The Daily Texan 2017-10-24

Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2017

@thedailytexan | thedailytexan.com

Volume 118, Issue 50 CAMPUS

CAMPUS

Dean calms rumors of closing Fine Arts Library, talks of future

Squad aims for wastefree football stadium by year 2020

NATION

ost 15% lm a d se ea cr in te ra g n ti vo Undergraduate V

REGISOTER TRATI ON

By Maria Mendez Senior News Reporter

By Mason Carroll

84%

74.3%

The future of UT’s Fine Arts Library has come into question with recent layout changes and on-campus space constraints.

Over the last year, 75,000 Fine Arts Library books, music scores and periodicals were removed from the Fine Arts Library to off-campus storage. As a result, rumors about the closure of the library in the E. William Doty Fine Arts Building began circulating after the College of Fine Arts released a survey about the use of the library in early October.

Concerned students sent a petition against collection material removal with approximately 800 signatures to Douglas Dempster, Dean of the College of Fine Arts, last Monday.

The closure reports were “greatly exaggerated,” and recent changes to the Fine Arts Library resulted from the needs of the college, said Dempster in a four-page letter to college members.

“From correspondence I’ve received, it’s clear that some students and faculty believe that a decision has been made to ‘close the Fine Arts Library,’” Dempster said in an email. “The very suggestion is abhorrent. No such decision has been made nor should it.”

The Fine Arts Library currently holds 200,000 items on campus, but 60 percent of collection materials have already been moved to storage facilities off-campus, according to a new Fine Arts Library Frequently Asked

VOTIN RATESG

News Reporter

56.4% 41.7%

2016

2012

2012

2016

While some students spend game day cheering in the stands, students in the Sustainability Squad spend their game day sorting trash.

The Sustainability Squad is a group of students who sort waste into compost, recyclable or landfill categories during and after each football game with the goal of making the stadium zero waste by 2020.

The group’s goal is part of the overall UT campus goal to become zero waste, meaning 90 percent of total waste stream would be diverted from the landfill,

by Aug. 31, 2020, according to the UT Resource Recovery website.

“Sustainability is something that could and should bring everyone together,” said Lauren Lichterman, Sustainability Squad operations and sustainability coordinator.

In addition to volunteers who sort trash that has already been disposed, the group has volunteers like Manar Hasan who stand beside trash bins around the stadium to help attendees sort their own trash and educate people about the program.

“If thousands of people learn something, even if they learn to recycle just a little bit and apply it in their own lives … it’ll have a much bigger impact,” said Hasan, environmental studies graduate student.

The stadium is currently at about a 50 percent diversion rate. If the group is unable to reach the stadium’s zero waste goal, it is

50.4%

2016*

*Average voting rate for all institutions in 2016

SOURCE: UT AUSTIN’S NSLVE infographic by aaliyah jenkins| daily texan staff

UT earns top spot in voter turnout

By London Gibson Senior News Reporter

UT’s undergraduate voter turnout rose from 41.7 percent to 56.5 percent.

Undergraduate students who showed up at the polls for last year’s 2016 presidential election helped UT become the most improved university for undergraduate voting turnout in the country.

Out of almost 600 campuses across the nation, UT took home the gold last week for most improved undergraduate voter rate in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. Between 2012 and 2016, UT’s undergraduate voter turnout rose from 41.7 percent to 56.5 percent and rose above the national average of 50.4 percent, according to a report from the National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement released in August.

Kassie Barroquillo, program coordinator for TX Votes, the

organization representing UT in the challenge, said it is important for college students to pay attention to who is representing them in government.

“People think that young people don’t care,” Barroquillo said.

“As a millennial myself, (I) think it’s important to say, ‘Yes, we do care. Look at us caring.’”

Improving UT undergraduate voter turnout required getting more students registered. Barroquillo said in addition to approaching classrooms, sororities and organizations about voter registration, TX Votes trained over 200 students to be volunteer deputy registrars, so they could register others themselves.

“People were interested all around, but I think the really important thing is that this year there were enough people to fulfill (voter registration) requests,” Barroquillo said.

In addition, TX Votes established a Civic Engagement Alliance to unite UT organizations also working to improve voter

registration rates on campus. The organization alliance registered over 17,000 UT students to vote between 2012 and 2016, said TX Votes president Sarah Herzer.

One of the involved organizations was University Democrats, who alone contributed roughly 10,000 of the newly registered students, Barroquillo said.

University Democrats president Douglas Snyder said the organization was successful in registering students for a simple reason.

“It was just, go out on West Mall from 9 to 3 every day and yell, ‘Register to vote’ at the top of our lungs,” Snyder said. “There’s not some secret strategy, it’s just sitting out there in the cold and the heat and yelling.”

While UT students were yelling for registration on the West Mall, voter registration improved across the county as well. Bruce Elfant, Travis County’s voter registrar, said in a press conference last year that over 90 percent of voting-eligible residents had

VOTING continues on page 3

FINE ARTS page 3

ZERO WASTE page 2 PSYCHOLOGY

Distrust of clowns rooted in fear of unknown, experts say

By Sarah Bloodworth Associate S&T Editor

Fear of clowns, or coulrophobia, is no laughing matter.

According to a 2016 study called “On the Nature of Creepiness” by psychologist Francis McAndrew, participants said the most cringe-worthy occupation was clowns. Many psychological things go on in someone’s brain when they see Bozo, which according to many scientists, revolves around the concept of ambiguity.

UT psychology professor Joseph Dunsmoor said the inability to empathize emotionally with a clown may lead to the phobia. The makeup and disguises clowns wear could lead to a subconscious fear of them hiding their true identity or feelings.

“The inability to read the

illustration by geo casillas| daily texan staff

emotions on a clown’s face could be unsettling for some people,” Dunsmoor said. “We attempt to read other’s emotions automatically, and a painted-on smile interferes with that.”

While some people frown at the site of clowns due to bad experiences, scientists found certain characteristics of clowns to be particularly creepy. According to a study by the University of Sheffield, clowns are feared because people associate them with the unknown.

The study revealed that some people view clowns as something “alien” or “non-human” because of their exaggerated smile and wide eyes.

Local clown Mary Ochoa, or “Lulu the Clown,” said kids often fear her due to her appearance or past experiences.

“It’s something that is intrinsic

when you are young … someone probably had a bad experience,” Ochoa said. “When I work with children … they do get afraid because you’re like a cartoon character come to life. I’ve been asked if I’m even human … clowns are people too.”

