The Daily Texan 2019-08-12 Fall Preview

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FALL PREVIEW, MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2019

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120,

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FALL 2019 PREVIEW

NEWS | PAGE 3 Daphne’s on the Drag will be replaced with MezzeMe’s, a Turkish restraunt

OPINION | PAGE 4 Affordability, assault likely to continue to dominate campus discourse this year.

LIFE&ARTS | PAGE 10 LGBTQ students talk rooming difficulties, prejudice in finding housing.

SPORTS | 6 Texas Football prepares for its season opener as fall camp continues. katie bauer, anthony mireles, macelyn morris, joshua guenther

| the daily texan staff

CAMPUS

CAMPUS

PERIOD UT promotes more access to menstrual products

By Natalie Venegas @nataliezz_24

miller filla | the daily texan staff With no official date set, Steak ‘n Shake is set to open a new restaurant in the Texas Union before the end of the fall semester.

Steak ‘n Shake to open this fall at Texas Union

Midwestern-based chain brings burgers, fries, shakes to Forty Acres.

By Claire Bills @clairezbills

ight now, students can get salads, American Chinese food, chicken, tacos and sandwiches in the Texas Union Building. But soon, they’ll be able to access another food option: Steak ‘n Shake.

While an official opening date has not yet been set, the location is currently being renovated and is scheduled to open before the end

of the fall semester. The restaurant will serve core menu items such as Steakburgers, fries and milkshakes.

Shane Norman, director of business development for Steak ‘n Shake, said he worked on developing the location and was excited about the opportunity to open a location at the University.

“The University of Texas is one of the most prestigious and large institutions in the country … so we definitely had our eyes on it,” Norman said. “We thought we would be a good fit.”

The 85-year-old business opened its first college campus location at Western Kentucky University in 2014, Norman said. Since then, Steak ‘n Shake has continued to work with Aramark, a food service provider, to open more campus restaurants.

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A student organization advocating to end the stigma surrounding periods will host a donation drive the week before sorority recruitment to promote their goal of getting free menstrual products provided on campus.

In addition to collecting pads and tampons at participating sorority houses to donate to Austin women’s shelters, PERIOD UT will share a petition asking UT to provide free menstrual products on campus. The drive will be held from Aug. 12 to 18 and is part of an ongoing initiative with University Panhellenic Council, Periods ATX and UT Student Government to increase awareness and access to free menstrual products.

“We needed a way to keep expanding this goal, and I wanted to do a product drive to get students involved,” said Mollie Becker, co-president of PERIOD UT. “It is such a prevalent issue, and it affects so much of the student body.”

Although a pilot program initiated by SG and other organizations in the spring led to free menstrual products in the Texas Union Building, Becker said there is still a need for free menstrual products across campus.

“Fifty percent of our student population is female, and assuming all of them

will be going to the Union is just not possible,” said Becker, an international relations and global studies senior.

“When you are on your period, you’re not just in one building, and being expected to run across campus is just not practical.”

Alexzandra Roman, co-director of the Women’s Resource Agency within SG, said the agency decided to get involved because they believe there needs to be equal access to hygiene products for everyone.

“Without reliable access to menstrual products, the reality is that individuals are then put in a position where their socio-economic lifestyle is affected,” government sophomore Roman said. “We have made it a goal to work with other organizations on campus to amplify this issue and help launch the University in a step in the right direction.”

Periods ATX, a local nonprofit organization, has spent

years advocating for free access to menstrual products for different colleges and for women in shelters. Alexa Atkinson, founder of Periods ATX, said she is excited that students are getting involved in “the period movement” and are spreading awareness across a college campus.

“We need to break the taboo around it because, as women, we already have it hard in the world,” Atkinson said. “I think it’s amazing that students are taking action and are taking a stance on this. Enough is enough. It is just a period, and it is not a big deal.”

Becker said she hopes these combined efforts will increase advocacy and inspire UT to provide free menstrual products across its entire campus.

“I hope that this will happen as soon as possible,” Becker said. “I would love to see it happen this fall, but it is also in the hands of the UT Student Government to help get it pushed through.”

ella williams

| the daily texan file

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S A M I S PA R B E R NEWS EDITOR @THEDAILYTEXAN

MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2019

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PERMANENT STAFF Editor-in-Chief Spencer Buckner Assoc. Editors Abby Springs, Sanika Nayak Managing Editor Alex Briseño Assoc. Managing Editors Ross Burkhart, Lisa Nhan

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Publisher Pearson plans to focus on digital textbooks

By Rolando Hernandez @roliereports

Life&Arts Editor Brooke Sjoberg

News Editor Sami Sparber

News Desk Editor Catherine Marfin

STUDENT LIFE

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In July, Pearson announced its plan to become the first education publishing company to focus its energy on digital — not print — textbooks and course materials.

According to a company press release, the decision was based on making higher education more accessible and increasing textbook affordability for students in the United States. College students access over 10 million digital courses and e-books each year from Pearson, according to the release.

“We’ve changed our business model to deliver affordable, convenient and personalized digital materials to students,” Pearson CEO John Fallon wrote in the release.

“Our digital courseware makes learning more active, engaging and immersive, improving outcomes for students and their teachers.”

Going digital will provide reduced costs and an improved experience for students, according to the press release. Compared to renting a print textbook for $60 from Pearson, the press release said students can now pay an average price of $40 for e-books.

Michael Kiely, director of course materials for the University Co-op, said the Co-op regularly provides students with course materials and supplies. Kiely said he did not believe Pearson made a good decision because students still prefer physical copies of textbooks when they shop.

“What Pearson is doing is no longer providing the students with a choice,” Kiely said. “I believe what Pearson is trying to do is change the consumer behavior. It’s way too early to do that.”

At the Co-op, e-books and online courseware make up around 5-6% of total revenues, and e-books alone make up 3-4% of revenue, Kiely said. Students will sometimes choose digital textbooks because they’re cheaper, Kiely said.

“We want you to have what you want and what you need,” Kiely said. “I just don’t like the fact that they are

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Spencer Buckner (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com

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MANAGING EDITOR Alex Briseño (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com

NEWS OFFICE (512) 232-2207 news@dailytexanonline.com The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely. If we have made an error, let us know about it. Call (512) 232-2217 or e-mail managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com.

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tal,” McDonald said. “It uses less paper and is better for the environment.”

While she does prefer physical books for her English courses, McDonald said she sees Pearson’s new strategy as a more environmentally and socially conscious move.

“E-books seem like a logical next step for the future of textbooks,” McDonald said.

Council tentatively approves redevelopment in Riverside

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forcing the consumer into something they don’t want.”

However, some students, such as English junior Caroline McDonald, said they support the change. Pearson’s decision makes textbooks more accessible to those who couldn’t afford the physical and more expensive copies, McDonald said.

“I think it’s a great thing (that) Pearson is going digi-

| the daily texan staff file

CITY

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TODAY Aug. 12

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“How are you?”

“It was crazy.”

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The Austin City Council tentatively approved Thursday the redevelopment of student apartment complexes in Riverside.

In a 9-2 vote, the council gave initial approval to the so-called “4700 Riverside” project, which will convert 97 acres of housing into a mixed-used development and replace 1,300 apartment units in five student apartment complexes: Ballpark North, Town Lake, and the Quad East, West and South. The council will deliberate the project again Aug. 22.

Before council members discussed the project on Thursday, several members of Defend Our Hoodz, an anti-gentrification community organization, were arrested

by Austin police for disrupting the meeting. The organization has criticized and protested the project in the past.

If the project passes, developers Presidium Group and Nimes Real Estate are expected to add approximately 4,700 residential units, 600 hotel rooms and more than 4 million square feet of office and retail space to the area in up to 20 years, according to the rezoning application.

In an interview with the Austin American-Statesman, public affairs graduate student Alex Meed said he supported the project if the developers promised tenant protections for residents who might be displaced. The developers have promised to provide tenant protections, according to the Statesman.

