tuesday, September 12, 2017
DONATION
NUCLEAR
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Wednesday. $10 million of Hicks’ donation will be dedicated to furthering education in fields like addiction recovery. Hicks said he has worked to improve addiction recovery efforts in the past. “I was involved in helping the center for students in recovery, and I’m in recovery myself,” Hicks said. “In a lot of the social ills that we face and that these social work graduates face … addiction is part of the problem.” Reducing student debt is also priority for Hicks. According to Hicks, the remaining $15 million of the gift will be set aside solely for student scholarships, in hopes that it will allow graduates to be more successful and allow a more diverse range of students to attend the school. Sarah Swords, assistant dean for the school’s master’s programs, said social work students regularly graduate with student debts larger than the average social worker’s starting salary. “We know that our students on average graduate with more than $40,000 in student debt,” Swords said. “And then they go out into the social work field where their salaries may not be $40,000.”
They were all in tears, and that was the most emotional part for me because they had gotten so little recognition. —Steve Hicks, UT Board of Regents vice chairman
Hicks said he hopes his gift to the school helps to reduce the average amount of debt to around $20,000 for graduating social work students, though he knows it may take years to accomplish it. Social work sophomore Madeline Nassif said selfcare is stressed in social work, and worrying about debts or money may negatively affect the way a graduate does their job. “Generally a lot of students do worry about the debt because the social work school is a really (financially) diverse school,” Nassif said. “When students graduate they have to worry about being the best social worker they can be, not … about what they still owe on their education.” Hicks, a McCombs finance alumnus, said the social work school doesn’t get as much attention or
as many resources as some of UT’s other schools. Although Hicks had worked with social work professor Lori Holleran Steiker in the past, he had no prior interaction with the social work school before making the donation. “To be honest with you, I had never set foot into the building until I decided to make the gift,” Hicks said. Although the ceremonies honoring Hicks’ gift took place last Wednesday, Hicks, UT President Gregory Fenves and social work Dean Luis H. Zayas assembled the faculty last Tuesday morning to inform them of the news. “They were all in tears, and that was the most emotional part for me because they had gotten so little recognition,” Hicks said, “It was quite the moment, I won’t be forgetting that one.”
continues from page 1
is equipped with experienced researchers and is currently looking for industry partners that could help operate LANL’s specialized research in nuclear weapons, energy and environment management. The UT System declined to disclose who the potential industry partners will be. LANL is expected to announce a winner for the next seven-year contract in the spring of 2018. “Anybody would be hard pressed to find a greater collection of talent than that which resides within the UT System,” Daniel said. The UT System previously competed for the LANL contract in 2005, but LANL selected the University of California System, which has helped manage LANL for more than 70 years. Despite the lost contract, UT already works closely with the LANL. Crystal Baker and Jose Parga, mechanical engineering graduate students, spent six weeks at LANL studying nuclear infrastructure and radiation damage to materials, respectively. Parga said UT’s advanced computing system, including the new Stampede2 supercomputer, and the UT System’s large size would allow it to help LANL solve big scientific and security questions.
INSPIRATION
Former UT Presidents Bill Powers and William Cunningham participate in a moderated discussion as part of the University Lecture Series on Monday night. Powers and Cunningham discussed key turning points in their lives.
continues from page 1 guarantees.” Powers said there is no better way to improve than to take risks and learn from them. Powers said he has done this in his own life by going to Berkeley during the free speech movement, traveling the world and going to law school. “One of the things I’ve realized about your generation, the millennials … you all are caring and thoughtful,” Powers said. “You care about each other and you care about the community. The future is going to unfold, and I encourage you to let it unfold right in front of you.” Radio-television-film freshman Nick Payne came to the lecture for his undergraduate studies class, but said he learned much more than he expected.
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“I honestly wasn’t quite sure what it was about at first, but now that I’m here, I see the key point of it is about finding your own path and passion in life,” Payne
said. “I saw their viewpoints on the different ways I could do so.” Payne said he found it comforting that the former presidents did not come from great
success, but worked themselves up into their positions. “That’s all it takes — to use what your passion is, and to put everything into it,” Payne said.
R
N m Suicide Prevention Week addresses mental health
that’s some grandpa sh*t
Director Gerald Johnson
anthony mireles daily texan staff
CAMPUS
TOMORROW Sept. 13
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“There’s different (UT System) facilities we can use in collaboration with LANL facilities to do more groundbreaking research,” Parga said. “The UT System starts in El Paso, there’s the Rio Grande Valley, UT-Austin, UT-Dallas, so it’s a very big institution where you’re pooling a lot of different professors and students where you can tap into for knowledge.” Baker said she worked in engineering research before, but LANL offers students many opportunities to learn from national experts. “LANL is very eager and willing to encourage more students to come to their facilities, and they want to branch out. They seem to really like UT students,” Baker said. Parga and Baker said about 40 UT students worked at LANL this summer, and undergraduate students in UT’s science and engineering programs can intern at LANL as well. Several UT graduates also currently work with LANL, and many employment opportunities exist, Parga said. “It’s an exciting time for Los Alamos right now,” Parga said. “They’re hiring a lot of new students like us to come and learn from these people that are retiring so the knowledge can be retained for the future when we’re going to become experts on these systems.”
