The Daily Texan 2019-10-23 by The Daily Texan

Serving The University Of Texas At Austin Community Since 1900 @thedailytexan | thedailytexan.com

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Volume 121, Issue 51

NEWS

OPINION

SPORTS

LIFE&ARTS

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PAGE 4

PAGE 6

PAGE 8

The United States Army delivered a new robotic vehicle to the University this fall.

UT’s archaeological laboratory should return ancestral remains to indigenous groups.

Having difficulty with your foreign language classes? A movie or two could help.

Players from the Texas offense discuss the final scoring drive against Kansas.

UNIVERSITY

SG proposes bill to halt fast-tracking legislation in meetings By Neelam Bohra @neelambohratx

A Student Government member introduced a bill to eliminate fast-tracking from its code of rules during its meeting Tuesday. Proposed legislation normally goes to a committee where members may discuss and amend it before the assembly votes on it. Fast-tracking, which SG has done twice this semester, allows members to propose and vote on legislation within the same meeting. Zachary Pisarski, a Cockrell School of Engineering representative, said he authored the bill because he believes SG needs to spend days discussing legislation before voting on it. He said it is strange that there is fast-tracking in SG when there’s no fast-tracking in “real government.” “I don’t feel like anyone needs SG for anything,” chemical engineering senior Pisarski said. “From the time constraint aspect, it’s not like something will fall apart if we don’t say anything about it. There’s a certain process of introducing things, asking questions, debating, discussing and looking at things from multiple perspectives.” The two fast-tracked resolutions involved Austin City Council votes on Riverside redevelopment and Austin homelessness. SG Supreme Court is expected to declare the resolution, which expressed support for Austin’s homeless population, as unconstitutional because SG incorrectly fast-tracked it, said Jakob Lucas, speaker of

helen brown

/ the daily texan file

UT expands child care program Child Development Center plans to alleviate 650-person waiting list by adding 40 spots. By Lauren Grobe

@grobe_lauren

here are currently 650 children on the waitlist for UT child care. The University’s Child Development Center plans to alleviate the waiting list by adding 40 more spots in May 2020. Program director Hara Cootes said the center plans to expand their newest location at Lavaca Street through a partnership with the state government, with an emphasis on adding more classroom space for children under 2 years old. The center was built in 1991 to provide child care to University students, staff and faculty,

according to their website. Brian Evans, chair of the University Faculty Council, said faculty have been concerned with the lack of access to child care for those on campus and has worked with the center to implement expansions. Evans said the concerns were brought up in a staff meeting last June, when the waiting list for the center had 534 infants, 94 toddlers and eight 4-year-olds. “At this time of year, we have a lot of families who’ve gotten off the waiting list,” Cootes said. “Our waiting list numbers are a little lower now than they might be if you were to call me in March.” The newest child care campus was given to the center for free four years ago and is shared between University and government employees, she said. “We split the spaces,” Cootes said. “The opportunity was too big to pass up.” Cootes said it is not impossible to enroll a child to the center. The wait for older children, such as age three to four, is much shorter. “I got a call (Thursday) about a family

who’s at UT who would like care for a 4-year-old, and they (enrolled) Monday,” Cootes said. Paige Kubenka, rhetoric and writing senior, said she saw student parents struggling to get their children enrolled while she was the president of Horns for Life. “One mentioned that she had placed her child on the waiting list at the UT Child Development Center as soon as she could and still hadn’t gotten off over a year later,” Kubenka said. Kubenka said student parents usually have fewer resources than staff or faculty and struggle to find child care in Austin. “Parenting students need child care, while they are in class at the minimum, and often they do not have friends or relatives who can help,” Kubenka said. Cootes said University students, staff and faculty are all given equal priority when applying to the center and that they only serve the UT community. “It’s always been that way,” Cootes said. C H I L D C A R E PAGE 3

S G PAGE 3 CITY

CITY

Austin parking app charges users for months of missed fees

Sidewalk installment rules may provide better access

By Graysen Golter

An Austin parking app began charging customers last week for months of delayed transactions. Park ATX could not properly charge all customers for their parking fees because the app was in a testing phase for improvements at the time, said Jason Redfern, Austin Transportation’s Parking Enterprise division manager. In a statement made on Oct. 15 by app developer Passport, spokesperson Elizabeth Strickert said the missed fees occurred from July to September and affected less than 20% of customers. According to the Austin American-Statesman, the developers did not charge users around $500,000. “We sincerely apologize for any confusion or inconvenience this may have caused,” Strickert said in the statement. “Users may see multiple charges appear on their statements. Rest assured, we’ve verified that these are all authorized charges reflecting each individual wallet load transaction during the affected time.” Redfern said the error had nothing to do with the recent increase in parking meter rates to $2 per hour. He said the Austin Transportation Department should have charged the missed fees before or after the increase. There is not much Austin Transportation Department or Passport can do to prevent similar errors in the future, but a quick response time to customers would help solve the problem, Redfern said. Redfern said the errors should not deter people from using the app and other paid transportation resources over traditional parking methods. He said there are many advantages of Park ATX, such as a feature that allows customers

