Serving The University Of Texas At Austin Community Since 1900 @thedailytexan | thedailytexan.com
Friday, September 27, 2019
Volume 121, Issue 33
NEWS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFE&ARTS
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Women’s boutique to replace former location of ice cream sandwich store Moojo.
The Big Ticket is problematic for students because of security issues and overcrowding.
Student artist behind Austin TCBY mural talks inspiration, painting process.
Cross country prepares for high-caliber competition in Bill Dellinger Invitational.
UNIVERSITY
CAMPUS
Latino Studies staff opens resource pantry for students
4-year graduation rates remain stable
By Lauren Grobe
After rising consistently since 2014, 4-year graduation rates have stalled at 69.8% from 2018-2019.
@grobe_lauren
Students can now pick up food, toiletries and paper goods from La Tiendita, a recently opened resource pantry in the Gloria Anzaldúa activities student room within the Gordon-White Building. Mallory Laurel, director of communications and outreach for the Center for Mexican American Studies, founded a donation-based pantry about two years ago inside a closet in the building after she noticed a need among students, particularly Latinx students from low-income families, for food and other necessities. “We’re here to uplift the students in our community to make sure we’re helping them more easily get through the college experience,” Laurel said. La Tiendita was created to help students who struggle to pay for food and household necessities which Laurel said can be considered “luxuries” on a tight budget. The items currently provided include snacks, dish soap, deodorant and toilet paper. Laurel said the pantry moved to the Anzaldúa student lounge from a closet in the building to make the items more accessible for students. She said the name La Tiendita was chosen to make students more comfortable when picking up donations. “We renamed it this year to rebrand it so that it was less stigmatized,” Laurel said. “We thought calling it La Tiendita would increase its usage.” La Tiendita started with Latino studies staff bringing in donated items and students could request what they needed, said Katy Buchanan, administrative manager for the Department of Mexican American and Lati-
EMMA OVERHOLT
By Areeba Amer @areeba_amer
he University’s fouryear graduation rate didn’t change since last year, according to a UT press release. Overall four-year graduation rates remain fixed at 69.8% since 2018 after rising gradually from 55.1% in 2014. Six-year graduation rates, however, have improved by 2.8% since last year to a rate of 85.6%. According to the press release, the
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To achieve improvements, especially rapid improvements like that, it helps to set a challenging, aspirational goal.” J.B. BIRD
UNIVERSITY SPOKESPERSON
University set a goal in 2011 to increase the four-year graduation rate from 52% to 70% by 2017. The graduation rate hit 65.7% by 2017 and has not reached 70% since then. “When we were aiming for 70%, that (was) an aspirational goal,” University spokesperson J.B. Bird said. “To achieve improvements, especially rapid improvements like that, it helps to set a challenging, aspirational goal.” According to the press release, the University implemented various campus-wide programs and G R A D R A T E PAGE 3
UT SENATE
SYSTEM
UT Senate aims to gauge approval of Quest By Neelam Bohra @_neelam_b
UT Senate of College Councils introduced legislation to create a form for student feedback on Quest, an online learning platform, at its Thursday meeting. Professors use Quest, a program that UT developed, to assign homework, report grading and provide textbooks to students. The authors of the legislation said if the form is introduced, students can report their complaints about using Quest so that the company can focus on fixing what students consider to be the platform’s biggest problems. Senate policy director Hussain Alkhafaji was the main author of the legislation and said Quest administrators reached out to him over the summer about receiving student feedback. “They said they know there are things they want to fix about their platform, and they don’t have that many resources, so they want to prioritize what they work on,” said Alkhafaji,
/ THE DAILY TEXAN STAFF
University works with UT System to ensure tuition increases are necessary By Areeba Amer @areeba_amer
JACK MYER
/ THE DAILY TEXAN STAFF
Praveena Javvadi, Liberal Arts Council vice president, asks a question about Quest, UT s online assessment program, at the UT Senate meeting Sept. 26, 2019. The Senate introduced legislation to see how students felt about the program. a public health and journalism senior. “So, initially, (this legislation) was helping them prioritize where their work is best suited.” Neuroscience sophomore Rhea Sachdeva co-authored
the legislation and said it would help students in the College of Natural Sciences. CNS uses Quest more than any other University college, according to the CNS website. “It’s used in a variety of
math, physics and chemistry classes, and it’s used in conjunction with Canvas,” Sachdeva said. “But it doesn’t have any type of way to streamline the U T S E N AT E
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The UT System will now be working with its eight academic institutions, including UT-Austin, to develop potential tuition and fee increases and ensure any increases are absolutely necessary for the institution. The institutions and the system will be collaborating on five-year strategic plans with a full budget analysis for the first time in preparation for when the system approves potential tuition increases in February, according to a Aug. 23 memo. Steve Leslie, executive vice chancellor for academic affairs of the system, said the regular five-year strategic plans will include the total budget for each institution and the ways resources are being used. “This will help ensure
that any future tuition and fee increases are limited to what is necessary to achieve critical institutional goals,” UT System chancellor James Milliken said in a statement.
