The Daily Texan 2018-04-05

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VOLUME 118, ISSUE 133

THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2018

N E WS

O PI N I O N

LI FE &A RTS

SPORTS

UT students to travel the world in a fundraising race called “Chase the World.” PAGE 2

Thoughts on Rex Tillerson’s viability as UT Chancellor and CMHC. PAGE 4

SXSW’s schedule doesn’t line up with spring break, and that’s a problem. PAGE 8

Alison Gibson was homeschooled her whole life. She didn’t let it stop her from diving. PAGE 6

UNIVERSITY

Fine Arts administration recommends fifth floor collections stay

NATION

Border wall may endanger wildlife

By Brooke Vincent @brooke_e_v

The books and resources on the fifth floor of the Fine Arts Library have been the focus of the continuing press for space on campus, but now administration is backing faculty and student requests by asking for the books to stay put.

After considering a report from the Fine Arts Library task force released Tuesday, Douglas Dempster, dean of the College of Fine Arts, and Lorraine Haricombe, vice provost and director of libraries, released their recommendation to Maurie McInnis, executive vice president and provost, on Wednesday. The date of McInnis’ decision is unknown, director of communications Joey Williams said.

“After reviewing the scenarios evaluated by the task force, it is clear that there is currently no alternative location or practicable scenario that would provide the level and quality of access needed or desired,” Dempster and Haricombe said in their release.

The recommendations from the administrators include keeping the current library collection on the fifth floor and renovating space to increase shelving capacity, enhancing Wi-Fi performance, increasing electrical outlets and providing furnishings and infrastructure.

College of Fine Arts professors and students support keeping the resources close at hand,

FINE ARTS page 2

Biologists find that future border wall extensions threaten wildlife refuges.

By Chase Karacostas @chasekaracostas

W

ith efforts to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border ramping up, several UT biologists wrote a letter saying the proposed wall could destroy rare habitats along the border, cost the state millions in ecotourism and further endanger already threatened animal species.

In the letter, published last week in the journal Frontiers of Ecology and the Environment, biology professors Norma Fowler and Tim Keitt along with three others said the wall, which is exempt from a normally federally required

The class “Biology of Birds” gathers near the U.S.-Mexico border in South Texas for bird watching in February 2016. copyright alejandro santilana, and reproduced with permission

TOP:

The wall separates the United States and Mexico at Brownsville, Texas. juan figueroa | the daily texan staff

BOTTOM:

environmental analysis, could irreparably damage wildlife habitats on the border. The week before the letter was published, Congress approved spending for 33 miles of new border fencing along the Rio Grande.

“I haven’t seen anyone propose a real quantifiable benefit to this, and my understanding is that most people involved believe it will not be an effective deterrent,” Keitt said.

“It’s upsetting.”

Fowler said federally owned parks are the easiest areas for walls to be built because the government does not have to use eminent domain, which forces private citizens to sell their property, to take and use the land for construction.

For now, the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge along the border is protected from construction, but another federal border park, the

BORDER page 2

CAMPUS

CAMPUS

CMHC program hosts sexual assault prevention events

By Stephanie Adeline @stephadeline

Nationally, April is proclaimed Sexual Assault Awareness Month, but Voices Against Violence, VAV, aims to put more emphasis on prevention instead of just awareness.

“We really want the focus to be on how we can stop this from happening in the first place,”

said Lauren White, interim VAV prevention and outreach specialist. “This doesn’t have to be something that happens, and we really believe that.”

VAV, a program of the UT Counseling and Mental Health Center, is hosting several events on campus this month, including its biggest event of the year, Take Back the Night, where survivors can speak on their experiences.

The events include theater performances, workshops and discussions and will cover topics such as consent, interpersonal violence, race, mental health, LGBTQ relationships and being an ally.

White said VAV has placed emphasis on viewpoints of different populations and identities, such as people of color and LGBTQ people.

CMHC page 2

devika manish kumar | the daily texan staff Kaitlyn Jones, a dancer from Dance Action, a student-run dance and choreography group at UT-Austin, performs a self-choreographed dance at Take Back the Night.

Sexual assault survivors Take Back the Night, speak out

By Gracie Await @gracieawalt5

The crowd listened closely, some in tears, while UT students told their stories about interpersonal violence.

Voices Against Violence, VAV, a program within the Counseling and Mental Health Center, hosted the annual Take Back the Night gender-inclusive event Wednesday evening. One

goal of the night was to support survivors by providing a safe space for them to connect. Centered around this year’s theme, #UTGetsConsent, VAV aims to educate the student body about how consent prevents sexual violence.

Lauren White, interim prevention and outreach specialist for VAV, said over the years she has seen common themes of stigma, shame, secrets and feelings of support addressed

by survivors. However, what has changed is how students view these experiences.

“A lot of what’s going on in the world right now is framed in a very political way,” Abigail Kuchek, a philosophy and economics sophomore, said. “What gets lost in the conversation is what the experience is like on a personal level.”

White said the #MeToo

NIGHT page 2

devika manish kumar| the daily texan staff Performers from Dance Action, a student-run dance and choreography group at The University of Texas at Austin, perform a dance at Take Back the Night.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2018

CAMPUS

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nikita sveshnikov | the daily texan staff Junior doctoral candidate Noor Wadi spoke at Calhoun Hall about the Islamic dress code and the meaning behind the Hijab.

Law student speaks at Islamic Studies Colloquium, argues for women’s right to wear Hijab in prison

By Tristan Stitt @stitttristan

Hijab is the Islamic dress code and is often prohibited in U.S. jails, said Noor Wadi, a juris doctoral candidate, who spoke on the ethical issues surrounding the ban Wednesday.

The talk was part of UT’s Islamic Studies Colloquium, which offers the opportunity for the UT community to discuss research on Islam and the Muslim world.

“Muslim women are not

being understood, not being accommodated and are forced to stop wearing Hijab,” Wadi said. “This is close to my heart because of personal attachments, but also because it’s such a hot topic right now.”

A scarf adorned Wadi’s head as she presented to about 50 people who crammed into the small classroom in Calhoun Hall. Wadi presented her research on recent court cases, during which Islamic women were forced to remove their scarves both in the courthouse and in jail.

She said this is not as big

an issue for Muslim men, even though Hijab requires them to be covered from the navel to the knee.