shouldn’t be that easy to just pay off putting in a sidewalk where it would make the area safer to navigate.” If the changes pass, city perA potential revision to the mit directors will assess whethAustin Land Development Code er or not a sidewalk installment will make it harder for building can be waived by considering developers to waive requirehow close it is to places such as ments for building sidewalks univerisites and libraries. They near high-traffic public areas, will also consider whether or not including West Campus. sidewalks are likely to be built in A city task force released a rethe future, according to the code vised version of the Land Develrevision draft. opment Code this month, which “Ultimately, it’s about making includes provisions on sidewalk the spaces safer construction and for pedestrians,” zoning requiresaid Erica Leak, ments. If passed, the head of Austhe code revision tin’s Housing will make the city Policy division permit directors and member of more responsithe draft’s polible than develcy development opers for decidteam. “Having a ing if building a more walkable sidewalk will be area means it’s required during easier to actually construction. use your neighAccording to borhood and the current code, LACY PATTERSON should build up sidewalk instalteam member the community lation with a around it.” building permit Leak said the changes make can currently be waived by develthe city more responsible for opers for an equal fee if certain improving the walkability of requirements were met. These neighborhoods. She said the acrequirements include having a countability of city workers in the block with a sidewalk on less than development process will help 50% of its space. keep residents’ interests ahead “Obviously, you don’t want to of developers. build a sidewalk where there ar“We’ve thought this through en’t going to be that many peofor a long time and talked to a lot ple walking,” said Lacy Patterof people about what they wanted son, a Land Development Draft out of this draft,” Leak said. “It team member. “With areas of heavy foot traffic, though, it’s a completely different story. It S I D E W A L K PAGE 3 By Sara Johnson

@graysen_golter

@skjohn1999

It shouldn’t be that easy to just pay off putting in a sidewalk where it would make the area safer to navigate.”

lauren ibanez

to only pay for needed parking time and the ability to map out parking zones and time limits. “We really want people … to trust (the) mobile payment solution,” Redfern said. “I’m surprised more people aren’t already on it, (but) that will happen in time as people get more familiar with our parking system.” Transportation engineering professor Kara Kockelman said Austin can solve the lack of parking spaces and

/ the daily texan staff

traffic congestion by expanding on technology similar to the Park ATX app. She said the data collected from transportation apps could lead to changes, such as adjusting parking meter rates based on time of day and special events. “The nice thing about an app is it can, in real time, reflect (traffic data),” Kockelman said. “That’s the kind of perfect world where you can reserve what you need to because you’re in a rush or something.”

MEGAN MENCHACA

News Editor | @THEDAILYTEXAN

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2019

CAMPUS

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NEWS

Diwali celebration begins with songs, meditation By Anna Canizales @annaleonorc

Hundreds of students sang and meditated Tuesday evening during an on-campus celebration of Diwali, an annual four to five day Hindu festival of lights. “We want to be able to live a true life and be true to what we really are,” event organier Hemali Patel said. “We want to have integrity and stick to our values. We want to have simplicity because things in our society are getting more and more complicated, so it’s important to be simple and true to our core values.” During the event, students attended five information booths representing each of the five days of Diwali before participating in devotional songs and a question and answer segment. The devotional songs throughout the celebration called upon the presence of God and promoted practicing mindfulness and meditation. “The whole program is centered around truth, simplicity and integrity, so we’re gonna be pushing how we can live a life with those three values,” said Meet Patel, who acted as Master of Ceremonies for the event. The event was hosted by Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) in the William C. Powers, Jr. Student Activity Center Ballroom. BAPS has organizations and universities

nikayla belford/ the daily texan staff

Members of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan organization educate attendees about the origins of Diwali. The organization hopes to teach others how to incorporate truth, simplicity and integrity into their daily lives. all over the country and hosts Campus Diwali annually in several cities, including Houston and Los Angeles, Hemali Patel said. Several years ago, economics senior Meet Patel and event organizer Manav Patel decided to help BAPS put on Diwali after the group was inactive for years. Manav Patel said they

had a group of people willing to be involved but had not taken advantage of that yet. “The focus of this event is not aimed towards Hinduism … it’s aimed towards everyone and how to incorporate the basic values of all religions,” said Manav Patel, a government and philosophy senior. “We’re teaching people it’s

okay that there are some failures in your life. The messages we’re trying to teach are universal. We’re not trying to do Diwali just for Hindus.” Psychology sophomore Hemali Patel said that the turnout had been much smaller in past years. She said they were surprised at how organized and well-

attended the event was. Communications and leadership freshman Natasha Sagar, who was at the event Tuesday, said she appreciates that the event includes all students regardless of their religion. “It’s really cool that it’s a cultural event as opposed to just a religious event,” Sagar said.

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CAMPUS

Students celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival on campus By Angelica Arinze @AngelicaArinze

Surrounded by K-pop dancing, boba tea and Asian cultural displays, dozens of students celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival on campus Tuesday. During the event at Gregory Plaza, on-campus organizations provided snacks while attendees played minigames. Chinese Student Association president William Huynh said the festival marks the end of the autumn harvest, but since UT students don’t have any farming to celebrate, they wanted to host the festival in their own way. “There are no rules about how to properly celebrate it, (but) usually there’s a feast in Chinese culture — mooncakes, lanterns and the like — but we decided to celebrate it by putting on a festival,” mathematics junior Huynh said. The association has hosted the cultural festival for more than 70 years, but the festival dates back over 3,500 years in China, as The Daily Texan previously reported. Huynh said he asked many UT organizations to come and celebrate, whether through performances or tabling. The festival featured performances from several groups, including K-pop Beat, Spitshine Poetry and the Texas Dragon/Lion Dance Team. K-pop Beat president Lisa Li says the event is a way for students to explore East Asian culture and learn more about it. “I personally (celebrate it), but I know that most of my group does not,” petroleum engineering ju-

