The Daily Texan 2018-04-19

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SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN COMMUNITY SINCE 1900 @THEDAILYTEXAN | THEDAILYTEXAN.COM

THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018

N E WS

O PI N I O N

LI FE&A RTS

SPORTS

Moody College of Communication changes foreign language requirements. PAGE 2

Thoughts on being courteous regarding pronouns and bus rides. PAGE 4

Local dance company brings art to the community with upcoming shows. PAGE 8

Imani McGee-Stafford triumphs off the court fuels her success on the court. PAGE 6

CAMPUS

RESEARCH

Researchers from Finland study UT concealed firearm carry

By Meara Isenberg @mearaannee

A team of Finnish researchers is studying how the UT community feels about campus carry, which drew global attention when it became state law in 2016.

Senate Bill 11, which was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, states licensed holders may carry a concealed handgun throughout university campuses. It was what brought project leader Benita Heiskanen and her team to UT. “We’re interested in the campus community’s experiences with this legislation, both before and after it passed,” Heiskanen said. “We are explicitly interested in different sides of the story … those who were and are for the legislation, those who against it and those who don’t feel strongly about it either way.”

Heiskanen attended UT for graduate school and now works at the University of Turku in Finland as director of the Center for North American Studies. Following the signing of SB 11 and its enforcement in 2016, she applied for funding to return to UT with a team and study campus carry.

“It’s a very new situation, having concealed carry in educational institutions,” Heiskanen said. “When they introduced that legislation, it really attracted global attention.”

Heiskanen said campus carry is a unique concept to people in

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anthony mireles | the daily texan staff History senior James Moore lounges by the Turtle Pond, listening to music Wednesday afternoon. Contrary to rumors circulating on social media, there are no plans to demolish or relocate the Turtle Pond. It will remain at its current location indefinitely according to university officals.

Never fear, UT turtles will stay here University dispels rumors about Turtle Pond, BOT greenhouse.

By Chase Karacostas & Maria Mendez

@chasekaracostas @mellow_maria

S

tudents were sent into a frenzy Tuesday as horror-film-esque rumors circulated — the turtle pond and the BOT greenhouse might be demolished. However, the turtle pond and greenhouse are not going anywhere, according to

University officials.

The rumors started last night on the “UT LONGmemes for HORNSy Teens” Facebook page. In two separate posts, members of the page said the pond and the greenhouse would be torn down and replaced with “god-knows-what.”

The only construction planned for the area involves a sagging sewer line that needs to be taken out of service, UT spokesman J.B. Bird said.

“The University has been carefully planning renovations to a sewer line near the pond, specifically so as not to disturb the turtles,” Bird said in an email.

“To take it out of service, once

funding is available, the line will be rerouted to avoid any impact on the pond.”

Bird said the University utilities staff said its goal is to have “zero disruption to the pond” during renovations.

The BOT greenhouse, which was closed last fall due to safety issues from fallen glass panels, is also not going anywhere, according to Christine Sinatra, CNS director of communications.

“The turtle pond is a valued space, and we appreciate it,” Sinatra said. “It is used not just for students to study and enjoy but also a place that’s a habitat that our biology students get to observe.”

The College of Natural Sciences also tweeted Wednesday morning in response to the rumors and said the turtle pond is a “much-loved” space, and there are no plans to change it or the BOT greenhouse.

The pond is home to almost 80 turtles, most of which are redeared sliders and Texas river cooters along with a few other species, Sinatra said.

Juan Maestre, a research associate for UT’s Center for Water and the Environment, said the turtle pond is not only an icon of the UT campus, but it is also a

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NATION

CAMPUS

ryan lam | the daily texan staff Students sit on the patio of the Starbucks Coffee shop W. 24th Street. This Starbucks is one of many that will temporarily close its doors in May for racial bias training.

copyright justin hayes, ut dell medical district landscape supervisor, and reproduced with permission UT Landscape Services staff member tends plants on campus.

Austinites reflect on Starbucks’ controversy, racial bias training

Landscape Services Team keeps campus looking good

By Raga Justin @ragajus

A video of two black men being arrested after police said they were waiting for a friend in a crowded Philadelphia Starbucks circulated last Thursday, receiving backlash on social media. On Tuesday, Starbucks announced its decision to shut down 8,000 stores for an

afternoon in May for racial bias training.

Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson released a video statement Sunday apologizing for the incident and announced intentions to train over 175,000 employees on May 29.

“What happened and the way that incident escalated was nothing but reprehensible, and I’m sorry,” Johnson said. “We are going to learn from this.

These two gentlemen did not deserve what happened, and we are accountable. I will do everything I can to ensure this is fixed.”

On campus, not all locations will be affected by the temporary closure. The Starbucks locations inside the Union, Target and Student Activity Center will not be closed for

STARBUCKS page 2

By Brianna Stone @bristone19

With spring in full bloom and commencement right around the corner, the University has been working to keep the campus looking its best. One of the major faces behind the appearance of UT is the Landscape Services Team, a group of staff members responsible for

maintaining 900 acres of land.

Landscape Services, a faction of Facilities Services, is a team of 79 members that manages the main campus, Dell Medical Center, J.J. Pickle Research Campus and other satellite facilities. Though its behindthe-scenes work is often unseen, this staff plays a major role in the appearance and functionality of campus.

“The landscape is the

first thing you see when you come to campus,” said Landscape Services manager Jim Carse. “Whether you’re a student, faculty, staff or visitor, the first thing you see is the grounds, the landscape, the exterior of buildings. That’s the first impression.”

Carse said his team is responsible for mowing,

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THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018

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Moody College revises foreign language degree requirement

By Sol Chase

@solchaseforsure

Foreign language requirements at UT are unpopular among some students, so the Moody College of Communication is modifying its requirements to address these concerns.

