SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN COMMUNITY SINCE 1900 @THEDAILYTEXAN | THEDAILYTEXAN.COM
THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2018
VOLUME 118, ISSUE 153
N E WS
O PI N I O N
LI FE&A RTS
SPORTS
State law prevents release of textbook prices until 30 days before school begins. PAGE 2
Students advocate for classroom accommodations and better internship experiences. PAGE 4
UT meal plans throw students for a loop with mandatory costs and restrictive options. PAGE 8
Despite a slow start, the Longhorns earn a pair of victories over Incarnate Word. PAGE 6
NATION
Undocumented student overcomes financial struggles to graduate
brittany mendez| the daily texan staff
Editor’s Note: This is The Daily Texan’s fourth installment of the Negotiating Dreams Project in collaboration with the UT-Austin chapter of National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ). Some last names have been omitted out of respect for the privacy and safety of our sources.
By Maria Mendez & Natalie Venegas
@mellowmaria @nataliezz_24
F
ive years ago, Eveling was shocked by her housing bill for her first semester at UT. Looking at the thousands of dollars she owed the University, she wondered what she would do. “My tuition was paid for with some scholarships that I had, but what I didn’t know and what I
later found out was that my room and board were not covered by the scholarships,” Eveling said, remembering the experience. “I just kept wondering, ‘Why didn’t anyone tell me?’” She wasn’t allowed to register for spring classes until she paid the bill, but she didn’t have the money. Feeling defeated after her first semester in college, Eveling returned to her home in Houston. “That was my very first college experience, and it was harsh,” Eveling said. “I felt like I hit rock bottom.” After working and saving up for a year, she was able to pay the bill in 2014 and returned to UT. Eveling is graduating with a social work degree this May, but she had to overcome many financial limitations as an undocumented student.
The dilemma Born in Chimalhuacán, Mexico, Eveling moved to Houston with her family in 1993 when she was just three years old. She successfully graduated from high school, but she struggled to figure out how the college application process worked as a first-generation student. Her high school’s college prep program only catered to U.S. citizens, so Eveling was left to tackle college admissions and financial aid alone, making it difficult to understand college expenses. She reached out to the Office of Financial Aid for help but discovered the limited availability of financial aid for undocumented students. “My parents weren’t able to help me, so I just completed my very first semester (and left),” Eveling said.
Going back home, Eveling questioned if she should even continue pursuing college. “At one point, I realized why so few Hispanic immigrants graduate college,” Eveling said. “There are just so many barriers to overcome.” In 2015, the U.S. Department of Education estimated 5 percent to 10 percent of undocumented students pursued higher education and even fewer attained a college degree. “This is also what fueled me,” Eveling said. “I didn’t want to be another statistic, another student who started college but dropped out.” To save up for school, she went to work for her dad’s construction company. During that time, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program had opened, so Eveling saved up for the application
fee and applied. She then enrolled at Houston community college as a full-time student and worked two full-time jobs to be able to pay her debt. “I (saved) literally every penny I had in order to save up enough money to come back,” Eveling said. A year passed before Eveling saved enough money to enroll at UT. Upon returning, Eveling discovered that a scholarship she had received during her first semester was no longer available to her because she had withdrawn. But with her DACA permit, Eveling managed to work multiple jobs to pay for off-campus housing. The University also provided her with an institutional tuition loan, which she pays back at the end of every semester.
DACA read more on page 2
HEALTH
UHS subsidizes cost for physical exams, nutrition services By Stephanie Adeline @ stephadeline
When linguistics sophomore Elizabeth Doyle scheduled an appointment with a registered dietitian at University Health Services in January, she expected to pay $120 out of pocket. But during the appointment, she was thrilled to discover UHS covered half of her responsibility. “A lot of dietitians are really expensive,” Doyle said. “If you’re looking for nutrition counseling and your insurance won’t cover it, $60 is
really reasonable.” Since January, UHS has been subsidizing 50 percent of the student’s responsibility — which is not covered by insurance — for several services, including nutrition therapy, internal STI testing, durable medical equipments, EpiPens and physical exams. Physical exams, which includes the annual women’s health exams, were subsidized in response to student feedback and a Daily Texan article published last fall, which found that charges for annual women’s health exams for uninsured students tripled from fall 2016
to 2017. “We had the feedback from the article and we heard the student voice, and this was an area that we thought we could provide some relief for students,” UHS director Jamie Shutter said. Shutter said this subsidy was made possible through a change in their insurance billing practices. Previously, a student’s insurance company was billed only $10 for general office visits, regardless of the cost of service. After the change, UHS now bills insurance companies the full amount, generating additional revenue for the
Since January 2018, UHS has subsidized fees for these services by
Epi-pen (Auto injectable epinephrine)
STI testing (only for testing done internally at UHS)
DME (Durable Medical Equipment)
Nutrition Therapy
50%
Physical Exams including women’s annual health exams
mallika gandhi| the daily texan staff subsidy. The student responsibility for general office visits remains $10. “We saw that this (change) was a win for the students
and a win for UHS in terms of getting the additional revenue to be able to support us and continue the work that we do here,” Shutter said.
Not all services are subsidized, and UHS chose to subsidize certain services for students for different
NUTRITION page 2
2
THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2018
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Runoff voting center to move from FAC to DKR
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By Raga Justin @ragajus
Finals are upon UT-Austin, but civic engagement never stops. The primary runoffs are May 22 and early voting runs from May 14 to May 18, but you may have to work harder to cast your vote. Flawn Academic Center is typically UT-Austin’s only on-campus polling site. But due to a scheduling conflict, the center will not be available for early voting next week. Instead, students can head across campus to the Darrell K Royal Stadium, which will be a temporary polling location for the primary runoffs. Ginny Ballard, a public information manager for Travis County, said DKR can hold a large volume of students and satisfies the power supply needs and safety requirements a polling center must meet. Ballard said she did not think the change of location would deter students from voting. “Students are pretty savvy and they know how to get around campus,” Ballard said. Ballard said the Travis County elections office was aware there would not be
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(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.