“The scarf is referenced interchangeably as the Hijab, but (for women) even if there were accommodations made (in jails) just for the scarf, that wouldn’t be sufficient because all but the face and hands need to be covered,” Wadi said.

Juvariya Lat, computer science junior, is also Muslim, and said this is important for the rights of all people, not just Muslim women.

“As someone who practic-

FINE ARTS

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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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es Hijab, this topic was really interesting to me,” Lat said.

“These issues are important and maybe no one really talks about them because there aren’t many Muslims in America, but I feel it relates to everyone and the right to practice your religion.”

Samy Ayoub is a lecturer in the department of Middle Eastern studies, and coordinated the forum. He said before this initiative, it was hard to organize conversations on Islamic research at the University.

“The problem was

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CMHC

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“We have been shifting a little bit from this kind of like one-size-fits-all approach, which just looks at things like red flags, and consent and healthy relationships,” White said. “We’re saying, ‘Okay, how do red flags, how does consent work in the context of a certain population?’”

Diane Kim, social work graduate student and VAV graduate assistant, said the events involve different student organizations across campus, such as the National Alliance on Mental Health on Campus and Women of Excellence, and is a way for campus communities to come together, provide a safe space for survivors and get access to resources available at CMHC. “I think it says something when you host an event like

NIGHT

continues from page 1 movement has been like a double-edged sword. White said the film stars who adopted the movement were mostly wealthy white women, and while the movement sparked discussion, it made some members of the LGBTQ, African-American and other marginalized groups who have been working on sexual violence for a long time feel ignored.

this and … you’re looking around at all the campus resources and campus communities,” Kim said. “It’s a way to provide a supportive network.”

Last spring, UT Systems released the Cultivating Learning and Safe Environments, CLASE, report, which details the prevalence of sexual assault and misconduct on UT Systems campuses. The report confirmed 15 percent of undergraduate women at UT-Austin reported they had been raped, while 28 percent of undergraduate women at UT-Austin reported being victims of unwanted sexual touching.

White said the CLASE report was a way for VAV to raise awareness and continue existing conversations on the issue of sexual violence.

Anna Lee Carothers, a Plan II and psychology junior, said she was saddened by the results of the CLASE survey, especially given UT’s available “Even though it’s incredible to see people paying attention to sexual violence, it still feels like it’s a lot,” White said. “While it’s a wonderful spotlight on how sexual violence can permeate through several … realms of society, it asks the question: Who are we listening to?”

Amanda Lewis, a member of Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, said she knows people who have experienced sexual assault, which led her to become a social worker. Lewis said she wants survivors to

especially after feeling left out of the decision-making process when items were removed from the fourth floor during its renovation.

“For me personally, my primary concern was my own constituency, which are the students and my colleagues,” said Glen Peers, art history professor and task force member. “There have been many complaints, justifiably. Those things need to be fixed to make it a proper research library of a tier one institution. I don’t think that’s negotiable.”

Haricombe and Dempster recommended forming a standing advisory council of Fine Arts faculty and students from which Haricombe will solicit advice on what parts of the collection should be available in the Fine Arts library, repurposing of future space or staffing needs.

“When they renovated the fourth floor, we weren’t given any input into which ones could be sent off,” music professor Jim Buhler said. “I was happy with

campus resources that aim to prevent sexual assault.

“A part of me (was) disheartened, because I know that UT has sought out to prevent these issues,” Carothers said. “Hopefully this gives UT, as well as the students, an incentive to keep speaking out against sexual assault and do better.”

Carothers said she hopes that through the event, students will be exposed to personal stories of sexual assault and be encouraged to speak up against it.

“Hopefully, (students) will hear stories that humanize sexual assault experiences,” Carothers said. “It’s not something you just see in the media, it’s not just something you hear about in politics or from celebrities. It’s something that our neighbors experience, and it’s something that our family and our friends experience.” know they are heard.

“I can’t help but think as an advocate now, what if someone said to (them), ‘I see you,’” Lewis said. “‘I believe you.

That shouldn’t have happened.

He’s to blame. You matter. I’ve got you.’”

All currently enrolled UT students who have experienced stalking, relationship and sexual violence have access to the VAV Survivor’s Emergency Fund, which helps pay for related expenses.

people have different corners on campus and this program was able to bring them together to promote more intellectual pollination,” Ayoub said.

Wadi said she thinks this will continue to be a contentious issue, as there is no positive law yet regarding people’s religious wear in jails.

“The law is not settled on this issue,” said Wadi. “A higher court has yet to review the issue of Hijab in jails on the merits, but all the cases show that when the issue is pushed, they find ways to accommodate people.”

this task force and I thought the report was helpful itself.”

The recommendations by the dean and provost took into account faculty and student priority of access to the browsable core collection.

“I think having a library for the college and not housed in different collections in different schools allows for a synergy,” music lecturer Miguel Campinho said.

“Places where people are together tend to create synergies and projects for research, installations and collaborations.”

Although this may do the least damage to the current collection, there needs to be a focus on the damage already done and the journals shipped off, classics professor Thomas Palaima said.

“As far as the (task force) five scenarios are concerned, I think they are all deeply flawed because none of them address the past,” Palaima said. “We’ve already done significant damage to the collection. Faculty is not calling for the return of all the books, but the faculty is saying those journals (sent away) are absolutely essential to our teaching and research.”

BORDER

continues from page 1 Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, is not.

“It’s just sitting in the crosshairs,” Fowler said. “They’ve got to put those 33 miles somewhere, and I’m very afraid that they’ll destroy the wildlife refuge to build their wall.”

Most of the new fencing — 25 miles — will run through Hidalgo County, which is home to wildlife refuges for the endangered ocelot. It is a native wildcat that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department estimates has less than 120 individuals left in the state.

The new fencing will almost completely seal off the county from Mexico.

The problem with the border, the biologists said, is both the location and size. The barrier will have to go through areas dominated by wildlife and is likely to be the width of four to five highway lanes, potentially destroying five to seven acres of wildlife per mile of border, they said.

Environmentally, Fowler said one of the biggest issues is the potentially permanent loss of the rare Tamaulipan thornscrub ecosystem which used to be abundant in the region.

“As you eradicate the community, you eradicate all the plants and animals that require it,” Fowler said. “It’s the habitat of the ocelot, but it’s the

habitat of lots and lots of plants and animals.”

The wall could also eliminate an endangered Texas wildflower, the Zapata bladderpod, which grows exactly where the proposed barrier is planned to be built, Fowler said.

