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FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2018
VOLUME 118, ISSUE 134
N E WS
O PI N I O N
S CI E NCE &TE CH
S P ORTS
LIFE&ARTS
Pen pal group connects low-income schools in Austin with UT students. PAGE 2
RateMyProfessor? There are better options for registration. PAGE 4
A discovery from 40 years ago leads to a new, more effective anti-flu drug. PAGE 5
Baseball relies on defensive strength during weekend series with Baylor at home. PAGE 6
Multiracial students reflect on positive and negative experiences at UT. PAGE 8
UNIVERSITY
Committee proposes changes to misconduct procedures By Anna Lassmann @annalassmann
A University committee released recommendations Thursday to change faculty misconduct procedures, two months after an investigation revealed that UT allowed a professor to remain on faculty after pleading guilty to felony charges of domestic abuse. An Austin American-Statesman investigation uncovered pharmacy professor Richard Morrisett’s 2016 felony charges in January. In response, UT President Gregory Fenves requested Jan. 26 that a committee review the policies that allowed Morrisett to remain on campus. The main conclusions the committee found were that the University’s review on an employee’s misconduct off-campus should be expanded to consider if the misconduct violates the University’s mission, core values or code of conduct. Additionally, the committee found no substantive changes to the University’s policies needed to be made except for clarifying an amendment requiring employees to disclose their criminal cases. “These proposed policies and updated procedures focus
STUDENT LIFE
Study: Employers stalk social media Students should be cautious of their digital footprints, research says. By Meara Isenberg @mearaannee
W
hile college students may use social media to share their opinions and experiences with friends, it is now more likely their posts will be viewed by a potential employer as well. According to a 2017 study by the online employment company CareerBuilder, 70 percent of employers are weighing tweets, posts and “likes” in their decision-making process. The number has increased from 60 percent in 2016, and 11 percent in 2006. “Employers are going to look you up,” said Ladan Hayes, a CareerBuilder career advisor. “You can’t be naive about it because the data is there backing it up. It’s your job to be presenting yourself in the way you want to be presented.” David Harrison, a business management professor, said social media can be helpful for students looking for jobs through affiliations with people on platforms such as LinkedIn, which can expose a student to more job opportunities. However, Harrison said with more recreational platforms such as Twitter and Instagram, the risk of a negative impression on a potential employer is high. “Far and away the biggest effect of social media presence
mel westfall | the daily texan staff on the likeliness of getting a job is a negative one,” Harrison said. “What you have on social media will not be a positive part of your portfolio, other than a headshot of you in a nice, sharp looking suit and some humble bragging about what you were able to do in a prior job.” Harrison said companies often use technology to do background searches on potential employees, and some even have software to search for “buzz words” in an
applicant’s social media that may be inappropriate or offensive. Advertising professor Angeline Close Scheinbaum said employers could get the wrong idea about who an applicant is based off their digital footprint. “You’re leaving this digital footprint, posting at the time, not thinking it through, but years later this can come down and it takes on a new meaning,” said Scheinbaum, the author of a book called “The Dark Side
of Social Media.” “Absolutely it can cost people job interviews or jobs themselves.” Nutrition freshman Hyunseo Ju said she often sees things her peers post on social media she considers unprofessional, and she understands why companies would use those posts in their decision-making process. “If I was in their position, I would do the same thing because
EMPLOYERS page 3
MISCONDUCT page 3 CAMPUS
CAMPUS
Students respond to University push toward ‘on-time’ graduation standard
Cockrell offers up to $100 free printing for engineering students
By Bevyn Howard @bevohoward
Although UT is hoping to raise its four-year graduation rate with the Senior Countdown program, not all students want to graduate in four years. The Senior Countdown program provides seniors with guaranteed enrollment to classes, priority access to the Graduation Help Desk and alumni networking and career coaching. To qualify for this program, juniors have to meet with their advisors to commit to graduating the following year. Cassandre Alvarado, executive director of Student Success Initiatives, said there are some myths that need to be dispelled about taking more than eight semesters to graduate. “An extra year at college costs students $150,000 in lost lifetime income,” Alvarado said. “Students also don’t have to know (right now) what they want to do for the next 70 years. There is no connection between majors and careers. Most students can enter into the fields they want with lots of different majors.” In 2017, 34.3 percent of UT students took longer than four years to graduate. Psychology senior Randi Crumblin, who will not graduate “on time,” said she feels pressured by
By Mason Carroll @masonccarroll
mel westfall | the daily texan staff counselors and UT to graduate in four years and does not see what the rush is for. “I don’t like the feeling that I’m here too long,” Crumblin said. “I’m getting things in the mail asking if I want to get my cards for graduation, and I’m like, ‘Who said I was graduating?’ I never said that. I want to do well in my classes and space them out as opposed to just cramming them all together and not doing as well
as I could.” Alexis Bramlett, an English and sociology senior, who is also not graduating “on time,” said she believes people who graduate late are misjudged. “There’s this stigma about students who graduate late,” Bramlett said. “They’re seen as lazy and not as intelligent, which doesn’t make any sense.” Bramlett also said she thinks everyone has their own
timetable to graduating. “To some extent they’ve kind of discouraged me from doing two degrees even though that’s what I want to do,” Bramlett said. “They say it’s really important to graduate in four years because I’m going to have all this loan debt, and I’m like, ‘Well I’m already going to have loan debt,’ so I just want to pursue what I want to pursue.”
When students need to print something on campus, most pay for it using Bevo Bucks with the UT printing system. However, civil engineering junior Hannah Smith has $40 worth of free printing every semester, thanks to a printing quota from her department. “I think it’s really cool that the civil department is able to give us free printing, because not all majors have free printing, and it can get expensive,” Smith said. Within the Cockrell School of Engineering, the civil, architectural and chemical engineering departments offer their students a quota for free printing. They are the only two engineering departments, and two of the only departments or majors across campus, to offer this service. Printing quotas are determined by department heads, and vary from major to major. Civil engineering students in the past have had up to a $100 budget, but Danny Quiroz, senior IT manager for civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, said due to budget cuts around 2008 they had to lower it to $40. “Whether a department offers free printing, or subsidized, is up to the department,” Quiroz said.