Current tenants, including several students, would need to move out after the project’s plans are finalized.

Meed told the Statesman that the timing of Thursday’s hearing was unacceptable because many students who live in the complexes are out of town for summer break.

“We can’t have a serious conversation about student housing without the students,” Meed said. “It is a travesty.”

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James Buckley, director of facilities and operations for University Unions, said he is hopeful the UT community will respond favorably to the location.

He said it will provide similar food options as the Wendy’s that previously occupied the space and closed in summer 2018.

“They have milkshakes and different items on their menu that should appeal to students, as well as to faculty and staff,” Buckley said. “I think it’s hard not to be successful when you’re on a campus like this.”

Daniel Sosa, an electrical and computer engineering sophomore, said he is really excited

| the daily texan staff file

for the restaurant to come to campus after trying Steak ‘n Shake earlier in the year.

“Having (a Steak ‘n Shake) on campus is going to be so much more convenient,” Sosa said in a direct message. “My friends and I have already made plans to go together as soon as it opens.”

Norman said he is eager to see the finished project, and he believes it will be a new and different addition to the Union.

“I’ve been able to take over spaces like this … where it’s kind of old and tired,” Norman said. “We’re a known brand, but it’s fresh in this space. It’s really a way to put the brand in front of a new audience, as well as customers that have grown up loving it.”

and include first picks of new apartments, $500 in moving expenses, a full refund of remaining deposits, up to $1,200 toward a new lease at a different complex and an additional $500 toward a new lease if the tenant decides to return to their renovated complex, according to the Statesman.

During the meeting, council members said they want to guarantee there will still be affordable units for prospective tenants. Council member Pio Renteria, who represents the district in which the project is located, said he would support the project if the council confirms affordability requirements.

However, council member Greg Casar remained apprehensive about immediately passing the plan, saying he fears it would reduce affordable housing in the area. He said he was also concerned about the quick pace of the ap-

proval process, and noted that other zoning cases for smaller projects had received much more discussion from the council.

“If this case had been somewhere else and we heard from people who live nearby, my sense is we wouldn’t be moving on with this,” Casar said during the meeting, referencing the number of students who were not present during the decision-making process. “I know this is uncomfortable, but the idea of approving this on all three readings – it just smacks of inequity to me.”

Despite disapproval from council members Casar and Delia Garza, other members said they believe the project can be amended to meet everyone’s needs.

“I would hate to lose this project and have nothing but high-end (housing) built on this area,” Renteria said during the meeting.

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MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2019

CAMPUS

Local Turkish restaurant to replace Daphne’s Mediterranean

By Nicole Stuessy @nicolestuessy

After multiple name changes and owners, Daphne’s Mediterranean has closed all its locations in Texas — including the location near campus on the Drag.

The previous location, known as both Verts and Noon, was purchased by Elite Restaurant Group in fall 2018 after filing for bankruptcy protection last August, according to the Austin American-Statesman. MezzeMe, an Austin-based Turkish restaurant, recently bought out the Guadalupe Street location and is set to open in the first week of September.

“While we are very proud of our ability to offer customers in Texas a fun, fresh and delicious Mediterranean dining experience, we decided that the sales performance of these locations, which were operated by Noon Enterprise Ltd., were not up to our expectations,” a Daphne’s spokesperson told GuideLive. “As a result, we decided to close these locations, but are actively pursuing options to grow our business in Texas with Daphne’s national development plans in the near future.”

Alex Meed, a public affairs graduate student, said during the transitions from Verts to Noon to Daphne’s, menu changes took away popular choices such as sweet potato fries and various types of pitas.

“Even with being bought out by Daphne’s, they weren’t able to really reinvent themselves to the extent necessary,” Meed

copyright consumable content, and reproduced with permission Austin-based Turkish restaurant MezzeMe will open its second location in the U.S. on Guadalupe Street where Daphne’s Mediterranean was previously located.

said. “Maybe the fact that Cava is on Guadalupe now too might have also affected things because they’re obviously very similar in the type of food that they served.”

MezzeMe publicist Chelsea McCullough said this will be the restaurant’s second location to open in the U.S., with the first located in The Triangle on Guadalupe and

47th streets.

“We’re excited to open the second MezzeMe location on the UT campus,” McCullough said in an email. “We are looking

forward to serving the students and will provide free Wi-Fi and free printing for students, as well as a study lounge area.”

MezzeMe’s menu offers Mediterranean items and features mezzes, a Turkish word meaning “small plates,” such as shakshuka, zucchini yogurt, roasted eggplant, hummus and spicy tabouli. Despite Daphne’s closing its doors months earlier, McCullough said they believe UT students will be receptive to MezzeMe’s healthy, casual menu.

“Austin is a fast-growing city, and we’re hopeful that students and families in the area will make MezzeMe a destination because of our health-conscious, farm-fresh menu,” McCullough said in an email.

Biology senior Bryan Barrientos said he first tried MezzeMe last summer while looking for new restaurants near campus, and said he has eaten there regularly ever since.

“We would go to new places to eat because we were tired of eating Cane’s and Chick-fil-A,” Barrientos said. “We just found some places around us and we thought MezzeMe sounded kind of dope, so we tried it and it was amazing.”

Barrientos said he thinks MezzeMe won’t have issues bringing in customers in the new location.

“If people just try the food, they will have business because it’s a whole different thing than Verts and Noon,” Barrientos said. “It’s Turkish food. I’m going to spread the word because it’s so good.”

CAMPUS

New student organizations provide safe spaces, offer pre-law practice

By Rolando Hernandez @roliereports

in a safe space. Students for jUStice is working to provide that space.

LGBTQ+ Engineers In case you missed it, several new UT student organizations have started since last spring. Here are a few you might catch tabling on Speedway.

UT Students for jUStice

r To encourage conversations about mtopics such as criminal and social justice, psychology junior Hannah Merrick and dhistory junior Gabrielle White started UT tStudents for jUStice back in May. , “We created this group to discuss and traise awareness of various legal and social -issues in our nation,” White said. “Our ename is derived from the idea that criminal and social justice affects all of us.” d The pair said in order to reform the tworld, change has to start with students openly discussing and bringing gawareness to issues such as harmful dstereotypes, offensive language, immigration issues and legal injustices

Electrical engineering senior Jerry Yang founded LGBTQ+ Engineers this summer to provide a space for engineers who are part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Yang said the organization was the product of his research on LGBTQ+ engineering students and their experiences in engineering spaces.

“One thing that came out of the study is that a lot of LGBTQ+ students wanted and wished they had an org to be a part of that didn’t exist,” Yang said.

Yang said his research found that students wanted a more tight-knit community that understood their issues as individuals who are part of the LGBTQ+ community while also being engineers.

the Texas Undergraduate Moot Court Team to give undergraduate pre-law students an opportunity they didn’t have before.

Hobohm said the organization teaches students about legal interpretation and helps strengthen their public speaking skills. The team will attend four competitions that prepare undergraduate students for law school.

“UT is one of the only schools in Texas that doesn’t already have a team,” Hobohm said. “Moot Court is described as one of the best activities undergraduate students can do before law school.”

Here are a few more fresh faces you might see on Speedway:

Moot Court

Shelby Hobohm, a government and mechanical engineering junior, started

On Campus.

For Campus.

Health, Beauty Snacks, and Drinks

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Gen U, an organization that provides a space for first-generation students Q++, an organization that provides a space for LGBTQ+ Longhorns in technology fields UT Black Muslims Alliance, a safe space for students in the

stephanie sonik

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Muslim community Valley Horns, a community for Longhorns from the Rio Grande Valley and other

•

| the daily texan staff

border towns Haus of Texas, a drag organization providing entertainment, activism and inclusion

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SPENCER BUCKNER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @TEXANOPINION

MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2019

EDITORIAL

helen brown

| the daily texan staff

To anticipate the year ahead, look to the past

By The Daily Texan Editorial Board On August 28, the 2019-2020 long session will begin. More than 50,000 Longhorns will return home to campus, each embarking on a year’s worth of individual successes and struggles.

