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VOLUME 119, ISSUE 5 | TUESDAY, JULY 10, 2018
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Cover Story
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Postdoctoral fellow is affected by executive order and travel ban.
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PAGE 6
Liza Anderson (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com
News
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Preview of Meechaiel Criner trial: Potential outcomes, jury selection and current evidence. PAGE 5
Opinion UT needs a better system for handling professor misconduct. PAGE 4
Sports A Longhorn lookback on the 2017–2018 Texas sports year.
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LIZA ANDERSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @TEXANOPINION
TUESDAY, JULY 10, 2018
O
opinion
EDITORIAL
UT acknowledged that he behaved inappropriately. Why is he still teaching? By The Daily Texan Editorial Board Last October, Elizabeth Cullingford, chair of the English department, called a town hall for English graduate students after sexual harassment allegations against English associate professor Coleman Hutchison became public. In a piece published in the Arkansas International in October, Jenn Shapland, a former student of Hutchison, detailed a relationship with Hutchison — beginning when he first pursued her and ending when she left UT to get away from a situation that had become uncomfortable. While Hutchison was not named in the Arkansas International story, his identity was thinly veiled, and many in the English department understood who Shapland had written about. The article circulated throughout the department, pushing Cullingford to call the meeting. Around this time, the Office for Inclusion and Equity began investigating claims of sexual harassment against Hutchison. On June 5 of this year, Cullingford sent an email to English graduate students announcing the conclusion of the
investigation. She wrote that “Professor Hutchison was cleared of accusations of sexual harassment. However, the investigators found sufficient evidence that he violated University policy by not reporting a consensual relationship, and by making some inappropriate comments to graduate students.” We don’t know why these “inappropriate comments” did not rise to the University’s definition of sexual harassment. We do know that inappropriate comments from a professor create an intimidating situation where a power imbalance already exists. Professors have immense control over the grades and careers of their students, and inappropriate comments at best introduce discomfort and at worst impede a student’s ability to engage with their community. In a profession where close relationships with your superiors are vital to student success, stepping beyond the bounds of professional conduct can have far-reaching effects. There shouldn’t be a place for this conduct at UT. Yet, with regard to Hutchison’s future at the University, Cullingford said, “Although he will be returning to campus in the fall, Professor Hutchison will not be teaching graduate classes, nor taking up administrative positions.”
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.
Instead, he will be teaching undergraduate students. Specifically, two undergraduate English seminarstyle classes — E 342S and E 349S. The University has not explained its decision to remove Hutchison from graduate work, and Cullingford declined to speak with The Daily Texan on the subject. Maybe they wanted to push him away from an unsympathetic graduate student community, or maybe they thought he’d be less likely to misbehave with undergraduates. In any case, undergraduate students currently registered for Hutchison’s fall classes have likely not heard about any of this — a fact that makes Hutchison’s placement with them all the more concerning. This ignorance puts these students at an elevated risk. Undergraduates, who are typically younger and less mature than graduate students, are likely even less prepared to respond to inappropriate situations with professors. The University’s handling of Hutchinson’s case leads us to question its commitment to protecting UT students. Simply
shuffling him from one age group to another assigns a trial-by-error mentality to a situation where second chances often come at the mercy of others. In moving Hutchison to undergraduates, the University has played into a broader tendency to prioritize professors, and their privacy. Whether trying to quell the open aggression of graduate students, or simply hoping that Hutchison won’t pursue undergraduates, the University has regardless placed its image over its students. Although UT likes to paint itself as a leader in the fight against sexual misconduct, its actions undermine its rhetoric. When professors who secretly pursue relationships with their students and make “inappropriate comments” toward them are given little more than a slap on the wrist, the University loses an opportunity to send a message that this behavior will not be tolerated. Our ongoing national conversation on sexual assault and gender inequity has finally deemed these situations inexcusable. Students recognize it’s a problem, and it’s time UT does, too. If you have questions on this issue or any other, contact us at editor@dailytexanonline.com.
nathan dinh
SUBMIT A FIRING LINE | Email your Firing Lines to editor@dailytexanonline.com. Letters must be more than 100 and fewer than 300 words. The Texan reserves the right to edit all submissions for brevity, clarity and liability.
| the daily texan staff
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.
N news
LISA NHAN NEWS EDITOR @THEDAILYTEXAN
TUESDAY, JULY 10, 2018
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CRIME
CRINER TRIAL BEGINS JURY SELECTION Two years after murder of UT student Haruka Weiser, trial process is underway.
