The Daily Texan 2018-03-08

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THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018

VOLUME 118, ISSUE 118

N E WS

O PI N I O N

S P ORTS

LIFE&ARTS

The Democratic gubernatorial race is headed for a runoff this May. PAGE 3

Thoughts on drought, the gun debate and felons running for office. PAGE 4

Matt Coleman’s big shot lifts Texas over Iowa State in the first round of the Big 12 tourney. PAGE 6

Black students at UT face difficulties trying to maintain their natural hair. PAGE 8

SPECIAL PROJECT

anthony mireles | the daily texan staff Junior defensive back Chase Moore is here at UT to prove stereotypes about black athletes wrong. Representing 5 percent of the UT student body, Moore takes every opportunity to disprove the notion that African-American students are given the chance to study at UT based on athletic capability alone and to further demonstrate that he is more than just a student athlete.

Facing privilege and plight A look through time: Black student athletes reflect on UT experience.

By Alexis Tatum

@tatumalexis

Editor’s Note: This is The Daily Texan’s fourth installment of The 5% Project in collaboration with the UT-Austin chapter of National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ).

T

he spring of 1990 was an eventful semester for Waymond Wesley. He found himself balancing two identities: one as a football player at UT and the other as a black man in Texas.

That year during Round-Up, members of Phi Gamma Delta, or Fiji, sold shirts with a Sambo caricature — a racist cartoon that depicts black people with ape-like features — on top of Michael Jordan’s body to promote a basketball tournament. Along with the rest of his black teammates, Wesley, a junior defensive back, joined a protest against the fraternity.

“Some of those guys (Fiji members) were saying, ‘N-----s go home!’ and some of my teammates just went crazy,” Wesley said. “I’ll never forget it.”

This protest was special because it was led by Toni Luckett, the University’s first black student body president, and it included most of the Longhorn football team, many of whom were African-American.

“I remember me and my teammates protesting,” Wesley said. “We were allowed to miss practice one day and actively

copyright waymond wesley, and reproduced with permission TOP: Waymond Wesley played football at The University

of Texas in the early ‘90s.

BOTTOM: Wesley is an avid Lonhorn fan. His daughter graduated from The University of Texas in 2016.

march against these guys.”

The UT football locker room is one of the few places where black students are not the minority. This has been true since 1987, when Wesley started his football career at UT. While more than half of the football team was black, only about 3.7 percent of UT’s 48,000 students identified as black, according to UT’s 1990-91 Statistical Handbook.

Despite facing blatant racism from events much like the 1990 protest, Wesley said he loved being at UT. He said he doesn’t recall much of his time at UT outside of being a football player, which he said marked some of the best times of his life.

“I personally felt like royalty at UT,” Wesley said. “For me, as a football player, I felt like we had more privileges than others. We ate better. I mean, I remember eating steak literally in some form or fashion every day of my freshman year.”

Wesley said this royal treatment included private dining halls, tutors and dorm rooms. A Houston native and first-generation college graduate, Wesley said he indulged in the luxuries of Texas football even after he could no longer play due to an injury.

“I didn’t want to come back home to the inner city parts of Houston,” Wesley said. “I reluctantly had to end my football career because of three surgeries on one knee. But my scholarship never changed and I was able to continue my degree.”

Outside of playing football, Wesley said he studied liberal arts and was a member of Gamma Phi Delta, a non-Greek black fraternity conceived on the 40 Acres.

“I was a part of a fraternity that originated with some of

NABJ page 2

CAMPUS

CITY

Students protest Fine Arts books at SXSW

Primary sees increased voter turnout

By Maria Mendez @mellow_maria

Chanting “You can’t take our books away!” about 50 UT students and faculty members protested the removal of materials from the Fine Arts Library at SXSW EDU on Wednesday.

Members of the group Save UT Libraries picketed outside a talk by Douglas Dempster, dean of the College of Fine Arts, for the local education conference.

The picket came in response to a current discussion about the future of the college’s library and the relocation of 75,000 collection materials that happened over the last year.

Studio art sophomore

Logan Larsen, one of the protest organizers, said they decided to picket the dean’s talk “Redesigning a Modern-day College of ‘Fine’ Arts” because students feel Dempster is not listening to their concerns as he attempts to transform the college.

“It’s about the fact that he is trying to remove our library to make room for design and (the arts and entertainment technologies major),” Larson said. “It feels like an insult.”

Last summer, the fourth floor of the Fine Arts Library, in the E. William Doty Fine Arts Building, was cleared to create classrooms and offices accommodating students and faculty

PROTEST page 2

By Sami Sparber @samisparber

In Travis County, voter turnout in the Democratic primary more than doubled since the state’s last midterm election year in 2014.

In the 2014 Democratic primary, Travis County had a voter turnout rate of 7.73 percent of total registered voters. This year, 15.54 percent of the county’s 733,906 registered voters cast ballots in the Democratic race.

Travis County had a voter turnout rate of 5.58 percent of total registered voters in the 2014 Republican primary. This year, 5.54 percent voted in the Republican race.

Tuesday’s election marks the nation’s first statewide primary since President Donald Trump took office last year. Jim Henson, director of the Texas

Politics Project, said Trump’s presidency likely contributed to the surge in Democratic turnout in the 2018 Texas primary.

“President Trump has become the major national issue driving politics,” Henson said.