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tion and setting it up is not an easy task. There’s a lot of things to be considered,” Ballard said. “We’re only the guests. If the space isn’t available, we have to go to other places.” There are more than 30 primary runoffs across bipartisan lines. The most high-profile race is between Lupe Valdez and Andrew White for the Democratic gubernatorial candidate.
Financial Aid for Undocumented Students Undocumented students, including recipients of DACA, cannot benefit from federally funded financial aid, including scholarships, Pell Grants for low-income students, subsidized loans or work-study positions. University spokesperson Shilpa Bakre said UT follows these federal laws but provides support for undocumented students through state and University aid. Texas law allows qualifying undocumented students to pay in-state tuition and apply for financial aid from the state and their university through the
buying books that much harder.” The University Co-op, the University-affiliated bookstore, and the Registrar’s Office list textbook information gathered from professors on the Co-op website. Scholarly communications librarian Colleen Lyon said textbook prices at schools outside of Texas often aren’t known ahead of time. “Sharing that information for courses early allows students to plan ahead and potentially avoid some of the stress associated with purchasing textbooks,” Lyon said in an email. “Being transparent also gives students time to come up with strategies for dealing with the cost of their textbooks.” Lyon said SB 810 benefits professors as well. Open Education Resources are publicly accessible teaching materials professors use and typically have a license associated with them, which allows users to customize the material and then reuse it. “This means a professor could remove content that isn’t relevant to their classes or even combine different resources to make something better and more comprehensive for their particular
course,” Lyon said. Professors have until April 15 to submit textbook information for the summer and fall semester and until Oct. 31 for next spring. Gina Chen, journalism professor, said she uploads all of her readings onto Canvas because she hasn’t found one specific textbook for the class. “As a professor and as a soonto-be parent of a college student, textbooks are expensive,” Chen said. “If we can do things to make it more affordable or give students more options, that’s a good thing.” Cambry Prichard, textiles and apparel senior, said her textbooks are expensive, but a lot of her professors work around that by providing free resources or textbooks they have written. “I’ve never not taken a class because of textbook costs,” Prichard said. “But I don’t really see the point of holding the information until 30 days before the class starts.” Lyon said she thinks the price transparency allows students to plan expenses for their tuition and rent relatively far ahead, but she knows they are expensive.
“I imagine it would be difficult to budget your money if you don’t know how much you might need for textbooks in a given semester,” Lyon said. “I have
personally heard students say they would use the money saved on textbooks for food, transportation, childcare or even additional classes.”
Texas Application for State Financial Aid. Because funds are limited, institutional, private scholarships and state support may not always cover all college costs. Rodolfo Jimenez is the director of UT’s Monarch Student Program, which was established in 2016 to provide undocumented students with support. Jimenez said situations like Eveling’s are not uncommon for undocumented students. “A lot of times, these students are having to pay for tuition and their studies out-of-pocket,” Jimenez said. “It can prevent a lot of qualified students, especially first-generation, from enrolling.” Texas Exes, which provides more than $3.9 million in
scholarships to UT students, said they don’t have a scholarship specifically for undocumented students because they do not verify immigration status in their application. “The Texas Exes scholarship application does not distinguish between someone who is undocumented or a citizen of another country,” said Kim Gundersen, Texas Exes’ Associate Executive Director. “If an applicant matches the criteria for one of our many scholarships, they will be considered for the award.” The Monarch program currently helps undocumented students pay for professional development opportunities with scholarships ranging from $200 to $500. Jimenez
said the program hopes to expand these scholarships through fundraising. “We would like to bring in more money to help provide for those students and take off that burden so they can do better in school,” Jimenez said. Eveling said paying for her studies over the last three years has been difficult. “Whenever you have to work multiple jobs and go to school at the same time, it gives you very little time to enjoy the college experience and to enjoy having extracurricular activities,” Eveling said. “I know I have missed out on a lot.” When the Trump administration announced the end of DACA last September, Eveling worried
her hard work would go to waste. Thanks to a district court order, DACA is currently intact, but she hasn’t been able to save up for the nearly $500 renewal fee yet because of graduation expenses. Eveling said she would like to see a permanent immigration solution or more financial aid for undocumented students. Despite the economic obstacles, she said she is proud of herself for achieving her dream. “I wanted to prove to myself and everyone else who looked like me that our dreams have no borders and our dreams can belong at UT,” Eveling said. After walking the stage in May, Eveling will return to Houston to pursue a master’s of social work at the University of Houston.
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to 4,365 during this year’s early voting period. It was the fourth-highest turnout in Travis County during early voting. In light of this, Ballard said the county is working with the University to scout for an second polling location to be used along with the FAC to accommodate a high student voter turnout during the November midterm election. “Finding a new polling loca-
Students want textbook prices earlier, transparency With the school year coming to an end, many students are already looking to next year and next year’s textbooks prices. However, Texas law prevents students from seeing their textbook prices until a month before school begins. State House Bill 33 allows students to see class material and the price of textbooks 30 days before classes start. SB 810 was passed last legislative session and requires professors to submit open education resources course material. These bills aim to decrease costs and enhance transparency. Roberto Preza, radio-television-film sophomore, said he thinks 30 days before class is not enough time for students to prepare, and getting the information before registration would be better. “It’s a bit unfair for the students not knowing the prices sooner,” Preza said. “I guess some students are pretty tight financially so they like to budget their money, and waiting makes
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many students left on campus during the runoff election but wanted to provide a polling location nevertheless. During election season this year, long lines wrapped around the FAC as students waited to cast their votes. The volume of traffic at the FAC was unusually high according to the Travis County Clerk’s Office: Voter turnout nearly quadrupled from 1,341 in 2014
UNIVERSITY
Illustrators Diane Sun
Columnists Jeff Rose, Rachel Freeman
anthony mireles | the daily texan file Students voted at the Flawn Academic Center for elections in the spring. The location for early voting next week will take place at the Darrell K Royal Stadium instead, due to a scheduling conflict.