According to Kathleen Mabley, the director of marketing and communication for the Moody College, the 2018–2020 catalog will allow students to take a combination of foreign language and culture classes. The new catalog will affect new students coming to UT next fall.

“A student should have new and different perspectives,” Mabley said. “It is a very important part of being an excellent 21st century citizen.”

Students studying communication or liberal arts are required to prove intermediate proficiency in a foreign language, and most other colleges require at least two semesters of language. Some students said they are averse to the language curriculum, citing intense difficulty of the courses and sheer amount of time required to complete assignments and homework.

“It definitely brought down my GPA,” Amanda Booth, a 2017 graduate of the Moody College of Communication, said.

Booth said the language skills she learned have little bearing on her life after college.

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Finland, where gun licenses are mainly issued for hunting purposes, and firearms are prohibited on college campuses. Heiskanen said the study’s findings, which used anonymous participants, will be published not just in academic papers in English but also in some non-academic Finnish publications.

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learning resource. Students will survey the water quality of the turtle pond on Friday as part of the research project UT Biome, Maestre said.

“It’s a teaching opportunity because it is a unique environment on campus,” Maestre said. “It would be very sad to lose. I was relieved (to hear it will not be closed).”

Plant biology junior Margot Deatherage posted on the “UT LONGmemes for HORNSy Teens” Facebook page about the rumors but later corrected herself after learning they were false.

LANDSCAPE

continues from page 1 trimming, trash pick-up, tree work, pest control and irrigation, and they play a major role in the construction of new buildings and how they fit into the landscape. Carse said his staff also picks up trash at every home football game to ensure the campus stays looking nice.

“We feel like we have a pretty big responsibility to keep up (the appearance of campus),” Carse said. “We serve a vital function on campus over a lot of different areas.”

To maintain the staff, Carse estimated its annual budget is around $3 million, which comes from the overall Facilities Services budget.

Justin Hayes, UT Dell Medical District landscape supervisor, said sustainability is a major focus of his team.

“We use all native plants and organic materials,” Hayes said. “We do a lot of composting and make our own compost from ingredients on campus. We have dramatically reduced water usage.”

Hayes said the team’s hard work paid off last year when they received a SITES gold award, the highest rated landscape award in Texas for sustainability.

The Dell Medical District is unique in that it has a rooftop garden that is seven stories

mel westfall | the daily texan staff “Of course I’m not using Danish in my personal or professional life,” Booth said.

“I think the honest truth is that proficiency isn’t really marketable enough to sell.”

The difficulty and time intensity of language classes often push students to look for alternatives.

According to Mabley, 47 percent of graduates from 2013 to 2017 fulfilled their requirement by transferring credit from other institutions, primarily community colleges.

Sociology senior Lisa Sanders said the University should consider waiving the requirement in some cases, particularly for students returning to college after years away.

“The time you have to put into learning a language is more than most non-traditional Four of the study’s six team members are currently conducting research at UT and have different backgrounds that Heiskanen said will bring diverse perspectives to the study. For example, Heiskanen said one team member is specifically studying gender while another is focused on the law’s effects on the general Austin community.

“I am interested in the intersection of visual and spatial culture,” Heiskanen said. “So,

“I’m glad that I was wrong about it if it meant the turtles can stay safe,” Deatherage said in the updated Facebook post.

Deatherage said the outpour of student responses still helped emphasize the importance of the turtle pond to the UT community.

“I’m just glad (because of) how many people showed their love for the turtle pond,” Deatherage told The Daily Texan.

Bird said this situation represents how quickly unfounded rumors can take hold on social media.

“These rumors prove that a lie can spread halfway around the world before a turtle can walk around the pond,” Bird said.

from the ground. In addition to work around the Dell Medical School, Hayes said his team does a lot of creek restoration work throughout campus.

Landscape architect Lisa Lennon said Landscape Services often solves environmental and campus issues through natural solutions.

“There was a huge slope by the football stadium along a handicap ramp, and every time it rained, there would be mud on the ramp and it would have to be closed,” Lennon said. “Last summer we used native grasses and turf grass to hold the soil in place so that dirt and rocks didn’t wash onto the ramp when it rained.

It was less expensive than building a wall (to hold back wash off).”

Lennon said her team has also solved other flooding and drainage issues around campus using plants.

“We like to solve problems using natural materials,” Lennon said. “We try to find plants that serve environmental purposes but that will also look good. We try to use one solution to cover those bases so it’s more sustainable.”

Lennon said there is always room for improvement on campus, and her team plans to spruce up plant beds along Guadalupe Street and begin projects outside the Performing Arts Center and School of Public Affairs in the near future.

students have,” Sanders said. “They expect us to finish in two years. That’s not really plausible.”

Research suggests difficulty learning foreign languages may stem from the way it is taught in American schools. According to a 2015 study by Pew Research Center, only 7 percent of bilingual Americans learned their second language in a classroom.

Katharine Nielson is the chief education officer at Voxy, a language-learning company based in New York City. In a 2014 Forbes article, she wrote educators spend too much time on grammar when they should encourage conversations.

“What (students) need instead is the chance to use language the way it was intended, as a tool for communication,” Nielson wrote.

I’m interested in the signage, both the official and the counter-signs that faculty have put on their doors for example.”

Heiskanen said the team will visit UT multiple times over the next four years.

During this visit, they focused on talking to students, staff and faculty who are experts on the law.

Quinn Cox, an accounting junior and southwest director of the national organization Students for Concealed Carry,

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the training because they are not company-owned.

Media outlets reported affiliated stores will be receiving related training materials afterward.

Another store located on W. 24th street will shut down for several hours, an employee said. And the Starbucks located in Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium will close permanently in early May, unrelated to the incident in Philadelphia, according to an employee there.

The manager of the Philadelphia location called 911 to report the two men, who police said were waiting without ordering anything, for trespassing. Police who responded were met with backlash from other customers.