Likewise, as a community, we will write a collective narrative of our experience as a student body. As we’ve done before, we can understand some of the challenges we will face as a community this year by looking at the issues we dealt with in the past.

This July, the University announced an expansion of the Texas Advance Commitment, which provides full tuition aid for students whose families earn less than $65,000 annually. Although it won’t be enacted until fall 2020, over 8,600 students will enjoy free tuition and another 5,700 will see greater tuition aid. In the near future, living and learning at UT-Austin will be at least partially untethered from the threat of a lifetime of student loan debt. While we are the only UT System school that will have this luxury, massive hurdles to affordability will continue to exist and grow even after students see its benefits.

Perhaps the greatest of these hurdles is the steadily rising price of housing in Austin. A semester’s worth of rent payments for many students already rivals their semesterly tuition fees — a phenomenon that seems likely to worsen moving forward.

Austin’s City Council has already begun paving the way for a high-cost and high-end development poised to displace thousands from their homes on Riverside, one of the last affordable neighborhoods near Austin’s urban core. The neighborhood, which is home to many UT students, would be simply the next in a long line of many communities that have been gentrified and made unaffordable, forcing Longhorns and working-class Austinites to relocate, likely much farther away from campus.

When we talked to UT President Gregory Fenves earlier this summer about affordability, he told us that creating more affordable housing for Longhorns was one of the administration’s priorities moving forward. 2400 Nueces, a student apartment in West Campus, was already purchased by the University to be used as student housing beginning next year, though it is unclear how affordable these units will be.

Using the past as a reference point, we can harness our power as students to make campus a better, safer and more inclusive space this year.”

Affordability has dominated discussions among UT’s graduate students as well. Last spring, hundreds of graduate students staged protests over annual stipends that are well below those of other competitive graduate schools and Austin’s cost of living, as well as the University’s continued failure to cover full graduate student tuition. Although officials have promised onetime monetary aid, a sustainable solution is still more of a dream than a reality.

Of course, these problems only apply if you make it to the Forty Acres in the first place.

The nationwide admissions scandal last year, in which former UT men’s tennis coach Michael Center pled guilty to accepting bribes to admit a student under false pretenses, is a reminder that getting into UT can still be more of a matter of your personal wealth than your aptitude.

While affordability looms large in the minds

of many Longhorns, it is far from being the only issue facing our campus. As students begin their classes, they will walk into their lecture halls not knowing whether or not their professor has committed sexual harassment. Last summer, we predicted that the problems surrounding UT’s handling of professor misconduct would not be going away anytime soon. Sadly, we were right.

After the Texan broke news that in 2013 UTLA director Phil Nemy was found to be in violation of University sexual misconduct policy, four more people filed complaints against the professor, who had been kept on staff. Only a few UT administrators knew of Nemy’s misconduct, and as a result of the minimal action taken to punish him, more students were harmed. Until UT truly pursues transparency and adequate response when it comes to professor misconduct, more students stand in harm’s way.

The death of Nicky Cumberland last year also revealed, among other things, a dangerous lack of transparency regarding hazing at UT. Cumberland, who was a member of the Texas Cowboys, became the second member of the organization to die in the last 25 years due to hazing-related activities. As a result, the Cowboys were suspended for six years, though their suspension could end earlier.

The Texas Legislature responded by passing a bill to expand the definition of hazing, allow immunity to students who report it, and force universities to submit reports detailing hazing offenses and repercussions — a welcome solution to a problem that the editorial board addressed last spring.

This upcoming year, we will each write our own narratives. The narratives and struggles of the UT community as a whole, however, will affect us — often personally. Using the past as a reference point, we can harness our power as students to make campus a better, safer and more inclusive space this year.

The editorial board is composed of associate editors Sanika Nayak and Abby Springs, and editor-in-chief Spencer Buckner.

COLUMN

Students must be wary of University’s continued eastward expansion

By Patrick Lee Columnist

Imagine growing up in a neighborhood your whole life. You consider it home. You know the kind neighbors, the best takeout restaurants, and which streets to avoid after 10. Then your neighborhood is struck by a nuke, forever blasted into another galaxy.

Except it’s not a nuke. It’s the sociopathic greed of speculative real estate development.

Gentrification is the process by which investment into an urban community rapidly increases the property value, displacing many of the existing residents. Rents turn unaffordable, restaurants too expensive and cherished cultural institutions are crowded out by yoga studios and luxury condos. In a state that prohibits rent control laws and withholds adequate public housing, gentrification often represents the death knell of long-standing communities.

Today, East Austin is rapidly gentrifying. In a 2019 report, a section of East Austin ranked fourth in a list of most quickly gentrifying neighborhoods in the country. As real estate moguls expand investment opportunities and upper-class workers move into trendy neighborhoods promising short downtown commutes, many residents fear for their futures.

East Austin’s contemporary gentrification cannot be understood in a vacuum — it is an offspring of past institutional policy.

In 1928, the City embraced a master plan that quarantined access to public services for blacks, such as education, employment and medical treatment, to exclusively East Austin. Likewise, racially restrictive covenants banning nonwhites from housing forced many black families to resettle east. The policy codified into law systematic, racial apartheid. It’s no surprise that Austin is one of the most economically segregated cities in the country.

As one might predict, the East “blackened.” Chronic underinvestment and institutional disenfranchisement driven by anti-black policies concentrated poverty, deprived communities of economic opportunities and deteriorated the social and housing conditions.

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.

According to Eliot Tretter in “Shadows of a Sunbelt City: The Environment, Racism, and the Knowledge Economy in Austin,” in the 1940-’60s UT faced immense pressures to expand operations and compete to become a nationally prestigious university fit for the postindustrial knowledge economy. Demand for enrollment

abriella corker

| the daily texan staff

had tripled, yet UT didn’t have the physical facilities necessary to accommodate students and attract faculty. They needed more land for housing, sports facilities, research centers, classrooms, administrative offices. They decided to move east.

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.

Tretter cited a 1984 Austin American-Statesman article by James Pinkerton that explained how as a result of UT’s urban renewal projects, “approximately 1,000 people were displaced, mostly African Americans, and countless business, many African American-owned, were forced to close” without sufficient — or sometimes any — relocation funds.

The forced expulsion of communities from their land and their bitter and unending lawsuits reflect the violent externalities of UT’s growth, violence carved into the very heart of its success. It was in part due to this colonialist dispossession of land that UT flourished into the nationally renowned research institution we know of today.

Likewise, dispossession radically transformed the city. UT’s growth pumps massive amounts of capital into Austin’s economy, recruits families to settle, attracts major businesses and provides a consistent pool of trained workers. As such, it is directly and indirectly culpable for the gentrification we see today.

In 2015, UT released another East Campus master plan. In it, they describe their previous foray into the Blackland Neighborhood as “painful.” Jim Walker, UT director of sustainability, said this plan is more inclusive by actively communicating with the community and zoning construction projects in accordance to their demands.

“There’s an open conversation link between Blackland and the University,” Walker said. “There’s an ongoing dialogue, which is maybe something we didn’t have very strongly certainly in the ‘60s through the ‘80s, but we’ve now opened up that conversation.” UT is trying to do better, to develop without “displacing the community fabric.”

This is preferable to expanding against consent. Regardless, students must stay vigilantly critical of University expansion practices, broadening their frame of UT’s developmental history by taking Edmund Gordon’s racial geography tour or ruminating on UT’s past in the archives of the Briscoe Center. Because in 20 years, when UT decides it needs more land, who’s to say their expansion won’t repeat neglectful displacement practices?

Lee is a sociology senior from Houston.

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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SPENCER BUCKNER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @TEXANOPINION

MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2019

COLUMN

COLUMN

UT can use technology to ease burden of textbook costs

literally be the difference between textbooks or getting food and going to school or dropping out,” Padilla said.

