SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN COMMUNITY SINCE 1900 @THEDAILYTEXAN | THEDAILYTEXAN.COM
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2018
VOLUME 118, ISSUE 142
4 DAYS LEFT 3 TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
N E WS
O PI N I O N
LI FE&A RTS
SPORTS
SG and Texas Exes meet with students to start planning a homecoming. PAGE 3
Professors need an easy way to report concerns about struggling students. PAGE 4
UT dance alumna prepares for performances at this year’s Fusebox Festival. PAGE 8
Jake McKenzie plays all nine positions in Texas’ domination of UTRGV. PAGE 6
CAMPUS
SYSTEM
Walt Disney CEO works magic during VIP speaker series event
Chancellor McRaven will join UT faculty
By Rebecca Stanley @sissyphus_
Under the soft lights of the Hogg Auditorium, students buzzed with excitement as they filled the room, waiting to hear from Bob Iger, chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company. The event took place Tuesday evening as part of the VIP Distinguished Speaker Series, sponsored by the Communication Council and Undergraduate Business Council. Iger spoke on his role as CEO and shared how his path to success was not as traditional as one may expect. “(An) openness to change, willingness to work, commitment to the jobs I was given, passion for what I did (and) a desire to get ahead,” Iger said on what drove his success. “I never had a long-term plan, even when I started. I just basically said, ‘Take the job, do it well, and eventually opportunity will arise,’ and that’s what happened.” Eugene Han, the Communication Council chairman, said he hopes Iger’s success story will empower students and open their eyes to nontraditional paths. “I want to be able to, with these events, express that it doesn’t matter what your first job is,” Han said. “Bob Iger was in 13 different jobs over 13 years at ABC … Pursuing a more diverse career is more helpful.” Iger cautioned against sticking to one’s inital plans. “That’s usually bad because you create an artificial calendar for yourself in terms of achievement, and oftentimes you don’t
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joshua guerra | the daily texan file UT System chancellor William McRaven speaks at the Belo Center for New Media on Feb. 21, 2017. The chancellor is set to step down from his position in May and will return to the 40 Acres next spring as a professor at the University.
McRaven reflects on time as UT System chancellor as it ends. By Maria Mendez @mellowmaria
A
s UT System chancellor, William McRaven has traveled across Texas, meeting students from the System’s 14 institutions — something he will miss when he retires in May. “The thing I like best is seeing students, when you see the impact of the work,” McRaven said in an interview with The Daily Texan. “I’m always inspired by students, particularly by the first in their family to be in school. You realize they will
forever change their families with a college degree.” This is what has made the job worth it for McRaven, who has seen both success and criticism during his three years as the UT System leader. McRaven will continue helping students next spring as a professor at UT — a position that inspired him to take on the job of chancellor.
Rising to the role
Almost four years ago, McRaven delivered his now-famous UT commencement speech as he grappled with an informal proposal to become the UT System’s next chancellor. McRaven, a UT alumnus and the renowned Navy
Seals Admiral credited for organizing the capture of terrorist Osama Bin Laden, was set to retire from the military in 2014, just as the UT System Board of Regents was looking for a new leader. The night of UT’s commencement ultimately chased away McRaven’s doubts about the job. “Frankly, it was just one of those beautiful nights in Austin, and I had the chance to talk to the faculty and the students,” McRaven said in a recent interview with The Shorthorn. “About a month after that I said, ‘Yeah I think this is going to be a good fit for me.’” That July, the Board of Regents announced McRaven to be their final pick
for chancellor and offered him a $1.2 million base pay contract. McRaven accepted the offer, officially becoming chancellor in January of 2015.
Making leaps and strides
Soon after taking office, McRaven used his military background to reshape the UT System into a “team of teams.” Under this concept, McRaven worked to improve communication among UT System administration, universities and health institutions. UT President Gregory Fenves said McRaven hosted bi-monthly meetings with university presidents, which has helped the System become more connected. “One of the things he’s
done very well is improve communication between university presidents,” Fenves said. “I think that demonstrates the type of leader he is, one who recognizes the importance of communication.” McRaven also had his eyes set on larger changes for the UT System. In November 2015, he outlined his vision for the System to “lead in a complex world” through eight goals, or “quantum leaps.” Two of McRaven’s quantum leaps focused on getting more Texas students to successfully enter and graduate college. Steven Leslie, the System’s vice chancellor for Academic Affairs,
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NATIONAL
HEALTH
LGBTQ group’s rejection from GOP state convention highlights tension
Night owls at risk for health issues
By Sami Sparber @ samisparber
Only 32 percent of Alec Lucas’ fellow Texas Republicans think he should have the right to get married, according to a 2017 UT/Texas Tribune poll. But Lucas, the first openly gay president of
UT College Republicans, said he is willing to overlook his party’s “archaic” attitude toward LGBTQ rights because he agrees with its positions on most other issues. “Even though the Democratic Party is more supportive of my rights and my identity, I don’t agree with many of their
viewpoints,” said Lucas, a chemistry senior. “So I wouldn’t feel entirely comfortable there, either.” The Texas Republican Party’s latest snub to the LGBTQ community came last week when party leadership once again denied its largest LGBTQ group, the Log Cabin
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jessica joseph | the daily texan staff Chemistry senior Alec Lucas is the first openly gay president of UT College Republicans. Despite the party’s tensions with LGBTQ rights, Lucas and many other college Republicans stand with the party’s positions on other issues.
By Stephanie Adeline @stephadeline
“Night owls” have a higher risk of mortality and health problems compared to early risers, according to a study published last week. The study, published in science journal Chronobiology International, said people who define themselves as evening types are more likely to have health problems such as psychological disorders, diabetes and respiratory disorders compared to those who define themselves as morning people. Night owls experience a mismatch between their internal clock and the external world, which operates during daylight, said study author Kristen Knutson, a neurology professor at Northwestern University. Knutson said night owls are more common in young adults. “We see a shift toward ‘eveningness’ that begins in adolescence,” Knutson said in an email. “I think you’ll find more night owls in college students than in older groups of people.” Mandy Colbert, UT health promotion coordinator, said college students tend to be night owls due to several reasons, including biological processes. Students have irregular internal clocks because they are in between the adolescent and adulthood stage, Colbert said.
Compared to early risers, night owls are at higher risks of: Psychological Disorders by 94% Diabetes by 30% Respiratory diseases by 23% Gastrointestinal diseases by 22% Mortality by 10% Source: Kristen L. Knutson & Malcolm von Schantz (2018), “Associations between chronotype, morbidity and mortality in the UK Biobank cohort”
rena li| the daily texan staff “Students who are (18 to 21 years old) feel more tired about an hour to two hours later than adults who are older or adolescents who are younger,” Colbert said. “Their bodies are telling them to go to bed at 12 or 1 in the morning, but … classes
can start at 8 a.m.” Because of this mismatch, students who are night owls might need to take classes later in the day to perform better, Knutson said. However, planning your class
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