erin dorney

/ the daily texan staff

A portion of the student group K-pop Beat, a K-pop inspired dance organization, perform at the Chinese Students Association’s annual Mid-Autumn Festival at the Gregory Plaza on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019. nior Li said. “We’re here to explore the culture and get to know the culture more.” Business freshman Sophie Zhang came out not only for the free food and performances but also as a way to celebrate the holiday away from home. “At home with my family, we eat mooncakes and look at the moon,” Zhang said. “It’s nice just getting to

celebrate it here since I wasn’t able to celebrate with my family.” Justin Eng, a Chinese, international relations and global studies, and economics senior, said celebrating the event was an important way to connect with other students culturally and build a family away from home. “It’s really important to come to-

gether with people you can easily identify with and share the same common culture to have a celebration,” Eng said. “There are a lot of different orgs promoting other interests within Asia, so it’s pretty cool to see many different cultures that celebrate this and many different orgs that can connect with this. We’re away from our families, but here, we have another family.”

RESEARCH

UT engineers to develop new robot for US Army By Aisling Ayers @aisling_ayers

Future wars could be fought with infantry and robots working together. With a new robot delivery, UT researchers will be developing ways to help the two communicate. The United States Army delivered a new robotic vehicle to UT this fall for the researchers to enhance the robot’s ability to respond to soldiers in the field. Engineering researcher Mitch Pryor leads the members of the Nuclear and Applied Robotics Group, who are improving the robot’s semi-autonomous behaviors and user interfaces. The Army sent the robot to Austin for additional research after group members worked on the robot over the summer. Pryor said the group focuses on creating robots suited for challenging environments, which caught the attention of the Army. “That applied aspect of what we do in these challenging environments was what the Army really saw as an opportunity as a

nikayla belford/ the daily texan staff

An engineer looks over at a newly donated U.S. Army robot at the Nuclear and Applied Robotics Lab at UT’s J.J. Pickle campus. way to make sure that we could take all the great foundational research that any robotics individual on campus is doing and simplify the transition of that technology to the military,” said Pryor, director of UT’s Robotics

Center of Excellence. John Duncan, a mechanical engineering graduate student, said he is developing ways for a soldier and the robot to work together to accomplish a shared goal in changing

conditions. Pryor said the robot will support soldiers by carrying equipment, among other tasks. “The robotics capabilities that I want to develop will affect defense, but I hope that

they’ll also affect lots of aspects about people’s lives,” Duncan said. “Human-Robot Teaming will be an important part of how robots are used in the future.” Pryor said he does not have to worry about finding the right students for his team because qualified students are already attracted to the University’s engineering department. “By the time that they’ve gotten accepted and I meet them, I’m happy that most of the job is done,” Duncan said. Pryor said the group will possibly receive more military vehicles in the future and plans to send students to Army research labs. He said the team plans to demonstrate the vehicle to the Army for the first time in 2020. “One of the great things about our lab is it’s very application based,” said Cassidy Elliott, a graduate research assistant for the group and mechanical engineering graduate student. “You know that they’re going to be using the (robot) capabilities that you’re working on here.”

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2019 CAMPUS

Co-op interviews community about potential redesign options within the store. Phifer said the Co-op is taking inspiration from stores such as outdoor lifestyle brand YETI, which emphasizes customer experience in The University Co-op surveyed stutheir stores. dents last week on potential changes “At the end of the day, (the Co-op) is to the store, including the addition of a here to support students, faculty and lounge inside. staff,” Phifer said. “What students, faculty University Co-op CEO Cheryl Phifer and staff need is important.” said the Co-op is partnering with the ColPhifer said the Co-op was originally lege of Fine Arts’ School of Design and established as a cooperative in 1896, and Creative Technologies to interview stuthe store typically changes its storefront dents, faculty, staff and every couple of decades. alumni for improvement She said the current suggestions. The Co-op storefront was designed also offered an online in the 1990s, so redesignsurvey to students to ing it would be consistent share their feedback. The with this trend. survey was no longer acHowever, Phifer said tive as of Oct. 22. the feedback the Co-op The suggestions will receives will determine be based on what shoptheir course of action and pers and Co-op memnot necessarily result in a bers want to improve storefront change. regarding their shopping English sophomore experience. The school Giulia Bonora said she is will send the suggesexcited about the potentions to the Co-op in the tial addition of a leisure CHERYL PHIFER university co-op ceo first week of November, area in the store. Bonora, said Julie Schell, execuwho lives in West Camtive director of Executive and Extended pus, said there are not many places to Education at the School of Design and study on The Drag besides coffee shops Creative Technologies. and that it is inconvenient to walk to “(The feedback that we’re hearing is) campus to study. providing more ways customers can be Computer science freshman Malithy engaged, (such as) being able to sit down Wimalasooriya said she visited the Co-op and spend time in the store,” Phifer said. for the first time Tuesday. She said she “Whether that’s considering a textbook thinks the store should remain the same. purchase or (enjoying) the atmosphere.” “The Co-Op looks fine right now,” According to a Twitter survey from the Wimalasooriya said. “I like how the Co-op, the Co-op asked students about floors are separated by what (the store) hammocks, couches or healthy food is selling.” By Emma Gueorguieva @emmagueorguieva

At the end of the day, the Co-op is here to support students, faculty and staff.”

