SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN COMMUNITY SINCE 1900 @THEDAILYTEXAN | THEDAILYTEXAN.COM
TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018
VOLUME 118, ISSUE 146
N E WS
O PI N I O N
LI FE&A RTS
SPORTS
Attorneys set pretrial hearing to discuss evidence in Haruka Weiser case. PAGE 2
Columnists critique financial bars, computer science plagiarism standards. PAGE 4
Austin’s psychedelic music festival, Levitation, returns with a new format this week. PAGE 8
Zach Zubia looks to get back on track against defensive-minded Cougars. PAGE 6
EDUCATION
Students choose rigor or low tuition for summer courses
STATE
By Mason Carroll @masonccarroll
With summer right around the corner, students must decide if they want to take summer courses at a fouryear university like UT or at a community college like Austin Community College. Depending on the school, summer classes can range from $1,200 to more than $1,400 per hour, according to the UT Tuition website. According to the ACC website, summer classes cost $50 per hour. Aerospace engineering junior Caroline O’Neal has taken summer classes at both UT and at a community college and said value is a huge benefit of community college courses. “For bang for your buck it’s more community college over UT, in my opinion,” O’Neal said. “When you get that diploma, it says, ‘UT,’ not, ‘Also classes taken at this community college.’ And at the end of the day you’re getting a degree from UT but not paying as much for those summer classes.” Joey Williams, director of communications, said there are many advantages to taking summer classes at UT, and students can only take their first-year signature course on campus. “We encourage students to take the courses that they can at UT to make sure that you’re taking classes with a really high level of rigor so you really get the benefit of
SUMMER page 3
anthony mireles | the daily texan staff Undeclared sophomore Joshua Deleon walks past the school suppiles section inside the basement of the University Co-op’s Guadalupe location on Monday afternoon. The Co-op is attempting to re-focus its business model as online retailers and other local stores are undercutting the Co-op’s prices, causing a five-year streak in operation losses.
Co-op combats five years of losses The University Co-op focuses on main store in order to break even. By Meara Isenberg @mearaannee
T
he University Co-op has faced hard financial times over the past five years, posting millions of dollars in operating losses and closing multiple satellite stores across the state, according to the Austin American-Statesman. However, the Co-op has made
an effort to turn this around by focusing the past two years on improving its main store on Guadalupe Street, and CEO Cheryl Phifer said it may make a fiscal profit for the first time since 2013. “We are in fiscal 2018 now … and we’re probably going to break even,” Phifer said. “We might be just slightly positive, or just slightly losing money, but that’s a huge turnaround from where we were.” The Co-op closed three satellite stores in Fort Worth, Houston and on Dean Keeton Street in Austin during 2016 and 2017. Its two remaining satellite stores, located in San Antonio and Plano, will close
when their leases are up in December and 2021, respectively. Phifer said the Art and Supply Co-op, also located on the Drag, will be closed and consolidated with the main Co-op store when its lease is up in a few years, but there won’t be any changes to the inventory or staff. Michael Hasler, senior lecturer and chairman of the Co-op board, said the rise of online shopping has decreased the need for the satellite stores to stay open. “The profitability of those satellite stores has dropped pretty significantly with the advent of e-commerce,” Hasler said. Hasler said closing these stores
CAMPUS
is part of the Co-op’s plan to refocus its attention on the main store on the Drag. The store has undergone many changes in the past few years, which Hasler said has contributed to the Co-op’s increased profitability. Those changes include adding non-UT and Austin-related merchandise, emphasizing the online store and changing the layout of clothes in the store to be less packed in. “The products are displayed in a different way where it’s a lot nicer, neater (and) a lot more open and
CO-OP page 3
CAMPUS
It’s On Us organization hosts first Spring Week of Action By Stephanie Adeline @stephadeline
As Sexual Assault Awareness Month comes to a close, UT’s chapter of It’s On Us is hoping to make an extra push for sexual assault prevention through its first-ever Spring Week of Action. It’s On Us, a student organization sponsored by
UT’s Title IX office, will host events throughout the week focusing on promoting consent, bystander intervention and supporting survivors. Briana Torres, It’s On Us campus organizer, said through these events, the organization hopes to emphasize that sexual assault prevention is everyone’s responsibility. “It’s not just on the sur-
vivor to reach out for assistance,” said Torres, a Plan II and English sophomore. “It’s on us, it’s on you, it’s on me.” Their first event, Coffee for Consent, will be Tuesday in the West Mall, where students can get free coffee and discuss what consent means, how to ask for consent and what consent is not.
ACTION page 2
ashley nava | the daily texan staff Not On My Campus group members wear denim in solidarity of “Denim Day” to spread awareness of victim blaming. NOMC is a student organization commited to ending silence surrounding sexual assault.
Not On My Campus fights sexual violence with Denim Day By Madelyn Reiter @madireiter_
Student organization Not On My Campus will bring Denim Day to UT on April 25 in an effort to raise awareness about sexual assault and the effects of victim blaming. In 1992, a driving instructor
in Italy was convicted of raping an 18-year-old student in a secluded alleyway. However, his conviction was later overturned in 1998 when the Italian Supreme Court ruled that because the victim wore tight jeans it must have been consensual sex. “Basically, it was blaming what she was wearing because
this man wouldn’t have been able to remove (the jeans) himself,” said Maddi Weinstein, NOMC director of outreach. “So they inferred that she had helped, in which case it would be consensual.” The court’s appeal initiated an international movement to
DENIM page 2
mel westfall | the daily texan staff
2
TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018
LECTURE
This issue of The Daily Texan is valued at $1.25
PERMANENT STAFF Editor-in-Chief Laura Hallas Assoc. Editors Liza Anderson, Jaree Campbell, Cuillin Chastain-Howley, Josie Maclean Senior Columnists Elizabeth Braaten, Laura Doan, Noah Horwitz, Caleb Wong, Ryan Young Forum Editors Vik Shirvaikar, Janhavi Nemawarkar, Liza Anderson
Assoc. Video Editor Audrey Black, Peyton Young Photo Editor Juan Figueroa Assoc. Photo Editor Brooke Crim, Carlos Garcia Senior Photographer Katie Bauer, Anthony Mireles, Angel Ulloa, Angela Wang Life&Arts Editor Chris Duncan, Charles Liu
Managing Editor Ellie Breed
Assoc. Life&Arts Editor Andrea Tinning
Assoc. Managing Editor Tyler Horka, Forrest Milburn
Sr. Life&Arts Writers Collyn Burke, Ruben Paquian, Brooke Sjoberg
News Editor Catherine Marfin
Sports Editor Trenton Daeschner
Assoc. News Editor Lisa Nhan
Assoc.Sports Editor Alex Briseno, Vanessa Le
News Desk Editors Will Clark, Hannah Daniel, London Gibson, Anusha Lalani, Wesley Story, Brittany Wagner Senior Reporters Chase Karacostas, Maria Mendez, Brianna Stone, Allyson Waller Beat Reporters Stephanie Adeline, Katie Balevic, Mason Carroll, Meara Isenberg, Raga Justin, Anna Lassman, Sara Schleede, Tehreem Shahab, Sami Sparber, Brooke Vincent Copy Desk Chief Bella McWhorter Associate Copy Desk Chiefs Kirsten Handler, Taylor Presley, Ryan Steppe Design Editor Sunnie Lee
Senior Sports Reporters Steve Helwick, Drew King, Justin Martinez Comics Editor Melanie Westfall Assoc. Comics Editor Geo Casillas, Rachel Tyler Senior Comics Artists Annette Meyer, Jeb Milling, Channing Miller Digital Editor Alexandria Dominguez Web Editor Natalie Heineman Sr. Social Media Editor Carlos Garcia, Samantha Shaps, Tirza Ortiz Science & Tech Editor Julianne Hodges Assoc. S&T Editor Freya Preimesberger
Art Director Rena Li Senior Designers Andrea D’Mello, Clio Harralson, Aaliyah Jenkins, Paolina Montes
Senior S&T Reporters Areeba Khwaja, Alastair Talbot Podcast Director JT Lindsey Assoc. Podcast Director Morgan Kuehler, Rachel Zein
Senior Graphic Designers Mingyo Lee, Mallika Gandhi
andre fernandez | the daily texan staff Executive Producer Raymond Mansfield speaks to students about his personal experience in the film industry Monday afternoon. Mansfield drew on his success from his recent work on Academy Award-winning film “Get Out”.
