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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017
@thedailytexan | thedailytexan.com
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Volume 118, Issue 67
NATION
Homeless service calls increase since 2015 for UTPD
Mike Pence addresses governors By Chase Karacostas Senior News Reporter Pence speaks to Republican Governors Association in Austin
By Ashley Liu Senior News Reporter
Vice President Mike Pence spoke to the Republican Governors Association (RGA) on Wednesday afternoon to garner their support for the
The number of UT Police Department service calls involving the homeless population has increased almost 50 percent since 2015. Service calls involving the transient population at UT increased from 107 calls in 2015 to 145 calls this year to date, according to KXAN. In 2017, assault dropped below the top three crimes involving the homeless, which are alcohol, drug and trespassing violations. UTPD captain Gonzalo Gonzalez said the upward trend might be reflective of an increase in people’s willingness to report. “People are reporting more, and officers are seeing and acting on things more,” Gonzalez said. “We are educating the public more about reporting before posting concerns to social media.” The UT community should be aware that the numbers include both criminal and non-criminal calls for service, Gonzalez said. Non-criminal calls totaled 54 in 2015, 58 in 2016 and 53 this year to date. “A non-criminal call could be due to a welfare concern or just someone acting suspicious,” Gonzalez said. “That can include (the homeless) talking to themselves, panhandling, sleeping in public, or it could be call for help if someone is in medical distress.” Students should not be too
new GOP tax plan and reassure them of the Trump administration’s support. Following an introduction from Scott Walker, RGA chairman and governor of Wisconsin, Pence began by thanking Gov. Greg Abbott for his work on Hurricane Harvey relief. “Through it all, we never
failed to be inspired by the resilience and the faith and the character of the people of Texas, and we never failed to be inspired by the compassion and the strength and the leadership of the great governor of Texas,” Pence said. Pence then discussed the GOP’s tax plan, which is cur-
rently making its way through the U.S. Senate, and congratulated the governors in the room who had already managed to cut taxes in their states, including Florida Gov. Rick Scott. “When I look at the governors gathered here, I see a
PENCE page 2
brooke crim| daily texan staff
Vice President Mike Pence spoke to the Republican Governors Association on Wednesday afternoon. Among his speaking points were Trump’s new tax plan, Hurricane Harvey and next year’s governor elections.
HOMELESS page 2
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Wendy Davis discusses sexual assault By Allyson Waller News Reporter
angie huang| daily texan staff Former Texas senator Wendy Davis and UT students Alison Aydin and Sophie Jerwick discussed sexual assault issues on Wednesday.
Former Texas Senator Wendy Davis is known as one of the most progressive voices in Texas, but on Wednesday evening, Davis let the voices of students join hers as student leaders discussed the impact of sexual assault on college campuses.
UT students Alison Aydin from UT’s Voices Against Violence and Sophie Jerwick from UT’s Not on My Campus talked about their experiences working for Davis’ nonprofit, Deeds Not Words, at a panel hosted by University Democrats. Davis’ nonprofit works to promote equality for women in the state and helps give them the
tools to mobilize their communities to get involved in policies that matter to them. “The work that we’re doing for Deeds Not Words (is) we help students learn how to share their story and to use personal story to persuade, because it’s the most powerful tool that we have,” Davis said. During Texas’ 85th
legislative session, Aydin and Jerwick worked on specific bills involving sexual assault, such as House Bill 281, which makes it easier for victims to track their DNA samples contained in rape kits. “So many times we see people going through this very traumatic and long
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SURE Walk rises in demand, lacks resources By Reagan Ritterbush Senior News Reporter
SURE Walk has quadrupled its number of fulfilled requests for rides over the past year, said Holden Hopkins, one of the SURE Walk directors. According to SURE Walk data, in the fall of 2016, the organization fulfilled 3,279 requests, but reached 12,283
fulfilled requests in the spring of 2017. Hopkins, Plan II and business honors sophomore, said current data suggests SURE Walk will probably fulfill around 15,000 requests in the fall of 2018. “This pattern is increasing still,” Hopkins said. “We get around 3,000 requests a month, but this number increases around the holidays and finals, so we are definitely reaching more students as the years
go on.” This increase has made SURE Walk’s limited amount of resources and funding apparent, Hopkins said. In order to keep up with the growing demand, SURE Walk is raising money to buy two additional golf carts. “We want to be able to give as many rides as we want to and work as proficiently as possible,” Hopkins said. “We
currently have three working golf carts, which makes it hard to fulfill all the needs of each student who turns in a request.” The fundraiser, hosted on student crowdfunding website HornRaiser, has only raised a small portion of the $18,000 needed to buy the two golf carts, said Joel McNew, co-founder and vice president of SafeHorns, a parent organization
NEWS
OPINION
LIFE&ARTS
SPORTS
Briscoe Center unveils civil rights photography exhibit. PAGE 3
The editorial board weighs in on the proposed tuition increase. PAGE 4
UT Puerto Ricans ask University for aid after Hurricane Maria. PAGE 8
Volleyball collects a second win over No. 16 Kansas. PAGE 6
SURE WALK page 3
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Thursday, November 16, 2017
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Panel discusses freedom of speech on campuses
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News Reporter
A contentious debate on the difference between protected and unprotected speech brought over 100 students and faculty to discuss and hear arguments from all sides of an ongoing national conversation. The Division of Diversity and Community Engagement and the Opportunity Forum hosted a panel on Wednesday evening featuring UT alumni, professors and Ross Ramsey, executive editor of the Texas Tribune. Moderated by Leonard Moore, interim vice president for Diversity and Community and Engagement, the panel was the second event in the “Free Speech on College Campuses: Where to Draw the Line?” series. “Universities are still a place where people go for ideas to fight,” Ramsey said. “It’s where people go to talk about uncomfortable things and hear points of view they don’t otherwise hear. When institutions get into the business of saying ‘We’re going to allow these kinds of speech or this kind of conversation,’ there’s a fine line between stopping ideas they don’t like and stopping behaviors they don’t like.” College campuses are too concerned with creating safe spaces rather than brave spaces, social work professor Lori Holleran Steiker said. “A lot of the masking tape that we put across our own mouths and across student’s mouths are because they’re afraid of offending, and I
PENCE
continues from page 1 group of extraordinary leaders with extraordinary accomplishments,” Pence said. “Thanks to (the RGA’s) support, these Republican governors are proving every day that Republican policies work in our states. … And Republican policies can work to make the entire American economy great again.” Pence reassured attendees of the Trump administration’s commitment to protecting states’ rights and expanding their control. “The states created the federal government; the federal government didn’t create the states,” Pence said. “Our administration under President (Donald) Trump knows that governors understand their unique needs better than anyone ever could.” Pence also championed a recent addition to the GOP tax plan, the repeal of Obamacare’s individual mandate which requires most people to have health insurance, eliciting cheers from the audience. The association hosted Pence as part of their annual conference, and prior to Pence’s speech, Walker and Scott hosted a briefing to discuss the party’s
DAVIS
continues from page 1 process of having a rape examination done after an assault and having no way of knowing what happened to their DNA, to that data (and) to that kit,” Plan II senior Jerwick said. Aydin, human development and family sciences junior, also testified for Senate Bill 968, which worked to create an anonymous electronic system for people to report sexual assault. “Basically, if you’re assaulted you have the ability to electronically report it so it’s … easier than going (to report it) in person,” Aydin said. The panelists discussed Title IX, part of the U.S.