“It’s hard not to suspect that some of the increase in Democratic turnout has to do with the intensely negative feelings that almost all Democrats tell us they have about President Trump in our public opinion polling.”

During the early voting period, which ran from Feb. 20 to March 2, turnout at the Flawn Academic Center — UT Austin’s only on-campus polling site — nearly quadrupled this year, from 1,341 in 2014 to 4,365 in 2018, according to data from the Travis County Clerk’s Office. The FAC also saw the fourth-highest turnout in Travis County compared to each of

VOTERS page 2

Voter Turnout in Travis County Democrats and Republicans saw contrasting fortunes in voter turnout during the primaries.

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

2018

2018

2014

2014

15.54% 7.73% Democrats came out in far greater numbers in 2018 - with over twice the number of voters than in 2014.

5.54% 5.58% While the number of Republican voters increased by 5605 in 2018, voter turnout fell slightly.

mingyo lee | the daily texan staff

2

THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018

CAMPUS This issue of The Daily Texan is valued at $1.25

YCT invites local gun expert to speak on policy

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griffin smith | the daily texan staff Austin’s Central Texas Gun Works owner Michael Cargill spoke to the Young Conservatives of Texas on Wednesday about changes in gun policies amid recent high school shootings.

By Tehreem Shahab @turhem

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Amid the national debate surrounding gun control and gun violence, the Young Conservatives of Texas at UT invited Michael Cargill, owner of Austin’s Central Texas Gun Works, to speak about policies and certain policy proposals regarding firearms.

About 30 people attended the event, called “Why Teenagers Shouldn’t Make Gun Policy.” Cargill, a guns rights activist, addressed

some of the policy proposals suggested in a statement released by Dick’s Sporting Goods on Feb. 28. The statement called for universal background checks, raising the minimum age to purchase any kind of firearm to 21, and a ban on “assault style firearms” and bump stocks, which are attachments on rifles that speed up the rate of firing.

Cargill said banning the AR-15, the type of gun used in the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 dead, was an

unrealistic proposal and would not make a dent on the number of gun-related deaths.

“More people die by hand guns than long guns,” Cargill said. “There are so many guns in this country, there is no way you’re going to get rid of them at all. There are also other ways people can do things if they are dead set on hurting others. (In the Oklahoma City bombing,) Timothy McVeigh killed 168 people and wounded 680, and he used a bomb (made from) stuff that he purchased from Home Depot.”

International relations

sophomore Bethany Gonzalez said the event was a good place to learn about a topic that may not be discussed elsewhere on campus.

“Mr. Cargill was very knowledgeable,” Gonzalez said. “I didn’t know about much about the background checks and the information on bump stocks and so he was able to enlighten me on that.”

Saurabh Sharma, YCT’s director of events, said in light of the Parkland shooting, the conversation on gun control should involve expert input.

“I empathize greatly with

the people who were in a very traumatic situation, but the fact remains — hearing what a gunshot sounds like doesn’t make you an expert on it,” biochemistry junior Sharma said. “‘Think of the children’ is always a useful political tool, and when its coming from the child’s mouth, it is always more effective as well. So we figured we would bring in the opposite of (someone like) David Hogg to come and talk about it. We’d bring in an adult who is a firearms expert, a firearms owner and activist.”

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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NABJ

MANAGING EDITOR

continues from page 1

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(512) 232-2207 news@dailytexanonline.com The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely. If we have made an error, let us know about it. Call (512) 232-2217 or e-mail managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com.

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my friends at UT and it’s now nationwide,” Wesley said.

“It was kind of born out of a church group. That was my only involvement in the black community.”

Wesley said his student athlete status left him disconnected from the black community.

“I couldn’t imagine going through school without that kind of support (from UT athletics),” Wesley said.

“I imagine it would’ve been tough. I only ever saw that high-level treatment as an athlete.”

Chase Moore, a junior defensive back on the current UT roster, said not much has changed in the last 30 years.

“To me, all the things around me as a result of being on the football team are truly a blessing,” Moore said. “There’s way more good than bad.”

Moore said the “bad” is the lesser known side of being a black student athlete at a predominately white institution. No one is passing out shirts with Sambo’s head on Michael Jordan anymore, but the racial stereotype still exists for Moore.

“I see these other people

of different ethnicities, mostly white,” Moore said. “They look at me, see my skin and the orange backpack and they think, ‘He plays sports, so he’s only here for football or basketball.’”

Moore said he sees this as an opportunity to prove them otherwise.

“I try to prove every stereotype they might have about black students or football players wrong,” Moore said. “So I sit in the front of all my classes, my hand is always up. I take it as a chance to represent my race.”

Like Wesley, Moore said it is difficult finding an identity outside of Texas football.

“Once it starts, football kind of takes over,” Moore said. “I wake up every morning at 4:30 for workouts, then we get a break for class and we have practice later in the day. During season, I couldn’t even go to church because we had practice.”

While he’s a part of the black community, Moore said he sometimes feels ostracized from other black students. Moore said some black students see black athletes as tokens who are disengaged from the black community. The Malcom X Lounge, for example, is a popular place for black

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VOTERS

continues from page 1

the other polling locations during this year’s early voting period.

TX Votes, a non-partisan student organization focused on improving civic engagement, spent the weeks leading up to election day promoting the election and registering students to vote in Travis County.