The content of training and who will be administering it are still unknown.

Robin Schneider, a member of activist organization Undoing White Supremacy Austin, said positive results from training could cause a culture change within Starbucks if done well. However, its effectiveness cannot be known until the content of training is released and analyzed.

“These uncomfortable conversations are necessary processes, and a lifelong process,” Schneider said. “There are no quick fixes. One day of training is not going to be magic.”

Melanie Scruggs, a global policy studies graduate student, said Starbucks should talk to the activists said it’s important to recognize that before the 2015 law, concealed weapons could be carried on campus since the mid1990s, and SB 11 only extended the scope to campus buildings.

“All this law did was allow individuals to essentially take it into classrooms,” Cox said.

“It wasn’t really that much of a change, and I feel that the student body is seeing that.”

Ana López, a Plan II and health and society junior who helped found the Students

and organizations protesting to see what they should do differently. “‘Implicit bias’ is corporate jargon for white supremacism and racism,” Scruggs said in an email.

“I’m concerned that they are trying to make their white employees comfortable, which defeats the purpose.”

Psychology junior Shamiran Prater said she regularly visits Starbucks and often sits there waiting to meet friends for 30 minutes to an hour without ordering anything.

“Nobody ever told me that I had to leave,” Prater sad. “No matter what excuse (the manager) puts out, there’s nothing that can actually justify it.

Maybe this is actually their policy, but choosing to apply that regulation to only those black men is racist.”

In his video statement, Johnson said local practices vary regarding customers who don’t order anything, and that the Philadelphia store was following custom. On Monday, protesters at the Philadelphia Starbucks briefly shut the store down, while Johnson met with the two men — who have not been identified — to apologize.

Prater said she may continue to be a habitual customer depending on how Starbucks handles training.

“I’m really on the fence right now,” Prater said.

“But I want to believe this is Starbucks actively trying to fix a problem they know is an issue, rather than a PR gimmick.”

Against Campus Carry organization at UT and took part in organizing the 2016 “Cocks Not Glocks” protest on campus, said even though there have been no incidents at UT related to campus carry, she still feels like her ability to express herself and her beliefs “is chilled by the presence of handguns in classrooms.”

“Thankfully we haven’t had any incidents, but I shouldn’t have to worry about them ever happening,” López said.

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8THURSDAY, APRIL 19 , 2018

CAMPUS

CAMPUS

UT continues effective energy sustainability practices

By Brooke Vincent @brooke_e_v

danielle henderson| the daily texan staff

Students call for gender non-binary registration code

By Katie Balevic @katelynbalevic

Student leaders are calling for the establishment of a non-binary gender code to better represent all students in University records.

This initiative — which would affect student records, transcripts and housing — would require changes in the registrar’s office, particularly in how the office obtains students’ gender identification.

“A non-binary gender code would be the addition of the letter X to the current M (male) and F (female) options that students have on file with the registrar,” said Benjamin Solder, Student Government speaker of the assembly. “This affects every University file from diplomas and transcripts to housing applications.”

The effort started with an attempt to institute gender-inclusive housing so students can indicate which gender identity they prefer rooming with. As those conversations progressed, Solder said he found University housing does not generate its own gender data but pulls it

from the registrar’s office.

“There is no non-binary gender code, which would in turn affect the housing policies that we want to see changed,” neuroscience junior Solder said.

“There is a clear genderqueer population that is not being served by the University’s policies at the moment, and it is our job as your elected representatives … to advocate for that student population.”

Emily Brehob, a graduate global policy student who identifies as non-binary, said a new gender code could be impactful for herself and the LGBTQ community.

“I personally would feel very validated by that,” Brehob said.

“It’s really important for me to find communities that are welcoming and then embrace those communities, rather than depending on the entire UT community to be willing to talk about non-binary genders.”

Conversations about non-binary students are rare on campus, Brehob said.

“Often when we think about representation or acknowledgment of non-binary students, it’s often at a very low level,” Brehob said. “Having it be something

official would be really helpful.”

Ann Cvetkovich, the chair of the President’s Ad Hoc Committee on LGBTQ Initiatives, said establishing a non-binary gender code is a priority item for the committee.

“We are trying to meet with administrators who would have the power to make that change,” Cvetkovich said in an email to the Texan.

Cvetkovich said they only have the power to make a recommendation to the UT president, which they have done but have not received a response.

“We are only at the very beginnings of exploring the possibility and have gotten no indication that the University will make this change; we are still just at the stage of asking for change,” Cvetkovich said.

Still, the change is worth making if it increases representation and validation of non-binary students, Brehob said.

“I exist, and we exist,” Brehob said. “This costs very little and makes our lives better and allows us to be adequately and accurately represented in our school … There’s no reason that it shouldn’t be part of the official system.”

Through all of the expansion and construction, UT still uses the same amount of natural gas as it did in 1976 when there were nine million less square feet on campus than there are today.

UT powers its campus with the same amount of natural gas because of conservation and sustainability efforts that improve efficiency of its resources.

“To be honest, we’re so efficient that our cost of power doesn’t allow us to use green wind or solar because we’re too cheap,” said Juan Ontiveros, associate vice president of Utilities and Energy Management. “Our form of good for the environment is being more efficient.”

There are more than 150 buildings on campus that are completely powered, heated and cooled by the Carl J. Eckhardt Combined Heating and Power Complex central microgrid. The cost of power using natural gas is six cents per kilowatt hour, compared to the cost of wind or solar at around 14 cents.

“By being more efficient and effective, I use less fuel,” Ontiveros said. “We’re also emitting less combustive exhaust from our systems. We’ve avoided (nearly) a million tons of carbon dioxide exhaust since 1997.

That’s a lot of cars.”

The Eckhardt plant allows the heating, cooling and electric processes to interconnect and feed off of the waste or byproducts of another system, such as excess steam being used for heating.