carlos garcia| daily texan staff
African studies associate professor Eric Tang speaks about the difference between Angela Davis and Richard Spencer in a panel that addressed freedom of speech on college campuses on Wednesday evening.
think we need a space to have difficult dialogues,” Steiker said. “The goal is to be strong in your conviction and still keep open ears and honest dialogue, because I think that’s the challenge.” Moore posed the question of whether controversial speakers, such as Richard Spencer, should be allowed to speak at the University and whether the University should have
chances of maintaining power in 2018. Republicans currently hold 34 of the governorships across the U.S., the highest in the party’s history. “We think part of the reason for that — not just now, but for the past several years — is (because) Republican governors are getting things done,” Walker said. Next year, there will be 36 gubernatorial races, 26 of which are currently held by Republicans. Walker said he isn’t worried about Trump, who is experiencing historically low approval ratings, hurting the chances of Republican gubernatorial candidates winning in 2018. “If the only argument that (Democrats) have got is that you’re in the same party as (Trump), then I think they are going to have a failing race,” Walker said. “What voters want to hear about is ‘What are you going to do to make my life better?’” Scott said the best thing Republican incumbents can do to ensure reelection is keep their campaign promises. “The bottom line is … whether Republican or Democrat, you ran on something, and you need to do it,” Scott said. Education Code that prohibits discrimination in education on the basis of gender. The landscape of Title IX has shifted, and there is now less clarity around how people who come forward to report sexual assaults are treated under Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Davis said. Jerwick said she feels universities can do better in addressing sexual assault. “The question here is making sure students are educated enough on what consent actually is so they’re not committing assault,” Jerwick said. “I think there is such a drought of talking about what consent looks like (and) what sexual assault looks like.”
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jurisdiction regarding the decision. “I don’t want to give that power to the president of the United States, or the governor of Texas or the president of the University of Texas,” law professor David Rabban said. “There ought to be equal rights of student groups to hear the speakers they want. That doesn’t equate the value or the humanity of the speakers, but it has to do with the right of freedom
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continues from page 1 concerned about the homeless, Gonzalez said. “It’s not illegal to be homeless,” Gonzalez said. “The homeless is part of the community. I would not be scared of them. We don’t arrest the homeless because they’re poor or hooked on alcohol. We take appropriate actions when they’re a danger to themselves or others. As a parent whose daughter is graduating from UT, I would say beware of your surroundings and call 911 if you see anything suspicious.” The improvement on reducing crimes involving the transient population has been significant, Gonzalez said. “You would not recognize the Renaissance Market before 2014,” Gonzalez said. “The difference is night and day. Transients were everywhere. They slept wherever they wanted, they were defecating and urinating in public, and they were more aggressive. When he came to us in 2013, Chief (David) Carter
of speech.” Marie Girishejah, health and society freshman, said she found the discussion eye-opening to the issue of harmful versus harmless speech. “Just because someone says something doesn’t mean that I have to feel bad about it, but I also don’t have to be quiet about it,” Girishejah said. “If it doesn’t affect me, it can affect someone else.”
decided to put more force in West Campus. Together, APD and UTPD really cleaned up the area. The homeless problem is not worse for sure.” The answer to crimes involving the transient population is not within UTPD, Gonzalez said. Other programs such as the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, or ARCH, and the Mobile Crisis Outreach Team, or MCOT, are trying to help the transient population. “The answer is from the community,” Gonzalez said. “That includes the University, the county and the city. The city is developing a lot of programs. They have the ARCH downtown. UTPD is forming a partnership with MCOT. If a student wants to help, I would advise them to donate money not directly to the person but to one of these programs.” Kinesiology sophomore Khalid Saeed said his interactions with the homeless have never been aggressive.
It’s not illegal to be homeless. The homeless is part of the community. I would not be scared of them.” —Gonzalo Gonzalez UTPD captain
“I walk on Guadalupe Street everyday, and I’ve never been intimidated by them,” Saeed said. “I just feel bad for them.” Biochemistry sophomore Mai Phan said an increased police presence might be a solution to crimes involving the homeless. “I think students definitely feel more comfortable when there is more police presence around us,” Phan said. “(The homeless) are probably also less aggressive when there’s an authority nearby.”
infographic by mallika gandhi| daily texan staff
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Thursday, November 16, 2017
UNIVERSITY
UT Thanks Day celebrates University donors By Meara Isenberg News Reporter
Alfonso Toscano took a detour on his way to class Wednesday morning, stopping to sign a card, grab a doughnut and thank the donors who impacted his five years at the University. “Sometimes we can get caught up in the routine of everyday,” said Toscano, an accounting graduate student. “We all need a moment to just stop and think about what we’re thankful for. … We don’t necessarily think of (donors) everyday, but they are the reason we are here.” UT Thanks Day provided the chance to do just that, bringing students from across campus together to sign personalized thank you notes for University donors. “Engaging students is a really important part of fundraising,” said UT alumna Raine Munkens, donor relations development specialist. “A lot of these donors give back because they want to be connected with the campus, and they want to have access to the students because they’re their investment.”
