The Daily Texan 2017-10-26 by The Daily Texan

Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017

@thedailytexan | thedailytexan.com

Volume 118, Issue 51 UNIVERSITY

CAMPUS

SEC forum on small businesses will make move to UT By London Gibson Senior News Reporter

For the first time ever, the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, will leave Capitol Hill for the Hill Country and host the annual Government-Business Forum on Small Business Capital Formation at UT-Austin this November. For the past 13 years, the SEC has hosted the Government-Business Forum at its headquarters in Washington, D.C., but this year Austin’s entrepreneurial community and host of small businesses drew the commission to the Lone Star State’s capital. Luis Martins, director of the Herb Kelleher Center for Entrepreneurship, Growth and Renewal in the McCombs School of Business — which is hosting the forum — said bringing the forum to the UT AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center this year is a logical choice. “It’s a recognition of the fact that Austin is a thriving hub for new business formation, that UT is intimately tied with Austin and the process of new business creation,” Martins said. “The fact that they chose McCombs was a recognition of the fact that we are consistently ranked among the top in the world for entrepreneurship, education and research.” The themes of this year’s forum center on how small

carlos garcia| daily texan staff

State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, speaks in front of the University Democrats at an open town hall in Painter Hall on Wednesday. Hinojosa is part of a weekly series of talks hosted by the University Democrats.

Legislator hosts online town hall By Chase Karacostas Senior News Reporter

Gina Hinojosa talks voter participation at UDem student meeting State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, held a town hall on campus Wednesday night where she answered student questions on voter participation and the

state of U.S. politics. University Democrats hosts a new speaker weekly, and the town hall featuring Hinojosa was also streamed on Facebook Live. Students both in the audience and at home had the chance to ask questions on Facebook and Twitter using #AskGina. “Rep. Hinojosa has — to commend her — definitely taken the

initiative in paying attention to what students are concerned about,” University Democrats President Douglas Snyder said. “She doesn’t just represent us according to the district lines. She literally does represent us (as students).” To start out, Hinojosa commented on the current state of U.S. politics.

“I want to convey to you that the … unhinged politics we are experiencing right now is not normal,” UT alumna Hinojosa said. “We are in a crisis period in this country, in this state.” Snyder moderated the town hall and asked Hinojosa questions students submitted on

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UNIVERSITY

APD offers new way to UT sees drop in fall FAFSA applications request crash reports By Maria Mendez FAFSA Applications by the Numbers Senior News Reporter

By Reagan Ritterbush Senior News Reporter

People can now purchase crash reports online without going to the police station, using Austin Police Department’s new online portal. “This online tool makes purchasing crash reports more convenient for citizens and decreases report request processing times, thereby making it easier and faster for citizens to file insurance claims and get vehicle repairs underway,” Police Chief Brian Manley said in a statement. “This will also free up time and resources that we can use to further our community policing efforts.” Brandon Gilstrap, APD’s central records manager, said the tool allows individuals to receive reports from the comfort of their home five to 10 minutes after making a request. “All you have to do is click

on the link on the APD website, fill out the form and pay for the copy of the report,” Gilstrap said. “You can print, email or save it digitally instead of just getting a single hard copy. This is all for the convenience of the consumers.” Individuals previously had to mail in open request forms and wait while officers manually copied and sent reports back, Gilstrap said. “Sometimes people would come down to the station and wait for hours for crash reports, which was exhausting,” Gilstrap said. “Nobody wants to wait that long for something that could be within their grasp in less than five minutes.” APD can also pinpoint crash data analytics using the new portal. “We have been using the old method for as long as I

CRASH page 2

The Office of Financial Aid was flooded with 40,000 financial aid applications last October after a new timeline for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, was implemented in 2016. FAFSA applications opened again Oct. 1 for the second year, but UT’s Office of Financial Aid has not seen the same peak in FAFSA applications. Trina Manor, associate director of the Office of Financial Aid, said in 2016, high school and transfer students appeared to take advantage of the earlier FAFSA timeline, applying for financial aid in the fall as they were applying for admission to UT. Prior to 2016, all students and applicants to UT had to wait to begin applying for financial aid in January. “The interesting thing that we found was that it was mostly our incoming students that were applying,” Manor said. “It was a huge difference. Out of almost 40,000 applications in

that first month, about 80 percent were from new students.” Manor said the peak last October may have resulted from high schools heavily promoting early college applications. Manor, who has children in high school, said she has not seen the same push this year.

80%

of the 40,000 applicants for FAFSA in its first month were new students.

20%

of FAFSA applications came from families that earn less than $20,000 a year.

of FAFSA applications came from families that earn between $40,000 and $20,000 a year.

infographic by mingyo lee| daily texan staff

“It seemed like I was getting emails, robocalls and they were even doing contests between two schools for which school can have the most seniors apply for their FAFSA during the October timeframe,” Manor said. “I think it was because it was just so brand new and it was about getting the word

out to parents.” Business freshman Corrin Alanis, who already submitted the FAFSA for this year, said her parents completed the FAFSA last October as soon as they learned about the new timeline from schools.

