SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN COMMUNITY SINCE 1900 @THEDAILYTEXAN | THEDAILYTEXAN.COM
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2018
VOLUME 118, ISSUE 84
N E WS
O PI N I O N
LI FE &A RTS
S CI E NCE &TE CH
SPORTS
Students look forward to new food options on Guadalupe Street. PAGE 2
Students benefit from professors publishing their canvas pages earlier. PAGE 4
Graffiti Park’s moving: What does this mean for the Austin art scene? PAGE 8
A UT researcher received a grant to research climate change in France. PAGE 5
Men’s basketball aims for follow-up win against No. 6 West Virginia in Morgantown. PAGE 7
NATION
UNCERTAIN
FUTURES
photographer anthony mireles | daily texan staff
Olga Vargas, left, and Marco Medina, right, face a period of uncertainty at UT Austin, after their temporary protected status came to an end.
The end of TPS puts 200,000 Salvadorans at risk of deportation. By Sami Sparber @samisparber
B
Biology senior Marco Medina and his family have been paying close attention to the TV, shushing each other and
turning the volume up whenever they hear three words: Temporary Protected Status. For months, Medina said they’ve watched in horror as President Donald Trump’s administration ended protections for Haiti, Sudan and Nicaragua, wondering if their home country, El Salvador, would be next. On Jan. 8, after living in the U.S. for almost two decades, their worst fears came true.
Medina is now one of 200,000 Salvadoran immigrants with TPS in the United States — including 36,300 in Texas — who have until Sept. 9, 2019, to either obtain legal residency or face deportation. “Right now we’re all really worried,” Medina said. “We don’t really know what’s going to happen to us.” Medina was only three when two devastating earthquakes
struck El Salvador in 2001. His family fled to Houston that year and received word that the U.S. government had designated El Salvador for TPS. The designation suspends deportation to countries destabilized by ongoing armed conflicts, environmental disasters or other temporary conditions. Immediately, Medina’s family applied for TPS. Medina’s girlfriend, government senior
Olga Vargas, was also displaced by the earthquakes and said her family also applied. Now, Vargas’ oldest brother, still a TPS holder, faces the same dilemma as the Medinas: become a resident or leave. “My brother has built a life here,” said Vargas, who is now a legal resident. “He has a stable job, a home, a mortgage. He
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CAMPUS UNIVERSITY
New courses prepare UT students for end of the world By Brianna Stone @bristone19
Among the new courses offered this semester, many are related to technology and innovation in the digital world — and there’s even a new course about the end of the world. Two new courses, currently wait-listed, are Music/Technology/Culture and Capstone Projects in Journalism. Two other new courses with open seats remaining as of press time, according to the course schedule, are Digital Ethics and Arguing End of the World. Digital Ethics, CMS 332D, is a course exploring ethical issues in the use of digital and online media, and has the ethics and leadership flag. “(The course) covers topics such as the ethics of hacking, fake news, anonymous operations, online privacy, blogging ethics, online shaming and activism, revenge pornography, the ethics of memes and trolling … and online free speech,” associate professor Scott Stroud said in an email. “Throughout all of these topics, I stress the point that issues are ethical issues
COURSES page 2
UTPD, Campus Saftey and Security share crime goals By Tehreem Shahab @turhem
Since the death of dance freshman Haruka Weiser in 2016, UTPD and the office of Campus Safety and Security have collaborated with other University departments and student organizations to create a safer environment on campus, said Jimmy Johnson, interim associate vice president for Campus Safety and Security. “We wanted to be conducive for people to enjoy leisure time, to study, to learn and research,” Johnson said. “We started reviewing and implementing some meaningful measures designed to better serve our campus constituents.” Following Weiser’s death, UT President Gregory Fenves asked the Texas Department of Public Safety to conduct a security assessment of
campus to look for improvements to ensure campus safety. Some of the changes that the Texas DPS recommended included restricting building access, adding better lighting and upgrading video surveillance. According to Johnson, the UT campus has seen more developments over the past two years, such as a stronger SURE Walk program, more emergency call boxes and more buildings equipped with an access and control system that allows UT students to enter with their ID cards. In the long term, he said the CSS office hopes to dedicate its efforts to ensure that the nighttime-campus is as safe as possible. “Some of these programs are the enhancement of lighting, the reduction of foliage, the incorporation of a community policing concept, having an interest in being self-aware and helping your neighbor out,” Johnson said. “Safety awareness and
anthony mireles | daily texan staff UTPD Chief of Police David Carter said UTPD has been working on increasing the number of police officers on campus. education are vital concepts because safety is a shared campus responsibility.” Johnson said one of the safety resources CSS is having difficulty in providing is an effective safety app. He said students want resources like safety apps, however, Wi-Fi coverage has to be excellent for the apps
to work. “With Wi-Fi connectivity on campus we have several hurdles we have to get through,” Johnson said. “Certainly our Information Technology Services department is continuing to evaluate our Wi-Fi coverage and
CRIME page 2
UNIVERSITY
UT consistently tracks student suicide deaths By Maria Mendez @mellow_maria
UT has tracked student deaths by suicide for years, but a January investigation by the Associated Press found that about half of U.S. public colleges do not consistently track student suicide deaths. After requesting student suicide statistics from 100 of the largest U.S. public colleges,
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AP identified differing tracking practices, even among universities in the same state. Along with UT-Austin, seven public universities in Texas currently keep statistics on student suicide deaths, according to AP’s list. UTSan Antonio and Texas A&M were also listed as having inconsistent data, and UT-Arlington only provided limited data about deaths by suicide
SUICIDE page 3
Suicide tracking in higher education Based on the Associated Press’s survey of the United States’ 100 largest public universities
IN THE NATION
IN TEXAS
Texas Universities that don’t track suicide UT San Antonio Texas A&M
54%
Don’t track
46%
Do track
Texas Universities that track suicides UT Austin UT El Paso UT Rio Grande Valley University of North Texas Texas State University
Rate of suicides at UT, 2016-17
7 deaths per 100,000 people. In the 2016-17 academic year, there were 1,549 calls to UT’s Crisis hotline. Of those calls,
28% were urgent or emergent.