This will help ensure that any future tuition and fee increases are limited to what is necessary to achieve critical institutional goals.” JAMES MILLIKEN UT SYSTEM CHANCELLOR
Leslie said the UT System Board of Regents wants the UT SYSTEM
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MEGAN MENCHACA
News Editor | @THEDAILYTEXAN
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019
This issue of The Daily Texan is valued at $1.25
PERMANENT STAFF Editor-in-Chief Spencer Buckner
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Women’s boutique Miss Behavin to replace Moojo on The Drag
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ella williams
By Aisling Ayers @aisling_ayers
Women’s boutique Miss Behavin is scheduled to open on The Drag during the first weekend of October. It will be located at the former storefront of ice cream sandwich store Moojo. The boutique, which will feature Los Angeles-inspired clothing, is currently under construction near the intersection of 23rd and Guadalupe streets. When trying to decide between opening a new location in Nashville, Tennessee, or Austin, Miss Behavin general manager Haley Hydrick said the store considered how saturated
Nashville already is with stores just like them. “We don’t want our girls to have to drive far out of the way to shop,” Hydrick said. “We want it to be easy access.” Miss Behavin decided on Guadalupe Street rather than on South Congress or the Domain because of its proximity to UT students. “This past summer, we hit the pavement and talked to girls on The Drag,” Hydrick said. “We asked them if they would choose to shop at our store over online shopping. They all said that they definitely would.” Hydrick said the clothes sold by the store, which include crop tops and
skorts, will appeal to college women. “I have been trying to find new places to shop at in Austin,” said Kate Kiehne, health and society freshman. “I’m really excited about this new boutique because I live right off Guad.” Laurie Gardiner, former catering manager of Moojo, said the company was struggling financially and closed in November 2018 after the building’s rent was raised. Gardiner said she doesn’t know why the storefront stayed vacant for so long. “Even if the rent would have just been raised a little bit, we would have been continually paying rent this whole time,” Gardiner said. “But instead, (it’s been) almost a year without
/ the daily texan staff
any income off that property.” Currently, there is only one boutique on The Drag — C. Jane, which sits on The Drag three doors down from the future location of Miss Behavin. C. Jane owner Kat Key said the store has been on Guadalupe Street for 13 years. “The more open storefronts, the better,” Key said. “Guad isn’t very desirable right now with the boarded-up businesses and graffiti.” Miss Behavin has spoken to other potential businesses that want to open more spaces for students on The Drag. “We hope that our store can be the beginning of a facelift for Guad,” Hydrick said.
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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kirsten hahn
/ the daily texan staff
La Tiendita, a newly opened supply pantry, allows students in need to take supplies without judgement. The pantry is stocked with paper goods, toiletries and food items that are all free and accessible.
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no/a Studies. Buchanan said the staff wanted to move the pantry more into the open so that the supply did not feel like “a secret.” To stock what is necessary, Laurel said the staff is keeping track of items students take the most and regularly restocking La Tiendita with those items. “Students find themselves in a situation where they have to decide between buying materials for class or getting basic necessities,” Laurel said. La Tiendita will be joining other efforts on campus to address food
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process of gathering feedback from students.” Alkhafaji said Canvas has more resources and is a competitor to Quest, but Quest still has different features than Canvas. The features include modules that can embed videos and portions of the textbook with relevant quizzes, he said. “There’s a couple reasons professors use Quest,” Alkhafaji said. “Some are just used to it, and they don’t want to change from it, but there are certain things Quest does that many instructors feel is still the most optimal approach.”
insecurity, such as UT Outpost, a food pantry and career closet made available by Student Emergency Services. UT Outpost coordinator Will Ross said 1 in 4 students at the University struggle with food insecurity. “The campus cares about (food insecurity,)” Ross said. “There’s a lot of effort being made to address this.” Laurel said the stigma surrounding food need is one obstacle to making sure students get the resources they need. Just like La Tiendita, Ross said UT Outpost’s name was chosen to reflect the open environment of the pantry and help students feel comfortable. There are several resources on campus,
such as La Tiendita, UT Outpost, the Gender and Sexuality Center’s food pantry and other services. However, Ariel Juarez, radio-television-film sophomore, said they think students still struggle with asking for help when it comes to money troubles. “I’ve had times that I have asked friends to just buy some food for me, which adds on to the embarrassment and stress from classes,” Juarez said. Juarez said La Tiendita and other pantries help students like them and their friends feel more at ease. “It’s been hard not just for myself, but for other friends to not have sufficient money,” Juarez said. “It just goes to rent.”
Alkhafaji said despite its advantages, students find the costs of Quest, which vary depending on the course, hard to ignore. “Over the course of a couple years, less classrooms are utilizing Quest, and the majority that are just use it to publish exam grades,” Alkhafaji said. “And even that tool is not being optimized to its best capacity.” Alkhafaji said the Senate cannot require professors to administer the feedback form, but the legislation, which had administrator support, would make administering the form feasible. “Often, Senate doesn’t have the power to mandate anyone to do anything,”
Alkhafaji said. “We see what approach works best to actually see if something can come to fruition. Part of that requires that when we meet with faculty, we walk away with support from them.” Senate President Elena Ivanova said the resolution would make a small change, but still matters. “Any change, as long as it’s a good change, is beneficial,” said Ivanova, a public health, government and Plan II senior. “We’re always aiming to make those big systemic changes, but we can’t always do that. Just fixing the infrastructure and allowing students to provide feedback and get more engaged can start a domino effect.”