Textbook prices when compared to their The beginning of the semester is a strenreturn value prove that pricey textbooks uous time for many of us. We’re adapting to are not a worthwhile investment for stua new environment, juggling 9 a.m. classdents. While students can resell their textes and setting new goals to push ourselves. books, finding buyers willing to take older Textbooks add to that stress, presenting an editions of textbooks in a market of yearly unexpected, demanding cost for many stureleases is challenging. Therefore, many dents. UT should aim to lighten students’ fistudents opt to sell their books to booknancial load as much as possible each semesstores, where the buyback offers for mint ter by providing them with flexible, cheap condition textbooks can be mere pennies options for textbooks. on the dollar.

The UT Office of Scholarships and FinanTo offset the costs of textbooks, UT could cial Aid explicitly references a fee for “Books use more open education resources such as and Supplies” under their estimated Cost Openstax, a textbook publishing initiative of Attendance page. For the 2019-2020 acbased at Rice University. These resources ademic year, this cost was estimated to be are free to use and can be accessed anyaround $700 for a full-time undergraduate where. The UT Department of Chemistry student. After paying for tuition and housoffers free resources for their CH 301 and ing, many students CH 302 students on struggle to pay the Openstax, such as a sometimes-unexpectdownloadable chemed costs that textbooks istry textbook and incan present. formation on the fun“Textbooks can be damentals of chemistry tricky,” theater sophon the GChem website.

After paying for tuition omore Jadzia Padilla However, students and housing, many stusaid. “My emergency still need to buy an exfunds are often used dents struggle to pay the pensive course packet to help pay, and withfor the introductory sometimes-unexpected in the first semester, chemistry courses. the savings I had from Clay Spinuzzi, procosts that textbooks working for two years fessor and associate can present.” before college were chair of rhetoric and depleted fast from all writing, said he tries the extra expenses to balance affordability like textbooks.” with the best text for Although it’s not ideal, students buy older the class. This year, for RHE 306, he decided versions of textbooks or turn to risky webto replace the 306 handbook with the Pursites to find free — and often illegal — PDFs. due OWL, a well-respected free and open Old textbooks often don’t contain the releresource for writing. vant homework or content required for the “At the department level, we don’t have a current class. Courses that require students mechanism for (developing open education to purchase online subscriptions through resources),” Spinuzzi said. “If we could have services such as Cengage or McGraw-Hill suitable resources of high quality, we would may cut traditional textbook costs, but once strongly consider them.” their access codes expire they are unable to Since open education resources can rebe reused. quire a substantial amount of effort to deAs a result of expensive textbooks, stuvelop, the University should dedicate more dents will actively avoid courses with expenresources toward ensuring every department sive books when creating their schedules, has the opportunity to develop them. even if they are necessary. In fact, one recent UT can mitigate the stress students feel survey done in Florida found that because — especially for those who experience finanof rising textbook costs, as many as 45.5% cial hardships. Open education resources of students will not register for a course and cheaper textbooks will ensure quality and around 20% will withdraw from the education for all students. course altogether.

Tovar is an undeclared sophomore “For students like me, the money could from Houston.

By Abigail Tovar Columnist

abriella corker

| the daily texan staff

Longhorns would benefit from financial literacy programs

By Wills Layton Columnist

I don’t know how to do a whole lot.

I don’t know how to paint. I don’t know how to change a tire. I really don’t know how to ride a bike.

But like many students in college, I also don’t know how to pay taxes, how to take out a loan or buy property. These are all things one can expect to face after college. As a senior about to graduate, that has me worried — and I’m not the only one.

“I try not to think about that stuff,” communications junior Elizabeth Webster said.

“I know ‘How to pay taxes’ isn’t in my degree plan, so I know I will have to either figure it out on the fly or go to a service. I am not looking forward to it.”

Students can go through their undergraduate careers and learn a lot about their major and maybe a minor. But the UT curriculum is lacking in practical skills we will all need once we graduate, including financial literacy.

“A life skills class would help provide students with knowledge that many of us haven’t gotten in the past and maybe don’t even realize we need,” said Chandler Rouse, finance and business honors junior. “Learning about the things taught in a life skills class would help prevent students from being blindsided by unknowns in the future. A class like that would go a long way toward furthering one of the main purposes of college, which is providing students with an education that benefits them in adulthood.”

There are only 17 states that require high school students to take a class in personal

finance. While Texas House Bill 1182 would have required Texas to join this club, this bill has not passed. Additionally, according to recent survey data, only 34% of polled students had taken or plan to take a personal finance class during their time in college.

The best thing the University can do at this point is to create a program that teaches not only how to successfully and carefully handle money, but also the other skills that are necessary for the real world.

Adding a program like this to the curriculum could prove to be incredibly difficult to work into a lot of people’s schedules.

However, adding sessions and lessons to first-year interest groups (FIGS) could be a way to make it happen. This would enable the University to simply add an element to an already-mandatory program, and would give first-year students skills they can use throughout their entire lives.

“Life skills are a necessity,” business sophomore Ashley Montgomery said.

“Learning the skills earlier would make that transition easier and equip students with the confidence to handle their adult lives. Something as simple as a class or the incorporation of life skills lessons into FIGs would allow students to feel supported not only academically, but in terms of common sense.”

The University has a responsibility to do its best to prepare students for life after they leave campus. Adding this facet to the education students receive would be a positive for everyone involved.

I don’t know a whole lot. But I know UT can help me figure out the important stuff.

Layton is a marketing senior from Corpus Christi.

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D O N N AVA N S M O O T SPORTS EDITOR @TEXANSPORTS

MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2019

FOOTBALL

Texas opens camp with new set of questions Longhorns enter preseason camp with highest expectations of Herman era.

By Donnavan Smoot & Marcus Krum @Dsmoot3D & @marcuskrum

all camp is the time to forge team identities and create internal momentum heading into the season.

With Texas now practicing in full pads, it’s full steam ahead for the beginning of the season. Here are some of the top storylines as fall camp continues:

Eagles’ emergence

When receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey declared for the NFL Draft after last season, it left a 6-foot-4, 225-pound hole in the Texas offense. So far, it looks as if similarly sized wide receiver Brennan Eagles will fill those big shoes in the upcoming season.

As a freshman, Eagles played in 11 games but recorded just one catch for 35 yards. In offensive drills Wednesday, the sophomore took a majority of the first team reps at the Z receiver position after Devin Duvernay shifted back into the slot receiver, where he played as a freshman under former head coach Charlie Strong.

“We’ve got some youth right now in (wide receiver Josh Moore) being a true sophomore and (wide receiver Jake Smith) being a true freshman, so in order to get what is now our best three guys out there in the starting lineup, Brennan was in that group,” Herman said. “Brennan has taken to the starting job pretty well.”

Health above all

As Texas looks to contend for the Big 12 championship, one thing is certainly on the minds of both coaches and players: staying healthy.

“We take that very seriously,” Herman said.

“It’s what we call being a pro. We tell them all the time, ‘Your body in peak physical condition is the greatest gift that you can give the team.”

Herman noted that on-field practice time is reduced this year to keep players as fresh as possible before the grind of a 12-game regular season.

joshua guenther | the daily texan file Sophomore safety Caden Sterns speaks with the media following Texas’ third day of preseason camp. Sterns is expected to have another breakout season after leading the team with four interceptions. Sterns is on the preseason Jim Thorpe Award watch list for top defensive back of the year.

The Longhorns were hit with a pair of minor injuries Wednesday. Defensive back DeMarvion Overshown sat out of practice with a mid-foot sprain. Running back Kirk Johnson left practice in a sling after landing on his shoulder and will be evaluated for a clavicle injury. Herman does not expect either injury to be serious.

The backfield is in good hands

Last year, running back Keaontay Ingram averaged five yards per carry while splitting touches with Tre Watson. With Watson leaving, Ingram has been preparing himself for the increased workload.