“Based on what we heard from students we decided to keep it in the budget.” Quiroz said University-wide budget cuts from 2008 and 2009 could be one of the reasons why other departments and colleges within the Cockrell School decided to not offer printing for students. He said another factor could have been the ability for students to use Bevo Bucks to pay for printing with UT Print, which started around the same time. “I don’t know exactly when UT Print came along, but I would say that having the option to use UT Print played a role in whether departments kept or got rid of their own quota-based printing,” Quiroz said. Randy Rife, senior IT manager for the Department of Chemical Engineering, said students in his department receive a quota of $100 worth of printing. Rife said each year the department surveys students on what they think the school can change to help benefit their education. Ninety percent say printing is important to them, which is why his department provides quota printing. “For me it’s all about doing the best we can and giving the most resources to our students to help them succeed,” Rife said.
PRINTING page 3
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FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2018
CITY This issue of The Daily Texan is valued at $1.25
Attention brought to APD firearm trade-ins
PERMANENT STAFF Editor-in-Chief Laura Hallas Assoc. Editors Liza Anderson, Jaree Campbell, Cuillin Chastain-Howley, Josie Maclean Senior Columnists Elizabeth Braaten, Laura Doan, Noah Horwitz, Caleb Wong, Ryan Young Forum Editors Vik Shirvaikar, Janhavi Nemawarkar, Liza Anderson
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mallika gandhi | the daily texan staff possession of the weapons, they were no longer ours and therefore we do not track them,” APD’s spokesperson said in an email. Bernard Bailey, owner of
STATE
Sanctuary Cities Bill pushback continues after court ruling
Account Executives Tim Bauer, Diane Byram, Julianne Phillipp, Paulina Siller Product Manager Stephen Salisbury Senior Graphic Designer Amanda O’Brien Production Zac Crofford
After the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals allowed most of Senate Bill 4, commonly known as the Sanctuary Cities Bill, to go into effect last month, immigrant advocates promised the fight against the proposed legislation was far from over. “The decision is a blow to the civil rights of every Texan,” said Efren Olivares, racial and economic justice director of the Texas Civil Rights Project, in a statement. “But we are not deterred. We knew this was going to be a long fight when we started and we are prepared to go the distance.” The Texas Civil Rights Project is one of several plaintiffs, including the city of Austin and Travis County, who asked the 5th Circuit Court on March 27 to rehear the case en banc, meaning every member of the court would consider the lawsuit, rather than a smaller panel. As written, SB4 permits local law enforcement to question the immigration status of people they detain or arrest. It also requires local entities to comply with Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer requests, which ask officials to turn over immigrants who may be subject to deportation. “En banc review is necessary to maintain the uniformity
evelyn moreno | the daily texan staff People protest Senate Bill 4 at a rally in 2017. The 5th Circuit of appeals allowed most of SB4 to go into effect last month. of this Court’s decisions and adherence to Supreme Court precedent,” said the plaintiffs in their motion. “En banc review is also warranted because of the exceptional importance of this case to sheriffs, police chiefs, mayors, county judges, city council members and other local government officials across Texas.” Several local entities have
expertise to the table,” said Villanueva, a member of UT’s chapter of Jolt Texas, a Latinx advocacy group. “Local organizations also have people on the ground working tirelessly to spread the word, create close-knit communities and give everyone hope. We need both strategies, legal and grassroots, to win this fight.”
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Texas Tribune. Stephanie Villanueva, a public health junior, said although last month’s ruling was “heartbreaking and stressful,” she is hopeful SB4 will ultimately be defeated. “It’s great to have the support of big organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union on our side because they bring resources and
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previously filed suit against SB4 including the cities of El Paso, San Antonio and Houston. If the 5th Circuit Court agrees to hear the case, all parties who have previously filed suit will become involved, said Nina Perales, the vice president of litigation for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, according to the
CAMPUS
Colten Crist
Wednesday
Bailey’s, said he sends out multiple bids for trade-ins with police departments throughout Texas and the United States. “I work with police departments
@samisparber
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Customers visiting Bailey’s House of Guns in Houston have the opportunity to purchase specialty made rifles, the newest pistols and, since 2016, old firearms once used by the Austin Police Department. In 2016, Bailey’s, the federally licensed firearm dealer entered a contract, organized by the City of Austin’s Purchasing Office, permitting APD to trade in their used weapons to the dealer for newer models from the manufacturer. In a speech delivered to about 20,000 people at Austin’s March for Our Lives last month, State Representative Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, called attention to a 2017 investigation from the Texas Standard about state law enforcement weapons ending up in the public’s hands. “It boggles the mind that here in our beloved city in Austin, Texas, we allow our APD to sell its used guns back into the private market,” Hinojosa told The Daily Texan. According to an APD spokesperson, who chose not to be named, their contract with Bailey’s allowed for APD to trade in 1,788 pistols to Bailey’s in 2016 for 1,788 newer models. The trade-in reportedly saved APD $368,328. The spokesperson also said the department relinquishes possession of the weapons once they are traded. “At the point that Bailey’s took
all over the state of Texas,” Bailey said. “I hadn’t won any trade-ins in the last probably 10 years (until) Austin. I don’t care who it is; it can be a department who wants to buy 500 guns. They (either) have to trade some guns in to offset the value or (they) raise taxes (on) the general public.” Ed Scruggs, board member of Texas Gun Sense, a non-profit which raises awareness about federal and local gun policies, said despite APD not directly selling their old weapons to the public, trading them in still poses a risk. “Putting a large amount of weapons back into the market at one time certainly has an impact because those weapons are sought after,” Scruggs said. Alison Atler, an Austin council member, said she is working with colleagues to create reforms regarding APD’s gun trade-in program. “Council does have the authority to approve or deny contracts like the one that created the trade-in program,” Atler said in an email. Hinojosa said it is unlikely the Texas Legislature would have the political will to change the trade-in process. As a lawmaker representing Austin, Hinojosa said it hurts her credibility when guns formerly belonging to APD end up in the public’s hands. “This is something that we have total local control over, so it’s unacceptable that we are not taking advantage of that authority to do our part to keep guns off the street,” Hinojosa said. APD’s contract with Bailey’s is set to expire June 2019.