Some research, including McAndrew’s, shows that the unpredictability of clowns causes uneasiness for people.

“A fear of clowns would certainly lead to a dramatic emotional reaction for someone who sees a clown when they aren’t prepared,” Dunsmoor said. “And they may avoid going to a circus or a kid’s birthday party.”

Economics junior Madison Eathorne, who isn’t afraid of clowns, said she thinks people who

NEWS

OPINION

LIFE&ARTS

SPORTS

University hits record fundraising and donation rates. PAGE 2

Columnists weight on Speedway and Austin’s soccer scene. PAGE 4

Born legally blind, ACC student turns to electronic glasses. PAGE 8

Quarterback position returns to state of uncertainty. PAGE 6

CLOWNS page 3

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Tuesday, October 24, 2017

ZERO WASTE

RESEARCH

Green Fee funds aquaponic farms

This issue of The Daily Texan is valued at $1.25

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“If the greenhouses were fixed up too nicely, it’s possible that professors with multi-million dollar research grants would want to move in, and we would essentially be kicked out,” Fitch said.

A benefit of the Green Fee grant

UNIVERSITY

By Raga Justin News Reporter

Even though he bought his first car last year, graduate student Matthew Haley still uses his bike to navigate to and from campus to avoid the hassles of parking and traffic. With high parking fees and competition for spots, students have been utilizing ride-hailing to get around Austin rather than driving their own cars.

The UT-Austin Energy Institute developed the comprehensive calculator rideordrive.org to offer consumers the chance to explore whether owning a car is worthwhile by testing different factors.

The site went live early last week.

Research associate Todd Davidson said he

and engineering professor Michael Webber were motivated to develop the site by the public’s increasing reliance on mobility services, such as Lyft and Uber. He said the site’s goal is educating the public on their choices, taking into account the non-obvious expenses related to car ownership.

“The cost of ownership often focuses on the sticker price of the car or the loan rate, and oftentimes they stop there,” Davidson said. “There are other costs that are maybe less obvious, which include say the maintenance of the car or the registration.”

Other hidden costs are parking and even maintenance of home garages, but the most important factor in solving the question of car ownership is

time, Davidson said.

“The crux of the question is the time you spend behind the wheel driving a car,” Davidson said.

“We started counting for some of those non-obvious costs, and we get a much better picture of the overall ownership — how much we need to spend, really, to maintain and operate our vehicles.”

While graduate student Matthew Haley owes a car, he bikes to campus to avoid parking garages.

“I played around a bit with (rideordrive.org) and realized that owning a car is probably a bad idea for me,” Haley said.

John Adamo, president of Longhorn Energy Club, said the questions raised

by Davidson and Webber are timely, especially with concern growing over

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excessive emissions.

“When it comes to energy and transportation, that’s an intersection that obviously has a lot of implications in where the next generation of our transportation system goes,” said Adamo, energy and earth resources graduate student.

The purpose of this research is not to force people to give up their cars, Davidson said.

“We don’t intend with this calculator to insist car ownership should be replaced,” Davidson said.

“We’re more so trying to assess the status quo and figure out ‘Can we do even better? Can we supplement car ownership with something that makes life even more efficient and potentially more affordable?’”

unrealistic that campus will be able reach the 2020 zero waste goal, Lichterman said.

“That’s had a really big impact on us and we don’t want to be the reason the campus can’t succeed, ”Lichterman said. “We want to do whatever we can to help out.”

Lichterman said volunteers have contributed almost 1,500 hours and saved at least 12,000 pounds of material from going to the landfill this season. She said they sort through 15 tons of the 40 tons of waste generated each game.

Jessica Dreiling, corporate communications senior and Sustainability Squad social media coordinator, said being a part of a cause like this drives her.

“At UT we pride ourselves on ‘What starts here changes the world,’ and we want to be one of the leaders in athletic sustainability and sustainability in general,” Dreiling said. “I really think that starts here at the stadium.”

One of the biggest contributors to waste reduction has been cooperation of vendors inside the stadium, Lichterman said. Caterers switched to either recyclable or compostable packaging and products at the request of the Sustainability Squad. This required about 85 percent of the products to change since last season.

“It’s amazing that they did that because we would be nowhere near zero waste and have no hope of being zero waste if they had not changed over those products,” Lichterman said.

Lichterman said another success of the sustainability program has been partnering with Central Texas Food Bank this season to donate leftover catering food to Texas families in need. This season they have donated about 1,300 meals to Central Texas families, Lichterman said.

There are many opportunities for student involvement, and Lichterman said they are always open to student ideas and volunteers.

“We love new challenges, and we love having student involvement,” Lichterman said. “That’s the bulk of what we do. We’re really passionate and we love hearing from people.”

MOVIES

UT sees third-highest fundraising year ever

By Tehreem Shahab

sorry for wasting everybody’s time

Director Gerald Johnson

—Kirstie Yong, Junior

UNIVERSITY

AUSTIN WEATHER TODAY Oct. 24

“Producing crops through aquaponics can save up to 90 percent of water used in traditional farming methods.

is that the students are guaranteed access to the improved greenhouses for at least five years.

Fitch said the group has struggled to improve their facilities in the past as a result of strict regulations, such as one that blocked their attempts to regulate the temperature in the greenhouse.

“We had put (shade cloths) on the outside of the greenhouse to reflect sunlight before it even got inside to reduce that heat,” Fitch said.

“UT told us it looked unaesthetic, and we had to take it down.”

Construction is currently underway on a new greenhouse facility on the roof of the Norman Hackerman Building that will replace greenhouses in Welch Hall.

Welch Building Manager Steven Moore said he expects the project to be done in December but unforeseen delays can and do happen in construction.

“We’re at the point now where we feel reasonably confident we can get it completed and utilize the holiday break to do the transfers from Welch to new facilities,” Moore said. “It’s a lot easier to get things done without 35,000 undergrads on the street.”

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UT Aquaponics has been approved for a $17,000 Green Fee grant to renovate two campus greenhouses, which students use to grow plants and farm fish in an sustainable environment.

This student run project is a relatively new method of soilless farming, UT Aquaponics member Kirstie Yong said.

“Producing crops through aquaponics can save up to 90 percent of water used in traditional farming methods,” mechanical engineering junior Yong said.