Munkens, who coordinated Thanks Day, said the eighth annual event took a different approach than in years past. The event involved all major colleges and schools at UT in order to thank more than 6,400 donors. From Moody to McCombs, schools tabled throughout the morning to reach this goal. Texas Orange Jacket member Guneez Ibrahim tabled on Wednesday in front of Gregory Plaza. Ibrahim said tuition and fees, which account for 21 percent of UT’s annual budget, are not enough to keep the University running. “We are collecting letters … to help bridge the gap between where tuition doesn’t cover our funding,” said Ibrahim, a design and sociology senior. “I think a lot of times there’s a lot of disconnect between the actual campus life and the people who are supporting (campus). Tangible evidence of why this funding matters — it’s something that the donors need to hear.” Munkens also stressed the importance of students personally writing letters. As a former UT
brooke crim| daily texan staff
At the UT Thanks booth by Gregory Gym, students had the chance to thank donors to the University for their support
student and scholarship recipient, she said this event serves as a reminder to students that although they may not know the donors personally, they have
Orange Santa accepts holiday donations By Anna Lassmann News Reporter
ashley ephraim| daily texan staff
The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History recently opened a photo exhibit that showe cases life during the civil rights movement.
e d a g
but just the interests the donors take in the students, and improving their lives,” Munkens said. “(I hope) students realize that there are people on the other side.”
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seen the impact of their donations throughout their time at UT. “I learned to really appreciate the value not only just the money,
Briscoe Center opens Civil Rights photography exhibit By Raga Justin
y News Reporter n e The Dolph Briscoe Center efor American History unveiled oits newest exhibit, “Struggle for nJustice,” on Friday. It’s the third exhibit to be featured after a nearly two-year long renovation of the center’s main hall. The exhibit documents the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s with about 60 photographs and assorted documents from the Briscoe Center’s photojournalism collection. Don Carleton, the center’s executive director, said the exhibit is not intended to serve as an exhaustive history of civil rights, instead focusing on showcasing the work of journalists. “We have made an effort to acquire and preserve entire archives of individual photographers,” Carleton said. “That’s not something that most other institutions do. We’re different that way.” Ben Wright, assistant
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continues from page 1 designed to raise awareness about campus safety. “I don’t understand how when an organization like SURE Walk has the numbers and data behind them to show that students need and want this service, why we can’t actually get anyone to help raise the money,” McNew said. “I’m not entirely sure what the organization is going to do without these two new golf carts.” SURE Walk has never been directly funded by UT and relies mostly on money from UT Parking and Transportation services, McNew said. Although UT does not currently directly fund the organization, SURE Walk is
director of communications, said the documentation of social injustice helped galvanize support for federal civil rights legislation in the ’60s. In the documentation process, photographers often found themselves in dangerous circumstances, Wright said. “There’s a sort of debt of gratitude that Americans owe photojournalists for documenting the injustice,” Wright said. “I think they got a very compelling, beautiful, somewhat disturbing history of the civil rights movement.” Radio-television-film senior Miguel Valarino said he appreciated the candid, sometimes behind-the-scenes portrayals of black leaders during his visit. “Sometimes people see the civil rights movement as violent,” Valerino said. “But what’s represented here is the opposite. … Here you don’t see the violence; you see who they are and why they thought this was important.” Wright said an interesting
aspect of the exhibit is its placement right next to the Jefferson Davis statue exhibit. The statue was relocated in 2015 after being targeted for protests and vandalizations. “You have these fairly different pieces of historical evidence displayed at the same time. That makes this exhibit intriguing and timely,” Wright said. “I think it says something about how diverse and varied American history is.” Despite focusing on events from more than 30 years ago, the message of the exhibit still resonates, Valarino said. “We haven’t achieved equality today, and when people who have the power see these movements and say the civil rights movement already happened, it’s like ‘Nope, there are still a lot of things to fight over,’” Valarino said. “And we can do that in a civilized way just as they did in the 1960s. But until we conclude that we still have inequality, these sorts of exhibits have to exist, be visible.”
not allowed any corporate sponsorships, McNew said. “The University doesn’t want the golf carts to have a corporation’s logo on them,” McNew said. “It’s disappointing that this increase in numbers hasn’t been a real eye opener for the University. If the University is not going to pay for it, then why not allow someone else to?” Computer science senior Nirmal Mulji said SURE Walk should receive direct funding from UT. “(SURE Walk) keeps their students safe on campus,” Mulji said. “I don’t see how they wouldn’t help out an organization that only intends to make students feel comfortable.” Created in 1982 by UT Student Government and
PTS, SURE Walk was originally intended as a walking service, but golf cart rides were introduced a little over a year ago when other colleges with similar services began using golf carts. The SURE Walk team is always working on new ways to make students feel safe and comfortable on campus, Hopkins said. He said no matter how many resources the organization has, students are always encouraged to request rides. “The way we run SURE Walk has barely scratched the surface of what it could be as a safety organization, and we’re trying to grow beyond this,” Hopkins said. “The potential for improvement and to reach as many Longhorns as possible is high.”