Marco Guajardo, a University Democrats member, said the organization will choose who to sponsor based on how they will affect student life. “We think about which candidate best represents the values of our organization,” said Guajardo, a marketing sophomore. “It has very little to do with what you might call electability. We talk about how they’re best going to represent students and how they’re going to fight for student values and student issues.” But while finals or early vacations may lower student turnout, a location change won’t turn off students that easily, Guajardo said. “I think any student that is turned off of voting because of a small change in location will already be turned off voting for some other reason, and it’s our job to reverse that,” Guajardo said. Karla Aguilar, Plan II and business freshman, said though she lives nearer to the FAC than DKR and will be in the midst of finals during early voting, she still plans on voting. “I want to take an active role in my state’s politics,” Aguilar said. “A little extra effort won’t kill me.”
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NUTRITION
continues from page 1 reasons, such as cost compared to other providers, Shutter said. Shutter said this subsidy is available for all students, both insured or uninsured, and the only exception is if a student has insurance but chooses not to file. Lauren Kelley, a speech language pathology senior, has been coming to UHS for the annual women’s health exam since her freshman year. Kelley said she never had problems with affording the annual exam until last fall, when she changed her insurance to one that does not cover the exam. During that same semester, the cost of the exam had significantly increased. “The whole point of having a center on campus is (accessibility),” Kelley said. “So it just seems kind of contradictory that they
would raise the prices to where students couldn’t afford it.” Kelley said she is glad UHS is subsidizing for the exam but thinks there should be better communication from UHS about any changes to these charges. “Whenever that price hike occurred, they didn’t really inform you and they didn’t really say why,” Kelley said. “I didn’t know about it before I made the appointment and went there … so I definitely think there is a gap in communication there.” Doyle said this subsidy for nutrition services is a step in the right direction for students to get help with eating in an affordable way. “It’s really important that UT stresses that it’s important to eat right,” Doyle said. “Eating right is how our brains function. And one of the most important things in college is having a functional brain.”
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8THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2018
CITY
City approves new plan to end homelessness by 2020 By Allyson Waller @alyson_renee7
A new action plan could be bold enough to end homelessness in Austin, said Ann Howard, executive director of the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO). On April 26, Austin City Council endorsed “Austin’s Action Plan to End Homelessness,” created by ECHO and community stakeholders. The plan calls for additional funding — “beyond the estimated $30 million in current annual investments from local, state and federal entities” to eradicate homelessness in Austin and Travis County by 2020 and maintain zero homelessness in the years following. The decision came after it was announced the city experienced a 5 percent increase in homelessness in 2018. “Austin has got to get ahead of this before we start seeing more tents or more campsites,” Howard said. “I think the way we get ahead of it is by addressing the existing need and (putting) processes in place so that when somebody becomes homeless they can easily get back into housing.” The plan includes five elements: outreach and shelter, housing and support services, addressing disparities, effective system response and community commitment. Howard said this action plan differs from a similar proposal released by ECHO in January 2010. ECHO currently has more programs and partnerships in place to curtail different areas of homelessness, making the current plan stronger than the one from 2010, Howard said. “What we have right now is the last five years of success of creating a system that can end homelessness,” Howard said. “We have a system that gets veterans off the streets, a system that was successful
y d n
. , e r t
o n d e r
f d e n
, o k
Action Plan to End Homelessness Homeless Population in Austin 2015-2018 2015
1,832
2016
2,183
2017
2,036
2018
2,147
What does the plan call for?
1 2 3 4
End homelessness for chronically homeless individuals & families, Quickly re-connect people who become homeless with housing & support Prevent homelessness Make homelessness rare, brief and a non-recurring experience.
SOURCE: Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO)
mallika gandhi| the daily texan staff with the 100 Day Challenge to End Youth Homelessness … and a referral system (for) the agencies that can actually help (people) get into housing. It’s just not big enough to be impactful to the scale we need it to be.” Kathie Tovo, Mayor Pro Tem and District 9 council member, said the new plan will help to guide the city’s investments, but ultimately not all funding will come strictly from city government. “All of that funding cannot come from the city of Austin or our other public partners like Travis County, but together as a community that’s what it will take to end homelessness in this city,” Tovo said. “We need private investment, (and) we need continued nonprofit investment.” UT is partly located within District 9, which happens to be where the largest number of individuals who experience homelessness live, according to ECHO.
Milla Lubis, social work and psychology senior, said she did not notice how prevalent homelessness in Austin was until she became a student at UT. Lubis said she thinks there are possible solutions to solve the issue. “I feel having more options for public housing that (are) long term might be a way to end homelessness in Austin that people should be paying attention to,” Lubis said. As of now, Howard said the systems are in place to help address homelessness in Austin, but it is the additional funding that’s necessary to expand the resources utilized to fight homelessness and therefore decrease it. “We’re at a moment in time where we have a lot of political will and also just great community need.” Howard said. “There’s a lot of work to be done, but as a community we have so much to gain if we could relieve some of the human suffering that’s going on.”