Producer of ‘Get Out’ inspires RTF students
Podcast Technical Producer Dani Matias
Video Editor Thomas Negrete
Editorial Adviser Peter Chen
ISSUE STAFF Columnists William Kosinski, Rohan Batlanki, Abby Krishnan, James Treuthardt Comic Artists Andrew Choi, Leslie Tang, Katerina Vasquez, Elaine McMurray, Nathan Dinh, Serena Romero Copy Editors Brittany Miller, Jason Lihuang, Cuillia Chastain-Howley Designers Haley Pevsner, Mireya Rahman
Illustrators Diane Sun L&A Reporters Tiana Woodard, James Preston Poole, Hailey Howe, Liliana Hall News Reporters Madelyn Reiter, Miles Eackles, Gracie Awalt Photographers Jamie Powers, Ashley Nava, Andre Fernandez Sports Reporters Keshav Prathivadi, Dawson Hinkley, Shane Lewis
CONTACT US
By Gracie Awalt @gracieawalt5
When nearly 70 people in a lecture hall on Monday were asked how many had seen the Academy Award-winning film “Get Out,” everyone in the room raised their hands. The film’s executive producer Raymond Mansfield paused, looked around and said, “Thank you.” Mansfield visited the Belo Center for New Media on Monday afternoon as a part of the Media Industry Conversations program. Mansfield graduated from UT-Austin with a degree in radio-television-film in 2000 and currently lives in Los
Angeles as a founding partner of QC Entertainment company. Mansfield said his time at the Moody College of Communication sparked his interest in film production. He advised Moody College students to stay positive and be open to all opportunities because the film industry is expensive and full of expectations and large egos. “There are a lot of reasons not to do something, but it’s important to focus on the reasons you should,” Mansfield said. “Everyone starts off thinking that they know everything. We know all of the reasons why something isn’t going to work. Tell me all of the reasons why it can work.”
The program, organized by screenwriting professors Alisa Perren and Cynthia McCreery, gives RTF students an opportunity to see the diversity of career opportunities by engaging with Moody College alumni who are currently working in the film industry. McCreery said films like “Get Out,” which was produced for $4.5 million and grossed $250 million worldwide, prove that you don’t need a lot of money to produce a good film. “Everybody has a different story of how they made it in the industry,” McCreery said. “Students get to see women and people of color in the industry, making Hollywood seem less far away. They also get to see
people just like them, if they’re from a small town and their parents weren’t Steven Spielberg.” Although unsure of what she wants to do in the future, Emma Rappold, radio-television-film sophomore, said she is interested in directing and listening to Mansfield helped her be realistic about her future career in the film industry. “A lot of film students dream really big which isn’t necessarily bad,” Rappold said. “You don’t know how to manage dream versus expectation versus reality, because that’s a hard line to draw. Hearing from multiple people in the industry helps you figure out what success looks like.”
MAIN TELEPHONE
CRIME
(512) 471-4591
Haruka Weiser murder trial date set
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Laura Hallas (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com
MANAGING EDITOR
Ellie Breed (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com
By Anna Lassmann @annalassmann
NEWS OFFICE
(512) 232-2207 news@dailytexanonline.com The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely. If we have made an error, let us know about it. Call (512) 232-2217 or e-mail managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com.
AUSTIN WEATHER TODAY Apr. 24
HI LO
TOMORROW Apr. 25
88º 62º
HI 81º LO 56º
feel free to share your wrong opinion with everyone, that’s fine
BUSINESS & ADVERTISING (512) 471-8590 advertise@texasstudentmedia.com Director Gerald Johnson Business/ Operations Manager Frank Serpas III Advertising Manager Emily Cohen Assistant Advertising Manager
Account Executives Tim Bauer, Diane Byram, Julianne Phillipp, Paulina Siller Product Manager Stephen Salisbury Senior Graphic Designer Amanda O’Brien Production Zac Crofford
Colten Crist
A pre-jury hearing for the Haruka Weiser murder case took place at the Travis County Courthouse Monday morning in the 167th District Court of Judge David Wahlberg. The attorneys for the case said they are still waiting for the results of DNA testing. The trial for Meechaiel Criner is set to begin July 9 and will last two weeks. A two-day pretrial hearing angel ulloa | the daily texan staff was requested by the attorneys Attorney for Meechaiel Criner, Ariel Payan, waits in court on Monday morning to speak before a judge to bring in experts to discuss the regarding the case of the murder of Haruka Weiser. Criner did not make an appearance, but another evidence. This pretrial is set for pretrial is set for June 9.
ACTION
continues from page 1
Ashka Dighe, It’s On Us member and neuroscience and Plan II freshman, said it is important to clearly define consent, and this event will help bring up the topic to students who might just be passing by on their way to class. “A lot of people are in situations where they are kind of okay with things, but not really, and have a hard
time speaking up for themselves in those situations,” Dighe said. Isabella Fanucci, a psychology and speech language pathology junior, said she is interested in coming to Coffee for Consent because it is a great way to start conversations about consent in an informal way and reach out to students who might not come to a formal sexual assault prevention training. “It can draw in people just to get a cup of coffee, but they will leave with knowing
more about how to have a healthy relationship and how to practice consent,” Fanucci said in an email. It’s On Us will also host a workshop Thursday in collaboration with the Title IX office and SAFE Disability Services to address ways to support survivors with disabilities. On Friday, the organization will start a social media campaign called #ItWasAwkwardBut, where students can share experiences with intervening
in situations where sexual assault might have occurred, Torres said. “Yes, it is awkward to step up in situations like that,” Torres said. “But the campaign is to show that people do it, and it’s better if you do, because you’re going to be helping either yourself or someone else surrounding you.” Fanucci said she has had multiple experiences intervening in situations that could have led to sexual assault, and she has had friends help her out of an
June 19 and 20. Criner did not make an appearance in the courtroom. Criner was indicted on capital murder charges in June 2016 for the on-campus death of Weiser, a UT dance freshman, in April 2016. The indictment accused Criner of sexually assaulting Weiser and killing her by strangulation. Weiser was reported missing on April 4 when she failed to return to her residence hall after a dance rehearsal the previous night. Weiser’s body was found on April 5 in Waller Creek behind the Etter-Harbin Alumni Center.
uncomfortable situation. Stopping an assault before or while it is happening is hard but necessary, Fanucci said in an email. “I lost several friends from one incident where I intervened,” Fanucci said in an email. “But my mentality is that I would rather interrupt something people have consented to and (have) them be mad at me than to not intervene and someone get hurt … If you don’t choose to stand up and help, who will?”