Keitt and Fowler said the next issue is the isolation caused by erecting a wall.

While it would prevent humans from crossing, it would also prevent crossings by two species with small populations: ocelots and black bears. If the populations become too isolated, they could die out in a few decades, Keitt said.

The areas along the border are also home to many species of tropical birds. Keitt, who teaches a class called “Biology of Birds,” has taken students there for years as part of a class field trip. However, some of the border habitats in Hidalgo County where he typically brings students could be blocked off by the border.

A former student of Keitt’s who now works at UT’s Brackenridge Field Laboratory, Alejandro Santillana, took Keitt’s class two years ago. Santillana said it is frustrating to see the government sacrificing the environment to build a wall.

“It feels discouraging because my experience was something that was fulfilling and encouraging for my career goals,” Santillana said. “And, for people to not have that opportunity, it is devastating.”

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THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2018

CITY

katie bauer | the daily texan staff Ben Wear, Austin American-Statesman Transportation reporter, looks at companies’ bicycles that are being considered for use in Austin’s new 12-month dockless bike pilot program. A pitch session and panel, which included transportation professionals from Seattle, San Francisco and Austin, explained the benefits of dockless programs at Austin Central Library on Wednesday morning.

City hosts first dockless bike share community forum Several companies pitch to bring dockless bike sharing to Austin.

By Meara Isenberg @mearaannee

d

T

he sun may have been just rising Wednesday morning, but that did not stop city members, companies and the community from gathering at the Austin Central Library for a pitch session on bringing dockless bikes to Austin city streets.

“We are looking for feedback from the Austin community about what they’re looking for

from Austin mobility,” said Laura Dierenfield, active transportation program manager at the City of Austin. “There’s a lot of ways that bicycles can help to advance someone’s mobility day to day, so we are looking for how this form of bike share can help serve our community better.”

The event followed the city’s announcement last month that it would be testing dockless bicycles, which don’t have to be returned to a dock, in a 12-month pilot program. Wednesday’s forum brought different companies to pitch their plans to stock Austin with stationless bicycles and was followed by a panel discussion

about potential programs.

Austin B-Cycle currently supplies the city with station-based bikes. Elliot McFadden, executive director of Austin B-cycle, spoke about the program’s progress but said they are choosing not to add dockless bikes to their fleet.

“We looked at dockless bike share three years ago, and ... I think there are a lot of problems with the model in a large scale,” McFadden said. “We think stationed-based bike share is a good model, and is the future for high use areas.”

During the rapid pitch portion of the meeting, 10 different bike share companies described what

they had to offer Austin. In their pitches, many dockless company representatives turned their attention to UT, including alumnus Lance Li from bike share company Mobike.

“The thing about dockless is they are always on demand,” said Li, director of policy and regulations at Mobike. “(For example), UT is a huge sports school. When there is a football game or a basketball game, we know people who parked far away are going to be coming in. We can maneuver bikes there to help reduce the congestion during those times.”

Li said the bikes would work the same way in areas like West

STUDENT LIFE

Campus, making the commute to campus easier for students and helping to decrease traffic.

During their pitches, speakers pointed out that in some cases, issues have been raised with users leaving the vehicles in inappropriate or irretrievable places. In some cities, dockless bikes have ended up in trees, lakes or covered in dirt. They emphasized their plans to combat this issue, from integrated bike locks that ensure vehicles are parked in a rack, to a rewards system for parking the bikes appropriately.

Tristan Heinen, a member of the Campus Bike Alliance, the city’s Bicycle Advisory Council,

said while it is good to have public discussions about bike share, there are still some major questions the city has to keep in mind, such as how to keep bikes from causing clutter.

“It’s kind of like a tightrope, you have to balance having a lot of bikes, having a good reach and access with not cluttering up the environment,” Heinen said.

“In a dense area such as north of the University and West Campus, there’s already a lot of construction, there’s a lot going on.

I think balancing that will be a big challenge, but it’s also still a big opportunity.”

STUDENT LIFE

anthony mireles | the daily texan staff Design sophomore Kate Thomas, left, and chemical engineering sophomore Ben Broughton began the Chase the World race as a fundraiser for Tribe + Glory, a charity that educate improverished women.

victoria smith | the daily texan staff

Students Chase the World for charity in 36-hour challenge

Film students struggle to pay for necessary production tools

By Jessica Regan @jeessicareganut

UT students are gearing up to race as far around the world as they can, with no money, no personal transport and no limits.

Chase the World is a fundraising race started by design sophomore Kate Thomas and chemical engineering sophomore Ben Broughton. Starting at the Texas State Capitol this Friday at noon, teams will have 36 hours to travel as many smiles as possible. The race is to raise awareness for the charity Tribe + Glory.

“It’s such a cool way for students to get involved in a great cause,” Broughton said. “I’m excited, I hope that everyone has fun.”

Tribe + Glory is a nonprofit co-founded by UT graduate Loren Thomas, Kate’s sister, and Oxford graduate

Caragh Bennet. Based in Uganda, it provides women under the poverty line education, capital and training to start their own businesses. Kate Thomas and Broughton, the founders of the Chase the World race, started planning the event in January.

“We were meeting these amazing women,” Loren said.

“We would be asking them about their dreams, and so many of them had never been asked that before. They would tell us about their brilliant, innovative ideas with tears in their eyes. Caragh and I asked ourselves, how can we make their dream a reality?”

Teams had to raise a minimum of $300 for Tribe + Glory as an entry requirement to the challenge. As individuals are racing, the public can support teams financially to help them progress — such as buying travel tickets — and learn more about the organization.

“When you’re doing this race, you are talking to so many

people around the world,” Kate Thomas said. “People were so interested and intrigued by this during the trial run … the people we meet along the way add to the awareness of a great organization.”

Through Tribe + Glory, women attend classes while making jewelry and home goods from locally sourced Ankole cattle horn. The goods are then sold throughout the U.S. and the UK. “They save 60 percent of their salary every month, which will be reinvested into their businesses after they graduate,” Loren Thomas said. “Our goal within the next five years is to see 1,000 people above the poverty line.”

Kate Thomas and Broughton said they look forward to combining adventure and passion for their cause.

“It’s a leap of faith … it’s a moment where students can come together for a greater good but do what they’re longing to do,” Kate Thomas said.