“Keaontay Ingram is 20 pounds heavier and running a mile per hour faster,” Herman said.

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Just below Ingram on the depth chart is Jordan Whittington. The freshman is a Swiss Army knife in terms of his abilities and has been a bright spot for Herman after enrolling early in January.

“It’s one of the most amazing things I’ve seen in 20-something years of coaching, how a guy — who had never played the position before in his life — took to it that naturally,” Herman said. “He’s our second-team tailback right now, and we’re expecting some big contributions.”

New wave of leadership

A new year comes with new leaders and players stepping into new roles. On a revamped defense, defensive end Malcolm Roach has become a prominent voice on the

defense even when he isn’t speaking.

“Being a coach’s son, I know when to talk up,” Roach said. “I know when to sit back and let Brandon (Jones) talk. I know when to sit back and let (Ta’Quon Graham) talk.”

Roach, a senior, has been through two different Longhorn regimes and is now the elder statesman on the defensive line.

Lined up yards behind him is standout safety Caden Sterns. Despite being in only his second year in the program, he hasn’t let his youth become a barrier to leadership.

“I think anybody can be a leader,” Sterns said. “Experience, it matters, but at the same time it’s the same game you’ve been playing since you were young.”

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MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2019

carlos garcia, albert lee

Start it off right with UFCU.

| the daily texan staff

Long-serving comics artist retires from Daily Texan

By Albert Lee @texancomics

Editor’s note: A 30 column is a chance for departing permanent staff to say farewell and reflect on their time spent in the The Daily Texan. The term comes from the old typesetting mark (-30-) to denote the end of a line.

The Daily Texan runs on its own calendar: A semester to the outside world is a year to our basement office. So, after 18 “Daily Texan years” over the course of seven actual years, I’m finally saying goodbye. After so much time, I don’t know if there are words to describe what this place means to me, but I’ll try.

To me, the Comics Department is so much more than just a group of people spitting out comics and illustrations. It’s the dozens of friends I’ve made along the way. It’s countless nights spent drawing and editing, where the relatively business-like chatter of the rest of the office fades away as we talk, laugh and watch stupid videos on YouTube because we’re Comics and having fun is a part of the job description. It’s parties that range from lively blurs of alcohol and music to quiet nights of drawing and playing board games.

It’s bouncing ideas around with Aaron. Waxing philosophical conversation about Marvel superheroes with Lex over sketches of halfbaked comics. Talking animation with Connor.

Hours discussing career choices with Audrey, or life choices with Lexi, long after we finished

our work for the night. Happy chats over dinner and drinks with Channing, Lauren and Bixie.

I’ve also made great friends with the rest of the paper. Being the editor or associate editor for Comics wasn’t always easy or fun, but looking back it was worth it for the friends alone.

Without those positions, I never would have known the talented and hardworking people who made the rest of the Texan happen. And these friends come with their own memories.

Pitching illustration ideas with Claire. Trying to capture the likeness of nondescript middle-aged politicians Alex is writing about.

Somehow forgetting that Jack and I had the same piano teacher in high school as he reminds me in front of the whole staff.

Joining The Daily Texan would be worth it a thousand times over for the friends and memories alone. But I also can’t discount what this organization has done for me personally. I owe my current level of skill in art and writing (such as it is) to the endless hours spent drawing and writing comics. I learned how to understand and befriend a wider variety of people.

There’s one last memory I’d like to share. It’s watching Alekka and Rocky putting the page together while I wipe away tears, knowing it’s one of the last things I’ll do for the department.

But I’m also content with the knowledge that Comics will be in good hands. Alekka, Rocky, you’ve done an amazing job helping me run this circus one last time, and I know you’ll keep up the great work. Channing, Lauren, I wish you guys smooth sailing. Our mutual home is now in your hands, and I can rest easy.

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C H A S E K A R A C O S TA S PROJECTS EDITOR @THEDAILYTEXAN

Projects

9

MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2019 FALL PREVIEW

UNIVERSITY

emma overholt

By Morgan Kuehler @morgankuehler

tudents often question how the University of Texas’ $31 billion endowment — the second largest in the country — is spent, which is often unclear.

A common student misconception depicts the UT system sitting on a giant pile of money they refuse to spend. The Permanent University Fund, which is shared with Texas A&M, supports part of the school’s annual operating budget, and after a decade of especially good investment returns, funnels into a “special distribution” that is now

being used to greatly expand tuition assistance for low-income undergraduate students.

The UT System’s endowment also supports nearly 20 times as many students as Yale, whose endowment hovers close to $30 billion. On a per-student basis, UT isn’t even the richest school in the state.

“Rice and Texas A&M have us beat,” UT spokesperson J.B. Bird said.

However, UT still has a lot of money.The endowment funds are controlled by the UT System Board of Regents and invested by an adjacent nonprofit, the University of Texas/ Texas A&M Investment Management Company, or UTIMCO. UT draws from the returns of those investments annually.

UT finance professor Keith Brown said the purpose of a university endowment is to ensure both current and future students are financially supported.

The endowment must also keep pace with inflation to support students as the economy changes.

“Humans have an expiration date, but the University of Texas doesn’t,” Brown said.

The Permanent University Fund, or PUF, makes up the most substantial part of the funds generally referred to as “the endowment.”

The PUF, worth about $22.6 billion, generates revenue by leasing 2.1 million acres of land in West Texas. Mark Houser, CEO of University Lands, said 1.4 million acres of it is leased to oil and gas developers and about 110,000 acres are leased to renewable energy generation such as solar and wind. The income collected from the land is then invested by UTIMCO. Compared with schools such as Yale or Harvard, funding from the University of Texas’ endowment makes up a relatively small portion of its operating budget. For the 2018-19 fiscal year, only 12% of UT Austin’s budget came

from endowment funds.

Thirty-five percent of Harvard’s and 34% of Yale’s budgets came from endowment funds. There are two reasons for the substantial difference, Brown said. Unlike Harvard and Yale, UT’s endowment supports current and future students in the entire 14-institution system, and UT is publicly funded and typically gets another 12% of its funding from the state budget.

Beyond that, the state stipulates how money from the PUF can and can’t be spent. The Available University Fund is first used to pay off the UT System’s debt, and then the rest is allocated to UT for expenses such as new construction, salaries, scholarships and library support.

However, the state does not allow the Available University Fund to be used for operational expenses for the other UT System institutions.

The rules don’t stop there.

“The constitution expressly prohibits the use of PUF bond proceeds for student housing, intercollegiate athletics or auxiliary enterprises,” said Melissa Loe, UT-Austin’s director of communications, Financial and Administrative Services, in an email. “The AUF is appropriated by the legislature and is subject to details, limits and restrictions imposed by appropriation.”

Traditionally, these have been the reasons students don’t really see this money. Now, they are starting to in a much more concrete way.

In early July, the Board of Regents called a special meeting and approved a one-time $250 million supplemental distribution from the Permanent University Fund to the Available University Fund.

This distribution will establish a separate $160 million endowment to provide tuition assistance for low-income undergraduate students at UT-Austin.

While the Board of Regents makes the final decisions on the use of the PUF and other endowment funds, it is UTIMCO’s jurisdiction to make investment decisions which are later approved by the board. Brown said UTIMCO uses an external management system, which means the actual decisions about which investments are made are contracted out. “(UTIMCO picks) the people who pick the stocks,” Brown said.

The way UTIMCO has invested funds is outlined in a 100-plus page document that lists all of the securities that UTIMCO holds and all of the investments it has made.

These securities are varied and range from domestic and internation-

unding the Forty Acres

How UT invests: A process unknown to most, and sometimes even to UT itself.

| the daily texan staff

al holdings in tech companies such as Facebook and Microsoft, renewable energy corporations such as CS Wind, banks such as Bank of America, and oil and gas corporations such as Royal Dutch Shell, commonly known as Shell. The PUF investment portfolio also holds debt securities from Chevron, ExxonMobil, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and more.

