SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN COMMUNITY SINCE 1900 @THEDAILYTEXAN | THEDAILYTEXAN.COM
TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 2018
VOLUME 118, ISSUE 121
N E WS
O PI N I O N
S P ORTS
LIFE&ARTS
Teaching assistants seek outside training for classroom roles. PAGE 2
Columnist educates novice cyclists on the importance of safe, defensive riding. PAGE 4
Texas advances to Sweet 16 with dominant win over Arizona State in Austin. PAGE 6
UT alumnus Wes Anderson talks his love for Japanese cinema and all things canine. PAGE 8
CITY
UNIVERSITY
APD pins string of explosions on ‘serial bomber’
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
Percent Change in Student Government Voting Turnout for Runoffs and Special Elections
By Anna Lassmann @annalassmann
50
25
% Change
Austin Police Department responded to reports of an explosion Sunday night in a Travis Country neighborhood that injured two people, APD Chief Brian Manley said in a media briefing Monday morning. This was the fourth incident of an explosion in Austin since March 2, when a package exploded at an East Austin home. Unlike the previous three, Sunday’s explosion was probably set off by a trip wire, Manley said. “In the past we have talked about not touching suspicious packages, not moving packages, not handling packages,” Manley said. “The belief that we are now dealing with someone using trip wires shows a higher level of sophistication, a higher level of skill.” Manley said investigators have seen similarities in the explosion Sunday night and the previous three explosions this month, all of which occurred in residential areas. He said the suspect behind the incidents may be a serial bomber. APD is asking anyone in the Travis Country neighborhood to send in any home security footage to assist in finding a suspect for the bombings, Manley said. Following the explosion Sunday night, the UT Police Department released a safety statement to the UT community. The statement was written by UTPD Chief David Carter and James Johnson, interim associate vice president for campus safety and security. UTPD’s statement said the use of a trip wire does not require victims to handle packages to trigger an explosion. “This enhances the warning from being limited to the safe handling of packages to now include not going near any packages, unattended bags, unattended backpacks or anything that looks out of place,” UTPD’s statement said. Since the fourth explosion took place in southwest Austin, the warning area has expanded, UTPD said. The previous three incidents only took place in northeast and East Austin. UTPD and APD have also urged people to call 911 to report any suspicious items or people. Over 500 federal agents from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are working on solving the string of explosions, Manley said. Additionally, assistance is being provided to APD by the San Antonio Police Department, the Houston Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety, Manley said. “We need this to stop,” said Christopher Combs, FBI special agent, during the media briefing. “We are very concerned that people could get hurt by this just by walking now that we have trip wires.”
0
1999 2000 2001 2002
2010 2011
2017 2015 2016
2018
-25
-50
Source: Student Government election records
UT System approves tuition raise, repairs to institute By Maria Mendez @mellowmaria
With newly approved tuition increases, UT students will face slightly higher tuition bills next fall. The UT System Board of Regents, which governs all UT institutions, approved 2 percent tuition increases at UT-Austin for the 2018-19 and 201920 academic years during a Monday meeting. UT’s undergraduate in-state tuition, which totals about $5,200 per semester, will rise by $104 in the fall of 2018, and by another $106 in the fall of 2019. Tuition for non-resident undergraduates will increase by about $370 both years. In-state graduate students will pay roughly $95 more both years, while outof-state graduate students will see increases of about $185 both years. Students currently under the Longhorn Fixed Tuition will not be affected. In a unanimous vote, the Board approved the increases for UT-Austin along with tuition increases for all other UT universities and health institutions, which range from about 1 to 8 percent.
TUITION page 2
SYSTEM mingyo lee | the daily texan staff
Voter turnout historically decreases with SG runoffs Despite increase in SG voters, special election turnout expected to fall. By Chase Karacostas @ chasekaracostas
B
etween the initial Student Government executive alliance vote this month and the special election that followed, voter turnout increased by 31 percent. Historically, however, voter turnout has decreased when a second SG election is held. Including this year, there have been 10 years when a second election was held for executive alliance since 1998, according to election records. Both this year and in 2016, the initial voting results were nullified, resulting in a special election. However, none of the executive alliances achieved a majority in either elections and a runoff was subsequently held. A runoff election for this year’s executive alliance candidates will be held later this week. “I think this level of turnout is an outlier at the moment,” said Santiago Rosales, SG chief of staff. “It could be something that keeps up, and I’d hope it does. (But) I’m anticipating turnout will decrease 20 to 30 percent because of spring break.”
Rosales was also a part of the Alejandrina Guzman and Micky Wolf executive alliance campaign last year, which saw decreased voter turnout with its runoff election. This year, a second election occurred because the results of the first vote were invalidated by the SG Supreme Court due to what was deemed a wrongfully issued campaign sanction. With the initial vote, the Guneez Ibrahim and Hannah McMorris campaign got just over 30 percent of the total votes cast while their main opponents, the Colton Becker and Mehraz Rahman executive alliance, took 53.75 percent. However, the Guneez-Hannah alliance gained more than 2,000 votes when the re-vote occurred and ended up with 46 percent of the votes, which coincided with the drastic increase in turnout. The Colton-Mehraz alliance came up just short of a majority with 49.24 percent of the votes. “We’re really proud (of the increased turnout),” said Ibrahim, student body presidential candidate and sociology and design senior. “To see the campus come out and support us in that way was really exciting. We went up by over 2,000 votes — which I think is pretty unheard of — in less than a week.” What happened with this year’s election, however, is not the norm.
Of the 10 years when a second election occurred, voter turnout decreased during seven of them by an average of 20 percent, which resulted in the loss of thousands of voters between the first and second elections. Business freshman Ricky Cooks said he voted in both elections already and plans to vote in the runoff this week. Despite voting for the same candidates in the first two elections, Cooks said he has yet to decide who he will vote for this week. “Every time I’ve gone about voting I’ve really had to start from square one and think about why I’ve voted for those people in the first place,” Cooks said. “It hasn’t just been an easy, ‘I’ve voted for this person once, so I’m going to keep doing it.’” To combat this issue of decreased voter turnout, the SG assembly passed a bill last month to amend the SG constitution and election code to implement a voting system that would eliminate runoffs. Because voter turnout typically decreases when runoffs occur, the bill’s authors said eliminating them ensures a greater portion of the student body’s voices are heard in executive alliance elections. The bill, which was passed during the special election the week before spring break, goes into effect next year.