megan clarke
ut system
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analysis so that it can understand the financial circumstances and ways it can manage each institution’s cost effectiveness. He said UT’s libraries, museums and graduate school are all included in the analysis. “(We hope to) look at all options for how money is used with the sensitivity to students and families in mind so that at the end … any decision is based upon a solid understanding of … financial circumstances,” Leslie said. Leslie said the system is also requesting that all its academic institutions submit comprehensive budget proposals on top of their requests for tuition and fee increases by Nov. 1. “It’s a big, time-consuming, deep and thorough process that these campuses will be doing,” Leslie said. Joey Williams, director of communications for UT-Austin’s Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, said UT is pulling all of the requested information together before the deadline. Then, he said they will consider what the needs of the campus are. “(The new process) is going to increase transparency
/ the daily texan staff
around the tuition-setting process, and the role that plays in the University budget,” Williams said. Leslie said the institutions will focus on strategic priorities for advancing themselves, including their academic quality. He said institutions will also consider student success, including four-year and six-year graduation rates. “Our goals will continue to be promoting affordable access, improving student success and recruiting and retaining talented faculty,” Milliken said. After proposals are submitted on Nov. 1, the Office of Academic Affairs and the Office of Budget Planning of the UT System will work with each institution to review and provide feedback for the tuition proposals. Afterward, Leslie said the board will approve the usual tuition increase in the February board meeting. “We have just an outstanding board with many new board members and high sensitivity to cost and use of money on campuses,” Leslie said. “It’s a really good change. It will manage the way all aspects of the campuses’ finances (are being) analyzed … and look at how the campuses are spending money and the cost efficiencies.”
NEWS
3
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019
CAMPUS
Jesta Pizza to become build-your-own pizza shop By Matthew Posey @texmatts
University Housing and Dining is renovating Jesta Pizza to create a new build-your-own pizza restaurant, which will open next spring. Jesta Pizza, a dining option which offered pizza by the slice inside Jester West Residence Hall, closed at the end of spring 2019, said Rene Rodriguez, director of dining at UHD. UHD recently started the renovation process to rebrand Jesta Pizza to a MOD Pizza-style restaurant, he said. Rodriguez said the rebranding will allow students to build their own pizzas. Jesta Pizza originally offered preset recipes, such as pepperoni and Hawaiian, and a thicker crust than what the new menu will offer, he said. Rodriguez said UHD hoped to start construction on the pizza restaurant sooner, but the planning process took longer than expected. He said UHD is making the renovations to make Jesta Pizza more “trendy” for students. “The thinner crust and the customization of a pizza is the newest trend,” Rodriguez said. “We’re trying to stay with the trend and give students what they like.” Nutrition freshman Jean Nie said she is looking forward to eating at the renovated location. “I’m always looking forward to the new food spot I can try, especially since it’s so close and accessible,” Nie said. “I would definitely go try it out at
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analyzed data in 2013 to provide graduation support for students. Programs offered by the University include 360 Connections, small communities of students, and the University Leadership Network, which provides scholarships and opportunities to select freshmen with financial need. “(The six-year increase is) going to be the outcome of all the student
jacob fraga
/ the daily texan staff
Jesta Pizza, Jester West’s pizza dining option, is being renovated into a new build-your-own pizza restaurant. The a new build-yourown-pizza pizzeria is set to open next spring. least once.” The renovated pizza place will feature a new pizza press, ingredients and recipes for sauce and dough, Rodriguez said. “Our chefs and our registered dietitians are working on (new) recipes and everything to have it all ready,” Rodriguez said. “We’re in the process of testing
success programs,” said Joey Williams, director of communications for the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost. “What you are seeing now is the fruition of that.” Graduation rates for Hispanic, first generation and Pell Grant-eligible students have increased in the past five years, but they all saw slight decreases from last year. The four-year graduation rate of first-generation students, which increased nearly 17% within the past five years, dropped this year to 60.1%
all the new recipes. We’re testing doughs out right now and pizza presses.” Advertising junior Yecenia Hernandez, who lived in Jester as a freshman, used to eat the Hawaiian pizza with ranch from the old Jesta Pizza. She said she would visit Jesta Pizza again if other students like the
from 61.5% in 2018. The same graduation rates decreased about 1.6% for Hispanic students since last year and by 0.8% during the same time period for Pell Grant-eligible students, or students who qualify for federal subsidies for college. Bird said as the overall four-year graduation rates increase over time, variations are expected. UT is still well above the national average four-year graduation rate, which sit at about 41%, according to the National Center for Education Statistics as of 2011.
new renovations. “I guess it would really depend if (Jesta Pizza) looks good (and) if people talk about it,” Hernandez said. “I haven’t gone back (since I was a freshman) just because I used to eat it all the time.” UHD is currently planning a soft opening for when students
return from winter break so that employees can be trained and brought up to speed. A weeklong grand opening will follow, Rodriguez said. “We look forward to opening it up,” Rodriguez said. “Hopefully, we’re going to have a huge grand opening celebration when we get it open.”