By Sami Sparber
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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 Megan Menchaca @meganmenchaca13
Two UT students have started a pen pal program to help economically disadvantaged public school students, which, according to the Texas Education Agency, makes up more than half of all public school students in the state. Bilingual education junior Ana Arreaga and psychology sophomore Christina Ciaburri founded Pen Pal Swap to provide guidance to lower-income kids about college and to improve their test scores on the STAAR writing exam, Texas’ standardized state-mandated test. “We want the students in these low-income areas to have role models,” Arreaga said. “The idea of this program is to help these kids in lower-income schools and to be resources for any questions they have about college.” Through the program, UT students will send a letter to an elementary or middle
school student and initiate a correspondence. “With this program, we want UT students getting a mentorship role where they can help students at the elementary schools get ready for college,” Arreaga said. After releasing their first interest form last Sunday on Twitter, more than 70 students signed up to send letters to students at Hodges Elementary and A.C New Middle School in Balch Springs, Texas, and Raye-Allen Elementary in Temple, Texas. “If you put the thought of college in their (elementary and middle school students) minds early, then they’ll believe for the rest of high school that it’s a possibility,” Ciaburri said. “It’s important to get that excitement for reading and writing early, because it’s key to how they will do for the rest of their school life.” Ciaburri and Arreaga said they began the program because they are both from lower-income schools and understand the difficulties these students will eventually face
jamie powers | the daily texan staff Sophomore Christina Ciaburri (left) and junior Ana Arrega started Pen Pal Swap, a program which UT students can mentor elementary students at lower-income schools. at college. “For many families, Generation Y is the first one going to college, and there’s no blueprint for them,” Ciaburri said. “There’s a lot of kids out there that need this support because they won’t get
it otherwise.” Sociology freshman Juan Caballero said he signed up for the program because he wants to provide a perspective on the college experience and become a mentor for other minority students.
“As a student at UT, I have this privilege of having an experience at a university and I feel like I have to use that privilege to inspire younger kids and to let them know about my experiences,” Caballero said.
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FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2018
PRINTING
Although the free printing is beneficial to some engineering students, others who do not have free printing options are not so happy about it. Melody Zhang, a petroleum engineering junior, said she spends around $100 per semester on printing and wishes she did not have to pay for printing out of her own pockets. “Considering (our department) just got a $25 million
donation, I think they should give us free printing,” Zhang said. “If that cost could get deducted somehow that would make my life a lot easier.” Design junior Carolina Masuero said she does not think it is fair for only a few majors to receive free printing. “As a design student, I have to print a lot and print a lot in color,” Masuero said. “I know it has to do with budget, but I need printing just as much as other students, and money should not get in the way.”
included representatives from human resources, legal affairs and the Faculty Council, as well as the executive vice president and the senior vice president. The policies the committee reviewed included criminal background checks, prohibition of sexual discrimination, misconduct, assault and interpersonal violence, standards of conduct, prohibition of campus violence, student discipline and conduct, procedures for employee dismissal and the
University code of conduct. “The expansion of employee reviews to include the mission, core values or code of conduct of the University is effective immediately,” UT spokesman J.B. Bird said in an email. “We added language about the mission, core values and code of conduct to have a more comprehensive view of the obligations of University employment,” Bird said. “Our focus in the past has always been on conduct at work and, for off-campus misconduct, its
continues from page 1
mel westfall | the daily texan staff
MISCONDUCT
continues from page 1 on disciplinary action related to conduct, not to speech or viewpoints,” Fenves said in an email. “They provide the University with clearer guidelines so that we may live up to the values of The University of Texas.” Morrisett was charged with a felony in May 2016 after an incident in which he strangled his girlfriend until “she saw stars,” an arrest affidavit said.
Morrisett was later accused of another violent incident in July 2016 that sent his girlfriend to the hospital and violated a restraining order, according to multiple arrest affidavits. Morrisett’s plea deal, made in February 2017, involved an agreement with the Travis County District Attorney’s Office that resolved his cases and sentenced him to four years of probation, 100 hours of community service and a required class on family violence. The review committee
EMPLOYERS
continues from page 1 it’s obviously available to you — it’s not private or anything,” Ju said. “I would try to find out as many resources as I could about them to see if they are ready for the position.” With public posts being accessible to anyone, Scheinbaum said a reason people may not weigh social media as a factor in their ability to get hired is that they will never know
connection to work duties. This change acknowledges cases where it may not be possible to separate private or off-campus misconduct from that which affects the University.” Melissa Kang, the pharmacy council president said she supports the recommendations of the committee report and is glad they have finally been released. “After patiently waiting two months, the students are relieved the policy recommendations have been
if their tweets were the reason they did not get a job or interview. “Even if you do hear back, you get a very generic letter that says, ‘Thank you for your interest in this position, however, this position has now been filled,’ but they don’t tell you why,” Scheinbaum said. “Think about all the potential opportunities that people miss out on because of their social media presence, but they’ll never know.”
released,” Kang, a pharmacy graduate student, said in an emailed statement. “We fully support the amendments to the Criminal Background Check policy and the annual audit of overall case analysis. However, we hoped for better transparency on how cases are reviewed and what the investigation entails. We are confused as to how the University’s Mission, Core Values, and Code of Conduct did not previously play a role in criminal violation reviews by employees.”
AUSTIN MCCARTNEY “Texas Student Media has been an amazing opportunity for me during my time at UT. The organization has allowed me to get real world experience, with much more autonomy than other college radio stations. It really feels and is more than just s another student organization at KVRX and TSM.”