“I think the greenest aspect is that we operate in a holistic way,” Onitveros said. “Holistic means you are looking at all the pieces at one time. You operate them simultaneously

geo castillas | the daily texan staff the best they can. If you do that, that makes it extremely efficient.”

Money saved from the efficiency of the power plant goes back into the department to replace old equipment or work on capital improvements in older buildings.

“You use money to make money that goes back in,” said Matt Stevens, building energy and resource steward for Facilities Services. “We’re hoping with that budget to do more infrastructure type improvements, especially on some of the older buildings. Some of these HVACs (heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems) are 30-plus years old.”

The Sustainability Master Plan goal to reduce energy consumption at the building level by 20 percent was

achieved this past quarter.

The new goal is to reduce energy by an additional two percent each year.

“The main thing we can affect and change is heating and cooling,” said Adam Keeling, energy engineer for Facilities Services. “There’s a long list of things you can do to those, the biggest one is scheduling.”

In 2014, UT was the first Performance Excellence in Electricity Renewal certified campus in the world because of the electricity system design, an award of which Ontiveros said he is incredibly proud.

“The things that we do here are pretty unique,” Ontiveros said. “Everyone is following us; they’re trying to catch us. That’s a good position to be in. Of course that’s the position we’re in.

We’re Texas, right?”

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LAURA HALLAS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @TEXANOPINION

THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018

COLUMN

UT should host December graduation ceremonies

By Caleb Wong @calebawong

senior columnist

Most students who graduate in December can’t walk in a fall commencement ceremony.

The College of Liberal Arts and the College of Natural Sciences stopped hosting December commencement ceremonies in 2017. University-wide December ceremonies don’t exist.

That means that many of us have to walk early or next year in May. No one gives medals to athletes who haven’t finished a race— so why would I want to be recognized at graduation when I haven’t completed all of my classes?

As student loan debt continues to climb over one trillion dollars, graduating in eight consecutive semesters can help students save money so they can begin the next phases of their life sooner. The 2012 report published by the Task Force on Undergraduate Graduation Rates encourages students to graduate in four years.

“We really want students to identify with their graduation classes,” said COLA spokesperson David Ochsner. “We canceled the December ceremony to keep focus on graduating on time and graduating in May.” But does “on time” really mean graduating in May? Many of us have worked to graduate early, taken a semester off to pay for school or to pursue amazing opportunities that don’t fit with the academic calendar. I’m proud of graduating in December. UT should recognize these efforts by allowing us to walk during the same semester we graduate.

Moreover, hosting graduation ceremonies in May suggests that graduating in four years is the priority, intellectual curiosity be damned.

Consider Colin Traver, who was prevented from walking with his preferred school because he realized his love of English literature too late.

Traver took an extra semester to graduate with degrees in English and communications studies. He ended up walking in the Communications school’s fall ceremony, although he would have preferred to participate in the Liberal Arts graduation ceremony.

The University should treat all of its graduates equally by making it easier, not harder, to celebrate finishing their time at UT.” victoria smith | the daily texan staff “I would have liked to had the option to attend a liberal arts ceremony in December,” Traver said. “I would have seen a lot of classmates who I took a lot of English courses with.”

Not every December graduate will be so lucky to be able to participate in a fall commencement ceremony. Those moments

might not happen for students who can’t come back for the May graduation ceremony.

Some of us might move for jobs across the country. Parents, too, would feel devastated if their children couldn’t walk in May. Students should not have to choose between graduating in May or making the most of their college experience. The University

COLUMN

should treat all of its graduates equally by making it easier, not harder, to celebrate finishing their time at UT. This May, I will be happy to walk across that stage to collect my diploma, and I will cherish every moment I have with them. I’ll be frustrated, but also glad to walk at all.

Wong is a Plan II and government senior.

COLUMN

Study shows importance of respecting trans identities

By Sam Groves @samgroves

senior columnist

A new study conducted by UT researchers that was published in the Journal of Adolescent Health shows an undeniable link between the mental health of transgender youth and the extent to which those around them respect their gender identity. The study found that those who were consistently addressed by their chosen name “experienced 71 percent fewer symptoms of severe depression, a 34 percent decrease in reported thoughts of suicide and a 65 percent decrease in suicidal attempts.”

For simply asking to be addressed by their preferred names and pronouns, those in the transgender and genderqueer communities face all manner of ridicule.”

For simply asking to be addressed by their preferred names and pronouns, those in the transgender and genderqueer communities face all manner of ridicule. Speaking broadly, many conservatives (and even some liberals) see the idea that we ought to respect other individual’s gender identities as frivolous at best and a threat to their free speech at worst.

Some commentators attempt to dismiss this issue as persnickety liberal identity politics. Conservative pundit Tucker Carlson recently denied the existence of a “transgender community” and scoffed at the concept of gender-neutral pronouns. In a similar vein, Jordan Peterson, a controversial University of Toronto psychology professor, came to prominence in part by bashing a proposed Canadian law that “could have made the refusal to refer to people by the pronouns of their choice an actionable form of harassment,” insisting, “I don’t recognize another person’s right to determine what pronouns I use to address them.”

Moreover, among some anti-transgender pundits, it’s fashionable to “misgender” transgender public figures whom you dislike or disagree with — that is, to refer to them in a way that doesn’t reflect their gender identity. Kevin Williamson, who was recently hired and then promptly fired by The Atlantic, did this to actress Laverne Cox back in 2014, and the National Review’s David French did this to activist Chelsea Manning in 2017.

Perhaps they don’t realize that these choices have a real impact on the well being of others. Perhaps they don’t understand that when a group’s very humanity is up for debate, the way you choose to address members of that group can matter a great deal.

Or perhaps they just don’t care. Whatever the case, these findings shed light on the concrete significance of respecting transgender identities and underscore how normalizing this kind of disrespect can impact the lives of real people: It’s not just a matter of words.