The Green Fee is a competitive grant program that funds sustainability projects by UT students, faculty and staff. Megan Fitch, UT Aquaponics project lead, said the group applied for grant money to add features and repair flaws, including missing glass panes that exposed the greenhouse to the environment.

The group works under the student organization Engineers for A Sustainable World. Their research is done in a shared space devoted to student projects in the two

greenhouses by Hogg Auditorium.

Environmental science senior Fitch said the group was originally concerned that renovating the greenhouse would make it appealing to professors looking for spaces to conduct future research.

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News Reporter

After the University received over 450 million dollars from more than 92,000 donors, the 2016–2017 fiscal year became UT’s third-highest fundraising year.

2016–2017 is a non-capital campaign year, meaning UT was not conducting comprehensive fundraising to reach an ambitious fundraising goal. Scott Rabenold, vice president of development, said UT receiving a large number of donations outside of a campaign year was an achievement.

“Usually comprehensive campaigns are seven or eight years long and usually there’s a little more focus and bigger gifts,” Rabenold said. “So this has made it very special.”

Rabenold said the reason why UT has had such success with donations this past year is because of the increased attention in networking with potential donors.

“The University has become more focused on how we work with our alumni and friends,” Rabenold said.

“We are getting a little bit better in our craft in talking to them about their opportunity to really have an impact. You’re seeing academic leadership spend more and more time on (talking to them) because it’s really about the opportunity to enrich the students and faculty through philanthropy.”

Eric Saldanha, the Internal Finance Director for Student Government, said the donations UT receives are being used efficiently to provide better resources for students.

“I can’t speak statistically, but it seems like most of these donations are going towards student-centered services,” said Saldanha, a business honors senior.

“A lot of the funds are earmarked for a program that directly impacts students, whether it is financial aid, study abroad or mental health services. When they’re putting together a gift package, I think it is a priority to make sure that some portion of it is coming back to students.”

Jordee Rodriguez, Liberal Arts Council president, said the Counseling and Mental Health Center is a resource on campus that could use more funding.

“The CMHC is stretched really thin,” government junior Rodriguez said. “They have 50,000 students to tend to, and often times it is hard for them to provide resources to every single one of them.”

Saldanha said the CMHC has structured itself well for UT’s large campus and has the potential to grow with increased donations.

“We have one of the nation’s leading mental health centers at a college,” Saldanha said. “The more money we pour into it, the more successful it’s going to be.”

Q

n t w b A carlos garcia| daily texan staff p Actor Woody Harrelson, who played President Lyndon B. Johnson in Rob Reiner’s film, o jokingly says to vote for director Bob Reiner after he criticized the current president in a b pre-screening of his latest movie, ‘LBJ.’ b b v C t battles Johnson faced during h may not be aware of.”

By Ross Burkhart “When you look at his ad- the 1960s with southern polit- m News Reporter ministration, it’s really one of ical leaders who challenged his h In an advance screening two presidents,” Reiner said. mission to carry out Kenne- t Monday night of director Rob “This is a very complex charac- dy’s vision of passing the Civil s p Reiner’s new movie, ‘LBJ,’ at- ter, and I wanted to see what I Rights Act.

‘LBJ’ shows early in homestate

tendees gained insight into former President Lyndon B. Johnson’s experience being catapulted into the presidency.

Oscar-nominated director Reiner and actor Woody Harrelson, who portrays Johnson, joined the audience in the Lady Bird Johnson Auditorium. The film, which is set to open in theaters nationwide Nov. 3, follows the life of Johnson following the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy.

Prior to the film, Reiner and Harrelson greeted the audience, drawing uproarious reactions.

“To present this here in Austin is a very exciting thing for us,” Harrelson said.

Reiner said the film would reveal “sides of LBJ that you

could bring to this character.”

Harrelson said capturing Johnson’s character was difficult as it meant mastering an accent and taking on a new persona, but Reiner’s direction guided him in the right direction.

“It was really helpful because Rob is such a maestro filmmaker,” Harrelson said. “Rob Reiner for president — 2020.”

Also in attendance for the Q&A session following the screening was history professor H.W. Brands.

“I really didn’t understand LBJ until I saw this movie,” Brands said. “I teach history here, and as soon as this film is available on Netflix, it’s going to make my rotation.”

The film largely explores the

Reiner said on the current state of racial tension in the F U.S., he feels President Donald I Trump has mishandled race b relations during his term as an l “ elected official.

“It’s appalling that we are liv- p

ing in this time in this country,” Reiner said. “We have some- D body now who does not un- i derstand (race relations), and c has no desire to understand it.” c Reiner then said the movie was strictly about Johnson and m was never intended to be char- b acterized as “the ultimate mov- s i ie about race relations.”

Members of the crowd stood h

up and cheers erupted for the f Oscar-nominated director.

“Hopefully this film will b be an inspiration for people,” b t Reiner said.

3

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

STATE

Study labels Methamphetamine as greatest drug threat to Texans

l o

t s n By Anna Lassmann News Reporter -

Methamphetamine remains the largest drug threat in Texas, causing 715 d f deaths in 2017, according e to a substance abuse trend d report published by social f work professor Jane Max- well last week.

“Meth has been a problem in the United States for e a number of years,” Maxd l well said. “Ten years ago, - (the U.S.) started limiting s access to cold medicines … When this happened the s Mexican drug dealers had s access to a chemical so they e could make meth … As a c result we’re seeing more - come in, more deaths, more g hospital admissions.” t The report shows cannabis is the second largest - drug threat in Texas, which n Maxwell said can be atf tributed to the trafficking , of the substance from states s that have legalized it.

- “The biggest problem - with cannabis is there’s less e and less of the home-grown y weed,” Maxwell said. “But

we’re seeing more and more trafficking of the more potent cannabis from Colorado and states that have legalized it. So it’s kind of changing the picture.”

Maxwell’s report also showed alcohol abuse had the highest number of reported cases entering into recovery programs, with 17,778 admissions.

Christine Duvauchelle, College of Pharmacy professor, said society normalizes alcoholism.

“Think about our culture, particularly Austin and our demographics — it really encourages or normalizes alcoholism,” Duvauchelle said. “Our downtown environment is really conducive to alcoholism.”

Duvauchelle said drug and alcohol addictions develop from biological needs for pleasure.

“There’s not just drug addiction, there’s all kinds of addictions,” Duvauchelle.

“You’re wired to enjoy things, things that are biologically relevant — eating, sex — it is imperative

as biological beings that we participate in the kind of activities that perpetuate our species.”