, , e s

dan martinez

/ the daily texan staff

continues from page

the assembly. Pisarski said he originally thought of this bill during the meeting where SG passed the resolution about homelessness. “It was very frustrating,” Pisarski said. “We were making strong statements. Generally, these things are complicated issues, and the debate we had wasn’t the core of the actual debate. It was a huge waste of time. (The authors) had their reasons (to fast-track), but as a matter of principle, I don’t think it’s good for the role of SG.” Government senior Lucas said SG members, including Pisarski, petitioned against a resolution in support of the homelessness population because procedures were not followed during the fast-tracking process. “Both accountability and transparency are important,” Lucas said during the meeting. “It seems sucky to say (I) messed up, but I did mess up. I want to use this to scare future speakers (so they follow the code), and I can say, ‘Hey,

this is what happens when you don’t.’” Advocacy director Nikita Telang said she wondered how SG would respond to urgent matters, such as protests on campus, if SG repealed fast-tracking. “Certain things provoke responses that can be really difficult for students, and as representatives, students want us to respond immediately,” psychology junior Telang said. “In this scenario, (I don’t know how) to feel like we can make them feel heard and respond to them quickly if we can’t fasttrack legislation.” Pisarski said he believes SG’s responsibility is to debate legislation rather than respond quickly. He said he believes SG’s voice will lose value if it continues to fasttrack legislation. “Nothing SG does has any direct consequence outside itself,” Pisarski said. “We could pass resolutions all day, but they’re just what we think. I want to open it up more, get more people engaged, disagreeing and discussing things. And we can’t do that if we’re continually abridging the rules.”

child care continues from page

“At our campus programs, we’ve never prioritized one group over the other.” Outside of the center, Kubenka said she wishes the University had more resources for student parents, such as changing tables,

kirsten hahn

/ the daily texan staff

Vanessa Cruz, nutrition senior and universitywide representative, debates a bill which will eliminate fast-tracking during the Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019 Student Government meeting.

lactation rooms and ways for student parents with strollers to navigate campus. “These are things that most students probably aren’t thinking about, but parenting students are constantly noticing,” Kubenka said. “We need to be talking to parenting students and listening to what changes would be most beneficial for them.”

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Featuring: jack myer

/ the daily texan staff

Mary McFadden walks along the fence that encloses an unfinished sidewalk along Guadalupe Street on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019. Austin’s new Land Development Draft could create regulations that make the sidewalks at UT and the surrounding areas more walkable.

s i d e wa l k

continues from page

seems like a lot of really little things, but they’re going to add up into better neighborhoods across the board.” Sociology junior Brianna Tran said she supports the sidewalk installment provisions because a lack of sidewalk access is inconvenient in West Campus. “I like having the freedom to walk to the places I need to go,” Tran said. “But if there’s no space for me to walk safely, it’s

kind of like, ‘What’s the point?’” After hearing responses to the draft from several different district officials, Leak said she is confident the changes will be supported once they pass through the Planning Commission. “The focus needs to be on the people who are in these neighborhoods day in and day out,” Leak said. “They need to be the ones served first when people are coming into their neighborhoods and changing the way they use them.” A public hearing on these provisions will take place on Saturday at City Hall.

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SPENCER BUCKNER

Editor-In-Chief | @THEDAILYTEXAN

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2019

FORUM

OPINION

helen brown

/ the daily texan staff

UT’s Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory must return ancestral remains By Kaitlin Burns Passafiume Contributor

Imagine your great-grandparents’ graves are upturned, and their remains are unearthed to build a fence or maybe a ticket booth. Official law has validated requests for their reburial, but these requests are denied. Their bodies are collections in a museum. Their bones are artifacts of archaeological research. It’s a horrific thought, which is why the Texas Penal Code prevents just this sort of an act. However, consistent with Texas’ history of treating its indigenous groups as less than human, over 3,400 ancestors of original groups have been disturbed from what should have been their final resting place. Before, they lay carefully buried in customary tradition. Now, they sit in the aseptic cabinets of archaeological research labs. Over 2,000 ancestral remains can be found at UT’s Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory (TARL), on the J.J. Pickle Research Campus. The lab should repatriate ancestral remains to their original groups so that they may receive the proper burial required by their sets of beliefs and traditions. This act could both contest the unequal treatment of indigenous groups and serve as a step in repairing a history of mistreatment, removal and extermination. According to the TARL’s website, “The disposition of human remains and associated objects affiliated with particular Native American Tribes will be

determined by each tribe.” This vague language seems to suggest that each original group determines the fate of their ancestors. While this should be the case according to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) of 1990, Mario Garza of the Miakan-Garza band of the Coahuiltecan people said that TARL has refused to return remains due to his group’s lack of federal recognition. This is despite NAGPRA’s statement on their website that “there are some cases in which nonfederally recognized tribes may be appropriate claimants for cultural items,” which includes human remains or artifacts. According to Garza, 11 nonfederally recognized tribes like his own have gotten remains through NAGPRA. NAGPRA has placed responsibility on museums and federal institutions in returning cultural items of the original groups of the U.S. So why then does UT’s TARL continue to refuse the requests of Garza and other indigenous groups? According to TARL, the institution has received conflicting claims for the same remains, and these disputes should be resolved between such groups. Garza responded that this policy has never been communicated to him or his organization and that he was unaware of any conflicting claims. TARL additionally did not offer details about the identity of the conflicting group. Garza and his people, originally from the San Marcos area, know all too well how difficult this bureaucratic struggle can be. Along with his wife María Rocha, he founded the Indigenous Cultures Institute