Campus protests renovations to Fine Arts Library By Brooke Vincent @ brooke_e_v
A typical meeting for the Faculty Council on Monday became a two-hour forum about the concerns of faculty and students surrounding the relocation of 150,000 resource materials from the Fine Arts Library and possible future renovations. Maurie McInnis, executive vice president and provost of UT, addressed concerns about the loss of relocated scores, bound volumes, CDs and DVDs from the fourth floor. Over the course of the last year, stacks were relocated to the J.J. Pickle Research Campus and the Joint Library Facility in College Station to make space for the Foundry and classrooms for the new School of Design and Creative Technologies. “We do not have the ability to add significant new square footage,” McInnis said. “We simply do not have room on campus to be able to store every volume that we own, but we also insure that we keep those collections so that they are always accessible.” Doug Dempster, dean of the College of Fine Arts, appointed two task forces on Dec. 8 to
LIBRARY page 2
2
TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 2018
UNIVERSITY This issue of The Daily Texan is valued at $1.25
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
Assoc. Video Editor Audrey Black, Peyton Young Photo Editor Juan Figueroa Assoc. Photo Editor Brooke Crim, Carlos Garcia Senior Photographer Katie Bauer, Anthony Mireles, Angel Ulloa, Angela Wang Life&Arts Editor Chris Duncan, Charles Liu
Managing Editor Ellie Breed
Assoc. Life&Arts Editor Andrea Tinning
Assoc. Managing Editor Tyler Horka, Forrest Milburn
Sr. Life&Arts Writers Collyn Burke, Ruben Paquian, Brooke Sjoberg
News Editor Catherine Marfin
Sports Editor Trenton Daeschner
Assoc. News Editor Lisa Nhan
Assoc.Sports Editor Alex Briseno, Vanessa Le
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, Brooke Vincent Copy Desk Chief Bella McWhorter Associate Copy Desk Chiefs Kirsten Handler, Taylor Presley, Ryan Steppe Design Editor Sunnie Lee
Senior Sports Reporters Steve Helwick, Drew King, Justin Martinez Comics Editor Melanie Westfall Assoc. Comics Editor Geo Casillas, Rachel Tyler Senior Comics Artists Annette Meyer, Jeb Milling, Channing Miller Digital Editor Alexandria Dominguez Web Editor Natalie Heineman Sr. Social Media Editor Carlos Garcia, Samantha Shaps, Tirza Ortiz Science & Tech Editor Julianne Hodges Assoc. S&T Editor Freya Preimesberger
Art Director Rena Li Senior Designers Andrea D’Mello, Clio Harralson, Aaliyah Jenkins, Paolina Montes
Senior S&T Reporters Areeba Khwaja, Alastair Talbot Podcast Director JT Lindsey Assoc. Podcast Director Morgan Kuehler, Rachel Zein
Senior Graphic Designers Mingyo Lee, Mallika Gandhi
LECTURE
TAs aim to fill gap made by lack of universal training By Savannah Jobman @longhornsav
When students get hired to become teaching assistants, they complete the same training as all other student employees on campus, from cafeteria workers to library assistants. This training includes courses on ethics and sexual misconduct prevention, equal employment opportunities and how to keep private information safe on the internet. What TAs don’t complete is mandatory training on how to structure courses or write syllabi. “Honestly, there’s not much training, if you want the short and sweet of it,” said Liliana Terry, undergraduate teaching assistant and computer science senior. What the training TAs do receive is often delegated to individual departments. And in some cases, the training falls on the professors themselves, who also carry the
responsibility of guiding a class. Vinicio Sinta, a teaching assistant from Monterrey, Mexico, said the lack of formal training pressures professors to teach international assistants about both American culture and how to do their jobs. “A mandatory TA training would make things less scary for new TAs, for sure,” said Sinta, a doctoral candidate in the journalism department. “Especially if you’re from a different context, where there are no TAs. TAs are a very American thing. (If you’re from a different country), you don’t know where to begin.” Alison Frazier, the graduate adviser in the history department, said she takes special precautions to meet with new TAs throughout the semester to advise and support them. Frazier said this may not be the case across all departments, though. Some students, such as Steven Gubka, seek out alternative training seminars such as
the Student Employee Excellence Development program. The SEED program hosts a series of 32 free workshops, which cover topics such as conflict management and communication skills, that cater to student employees. “I started coming because I didn’t feel like I got very much training from my department about doing (my job),” said Gubka, a third-year Ph.D. student in the philosophy department. “I was looking for stuff like this to fill in the gaps.” According to human resources, UT employs over 10,000 students each year. In the fall semester of 2017, 156 students attended SEED workshops. Sinta said he found workshops like the SEED program helpful but found little time to attend between work and school. “When there’s more stuff you have to catch up with, you really need more training,” Sinta said. “It would have made my first few semesters easier, for sure.”
Podcast Technical Producer Dani Matias
Video Editor Thomas Negrete
Editorial Adviser Peter Chen
ISSUE STAFF Columnists Will kosinski, Usmaan Hasan Comic Artists Serena Romero, Diane Sun, Leslie Tang, Elaine McMurray, Veronica Jones, Johnathan Daniels, Katerina Vasquez Copy Editors Jason Lihuang, Brittany MIller, Arianna Flores Designers Mireya Rahman, Haley Pevsner
Illustrators Ella Williams L&A Reporters Noelle Henry, Daniel Young, Karsyn Lemmons, Francesca D’Annunzio News Reporters Miles Eackles, Sol Chase, Grace Speas Photographers Hannah Yoes Sports Reporters Travis Hlavinka, Gus Dapperton, Keshav Prathivadi
CONTACT US MAIN TELEPHONE (512) 471-4591
katie bauer | the daily texan file The University of Texas does not offer formal teaching assistant training, leaving the professors to teach their own TAs what they expect of them. The Student Employee Excellence Development program hosts a series of 32 workshops that focus on topics that are helpful for student employees.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Laura Hallas (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com
MANAGING EDITOR
Ellie Breed (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com
LIBRARY
continues from page 1
NEWS OFFICE
(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.
AUSTIN WEATHER TODAY Mar. 20
HI LO
TOMORROW Mar. 21
73º 50º
HI 77º LO 56º
you are like... the cutest
BUSINESS & ADVERTISING (512) 471-8590 advertise@texasstudentmedia.com Director Gerald Johnson Business/ Operations Manager Frank Serpas III Advertising Manager Emily Cohen Assistant Advertising Manager
Account Executives Tim Bauer, Diane Byram, Julianne Phillipp, Paulina Siller Product Manager Stephen Salisbury Senior Graphic Designer Amanda O’Brien Production Zac Crofford
assess alternative uses for the space on the fifth floor, which currently houses books. The groups, made up of faculty, librarians and students, will report their findings on April 2. This could remove additional books from the Fine Arts Library, depending on the alternatives that are adopted. “I think the single most important thing to reiterate is that no decision has been made regarding the Fine Arts Library,” McInnis said. “(The) task force (will) study the usage of the Fine Arts Collection and evaluate the possibilities for housing and managing the collections that are currently concentrated on the fifth floor.” A main complaint of staff was the lack of consultation with the departments before renovations and removal of
books from the fourth floor began. McInnis said that librarians met with faculty in art history, music and theatre, and dance to brief them on the fourth-floor renovations, but faculty members said they were never consulted on what books should be removed. “We were being informed of what the decisions had been,” said Richard Shiff, art history professor. “We had no input on those decisions. If there had been consultation, I believe that the selection of books to be removed would have been different, but there was no consultation.” The College of Fine Arts website said books relocated off-site would be available in one to three business days, but professors who have tested this claim have seen books take anywhere from eight to 18 days to arrive.
“At this point I can’t recommend a standard recording to a student of mine, because the materials have been put in storage,” said Miguel Campinho, lecturer in collaborative piano. “I assigned two classes of mine a set of four songs. The time comes for me to use them and pass along to the students, one copy was lost and one was in transit. Two weeks later I had access to it.” Classics professor Thomas Palaima said he sees this University issue as a national trend where libraries are being pushed to innovate and get rid of the stacks, which cannot be completely replaced in a digital space. “My main concern is that we see what’s going on here as part of a national trend,” Palaima said. “‘What starts here changes the world,’ but why not ‘What stops here changes the world’?”
$60.00 $120.00 $40.00
Summer Session
One Year (Fall, Spring and Summer) $150.00
To charge by VISA or MasterCard, call 4715083. Send orders and address changes to Texas Student Media, P.O. Box D, Austin, TX 78713-8904.
ADVERTISING DEADLINES Monday
Wednesday, 12 p.m.