Santa Claus is coming to the 40 Acres with the Orange Santa program. Orange Santa is an annual toy collection that began in 1994 to provide help to members of the University who are in need during the holiday season. Donations for unwrapped toys and gifts are being accepted at UT guard stations, parking garage offices and a variety of campus buildings from Nov. 2 to Dec. 7. “Orange Santa has been a collaborative, successful, University-wide program for nearly 25 years,” University spokesperson Shilpa Bakre said in an email. “During that time, the program has benefited countless University families during the holidays and continues to serve those in need throughout the season.” Last year, Orange Santa helped to serve 264 families,
including 787 children. Radio-television-film sophomore Cara Daeschner said she plans to donate to the toy drive this year. “Any effort to provide aid to those in need, I completely stand behind,” Daeschner said. “Helping people in the area allows for collective action that strengthens one’s community. I’ve always believed giving is better than receiving, and I love shopping for gifts for people.” Following the collection of toys, there will be an Orange Santa Holiday Store in Bellmont from Dec. 9 to 11. The Holiday Store provides an opportunity for University members and families who have completed an application before the Nov. 17 deadline to shop for gifts and toys for children in their immediate family. Orange Santa also supports the Hispanic Faculty and Staff Association to promote their Holiday Assistance
Program. This program provides holiday meal assistance and resources to members of the UT community. “We believe in supporting our UT community, and there are a lot of employees who are getting by month to month,” said Leticia Acosta, chair of the Holiday Assistance Committee. “It would be a missed opportunity if we turned our back on our fellow employees.” This year, the Holiday Assistance Program is being officially renamed the John Trevino Jr. Holiday Assistance Program on Dec. 8, the day of distribution. Trevino passed away from his battle with cancer earlier this year, Acosta said. “This is (named) after a member of HFSA who was an integral part of this program for many years,” Acosta said. “He believed strongly in the mission of service, and we felt this would be the best way to honor his memory.”
illustration by mel westfall| daily texan staff
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@TexanOpinion
Thursday, November 16, 2017
EDITORIAL
Let’s talk tuition
COLUMN
Being self-supporting isn’t a trend By Carlos Devora
The Daily Texan Editorial Board Today is the last day students can offer input on the proposed 2 percent tuition increase. Once feedback has been collected, the Tuition Policy Advisory Committee will bring the information to President Gregory Fenves who will in turn offer his recommendations to the Board of Regents. A chance to consider student feedback is always welcome, especially on an issue as far reaching as tuition. However, it seems unlikely that this will have any tangible impact considering the late stage of the funding process. For students to feel heard, they must be informed early and often on the funding challenges that both UT-Austin and the UT System face. The call for a 2 percent tuition increase follows a recent pattern at UT, as tuition has increased $1,500 since 2010. UT faces real higher education funding challenges: Building maintenance, competitive salaries, inflation and budget cuts all place pressure on the University’s ability to even maintain the academic environment we have today.
“For students to feel heard, they must be informed early and often on the funding challenges both UT-Austin and the UT System face.”
Columnist
Q: As a financially independent college student who often struggles with income, what would you say to the pseudo-broke college students who aestheticize the narrative? A: “I would tell them to tell their parents to cut them off for a month and to go get a job that will pay their rent. Not just working at some retail store, but try to and find a job that will make you enough money that will pay your rent, your bills, your food, your gas money. Just try it out for month and see what it’s like to be a financially independent college student and actually be kind of broke, and then go back to your normal life and see if you actually want to use it as an aesthetic or chic image.” –Yanett Heredia, senior neuroscience major College is expensive. Very expensive. The stereotype of being a broke college student is plagued with expectations of eating ramen, being frugal bargainers and being avid penny-pinchers. While this might be true for some, many people who are not low-income students or “broke” love to co-opt the experiences of “broke” college students because it’s seen as an aesthetic that one can embody to seem more independent. But this is not a costume you can put on and take off. Many low-income college students who might be considered “broke” are self-supporting and may have a level of independence beyond that of someone who is financially supported by their parents. By saying they’re “broke,” college students try to come off as financially independent without having to actually work for it. However, median family income of
illustration by geo casillas| daily texan staff
a student from UT is $123,900, and 56 percent come from the top 20 percent. If you’re not actually broke and come from a high-income family, don’t complain about how you’re “a broke college student” for the aesthetic. This can be very reductive to the experiences of low-income college students and is flat-out disrespectful. As a low-income student myself, being broke is not something that I strive for, or proclaim from the top of a building. It can often be embarrassing and a hassle to keep up with the economically driven environment that is a college institution. Heredia has financially supported herself for her entire college career and says the broke college student narrative is more than just the stereotype. “It is very disrespectful when I hear someone aestheticizing the broke college student narrative because they don’t know what it actually is like and they don’t know the struggle that comes behind it,”
Point. Blank. Period. Devora is a journalism senior from Mesquite
How to escape winter blues By Elizabeth Braaten Columnist
Nonetheless, a Senate of College Councils survey showed that 84 percent of students were opposed to an increase in tuition — if you ask a student if they support spending more money, the expected knee-jerk reaction is no. But this unwillingness is worsened by the historic lack of communication about where exactly this tuition money goes. UT has recently been subject to considerable scrutiny about its monetary practices. The UT System, and UT-Austin, has recieved backlash for consistently poor investments on expensive projects like failed start-ups and aborted plans for a Houston campus. The 2011 financial crunch also brought forth editorials questioning investments like Massive Online Open Courses, MOOC. More recently, a New York Times expose called out tax havens that some large universities — including UT — have used to avoid paying taxes on endowments. We don’t remember a feedback survey about that. Universities can take risks, but the combination of these behind-the-scenes factors and a punitive legislature makes students feel that their voices (and tuition dollars) are an afterthought. The ambiguity of the University’s spending practices leaves students parsing together a complicated and seemingly nonsensical picture of ballooning multi-billion dollar endowments, multi-million dollar salaries for coaches and $10,000 lockers for football players. Nor have students forgotten about that infamous canoe sculpture and $36 million to replace Speedway with a yellow brick road. Tuition money does not finance any of these things, but most students would not know the difference. These common student complaints paint a confusing portrait of University finances and call into question why UT must turn to its students for more money. If the University expects students to bear the burden of their budgetary ails, then they owe real-time transparency and direct communication about what they’re doing with the money they do have. It’s unreasonable to expect students to sift through complicated financial documents in order to understand where their tuition dollars go. And it’s unreasonable for the University to place further burdens on its students without providing more clarity. If mass emails can ask for a student donations and approval for a tuition increase, they can give prompt break-downs of at-risk programming or ask whether students support the costs of building a new campus. National and state trends indicate that the University really does the need the money. Student leaders are convinced of the necessity of the increase. The survey might be the start of improved communication. But to many students right now, it doesn’t seem like it. Prove us wrong.