By Savannah Jobman @longhornsav

Every day this school year, Troy Dewinne, a radio-television-film senior, woke up at 5 a.m. to commute to campus from his grandmother’s house in San Antonio. He arrived at school early to nab one of the few free parking spaces near campus instead of paying for a parking pass.

He did this in an effort to save money for his senior thesis film, “Boys’ Club.” Dewinne said the nine-minute film cost him $3,000 after all was said and done.

UT’s Admissions website reports students spend an average of $2,902 a semester on “miscellaneous expenses.” This figure includes not only books and supplies but also transportation and personal expenses.

For certain majors such as radio-television-film, this number

can be much higher.

“Filmmaking is inherently not a cheap thing to do,” said Miguel Alvarez, a lecturer in the radio-television-film department. “In filmmaking, there are always costs that you will be responsible for, whether it comes out of pocket or from investors.”

Reagan Weger a radio-television-film sophomore, said some narrative production classes still shoot on film instead of digital media. Buying, developing, shipping and digitizing film can cost up to $115 a project.

“It’s absurd that I’m here for film school to learn, but my experience is so restricted not only by my class structure but my wallet as well,” Weger said. “I’m paying absurd amounts in tuition. Why is this not included in my (tuition) as a film student?”

Students can rent various equipment from the Moody College of Communication, drastically cutting down production costs. Weger said the equipment checkout does not

have enough resources to accommodate students when they are all shooting films at the same time.

Radio-television-film junior Shalave Cawley said in a phone interview that she spent $128 on props, costumes and food to feed her cast and crew for a four-minute video for a web series class.

“That experience kind of discouraged me from making more films,” Cawley said. “I’m barely scraping by, so I can’t imagine how people who are in a worse situation than I am can (afford this major).”

Alvarez said the high cost of filmmaking teaches students to get creative with their resources.

“On one hand, I realize it’s tough to afford things as a student,” Alvarez said. “But I do think it’s important to realize that in film, you’re always wrestling with money. This is the real world.”

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LAURA HALLAS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @TEXANOPINION

THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2018

COLUMN

CMHC, give sufferers of specific phobias support

By Rachel Freeman @rachel_frmn

columnist

Seeing a fellow student dry heaving on the east mall isn’t a pretty sight. People assume I’m folded over because of a few poor choices from the weekend before. Little do they know I’m hyperventilating because I fell down and slightly cut my hand. Seeing blood triggers a lifelong fear and can send me into a panic.

I, along with 19 million other Americans, have a specific phobia. Specific phobia is a mental disorder that causes the afflicted person to have a specific fear of one thing or topic. In my case, it is blood — for others, spiders.

The Counseling and Mental Health Center, despite offering multiple support groups targeting other mental conditions, does not offer any services for specific phobia disorder.

In the best interest of students, the CMHC should provide support group services to students who have specific phobias.

Specific phobia is the most common anxiety disorder, affecting 4 percent to 5 percent of the total population. Of the six disorders that fall under the anxiety umbrella, specific phobia afflicts approximately 33 percent of all people with anxiety disorders. As the most common anxiety disorder, specific phobias deserve a dedicated support group.

related to specific things or events.”

The CMHC offers mindfulness classes and These fundamental differences between the skill-building groups that help students learn conditions matter because the disorders reto cope with depression, anxiety, substance quire vastly different treatment which cannot abuse, eating disorders and stress. “Anxiety,” be administered through one mixed group. for example, has a mindfulness class and two Specific phobia is commonly treated with, acskill building groups. These are all important cording to Professor Strakowski, cognitive betopics, but specific phobia disorder should havioral therapy such not be ignored while othas desensitization. er issues have multiThis involves reple groups dedipeatedly exposcated to them. ing the affectNot only ed person to does specific the object of phobia disortheir phobia, der affect a a practice significant that can be student popeffective but ulation, but also emotionit is also difally distressferent from ing.

People other anxiety with generalized disorders.

Psyanxiety cannot benchiatry professor efit from this treatment Stephen Strokwski style and have their own explained the general challenging therapy exdifferences: “Phobias periences — which people are excessive fears about rachel tyler | the daily texan staff with specific phobias canspecific things like spiders not benefit from. Because their or heights in which exposure treatments and reasons for symptoms are so to that thing creates anxiety. Generalized different, it is ineffective to try to treat both anxiety is present nearly all the time and not

disorders in the same support group.

For CMHC to not provide any support to those who suffer from specific phobia is a gross oversight. Personally, I have struggled with my phobia my entire life and recently finally sought treatment by going to CMHC for help. Ultimately, I was told they had no services to offer me. Individual counseling at the center is only for short-term problems, which is regrettable but understandable due to budget constraints. CMHC has responded well to budgetary concerns by providing support groups to help most students with their limited resources. However, CMHC should reconsider how they allocate their resources to more efficiently benefit our community.

Creating a group for people with specific phobia(s) would help reach the sizable student population who suffer everyday.

Having a group of people going through the same struggles could help those who feel alone and hopeless to take control of their lives. CMHC should divert some resources from communities already being overserved and provide some support to a population that currently has no resources. When creating their fall 2018 support groups, CMHC should create a group targeted for those with specific phobia.

Freeman is a international relations and global studies junior from Cedar Park.

rachel tyler | the daily texan staff

COLUMN

COLUMN

Tillerson could make a great UT system chancellor

By Liam Verses @ liamverses

columnist

The UT System administration is ramping up its search for a new chancellor as current Chancellor William McRaven steps down next month. Vice Chancellor Randa Safady stated that any names at this point are speculative, with only the advisory committee having direct knowledge of candidates. However, Ex-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson might be a candidate for the position, and his leadership would be a welcome — and strong — addition to the UT System.

The position Tillerson would potentially fill reports directly to the Board of Regents and is responsible for executing the policies and procedures of the Board. Tillerson would serve as a state and federal advocate for higher education and interact regularly with elected officials, businesses, educational institutions, charitable and professional communities, the media and the public. Tillerson has experience dealing with these groups and has formed positive relationships with many of them.

The UT System contains 30 distinct entities, including eight universities. This organization requires someone who has experience leading a large institution. Exxon, while no means a direct comparison, is pretty close in terms of responsibility and breadth.

Tillerson’s incredible leadership of Exxon — where he managed a company that had 80,000 employees, $400 billion in annual revenue, business across the globe and that rivaled some of the best in this country’s history — makes him uniquely qualified to fill McRaven’s shoes.