But some of the investments are completely hidden from public view.

Brown said companies like UTIMCO take advantage of finance laws allowing them to keep certain investments confidential for competitive purposes.

UT, Harvard, Yale and Stanford all want to have the nation’s largest endowment; it’s a competition, Brown said. As a result, there are investments in the report that are simply labeled “Direct Investment #01-74” with no other details.

“If people know what’s in your portfolio, then they can reverse engineer your strategy,” Brown said.

Many of UTIMCO’s investments are public, however, and the fossil fuel industry makes up the largest portion of it.

Investing in fossil fuels and leasing land for oil and gas operations are practices many students have been critical of.

In 2013, Harvard students called for the university to divest from fossil fuels. In response, Harvard Management Company, UTIMCO’s counterpart at Harvard, hired a vice president for sustainable investing and would later go on to adopt a sustainable investment policy. But it did not divest from fossil fuels completely.

Now, Harvard takes environmental, social and corporate governance factors into consideration when making investment decisions. These factors include energy consumption, employee diversity and nondiscrimination policies. In 2014, Harvard Management Company was also the first university endowment company in the United States to sign the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment.

UTIMCO does not have a policy parallel to Harvard’s but said it does work with many firms that do consider environmental, social and governance factors in their investments.

“For example, these firms may recognize that by implementing business practices that are environmentally sustainable, they can also improve the profitability and longterm competitiveness of a business,” UTIMCO said in a statement. “By working with these firms, UTIMCO is supporting (environmental, social and governance) initiatives.”

Sustainability studies senior Andrew Jones, who serves as the director of learning for the student organization Sustainable Investment Group, said there should be a greater emphasis on sustainability in funds such as UT’s endowment because it’s being invested on an “infinite time horizon.”

“It will take 1 trillion dollars of sustainably invested capital each year to meet the sustainable development goals by 2030, and it will potentially take more money invested in low-carbon assets each year to prevent a global warming scenario that exceeds two degrees Celsius,” Jones said. “We are talking about a massive shift in the way that financial markets are operating in order to secure the world that we want to live in.”

10

BROOKE SJOBERG LIFE&ARTS EDITOR @THEDAILYTEXAN

MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2019

STUDENT LIFE

LGBTQ students discuss housing

Students face struggles when finding roommates who are accepting of their sexuality.

By Rolando Hernandez @roliereports

t can be hard to find roommates in West Campus. It can be even harder for members of the LGBTQ community.

Feeling on-edge in their own home, LGBTQ students sometimes deal with snide comments and feelings of uneasiness as they look for someone to split the cost of housing with.

“I’ve always had struggles finding roommates,” sociology senior Carlee Bradley said.

“For me, the most stressful part of meeting someone new that I might live with was telling them I had a girlfriend.”

Bradley said in the past, people on Facebook roommate groups stopped talking to her after finding out about her sexuality because it made them feel uncomfortable.

Nate Woznicki, an educational psychology graduate student, said he has also struggled with roommates and

being a part of the LGBTQ community.

“If you want to live with someone who’s also LGBTQ, it’s just a harder pool (of candidates) to pull from,” Woznicki said. raquel higine

If you want to live with someone who’s also LGBTQ , it’s just a harder pool (of candidates) to pull from.”

N AT E W O Z N I C K I

EDUCATION PSYCHOLOGY GRADUATE

Woznicki said a lot of people will say they are comfortable with living with someone who is a part of the LGBTQ community, but don’t fully

accept or understand what that means.

“There ends up being some microaggressions, and you either have to just deal with it, address it or try to educate them,” Woznicki said. “It just gets annoying. It would be nice to have another LGBTQ (roommate) for that reason.”

A microaggression is a subtle statement or action against a marginalized group of people, such as asking a gay couple, “Who’s pitching and who’s catching?” When he lived with four straight roommates, Woznicki said he faced microaggressions that made him feel uncomfortable and uneasy.

“Whenever I had a date

over, they would just make it a way bigger deal than if any of the other ones brought someone home,” Woznicki said.

“They would try to be cool with gay lingo and say ‘Yas’ a lot, which isn’t too bad. But it gets kind of annoying after a while.”

Woznicki and Bradley agree it would be easier to find and have roommates if they were straight or “straight passing.”

“There’s just less ‘otherness’ involved if you’re both straight,” Woznicki said.

Exercise science senior Darien Bernard said he takes a more proactive approach when it comes to dealing with roommates.

| the daily texan staff

“Every time I’ve gotten new roommates, I email them and let them know, ‘Hey, I’m gay,’” Bernard said. “I give them a rundown of my lifestyle and let them know if they are uncomfortable with any of this, they can contact the leasing center.”

While Bernard hasn’t faced any major issues with roommates, he said leasing agents and apartment complexes should offer a sexuality option when applying.

“It’s already an issue that I even have to consider sending an email,” Bernard said. “I shouldn’t have to be afraid of rooming with someone who’ll hate me because I’m gay.”

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11

MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2019

FEATURE

WORLD

UT professor talks new book, second form of immigration

Students in South Korea reflect on racial differences, cultural disconnect

By Denise Emerson @kaonashidenise

copyright joel salcido, and reproduced with permission UT creative writing professor Oscar Cásares tackles assimilation after immigration in his new novel, “Where We Come From.”

By Carlos Garcia @brolos95

Oscar Cásares was never the type to read as a child, and he spent most of his time outside.

But when his tiós Nico and Hector came over for a carne asada cookout, Cásares ventured inside and listened to his uncles’ master storytelling.

“Sometimes (my uncles) would tell the same story over and over again, but I was fascinated with how they were able to keep our attention every single time,” said Cásares, a UT creative writing associate professor. “It wasn’t until decades later I realized I had just been in a (storytelling) workshop.”

Cásares spent hours studying his uncles’ stories. From narrative to delivery, Cásares said those stories played a vital role in his development as a writer and the creation of his new book, “Where We Come From.” This story is centered around assimilation and the cultures lost and gained through immigration.

“Where We Come From” follows the story of Orly, a 12-yearold boy who lives in Houston, Texas, and is forced to stay in Brownsville, Texas, with his godmother Nina after his

mother’s sudden death. When Orly moves in with Nina, she is secretly providing refuge for a young immigrant boy named Daniel.

“I wanted my book to stand the test of time, so I didn’t want to tie it to a particular issue,” Cásares said.

Instead, Cásares said he wanted to focus on the community and family narratives, something his family showed him how to do.

Although immigration is the focus of many stories today, Cásares said he wanted to strip away politics as much as possible from his novel.

“The initial seed of the (novel) began with the immigration that occurs after assimilation,” Cásares said. “There’s the immigrant we see in the news, but then there’s this cultural immigrant — the one (who) established a life for themselves after immigrating.”

Cásares began wondering if these cultural immigrants could ever return to their origins. He said it shocked him how his nephews’ upbringings in Houston completely differed from his own upbringing in Brownsville.

UT English professor John Morán González said Cásares found a way to tell the story of

the border beyond its geography as migrants flock to cities such as Dallas, San Antonio and Houston — not just the Rio Grande Valley.

“Today, the ‘border’ experience has effectively expanded to include much more of the state’s geography through migrants,” González said. “In ‘Where We Come From,’ Cásares portrays Texas as a border state where the Valley isn’t just a distant outlier of the Texas experience but rather the core of what that experience will become in the not-too-distant future.”

Radio-television-film senior Terry Salinas is from Brownsville and believes representation is not only necessary but needs to be accurate in the current political climate.

“Is the representation of the border accurate for me?” Salinas said. “Yes and no. Very few know how to accurately depict the border. What I see and hear at Brownsville does not compare to what I see in the media.”

Cásares said he knew his book would get caught up in the current political climate, but to him it’s a “humanitarian issue.”

“The Washington Post asked me to comment on the camps in Tornillo,” Cásares said. “All I said was, ‘What language are they crying in?’”