FAFSA page 3

NEWS

OPINION

LIFE&ARTS

SPORTS

SCI&TECH

Texas Athletics addresses forged student football tickets. PAGE 2

Columnists weigh the harms of studying abroad and Netflix binges. PAGE 4

Longhorns fill a gap in the journalism industry. PAGE 8

Micaya White continues to blaze her own path. PAGE 6

Former UT student finds a creative way to find the age of soil. PAGE 8

6348/UT Athletics; Process color

Thursday, October 26, 2017

UNIVERSITY

Section overcrowding leads to ticket policy changes

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The athletics department has changed policies this season regarding Big Ticket holders because of a large number of students using altered tickets and causing overcrowding in certain sections of the stadium. Students with tickets in sections 26, 27 and 28, located on the visitors side of the field, have to get a wristband from Mike Myers Stadium before home football games, and all students must present a student ID along with their ticket. Those who attempt to use altered tickets could face penalties. “What that allows us to do is have crowd control measures in place,” said Jeffrey Orth, associate athletics director for strategic relations. “I think the reason for the overcrowding is that the students were not sitting in the seats designated by the tickets that they had by using altered tickets.” Public relations junior Natalie Scott said she believes this policy played into the smaller student section at last Saturday’s game.

gabriel lopez| daily texan file

Texas students celebrate following a Texas touchdown against San Jose State on Sept. 9. The athletics department has implemented new policies this semester for the Big Ticket to try and combat overcrowding and the use of altered tickets.

“Even (for) the people who have the right section, going to get the wristband and having to go to another stadium and then wait in more lines to get in is really time consuming,” Scott said. “It’s just

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CRASH

continues from page 1 can remember, but so far this new portal has benefited the community and us,” Gilstrap said. “We can easily see where most crashes occur and in what months crashes are more common. This will help us keep roads safer in the future.” APD teamed up with LexisNexis Coplogic Solutions in order to make this new portal, Gilstrap said. “We have partnered with them before to set up a portal for police officers to submit reports online and thought they’d be good to work with for this project,” Gilstrap said. “After talking to several police departments that use tools like this one, we knew we had to give it a try.” Radio-television-film freshman Rebecca Dong said it has probably taken so long for APD to adopt a digital system to request

reports because most police stations are just catching up to the ways that younger generations use the internet. “It’s just easier to go on your phone and pay bills, shop and request reports,” Dong said. “It also makes the police much more accountable, because they need to have the reports and sources right away.” Gilstrap said since they released the new portal, about 40 to 45 people have filed requests per day. “This is a lot higher than it’s been before, and we expect it to increase still,” Gilstrap said. According to the APD website, the only types of reports that can be requested through this portal include crashes that are not being investigated by officers, when the crash’s damage expenses do not amount to more than $1,000 and when the crash did not result in injury or death.

The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely. If we have made an error, let us know about it. Call (512) 232-2217 or e-mail managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com.

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APD Mounted Patrol Officers Parnell and Balacki conduct routine patrols at the Long Center for the Performing Arts near S. 1st and W. Riverside.

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not worth it for some of them and they would rather tailgate during the game.” Scott said she purchased her Big Ticket late this year, so she was put in a different section than her friends.

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

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

social media. One attendee asked if student advocacy is valued or matters to representatives. Hinojosa responded by saying it is one of the most important things students can do. “Student advocacy really matters and we don’t see enough of it,” Hinojosa said. “I know when the house gallery is full of people like it was on the last day of the regular session, it matters. It changes behaviors on the house floor.” In regard to the 2018 election cycle, Hinojosa emphasized the need to get voters to the polls in order to close the seat gap in the Texas House. She said it’s crucial to close this gap by 2020 to ensure Democrats have a stronger voice when the legislature draws new district lines after the 2020 census. “With all the craziness that’s happening, we have a chance,” Hinojosa said. “We need to do everything we can to turn this around.” Mechanical engineering freshman Shelby Hobohm asked Hinojosa what it is like to be a woman in the Texas House, where there are less than three dozen female representatives out of

150. In response, Hinojosa recalled a day where she was looking down from a balcony in the Capitol onto the House floor. “It was just a sea of men,” Hinojosa said. “It’s very strange … We need more women in the Texas house. There’s just no question about it.” Hobohm said she often attempts to engage with her representatives through letters and other forms of communication. But, she said, getting to ask Hinojosa questions in person was exciting. “It was nice to get a response face-to-face in real time,” Hobohm said. “Normally, you get a postcard from one of their interns with their views written down, and you’re like ‘that’s not what I asked.’” Snyder said he felt like the town hall was a success and hoped attendees and viewers realized anyone can participate and make a difference in politics. “I hope that (this town hall) proves that our elected officials are listening,” Snyder said. “It’s important to show people that yeah, your Congressman may be a gerrymandered ultra-right conservative, but you can still make a difference through your advocacy.”

“Usually that hasn’t been a problem because I can just photoshop my ticket into whatever section I want,” Scott said. “Since they implemented the wristband policy I’ve had to sit in some random section.” Nursing freshman Jennifer Vaske said she has used an altered ticket to get a friend from another school into a football game. “My friend came to visit on such a short notice that it was too hard for me to get her a guest ticket, so she just used an altered version of mine,” Vaske said. “She showed the security guard her driver’s license and said she lost her student ID, but I don’t think that would work now.” Non-student guests can only sit in student sections at football games with purchase of The Big Guest Ticket, which is $450 per season. “There should be an easier way for students to bring non students to football games,” Vaske said. “When friends from home come and visit, they want to be able to experience the atmosphere of the game from the students r section too.” n J s

e a h e t b

b s u l t t b w a i

zoe fu| daily texan stafft

The Securities and Exchange Comission will host its annual Government-Business Forum at r UT this November, a shift from Capitol Hill. Luis Martins, director of the Herb Kelleher Center w for Entreprenuership said the change is a testament to Austin’s status as a thriving hub for new business formation.

