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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2018
VOLUME 118, ISSUE 142
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O PI N I O N
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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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SNAPSHOT of the WEEK NIGHT OWLS
schedule around your sleep schedule can be difficult, psychology senior Ayo Isola said. “I kind of have to pick the classes that I need and I just kind of hope it fits my sleep schedule,” Isola said. “Sometimes I get lucky, but sometimes I’ll have to take a class at 8 a.m.” Knutson said while it is possible for a night owl to change their sleep schedule, it requires effort and consistency.
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.
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The Healthy Student Organization Program, which has promoted healthy lifestyles in student organizations for the past three years, has reached an all-time participation high and has nearly doubled since its founding to reach 36 organizations. University Health Services initiated the program three years ago. Since then, the program has provided participating organizations with a toolkit, including nutritional guidelines, group workout ideas, community service opportunities and health and wellness resources on campus and around Austin. “One of the best ways to
be active or eat healthy is to hang around people that are doing that,” health promotion coordinator William Mupo said. “That is the power of this program.” In the program’s first year, there were 17 involved organizations, and 24 in the second, Mupo said. The program encourages student organizations to take an active role in ensuring the health and wellness of their members through a rewards system. For every health-related activity completed, the organization earns a certain amount of points, which determines whether they end the year in either a bronze, silver or gold tier. At the end of the year, organizations are rewarded with prizes in the form of donations and student discounts based
on their accomplishments and what tier they are in. Mupo said this year he and his student assistants, Emma Martin and Kacey Davidson, collected a total of $10,000 worth of prizes donated by local businesses. Starting with a total of 12 points, outstanding organizations also receive recognition from Austin City Council. On Thursday, April 12, all 36 student organizations received recognition, including Texas Lady Birds, Texas Taekwondo and Camp Kesem, said Martin, a human development and family science junior. “We got to go to City Hall and sit in on a meeting and receive a proclamation, which is really cool,” said Kiri Chung, operations coordinator of Camp Kesem and mechanical engineering senior. “Then we
got to take a picture with some city council members and got an official award from the City of Austin.” The program was able to achieve its goal of expanding the program by engaging not only with health-based organizations such as Texas Nutrition, but socially and educationally rooted organizations as well. “No matter where the student organization stands in terms of if they are a fraternity or sorority founded in service, or if they’re completely rooted in health and academics, we found that across the board, they can all generally participate in the program, do really well, and even achieve gold status,” said Davidson, a public relations and communications senior.
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elias huerta | the daily texan staff JC Bravo of Team Smurf and Turf is pinned down by Alexander Herzog at Anarchy Championship Wrestling’s Peace, Love and Anarachy event at Mohawk on Sunday.
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“You would need to go to bed a little earlier each night until you reach a desired, earlier bedtime,” Knutson said in an email. “Then you need to keep this schedule even on weekends.” Colbert said students often associate going to sleep late with being more productive, but in reality, students need to sleep seven to nine hours per day to perform well in classes. To get into a regular sleeping schedule, Colbert said students should prioritize sleep when planning their schedules, instead of letting it be an afterthought. Political communication sophomore Ari Hayaud-Din said she budgets her time to do work throughout the day so she can avoid going to sleep late at night. Hayaud-Din said she has never pulled an all-nighter because she knows how detrimental it could be to her performance on a test. “By pulling an all-nighter, anything you would study earlier in the day when you were more aware of it, you’re gonna forget that stuff,” Hayaud-Din said. “And it’s gonna be even harder to remember what you learned at 3 a.m. … I just try to budget my time so I never have to do it, because I can’t imagine how broken I would be if I pulled an all-nighter.”
MCRAVEN
continues from page 1 said these efforts have been McRaven’s priorities. “Chancellor McRaven has a commitment towards supporting education from K-12 all the way through higher education,” Leslie said. “If (people) knew him like I know him, they would appreciate his strong focus on student success.” Fenves said McRaven’s support has been key to improving UT’s four-year graduation rates, which rose to almost 70 percent in 2017. But not all of McRaven’s initiatives were successful. McRaven’s goal to open a new UT campus in Houston
angela wang | the daily texan staff Disney CEO and chairman Bob Iger, right, converses with Moody College Dean Jay Bernhardt in front of a full audience at the Hogg Auditorium on Tuesday evening. Iger offered students advice, discussed Disney’s acquisition of Fox, and spoke about his experience at Disney.
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continues from page 1 control it, someone else does,” Iger said. “You can make silly career decisions out of frustration, and that can be a mistake.” Iger also offered advice to students seeking work in his industry.
turned out to be more of a stride than a quantum leap, because of scrutiny from the Texas Legislature. After the UT System purchased Houston land for $215 million in 2016, lawmakers raised concerns that McRaven’s vision for a Houston campus would encroach on the existing work of Houston universities. Last spring, McRaven apologized and announced the re-sale of the land. “(Lawmakers) needed to see the vision, but they didn’t, and that was my fault,” McRaven said. “Clearly, I could have done a better job.” State Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, said she thinks McRaven handled
“Curiosity is a big part of what I preach in terms of what we look for when hiring,” Iger said. “Go to new places, meet new people … have your eyes wide open.” On the topic of diversity within his company, Iger said representation brings benefits to the community and business.
tense situations in the Legislature well. “There is also some pushback when (visionary) leadership is exerted, which happened with McRaven,” Howard said.” You’ve got to take the swings and arrows as a visionary leader, which I think he did. ”
A strong legacy
For McRaven, one of his proudest accomplishments was leading the UT System’s Cultivating Learning and Safe Environments (CLASE) study, which shed light on sexual misconduct at UT and led to various safety responses last spring. The Board of Regents approved funding for more CLASE-related efforts
“We have to reach out to a creative community that is more diverse than ever before,” Iger said. “It’s critical from a business perspective, and that also accrues benefits to our brand.” Iger’s advice encouraged undeclared freshman Tatum Wiechman, who said she wants to work at Disney.
in February. “It was pretty controversial, but we did it anyway,” McRaven said. “You have to understand the problem to take action.” Leslie said McRaven’s legacy will remain at the UT System even after his retirement. “He leaves behind him great progress and strong foundations,” Leslie said. “He will always be held in high regards by everyone who’s worked with him.”