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2018F
CITY
New City Commission empowers students
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PERMANENT STAFF Editor-in-Chief Laura Hallas Assoc. Editors Liza Anderson, Jaree Campbell, Cuillin Chastain-Howley, Josie Maclean Senior Columnists Elizabeth Braaten, Laura Doan, Noah Horwitz, Caleb Wong, Ryan Young Forum Editors Vik Shirvaikar, Janhavi Nemawarkar, Liza Anderson
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News Desk Editors Will Clark, Hannah Daniel, London Gibson, Anusha Lalani, Wesley Story, Brittany Wagner Senior Reporters Chase Karacostas, Maria Mendez, Brianna Stone, Allyson Waller Beat Reporters Stephanie Adeline, Katie Balevic, Mason Carroll, Meara Isenberg, Raga Justin, Anna Lassman, Sara Schleede, Tehreem Shahab, Sami Sparber, Albert Zhao Copy Desk Chief Bella McWhorter Associate Copy Desk Chiefs Kirsten Handler, Taylor Presley, Ryan Steppe Design Editor Sunnie Lee
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The City Council passed an ordinance last month, creating a permanent College Student Commission to give students a greater voice in affecting city policy. Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo sponsored the resolution after working with Student Government, University Democrats and city officials for several months to decide how best to set up the commission. Alden Marshall, SG’s city relations director, worked with Tovo’s office for several months on the details of the commission. Marshall said the commission will give students a more direct route to articulate concerns to the Council. “I think college students are particularly ready to see some change in the political system and really are concerned about issues that affect them so that alone should give us all impetus to act,” said Marshall, a government and management information systems sophomore. Marshall co-authored a SG resolution in support of the commission that passed unanimously. The assembly resolution lists several potential issues the commission could address, including transportation, housing, affordability, immigration and public safety. The new commission was born out of the temporary Student Quality of Life Commission that was formed in 2015. The goal of the new commission is to advise and make recommendations to the Council regarding any issues in the city that affect
anthony mireles | daily texan staff Members of Student Government present A.R. 20, which supports the revival of a college student task force that would give City Council input on issues. The City Council passed an ordinace creating College Student Commisions last month. college students, according to the ordinance. The commission will consist of 15 members, three each from UT-Austin, Austin Community College, St. Edward’s University, Concordia University and Huston-Tillotson University. The commission will meet at least quarterly. Each member of the commission will serve for up to two years, and the individual schools will decide how they select who is appointed to the commission. But only one person from each school’s student government body may be chosen in order to ensure greater diversity in the commission’s membership, Tovo said. “It makes sense to me to have a balance there,” Tovo
We want to make sure we’re using the commission to reach as many students as possible.” Kathie Tovo
mayor pro tem
said. “We want to make sure we’re using the commission to reach as many students as possible.” Similar to most other city commissions and boards, members will be required to participate in training, attend all meetings and follow the Texas Open Meetings Act. However, as not all students are Austin residents, members are exempted from the residency requirement applied to the
majority of other commissions. This is one of the only city commissions with this exemption. University Democrats member Kimberly Romero said the commission will give students at the various schools the opportunity to leverage their collective power to advocate for issues that affect all of them. “It’s beautiful that (we are) going to be able to collaborate,” said Romero,
a government and education senior. “It’s so easy to get frustrated with our concerns, and then we forget that other people and other students at universities in this town also have their own concerns which are just as important as ours.” Councilwoman Ellen Troxclair was the only person who voted against the commission because she said she would rather appoint students to the city’s 60-plus currently existing boards and commissions than create another one. Santiago Rosales, SG chief of staff, said it will likely be at least a few months before the commission holds its first meeting, in order to allow the schools included to choose their appointees.
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people not to travel to El Salvador, but we want to send 200,000 people back there, it’s a little incongruous,” said Nicole Svajlenka, CAP senior policy analyst. Medina has dreams of attending a graduate program for cardiovascular science. However, come Sept. 9, 2019, Medina said those goals will become “impossible” to obtain. “I’m going to have to live in shadows either way,” Medina said. “I’ll try to avoid immigration here, and I’ll try to avoid gangs over there.” The decision also affects Medina and Vargas’ relationship, which began during their junior year of high school. “It’s tough because while we know we want to get married someday, we are now thinking about the possibility of marrying sooner than expected in order for (Medina) to fix his legal status in the U.S,” Vargas said. Despite the uncertainty, Vargas said Salvadorans are not ones to give up easily. This summer she will advocate for Salvadoran TPS holders in Washington, D.C. “We will prepare for the worst,” Vargas said. “But we will also be proactive and demand from our Congressmen a better solution than simply kicking us out of a country we contribute a lot to and have lived in for generations.”
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pays taxes, he contributes to the economy and he’s an upstanding citizen. Losing all of that would be devastating.” A study conducted by the Center for American Progress found that Salvadoran TPS holders are an integral part of Texas’ economy. According to the study, $1.8 billion would be lost annually from the state GDP without Salvadoran workers who hold TPS. The protections were terminated because the Department of Homeland Security had determined the country has recovered from the earthquakes. “Many reconstruction projects have now been completed,” a DHS news release said. “The substantial disruption of living conditions caused by the earthquake no longer exist.” However, immigrant advocates argue that the country’s high crime rates make it unsafe for returning Salvadorans. The State Department has issued a level three travel advisory for El Salvador, urging Americans to reconsider travel due to violent crime and widespread gang activity. The country is also listed as one of UT’s restricted regions for traveling abroad. “If we’re recommending
COURSES
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when there is a real conflict between important values. These conflicts don’t allow for easy answers, but we can be more or less reflective about the issues involved and why we argue for what we believe is the right answer.” Music/Technology/Culture, AET 308, is a course exploring the impact and social-cultural relationship of music technology — such as auto-tune or Western music techniques — that students are exposed to and the effects of those technologies. The course satisfies the visual and performing arts core requirement and will be virtually co-taught with a professor in Sweden. Capstone Projects in Journalism, J 363F, allows journalism students to create special projects showcasing their interests on different journalistic platforms and even pitch some of their projects to be used by news outlets such as the Austin American-Statesman, KXAN, KVUE or the Dallas Morning News. “I’ve been wanting to teach this course for a couple of years,” said Robert Quigley, innovation director and senior lecturer. “I’ve been doing test kitchens and now this is the real class. My goal is for students to have the ability to
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CRIME
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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.
looking at ways to enhance it. Every place that we put a wireless access point is about two to three thousand dollars. So as you start trying to cover a campus this large, just think of the cost that goes into that.” David Carter, UTPD Chief of Police, said UTPD has been working on increasing the number of police officers on campus, and in the future would like to improve communication with students. “A specific objective of ours is really about information sharing,” Carter said. “The police department has grown in its staffing, but connectivity
in terms of sharing information is currently underway so really it boils down to the fact that we want to know if we’re effectively communicating and also receiving that information.” Mathematics senior Samantha Hart lived near Waller Creek her sophomore year, during the semester of Weiser’s on-campus death. Hart said the event made her more conscious about campus safety. “Simply knowing about SURE Walk is really helpful,” Hart said. “Maybe at the start of every semester it should be something that professors have to mention, especially if it is a late night class or if students are going to be studying often at night.”