Government professor emeritus Bruce Buchanan stated that Tillerson’s position as “former Secretary of State and former chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil are certainly qualifying credentials.” And while Tillerson’s time at the Department of State was undistinguished, Buchanan added that “being Trump’s Secretary of State was a near-impossible task

for Tillerson (or anyone else) because of the president’s impolitic ‘America First’ rhetoric, his slurring references to ‘shithole’ African countries and his inflammatory tweets.”

Although many foreign policy experts agree that Tillerson fumbled with Iran, North Korea and Qatar during his time at the state department, his refusal to bow to Trump shows an independent mindset unyielding to stifling political pressure. His fundamental disagreements with the current administration on foreign policy should, if anything, be a point in his favor. In addition, his experience in government and the private sector granted Tillerson valuable relationships across the public and private spectrum that could be used to advocate for UT. According to Tillerson’s former classmate Alex Cranberg, “Rex is what you would expect to get when you cross a Boy Scout with an engineer — straight and meticulous.” Tillerson even served as president of the Boy Scouts of America, an organization that extols respect, integrity and grit.

While many characterize Tillerson as nothing more than the traditional Texas oilman, Tillerson isn’t exactly what he appears to be: He helped lower Exxon’s contributions to climate change denial groups and said that the United States should be involved in the Paris climate accords, two actions that run contrary to the goals of an oil company.

He’s old-fashioned with a forward-looking bent, and that makes him a great fit for the UT System — schools grounded in tradition and committed to creating positive change.

Whether or not Tillerson meets the requirements of strong character, excellent judgment and an ability to lead and inspire an executive team at the best-in-class level can only be judged by the Board of Regents.

But in every other respect — including prior experience, mindset, work ethic and tenacity — Tillerson seems like an excellent choice to lead the UT System.

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

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.

Tillerson does not align with UT’s values

By Sam Groves @samgroves

senior columnist

Where does a man go after wrecking the State Department and getting canned as the nation’s top diplomat? If you’re Rex Tillerson, apparently you go to Texas. Reports last month named him as a top candidate to replace outgoing UT Chancellor William McRaven, who announced his plans to retire last December.

Tillerson’s resume is impressive, to be sure. Before serving as President Donald Trump’s secretary of state, he spent more than 40 years at Exxon, including over a decade as the company’s chief executive. He’s also a UT graduate — living proof that what starts here actually does sometimes change the world.

Unfortunately, he didn’t exactly change it for the better. It’s evident from the facts of his career that Tillerson is a poor choice for this position. His actions as secretary of state demonstrated that he does not represent student values at UT — and furthermore cannot be trusted to run the system effectively.

Thirteen months with Tillerson in charge left the State Department in ruins.

Critical positions went unfilled and officials left the department in droves — some by choice, others pushed out. Beyond a ruthless compulsion to downsize wherever possible and no matter the cost, Tillerson’s leadership was bereft of vision. Insiders variously described his tenure as “demoralizing,” “totally incompetent” and “deeply, deeply anguish(ing).”

Of course, it can’t have been easy conducting the foreign policy of America’s deranged xenophobe-in-chief. During Tillerson’s first few months as secretary of state, Trump implemented severe limits on travel to the United States from certain countries, including Iran, Libya, Syria and Yemen. The director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations called

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.

the action “at its core a Muslim ban, which is discriminatory and unconstitutional.”

Tillerson was complicit in this de facto Muslim ban. “With this order,” he said when the ban was announced, “Trump is exercising his rightful authority to keep our people safe.” As such, his appointment as chancellor would be a slap in the face to Muslim students at UT. LGBTQ students should also be concerned. Tillerson’s record at the State Department on LGBTQ rights is relatively innocuous, but his record at Exxon is deeply unsettling. Under his leadership, the company received a dismal “equality score” from

It’s evident from the facts of his career that Tillerson is a poor choice for this position.

His actions as secretary of state demonstrated that he does not represent student values at UT.”

the Human Rights Campaign — the lowest any company has ever received, in fact. In 2013, Exxon was sued in Illinois for engaging in employment discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The University of Texas System should be led by someone who stands up to bigotry rather than tolerating or enabling it. It should be led by someone who can run a large organization efficiently without decimating its ranks. Tillerson fits neither of these criteria, and from both an administrative perspective and a political one, he’s the wrong man for the job.

Groves is a philosophy junior from Dallas.

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

THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2018

DRAG

continues from page 8 students will be given a drag mentor, complete challenges and receive critiques on their drag in front of a packed audience.

Sabel Scities, whose real name is Timothy Byars, started the class as a means to teach new queens the values that were instilled in him when he was learning drag.

“People were complaining girls had a bad attitude and (there was) a misconception people had about what drag actually is,” Byars said. “So I wanted to teach them the drag I was taught and hope that that would inspire them to go through channels rather than be entitled to gigs or money or status.”

According to Amanda Hold, a former drag class student who asked to go by her stage name for this article, the class is what kicked off her career as a queen.

“Drag class took me through everything I needed to know to be a drag queen basically,” Hold said.

“I came to that competition

SXSW

continues from page 8 because of the many people who plan around it and the fact that it was already out,” Bird said. “We have very positive connections to SXSW and we always want that to continue, so ideally we won’t experience this again.”

According to Roland Swenson, SXSW CEO and cofounder, the University did deviate from the norm for the past 25 years, as UT’s spring break has traditionally fallen on the third week of March. Due to the complexity of the festival, changing their schedule is not an option as they rely on this trend to stay consistent as they set dates years in advance.

“We chose the dates for

only putting a wig on three times in my entire life and I walked out of there knowing how to paint my face, how to pad, how to dress myself, how to style hair … they basically help you figure everything out.”

The class currently consists of six students and accepts both drag kings (the female equivalent of a drag queen) and drag queens.

According to Byars, it was a struggle at first to find people interested in starting drag, but most new queens now consider it a stepping stone in their careers.

“I just put interest out there, Byars said. “I’ve been doing it for six semesters now so I’m lucky that a lot of people want to do it.

For anybody that has been doing it for less than two years now they feel like it’s a boot camp.”

Although Byars’ class is helping to put new queens into the world every year, the drag scene is becoming increasingly competitive every year. The drag world has recently seen significant national exposure through the popular TV show “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” While the show has increased people’s

interest in and attendance to drag shows, Byars said it has made it significantly harder for queens, especially newer queens, to book gigs.