SEC

continues from page 1 businesses raise money and some of the obstacles they may face in the process. At the free, public event, students and community members will be able to attend presentations with commissioners and then work in breakout sessions to discuss how to propel small businesses to success. Martins said he hopes lawmakers will hear the voices of the UT and Austin business communities at the forum and then make changes to capital laws affecting entrepreneurs. “The idea is to come up with policy suggestions that then go to legislators and various governing bodies that oversee rules about capital,” Martins said. SEC Chairman Jay Clayton

said in a press release that the forum is meant to provide an opportunity for the commission to hear directly from small businesses about their experiences. Clayton said Austin is a prime location for this forum because of its entrepreneurs and business start-ups. “As a hub for innovation, Austin is a fitting place for this discussion,” Clayton said. “I look forward to the forum’s recommendations and will carefully consider them as we work to fulfill the SEC’s mission.” Emanuel Ibarra, business administration graduate student and program coordinator for the Kelleher Center, said the purpose of the forum in part is to come up with ways for just-started businesses to overcome financial obstacles and raise money. He

said sometimes entrepreneurs are deterred from pursuing a new business because they anticipate it to be too difficult to get off the ground financially. “If there’s a perception that it’s really hard to start a company, then people won’t be motivated,” Ibarra said. “The intent is, ‘How can we shape policy to promote and encourage companies and small businesses to start?’” Martins said the forum will bring positive attention to UT’s business program. “It’s a notable forum and importantly one that has policy impacts,” Martins said. “Having Austin’s voice and UT’s voice and the McCombs’ voice represented … I think is both an honor and a tremendous opportunity for us to shape the conversation around how small business capital formation happens.”

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Thursday, October 26, 2017

RESEARCH

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illustration by veronica jones| daily texan staff

Faculty researches for Planet Texas By Anna Lassmann News Reporter

UT-Austin’s first University-wide interdisciplinary research challenge was announced last week by Daniel Jaffe, vice president for research at UT. The new challenge, Planet Texas 2050: Planning for a Resilient Texas, will look at how rapid urbanization and extreme weather will affect the sustainability of Texas by 2050. “This initiative, which has been put together by the researchers themselves, allows us to address some important local questions about the future of central Texas at large as these extreme weather events become more frequent and as we rapidly urbanize the area as many more people come into it,” Jaffe said. The research challenge is funded by the University-wide Bridging Barriers research initiative, which was created last year to unite

faculty from all over UT. More than 55 faculty and staff researchers across 14 colleges and schools will be involved in the research challenge. “The particularly important thing about this is that it brings together people from a wide number of disciplines that are usually not in communication with each other,” said Adam Rabinowitz, Planet Texas organizing committee member. Faculty submitted research topic proposals to Jaffe and a faculty panel convened to develop one cohesive idea, said Katherine Lieberknecht, Planet Texas organizing committee member. “We came up with the idea of thinking about interactions between environments and humans, craving knowledge about that interaction and then using that knowledge to develop data-driven strategies to respond to these cases that will be happening in Texas over the next few decades,” Lieberknecht said.

Through the research conducted, members of the Planet Texas research challenge will develop tools and strategies that can be applied in real places, Lieberknecht said. “(We’re) creating this new knowledge and then figuring out how to apply it by creating strategies and tools for the future,” Lieberknecht said. “The end-point is using this new knowledge and new tools to help Texas reach 2050 with a thriving economy, a healthy environment and fair social outcomes for everyone living here.” Liberknecht said Texas is a bell-weather state for the issues the researchers will address, meaning it is experiencing several major trends facing the world, such as urbanization, population growth and extreme weather. “In a way, we have this big state that’s also acting as a microcosm, so we can study the future of Texas and also the U.S. and perhaps the world at large,” Lieberknecht said.

CAMPUS

Freshman provides hypnosis, stress management services By Raga Justin News Reporter

The tripod aimed at the reclining chair and a miniscule black dot on the wall across from it are the only two signs that something out of the ordinary takes place in linguistics freshman Nathaniel Lawson’s otherwise nondescript dorm room. In August, Lawson became a certified consulting hypnotist and now runs a stress management program for UT students from within the walls of his room in Duren Residence Hall. So far, he has worked with more than 30 clients, providing a variety of services including reducing panic in large crowds, combating insomnia and helping clients relive memories. “What I do just helps people to deal with different things,” Lawson said. “In hypnosis, I can get people through a state of relaxation that’s as deep as (rapid eye movement) sleep. You can get profound relaxation and then have experiences in your head that are mind-blowing, and it can be a stress reliever, or just fun and funny — it can be anything.” Hypnosis is a misunderstood practice, Lawson said. “There’s a lot of misconceptions,” Lawson said. “It’s associated with pervertedness and exploitation. But (the client is)

FAFSA

continues from page 1 “My school was really big on getting it done sooner rather than later,” Alanis said. “(But) I don’t think that too many students want to just get it done. Some students are very proactive and want to get it done, but others not so much.” Manor said the financial aid office data showed current and returning UT students continue to apply in later months. Chemistry sophomore Liz Parker said she was not aware of

ashley ephraim| daily texan staff

Nathaniel Lawson sits outside of Duren, where he uses his status as a certified consulting hypnotist to help students. Nathaniel mainly uses his voice in his process.

totally in control during hypnosis. If you feel uncomfortable … you just come out.” Lawson began experimenting with magic at eight years old, a hobby that led him to discover mentalism and later hypnosis. Before receiving his certification, he performed one-man shows as a “cognitive entertainer,” the title Lawson coined to describe an act involving stage hypnosis and recreating participants’ secret drawings. “They look like party tricks, but they’re really not,” Lawson said. “Making it look like a trick, that’s the goal, but there’s a lot of mental work going on behind these things.” To learn the fundamentals of consulting hypnosis, Lawson completed an intensive apprenticeship with Paul

Ramsay, a stage hypnotist and instructor who also runs a consulting practice from his New Hampshire home. “He approaches what he does from the perspective of a craftsman,” Ramsay said. “His observational skills, his listening skills — he notices things when he’s talking to other people, that most people wouldn’t notice, and that’s important when you’re doing consulting hypnosis.” Hypnotism isn’t a typical career choice, but it’s one that holds a vast array of possibilities, Lawson said. “(Hypnotism and mentalism) are fields that are growing quickly, but they need to be growing 150 times more quickly,” Lawson said. “I hope to take them all over. I think the world needs it.”

the earlier application timeline. “I didn’t know it was open until now,” Parker said. “I applied in the spring, toward March because that was when it was open whenever I was first coming to college, so that’s what has been in my head.” Parker said the new timeline could be helpful to students, but she will probably wait until spring to submit her application. “I think it’s probably nice, but a lot of people are probably not thinking of the next school year, because it feels like this school year just got started.”