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dream up an idea and shepherd it to fruition. Years down the road, I would like to see students solving problems for the media in the real world.” Another new course being offered is Arguing End of the World, CMS 347E. “We want to understand why people are persuaded that the world is about to end,” said Barry Brummett, communication studies chair and professor. The course was offered last year as a variable topics course but received an official course number this semester. Brummett said the course will explore different end-of-the-world scenarios, including those involving religious, economic or environmental reasons as well as those relating potential pandemics and even the zombie apocalypse. “I find it fascinating that some people will make major changes and commitments in their life, expecting the world is about to end,” Brummett said. “People make commitments preparing for the end.” Brummett said he has long been interested in the topic of the end of the world and has taught a similar course at other schools. “The world is eventually going to end for many different reasons,” Brummett said. “We want to know why.”
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2018
WEST CAMPUS
New West Campus food options spring up Donuts and fries are just a few additions to the Drag. By Meara Isenberg @mearaannee
F
rom a coffee robot straight out of a futuristic film to a chain that offers six different french fry varieties, new eateries will be available for students to choose from this semester on Guadalupe Street. First to open was Briggo Coffee Haus, an automated coffee shop that uses a robot to serve up specialty coffee. The Austin startup opened in 2011 inside the Flawn Academic Center and closed in 2014. It returned to the area on Tuesday, now located within Moojo’s Ice Cream. “The ability to give you control of the experience … really allows us to differentiate ourselves from a typical coffee experience,” said Kevin Nater, Briggo co-founder and CEO. Nater said the startup aims to provide “connected coffee” by allowing customers to order coffee ahead through it’s free app and choose from various customizations such as flavors, temperature and number of shots. Upon its return, the Briggo
angela wang | daily texan staff Ian Nater, left, orders a drink on the Briggo Coffee Haus machine while Grace Salas orders from an app on her phone Monday morning. The new robotic coffeemaker just opened inside Moojo on Guadalupe. that was doing that — loaded fries and a number of other french fry options.” Since getting their start in Buffalo, New York, in 2015, the chain has opened four other locations. “The more we learned about Austin being a ‘foodie’ town, a very eclectic town, it really matched up with
the energy of our brand,” Covelli said. Covelli said if everything goes smoothly, #getfried will open in the next two weeks. He said the chain’s best-selling, hand-cut fries are what will differentiate it from other fry options on campus. “In my opinion it’s really
hard to find a crispy, quality hand-cut fry,” Covelli said. “That’s our go-to fry and we pride ourselves in saying we have the best fries around.” The Texan recently reported that Rise Biscuits Donuts would soon occupy the building that previously housed the now-closed Fuzzy’s Taco Shop.
Rise co-owner Shashin Desai is still working with the city, but he said if everything goes smoothly, the store plans to open in March or April. “That’s the rough time frame that we are looking at right now,” Desai said. “We are keeping our fingers crossed.”
WEST CAMPUS
Walk-through highlights safety concerns By Tehreem Shahab @turhem
On Thursday’s West Campus lighting walk-through, city officials pointed out some of the most dangerous areas around West Campus. Staff from the Austin - Transportation Department s began the walk-through by d presenting data collected g from the Austin Police Den partment between 2012 and 2016. The data showed that - the most crashes occurred d on Guadalupe Street, and most crimes between the d 22nd and 26th streets along d Guadalupe. Those attendo ing the walk-through were , also encouraged to pinpoint s specific locations that were of concern to them on a d physical map. - Following the presentad tion, Joel Meyer, the ATD r pedestrian coordinator, led a group of about 10 students e and concerned citizens on a - walk through West Campus. - Biochemistry senior Eliz- abeth Herrin participated c in the walk-through and s pointed out that 28th and - 29th streets are usually not n well-lit. She said there are some initiatives the Unit versity has already taken to - make students who have to - walk through some of these - areas feel safer, and should o continue to do so. - “They started (with) pos lice patrolling cars which have made all the differs ence,” Herrin said, adding e that switching the lights d to LED would also make a r
y o
location became the first that is fully accessible to the public. Nater said students can expect a few differences this time around. ”Relative to the last time we were here, it is faster,” Nater said. “It holds more capacity and we’ve increased the functionality of the app to make the customer experience that much more connected.” Briggo opened to a chilly Austin on Tuesday, drawing students such as nursing sophomore Ashley Irion in for a free, warm coffee. “The (robot) is a good idea and saves a lot of time,” Irion said. “It’s really efficient and you don’t have to wait in line.” French fry lovers have something to look forward to this spring as well, as the gourmet fry chain #getfried comes to Dobie Mall. The fry-centered spot will feature six fry varieties and 15 sauces and seasonings for students to choose from. Chris Covelli, founder and managing partner of #getfried, said the idea was inspired by a trip to the Netherlands, where he saw fries sold in paper cones with dipping sauce. “A light bulb kind of went off and I said, ‘There’s an opportunity here in the United States,’” Covelli said. “We really didn’t have a place
jessica joseph | daily texan staff Mike McHone (center left) points out the difference in available lighting around West Campus at the West Campus Walkthrough. big difference. Meyer said the purpose of the walk-through was also for ATD to do inventory on which areas were lacking lights as well which lights were not working. “Part of the inventory we’re doing is letting Austin Energy know about these places,” Meyer said. “You can always call 311 and let them know and they should fix it, but sometimes people don’t do that.” During the walk-through, Meyer observed that there were other infrastructural issues besides lighting in some areas of West Campus. “One thing I noticed was that in addition to lighting there were sidewalk
If students show up to the city council when Joel gives this presentation, it really supports (their) voice.” Joell McNew,
vice president of safehorns
obstructions, curbs that aren’t there,” Meyer said. “The good news is that (the money) that is getting better lighting is also going to go to
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Texas Student Media is seeking students for its Board of Operating Trustees. Positions are available for students in the Moody College of Communication and for other majors as well. Visit texasstudentmedia.com to download an application. Board members will be chosen in the upcoming campuswide elections. The terms of office run through May 2020. The application deadline is Monday, January 29 at 12:00pm.
the sidewalks.” In March, ATD plans to use all the information it has received through the walkthrough and its lighting survey to give city council an idea of West Campus residents’ concerns about lighting and other infrastructural problems. Joell McNew, vice president of the nonprofit SafeHorns, said students should be aware of such issues and actively voice their concerns. “All of this information will be collected and presented to city council,” McNew said. “If students show up to the city council when Joel gives this presentation, it really supports (their) voice.”