The UT Counseling and Mental Health Center will start its annual “Suicide Prevention Week,” which seeks to raise awareness and advance conversations about mental health, on Tuesday. Until Friday, CMHC will hold panel discussions and interactive workshops surrounding self-care, mental health in the media and how to help a friend in distress. Kelsey Lammy, CMHC’s mental health promotion coordinator, said this year’s Suicide Prevention Week theme is community, and is intended to foster an environment in which students take care of each
other, especially in the context of current events. “This year we really try to be current and think about what are our needs of our students this year and what’s happening in the world that could impact our students,” Lammy said. “For example … I know Hurricane Harvey was really hard for a lot of people. How can we practice self-care when there’s really difficult times?” Lammy said this week will also address the media’s influence on students’ mental health. “In this past year, more and more, there have been Netflix shows and music that talks about mental health,” Lammy said. “We really try to talk (about) … how we can be critical
consumers of the media.” Journalism junior Alyssa Quiles said she is interested in the event because she knows how it feels to suffer from depression. “High school was a pretty dark time for me,” Quiles said in an email. “I made it a personal mission to help others realize that there is always hope in anyway I can … No one should ever have to feel so alone or so lost to where they think suicide is an answer.” Biochemistry junior Alice Kanitz said she plans to come to at least one of the events because of her interest in becoming a psychiatrist. Kanitz said events like these are very important in a community of college students,
“People have resources like CMHC but they don’t go because they are afraid of the stigma that it will bring, and it’s important to dispel that.” —Alice Kanitz, Junior
especially considering the level of stress they are under. “I think we need to reduce the stigma there is around certain mental illnesses,” Kanitz said. “Peo-
ple have resources like CMHC but they don’t go because they are afraid of the stigma that it will bring, and it’s important to dispel that.”
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CAMPUS
Students fashion collection drive for Harvey, Irma By Nicole Stuessy News Issue Reporter
Students from The Audacity magazine and UT Fashion Group are hosting a collection drive to assist Hurricane Harvey and Irma victims. Melina Perez, creative director for The Audacity, said the groups want to donate items to local organizations because they directly deliver the collected items to the shelters and victims who need them the most. Bins for the drive, which started Sept. 6 and ends Wednesday, are located in Mary E. Gearing Hall. “If you try to donate to bigger organizations, they don’t
try to really use that money to help them,” said Perez, a textiles and apparel senior. “We just thought it would be an obvious choice to start donating to Harvey (relief) because it was such a big hurricane that happened in our own state.” Jessica Teran, a textiles and apparel senior, said she had a friend who was trapped in a building because of flooding from Harvey, which inspired the group to organize the drive. “I was able to keep communication with him and he was sending me photos of just how devastating it all was, and I was just like, ‘There’s got to be something we can do,’” Teran said. “Later, he actually got
rescued, and he stayed there working in the shelter. He was telling me how they need clothing and stuff for kids, so we just decided to put the drive together based off of that.” Items they look to collect are blankets, plus size clothing, school supplies, small toys, books, dog food and first aid materials. “The amount of outpour Houston has gotten so far has been a lot,” Teran said. “People were really quick to react, so we just wanted to fill the void as far as the items that weren’t necessarily already given, like clothing for people who are a little bit larger and smaller items for babies — stuff like
that that was going really fast.” Perez said the drive was originally intended to benefit Hurricane Harvey relief efforts, but they hope to expand it to provide victims of Hurricane Irma in Florida and the Caribbean with resources, as well. While the group hasn’t decided which Houston charity they will donate the items to, they plan to make the delivery in person. “I personally have had friends who have gone down there with boats and helped rescue people, but I know that’s not something that people can easily do,” Teran said. “I think people need to be more aware of all the options to help.
Locally, you can just buy food or certain items and the proceeds are going to victimst that have been displaced byr a Hurricane Harvey.” Athletic training freshmanm Zoe Young said drives are im-r pactful because many have lost their homes and belongings asc t a result of the disaster. “I’m from Houston, ando I know a lot of people thatc had to move into church-i es,” Young said. “Withouts that, they wouldn’t havep anywhere to go, and theset places provide free food,e clothing, shoes and anythingw these people need. Theseh drives really do make ao w big difference.”