THE DAILY TEXAN MAIL SUBSCRIPTION RATES $60.00
One Semester (Fall/Spring) Two Semesters (Fall & Spring)
$120.00
$40.00 One Year (Fall, Spring and Summer) $150.00 Summer Session
To charge by VISA or MasterCard, call 4715083. Send orders and address changes to Texas Student Media, P.O. Box D, Austin, TX 78713-8904.
ADVERTISING DEADLINES Monday
Wednesday, 12 p.m.
Tuesday
Thursday, 12 p.m.
Wednesday Thursday Friday Classified Word Ads
Friday, 12 p.m. Monday, 12 p.m. Tuesday, 12 p.m. 11 a.m. (Last business day prior to publication.)
COPYRIGHT Copyright 2018 Texas Student Media. All articles, photographs and graphics, both in the print and online editions, are the property of Texas Student Media and may not be reproduced or republished in part or in whole without written permission. The Daily Texan, a student newspaper at The University of Texas at Austin, is published by Texas Student Media, 2500 Whitis Ave., Austin, TX 78712. The Daily Texan is published daily, Monday through Friday, during the regular academic year and is published once weekly during the summer semester. The Daily Texan does not publish during academic breaks, most Federal Holidays and exam periods. News contributions will be accepted by telephone (471-4591), or at the editorial office (HSM 2.120). Entire contents copyright 2018 Texas Student Media.
DENIM
continues from page 1
spread awareness on sexual assault and victim blaming, said Kyle Zagon, NOMC head of interfraternity council. Organizations on college campuses across the country, such as the University of California system and Harvard University, have encouraged students to wear denim on the anniversary of the ruling. For the first time ever, NOMC will bring the event to UT, calling attention to the issue on campus. Already, 200 students have shown interest, said Rhea Shahane, NOMC director of administration. “It’s never the survivor’s fault,” said Shahane, a Plan II and history and government junior. “We found a statistic on our April boards that showed 1 in 3 people blame survivors for their assault if they were flirting with their perpetrator beforehand.” Victim blaming can range anywhere from asking why the survivor wore such revealing clothing to why
he or she drank so much, Weinstein said. “Lots of people don’t come forward because they expect this negative response,” said Weinstein, international relations and global studies junior. “There was a survey taken at UT a couple of years ago, and over 60 percent of people have never either reported or confided in someone about their assault until this anonymous survey.” In addition to urging students and staff to wear denim, NOMC will also host a forum to discuss the presence and impacts of victim blaming in the West Mall from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday. “This is a really important year considering the #MeToo movement and what occurred on campus, like some of the vitriol around certain student government campaigns and certain professors,” government sophomore Zagon said. “I think it’s important how we frame this topic and think about it in ways that we can improve our school and society as a whole.”
StarofTEXAS
MEXICAN MARTINI
2 YEAR WINNER OF THE
HOME OF THE
MARGARITA BesRt N STATE DA IN THE
ONLINE CONTEST
TEXAS STAR · 409 WEST 30TH ST., AUSTIN, TX 78705 · 512-477-2935
3
TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018
CAMPUS
Panel shares tragic stories, offers solutions
Immigration panel talks deportation and its effect on families. By Miles Eackles @muleseackles
T
he election of President Donald Trump has brought many controversial policies regarding immigration and deportation, and people who oppose the legislation spoke at a panel on Monday. The panel, titled “Deported Women Panel: The Plight of Individuals and Families Returning to Mexico,” was held in the Benson Latin American Center
and co-sponsored by the Mexico Center and the School of Law’s Latin American Initiative. Four distinguished speakers discussed the nuances and effects of deportation on the emotions of many Latin American immigrants. With a focus on female immigrants, the speakers discussed the vulnerability that undocumented female immigrants feel in regard to lack of protection by U.S. laws. The Violence Against Women Act, passed in 1994 by former president Bill Clinton, was meant to improve criminal justice regarding domestic violence, rape, dating violence and stalking. However, this piece of legislation does not protect
undocumented immigrants. Denise Gilman, director of the Immigration Clinic at Texas Law, said there’s a certain level of fear felt by undocumented women claiming their rights due to threat of deportation. “Under the VAWA, many protections are given to a woman, but undocumented women run the risk of being caught and potentially deported even if they were involved in an abusive relationship,” Gilman said. During the discussion, it also was mentioned that multiple Travis County and surrounding area sheriffs collaborate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport undocumented citizens
every day. Gretchen Kuhner, director of the Institute for Women in Migration, said this is putting a psychological strain on the children of many undocumented immigrants. “In the minds of the children who are too young to know about deportation, thoughts of abandonment such as, ‘Why did you leave me?’ and, ‘Why did you forget about me?’ become prevalent in their minds,” Kuhner said. “One instance I witnessed was a woman breastfeeding her own child and then being caught by ICE. That was the last time she has seen her baby.” Sociology professor Nestor Rodriguez said Roberta S.
CO-OP
continues from page 1
airy,” Hasler said. “Now, I think the shopping experience at the Co-op is more like going to Target than going to Walmart.” Phifer said in the coming months the Co-op will focus on meeting the needs of faculty by accommodating the increasing role of e-textbooks and interactive materials. Phifer said there will also be a change this fall to the Co-op’s rebate program, which will be replaced with an upfront discount for
jamie powers | the daily texan staff Gretchen Kuhner, the director of the Institute for Women in Migration (Instituto para las Mujeres en la Migraciòn) speaks on the consequences of rampant deportation of Mexican women living in the United States. Jacobson, the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, will be leaving office in May. This gives Trump the power to appoint a new ambassador. “The U.S. Embassy is working hard to make ICE more personable and reasonable when it comes to deportation,” Kuhner said. “We’ve actually gotten much better, but that all might change when a new appointee gets elected.”
students, staff and faculty. “It probably will not start out as high as 10 percent, which is where the rebate was, but we want to get to a good amount, and then the goal is to continue to add to that as our financial situation improves,” Phifer said. Marissa Dunagan, studio art freshman, visits the Art and Supply Co-op for supplies for her classes and said she would be fine with the consolidation as long as there is no change to the products offered. “If they are careful to keep in high regard the amount
that students really do need the art Co-op, and the variety and the amount of supplies that it has … I would be fine with the change,” Dunagan said. Neuroscience senior Mauricio Toledo said he remembers a satellite store in his hometown of Houston being open just a few years ago and was surprised to hear that the Co-op is struggling financially. “You pass by (the Co-op) on the Drag, and it’s this iconic thing,” Toledo said. “It’s crazy (that they have been struggling).”
Comparing Summer School Prices
$150
$2,134
is the price for a 3 hour summer course at ACC (at $50 an hour)
is the highest price for a 3 hour summer course at UT (and $1,456 is highest price for an hour of a summer course)
Source: UT Tuition Website and ACC Website
mingyo lee | the daily texan staff
SUMMER
continues from page 1 going to a really high-level university like UT,” Williams said. Psychology freshman Ericka Nerisla said she is taking summer classes at UT because she got accepted into UT, not a community college, so she believes she should take the rigorous classes to prepare herself. “I definitely think you get what you pay for, and I definitely want to take advantage of my resources here,” Nerisla said. “If I’m going to a university that is known for a subject, I want to be able to see what they have to offer.”