Sierra Castedo-Rodgers, director of the UT Center for Students in Recovery, said people ages 18–25 meet the criteria for substance use disorders at higher rates than other age groups.

“This group in general traditionally has always had a little bit more of a struggle, and the thing that has been really highlighting that is we’re starting to be more open about talking about recovery,” Castedo-Rodgers said.

People battling addiction need a family support system and support from a recovery group, Castedo-Rodgers said.

“Connecting them to a community of people in recovery, in addition to having support at home with their loved ones and with their friends from a non-recovery program, all of that stuff is really important,” Castedo-Rodgers said.

t o

y d e g t -

ADMISSIONS INTO SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENTS ALCOHOL 17, 778 ADMISSIONS MARIJUANA 16886 ADMISSIONS METHAMPHETAMINE 12519 ADMISSIONS HEROIN 10,328 ADMISSIONS

r s o g n e s ,

COCAINE 6,043 ADMISSIONS OTHER DRUGS 5,728 ADMISSIONS PRESCRIPTION OPIOIDS 2,546 ADMISSIONS BENZODIAZEPINES 1,337 ADMISSIONS SYNTHETIC CANNABINOIDS 698 ADMISSIONS SOURCE: JANE MAXWELL’S REPORT “SUBSTANCE ABUSE TRENDS IN TEXAS”

infographic by aaliyah jenkins| daily texan staff

- VOTING

continues from page 1

, t registered before the 2016 n election, reaching an allt time high.

- Snyder said it is importg ant to ensure everybody votes, but getting college students involved is particularly important, because it could set a habit for the rest of their life. He said students often do not realize the policies being voted on affect them too.

“Study after study shows that if somebody doesn’t start voting young, they’re

FINE ARTS

continues from page 1

Question memo.

Music performance junior Justin Ochoa signed the petition, because he worries music scores will be removed from the Fine Arts Library to an off-campus storage facility. The off-campus materials can be retrieved and accessed by students within three business days, said Travis Willman, UT Libraries Communications Director. Students like Ochoa, however, say moving more materials to storage hurts students, who often need to explore music scores for classes or to plan performances.

“I’ve been going to the Fine Arts Library since I was a freshman to just browse and I’ve learned a lot that way,” Ochoa said.

“Taking the scores off-campus would discourage that.”

Ochoa also worries Dempster is focusing on introducing more to the college without preserving current resources.

“They’ve been slowly moving away from a library towards a technology space,” said Ochoa. “Hearing about this is kind of heartbreaking.”

Over the summer, the fourth floor of the Fine Arts building, which housed books, periodicals and materials, was renovated into

almost for sure never going to vote,” Snyder said. “And the issues that we vote on … have a pretty significant impact on campus life.”

Herzer, a political communications junior, said TX Votes is now focusing their efforts on the local general election leading up to election day on Nov. 7.

“Once students start turning out to vote and start being an important part of the electorate, then we’re going to have a greater say in what happens in our government,” Herzer said. three classrooms and office spaces for new School of Design and Creative Technologies. A portion of the Fine Arts Library third floor was also transformed into the Foundry makerspace in the fall of 2016.

With more students and decreased use of collection materials, Dempster said re-evaluating the current structure of the Fine Arts Library is necessary. Circulation of the on-campus Fine Arts materials dropped from 216,000 to less than 100,000, said Dempster.

Dempster announced the creation of two task forces to try to address the issue, but there is still no resolution timeline. The task force under the college will explore space possibilities within the Fine Arts building.

The UT Libraries task force is working on finding alternative space for the library’s materials. Willman said the redevelopment of library spaces is normal.

“We do this with all the libraries,” Willman said.

“We have to find ways to balance those physical materials that people need with the newer way of using resources, which is mostly digital and electronic.”

The Senate Fine Arts Council will host a town hall about the Fine Arts Library in November.

CLOWNS

continues from page 1 are scared of clowns may have had a bad experience at a place like a birthday party.

“Nothing about them creeps me out,” Eathorne said. “I thought ‘It’ was funny… I’m not really sure why people are scared of them …

I’ve always assumed people must’ve had a bad experience with one.”

But for some, a night with Pennywise may be enough to spark fear. The media portrayal of clowns, whether it be in Stephen King’s It or American Horror Story’s clown cult, gives real life clowns big shoes to fill.

“I think that we, being clowns, are unpredictable and people sometimes fear what’s unpredictable,” Ochoa said. “The way movies are portrayed, we could be stabbing you in the back. People make up scenarios in their mind. Ever since August … the business (of clowning) has slowed down. I know there’s a lot of hype about It.” Dunsmoor added that real events like the clown hysteria scare of last year and clown serial killer John Wayne Gacy also provides people with tangible justification for their fears.

“A lot of what we fear about clowns nowadays is derived from horror movies,” Dunsmoor said. “Our representation of clowns has changed a lot as a result of these movies. Killer clowns are great horror movie cliche, because it violates our expectations that clowns are supposed to be friendly and are there to make people happy.”

Ochoa said that if you have a fear of clowns, it’s important to know that clowns are there to make you laugh.

“There is something that is so simplistic and timeless about a clown, and often when we laugh at clowns, we have a hard time laughing at ourselves,” she said. “Clowns should be a reminder to chill out and not take life so seriously.”

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LAURA HALLAS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

@TexanOpinion

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

COLUMN

Speedway needs separate pedestrian, bike lanes

By Liam Verses Columnist

During that 10 to 15 minute passing period between classes, Speedway becomes a crowded, congested and chaotic scene, more akin to I-35 during rush hour than a walkway on a college campus. Bikes weave in and out of the crowd, barely missing pedestrians and other cyclists.

Students responded with frustration and laughter when the Daily Texan reported that the Speedway Mall project used faulty bricks. One Twitter user said “at UT, even the bricks crack under the pressure of academic responsibilities.”

With additional repairs slated to stretch from Jester Circle to 24th Street, Speedway will contain even more choke points along students’ daily routes on campus. While those points of congestion are unavoidable, the University should construct bike lanes along the sides of Speedway to help mitigate the collision risk for pedestrians and cyclists.

These lanes would reduce right-of-way conflicts in the middle of the Speedway and create a dedicated space for cyclists.

Even with dismount signs placed in the Speedway construction area, many cyclists ignore them. The construction forces cyclists to slow down to the pedestrians’

speed in order to navigate the narrow roadway, with many slowing down to a speed matching their on-foot peers. The same

hodgepodge of cyclists, runners and walkers will remain after construction ends this spring, and pedestrian

COLUMN

traffic will stay heavy during peak hours.