Returning to the 40 Acres
After stepping down in May, McRaven said he doesn’t have plans for the rest of the year, except to take a “long vacation.”
“What he said about making sure the company is diverse really inspired me,” Wiechman said. “Being a hearing impaired person, I don’t think — maybe I’m wrong, maybe there is — there is anyone who identifies like that currently working for (Disney).”
But next spring, McRaven will return as a professor at UT’s LBJ School of Public Affairs to share his national security knowledge. “I’d like to build a course that’s based on my experiences,” McRaven said. “Looking at how national security theory and practice don’t always work in reality.” Fenves said McRaven will further strengthen UT’s intelligence program as a professor. “It’ll be a tremendous opportunity for students to work and learn from him, so we’re excited to have him be a member of the University of Texas at Austin faculty,” Fenves said.
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2018
CAMPUS
STUDENT GOVERNENT
UT homecoming week to create new traditions for 2018 By Estefania Rodriguez @estefania_rdz13
avery chahl | the daily texan staff Cameron Goodman, a univeristy wide representative, voices his opinion on the racist history of ‘The Eyes of Texas.’ Student Government held a debate in order to discuss the racially charged history of our school song.
SG debates ‘The Eyes of Texas’ Controversial, racist past for fight song stirs up debate. By Katie Balevic @katelynbalevic
S
tudent Government debated on Tuesday about whether to continue singing the University’s fight song “The Eyes of Texas” at its weekly meetings, amidst student and faculty criticisms that the song has a racist history. Before debate began, repn resentatives heard a presentation of the history of the fight song given by Ted Gordon, the vice provost for diversity. “The University of Texas, at least originally, had very clear minstrel connections,” Gordon said. “(‘The Eyes of Texas’) was first sung and played at a minstrel show which featured performers in black face.”
o
for whether they should sing The song was written and the song or not. performed in a period of in“This is definitely about tense anti-black sentiment in Texas, Gordon said. The ques- minstrelsy and past racism,” Gordon said. tion at hand “It’s also defiwas whether nitely about it is possible school pride. to distinguish One question between the It’s meant is whether it song’s racbe both ist past and school spirit for can those things its place as or whether it a University so long that the can be one or tradition and racist part of the other.” declaration of Universischool spirit. the song and the ty-wide repreSG represensentative Cole tatives considracist foundaDeutch sugered whether tion isn’t really a gested that the to stop singing racist connothe song withfactor now. tations are no in their own longer a reality, meetings, a Cole Deutch, tradition that university-wide representative and the song can be used has gone back as an educational tool of the for several administrations. University’s past. Gordon said the song was “It’s meant school spirit for established in 1903 during a so long that the racist part of period of lynchings and Jim the song and the racist founCrow society, but he did not dation isn’t really a factor offer the assembly a solution
now,” said Deutch, Plan II and economics freshman. “I feel like education is enough of a reason to … still use the song.” Jakob Lucas, a liberal arts representative, said the assembly should stand by its values of representing all students. “Unless anyone legitimately thinks that we should add a verse on at the end where we address the systemic oppression that comes from this song … then we can’t address it; we can’t use it as a mechanism of education,” said Lucas, a government freshman. “As representatives, we have to stand by our values … I’d be willing to bet that there are a lot of people who share our concerns.” When the meeting adjourned, representatives did not sing “The Eyes of Texas,” but they may vote to sing it in the future.
LGBTQ
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Republicans, a booth at the upcoming state convention. Experts say the decision highlights tensions between the party’s older, more traditional members and its younger, more inclusive members. Michael Cargill, president of the Austin LCR chapter, said he was disappointed to learn his organization will not be operating a booth. “We need the older generations to let go of these old and hateful ideas, and we need to get the younger generation in there to take on leadership roles,” Cargill said. “The younger generation is focused on things we actually need to focus on.” According to the 2017 UT/ TT poll, young Texans are most likely to support LGBTQ rights, with 74 percent of voters under 30 saying same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. Only 50 percent of voters aged 45 to 64 and
Texas Exes and Student Government representatives met with students at the Alumni Center Tuesday to discuss plans for a homecoming week, which students voted in favor of during SG elections last month. The week may coincide with the Iowa State football game next semester. Students at the meeting said they were hopeful it would connect the UT community and create a tradition to rival those at Texas A&M University, something they said was missing on the UT campus. “I think adding a tradition to the University … down the line could really bring a lot of students together from different parts of campus,” said Adraint Bereal, art design sophomore and SG homecoming chair. “It has the potential to bridge those communities and be something to really embrace the spirit of UT.” Students wanted to ensure that the homecoming festivities would be inclusive and incorporate everyone on campus. Government sophomore Alfredo Valenzuela said it would be best to reach out to all the student organizations to see how they could contribute. “I think it would be really cool to have a homecoming parade
with all the student organizations and Greek life to decorate their own floats and stuff like that,” Valenzuela said. The idea of a parade came up often as a priority in getting students and alumni engaged with the festivities, although some students expressed their worries about the logistics of such an event. “We do need to be a little bit careful … just historically a lot of the kind of parades that have been associated with UT haven’t been super positive,” said Mehraz Rahman, marketing and Plan II junior and incoming SG vice president. “For example, torch light parades or the parades that used to be associated with Round Up — so we need to be cognizant of that.” Other ideas suggested to celebrate homecoming week included a field day, an Orange and White Ball and a homecoming court. Representatives specifically asked for feedback about how to structure the homecoming court in a way that would be inclusive to all students. “A mission of ours is to make (the homecoming court) gender non-binary so that anyone could be crowned,” said Rebecca Spencer, mechanical engineering junior and Texas Exes student ambassador. “We also really want to avoid making it a popularity contest.”