Gaye Lynn Scott, ACC associate vice president of academic transfer programs, said one of the reasons ACC has such a low price is they are supported by the state and local taxpayers. “ACC is a great bargain,” Scott said. “We are very proud of our faculty members, our curriculum and the engagement and rigor, but we do it at a price that really beats out a lot of other schools around the state.” Scott said the largest class ACC offers has 36 students, which allows for a more engaging and personalized classroom experience. “As a faculty member, the community college classroom is the most engaging place to be,” Scott said.
“You have students from all ages and all perspectives. I’ve seen a lot of four-year students who come to ACC in the summer and they almost rediscover the joy of learning.” O’Neal said she sees the academic benefit of summer classes at UT and the financial benefit of classes at a community college like ACC, but having the option to do both is very helpful to students. “I think (community college) is extremely important because there is another option that is not as pricey,” O’Neal said. “There’s no shame in it. It definitely helps once you graduate with having less debt and starting a new job.”
4
LAURA HALLAS
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @TEXANOPINION
TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018
COLUMN
COLUMN
Joseph Kopser will best represent TX-21 By Rohan Batlanki @rohanbatlanki
columnist
melanie westfall | the daily texan staff
Financial bars limit access to UT resources By James Treuthardt @jamestreuthardt
columnist
Fees comprise a large portion of our college experience. We pay for tuition, we pay for University health services, we pay for transcripts. However, if fees are not paid within the semester, students cannot register for classes next semester. Students must find some way to pay off these fines or risk losing required classes. The University should do away with financial registration bars, which harm low-income students who already struggle to afford college. According to Hodges Mitchell II, assistant director for accounting and financial management from the students accounts receivable, students are able to take out one month loans of up to $500 to clear their financial bars. For students who are struggling to pay financial bars already, expecting them to take out a loan and pay it off within 30 days is not reasonable. Students may also speak with the Office of Financial Aid to see if any assistance is available. However, that is not guaranteed, making a loan the only guaranteed option a student has to clear financial bars if they cannot
“While options do exist to circumvent financial bars, expecting low-income students to use these options is unrealistic.” afford to do so. Therefore, students must choose between certain vital university services they can not immediately afford, such as University Health Services or transcripts, or taking out an expensive loan. While options do exist to circumvent financial bars, expecting low-income students to use these options is unrealistic. This can have a chilling effect on low-income students that might shy away from using university services because of the cost. As a low-income student myself, I often avoid using expensive services such as UHS. I have to choose whether or not I am sick enough to justify paying or if I can overcome the pain. Students should not have to choose between healthcare and registering for classes. Financial bars help create that dilemma. Mitchell notes that financial bars exist to ensure fees are paid in a timely manner. It makes sense that accounts receivable would want to make sure that funds are coming in and that the University’s accounting is under control. But focusing purely on the accounting perspective ignores real issues students can have in paying off fees. With the University’s recent expansion of financial aid for low-income students, they also need to address policies that foster an unsafe environment where low-income students avoid using university services. UT needs to revise current solutions to pay off financial bars that students cannot afford, and they need to ensure that low-income students feel comfortable using pricier University services. No student should ever have to choose between using essential UT services or registering for classes. Treuthardt is a journalism and marketing junior from Allen.
Students at UT are understandably tired of the words “runoff election.” But there is one more runoff vote whose outcome will dictate our federal representation. Joseph Kopser and Mary Street Wilson are in a runoff election for the Democratic nomination of U.S. House District 21. While both candidates check the typical boxes of following Democratic ideals, Kopser is better poised to respond to today’s challenges. Issues such as healthcare and women’s empowerment will directly affect the lives of current college students within a few years. Kopser explains stronger action that proves he’s a more adept politician. Transparency is necessary for representing a congressional district, and Kopser better exhibits this quality. For current students ready to enter the working world, Kopser inspires confidence in a politician that has well thought-out plans to secure all aspects of our future health. Both Kopser and Wilson are supporters of a single payer Medicaid system similar to HR 676, the Democratically supported Medicaid for All Act. Kopser has worked hard to share solutions that would apply to multiple tiers of administration, rather than a single statement supporting one piece of legislation. He proposes plans to enact short-term solutions while working to implement longterm solutions congressionally. Kopser goes
on to further divide his views on healthcare into multiple issues encompassing everything from universal coverage to mental health. It is unclear whether Wilson shares these views about healthcare because these messages are not clearly expressed on her website or through interfacing with the media. Although Wilson is a distinguished educator and pastor, her campaign appears to be less demonstrative of her specific solutions to the issues. As a highly educated woman, active member of her community and the only woman running to represent the district, Wilson has the potential to be a strong symbol for women’s political empowerment at the congressional level. But a symbol doesn’t necessarily enact actionable policy. Women’s rights are especially pressing given that they protect equal employment opportunity and wages for rising graduates in the district. Unfortunately, Wilson hasn’t expressed a clearly articulated agenda for championing women’s rights. On her website — and in fewer than 60 words — Wilson simply reiterates the Democratic platform for women’s rights. Instead, Kopser’s ideas are more formulated. On his website, Kopser offers a methodology to uphold this agenda through funding programs such as WIC and SNAP. He explains that these vital social welfare programs are not a standalone solution. They must be achieved in tandem with equal, open hiring opportunities and a higher minimum wage to truly empower women on a level playing field.
Comparing the two candidates is admittedly delicate, but voters are ultimately concerned with policy — and the policies speak for themselves.”
Comparing the two candidates is admittedly delicate, but voters are ultimately concerned with policy — and the policies speak for themselves. Wilson forced the surprising runoff by winning over a 1,000 more votes with only $40,000 in funding in comparison to Kopser’s $750,000. In anticipation of the May 22 runoff election, Kopser’s campaign has maintained well-constructed strategies. He states that his policy will be based on two things: scientific facts and public opinion. In the blue wave that Texan Democrats hope will sweep the incumbent senatorial and gubernatorial elections, vote for Kopser’s moderate Democratic view to better bridge the political climate and help secure a economically robust and prosperous future for Texans. Batlanki is a Neuroscience sophomore from Flower Mound.