By Megan Menchaca @ M EGA NM ENC HAC A13
J
ury selection began Monday in preparation for the trial of Meechaiel Criner, the 20-year-old indicted on capital murder charges in connection with the death of dance freshman Haruka Weiser. More than 70 people appeared before the 167th District Court on Monday as prospective jurors. After the judge, the defense attorneys and the prosecution reviewed the jury questionnaire, 30 of them were dismissed. By the end of the day, six women and three men in the jury pool were selected to be on the jury for the trial, which is expected to start Wednesday. The remaining three jurors and several alternates will be chosen from a new pool by Tuesday evening. During jury selection, Judge David Wahlberg, assistant district attorney Guillermo Gonzalez and defense attorney Ariel Payan emphasized the importance of remaining fair and impartial in the trial, especially because of the media coverage of the case. “Seeing media coverage doesn’t disqualify you from being on jury,” Gonzalez said. “Last month, Wahlberg dismissed the majority of the DNA
evidence in the case because of what he ruled were flawed analysis techniques used by a Texas Department of Public Safety forensic scientist. Although the lead prosecutor told the Austin American-Statesman in June they are still confident they will be able to convict Criner, Russ Hunt Jr., an Austin criminal defense attorney, said this ruling could cause a jury to question the strength of the state’s case. “A lot of people expect (to see DNA evidence during a trial), so if they don’t see it, they’re very skeptical of other types of testimony like live witnesses (and) circumstantial evidence,” Hunt said. Without the majority of the DNA evidence, the prosecution will have to rely on circumstantial evidence instead, said Suzanne Spencer, an Austin criminal defense attorney. “When the state, for whatever reason, doesn’t have DNA evidence, it will rely on the same type of evidence it has relied on for all the centuries before DNA evidence,” Spencer said in an email. Weiser was reported missing on April 4, 2016, after she did not return home from dance practice. Her body was found a day later behind
the on-campus Etter-Harbin Alumni Center. Austin Police later arrested Criner as the suspect in the murder after finding him at an abandoned building burning items similar to those in Weiser’s possession, according to the arrest affidavit. Criner was indicted by a Travis County grand jury in June 2016. The indictment accuses Criner of killing Weiser by strangulation with a ligature, as well as of other charges, including sexual assault, kidnapping and robbery. Both Hunt and Spencer said the jury could also potentially hand down a verdict on other charges in the indictment. “There is a possibility that the jury could consider lesser offenses such as robbery, kidnapping or (sexual) assault,” Spencer said in an email. “If the jury is given these options, they could find him guilty of one of those offenses rather than murder or capital murder.” If convicted of capital murder, Criner could face life in prison with the possibility of parole in 40 years. He is not eligible for the death penalty because he was under the age of 18 at the time of Weiser’s death. The trial will be finished by July 20, Wahlberg said.
carlos garcia | the daily texan file Meechaiel Criner is charged with capital murder, and his trial is currently in its initial proceedings. The trial began July 9, and the prosecution and defense are currently selecting jurors.
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TRAVEL BAN AFFE
By Eilish O
@EVOSU
Navid Yaghmazadeh grad from a country listed in T
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avid Yaghmazadeh recalls feeling disheartened the moment he went to pick up guest tickets for his graduation from UT. Looking at the tickets, Yaghmazadeh knew his Iranian parents would never be able to attend because of Trump’s travel ban. “I didn’t even bother inviting them because there were no possibilities to have them here,” Yaghmazadeh said. “During my graduation, I could only FaceTime with them, but I couldn’t hug them. These are important times in my life.” Iran, Yaghmazadeh’s birthplace, is one of seven countries from which President Donald Trump prohibited entry through his travel ban upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in late June. UT has roughly 139 students from places included in Trump’s travel ban: North Korea, Syria, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Somalia and Venezuela, according to 2017 University data. The travel ban aims to defend the nation’s borders, Trump said in a White House statement on June 26, the day of the ban. “We have to be tough, and we have to be safe,” Trump said.