brittany mendez | the daily texan staff English freshman Gabriella Sanchez, right, shows homecoming related photo examples to other students in a discussion this Tuesday at the Alumni Center about the planning of a homecoming week. Texas Exes and Student Government representatives focused on hearing ways to make it a more inclusive event.
42 percent of those 65 or older agreed. Despite generational differences, vetoing an LCR booth at the state convention is unlikely to turn young Texans off from the Republican Party, said Joshua Blank, manager of polling and research at UT’s Texas Politics Project. “There’s no indication that someone who otherwise agrees with Republican ideology would, on the basis of the party’s attitude toward LGBTQ issues, say, ‘I’m no longer a Republican,’” Blank said. “And if the issue of gay marriage is central to their political identity, if it drives how they vote, they would already be a Democrat.” Although he is frustrated with his party’s continued disregard for LGBTQ issues, Lucas said he is still a dedicated Republican. “I choose to stay in this environment because I’m hoping that with continued effort, it won’t be much longer until most of the party is
more accepting of my identity and others,” Lucas said. “But for now, it’s more important that I’m surrounded by people who agree with me on most other issues.” Blank said Texas GOP leadership are unlikely to change their stance on LGBTQ issues anytime soon. “They are aware of the potential costs of excluding LCR from the convention and they’ve obviously determined that the costs are not so great that they should change course,” Blank said. “For Texas Republicans, this orientation towards these issues has been successful for them so far and until it is not successful anymore, it’s clear they don’t see much reason to deviate from it.” For young GOP voters seeking a more inclusive party, Cargill said the only thing left to do is wait. “We’ll just wait for them to die,” Cargill said. “And then we’ll move on and things will get better. They always do.”
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LAURA HALLAS
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @TEXANOPINION
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2018
COLUMN
COLUMN
Paul Ryan should be remembered for his malice
Let’s help professors help struggling students
By Noah Horwitz @texanopinion
senior columnist
Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House, always wanted to be remembered. He is a man of much ambition, with grand plans for reforming social programs such as Medicare or ostensibly caring about the national debt. He is also an acolyte of Ayn Rand’s Objectivism: the brave idea that human beings are not yet selfish enough. So it is fitting that he was undone by a buffoonish, carny-turned-president who has only cared about his own self-interest since being born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Ryan, of course, will not be remembered. He will be relegated to the footnotes of the history books, alongside Copperheads and the Nye Committee, HUAC and the enablers of Father Coughlin. And though it may feel good to find amusement in Trump’s debasement of Ryan, this is a dangerous temptation. Ryan was not a good leader when he was first elected Speaker of the House, when he was the House Budget Chair or when he was Mitt Romney’s running mate. He has always been a liar, a hypocrite and a cruel, vindictive person who could tolerate the suffering of millions just so a few numbers and dollar signs looked better on a spreadsheet. Like Hunter S. Thompson wrote of Richard Nixon, Ryan is a perfect foil for objective journalism. And though Trump’s rise should have put an end to the damned practice of distant, anti-subjective journalism, Washington’s press corps keeps on it. I have no doubt that, like so many others, Ryan is a responsible family man. I bet he is quite affable and personable when dining with ambitious, young reporters. To further quote Thompson, journalism has a “built-in blind spot” for men like Ryan, men who appear on paper to be decent but are not. When Republicans retook the House in 2010, Ryan was at the helm of its “intellectual” offensive. Ryan unveiled his “Path to Prosperity,” an ambitious blueprint with a name out of Maoist China, to make America great again — or something. The plan was modeled after the same ideas Ryan had been pushing since 2008 (when it got a mere eight co-sponsors.) It would have turned Medicare into a voucher program, Medicaid into a block grant program and massively cut discretionary spending while giving tax cuts to the wealthy. These were Ryan’s policy priorities, the things he wanted to come to pass for the country. Ryan was willing to replace their earned benefits of Medicare’s 44 million enrollees — paid for by the payroll taxes regressively levied most severely upon the working class — with coupons that would have been woefully inadequate. Ryan advocated for these dystopian measures because of his pious concern for the deficit. Yet Ryan has always been a gigantic enabler of and contributor to the deficit. He voted for the Bush tax cuts, the Trump tax plan and the Iraq War — content to put them all on the country’s credit card. The Zadroga Act to provide healthcare for 9/11 first responders was too expensive, but a massive giveaway to folks who make their income from inheritance or manipulation of money, rather than the sweat of their brows, was swell. To call Paul Ryan a deficit hawk is like calling John Bolton a foreign policy dove. Ryan’s ascension into power is most tragic, not because of him, but because of what it says about us. A fiscal conservative who came into Congress with a balanced budget will leave it with a $1 trillion deficit. A “compassionate” conservative who advocated the destruction of a 50-year-old social program is blithely indifferent to paramilitary police forces terrorizing an entire race of people on our soil. A decent family man who is a “butfor” cause of the presidency has brought unprecedented shame and dishonor to the United States. Horwitz is a second-year law student from Houston.