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Tuesday, September 12, 2017
DACA
continues from page 1 international relations and global studies at UT, where she graduated in 2015. She currently works as an accountant downtown with the possibility of pursuing a career in law waiting on the horizon. But the life Lopez has worked so hard for was thrown out of balance last week when U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the White House was rescinding a program that makes work possible for her and other undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children and teens. The decision was delayed for six months, or nearly two semesters, so Congress can work on a legislative path forward. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, dates back to 2012, when former president Barack Obama authorized it in an executive order to protect beneficiaries from being deported and gave them work permits on top of a social security number for a two-year period. Obama gave the order after Congress failed to pass the DREAM Act, immigration reform that would have given undocumented immigrants — or “Dreamers” — similar benefits and protections. Recipients were eligible for DACA if they came to the U.S. before 2007 at the age of 16 or younger. They couldn’t have felonies on their record and no more than three misdemeanors, among other requirements. While attending UT, Lopez, who first applied for DACA in 2012, was able to work as a messenger in the Texas Legislature and as an intern for an Austin law firm. She also scored a number of private scholarships — DACA recipients are not eligible for federal financial aid — to help out with the cost of tuition and rent. Navigating life was often difficult, but at least now it was possible. An uncertain future Daniela Rojas saw the DACA decision coming, but nothing could prepare her for
carlos garcia| daily texan staff
how she felt the day Sessions officially made the announcement. “The one thing that really pissed me off was when he said ‘illegal aliens’ are taking American jobs. Like, what the fuck?” said Rojas, a Latin-American studies junior. “He really said that. Who does that? That is so wrong.” Rojas came to the U.S. from Bogota, Colombia, with her parents when she was 11. She is currently a member of Jolt, a Texas-based group that encourages political power among Latinos, which has a UT chapter she is a part of. “To have this news was so discouraging,” Rojas said. “We keep organizing, showing people that we’re here and that
we’re fighting back, and then (they) hit me with this news.” There isn’t a clear answer for how many students are in the same situation as Rojas. The UT System nor the University track whether students are DACA recipients like many universities across Texas, according to spokespeople from both entities. The University of Oklahoma has 80 students who are in the program, according to the university’s newspaper. While she has some memories of life back in Colombia, Rojas said her whole life is here in the U.S., and even most of her family lives in the States with her while a small amount remain back home. Rojas said the thought of
being deported back to Colombia is terrifying, but it’s a spine-chilling possibility that
“Being a Dreamer means you live in uncertainty all the time, because you never know what’s going to happen.” —Daniela Rojas, Junior
she’s grown accustomed to while in college. Now, it’s just
closer to reality. “Being a Dreamer means you live in uncertainty all the time, because you never know what’s going to happen,” Rojas said. “Like this — I have DACA one day, and the next it’s gone.” But Rojas is undeterred. After the decision, she said a number of former teachers, friends and family reached out offering their support. “People are going to fight this back,” Rojas said. For the next six months, there is not much Lopez, Rojas and others like them can do but lobby Congress for a legislative fix — which many hope comes in the form of a revamped DREAM Act. Rojas said she’ll be fine until
2019, when her work permit expires. Others whose work permits expire before March 5, 2018–leaving them unable to renew–aren’t as lucky. The White House is also not taking any new DACA applications following their decision, putting undocumented students preparing for college in a bind. For Lopez, her plans for law school and her current career prospects were put on hold as she waits with uncertainty for forces out of her control. “I get so upset because my life has not been easy,” Lopez said. “I just wish that I could plan my life and have my own things, without people trying to take them away.”
RESEARCH
New study shows apologizing may increase pain of rejection By Raga Justin News Issue Reporter
New research conducted by UT and Dartmouth psychologists suggests that apologizing after socially rejecting someone does little to repair hurt feelings and, in fact, may make matters worse. The study, released last month in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, said while apologies are usually made with
Previous research has focused primarily on targets of social rejection. This study aimed to do the opposite, looking instead at the rejectors themselves and how they could effectively use language to minimize negative emotional effects. In one experiment, participants viewed two rejection interactions with and without an apology. Those who viewed the rejection with an apology felt
The final study showed rejected participants are more likely to seek revenge. Rejectees had the opportunity to give their rejectors hot sauce, after being told that person didn’t like spicy foods. Those who were given apologies were motivated to add more hot sauce to food the rejectors taste tested. “It’s pretty interesting that the people in the study took revenge because while most peo-
“It’s pretty interesting that the people in the study took revenge because while most people who are told sorry are not going to actually do anything in retaliation, it shows more of the instinct response.”
the intention of smoothing ruffled feathers, those who use apologies in their rejection are more likely to upset those they rejected. “Using both college and community samples, we found that approximately 40 percent of people spontaneously included an apology when trying to reject in a good way,” said Gili Freedman, social psychologist and co-author of the study, in an email. “However, rejections with apologies were associated with more hurt feelings and higher levels of aggression than rejections without apologies.”
—Alexandra O’Gourman, Freshman
obligated to express forgiveness, but did not indicate that they felt forgiveness. “The rejector saying sorry immediately could feel more obligatory, forcing the target to feel compelled to forgive instead of allowing them to work through their initial feelings,” said psychology junior Annaliese Welmaker. In another experiment, 39 percent of participants included an apology when declining a social request. When participants were asked to imagine themselves in the rejected position, they reported higher feelings of hurt.
ple who are told sorry are not going to actually do anything in retaliation, it shows more of the instinct response,” said Alexandra O’Gorman, communication sciences and disorders freshman. Freedman calls social rejection a “fact of life” and emphasizes the need for research to look at rejectors more in order to fully understand their motivations as well as potential consequences. “This research provides a first step in understanding the impact of language choices on rejection outcomes,” Freedman said.