in 2006, an organization dedicated to preserving the culture of Texas’ original peoples while maintaining their covenant to sacred sites. “We generally believe that when a person dies, only the physical body dies, but the spirit does not die. It continues on a spiritual journey,” Garza said. “When the remains are removed, it interrupts that spiritual journey of the individual, and the spirit is out there in some type of limbo. We believe the remains should not be bothered at all to start with. If it is removed, the remains need to be repatriated and hopefully as close as possible to the original site.” TARL claims that they applaud and support efforts to resolve claim disputes between Texas’ originary groups. However, Garza said that talks have stopped. Students and UT affiliates who want to stand in solidarity with the fight for the return of ancestral remains to original groups should contact TARL with their requests. “I think that if they would receive 1,000 letters from students, they would realize there are more than two people fighting for this,” Garza said. Additionally, students can become involved with the Indigenous Cultures Institute. The individuals that first inhabited Texas deserve equal legal protection, and UT should do its part to ensure this. “I don’t see it as a Native American issue, I see it as a human issue — a human rights issue,” Garza said. “We need support from everybody.” Burns Passafiume is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese.

COLUMN

Butler School of Music needs to support a cappella groups By Jennifer Beck Columnist

Just as an evening stroll through Jester West Residence Hall will lead you through a plethora of dance group practices, a nighttime walk through the buildings along the South Mall will fill your ears with music from any one of the many a cappella groups that exist on campus. Although the centrality of the Six Pack is beneficial for these groups — made up of students living on and off campus — the use of this location for practice is mostly out of necessity rather than choice. With sound treatment and access to instruments, the Butler School of Music boasts impressive rehearsal spaces, but for many a cappella groups, reserving space is an uphill battle. Further, the costs of participating in collegiate a cappella competitions and a lack of relationships with esteemed music faculty are obstacles that hold these groups back. The Butler School of Music should work with registered a cappella groups on campus to ensure access to the rehearsal spaces they need. In addition, the school can demonstrate its support for musical activity on campus by providing faculty advisers or

teacher assistants to occasionally mentor This creates a problem for groups who students in a cappella groups. do not have any music majors. HowevWith special acoustical treatment, pianos er, even having a music major in the group in-house and large ground space, rehearsal does not guarantee space, as facility space rooms in the Butler School of Music are in is limited and priority is given to students high demand. participating in programs through Butler. “I think it would be “In general, our first really cool to practice responsibility is music (at The Butler School majors and people who of Music) more because are registered with we can learn choreogprograms in the school With sound treatment and of music,” said Russell raphy and music with a larger space similar Podgorsek, building acccesss to instruments, to what we would permanager for the Butthe Butler School of Music ler School of Music. form on,” said vocal performance soph“We try to do what boasts impressive omore Sam Shipps, we can, but we have rehearsal spaces, but for social chair for the a over 600 performanccappella group One es per year, and we many a cappella groups Note Stand. have about 600 music reserving space is an Although there students, so there’s uphill battle.” are no explicit rules activity all the time,” against a cappelPodgorsek said. la groups rehearsAlthough the ing in Butler facilities, the groups still school of music’s ability to accommoface some obstacles when trying to reserve date all parties looking to reserve rerehearsal space. hearsal space is limited, a cappella groups “There is a program called ArtsVision should have access to the reservation that music majors use to request rooms,” software, and their relationships with the Shipps said. “Only music majors have University should be improved. access to ArtsVision.” The Butler School of Music should ex-

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tend some of its resources, such as rehearsal space and faculty mentors, to a cappella groups. To make rehearsal space more accessible, the Butler school should make it possible for all members — music major or otherwise — of University-registered a cappella groups to reserve rehearsal space. Further, the faculty at Butler can help cultivate skill development in the UT community by fostering a stronger relationship with a cappella groups. Professors and TAs in the school of music can share their expertise with students in a cappella groups to help them hone their craft and prepare for competitions. “I know many of the groups could benefit from the vast knowledge the choral department (has),” Shipps said. “The choral department is capable of helping our a cappella groups become even better so (they) can compete with the other schools.” UT has a responsibility to accommodate and provide resources for the University’s many a cappella groups in the same way it does for students in the Butler School of Music. With support from the music school, more a cappella groups will be able to strengthen their skills and participate at a competitive level. Beck is a radio-television-film freshman from Park Ridge, Illinois.

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.

LIFE&ARTS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2019

Q&A

Q&A: Casey McQuiston talks writing process for her NYT best-selling novel ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ By Avery Wohleb @averywohleb

Princes, presidents and Austin, Texas make for an odd combination. But in Casey McQuiston’s new book, “Red, White & Royal Blue,” weaving them together landed her the title of a New York Times best-selling author. The novel tells the story of the first son of the United States and the Prince of Wales. After a photographed dispute between the two goes viral, they are forced into a friendship in order to save the reputations of their countries’ relationship and ultimately fall in love. The Daily Texan spoke with McQuiston to discuss her hit debut novel. The Daily Texan: What was the inspiration behind the story, and what was the writing process like? Casey McQuiston: The story essentially came from my own fascination with high profile but intensely private worlds like the royal family and the White

community continues from page

wise, and I think that really does leave a significant mark mentally and socially.” Jason Ryder, volunteer coordinator for the center, said there is significant value in providing care for the mind. He identified the three ‘plagues of the elderly’ as loneliness, helplessness and boredom. “A lot of times in a skilled nursing facility, what happen is all the attention is placed on (residents’) clinical needs,” Ryder said. “So when you’re involved in an activity, you’re no longer really thinking about your pain or if you’re lonely, depressed