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4
LAURA HALLAS
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @TEXANOPINION
FRIDAY APRIL 6, 2018
COLUMN
Registration time: Don’t use RateMyProfessor By Laura Doan @texanopinion
senior columnist
The University has released the Fall 2018 course list, so it’s time to make some choices: What classes are you taking? When are you taking them? And, perhaps most important, who is going to teach you?
CIS may not be perfect, but they’re the best data UT students have access to, and it’s quantitatively and qualitatively superior to the ratings on RateMyProfessor.” If you rely on RateMyProfessor to find potential instructors, you aren’t alone — so do 48 million other college students each year. On RateMyProfessor, students review teachers by four basic metrics: overall quality, level of difficulty, willingness to take them again and hotness — designated by a chili pepper. The site lists over 3,079 UT professors, who garner a combined rating of 3.75.
But if you’re looking for prospective teachare often at the end-posts on the spectrum of ers on RateMyProfessor, you should think loathing to love — from the succinct and cutagain. RateMyProfessor may have easily diting “RUN AWAY” to the almost-too-glowing gestible data, but most of it’s also highly lim“I would literally lay down my life for Dan.” ited — with small Further, the site’s metrics are ill-defined sample sizes, lots and tend to reward of bias and unprofessors stuclear parameters. dents describe RateMyProfesas “easy.” sor often comes RateMyProfesup with an avsor does not erage rating for enumerate the a UT teacher factors it uses from less than to determine 10 reviews, the “overall which means quality” of a tiny sliver of teachers, but students decide high-quality the ranking. ratings often Even the most correlate with rated UT prolow difficulfessor, chemty rating. Of istry professor UT’s top-ratPaul McCord, has ed professors only 157 ratings, on the site, less than half most have difvictoria smith | the daily texan staff of the number ficulty ratings of students in under 3. Stuhis chemistry dents should class last semester. be able to learn more about prospecAnd of the few reviews you do get, they’re tive teachers than whether they hand likely to be skewed toward the extremes A’s out like Tic Tacs. — the students passionate enough to volunteer So don’t visit RateMyProfessor this their opinion. Comments about UT professors semester. Instead, go to UT’s database of
course instructor surveys. The CIS database is little advertised, but it contains years of reliable data to inform your choice of professor. UT requires instructor surveys for every class so the CIS database contains more reviews for each professor than you will find on RateMyProfessor. The larger sample mitigates the influence of extreme opinion. But most importantly, CIS has much better metrics and more of them: They have 12 compared to RateMyProfessor’s four. On CIS, you can see how former students judged the course workload and the teacher’s expertise, approachability organization. On each of those metrics, you can also see how that teacher compares to the average professor in their school and in the University at large. CIS may not be perfect, but they’re the best data UT students have access to, and it’s quantitatively and qualitatively superior to the ratings on RateMyProfessor. Whatever your personal criteria are for choosing a professor, the best information is on CIS reviews — unless your main criterion for professor-choice is hotness. For that you’ve got to go back to RateMyProfessor, search for some chilies, and find yourself an Econ professor who tops the Scoville scale. But if you are a logically thinking student who wants the best data to make better-informed class choices, there’s only really one place you should be going for data. Doan is an English and Plan II junior from Fort Worth.
COLUMN
COLUMN
Professors: embrace cheaper textbooks
Exposure to LGBTQ teachers helps kids
administrators to the Co-op, are encouraged
By James Treuthardt @jamestreuthardt
columnist
As a low-income student, I’ve always found textbook prices to be a barrier to my education. This year, I spent over $800 on textbooks. The time it takes to decide which ones I can afford based on my budget and how much I think this textbook is needed can impact each and every one of my classes. While textbook expenses have been difficult for me to handle, they are still low compared to those of the average college student. According to the College Board, the average estimated undergraduate textbook budget for four-year public universities is $1250. A program by Cengage could solve these problems. In August 2018, the textbook company will release a subscription service that allows students to access all their textbooks and online programs for only $119.99 a semester. UT professors need to consider adopting this subscription service to help alleviate soaring textbook costs. According to Joey Williams, director of communications of the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, professors have full discretion over the textbooks they choose to use in their class. However, the Texas Legislature still has requirements they expect the school to follow for selected textbooks. UT follows House Bill 33, which says the school needs to ensure students have affordable course materials by making the textbook selection process transparent and by decreasing costs. All parties, from professors to
to participate in this process.
By Jeff Rose @jessroses
While the guideline does push for afford-
columnist
able textbooks, affordability is a subjective metric. Many students cannot afford to buy multiple textbooks that cost hundreds of dollars. Using the new Cengage Unlimited service could help bring UT closer in accordance with HB 33 by making textbooks more affordable. The Co-op’s priority deadline for professors to submit textbook material is April 15 for the fall and summer semesters, and HB 33 requires the Co-op to release textbook information at least 30 days before classes begin. If professors switch over to Cengage materials before that date, students can use Cengage Unlimited in their classes. An NBC investigation found in 2015 that textbook prices have risen 1,041 percent since 1977. That’s three times the rate of inflation. Since students must purchase their assigned textbooks, they cannot prevent these rising costs. The more professors who choose to switch to subscription services, the more effective these services can be at saving students money. Few people want students to pay insane prices for textbooks, and by working to use subscription services, professors can work to significantly lower the cost of higher education for all college students. Treuthardt is a journalism and marketing sophomore from Allen.