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LAURA HALLAS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
@TexasOpinion
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
COLUMN
GUEST COLUMN
Rejection of Obama policies Title IX changes signal shows contempt for victims victory for due process By Liza Anderson
ates have been assaulted. At least nine percent of victims took time off of school after their assaults, while five percent had to drop at least On Thursday, Secretary of Education Bet- one class. Rape hurts a university’s culture and its sucsy DeVos announced her intentions to repeal Obama-era protections for victims of sexual as- cess as a learning institution. The “preponderance of the evidence” stansault on college campuses. Specifically, she targeted a 2011 “Dear Colleague” letter that estab- dard in university hearings reflects the severlished a lowered evidentiary standard for college ity of the hearing’s consequences compared to a criminal court. Being suspended from your rape hearings. elite university is not Title IX gives the fedthe same as prison eral government the autime. Being expelled thority to deny funding to is not the same as beschools that discriminate coming a registered on the basis of gender, but The argument that sex offender. the statute has morphed Expelling or suswith judicial interpretarape doesn’t belong pending accused tion into an accountability assailants doesn’t system for colleges in their in college hearings play the same role as handling of sexual assault. relies on the conviction in a crimDeVos’ rejection of inal court. Schools this system — which she assumption that oversee the creation claims is motivated by of a safe learning a desire to ensure equal rape doesn’t affect environment — not rights “on both sides” criminal punish— ignores the reality of university life. ment — and vicsexual assault and further tims cannot prosper abandons survivors alwhen they’re forced ready left in the lurch by to coexist with their our justice system. rapists. DeVos’ argument for Further, we only argue about the due prorepealing the “preponderance of the evidence” standard relies on the assumption that assail- cess rights of accused rapists. Many schools ants are disenfranchised because schools inflict — including the University of Texas — use punishments without holding them to the same the “preponderance of the evidence” standard standards used in the justice system. Proponents in disciplinary hearings for all student conof DeVos’ move demand that colleges hold their duct violations. Yet no one rallies on behalf of disciplinary courts to the “beyond a reasonable the rights of accused cheaters or vandals who are expelled in much higher numbers than doubt” standard used in criminal courts. Opponents of the lowered standard say that accused rapists. We tend to believe their accolleges should not be in the business of pros- cusers when they come forward. The “preponderance of the evidence” stanecuting sexual assault — they should leave it to the justice system. Yet this assumption ignores dard was established for a reason. Emphasizing the fact that our justice system historically fails the problem of potential discrimination against the accused reflects a warped worldview that victims of sexual assault. Only 31 percent of survivors report to the prioritizes the rights of rapists over the rights police. Only 1.1 percent ever go to court. Only of their victims. This is not the central problem .6 percent of rapists will ever be convicted. Yet facing our universities, yet the Department of experts agree that only between 2 and 10 per- Education acts as though it is. Yes, our system is broken. Fix it. Create a juscent of assault claims are false. The argument that rape doesn’t belong in a tice system that convicts more than .6 percent of college hearing relies on the assumption that rapists. Create a culture that cares about survirape doesn’t affect university life. Over 23 per- vors. Stop pretending this is about equality. cent of female students experience sexual asAnderson is a Plan II and history sophomore sault. At UT, 15 percent of female undergradu- from Houston. Associate Editor
By Grace Leake Guest Columnist
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is planning to change Obama-era guidance on sexual assault in colleges — and that’s a good thing. Last Thursday, Betsy DeVos announced her plans to reconsider the Obama administration’s interpretation of Title IX. This law, passed in 1972, bans gender discrimination in education. During the Obama administration, the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights released the now infamous “Dear Colleague Letter,” a document that expanded the scope of Title IX and gave colleges directions on handling sexual harassment and assault. Publicly funded schools, faced with the threat of losing access to federal student aid, quickly complied with the department’s demands. However, many of the procedures outlined in the Dear Colleague Letter seriously violated due process principles. For instance, the department instructed colleges to use a “preponderance of the evidence” burden of proof when evaluating complaints. This standard finds the accused guilty if more than 50 percent of the evidence points towards their guilt. Preponderance of evidence is the most relaxed standard in the whole judicial system. In contrast, sexual assault cases tried outside the university demand the much higher standard of guilt established “beyond a reasonable doubt.” The consequences of a guilty finding are weighty; students are subject to social ostracization and possible expulsion that will have lasting effects on their futures. Is it right to use such a flimsy standard when dealing with such serious crimes, simply because these crimes occur in a university setting? In addition to lowering the standard of evidence, the Dear Colleague Letter also created a form of double jeopardy by forcing colleges to let accusers appeal a ruling of not-guilty. Even when a student is found innocent, they can still be tried again in a blatant obstruction of Fifth Amendment rights. Protecting individuals from being tried more than once for the same offense, the Fifth Amendment is a fundamental element of justice. Without this principle, a person could be prosecuted again and again until the accuser receives a decision they like. The accused is haunted
by an allegation that cannot be settled in a final resolution of innocence. This avenue to prosecute indefinitely until a guilty sentence is passed has no place in a society purporting to assume innocence until guilt is proven. Even more distressingly, the department restricted alleged perpetrator’s freedoms in court. It discouraged colleges from allowing students to cross-examine their accusers, citing the potential “traumatic or intimidating” effect upon the alleged victim. But cross-examination is one of the most basic elements of a fair trial. It allows both sides to analyze the others’ arguments, to sift reality from falsehoods and give the adjudicators a more complete view of the evidence. To take away the right of cross-examination is to make a mockery of the entire court process. If DeVos reforms Obama-era guidance, it will be a sweeping victory for due process rights across the nation and its universities. However, critics are already declaring DeVos as being “pro-rape.” Many rape victims never speak up or receive justice, and critics rightfully ask if it is appropriate to expand rights for the accused when rape victims face so much suffering. However, lowering the standards of justice won’t help protect victims, and will only imperil others’ civil rights. To be pro-justice is not to be prorape. A false dichotomy is being presented. Protection of the victim does not demand violation of the accused’s rights. Combating rape and sexual harassment on campus should be one of the UT community’s main goals. It is imperative that each student, faculty member and administrator should fight for this change. Change starts on the individual level, with honest conversations about and alertness to sexual harassment and situations that could lead to assault. Educational programs that UT has implemented, such as Haven and AlcoholEdu, are steps in the right direction. There is still much ground to cover. But in the pursuit of protecting victims, we must not allow the basic rights of the accused to be violated. We must strive to protect all students, whether they are the accusers or the accused. If we don’t, we create a sham justice system that disservices our whole campus. Leake is a Plan II and business freshman from Austin.