By Spencer Buckner @texanopinion
columnist
“If you suspect this student has engaged in scholastic dishonesty, you are urged to report the matter to Student Conduct and Academic Integrity.” This was the only message from the University that professor Lee Walker received when a student dropped his class this semester for mental health reasons. “Why is that our only question?” Walker asked. The answer, it appears, is a continued denial of the importance of student mental health. As UT’s administration continues to grapple with the continued reckoning over campus mental health, it should look into empowering its professors to take a more active role in supporting their students. Due to her struggle with OCD, psychology sophomore Haley Virella is diligent in working with professors to get the accommodations she needs to be comfortable in class. These accommodations aren’t always enough, though. After a mental health crisis, Virella dropped her Italian class last semester. “My professor emailed me in concern a few weeks after I stopped showing up,” Virella said. “Her support helped me feel like I was doing the right thing … she helped me feel justified in my actions, and not guilty (about them).” When Virella dropped her UGS course this semester? Silence. Professors are often the most vital promoter of student mental health, but when the University doesn’t provide clear means for professors to help, students like Virella can fall through the cracks. Kelly Soucy, director of Student Emergency Services, said that over 60 percent of callers to the University’s Behavioral Concerns Advice Line are faculty and staff — often calling about their students. The BCAL, a 24-hour number that anyone can call regarding concerns about any Longhorn, helped direct service to over 2,600 Longhorns last year alone. “Someone called in because their friend was suicidal,” Soucy recalls. “UTPD did a welfare check and made sure that person was safe. That person didn’t harm themselves because of that call.” It would seem like a service that saves lives
rachel tyler | the daily texan staff would be heavily advertised to both students and staff. The BCAL, however, is primarily advertised through word of mouth — something Soucy noted was being worked on. While Walker didn’t know about the BCAL, he nonetheless followed up with the student that dropped his class to ensure that he was healthy. Not all professors have the time or energy to do the same. Why not, then, add a single sentence to the automated email that Walker received that informs professors on how to call the BCAL when a student drops? A simple reminder of the under-advertised resources that we have available could help professors ensure a student gets the help that they need. “It ought to be simple,” Walker implored. “It’s like a fire alarm. Break the glass and hit the button.” “The email comes from the academic side, but we would love to collaborate and be a part of that
message,” Soucy told me. With Student Emergency Services on board, it’s on the registrar to modify the “drop notice” email that professors across campus receive. The registrar’s office, however, was unavailable for comment. The stories of Haley Virella, Lee Walker and Kelly Soucy are telling. Our University has a potential solution at its hands that could bring a Longhorn in crisis the care they need. All it needs is to ensure that our professors are not only aware of it, but able to use it to help their students. Maybe the next time Walker, or another professor, receives a “drop notice” email, it will also say the following: “If you have any concerns about the mental health of this student, call the BCAL at (512) 232-5050.” Buckner is a Plan II and government freshman from Austin.
COLUMN
Students would benefit from practice exams By William Kosinski @ willkosinski
columnist
Many of my friends from my first-year interest group and I are taking a lower-division journalism class together this semester. While we admire the professor and the content of his class, much of the class was blindsided by his first exam. It contained multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions that were confusing for many of us. I think we, and other students at UT, would greatly benefit from a mock exam that prepares students for their professors’ tests throughout the semester. Every professor designs their tests differently. While there are only a few different question styles, such as multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank and short answer, professors have absolute discretion in the way he or she words each question. A mock exam would help students prepare at the beginning of the semester. These tests would only be effective if they truly reflect how the professor asks questions. William Ntsoane, a freshman mechanical engineering freshman, said his physics professor gave him an example of a test earlier this semester that did not reflect the real one at all. “It kind of defeats the purpose of the sample test,” Ntsoane said. “It really should be a suggestion of what is going to be on the actual test.” Ntsoane’s grade took a stronger hit than he expected because he was not able to anticipate the exam he received. Professors should help their students succeed by giving them the framework to most effectively prepare in the future. It is part of a professor’s job to help their students succeed, and in some classes, that success
annette meyer | the daily texan staff depends greatly on exams. Exams have tremendous implications for students who need strong GPAs to transfer colleges, apply to graduate school or earn jobs. Strong knowledge of how a test will be structured, combined with proper preparation, can improve student outcomes in and beyond undergraduate school. Indeed, a study published in the Psychological Science in the Public Interest states that, “Practice testing … received high utility assessments because they benefit learners of different ages and abilities and have been shown to boost
students’ performance across many criterion tasks and even in educational contexts.” A mock test would not only allow students to retain information more effectively, but the improved performance would reflect better on professors. A study in The Journal of Economic Education reveals that higher grades are a “significant factor” in the evaluation of teachers. I certainly believe a professor would be perceived much more positively if they gave students a mock exam. Kosinski is a journalism freshman from San Rafael, California.