Even after work ends and the road clears, Speedway won’t necessarily produce free-flowing traffic.

illustration by victoria smith| daily texan staff

Speedway’s current design negates the benefits of bike riding. Roads typically separate different modes of transportation with painted lanes. Guadalupe Street has lanes for vehicles, bikes and pedestrians, allowing the best flow for each. Thus, we should separate bikes and pedestrians on Speedway, giving each their assigned area.

Separating these groups would not be difficult. Colored bike lanes signify that cyclists could occupy that lane at any given time. Pedestrians would take heed of the markings and check before crossing. It requires vigilance, but it beats having to dodge the bikes streaming past.

College is fast-paced. Students have to get from point A to point B quickly, some even venturing entirely across campus in the 10 minutes between classes. Bikes can cut these travel times in half. With Speedway serving as a hub for the UT community, it makes sense to give pedestrians — who comprise most of the traffic — the most space and cyclists their own lanes on the sides where they can easily speed on to their next class. With a little bit of paint and increased attentiveness on the part of the individual, we can make everybody’s life a little easier, allowing cyclists and pedestrians to peacefully coexist with less dodging and darting. Bike lanes are the way to go.

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

COLUMN

Austinites should welcome Egypt must free unlawfully relocation of Columbus Crew imprisoned Longhorns

illustration by channing miller | daily texan staff

By Emily Vernon

are a capitalistic endeavor. MLS players are severely underpaid compared to other professional leagues. If we wish for the league It’s no secret that Austin is one of the to continue to grow and attract world-class largest U.S. cities without a professional players, it’s important to look at the ecosports team, and Austinites have not ex- nomics of it. If a team will generate greater pected this to change anytime soon. That income in another city, a move might just is, until last week. be necessary. Furthermore, building up the Anthony Precourt, the owner of the Major MLS can have long term benefits to the U.S. League Soccer franchise Columbus Crew, Men’s National Team — an obvious necessity announced last week after its failure to qualify that he was heavily for the 2018 World Cup. considering moving his Precourt sees Austeam to Texas’ capital tin’s young millennial city. The Crew has been population and grow“With the arrival in located in Columbus ing international pressince the Major League ence as one of the most Austin of F.C. BarSoccer’s start in 1996, promising, untapped but for the past few seasoccer markets in the celona’s first youth sons it’s been sitting at United States. There’s academy in America the bottom of the attenbeen speculation for dance rankings. Prequite some time that this past summer, court essentially said Austin will eventually that unless the Crew get a MLS team, but the clubs obviously see gets a new stadium in assumption has been downtown Columbus that it would take years our city as a viable — which is highly unto happen. Relocation soccer market.” likely — they’re out. is the answer to fans’ Goal for Austinites. prayers, as it means When the news Austin would be able to broke last Tuesday skip the process of startnight that Precourt was ing a team from scratch. in Austin talking to With the arrival in Mayor Steve Adler about the potential move, Austin of F.C. Barcelona’s first youth academany Austinites rejoiced. The discussion my in America this past summer, clubs obdominated local media. But in Columbus, it viously see our city as a viable soccer marwas a different story. ket. If the Columbus Crew made their way Headlines broke decrying the over-com- down south, they would be joining Texas’ mercialization of the MLS, claiming teams F.C. Dallas and Houston Dynamo, creating are on the trajectory to match the National a trifecta in the state that produced one of Football League’s entitlement. Precourt was America’s favorite national team player — labeled as “greedy,” and locals called the talks Clint Dempsey. Precourt plans to privately a “mistake.” But this move isn’t quite as con- finance the stadium, so a team wouldn’t cost troversial and unmatched as Crew fans may residents anything. It would definitely be an think. The San Jose Earthquakes moved to unfortunate loss for Columbus, but as soccer Houston and became the Houston Dynamo fans should know, all is fair in love and war. over a decade ago for similar reasons.

Vernon is an anthropology and rhetoric At the end of the day, professional sports and writing junior from The Woodlands.

Senior 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.

illustration by priyanka kar | daily texan staff

By David Howell Columnist

Aayah Khalaf ’s family is a Longhorn family.

In the late 1980s, Aayah Khalaf ’s parents, Ola al-Qaradawi and Hosam Khalaf, earned their master’s degrees at UT. Hosam’s father, Ali Ali Khalaf, was published in the Daily Texan. Her parents bleed burnt orange. But, where they are now, they simply starve.

Her mother and father are languishing in an Egyptian prison. They are wasting away in solitary confinement. They can scarcely see their lawyer, they cannot see the sun and they cannot see each other. For over 100 days, her parents have been held in horrid conditions without trial.

“I’m really worried for my mother,” Aayah Khalaf confided. Not without good reason. Every 15 days her parents are carted off to the courts. It’s really more of a cruel ritual than it is a legal proceeding. Then they’re carted back to their cells. At the last such meeting, Aayah Khalaf ’s mother fainted; she had lost an alarming amount of weight. Nevertheless, she was refused proper medical attention. The food there is inedible. Ola al-Qaradawi and Hosam Khalaf are innocent under the law, for they have not been proven guilty. The Egyptian government is morally obliged to let them go. Until then, what little can be done for them must be done.

In late June, the Egyptian Interior Ministry forces arrested Ola al-Qaradawi and Hosam Khalaf without a warrant and denied due process rights. Since then, they have relegated Ola al-Qaradawi and Hosam Khalaf to their cells. Moreover, the state has refused to allow their lawyers to access any documents regarding their case.

Jared Genser, the family’s international human rights attorney, was interviewed by the Daily Texan. According to him, the state

SUBMIT A FIRING LINE | Email your Firing Lines to editor@dailytexanonline.com. Letters must be more than 100 and fewer than 300 words. The Texan reserves the right to edit all submissions for brevity, clarity and liability.

media alleged that Ola al-Qaradawi and Hosam Khalaf were assisting the Muslim Brotherhood, a significant crime in Egypt.

Neither Ola nor her husband was part of the Muslim Brotherhood. Moreover, prosecutors have produced no evidence proving that they conspired to fund the brotherhood. Under the Egyptian constitution, Ola al-Qaradawi and Hosam Khalaf are currently innocent, for the state has not proved them guilty.

