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Thursday, February 16, 2017
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WEST CAMPUS
West Campus sees rise in burglaries By Catherine Marfin @catherinemarfin
Thirty-four burglaries occurred in West Campus residences in 2016, according to the Austin Police Department Crime Viewer database. APD’s Crime Viewer database presents crime reports based on geographic location. West Campus covers areas south of Martin Luther King Boulevard, north of 29th Street, west of Lamar Boulevard and borders Guadalupe Street. The most commonly leased apartment complexes in
West Campus housing include The Block on Campus, The Quarters, Crest at Pearl and 21 Rio, among others, according to Uptown Realty Austin. The 34 burglaries reported in the database were limited and widespread, meaning most were one-time occurrences. During 2016, two burglaries were reported each at The Castilian, The Callaway House and 21 Rio, according to the database. “21 Rio has special keys to enter the building and code access, but to be honest, neither are (the best) measures for
security,” said electrical engineering sophomore Muizz Soomar, who has lived at 21 Rio for a year. “I do feel safe in 21 Rio, since I’ve never been told of any break-ins … but I lock my doors whenever I leave my apartment and make sure my roommates do the same.” Sydney Sanders, community director for Pointe on Rio, said students sometimes don’t think there’s any risk in leaving their apartment doors unlocked because complexes are gated. Sanders said the complex hasn’t experienced any break-ins since
BURGLARIES page 2
Abortion legislation undecided in Senate @claireallbright
Joe Capraro | Daily Texan file photo
Thirty-four burglaries occurred in West Campus residences in 2016, according to the Austin Police Department Crime Viewer database. The 34 burglaries reported in the database were limited and widespread.
Longhorns and Aggies advocate at Capitol By Mikaela Cannizzo @mikaelac16
CAPITOL page 2
STATE
By Claire Allbright
POLICY
Longhorns and Aggies set aside their differences Wednesday to lobby at the Capitol on behalf of their joint goal of sustaining affordable yet excellent higher education in the state. Texas Exes and the Association of Former Students of Texas A&M have organized this one-day event, known as Orange and Maroon Legislative Day, since 2003. This year, 240 former and current students of both universities visited all 181 legislators’ offices in addition to the offices of Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. During a news conference hosted by the alumni associations, UT President Gregory Fenves and A&M President Michael Young emphasized their appreciation for the event. Fenves said the stories of people who have been
bit.ly/dtvid
Stephanie Martinez-Arndt | Daily Texan file photo
Longhorns and Aggies convened at the Capitol for Orange and Maroon Legislative Day, including UT President Greg Fenves and A&M President Michael Young. Representatives from both schools gathered to speak on their joint goal for excellence in higher education.
Three bills regulating abortions were brought before the Senate Health and Human Services Committee Wednesday, bringing about passionate testimony on both sides of the issue. Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, and chair of the committee said at the outset of the hearing that the bills deal with “affirming the sanctity of life.” The first bill discussed, Senate Bill 8, was authored by Schwertner. Schwertner said the motivation behind the bill came from 2015 video footage alleging Planned Parenthood had sold fetal organs. Schwertner said his bill aims to restrict elective abortions for profit. SB 8 bans the donation of fetal tissue in elected abortions, limiting tissue donations to research institutions and institutions of higher education to only non-elected abortions occurring at licensed facilities. Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, was the most outspoken voice against all three pieces of legislation during the hearing and said “donation” isn’t defined clearly in the bill in regards to cases involving rape or fetal medical abnormalities. SB 8 would also extend the federal ban on partial-birth abortions, a procedure ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2003. A separate bill, SB 415, authored by Sen. Charles
ABORTION page 2
LECTURE
CAMPUS
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian discusses differing perspectives in American history
Resident Assistants talk responsibilities
By Chase Haracostas @chasekaracostas
Inverted views of history deepen understandings of society today and the current political climate, and one has to start with angles people normally overlook, said Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Steven Hahn. Hahn spoke Wednesday at the AT&T Conference Center for the annual Littlefield Lectures series, where he focused on asking people to use a holistic understanding of American history—beyond the perspective of the northeast—to comprehend society today. Redefining American expansionism as conquest and the centrality of the Mississippi River in the 19th century American South were just a few of the topics Hahn discussed. Hahn said current interpretations of the
past are becoming increasingly important, especially when it comes to analyzing our current political climate. “You could argue that the election was about historical interpretation,” Hahn said. “When someone says ‘Make America great again’ they’re talking about historical interpretation of the past and what that past looks like. So, it seems to me that history speaks to us in really powerful ways.” History Department Chair Jacqueline Jones said she brought Hahn to the University to provide students with a provocative scholar who would encourage students to think in different ways. “He’s a really fabulous historian and a lot of people have read his work,” Jones said. “I think it’s always wonderful to hear firsthand a distinguished scholar and just to hear them talk about
By Ally Ortegon @atxallyyy
Chase Karacostas | Daily Texan Staff
Pulitzer Prize winning historian Steven Hahn spoke Wednesday for the annual Littlefield Lecture Series.
their work and how they go about studying history.” Philosophy sophomore Harris Khowaja, who was required by a professor to attend the lecture, said he was immediately captivated by Hahn. “That emphasis on alternative viewpoints is
something that I find personally interesting, but it is also something that needs to be expanded further,” Khowaja said. “It’s something that absolutely needs to have interpretation in not only historical discourse but in discourse between average people.”
From planning “first day of school pictures” to being on-call in the latest hours of the night, resident assistants on campus have countless responsibilities they carry out in the pursuit of building a safe community for their residents. Justin Jaskowiak, assistant director for residence life, said there are 161 RAs dispersed among the 14 dorms on campus, acting as the first point of contact for many new students at UT. Their job includes ensuring safety for students, as well as making sure students feel comfortable during their first year at UT to transition into being away from home for the first time. “We look for that
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relationship-building skill or peer mentoring,” Jaskowiak said. “We love RAs that come with an attitude of flexibility. They have to respond to all sorts of incidents that could happen.” RAs often attribute the positive impacts their resident assistants had on their lives as a reason to get involved with the position. RAs can help students get involved on campus, provide support and build relationships with their residents. Jester West RA Sarah Austin, an accounting graduate student, said UT has a variety of students with different backgrounds and experiences, so it’s important for RAs to be open-minded and compassionate. “A characteristic all RAs should possess is compassion,”
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