COLUMN
UT student leadership can learn from Texas States’ mistakes By Liam Verses @texanopinion
columnist
If you don’t show up, nothing will happen. Nearly half of Texas State senators failed to participate in an impeachment hearing last week for then-student body President Connor Clegg. In short, they failed to do their job. Texas State’s Student Government has had a contentious several months. First, then-student body President Clegg threatened to defund the school newspaper over a controversial opinion column titled, “Your DNA is an abomination.” As confirmed with the Texas State Dean of Students Margarita Arellano, Senator Claudia Gasponi and House Leader Mael Le Noc sponsored articles of impeachment against Clegg because of his use of official Student Government media to voice his opinion and the appearance of his position representing all of Texas State Student Government, which was not the case. The Texas State Supreme Court struck down
the articles of impeachment, but the impeachment charges were reinstated by the Dean of Students on appeal. Last week’s joint legislative hearing could not establish a quorum of senators needed to proceed after 19 Texas State senators failed to show up. This was the second time senators’ absences forced a meeting to be canceled. The first was when articles of impeachment were first being considered. Texas State SG’s Code of Ethics states that “all members of the Student Government have a responsibility to the students at Texas State and should be held to a higher standard as student leaders.” Clearly, if these individuals deliberately failed to show, they are not holding themselves to high standards. We cannot prove that either or both of these was a concerted effort by the senators to undermine the impeachment process. However, Le Noc stated in an email that “it appears that there is quite a bit of overlap between the names of the senators that were absent the first time and (those) that were absent on Wednesday.” Regardless of the nature of the absences, they set a bad example. If representatives sincerely felt that the
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.
impeachment is unwarranted and unfair, there was a process to stop it. They could’ve shown that through open debate or the vote on the impeachment itself. Simply walking away from legitimate hearings is not an acceptable response in any situation. University of Texas student leaders have a lot to learn from the actions this past week at Texas State. Foremost, we should always show up — you chose to be in your roles on campus, whether that’s student body president or Liberal Arts Council member. Secondly, if you abdicate your responsibility, expect blow-back. Thirdly, if you disagree with something, refusing to engage in conversation does a disservice to both your perspective and your peers. Courage and integrity should always be paramount. They should not be seen as political obstacles. Le Noc stated that despite last week’s events, “(they) will keep serving the students the best (they) can.” The issue at Texas State is not about the merits of the articles of impeachment, and it’s not a political issue. This is an issue of ethics, responsibility and leadership. And a good leader cannot exist without
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 former two principles. The Texas State SG Oath of Office says, “(I) will represent the students to the utmost of my ability and will discharge the duties of my office with integrity and honesty.” Even if it wasn’t intentional, not showing up to a hearing is a failure to fulfill an oath of office, disregarding the immense responsibility as student leaders. Margarita Arellano, the Texas State dean of students, said, “If you accept the responsibility and have the privilege of being elected, you have to comply with your duties, you have to be at those meetings, (and) be an ethical leader.” When we allow ourselves to disregard our roles as elected officials, our promises and obligations become little more than mere words on a sheet of paper. Clegg was removed from office yesterday, but the process leading up to that event shows that student leaders must do better. Our ability to resolve conflict depends on it. Verses is a Plan II and environmental engineering freshman from San Antonio.
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2018
DANCE
continues from page 8 that in dance very often, and when I do I don’t usually see it done very well.” Taylor said while it isn’t too difficult for young dancers to get their start in Austin with shows like hers, it’s hard to pay the bills with just freelance dance gigs. “There’s tons of opportunities for young dancers here, but there aren’t as many opportunities to be a full-time company-member here in Austin,” Taylor said. “It’s not really viable to only be a dancer. Everyone has to have other jobs too.” Andrea Beckham, one of Taylor’s former dance professors, said she is impressed
by Taylor’s originality and vision, and is excited to see her performance at Fusebox. “She’s extraordinarily creative and expressive and surprising,” Beckham said. “She’s an interdisciplinary visionary artist.” Taylor said anyone can enjoy her shows, and she aims to create a light-hearted and accessible experience. “Expect to be entertained — that’s my main goal,” Taylor said. “It’s not that serious and it’s not that pretentious. I just want to entertain you.” Taylor is performing with Total Unicorn at 10 p.m. on April 18 at 1500 E 4th St., and in “Search for Flame/ Jupiter” at 7:30 and 9 p.m. on April 21 at Ground Floor Theatre.
