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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2018
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NEWS
OPINION
LIFE&ARTS
SPORTS
UT to release new academicfocused app later this semester. PA G E 3
Students would benefit from rushing after their first semester. PA G E 4
Several small local Austin swimming pools may be closing soon. PA G E 5
Herman talks maturity, focus before pivotal matchup against TCU. PA G E 6
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UTPD focuses on empathy for assault victims
PROJECT
‘A new era’ for first-
By Meghan Nguyen @ultravioletmegs
To improve support for sexual assault victims, UTPD’s Sexual Assault Investigation Specialists undergo training to take a more empathetic and understanding approach in helping survivors get through their traumatic experiences. Only 9 percent of all sexual assault cases are reported in Texas, and it is the most underreported violent crime in the U.S., according to the 2017 Cultivating Learning and Safe Environments Survey. UTPD’s Sexual Assault Investigation Specialists receive specialized training to focus on how to work with victims and reduce the stigma attached to reporting sexual assault. When a student reports a sexual assault to UTPD, the specialists, Sergeant Samantha Stanford and Detective Eliana Decker, conduct an interview with the victim, make sure the student’s medical needs are met and provide information on available resources. Evidence, including video footage or witness statements, is collected, and a follow-up interview with the suspect is conducted. Once all interview statements and evidence are collected, UTPD presents those facts to the district attorney’s office to determine whether or not the case can move forward. Stanford said one of the goals of UTPD’s Sexual Assault Investigation Specialists is to make sure victims know they’re believed and heard. “We’re focusing not only the facts of what happened but also on addressing (victims’) needs, so they can hopefully get some assistance moving forward,” Stanford said. “We really try to focus on how they’re feeling, how the incident has impacted them and try to help them through that.” In April 2016, Stanford was
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Editor’s note: This is the first installment of the semester-long, collaborative series “First-Gen UT,” which will share the stories of first-generation Longhorns. Stories will be produced in partnership with UT’s chapters of the Asian American Journalists Association, National Association of Black Journalists, National Hispanic Journalists Association and the National Lesbian Gay Journalists Association go untold. By Maria Mendez @mellowmaria
gen students UT, Texas universities step up support
Standing before a burnt orange crowd of 60 people in the Student Activity Center auditorium, Aileen Bumphus, the associate vice president of UT’s Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, asked students to stand up if they were the first in their family to finish high school. A handful of students in the room hesitantly rose. “Please
give them a round of applause,” Bumphus said. With the claps and cheers, the students eased up and Bumphus instructed them to remain standing. “If you’re the first in your family to attend college, please stand up,” Bumphus said. This time, the majority of the students rose from their seats. Next, Bumphus instructed, “If you’re the first in your family to graduate college, stand up,” and most of the staff and faculty in the room also got up. Looking around the room, the Longhorns, all from different graduating classes, majors and hometowns, stood smiling and cheering each other on. “We are beginning a new era at the University of Texas to celebrate first-generation students,” Bumphus said, kicking off the DDCE’s First Gen Student Workshop on Sept. 9.
Who are first-generation students?
As the daughter of Mexican immigrants, Alejandrina Guzman, a 2018 graduate and
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juan figueora | the daily texan staff Dr. Tiffany Lewis, diretor of mentorship programs in the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement and a member of their first-gen committee, prepares her daughter Sydney Lewis, 2, for a photo-op at the first-gen tailgate party Sept. 8.
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Student campaign raises funds for Longhorn Run wheelchairs By Sara Schleede @saraschleede
In spring 2017, finance senior Amie Jean left the hospital in a wheelchair after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Last April, she completed the Longhorn Run pushed in a pink wheelchair on loan from a local nonprofit organization. Next spring, Jean could be at the starting line in an orange UT racing chair with other disabled students at her side. Jean started a campaign called “Ready Set Go” through UT’s HornRaiser to raise money for racing wheelchairs at the Longhorn Run. She said she wants others to have the experience she did and to start a larger conversation about disability advocacy on campus. “It’s a natural instinct for me
to see how I can better what’s around me, even if it’s a small thing,” Jean said. “What can I do with what people have noticed (about my platform)?” The fundraising goal is $20,000 — enough for three chairs and extra money for repairs. The project has raised 13 percent of its goal since its launch Sept. 12. Jean said she would like to raise money for an endowment so that UT RecSports can supply racing chairs for those who want to push themselves and create intramural adapted sports teams. “The chairs transcend beyond the actual chair,” Jean said. “By donating, you’re planting a seed, and we’re hoping to really grow.” Social work senior Danielle Redhead, who is helping Jean publicize the fundraiser, said
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conversations about disability advocacy usually center solely around academic accommodations. She said able-bodied students often do not realize their disabled peers’ struggles outside of the classroom. “When you’re thinking about participating in activities on campus, how often do you think of the people who don’t have opportunities?” Redhead said. “Wouldn’t it be great if everyone could have opportunities to do what they wanted to do, whether it be sports or anything on campus?” Patrick Olson, program coordinator of the Office of Admissions, said he hopes the campaign will direct people toward learning about other accessibility issues for students.
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angela wang | the daily texan staff Finance senior Amie Jean participated in the Longhorn Run in April. She started a campaign to raise money for racing wheelchairs and her fundraising goal is $20,000.
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