For Parker, allowing students to fill out FAFSA with tax forms from past income tax cycles has been more helpful than the change to the timeline. This change, which was also put in place in 2016, helps her since her family sometimes files tax forms after the Texas March 15 priority deadline for financial aid. “It’s super convenient,” Parker said. “Sometimes (my dad) is a little bit late, but he eventually does it, so it’s easier for us to go back and do the year before.”

LAURA HALLAS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

@TexanOpinion

Thursday, October 26, 2017

COLUMN

Studying abroad isn’t worth it

illustration by amber perry| daily texan staff

By Elizabeth Braaten Columnist

Take the world by the horns. Whether by way of glossy posters plastered across campus bulletin boards or unwarranted attacks from program representatives tabling in Gregory Plaza, these six words are thrown at students from the time they first set foot on the 40 Acres. The idea of traveling the world is understandably very attractive to most students, but for many, the constant pressure to participate in one of UT’s study abroad programs can be demeaning and stressful as students struggle to find a way to come up with the necessary funding. Though traveling the world is an incredible opportunity, it is often restricted to students who can afford to take a chunk of the year off from work while also paying the thousands of dollars necessary for program fees, airfare and the cost of living. However, by dedicating the same amount of resources to the promotion of research and internship opportunities as it does to study abroad, UT can ensure that each of its students have the opportunity to gain valuable work experi-

Although study abroad is a fun experience, there are better chances to broaden your horizons, gain valuable insight into your chosen career path and become a well-rounded job candidate ... within your local community.” ence, regardless of economic status. According to a survey by The Chronicle of Higher Education, employers reported that internship experience and employment during college were the attributes that they considered to be most important when choosing potential candidates. There was, however, no mention about study abroad. Study abroad is not the attribute that makes or breaks a resume. With this in mind, University leadership should prioritize programs, events, application assistance and advising for students that prioritize work and internship experience above study abroad. Not only would this be more accessible to all students, regardless of socioeconomic status — it’s also more crucial than study abroad when determining success in career opportunities post-graduation. Although study abroad is a fun experience, there are better chances to broaden your horizons, gain valuable insight into your chosen career path and become a more well-rounded job candidate through employment and internships within your local community. If you’re unsure of where to start, a visit to the Liberal Arts Career Services page can point you to work opportunities that match your interests and won’t break your bank like study abroad could. Seeing the rest of the world is something that each person should get to experience at least once during their lifetime. However, in a university that is home to students of an array of economic backgrounds, resources should be allocated to programs that are focused on opportunities that all people can take part in — not just the economic elite. Instead, invest in yourself by spending your time interning and doing volunteer work within your community. Remember: You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to “take the world by the horns.” Elizabeth Braaten is a international relations and global studies junior from Conroe.

COLUMN

Binge watching isn’t worth the trend By Jacob Kunz Columnist

On Oct. 27 Netflix releases the second season of its original series “Stranger Things.” With midterms in full swing, why is it that so many students plan to binge-watch the nine hour-long season this weekend? Binge watching, or watching several episodes of a TV show one after another, came into the cultural mainstream in the past few years. Netflix deemed it the “new normal”, and in 2015, Collins Dictionary even named it the word of the year. But this new normal creates a litany of problems as Americans spend more and more time in front of a TV. Extended bursts of binge watching have been reportedly linked to feelings of loneliness, depression and bouts of insomnia. Although watching TV is generally seen as a way to relieve stress, self-described binge-watchers show signs of higher stress or anxiety. Yet still, students are satisfied to spend their twilight hours huddled up in bed watching “House of Cards” or “Riverdale” on their phones or laptops — why? “It’s a normal desire to want to fit in and do what the crowd is doing sometimes,” said government freshman Aryn James, about being chided by her friends for not seeing “Stranger Things.” “It’s uncomfortable when people are talking about a com-

mon show you haven’t seen, and you can’t contribute to the conversation.” This prevailing fear of falling short in the lexicon of pop culture leads many to juggle school life and television just to keep up. The problem doesn’t get any easier when you consider the prevalence of spoilers and discussion that commands the social media landscape after a show is released. Students need to be able to space things out properly and ration their time so that they can keep a proper balance between staying productive and getting the most out of recreational time. We are all guilty of trying to get through “The Office” or “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” so that we can keep up with the jokes on Twitter or in our friend groups, but to follow the advice of “Stranger Things” character Jonathan Byers, “You shouldn’t just like things because people

illustration by rachel tyler| daily texan staff

tell you you’re supposed to.” Kunz is an English freshman from New Braunfels.