Elementary art teacher Stacey Bailey was put on paid leave because she mentioned her sexual orientation in class. This decision has now sparked retaliation towards the school district. Her leave brings back questions of who can successfully teach topics of religion, politics, gender and sexuality — and whether or not LGBTQ teachers are as capable as their heterosexual counterparts. But Bailey was not attempting to teach subject material on religion, politics, gender, or sexuality, she merely mentioned her own sexuality and introduced her classes to queer artists, something that is not abnormal and should not be punished. LGBTQ teachers can provide an inclusive, accessible and diverse learning environment after not being provided one growing up. Understanding their instructors’ identities only furthers children’s education, showing them how a person’s sexuality is a part of who they are and influences their work. There are 10 million LGBTQ adults in the United States — these people are just as prevalent in children’s lives as heterosexual people are, so teaching lessons involving queer people is not as inappropriate as a homophobic parent would believe . One parent’s inability to confront their own homophobic biases and refusal to discuss the existence of an entire group of people is their own fault and should not be the basis for letting a exemplary teacher go. Treating sexuality and the LGBTQ community as a sensitive topic dehumanizes queer people and deprives all youth of knowledge they will use to engage with those
who are different from them. LGBTQ Studies Director Ann Cvetkovich said “an openly LGBTQ+ teacher might be the first LGBTQ+ person that younger students meet, and they can provide important role models as well as fostering gender diversity for younger people.” One of Bailey’s nine-year-old students specifically called her a role model in front of students, family, faculty and staff before she was placed on leave — queer instructors often have profound educational and emotional impacts on their students. “As those who may themselves have experienced hostility, discrimination, or exclusion, LGBTQ+ teachers are likely to be aware of the need to create inclusive and accessible environments for students of all kinds,” Cvetkovich said. This is something Bailey and many other instructors before her have done: Making sure a high school had a gay straight alliance club, working to include sexual identity in the district’s non-discrimination policy. A queer instructor’s attempt to protect themselves, other queer staffers, and young students of the district is crucial to creating a secure/safe school. Since LGBTQ people have higher rates of mental health issues than straight people do, it’s important to establish these protections in case of bullying or any other discrimination that young people could go through. The educational impact of queer instructors is far too important to disregard due to any parental discomfort. We must work to create those inclusive environments where instructors and students alike can openly identify themselves and learn from one another. Rose is an English and rhetoric and writing sophomore from The Woodlands.
COLUMN
Austin sick leave ordinance needs local perspective By Abby Krishnan @texanopinion
columnist
In mid-February, Austin made history by becoming the first city in the South to implement a mandatory paid sick leave policy. Austin locals can finally breathe a stuffy-nosed sigh of relief, as they no longer have to jeopardize their health in pursuit of a paycheck. Over the last 10 years, nearly 40 state and local laws on paid sick leave have been enacted, eight being state laws. Currently, a majority of these policies are concentrated in areas such as California and New York. The Austin ordinance is set to provide sick days to around 87,000 workers. It allows for workers to accrue up to eight days, or 64 hours of paid sick leave, assuming 8-hour work days. Small businesses with 15 or fewer employees could have paid sick days up to 48 hours, or 6 days of leave. Unfortunately, state lawmakers have met the ordinance with great resistance, some even vowing to strike it down. Those opposed to the new regulation claim that it hurts small enterprises in the city and disincentives the creation of new businesses due to the pressure of paying for paid sick leave. Although these claims lack empirical evidence, the ordinance does raise questions on how businesses will adapt. It’s inevitable this policy will have an impact on businesses around the city, but there has been little discussion on the specific steps businesses will have to take to
mel westfall | the daily texan staff adjust. The city failed to gather any input from local businesses about the projected economical impact of the mandate. The numbers used in the proposal to project the number of workers affected and the impacts on businesses came from national labor estimates. The ordinance passed with little re-
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.
gard to the local business climate. Austin currently has a vastly different culture for companies compared to other cities due to its small business scene and smaller size. This makes it difficult for businesses to anticipate the effect of the reforms they have to adopt. Austin has a thriving small business culture.
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.
From 2010 to 2013, Austin led the nation in the growth of the number of small businesses (those with 50 employees or fewer) at around 7 percent overall. Austin had 44,163 small businesses in 2013 — or 2,342 for every 100,000 residents. And it is true that small businesses are often apprehensive about adopting measures such as paid sick leave due to their reliance on a limited number of workers. Austin is markedly different from other cities that have implemented paid sick leave policies. Many of the other city-only paid sick leave policies are found in larger cities. Four of the top five most populous cities in the country enforce mandatory paid sick leave. Austin’s population is far from the population of these areas. Additionally, in many of these cities, employment is dominated by large corporations, which often have the resources to provide better benefits to their employees. In a city where so much is left up to smaller employers, there should have been better preparation and evaluation of such policies. Before the mandate is set to go into motion in October of this year, the City of Austin needs to account for the voice of business. Complaints from small business owners should not be dismissed as being born out of a partisan divide. Rather, there should be a cooperative effort by both parties to ensure that for both employers and employees, paid sick leave is an Austin triumph for both employers and employees Krishnan is a freshman computer science major from Plano.
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.
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JULIANNE HODGES
SCIENCE&TECH EDITOR @THEDAILYTEXAN
FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2018
HEALTH
MEDICINE
Nutrition education grows in Austin with TX Sprouts
Professor’s basic research leads to development of improved antiviral
Research study teaches gardening, healthy eating at elementary schools. By Grace Dickens @ dickensgrace
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ducators at TX Sprouts are growing more than just gardens in local Austin schools. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, TX Sprouts is an educational program spearheaded by Jaimie Davis, a nutrition associate professor. The program aims to teach third through fifth-grade students in the Austin area about hands-on gardening, nutrition and cooking. “There are certain programs surrounding nutrition that have the expectation of seeing changes in every way, but we factor in the cultural and socioeconomic factors of the students we teach,” TX Sprouts educator Meg Mattingly said. “We help them know how to eat better within their norm, and try to give them information to empower them.” Schools were chosen for the study by their proportion of Hispanic students, overweight and obese students, participation rates in free and reduced lunch, distance from the UT-Austin campus and interest in gardening or nutrition programs. Each school receives a grant for $5,000 to build a garden on school grounds, and students have the opportunity to participate firsthand in the growing of their own vegetables. Once chosen, schools are randomly designated as either intervention or control schools. Since they are being tracked for academic purposes, intervention schools abide by a strict lesson plan of 18 lessons and teach all fourth and fifth-grade students, as well as third-grade students if time allows. Control schools
copyright katie nikah, and reproduced with permission Local elementary students learn about gardening through TX Sprouts. only have 12 lessons and are based on an opt-in system for teachers who wish to participate. The effectiveness of the program is measured by childhood obesity markers, dietary intake and related behaviors, physical activity levels and school performance. “A lot of our students are low-income, so they may get multiple meals a week from fast food or convenience stores,” TX Sprouts intervention school educator Michele Hockett-Cooper said. “We focus on the fact that when they need to eat in those places, which is not bad, there are ways to make healthier choices. We even talk about places like the cafeteria, where they have the choice of chocolate versus regular milk.” Students at these schools often live in food deserts, or areas where distance, price or selection can prevent access to healthy food. Low-income Hispanic students are a population at high risk for being overweight or obese in central Texas, according to Bonnie Martin, the TX Sprouts school liason. TX Sprouts educator Andrea Snow said many of the children in these schools are also pre-diabetic, or prone to developing diabetes, making food choices all the
more important. “Something I think is interesting about our program is that we are also including the parents,” Martin said. “We have a monthly parent class at the schools that follow a similar curriculum to what the kids are getting. We’re trying to influence the shoppers and cooks of the household so that it’s not just the child coming home with this new information.” Lessons are based on current Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards and cover a variety of topics, from the added sugar in soda to the fiber in fruits and vegetables, including a cooking or tasting component. Many of the schools involved in TX Sprouts are failing state report cards, so cross-curricular teaching is especially important to teachers, Hockett-Cooper said. “It makes it more relevant for the classroom teachers to see the validity in taking their classroom lessons and applying them to what we’re doing in TX Sprouts,” Hockett-Cooper said. “We can show them by drawing in their class lessons that this program can be used as a supplemental teaching tool in a creative classroom space.”