Tuesday
Thursday, 12 p.m.
Wednesday Thursday Friday Classified Word Ads
Friday, 12 p.m. Monday, 12 p.m. Tuesday, 12 p.m. 11 a.m. (Last business day prior to publication.)
COPYRIGHT Copyright 2018 Texas Student Media. All articles, photographs and graphics, both in the print and online editions, are the property of Texas Student Media and may not be reproduced or republished in part or in whole without written permission. 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 2018 Texas Student Media.
By Sol Chase
@solchaseforsure
Jasmine Johnson, African diaspora studies scholar, said cultural appropriation is widespread in the modern practice of West African dance. Johnson is an assistant professor of theater arts and performance studies at Brown University and examines the politics of black movement including dance, diasporic travel and gentrification. She spoke to an audience of about 30 students and community members on Monday at the Gordon White Building on campus. “The rhetoric of racial indifference dominates,” Johnson said. “It has made more space for non-black participants and sharpened black Americans’ feelings of marginalization.” Johnson said since West African dance became popularized in America in the 1960s, it has morphed from a cultural tradition into a commodity. “Today, dance classes are unmistakably characterized by the predominance of white women,” Johnson said. She said the result of the whitening of these dance spaces is “an over-emphasis on feeling good” and a de-emphasizing of the reality of racial inequality. “Actually this is a really charged space,” Johnson said. “Because everyone is negotiating their relationship to blackness and anti-blackness.” Johnson cited white participants, who often report feeling a homely connection to Africa,
juan figueroa | the daily texan staff Classics professor Thomas Palaima voices his concerns about the University’s decision to relocate 150,000 resource materials from the Fine Arts Library at the Faculty Council on Monday Afternoon. The material was moved to make room for the Foundry and classrooms.
check us out
ONLINE
stories videos photo galleries thedailytexan.com
make the problem worse with this assumed identity. “Dance workshops are often marketed as homecoming trips, despite their predominantly white composition,” Johnson said. Johnson said while black women use dance to evoke a sense of returning to ancestral homes, white dancers often construct an artificial connection to Africa that ignores racial context. “African art spaces become defined as more ‘utopic’ the fewer black, female identifying bodies are present,” Johnson said. Johnson is a renowned dancer and incorporated a short performance into her lecture. “She does a really masterful job of walking through the methodology, and then she displays what she’s actually discussing,” said Minkah Makalani, associate professor of African and African diaspora studies and organizer of Monday’s lecture. Joshua Ellis, an African and African diaspora studies and government senior, said he was glad the University had been able to showcase Johnson’s research. “She seemed so passionate,” Ellis said. “It really spoke to me.” Johnson said the culmination of appropriation of West African dance is a “watering down” of the traditions that make it unique. “The changing of the rhythm, to me, is constituted by loss,” Johnson said. “It is a texture of loss rather than evidence of sameness.”
mingyo lee| the daily texan staff
continues from page 1
THE DAILY TEXAN MAIL SUBSCRIPTION RATES One Semester (Fall/Spring)
America is ‘watering down’ African dance
TUITION
Colten Crist
Two Semesters (Fall & Spring)
hannah yoes| the daily texan staff Dr. Jasmine Johnson, author of the book, “Rhythm Nation: West African Dance and the Politics of Diaspora,” leads a lecture on the politics of African American movement in regards to diasporic travel and dance.
Before the vote, Steven Leslie, the UT System’s executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, said the increases are necessary for universities to address decreased state funding and inflation, which is currently estimated to be about 2 to 3 percent. “Without the (tuition) revenue, the academic institutions face real challenges,” Leslie said. “(UT-Austin) needs more money if it’s going to compete with the very top tier.” The tuition increases are expected to bring in an additional $13 million to UT-Austin each of the next two academic years, according to UT System documents. The additional revenue from tuition will help the University recruit and retain faculty members and repair buildings, labs and classrooms, UT President Gregory Fenves said in a Monday email to students. After the tuition increases were announced on Monday, students took to social media to express concerns. Mark Kilaghbian, who graduated last December from UT, said the new tuition increases troubled him because he personally felt the impact of previous increases in the fall of 2016 and 2017. “I was out of state, so I felt the (increases) more than most,” Kilaghbian said. “Tuition will never go down, so it’s
important to keep it low.” Fenves and System leaders said UT will continue supporting students with financial need. “An increase in the cost of education — no matter the amount — impacts the lives of UT students and families, especially those with financial need,” Fenves said in the email. “I, along with members of UT’s senior leadership, am committed to providing additional financial aid for the students who need it most.” Forty percent of students receive financial aid at UT-Austin, Leslie said. The University covers 100 percent of tuition costs for students from families with incomes of $80,000 or less through grants, scholarships and tuition waivers, according to UT System records. “Even with the tuition increases, records show the tuition and fees of the average student will be covered,” Leslie said during the meeting. Facing similar budget constraints, the University of Houston, Texas A&M University and Texas Tech University have proposed or approved tuition increases of about 3 percent over the last academic year. During the Monday meeting, the Board also approved rebuilding UT’s Marine Science Institute, which was impacted by Hurricane Harvey last fall, using $30,000,000 from System , insurance and FEMA funding.
3
TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 2018
CAMPUS
juan figueroa | the daily texan staff From left, Keisha Gillis, Nina Baily, Rachel Green and Rachelle Orbio share their experiences as women of color entrepreneurs at a panel on Monday afternoon. The panel is part of the Black and Indigenous Women of Color Week, meant to empower women of color.
Students create event to empower women of color BIWOC campus events inspire women of color to institute changes. By Miles Eackles @muleseackles
B
lack and Indigenous Women of Color Week has kicked off with its main purpose to empower women of color at a university where they are in the minority. This week-long event, the first of its kind, was created by UT students to show that women of
color matter and can attribute many accomplishments to society, said Sarah Ogunmuyiwa, philosophy and gender studies sophomore and event organizer. Throughout the week, BIWOC will be hosting various events catered to minority women including seminars on mental health, physical health, sexual health and a vigil honoring trans women. “Our motive for creating this week-long event is to highlight the experiences of women of color in every single aspect whether it’s physical or mental (health),” said Lynn Huynh, a business freshman
who helped organize the week. “When it comes to diversity, it’s not just about representation, it’s also about empowerment. The experiences of women of color are very different from other women, so it’s important to have an event catered to us.” Monday’s theme surrounded self-care tactics to combat stress amid a hectic finals season. Nina Baily of BossBabes ATX, Rachel Green of Leadership Box and Rachelle Orbio of Samson Sagas facilitated a discussion about entrepreneurship and how to succeed in a white dominated
business world in the Student Activity Center. Onome Ayudo, a mathematics and textile junior who attended the event, said the small population of black students at UT has made it difficult to find students who share her ethnicity. She said she has had to seek out organizations that can provide this kind of community, but the search has been worthwhile. “I’ve always grown up in predominately white areas, so coming to UT wasn’t that big of a change,” Ayudo said. “I still find that I’m one of the few black girls in my classrooms. It was a little disheartening
at first to come to college and not get to meet students who had similar immigrant backgrounds.” Ogunmuyiwa said the week is inspired by associate professor Natasha Tinsley’s Race, Gender, and UT class. “Taking that class and learning about all the struggles that BIWOC face in academia made me want to create safe spaces on campus for those demographics,” Ogunmuyiwa said. “My friends and I have been meeting every week planning this week all semester. There’s no way this week would be here without all the work and support.”