COLUMN

Nightime transportation must improve By Ryan Young Senior Columnist

Brace yourselves because winter is coming. For students, that means more than shorter days — we have more midterms, more projects and more late-night study sessions. All of which highlight the need for better campus transportation options after the sun sets. Better transportation options? Didn’t we start SURE Ride just a month ago? Between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m., students can now request free Lyft Line rides from campus to residences normally served by UT shuttles. Clearly that’s a helpful option to have, but students are still making trips that we need to do a better job serving. Consider the hours between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m., when the UT shuttles still run, but with a drastically reduced level of service. If you’ve missed a bus, you could end up waiting half an hour for the next one. It’s expensive to run a big shuttle bus circling campus, and nobody is entitled to a bus within five minutes. However, there is clear demand for more service. As late as 9 p.m., the West Campus bus is packed with students trying to get home. Some stand in the aisles, avoiding other riders’ bags and suitcases. But before the bus arrives, you’ll have to make yourself comfortable at one of the shuttles’ desolate stops. Despite the efforts of the University and the city to address concerns about gaps in street lighting, many of them remain dark and or poorly lit. “Sometimes I wait like 20 minutes,” says Brandon Ivey, a sports marketing junior who uses the West Campus shuttle twice a week to get home at night. Occasionally,

illustration by jacky tovar| daily texan staff

other students aren’t around, and Ivey feels uncomfortable waiting alone. Eventually, he gives up on the bus and opens his Uber app. At night, students also make trips in the reverse direction — from home to campus to attend study sessions. I discovered this when I talked to students boarding the West Campus shuttle outside of campus. SURE Ride cannot even serve them, and they face equally long wait times for the shuttle. Let’s run the numbers. This year, the University will pay Capital Metro approximately $6 million for 105,000 hours of UT shuttle service, or about $57 per service hour. A second nighttime bus on the West Campus route would require four more hours each weeknight. That works out to about $34,000

a year. We budgeted $75,000 for SURE Ride. Adding more UT shuttles is an inexpensive fix that should be done. But even if that isn’t doable, we have other options to consider. Let’s add additional lighting and bus countdown clocks to our shuttle stops. Let’s think about pushing back the start time for SURE Ride and expanding the program to include reverse trips from home to campus. Even if the extra rides couldn’t be kept free, students would no doubt appreciate a modest subsidy. Let’s ensure that students can go where they need to go — campus or home — safe and sound. Young is a computer science senior from Bakersfield, California.

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illustration by yulissa chavez| daily texan staff

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Thursday, October 26, 2017

NBA

Former Longhorns shine in opening week of NBA season By Henry Corwin Sports Reporter

While most of the attention for Longhorns in the NBA stems from the yearly accolades collected by All-Stars Kevin Durant and LaMarcus Aldridge, there are a number of less-heralded Longhorns who emerge in the league each year. Here’s how some of those Longhorns looked in week one of regular season action.

now been thrust into a starting role, where he is expected to be an important contributor. In a game against the defending Eastern Conference champion, the Cleveland Cavaliers, on Saturday night, Augustin helped lead the Magic to a stunning 114-93 win in Cleveland by dropping 12 points along with 10 assists and just one turnover. Augustin didn’t stop there, putting up an additional 19 points on Tuesday in a win over the Brooklyn Nets.

D.J. Augustin A nine-year veteran, Augustin has played on eight different NBA teams over his career. Currently in the midst of a four-year, $29 million contract with the Orlando Magic, the constant changes of scenery have not stopped Augustin from being a productive player.

Jarrett Allen Fresh out of the 40 Acres, Allen was selected with the No. 22 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets. Allen had a solid NBA debut, posting nine points on 3-3 shooting in 15 minutes off the bench. He followed that performance up two nights later with four blocks against the Atlanta Hawks.

With Orlando’s starting point guard Elfrid Payton out with an injury, Augustin has

With little depth at the center position for Brooklyn, Allen is likely to earn a backup role

SCRIMMAGE

continues from page 6 the ball back in for the score. “I thought (the freshmen) actually gave us really good sparks today,” Aston said. “I had asked them a few days ago to get a little bit more serious about their approach, and I thought all three did that today.” The group’s teammates agreed. “I was really proud of them,” junior forward/center Jatarie White said. “As soon as they stepped on the floor, they brought it and brought the intensity.” White transferred from South Carolina in 2016 and sat out all of last season. She started the game for Texas, marking her

first appearance in Austin as a Longhorn. On the team’s first play of the night, senior guard Ariel Atkins fed White on the right block. The post gave a ball fake to the left, then turned back the other way, finishing with a hook shot over her right shoulder. In the fourth quarter, White sank a pair of free throws to give the orange team a one-point lead with 5.7 seconds left in the game. Following a timeout, a white team player pump-faked senior guard Brooke McCarty at the right elbow, leaving White as the sole defender to contest the last shot. The player’s jumper over White beat the buzzer and went in, giving the male scout team a 90-89 victory. White led her team with 15 points and eight rebounds but was

behind veteran Timofey Mozgov. Allen’s athleticism and leaping ability makes him an ideal center in a league that has evolved to cater to more skilled and agile big men. Cory Joseph Joseph is coming off of his best season in the NBA, where he averaged 9.3 points, 3.3 assists and three rebounds for the Toronto Raptors. The former NBA champion was traded this past offseason to the Indiana Pacers, where he is competing with Darren Collison to earn minutes alongside starter Victor Oladipo in the backcourt. Joseph helped his stock on Tuesday when he dropped 21 points and drained five three-pointers in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite trailing Collison on the depth chart, Joseph is still averaging 25 minutes per game this season. Expect for his role to increase as the season progresses.

disappointed with the loss. “I think our weaknesses were definitely on the defensive side,” White said. “We let them get to 90 … we shouldn’t let them get to that many points. But, we just have to stay focused on our movements and defense and helping each other out.” Despite losing, Aston was still pleased with the effort her team showed. “I didn’t see a whole lot of things that we can’t address and fix as we move forward,” Aston said. “I would probably say we jumped up a couple of grades this time.” The Longhorns play a home exhibition against Oklahoma City University on Nov. 5 and will open the regular season on Nov. 12 at home against Stetson with a 1 p.m. tipoff.

angel ulloa| daily texan staff

Junior forward/center Jatarie White posts up in the Longhorns’ scrimmage on Wednesday afternoon.