House. We see everything they do, but we also see nothing they do. I thought it’d be fun to step behind the curtain, and as it was early 2016 at the time and I was closely following the presidential election, it felt natural to set it during one. But the outcome of the 2016 election was definitely a huge roadblock for me. I didn’t expect it, and it meant that I needed to change my entire approach to the political world I was writing. I wasn’t sure I could push through it, and I shelved the manuscript for six months afterward, but ultimately, that time off and a well-timed trip abroad away from the news cycle gave me the mental and emotional space to get back into the story. DT: You grew up in Louisiana. What made you decide to have Alex, the first son, grow up and live in Austin? CM: The foundation of this book was the (fictional) president herself, who she was and where she was from, so it really came down to what type of politician I wanted to write about. As a red state progressive, I was fascinated by the idea of this Wendy Da-

or bored.” Richard Chen, an electrical engineering junior and technology coordinator for Bridging Texas, said the first time he came to the center, he walked around helping residents take pictures on their phones. “It’s incredibly easy to start talking with them,” Chen said. “Especially if you ask them about the pictures on their phones. They love to show you pictures of their families, and they love sharing.” Volunteers are important because nursing homes in Texas don’t have substantial budgets, especially when they’re funded by Medicaid and Medicare, ac-

vis-esque badass Democrat from Texas running the country with a combination of folksiness and razor sharpness. So it all spun out from there — Alex is from Austin because it’s the capital where his mom worked but also because I wanted to write a story about progressives from red states. People forget we exist. DT: What kind of research and preparation did you do about Austin? CM: I spent a lot of time in Texas growing up and in college. One of my best friends lives in Austin. So it was a lifetime of unofficial research trips to absorb the culture, a lot of talking to friends who were born and raised in Texas and live in Austin, tons of firsthand food tasting. Some people in Louisiana might hate me for saying this, but Louisiana and Texas have a lot in common culturally. Texas has always felt very much like my secondary home state, so I’m proud to write about it. DT: What is your opinion about the status of LGBTQ+ representation in literature right now?

tivities director Hannah Walker said. “The time (volunteers spend) here is important to the residents because it feels like somebody is coming in and they’re not getting paid to do it,” Walker said. “They’re doing it because they want to.” It’s important to understand the lasting impact that merely committing to visiting one day a week can have, Ryder said. “Let’s say hypothetically you were coming here on a Thursday afternoon after your classes are done,” Ryder said. “Then Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday it gives them something to look forward to.”

T H R O U G H T H E LENS

New York Times best-selling author Case McQuiston discusses her hit novel and the writing process. CM: I think we’re in a great place, and I also think it’s just the beginning. I’m so excited about new and upcoming releases that are pushing queer characters into the center of stories, especially

ones that go beyond the mainstream status quo of queerness. Every day I hear about more queer stories by trans authors, authors of color, authors writing from and on every part of the sexuality spectrum. I hope

that we can all throw our weight behind those books and show publishers that there is a market for them and that they should be taking more chances on marginalized voices.

jack myer

/ the daily texan staff

UT students from the Bridging Texas organization spend time with local seniors.

Featuring the best from the photo department.

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kirsten hahn

| daily texan staff

Braden Fitzgerald, an applied movement science junior, supports Elena Chung, a physical culture and sports junior, with one hand while practicing for Texas Cheerleading on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019 at the base of the Tower.

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D O N N AVA N S M O O T

Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2019

FOOTBALL

Texas rallies in the fourth

Texas’ offense produced in its last scoring drive against Kansas in a Saturday night thriller. been,” Ehlinger said. “Obviously there are things that can go wrong, but we were very prepared not to make nly 1:11 remained those mistakes.” in the game after Ehlinger relied heavily on Kansas completJohnson during their last ed a two-point drive. The receiver has been conversion that dealing with a hamstring input the Jayhawks jury since the early stages of up 48-47. Longhorn fans the season, but he returned in watched the final 48-yard kicklimited fashion against West off that put Texas on its own Virginia and fully against Okla25-yard line and wondered if homa. Ehlinger connected with junior quarterback Sam EhJohnson four times during the linger would be able to lead the 10-play drive. Longhorns down the field and Senior wide receiver Devin into field goal range. Duvernay also played a role in Texas quickly made its way Texas’ successful drive. Duverup the field with a completed nay caught a 6-yard pass from pass to senior wide receiver Ehlinger to put Texas on the Collin Johnson followed by a Kansas 154-yard run by yard line. Dusophomore vernay said running back that having Keaontay Johnson back Ingram. EhI have complete allows for the linger said he receivers to confidence that did not doubt share pressure. we’re going to go his team and “Collin is knew what it a great playdown and execute would take er. Definitely because it’s what we good to have to win. “I am very him back,” do every week.” calm, regardDuvernay less of the said. “And situation bewe look at it SAM EHLINGER cause of the as how we junior quarterback confidence can help each that I have in other. I take our offense,” Ehlinger said at some off him, he takes some a player press availability on off for me, and just, you know, Tuesday. “Like I said after the (we) go with it that way.” game, I have complete confiWith Texas then in field goal dence that we’re going to go range, it was sophomore kickdown and execute because it’s er Cameron Dicker’s moment. what we do every week.” A 33-yard field goal stood The final minute showed between the Longhorns and a glimpse of the Longhorns’ victory. Ehlinger was anxious offensive capabilities, which in that moment but knew he was missing in their game could rely on Dicker the Kicker. against Oklahoma. When the “I kind of go through all the Kansas game turned into a emotions when he’s about to fourth-quarter shootout, Texjog out there,” Ehlinger said. as’ wide receivers and special “First I’m like, ‘Oh, I can’t teams players showed up when watch this,’ and then I’m like, they needed to most, pushing ‘Wait I have to watch this.’ Texas toward victory. And then I realize who’s about “I mean, that’s the situation to kick it and I’m like ‘Okay, we practice for. We understand we’re good. (I) just reestablish the consequences of every little my confidence in him, right minute detail of the worst sitbefore he’s about to begin.” uation, so I was very aware of In the end, the Longthe situation that (could) have horns came out victorious By Daniela Perez @danielap3rez