Experiencing a society where almost the entire population is ethnically homogeneous can be jolting for those who grew up in the United States.

Some black and Hispanic students studying abroad in Seoul, South Korea, said they stand out in public because of their darker skin and curly hair. American black culture has become popular in Korean media, and students such as health and society senior Dumebi Nzegwu, who is Nigerian American, receive attention from Koreans in public settings.

Nzegwu said many locals stare at her, and one woman touched and complimented her hair.

“In America, I would just tell you, ‘What are you doing?

Are you crazy?’” Nzegwu said.

“But it was a sense of she’s never seen a black person before, and I had to assess the situation and say, ‘She must not know that this is wrong.’

It’s blissful ignorance.”

Hyun-woo Kim, an economics senior from Seoul at the University of Iowa, said Koreans assume white and black foreigners are rich and high class, which contributes to the fascination. Black people are often stereotyped as good dancers or rappers, he said. “(Koreans are) trying to be kind to (foreigners) to make a good reputation about Koreans,” Kim said. “We think that foreigners talk to strangers a lot and are open-minded, so Koreans think Americans wouldn’t care if strangers talk to them.”

Kim said some Koreans might dislike darker skin due to issues of racism against dark-skinned Southeast Asians. Migrants from there are seen as low-class, he said.

“Some might think (darker skin) is ugly because one of the beauty standards in Korea is pale skin,” Kim said.

barbra daly

“But we’re really sensitive about racism to us, which is hypocritical.”

Psychology senior Brianne Richardson, who is Afro-Latina, said in addition to stares people have photographed her, which leads to discomfort.

“They take a picture and run away,” Richardson said.

“It feels very secretive. I don’t know if they’re doing it for positive reasons or to make fun of me.”

Despite this, Richardson said the attention she receives stems from Seoul locals having curiosity about her big, curly hair, whereas she receives more hate in the States for it.

“That’s the biggest difference between here and the States,” Richardson said.

“We have racism (in the U.S.) for different reasons, but (Seoul doesn’t) have all those years of history leading up to what (American) racism becomes.”

International relations and global studies senior William Gonzales, who is Latinx, said locals in Seoul also show interest or surprise at his appearance. Others, he said, have moved away from him on the subway.

“It’s a lack of exposure,” Gonzales said. “People don’t really know how to process (my appearance), so I don’t think it comes out of a place of malice. However, it can be interpreted that way easily.”

Nzegwu said the use of black hairstyles and

| the daily texan staff

culture in K-pop and other media displays her culture on a surface level. “(Koreans) don’t want to learn about what makes my culture unique,” Nzegwu said. “I’ve seen many Koreans with dreads and braids.

They call that ‘reggae hair.’

They take all the diverse hairstyles of black culture and make it into a one-word bracket here.”

Richardson said she appreciates Koreans’ interest in her culture because people in the States do the same thing with Korean culture.

“Koreans aren’t angry about it,” Richardson said.

“Other cultures should be able to share their parts of pop culture with other people. That’s a beautiful thing.”

Kim said many Koreans enjoy expressing themselves through black culture, especially since K-pop idols utilize it, but are not familiar with the term “cultural appropriation.”

Confucianism, a system of philosophical and ethical teachings that also defines standards for one’s presentation and appearance, has a strong influence in Korea, Kim said. Black American culture plays a role in challenging Confucian tradition.

“Because of Confucianism, we tend to not show ourselves,” Kim said. “We are conservative and sensitive about harming others. People who (don’t like) Confucianism tend to follow that free culture.”

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MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2019

WORLD TRACK

BASEBALL

Daniels among 13 Longhorns advancing to World Championships

Longhorns add former All-Star Tulowitzki to coaching staff

ner Morolake Akinosun. Placing third in the event, 2016 Texas graduate Akinosun will also run for Team USA at the World Championships.

“It was all motivation,” Daniels said to NBC Sports after being asked about losing in the NCAA championship race. “I feel like I needed that moment just to humble me. This past month and a half, I really got my head together and I got it done.”

The only current Longhorn runner who will participate in the games is sophomore Jonathan Jones, who will run the 400-meter. But Jones will not don the red, white and blue.

Instead, he will run for his home country of Barbados.

His personal best 44.63-second run in London in July is the all-time national record for Barbados.

Joining Daniels as another member of Texas’ 2019 graduating class to compete with Team USA is long jumper Steffin McCarter, whose illustrious career as a Longhorn

By Marcus Krum @marcuskrum

Running in the Toyota USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 26, the odds seemed stacked against former Texas sprinter Teahna Daniels, who was competing against several Olympians and NCAA champions. Even with the pressure of competing for a spot at the World Championships, it didn’t seem to faze her.

Daniels took first place in the 100-meter dash to secure a spot at the International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships in Doha, Qatar. Daniels is one of 13 competing athletes with a connection to Texas Track & Field.

Her winning time of 11.20 was good enough to topple two runners who defeated Daniels at the NCAA championships in June and two Olympic relay gold medalists, including former Texas run-

jumper landed him second all-time in the Texas record books with his winning jump of 7.96m in the 2018 Big 12 Championships. His sixthplace jump in Des Moines earned him a spot in Qatar after national champion Will Claye decided not to compete.

In addition, Longhorns volunteer throwers coach Valarie Allman won the national title in discus to advance, along with volunteer coaches Shakeela Saunders, Keni Harrison and Kori Carter.

Carter and Harrison lead a strong group of three hurdlers with Longhorn ties who will run at the World Championships. Ashley Spencer, 2015 Texas graduate, took home bronze in the 400-meter hurdles in the 2016 Olympics and secured a bid with a personal-best 53.11 seconds in the event to place third at the USATF Championships.

With each of the 13 athletes soon to represent their respective countries, Doha, Qatar, is sure to get its fair share of burnt orange and white.

joshua guerra | the daily texan file Sprinter Teahna Daniels competes at the Texas Relays at Mike A. Myers Stadium on April 1, 2017. Daniels won the 100-meter dash in last month’s USATF’s Outdoor Championships.

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Texas Baseball announced that five-time MLB AllStar Troy Tulowitzki will join the coaching staff as an assistant coach.

“Tulo and I had an opportunity to spend some time together, and I came away so impressed with his desire to teach and his excitement to become a part of Texas Baseball,” head coach David Pierce said in a statement. “His knowledge goes without saying, but his passion and energy for the development of young men left such a meaningful impression on me.”

Tulowitzki joins a Texas team that went .500 last year and failed to reach the College World Series after making a run the year prior. Before that, Texas hadn’t made it to Omaha since 2005.

The news came hours after Tulowitzki announced his retirement from Major League Baseball.

“I love college baseball and what it’s about,” Tulowitkzki said. “Early on (in my career), I realized I liked teaching this

game. I like helping guys reach their potential.”

Early on (in my career), I realized I liked teaching this game. I like helping guys reach their potential.”

T R OY T U L OW I T Z K I MLB ALL-STAR

Tulowitzki is a product of Cal State Long Beach, playing three years before being drafted to the Colorado Rockies in 2005. The shortstop spent the majority of his career in Colorado, but had a less-than-desirable departure with the team after being traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015. Tulowitski played shortstop for the New York Yankees earlier in the season. However, lingering injuries cut his season short, which ultimately led to Tulowitzki’s decision.

This move adds another moving piece for the Longhorns’ coaching staff. It is reported that Tulowitzki will replace Phil Haig, a volunteer pitching assistant who was let go by Pierce.

Haig has worked on Pierce’s staff since 2017.

Assistant coach Sean Allen, Pierce’s right hand, is slated to add Haig’s duties to his own as the recruiting coordinator.

Tulowitzki will then step in and take Allen’s position as a hitting coach.

As a team, Texas batted a mere .250 last year, certainly an area for improvement.

With Tulowitzki now handling that area for the Longhorns, an uptick in percentage is in the foreseeable future.

Tulowitzki batted .290 for his career and was a two-time Silver Slugger.