SOFTBALL

continues from page 6

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Joseph helped his stock on Tuesday when he dropped 21 points and drained five three-pointers in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite trailing Collison on the depth chart, Joseph is still averaging 25 minutes per game this season.

provided an opportunity for freshmen and transfer players to get acclimated to the program. “This freshman class came in really enthusiastically,” sophomore Kaitlyn Slack said. “They bring our team chemistry together and are not afraid to speak their minds. They are going to be leaders on our team.” The game featured several

different defensive lineups as well, as the exhibition format allowed for multiple defensive changes without a player having to be removed from the game. This allowed for an established veteran such as senior Randel Leahy to split time at catcher with sophomore Taylor Ellsworth. “With so many positions open, it’s really going to take the whole team,” von Sprecken said. “I think a lot of the freshmen are going step in and fill some big shoes that

we lost last year.” After last season’s disappointing finish at the hands of Texas A&M, improvement in many facets of the game is important. The Longhorns showed signs of what’s to come Wednesday night. “I think we have to focus on the little things,” Slack said. “Perfect those, and they will take you a long way in the end.” The Longhorns next play is Friday in a road tilt with St. Mary’s University.

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@texansports

Thursday, October 26, 2017

VOLLEYBALL

White continues to blaze her own path

World Series VS. Astros

Dodgers

NBA VS. Rockets

76ers

VS. Spurs

Heat

brooke crim| daily texan staff

Sophomore outside hitter Micaya White has hit her stride during her second season playing for the Longhorns. White, who was the Big 12 freshman of the year in 2016, has recorded a team-high four double-doubles this season and is a key part of a Texas squad that is poised for another run at the NCAA title.

Jarrett Allen @_bigjay_

By Justin Martinez Sports Reporter

In a family that plays above the net, sophomore Micaya White found a different approach. White grew up in a basketball household. Her father, Randy, averaged 21.2 points and 10.5 rebounds during his senior year at Louisiana Tech, earning the nickname “The Mailman II” due to his similar playing style to legendary alumnus Karl “The Mailman” Malone. The 6-foot-8 power forward was then selected with the eighth overall pick by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1989 NBA Draft, where he enjoyed a five-year career with the team. Her older brother, RJ, is a

recent graduate of University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he averaged 12.9 points and 6.7 rebounds in his final season. Micaya White seemed destined to pursue the family business, but the Frisco native quickly learned that basketball wasn’t for her. “I was forced to play basketball,” White said. “It didn’t turn out very well. I hated being touched and just running in general, which is not my thing.” So White called it quits, taking up volleyball during her sophomore year of high school instead. It’s a decision that was met with some adversity at first. “My mom was not supportive,” White said. “It’s just because she loves basketball. Everyone thinks that

basketball runs in the family, and I kind of killed that.” But White flourished in her new domain,

“I was forced to play basketball,” White said. “It didn’t turn out very well. I hated being touched and just running in general, which is not my thing.”

— Sophomore outside hitter Micaya White

graduating from Centennial High School just two years later as the No. 4 recruit in

the nation and earning her family’s full support in the process. Despite having an abundance of offers, White fell in love with Texas during the recruiting process, opting to join the program in 2015 and become a Longhorn. “I just loved the culture,” White said. “(The girls) just reminded me of sisters I wish I had, and it was just an awesome experience all around.” White’s collegiate career quickly got put on hold, though, as the promising young talent suffered a tibial stress fracture in her left leg before the 2015 season. She was forced to redshirt. But White rebounded, returning the following year and recording 479 kills as the team’s premier outside hitter. Those efforts were

recognized on Nov. 28, 2016, when White was named the Big 12 freshman of the year. That honor symbolized how far she had come. “It meant so much to come back from being completely broken,” White said. “(The injury) made me really appreciate every day going into the gym and winning that award meant those eight months of torture just paid off.” Now in the midst of her sophomore year, White is hitting her stride. The 6-foot1 outside hitter has recorded a team-high four double-doubles this season and is a key part of a Texas squad that is poised for another run at the NCAA title. But, most importantly, she has found where she belongs.

“Aye! I finally got that blue check..”

1985

Twelve year NBA veteran and former Dallas Maverick Monta Ellis was born.

SOFTBALL

Longhorns win first two games of the fall season By Hicks Layton & Wills Layton Sports Reporters

While the regular season has yet to begin, the fall slate has gotten off to a great start for the Longhorns, who won both exhibition contests on Wednesday evening. Senior Paige von Sprecken started the first game against Blinn and pitched a solid two innings, allowing no runs with two strikeouts. Freshman Ariana Adams and redshirt junior Erica Wright finished out the first contest, which was won when sophomore Tuesday DerMargosian hit a walk-off RBI in the bottom of

the seventh. Junior Brooke Bolinger started the second game and threw three shutout innings before handing the ball to freshman Chloe Romero, who tossed two shutout innings of her own. Senior Kristen Clark finished the game and completed the shutout of the Hilltoppers by tossing two more perfect frames. “These fall ball games are really important because we lost basically our infield,” von Sprecken said. “This is basically a whole new team for us, so it’s important for us to get comfortable together and be able to work out any kinks that we have so we are ready for spring.”

The offense found its rhythm in the second game of the doubleheader, scoring seven runs on 10 hits. The offensive charge was a welcome change from the largely stagnant bats in game one against the Buccaneers. Freshman MK Tedder hit the first home run of the season and the first of her career in the second game. “On my first two at bats, I was really early, so I was trying to focus on timing,” Tedder said. “I told myself I was going to drive it up the middle, so I kind of just swung and it went over.” Wednesday’s exhibitions

6232/McCombs School of Business; Process color

angela wang| daily texan staff

Senior Paige von Sprecken prepares for a pitch. Von Sprecken pitched two shutout innings on Wednesday against Blinn.