“Ten years ago I didn’t have to think about Drag Race as an element to my paycheck,” Byars said.

“Some venues only book Drag Race girls now where they use to book girls who wanted to be there and had achieved being there.”

But the current competitiveness isn’t stopping new queens and kings from doing everything in their power to achieve their dreams.

Jimmy Tran, a current drag student who goes by the stage name Tammi Gachi, said that what makes the drag class and the drag community so special is a willingness to help and support each other.

“What’s so special about drag class is that it’s a draghelp-drag kind of thing where drag inspires other drag and drag inspires other people to do drag,” Tran said. “I know there’s prizes and stuff but the most important thing is that its people doing what they love to do.”

SXSW 2019 over ten years ago with the intent of syncing with Texas spring break based on a decades-long precedent set by UT-Austin,” Swenson said. “It’s always been critical for us to match UT’s spring break dates, as we don’t have the luxury of waiting until 18 months out to set our dates.”

Swenson said they face extra hurdles to tackle in order to make next year’s SXSW seamless success. Aside from the obvious issue of traffic, there will be a shortage of volunteers and workers.

“We’re concerned about student employees who take on extra hours at bars, restaurants and hotels during SXSW to make extra money for tuition and expenses.”

Swenson said. “SXSW will face a significant impact in

our volunteer numbers. Of the one-third of our volunteers that are students, a majority of them are enrolled at UT.” Radio-television-film freshman Brooklyn Wilson volunteered this SXSW 2018 and said the conflicting schedules greatly upset her. She said the distraction SXSW will bring during that week will pull students away from their studies. “I must choose to participate in SXSW and skip classes or miss out on SXSW and attend classes,” Wilson said.

“SXSW was one of the best weeks I’ve experienced, so I will probably end up missing classes that week, as I’m sure many other students will too.”

karen pinilla | the daily texan staff Self-defense has always been important, and people at UT have more opportunities than ever to learn it.

SELF-DEFENSE

continues from page 8 at UT. She said the sessions work to enable girls to recognize predators and trust their gut instinct if a situation feels wrong.

“Our main message is to really empower women to know what’s going on around them and to really be aware,” Stringer said.

Stringer said that she hasn’t seen a particular increase in students seeking to learn self-defense and that she thinks it’s

ABROAD

continues from page 8

Washington said.

“It is just a different way of learning that is incapacitated in the States.”

Devin Walker, a curriculum and instruction graduate student, said he sees study abroad programs differently for black students.

“I don’t believe that study abroad programs are designed or marketed towards

important for more women to realize that they need to learn to protect themselves.

Bouse agreed, saying that it can be hard for people to admit that they can’t defend themselves. Bouse held the self-defense session for Alpha Chi Omega and said that only twenty people showed up and that the low turnout is something he sees constantly.

“There’s a huge increase in people who say they want to take a class,” Bouse said. “But we have

black students,” Walker said.

Walker said he believes that more black students should study abroad because so many are used to the Western view of society. He said going to predominantly black countries and seeing black people succeed beyond their skin color can awaken a sense of pride.

Although racial issues may be a reason for some

difficulty filling twenty students in a class.”

Despite the unwillingness of some people to seek out and actually learn self-defense, Teer said a self-defense session is worthwhile and made her feel empowered.

“I would definitely suggest and recommend that everyone takes it (a self-defense lesson), not just women, everyone,” Teer said.

“It’s just great, you feel safer and better equipped to deal with tough situations.”

black students’ hesitation to participate in these programs, cost is the most powerful. Wallace said that the number one question he gets from black students is about the expense. He said he doesn’t believe that the money should stop black students from the programs.

“Don’t let money be the initial deterrent from dropping out of the program,” Wallace said.

Wallace said UT

can provide financial aid for study abroad trips any many ways and some programs even have their own scholarships.

He said he believes no matter the circumstance that black students should see traveling abroad as a can’t-miss part of their education.

“We are global, we are everywhere, and we are loved all over the world,” Walker said.

6

TRENTON DAESCHNER

SPORTS EDITOR @TEXANSPORTS

THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2018

SWIMMING & DIVING

Alison Gibson

finds home-pool advantage Gibson refuses to let homeschooling limit her athletic opportunites.

By Stephen Wagner @stephenwag22

M

angela wang | the daily texan file Sophomore diver Alison Gibson inches off the diving board. Gibson was recruited to Texas by diving coach Matt Scoggin while she was homeschooled by the Classical Christian Institute.

ost student-athletes are recruited out of high school — scouts gain wind of their talents throughout their high school careers and athletes are eventually courted by a university’s recruiting department before committing to a program.

But sophomore diver Alison Gibson never attended high school.

Gibson was homeschooled her entire life, never attending a traditional public or private school. At a young age, Gibson enrolled in the Classical Christian Institute, a parent-run homeschool organization in Austin that met just once a week.

“It was sort of in a school environment, but it was more of a small, tight-knit community,” Gibson said.

While her parents felt this was the best choice for her education, Gibson was deprived of athletic opportunities students who attend a traditional institution are given.

“I really liked homeschooling because of the one-on-one attention I could get,” Gibson said. “I feel like that really helped me learn a lot. I’m a very connectiondriven person.”

But Gibson wouldn’t let a lack of athletic opportunities hold her back from anything.

An energetic, excited and competitive kid, Gibson made her own opportunities throughout her childhood, swimming for Longhorn Aquatics and continually finding herself at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center at the University of Texas.

“I started training there when I was seven, turning eight,” Gibson said. “I was just this little kid who would talk to everybody. I was fearless.”

One person who took notice of Gibson was Texas diving coach Matt Scoggin.

“I would come to diving workouts at 6:15 a.m., and she was already in the pool

swimming as an age group swimmer for Longhorn Aquatics,” Scoggin said. “She was never in second place. I saw how competitive she was.”

Scoggin convinced her to try her hand on the diving boards one Friday night, and the rest was history. “(Diving) always intrigued me,” Gibson said. “I tried it on that Friday night, and I fell in love with it instantly. Eventually it took over my life.”

As a student, Gibson seemed hungry for success regardless of the environment she was in.

Patti Wendlandt, a former teacher of Gibson at Classical Christian Institute, praised Gibson’s academic efforts, despite the “intense” and “rigorous” curriculum.