SUICIDE
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among its students. Chris Brownson, director of the Counseling and Mental Health Center, said during his time at UT, he has always looked at student deaths by suicide in order to identify and improve prevention efforts. But Brownson said universities may not record student suicide deaths because they’re not required to and it can be difficult to track. The UT System does not require its institutions to record student deaths, Brownson said. “There is no federal mandate, (and) most states do not have a legislative mandate to track these,” Brownson said. “The reality is it’s hard to know the cause of death(s). Sometimes suicides appear to be accidents. We do the best to learn about any student death.” UT’s rate of student deaths by suicide has remained on par with the national average of seven deaths per 100,000 people during the last decade, Brownson said. Since suicide deaths are still rare, Brownson said analyzing smaller changes in the number of suicide deaths by year can skew statistics and make suicide deaths appear more frequent. “I think that’s why universities get nervous about even releasing data,” Brownson said. At UT, Student Emergency Services within the Office of the Dean of Students records all student deaths. Sara Kennedy, spokeswoman for the Office of the Dean of Students, said the University
does not actively try to identify suicide deaths but records student suicide deaths and hospitalizations reported by family members or police. “We record student deaths because that helps us tailor our support for the UT community,” Kennedy said. Brownson studies individual suicide deaths for the CMHC to help improve University prevention efforts. “When the University has a death by suicide, I always want to know how that happened (and) are there are things that we can do to prevent from happening to other students,” Brownson said. The UT System Board of Regents used $1.1 million to create mental crisis hotlines at UT institutions in 2014. Brownson said the impact of UT’s hotline is evident in the 1,549 calls it received in the 2016-2017 academic year, of which 28 percent were urgent and emergency calls that could have resulted in a suicide death. The UT System also allocated $1.4 million for Bystander Intervention Initiatives such as UT’s BeVocal hotline to encourage students to intervene if they notice suicidal thoughts in a peer. Social work professor Susan De Luca, a social work assistant professor, said suicide deaths among college students remain lower than for U.S. adults, but that universities could screen for suicidal thoughts to help students at risk. “We often tell adolescents these are the best years of their life,” De Luca said. “Not all college students are having fun.”
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LAURA HALLAS
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @TEXASOPINION
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2018
COLUMN
COLUMN
Constraints on music industry harm creativity
Instructors: Publish Canvas earlier
By Sam Groves senior columnist @samgroves Earlier this month, singer Lana Del Rey alleged in a tweet that Radiohead was suing her over similarities between her song “Get Free” and their 1993 hit “Creep.” Radiohead’s publishing company later denied the existence of a lawsuit but confirmed that they had been in discussions with Del Rey’s representatives concerning the two songs since last August. Disputes like this pop up all the time. Recently, other popular artists such as Sam Smith and Robin Thicke have been subject to similar lawsuits initiated by Tom Petty and the estate of Marvin Gaye, respectively. Way back in the 1990s, songwriters Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood settled out of court with a rising alt-rock group whose debut single allegedly cribbed its chord progression from The Hollies’ 1972 ballad “The Air That I Breathe.” The name of the group was Radiohead. The single in question … was “Creep.” The problem with lawsuits like these is bigger than any one song or artist. They all presume that the best way to encourage creativity is to punish people who make art that is insufficiently distinct from other art that already exists. Furthermore, they conflate rote copying with the natural reliance on a wide range of sources and influences inevitable to the creative process. It would be one thing if copyright lawsuits were meant to root out intentional imitation. But they aren’t, as attorney Richard Busch, who won the lawsuit against Thicke for Gaye’s estate, told Billboard: “Intent is not an element to prove copyright infringement, and subconscious copying is nonetheless copying that gives rise to liability.” So these lawsuits aren’t about preventing intentional copying. They’re about punishing artists for taking inspiration and influence from their predecessors. When you internalize elements of a song and reproduce them 10 years later in a completely different context, the law says you’ve committed plagiarism. This results in absurd scenarios such as the one between Radiohead and Del Rey — in which one artist accuses another of plagiarizing a song that they themselves were accused of plagiarizing. These lawsuits aren’t about encouraging creativity either. In an environment that penalizes “subconscious copying,” no idea is safe. Nobody remembers every song they’ve ever heard, but everyone retains ideas whose sources they forget. Enforcing an unrealistic standard for originality makes artists afraid to act on good ideas. For example, when Paul McCartney came up with the melody for “Yesterday,” he sat on it for a month because he was worried he’d gotten it from somewhere else. It’s not hard to imagine McCartney erring on the side of caution and abandoning the melody — thus robbing the world of a great song. How many other great songs could lawsuits like this rob from us? We shouldn’t ask that all art be as distinct as possible from everything else. That’s an unreasonable standard and one that would make the world a poorer place. Instead, we should make it easier for artists to engage in authentic creative expression by contributing something only they can contribute, because it comes from their own unique perspective — or as Del Rey sings on “Get Free,” “crossing the threshold from the ordinary world, to the reveal of my heart.” Groves is a philosophy junior from Dallas.
By Jeff Rose columnist @jeffroses
A
s classes start up, it’s nice to be able to view our Canvas courses, look over syllabi and begin prepping for the semester. However, many Canvas pages for students were not published or finalized until this week. Instructors need to post their Canvas courses and finalize their syllabi earlier for their students. On Twitter and around campus, students were complaining about courses not yet being available or not having a finalized syllabus. Aerospace engineering junior Mykaela Dunn tweeted “catch me stressing out over my classes bc I know they won’t be posted on canvas till 7:59am on the 16th.” One of my classes was still not up yet as of Wednesday. Many students want to have their classes available in advance so that they can prepare early for the class if need be. This can include buying textbooks, starting on a creative project, brainstorming ideas for a paper, going over concepts they might have forgotten, examining the workload or reading assigned texts ahead of time.
Just as students are expected to be timely and on top of their work, instructors need to be held to the same standard.” Students cannot find guidelines to follow if they do not have a syllabus to look over. For example, I would love to get an early start on one of my short stories for my creative writing class, but I can’t be sure of what the assignment guidelines are without a course syllabus. Students might be able to guess what their classes could be like based off older syllabi, but there’s no guarantee it’ll be the same as previous
rachel tyler |the daily texan staff semesters. Course descriptions and textbooks could also be different. While some textbooks are available through UT Direct, not all professors send their booklists to the University Co-op. Publishing Canvas courses can be as simple as a click of a button. While two of my courses were published in advance, they didn’t have a syllabus up until the day before class or the first day. Having syllabi up earlier can also help students decide sooner than the first day of classes if courses are right for them. That would allow people the time to switch classes earlier and free up spots for others wanting to rearrange their schedule. While many instructors might be more prepared and already have posted a good bit of what
the class will need for the semester in advance, it helps if there’s uniformity. It can be understandable that instructors don’t have as much time as they did for the fall semester to publish courses ahead of time. However, if instructors work on their syllabi and Canvas sites throughout the semester into the winter break, it would be an immense help to the students. Just as students are expected to be timely and on top of their work, instructors need to be held to the same standard. If our Canvas pages are uploaded early, we will be able to start the semester off strong. Rose is an English sophomore from The Woodlands.