Alas, the Egyptian state does not seem to care for its constitution. Jason Brownlee, a government professor and an expert on Egyptian politics, said that although Egypt’s many constitutions “look good on paper, they don’t provide the mechanisms for people to enjoy their rights. In terms of laws and citizens’ rights, Egypt is a country under martial law.” That does not excuse Egypt’s trampling of human rights. Governments do not get to oppress their people because they fear them.

Egypt was the cradle of civilization. It is a wonder that the government of the cradle of civilization has become so uncivilized.

It has carelessly imprisoned thousands of innocents. For that, human rights organizations have rightly condemned it. Now, it has cruelly imprisoned two of our alumni.

For that, we must condemn it.

Aayah Khalaf said that the best thing students can do for her family is to spread awareness of the case. So I am spreading it.

A column in the Daily Texan will not cause Ola al-Qaradawi’s jailers to tremble. The entire campus, even united against this injustice, could change nothing. Yes, our little share of influence pales in comparison to the power of tyrants. Perhaps all efforts on Ola al-Qaradawi and Hosam Khalaf ’s behalf shall be in vain. That changes nothing. That does not free us of the responsibility to demand their freedom.

So, demand it. Let our Longhorns go.

Howell is a history sophomore from Dallas.

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Tuesday, October 24, 2017

CITY

Podcast fan club to trace route of murderer

By Acacia Coronado Senior Life&Arts Reporter

Most people clear the way for coroners’ vans when sirens start blaring and crime tape comes up, but for Austin Murderinos, these are a call to action.

Derived from the fanbase of “My Favorite Murder,” a true-crime podcast that has developed a cult

“The cool thing is there are a lot of older places still downtown, so you can see some of it as it actually was,” El-Hajj said. “It is going to be based off of true events and true scenarios and the way it is timed, you are supposed to pause it at certain places so you can experience it in the moment.”

Though unplanned, El-

“You don’t love horror movies because you want to go dress up like a creepy clown and scare people — you like it because it both terrifies and excites you.”

—Stephanie El-Hajj, Tour Organizer

following over the last year, the Austin Murderinos was created by and for local murder enthusiasts and has since garnered over a thousand members on their Facebook group.

This Wednesday, Oct. 25, dozens will walk the streets of Austin as they follow the trail of a 130-year-old murder in a walking murder tour of the city organized

by Stephanie El-Hajj.

During the event, participants will follow the route of the murder, as outlined in an episode of Radiolab, originally created in 2015 for SXSW. El-Hajj said it has garnered more interest than she imagined as it was originally intended to only be public for her friends.

Hajj said the large group will make things better because they will support one another in their mutual interest as they investigate this mysterious piece of history.

“Nobody wants to be that weirdo walking around with their iPhone,” El-Hajj said. “It is cool people want to do this too because it is like, ‘Come on this mystery with me, it’s exciting.’”

Though El-Hajj’s interest in cold cases and criminal activity is longstanding, she said her involvement with the Austin Murderinos community has given her an opportunity to express this interest with like minded friends.

“You don’t love horror

movies because you want to go dress up like a creepy clown and scare people — you like it because it both terrifies and excites you,” El-Hajj said. “It is a nice way to have your fear of being alive justified by having other people be like, ‘No, the thing you are scared of is totally legit.’”

Austin Murderinos founder Emily Groenendal said the rapidly expanding group provides a non-judgmental space to discuss their unusual field of interest.

“I just like that people don’t feel like outcasts, even though we have this weird interest in murder,” Groenendal said.

“Even though I am a weird outcast in other friend groups, there are people with whom I can talk about these things, I have my people and it has made Austin feel like home this past year.”

For Groenendal, her interest in this field began after her dad told her in middle school about his run-in with murderer Jeffrey Dahmer, also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal, and how he almost became a victim after being approached at an airport and repeatedly invited to the murderer’s apartment.

“That peaked my interest, to realize, ‘Oh my gosh, there are bad people who do bad things, why would they do that,’” Groenendal said.

Austin Murderinos member Raquel Quintero’s interest in true crime began with reading books and movies on the subject with her mom growing up. She said she has since gone to work as a forensic scientist and has found a community of like-minded people in

illustration by rachel tyler| daily texan staff

Austin Murderinos.

Quintero said the group has even worked together to piece together clues on local happenings and discuss past cold cases, in addition to self defense classes and awareness of criminal activity in their surroundings to

protect each other from a murder situation.

Now, El-Hajj said she is excited to see how this community grows and provide a place for new and old Austinites to join a conversation in which talking about the latest serial killer is an everyday thing.

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MICHAEL SHAPIRO SPORTS EDITOR

@texansports

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

FOOTBALL BRIEF

Herman briefs media following Texas’ dejecting loss

By Alex Briseno Senior Sports Reporter

Thousands of fans buried their face into their hands moments after Texas freshman quarterback Sam Ehlinger threw the game-ending interception last Saturday, dropping the Longhorns to 3–4, 2–2 Big 12 following their loss to No. 10 Oklahoma State.

Two days have passed since then. Students have gone back to class, fans have gone back to work, but head coach Tom Herman still had to answer several questions that lingered after yet another heartbreaking loss for the Longhorns.

Here are the leading storylines: Ehlinger sustains head injury, again Texas Athletics released an email Sunday evening stating Ehlinger was being evaluated by the Texas medical staff for a head injury sustained in the Oklahoma State game last Saturday.

“It was something that came up after the game, really after the media stuff that he did post game,” Herman said. “That is when the medical guys noticed something was off. He was complaining a little bit so they evaluated him at that point and sent him home, nothing concrete at that point, Saturday night. We

gave it 24 hours, he came back yesterday (Sunday) and showed some symptoms.”

This marks the second-consecutive week in which Ehlinger has been evaluated for a head injury. The freshman quarterback was sidelined for a few plays two weeks ago in the Red River Showdown after his head bounced violently off the turf following a big hit. Ehlinger was cleared and returned later in the same drive.

However, Herman said it is not clear when Ehlinger sustained the head injury in Saturday’s game.

Texas confirmed that Ehlinger was held out of practice Sunday.

Herman said he is under concussion protocol and will be day-today. If Ehlinger isn’t cleared, look for junior wide receiver Jerrod Heard or sophomore quarterback Shane Buechele to start under center on Saturday.

Herman’s message: Don’t panic Texas’ 2–2 conference record places the team sixth in the Big 12 heading into Week 8. And the Longhorns still have road games against No. 4 TCU and No. 22 West Virginia. But Herman’s message to his coaching staff following Texas’ overtime loss was simple: Don’t panic.