Groves is a philosophy junior from Dallas.

GALLERY

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.

yulissa chavez | the daily texan staff

geo casillas | the daily texan staff

Thank your bus driver. It will make you happier.

By Tarek Zaher @zaher_tarek

columnist

If you don’t thank your bus driver already, you’re probably not convinced by the argument that they work long hours for meager wages and so thanking them is just “the right thing to do.” However, I’m going to make the case that even for the most egocentric how-does-it-benefit-me-and-me-only type of people, thanking your bus driver can be a selfish act.

We’ll get to the cold, hard scientific data in a minute, but first let me tell you an exaggerated anecdote rooted in authentic experience that illustrates the kind of Machiavellian benefits I’m proposing you’ll get from thanking your bus driver.

A few months ago I took the bus to school every day from Riverside, and sometimes I’d see others throw out a ‘thank you’ when exiting. But not me. That was more social engagement than I could muster so early in the morning, and it had consequences. The thing about bus drivers is that they have to adhere to a strict arrival and departure schedule, which means that every now and then they leave behind a sprinting Riverside student with a final exam in 15 minutes.

If you do thank your bus driver, however, things are different. Bus drivers remember kind passengers, and in return for the recognition you give them, they’re happy to sacrifice an extra minute to wait for you as they see you rush towards the bus. It’s much easier for them to do favors for someone they know is always grateful.

So there you go. Thanking your bus driver can be an act of pure self-advancement, no matter your intentions.

I acknowledge that it might seem mean to write. Essentially, it is a how-to guide for manipulating bus drivers’ emotions to get them to do you favors. But I have to confess that this is purely a rhetorical device on my part. In truth, we should all be genuinely grateful for our bus

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drivers, both for the services they provide us and for many of their funny, kind-hearted personalities. To those passengers who aren’t already convinced by this, though, just because you don’t express appreciation for your bus drivers now doesn’t mean thanking them can’t benefit you in the long term.

Additionally, in one famous 1993 experiment, researchers found that when subjects deliberately smiled, regardless of their mood, they could feel the same positive emotions that can cause a smile in the first place.

Thanking your bus driver everyday will eventually coax your brain into feeling the pleasure that comes with doing the right thing.”

Gratitude works in the same way. According to a study published in the journal Cerebral Cortex, gratitude, genuine or not, stimulates the hypothalamus (a key part of the brain that regulates stress) and the ventral tegmental area (part of our “reward circuitry” that produces the sensation of pleasure).

Whether or not your intentions are entirely self-serving at first, science shows that simply going through the motions of gratitude can eventually coax your brain into feeling the pleasure that comes with doing the right thing.

Even if you couldn’t be less bothered by it now, thanking your bus driver everyday will eventually make you feel truly thankful, and what’s more is that you’ll profit from doing so.

So next time you depart a bus, be selfish — say thanks to your bus driver. You’ll be happy you did.

Zaher is a government and European thought sophomore from Hudson.

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5

THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018

TELEVISION

‘The Simpsons’ addresses decade-old controversy with Apu character

By Trent Thompson @trentthompsonut

The walls of white washing and stereotypes that TV and film built tower quite high. As the levels of accountability of misrepresenting ethnic groups in the media has increased, content creators have become more aware of the influence they have.

The latest struggle for increasing representation and ending racial stereotypes in media surrounds the iconic Apu Nahasapeemapetilon of “The Simpsons.” While widespread contempt for Apu began in 2007, Michael Melamedoff’s 2017 feature-length documentary “The Problem with Apu” generated further discussion about the Springfield convenience store owner.

“The Simpson” addressed this controversy on a recent episode that aired Sunday, April 8. Critics say the issue was shrugged off in an interaction between Lisa and Marge, which ignored arguments against the characterization of Apu. It’s difficult to say why controversial characters such as Apu remain for so long and new racial stereotypes appear even after years of criticism.

Charles Berg, a radio-television-film professor, teaches a class on Latino images in film and said he’s given a lot of thought towards the issue of stereotypes in TV and film.

victoria smith | the daily texan staff “My theory is if your group is 10 percent or less of the population, you have a better chance of being stereotyped,” Berg said. “You’re such a small percentage of the demographic that people don’t care if your feelings are hurt. Once you get to be over 10 percent, all of a sudden you are a market.”

According to the 2010

US census, the Asian Indian population in the US rose from 0.6 percent in 2000 to 0.9 percent in 2010 compared to the total population of the United States.

As Berg continues to observe film, he has seen a positive change as Latino stereotypes has become less severe. However, he said that

he has noticed a trend as one minority becomes well represented, another takes its place.

“It’s getting better for Latinos, but does that mean there is going to be another group that is below 10 percent that is going to be stereotyped?” said Berg. “100 years ago, the Irish were stereotyped. Then

they became assimilated and they started making movies.

But what happens next is there is always another minority or immigrant group.”

Going up against a corporate giant such as the entertainment business can be daunting. However, as future generations of filmmakers rise, the tolerance for this

kind of behavior may shrink.

Skylar Jones, one of these potential filmmakers and radio-television-film freshman, realizes the power is in her hands as an aspiring screenwriter.

“There are people like me that have to sit down and say, ‘Alright I have this privilege,’ so I have to keep that in mind while writing,” said Jones. “If we can make products that are inclusive and normalize people, then we are going to see the rippling effects throughout our country and even the world.”

Jones said she believes the media should normalize individuals from minority backgrounds.

“Normalization is important because in today’s political climate, anybody that fits out of our perfect box that the media has created is ostracized,” Jones said. “I really do think the media is the first step to changing people’s minds and opening up people’s hearts.”

Berg said the issue of media representation is complex, stretching farther than correcting behavior and pointing out those who have done wrong.