While UT has greatly improved its voter turnout in recent years, Zach Price, vice president of TX Votes, said many students are still not voting.

“One of the biggest blocks of non-voters in this country are young people,” said Price, a government and Plan II junior. “Sometimes there are laws in place that make it more difficult for young people to vote, or they’re moving and aren’t sure how to register or how voting works after they’ve changed counties.

Something we see a lot is young people thinking they just don’t have enough time to vote.”

Due to a busy schedule and lack of knowledge regarding current issues,

Plan II sophomore Abbey Bartz said she did not vote in the primary election even though she is registered to vote in Austin.

“I feel like part of growing up is figuring out where you stand on political issues, and it’s tough to do that on top of everything else we have to worry about,” Bartz said.

“For me, being an informed voter fell to the wayside because my responsibilities as a student took precedence over my responsibilities as a voter.”

With the general election less than eight months away, Price said TX Votes will continue to work toward its goal of increasing voter turnout among students.

“I think the biggest reason for optimism is the wave of young people we’ve seen speaking out lately, from all across the political spectrum,” Price said. “Young people are realizing that their voice matters, that there’s no reason to wait until we’re our parents’ age to get involved and that we can make real change if we get out to the polls and let our elected officials know that we don’t like what they’re doing.”

students to hangout, and Moore said athletes feel unwelcome there.

“It is intimidating walking into the (Malcolm) X Lounge,” Moore said. “Right off the bat, you’re being stereotyped and stared at. That kind of stuff is a reason that some of my teammates don’t feel comfortable coming into the X Lounge or coming around black students sometimes. We get that enough from the white people and everyone else.”

By removing all signs of Texas athletics from his appearance, Moore said he noticed a difference in the way peers interacted with him.

“I’ll come to class wearing no football gear at all, dressed like a regular student and when I sit down, nobody will sit next to me,” Moore said. “It’s interesting. When I wear my UT stuff, I’m someone worth talking to. But when I’m not, I’m nothing to them.”

Much like Wesley in 1987, Moore said he remains positive about his experience UT experience despite juggling multiple identities.

“When I came here, I didn’t have anything,” Moore said. “I’m grateful. As a student athlete, you face the privilege and the plight.”

PROTEST

continues from page 1

in the School of Design and Creative Technologies, which includes the new arts and entertainment technologies major.

Along with the transformation of part of the FAL third floor into the Foundry “makerspace” in the fall of 2016, this change sparked rumors about the closure of the library last fall.

At a town hall discussion last November, Dempster and Lorraine Haricombe, vice provost and director of UT Libraries, explained library materials were moved to off-campus storage facilities to cope with space constraints. Responding to concerns, the University created two task forces to examine housing the materials at another campus library or to find more space within the Fine Arts building.

The deadline for concerned students to voice their concerns to the task forces via email is March 21. The two task forces, comprised of UT Libraries staff and Fine Arts faculty and students, will then produce a report outlining possible solutions by April 2. Dempster, Haricombe and the Provost will use the report to develop a plan, said Fine Arts spokesperson Alicia Dietrich.

Students requesting access

to relocated materials can view them within three business days, according to UT Libraries. But protesting students like Grace Sparapani said they do not want to see further changes to the FAL or other UT libraries, including the Perry-Castañeda Library.

“We want to save the FAL not just for us, but because this is a dangerous trend across higher education,” Sparapani said.

“This may not be the last library to lose our books.”

Many university libraries across the U.S. are also storing or recycling more materials, according to a February Associated Press story. Of public Texas universities, UT saw the most dramatic decrease from 1.9 million materials in 2007 to about 242,500 last December, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Communications junior Abby Sharp said the numbers do not reflect the whole picture. Because books are heavy, she said students may prefer scanning or looking at books in the library.

“Just because we’re not checking them out does not mean we’re not using them,” Sharp said.

UT Libraries spokesperson Travis Willmann said despite rumors about the PCL, the only campus library currently in discussion is the FAL.

3

THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018

STATE

Democratic gubernatorial candidates head to runoff Candidates reflect on primary results, look ahead to November.

By Sami Sparber

finished significantly ahead of their Democratic opponents, with only two of the other seven candidates receiving more than 5 percent of the vote.

@samisparber

A

lthough Lupe Valdez and Andrew White led the pack in the crowded Democratic primary for governor, neither candidate was able to secure the majority of the vote in Tuesday’s election. Come May 22, Valdez and White will go head-tohead in a runoff race.

With 42.9 percent of the vote, Valdez, a former Dallas County sheriff, came up on top. White, son of late Gov. Mark White, trailed 15.5 percentage points behind.

Jim Henson, director of the UT Texas Politics Project, said a runoff was expected because it was a crowded race, and Valdez and White were prominent candidates.

Both Valdez and White

Competition makes us stronger, and I am grateful to all the other candidates for helping us all get stronger.”

Lupe Valdez, former dallas county sheriff

In Travis County, Valdez received the majority of the vote — 56.1 percent compared to White’s 23.3 percent.

“I am really humbled that so many Texans who are

ready for a change are giving me the opportunity to lead that change,” Valdez said at her election rally in Dallas, according to The Texas Tribune. “Competition makes us stronger, and I am grateful to all the other candidates for helping us all get stronger.”

At his Houston election night event, White said he is the best candidate to take on Gov. Greg Abbott in November, despite being an underdog.