“You can’t always go up,” Bird said. “The further … you succeed from the norm, the harder it is to continue the increase.” Bird said Fenves has previously said he wants to continue to improve the University’s rates, but it is difficult for them to be as high as rates at private universities. “The way we admit students, the kind of students we admit, and the way that they pursue their degrees is different than private institutions,” Bird said. “The characteristics of our
student body, the kind of people that we try to serve, and the kind of approach we take will never be like an elite private school in terms of our four-year graduation rates.” Bird said the University hopes that the overall graduation rates will increase. “I think the overall thing is to look at the major upward trend over the past five our six years,” Bird said. “It’s really on all of us — the University, and students working together. We want to continue to see improvements.”
UNIVERSITY
UT Marine Science Institute receives $11.7M for Harvey relief
steph sonik
By Bithia Dantoumda @bithiaaa
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently awarded $11.7 million in funding to the UT Marine Science Institute to finish fixing what Hurricane Harvey destroyed in 2017. Institute communications coordinator Sally Palmer said the UT Marine Science Department and Institute manages a National Estuarine Research Reserve through a federal and state partnership. Palmer said the newly awarded funds will help the institute and the reserve return to full operations and reopen on-site marine science education programs to visitors. After over two years of construction and reinforcements, Palmer said the project is nearing 80% completion and they anticipate three more years of construction. “There were several research reserves affected by hurricanes during 2017, so Congress appropriated funds to help with hurricane recovery for our reserves and for others around the country,” Palmer said. “The
fund was very specific to Hurricane Harvey.” Palmer said Harvey caused over $45 million in damage to the reserve, which affected all 70 buildings maintained by the oldest marine research facility on the Texas coast. After the storm, she said researchers and
Rebuilding for the future has taken a combination of support from the University, insurance, state and federal government, and our generous donors. This final piece of the puzzle will help us get over the finish line.” ROBERT DICKEY
institute director & marine science professor
students came back to find labs filled with standing water and destroyed samples. Palmer said students had to be temporarily relocated to
/ the daily texan staff
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi for the fall 2017 semester. The institute has since replaced more than three football fields’ worth of roofing, Palmer said. “We didn’t quite know what was going on,” said Sarah Douglas, marine science graduate student. “The classes that happened down here at the institute are mainly graduate classes, and since that was the fall semester, it was all graduate classes. After the hurricane, we didn’t have labs, but some of the professors were very generous with their office spaces.” According to the institute’s website, it previously drew in tens of thousands of visitors annually. Since Harvey, visitor facilities have been closed and K-12 education programs reduced, according to a press release from UT. “We are grateful to Congress for these funds,” said Robert Dickey, the institute’s director and a marine science professor. “Rebuilding for the future has taken a combination of support from the University, insurance, state and federal government, and our generous donors. This final piece of the puzzle will help us get over the finish line.”
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SPENCER BUCKNER
Editor-In-Chief | @TEXANOPINION
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019
COLUMN
OPINION
Big Ticket, bigger problems
helen brown
Big Ticket is oversold and unreliable for games frustration for the students waiting in line for the game. “I felt very claustrophobic, and there were people surrounding me on all sides,” public health sophomore Gillian Schafer said. Summer Fathke, a radio-television-film “People were yelling, and I think (someone) sophomore and die-hard Longhorns fan, was about to pass out.” joined the burnt orange tide outside Darrell Most first-time Big Ticket holders mainK Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on a hot, ly purchase it for football, which begs the humid Saturday. She had one goal in mind: question: Why can’t all Big Ticket users be Watch the UT vs. LSU game. However, her accommodated at home football games? The one way of achieving her plan — The Big answer is simple mathematics. Bianco said Ticket — let her down. there are 13,000 student seats at DKR and The Big Ticket costs $175, not includ18,000 Big Ticket holders this year. That ing taxes and fees, and gives students discrepancy ultimately leads to student disan all-access pass to Texas Athletics satisfaction. Fathke, for instance, doesn’t see home events. herself buying a Big Ticket in the future. “The concept (is) one ticket, one price, Additionally, ticket holders who don’t every game,” said John Bianco, the associate want to attend a specific game can transfer communications director of intercollegiate their student ticket to another UT student. athletics, in an email. There’s no reason to However, as shown assume that all stuby the first two home dent seats wouldn’t be football games of the filled — many students 2019 season, The Big take advantage of this It’s much too easy to Ticket no longer gives transfer ticket option. students access to In his email, Bianco acquire a big ticket and every game. said 433 Big Tickets much too difficult to use were transferred for It’s much too easy to acquire a Big Tickthe Louisiana Tech it. It’s time to scale back et and much too difgame and 600 were this program instead of ficult to use it. It’s transferred for the time to scale back this selling too many of these LSU game. program instead of With the scale it’s tickets.” selling too many of operating at right now, these tickets. it seems that The Big “I’ve tried to go to Ticket has lost sight of every football game, its original goal of “one and I haven’t gotten into any of them,” ticket, one price, every game.” We need to Fathke said. scale back Big Ticket sales so that all stuAt the LSU game, Fathke and her dents who buy the ticket are guaranteed a friends got turned away from the norseat in DKR. Of course, The Big Ticket isn’t mal student section as well as a section intended solely for football games, but the dedicated to overcrowding. numbers show that football games are the “(The event staff) told us, ‘We hit capacity highest-attended sporting events covered by and we can’t let anyone else in,’ and we tried The Big Ticket. to leave but there were already so many peoWhether you’re a die-hard fan or a curiple pushing forward that we (couldn’t) really ous freshman, many would say that The Big go anywhere,” Fathke said. Ticket is a worthwhile investment, especially The fine print on The Big Ticket says that for experiencing a tenet of Longhorn culgeneral admission seating is based on availture — college football. However, now that ability, and Texas Athletics recommends its drawbacks overshadow its benefits, the that students arrive at games early to ensure University should seriously consider a major they are seated. scaling back of this program so that it stays Fathke took this advice and arrived at the true to its original intent and provides tickLSU game three hours before kickoff. She et holders access to any and all games they still didn’t get a seat. Not only does arriving pay for. early not guarantee admission, it also leads Dasgupta is a neuroscience sophomore to overheating, dangerous conditions and from Frisco, Texas.