FILM
Come take your FREE GRADUATION PICTURE for the Cactus Yearbook!
copyright yassir masood, and reproduced with permission Director and UT alumnus Yasir Masood’s short film, “Aisha,” is based on two immigrant women on opposite sides of the law. The film provides a look into immigration and the privileges that come with being a U.S. citizen.
Film highlights stories of underrepresented females By Grace Speas @gracespeas
Director Yasir Masood collaborated with Aishwarya Noubad, producer and radio-television-film junior, to create “Aisha,” a short film that follows a Pakistani female cop during a day on the job. Based in Houston, “Aisha” is a look into immigration and the strength that female film characters can possess if given the agency, UT alumnus Masood said. “‘Aisha’ has a lot of perseverance, a lot of strength and a huge desire to work for the greater good, which is what inspired me,” Masood said. Masood wrote the script and directed the film, which he plans to enter into the Austin Film Festival. Masood’s recent movie, “The Last Hunt,” premiered at the festival last year. In the beginning of the film, Aisha is in pursuit of a
woman from Mexico named Elena who is working for a man who runs a prostitution ring. The protagonist wants Elena to testify against the man, but Elena is undocumented and doesn’t want to endanger herself. “It starts off pretty volatile, as you can imagine,” Masood said. Elena serves as a foil to Aisha but without some of the same privileges Aisha enjoys as a citizen, Masood said. “The reason I became interested in the script for this film was its incredible storytelling,” Noubad said. Masood said women of color are not given a lot of agency or character development in film and are usually set in the background. “I have a younger sister, so I wanted to make something that she would be able to identify with,” Masood said. Aisha’s character is based off of a real Pakistani female cop whose identity has
been kept anonymous in the movie and in this story for her security. The cop said being understanding of immigrants while on the job comes easily. “It’s just a matter of exposure to other people and newer things,” the cop said. “The more educated you are, the more open-minded and more respectful you are of other cultures and religions.” Masood said he has always felt a responsibility for taking on Muslim, Pakistani and Indian portrayals in the media. The film crew for “Aisha” is partnering with the Houston Area Women’s Center by directly promoting the center in its credits and giving the center a percentage of the profit through a crowd-funding campaign, Masood said. The center works to end domestic and sexual violence through free and confidential support.
Congratulations, Class of 2018 Graduates When: March 5-9 & 19-23 Time: 10 AM-Noon & 3-7 PM Location: HSM Building Lobby 2500 Whitis Just show up, no appointments necessary. Business-casual attire recommended. Receive a $10 discount off of the Cactus Yearbook with your picture
4
LAURA HALLAS
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @TEXANOPINION
TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 2018
COLUMN
COLUMN
A new soccer stadium in Austin is a lose-lose situation By Usmaan Hasan @uzziehasan
columnist
weatherly sawyer | the daily texan staff
Take some bike lessons, not just a helmet By Ryan Young @ryanayng
senior columnist
Now that B-cycle is so popular that they’re running out of bikes, it’s time to have an earnest conversation about bicycle safety. Learning to ride a bicycle effectively in traffic is crucial to staying safe on busy Austin streets. Bicycling down a busy street like 24th is intimidating. It’s common sense: A motor vehicle weighs thousands of pounds, while a bicycle and its rider weigh, at most, a few hundred. Cyclists are all too aware of their vulnerability. According to a 2012 survey by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 83 percent of cyclists who feared for their personal safety during their travels cited motor vehicle drivers as an immediate cause. And their fears are well-founded. The same survey showed that getting hit by a car is the most common cause for bicycle injury, making up nearly a third of the surveyed cases. If you’re a cycling novice, you might be tempted to shun traffic by riding the wrong way down streets or riding on sidewalks. But according to Doug Smith, a Washington D.C.-area bike instructor who provided a comprehensive list of traffic safety tips to CityLab, that’s not as safe as you might assume. On a bike, you move much faster than a pedestrian, so motorists might not notice you crossing intersections or weaving between obstacles. That’s how accidents happen. To summarize Smith’s other points, as a bicycle rider, you have the rights and duties of motorists because bicycles are traffic too. That means obeying the rules of the road. As a bicycle rider in Texas, you must
“If you’re a cycling novice, you might be tempted to shun traffic by riding the wrong way down streets or riding on sidewalks.”
The Austin Chamber of Commerce has a goal: score a new Major League Soccer franchise. The Columbus Crew announced plans to relocate from its Ohio home earlier this year. Since then, owner Precourt Sports Ventures has been courting Austin as the leading contender for its new spot. Due to a lack of public funding for a new stadium in Ohio, the team is packing up and moving to Austin in search of public subsidies. Providing that funding would be a serious mistake. Taxpayer money will be wasted and minority neighborhoods will be damaged by subsidizing and supporting the team’s relocation. City leadership should reject PSV’s short-sighted proposal. Teams like the Columbus Crew hook cities on the allure of a stadium and institution that will inject millions into the local economy. Creating jobs, attracting thousands of sports fans and countless tourists is the mantra of franchise owners. But their studies exaggerate their positive impact. Experts have long agreed that the economic impact of publicly funded stadiums is negligible at best and destructive at worst. No recent investment in a public stadium has created a reasonable rate of return, but the owners still reap millions. Another Texas town already made this mistake. In Dallas, the new Cowboys stadium was promised to generate $238 million in annual revenue. Instead, the city still loses $18.2 million annually in subsidy payments. Austin gaining a new sports franchise at the cost of another Texas city will only perpetuate the cycle of atrocious business practices. While the sports may be different, the key tenet of publicly funded stadiums fails to repay municipal investment. Beyond economic impact, adopting the Columbus Crew will displace countless residents.
aannette meyer | the daily texan staff The presence of a stadium raises rent by more than 20 percent. And over time, the neighborhood changes to house mostly upper-class, single, young, white professionals. East Austin residents are already concerned of being displaced by the new development. It is imperative that the mayor and city council listen to them. The leading site for the new stadium is placed in Austinites’ backyard — at Guerrero Park in East Austin. The creation of a stadium in East Austin is likely to force prices higher and drive gentrification. The new team is framed as a harbinger for economic development, a source of economic revitalization and civic pride. But these are terms that often obscure a more nefarious truth. The league uses these terms to ignore the deleterious impact stadiums have on underprivileged communities, and municipalities buy it hook,
line and sinker. It is imperative that Austinites value the integrity of their city over the spectacle of a stadium. Go visit Guerrero Park and see what we stand to lose. Be active. In Milwaukee, San Francisco, San Jose and Seattle, voters forced franchise owners to revise their demands. Austinites must voice their opinion in front of city council. It’s the most effective means we have of combating the monopolies sports leagues have created. As Austin develops, it will continue to attract interest from venture posing to invest in the local economy — see Amazon. The city must prioritize affordable housing and equal economic opportunity over the allure of big names. Austin is not a soccer town, it doesn’t need to play the game. Hasan is a finance and international relations and global studies sophomore from Plano.