4
LAURA HALLAS
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @TEXASOPINION
THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2018
COLUMN
Be understanding about accommodations By Jeff Rose @jeffroses
columnist
Recently, the New York Times published a response on their Social Q’s column to a question asking if testing accommodations were harmful to an autistic student and unfair to the rest of the class. A portion of the question reads: “She recently told me that when she takes these tests, she uses her notes to do better. This hardly seems fair to everyone who actually studied. I also don’t understand how this situation is supposed to help her issues. Should I tell the professor?” While able-bodied people should ask questions to better understand the disabled experience, questions phrased in a such skeptical manner make it difficult for us to ask for our accommodations or tell people about it because we’ll be doubted. Faculty and staff who are tasked with administering accommodations are more likely to do so correctly and diligently if they understand how necessary these accommodations are for disabled people to bypass barriers. Disabled people at all levels of education
often face difficulties in trying to get instrucuneducated instructors not providing accomtors to follow through completely with necesmodations, it’s frustrating for disabled stusary accommodations. For example, dents to then have to deal with snide remarks instructors may refuse to provide or skepticism from their classmates. What hard copies of their notes and comes easily to able-bodied people often request you get it from andoes not come easily to us. This fact other student, despite should be the basis for which any accommodations able-bodied people should requesting professors approach the subject. make notes available. Disability accommodaThis question hightions may sound unfair lights many of the to those who are not struggles we as disabled aware of their purpose people go through with or the extent to which trying to get or acting they assist disabled people, on our accommodabut asking questions and tions. Many people fostering forms of training view these accommodaand education in all fields tions as an unfair advanof education is needed to tage rather than what they equalize the treatment actually are: a way to level the of disabled people. The playing ground. autistic girl in question Able-bodied students who probably had extra time lauren ibanez | the daily texan staff view accommodations as an unto take her test in order to fair advantage only promote the reduce distractions, as autism very culture disabled people have to fight to can affect one’s sensory perceptions and therechange. With many unaware, untrained and fore their emotions. If her classmate did not
COLUMN
COLUMN
nikole pena | the daily texan staff
annette meyer | the daily texan staff
Review academics over the summer By Rachel Freeman @rachel_frmn
columnist
As finals season descends on the 40 Acres, many students are looking forward to their last final and the freedom to forget the material they crammed into their minds the night before. However, students shouldn’t let their hard work go to waste over the coming summer months. Allowing the mind to go unchallenged for months at a time can lead to learning loss and leave students unprepared to begin school again in the fall. Longhorns should find ways to stimulate their brains over the summer and retain their learning. This phenomena of “summer learning loss” has been studied since the early 20th century. Though scholars are conflicted over how much learning loss affects students, many statistical studies show there is a decline in student performance between the end of a school year and the next year after the summer break. Although students can quickly relearn skills, having to relearn puts students behind at the beginning of a semester when professors expect students to pick up where they left off. This situation is not only stressful at the beginning of the semester but throughout the course. When students start behind, it can be hard to ever catch up. Some classes at UT assume no prior knowledge, but many courses do have prerequisites and expect students to recall concepts from previous classes. At some point, between language classes, math sequences and major-specific coursework, every UT student is in a class that requires memory of prior concepts. Studies show students lose a month of learning over the summer. Fortunately, preventing learning loss does not have to be time-consuming or boring. Students don’t have to feel the need to practice skills for hours or skip out on fun summer activities instead of studying. Doing simple things to engage the brain over the summer will keep students college-ready.
know the reasoning behind the accommodation, she should have taken the time to do some online searching before going behind a disabled student’s back and ‘telling’ on them to teachers. The Services for Students with Disabilities office has tips for instructors on working with disabled students, such as providing captioned videos for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, reduced-distraction testing environments for autistic students or allowing students with certain mental illnesses or disorders to exit the classroom when needed. Students such as the one in the NYT article should refer to their school’s disability office’s website if they’re concerned about how accommodations are administered in a classroom setting. Those in academia need to understand that we are living with our disabilities everyday, struggling with lack of accessibility, awareness on the part of the able-bodied and people’s unwillingness to work with us. Accommodations attempt to remove these barriers but only if we can actually talk to the instructor openly about it and not face criticism or judgments from our classmates. Rose is an English and rhetoric and writing sophomore from The Woodlands.
The most straightforward way for students to keep up skills is to read. Recreational reading can be a tool to prevent summer learning loss. Reading expands your vocabulary, inspires critical thinking, and introduces you to new concepts, which can assist in the classroom. To keep up these skills, find a book you’re genuinely interested in and spend a few minutes a day enjoying the story. This exercise is even more helpful when the subject matter is relevant to your future classwork.
Students don’t have to feel the need to practice skills for hours or skip out on fun summer activities instead of studying. Doing simple things to engage the brain over the summer will keep students college-ready.” For topics such as foreign language and math, which are not normally subjects of books, it is necessary to do skill-specific work. This may mean spending a few minutes a day actually doing exercises to avoid forgetting vocabulary and concepts. Doing exercises isn’t fun in the short term, but in order to make good grades, student routinely sacrifice some time to make good grades. Take steps to prevent summer learning loss and this time next semester, you’ll be glad you started school prepared to learn new information, not held back by relearning old concepts. This summer, read and exercise your brain a few minutes each day to start the fall semester off right. Remember, summer 2018 is temporary, GPA is forever. Freeman is an international relations and global studies junior from Cedar Park.
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.