“We beat the expectations tonight, and we’re going to do it again in May, and we’re going to do it again in November,” White said. “This is going to be a David versus Goliath fight — and remember, David won that fight.

And we’re going to win this one, too.”

As predicted, Abbott, seeking re-election, cruised through the Republican primary for governor with 90.4 percent of the vote. In Travis County, Abbott received 81.7 percent of the vote.

juan figueroa | the daily texan file Between his $43.3 million “war chest” of campaign funds and nearly 30-year winning streak in statewide elections, Abbott is a formidable opponent. At the end of 2017, he had vastly outraised

both Valdez and White, who had $40,347 and $104,475 on hand, respectively.

“Tonight is like winning the first half of a football game,” Abbott said in a KXAN article on Tuesday.

“It is not a victory. Many victories were declared at half-time erroneously. We cannot take this for granted.

Our future is worth far too much to take the next seven or eight months for granted.”

STATE

Report: Immigrants commit less crime than native Texans

By Allyson Waller @allyson_renee7

Immigrants in Texas commit fewer crimes than native-born citizens, according to research from the Cato Institute, a libertarian think-tank.

In recent years, political rhetoric has characterized immigrants as criminals. When announcing his presidential campaign, President Donald Trump associated Mexican immigrants as rapists and people who bring crime into the United States, perpetuating this stereotype.

However, while this data negates this political rhetoric, it is unlikely such data would cause a substantial number of people to change their views on immigration, said Victoria DeFrancesco Soto, a lecturer in the LBJ School

of Public Affairs.

“During tough economic times or times of economic angst, native-born folk tend to scapegoat immigrants,” said DeFrancesco Soto, who specializes in immigration. “The data doesn’t really matter when you’re feeling vulnerable and scared.”

The institute obtained data from the Texas Department of Safety and focused on convictions and arrests made among legal immigrants, illegal immigrants and native-born citizens in 2015.

The data, which was released on Feb. 26, showed criminal convictions per 100,000 residents. For criminal convictions, native-born Texans accounted for 1,784, undocumented immigrants accounted for 782 and documented immigrants accounted for 262. In 2015, documented and undocumented immigrants

combined made up 16.8 percent of the Texas population, which was around 27 million.

Bob Libal is the executive director of Austin non-profit Grassroots Leadership — an organization that advocates for immigrant rights and separation between federal and local law enforcement. Libal said this information from Cato is nothing new.

“Not only is there the data that immigrants as individuals commit fewer crimes than people that are born in the United States, there’s also lots of evidence that sanctuary (city) communities are safer than communities that allow immigration (enforcement) and local law enforcement to co-mingle,” Libal said.

Sanctuary cities are communities that chose not to comply with federal immigration forces such as U.S. Immigration and

Customs Enforcement. Data from Tom Wong, a senior fellow at the public policy nonprofit American Progress, shows there were 35.5 fewer crimes per 100,000 people committed in sanctuary counties than non-sanctuary counties in 2016.

Immigrants tend to commit less crime since it could lead to serious repercussions, said Elissa Steglich, clinical professor for Texas Law’s immigration clinic, which provides pro bono support to immigrants.

“It’s not surprising that you would see a lower incidence of criminal activity in immigrant communities (because) there is a lot at stake,” Steglich said. “Folks in the undocumented community know any interaction with law enforcement, particularly here in Texas after (state Senate Bill 4), may lead to deportation or detention.”

Criminal Conviction Rate by Immigration Status in Texas, 2015

1,794

per 100,000 residents in each subpopulation

782 458 262 Documented

All Immigrants

Undocumented

Native-born SOURCE: Cato Institute

mallika gandhi | the daily texan staff Despite comprehensive data that dispels negative stereotypes of immigrants, DeFrancesco Soto said it would take substantial time to reform immigration policy in today’s political climate.

“I think it would (take) baby steps,” DeFrancesco Soto said.

“I mean we’re not going to see

a comprehensive immigration reform (soon) … I think pretty much you’re not going to find unanimous agreement on anything in American politics these days, but I do think there are certain things (where) you can find some path (to reform).”

4

LAURA HALLAS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @TEXANOPINION

THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018

COLUMN

COLUMN

Let’s solve Texas’ imminent water shortage before it’s too late

By Liam Verses @texanopinion

columnist

Cape Town, South Africa, is bracing for Day Zero. This isn’t some zombie apocalypse or fast-approaching war, but it represents an acute catastrophe: The city of almost 4 million people will have their water taps shut off, which is currently projected to happen on July 15. Globally, 1.2 billion people live in water scarce areas. Cape Town’s crisis was detectable as early as the 1990s. The city’s shortage was avoidable and so is Texas’ coming water crisis.

Texas officials expect massive population growth in the coming decades, with 1.7 million new residents predicted through 2020.

As our population grows, so do our water woes. Experts predict water shortages could begin as early as 2020 for the Lone Star State, a time on the not-so-distant horizon.

If no one takes action, we could have a statewide water shortage of 2.9 trillion gallons by 2070. Humans are rapidly depleting onethird of the world’s groundwater resources.

We have to take action as our water supplies continue to dwindle, water demand increases and temperatures internationally soar to new levels.

To tackle a problem this large, we need to redefine the way we think about water. Small scale change will fail to solve this problem.