By Cason Hunwick @hunwickcason
The product of a research discovery at UT from almost forty years ago led to the development of a flu drug more effective than Tamiflu. In 1979, Robert Krug, a professor emeritus of molecular biosciences, published his discovery of the replication mechanism that the new drug targets, a process called ‘cap-snatching.’ Viruses need little strips of RNA called ‘caps’ to make messages that force host cells to manufacture components necessary for building new viruses. But the virus cannot produce the cap on its own, so it has to steal, or ‘snatch,’ it from the host using a protein. “Cap-snatching is where the virus recognizes the cap, cleaves it, and uses that to initiate synthesis of viral components,” Krug said. Xofluza is a new drug that takes advantage of this cap-snatching mechanism. Unlike Tamiflu, which requires multiple doses over several days, just one dose of Xofluza is enough to disable the virus for good. “Xofluza inhibits a protein that is necessary for creating messages that lead to proteins being made by the host cell,” Krug said. “Stopping this process is bound to be more effective because if you don’t make those messages, nothing happens.” The chemical in Xofluza binds to and disables the cap-snatching protein, which stops replication before it can happen. In comparison, Tamiflu inhibits the protein that allows the virus to escape from a host cell and infect other cells. Tamiflu doesn’t stop the first round of replication; it simply stops the viruses from spreading. Clinical trials, such as those taking place at the Austin Regional Clinic, aim to determine the
mel westfall | the daily texan staff effectiveness of stopping replication at an earlier stage. Results so far indicate that Xofluza is more effective than Tamil, according to Krug. Antivirals like Tamiflu and Xofluza can help stop the spread of an infection; however, they cannot take the place of vaccines. Chris Sullivan, a molecular biosciences associate professor, said that the vaccine readies the immune system before an infection, while an antiviral only works once someone has the flu. “A vaccine is a preventative,” Sullivan said. “If you have your immune response primed ahead of time, it mutes the infection before you see symptoms. Antivirals are used once you are confirmed to have the influenza virus.” Even in seasons when the vaccine is not as effective compared to other years, it is still the best defense against the flu. While new developments in effective antivirals are exciting, the real excitement will come once universal vaccines
exist for the influenza virus, Sullivan said. The flu virus is unpredictable and changes from season to season, which is why a new flu shot is needed every year. “(Antivirals) are not going to do anything better than a vaccine,” Sullivan said. “These antivirals are certainly beneficial and will save lives, but the real question is when we will have universal vaccines in the future, vaccines where you only have to take one or a few vaccinations over your lifetime to prevent the flu.” The new drug came from a discovery that Krug’s lab made four decades ago. Its application represents the benefits to human health that can result from basic research, according to Krug. “(As scientists) we have to keep telling (the public) examples of basic research that lead to benefits,” he said. “We have to convey that you can’t predict what’s going to benefit society. The investment in basic research will lead to something.”
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FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2018
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TRENTON DAESCHNER SPORTS EDITOR @TEXANSPORTS
FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2018
BASEBALL
Texas stands behind solid defensive performance
katie bauer | the daily texan file Junior infielder Kody Clemens swings at the baseball during the Longhorns’ 5-4 victory over McNeese State at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Monday. Clemens holds a team-leading batting average at .357 this season.