Illustration by Melanie Westfall| Daily Texan Staff
COLUMN
AISD bond allows for vital modernization By Emily Vernon Senior Columnist
Austin Independent School District’s 89.7 percent high school graduation rate is one of the highest in the country, and students in the district consistently exceed the national SAT and ACT averages. But excellence comes with a price. To keep our local school district at the top, we must continue to invest in modernized classrooms and avoid stagnation. Such is the goal of AISD’s $1.1 billion bond proposal. The bond admittedly comes with sticker shock, but AISD officials promise that its passage won’t increase property taxes. While the money will go toward issues such as campus security, transportation and revival of dilapidated campuses, the majority of it will help address schools’ 21st century needs, including campus upgrades and reconstruction in the name of modernization — concepts that can’t be ignored if we wish our students to continue succeeding in such high numbers. “Modernized learning spaces” is a relatively broad term, but it essentially means any space that reflects current pedagogy practices. Right now, those spaces are built with technology, collaboration and strengths-based teaching in mind. If you’ve stepped on the UT campus recently, chances are you’ve seen what this looks like. Take the Learning Commons in the Perry-Castaneda Library, for example. The Learning Commons — which includes the Digital Media Lab, the University Writing Center and Learning Labs — was unveiled in 2015. Since then, it has proven a vital space for students, giving us clean
workspaces with the technology and tools for collaborative and innovative work that we don’t get on the silent floor of the library or at a coffee shop. We attend a school of 50,000 students and our classes often require more than just a pen and paper — a sharp divergence from the past. Alice Batt, assistant director of the UWC, was involved in the creation of the Learning Commons. Before the UWC’s location in the PCL, it was housed in a 1,500 square foot room that was noisy and often brimming with students. To modernize the new location, reduced distraction rooms were created to better serve students with learning disabilities and better lighting was installed. Batt said she no longer sees students who have strong seating preferences because the entire space is more inviting thanks to a combination of natural and installed lighting. Additionally, she noted the Learning Commons’ 24-hour opening. “It allows students to feel like they have a certain amount of possession over the space. It’s been remarkable to see how students have taken over these spaces and made them their own.” Those in charge of the Learning Commons understood that to make a truly modernized learning space, they couldn’t just throw new technology into a room and call it done. Such a space extends beyond technology — hence why “modernization” and “technology” are separate categories in AISD’s proposal. Once again, we can look at the Learning Labs for an example of this. Batt said she often comes into work in the morning to see students working on complex problems together using the white boards. This
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.
Infographic by Aaliyah Jenkins | Daily Texan Staff
type of collaboration wouldn’t manifest in the same way using pen and paper, yet it has become an integral aspect of the professional world. We’ve seen the success of modernized learning spaces on the UT campus, so it’s time Austinites afford the same necessities to AISD students. While high school is obviously different from college in many different ways, teaching pedagogy often transcends age and usually reflects current workforce patterns. To better prepare students for the ever-ominous “real world” they’re
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so often reminded of, we must afford them the necessary tools, which means more than just pen and paper. Modernization will enhance the experience of AISD students, many of whom attend a school that’s 40 years to 100 years old, allowing them to complete assignments as directed with greater ease and allow teachers to better adapt their curriculums to students’ needs. This bond is a necessity. Vernon is an anthropology and rhetoric and writing junior from The Woodlands.
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Tuesday, September 12, 2017
FOOTBALL
Herman discusses USC, quarterback situation By Trenton Daeschner Assoc. Sports Editor
The Longhorns are coming off of their first win of 2017 and the Tom Herman era after a 56-0 thrashing of San Jose State at home on Saturday. On Monday, Herman met with the media for his weekly press conference. Here are three notes from his press conference. Herman still unsure of starting quarterback Sophomore quarterback Shane Buechele is still nursing a bruised throwing shoulder injury he suffered against Maryland. Buechele missed all of practice in the week leading up to the San Jose State game and did not play Saturday. Freshman Sam Ehlinger made his debut for the Longhorns and threw for 222 yards and a touchdown. Herman said Monday that Buechele is “getting better every day” and that Tuesday’s practice will be “a big benchmark” for the status of his health. But
Herman made it clear that Buechele won’t just be given the starting job back. “If Shane’s healthy, he’s got to go prove that he’s also competent in practice, just like any other week,” Herman said. “If Shane can throw (Tuesday) and is fully cleared, then he’s gonna go with the ones, but he’s got to obviously have a really good practice to make sure that he stays with the ones on Wednesday.” If Buechele can’t play for a second-consecutive game, Ehlinger will be called upon again. Herman praised Ehlinger for stepping up during Buechele’s absence. “From the day I met him, this is an extremely mature guy,” Herman said. “He’s a bit of an old soul. (He’s) really, really mature for a guy his age and in his position, and I think that’s what has allowed him to step into this role maybe a little bit easier than most.” Texas gets its first road test this Saturday Saturday will be the
Longhorns’ first road contest this season — and it’s a big one. No. 4 USC is a favorite to make the College Football Playoff. The last time Texas met USC was in the 2005 BCS National Championship game at the Rose Bowl. Vince Young led No. 2 Texas to a 41-38 upset win over Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart and No. 1 USC — which at the time snapped the Trojans’ 34-game winning streak. The Longhorns are 15.5-point underdogs against the Trojans on Saturday. Herman was asked if the Longhorns are mentally ready for such a big matchup. “We’ll find out Saturday,” Herman said. “I feel like they will be. We’re not gonna leave any stone unturned. We’ll be in as good a place mentally as we can be. I have confidence that they’ll respond. They showed me a lot last week with how they responded, and now we’ve gotta take yet another step in maturing to be able to beat a
brooke crimm| daily texan staff
Freshman quarterback Sam Ehlinger evades San Jose State defenders in his first start as a Longhorn. Ehlinger is only the 10th true freshman to start in Texas football history.