Heredia said. “I’m independent and I fully support myself, and maybe that’s what they’re trying to feel like, but they totally disregard all of the other stuff that comes with it, like having to work 30-plus hours a week, having to sacrifice study time for work and, if you’re short on rent, having to give up sleep and study time to go make the last $100 that you need to pay off your rent at the end of the month.” It’s a literal struggle out here for low-income students. So please, if you do not know what it’s like to be actually broke and deal with the anxieties of being low-income, then do not say you are broke when you have plenty of money to fall back on. Recognize the privilege of having a higher socioeconomic status and do not feel like you have to lie to fit the typical college student narrative.
It’s that time of year again. Department stores are blasting Christmas music, every other lawn in suburbia is home to a dazzling light display and the temperature is dropping — and with it, your motivation and mood. For many college students, the holiday season marks the welcome end of the fall semester and the opportunity to spend time with the people they love. However, the arrival of winter also means the return of Seasonal Affective Disorder, or “episodes of depression (that) occur during the same season each year.” While there are not many known cures for SAD, ensuring that you are aware of the symptoms will enable you to practice self-care methods that will ease these winter blues and make your holidays happier. Symptoms of the disorder include lower energy levels, weight gain and disinterest in the activities you usually enjoy. The lack of energy brought on by the disorder can also hinder your ability to concentrate and be invested in school. Those who are affected report sleeping over two hours more in the winter months than they do in the summer. While anyone can be affected by this disorder, it hits college students the hardillustration by weatherly sawyer| daily texan staff est. SAD is estimated to affect about 4 to
6 percent of the U.S. population. However, in a study published in the Journal of American College Health, researchers found that college students experience SAD at an astonishing 13.2 percent. Ensuring that you have access to light each day is crucial, as SAD is brought on by the shorter, darker days that accompany cold weather. You should also exercise at least three times a week to relieve stress and anxiety. Going out to exercise and getting vitamin D can help regulate your mood, and aiming for seven to nine hours of rest per night will ensure that you are not oversleeping. Finally, if you feel that individual care is not enough, don’t hesitate to contact UT’s Counseling and Mental Health Center, which offers walk-in assessments and referrals Monday through Friday and individual counseling appointments at $10 each. Above all, understand that low levels of energy, a loss for creativity and a lack of willingness to be productive are not uncommon trends during the holiday season, so don’t be too hard on yourself. Tackle your workload in manageable chunks, check in on your friends and be sure to do small things each day to take care of yourself — even if it’s as simple as turning on the light. Braaten is a international relations and global studies junior from Conroe.
GALLERY
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illustration by yulissa chavez | daily texan staff
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Thursday, November 16, 2017
MARIA
continues from page 8 to be “ineffectual” either because of the semester’s lateness, state laws or “UT’s contractual obligations.” The response has drawn criticism from both Puerto Rican faculty and students. “It was disappointing,” said Carlos Ramos Scharron, a geography professor whose agricultural research in Puerto Rico has been stalled by the hurricane. He maintains frequent contact with University of Puerto Rico faculty and students. “I think we have seen UT respond better to events like this in the past, especially Katrina.” J.B. Bird, director of UT media relations, said in an interview that UT did accept a small number of students from Tulane University after Katrina struck in 2005. While there are no plans to take in students from the University of Puerto Rico and the University of Virgin Islands, Bird said students affected by Maria are welcomed to reach out to the University and request accommodations.
MIGRANT
continues from page 8 last thing you are thinking about is yourself, but instead about others. If you stay silent, others will die, suffer. My strength is Jesus
SWIFT
continues from page 8 Philp said Swift surrounded herself with the right people and played the right shows to successfully make the leap in genres. “She had a built-in audience who really loved her, and she spent years cultivating these audiences and has created these super fans that she has the liberty to try something different,” Philp said. “That has been successful. She’s doing it, and she’s doing well.” But not everyone followed Taylor to pop, corporate
Colon-Pizzini said UT could have been more proactive in its response to Maria, especially because she didn’t receive a University email acknowledging Maria, whereas she did for Hurricane Harvey. “I just feel that at this moment they’re washing their hands of it instead of aiding an academic community in need,” Colon-Pizzini said. The majority of Puerto Ricans still don’t have electricity, which has closed businesses, schools and deprived many residents of running water since pumping stations require power. Although the island is at 49 percent electrical capacity, transmission lines frequently give out and many are still in need of repair, according to The New York Times. “There’s a lot of uncertainty for when services will be back on,” said literature professor Cesar Salgado. Salgado said his parents fortunately left Puerto Rico right before Maria hit. His wife’s parents, who are diabetics, moved into his house because they required medical support that
the hurricane disrupted. Some are less fortunate and cannot bring their family over. With a tumor and an injured back, anthropology graduate student Lara Sanchez’s father waited for weeks in eight hour lines to buy gas to fuel his car and power his home’s generator in Puerto Rico. Sanchez said her father and the rest of her family still don’t have water and electricity. “He’s in pain constantly,” Sanchez said. “They’re uncomfortable, but they have access to food and all their basic necessities.” Although disheartened by UT’s lack of aid, Scharron said he and other faculty will continue to find ways to help their homeland, especially for Puerto Rico’s students and faculty whose universities are hardly functional. “The idea was not to save the world, not to save Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands, but the academic institutions,” Scharron said. “Even something minor is better than nothing. And basically we got nothing.”
and the Holy Spirit, those are my two friends that have held me up, pushed me forward, taught me the way. I work for and with them, and I serve them. Everything else doesn’t matter to
me because my life is not in the hands of the criminals, the government, organized crime or authorized crime. My life is in the hands of God, and because of that I am peaceful.
communications senior Tristen Refuse shares Reed’s sentiments. Refuse said he became a Swift fan after her “1989” album, but her latest works have left him sorely disappointed. “I was a fan at that point, because she got a little edgier, but it still seemed authentic,” Refuse said. “For this latest album, she seems so fake.” Refuse attributes his falling out with Swift on her selling out to the music industry. To Refuse, her sound is no longer her own, but one that seems forced or fake. “It just seems cookie-cutter and very super produced,”
Refuse said. “At this point she’s changed (her) image so many times that none of them seen authentic.” Philp disagrees with this idea. He said Swift’s changing sound is an inevitable phenomenon that happens to all artists when they and their fans age and change. If you don’t like Swift now, Philp said to just wait a few years, because she’s most likely going to change again. “It’s a function of people changing and getting older and they think of music differently,” Philp said. “People just change.”