The Longhorns are set to host a weekend series against Baylor. By Shane Lewis @shanelewis4204
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n the second game of the season, junior outfielder Tate Shaw put on a defensive show, frustrating Louisiana-Lafayette hitters with several diving grabs in left field. After the Feb. 17 contest, when asked about Shaw and the team’s outfielders, sophomore outfielder Austin Todd was quick to brand the
Longhorns’ outfield with a new nickname. “We always say that the outfield is the ‘No Fly Zone,’” Todd said. “There’s nothing that’s going to drop between us. If it does drop, then the guy that hit that just earned it. We’re pretty fast out there.” While the outfield may be the ‘No Fly Zone,’ all aspects of the Texas defense have looked impenetrable midway through the season. The team ranks first in the Big 12 in fielding percentage and in double plays. Texas head coach David Pierce has praised the unit as the highlight of the season thus far. “We’ve been playing great
defense,” Pierce said. “We’re fielding .944 in conference and right at .980 overall. Really, really most impressive so far (this season) has been our defense.” One new addition to the infield, junior Kody Clemens, has shined this season. After playing primarily at designated hitter last year, Clemens has complimented his hitting abilities with new responsibilities as the Texassecond baseman. Clemens has committed just two errors this year and has helped the team turn 28 double plays. For his efforts so far, the junior was named to both the Perfect Game/Rawlings
Midseason All-America team and the D1Baseball Midseason All-America first team as a second basemen. Clemens has further echoed the sentiment of a sound Texas defense. “We haven’t made that many errors, and when we do, it’s a stupid mistake,” Clemens said. “Everyone is solid all the way around the field. Our outfielders track down balls very well. Our defense is really good.” While the defense has been a bright spot for the Longhorns, the team’s starting pitching has been volatile this season. In last weekend’s series against Kansas State, starters combined
MEN’S GOLF
for only 11.1 innings over three contests. In this weekend’s series against Baylor, the trio of pitchers Nolan Kingham, Chase Shugart and Blair Henley are again scheduled as the Texas starters. After losing two out three games against Kansas State, Pierce has challenged the three pitchers to step up. “They’ve put us in a position to go to younger, inexperienced arms earlier in the game,” Pierce said. “They’re not doing their job when they do that. If they’re not giving us a minimum of six innings — but I’d prefer seven innings — they’re not doing their job. I’ve laid the
gauntlet out. When you only throw 11.1 innings on the road against Kansas State, you’re not going to win a lot of series.” Henley agreed with the blunt assessment provided by his coach. “(Coach Pierce’s) message was that we were awful and we deserved it,” Henley said. “You don’t learn if (your coach) isn’t blunt. We go a game at a time, and take it pitch-by-pitch. We’re going to do what we can.” With a strong defense behind them, the Texas pitchers will have to step up this weekend against Baylor. Game one of the series is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
SOFTBALL
Texas looks to bounce back after snapping win streak By Robert Larkin @r_larkintexas
stephanie martinez | the daily texan file Senior Scottie Scheffler follows through on his swing during the UT Longhorn Shootout on April 15, 2017. Scheffler will compete at the Western Intercollegiate Championship this weekend.
Longhorns cope without Doug Ghim at weekend tournament By Dawson Hinkley @dawsonhinkley
No. 15 Texas’ last outing at the Valspar Collegiate Championship ended in less than stellar fashion. The Longhorns pulled out a disappointing ninth-place finish in the tournament, finishing 22 strokes off the lead. The lone bright spot for the Longhorns was senior Doug Ghim, who came in sixth place as an individual with a 5-under-par showing over three days of play. Senior Scottie Scheffler also had a decent outing, finishing tied for ninth at 1-under par for the tournament. “Doug and Scottie were very close to a great tournament,” Texas head coach John Fields said. “We need more production from our three-through-five
men, and they are capable.” This week, Texas travels to Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz, California, for the Western Intercollegiate Championship, being held Saturday and Sunday. Texas needs a strong performance in Santa Cruz to build some momentum for the upcoming Big 12 Championships. The Longhorns will be short-handed this weekend as their star senior and most consistent player in Ghim is competing in his first Masters Tournament at Augusta National. Ghim and three other former Longhorns in the field — Jordan Spieth, Dylan Frittelli and Jhonattan Vegas. Ghim’s absence in Santa Cruz will be a heavy burden on Texas. Ghim leads the Longhorns with a 69.9 stroke average through seven events.
Seventeen of his 21 total rounds this season have been at or under par, including ten rounds in the 60s. “When you don’t have one of your best players, it obviously makes a difference,” Texas assistant coach Jean-Paul Hebert said. “But you know, it’s golf, and some other guys have got a chance, so you never know.” Without Ghim, Scheffler will be tasked with leading the team. Scheffler is more than capable of shooting low scores at Pasatiempo Golf Club. He won the event three years ago during the 2015 season. “I think he is mature enough to know that that was then, and this is now,” Hebert said, “And ‘I can’t put pressure on myself because I’ve had success here in the past, but I can do my part and go try and play some good golf and see what happens.’”
Entering the week, prospects appeared to be turning up for the Longhorn softball team. Riding a seven-game winning streak with an improving offense, Texas appeared positioned to make noise in the second half of its 2018 schedule. But after the Longhorns’ offense struggled to consistently produce runs this week in two non-conference games, in which Texas went 1–1, more questions than answers were provided. Now, the Longhorns (20–14, 6–0 Big 12) will try to solve their offensive problems in a three-game weekend series at McCombs Field with Samford (12–26). “We need to be better than (our past two games) offensively,” Texas head coach Connie Clark said. “Our pitch identification hasn’t been great the last two nights, and we have to work on when we have a game plan (and) identify well.” In this week’s games against Houston and UTSA, the Texas lineup managed to put together just two total runs and eight total hits, while leaving 11 runners on base. “I don’t think we made adjustments quick enough at the plate,” Clark said. “When we don’t outhit our opponents, I don’t think our record is very solid.” The numbers agree. In fact, when the Longhorns fail to outhit their opponents, they’re 1–10. Luckily for the Longhorns, a weekend series against Samford offers an opportunity for the Texas lineup to regain its confidence. Through 38 games this season, the Samford pitch-
brooke crim | the daily texan file Sophomore outfielder Kaitlyn Washington jogs around the bases during Texas’ 3-1 victory over Arizona at Red & Charline McCombs Field on Mar. 3. ing rotation has combined to average a 5.21 ERA, which bodes well for the Longhorns at
We need to make sure we’re playing Texas softball and not playing to the levels of our opponent. Paige von Sprecken, senior pitcher
the plate. Though Texas understands its weekend series must feature drastic improvements at the plate, sophomore left outfielder Kaitlyn Washington says the team can still take some positives from its gritty 1-0 win over UTSA on Wednesday night.
“The fight we had tonight, we have to take into the weekend,” Washington said after the game. “It’s tough to get through a three-game series against the same team, but the fight will help get us through.” Samford arrives in Austin with a record that stands 14 games below .500, and it would be particularly easy for Texas players and coaches to take their upcoming opponent lightly. But if this group intends to accomplish its goals, including a conference title, each opponent must be treated with equal importance. “We can’t take teams light just because they’re not in conference,” senior pitcher Paige von Sprecken said. “We need to make sure we’re playing Texas softball and not playing to levels of our opponent, especially if we want to win a Big 12 championship.” The Longhorns’ series with Samford begins with a doubleheader on Saturday. First pitch at McCombs Field is slated for 11 a.m.