“At a minimum, we have to make sure that we vet people coming into the country — we know who’s coming in, we know where they’re coming from.” After graduating in December, Yaghmazadeh became a postdoctoral fellow in computer science at UT and spends almost nine hours a day in UT’s Gates Dell Complex. To become as immersed in UT’s computer science community as he has, Yaghmazadeh had to give up his home. The ban will also affect incoming UT students and current UT faculty members. If any students and faculty go home to the banned countries, it is unlikely they would be able to come back, said Kamran Aghaie, Middle Eastern studies associate professor and adviser to international students. “We will lose some, many won’t apply, those who’ve applied and been admitted will presumably not be able to come here,” Aghaie said. “Those who are here are living in constant jeopardy.” Yaghmazadeh came to UT when he was 22 and has spent the past eight years here. He started out as a doctoral student and has stayed to pursue
opportunities h back home. “I came here a dream,” Yagh “ I wanted to b Now, if you com
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TUESDAY, JULY
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choose between sus your family.” h said his ad they cannot nymore, but tell ahead with your
dream, follow your dreams and try to be successful.” Fiona Mazurenko, International Office marketing manager, said the ban applies to the entry of tourists from Syria, Iran, Yemen, Libya and Somalia. “Relatives or friends of students would not be able to travel to the U.S. for graduations or other special occasions,” Mazurenko said. As a postdoctoral fellow, Yaghmazadeh conducts program synthesis research for the University and presents his research papers at several different conferences each year. Yaghmazadeh said he was invited to a very important conference last year, but since it was held in Canada, he was unable to go. At the conference, he received a distinguished paper award for an entry he had worked on for a year, but was unable to accept the award in person. “I missed that moment,” Yaghmazadeh said. “You work hard and the moment which you are achieving something, you cannot be there to enjoy your moment.” Yaghmazadeh then proudly pointed to the certificate for the
award placed right next to his Ph.D. diploma in his office in the GDC. “That’s the ‘Best Paper’ award,” Yaghmazadeh said. “My adviser accepted it on my behalf, and she brought it here for me.” Yaghmazadeh has another conference coming up he cannot attend, this time in Brazil. “These (conferences are) important for my career … but I can’t go there simply because of the travel ban,” Yaghmazadeh said. “I can’t do anything about it.” On Jan. 27, 2017, Trump signed an executive order enacting the travel ban. At the time, Yaghmazadeh was a doctoral student at the University. After the announcement of the ban, Yaghmazadeh typed up a sign, which read “I am from Iran. I am a student. I am NOT a terrorist. I am NOT scary!” and taped it to the back of his laptop. “I was super happy to see all of these people coming to me and saying, ‘Hey, we are supporting you, we would like you to be here,’” Yaghmazadeh said. “What I have received from people here — that’s why I am still here.”
ALEX BRISEÑO
8
SPORTS EDITOR @TEXANSPORTS
TUESDAY, JULY 10, 2018
S
sports
LONGHORN LOOKBACK
RECAP: THE YEAR IN TEXAS SPORTS The Daily Texan reflects on unlikely runs, near upsets. By Ross Burkhart @ross_burkhart
T
exas fans are accustomed to drama. From Kody Clemens lighting up the Disch to Texas breaking Longhorn fans’ hearts after a double-overtime loss to USC, the Longhorns’ 2017–2018 sports year provided nothing short of entertainment. Here’s a look back on some of the most memorable moments across the 40 Acres throughout the year:
Texas volleyball rattles off 21 straight wins
top: Junior pitcher Nolan Kingham, left, and sophomore outfielder Duke Ellis celebrate after Texas’ 5-2 game three victory over Tennessee Tech on June 11, clinching a spot at the College World Series. anthony mireles | the daily texan file
Repeat after me: Texas is a volleyball school. After sweeping Texas A&M, 3-0, in College Station, all the Longhorns seemed to do was win. The match against the Aggies marked the first victory in a string of 21 straight wins. It was nearly a full three months before Texas’ winning streak came to an excruciating halt after a season-ending defeat at the hands of Stanford during the NCAA tournament on Dec. 9.
Ehlinger, Longhorns push USC to the brink, fall in 2OT
In week three of the college football season, Longhorn fans once again said “Texas is back,” and they were almost onto something. Almost. On Sept. 17, Texas took fourth-ranked USC to double overtime in freshman Sam Ehlinger’s second career start. Ehlinger marched the team 91 yards down the field in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, only to be stunned by a last-second field goal from the Trojans to tie the game. Unfortunately, Ehlinger’s heroics were overshadowed by a fumble at the USC three-yard line, leading to a 27-24 loss in double overtime.
left: Junior Kerwin Roach celebrates with the student section at the Frank Erwin Center after the Longhorns’ 79-74 upset victory over Oklahoma on Feb. 3. angela wang | the daily texan file
Men’s basketball pulls out gutsy 2OT win after Andrew Jones’ diagnosis
On Jan. 10, fans across the country were left heartbroken after the news of sophomore Andrew Jones’ leukemia diagnosis broke. Later that night, the Longhorns would host TCU, wearing patches on their jerseys to support Jones in his fight against cancer. The game proved to be an emotional one for Texas, as the two teams battled into double overtime before the Longhorns finally prevailed in a 99-98 win. “We had a meeting last night in the dorm and at that point we told our guys what the diagnosis was,” head coach Shaka Smart said in a
Texas Athletics release after the game. “Leaving that meeting, we had guys that weren’t just in tears, they were wailing … When the coaches left the room, they all got together and said, ‘We gotta win this game for Andrew, we have to play for him.”