COLUMN
Housing density needs to increase in the next version of CodeNEXT By William Kosinski @willkosinski
columnist
The city of Austin released its most recent version of CodeNEXT on February 12, a fix for the city’s existing zoning code. For some groups, such as the Austin Neighborhood Council, the current draft is insufficient for conflicting wants and concerns. One goal must be common among all groups involved: Housing density needs to greatly increase in the next draft. The current draft zones much of central Austin’s residential neighborhoods as R2, meaning that a maximum of two units are allowed for each lot. While this is an upgrade from existing R1 zoning, at least three units are needed for many of these neighborhoods. Many of these residential areas lie along MoPac, IH-35, Lamar Boulevard and Congress Avenue, corridors that continue to grow in commerce and home prices. The structure of these attractive neighborhoods must adapt to accommodate demand for the opportunities in Austin. Because plans are developing for a light rail system on Guadalupe and North Lamar — combined with an expansion of Capital Metro and sidewalk improvements — land around these streets must maximize their potential for dense living. This means the R1 neighborhoods between the streets, not just directly along them, should be zoned to allow for apartments and
stop at stop signs and red lights, ride in the same direction as traffic, use hand signals to indicate turns and stops and equip your bike with headlights and a rear light to stay visible at night. You should also ride defensively by scanning for other traffic, as you would while driving a car. Watch for motor vehicles and pedestrians crossing your path at intersections, even on protected bike lanes like the ones on Rio Grande Street. And if a lane is too narrow to share safely with cars and trucks, you should “take it” by merging into the middle, which forces other vehicles to change lanes to pass you. This style of riding might seem counterintuitive, but it’s the safest way to cycle in traffic. Wearing a helmet simply isn’t enough and may even be a little overrated. Henry Marsh, a leading British neurosurgeon, once opined that bicycle helmets “don’t help” in the event of an accident, and studies of mandatory helmet laws have showed that the policy only results in a modest (anywhere from 0 to 20 percent) reduction in injuries. I’m not telling you to ditch your helmet, but consider avoiding accidents in the first place. Young is a computer science senior from Bakersfield, California.
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.
other more dense developments. A greater concentration of residents can share the rising cost of a lot while workers utilize efficient public transportation. Increased density will not only reduce congestion but slow rising home prices and increase productivity too.
“Anything that limits housing development would greatly increase costs of apartments and houses in the city’s future.” Many central Austin homeowners understandably do not want to see their neighborhoods change. It is easier for myself, a non-native Austinite, to talk about change being for the better. But when citywide elected officials adopted the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan, citizens became committed to “favoring compact growth (that) presents an alternative direction to earlier decades of sprawling, low-density development.” Increased housing density is necessary for a city population projected to grow by more than 45 percent from 2014 to 2040.
If Austinites do not pass a compact code, then they should understand the alternative: less efficient transportation, pollution and — among other issues — more intense inflation. The infrastructure required to support a sprawling city will weigh heavily on taxpayers. Residents will also see effects of low-density growth on the environment when existing zoning is not used to its maximum potential. Runoff pollution and air pollution alone are just two of the many environmental problems associated with urban sprawl. UT students should be particularly concerned about the newest CodeNEXT draft. Anything that limits housing development would greatly increase costs of apartments and houses in the city’s future. Past and enrolled students should participate in CodeNEXT’s future discussions if they want to avoid paying ever-increasing rent in a sprawling jungle. The way people live is changing. Almost twothirds of the world’s population will live in cities that will produce up to 80 percent of global GDP by 2030. “We all want Austin to prosper, innovate, and lead,” the plan says. “Creating a more compact and efficient city is critical to our ability to connect people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to homes, jobs, schools, arts and cultural amenities.” The city must remain true to its vision and strengthen its urban core in the next version of CodeNEXT. Kosinski is a journalism freshman from San Rafael, California.
GALLERY
yulissa chavez | the daily texan staff
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.
RECYCLE | Please recycle this copy of The Daily Texan. 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
TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 2018
FOOD
Ancient China’s ‘Tea of Immortality’ hits US By Francesca D’Anunzio @ftcdnz
mel westfall | the daily texan staff
PLANTS
continues from page 8 rewarding experience. “I love houseplants,” Bhattacharjee said. “There are numerous houseplants to fit every type of environment, and the care and attention given to houseplants rewards you with lots of healthy-looking leaves and/or beautiful blooms.” Bhattacharjee isn’t the only student who believes houseplants have mental and physical health benefits. Reese Brinkley, human development and family science sophomore, purchased two succulent plants last semester for that specific reason. “I had two succulent plants. I named one Jeffery and the other Jonathan,” Brinkley said. “They’re something to take care of and have a small responsibility for, and it was fun to make sure they were watered enough and had enough sunlight.” For people who have decided to decorate with live greenery, Dana Carmichael, an employee at Red Barn
Garden Center, said there are a few beginner mistakes people tend to make when introducing house plants to their home that can easily be prevented to extend the lifespan of their plants. “The number one issue is over-watering,” Carmichael said. “Most indoor plants can go at least a week without watering. How much light they get also plays a role into how often you should water them. More light means watering more often.” Rodriguez said another factor of maintaining indoor greenery is choosing proper amounts of healthy soil. According to Rodriguez, more soil allows for more moisture retention and a greater chance of developing mold and fungus. With proper care, indoor plants can last for years to come in this symbiotic relationship. Proper amounts of water and sunlight can result in cleaner air and less pollutants, making you more productive, happy and healthy.
A layer of slime on any food looks unappealing, not to mention possibly dangerous. However, there is one drink where a layer of slime is an essential ingredient. That drink is kombucha. It’s brewed with a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, commonly referred to as a scoby, which forms a thick layer on the surface of the kombucha during the fermentation process. Though the scoby is removed after fermentation is complete, traces of yeast still remain at the bottom of the beverage. Nonetheless, Kombucha has its fans. According to John-Paxton Gremillion, a co-owner and head of sales at Buddha’s Brew in Austin, some customers love kombucha so much they are willing to get up at 9 a.m. on a Sunday to fill up their jugs with it at the Barton Creek Mall Farmer’s Market. But what draws people to this drink that is born beneath fermenting slime? According to an Economist article published in December 2017, like other fermented foods such
DIRECTOR
continues from page 8
NEWSCAST Tune in on Fridays at 5 p.m. at soundcloud.com/thedailytexan
You could focus on the language, and see how people are communicating. As soon as it’s translated, you focus on the translation. But when you’re not given the translation, you’re forced to work with what you’ve got
“(Kombucha) made me feel energetic in a natural way. I’m not a huge fan of coffee or caffeinated sodas or anything like that,” John-Paxton Gremillion, co-owner of buddha’s brew
ella williams | the daily texan staff
as sauerkraut, yogurt and kimchi, kombucha can replenish important bacteria in your gut. The level and types of microbes in your gut can either aid or deter digestive processes and can play a key role in determining mood. Drue McKelvey, an employee of Zama Tea and Kombucha in Tustin, California, said she has experienced that kombucha consumption can regulate digestion. On the other hand, McKelvey’s colleague, Zac Shannon, said he did not have any stomach ailments prior to becoming a booch lover, but appreciates the taste. “It’s kind of just a treat for me,” Shannon said. “I know the owner (of Zama Tea), it did help a lot
with her.” For Gremillion, kombucha has reaped health benefits beyond regulated digestion, such as improved energy levels. “(Kombucha) made me feel energetic in a natural way. I’m not a huge fan of coffee or caffeinated sodas or anything like that,” Gremillion said. “It doesn’t have the crash. You get a nice little metabolic energy boost, but you don’t get this kind of lull of crash forty minutes later like you do from a lot of energy drinks.” Nonetheless, kombucha does also have small amounts of caffeine. Caffeine Informer reported kombucha has about 24 mg of caffeine per cup. This amount is minimal,
compared to coffee, which has about 95 mg. For those wanting to cut down on caffeine but are still looking for a little kick, kombucha could be the answer. However, those who refrain from consuming, or cannot consume, alcohol for health or religious reasons should know that this bubbly brew contains trace amounts of it. According to FDA regulations, non-alcoholic kombucha sold in stores is supposed to have 0.5 percent alcohol or less. Alcoholic kombucha can only be purchased by those who are 21 and over. Since kombucha can be pricey for those who drink it frequently, some individuals pick up home brewing. Gremillion offers a few tips for those who aspire to brew their
… As a foreigner, and not a scholar, it’s still fun as a movie-lover to really use the Japanese language and make it a big part of the movie, including graphics and images on the screen. DT: Was there any struggle breaking down Japanese lines of dialogue for the animation?