“It’s a big social problem and we are all involved in it, which means we all have a stake in working on it,” Berg said. “It’s just a matter of society catching up and realizing, ‘Well, wait a minute, you shouldn’t be doing that.’ Until somebody says that, you don’t even think about it.”

jacky tovar | the daily texan staff

BEES

continues from page 8 state park,” Ballare said. “I think we are unique in Austin, for how aware people are of planting native species, but I think other cities could reap those benefits as well, if we increase awareness of the necessity of native plants to bees.”

Richard Horak, cell and molecular biology and Plan II junior, is a member of the UT student beekeeping organization Beevo, who said there are many ways in which students can get involved, particularly if they have a green thumb.

“If you have a little planter or a balcony, planting native plants is one of the

REGGAE

continues from page 8 of the Food Bank, said that since the festival evolved into a paid event, the Bank now receives a portion of ticket sales in addition to food donations. Pena said the Food Bank carefully selects organizations and events to partner with.

“We work with partners who are willing to get creative and really have a passion for our mission,” Pena said. “We make sure to do everything we can to help them represent us in the best possible way.”

Austin’s constant celebration of live music helps explain the festival’s regularly large turnout, but Hugh Forrest, co-coordinator of the festival, said that reggae is not as popular as it was when the festival first began.

best ways to help,” Horak said. “Another way is if you are growing vegetables or other produce, you can sort of fence those in with native plants and that allows for greater pollination.”

Horak also said a messy yard, though an uncommon resource for students living in Austin, can be a boon to native Texas bee species which nest in the ground.

Horak said native bees are responsible for the majority of pollination in the state, which is the greatest benefit the insects offer humankind.

“A lot of emphasis has been placed on honey bees,” Horak said. “However, honey bees are actually not the best pollinators, even as far as bees go. What does the majority of the pollination

are native bees and solitary bees that don’t actually live in the hives you think of.”

Although Horak said some of the first steps to bee conservation include providing a food and water source as well as a habitat for nesting, there are ways students with limited yard space and higher balconies inaccessible to bees can become involved.

Local beekeeper Tara Chapman of Two Hives Honey in southeast Austin said awareness of the variety in local bee species and an avoidance of swatting at bees are a helpful step in the right direction, which can grow into an active cultivation of bees.

“What you can do that’s even easier than planting

something in your backyard is supporting local, organic sustainable farmers,” Chapman said. “They are the ones that are doing the most, that are giving our bees good, clean food to eat and not using pesticides.

Also, supporting your local beekeepers, because just as there’s big agriculture practices that generally don’t take into consideration ethical practices of the animal, or soil conservation, all of that stuff applies to beekeeping.”

Chapman added that if Austin residents should spot a swarm, it is important to remember they are mostly harmless and should either be left alone or a beekeeper should be called to collect them.

“Liberty Lunch was a club in Austin in the 1980s, and it was kind of the center of the reggae scene then,” Forrest said. “It has since been torn down as the reggae scene has died down.”

Forrest said that while some regulars of Liberty Lunch frequent Flamingo Cantina on 6th Street, a new hub for reggae, the lack of internationally renowned reggae artists has contributed to the genre becoming more niche.

“Bob Marley was the biggest reggae star there had ever been,” Forrest said.

“Since he died in 1981, I think until there is another star of that magnitude, reggae will be more of a niche than a mainstream commodity.”

Despite the shrinking reggae community, the festival remains popular among Austinites who attended the

festivities last year. Since its inception, the event raised over $1,000,000 to feed hungry families, leading to 2.3 million meals for the Food Bank and nearly 376,000 meals last year alone. The festival has been Central Texas food banks largest annual fundraising event for s everal years.

“I think that really reflects a lot of the sentiment of some of the best reggae music,” Forrest said. “It’s all about empowering people without a voice, giving back to the community, and speaking truth to power.”

Undeclared freshman Sophia Cantor plans to take her sister visiting from out of town to the festivities.

“My sister and I are very laid back, so we wanted to go somewhere that wasn’t too expensive where we could be outside and experience that

famous Austin eccentricity,” Cantor said. “This festival is such a cool way to enjoy relaxing music and support a really great local cause at the same time.”

Forrest said that his only concern for the festival’s success is the weather, and that in the case of rain, festival attendees may only consist of hardcore reggae fans rather than a mix of newcomers.

Regardless, Forrest said he is excited for the festival, which he has been involved in for over 20 years.

“It’s a celebration of the spring and the coolness and weirdness of Austin,” Forrest said. “I love the music we have, but what I love even more is getting to help the community, and our neighbors get back on their feet. It’s an amazing thing to be a part of.”

6

TRENTON DAESCHNER

SPORTS EDITOR @TEXANSPORTS

THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

FOOTBALL

Imani McGee-Stafford finds light in dark times

Longhorns gear up for spring game, weather

McGee-Stafford continues her triumphs on and off floor.

By Justin Martinez @jthesportsdude

O

n the surface, Imani McGee-Stafford is used to winning.

The 6-foot-7-inch center for the Atlanta Dream comes from a family of champions. Her mother, Pamela McGee, is a WNBA Hall of Fame inductee and a 1984 U.S. Olympic gold medalist. Her half brother, JaVale McGee, is a 2017 NBA champion.

But during a childhood when people knew her mostly because of her last name, McGee-Stafford found herself in a constant battle for both her identity and her life.

McGee-Stafford grew up in chaos. Her parents divorced when she was 3 years old, launching a nasty custody battle that saw her mother get jailed for two days for contempt of court.

Her father, Rev. Kevin Stafford, claimed Pamela McGee’s nomadic lifestyle as a professional basketball player wasn’t a proper environment for their daughter, and the court granted him full custody.

While McGee and her son returned to Flint, Michigan, McGee-Stafford found herself 2,300 miles away in Inglewood, California. Devoid of any contact with her mother, she spent her childhood bitter and depressed.