Texas needs a different approach and that approach is One Water. One Water is a way of thinking about how we use and manage water resources in a way that treats drinking water, storm runoff, wastewater, groundwater and surface water the same. It combines this way of thinking with urban development, land use, transport, energy, waste, economic development, agriculture and health. It’s the view that all water has value.

Practically, Texas could invest in green

Experts predict water shortages could begin as early as 2020 for the Lone Star State, a time on the not-so-distant horizon. If no one takes action, we could have a statewide water shortage of 2.9 trillion gallons by 2070.”

infrastructure that mimics the natural water cycle and implement closed-loop water systems that prioritize recycling and restoration of usable wastewater. We could create comprehensive water conservation and recycling programs at the local and state levels.

No longer would individual local or state entities make decisions independently.

City parks departments would collaborate with waste management services— nearby cities would co-manage regional water resources. Under this system, local and state entities would be codependent, encouraging cooperative decision-making. This also means facilitating water efficiency and reuse at Texas industrial plants, carefully planning and reforming agricultural practices in rural areas, and on-site treatment of water for use in toilets and landscaping at large residential buildings.

Water professionals said One Water promoted greater stability and resilience, more opportunities to optimize regional infrastructure, sustainable development and increased collaboration between government entities.

Nor is this a hypothetical proposal — One Water has been adopted successfully by cities such as Rotterdam, Singapore, Tucson and Los Angeles. This mindset works.

Cape Town should be a grave warning to the world. Water scarcity doesn’t strike without notice. It’s a slow-moving disaster that creeps through the international community. We have the time to prepare for it, and we have the system to deal with it. So let’s start fixing it.

Verses is a Plan II and environmental engineering freshman from San Antonio.

mel westfall | the daily texan staff

Convicted felon should be able to run for Austin City Council

By Tarek Zaher @zaher_tarek

columnist

Lewis Conway Jr. was convicted of voluntary manslaughter for fatally stabbing a man after a dispute at an East Austin apartment 25 years ago, a crime for which he served eight years in prison and 12 years of parole. Today, he is running for Austin City Council, and, having served his time, the law should give his campaign a fair chance.

Felons are generally allowed to run for federal office, but elected positions on the local level vary from state to state. In Connecticut, for example, a former felon can vote, run for office and serve in elected office if the person has paid all penalties or served all sentences in full and is not on parole.

In Texas, however, the eligibility requirements are far more vague. An Austin city memo stated that in order for Conway to hold local office on the state level he must have “been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disabilities” of his conviction. What is meant by “disabilities,” however, is unclear.

For instance, Conway has served his sentence, paid his restitution and had his voting rights restored, but it is still unclear whether these are the disabilities the memo is referring to or not. Clarifying these poorly written state laws

and clearing the way for others in his same situation will be the first benefit of Conway’s campaign.

How much suffering must rehabilitated felons and their families go through until we consider their price paid? No society benefits from punishing anyone beyond what is due.”

The second will be challenging the stereotype that convicted criminals are somehow less human. “Children whose fathers are locked up, they need to see somebody like me on City Council,” said Conway in a recent interview with the Texas Observer. When

felons get out of prison, their punishment doesn’t end. It’s harder for them to find affordable housing, especially in Austin where population increases have skyrocketed applicant competition. It’s harder for them to find jobs, even at low-paying places like Mcdonald’s. And now, it seems, it’s harder for them to run for local office. How much suffering must rehabilitated felons and their families go through until we consider their price paid?

No society benefits from punishing anyone beyond what is due, especially when that person’s only wish is to serve his community.

The law should give Conway’s campaign a fair shot. Even Conway’s would be opponent, Ora Houston, agrees. “I believe in second chances,” Houston said in an interview with the Texas Observer. “He served his time.”

This, however, is not an endorsement of Conway. If you disagree with his platform or character, that’s fine. Don’t vote for him.

But, bad platforms and bad characters do not legally disqualify anyone from running. The only way to distinguish between the good and the bad in the first place is to give everyone, even those who’ve made past mistakes, the opportunity to prove that they can do more to further the common good. That is, after all, the only thing that matters in the end.

Zaher is a government and European thought sophomore from Hudson.

COLUMN

Anyone can understand America’s gun issue

By Sam Groves @samgroves

senior columnist

I’ll give this much credit to the National Rifle Association: By opposing all sensible gun control policies, they’ve made the American gun debate strikingly simple. Other hot button issues like immigration and health care are riddled with pesky thorns like detail and nuance. But thanks to fringe gun fanatics who don’t want to discuss anything else, the discourse around this issue is as narrow as a single question — “Are guns good or bad?”

And that’s an easy question. Living in a home with a gun makes you more likely to be killed in a homicide, suicide, or accident.

Developed countries with higher rates of gun ownership also have higher rates of gun death. These machines are designed to take lives. Of course guns are bad.

And complexity around this issue is manufactured. We’re expected to believe that the saying “guns don’t kill people, people kill people” is a subtle and meaningful distinction — instead of a lunatic platitude that could just as easily be applied to nuclear weapons (Kim Jong Un would be thrilled). And lately, some on the right have argued that a lack of technical expertise on firearms should preclude liberals from arguing for restrictions on them. However, this is absurd: The relentless epidemic of gun violence in the United States tells us everything we need to know.

Tomi Lahren, a Fox News contributor, exemplified this argument on Twitter last week: “You want to take our guns, but you don’t know jack about guns. See the problem?”