COLUMN
Students must act locally following #MeToo By Emily Severe columnist @emilysevere
Another actor’s face appears under headlines that contain roughly the same string of words: “allegations,” “sexual harassment,” “accusations.” Reporters ride the wave of momentum generated by the #MeToo movement, and everyone collectively takes to Twitter to share their 280-character opinion. As we navigate the Golden Globes high — thanks in part to Oprah’s powerful declaration that time is finally up — we need to take a moment to assess our individual experiences as university students and make an extra effort to bring about change at the local level before we lose the momentum. This week, it was a story on Aziz Ansari that sparked yet another heated debate about what, exactly, constitutes sexual assault. Exasperation contributes more heavily to the outrage, and people are right to be outraged — every news story seems to bring another politician, actor or public figure into the spotlight. The fatigue itself is placing our progress in danger. Those of us who are tired of the system of
victim blaming, those who recognize that the problem isn’t just the Harvey Weinsteins but an entire culture replete with microaggressions and forced silence, have to recognize the importance of action at the local level. Universities play a large role in defining and combating sexual misconduct. Last spring, UT published a report outlining the prevalence and perception of sexual harassment and violence experienced by Longhorns, finding that 28 percent of undergraduate women reported themselves as victims of sexual assault at the time of the study. It is important to recognize that it is not the job of victims to fix the problem, and it is critical for all of us to use the momentum from the media spotlight for introspection and action. Students of the University, equipped with their own talents and experiences as up-andcoming leaders, have the resources to work for change. Changing a culture begins at the local and individual level, and the University has many opportunities for students to get involved. For example, students can invest their time in a student organization like Voices Against Violence, a violence prevention and response program affiliated with the UT Counseling and Mental Health Center. Students can also work individually to change
the conversation about sexual relationships, whether that comes from personal reflection or from opening a dialogue with peers who share their concerns. A couple of personal measures one can take include education and introspection. Conducting research on healthy relationships, such as exploring exactly what consent means, and speaking with friends about their experiences and expectations, will help students improve their understanding of the problem. This is a moment for conversation. More importantly, this is a critical moment for action. Because this is a problem that is pervasive in every industry, university students have a large stake in the drive for change. Students play a large role in redefining the way we interact and must take part in the movement to ensure lasting progress. Whether it be making a personal change or becoming actively involved in an organization like VAV, joining a committee or running for a position in Student Government, sharing your story or calling out injustice when witnessed on or off campus, we must harness this momentum and set an example as a community of empowered young leaders. Severe is a business honors and finance junior from Round Rock.
GALLERY COLUMN
Universities should provide fentanyl tests By Ian Sims columnist
yulissa chavez | the daily texan staff
I tell my friends to contact me if they need their drugs tested. I was inspired to do this after observing the dangers of risky substance use and then learning that simple ways to mitigate harm exist. In one instance of purity testing, “molly,” also known as MDMA, was actually methamphetamine. In another, it was bath salts. However, methamphetamine and bath salts are not what I’m worried about. I’m worried about fentanyl: a deadly synthetic opioid lethal at the small dose of only 3 milligrams, a fraction of a penny. Dealers cut other drugs with fentanyl because fentanyl is cheap — disguising fentanyl as a more expensive drug can lead to profit. Fentanyl has been found in a large range of substances, from cocaine to hydrocodone, putting many people who experiment with drugs at risk. Data collected from safe injection facilities in Canada indicate there has been a 2,000 percent rise in street drugs testing positive for fentanyl since 2012. Although the United States does not have safe injection facilities to collect such information, there is clear cause for concern because people are dying en masse. In one study from public health experts, the average projection of opioid-related deaths in the United States
LEGALESE | Opinions expressed in The Daily Texan are those of the editor, the Editorial Board or the writer of the article. They are not necessarily those of the UT administration, the Board of Regents or the Texas Student Media Board of Operating Trustees.
in the next decade is nearly 500,000. This represents an increase from the 33,000 people that died in 2015. 60.1 percent of heroin samples in Canada tested positive for fentanyl, while 1.8 percent of cocaine and 1.7 percent of methamphetamine tested positive. Fentanyl has also been
mel wstfall | the daily texan staff
found in Xanax. For example, rapper Lil Peep overdosed in December after his Xanax was laced with fentanyl. We need comprehensive solutions to the opioid epidemic as drug consumption rates
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have failed to decrease despite years of abstinence-based D.A.R.E. education and more than $1 trillion spent. With the knowledge that addiction is a persisting issue and that college is an environment of experimental drug use, universities should take extra precautions. Lives will be saved if universities provide fentanyl testing strips, which can indicate the presence of fentanyl in a substance, to students upon request. From my experiences within the harm reduction community, I know anxiety is rampant among college students, and that students without a prescription for Xanax, sometimes due to lack of health insurance, frequently seek the drug from unknown sources. While only 1.1 percent of students at UT-Austin admitted to using cocaine in the past 30 days, this is likely to be underreported. When UT students were interviewed about their peers’ usage, they estimated that 35 percent of students used cocaine. Although the test strips cannot guarantee absolute safety because they cannot detect every variation of fentanyl, making a quantity of fentanyl testing strips available to students at University health buildings, perhaps in a dispenser, is a step in the right direction. A step toward safety. Fentanyl testing strips can be ordered at: dancesafe.org/shop/ Sims is an international relations and global studies sophomore from Houston.
