SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN COMMUNITY SINCE 1900 @THEDAILYTEXAN | THEDAILYTEXAN.COM
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018
VOLUME 118, ISSUE 106
SPO R T S Longhorns gear up for this week’s Big 12 Championships. READ MORE ON PAGE 6
NATION
Castros discuss minority struggles in politics By Maria Mendez @mellow_maria
CASTRO page 3
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
The Daily Texan hosts annual SG candidate debate By Stephanie Adeline @stephadeline
Executive alliance and University-wide representative candidates presented their campaigns to a crowd of about 50 students in an annual debate hosted by The Daily Texan on Monday evening. After University-wide representative candidates presented their platforms, executive alliance candidates presented their campaigns and answered questions from the moderator and audience. Executive alliance candidates Guneez Ibrahim and Hannah McMorris, Bryce Fuller and Vikram Sundaram, Joshua Richardson and Chison Liu, Austin Goss and Denny Lee, Aakash Saraiya and Daniel Noble Hernandez, and Colton Becker and Mehraz Rahman discussed their stances on campus issues such as student housing, sexual assault and diversity on campus. Ibrahim and McMorris’ campaign emphasized the need for inclusion of students living in Riverside, including creating a student center in the area. “It’s not fair that so much of our student body is unable to
By Brianna Stone @bristone19
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ixty-eight years have passed since the first black student stepped foot on the 40 Acres. Despite some victories throughout the years, the lack of black representation in the student and faculty population still remains an issue at UT. Today, in a sea of more than 51,000 students, fewer than 2,400 students identify as black. According to fall 2017 data, the black student population was only 4.6 percent of the total student body, while the black population in the United States makes up about 13 percent. Within the black population, demographics have shifted over the years. In the fall of 2008, there were 2,192 students who identified as black only and in the fall of 2017, nine years later, there were 1,990. In contrast, the population of students who identify as being black mixed with two or more races has increased from 99 students in fall 2010 to 383 in fall 2017. Leonard Moore, interim vice president for UT’s Division for Diversity and Community Engagement, said there are many factors why the black student population has remained stagnant for so long. “Black kids in Texas have a lot of options, from HBCUs, public colleges and even private HBCUs,” Moore said. Moore said for the last couple of years, the University has been making an effort to increase the
enrollment of students of color. Last fall, the University saw the largest incoming class of black students ever at five percent, Moore said. “You have to have partnerships across the University,” Moore said. “Admissions can’t do it alone. The Division for Diversity and Community Engagement can’t do (it) alone. Everyone has to work together, including the different colleges and schools, to come up with better recruiting strategies.” Moore said the University has to be proactive in order to admit a class that reflects the nation’s demographics. Despite receiving an astounding number of applications every year, Moore said recruitment is still necessary. “I think most people just don’t understand the black experience, and it’s not their fault,” Moore said. “I am amazed at how separate our worlds are.” The lack of black representation is also an issue for faculty. Black faculty make up only 4.1 percent. Out of 3,162 faculty members, only 129 are black. The Jackson School of Geosciences and the School of Information reported having no black faculty members as of fall 2017. The National Association of Black Journalists is partnering with The Daily Texan this semester for a series featuring black students, faculty and alumni to share their experiences about being part of a community that comprises less than five percent of the total campus. Jade Fabello and Lacey Grace contributed to this reporting.
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Twins Julian and Joaquin Castro have both made names for themselves in American politics — but they could not have done it without their mother, Maria del Rosario “Rosie” Castro. While Julian Castro is known as a former San Antonio city mayor, a former U.S. Secretary of Housing and now a potential presidential candidate, political activism runs in his family. Julian and Joaquin Castro, who is the current 20th district U.S. Representative for San Antonio, said they grew up inspired by their mother’s love and political work. “We would … get dragged to rallies, speeches,” Julian Castro said. “Aside from her political activism, she was a great mom. She always made us feel loved. She always made us feel like we could accomplish things.” Alongside their mother, the Castro brothers discussed their upbringing, the Latino potential in the upcoming midterm and 2020 presidential elections at the Harry Ransom Center on Monday. The discussion, “Making the Grade,” was presented by the Center for Mexican
The black history of UT: The Daily Texan partners with UT-NABJ
10.2%
FOREIGN
18.2% ASIAN
42.4% WHITE
20.4%
HISPANIC
11.3% ASIAN
8.1%
HISPANIC
75.4% WHITE
1 In 2007, this residence hall was named after Almetris “Mama” Marsh Duren, who played a crucial role in helping black UT students from 1958 to 1981. She served as a mentor, counselor and adviser to inspire young people of color. She served as dorm mother for the first dorm open to black students.
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In 1961, black UT sophomore Sherryl Griffin staged a sit-in at Kinsolving Residence Hall to protest segregation on campus. At the time, black female students were only permitted to live in Whitis Dormitory or Almetris Co-op. After the sit-in, Griffin filed a lawsuit against the University that eventually led to residential integration, which was announced by the Board of Regents on May 16, 1964.
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On March 9, 1962, Martin Luther King Jr. visited the 40 Acres to give a speech at the Texas Union building. King gave his speech, “Civil Liberties and Social Action,” to a full room of 1,200 people. King urged for nonviolent protests to fight for equality. In 1962, of 20,000 students on campus, only about 200 were black.
DEBATE page 3
RING WEEK
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In April of 2015, Shaka Smart became the 24th head coach of the basketball team and first black head coach of the basketball program. 12
In fall of 1967, Sam Bradley became the first black UT basketball player.
Ring Week is here! February 19–23 • 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Etter-Harbin Alumni Center
texasexes.org/rings COMPLETED HOURS REQUIRED: Undergraduate, 75; Graduate, 16