WA: I wouldn’t call it a struggle, but it’s a big task. It’s sort of what top level animators do no matter what. It’s a complicated, intricate and involved way of telling a story. And to have characters speak Japanese, especially the kind of characters we have with different
faces, it’s a whole alphabet of faces. DT: Beyond just a story of a boy and a journey to find his dog, what do you expect audiences to get out of this movie? WA: I wouldn’t really approach it that way. I want to hear what their interpretation is or what they
own booch. “The scoby will just keep growing forever as long as you keep giving it more sweet tea,” Gremillion said. “If you ferment longer than two to three weeks, then it just becomes progressively more sour and you do want to be a little careful when it goes past four weeks because what can happen is it will become so sour that it could become more like vinegar.” Although it looks bizarre and has stringy substances clinging to the bottom of the glass, if you are brave enough to look past its horrid appearance for the sake of your gut health or for a sweet and subtle caffeine kick, kombucha just might be your cup of tea.
find in it that I didn’t even know was there. Sometimes, things can just come from your subconscious and it lines up with what you’ve written. Movies are long, and there can be a lot to interpret. To me, we made the thing. And now the movie has its own life.
6
TRENTON DAESCHNER
SPORTS EDITOR @TEXANSPORTS
TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 2018
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL | NO. 2 TEXAS 85, NO. 7 ARIZONA STATE 65
Higgs, Texas splash into Sweet Sixteen The Longhorns advanced after heating up in the second half on Monday. By Drew King @drewking0222
K
ianna Ibis could not be stopped. Pick-and-pop jumpers, streaks to the rim, spot-up threes — everything was falling in the Arizona State junior forward’s favor. Texas junior guard Lashann Higgs responded to all of it. She slithered into the lane with poise and attacked the rim relentlessly. By the 3:01 mark in the first quarter, Ibis led both teams with nine points on 4-of-5 shooting. Higgs followed close behind, nailing all three of her shots for six points. The two wings battled all night Monday at the Frank Erwin Center in 2-seeded Texas’ 85-65 win over 7-seeded Arizona State. Texas head coach Karen Aston pulled Higgs to the sideline with the score tied, 14-14, hoping to ignite another player’s engine. It worked. Sophomore forward Joyner Holmes, senior guard Ariel Atkins and junior center Jatarie White all hit close-range shots while shutting out the Sun Devils on defense. Higgs returned to the game with 1:19 left. So did Ibis. The former dropped in one more layup before the end of the first. The latter hit three free throws. Heading into the second quarter, Ibis had racked up 12 points, but the Longhorns led, 2218, powered by Higgs’ eight points. “I realized that, at the ball reversal, there were a lot of driving lanes open,” Higgs said. “So I tried to take advantage of it, and just tried to be aggressive for my teammates.” The pair continued to trade blows. Higgs could do no wrong. She started the quarter hitting a mid-range jump shot with an inch of room between her and her defender. She missed her next shot —
angela wang | the daily texan file Junior guard Lashann Higgs drives past a defender in Texas’ second round victory over Arizona State. The Longhorns will play UCLA in the Sweet Sixteen on Friday. a three from the left corner — but Atkins snagged the offensive rebound and put the ball back in to push Texas’ lead to 11. Ibis countered, draining her next jumper over Atkins to cut the lead back down to nine. Arizona State closed the half out on a 9-2 run. Ibis and Higgs each scored seven in the quarter as Texas continued to lead, 40-35. The Sun Devils cooled off in the second half as McCarty heated up. Ibis took just one shot in the third quarter and missed it. McCarty took five — and made all of them. “I think we did a better job of guarding
(Ibis) as a team and not leaving whoever was guarding her individually on an island,” Atkins said. McCarty snatched a board following one of Ibis’ bricks and pushed the pace on a fast break. She sent a lob toward Holmes a few inches too high. Holmes leapt in the air and bounced the ball off the legs of Arizona State junior center Charnea Johnson-Chapman while diving out of bounds to keep possession. The Sun Devils left McCarty open on the left wing. She canned the triple and scored another nine points in the third. “I just went out there and played,”
McCarty said. “And whatever was open, I took it. My teammates were doing a great job of finding me and were doing a great job of boxing out and stuff like that. So I just tried to help them out the best I could.” Holmes and McCarty ran a similar play in the next quarter. McCarty collected her 10th rebound of the game — securing a double-double — and saw Holmes running a vertical route down the right sideline. She launched a lob, this time right on the money. Holmes touched down for the layup, giving Texas a 73-52 lead with 5:55 left in the game.
FOOTBALL
Texas had sealed the victory. Higgs finished the game with 19 points while McCarty and Holmes combined for 25. Ibis finished the game with 27. “I’m just incredibly proud of our entire basketball team,” Aston said. “The fact that this is our fourth year in a row to got to the Sweet Sixteen and you can almost tell that — I don’t want to say they are getting used to it — we told them not to ever take it for granted, but they expect this.” The Longhorns will take on UCLA in Kansas City on Friday.
BASEBALL
Herman praises his team’s reliability as spring football gets underway By Keshav Prathivadi @kpthefirst
Silence is deafening, and good news usually doesn’t come with it. For head coach Tom Herman and the Longhorns, however, a quiet offseason brought in a highly ranked recruiting class, new coaching staff and an instant-impact group of early enrollees. As the offseason comes to a close, the Longhorns will don their pads and open the first week of spring football. Here are four things to look out for heading into it:
Offseason improvement
Texas not only saw improvement through its incoming recruiting class, but also in its current players as well. As with any offseason, most player improvement comes from the weight room, and this year proved to be no different. “I know these (weight room) numbers may not mean a whole lot to the lay person, but that’s big-time improvement,” Herman said. “We’ve had a magnificent couple of months developing our players in the weight room and on the field.” Herman also noted a positive change in player demeanor heading into spring practices. He noted Texas’ bowl win in December as a turning point for the team, as it played and won that game without many of its key players. “We’ve got guys that want to be here,”
Herman said. “There is a tremendous amount of positivity in that locker room right now.” With several departures, more leaders have emerged in the locker room. Among them include wide receiver Jerrod Heard, defensive linemen Charles Omenihu and Breckyn Hager and linebacker Gary Johnson. Expect these players to lead the way for Texas in the spring.
Defensive holes
During the offseason, Texas lost key defensive players in linebacker Malik Jefferson, strong safety DeShon Elliott and cornerback Holton Hill to the NFL Draft. In addition, defensive lineman Poona Ford also declared his intention to play at the next level. However, returning players like senior defensive lineman Charles Omenihu, junior linebacker Gary Johnson and senior defensive back Kris Boyd should lead the way in filling these voids on defense.
Quarterback battle
From week two of the 2017 season, Texas’ starting quarterback was always a question mark up until kickoff. Unsurprisingly, Herman isn’t afraid to point out his team’s shortcomings. “We’ve got to get better at quarterback,” Herman said. “We’ve got to see how much development we’ve had.” Spring football should set the stage for what will be a contested battle for the starting spot up until the start of the 2018 season. Among this year’s candidates are
sophomore Sam Ehlinger, junior Shane Buechele, who just completed recovery from his offseason surgery on a torn adductor muscle, and freshmen Cameron Rising and Casey Thompson.