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JULIANNE HODGES
SCIENCE&TECH EDITOR @THEDAILYTEXAN
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2018
CLIMATE CHANGE
RESEARCH | ACOUSTICS
Professor earns grant, focuses on climate
By Freya Preimesberger @freyapreim
French initiative will fund adjunct professor’s climate change research abroad. By Jennifer Liu @jenn_liu98
O
ne UT professor will travel to France to continue her research on climate change, thanks to a grant from French President Emmanuel Macron. On June 1, 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the U.S. would no longer participate in the Paris climate agreement, an international plan to mitigate the effects of climate change. In response, Macron launched “Make Our Planet Great Again,” an initiative to offer foreign researchers the opportunity to move to France and receive funding to continue their climate change research. It attracted a total of 1,882 applicants, 18 of whom were ultimately awarded a grant. Camille Parmesan, an adjunct professor in the Jackson School of Geosciences, is one of the 18 researchers to receive the grant. Parmesan has researched climate change since 1990, and her credentials and qualifications were integral for her proposal to stand out, according to Professor Michael Singer, her husband and a professor emeritus from UT’s Department of Integrative Biology. “I have known her since she was a 21-year-old with no achievements at all, and (she’s) just a smart person,” Singer said. “I can tell you, I certainly didn’t expect this to happen at all. I’m very proud of her.” Parmesan, who teaches parttime at UT, currently teaches at Plymouth University in the UK, where she lives with Singer. They moved to the UK a few years ago, but Singer said he has sensed a more narrow-minded outlook toward immigrants like themselves after the Brexit vote. Parmesan said when she
Study: champagne bubbles, drink experience are related
copyright camille parmesan, and reproduced with permission French President Emmanuel Macron awarded UT climate researcher Camille Parmesan a grant to research climate change in France. was looking to leave the UK, she started to inquire in the U.S. about available university positions. Yet President Trump’s priorities did not align with hers. His 2018 budget request would have significant implications for scientific research due to proposed cuts. According to a Washington Post article, the National Science Foundation would suffer a loss of $776 million, for example. “It was very clear to me that I had a choice to come back to the U.S., and again live in an environment that was totally against not only the kind of research that I was doing, but (where) all of my colleagues would also be severely impacted,” Parmesan said. Parmesan began looking into other options. She applied for a position in Canada and was looking into Germany’s Max Planck Institute when President Macron started his “Make Our Planet Great Again” initiative. “We’ve always wanted to live in France for a few years, and we thought, ‘perfect, all the pieces are coming together,’” Parmesan said. Parmesan said she plans on taking pilot programs she has conducted in the background the
CLASSIFIEDS; Black
MEDICAL
past few years and making them more prominent parts of her research with this grant. Her work to date has been documenting the effects of climate change on natural systems and doing global meta-analyses, or statistically analyzing the results of several separate but similar experiments. “I feel like we’ve gotten where we need to be with those, and I am starting to move on more into societal implications,” Parmesan said. She wants to go back to her study systems and go into more detail about impacts on the butterfly populations she has studied for 35 years. “So (to) get away from the big global picture: I think we’ve been there, done that, said it all — as much as needs to be said for policymakers to take action,” Parmesan said. “And what I’m interested in now is going back into the field systems and looking in more detail about the responses they’re having to climate change. Getting more toward the conservation perspective and the more societal consequences of climate change is where I’m going the next few years.”
The acoustics of champagne bubbles may provide important information on the beverage’s quality, according to a study published November in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. The findings could be used for commercial quality assurance. Champagne, the white sparkling wine typically associated with celebrations, contains its signature carbon dioxide bubbles due to a post-bottling fermentation process. One theory among champagne aficionados states the properties of the bubbles — namely their size and rate of production — are linked to that particular drink’s quality, said Kyle Spratt, first author of the study and postdoctoral fellow at UT’s Applied Research Laboratories. To test what kind of information on bubbles can be estimated from acoustic properties, researchers placed a small hydrophone, or underwater microphone, in samples of sparkling wines. “Bubbles are highly resonant, they basically ring like bells, and so the presence of bubbles can have a great effect on acoustic measurements,” Spratt said. “So when we came across the commonly held notion that the size of bubbles in sparkling wine is somehow connected to the quality of wine — small bubbles being thought to be better — our first thought was to stick a hydrophone in it and listen to the sounds that are made.” Their study primarily focused on developing measurement techniques and demonstrating acoustic data could provide information on bubbles. They found the sounds the hydrophone picked up were due to the formation of bubbles. The researchers tested two types of sparkling wines: the inexpensive
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Cook’s California Champagne and the well-known Moet & Chandon Imperial Champagne, Pratt said. The Moet had bubbles 5 percent smaller in terms of volume. Bubbles in the more expensive champagne also tended to be more uniform in size and greater in number. Pratt said the results were from a single data point and that more research was necessary before seeing a definitive trend. Researchers also found that champagne bubbles form differently in different containers. Champagne is traditionally drunk out of champagne flutes, which are glasses that are tall and tapered to prevent the drink from warming or losing its carbonation. When researchers tested champagne in plastic foam and plastic containers, they found that the bubble formation was affected by the shape and material of the container. “An extreme example that we showed was a plastic foam cup, in which case the bubbles stick to the edges longer and coalesce before breaking off and rising to the top, so the end effect is that there are many fewer bubbles overall and they are much bigger than in a glass flute,” Spratt said. “I don’t know whether this changes the taste per se, but it definitely changes the experience of drinking it, particularly when you are taking a sip and your nose is near the surface, experiencing the tickling sensation from all of the bubbles popping at the surface and the aroma that is produced.” The next step is to test a variety of sparkling wines to see if there exists a correlation between bubble size and quality. “Since taking acoustic measurements of the bubbles is a relatively simple thing to do, it could possibly be useful for quality assurance purposes for wine producers,” Spratt said. “It’s essentially an easy way to double-check that the bubbles in a certain batch of wine are behaving as expected.”
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2018
CROSSWORD; Black
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TRENTON DAESCHNER SPORTS EDITOR @TEXANSPORTS
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2018
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Longhorns seek second consecutive upset win Texas travels to Morgantown to face sixth-ranked West Virginia By Steve Helwick @stevehelwick
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ith a statement victory over No. 8 Texas Tech on Wednesday night, the Longhorns cleared their first top-10 challenge in Big 12 play. Saturday won’t offer respite, however. Texas (12–6, 3–3 Big 12) must travel 1,400 miles for a skirmish with No. 6 West Virginia (15–3, 4–2) in Morgantown. “(The Texas Tech) win was big because we lost some top-25 games earlier this year — Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas,” Texas head coach Shaka Smart said. “We’ve talked about doing a better job of protecting our home floor, and I thought the guys have taken that to heart.” But Texas must now earn a convincing victory away from the Frank Erwin Center. For West Virginia, the primary focus will be recovering from a two-game losing skid. The Mountaineers dropped their season opener to Texas A&M but collected 15 consecutive victories and rose as high as No. 2 in the country. But two straight conference losses to Texas Tech and Kansas recently brought head coach Bob Huggins’ crew back to earth. “West Virginia is coming off a tough game on Monday, and I’d imagine their practices this week are spirited, so we’ve got to be ready to match their level of intensity,” Smart said. “They’re going to come out breathing fire in that game. They’re going to come out with a level of physicality. So we’ve just got to be ready to match that.”
photographer katie bauer | daily texan staff Junior guard Kerwin Roach II dribbles past a Texas Tech defender during Texas’ upset victory over the No. 8 Red Raiders at the Frank Erwin Center on Wednesday night. Roach and the Longhorns look to repeat their success in Morgantown against No. 6 West Virginia on Saturday. West Virginia’s basketball program is renowned for implementing a relentless full-court press to suffocate opposing offenses. Coined “Press Virginia,” Huggins opts to run this scheme occasionally during games. The Mountaineers’ defense is powered by Jevon Carter. The senior guard was rewarded with both the Big 12 and the NABC defensive player of the year awards after a standout campaign in 2016-17. And he’s only getting better.