YOUTUBE.COM/THEDAILYTEXAN
HEALTH
Students recount mental health side effects from taking birth control pills By Francesca D’Annunzio @ftcdnz
Female college students do not want a painful or irregular period to complicate their lives, and they don’t want to risk pregnancy if they choose to be sexually active. To combat both the issue of menstrual stability and pregnancy prevention, the most common solution for women is to hit two birds with one stone and take hormonal birth control pills. But is it worth the trade-off of mood swings that lead to crying episodes in the car on the way to work or not feeling like yourself? Some women, such as public relations sophomore Shamika Kurian, experience mental health problems when taking birth control pills. Kurian said she began taking the pill to regulate her menstrual cycle. Her doctor told her that mood swings are a common side effect, but she did not feel prepared for what she experienced. “It ruined my life,” Kurian said. “For, like, two weeks, I was pretty severely depressed. … My doctor said that those side effects that I was experiencing were not supposed to happen.” Kurian said she had crying spells that were out of character for her and found herself unable to regulate her emotions. “One tiny thing that someone said would set me off, and I was really upset (all the time) and couldn’t handle it,” Kurian said. “I would ask myself, ‘Why are you crying? You don’t need to cry,’ but I couldn’t stop.” Kurian said her doctor adequately warned her of common side effects but could not have prepared her for the severe depression that she was going to experience. “I don’t think she realized or could have predicted that I was going to have the experience that I had,” Kurian said. “Every woman’s body
channing miller| the daily texan staff is different and takes these things differently.” Electrical engineering sophomore Isabelle Rogers’ experience with the pill was not as short-lived, nor did she have a rapid emotional reaction the way Kurian
did when she began the pill. Rogers said she experienced mental health problems that she believes weren’t caused by birth control, but further exacerbated by it. “I had symptoms (of depression and anxiety) in
high school before taking birth control,” Rogers said. “I think (birth control) just amplified the symptoms. One time, I was downtown with my boyfriend and friends … and all of a sudden I started crying.” When Rogers’ friends and boyfriend asked her what was wrong, as nothing provoked her to cry, she said she didn’t know. “I said, ‘I have no idea, I don’t know why I’m crying I just can’t stop,’” Rogers said. “It intensified the symptoms to where I didn’t feel like myself anymore.” Both Rogers and Kurian said they felt their experiences do not reflect the most common experience women have on the pill. Currently, Kurian has stopped taking the pill altogether to avoid any emotional or mental health issues. “I haven’t (tried birth control again),” Kurian said. “I’m very hesitant to try other pills … I don’t really want that to happen to me again. It took me a while to get over that.” Rogers switched medications instead of stopping the pill altogether, but she is still searching for a better option. “There are different brands based on different needs,” Rogers said. “I’m still on the lookout for what will work best for me.” Kurian said she would warn other women about trying the pill if their family members had negative experiences with it. “I remember my doctor saying that people with the same background tend to have similar experiences,” Kurian said. “I have thought about going on it again, but that experience was kind of scarring.”
BOOK REVIEW | ‘AND NOW WE HAVE EVERYTHING’
‘And Now We Have Everything’ portrays motherhood in brutally honest narrative O’Connell writes her book like a brutally honest diary. From every fear she had, every @_collyn_ moment of questioning if having a child was a mistake If every woman read Mea— she wrote it down. O’Conghan O’Connell’s “And Now nell’s utterly flawed form of We Have Everything,” they motherhood is funny, sad would think twice before and somehow relieving in getting pregnant. O’Connell, a former writer its imperfection. While the book focuses itfor New York Magazine’s “The self on motherhood, O’ConCut,” decided to write her memoir “And Now We Have nell’s musings and questions also touch on the unsure world Everything: On Motherhood of womanhood. O’Connell before I Was Ready” when wraps up the exshe realized the pectation of traworld lacked ditional women an honest, upin their fertility, front look at and the expecthe not-so-great reality of what O’Connell, in all tation of the modern woman pregnancy and in their expectaher questions, presmotherhood tion to not want, really meant. ents the clear bind or rather need, Tracking her and the life from early that most women children fight between pregnancy to find themselves in the said expecthe treacherous tations that ocyear after her — the fight between cur. O’Connell, child’s birth, all her quesO’Connell’s pleasing the world in tions, presents memoir is huaround them and the clear bind morous and that most womheartbreakingly understanding what en find themhonest. O’Conselves in — the nell brings the they themselves fight between reader along for pleasing the want.” every battle she world around faces from her Collyn Burke, them and unimpending and l&a reporter derstanding ultimate mothwhat they themerhood. From selves want. This recurring the choice to keep her baby, theme pops up at all stages to the horrific reality of the 40 of O’Connell’s story, from her hour labor, O’Connell includes choosing to keep her pregnanevery part of being a new mothcy, to choosing a birth plan er that everyone seems to acci- that ultimately fails and not dentally leave out when writ- feeling like the doting parent ing their mommy blogs and she should be. maternity books. While O’Connell’s window The most admirable thing into the world of motherhood about “And Now We Have is intimate and real, it — at Everything” is O’Connell’s points — seems almost too perwillingness to hold noth- sonal. O’Connell shares every ing back in her depiction of single detail of her pregnancy pregnancy and motherhood. as well as her relationship with Instead of reflecting back her fiance. The heavy-handon her pregnancy and first ed oversharing can at some year as a mother with log- points make the reader feel as if they need to turn away ic and a deft editing hand,
By Collyn Burke
courtesy of little brown and company, and reproduced with permission ‘And Now We Have Everything: On Motherhood Before I Was Ready’ is Meaghan O’Connell’s first book and was released on April 10 through Little Brown and Company. and take a breather from the book. While her willingness to share can be commended, it can also make things a little awkward. O’Connell’s musings, especially those of her actual birth can occasionally come across as over dramatic, but hell, I’m sure pushing a human being out of your body is quite a dramatic event. These over-dramatized thoughts that slip into “And Now We Have Everything” only seem to add to the charm, authenticity and humor that makes up O’Connell’s story. At points she seems paranoid about every little thing that could go wrong with her or her baby, and whether or not anyone
actually believed the pain that she was in. “And Now We Have Everything” is the brutally honest and witty take on motherhood that everyone needs, no matter their gender or desire for children. Full of whimsical truths and bright humor, O’Connell is a writer to look out for in the future.
