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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2018
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Professor receives $300,000 grant for pipeline safety research. PA G E 3
STEM departments must ensure that ethics is taught in the classroom. PA G E 4
Local tattoo parlor’s designs help give back to Austin pet community. PA G E 5
Keaontay Ingram shines in breakout performance against Baylor. PA G E 6
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New UT app fills void
UTPD offers Rape Aggression Defense class for women
Freshmen develop new app after original UT app removed features, switched to sports-only content.
By Megan Menchaca @meganmenchaca13
milana todua | the daily texan staff Shrivu Shankar, computer science freshman and the founder of the UT Finder app, was interviewed Oct 13, 2018. Shankar created the app in order to help students organize their schedules and provide help maneuvering around campus.
By Lauren Grobe @LaurenGrobe
fter the removal of student resources from the official UT app, two freshmen created their own app with a campus map, account balances and course schedules. The free app, UT Finder, allows students to locate buildings on campus, access their schedule and view their Bevo Bucks and Dine In Dollars balances. Computer science freshman Shrivu Shankar said he created the app last month in response to his friends complaining that the UT app no longer displayed their schedules. “I was like, ‘Wow, it’s the perfect
opportunity to hit the market with my own app,’” Shankar said. “And in three days, I built the app.” The official UT app previously displayed schedules and Bevo Bucks and Dine In Dollars balances, but a recent update made it so that it only displays sports information. Shankar’s roommate, Greyson Rauscher, said he encouraged Shankar to make his own app, which over 200 students have now downloaded. “I use it constantly,” business freshman Rauscher said. “I’m terrible with time. I needed the app.” Rauscher designed the logo for the app and helped advertise it solely through word of mouth. “I started out with a few people, and then I basically tried to get
it to spread to more people and hoped for an exponential effect,” Rauscher said. Shankar previously made similar apps for his high school, one being the Cy-Ranch app, which allowed classmates to access district-related news, grades and information about teachers. He realized how expensive it was to maintain a server for the app and attempted to sell the it to the school district. The district did not purchase the app, so Shankar funded the server by putting ads in. Shankar said he’s motivated to make organizer apps to help others and demonstrate how easy it is to make similar apps. “I can inspire other people to
build their own apps,” Shankar said. “With the Cy-Ranch app, a lot of people started contacting me. I would give them tips, and I liked doing that.” History freshman Kelsie Adams said she prefers Shankar’s app because she can access her schedule. “The Texas app I used to have changed, so now I don’t know how to navigate it, so I just use his instead.” Adams said. Shankar said the app is still an early build, and he’s open to expanding the functions based on online reviews and direct suggestions from students. “I now have a platform where I can add those utilities for people,” Shankar said.
Nearly 20 women shouted “Stay back!” and practiced defending themselves against potential assailants in the UT Police Department training room Monday evening. The women were participating in the Rape Aggression Defense system, a national program that teaches self-defense and crime prevention tactics to women. UTPD officers have offered the 12-hour RAD classes to women for free since they received a grant from Voices Against Violence in 2001. UTPD Detective Eliana Decker, one of the instructors, said RAD is unique for women because it offers an environment where women will feel comfortable and can learn their own ways to improve personal safety. “This class offers women a chance to self-reflect and decide for themselves what their own self-defense looks like,” Decker said. “I’ve seen so many women who think that they’re coming here to learn physical self-defense and leave knowing that they are stronger than they realized.” UTPD Lt. Greg Stephenson said while it is still important to teach people not to commit assault, UTPD also wants to make sure women have the skills they need to defend themselves. “If I could teach people not to commit crimes, I would do it,” Stephenson said. “But I also have to look at what can I do. And if that is to teach women to fend (for) themselves or be aware and prevent crimes, we’ll do that.” Over the course of three days, women in the class learn harm reduction strategies, crime prevention techniques and physical self-defense
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CITY
Texas Lassos grow antidrunk driving efforts
Alan Pease aims to combat popular issues in light of this year’s mayoral race
By Nicole Stuessy @nicolestuessy
This semester, female spirit group Texas Lassos expanded its program, Lassos Against Drunk Driving, to the entire campus to reach the rest of the student body. Following the death of one of their members, Vanessa Whitford, in a drunk driving accident in May 2015, Texas Lassos decided to tackle the issue of drunk driving head on. In 2016, members started Lassos Against Drunk Driving to raise awareness on the victim’s behalf. Now, the program is called Longhorns Against Drunk Driving to target more students. “This is such a huge issue that doesn’t just affect Lassos but anyone who gets behind the wheel, so we changed it to launch it campus-wide,” English senior Michaela Cappello said. Later this month, Cappello said they will also begin a series
of coffee shop talks with victims and perpetrators of drunk driving accidents as well as lawyers and law enforcement officials. “Criminal defense lawyers are going to come in and talk about, ‘This is how your life can change with these charges,’” Cappello said. “People who work with EMS and EMT are coming in and talking about their experiences with people who have been in those accidents.” Program coordinator Rylee Gladych said drunk driving has not been adequately addressed in the past despite UT’s large population. “I can name more than five people that I personally know who have gotten a DUI or that I know have been drinking and driving,” sports management junior Gladych said. “I know that it’s not rare, and it is an issue.” Longhorns Against Drunk Driving will hold 6 a.m. Monday
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By Sami Sparber @samisparber
Editor’s note: This is one in a series of profiles on the Austin mayor’s race. After attending nearly every Austin City Council meeting for the last eight years, automotive blogger Alan Pease said the Council does not tackle affordability and transportation effectively. Pease said he can do a better job, which is why he’s running for mayor of Austin. “Too often, the Council gets hung up on a particular issue,” Pease said. “They pay a lot of attention to these issues, but when it comes time to take action, they have a difficult time getting the job done.”
copyright alan pease, and reproduced with permission Automotive blogger Alan Pease is running for mayor of the City of Austin. Pease plans to address issues of affordability and transportation while bringing residents together through more frequent City Council meetings.
Pease is one of six candidates attempting to unseat incumbent mayor Steve Adler. His platform focuses on bringing the city to-
gether to create affordable housing and reduce traffic. Pease said he wants to convert city-owned land into affordable housing. To
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PROHIBITED BAGS • Backpacks, purses, diaper bags, cases (camera, binocular, etc.), fanny packs, printed pattern plastic bags, reusable grocery totes, mesh or straw bags, duffle bags, large totes
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combat traffic, Pease said the city should embrace new modes of transportation.
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