By Abby Dasgupta Columnist
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.
| the daily texan staff
Big Ticket causes major security issues for students ger taking printed tickets due to the game being oversold, the only way for them to get into the game was if they transferred their Big Ticket to someone else’s ID and used it as their own. Students can use The Big Ticket as an “It’s really easy to sneak in because they easy access pass to home games withdon’t even look at the ticket,” the student out having to pay each time. What could said. “They’re just watching to see if the go wrong? light turns green. I wasn’t even worried If we consider recent football games, a (that) this (person) didn’t even look anylot. From an intense stampede to heat exthing like me … and it worked.” haustion, these past few Saturdays have If it worked for one student, it could highlighted an obvious issue: By oversellwork for everyone. As long as the light ing Big Tickets, Texas Athletics is underturns green, anyone, student or not, could valuing student safety. walk into the highly populated and vulnerBiochemistry sophomore Megan Thomable DKR. With up to 18,000 Big Ticket as witnessed the chaos at the LSU game. holders ready to be scanned each game, Thomas, who arrived 30 minutes after security may not have the time to propstudents rushed the entrance, claims erly check IDs. Unfortunately, even if UT that even though she avoided the initial security took more time to check every ID, stampede, she was there would still be not spared from the issues with student mayhem happening safety due to the overinside the Darrell K selling of tickets. Royal-Texas Memorial To prevent what Stadium. UT’s promise of providing happened at the LSU “It reminded me of game from reoccura secure game day a music festival crowd ring, Texas Athletics because everyone was announced a new stuexperience is broken pushing and people dent entry process for when revenue becomes the OSU game. The were yelling … It was just chaotic,” Thomas more important than the key point was that said. “(UT) knew they one gate would safety and well-being of only weren’t going to have be open for Big Ticket enough seats and knew holders. With temstudents.” it was going to be a lot peratures hovering of people … yet they close to 100 degrees, still oversold.” students were forced According to John to stand in a sinBianco, the associate communications digle file line for hours. Even after kickoff, rector of intercollegiate athletics, 18,000 students were still waiting to be let into Big Tickets have been sold for the 2019the stadium. 2020 school year even though only 13,000 There is a serious problem with the overseats are allocated for the student section. selling of Big Tickets when it puts students Not only does overselling cause cramping in jeopardy of overheating and overcrowdin the stands, it also overwhelms security ing. Even with the new precautions, there to the point where they cannot efficientwere still too many Big Ticket holders presly check IDs. When there are too many ent at one time. UT’s promise of providing a people to process, safety is jeopardized. secure game day experience is broken when “The only security I saw was at the point revenue becomes more important than the of letting us into the stands,” Thomas said. safety and well-being of students. “I don’t think they even checked my ID.” If UT does not immediately scale back Although the LSU game is an extreme Big Ticket sales, the University will beexample, getting past DKR security is a come another institution that claims to common occurrence. One source, who have everyone’s best interests at heart, but wishes to stay anonymous, knows firstis really only interested in the money in hand how easy it is to bypass security. The their pocket. student claimed they had lost the physical Lopez is a rhetoric and writing sophocopy of their ID, and since UT was no lonmore from Nederland, Texas.
By Hannah Lopez Columnist
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LIFE&ARTS
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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019 FASHION
ART
UT students attend, work New York Fashion Week as brand’s social media interns
Art installations across campus address concerns of fast fashion By Katya Bandouil @kat372
copyright jennifer ellis, and reproduced with permission
Public relations senior Jennifer Ellis (right) poses with designer Sherri Hill (left) at New York Fashion Week. By Catherine Cardenas @c_aaattt
Every year, designers, models and celebrities alike gather in New York City to partake in some of the biggest runway shows of the year, otherwise known as New York Fashion Week. This September, public relations senior Jennifer Ellis and textiles and apparel junior Samantha Feingold attended fashion week with the brand Sherri Hill. When the time finally came to arrive in New York, Feingold said she was ready to live out her childhood fantasy. “I’ve dreamed of (NYFW) for so long, being there was overwhelming,” Feingold said in a message. “I almost had to take myself out and say, ‘This is what you’ve always wanted.’ It was crazy.” Before Feingold and Ellis arrived at NYFW, they worked as creative fashion interns for Sherri Hill over the summer. Their responsibilities included creating and distributing social media posts for Sherri Hill platforms.