Demand better than unpaid internships By Caleb Wong @calebawong
senior columnist Abby Sharp will be working full-time over the summer — but she won’t be paid for all those hours. After the semester ends, she plans on cashiering at an outdoor retail center (and possibly waitressing) 30 hours or more a week. During the other 10 hours, she’ll working at the Blanton Museum of Art. At the Blanton, Sharp will assist with the execution of important events for donors, visitors and other vital audiences as an intern, but she won’t be paid. That shouldn’t be the case. Interns in fine arts fields should be paid because they heavily contribute to many institutions’ bottom lines — and because students from all economic backgrounds should be able to access experience in fields that haven’t always been accessible to all. Professional experience in college helps students get their first jobs and internships. But only wages can pay the rent. When asked why the museum offered unpaid internships, Blanton spokesperson Penny Snyder said that students get experience and course credit. Out of the five internships the Blanton offers this summer, only one internship is paid, according to the website. “As an institution, we’re a teaching museum,” Blanton spokesperson Penny Snyder said. “We view internships as an extension of that, so we also view the work they do as a learning experience.” That’s true. But students can learn from their experience while directly contributing to the bottom line. This summer, Sharp will be planning logistics for vital events like the Director’s Circle, which rewards donors for contributions of hundreds or thousands of dollars to the museum. Other unpaid interns at the museum promote events and help raise the profile of the museum in marketing and public relations roles. Sharp is going to not only be learning on the job but also doing her part to keep the museum running. Moreover, unpaid internships perpetuate class inequality on a broader scale because not everyone can afford to work for free for sustained amounts of time. Studies show
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.
that 22-, 23- and 24-year-old people aspiring to careers in art and design are the most likely to receive help from their parents. For people who don’t have affluent parents, getting that financial help to do an internship is much more difficult and sometimes impossible. Some, like Sharp, manage to find paid work that fits around unpaid internships, but balancing paid with unpaid work doesn’t work out for everyone. Paying interns equalizes the playing field so more students can contribute their talents without wondering how to pay the bills. Despite rising awareness of the cost of unpaid internships, many organizations are still taking advantage of students willing to work for free. Karen Munnelly, the director of professional programs in the College of Fine Arts, said the majority of internships fine arts students complete are unpaid.
Paying interns equalizes the playing field so more students can contribute their talents without wondering how to pay the bills.” “What we have seen with some of the for-profit arts and entertainment companies in Austin is that they are able to get competitive candidates without paying, so they don’t find it necessary to pay,” Munnelly wrote in an email. “There are likely many students who are unable to take an unpaid internship, and as a result, don’t do an internship.” Sharp said she is glad to have the internship because she loves the work, but pointed out the financial reality of working without wages. “Since my internship, I have to find money to pay rent and other expenses this summer,” Sharp said. “Getting the experience as an intern is important, but even more so, we have to support ourselves.” Wong is a Plan II and government senior from McKinney.
RECYCLE | Please recycle this copy of The Daily Texan. Place the paper in one of the recycling bins on campus or back in the burnt-orange newsstand where you found it. EDITORIAL TWITTER | Follow The Daily Texan Editorial Board on Twitter (@TexanOpinion) and receive updates on our latest editorials and columns.
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THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2018
MUSIC
Summer brings five album releases to look out for Bachelor with their sixth studio album, Pray for the Wicked , which is produced by Jake Sinclair. The track list is 11 songs long and includes current singles, “(Fuck a) Silver Lining,” and “Say Amen (Saturday Night).” The singles so far feature Brendon Urie’s signature vocals and have already gained traction on the charts. With other songs on the track list such as “Roaring 20s” and “Old Fashioned,” fans are speculating that the album will feature the Sinatra crooner vibe that is in the band’s previous album.
By Christa McWhirter @ chrismac1193
As the semester draws to a close and summer fast approaches, students will soon decide what music to blast while sitting poolside or taking road trips with friends. To help Longhorns make the most of their summer, The Daily Texan has made a list of 5 anticipated albums to be released this summer.
Untitled Album by Kanye West — June 1
Kanye West is in the middle of an ongoing Twitter spree since his return to the platform in mid-April, including the announcement of a spree of upcoming albums, one of which is his own. While there is much speculation about what the title of his Life of Pablo follow-up will be, West has yet to officially confirm or deny any rumors and will likely keep fans guessing until the album’s release. According to Kanye, the newest Yeezy album will consist of seven songs and could be named anything from his February 2016 proposed title, “Turbo Grafx 16,” to his most recent suggestion, “LOVE EVERYONE.” Whatever it’ll be, we’re here for it.
Sweetener by Ariana Grande – July 20
joshua guerra | the daily texan file This summer, Ariana Grande will release her first new music since the Manchester bombing last May.
Noonday Dream by Ben Howard — June 1
For his first release in four years, Ben Howard will likely be taking a new direction with Noonday Dream , his upcoming third album. The first single off the album, “A Boat to an Island on the Wall,” is more ambient and than his
previous, predominately acoustic-based work. Howard experiments with synthesizers and electronic influences, which makes for a fun and mellow spin to his folksy sound. The standard streaming release of Noonday Dream will feature 10 tracks, while the vinyl album will contain two bonus songs.
Kids See Ghost by Kids See Ghost — June 8
The group, comprised of Kanye West and Kid Cudi, will be releasing their self-titled debut album. With little information as to the music on the album, fans are left in anticipation as June 8 approaches. However, with
eccentric artist Takashi Murakami doing the album’s artwork, it’s safe to say we can expect some pretty out-of-the-box music to come.
Pray for the Wicked by Panic! At the Disco “ — June 22
Panic! At the Disco follows up their critically acclaimed Death of a
The “No Tears Left to Cry” singer will release her fourth studio album, Sweetener , this summer. It will be her first release since the bombing that killed 22 at the Manchester stop of her “Dangerous Woman Tour.” Grande revealed the title of the album and the story behind it in an interview with Jimmy Fallon on May 2, saying, “It is called Sweetener because it’s kind of about bringing light to a situation or to someone’s life or somebody else who brings light to your life or sweetens the situation.”