For Texas, the goal entering next season is regaining its mystique. Tulowitzki recognized the prestige of Texas and embraced it.

“I’m up for a challenge,” Tulowitzki said. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere where there aren’t expectations. I know the history of it and I want to be a part of it.”

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anthony mireles | the daily texan file Texas head coach David Pierce added five-time MLB All-Star Troy Tulowitzki to the Longhorns’ staff shortly after Tulowitzki announced his retirement on July 25.

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MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2019

FOOTBALL

carlos garcia | the daily texan file Safety Brandon Jones returns a punt during then-No. 6 Texas’ 38-35 loss to Oklahoma State in Stillwater on Oct. 27, 2018.

Jones, Roach lead ‘young and talented’ Longhorn defense

By Cameron Parker @camerondparker

Nearly two years ago following an August scrimmage, Tom Herman declared that Texas was going to win with “great defense.” As the Longhorns head into their third year under Herman, the biggest question mark surrounding the Sugar Bowl champions is not their offense but their defense.

With eight starters gone from last year’s squad, Herman and defensive coordinator Todd Orlando will turn to a new group of young but talented players to fill in the holes. Growing pains are almost certain, but with the return of seniors Brandon Jones and Malcolm Roach, Texas will have the leadership and talent necessary to compete for a conference championship.

“Young and talented is better than young and not talented,” head coach Tom Herman said at Big 12 Media Days at AT&T Stadium. “I have no doubt that we will get better simply by infusion of talent and another year of development in our system.”

The only expected returning starters for the Longhorns are Jones, safety Caden Sterns and linebacker Jeffrey McCulloch. Meanwhile Roach is set to line up at defensive end when Texas faces Louisiana Tech in the season opener. Besides those four, the Texas defense will put out familiar names and faces, but this time with the label “starter” attached to them.

“Even though we’re young, we are very experienced in my opinion,” Jones said. “We’ve had a lot of people, even if they don’t start, that have gotten into

the game and got that experience. If you have that game experience, it kind of builds your confidence.”

Some of those players include sophomores B.J. Foster and Joseph Ossai, who combined to play in 27 games and started in eight total. Sophomore Jalen Green and redshirt freshman Ayodele Adeoye have seen limited action but are also expected to start.

Regardless of how many snaps they have seen or games they have started, Jones and Roach know it is up to them to provide leadership on a defensive lineup filled with newcomers.

“I’ve taken the (leadership role) upon myself because we’ve lost so many seniors,” Jones said. “Not only seniors but leaders on the defense that were a huge success and a big part of what we did and how we did it. I take a lot of pride being that role model for them.”

While Herman has expressed concern about the lack of starters, Roach is confident there will not be a drop-off in performance once Texas takes the field.

“Everybody in the media is saying there’s going to be a dip in the defense, but everybody that’s stepping up and playing a starting role has played a lot of football,” Roach said. “I don’t think there’s going to be a big dip.”

Regardless, for Texas to take the next step and compete for a national championship this season, it will need to do so with eight new starters and the help of Jones and Roach.

“If we play our best and we develop the way that we think, we can … compete for a championship,” Herman said.

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MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2019

WEST CAMPUS

CAMPUS

Tips on how to navigate Austin transportation

By Mackenzie Dyer @mackdyerr

barb daly

| the daily texan file

City, orgs improve safety in West Campus ahead of fall

By Victoria May @toricmay

W

LEASING

F O

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Many community groups have taken advantage of the summer break to improve safety in West Campus.

In response to safety concerns raised by students living in West Campus, organizations such as the UT Police Department and the City of Austin have spent the past few months making improvements to the area. Changes include a new safety app launched by UTPD, renovated sidewalks, increased lighting and new homeless policies.

On July 22, UTPD announced it would be launching an app, LiveSafe, for the fall semester. UT community members will be able to use the app to submit tips, communicate with officers, report incidents and access emergency protocols.

“LiveSafe fills a critical void in today’s education and security product mix,” LiveSafe said in a statement. “It helps the UT community reduce operational risk by enabling them to prevent serious safety incidents by using early warning insights through the campus population.”

Construction on sidewalks throughout West Campus will be completed by the end of the month, according to the City of Austin’s website. Renovations, such as filling in sidewalk gaps, are being made along Nueces, 24th, 25th and 26th streets.

“We think these improvements are critically important to help people who are trying to get from West Campus over to the University and vice versa,” said Sara Behunek, communications manager for the city’s Corridor Program Office, in a statement. “We want to make sure that people have access to the sidewalks and (make) sure that (they’re) ADA compliant.”

The sidewalks in West Campus aren’t the only thing getting an upgrade. In May 2017, the Austin City Council ordered a study of West Campus lighting, which found that 20% of lighting in the area was deficient and the neighborhood needed at least $1.7 million worth of lighting upgrades.

The council signed a response to the study in January calling for an increase in lighting in the area. All nonfunctioning fixtures and tree limbs that obstructed existing lighting have since been fixed over the summer, according to an Austin Transportation Department memorandum.

“We know lighting discourages crime and criminal activity,” said council member Kathie Tovo, whose district includes West Campus, during the May 2017 council meeting. “Having good lighting is really important to ensuring safe spaces for people.”

The council also amended former homeless ordinances. Under the new rules, city policies prohibiting camping, lying down and sitting in public places are only enforceable if such actions present a safety issue or prevent use of public facilities.

“It is important that City Manager (Spencer) Cronk carves out areas in which camping is still outlawed, especially now as we … prepare for students to come back to school,” business sophomore Cole Cunov said during the June council meeting.

Additionally, panhandling will be prohibited only in circumstances deemed violent or aggressive.

“I think (the ordinance) is an important piece of us moving from dealing with homelessness through the jails and instead dealing with homelessness through housing and services while maintaining protections for health and safety,” council member Greg Casar said during a June meeting.

After venturing from campus for the first time her sophomore year, Hannah Burbank quickly realized she was sitting on a bus that was taking her anywhere but where she wanted to go. For those new to navigating Austin, it’s not uncommon to experience similar issues while learning to traverse the city efficiently.

“I remember it was right before classes started, and I wanted to make sure I knew what bus to take,” journalism junior Burbank said. “I took the right bus, but I took it in the wrong direction. I didn’t have a car.

I didn’t know where I was going … It was disastrous.”

Even for those who are used to Austin’s infrastructure, understanding its more than 70 bus routes, inconsistent bike lanes and limited parking can be complicated.

Despite now having a car, Burbank said she will continue to walk or take the bus to class because on-campus parking passes are so expensive. According to the UT Parking and Transporation Services website, on-campus parking passes can cost anywhere from $150 to $861 for the 2019-’20 school year.

Other car-owning students, such as religious studies junior Gerard Apru-

zzese, also don’t park on campus due to the expense of UT passes. To get to class, Apruzzese said he drives into West Campus and from his home near 38th Street, then parks in the garage of a friend’s apartment building.

“I think that UT’s parking passes … should be more accessible,” Apruzzese said. “People usually live farther off campus because it’s cheaper. It doesn’t make sense that UT would make the prices so expensive knowing that the people who need it are more likely to be economically disadvantaged.”

Instead of parking on campus, students can ride a bike or scooter, call an Uber or Lyft or take various bus routes around campus, including Route 640, which loops around campus. Students can ride city buses for free by swiping their UT ID. Between the hours of 11 p.m. and 4 a.m., students can order a free Lyft ride home from campus through the Night Rides program.

Robert Quigley, journalism associate professor of practice, said he prefers to walk and take bus routes around town. He said he recommends downloading the CapMetro app because the bus is cheaper than other options and is also a great way to catch up on work, reading or video games.

“It’s a nice thing that UT does for faculty, (staff and students),” Quigley said. “I’m so glad UT pays for the metro.”

anthony mireles | the daily texan file Students ride a crowded bus to campus from Riverside on Sept. 24, 2018. With more than 70 different bus routes, incoming students may struggle trying to learn Austin’s public transporation.