Work on offense
Apart from the quarterback position, Texas’ offensive struggles aren’t anything new. During Texas’ 33-16 win over Missouri in the Texas Bowl, Herman took over play-calling duties to help out an offense struggling in all phases of the game. “I missed it (calling plays),” Herman said. “We weren’t playing to the level of offense any of us wanted. I figured I could spark some added productivity.” In addition to questions surrounding the play-calling situation, Texas lost star offensive lineman Connor Williams to the NFL Draft, leaving Herman and offensive line coach Herb Hand with a big hole to address. Look for Samuel Cosmi to help address these issues along the offensive line. Texas’ inconsistency in the backfield also caused problems over the season, so look for the Longhorns to address their running game during the spring as well. Junior running back Kyle Porter sustained an ankle injury earlier this offseason and is questionable to return for spring practice. This will leave sophomore Toneil Carter and Danny Young starting off with the brunt of the reps in practice.
anthony mireles| the daily texan staff Head coach Tom Herman feels comfortable with the state of his team heading into spring football. The Longhorns will hold their first spring practice of the season today.
katie bauer | the daily texan staff Junior infielder Masen Hibbeler and the Longhorns will take on their head coach’s former team, Sam Houston State, tonight.
Pierce faces familar foe in Sam Houston State By Travis Hlavinka @travhlav
Riding a three-game winning streak, Texas will face head coach David Pierce’s former team of three years. Tuesday night, the Longhorns will battle the Sam Houston State Bearkats in a midweek game before returning to conference play this weekend against Oklahoma State. Pierce coached the Bearkats from 2012-14, compiling a total record of 121–63. In conference, his teams finished 66–24 and won the Southland Conference each season. Pierce also helped match Sam Houston State’s best postseason run in school history, where the Bearkats were one victory away from advancing to a super regional for the first time in school history. Following the 2014 campaign, Pierce made a two-year stop at Tulane before taking over the Longhorns for the late Augie Garrido, who was dismissed following the 2016 season. In 2018, Pierce has coached the Longhorns to a 12–9 record, sitting an unblemished 3–0 in Big 12 play following this weekend’s sweep over Kansas. The sweep was particularly welcomed because it erased the struggling Longhorns’ five-game losing skid. “Obviously we were really excited to start conference (play),” redshirt junior reliever Andy McGuire said. “Starting off with a sweep is huge for our guys. If we had any doubters before, hopefully this was a nice little way to show that we mean business and we’re going to keep grinding.” Most importantly for the Longhorns is that they seemed to have found their pitching stride as of late. Texas’ starting pitching staff, in particular, bounced
back this past series after a rough stretch against Stanford and Arkansas — two of the nation’s top teams. Junior starting pitcher Chase Shugart believes that the team didn’t perform poorly but struggled as a result of a strenuous non-conference scheduling. “We’ve always had a swagger and attitude about us,” Shugart said. “But facing the competition we did early in the season and the adversity we faced is going to help us out in conference play and in the long run, and hopefully in the postseason.” Junior Masen Hibbeler, who hit his first home run of the season on Sunday against Kansas, believes the team’s success against Kansas was a sign of things to come. “It’s tough to sweep anybody,” Hibbeler said. “So coming out and being able to do that, it’s big for us. And we just want to keep our momentum going in our mid-week against Sam (Houston State) and this weekend against (Oklahoma State).” That momentum will be important as the teams will face a very stout opponent on Tuesday in Sam Houston State. According to D1Baseball.com, the Bearkats check in as the 25th-ranked team in the nation. Standing at 16–4 with a win over No. 8 Vanderbilt under its belt, the squad from Huntsville, Texas, is not an opponent to be taken lightly. Since Pierce’s departure, the Bearkats have emerged as a national power, reaching a peak this past season when head coach Matt Deggs led the program to a 44–23 record and its first-ever appearance in an NCAA Super Regional. Texas will look to notch its fourth consecutive victory. Tuesday night’s game at UFCU Disch-Falk Field is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
7
TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 2018
Today’s solution will appear here next issue
6 1 1 2 8 3 9 1 9 2 8 3 3 8 9 2 2 1
8 2
3 4 7
6 5 9 4 1 3
2 5 8 9
SUDOKUFORYOU 2 3 9 1 7 8 4 5 6
4 8 6 3 9 5 1 7 2
7 1 5 6 2 4 3 8 9
5 6 7 2 4 3 8 9 1
3 2 4 9 8 1 5 6 7
1 9 8 7 5 6 2 3 4
8 4 1 5 6 9 7 2 3
9 5 2 4 3 7 6 1 8
6 7 3 8 1 2 9 4 5
8
CHARLES LIU & CHRIS DUNCAN
LIFE&ARTS EDITORS @THEDAILYTEXAN
TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 2018
HEALTH
MOVIES
Director talks new ‘Isle of Dogs’ movie Alum Wes Anderson discusses UT studies, creative inspirations By Chris Duncan
Houseplants promote mental, physical well-being
@chr_dunc
K
Known for his original stories and distinct art style, UT alum Wes Anderson is one of the most creative directors in Hollywood today. Anderson’s latest film, “Isle of Dogs,” is a return to stop-motion and a story of a dystopian future where dogs are quarantined to an island of trash due to “canine flu.” The Daily Texan spoke with Anderson about the upcoming film. Daily Texan: How did studying philosophy and attending UT contribute to your career in writing and directing? Wes Anderson: The thing I really spent most of my time on when I was there was writing short stories, and I took a number of creative writing classes. In particular, James Magnuson who (used to run) the Michener program at UT. He was a very good professor for both me and Owen Wilson. I had him for a couple of classes
By Karsyn Lemmons @ klemmonsss
copyright 20th century fox, and reproduced with permission “Isle of Dogs” is Anderson’s second stop-motion animated film. and I suggested him to Owen. I exchange emails with (Magnuson) every now and then. DT: Was the inspiration for this movie something that came to you instantly, or did it take a while? WA: The first idea for it came from the Isle of Dogs in London. I used to drive past it on the way to our studio where we made “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” and
I just saw the sign that pointed to Isle of Dogs. The movie (is) kind of my imagination as to what that could possibly be, “Isle of Dogs.” (The story) really started to take shape when I brought my idea to Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman, and we already had thought we wanted to make a movie in Japan. DT: Your choice to not trans-
late many of the Japanese lines might confuse some. Why did you choose not to? WA: As we started to invent the story, more and more we were writing scenes where they were speaking Japanese. Our biggest inspiration was Japanese cinema, and we wanted it to feel like a performance in a Japanese movie, which meant it had to be in Japanese. At
the same time, we didn’t want a movie full of subtitles, so we found various different devices — a narrator, a translator, a machine, a foreign exchange student from Cleveland, Ohio. As we were creating the movie, I liked it when people spoke Japanese and you didn’t understand what they said.