top-five team on the road.” Longhorns prepare for Sam Darnold Herman, defensive coordinator Todd Orlando and the Texas defense will have their hands full on Saturday night when the Longhorns face sophomore
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quarterback Sam Darnold. Darnold is widely heralded as the best quarterback in college football and a potential No. 1 draft pick in 2018. “The things that impress me are the things that concern me since we’re playing against him,”
Herman said. “Really football-smart guy, can make every throw in the book, really can from all different kinds of arm angles. I think when you see him and you see his stature you think, ‘Oh, this guy can’t run.’ The guy can run, and he’s pretty elusive.”
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MICHAEL SHAPIRO SPORTS EDITOR
@texansports
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
FOOTBALL
BIGnotebook XII
NFL VS. SAINTS
VIKINGS
By Michael Shapiro Sports Editor
MLB
Big 12 opponents shock and get shocked in non-conference play
VS. RANGERS
As the Longhorns nabbed their first win of the year against San Jose State on Saturday, five Big 12 teams came away with wins of their own, while three faltered against non-conference opponents. Here’s how the conference fared in week two.
MARINERS
I Hate QB’s & RB’s
Sooners stun Ohio State
Bears shocked, again
TCU avenges 2016 defeat
Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield planted the Sooners’ flag at midfield in Columbus, Ohio, following the team’s 31-16 victory over Ohio State on Saturday night, marking the program’s biggest win of the Lincoln Riley era. Stabbing the Sooners’ flag into the turf put an exclamation mark on Mayfield’s standout performance, an evening in which the senior threw for 386 yards and three touchdowns. The win vaulted Mayfield into the Heisman conversation a year after he finished third in voting for the award. As for his team, the Sooners jumped from No. 5 to No. 2 in the AP poll. The Sooners received two first-place votes, trailing Alabama and its 58 first-place nods.
Baylor suffered its second–consecutive loss on Saturday, falling to UTSA 17-10 at McLane Stadium in Waco. The Bears entered the matchup as 18-point favorites, one week after losing to Liberty while entering the contest favored by over 37 points. Not exactly the start to the season new head coach Matt Rhule was looking for. The defeat spurred a change of quarterback for the Bears. Rhule announced on Monday that sophomore Zach Smith will earn the start next week over senior Anu Solomon, a transfer from Arizona. Smith appeared in 10 games for Baylor in 2016, tossing 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Saturday’s loss marked Baylor’s first 0–2 start since 2003, and the team’s first four-game home losing streak dating back to 2007. And things don’t project to get easier anytime soon. The Bears travel to Durham, North Carolina, for a battle with 2–0 Duke next week, and they’ll face the red-hot Sooners one week after.
Arkansas handed TCU its first loss of the season in 2016 when the Razorbacks came away with a double-overtime victory in Fort Worth. After the Horned Frogs stormed back in the 4th quarter with a 21-8 run to tie the game, Arkansas quarterback Austin Allen scampered into the endzone from five yards out. The loss dropped TCU to 1–1 on the year, a prelude to the team’s disappointing 6–7 campaign. The Horned Frogs exacted revenge on Arkansas on Saturday, though, leaving Fayetteville with a 28–7 victory. TCU leaned on its rushing attack throughout the day, led by sophomore Darius Anderson. The Rosenberg native entered Saturday’s contest with just 296 career yards, but registered his first 100-yard game against the Razorbacks, ending the evening with 106 yards and a touchdown. Look for Anderson to be a larger focus of the Horned Frogs’ offense moving forward.
@_GaryJohnson
“We All We Got We All We Need @ TexasFootball”