SOFTBALL page 5 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Newcomers stand out at Orange-White scrimmage By Drew King Senior Sports Reporter

Last Saturday, head coach Karen Aston asked her players to give themselves a grade based on the team’s performance — the Longhorns had just finished a closed-door scrimmage against a scout team made up of male students. It was their first test of the season at home. “We flunked it,” Aston said. Texas received a second chance against the male scout team on Wednesday afternoon at the annual Orange and White scrimmage at the Frank Erwin Center, this time in front of a crowd of fans and media. Aston used the opportunity to experiment with different lineup combinations and

give the team’s newcomers an opportunity to mesh with returning players. The Longhorns’ three freshmen waited until the second quarter to enter the game, but the year’s No. 3 recruiting class made the most of their chances. On one play, freshman guard Destiny Littleton brought the ball up the floor and drew a double team as she crossed the half-court line. Littleton found a crease in the trap and made a bounce pass to fellow freshman guard Chasity Patterson. Patterson spun past her defender and found senior forward Audrey-Ann Caron-Goudreau open near the basket. Caron-Goudreau’s layup missed, but freshman forward Rellah Boothe tipped

SCRIMMAGE page 5

Smart discusses Texas’ improvement at Big 12 Media Day

Texas men’s basketball head coach Shaka Smart previewed the upcoming season on Tuesday in Kansas City, Missouri, at the Big 12’s annual media day. Accompanying Smart in Kansas City were freshman forward Mohamed Bamba, sophomore guard Andrew Jones and junior forward Dylan Osetkowski. Smart discussed a number of topics, including how Texas’ retooled roster is supposed to help the Longhorns bounce back from an abysmal 1122 campaign last season. “We just have a lot more versatility than we had last year,” Smart said. “Last year there was a couple of positions where we didn’t have a guy at that spot that that was his true position.” One of the big question marks with this season’s Texas squad is its consistency shooting the ball, especially from the three-point line. The Longhorns shot 29.2 percent from beyond the arc last season. “I think we have some guys on our team that are better shooters than they shot last year,” Smart said. “It’s a matter of putting them in position to get high-quality shots as much as possible and then for them to jump up and knock ‘em down.” Texas will open its season against Northwestern State on Nov. 10 at the Frank Erwin Center. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.

—Trenton Daeschner

Thursday, October 26, 2017

CROSSWORD; Black

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MORGAN O’HANLON LIFE&ARTS EDITOR

@thedailytexan

Thursday, October 26, 2017

ALUMNI

Former UT students launch independent, local publication By Athulya Rajakumar L&A Reporter

For budding journalists, starting a publication from scratch seems like a farfetched dream, but the glossy covers of SMEAR Magazine are proof that a concept can turn into reality. SMEAR Magazine, an online publication with a fourth issue in the works, is by and for people with a passion for arts and culture. The volunteer-run magazine was founded by Mary K. Cantrell and Emily Gibson during their junior year at UT. Cantrell said though SMEAR is an arts and culture-based publication like TRIBEZA or Austin Monthly, they’ve focused their appeal to young Austinites by writing about stories on issues and people that fly under the radar. Cantrell said her passion for journalism began

when taking a journalism class during her freshman year. In one class, her professor quoted a statistic about the number of journalism majors at UT — there is one for every three public relations and advertising majors. “That really hit me. I could either go to school and be a talking head for someone, or go out there and tell the truth,” Cantrell said. “I realized it was an important job that had to be done.” Cantrell met Gibson wh ile working in The Daily Texan’s Life&Arts department. Both writers felt like there were too many guidelines to follow, and after all the editing they were required to do, the stories released under their names didn’t feel like they’re own. Once they started talking, they realized they shared enough common ground to start their own magazine. “We just thought how cool it would be to not

listen to an authority figure and (to) be in charge of our own means of production,” Cantrell said. Darby Kendall, the managing editor of SMEAR and a friend of Cantrell’s, said she also has a commitment to writers’ visions and thinks it’s important to stay true to their voices in the industry. “I feel like a lot of editors will go through someone’s piece and cut half of it and not really give an explanation as to why,” Kendall said. “It leads to a good end product, but it doesn’t teach the writer anything.” Because it’s a volunteer organization, none of its staff are getting paid, making it unique in the sense that it’s thoroughly a passion project that brings together a tight-knit group of self-motivated current UT students and alumni. Nathan Burgess and Crystal Garcia, two former Daily Texan artists who were part of the Com-

SMEAR’s co-founders met while working for The Daily Texan.

ics department, are now illustrators and co-art directors for SMEAR. Both Burgess and Garcia were also a part of SMEAR since the beginning. Burgess and Garcia said they’d like to see their staff get paid but

for now are happy to work for something they’re both passionate about. “I remember moving from coffee shop to coffee shop,” Burgess said. “Brainstorming ideas and thinking about what

GEOLOGY

our mission statement would be.” SMEAR hopes to expand and advance their magazine, while staying true to their journalistic values.