Similar points have been made in the pages of conservative publications like the Federalist and the National Review. An op-ed in The Washington Post on Tuesday referred to this tactic as “gunsplaining.”

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.

melanie westfall | the daily texan staff Personally, I’ve never even touched a loaded gun, let alone fired one. But here’s the thing: I don’t care. I can’t imagine what mechanical knowledge of the inner workings of a firearm would convince me to forget what I already know about the machines — to forget Aurora, Sandy Hook, Las Vegas, Sutherland Springs and Parkland.

What intricacies could outweigh the obvious? Is there a secret trigger that cures cancer?

A hidden compartment containing the elixir of eternal life? Barring such miracles, what the layperson already knows about guns is enough to make what they don’t know irrelevant.

SUBMIT A FIRING LINE | Email your Firing Lines to editor@dailytexanonline.com. Letters must be more than 100 and fewer than 300 words. The Texan reserves the right to edit all submissions for brevity, clarity and liability.

I’m not advocating ignorance. The people designing gun regulations should absolutely know how guns work. But no matter what the “AR” in “AR-15” stands for, it’s too easy to buy one. No matter what their reasons are for owning them, American citizens own up to half of the civilian-owned guns in the world. If you live in a country flooded with instruments of death, you’re more likely to experience death at the hands of those instruments. There’s nothing complex about that, and anyone who says otherwise is muddling the truth.

Groves is a philosophy junior from Dallas.

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Place the paper in one of the recycling bins on campus or back in the burnt-orange newsstand where you found it.

EDITORIAL TWITTER | Follow The Daily Texan Editorial Board on Twitter (@TexanOpinion) and receive updates on our latest editorials and columns.

5

THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018

BASEBALL

Longhorns host Stanford for pivotal four-game series

By Travis Hlavinka @travhlav

It’s another week and another formidable opponent on the Texas baseball schedule. Thursday night, No. 7 Stanford comes to Austin for a four-game series with No. 23 Texas at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

Stanford might be the Longhorns’ toughest test of the season thus far. The Cardinals make the trip from Palo Alto, California, boasting an 11–1 record. Texas (8–4) rides a three-game winning streak into Thursday night’s series opener, which begins at 6:30 p.m.

Texas head coach David Pierce believes the Longhorns just have to continue playing like they have been.

“I hope (our) approach stays the same,” Pierce said. “We still have to get quality at-bats and good pitches to hit. You have a little less time to make your decisions. But (Stanford is) very good on the mound, and we know that. I’d like our guys to compete the way they did against Northwestern.”

Pierce knows where the Cardinals do a majority of their damage and that lies in the hands of Stanford’s terrific starting pitching staff. Pierce said Stanford has at least one future first-round draft pick.

“Their starting pitching is as good as anybody in the country,” Pierce said.

“Their first three are really tough. But I think for us, it’s about us. It’s about us playing solid defense and not trying to match their (velocities) or their breaking balls, but to be ourselves. It’s going to be an interesting match-up.”

Texas’ players understand what seeing a pitching staff like Stanford’s entails.

Redshirt senior utility player Jake McKenzie said that what you see from Stanford this weekend will be a major contrast to the Northwestern team that Texas

SOFTBALL

continues from page 6 welcome change of pace for Ellsworth, who has struggled at the plate so far this season despite being named to the USA Player of the Year watchlist at the beginning of the season.

While Ellsworth has the talent required to win one of college softball’s most prestigious awards, team success is at the top of her and many of her teammates’ minds.

“It was a really good accomplishment,” Ellsworth said. “I’m really proud, and hopefully I can continue to work and move up in the list. But I definitely want(ed) it for the team more than for myself.”

Despite the win, the 1-0 margin continues a concerning trend for the Longhorns. Texas has

katie bauer | the daily texan file Junior infielder Kody Clemens starts his swing. Clemens is batting .436 with 3 homeruns through 12 games this season. beat three out of four times last weekend in Austin.

“It’ll definitely be a test — a lot different from Northwestern,” McKenzie said.

“We expect them to come in, not make as many mistakes as we saw (last) weekend.

We’re going to have to take advantage of the mistakes they do make and try to capitalize on those.”

Junior infielder Kody Clemens said the team is excited about having the chance to

failed to score more than five runs in all but two games this season. The offense has only scored a total of six runs in the past four games combined.

Texas may have escaped San Antonio with a win, but in order to achieve further success as the season goes on, the team has to figure out how to wake up the bats.

For UTSA, the offense was even harder to come

by Wednesday. The Roadrunners mustered only a single in the bottom of the sixth. The offense never came close to scoring on the Longhorns.

UTSA freshman Madison Nelson pitched a solid game, allowing one run and nine hits across seven innings in the complete-game loss.

Texas has played eight games against ranked opponents this season, nearly half of the team’s total games played. The Longhorns will take on their ninth in a matchup against No. 18 South Carolina on Tuesday in Columbia, South Carolina.

show what they can do against one of the best teams in the country. For the Longhorns, it’s about seeing where they are as a team as the start to the conference schedule nears.

“I think we need to see what we can do with these types of teams,” Clemens said. “(We need to) see what we can put out on the field against this amazing competition. Obviously that will work out for us in the future. It’ll be a test for us, but we’re

looking forward to it.”

Though it is a tough road ahead, Clemens and the Longhorns believe that the best Texas has to offer is yet to be seen.