1980 Retired NBA and Chinese professional basektball player Yao Ming is born.
Sun does it again: Lexi Sun named ‘Freshman of The Week’ FOOTBALL
Texas carries momentum into Los Angeles By Alex Briseno Senior Sports Reporter
Longhorns prepare for biggest test of the year with No. 4 USC Texas did just what it needed to do on Saturday, getting in the win column as heavy favorites against San Jose State. The Longhorns, who received attention throughout the offseason after the addition of defensive coordinator Todd Orlando, generously allowed 51 points in their season-opening loss to Maryland. That wasn’t expected to happen, not in the season-opener. Herman, along with the majority of the team, seemingly said the same thing in unison, “That wasn’t us.” And they showed it by displaying the stingy side of its defense in the 56-0 shutout against San Jose State, just seven days following their lackluster performance in the season opener. “They were embarrassed, and they knew that wasn’t them,” head coach Tom Herman said following Texas’ win. “And coach Orlando and his staff put them in a great position, got them right mentally, and hats off to the kids for cutting it loose today and playing really, really aggressive and without hesitation.” Cutting it loose — a term Herman has used since the beginning of preseason camp — was a key difference in his team’s blowout victory Saturday. “I told those guys (to) go out there and play as hard as you can, as fast as you can,” junior linebacker Malik Jefferson said. “Because we needed this shutout to prove to people that we could actually do it and prove to ourselves that we could do it first.” Texas’ 56-0 victory should be worth more than etching a one in the win column — it should provide the Longhorns with momentum before heading to Southern California on Saturday. “Momentum is great,” junior wide receiver
juan figueroa| daily texan staff
The Longhorn defense swarms a San Jose State wide receiver during Texas’ 56-0 victory over the Spartans on Saturday, The Longhorns now look forward to a showdown with No. 4 USC.
Jerrod Heard said. “Especially leading into a big game. That’s what all teams look for, is momentum. I feel like that’s a great feeling to have going into an important week.” The Longhorns will need all the momentum they can get next week. They aren’t facing a Mountain West team anymore. Rather, they’re preparing for a battle with No. 4 USC — at the Los Angeles Coliseum in front of an expected sellout crowd. “We won that game because we played so hard and we’ve got really good players,” Herman said. “ … They like the feeling of improvement and I think they’re proud, too. But they also know we’ve got to go into a hostile environment to play one of the best teams in the country that is playing really, really well right now.” USC will present Texas with arguably its biggest
test of the season, and one question has risen just two weeks into the season: Which team is the real Texas? Is it the Longhorns who lost to Maryland in their season-opener or the Longhorns who shutout San Jose State on Saturday? Although the Longhorns have another chance to prove who they are on a national stage, Herman doesn’t expect his team to derive any motivation from their week one loss. He isn’t worried about proving anything to anybody except his team. “I think each game poses its own motivation,” Herman said. “This one is, the motivation is you’re playing one of the best teams in the country, one of the premier teams in the history of college football in the Los Angeles Coliseum. There’s plenty of motivation, regardless of what you want to show or prove to anybody.”
Despite Texas’ loss to No. 1 Minnesota on Friday, freshman outside hitter Lexi Sun was named Big 12 ‘Freshman of The Week’ for the second-consecutive week. Sun posted 43 kills on 91 attacks while only committing 13 errors over the weekend. Sun also added 24 digs with seven blocks, earning her a spot on the American Campus Classic All-Tournament Team. The Longhorns looked strong in the three-match sweeps of Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Denver before they fell to No. 1 Minnesota, 1-3. Sun, the nation’s top recruit in 2017, made a noticeable impact immediately upon arriving onto campus. The freshman has already racked up back-to-back Big 12 ‘Freshman of The Week’ honors, but this recognition isn’t foreign to the California native. While in high school, Sun received Gatorade Player of the Year, P r e p Vo l l e y b a l l . c o m National Player of the Year, ALL-USA Volleyball Player of the Year and was ranked No. 1 on PrepVolleyball’s top-10 senior aces. Sun doesn’t appear to be stopping any time soon. She will have another opportunity to shine, this time against Texas’ arch-rival when the Longhorns travel to College Station to take on Texas A&M.
—Alex Briseno
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Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Adria Twyman
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Today’s solution will appear here next issue
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MORGAN O’HANLON LIFE&ARTS EDITOR
@thedailytexan
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
CAMPUS
UT student’s dance talent propels internet fame By Acacia Coronado Senior L&A Writer
From Korea to Texas to L.A., physics sophomore Charlotte Yun is dancing her way to international fame after taking center stage on social media. With less than two years of formal training, Charlotte Yun’s dancing has caught the attention of thousands via an Instagram account that went viral earlier this year. Yun said she has always loved to dance, but it wasn’t until she graduated high school that she joined a studio and began to get more formal training in hip hop — her main area of expertise. “Dancing is my favorite feeling in the world,” Yun said. Yun moved to Austin about six years ago after being born and raised in South Korea. She said it was on a trip back to visit family last year that she joined 1Million Dance Studio, where she started taking formal lessons, choreographing and producing videos. “It is a blessing that a lot of people know me by videos and have people recognize me on campus or when I go to dance events,” Yun said. Tyrik Patterson, who has danced with Yun and choreographed some of the videos on her Instagram, said her perseverance has been an inspiration to him. Patterson said he particularly admires the way Yun combines her individuality with the ideas he wants to showcase through his work. “To see her love it so much to share it on her personal Instagram, whether it be for countless number of followers or just one, is very meaningful to me,” Patterson said. Patterson isn’t the only student who has been inspired by her motivation. Radio-television-film junior Adrian Flores said he met Yun when she was a freshman and they began dancing together in Jester outside of J2. Flores
said her ambition has inspired him to use her as the feature artist for his video production class project. “She knows who she is and that’s how she portrays herself on social media,” Flores said. “People can follow and appreciate that. Her videos show that and show her growth. Her videos a year ago are not the same as her videos now — it is very inspiring.” Meanwhile, Yun continues to pursue her love of science as she finishes her degree in physics. Dance careers are short, she said — so she wants to teach dance but is happy to have a backup plan that she is also passionate about. She hopes to use this as an opportunity to inspire others to follow all of their dreams, not simply pick one. “You only live life once, so why stick to one thing?” Yun said. “I want to graduate with good grades because I want to show people that anyone can do what they want. I want to do it for college students, other women, other minorities that might not believe in themselves as much as they should.” Though her account was hacked and disabled last week, and Yun hasn’t yet received a response from Instagram about whether she’ll be able to get it back, her new account created last week has already garnered more than 600 followers. Despite the setback, Yun said she remains hopeful she will be able to continue using social media to share her art as she has already started moving forward, posting several recent videos on her new account. Yun said she will continue dancing as long as she can, and plans to keep sharing her art with the world as she balances her dance goals with her academic ambitions. “It gives me so much energy that after taking a dance class or making a video I can’t sleep until 3 a.m.,” Yun said. “It gives me so much life, positivity and confidence in and out of dance.”