blaine young

and were able to reestablish some hope in their fans. Though the Kansas game was not their best performance, they still pulled out a win with only three seconds

remaining on the clock, maintaining control of their Big 12 Championship pursuit. “At the end of the year, this one’s going to count just the same as all the other ones

Kelly reflects on Texas’ win over Baylor, praises players @byisaacg

Fresh off the heels of a 2–1 victory over Baylor, Texas now looks to continue its new winning streak with a win over Iowa State on Thursday. But before the Longhorns’ upcoming matchup, head coach Angela Kelly took time Monday to reflect on the match against the Bears and compliment her team for the strides that have been made throughout Texas’ turbulent season. “This season has been crazy, as you expect in the Big 12,” Kelly said. “(I’m) really proud of our squad going that hour and a half up the road to Waco to take on Baylor the other evening. It’s a tough environment.” Kelly applauded her young team for adjusting to an intense

environment on the fly. She pointed to the statistic that the team is 7–0 on the season when they score the first goal of the game — as they did against Baylor. In addition to her praise for Texas’ performance in Waco, Kelly highlighted the significant growth of individual players on the team throughout the year. Kelly began by first applauding Savannah Madden, the junior goalkeeper who made her first start since Aug. 29 against Baylor. Madden brought in seven saves against the Bears — her most since the team’s first game of the season against Gonzaga when she had eight. “Fantastic, she was a world-class goalkeeper the other evening,” Kelly said. “She has wonderful distribution, she made a catlike save

do,” head coach Tom Herman said at a press conference on Monday. “They don’t count them any different, but we expect to play much, much better.”

VOLLEYBALL

SOCCER

By Isaac Gutierrez

/ the daily texan file

Senior Devin Duvernay (left) advances toward the end zone as senior Collin Johnson (right) blocks a defender in Texas’ matchup against Kansas on Oct. 19.

on the back post that was special. She’s growing into the position in terms of the organization of the back line and the communication. You don’t just step on the field and have that. It comes with training, time and experience.” The coach also lauded the play of sophomore midfielder Carlee Allen, citing her as a player whose skills have drastically improved since the beginning of the season. However, Kelly’s praise didn’t end with Allen. She also made sure to express her admiration for senior defender Atu Mshana. “I’ve said this lots in the past. (Mshana) is the best center back that I have ever coached, flat out,” Kelly said. “She doesn’t get the recognition in the conference, which I’m not sure why because teams can’t get around her.”

joshua guenther

/ the daily texan file

Senior defender Atu Mshana moves on the ball in Texas’ match against West Virginia on Oct. 6.

Longhorns fired up for ranked matchup against undefeated Baylor By Marcus Krum @marcuskrum

With just two teams undefeated in Big 12 play and in contention for the Big 12 Championship, Texas volleyball enters this week with a golden opportunity. The No. 1 Baylor Bears head to Austin for a clash of top 5 teams Wednesday. Baylor has sat atop the AVCA Coaches poll for four weeks as the only undefeated team left in the country. Both Baylor and Texas are perched together at the top of the Big 12 standings, as Texas has won its first six conference matches with five consecutive sweeps heading into Wednesday. “You know, I think this will be a really good test for us, I think to see kind of where we really are,” Texas head coach Jerritt Elliott said. The key to the Longhorns’ current full head of steam has been clear improvements in defense from the start of the season. The Longhorns put up a season high 12.5 blocks against West Virginia last Saturday, just two games after their previous season high of 10. “Right now, we’re really making a focus for the defense side,” Elliott said. “And so we put some stretches together, we’ve been a little bit better.” A big part of the turnaround Texas has seen in conference play has come down to the play of Skylar Fields. The freshman opposite hitter now leads the team with 22 blocks in conference play after an excellent performance

joshua guenther

/ the daily texan file

Sophomore outside hitter Logan Eggleston moves to serve the ball in Texas’ matchup against Minnesota on Sept. 4. against West Virginia. Elliott said he likes how she’s made “incremental improvements” as the season

I’m really excited about this, and I don’t think this is a negative at all. It’s great. It’s good for college athletics.” JERRITT ELLIOTT texas head coach

has gone on and looks for her to continue to advance as a defensive player. “It’s a very hard skill to improve on dramatically in a short period of time,” Elliott said. “But I like what her growth rate has been to

this point.” Texas will need all the help they can get defensively against a high-powered Baylor offense that runs through junior outside hitter Yossiana Pressley, who is second in the NCAA in kills per set. Baylor comes into the match having steamrolled its way through its schedule so far. The Bears have lost just two sets in 16 matches and have beat top teams like No. 4 Wisconsin and No. 11 Marquette with ease. Yet, the young Longhorns are looking at this match not as a roadblock in their way of a potential Big 12 Championship, but as a platform to vault them there. “I’m really excited about this, and I don’t think this is a negative at all. It’s great. It’s good for college athletics,” Elliott said. “For us, it’s resume building … our ultimate goal is to win.”