‘AND NOW WE HAVE EVERYTHING’ AUTHOR: Meaghan O’Connell PAGE COUNT: 240 SCORE:
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TRENTON DAESCHNER
SPORTS EDITOR @TEXANSPORTS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2018
BASEBALL
McKenzie plays entire field in Longhorn win Hamilton, Clemens guide Texas offense during 13-2 rout. By Travis Hlavinka @travhlav
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n a night when multiple players registered six RBIs, none of them were the main story. Sometimes truly special games are reserved for truly special players. During a shortened seven-inning home game against UT-Rio Grande Valley on Tuesday night at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, in which the Longhorns won 13-2, senior first baseman extraordinaire Jake McKenzie played all nine positions, including closing the game out on the mound. McKenzie, who has been the definition of a role player since his arrival at Texas, finally got his moment on Tuesday night. “It’s obviously a pretty humbling experience that (Texas head coach David Pierce) would give me that honor to be able to play all nine in one game,” McKenzie said. “He’s putting himself out on a limb doing that, maybe jeopardizing a Tuesday game. It’s a huge honor. I appreciate my teammates. They were all pretty excited for me, which was cool to see.” After seeing McKenzie penciled into the starting lineup at catcher, many expected that
katie bauer | the daily texan staff Senior first baseman Jake McKenzie lines up at the plate at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. McKenzie experienced a milestone night on Tuesday, when head coach David Pierce played him in all nine positions, including pitcher. the move was just to secure him playing time at every position during his tenure at Texas, a goal Pierce mentioned earlier in the season. McKenzie, who earned his first-career start behind home plate, used a total of five gloves throughout the course of the
night, including the catcher’s mitt he barely found and had to dust off. McKenzie began his career with the Longhorns as a walkon who steadily found his way to more regular playing time. He has thrived this season as the Longhorns’ everyday first
baseman. Pierce, who made the decision to play McKenzie the way he did, said the plan wasn’t meant with any contempt for UTRGV — it was in honor of a player who has done so much for his team. “Tonight was not any disrespect to Rio Grande Valley and
definitely not any disrespect to baseball,” Pierce said. “It was a tribute to our true utility guy. And that was exciting to watch. (I’m) really excited we pulled it off. Great job by the team.” The plan was aided by a seven-run second inning that began with a two-run, 408-foot
blast by sophomore shortstop David Hamilton. It was Hamilton’s second homer of the year and the second of his career. Kody Clemens, Texas’ junior All-American second baseman, was not to be outdone. Later on in the inning, he came through in the biggest way possible. After junior infielder Masen Hibbeler was walked to load the bases, Clemens launched a ball into the right-field bullpen for his second grand slam of the season. Clemens, who now has 12 home runs this season, is tied with his brother — former Texas first baseman Kacy Clemens — with the most home runs by a Longhorn in the BBCOR era. Kody, who said he has yet to talk to Kacy about the feat, couldn’t help but smile when asked about approaching the topic. “I’m definitely going to say something to him tonight,” Kody said. “I’m just going to mess with him. We’ll see.” Hamilton and Clemens did the majority of the damage for Texas, combining for 12 of the team’s 13 runs. Once again, the duo showed why they are considered one of the country’s best middle-infield pair. But even still, it felt like on Tuesday they were overshadowed by McKenzie — a former walk-on petroleum engineering student, who has never hit a home run. Guess that’s just the way baseball goes.
SOFTBALL
No. 21 Baylor blanks Texas, snaps Longhorns’ Big 12 streak By Robert Larkin @r_larkintexas
It was an ideal situation for the Longhorns as they entered their matchup with No. 21 Baylor on Tuesday afternoon at McCombs Field. Winners of its first nine Big 12 games, a win would have cemented Texas’ status among the conference’s elite teams. Instead, Baylor junior pitcher Gia Rodoni stole the show, as the right-handed ace picked apart the Texas lineup during a three-hit shutout that propelled Baylor to a 3-0 victory over the Longhorns (26–16, 9–1 Big 12). “I think we had a pretty decent game plan coming in against Rodoni, but we were guessing at the plate,” Texas head coach Connie Clark said. “We didn’t really take the plan and commit to it fully and got in guessing mode, and you can’t do that with quality pitching.” The Baylor ace made quick work of the Longhorns on Tuesday, throwing only 93 pitches along with eight strikeouts in a complete-game effort. “She changes speed really well,” sophomore catcher Taylor Ellsworth said. “I know as a catcher that when she throws the inside pitch and then comes back with the
change, that speed difference is different to the eye, so it makes it really difficult.” While Rodoni fooled Texas hitters for the better part of the game, the opposite was true for Texas senior pitcher Paige von Sprecken in the early going. After a scoreless first inning that featured three hard-hit outs, Baylor sprung an offensive bonanza upon the Texas ace pitcher in the second inning. With the bases loaded following a pair of base hits and one-out walk, Baylor sophomore right fielder Maddison Kettler drove in the Bears’ first run of the game on a sharply hit ground ball to the right side of the infield for a fielder’s choice, giving Baylor a 1-0 lead. Baylor senior center fielder Jessie Scroggins immediately followed suit, slicing the first pitch she saw from von Sprecken down the left-field line for a RBI double that scored two more Baylor runs. The only interruption to Rodoni’s nearly flawless night at McCombs Field arrived in the bottom of the fifth when sophomore shortstop Kaitlyn Slack and junior center fielder Ki’Audra Hayter registered consecutive singles off the Baylor righthander with two outs. But the Longhorns were unable to take advantage of Rodoni’s quick lapse.
juan figueroa| the daily texan staff Senior pitcher Paige von Sprecken delivers a pitch from the mound at McCombs Field. She sits at 10-7 on the season, currently boasting a 1.54 ERA. The senior pitched all seven innings in the shutout loss to Baylor. Freshman second baseman Janae Jefferson skied a pop fly to left field that stranded two runners on base. The brief fifth-inning rally, which accounted for two of the Longhorns’ three hits on the evening, was all the Texas
lineup could muster against a dominant Rodoni, as the Baylor junior made easy work of the Longhorns in the final two frames. “I thought (Rodoni) threw a nice ball game, but she didn’t throw things that we
didn’t work on yesterday,” Clark said. “We put in a lot of work with the off-speed stuff, and we just have to commit to (the plan) on game day.” Texas returns to action this weekend at McCombs Field for a critical three-game
home stand against the No. 24 Oklahoma State Cowboys. “You can’t make (tonight) too big of a game,” Slack said. “You have to make sure you have the little things going and perform like you know how to.”