COLUMN
Cheating in computer science is far from binary By Abby Krishnan @texanopinion
columnist
Peer collaboration can be essential to academic success, whether it jogs your brain for the answers or gives you a different perspective on the assignment. However, computer science students face a unique problem when it comes to working with their peers or consulting online sources for help on assignments — taking mere inspiration for a solution to a coding problem could result in their code being similar enough to create suspicion about cheating. Academic dishonesty in computer science isn’t as black and white as written plagiarism. Using paragraphs from other sources without attribution can be immediately detected. But in coding, two people could solve a problem in a similar way without any contact. Each assignment is designed to teach each student the same computer science principle through the understanding of common algorithms and concepts. This can result in students writing similar solutions that could be scrutinized for cheating. The procedures for identifying and dealing with cheating should be defined with more clear and realistic terms to eliminate uncertainty in academic dishonesty cases. Current rules, detection mechanisms for cheating and ways of resolving academic dishonesty cases all contribute to the confusion CS students face when working on assignments. Common punishments for academic dishonesty are failing the course and being dismissed from the CS program. This puts a great deal at stake for students and their assignments. In many entry-level CS courses, professors allow high-level discussion of what the assignment calls for but forbid any discussion of the code itself. In the syllabus for CS 314: Data Structures, a core computer science class, the professor emphasizes a line that reads, “The moment you start looking at someone else’s source code (the code written by the programmer) or showing someone
else your source code, you have crossed the line into cheating.” But this type of blanket statement policy is an unrealistic expectation, especially when discussion is allowed, since it could lead to similar code. It creates confusion about what exactly constitutes cheating. Exactly how detailed is
diane sun | the daily texan staff the high-level discussion allowed to get? We are always encouraged to collaborate and learn with our peers in computer science, and it’s even considered in the scientific community as the best way to complete a task. The extent and definition of collaboration in our education should be clear. The way cheating is identified also creates
difficulty for students. Currently, many professors rely on software called MOSS, an opensource tool from Stanford University that checks for plagiarism in code. It doesn’t just look for similarities in text — rather, it uses a complex algorithm to determine the true similarity between two programs. However, MOSS only reports on similarity. It’s up to a human to determine whether the two programs have clearly colluded. Computer science professor Sarah Abraham explains that professors are allowed to set their own standards for dealing with academic dishonesty and evaluating MOSS results. This essentially leaves the standard of cheating up to the whims of the professor. Cases of academic dishonesty contribute to this problem of confusion for students. Recently, to deal with a case of academic dishonesty in a CS class, teaching assistants caused paranoia when they asked the students who had cheated to independently come forward, rather than directly approaching them. People who had discussed the assignment together could have written code that was very similar, putting them at risk of being accused of academic dishonesty by the professor. The TAs claimed that, in the past, when not directly discussing the issue with students, they received hundreds of emails from students explaining that they worked on the assignment alone. As students, we shouldn’t have to frantically explain the integrity of our work, even when innocent, when there are academic dishonesty incidents. The ambiguity of these policies led to the amplification of stress, as they could have been mislabeled as cheaters, losing credit for the assignment and possibly the class. Ultimately, there needs to be more clear-cut standards for computer science students. This can ensure that students are getting the most from working with their peers to complete assignments. Let’s incentivize integrity in student work, rather than creating policies that cause unnecessary stress. Krishnan is a computer science freshman from Plano.
COLUMN
Dockless scooters pose a risk to disabled people By William Kosinski @willkosinski
columnist
University of Texas students and other Austin citizens now zip through the city’s urban core on electric scooters, thanks to Bird and LimeBike. The companies debuted their dockless electric scooters earlier this month, but unfortunately, some Austin citizens expressed concerns that the scooters endanger others. Scooters irresponsibly left on sidewalks or other public spaces not only create a public safety issue but also
Scooters irresponsibly left on sidewalks or other public spaces ... threaten disabled people’s access to public and private buildings.” threaten disabled people’s access to public and private buildings. Though legislation is being expedited through the city’s Mobility Committee to fix the issue in
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.
Austin, access for disabled individuals must be highly regarded in the legislation’s purpose. Current right-of-way laws in the city do not dictate how and where dockless scooters can be left in public spaces, allowing riders to leave them where they please. A city council ordinance intends to resolve the issue by preventing riders from leaving their scooter on a “street, alley, or sidewalk.” This does not yet specifically include restrictions on obstructing public and private handicap-accessible entrances or ramps, putting a burden on those who use mobility devices. Jason JonMichael, assistant director of the Austin Transportation Department, expressed his concerns about how scooters are already impeding access at an April 17 Mobility Committee meeting. Citing examples in D.C., JonMichael said, “One particular instance occluded the ADA ramp as well as occluded the access to the ADA handrail, which means not only wheelchair bound citizens, but walking ADA citizens like myself would also not be able to use that handrail.” The inability of the companies to promptly collect their scooters — especially when they may be irresponsibly abandoned in the way of handicap ramps or entrances — poses unjust burdens on people in wheelchairs throughout the city. Austin has already impounded at least 55 scooters that obstructed sidewalks or roads for more than 48 hours. If proper laws are not
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.
passed quickly to prevent the obstruction of ramps or entrances, disabled people may be denied access. We can not allow even one disabled person to be denied. The concerns of people like JonMichael will not be resolved with the ordinance in its current form, as there are no specific provisions penalizing those whose abandoned scooters block public and private ramps or accessible entrances. The Mobility Committee must emphasize the importance of ADA access in the next draft of the code by creating stringent provisions that clearly prevent people from leaving any dockless vehicles in disabled people’s way. Penalties for violations should reflect existing laws about objects obstructing access. For example, when someone without a handicap parking permit parks in a handicap space, they receive a substantial fine. A similar financial penalty on a rider who leaves a dockless vehicle in the way of ADA access would likewise prevent people from doing so. Riders can be held responsible through the riding data the city plans to collect from the companies. There is a way for people to enjoy the convenience of these scooters, but it cannot be at the expense of disabled individuals. As Austin adapts its laws to a new era of ride sharing, it must uphold disabled people’s right to access. Kosinski is a journalism freshman from San Rafael, California.
RECYCLE | Please recycle this copy of The Daily Texan. Place the paper in one of the recycling bins on campus or back in the burnt-orange newsstand where you found it. EDITORIAL TWITTER | Follow The Daily Texan Editorial Board on Twitter (@TexanOpinion) and receive updates on our latest editorials and columns.
5
CHARLES LIU & CHRIS DUNCAN
LIFE&ARTS EDITORS @THEDAILYTEXAN
TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018
MOVIE REVIEW | ‘SUPER TROOPERS 2’
‘Super Troopers 2’ a fun time, not much else By James Preston Poole @jamesppoole
If there’s any doubt about the demand for a “Super Troopers” sequel, the fans actually footed the bill for this one. After Fox Searchlight refused to provide the budget for comedy troupe Broken Lizard’s latest farce, the troupe turned to the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo and raised over twice their initial goal of $2 million. At first glance, this may be surprising, but the original “Super Troopers” has made quite a name for itself since its release with its surreal, endlessly quotable gags and laid-back tone. It’s kind of surprising we haven’t gotten a sequel until now. So, is “Super Troopers 2” worth the 17-year wait? Yes and no. Retired Vermont state troopers Arcot “Thorny” Ramathorn (Jay Chandrasekhar, who also directs the film), Jeff Foster (Paul Soter), MacIntyre “Mac” Womack (Steve Lemme), Robert “Rabbit” Roto (Erik Stolhanske), the troublesome
Rodney “Rod” Farva (Kevin Heffernan) and their former boss John O’Hagen (Brian Cox) are called to go oversee a new highway patrol station in a disputed area between Canada and the United States. Once the crew arrives, they discover of a stockpile of drugs, counterfeit merchandise and enter into a dangerous conspiracy. The cast of “Super Troopers 2” is its biggest virtue. Everyone in the film is clearly having a blast, and it’s a joy to see these characters riff on each other again. Their chemistry and brand of improvised, vulgar humor hasn’t aged a day. One of the best characters from the original, Farva, has actually improved. He’s a lovable nuisance that has the potential to get old quick, but the film makes sure never to overexpose him and to put him in organically funny situations. Had this film simply been a movie mostly focused on these characters hanging out, in the vein of the original, it could’ve easily been on par with the original. In its first half, this film
surprisingly surpasses its expectations. Following a hilariously bizarre opening dream sequence, “Super Troopers 2” widely leans on a barebones concept of the characters we love goofing off and pulling pranks in The Great White North. However, the more the focus is put on the Canada aspect of the plotline, the more goodwill the film starts to lose. Chandrasekhar exerts way too much confidence that Canadian stereotypes in and of themselves will get a laugh. The jokes about Canada aren’t particularly offensive, just overplayed. Many of them manifest themselves in lazy supporting characters. Rob Lowe’s hockey player/Mayor Guy LeFranc is a monumental waste of talent that leans too much on his accent and not enough on actual humor. Emmanuelle Chriqui’s completely one-note love interest is the biggest exemplification of the film’s problem, as she doesn’t seem to have a character beyond being a French Canadian. A trio of mounties, played by
copyright fox searchlight pictures, and reproduced with permission “Super Troopers 2” doesn’t break any new ground, but its stars are clearly having a good time. Tyler Labine, Will Sasso and Hayes MacArthur, fare a lot better, mostly because they actually get to participate in some of the film’s better comedic moments. Still, they’re a downgrade from the central group of troopers that make this film
work so well. “Super Troopers 2” is not a demanding film, nor is it a great one. Instead, Broken Lizard have put together a comedy sequel that, while having quite a few glaring issues, is hard to dislike.