COMICS

CHANNING MILLER & LAUREN IBANEZ

Comics Editors| @THEDAILYTEXAN

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2019

The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Crossword ACROSS

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J O R DY N Z I T M A N

Life&Arts Editor | @JORDYNZITMAN

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2019

CAMPUS

LIFE&ARTS

Students, professors utilize foreign media to learn languages

rocky higine

Telenovelas are making their way to Spanish classes as a language learning tool.

Watching Netflix with subtitles in target language can improve students’ learning, comprehension. By Sabrina LeBoeuf @_sabrinakaye

elia,” a popular telenovela about the esteemed salsa singer Celia Cruz, charmed audiences beyond Latin America. The telenovela made its way to biology junior Hallie Brown’s Spanish class. Brown had never taken a Spanish class in her life.

So while watching “Celia,” where characters speak rapidly and with a Cuban accent, Brown needed to use English subtitles. This is because foreign language media are helpful as a learning tool when a student is at the right level to take advantage of it, said Orlando Kelm, associate professor of Spanish and Portuguese. Kelm said beginners may still understand what is going on in the story without subtitles. For example, “Celia” viewers do not need to know Spanish to understand that Celia is a great singer. But Diane Schallert, professor of educational psychology, said watching movies in English helped her learn the language when she immigrated to the United States. She said she remembers watching “The Parent Trap” movie as part of her learning experience. Through the im-

agery, Schallert said she could understand the story, and over time, she started to catch certain phrases. “You develop meaning (first),” Schallert said. “Then learning the words that go with the meaning is a lot easier than when you don’t understand what the person is talking about.” Schallert said this type of learning uses anchored instruction, a technique developed to teach math problems through visualization. While language students may understand the story line, Kelm said they are not necessarily learning. Kelm, who researches innovative foreign language instruction technologies, said subtitles are helpful for people watching foreign language media, but the effectiveness of the subtitles depends on the language they are in. “When I have the English

subtitles turned on, I’m cheating a lot,” Kelm said. “I’m probably not getting much of a learning experience of what’s going on in Spanish because my brain is just kind of getting the meaning.” He said a better method is to watch forgein language media with subtitles in the same language as the dialogue. One tool he recommends is Language Learning with Netflix, a Chrome plug-in which displays subtitles with a pop-up dictionary and allows users to playback phrases. “I was listening to a movie I’d already seen in German,” Kelm said. “But because I had the German (Language Learning with) Netflix turned on, I was seeing the German text on the screen and thinking, ‘Oh, yeah, I totally hear words I didn’t hear the first time.’” Now in her third semester of Spanish, Brown can watch Spanish media with Spanish

/ the daily texan staff

subtitles. She typically watches telenovelas and Spanish movies with her classmates because she said it’s easier to understand the program in a group. “Listening to Spanish media with others is more helpful,” Brown said. “If you didn’t understand something, you can ask somebody else about it, or you can ask your professor while you’re in class.” Kelm experienced this effect during a homestay in China. When he watched the Chinese version of “America’s Got Talent” with his aunt, he said she would make commentary on the show, which helped him pick up on new phrases. “I learned more from talking to her about what was going on in the screen,” Kelm said. “For me, that exchange meant more for (my) language development than actually watching the show did.”

CITY

the BULLOCK MUSEUM

Friday, Oct. 25 5–8 pm A free space-themed Halloween celebration with fun for the whole family!

@BullockMuseum The Bullock Texas State History Museum is a division of the Texas State Preservation Board. Additional support for educational programming provided by the Texas State History Museum Foundation.

UT student organization bridges intergenerational gap with volunteer work By Aimee Knight @aimeeknight321

Locked in a game of cards and holding their hands close to their chests, four people sit around a table in a recreation room. Two players are UT students, the other two are women in their 70s. This is just another day in the life for members of student organization Bridging Texas, whose mission is to foster relationships between students and residents of assisted care facilities. Biology senior Kyungseok Jung started the organization in spring 2019. “With the residents who can communicate their ideas effectively, they always come up to us afterwards and tell us ‘We’re so happy you guys are here,’” Jung said. “It really does make a difference.” Every week, around 15 students drive to the Austin Retirement and Nursing

Center. There, seniors and students challenge each other to games of dominoes or Go Fish, color in small groups or sit in front of the TV to cheer on the Longhorns. It’s a bustling hour and a half of socializing and connecting, bridging the intergenerational divide. The idea for the organization came to Jung in 2017, when he was working as a certified nursing assistant at a facility in Round Rock. He said he realized how little social overlap there is between college-aged students and seniors, and he thought about the impact a small portion of volunteer time could have. “At one point it really struck me that there are a lot of seniors who, once they get into these facilities, they’re not going to leave for the rest of their lives,” Jung said. “Us coming here, they experience a lot of interaction they wouldn’t get otherCOMMUNITY

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