sezzy rodriguez| daily texan staff
Physics sophomore Charlotte Yun has generated a large following on Instagram with her hip-hop dancing.
MUSIC
Austin artists weave politics into music By Chris Duncan Senior L&A Writer
With today’s divisive political climate, it’s impossible to ignore the effect music has on an individual’s beliefs. Add Austin’s thriving music scene, a variety of local issues and a plethora of strongly opinionated artists, and Austin is a ticking time bomb of political music. Over the years, some of the city’s biggest artists have woven politics into their music.
Editor’s note: In this special edition of Tat-Tuesday, three Washington Conservation Corp members contributing to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts showcase their ink at tattoo parlor Diablo Rojo on Guadalupe.
By Daisy Wang L&A Associate Editor
Twenty-year-old Jesse Cadigan has always had an unparalleled bond with mountains — he grew up at the base of one in Maryland. But it wasn’t until a particularly rough patch during his senior year of high school, and a kind gesture from his best friend, that he decided to commemorate how much both of them meant to him with his first tattoo. “(This mountain) was drawn by one of my best friends, and (the quote) is another best friend’s handwriting,” Cadigan said. “Things weren’t going very well, and she drew me this huge picture of things I had told her before that I liked, so if I was ever not in a good place, I could look at all the things that I have that I enjoy.” The fluid, bold lines of the mountains and the red sun are beautiful on their own, but Cadigan said the deeper meaning behind the tattoos make them special. “It has a nice flow to it, and the sun could be setting or rising,” Cadigan said. “Sometimes people need a day to end just so they can roll to the next one. And sometimes people need the sun to rise so they can have a restart. So no matter how you look at it, it’s always going to give you what you need.” One month later, Cadigan inked on a quote that he’s been fond of since the seventh grade as a constant reminder that he is his main motivator. “I never want to depend on someone to make me the person that I am,” Cadigan said. “What I have, who I am and what I can bring are the things that are going to make me push through anything I have going on.” Though they’re two separate tattoos, Cadigan said each makes the other look complete, and both are in a place that’s visible to him at all times. Depending on the day, he draws different
Shakey Graves Alejandro Rose-Garcia might go by a humorous made-up nickname, but his music is as down-to-earth as it can come. Performing songs that cross between folk, blues and rock and roll, Shakey Graves is one of Austin’s most famous young musicians, performing his old-timey songs both solo and with a band. Although his music isn’t centered around politics, Shakey Graves’ songs often contain brief societal critiques, telling stories of everything from gentrification to cultural appropriation and drug trade. More political outside of his music, Rose-Garcia uses his official Austin holiday, Shakey Graves Day, to raise money for charities including Planned Parenthood, American Gateways and the Environmental Defense Fund.
Magna Carda Live instrumental hip hop is a dying art, but Magna Carda plans to carry on the tradition in Austin. Similar to the likes of The Roots and MC Overlord, Magna Carda is the biggest up-and-coming Austin hip hop act, forming around Saint Edwards graduate Megan Tillman aka Megz Kelli. The band’s music bounces between piano chords, drumming and chimey guitar chords to form a free-flowing sound. Tillman’s lyrics often revolved around her identity and upbringing as a young African-American woman. Her lyrics echo the human experience, bringing discussions of race, family and politics into her poetic stories.
Sailor Poon One of the most active bands in Austin today, Sailor Poon’s shtick as an all-girl punk band goes far beyond their free spirit image. The 7-member outfit draws from the likes of Patti Smith and Siouxsie Sioux to help create their hard-hitting and anthemic rock sound. Focusing mainly on women’s rights, Sailor Poon takes their mission statement of “SOCIETY MADE US OBJECTS SO WE MIGHT AS WELL PROFIT” to heart. Whether it’s sexual freedom, misogyny or feminism, every Sailor Poon song stresses individual rights and the importance of being yourself.
carlos garcia| daily texan staff
20-year-old Jesse Cadigan tattoos helps motivate him through difficult times. Cadigan said that both separate tattos complete each other.
meanings from his ink, but regardless, they have a permanent place in his heart and on his skin. “Sometimes (the quote) is what I focus on when I feel like waiting for good things to come into my life, (and) I remind myself that the only
person I’m waiting on is me,” Cadigan said. “And I look at the mountain as a reminder of the place that I came from, the people that I left and the message that it brings me. Sometimes I need that setting sun or that rising sun.”
illustration by lexi acevado | daily texan staff