TELEVISION REVIEW
copyright netflix, and reproduced with permission “Bobby Kennedy for President” may stumble in its final episode, but its fresh take on the titular figure makes it worthwhile.
‘Bobby Kennedy for President’ provides thoughtful perspective on complex figure By James Poole @jamesppoole
The docuseries has been a dependable source of quality content on Netflix for quite some time, and the streaming service’s latest addition is no exception. “Bobby Kennedy for President,” a four-part documentary directed by Dawn Porter, feels very different from the somewhat exploitative nature of series such as “Making a Murderer.” Instead of taking an aggressive approach, Porter is content to provide an honest profile of a figure from the early years of his political career to his tragic end. “Bobby Kennedy for President” builds a fascinating profile of Robert Kennedy, who often lived under the shadow of his charismatic older brother and President John F. Kennedy. Interviews with Kennedy’s contemporaries, from celebrity ally Harry Belafonte to activist Dolores Huerta, confirm Bobby was not that impressive in person — he’s often described
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usually just chicken and vegetables everyday unless I go to J2, which closes at 2:00 pm on Friday and 8:00 everyday,” Skelton said. “There are nights where I don’t get to eat dinner and I go to bed (without a full meal).” Skelton said she thinks it’s unfair the housing plan requires students in on-campus housing to purchase its meal plan because it forces those with dietary restric-
in the docuseries as a pale, sickly looking man with piercing blue eyes. The contradiction between political legend and reality lays the groundwork for the conflicting views about Kennedy in the first two episodes of the series. Early on, the public view of Kennedy is portrayed as near-scathing, with many feeling he is complicit in many of the “Red Scare” communist hunting tactics due to his working with Joseph McCarthy. Even as his brother wins the 1960 election, many are wary of his leadership. When his brother is assassinated, Kennedy’s seen mostly as a source of grief. That’s when the series does something incredible — switching seamlessly from the public’s view of Kennedy to a view of who he actually was. The drama is readymade here, from butting heads with Lyndon B. Johnson to ascending within the Senate. “Bobby Kennedy for President” does an exhilarating job of putting the audience in the shoes of the 1960s public. Most series about high-profile
tions to spend money on something that doesn’t fully fulfill their food needs. She said there are better options such as buying cheaper groceries instead of wasting thousands of dollars. “There are times when I want to go to the grocery store, but I have all this money to spend in the cafeterias,” Skelton said. Even with students who have legitimate complaints such as these, Rodriguez said UT is not planning on changing or adding different meal plans in the future.
politicians make the era feel inaccessible, but in a time when politics are more important than ever, Porter finds the relevancy of the scrutiny of Kennedy’s public image and policy. What’s particularly compelling here is Kennedy’s relationship with civil rights. Early on, it’s emphasized that the African-American community initially does not read his attempts to reach out as genuine. Rather, they think he is trying to come in and “fix” their community without any consultation from the actual community leaders. However, it becomes clear over time that his willingness to learn is genuine, and the picture of Robert F. Kennedy comes into focus — that of a flawed, ultimately good man who tried to do some good. The fervor surrounding his bid for the presidency is suddenly understandable and portrayed in dazzling fashion. Of course, this all comes to an end when gunman Sirhan Sirhan assassinated Kennedy on June 5, 1968. That’s when the series, in its final episode, takes a hard swerve into completely
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which is fun.”
Schlitterbahn
In addition to floating down the Comal River, New Braunfels also offers a water park with 51 different attractions. Biology freshman Madelyn Jackson has a tradition of going to Schlitterbahn every summer and said she’s seen how it’s changed in recent years. “My entire family goes there together, and it’s a
“BOBBY KENNEDY FOR PRESIDENT” EPISODES: 4 SCORE:
different territory. For its final episode, one would be forgiven for thinking they’d started watching another show entirely. Suddenly, the show is all about conspiracy theories and the gunman. While this would make for an interesting enough series on its own, it really detracts from the genuine exploration of a complicated man that made the other three episodes so great. Still, the virtues of “Bobby Kennedy for President” far outweigh the negatives. Taking an analytical eye to a beloved political figure is always risky territory, but if the first three episodes of Porter’s series proves anything, it’s that sometimes you might just be surprised to find goodness at their core.
fun day,” Jackson said. “They’ve built a lot over the years, and now they have the old park and the new park.” In addition to these attractions, central Texas also offers a wide variety of natural parks and watering holes such as Enchanted Rock, Hamilton Pool and even Austin’s very own Barton Springs, supplying students the opportunity to get out there and momentarily forget their post-finals woes.
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TRENTON DAESCHNER
SPORTS EDITOR @TEXANSPORTS
THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2018
WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD
Pedrya Seymour finishes her career at Texas
Seymour finished in sixth place in the 100-meter hurdles in the 2016 Olympics. By Donnavan Smoot @dmoot3d
A
native from Nassau, Bahamas, Pedrya Seymour has gone from a lowly coveted recruit to an All-American to an Olympian. Seymour, a fifth-year senior, started her college career at Illinois after a lackluster end to her high school days. “My last year of high school wasn’t good, but (Texas interim head coach Tonja Buford-Bailey) has an eye for talent,” Seymour said. “When I went on my visit to Illinois, she was like a mother to me. I genuinely got that feeling from her.” After meeting with Buford-Bailey, Illinois’ head coach at the time, Seymour signed with the Fighting Illini in May 2013. But shortly after signing, Buford-Bailey left the school to become an assistant at Texas. Seymour flourished at Illinois
despite being apart from the woman who recruited her. Seymour redshirted her first year and took that time to get accustomed to the style and intensity of the NCAA track season. All of her training was finally put on display in the years that followed. She was a USTFCCCA second-team All-American in 2016 and first-team in 2017. Seymour improved every year and continued to get faster. Her times began to put her at the top of leaderboards in America and in her native Bahamas. During the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships, she set a personal best and a Bahamian record 12.86-second 100-meter hurdle. Her time allowed her to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She finished sixth in the 100-meter hurdles in Brazil at just 21 years old. In the process, she had again set the Bahamian record at 12.64 seconds. It was the third time that year she had broken the record and the second time she had broken her own. She had a clear motivation and extra incentive to run the way she did.