FESTIVAL

UT alumna helps rewrites geological history By Sabrina Tran S&T Reporter

Until this summer, scientists thought that an ancient millipede, Pneumodesmus newmani, was the oldest air-breathing land animal. However, a former Jackson School of Geosciences student came up with a creative solution to test soil samples, showing that this species of millipede is much younger than it was previously thought to be. When Stephanie Suarez was an undergraduate geological sciences senior, she published the findings regarding the ancient millipede in the journal PLOS ONE along with geological sciences associate professor Elizabeth Catlos, geological sciences professor Daniel F. Stockli and University of Massachusetts Boston professor Michael Brookfield. Brookfield provided Catlos with the soil samples that Suarez would later study. Brookfield had previously traveled to Cowie, a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, where he saw a local museum’s display of the millipede that claimed the specimen was the first air-breathing land animal. “He noted how there were no radiometric dates of it, even though it is claimed to be the ‘oldest,’” Suarez said. “He knew this study would have large

implications and gathered three samples to send to UT-Austin (from) above and below the fishbed where the fossil was found in 2004.” Catlos, who taught Suarez in her Earth Materials class, invited Suarez to help on this project. “She was always motivated and really stood out here at UT,” Catlos said. “I asked her if she wanted to work on (this) small project with me, and I told her that if she could get it to work, she would have a research project.” However, Catlos and Suarez had not often worked with loose soil samples. “I usually work with rock, and you can usually work with thin sections and make microscope slides,” Catlos said. “Microscope slides wouldn’t work for this.” Determined to find the age of the samples, Suarez accepted the offer and began researching ways to get radioactive materials that could be dated, such as pieces of the mineral zircon, out of the soil. Suarez first tried the traditional dating method: heavy mineral separation. She crushed the rock and used an organic solvent to separate out heavier minerals. The ashes in the sample clumped together, and no zircons sank to the bottom. However, Suarez said she was not discouraged.

A traditional Dia de los Muertos altar, complete with marigold flowers, sugar skulls and photos of deceased loved ones. illustration by andrew choi| daily texan staff

She continued researching and came across a 2014 study led by Gregory Hoke from Syracuse University in which an ultrasonic clay separator was used to separate non-clay components from clayrich materials. Inspired by this study, Suarez vibrated the samples faster than the speed of sound with hydrogen peroxide to remove the cohesive mud grains then picked zircons about one millionth of a meter in size out of the remaining sample for analysis. Zircon contains crystal lattice structures, and uranium inserts itself into these structures and decays to lead over time, Suarez said. She could determine the age of the mineral by the decay rate of the radioactive uranium into lead. Upon separation, the zircons were placed into an inductively coupled plasma mass

spectrometry machine that can detect metals and some non-metals in order to find the ratio of uranium and lead, she said. She found that the sample was only 414 million years old, while that particular species of millipede was assumed to live around 428 million years ago. “This is important information for those who study terrestrial evolution,” Suarez said. “This new age could alter some previous interpretations about the rate of land colonization.” Two other academic works have already cited Suarez’s paper, leaving a door open for the scientific community to continue research on finding the first air-breathing land animal, Catlos said. “(The mystery of the oldest air-breathing land animal) is still not resolved,” Catlos said. “People still want to know: If it wasn’t a millipede, what could it have been?”

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Funding sponsors Dia de los Muertos events By Andrea Tinning Senior L&A Reporter

Octobers in Monterrey, Mexico, marked Lesly Reynaga’s childhood with the scent of fresh food and marigolds. The UT alumna and director of Austin’s Dia de los Muertos festivities said that in Mexico, Dia de los Muertos was a time when the entire community came together to celebrate the lives of those who died, and she hopes to bring the liveliness of the celebration to Austin. “The whole school community would pitch in, and we would have this mystical altar,” Reynaga said. “ There would be this big beautiful path of flowers that would lead you into the altar (made in memory of a deceased community member). It’s a memory that I carry with me.” In spite of Austin’s large Hispanic community, Reynaga said that she’s noticed a disproportional representation of the event and hopes to grow it into an iconic celebration for the entire city. This year, the Cultural Arts Division of the Economic Development Department allotted about $50,000 to fortify existing events in town and make room for new ones. Festivities will continue around town until early November. “We’re very lucky that this year the City of Austin, including the mayor’s office and the Economic Development Department, have been big supporters of this,” Reynaga said. “We’re hoping to turn this into a bigger and better deal every year.” Though the events kicked off last week, Reynaga is already preparing for next year’s Day of the Dead and hopes to grow the celebration into an iconic Austin tradition that memorializes the city’s large Hispanic population. Several organizations and venues throughout the Austin area have planned events leading up to the holiday and are listed on the city’s Dia de los Muertos website — a new

feature in the initiative to expand the festival. Despite the fact that the series of events is meant to specifically highlight Hispanic culture, Reynaga said all of Austin is invited and encouraged to join in the tradition. Sigma Lambda Beta, a fraternity at UT-Austin, hosts a popular Dia de los Muertos event listed on the city’s holiday website. This year, the fraternity invites the community to join them at UT’s Main Mall on Nov. 1, where there will be traditional Dia de los Muertos snacks and performances, complete with an altar honoring the dead along the steps of the University’s Tower. Members of the fraternity prepare months in advance in order to honor an event important to their identity. “The preservation of this cultural event means the preservation of our collective heritage,” said Javier Olivas Menchaca, the finance director of Sigma Lambda Beta. Brandon Jimenez, an electrical engineering sophomore and Sigma Lambda Beta member, said celebrating the holiday goes beyond cultural lines because it helps him remember loved ones who have died. “I hope that others enjoy this sense of unity, of coming together and celebrating without worrying about race or personal differences (in order to remember) the people that have left this world,” Jimenez said. The theme of unity is not just important to the campus community, but the Austin community at large. According to Reynaga, unity is an important element in expanding the event and helps to resolve misconceptions about the celebration. “I really encourage communities to come together in celebration of something that is appealing to many cultures,” Reynaga said. “It has very deep cultural significance, and we want communities to understand that this is not Mexican Halloween — this is actually celebrating the people who have passed and keeping their memories alive.”