Carter’s steals-per-game average has skyrocketed from a stellar 2.5 last season to a monstrous 3.4. He leads West Virginia in scoring with a career-high of 16.7 points per game. The star Illinois native dropped 42 combined points in his last two outings, and he’ll look to continue his scoring touch and get the Mountaineers back in the win column on Saturday. Texas’ counter for Carter will likely be junior guard Kerwin Roach II. In his first game
back from a fractured left hand, the junior thrived on both sides of the ball in the Wednesday night upset win over the Red Raiders. Roach added 20 points, drove effectively to the basket and stifled Texas Tech’s offense by limiting the team’s point guard and leading scorer Keenan Evans to just 11 points. Roach proclaimed at the beginning of the season that his goal was to become the national defensive player of the year — the same award bestowed to Carter last spring.
TENNIS
The Longhorns’ frontcourt pair of junior Dylan Osetkowski and freshman Mo Bamba is one of the best in the Big 12, if not the nation. The formidable duo played lights-out against Texas Tech, combining for 27 points and 16 rebounds. Down low, West Virginia recently debuted junior forward Esa Ahmad, who served a 16-game suspension to start the season. In a small sample size of two performances this season, Ahmad has totaled
33 points and 11 rebounds. It will be Ahmad’s athleticism pitted against Osetkowski’s power and Bamba’s length in the paint. The Big 12 battle at the WVU Coliseum tips off on Saturday at 1 p.m. CST. As in every conference game, the stakes are high. Texas hopes to gain momentum and enter the rankings on its late-season tournament push, while West Virginia must make up for its recent woes to retain a top-10 ranking.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Longhorns prepare to kick off spring season By Henry Corwin & Logan Harvill
@henrycorwin1 @mrharvill
High preseason rankings, an early award and the opening of a new facility look to make the 2018 spring season one to remember for the Longhorn men’s and women’s tennis teams. The Longhorns will begin their spring seasons this weekend with the full-scale launch of their new home — the Texas Tennis Center. Since the end of the 2014 spring season and the retirement of the Penick-Allison Tennis Center, the University has worked on creating a new place for the men’s and women’s teams to practice and play. The brand-new, 12-court facility at the Texas Tennis Center has been a long time coming for the Longhorns’ tennis program. A grand opening ceremony is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday at the facility. The No. 8-ranked men’s team will play a doubleheader at the new facility on Friday — UTSA at 12 p.m. and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 4 p.m. The Longhorn men will also play on Sunday against SMU at 2:30 p.m. The Longhorn men had great success this past fall, which they are looking to build on as their main season revs up. Brazilian junior Leonardo Telles won the ITA Regional Championship and was a finalist at the Cajun Tennis Classic, where he lost to fellow Long-
horn, senior John Mee. Juniors Colin Markes and Adrian Ortiz took home first place in the doubles pool at the Racquet Club Collegiate Invitational. Ortiz missed all of the 2016-17 season due to injury, and his on-court success in the fall was a positive sign for Texas as he looks to continue playing well in the spring. Look for junior Harrison Scott and sophomore Yuya Ito to build off success from last season as the anchors for the men’s team. On the women’s side, the Longhorns return five of their six singles starters from 2017. The Longhorn women enter their spring season ranked No. 12, their highest team ranking since the 2013 season, when they were ranked No. 11. On Tuesday, the Big 12 Conference announced sophomore Anna Turati, ranked No. 87, as the first women’s tennis player of the week for the 2018 season. Turati impressed last weekend at the annual National Collegiate Tennis Classic, winning all three matches, including two against ranked opponents. But Anna is not the only Turati looking to excel for the Longhorns this spring. Her twin sister, Bianca, ranks a career-high No. 10 and looks to serve as an integral piece of the Longhorns’ squad this season. The Longhorn women will play their inaugural set of matches at the new facility Saturday, hosting Texas State at 10 a.m. and UT-Rio Grande Valley at 3 p.m.
photographer noel mahouch | daily texan file Junior Harrison Scott swings at the ball at the Caswell Tennis Center. This weekend, the Longhorns will officially open the Texas Tennis Center — the new home for Texas’ men’s and women’s tennis teams.
photographer brooke crim | daily texan staff Senior guard Ariel Atkins drives past defenders during No. 9 Texas’ 75-71 loss to No. 1 UConn on Monday night. Atkins scored 14 points during 22 minutes of play against the Huskies at the Frank Erwin Center.
Following loss to top-ranked UConn, Texas hopes to rebound in Lubbock By Drew King @drewking0222
Head coach Karen Aston kept her head held high. No. 9 Texas had just battled with the top-ranked team in the country — and lost. No. 1 UConn rolled past the Longhorns on Monday night just as they had done against every other opponent this season. But the Longhorns posed the biggest speed bump in the Huskies’ path so far. Texas led for the majority of the game and came the closest of any team to defeating the Huskies this season, losing 75-71. Aston now wants her team to bring the same amount of fight to every game. “This was an opportunity to measure and see who we are and who we can be,” Aston said after the game. “You hope that this group of girls decides this is who they are all the time. And we have a really good thing if that’s what
they decide.” Texas (14–3, 5–1 Big 12) heads to Lubbock on Saturday to face Texas Tech. The Red Raiders (7–11, 1–6 Big 12) are fresh off their first conference win, defeating Kansas 6856. The Longhorns will need to control the tempo to keep Texas Tech from earning its second Big 12 victory. Aston likes her team to play at a breakneck pace to earn easy baskets in transition. Per Her Hoop Stats, the Longhorns are ranked the fastest team in the nation, averaging 77.4 possessions per game this season. Texas’ pedal-to-the-medal offense has been fueled by Aston’s willingness to use small-ball lineups in conference play. When the Longhorns need a boost offensively, Aston will move one of her bigger wings — either the 5-foot-11 senior Ariel Atkins or 6-foot sophomore Jada Underwood — to the power forward spot and bring in an extra guard off the bench. The increase in shooters
You hope that this group of girls decides this is who they are all the time. And we have a really good thing if that’s what they decide.” Karen Aston, head coach
helps space the floor and open cutting lanes for perimeter players. “I don’t try to change too much because I feel like it would be a mismatch for the other team, because I’m a guard playing the four position,” Atkins said. “But more often than not in our league, we have a lot of guards playing the four position. So, it’s kind of more so four guards on the floor than me being at
the four.” Using just one post, however, can leave teams vulnerable. Rebounding and rim protection usually suffer when smaller players share the floor. “I think our defense is good, but it’s not where it can be,” senior guard Brooke McCarty said after the UConn game. “I know some games the guards get in the rebounding game and some games we don’t, but we’ve got to reward (our posts) just like they reward us by getting our rebounds.” Texas Tech, meanwhile, likes to slow things down and run the offense through its bigs. The Red Raiders rank No. 191 in pace, and three of the team’s topfour scorers are post players. Senior center Jada Terry led the team with 16 points and eight rebounds in Wednesday’s victory over the Jayhawks. Tempo will play a major role in Saturday’s outcome. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m.