Just months before her first record-breaking performance, her 32-year-old brother, Keron Dean, was murdered in the Bahamas. “I dedicated my entire outdoor season and my entire Olympic season to him,” Seymour said. “During that time, I ran for something supernatural. I ran for something bigger than me.” Despite the passing of her brother, she continued pushing forward and competing at a high level once she got back. Once she returned to Illinois, a hamstring injury sidelined her for the outdoor season. The silver lining of the injury was that she was able to retain one year of eligibility. With that opportunity, she took advantage and transferred to Texas. Buford-Bailey, her old recruiter, was thrilled with Seymour’s decision, and she was ready to fulfill a plan five years in the making. “When I recruited her, she was really developmental,” Buford-Bailey said. “She’s already run her fastest opener ever and her fastest time this time of year, so she’s on the right track.”
angela wang | the daily texan file Senior Pedrya Seymour clears a hurdle at Mike A. Myers Stadium. Seymour currently holds the Bahamian record in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 12.64 seconds, which she set at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Seymour has turned herself into a leading presence on a Texas team that is aiming to win its fourth Big 12 title in five years. With her experiences and training from her mentors, she is more poised than ever to help the Longhorns cross the finish line.
Seymour’s growth hasn’t been just with her speed on the track. “She has really become a student of the game,” Texas assistant coach Zach Glavash said. “She has really developed as an athlete and is really starting to understand what it means to be a team player.”
SOFTBALL
Longhorns overcome sluggish start, complete series sweep over Cardinals By Wills Layton @willsdebeast
Despite a slow start to the evening, the Longhorns came away with a pair of victories over the Incarnate Word Cardinals on Wednesday night, by scores of 5-2 and 8-0. The team desperately needed to pick up two victories to reach 30 wins for the season, a benchmark that more often than not means a postseason berth. While the first win was much harder to achieve than the second, both epitomized how dominant and how sloppy the team has played in stretches this season. “I thought we were sloppy to start and we can’t do that,” head coach Connie Clark said. “We’re better than that and we talked about it pregame before game one that it was going to be about the energy that we bring. I know that it’s a challenging time in terms of academics,
but you have to be present.” In the first game, the team looked like it would suffer a very inopportune defeat, as the Cardinals were leading by a run after the second inning. The Longhorns recovered to score four runs over the course of the game to earn the win. The team performed much better in the second game, as the team shut out UIW and won the game in the sixth inning as the run rule came into play. Junior ace Brooke Bolinger picked up the win in the second game, while all six Longhorn pitchers were able to record at least an inning on Wednesday. Having all of the arms receive some game time action is a great way for the team to prepare for this weekend’s series against No. 19 Baylor. “It was tremendous,” Clark said. “I mean, I was really hoping we could get that done, especially the rookies. I mean, (freshman pitch-
ers) Chloe (Romero) and Ariana (Adams), their time is going to come, but with such a large and solid pitching staff this year, it’s been hard to get them in the mix.” The team’s turnaround in the second game came after a locker room meeting that contained a plea to clean things up on the field. From the results, it seems that talk worked. “I thought they responded really well,” Clark said. “They turned it around, and that is what it’s all about is being able to flip it and respond. So good stuff with that.” In a day when seemingly every player got a turn, the second game represented the final home game that the seniors on the team would play. Every senior got a chance to play a little in their home finale. “It was great to see the seniors play well,” Clark said. “This was their last regular season game here in Austin and they felt that. It was great to see them go out on a high note. They
all had good outings.” The team will close out the season this weekend against Baylor and look forward to the Big 12 Softball Championship before the NCAA Tournament.
anthony mireles | the daily texan staff Junior centerfielder Ki’Audra Hayter makes contact with the ball. Hayter knocked in two hits and a RBI in the second victory of Texas’ doubleheader against Incarnate Word on Wednesday.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Shae Routt follows mother’s footsteps, signs with Texas By Drew King @drewking0222
Erica Routt has always looked up to her daughter, Shae. Shae never quits. The Austin native is a natural athlete and was drawn to sports at an early age. She had tried soccer, softball, gymnastics, volleyball, track and dance, juggling many of them at the same time. Whenever she started a new sport, she made sure to see it through a full season before giving it up. But as Shae entered into the eighth grade, Erica found herself looking up to Shae in a different way. “She went from being shorter than me — and I’m only (5-foot-8) — to where she was taller than me,” Eri-
ca said. “And I was just like, ‘What the heck?’” “Can I just do basketball?” Shae asked her mother. Erica was pleased by the question. Erica played for Texas from (1992– 1996) under former head coach Jody Conradt. She helped Texas reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament in three of her seasons before playing professionally in Turkey and Israel. The former Longhorn had been secretly hoping Shae would play basketball, but also didn’t want to add any pressure. “I wanted her to try and do as many things as possible,” Erica said. “Just because basketball was my love, I didn’t want it to be like, ‘You’ve got to play basketball, there’s no other sport for you.’” Shae began picking up the sport in
sixth grade, and played with her middle school team the next year, in addition to volleyball and track. Erica asked her why she wanted to focus on basketball. “I like basketball better,” Shae replied. The Routts agreed that Shae would focus solely on basketball that season. The decision paid off. Shae received an offer and committed to play for Texas at just 14 years old. Once Erica realized Shae had the potential to make it to the collegiate level, she did everything in her power to develop Shae as a player. She coached her daughter all throughout high school, first at Kempner in Sugar Land, Texas, then Reagan and finally Akins in Austin. The pair had to adjust to life on the hardwood together. Erica had to learn the difference between being Shae’s mom and being Shae’s coach, and when to fill each role.