When the fashion week arrived, both got to take a closer look at what happens both behind the curtain and on the runway. Ellis said she appreciates the perspective that working the show gave her. “It wasn’t like I was just looking at it from the outside,” Ellis said in a message. “I saw from the inside how much hard work and passion goes into running a show like that and running a company.” Backstage, models ran around putting finishing touches on hair and makeup and prepared to walk the runway, Ellis said. “Once you reach that backstage point, it’s kind of chaotic,” Ellis said. “As soon as all the models came out, it just all came together so perfectly.” Flexibility and preparation are crucial to the success of any fashion show, Feingold said. “We’ve got lots prepared in advance, but there’s lots of things that are day-of decisions,” Feingold said. “Some dresses we decide to put on that day. It’s kind of crazy because one of those decisions changes everything else.” Miranda Hoemke, content administrator at Sherri Hill, worked
closely with Ellis and Feingold during NYFW. She believes this internship taught Ellis and Feingold how to work through difficult situations. “I saw them not only come out of their shells, but also absorb and learn so much about the company and the industry in such a short period of time,” Hoemke said in a message. Ellis said she values her experience with Sherri Hill at NYFW because she felt her voice was heard. “We got to learn a lot about every aspect of the business,” Ellis said. “It was really cool to finally see how a successful business runs and operates. I didn’t feel like just an intern, I felt like I got to make a difference.” For Feingold, the NYFW experience helped solidify fashion as her desired career choice. “I got chills when we walked in,” Feingold said. “There’s no other way to describe it. I knew I was supposed to be there; I didn’t have any second guesses. Some days are hard, but when you walk through, it’s like everything’s worth it. Everything is building up to something.”
T H R O U G H T H E LENS
An unconventional form of student protest has popped up around the Forty Acres this fall. From placing a bed in the middle of West Mall to hanging fabrics from trees above the turtle pond, UT organization Fashion Anonymous has mastered the art of subtle advocacy. Through art installations around campus, Fashion Anonymous aims to educate students about fast fashion production. As defined by Merriam-Webster, fast fashion is “an approach to the design, creation, and marketing of clothing fashions that emphasizes making fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to consumers.” The organization displays the lack of sustainability in the process by creating interactive exhibits that bring attention to the major factors contributing to the problem, ranging from the dye industry’s pollution to the unethical labor practices in manufacturing. “(The exhibits) are meant to be touched and walked through,” Fashion Anonymous President Ashlee Bushee said. “The sewing exhibit has a QR code that links to a soundtrack
you can listen to, sit and get the experience of what it would sound like to be in a hot and noisy garment factory.” Bushee first became interested in sustainability in fashion after learning about the negative effects of the industry through a research project as an undergraduate. “As soon as I learned about (sustainability in fashion), I made a mission to quit buying clothes,” Bushee said. “ I learned how to sew (and) committed to thrifting. The first thing I learned about was the denim industry and the pollution from jeans, so I haven’t bought a new pair of jeans in, like, 10 years.” When Bushee came to UT to pursue her master’s degree, she was encouraged by a professor to create a fashion sustainability organization. Soon after, with help from other students, she started Fashion Anonymous to engage and educate the UT community about the problems of fast fashion. With the help of students who are passionate about the same cause, ideas began to evolve into tangible displays. Sustainable methods were used in every step of the process. “All the plaques and paper we use are made out of seed paper, which you can go plant,”
said Anai Moreno, public relations senior and public relations director for the organization. Every aspect of creating the installations was carefully considered with the idea of sustainability in mind, Bushee said. “We worked as hard as we could to source all of our materials from Austin Creative Reuse or Habitat for Humanity,” Bushee said. “We felt a conflict in building something to address consumption issues by buying new things.” Bushee said people use overconsumption as a coping mechanism because they aren’t truly happy. The installations ask students to reflect on their own consumption, and written on the front of a piece is “Are you happy?” Beyond the exhibits, Fashion Anonymous plans to maintain its presence on campus. Weekly events, such as clothing exchanges and movie screenings, invite students to repurpose their old clothing and learn more about fashion sustainability in an immersive way. “We’re inviting people into each exhibit in their own time so that you’re not having to digest all of this information at one time,” Bushee said. “We call it a quiet version of activism.”
evan l’roy
/ the daily texan staff
Public relations senior Anai Moreno, education graduate student Ashlee Bushee and textiles and apparel sophomore Doran Kim created this project to showcase the effects of fast fashion.
Featuring the best from the photo department.
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eddie gasper
| daily texan staff
Communication and leadership junior Ann Mark tidies up the store at Consuela, a handbag store in Downtown Austin.