“I think that the pitching, defense and offense (haven’t) all meshed in one game together,” Clemens said. “I think that we’re all good in every standpoint.

But once we mesh it all together, I think we’ll be unstoppable.”

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6

TRENTON DAESCHNER

SPORTS EDITOR @TEXANSPORTS

THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018

MEN’S BASKETBALL

SOFTBALL

Longhorns close out Cyclones

Pitchers duel in Texas’ victory over UTSA

Texas advances to second round of the Big 12 Tourney.

By Wills Layton @willsdebeast

By Steve Helwick @s_helwick

S

itting directly on the fringe of the March Madness bracket, 7-seed Texas’ lead over 10-seed Iowa State stood at just two points. As less than a minute remained on the clock in Kansas City, the Longhorns needed a hero to salvage their season and boost their tournament hopes.

Freshman point guard Matt Coleman, just 20 years old, didn’t shy away from the Big 12’s greatest stage. The lefty took control of the last possession, gathered his dribble and launched a long 2-pointer from the top of the key. The ball flew over the outstretched arm of Iowa State’s senior point guard Donovan Jackson and journeyed straight for the cylinder.

Coleman’s clutch basket played a huge role in Texas’ 68–64 hard-fought victory over the Cyclones. As a result of the team’s third win over Iowa State this year, Texas (19–13) punches a ticket to the second round of the Big 12 tournament on Thursday.

“I’ve been saying it all year — every team in the Big 12, you’re going to get a dogfight night in and night out,” junior power forward Dylan Osetkowski said.

Despite two previous victories over the Cyclones this season, Texas’ third rendezvous with Iowa State head coach Steve Prohm, and his team wasn’t exactly a breeze for the Longhorns. Playing a thirdstraight game without freshman center Mo Bamba, Texas struggled out of the gate, trailing the Big 12’s last-place finisher by as much as 10 points in the first half.

But the Longhorns’ leading scorer, Osetkowski, spurred

angela wang | the daily texan staff Freshman guard Matt Coleman drives past West Virginia senior guard Jevon Carter. A late fourth-quarter shot from Coleman lifted Texas over Iowa State in the first round of the Big 12 tournament. a 16–3 run to change the outlook of the evening. Osetkowski chipped in 10 points, including two 3-pointers, during the momentum-shifting run, all resulting in a 34–31 lead at halftime for Texas.

We knew they were going to make some shots, they’ve got great players and we’d just have to sustain their run and make a run of our own.” Dylan Osetkowski, Junior Forward

“We knew we were going to have to fight,” Osetkowski said.

“We knew they were going to make some shots, they’ve got great players and we’d just have to sustain their run and make a run of our own.”

Coming out of the break, the

Longhorns surged while the Cyclones temporarily faltered.

Sophomore shooting guard Jacob Young brought energy and quickness off the bench, scoring on a handful of layups to extend Texas’ advantage to 40–31.

But the Texas defense couldn’t sustain its level of excellence from the final minutes of the first half and the opening frame of the second.

The Longhorns yielded seven straight points, and Iowa State continued to roar back until claiming a 45–44 lead with 12:47 remaining.

Iowa State’s baskets were primarily generated from layups and other close baskets around the hoop. The Longhorns lacked size to clog the paint without Bamba as its rim protector, and the Cyclones exposed this element of Texas’ tight rotation.

But similar to the win over West Virginia, 3-point shooting saved the day for the Longhorns. Freshman shooting guard Jase Febres canned a pair of threes in the later portion of the second half, and Osetkowski pulled up for a near-NBA range triple with 5:30

left. The long field goal provided Texas a 58–56 edge. Although Iowa State tied the score on the ensuing possession, Texas did not relinquish the lead.

A rejuvenated defense and an energized Jericho Sims were the final deciding factors in the Longhorns’ narrow win. The freshman power forward was the catalyst of a vital play with under 100 seconds left, collecting an offensive rebound off of an Osetkowski miss and cashing it in for two points to claim a two-possession lead.

Then, Coleman provided the closing duties.

Besting Iowa State will extend Texas’ season to another game — a third matchup against 2-seed Texas Tech, currently No. 14 in the nation.

The Longhorns skated to a nine-point victory over the Red Raiders on Jan. 17 but lost on an overtime buzzer beater to them on Jan. 31. Tournament hopes appear safe for now, but Texas head coach Shaka Smart and his team can greater convince the selection committee by advancing further in Kansas City.

The most nerve-wracking score in softball at any time is 1-0. At any moment, a team can lose its lead. At any moment, a team can cling to the slim onerun difference.

It was not pretty by any means for the Longhorns on Wednesday night in San Antonio, but a win is a win. Texas defeated UTSA, 1-0.

Pitching was the strong point in Wednesday’s game, as has been the case for most of Texas’ games this season. Junior Brooke Bolinger started for the Longhorns and pitched a one-hit shutout, while allowing only one walk. It was Bolinger’s fourth win of the season.

Her strong performance allowed for the other pitchers to get some much needed rest, as Sunday’s series finale against Arizona called for four Longhorn pitchers to be used.

The pitching this season has been the strength of the team.

Both Bolinger and senior Paige von Sprecken have emerged as Texas’ aces moving forward.

The offensive struggles for the Longhorns (9–10) continued Wednesday. While the Longhorns recorded nine hits, they could only muster a single run.