“SUPER TROOPERS 2”
RUNTIME: 100 minutes MPAA RATING: R SCORE:
MUSIC FESTIVAL
Levitation fest rises from ashes By Ruben Paquian @rubenpaq
Back from the brink of extinction following a last-minute cancellation in 2016 and a year off in 2017, Austin’s psychedelic music festival, Levitation, will return April 26 through 29 with a whole new festival format. Historically held at Carson Ranch, this year’s festival will feature a multiple-venue format, with shows taking place around the Red River music district. Festival organizers say the change comes as an attempt to better collaborate with the city’s music scene and as a way to minimize the financial risks associated with a traditional festival format. Many avid festival fans express their concerns with this new festival format. Rob Fitzpatrick, Levitation’s co-founder and organizer, has been part of the festival since the beginning when it made its debut as Austin Psych Fest in 2008. Over the past ten years, Fitzpatrick and the original organizers have kept the festival independent, a decision he said made recovering from the weather-forced cancellation almost impossible. “We just weren’t able to bounce back after that. It was a really a huge blow financially,” Fitzpatrick said. “Usually a festival at this size, you have some partners and kind of deeper pockets to draw on when stuff like this happens, but were still the same group who started it. It almost put us down for the count.” But after taking a year off to recover and re-plan, the organizers decided to come back 2018 with the multi-venue format designed to harbor less financial risk, as well as to include more collaboration with the venues that support Austin’s live music year-round.
MARIACHI
continues from page 8 at Yale and Carnegie Hall in 1958. After graduating, Castro spent 20 years teaching and playing in symphonies in Georgia and California. In 1980, the principal of Travis High School asked Castro if he would be interested in creating a marimba program for the district but meant to say mariachi. Castro laughed and said, “Now that I can do.” Castro built the mariachi program from scratch and earned the opportunity to take his students to play in the 4th of July parade in
VINYL
continues from page 8 Jack Malonis, Duncan Fellows’ keyboard player and vocalist, said that as a band that primarily spreads via Spotify, being able to expand into vinyl has been a rewarding risk that was possible because Gold Rush allowed them to
annette meyer | the daily texan staff Fitzpatrick said he would like to build on this concept for the future of the festival. “We’re really excited about not building the festival up out at the ranch and taking away from the music venues,” Fitzpatrick said. ”The future will definitely include a lot of these venues — we see a lot of potential in the Red River district. Kind of a hybrid of what we’re doing this year and what we’ve done in the past is kind of what I would like to see.” Shamika Kurian, public relations sophomore, attended the Levitation Fest in 2015 and said the experience was one to remember — something she fears will change with the new venue format. For Kurian, the
Washington D.C. “My career took off like a rocket,” Castro said. “And I have been up in the clouds ever since.” This year, Castro will retire after joining the faculty of the Butler School of Music as the director of the Mariachi Ensemble 7 years ago. Castro said he loves working with talented students, but it’s time for them to take the lead. “I have actually retired twice before, but I could never sit still,” Castro said. “My students tell me that I have a 2-year guarantee to play with them following my retirement because last time I lasted two months.” produce 200 copies. This allowed them to test their sales before making a large quantity of vinyl. “(Gold Rush) made something possible for us that we didn’t think was possible until the next record,” Hagen said. “There’s something (special) about having a physical copy of your music as an artist and a listener.”
combination of a great lineup and overall atmosphere provided by the Carson Ranch location was a huge part of the experience. “I want to go to (an outdoor) festival. There were all these really cool (art) booths and things there,” Kurian said. “Things like that you don’t really get as much of when you just have shows downtown.” Kurian is not alone in her sentiments. Advertising sophomore Sam Paulsen also feared Levitation would become a different festival. One of the many who planned to attend the 2016 festival, Paulsen said she intends to go to a few shows at Levitation this year, but she hopes the festival returns to its traditional
format on the future. “My hope is that they move the format back to going to the ranch every year and having it outside, but I guess if they don’t, there just needs to be a band that I really support and love to go see,” Paulsen said. Fitzpatrick acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding Levitation, but he values having a stable platform for artists and believes the spirit of festival doesn’t depend on the location. “What was special about (Levitation) was always there when we weren’t at the ranch,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s the art and the music and the people who come to see it, and that’s really what makes this festival different from other festivals.”
APPLY to work at
THEDAILYTEXAN.COM/PARTICIPATE
check us out
ONLINE
stories videos photo galleries thedailytexan.com
6
TRENTON DAESCHNER
SPORTS EDITOR @TEXANSPORTS
TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018
BASEBALL
Zubia, Texas look to rebound against Houston Zach Zubia has emerged as a budding star for Texas. By Shane Lewis @dastatsman
F
reshman Zach Zubia bustled his way down the first base line, determined to outrace the throw. The designated hitter found himself in a mad dash after sending a soft grounder to shortstop in the eighth inning of Sunday’s home loss against New Orleans. The throw to first came just in time as the umpire called Zubia out. The out looked routine enough, but after the Longhorns failed to give Zubia another at-bat in the ninth, it held a bit more significance. The play marked the last chance for Zubia to keep his 41-game on-base streak alive. Not since Texas’ season opener against Louisiana Lafayette, over a period of 66 days, had Zubia failed to reach base in a game. He did it a variety of ways, too, totaling 44 hits, 30 walks and two hit-by-pitches during the span. The streak may be attributed to Zubia’s approach to baseball. Although in his first year, Zubia has displayed a veteran’s composure, slowing things down and taking it game by game. “This game’s a marathon, it’s not a sprint,” Zubia said. “You just gotta see ball, hit ball. Especially for me, that’s what I’ve been doing. You got to stay relaxed and stay within yourself.” Zubia’s streak drew admiration from his teammates, who feel confident that the freshman will get back to his on-base ways when the Longhorns host Houston on
katie bauer | the daily texan file Zach Zubia sends the ball flying back into play. The freshman designated hitter has gotten on base by any means necessary, carving out a key role on the Longhorns in his first year. Tuesday night at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. “Forty-one games, that’s a heck of a streak,” sophomore infielder Ryan Reynolds said. “He’s always on base, always producing and scoring runs and hitting RBIs. I hate to see (the streak) end, but there’s always Tuesday to start a new one.” Zubia started the year not even having a certain place in the lineup. The Longhorns (28–15, 11–4 Big 12) used
Zubia sparingly in their season-opening series against Louisiana Lafayette, only listing him as a pinch hitter. But in the next weekend’s series against LSU, Zubia solidified himself as the team’s designated hitter, knocking out two home runs and totaling six RBIs against the Tigers. Since then, the freshman has held down the fourspot in the team’s lineup. Zubia has flourished as the cleanup hitter, ranking
second on the team in both home runs and RBIs. Texas head coach David Pierce has praised the ability of the freshman to step up into a big role. “The kid has done an awesome job for us,” Pierce said. “Hitting in the four hole as a very young hitter has just been tremendous for us, and he’s shown the discipline as well. (I’m) just really proud of what he accomplished so far. He can start a new streak
on Tuesday.” Starting another streak won’t be easy against Houston, though, as the Cougars enter Tuesday’s clash boasting the second-best ERA in the American Athletic Conference. Houston is coming off a series sweep over No. 24 Wichita State, in which it limited the Shockers to seven runs over three games. As the season winds down and the NCAA tournament approaches, Pierce has
stressed the importance of continuing to snag quality wins for the selection committee, especially after Sunday’s loss. “We’re right in the middle of building a resume and mid-April baseball,” Pierce said. “We’re excited to have the opportunity to get the bitter taste of this loss out of our mouths. (Houston’s) playing very well, and if we don’t play well, we won’t win.”