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D O N N O VA N S M O O T
Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019
COLUMN
Johnson puts team first
In forgoing a redshirt season, the freshman running back’s selfless decision fills the exact role Texas needs him in. By Marcus Krum @marcuskrum
oschon Johnson and Tom Herman have had two weighty conversations in the early goings of Johnson’s tenure at Texas. The first came around the time of the freshman’s first game back in August. The second was Sunday. Both times, Herman talked to the quarterback-turned-running back about whether or not he would play only the allotted amount of four games and redshirt, forcing him to sit out the remainder of the season, or if he would continue to suit up and play this year. In Sunday’s discussion, one thing was important to Johnson if he were to play the remainder of this season: “Am I still going to be able to help the team?” Herman’s response? “I said, ‘Absolutely,’” Herman said. “And (Johnson) said, ‘Then we’ll worry about all that stuff after the season.’ We’re planning on playing him for the rest of the season.” The decision was made. Despite not playing the position he came to Texas to play, the position that earned him four stars and 17 offers coming out of high school, Johnson decided to lose a potential extra
joshua guenther
/ the daily texan file
Freshman running back Roschon Johnson eludes a tackler in Texas’ 36-30 win over Oklahoma State last Saturday. Johnson has run for 147 yards and a touchdown in the first four games of his Longhorn career. year of eligibility to help the Longhorns fill a critical hole as running back. Johnson’s selflessness to start his Texas career helps alleviate the biggest problem the Longhorns have faced in their 2019 campaign: depth. Injuries to three running backs to start the season left the position room deathly thin, with just sophomore Keaontay Ingram remaining. Johnson was thrust into the position as Ingram’s backup and has carved out an even bigger role in this offense. He looked like a natural from the start. Through four games, Johnson has averaged 4.3 yards per carry on 34 carries. At 6-foot2 and 220 pounds, he physically looks the part of a tailback. The surprise is that he doesn’t look
like a quarterback trying to learn a new position.
He’s hardworking, doesn’t like to mess up, does everything he can to put himself in a position to succeed.” SAM EHLINGER junior quarterback
He runs with excellent vision and power, looks relatively solid in pass protection and, most importantly, just looks
comfortable. It couldn’t have been a simple transition, but Johnson has made it look easy. “(Week Two) I looked over and it was Roschon (at running back), and I was like, ‘Oh, what’s up bro,’ because we were just sitting in the same room a few weeks before,” junior quarterback Sam Ehlinger said. “He’s hardworking, doesn’t like to mess up, does everything he can to put himself in a position to succeed. I think he’s transitioned well.” The most impressive part of Johnson’s switch is the selflessness it displays. In the age of the transfer portal, good quarterbacks stuck behind an elite one often flee to a place where they can show off their talents. (See Jalen Hurts, Justin Fields and Tate Martell — wait,
never mind.) Instead of finding a way out, Johnson has fully bought in, and I’m not quite sure where Texas would be right now without him. Even though Ingram claims he can run the ball 30-plus times a game, I doubt anybody wants to see it happen. And against Oklahoma State, when Texas ran the ball 43 times, Johnson ran for 30 yards and a touchdown that gave the Longhorns a two-score fourth-quarter lead. It’s unclear what Johnson’s role will be when freshman Jordan Whittington returns from injury in a few weeks. If he’s relegated to a third-string role, so be it. Whatever it may be, Johnson has already shown he will take it in stride.
TRACK & CROSS COUNTRY
Cross country to face off with topranked teams in weekend races By Sam Bellessa & Emily Barton
lower 40s. “It is great to get out of the heat since it will @thedailytexan be our longest race yet of the season,” Watson said. “It will be fun to see how we compete.” Running against ranked opponents proTexas cross country will travel to Springfield, vides an opportunity for the youthful men’s Oregon, to compete against its fiercest comteam to gauge where it stands and where petition yet this season. While the Longhorns it needs to go before championship season are currently unranked, the Bill Dellinger In- in November. vitational will host multiple “They don’t act like freshranked teams including BYU, men,” Watson said. “These Portland, UCLA and Oregon. guys were some of the best “This is the start of everyhigh school runners in thing,” said Pete Watson, the country, and they are We want to be men’s cross country and disbrave today.” in the top half at tance coach. “A chance to The women also have minimum. That’s why a young team, with put on the Texas jersey and see them line up, not being eight freshmen. they’re here at UT intimidated by boys wanting “The transition from high — not just to run, but school to college is challengto win.” Both the men’s and womto race and to win.” ing,” Plumer said. “They en’s cross country teams will need opportunities to race. be sending eight runners to They are still developing and PATTISUE PLUMER compete in Oregon. Each have a lot of potential.” women’s cross country and team will be running its lonBoth men’s and women’s distance coach gest race of the season as the teams know that they are not women compete in their first 6k and the men expected to beat top competition, but each has in their first 8k. So far this season, Texas has its own goals for the races. The men’s team swept its races, winning events in the women’s wants to break into the top three, while the 4k and 5k as well as the men’s 5k and 6k. women’s team has its own set of expectations. “These races were stepping stones for us,” “We’ll be in the mix,” Plumer said about her said PattiSue Plumer, women’s cross country girls. “We want to be in the top half at miniand distance coach. “Everyone on this trip has mum. That’s why they’re here at UT — not just traveled before. They know how to adjust.” to run, but to race and to win.” The races will take place under drasticalBoth coaches want to instill the confidence ly different weather conditions than the team in their runners that they can compete against is used to running in Texas. Expected temhigh-ranked competition and prove one thing. peratures for Saturday’s events are in the “We belong,” Watson and Plumer said.
eddie gaspar
/ the daily texan file
Junior Sam Worley crosses the finish line to win the mile run at the 2019 Texas Relays. Worley won the 6k at the Bear Twilight meet to start his cross country season this year.