BIOLOGY
Small bees can pull their own weight in pollination By Shezaz Hannan S&T Reporter
UT researchers recently discovered that when it comes to pollination, size doesn’t matter. A study published last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that long-distance pollen dispersal can be achieved by both large and small bees. The study also found that small bees were responsible for more than 49 percent of long-distance dispersal. “In the past, we thought that the body size of the pollinators was positively related to their ability to disperse pollen longer distances,” said Antonio R. Castilla, the lead author of the study and a recent postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Integrative Biology. He is currently a researcher at the University of Lisbon in Portugal. According to Castilla, the interactions between plants and animals can affect the genetic variability of tree populations. These findings show that small bees play a large role in promoting genetic variance. The research was conducted in the tropical rainforests of Panama, near the Panama Canal, and focused on the Miconia affinis species of trees. Rather than focusing on the bees, researchers randomly chose and mapped trees of this species in the region and observed which pollinators came to visit the plants,
Castilla said. From their mapping, researchers were surprised to find that small bees carrying pollen traveled long distances. “These small bees, with body size more or less like a rice grain, are able to move distances over one mile,” Castilla said. “To put this in human context, (this is like) if you walk from Chicago to California.” Castilla added that not only are the distances covered by the bees remarkable, so is the speed it takes for them to cover these distances. The bees are able to make this trip within the flowering period of the native Miconia affinis plant, which is about two days. The study of pollinator-plant interactions is crucial to understanding the effect of human processes and in showing the role pollinators play in the changing environment, according to the researchers. “Some studies show these small-bodied bees are more resilient to human impact,” Castilla said. “(The bees) are creating (and) maintaining this diversity that can be critical for the adaptation to global change.” In the face of climate change and other threats to the environment, the study is especially important in guiding reforestation efforts, Castilla said. “Tropical forests constitute the biome with the highest (level) of deforestation on the
planet,” Castilla said. “They are also affected by global climate change.” According to Castilla, Miconia affinis is widely used in reforestation efforts, and the pollinators which visit these trees often visit other native tree species used in reforestation programs. “We expect that our results will be useful to facilitate reproductive processes in all these tree species and the long-term success of the reforestation using native tree species,” Castilla said. The study was conducted in tropical forest as these forests contain about two-thirds of global biodiversity and are crucial to retaining genetic variety in preparation for the future, Castilla said. However, he thinks the results of the study are still applicable to other biomes. “Globally, we have in many other biomes small bees similar to our small bees doing the same thing,” Castilla said. “They are providing a substantial amount of long-distance dispersal events and promoting the genetic diversity in plant populations.” Overall, Castilla said he believes that the impact of bees cannot be discounted. “They contribute to the reproduction of many wild plants, and they are critical for 60 percent of the global crops, more or less,” Castilla said. “Bees are the most important group of pollinators all over the world.”
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MICHAEL SHAPIRO SPORTS EDITOR
@texansports
Thursday, November 16, 2017
VOLLEYBALL
Longhorns clinch share of Big 12 title NBA
By Justin Martinez Sports Reporter
VS.
The sequel is rarely as good as the original, but Wednesday’s match was exactly the case in the latest chapter of the Texas-Kansas rivalry. The Big 12 powerhouses duked it out in a fiveset thriller on Oct. 11 in Lawrence, Kansas. After falling behind 2-1, Texas exploded for a pair of set wins to complete the comeback and escape with a 3-2 victory. The Longhorns repeated the same magic on Wednesday night at Gregory Gym, sweeping the Jayhawks, 3-0. Texas could do no wrong in the early moments of the first set. The Longhorns fed off the energy of the home crowd, dominating the Jayhawks and claiming a commanding 19-13 lead. Then came the hard part. Kansas came alive with its back against the wall, igniting a 10-4 run to tie the score at 23. But the Longhorns didn’t waver. Senior middle blocker Chiaka Ogbogu soared towards the net, locked in on a lob pass off the fingers of freshman setter Ashley Shook. Ogbogu cocked her hand back and unleashed a powerful kill toward the left corner, dropping just outside the reach of the Kansas defenders
UTAH
NBA VS. CLEVELAND
VS. OKC
carlos garcia| daily texan staff
and bringing Texas to set point. A Kansas error on the following play sealed the deal, giving the Longhorns a statement 25-23 win. “I feel like we were in control for most of game one,” head coach Jerritt Elliott said. “We just made some errors and let them back in the game, but we found way.” The sequel reached its climax in the second set as the two teams battled for higher ground. Kansas silenced the crowd
by taking a 20-19 lead down the stretch, but Ogbogu delivered with yet another response. The Coppell native posted six kills in the set, including a momentum-shifting bullet down the middle to give Texas a 22-20 lead. The Longhorns didn’t look back, finishing the rally for a 2522 victory. “We did a really good job this game of just looking each other in the eye and making sure we had each other’s back,”
Ogbogu said. “Giving each other confidence helped others, and it helped me as well.” The Jayhawks reached their breaking point in the third set, crumbling as the Longhorns erupted for an early 18-11 lead. With the crowd on its feet, Texas went for the kill, storming to a 25-16 win to complete the sweep. Ogbogu led the team with a game-high 14 kills in the outing, and senior libero Cat McCoy tallied a team-high 17 digs as
well. The victory clinches at least a share of the Big 12 title for Texas, an accomplishment that eluded them last season. “Not winning it last year was obviously disappointing,” McCoy said. “This conference gets better every single year, so for us to at least win a share of (the championship) says a lot about this team.” Next up for the Longhorns is a home match against Oklahoma on Nov. 22. First serve from Gregory Gym is set at 7 p.m.
FOOTBALL
teams on the move By Dawson Hinkley Sports Reporter
Over the weekend, the Longhorns were able to avenge last year’s loss to Kansas with a 42-27 victory at home. The Big 12 had four other important conference games in the weekend lineup. Here’s how they turned out: Oklahoma drops TCU
angel ulloa| daily texan staff
Junior Jordan Hosey prepares to go up strong. The Longhorns continued their strong season start with a 66-point win over McNeese State.