MEN’S GOLF
Texas has ground to gain after first two rounds at Big 12 Championship By Dawson Hinkley @ dawsonhinkley
stephanie martinez-arndt| the daily texan staff Doug Ghim lines up his putt in Monday’s first round of the Big 12 Championship. The senior led the way for the Longhorns, finishing at even par after 36 holes.
On Monday, Texas teed off at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in defense of its five consecutive Big 12 titles. The teams played a total of 36 holes for the first day of the conference tournament. During Monday’s first round, Texas came out red hot with star senior Doug Ghim leading the way. Texas shot a combined score of 289 as a team in the first round to take the lead. Ghim and senior Scottie Scheffler were the stars for Texas in the first round, each shooting a 71 to earn a share of the congested lead. The Longhorns ended the first round feeling good atop the
We just need to take care of business the next couple of days and give ourselves an opportunity on the last nine holes to have a chance to win.” John Fields,
Texas head coach
leaderboard, but three schools shot combined scores in the 270s in round two to put Texas in a hole heading into the second day of competition. The Longhorns fired a 288 in the second round, which knocked them three spots off
the lead into fourth place. The poor second round put Texat eight shots off the lead at 17-over par. The lone bright spot for Texas in the second round was Ghim, who followed up his first round 71 with a solid second round score of 69 to put him at even par for the tournament. That put Ghim one shot behind the lead going into the third round and in a three-way tie for second place. “Being at fourth place going into the last 36 holes, we are going to need a little bit of help from the leaders,” Texas head coach John Fields said. “But I think we just need to take care of business the next couple of days and give ourselves an opportunity on the last nine holes to have a chance to win.” Texas will tee off in its third round on Tuesday at 8:22 a.m. with Oklahoma State.
FOOTBALL
Questions still remain for Herman, Longhorns after spring game By Alex Briseno & Keshav Prathivadi
@alexxbriseno @ kpthefirst
Spring is an interesting time for college football programs all over the country. Some elite teams struggle to maintain their status atop the college football world — except Alabama, of course — while irrelevant teams scratch and claw in an attempt to overcome mediocrity once the lights are shining. Then there’s Texas, a team that knows both sides of this coin all too well, especially the latter side as of the last few years. But aside from Texas’ impressive 2018 recruiting class, some of the largest strides the program is making aren’t even on the field. That doesn’t mean on-thefield questions won’t surround the program when Texas kicks off the 2018 season at Maryland on Sept. 1. Who’s the quarterback? And the running back? Will Texas lose to Maryland and struggle to fill the stands throughout the entirety of the season? Or will the Longhorns build off the momentum from the Texas Bowl and an intense offseason?
These questions are fine, but they won’t find an answer anytime soon. Here’s what we know: Herman, Del Conte make strides in getting Texas “back” Just 10 minutes before kickoff on Oct. 21 against No. 10 Oklahoma State, Longhorn fans were looking at a sparsely filled student section. It stayed like that for nearly the entirety of the game, and Texas head coach Tom Herman couldn’t help but take notice. “I was disappointed that we had performed to the point where the students had that kind of apathy for (losing),” Herman said the following week. “We’ve got to do a better job.” Here’s the thing about the culture at Texas — it takes time to turn things around, especially in Austin. Texas students have arrived to a point where they would rather explore the city than attend a Texas game. This didn’t happen overnight, either. Although Charlie Strong’s campaign was a short one, it still did enough damage to the atmosphere at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoons. But this challenge isn’t being met without effort across the board. Texas made a huge move
in hiring former TCU Athletic Director Chris Del Conte. Herman and Del Conte have made several strides in the past six months. The new general admission seating for students, the statewide ‘This Is Texas Tour,’ the nationally ranked recruiting class and even the festivities at Texas’ Orange-White spring game may be just what the Longhorns need to get the ball rolling. The running game isn’t doomed There’s no hiding it: The running game hasn’t been Texas’ strong suit since D’Onta Foreman hung up his burnt orange jersey for the final time in 2016. Last year’s struggles were in large part due to the nonstop injuries that destructed the offensive line and the limited use of Chris Warren III. Despite the injuries, though, the running game was one of the larger question marks heading into the spring game on Saturday night, which led to unfair criticism. Yes, both quarterbacks were the leading rushers Saturday night, but the offensive line was playing both ways and offensive coordinator Tim Beck was fairly limited in his play calling.
anthony mireles | the daily texan file Texas emerges from the tunnel in Saturday’s spring game. The Longhorns are on a mission to revive the program, bringing in the nation’s third-ranked recruiting class this offseason. That’s really all a spring game is — some call it vanilla, others just call it un-entertaining. But that’s what major spring games across the country have come to now that they are televised for everybody to see. The running game isn’t dead. It was last year,
but treating the spring game like anything more than that is a mistake. As for the culture, that’s something Herman, Del Conte and Texas Athletics can continue the fight to return to prominence, but we won’t be able to measure
their achievements until the fall. It’d be silly to expect a sellout on Sept. 8 for the home opener against Tulsa, but USC comes to Austin the following week. If the Trojans can’t bring Hollywood to Austin, it’s fair to say no one can.