“I blamed my mom for her absence,” McGee-Stafford said.

“In your head, you have this perfect picture of what your parents are supposed to be, but in reality, they’re still human.

My parents weren’t prepared to have kids, and I saw the effects of that.”

That depression intensified when McGee-Stafford’s step brother sexually molested her at the age of 8. Unaware of what was happening, she remained silent as the assaults reoccurred for the next four years.

McGee-Stafford took another plunge at the age of 10 when she stumbled upon court documents from her parents’ divorce. The files revealed every heart-wrenching detail, including a claim by both sides that she was first molested as a toddler.

The revelation struck McGee-Stafford’s core.

She reached for some headache medication and downed a handful of pills, intent on ending her life.

To her disappointment, she survived.

McGee-Stafford suffered in silence, her father unaware of the cause of her near-death experience. By the age of 15, she had attempted suicide on three separate occasions. The series of close calls even landed her in a treatment center for two weeks.

McGee-Stafford’s father put his foot down and kicked her out of the house, forcing her to live with various

katie bauer | the daily texan file Texas head coach Tom Herman works with sophomore quarterback Shane Buechele (left) and freshman quarterback Sam Ehlinger (right). Herman coaches in his second Orange-White game Saturday.

By Keshav Prathivadi @kpthefirst

joshua guerra | the daily texan file Former Longhorn center Imani McGee-Stafford drives past Oklahoma State center Kaylee Jensen on Feb. 25, 2015. family members.

With neither parent in the picture, McGee-Stafford turned to basketball. Despite being 6 foot 4 inches by the age of 13, she struggled to live up to the family name.

“Everyone expected me to be good, but I was terrible the first time I played basketball,” McGee-Stafford said. “It made people upset, but it made me tougher and gave me a chip on my shoulder.”

McGee-Stafford kept at it, becoming the nation’s No. 11 recruit in 2012. She took a chance that summer, making the 1,400-mile journey to visit the University of Texas.

The California native fell in love with the Longhorns’ coaching staff, the campus and the “Keep Austin Weird” culture.

Her family wanted her to play at USC, where her mother won two national championships, but McGee-Stafford wanted to blaze her own trail. On Nov. 12, 2011, she committed to Texas.

McGee-Stafford’s freshman year was a struggle, though, as the Longhorns went 12–18, leading her to consider quitting the team.

Instead, she found Tasha Philpot during her sophomore year. The government professor served as a mentor to Nneka Enemkpali, a teammate of McGee-Stafford. Once Philpot got through to McGee-Stafford, she became her confidant.

“She was very headstrong at first, but it was like night and day once I got close to her,” Philpot said. “To know Imani is to love Imani, and I just watched her grow.”

McGee-Stafford also found an outlet in poetry, joining the “They Speak Austin” poetry team. Although she’d been writing since the age of 12, McGee-Stafford finally began reading her work in public, pouring out her emotions in a therapeutic,

judgement-free environment.

“I credit (Texas) for saving my life,” McGee-Stafford said.

“I’d dealt with everything myself for so long, so to be in an environment where people genuinely cared about me was really big.”

Things continued to improve for McGee-Stafford. Tensions with her father dissolved after she told him of the sexual assaults, and she established a relationship with her mother and half brother.

With a proper support system in place, McGee-Stafford dominated on the court. The rim-protecting center averaged 11.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game during her senior season, leading the Longhorns to their first Elite Eight since 1990.

Those accomplishments were recognized on April 4, 2016, when McGee-Stafford was selected with the No. 10 overall pick in the WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky. Now with the Dream, McGee-Stafford spends her offseason raising awareness for the importance of mental health, speaking at events such as the Black Student-Athlete Summit in January 2018. “(Imani) is a survivor,” her mother said. “She’s incredibly gifted, and I never worry about her because I know that she’ll just get things done. She has this internal desire to be great no matter the circumstances, and she inspires me.”

The 23-year-old continues to write as well. She published a book, “Notes in the Key of Heartbreak,” on Jan. 29. McGee-Stafford is also in the process of starting a nonprofit called the Hoops and Hope Foundation, which meshes sports and arts while advocating mental health.

“My goal is to be the person that I needed when I was younger,” McGee-Stafford said. “If I can encourage just one person to keep going, then it’s worth it.”

Football comes with a lot of uncertainties. While a fumble, blocked kick or dropped pass is controllable, there’s one thing that’s not — the weather.

As the Longhorns gear up for their the Orange-White game Saturday night at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, they’ll have to take a look at the sky above in advance.

A high chance of rain and a possibility of thunderstorms rolling into Austin this weekend could hamper Texas’ first night spring game in almost a decade.

But for Texas head coach Tom Herman, this is the last of 15 available practices — and he’d like to have it regardless.

“Everything is still on the table,” Herman said. “We’ll find a way to get that 15th practice in.”

No matter when the game is played, the TV cameras are sure to follow them. And with it, opposing teams will too, so don’t expect too much trickery for Saturday’s game apart from a

play-action shot once in a while.

“Hopefully (the fans) will see a more cohesive offensive line,” Herman said. “And to the naked eye our guys look better.”

Spring football has seen the Longhorns go from running non-contact position drills to basic scrimmages to game situations. An increase in complexity has also been met with an increase in intensity, and that’s what Herman has been looking for since day one of practice.

Through it all, Herman said he has seen improvement from his players. Junior defensive end Malcolm Roach, senior defensive lineman Charles Omenihu and junior wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey are among those who have exceeded the second-year Texas coach’s expectations.

It’s also worth noting Texas’ trio of freshman defensive backs, Anthony Cook, Caden Sterns and BJ Foster, have all gelled into defensive coordinator Todd Orlando’s scheme and look to fill the void left by NFL-bound Longhorns.

Even with the improvement on the field, Herman and his

staff are still looking to get more out of a stagnant running game this spring.