“One of the things I learned from playing under Coach Conradt was, you know, stuff happens on the court. And then once we leave the court, we leave it there,” Erica said. “I think it was a struggle at first … (but) it worked really well because it was both of us.” ”It’s fun because she’s always trying to make me better,” Shae said. “When we’re in the gym, when she’s coaching me, she’s more on me. And then, when we come home and she’s being a mom, she just gives me advice, she’s not trying to push me or anything. She just gives me words of encouragement.” Shae tore her ACL during her junior year and used the time off to test the waters again on her recruitment. She decommitted from Texas in September 2017 but eventually signed with the team again on April 27. “I was just opening up my options to
see what other opportunities I could have besides going to Texas,” Shae said. “And then once I did that, I realized Texas was the only I wanted to be.” Shae id noe 6-foot-3 and will graduate from Akins High school on May 31 and is looking forward to donning the same orange and white uniform her mother used to wear. Erica’s excited to be “just a mom” next season and continuing to see her daughter grow. Does she think Shae is ready for college? “Honestly? Yes and no,” Erica said. “I think yes because you want your kids, when they leave high school, to be like ‘Alright!’ And send them off into the world and go out and conquer. And then you’re thinking, ‘No, because that’s my baby.’”
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CHARLES LIU & CHRIS DUNCAN
LIFE&ARTS EDITORS @THEDAILYTEXAN
THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2018
STUDENT LIFE
victoria smith | the daily texan staff
Meal plan’s one-size-fits-all not loved by all By Sierra Quarzaza @squarssq
A meal plan should be able to give individuality and healthy options, and be affordable — UT’s meal plan provides none of these things. According to University of Texas Housing and Dining, UT’s residential meal plan consists of $1,600 Dine In Dollars and $200 Bevo Bucks, with Dine In Dollars accepted at all the university cafeteria locations, Jester Market and other campus food locations whereas Bevo Bucks are an alternative to cash used at
restaurants and stores partnered with UT. While the concept is convenient for many students, it also creates problems for certain members of the student body. Joel Melendez, an international relations and global studies freshman, said his experience with the UT meal plan was negative because of poor communication and his financial need. He said the pricing wasn’t made clear which caused the university to give him a housing bar which cost him next semester’s registration and extra financial loans. Although he made the mistake of not paying his housing debt sooner, Melendez said denying students food goes against the
purpose of a meal plan. “I think it is a good option that students are allowed to add Dine In Dollars,” Melendez said. “But if you haven’t paid a bill, they can deny you that option.” If students are looking for places to spend their large lump sum of money, there are some cheap option on campus. Rene Rodriguez, UT’s director of dining, said the University provides affordable food options at J2 and Kinsolving. “We have extended our hours at our all-you-care-to-eat locations which is convenient for students,” Rodriguez said. “They can take advantage of their best value for our students.”
Although the University offers options for cheaper food, it doesn’t make the meal plan easier to use. Students with evening courses and dietary restrictions may end up skipping meals or be unable to eat many of the available options at dining halls across campus. Undeclared business freshman Jessica Skelton said she feels the meal plan is overpriced and a waste of money because her Celiac disease doesn’t allow her to eat many of the cafeteria meals. “As a Celiac, I don’t have a lot of options in the cafeteria,” Skelton said. ”It’s
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STUDENT LIFE
Spend your day trips at these central Texas hotspots By Karsyn Lemmons @klemmonsss
With the curtain closing on the spring semester and the treacherous, black heart of finals week looming, student’s minds, bodies and souls could most likely benefit from a much needed getaway. Luckily, central Texas has a selection of nearby trips conquerable in a day, just far enough out of town that students momentarily forget how they’re going to explain their grades to their parents but just close enough that no hotel accommodations are necessary.
Magnolia Market
Magnolia Market is a popular destination by UT students
and HGTV aficionados alike. Located in Waco, Texas, and created by HGTV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines, Magnolia provides an assortment of spots to swing by from food trucks to a garden center to a bakery to home decor. Just a short drive from Magnolia Market sits Cameron Park Zoo on the bank of the Brazos River. With a vast array of critters to check out, the zoo is a great stop to make for those not quite ready to head home.
San Antonio River Walk
San Antonio boasts an unforgettable River Walk that might just make you forget the Alamo. With restaurants and shops lining the narrow river and ferries to give guests the full tour, the
River Walk is a great day trip and only around two hours from the UT campus. Government junior Mia Floyd said she first visited the River Walk when she was young. “My parents used to go there all the time,” Floyd said. “We used to walk up and down the River Walk, but sometimes we would get on the boat that goes through the river. It would be dark and so everything would be lit up at night.”
Comal River
For a laid back afternoon where no shoes are required, students head to the New Braunfels, Texas, where for around $20, individuals can rent tubes and float along the Comal River. Undergraduate
studies freshman Autumn Jarrett spent her past few summers with friends and family visiting the river and said she has plans to return this summer. “I’ve been going every year since probably my freshman year of high school,” Jarrett said. “You can just relax, talk to friends and get a tan. And sometimes there are rapids
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rachel tyler | the daily texan staff