“She would have to miss some weeks to be in South America for a meet and come back without skipping a beat,” Wendlandt said. “She pursued excellence.”

Gibson became the epitome of a student-athlete as a homeschooled student.

Her excellence in the classroom put her on track to meet high school graduation requirements at 16 and begin college at 17.

Thanks to their relationship, Scoggin knew that Gibson would be ready to enroll early, and the Longhorns recruited her before most other universities were aware of her status. “(Matt) really did his homework and made sure he got me,” Gibson said.

Gibson went on to make a splash with USA Diving, winning three junior national championships and competing in numerous international meets. She placed sixth at the 2016 Olympic Diving Trials, narrowly missing the cutoff for the Rio Olympics.

“Her work ethic is ideal,” Scoggin said.

“She shows up early. She doesn’t waste any time. She’ll stay late, and her work ethic is just a great example of what it takes to succeed at a very high level.”

Gibson aspires to make the 2020 Olympic team, and she exudes confidence in her abilities. Her dream of being an Olympian may one day become a reality.

“Her potential really is unlimited,” Scoggin said. “With the strength she has and the strength she is gaining, and with her gifts of artistic beauty and the last combination of being resilient and hard-working, there’s really no limit.”

SOFTBALL

CLUB SPORTS

katie bauer | the daily texan staff Senior pitcher Paige von Sprecken winds up against the Roadrunners on Wednesday. Von Sprecken pitched a complete shutout against UTSA in a 1-0 victory.

juan figueroa | the daily texan staff Women’s team captain Jackie Holland practices for nationals on the uneven bars Wednesday evening. Holland and her teammates will travel to Fort Worth, Texas, for nationals on April 12.

Longhorns race past Roadrunners in home victory

Raising the bar: Texas gymnastics tumbles toward nationals

By Robert Larkin @ r_larkintexas

Sophomore left fielder Kaitlyn Washington knew her course of action before junior center fielder Ki’Audra Hayter even put the ball in play. Standing at second base in the middle of a scoreless stalemate, she knew her run represented a critical opportunity.

“We had a meeting, and that was the plan the entire time,” Washington said. “If she was feeling a soft slap and could be safe at first, my plan was keep on running and score.”

Racing home from second on Hayter’s infield single to third base, Washington provided the lone run the Longhorns needed in a walk-off victory, as Texas (20–14) knocked off UTSA (15–16) for a 1-0 win on Wednesday night.

Senior pitcher Paige von Sprecken continued her sensational season in the winning effort, silencing the UTSA lineup in a complete game shutout that included seven strikeouts and just three hits.

“(Sophomore catcher Taylor Ellsworth) and I were mixing in a lot of my pitches (tonight),” von Sprecken said. “As we got deeper into the game, we found a way to keep reinventing ourselves and making sure to use different pitches to throw them off.”

For most of the night, the game was a pitcher’s duel, as UTSA senior pitcher Lizzy Fox was just as dominant in the pitcher’s circle.

The Texas lineup finally appeared to have something working in the bottom of the third inning, after Ki’Audra Hayter singled and von Sprecken walked to give the Longhorns two runners on base with two outs. But Fox forced a fly out on the next hitter to retire the side.

Six innings of nearly flawless pitching ended for von Sprecken in the top of the seventh when she faced her biggest threat of the night.

After von Sprecken hit a batter to start the inning, and then again with two outs, UTSA sophomore catcher Kylea Nix came to the plate with an opportunity to break a scoreless

stalemate with two runners on base. Von Sprecken, however, sent down Nix on a strikeout to retire the side.

With an opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the seventh, Washington opened with her second double of the game after smacking a pitch off the right field wall. After the next two Texas hitters went down consecutively, Hayter stepped to the plate in a crucial situation with two outs.

Head coach Connie Clark called a timeout to remind her center fielder what she needed to do.

“We took the timeout so she knew it wasn’t a dire swing away scenario,” Clark said. “She runs so well that even if she puts the ball in play, she can put some pressure on the defense, and (we) just reminded (Washington), you’re going.”

Hayter then delivered the Longhorns’ most important hit of the night.

Texas returns to action on Saturday in a double-header against Samford. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Red and Charline McCombs Field.

By Madison Hildreth @madisonrae_1

Learning a new skill is never easy, especially when it comes to flipping your body upside down for the first time in hopes of achieving a perfect landing on a four-inch beam.

The University of Texas’ club gymnastics team allows interested individuals to compete or join the recreational team based on their own comfort level.

Junior gymnast Alex Lyons, who had no tumbling experience prior to joining the team, was enticed by the idea of being a competitive college athlete. But after Lyons suffered an ACL tear from falling off the beam while doing a cartwheel, she questioned whether or not the sport was really for her.

“My mom, dad and grandma told me I shouldn’t go back to the sport,” Lyons said.

Even after suffering a major injury and struggling to simply walk to her classes, Lyons didn’t want to leave the supportive environment

and friends she loves.

It is the support from all members that fosters such an inviting environment.

The team accepts all skill levels, ranging from elite gymnasts to those who have never done a forward role in their life, public relations chairman Catherine Young said.

“We are a family. The best of the best all support each other,” Young said. “It is a welcoming atmosphere no matter who you are. It is a really nice place to be.” Similar to Lyons’ time of struggle, social chairman Liam Fagan also felt an immediate attachment to gymnastics and the people on the team after dealing with the loss of his mother to brain cancer.

“Now that I’m back in gymnastics after quitting sophomore year, I’m realizing that it is one of the things that helped me get through my mom’s death,” Fagan said. “It is a huge part of my life and my therapy.”

The feeling of family also comes from the high amount of trust and support members must give each other in order to succeed. All the members

are either self-taught or have received training outside of UT gymnastics.

“Even though you don’t have experience, and if you’re scared, do it because it is such a fun experience,” Lyons said. “It is what makes my UT experience worth it.”

The team is also one of the only UT club sports that does not have a coach.

“We have to coach ourselves,” Young said. “Although we do have members that are coaches, we can’t spot each other. We rely on videoing each other, watching them and critiquing them.”

Team members also bond over their “Flips For Tips” fundraiser, which is done at almost every football tailgate and repeated multiple times throughout the year.

Team members stand on the intersection of 183 and 360, performing tumbles to help raise money.