Texas throttles McNeese State in front of elementary crowd As the voices of shouting children filled the Frank Erwin Center on Wednesday afternoon, the Longhorns took care of business, defeating McNeese State, 100-34. It was elementary school day at The Drum, and after a 30-3 Longhorn run to begin the contest, it became evident that the students would leave the arena with a burnt orange victory. The youngsters created an enthusiastic environment, which provided energy for the Longhorns throughout the contest. When addressing the crowd after the game, head coach Karen Aston made it known that they had done their part in the victory. “This group we had this year was by far the loudest we’ve ever had,” Aston said. “(They) were awesome.” There were two players in particular who the crowd took note of, with senior guards Brooke McCarty and Ariel Atkins receiving the largest cheers of the afternoon. The latter of the two Longhorns
CHICAGO
Senior blocker Chiaka Ogbogu denies a spike attempt in the team’s 3–1 win over Texas Tech. The Longhorns remain undefeated in big 12 play with a sweep over rival Kansas.
Big 12 Notebook: Top
Sports Reporter
CHARLOTTE
NBA
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
By Travis Hlavinka
NEW YORK
shone on Wednesday with an efficient performance and a career milestone. Atkins, who scored a teamhigh 23 points on 8-10 shooting, led the way from the first basket of the game — a three from downtown. Atkins finished 3-3 from behind the arc. Later on, she recorded her 1,000th-career point, becoming the 43rd player in program history to reach the milestone. “Ariel is always so concerned about the team and making sure that everyone else is ready to play and that they’re playing their best game,” associate head coach Tina Thompson said. “Sometimes she gets away from herself and the things she does best. So just continuing to grow as a leader and reminding her to give back to herself.” Other standouts in Wednesday’s blowout victory were senior forward Audrey-Ann Caron-Goudreau and sophomore wing Jada Underwood, who each finished with 11 points. Junior guard LaShann Higgs ended her afternoon with nine points, while junior forward Jordan Hosey tallied eight.
Cleaning up the glass was freshman forward Rellah Boothe, who finished with 10 rebounds. After the seemingly flawless game, the women decided to have a little bit of fun with the kids. Hosey, specifically, led the way with some pretty slick dance moves. “I wish I would’ve did that when I was in elementary, but I didn’t get the chance,” Hosey said. “It’s great to get to play in front of the kids and hear them and see them dance. I see it, and it’s like a little me out there. I like it.” The elementary school day was appreciated by the Cowgirls as well. McNeese State head coach Kacie Cryer noted the turnout for a midweek game, adding she might attempt to implement the idea at their home games. “I think what they did was fantastic,” Cryer said. “I really actually want to bring it back to our marketing department because I think it’s something we need to do.” Texas will take the court again on Friday when it hosts UTSA. Tipoff from the Erwin Center is slated for 7 p.m.
Oklahoma has been extending its College Football Playoff hopes week after week. The Sooners’ matchup with TCU on Saturday proved to be one of their most important and hardfought contests of the season. Coming into the game, Oklahoma and TCU both sat atop the Big 12 standings with one loss each, with hopes of becoming the lone Big 12 representative in the playoff picture. The Sooners quickly grabbed control in this matchup thanks to the performance by Heisman front-runner Baker Mayfield. The Sooners’ first-half offensive explosion helped them take an early lead that they would not relinquish. Oklahoma didn’t even score in the second half, but a strong defensive performance made its 38 first-half points enough for a 38-20 victory over the Horned Frogs. Mayfield continued to build his case for a Heisman trophy with another stellar performance, throwing for 333 yards and three touchdowns. The Oklahoma offense also benefited from a strong performance by running back Rodney Anderson, who ended the game with 151 rushing yards, 139 receiving yards and four total touchdowns.
Oklahoma State slides past Iowa State
Oklahoma State and Iowa State were both very much in the race for the Big 12 Championship game coming into their matchup last Saturday. Both teams entered the contest with two conference losses, knowing a third would end their championship hopes. Iowa State has proved to be a surprise this season, but Oklahoma State did the Cyclones no favors. The game was unexpectedly a shootout. The Cyclones were able to match the firepower of the Cowboys’ offense. Iowa State’s impressive offensive performance was not enough, however, as quarterback Mason Rudolph and the Cowboys put 49 up on a usually stout Iowa State defense. Oklahoma State came away with a 49-42 victory.
Vince Young headlines inductees in Texas Spoorts Hall of Fame On Wednesday it was announced that four former Longhorns will join the Texas Sports Hall of Fame ranks in 2018. Former quarterback Vince Young, along with Nell Fortner, Cathy Self-Morgan and Jill Sterkel are among those set to be honored in April. Fortner sits at No. 4 on the women’s basketball all-time scoring list and holds two Olympic gold medals from coaching the women’s national team. She has coached at the collegiate level with Purdue and Auburn, later becoming the head coach and general manager for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever. Self-Morgan boasts over 1,000 career wins as a head coach at Duncanville High School and Austin Westlake, and was a member of Texas’ first-ever varsity women’s basketball team. Sterkel is an Olympic gold medal swimmer with more than 16 individual nation titles in her name. She was awarded 28 All-American awards at the 1980 and 1981 AIAW National Championships and the 1982 and 1983 NCAA Championships. Young spearheaded the 2005 football team that finished with a perfect 13–0 record and won the National Title in an upset over No. 1 USC. The group, along with five other Texas athletes, are in the class of 2018.
–Dalton Phillips
West Virginia sneaks out win
Texas Football @Texas_Football
“Seven non-offensive touchdowns is tied for the most in the country.” #ThisIsTexas #HookEm
West Virginia and Kansas State have both been formidable opponents in the Big 12 this season. West Virginia has had quite an up-and-down season this year, but this matchup against Kansas State was a defining one for the Mountaineers. West Virginia leaned heavily on star quarterback Will Grier, as well as standout wide receiver Ka’Ruan White. Grier threw for 372 yards and four touchdowns, leading the Mountaineers to a 28-23 victory.