COMICS
SUDOKUFORYOU 7 9 3 5 2 4 3 1 9 5 9 7 4 7 2 6 5 8 4 3 6 9 5 8 8 4 9 2 9 2 1 7 5
Comics Editors| @THEDAILYTEXAN
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019
Today’s solution will appear here next issue
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This scurrvy beast is today’s answerrrrrr. or it’ll be the the fishes for ya!
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CHANNING MILLER & LAUREN IBANEZ
Longhorns Take Care of Each Other Lorem ipsum
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94% of
Longhorns approve of cutting a friend off before they have too much to drink.
@UTBruceTheBat 2019 UT Austin National Social Norms Center Survey
The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Friday, September 27, 2019
Crossword ACROSS 1 Part of a prison fence 5 Wright who directed “Shaun of the Dead” and “Baby Driver” 10 DNA collector 14 Integral’s calculation, in calculus
35 Classic sound effect in an action film when someone is badly injured 36 Long shots?
15 Small source of power 17 “Glad I didn’t have to deal with that!” 19 What God created after the stars, per the Bible 20 Epictetus, e.g.
30 Landmark on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe
37 Was successfully enticed 38 Never-before seen 39 Cocksure
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55 Rod or reel
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41 Member of the proletariat, metaphorically
4 Crime-fighting vehicle 5 Noble rank 6 Salad ___
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ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE A R A B I A N S E A
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48 Sleeper, perhaps
36 Basic cable inits.
49 Yggdrasil, in Norse mythology
40 It’s a bad look
41 Admit, slangily 50 Jazzman Al 32 When Brutus dies 42 Result of a 51 It’s made at a leadoff single construction site 33 Ones who’ve 44 First black Disney been granted princess 52 Plant that sounds manumission like two letters of 16 While, informally 45 Fighter for the alphabet the Moors in 34 Carrier with 18 Possible cold Zaragoza in the trans-Atlantic symptom 53 Comments 1080s flights since around cute 22 What the suffix 46 Otto’s preceder babies 1958 “-genesis” means 12 Provide heat for, in a sense 13 What a seed might start out with
24 Collected 25 Military drudges, for short 27 Part of a recipe
Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 7,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay.
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J O R DY N Z I T M A N
Life&Arts Editor | @JORDYNZITMAN
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019
ART
LIFE&ARTS
joshua guenther
/ the daily texan staff
Art student Lane Ontiveros brings color to the walls of MLK Boulevard’s frozen yogurt store in a distinctly Austin mural.
Art student paints TCBY mural Sophomore artist brings joy to MLK with Congress Avenue Bridge mural on frozen yogurt shop wall. By Mackenzie Dyer @mackdyerr
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fter a blistering afternoon, Art Institute of California San Diego sophomore Lane Ontiveros packed his paint, brushes and ladder in the trunk of his car. He pulled up to ice cream and frozen yogurt shop TCBY on MLK Boulevard. But Ontiveros was not there for a cold treat — he was there to paint a mural.
“He’s been working for a month and a half,” TCBY store owner Michael Trub said. “It’s very detailed. (Painting) the backdrop of downtown with the Congress (Avenue) Bridge took a while.” Ontiveros said he emailed about 40 companies, then hopped in his car to find a building that would give him a chance. Then he met Trub. “He was looking for somebody to do a mural,” Ontiveros said. “I was looking for somebody with a wall. It just happened.” Trub said Ontiveros approached him about the mural two months ago. Considering that he always wanted art for his store, Trub commissioned Ontiveros in the hopes of creating a mutually beneficial project. “This mural is the first I’m doing by myself,” Ontiveros said. “Another muralist I worked with took off and never paid me. That motivated me to work on my own.” Now, many students walking by TCBY on MLK Boulevard and Lavaca Street
have stopped to watch Ontiveros paint. The mural makes the building stand out more than it did before, radio-television-film junior Audrey Heitmann said. “It seems more UT-friendly now,” Heitmann said. “The fact that they gave a student a chance to express his art reflects who they are as a company, and I appreciate that.” Heitmann, who often parks near TCBY to walk to class, said she thinks the mural’s vibrant colors match Austin’s dynamic persona. “It genuinely puts a smile on my face,” Heitmann said. Ontiveros said reactions such as Heitmann’s make him feel accomplished. His ultimate goal is to take what he learns from his first solo mural and apply it to future art projects at school, then eventually to a master’s program at UT. He said he chose to stay in Austin while taking classes online because the people are so motivating. “I feel UT is the center of many
cultures,” Ontiveros said. “The students are so focused on their own thing. If I can take them out of their everyday routine with my art, maybe it will inspire them to create.” After completing his mural, Ontiveros said he is ready to keep creating. He and Trub plan to make postcards and bumper stickers of the painting. Ontiveros said in his painting, he used unique colors to create a fantasized image of bats flying over Lady Bird Lake at sunset. He said he wants the mural to inspire tourists, locals and students alike to view their lives from a different perspective. Overall, Ontiveros said he creates art to encourage people to explore their creativity and positivity, and — most importantly — to leave behind impactful work. “Art has been something that I’ve done since I was little, and it’ll be something I do till I’m gone,” Ontiveros said. “It’s not much about career for me, it’s more of a conviction — something that will always be a part of me, for sure.”