Luckily for Texas, the one run was all the team needed.

That one run came off the bat of sophomore Taylor Ellsworth, who hit a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning. It was a

SOFTBALL page 5

anthony mireles | the daily texan file Junior pitcher Brooke Bolinger plants her foot to release the pitch.

Bolinger pitched a shutout in Texas’ victory over UTSA on Wednesday.

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THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018

The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Tuesday, March 6, 2018

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CHARLES LIU & CHRIS DUNCAN

LIFE&ARTS EDITORS @THEDAILYTEXAN

THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018

STUDENT LIFE

MOVIE REVIEW | ‘A WRINKLE IN TIME’

‘A Wrinkle in Time’ soars past rocky start

By Justin Jones @justjustin42

ashley ephraim | the daily texan staff Undeclared freshman Joseph Tibiru styles hair from his dorm to help black UT students.

Students search for hair stylists Black students turn to each other for hairstyle needs.

By Alexis Tatum @tatumalexis

B

lack students at UT are faced with an peculiar problem: finding someone they can trust to do their hair.

While there are a number of barbers and hair salons in the vicinity of campus, not many of them cater to the needs of black students. James Nelson, owner of Wooten Barber Shop on Guadalupe street, said that while Wooten tries to accommodate every student, there are some difficulties.

“Right now, there are a lot of unique haircuts,” Nelson said. “We’re not real big on putting design lines in. It’s a tradition thing. (Black students) have a very, very tight

nap and that’s real challenging to get into a fade on.”

Plan II freshman Anthony Douglas said most black students prefer going to black barbers because they want to ensure that their barber has experience with their hair texture.

“You have to do a test where you let the barber give you an edge up and see what’s going on,” Douglas said. “If they do your edge up right, you go back.”

Douglas expressed frustration in trying to find a barber and said it took him most of the school year to find one.

“This semester, I had to search and ask around a lot and I finally found my barber, but the bus ride to get there is an hour and thirty minutes,” Douglas said. “I have a struggle deciding if I want to spend four hours to get a single haircut that’s going to last me two weeks.”

It is difficult to find public hair salons or barber shops within walking distance of campus that specialize in the natural hairstyles for black students, such as dreadlocks, braids or fades with designs.

As a result, black students with coarse and coily hair types are forced to find a supplementary route to styling their hair.

Some students, such as undeclared freshman Joseph Tibiru, teach themselves to cut or style hair and do so from their dorms or apartments.

“I used to do hair in the (Malclom) X Lounge, but then I moved to Jester West,” Tibiru said. “So now I do hair out of my dorm or I go to other people’s dorms.”

Tibiru said he was encouraged to start doing hair for students by peers who saw his work. Since he started at UT last fall, he’s done a number of styles for black women in his free time.

“I’ll do one person’s hair and then more will follow because I’m so accessible,” Tibiru said. “People told me I should make an Instagram account for hair and that I should start doing it on the side — so I did.”

Tibiru credited black women on campus with helping him find a purpose for his hobby.

“Hair is just a hobby; it’s just something that I like to do for fun,” Tibiru said. “What’s really helped me is the black UT girls. That’s how I’ve had so many people come to me — through word of mouth. They really do right for me and I appreciate that so much.”

Douglas said he thinks the problem remains because it’s not relevant to many outside of the black community.

“We are pretty much the only ones with this issue,” Douglas said. “That’s why it’s gone unnoticed.”

There are 375 movies in history with a budget of over $100 million, but the first of these films directed by a woman of color arrives this Friday with “A Wrinkle in Time” from Ava DuVernay.

Much hype has followed “Wrinkle” since its announcement in 2016, and though it has many flaws, the film is a charming fantasy epic — a film that swings for the fences at every turn and hits more than it misses.

Young actress Storm Reid leads the film as Meg Murry, a brilliant 14-year-old student who has been emotionally distant ever since the disappearance of her father (Chris Pine) four years earlier.

To get a sense of Meg’s life before the adventure begins, the film shows a normal day at school for her, and it is incredibly painful to sit through. Meg is bullied, hears teachers gossip about her father, receives a lecture from the principal, and it all feels ripped out of a lower-tier Disney Channel Original Movie.

It’s a great relief when Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey), Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon) and Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling) finally enter the film, providing it with exactly the burst of energy and light it needs.

They tell Meg that they need her to help them save her

father, and whisk her on a galaxy-hopping adventure.

The locales visited in the film vary widely — some are whimsical, some are intimidating, but they are all engaging. Instead of focusing on the science of space travel and other planets, the film focuses on its characters, their relationships with one another and their relationships with themselves.

As the film goes on, DuVernay grows more confident, concluding the story with a trippy, mind-bending metaphor of a finale that one would expect from high-concept science fiction, not a Disney fantasy-adventure. Throughout the film, Meg grapples with herself and the person she feels pressured to be, rather than who she is. As she barrels toward this conclusion, it becomes clear that her journey is just as much about her own growth as it is about her father.

In spite of its flaws, “A Wrinkle in Time” is an earnest plea for how much better the world could be if we loved ourselves and loved one another.

As corny as that sounds, the plea, like the movie, rings true.

‘A WRINKLE IN TIME’ RATING: PG RUNTIME: 109 minutes SCORE:

copyright walt disney pictures, and reproduced with permission