1964 Mickey Wright shoots a 62, the lowest score for a professional woman golfer.
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Thursday, November 16, 2017
Today’s solution will appear here next issue
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SUDOKUFORYOU 8 6 5 4 2 1 9 7 3
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9 3 6 5 4 2 8 1 7
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MORGAN O’HANLON LIFE&ARTS EDITOR
@thedailytexan
Thursday, November 16, 2017
NATION
anthony mireles | daily texan staff
Associate professor Cesar Salgado acknowledges the disappointment shared between all Puerto Rican students and faculty at UT about the lack of support UT has displayed in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.
Students, faculty criticize UT’s Maria response By Albert Zhao Senior Life & Arts Reporter
As she watched the news of Hurricane Maria sweeping through Puerto Rico, Beth Colon-Pizzini kept her phone close, waiting to hear from her family. She described it as the longest 48 hours of her life. When her father final-
ly called, he told her food and gas were becoming scarce and urged her to send battery-powered fans because the air-conditioning had stopped working — like the rest of the island’s electrical grid. “It was a semi-apocalyptic setting they had to go through,” said Colon-Pizzini, an African Diaspora studies
Ph.D student. Colon-Pizzini is one of UT’s numerous Puerto Rican students and faculty who are coping with the severe disruption of life that their friends and families face in Maria’s aftermath. Seven Puerto Rican professors sent a letter to President Gregory Fenves, asking the University to offer resources for the island’s
college students and faculty, whose universities have been largely closed due to damages from the hurricane. The letter suggested tuition waivers, research fee waivers, access to UT’s library system, emergency housing and semester residencies for affected students and faculty. A month later, Fenves
Q&A
wrote back and offered condolences, but said the University was not in a position to meet their requests. “As a fellow American and as a member of the UT family, I share in the heartbreak of the humanitarian crisis,” Fenves wrote. The letter’s suggestions were determined
MARIA page 5
MUSIC
Swifties denounce Taylor’s current pop personality By Ruben Paquian Life & Arts Reporter
ashley nava | daily texan staff
Reverend Alejandro Solalinde is the founder of the famous Hermanos en el Camino migrant shelter for migrants entering Mexico from Central and South America, Asia, and America
Priest fights to protect Latin American migrants’ rights By Acacia Coronado Senior Life & Arts Reporter
Editor’s Note: This interview was originally conducted in Spanish. For more than a decade, Alejandro Solalinde has been fighting human trafficking and abuses against migrants. He is the founder of the famous Hermanos en el Camino shelter for migrants entering Mexico from Central and South America, as well as Asia and Africa. On Wednesday, the renowned human rights activist and Catholic priest came to UT as part of the Austin Lecture on Contemporary Mexico to discuss his life’s work, hopes for the future and thoughts on the newly-released report by the UT Human Rights Clinic on human rights abuses in Coahuila, Mexico. The Daily Texan caught up with him before his speech. Daily Texan: How would you describe your line of work? Alejandro Solalinde: Entering my senior citizen years, I had
the opportunity to experience an intense, historic adventure but also a terrible and encouraging journey with migrants. It consists of defending the human rights of migrants from everywhere, but especially Central and South America, focusing mainly in the Triangulo Norte. It is a population that is exposed, vulnerable, and though there are many obstacles in the journey, they continue moving north. There is something that moves them, that allows them to continue. My job is to accompany them on this journey, (to) try to understand them and tell the world what I am seeing and hearing from the migrants. DT: What is your opinion concerning the report that was released from the Human Rights Clinic at UT Law on the abuses of human rights in Coahuila, Mexico? AS: It has been of the most important and brave works they have released. I think it was time to release that information because today it is
protected. If they had released it six or seven years ago, their lives might have been in danger, wherever they may have been, because the Zetas were in 20 states in Mexico (and) they were in six, seven, eight states in the United States. It is an example of what we have to do in everything else because it is a restricted report concerning the state of Coahuila, some information on Veracruz, and we can almost say that it is restricted to local victims but it almost doesn’t mention migrants. We need to do a bigger report that refers to migrants. DT: Where do you find your strength to continue with this fight, regardless of fear? AS: The word of the Lord says, in love there is no fear. When one loves, one does not fear. Even if you are 100 percent conscious of what you are exposing yourself to, you can’t do anything else because the
MIGRANT page 5
From sweet country singer based out of Nashville, Tennessee, to international pop diva, Taylor Swift’s transformation has given former Swifties much to talk about. Last Friday, Swift released her sixth album, “Reputation.” As of Monday, the album has surpassed $1 million in sales. Despite Swift’s current success, many former die-hard fans find to it hard to say she has a good “reputation.” The content an artist produces is a main factor in establishing their relationship with their fanbase, and with Swift’s transformation may come a change in her fanbase. Corporate communication senior Kayla Reed has listened to Taylor Swift since she was 12 years old, right after the release of the nowpop star’s self-titled album. Once a positive role model, Swift’s current persona leaves Reed disappointed. “She was kind of the epitome of what I wanted to be as a ‘Texan Girl.’ Her songs were relatable,” Reed said. “I thought she was a real person.” Reed said Swift’s early music connected with her as a young girl going through middle school because it spoke specifically to the troubles in her young heart. “I was like ‘Why doesn’t this boy love me,’ ‘He just won’t give me attention,’ — she (Swift) gets it,” Reed said. “Her more recent music kinda sounds like she turned into everything that I hate about Hollywood, which is just whiny and over-produced pop nonsense.” The loss of relatability is a factor of what killed Reed’s love for Swift. Reed said part of what she and others liked about the earlier Taylor
iillustration by rachel taylor | daily texan staff
Swift was her ability to make her fans believe she understood them. Swift’s recent music fails to convince Reed that she is trying to make that connection. While some share Reed’s sentiments about Swift, William Paterson University music and entertainment professor David Philp said Swift’s transition to pop is a decision to experiment with sound, rather than simply
selling out. “From an artist’s perspective, she did it because she wanted to do it,” Philp said. “From a business perspective, she really created a plan.” According to Philp, a lot of planning from both Swift and those around her was done to make this image shift happen. By having a good understanding of her target audience,
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