“The process, the culture, the way that we do things is not

brooke crim| daily texan staff

Head coach Tom Herman adjusts his head set during the Longhorns’ 13-10 overtime loss to then-No. 10 Oklahoma State.

Texas’ record now sits at 3–4 (2–2 Big 12) as it prepares for a battle with Baylor in Waco on Saturday.

going to change around here,” Herman said. “We have evolved, and we need to. But we’ve got to continue to because what we did Saturday isn’t good enough.”

Herman said he was proud of the way his team respond-

ed in practice Sunday, which is easier said than done. Especially after two close losses to No. 12 Oklahoma and No. 10 Oklahoma State. The team’s confidence hasn’t wavered despite the agonizing last two weeks, and Her-

man said it’s up to his coaching staff to maintain that certainty.

“The kids know when you’re uncertain,” Herman said. “The kids know when you’re full of disbelief and hesitation and there has been zero of that from myself

and the staff. Because we know there’s a difference in thinking this is the right way to do things versus knowing this is the right way to do things. The entire staff knows that the way we do things is the right way.”

FOOTBALL FEATURE

Buechele returns to discussion after Ehlinger’s head injury

By Trenton Daeschner Assoc. Sports Editor

Just like that, the Longhorns’ quarterback situation is back in an uncertain state.

On Sunday night, Texas announced freshman quarterback Sam Ehlinger suffered a head injury in the Oklahoma State game Saturday. Ehlinger was forced to sit out practice on Sunday.

Head coach Tom Herman said in his Monday press conference that Ehlinger entered concussion protocol and is being evaluated on a day-to-day basis.

Former starting quarterback Shane Buechele was back in the forefront of the conversation during Herman’s weekly press conference on Monday. With Ehlinger’s status in question, Buechele now has a chance of starting against Baylor in Waco on Saturday.

For Buechele, the 2017 season has not gone according to plan. The sophomore has battled injuries and had to deal with being uprooted as the starting quarterback due to Ehlinger’s emergence.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the way that (Buechele’s) handled it, and I tell him every week,” Herman said. “I tell him thank you for being there for his brother, for being there for his team — not just for Sam but for the entire team as a leader, and he’s handled it magnificently.”

In his three starts this season, Buechele has thrown for 557 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, while completing 68.8 percent

juan figueroa| daily texan staff

Sophomore quarterback Shane Buechele tucks the ball and runs down the field during the Red River Showdown on Oct. 15. Buechele has returned to the quadicsussion after Ehlinger’s injury.

of his passes. Buechele last started against Iowa State on Sept. 28, leading the Longhorns to a 17–7 victory. He made a brief appearance late in the Oklahoma game on Oct. 14.

Ehlinger’s head hit the ground hard after being tackled late in the fourth quarter against the Sooners, and he left the game briefly. He was evaluated on the sideline while Buechele filled in with under

six minutes to play at the Cotton Bowl. But Ehlinger returned and finished the game.

After nursing a sprained ankle following the Iowa State game, Buechele is now back to form per Herman.

“Shane is as good as probably he’s gonna be all season,” Herman said. “He’s still wearing a brace on the ankle to protect it more than anything right now, but it feels good. Again, last week, I saw a lot more zip on his throws, because it is his right ankle. He hadn’t been pushing off of it very well in weeks prior to that. But last week I saw a noticeable improvement. When he runs, it’s not a gallop like it was.”

Herman said on Monday that Texas’ medical staff “noticed something off” with Ehlinger following postgame interviews after Saturday’s home loss to Oklahoma State.

Ehlinger was then evaluated and sent home.

Twenty-four hours later, Ehlinger still “showed some symptoms,” according to Herman.

On Monday, Herman was asked if he knew what triggered Ehlinger’s head injury against Oklahoma State and whether the hit late in the game against Oklahoma had anything to do with it.

“I hope by now we all know the coach’s role in that is very, very limited, if any,” Herman said on Monday. “My understanding is (Ehlinger) was cleared — symptom-free the entire week after the Oklahoma game. Obviously, he was cleared enough to go back into the game, and then at some point during the game against Oklahoma State, something happened.”

MEN’S TENNIS

Telles continues Longhorns’ early season success on court

By Wills Layton Sports Reporter

For the third time this season, a Longhorn has won the singles main draw in a tournament. Following early season victories by junior Colin Markes and senior John Mee, junior Leonardo Telles completed the trifecta by prevailing over Baylor’s No. 40 Johannes Schretter in the final at the ITA Texas Regional Championships on Monday.

Telles became the first Longhorn to win the Texas Regionals single title since 2012 when Daniel Whitehead brought home the crown. The win also qualifies Telles for the second college tennis major tournament, the ITA National Fall Championships, in Indian Wells, California.

“Obviously I’m very happy, and this was a great week,” Telles said. “I was able to stay consistent throughout the tournament, and I played well in key points. This tournament was a great opportunity to put together some big wins. I’m excited about what’s next.”

In order to get to the final set, Telles faced off versus fellow Longhorn, junior Harrison Scott, in the quarterfinals.

Telles bested No. 22 Scott in straight sets to set up a semifinal appearance with No. 68 Jimmy Bendeck of Baylor.

Telles beat Bendeck with relative ease, winning 6–1, 6–0 to advance.

“Leonardo played a really outstanding tournament,” head coach Michael Center said. “Mentally and physically, he was solid from start to finish. Leo was relentless with his level of play, and he got stronger as the event went on. To win points against him, regardless of the score, was very difficult.”

Overall, the Longhorns fared well at the Regional Championships, sending three athletes to the quarterfinals and two doubles teams to the semifinals.

Mee, who was the third player to advance to the quarterfinals, lost his quarterfinal match versus No. 36 Jordi Arconada of Texas A&M. Mee won earlier this season at the Cajun Tennis Classic in

Lafayette, Louisiana.

Scott advanced to the quarterfinal by winning matches in both the round of 64 and 32. The No. 22 player looked to be a contender in the round of 16 before falling to Telles.

“Leonardo just didn’t miss a ball,” Center said. “Just a tremendous effort on his part, and he’s excited about playing. Much credit to our John Mee in getting to the quarterfinals as well.”

In the doubles side of the tournament, both the doubles team of Banzer and Telles and the team of Markes and redshirt junior Adrian Ortiz lost close matches. The pair lost to Texas A&M and Texas Tech, respectively.