Rodriguez, an employee at The Great Outdoors, says different indoor plants have varieties of benefits. “They improve the quality of your air,” Rodriguez said. “Houseplants are known to remove a number of pollutants. The Peace Lily is somewhat of a super plant. It’s able to remove quite a few toxins from the air and even fight mold.” Some plants are kept simply for their beauty and contributions to mental health. This is the case for Ritvik Bhattacharjee, biomedical engineering sophomore, who says his orchid collection helps him maintain a more positive mental health state and provides a
DIRECTOR page 5
PLANTS page 5
MOVIE REVIEW | ‘TOMB RAIDER’
‘Tomb Raider’ remake deserves to be buried By Daniel Young @danielyoung54
You won’t find much to treasure in this year’s “Tomb Raider.” Originally a series of video games, it was only a matter of time before “Tomb Raider” got rebooted given Hollywood’s affection for franchises. With Alicia Vikander as the lead, the latest iteration of “Tomb Raider” follows a young Lara Croft on a journey around the world as she becomes the eponymous Tomb Raider fans know and love. Led by a mysterious clue left by her missing father, Croft faces down a brutal group of mercenaries in a quest to protect an ancient burial place. “Tomb Raider’s” most positive aspect by far is Vikander’s Lara Croft. Whereas the Jolie version played into male fantasies as a sexy tomboy, Vikander’s exists without sexualization. Refraining from framing a shot to show off a heroine’s body or costuming her in something revealing shouldn’t be hard, but it’s surprisingly tough to find an adventure film that respects its female characters as much as “Tombvv Raider.” Beyond that, though, the movie is average. The film expects you to believe that its characters are smart
in the same way that “Dora the Explorer” would have children believe Dora is capable of adventuring without chaperones. Most of the film’s central characters are presented as “geniuses” in their own right, yet they prove in every scene just how dumb they are. The plot seems to kick off for almost no reason, and from there the decisions characters make seem to only become more ridiculous. You won’t find much to treasure in this year’s “Tomb Raider.” Originally a series of video games, it was only a matter of time before “Tomb Raider” got rebooted given Hollywood’s affection for franchises. With Alicia Vikander as the lead, the latest iteration of “Tomb Raider” follows a young Lara Croft on a journey around the world as she becomes the eponymous Tomb Raider fans know and love. Led by a mysterious clue left by her missing father, Croft faces down a brutal group of mercenaries in a quest to protect an ancient burial place. “Tomb Raider’s” most positive aspect by far is Vikander’s Lara Croft. Whereas the Jolie version played into male fantasies as a sexy tomboy, Vikander’s exists without sexualization. Refraining from framing a shot to show off a heroine’s body or costuming her
in something revealing shouldn’t be hard, but it’s surprisingly tough to find an adventure film that respects its female characters as much as “Tomb Raider.” Beyond that, though, the movie is average. The film expects you to believe that its characters are smart in the same way that “Dora the Explorer” would have children believe Dora is capable of adventuring without chaperones. Most of the film’s central characters are presented as “geniuses” in their own right, yet they prove in every scene just how dumb they are. The plot seems to kick off for almost no reason, and from there the decisions characters make seem to only become more ridiculous. Most of the interesting ideas the film presents in its first two acts are forgotten by its final one, and for every harrowing, pulse-pounding action set piece it has, there seem to be two others that fly by on screen without making much of an impact. In one case, the film dedicates an entire flashback sequence to the origins of a necklace which Lara sells almost immediately afterward. In fact, the flashback sequences are the clearest indicators that the filmmakers didn’t think much of their audience’s intelligence. Why else would they
copyright warner brothers, and reproduced with permission The cast of “Tomb Raider” does its best with a lackluster script, but it’s ultimately not enough to save the film from its own mediocrity. use them to “remind” us about plot points that aren’t even ten minutes old? Throughout all of this, though, Vikander and the rest the cast cannot really be blamed, as their talent is 90 percent of what makes “Tomb Raider” watchable. Walton Goggins actually brings a surprising amount of nuance to Mathias Vogel, the movie’s dastardly, albeit run-down, antagonist. The script seems to forget halfway through what’s pitting Mathias against Lara, but Goggins clearly remembers his character’s motivations, and the work he does to make you believe that Mathias is driven by a desire to see his family again is, well, deserving of a better movie. Daniel
Wu doesn’t have much to do as Lara’s drunken companion, but he does just about everything he can with his sparse part. Even Dominic West, whose performance as Lara’s father — the dumb character that the movie most egregiously wants you to believe is a genius — manages to make Richard Croft bearable, even interesting in some brief moments. Unfortunately, none of the performances save “Tomb Raider” from its own mediocrity. With a wildly-uneven plot and a scared script, the film shies away from any fresh concepts it initially introduces. Attempts to modernize and reimagine the film’s source material, specifically
TOMB RAIDER
RUNNING TIME: 118 min MPAA RATING: PG-13 RAID-ING:
2013’s “Tomb Raider” game, feel misguided and possibly alienating for some viewers. Ultimately, “Tomb Raider” isn’t terrible, but the fact that it’s so middling is almost more disappointing than if it had been outright bad. It’s a franchise with so much potential, and with all of the talent that was brought in to work on this movie, it’s a shame we couldn’t see a better pay-off.
TELEVISION
‘Jessica Jones’ offers fresh take on superheroes By Noelle Henry @noellee_h
Marvel’s female anti-superhero is back and more bitter than ever. With each episode directed by a different woman, “Jessica Jones” highlights the talents of the mostly female cast and crew for an intensely introspective discussion of gender. The show’s characters highlight how men can be intimidated by powerful women, and it provides a stark contrast to most superhero films that have a mainly male cast. Season one of “Jessica Jones” gave a unique take on the superhero genre with its film noir style and anti-hero sentiments. These details are carried into the new season, with an added focus on the characters’ insecurities and issues. Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) continues her work as a boozy and rash private investigator in the second season, only this time she’s determined to investigate Industrial Garments & Handling, a powerful corporation responsible for mutating hospital patients on the brink of death. As Jones investigates IGH, she struggles to deal with the accident that gave her her own super
powers and resulted in her family’s death. Meanwhile, Jones’ best friend and adopted sister, Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor), fights for the spotlight in every episode with her drug addiction, career-oriented goals and intense jealousy of Jessica’s powers motivating her every move. Jones, Walker and Jones’ lawyer Jeri Hogarth (Carrie-Anne Moss) each provide their own distinct female perspective to the superhero world. Jones battles with self-hatred and resentment of her powers, constantly spurred on by gender-based perceptions of strength and definitions of what qualifies as “super.” Despite being an antagonist in the first season, Hogarth’s character arc supplies a special perspective that is central to the storyline in the new season. A recently discovered illness gives Hogarth vulnerability as a character, contrasting her with Jones’ untouchable, all-powerful strength. The show’s trademark dark ambiance upholds Jessica’s pessimistic outlook on life and the idea of heroism. The darkness that exudes from the screen creates a bleak atmosphere around each of the characters, reflecting the grim aspects of being a hero. One bleak aspect that Jessica confronts, as a hero, is
JESSICA JONES
RUNNING TIME: 13 episodes MPAA RATING: TV-MA SCORE:
the emotional toll of killing another person, an issue that has been dismissed in many other Marvel productions. Each director casts simple close-ups on the characters to show blunt portrayals of their emotions. The motives, desires and feelings of each character is plainly shown in these shots as they reveal the soul of the characters and showing the selfishness or selflessness of each character. The intimacy of the show is a different take on the superhero genre as it divulges the spiteful crevices of each person that may be seen as the “hero” of the show. Although the show has a slow start, the new season of “Jessica Jones” is an invigorating take on the superhero story that demonstrates the hard truth that saving the world brings more bad than good into your life.
copyright netflix, and reproduced with permission Krysten Ritter reprises her role as Jessica Jones to portray a grounded story about the tragedy of being superpowered.
check us out
ONLINE
stories videos photo galleries thedailytexan.com