From fundraisers to the value of teamwork, especially when working without a coach, Lyons said the gymnastics club team is what makes the UT experience worth it.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2018

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CHARLES LIU & CHRIS DUNCAN

LIFE&ARTS EDITORS @THEDAILYTEXAN

THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2018

SXSW

SXSW 2019 falls one week before UT spring break Students worry about choosing between classes, volunteering.

By Ruben Paquian & Eilish O’Sullivan @rubenpaq

P

repare for increased FOMO next spring — South by Southwest 2019 will fall the week before spring break for UT and other surrounding schools.

Last month, SXSW announced the upcoming iteration of its yearly mega-festival will run from March 8 to 17 in 2019, confirming the misalignment with UT’s spring break, March 18 to 23.

A statement made on March 27 by SXSW said the festival contacted UT last fall to try to get the school to change its calendar but UT refused.

A response released by UT the same day said it values its relationship with the festival but regrets SXSW’s decision to choose a conflicting date.

News of the clashing schedules has given rise to multiple concerns of increased traffic and reduced volunteers.

J.B. Bird, UT director of media relations, said the university didn’t stray from previous spring break cycles and the misalignment is the fault of the festival. Despite these circumstances, Bird said the University will assist in making sure students will be able to participate in the festival.

“It’s (spring break) always in March, it’s always around

carlos garcia | the daily texan file Students fear that they won’t have the opportunities to participate in future SXSW activities as they’ve grown used to having in the past.

7–8 weeks after MLK Day,” Bird said. “We hope students will continue to participate heavily in South by, we’ll find ways to make that hap-

pen, but ultimately (SXSW) controls the schedule and we regret that they chose to schedule their conference at a different time than

UT-Austin’s spring break.”

Bird confirmed SXSW representatives reached out to the University in November, but said by that time, the

school could no longer change their calendar. Although the university regrets the mix-up, they hope to retain a positive relationship with them in

STUDENT LIFE

the future.

“After SXSW contacted us, we told them we were unable to change our calendar

SXSW page 5

THEATER & DANCE

Organizations provide women chance to learn self-defense

By Noelle Henry @noelle_h

In an environment where sexual assault is prevalent, self-defense classes have seen a low turnout.

Fifteen percent of female undergraduates at UT have experienced rape since their enrollment. Taking note of the issue, many sororities on campus are making girls attend self-defense classes, and UTPD recently instituted the Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) System. The push for self-defense doesn’t come as a surprise, but the low turnout does.

Annie Teer, social work sophomore and the vice president of philanthropy for Alpha Chi Omega sorority, said she organized a self-defense session with Austin’s Fighting Fit Boot Camp for the members of her sorority. She said the session was two hours long and covered

a variety of situations, from unwanted hugs to aggressive confrontations.

“I have always wanted to take a self-defense class,” Teer said. “And I’ve always thought about it as something I should just do because I’m a young woman and it’s a scary world out there.”

Self-defense instructor Robert Bouse holds the Fighting Fit Boot Camp self-defense sessions called Fear Adrenal Stress Training (FAST). He said that one session is meant to be all a person needs, as the defense mechanisms are ingrained in them for the rest of their life. Teer said one of the exercises they did consisted of the girls dealing with someone coming up to them and aggressively bothering them.

The aggressor would continue to bother the girls until they yelled “back off” loudly enough.

“In order for self-defense to work you’ve got to be taught at the primitive level,” Bouse said.

“You have to put people into adrenal stress.”

Bouse said self-defense differs from martial arts and other types of fighting because it is specifically tuned to address situations where you’re under stress, since most people do not instinctively think to use martial arts when they’re being attacked and their adrenaline kicks in.

“It was a really cool experience,” Teer said.

“At the end of it, you feel so empowered.”

Protection Against Crime is another organization that holds self-defense classes for sororities on the UT campus. Julie Stringer, the National Speaker for Personal Safety for Protection Against Crime, personally held some of the sessions

SELF-DEFENSE page 5

DRAG

danielle henderson| the daily texan staff

Study abroad helps black students see diverse, empowering cultures

By Sierra Quarzaza @squarssq

Studying abroad gives students the option to take their education to the next level by experiencing learning in a new environment. Traveling can be a learning experience, but many don’t have the resources to leave home and learn in other countries.

This is most often the case for African-American college students. According to the Institute of International Education, only about 5 percent of those who study abroad are African-American. UT’s 2014–2015 report said that out of the 3,703 students that studied abroad, only 4 percent were black. Javier Wallace, a curriculum and instruction graduate student, said he was initially hesitant to travel outside America because of fears of

racial discrimination within the U.S. “Coming from the United States where it is such a unique predicament being black people … We have the fear of the unknown just walking out of our front door in our own cities,” Wallace said.

However, Wallace said traveling abroad allowed him to have a personal connection with his culture when he spent five years in Panama. Wallace said his father was from Panama and when he got there, he realized how different it was to be black in another culture.

He learned about how the black experience may not always be positive in America, but that in other countries, it came with privilege.

“For me, it became liberating because I never experienced privilege in the

United States, but it becomes burdensome to see people who look like me not experiencing privilege,” Wallace said.

Lashawn Washington, a curriculum and instruction graduate student, said studying abroad gave her the chance to see life beyond her African-American community.

“I think it’s the mind frame of exposure and the lack thereof,” Washington said.

Washington said black students from different backgrounds can see leaving a community or going to another state as a major accomplishment, let alone going to another country entirely.

She said that after her first trip abroad, she sees travel as a way of life that she must learn from.

“I read this quote once saying, ‘Travel is education,’”

ABROAD page 5

ashley ephraim | the daily texan staff Sabel Scities performs P!nk’s hit songs during an intermission at her weekly drag class meeting at Rain on April 3, 2018. Sabel Scities’s class is in its sixth semester and will end next week.

Drag queens, kings hone their craft for audiences downtown

By Collyn Burke @_collyn_

For a Tuesday night, Rain on 4th is unusually packed. Eager onlookers crowd around the glowing stage as drag queen Tammi Gachi, dressed as little

orphan Annie, switches effortlessly between the ballad “Tomorrow” and PTAF’s “Boss Ass Bitch.”

This is Sabel Scities’ drag class. Drag class is a competition and class for up-and-coming drag queens to hone and refine

their skills. Currently in its sixth semester, Scities’s drag class takes place every Tuesday from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. at the gay club, Rain on 4th. Throughout the duration of the class,

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