Longhorn baseball makes remarkable run to Omaha
By nearly all measures, the Texas baseball team exceeded expectations of fans and media members this season by reaching the College World Series after hosting both a regional and a super regional. What started as a 9–9 record for the Longhorns turned into a Big 12 conference title, and an opportunity to host a
regional and super regional. Then, a renewed rivalry with Texas A&M electrified fans at UFCU Disch-Falk Field as junior Kody Clemens launched two home runs into the stands and flashed the ‘horns up’ gesture as he rounded third base and stared down the Aggie dugout. The team would go on to beat the Aggies 8-3 and then followed it up with a 3-2 win over Indiana to advance to the next round. After a game-three win over No. 20 Tennessee Tech in the super regional, the Longhorns were headed back to Omaha for the first time in four years with a little inspiration from the passing of legendary coach Augie Garrido in March.
ATΩ ALPHA TAU OMEGA HAS CLOSED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS. Alpha Tau Omega National Fraternity has placed this ad to provide notice that the ATO chapter at the University of Texas has been closed by the National Fraternity. Students who were members of the Fraternity no longer have authority to operate an Alpha Tau Omega chapter and may not organize any event, sponsor any activity or participate in any endeavor representing Alpha Tau Omega on the Uni University of Texas campus or elsewhere in the Austin community. “Alpha Tau Omega” and other distinctive letters, marks and insignia of the Fraternity are federally protected trademarks owned and managed by Alpha Tau Omega National Fraternity. Any use of these marks without the expressed written permission of Alpha Tau Omega National Fraternity is strictly prohibited. No group of students at University of Texas us authorizes to use the name “Alpha Tau Omega” or an any of its service marks. Only chartered chapters and qualified members of Alpha Tau Omega are authorized to operate a chapter and use the distinctive marks of the Fraternity. If you have reason to believe that students on campus continue to operate as though they make up a recognized chapter of Alpha Tau Omega, please alert the Dean of Students office and the Greek Life office at the University of Texas or contact Alpha Tau Omega National Fraternity at ato.org.
ALPHA TAU OMEGA NATIONAL FRATERNITY 333 North Alabama St. STE 220 Indianapolis IN, 46204 317.684.1865 | www.ato.org
L&A
BAND
continues from page 10
overseeing competitive junior drum and bugle corps throughout North America. The journey toward marching under DCI begins with an audition process for one of 46 world or open class drum corps. After auditioning, prospective corps members are either rejected or offered a contract. José Cervantes, a biology sophomore and threeyear Blue Stars tuba player, said that signing a contract means agreeing to the unknown. “If you get a contract, that’s cool and all, but at the end of the day, you don’t know anyone yet,” Cervantes said. “Every corps is a little bit different, and you don’t know what you’re going to expect.” The contract also means agreeing to a rigorous lifestyle. From 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., corps usually incorporate three sections into their everyday schedules: marching,
STRANGERS
continues from page 10 brother after being mistakenly recognized as Galland when he arrives for his first day of college. His arrival is conveyed through dramatized footage of the campus accompanying his narration. This footage, lushly shot by cinematographer Tim Cragg with a bright, vintage look, conveys an immediate sense of emotion by acting as a supplement to Shafran’s speech. This mix of dramatized footage and testimonial-style interviews persists throughout the film, joined by the implementation of archive footage whenever Kellman comes into the fray, cementing their legacy as the reunited triplets. Editor Michael Harte stitches together a number of television appearances by the brothers in a montage that conveys the public’s joyous fascination with the trio. Similarly fascinating is the way in which Wardle, Cragg and Shafran manage to
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TUESDAY, JULY 10, 2018
sectional rehearsal and full ensemble rehearsal. This busy schedule differs greatly from that of LHB, which includes six hours of rehearsal each week and Saturday football games. Roberts said their limited free time is a sacrifice for this unique experience. “You just have to roll with the punches,” Roberts said. “It’s not super pleasant, but at that point, you’re immersed in the lifestyle enough that you’re equipped to roll with it.” Their schedules prepare the drum corps for nearly 30 performances nationwide. Numerous performances means traveling with limited luggage and sleeping in high school gyms. Though their time spent away from LHB can prove lonely, Cervantes said that he’s comforted by friendships he’s made with members from across America. “I can go to any major city, and I know I can spend a night there with someone,“ Cervantes said. “I know they’re going to have my back no
matter what, whether it’s at 3 a.m. or 3 p.m.” Spending the summer building bonds through DCI or pursuing internships is a choice that many LHB members struggle to make. While the minimum age to march under DCI varies by corps, the universal age limit is 21. At age 20, Edwin Silerio, a computer science junior and firstyear Madison Scouts trumpet player, said that internships can wait. “You can still do (major-related work) afterwards when you come back, but you have a limited time to do (DCI ),” Silerio said. Silerio said that his tough decision has reignited his competitive drive for marching band that’s been put out by LHB and helped begin his journey toward self-discovery. “You handle a lot more than you think you can, and you learn all the little things about yourself as you keep going throughout the season.” Silerio said.