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CHARLES LIU & CHRIS DUNCAN
LIFE&ARTS EDITORS @THEDAILYTEXAN
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2018
CITY
HISTORY
Graffiti Park move upsets local artists
UT Tower’s original use differs vastly from current purpose @hannahkgeorge
Local Graffiti Park will move to East Austin by end of 2018. By Ruben Paquian @rubenpaq
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day before the impending freeze earlier this week, families and artists scaled the colorful concrete jungle known as HOPE Outdoor Gallery, aka Graffiti Park. Amateurs and professional artists alike left their mark while enjoying the last day of fair weather. What most are unaware of is that this is the last year HOPE Outdoor Gallery will call Baylor Street home. A press release from late November announced the gallery will move to a permanent home at Carson Creek Ranch, far east near Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The new park will span six acres with extended wall space, daily operation hours, parking and bathrooms, and it is expected to open by the end of 2018. The current park is to be cleared out by June to make way for the construction of a new residential development. Those who know of the park’s move expressed conflicting opinions of the change to this Austin landmark. Photographer Jules Aboloff has documented the continuously changing walls of the park since its creation in 2011. For years, he has spent countless hours photographing whatever catches his eye, but according to Aboloff, the park’s move isn’t going to change that. “The camera doesn’t care, it’s ready 24/7,” Aboloff said. “When they’re ready to move, the camera, this camera, is ready. It’s ready now, let’s go.”
By Hannah George
photographer angela wang | daily texan staff Tallulah Glancy spray paints a design on the ground at HOPE Outdoor Gallery on Monday afternoon. The park is set to move from Castle Hill to Carson Creek Ranch later this year. Matt Gutierrez, the manager for Aboloff’s art store, Jules’ Gems, said he handles the printing and selling of Aboloff’s pictures. Although Aboloff himself isn’t worried about the move, Gutierrez isn’t sure their venture will be able to continue at the new location. “It’s a crossroads where we’re at now. It’s a lot of unknown as far as if we’re gonna be involved (at the new location) or if we’re not gonna be involved,” Gutierrez said. “A lot of people look forward to seeing (Jules’) stuff. It’s bittersweet.” Distance is another concern that arises from the new location, as many artists travel from neighboring cities to paint at HOPE. “The only problem is that it’s going to be really far out of town,” said Marvin Riley, a 40-year-old graffiti artist and a regular contributor to the park. “It seems like (most of the graffiti artists) live far up north — Round Rock and all that.” To Riley and others, the park is more than just a canvas: It’s a hub for the street art community. Despite the fact that their day’s work will
be short-lived, many come for the welcoming environment it provides for artists, and as long as a space still exists, Riley is content. “We have an understanding that our stuff at the end of that day will be done over, but it’s just more like a cool hang out,” Riley said. “We’ll go wherever the walls are, wherever we can paint legally.” But not all share Riley’s sentiments. Artist Rodd Quinn moved to Austin a year ago and found a home at HOPE’s current location. He fears the change will take away a crucial part of what made the space the magical place it is. “I don’t like that it’s moving because this place, it has a pulse man, it has like a soul to it,” Quinn said. “No matter what time you show up to it, 24/7 there’s people here, whether they are painting or just checking out the skyline.” Despite Quinn’s skepticism of how the new park will turn out, he is still hopeful that it will provide space for artists to practice sharing their craft, and he is willing to give it a shot. “I mean, I’m still gonna paint over there,” Quinn said.
The Tower is the most notable building on campus, but what makes this icon famous other than its 29 floors? With only six of its floors available to students, why do we christen it the “Main Building” of our university? Most students aren’t aware that the Tower was originally designed to be all library, with a “dumbwaiter” elevator system toting books up and down the 19 floors of stacks and librarians toting books around on roller skates — a spectacle straight out of a Wes Anderson film. Few are aware of the Main Building’s origin story, either — including the fact that it wasn’t the first Main Building. In 1899, the only building on UT’s campus was the “Old Main,” a medieval-revival style building on the same site the Tower currently lies. According to the Campus Guide of the University of Texas at Austin, “it housed all classes, the library, an auditorium, faculty and administration offices, and even a basement gymnasium.” Old Main was literally the main building 19th-century Longhorns had. In 1930, UT’s new Consulting Architect Paul Cret recognized Battle Hall Library was insufficient as the sole campus library. Instead,
he imagined replacing the Old Main with a new library seated on the hilltop with direct view of the capitol. Cret envisioned the 307foot Main Building as “the new centerpiece of campus, and a counterpoint to the dome of the capitol building.” Not only does the Tower look like a monument in scale, but in its formal and material qualities as well — finished almost entirely in limestone, it is now a signature on the Forty Acres. According to the University’s History of the UT Tower website, once the Tower was built in 1937, it was operated by roller-skating librarians. Students would request books at the front desk, where their orders were forwarded upstairs to a roller skate-wearing Tower librarian, who would find the books and send them downstairs in a
dumbwaiter elevator to be checked out. Though a library that doubles as a roller derby seems both the most expedited and awesome way to run a library, wait times gradually grew up to half an hour in the ‘60s, forcing the construction of new libraries on campus, such as the Perry-Castaneda Library. And now, only the Life Sciences Library and a few floors of the closed stacks are open to students while the former derby stacks are repurposed as administrative offices. Today, the Tower’s office spaces fit like a square peg in a round hole, considering the very system the design the Tower is based on — the dumbwaiter system — was given up. For example, the President’s office occupies the former rare book rooms, and “many of the spaces are jammed with cluttered desks for assistants and administrative personnel.” What we’re left with are confusing but charming historical interiors and a yet uncompromised exterior. From the outside, the Tower is the same “successful climax” of Cret’s vision for the Forty Acres. Despite its winding history, the Tower still bears the image of what we’ve always aspired to as a university: to know the truth, and let it set us free.
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