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CHARLES LIU & CHRIS DUNCAN
LIFE&ARTS EDITORS @THEDAILYTEXAN
FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2018
STUDENT LIFE
Students reflect on complex racial experiences Minority students grapple with racist interactions, identity. By Trent Thompson @trentthompsonut
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heatre sophomore Savanna Cole said she was boarding the bus to go home when she noticed an antsy white woman shifting nervously at the sight of her. Cole and the woman took their seats, and the woman casually asked her, “What, do you not want to sit with your compadre?,” referring to a nearby Latino man. Taken aback, Cole said she was unsure what to say, and before she could fully form a thought, the woman left with, “You’re not a lady, you’re a piece of shit.” From a lack of racial diversity to the racism in UT’s historical background, college culture shock is the least of the worries of many people of colors. Cole said she identifies as half Mexican-American from her mother’s side and half Jamaican from her dad’s side, with many different ethnicities blended within. According to UT’s website, only 2.6 percent of students at UT are multiracial — a statistic that excludes Blacks and Hispanics. This is a smaller number compared to the 3.9 percent of students on campus who are black. “That was the first time I’ve directly experienced
mel westfall | the daily texan staff racism like that,” Cole said. “I’ve never heard somebody say something like that because I’ve never surrounded myself with people who have thought like that.” Other than the lack of people of color on campus, Cole said some of UT’s racist history also makes her feel uncomfortable. Cole finds it hard to believe people once celebrated white supremacy so widely on campus after becoming fully aware of the history behind ‘The Eyes of Texas’.”
“I was going to go to a party at Roundup and my friend shared with me a tweet from The Daily Texan about how ‘The Eyes of Texas’ used to be sung as a minstrel song,” Cole said. English junior Allyson Stephens has similar uncomfortable experiences due to her identity as a half Latina, half white person of color. “Back in my hometown, (my race) was easily digestible for a lot of people,” Stephens said. “There was a huge community of people who had the same
sort of experiences, but then coming here feels weird. I don’t feel like I can very easily make friends here.” This lack of diversity and racist history may discourage many, but for theatre freshman Cat Palacios, if it weren’t for attending school here, she would’ve never embraced her Hispanic culture as an Irish-Hispanic individual. “Back at home, I’ve always been assumed to be white or Asian,” Palacios said, referring to her lighter complexion and her affinity for Asian culture. “At UT, a lot of people have been very accepting towards me. If I say that I’m Mexican, people accept it.” A powerful moment in Palacios’ life was the first time she spoke full Spanish in front of her parents in her part of the play “Rosa Blanca” at UT. “I open the show by speaking a full Spanish poem by Jose Marti,” Palacios said. “My parents were just blown away because it was the first time they’ve heard me speak full Spanish in 19 years. For them, it was like seeing their kid walk for the first time again.” With a few instances of racial discrimination in her past, Palacios understands the complexity of the issue and has learned how to press on. “Sometimes these people don’t realize what they are doing is wrong,” Palacios said. “It’s good to be very strong and open about your race, the stereotypes and the problems your race goes through every single day. But at the same time, you want to understand that they sometimes don’t know.”
CAMPUS
Seventh annual Texas Vegfest event ‘plant’ for Saturday By Danielle Ortiz @danielleaortiz
Hosting a plant-based festival in a state known for brisket and barbecue may seem risky, but since everything’s bigger in the Lone Star State, many argue there is plenty of room for a Texas-sized vegan food festival. The annual festival began in 2012. Event founder Adrienne Lusk, executive president of Texas VegFest and a vegan herself, said the festival thrived in Austin and is now entering it’s 7th year. Lusk said the inspiration for VegFest began when Lusk hosted a vegan potluck and concert in Zilker park and wanted to go even bigger. “Austin is an event-centric city, as well as a city that’s been very veg-friendly, so it was
surprising that there wasn’t already a VegFest here,” Lusk said. Today, Texas VegFest is one of the biggest celebrations of local veg-based businesses and is the one day of the year in Austin where vegans and vegetarians gather to eat, drink, listen to music and find company in a few thousand other like-minded individuals. This year, it will take place on Saturday, April 7, at the Fiesta Gardens. Sociology senior Daniela Castro said she is excited to enjoy foods that as a vegan she rarely gets to enjoy. She is looking forward to eating specialty vegan tacos, conchas and carnitas at El Palote, a Mexican restaurant. “I am so ready for this food baby,” Castro said. “Having to drive to one place and find all this food is amazing
victoria smith | the daily texan staff because usually all the good vegan restaurants are downtown.” Amelia Raley, co-owner
of Sweet Ritual, a vegan ice cream shop in Austin, said she became a vendor at VegFest
since the very first festival in 2012, and keeps coming back. “VegFest is our favorite event of the year,” Raley said. “The weather is perfect, lots of new people travel from all over Texas and the USA to attend, and everyone has a lot of fun.” Besides providing a variety of food, VegFest aims to educate attendees through live cooking demonstrations and through guest speakers. “I’ve been able to demonstrate the benefits of a plantbased diet far more effectively through Texas VegFest than any other means,” Lusk said. “It truly is a place where anyone who has even the slightest interest to tangibly see what is available to them and learn how they can incorporate it into their life.“ Raley said she has seen the
fest grow since she joined in the beginning. In fact, last year’s fest brought in twice as many visitors as the first year. This year, 5,000 people are expected to attend. But for those who aren’t vegan or vegetarian, don’t be intimidated, VegFest is open to all. Lusk said the number of attendees who aren’t vegan or vegetarian has grown, and many are eager to learn more about the aspects that are most important to them. Attendees, volunteers and vendors alike cannot wait until Vegfest. For them, it’s a place that they can connect with others. Just glance on the Facebook page and see the excitement. “Whether you’re a Level 5 vegan, or someone who wants to expand their Meatless Monday repertoire, this event is for you,” Raley said.