7
TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018
Today’s solution will appear here next issue
5 3 6 9 2 4 6 2 7 1 3 2 8 5 3 4 9 1 6 7 7 5 9 2 3 4 7 8 5 1 6 9 4
SUDOKUFORYOU 8 9 1 2 7 6 5 4 3
6 4 7 9 5 3 8 1 2
2 3 5 4 8 1 6 9 7
7 2 3 6 9 5 4 8 1
4 5 8 1 2 7 9 3 6
9 1 6 3 4 8 2 7 5
5 6 9 7 3 4 1 2 8
3 8 2 5 1 9 7 6 4
1 7 4 8 6 2 3 5 9
8
CHARLES LIU & CHRIS DUNCAN
LIFE&ARTS EDITORS @THEDAILYTEXAN
TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018
CAMPUS
Students defy gendered fashion Students challenge societal norms with non-binary fashion. By Tiana Woodard @tianarochon
G
overnment sophomore Nick Sheppard maintained a masculine aesthetic for most of his life, wearing houndstooth vests and J. Crew shirts. Now wearing striking platform shoes, palazzo pants, metallic nail polish and a multicolored T-shirt, Sheppard’s fashion tastes still turn heads, but in a new way. When asked about his style, Sheppard explained that he borrows fashion characteristics of the two binary genders. “These are women’s pants, these are women’s shoes, I’ve been wearing nail polish for a year, and I’ve been dabbling with makeup for about the same time,” Sheppard said. “I’ve let myself be more free with things in general, and I think that’s come across in my fashion.” Sheppard is not alone. An increasing number of people have incorporated a mixture of traditional menswear and womenswear into their styles, blurring fashion’s gender boundaries. However, masculine and feminine labels are the least of some students’ wardrobe worries. When shopping, advertising freshman Kathlin Trang said she sifts through the clothes rack to find what’s “eye-pleasing.” “I like mixing a boy style with a girl style, or a professional with a non-professional,” Trang said. “I just think it’s better expressive of me, in the way that I can coordinate (clothes) together and make (them) an actual outfit.” On a typical shopping day,
victoria smith | the daily texan staff English senior Sarah Munoz ignores the women’s and men’s signs in the store in search of high-quality clothing. “I’ve learned that certain things work better in certain sections (of the store),” Munoz said. “If it’s jeans, it’s women’s. If it’s T-shirts, guys always have better T-shirts.” Despite having autonomy over her fashion now, Munoz said her mom dressed her in stereotypically feminine clothing as a child. “I remember feeling very uncomfortable in dresses all the time, and my mom made
me wear them almost every day until fourth grade,” Munoz said. “I remember specifically feeling, ‘This isn’t me at all.’” Trang’s high school exuded a similar atmosphere, where threats to her fashion sense came from every direction. “The fact that they didn’t even understand it meant that I was giving myself justice in a way,” Trang said. “I was showing my character, and I was showing me.” Though Sheppard has not felt constrained by others, he said that the biggest
challenge to dressing out of gender constraints was himself. When first purchasing women’s pants, Sheppard said that he almost returned them. “By saying that I’m not allowed to wear that, I’m saying that I’m not allowed to be this truest form of myself,” Sheppard said. “I wore (the pants) around for the first few times, and I felt powerful.” Ironically, Sheppard explained that few students use UT’s open-minded environment to defy fashion’s gender norms.
“We’re still hung up on ascribing pieces of clothes or things in general to the sexes,” Sheppard said. “We’re not in a post-gender society yet.” On a larger scale, Sheppard, Munoz and Trang pointed out that more fashion designers are throwing away traditionally gendered clothing in exchange for gender-neutral pieces. By doing this, Munoz believes that fashion designers are leaving the common fashion conventions in shambles. “When you break your fashion stereotypes that much, seeing a guy and girl switch
clothes means nothing to you,” Munoz said. “It desensitizes you, and that’s what I want to see happen.” While he believes high fashion’s gender-neutral trends will trickle down to the masses, Sheppard said that as the future’s largest consumer group, millennials will hold the key to fashion’s future. “(Millennials) are concerned with accepting more people and being diverse,” Sheppard said. “If fashion does not tap into that or continue to move itself in that direction, it’s going to suffer.”
MUSIC
UT mariachi director to retire after whirlwind career
Editor’s note: In 300 words or fewer, this series spotlights people in our community whose stories typically go untold.
By Liliana Hall @lilihallllllll
Since fourth grade, Ezekiel “Zeke” Castro, 78, had a passion for music, but it was not until age 30 that his love for mariachi music took center stage. Castro, now the director of UT’s Mariachi Ensemble, began playing violin in
copyright alicia mercado-castro, and reproduced with permission For Ezekiel “Zeke” Castro, mariachi is much more than music. 1948 through UT’s Junior String Project. “UT started a string program shortly after World War II because there was a dire shortage of string players for symphony orchestras,” Castro said. “The idea was to start us young.”
When Castro began his studies at UT in 1948, he transitioned to viola, something he said was akin to learning a foreign language. He joined the UT Viola Ensemble, and the group traveled the country, performing
MARIACHI page 5
carlos garcia| the daily texan staff Austin’s new vinyl pressing plant specializes in producing vinyl quickly and in customizable quantities that accommodates both local musicians and mega-famous artists alike.
Gold Rush makes vinyl viable for all kinds of musicians By Hailey Howe @howehailey
Despite Austin’s famous and thriving music industry, musicians find it difficult to publish vinyl records and must often wait many months to get their records back. That is, until Gold Rush Vinyl, a new vinyl pressing plant in North Austin, opened with the aims of filling production gaps in the industry and making vinyl publication faster and more accommodating for smaller orders. The concept for Gold Rush Vinyl came out of the frustration that founder and owner Caren Kelleher felt while she worked as a band manager. “It’s far too long to ask any band to wait (4 to 6 months) for vinyl to be made … especially when tour opportunities come up very quickly,” Kelleher said. Kelleher explained Gold Rush will have around a fourto six-week turnaround rate. In addition, they do not have minimum order quantities, allowing bands of all sizes to publish vinyl records. “I started looking into why there were such delays, and why vinyl couldn’t get made more
quickly, and discovered that there were a lot of bottlenecks and manufacturing issues with vinyl,” Kelleher said. “(And there’s) a growing demand for vinyl, so I came up with the idea for Gold Rush Vinyl, which is fast turnaround, short-run record pressing.” Duncan Fellows, a local indie band composed of UT alumni, released their first album on vinyl with the help of Gold Rush and said the process couldn’t have been more pain-free. The band’s drummer, Tim Hagen, said they previously could not release vinyl because there were no companies that could reasonably make the amount they needed. “We knew printing vinyl was super expensive, so we didn’t do it at first,” Hagen said. “When Gold Rush hit us up, they gave us prices that were super cheap (with a) super fast turnaround.” The vinyl manufacturing process has remained relatively unchanged since its inception decades ago, albeit with the use of more accurate modern machinery. Production manager Dave Mendoza, who oversees the entire manufacturing process, said that the production at Gold Rush is the best he has seen in
the six years that he has worked in record pressing. Mendoza explained that Gold Rush uses lean production techniques to minimize waste and be more efficient in order to accelerate the process. “We are a lean manufacturing company, which means that (when) clients want a record, everything is very streamlined, very fast,” Mendoza said. “(Gold Rush has the) best infrastructure I’ve ever seen in a pressing plant.” Gold Rush caters to a variety of artists, ranging from bar bands to top-level pop stars. Kelleher said that while they have received some orders because an artist needs inventory quickly and can’t get another plant to do the job, they also work with smaller and local bands. “We work with smaller bands that haven’t been able to get vinyl produced efficiently or cost-effectively in the past just because of the way that the vinyl industry has always been structured, which is to prioritize bigger orders, to set minimums that don’t make a lot of sense for developing artists,” Kelleher said.
VINYL page 5