drastically shift the tone in the second act. Once the brothers begin to look into their separation, they fall down a deep rabbit hole. Celebration quickly gives way to fear and paranoia. Accompanied by a droning, eerie score by Paul Saunderson, their investigation is teased out slowly before they realize that they were separated for a very specific reason. Wardle pegs their separation for the huge ethical violation that it is. Whenever the revelation is made, the film stops focusing on all the similarities between the triplets. Instead, “Three Identical Strangers” zeros in on the scars their predicament has given them. These men have had their lives completely stolen from them due to the selfish actions of those above them, and it’s reflected in each of their reactions to the truth. Shafran looks sullen and regret-filled, Kellman seems unable to contain his anger and Galland’s story ends in a tragic, unforgettable place. Wardle contrasts their
suffering with the indifference of those who orchestrated their separation toward what the triplets went through. The apathy of this group is scarier than anything in a modern horror film because it’s real: These monstrous human beings actually existed. However, the most effective part of “Three Identical Strangers” comes toward the end. As the interview subjects discuss what happened to these three men, archival footage is played in the new context of the film’s revelations. Wardle lingers on this footage, really forcing the audience to confront the fact that these men never had a choice in who they became in life, because others played God with their lives. “Three Identical Strangers” is a haunting film. By diving deep into an injustice done to an innocent group of brothers, Wardle makes us ask ourselves how much control we have over our own lives. If a film makes one ask a question that big, it’s safe to say it’s done it’s job.
RUBEN PAQUIAN
10
LIFE&ARTS EDITORS @THEDAILY TEXAN
TUESDAY, JULY 10, 2018
L&A
life&arts
MOVIE REVIEW | ‘THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS’
Three separate lives, one sickening truth
Triplets investigate and uncover hidden reason for separation. By James Preston Poole
“THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS”
RUNTIME: 96 minutes RATING: PG-13 SCORE:
@ JAMESPPOOLE
N copyright sundance film festival, and reproduced with permission
Three Identical Strangers reveals the twisted truth behind triplets separated at birth.
ot only is truth stranger than fiction, but it is also quite cinematic. Such is the case for “Three Identical Strangers,” a provocative new documentary directed by Tim Wardle. The film follows the true story of Eddy Galland, David Kellman and Robert Shafran, three young men living very separate lives who, in
1980, discover they are long-lost triplets. After the celebration and public intrigue in the story die down, the triplets begin question why they were separated, uncovering a vast conspiracy that will leave viewers both enamored and disturbed. Shafran tells the story of how he discovers his twin
STRANGERS page 9
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Longhorn Band members hit high notes this summer By Tiana Woodard @ TIANAROCHON
As the Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps’ drumline turned from backfield, they fell behind the tempo of the entire corps. If something wasn’t done fast, their show performance would fall apart. Jack Roberts, a music composition and Longhorn Band (LHB) alumnus, anticipated this happening — such mishaps had plagued their entire 2016 season. He and his fellow drum majors reacted quickly, working to successfully conduct the ensemble back into harmony. Despite running into this problem the whole season, Roberts said that these close calls are a blur in his memory. “A lot of the shows blend together unless
copyright blue star drum and bugle corps and erik lindquist, and reproduced with permission
Cervantes (middle) and the rest of the Blue Stars take their positions on the field before performing their 2016 show, “Le Rêve”. there was something really weird that happened,” Roberts said. “(During performances,) you’re in the zone, you’re super focused — almost like tunnel vision — on what you have to do.”
Each summer, a few LHB members use the football offseason to march under Drum Corps International (DCI), a nonprofit organization
BAND page 9
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MEL WESTFALL
comics
COMICS EDITOR @TEXANCOMICS
TUESDAY, JULY 10, 2018
SUDOKUFORYOU
Last week’s solution is right here!
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