Serving The University of Texas at Austin Community Since 1900 @thedailytexan | thedailytexan.com NEWS SG executive alliance introduces seven-point platform. Page 3
OPINION Painter Hall’s namesake should not be memorialized. Page 4
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Volume 120, Issue 12
SPORTS Injuries are a growing concern for Herman ahead of season opener. Page 11
LIFE&ARTS Student drag queens organize to form campus community. Page 12
UNIVERSITY
Fenves and SG welcome freshmen and transfer students to the Forty Acres. By Brynne Herzfeld @Brynneherzfeld
t the annual Gone to Texas celebration, fireworks and a giant 23 on the tower welcomed 8,000 new students to the Forty Acres. The event, which featured a performance of “The Eyes of Texas” by the Longhorn Band, brought together students and staff to kick off the year. UT President Gregory Fenves and Student Government officers were among those giving speeches to the freshman class. Fenves said students should use their time at UT as a time for exploration, not just in academics, but within themselves. “There are so many paths you can take at UT,” Fenves said. “This experience is not about becoming someone or becoming something — it is about becoming yourself.”
Student Body President Camron Goodman said students will find themselves making new friends, having new experiences and learning new and exciting things. “Even with all the amazing things that stand out at this University, the thing that makes us great is students like you,” Goodman said. “We really, truly want to inspire students like you to create and write the next story of UT history.” While Gone to Texas is largely geared toward the incoming freshman class, Goodman, who was a transfer student, told the Texan that he wants transfer students to feel welcomed. “Our stories are different,” Goodman said. “I do believe that the conversation is shifting in recognizing that there is more to first-year students than just first time in college students.” Amie Jean, student body vice president, said students should take advantage of what UT has to offer and embrace newness, creativity and discovery together. “Tonight is your beginning,” Jean said. “It’s your opportunity to shape the legacy that you will become for each and every one of you.” Rachel Smith, an international student and a radio-television-film junior, said while coming to UT was a culture shock, she appreciates how Gone to Texas is a time dedicated to new students. T E X A S PAGE 2
eddie gaspar / the daily texan staff TOP: Fireworks stream into the sky at the Class of 2023’s Gone to Texas after UT President Gregory Fenves welcomed the incoming freshmen on Aug. 27, 2019. anthony mireles / the daily texan staff BOTTOM: Freshmen from the College of Liberal Arts celebrate their welcome at the Gone To Texas event at the Tower Plaza on Tuesday evening. Held annually in the fall, Gone To Texas welcomes the Class of 2023 to the University of Texas.
UNIVERSITY
Sen. Cornyn, Fenves talk STEM expansion to student veterans By Sara Johnson @skjohn1999
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and UT President Gregory Fenves held an on-campus roundtable Tuesday to hear from student veterans about the recently-passed Veteran STEM Scholarship Improvement Act. During the roundtable at the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Building, UT student veterans in STEM programs and representatives of NASA and Dell joined Cornyn and Fenves to discuss the act and share their experiences. The act, which was introduced in June, allows veterans up to $30,000 of G.I. Bill eligibility or an additional semester of study, if they are following a STEM degree plan. “Before the passage of this bill, only three STEM programs at UT applied to this scholarship,” Fenves said. “Now, that number has jumped up to 25.” The G.I. Bill was first passed to prevent another depression after World War II and provides educational assistance to veterans
Jumping into this school year like...
joshua guenther / the daily texan file Student veteran Rebecca Larson shows her doctoral research to UT President Gregory Fenves, left, and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) on Aug. 27, 2019 at the TACC Visualization Laboratory.
after they leave military service. The bill was updated in 2008 to provide further assistance to veterans with active-duty service on or following 9/11 by allowing them to transfer their academic funding to a family member if they are unable to use that money themselves. Jeremiah Wells, one of three student veterans who spoke at the roundtable discussion, said he is an example of someone who relies on the existence of G.I. funding after leaving service to open up educational opportunities he otherwise would not have. “Where I’m from, not a lot of kids had the thought to become a doctor,” said Wells, a neuroscience senior. “It was my military service that ended up showing me a path to med school.” While presenting her doctoral research to Cornyn and Fenves, student veteran Rebecca Larson said her work demonstrates how her G.I. Bill funding allowed her to excel in a field she loves. “My master’s thesis involved looking at this electromagnetic spectrum and estimating the S T E M PAGE 2
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