“I hoped we would have made a little more progress with some of the tailbacks,” Herman said. “That’s not to say they’ve regressed. I haven’t seen quite the level of improvement (I’ve wanted to).”

Expect Texas to focus heavily on the run game and nail basic plays down during Saturday’s affair.

As spring practice winds down, Texas is also presented with its first game week in almost four months. Along with it comes some excitement in the locker room.

“It’s nice to finally have a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel,” Herman said. “I do think there’s an anticipation by our guys.”

Along with all the pregame bells and whistles set up by Herman and the athletic department, the real whistle will go off when the lights shine on Saturday night. Assuming the weather holds up, Texas will be one step closer to getting back on track.

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 another student o organization at KVRX and TSM.”

Go to supportstudentvoices.org today to contribute to the next generation of leaders in media!

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THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018

SUDOKUFORYOU

Today’s solution will appear here next issue

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CHARLES LIU & CHRIS DUNCAN

LIFE&ARTS EDITORS @THEDAILYTEXAN

THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018

CITY

Mexican culture dances in Austin with ‘Bajo La Luna’ Ballet East Dance Company collaborates with UT Mariachi Ensemble for showcase.

By Liliana Hall @lilihallllllll

K

nee pain becomes part of the gig when dancing flamenco, a traditional Spanish dance. This pain ultimately pushed Rodolfo Mendez, a dancer who performed on the cement floors of clubs in Spain for nearly nine months, to move from center stage to the wings in 1978 and create the Ballet East Dance Company in East Austin.

Mendez has served as the company’s artistic director and taught folklórico dance to kids for nearly 40 years.

This is the third year that Ballet East is performing “Bajo La Luna” (“Under The Moon”) for its spring showcase.

The show is a collaboration between Mendez, the Ballet East Folklórico dance group led by choreographer Miguel Marroquín and the UT Mariachi Ensemble led by Ezekiel “Zeke” Castro.

“I ultimately wanted to bring the arts back to my community,” Mendez said. “I work hard so these kids don’t have to pay for anything because they can’t afford dancing shoes when they are $65 a pair.”

A native Austinite, Mendez joined the Peace Corps after attending the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York City.

anthony mireles| the daily texan file Miguel Marroquin rehearses how to dance with a bandana with his rehearsal group at the Metz Recreational Center in East Austin on Monday evening. In its third consecutive year, Ballet East, alongside the UT Mariachi Ensemble, presents Bajo La Luna for the spring 2018 production of traditional folklorico dance at the Pan American Hillside on April 20--21.

Mendez spent three years in Costa Rica and Chile, during which he created an outreach program using theater and dance as a medium to develop communities. Mendez said he has always had the energy in him to use dance to help kids to realize their full potential.

Mendez’s adolescent and young adult students, some of whom he has taught since they were in elementary school, will perform Jalisco and Guerrero during “Bajo La Luna.”

The show’s dances were choreographed by Marroquín, a

former dancer at La Compañía Nacional de Danza Folklórica and Amalia Hernández Ballet Folklórico in Mexico.

Marroquín said he has worked with Mendez since he moved from Mexico City to Austin in 2014.

“I see these kids as how I used to be,”

CITY

STUDENT LIFE

Austin Reggae Festival preserves community

By Jordyn Zitman @jordynzitman

Eccentric people, relaxed vibes and good music are quintessential aspects of any great music event, and the Austin Reggae Festival delivers these in spades.

In 1994, Austinites began gathering at Auditorium Shores to enjoy performances by reggae music rachel tyler | the daily texan staff stars, an experience that at

Marroquin said. “Most of them are from low income families, not with many resources, as I was growing up. I see these kids and I see myself. It is the first time that I am working with children, and it is pretty rewarding because I am teaching them but they are also teaching me.”

Alongside the folkloric dancers, the UT Mariachi Ensemble will be playing pieces as directed by their maestro — anything from “La Bamba” to “Alma Llanera.” Castro, who has plans to retire this year, has had a whirlwind of a career. From building the mariachi program from the ground up in Austin Independent School District to leading a group of mariachi players from Travis High School to Washington D.C. to play in the 4th of July parade, Castro said he not only loves getting young people to accept mariachi music but to love it.

“When you love mariachi music, you develop a passion for it,” Castro said.

“My goal is for these kids to understand not only the music but the history of mariachi so they can appreciate it as much as I do.”

Castro has worked with Mendez for a number of years and said he loves performing in East Austin because it is where he grew up.

“I am very proud that I grew up in East Austin,” Castro said. “Playing at the Pan American Hillside is my way of paying back to the people that have supported me … I never understood it, but I think I understand it now. We are Hispanic, and we have to support each other.”

the time only cost a donation of two canned goods for the Central Texas Food Bank. This spring marks the festival’s 25th anniversary, where from April 20 through 22 thousands will gather to support the same cause, enjoy reggae music and celebrate the Austin community.

Felicia Pena, community engagement director

REGGAE page 5

Austin bees buzz on, UT students can help in conservation conversation

By Brooke Sjoberg @sj0b3rg

The hype surrounding the honey bee may have student beekeepers abuzz with conservation ideas, but this type of bee is not the only one which requires attention in Texas.

With a rise in temperature comes a rise in bee activity. While bee populations in Austin are

generally better-off than bees in other urban areas, according to research from the Jha Lab, there are still ways for students to help ensure the longevity of these vital pollinators.

Bees are important to sustaining human life and are subject to scientific research. Kim Ballare, a graduate student in the College of Natural Sciences, has been researching native bees with the Jha lab. She said

Austin is a particularly good urban area for bees, as much local landscaping incorporates native wildflowers and other flowering plants which bees can eat.

“Even in downtown Austin, as long as an area had enough habitat for these native species, the number of bees and number of species that were there, were similar to a more rural area or

BEES page 5