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2018
SUDOKUFORYOU
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CHARLES LIU & CHRIS DUNCAN
LIFE&ARTS EDITORS @THEDAILYTEXAN
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2018
DANCE
CAMPUS
mel westfall | the daily texan staff
Student encourages use of mental health services elias huerta | the daily texan staff Lindsey Taylor, a former UT dance student, will perform multiple shows at Fusebox Festival, showing off her classical training and love for science fiction.
UT alumna shows off her moves Former dance student to perform multiple shows at Fusebox. By Julia Jones @gubrooke
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hrough movies such as “Napoleon Dynamite,” pop culture tends to present interpretive dance as something to be laughed at. Dance graduate student Lindsey Taylor embraces the humor but adds her background in classical styles in an attempt to reinvent the public perception of interpretive dance. “A lot of people, when they hear the words ‘interpretive dance,’ they don’t take it seriously because no
real dancer would ever use that term, but I do,” Taylor said. “I call it interpretive dance because that’s basically exactly what it is. I’m just interpreting the music.” Taylor has been a part of Austin’s dance scene since graduation, choreographing original works and performing with various groups around the city. She’s performing in two shows at this year’s Fusebox Festival — an arts festival that runs from April 18 to 22 — with the band Total Unicorn and as part of a two-act narrative dance that she choreographed, called “Search for Flame/Jupiter.” The original choreography was inspired by Taylor’s ballet training and love of remakes of classical music, and the storyline for her
performance was inspired by the ‘80s film “Quest for Fire” and her interest in science fiction. “I really have a soft spot for old narrative ballets like ‘Swan Lake,’” Taylor said. “I don’t see much storytelling like that or narratives in modern dance. I really just wanted to tell a story that I didn’t write — something that already existed in the world.” Taylor is making all the costumes for her 10 performers by hand, and fellow Total Unicorn band member Stephen Fishman is creating the animations for “Search for Flame/Jupiter.” One of her dancers, Wendy Rucci, said Taylor’s incorporation of a unique storyline really makes this show stand out.
“I’ve never done anything like this,” Rucci said. “It’s sort of like this in-between of dance and theater. Lindsey is so performative, so she’s been a great source of inspiration to take on these characters. It’s definitely different from other pieces I’ve done before.” She said Taylor’s sense of humor is very prevalent in the piece, especially during “Search for Flame,” when the dancers play cavemen and are encouraged to act a little different from the norm. “I feel really inspired to scratch my armpit and scratch my butt — ways I wouldn’t really act in a contemporary environment,” Rucci said. “There’s a lot of comedy and I don’t see
DANCE page 5
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By Christa McWhirter @chrismac1193
Of the 13,750 students at UT who suffer from mental illnesses, only 2,334 registered with Services for Students with Disabilities under ADHD and psychological disabilities last spring. SSD is a student success program at UT that ensures students with disabilities have equal access to academic experiences by determining eligibility and approving appropriate accommodations. For students with mental illnesses, SSD is logistically very easy to register for, however, it is the silence of people involved that creates an emotional hurdle that can be difficult to get over. With so few people registered and even fewer who openly address their involvement, the registration process can be lonely and isolating. The lack of communication causes students who may need to sign up, like I did, not do so because they feel alone. There is a belief among students and faculty that registering for SSD is an “easy” process and therefore more students should do it. However, it can be difficult for those in different positions to recognize that asking for help with a highly stigmatized mental illness is difficult, and the loneliness it creates is part of the process. This has been my first semester with SSD, and it has provided me with accommodations I didn’t even know were available. It has been important to my academic success and, most importantly, my mental well-being. However, deciding to register for it was one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever made. At 24 years old, I felt distant from my younger peers, and multiple mental illnesses only seemed to deepen that divide. It was as though signing up for SSD — no matter how necessary it was — would make the rift so large that fitting in would be completely out of reach. While this concern weighed
heavily on me, my anxiety had gotten to a breaking point and it was clear there was no other option than to register as soon as possible. But I refused to feel alone. Eliminating physical loneliness was my key to completing the registration process. I asked two of my friends to go with me to the SSD office on the fourth floor of the Student Services Building. Much to my surprise, they came. The whole way there we talked about why signing up would
SSD is logistically very easy to register for, however, it is the silence of people involved that creates an emotional hurdle that can be difficult to get over.” Christa McWhirter, l&a reporter
be a great idea, and I was able to walk into the office and sign the forms with confidence. Although SSD has been a key factor in my academic and mental success, the implications that may arise still weigh on me. After receiving accommodations, it seems like my 19-year-old peers are doing everything I am with little to no assistance and it feels like I should have my life more together by my age. These are not abnormal concerns to have, but it is necessary to realize that they are only concerns and there is no way to tell who may need help but isn’t getting any. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 40 percent of college students don’t seek treatment for mental illness in college. Asking for help and allowing my friends to support me has taught me that despite what I felt going into this, I am not alone.