“The guys played some very good doubles,” Center said.

“We had match points in both matches, but we came up short.

Our doubles play is much improved, though, and I’m happy to see that.”

The Longhorns will make their next appearance at the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships. Telles will be the lone Texas representative at the event.

juan figueroa| daily texan file

Junior Leonardo Telles prepares to return the ball during the ITA Texas Regional Kick-off Weekend on Jan. 29. Telles recently won the single title at the ITA Texas Regional Championship on Monday.

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Tuesday, October 24, 2017

CROSSWORD; Black

Today’s solution will appear here next issue

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MORGAN O’HANLON LIFE&ARTS EDITOR

@thedailytexan

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

FEATURE

For blind student, clear vision is in sight

By Chase Karacostas Life&Arts Reporter

In 23 years, Nick Flores has never seen his mother’s face. He can make out the general shape but has never looked into her eyes or seen her smile.

Perfect vision is 20-20 in both eyes, but Nick only sees with 20-80 clarity in his right eye and 20-200 in his left eye — the standard of legal blindness.

Nick has had this condition since birth. Born 13 and a half weeks early, his mother said his doctors did not believe he would survive. If he did, they said it would be with severe disabilities.

Nick was born weighing only two pounds, seven ounces and immediately went to the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit. After more than four months there, Nick’s parents finally brought him home on Thanksgiving.

“He is my miracle,” Nick’s mother Bonnie Flores said. “He truly is.”

But his high degree of prematurity left him severely handicapped. Nick suffered from a brain hemorrhage, a traumatic brain injury resulting from blood loss that damaged his optic nerve.

The brain injury that damaged Nick’s eyesight also caused him to develop cerebral palsy. The condition is a neurological disorder that primarily affects body movement and muscle coordination. Weeks after his birth, doctors told Bonnie that he would likely never walk.

However, Nick only developed a mild case of cerebral palsy, leading to difficulty with moving his right leg and writing. Nick has never needed a wheelchair, but Bonnie said he often gets tired easily after walking.

The damage to Nick’s optic nerve, known as optic nerve atrophy, means he can barely see out of his left eye, and he struggles to see out of his right.

To compensate, Nick almost always uses his right eye to focus.

Whenever he reads or makes eye contact while talking, he typically turns his right eye toward the

juan figueroa, anthony mireles and jessica joseph| daily texan staff

Nick Flores, a student at Austin Community College, is classified by the state as legally blind, but soon Nick’s dream of having clear vision will be a reality.

subject, creating the appearance that he is not actually focusing on the speaker.

“I’m not doing it to be rude,” Nick said. “Most people (say), ‘Well, you’ve got to make eye contact,’ and well, I can’t do that.”

Nick often explains his eye damage using an analogy of a corded lamp. Like a lamp needs electricity

to light up, a person’s optic nerve needs to be fully “plugged in” to be able to communicate properly with their brain. Nick’s optic nerve is only partially attached, which prevents his retinas from being able to properly transfer what they are seeing to his brain.

When reading, big letters help.

On his phone, Nick uses the

largest font available yet still has to hold his phone about six inches away from his face to read it. In print, the smallest font he can read without difficulty is 24-point.

Even with glasses, Nick said it is still extremely difficult to see and read. Some days, he feels like they help him focus. Other days, he said, they feel like a

useless accessory.

Soon, however, he may be able to do what both he and his mother never believed possible: See the world clearly.

To learn about the rest of Nick’s journey toward clearer eyesight, go to thedailytexan. atavist.com/for-blind-studentvision-is-in-sight

FILM FESTIVAL

Austin Under the Stars draws filmmakers, builds community

By Andrea Tinning Senior Life&Arts Reporter

copyright austin under the stars film festival, and reproduced with permission

Ed Asner stars in “The Flood” a submission to Austin Under the Stars by Saraphina Nova-Glass, a creative writing professor at UT Arlington.

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Austin’s festival scene is growing its reputation as a place for filmmakers, but the community aspects of festivals can be hard to find amidst the chaos of events like SXSW. A new film festival, Austin Under the Stars, is combating this problem in order to “make film festivals fun again” with a relaxed outdoor atmosphere ideal for networking.

The festival opened Oct. 21 and premiered at the Lone Star Court in the Domain. Twenty-seven films were narrowed from a wide variety of submissions with genres ranging from music videos to comedy, drama to horror. The first half of the festival was lighthearted with mature content screening in the later second half of the event.

Festival director and founder Ali Alkhafaji said his goal is to have the festival twice a year, in the fall and spring.

“Since the sun will set a little bit earlier, it gives more time for people to meet and greet,” Alkhafaji said. “The plan with the trajectory (is) to keep on throwing this twice a year and really get as much of the community

involved as possible until we outgrow this venue and take it to a new location.”

Alkhafaji intends for the festival to bring together a community of Austin filmmakers and to give back to the larger community.

The festival donates part of its proceeds to nonprofit organizations Autism Speaks and Autism Society of Texas.

“The main reason was we always wanted it to be an event that gave back and was a charitable contributor, but I personally know a lot of people that have family members with autism and my mom actually is a special ed teacher,” Alkhafaji said. “It was just a cause I felt pretty passionately about and from there we reached out to Autism Speaks, and Autism Society of Texas actually reached out to us.”

The festival was international and filmmakers from all over the United States visited Austin to see their films premiere on the big screen.

Director of Finding Ramses, Javier Torres, specifically submitted to Austin Under the Stars because it was the halfway point between his home in New Orleans and a collaborator’s location in Los Angeles.

“We were looking at

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festivals we would both be able to reasonably come to,” Torres said. “We were really happy to submit to the festival. This was our first project together and the fact that it got in was amazing to us.”

For other filmmakers, the festival atmosphere is where creative ideas become a reality through networking.

Seraphina Nova-Glass, a creative writing professor at UT-Arlington, and her husband Mark Glass met when Nova-Glass casted her husband for a short film and the couple has enjoyed making films together ever since. Through festival networking, the team casted A-list celebrity Ed Asner in their award nominated submission, “The Flood.”

For Glass though, the real reward comes from having an audience for the film which is the main reason why festivals are so important.

“You have to have an audience for your film, that’s the most challenging thing out of everything. Short films especially need that because to get it into the theater is a rare thing. The more festivals we have, the more of a stage we have,” Glass said. “It’s not about the money, it’s not about anything else. It’s about having people see your film.”

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