The Daily Texan 2019-10-29 by The Daily Texan

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

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Volume 121, Issue 55

NEWS

OPINION

LIFE&ARTS

SPORTS

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The chemistry department recieved $2.5 million in funding to create a new chair position.

UT must respond to last Friday’s sit-in themselves, not through the Texan.

Texas looks to move past a loss to TCU and enjoy its second bye week this season.

What makes a taco “authentic?” Students weigh in on best and worst taco joints.

CAMPUS

Texas Union building closed due to flooding in Underground

Students protest pro-fossil fuel lecturer

By Laura Morales @lamor_1217

The Texas Union will be closed until Sunday due to a water leak that flooded the Union Underground. James Buckley, director of facilities and operations for University Unions, said the Union noticed the leak on Friday, and the Union’s facility operators worked over the weekend to uncover the cause of the water leakage. The Mechanical Distribution division of UT Utilities and Energy Management operates and maintains a network of distribution piping around campus. Buckley said the division eventually shut off the water Monday at 9 a.m. to prevent further flooding. “As of right now, (the source of the leak) is unknown,” Buckley said. “We have a lot of people working on it to determine the cause and rectify it. Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of jack myer

Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of details besides we got a problem, and we are working on it.” JAMES BUCKLEY

university unions facilities and operations director

details besides we got a problem, and we are working on it.” Mechanical Distribution has been pumping water out of the Underground, but the division has not assessed the damage to the building, Buckley said. Buckley said University U N I O N PAGE 3

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Students gather and protest Alex Epstein’s lecture in the Engineering Education & Research Center on Oct. 28, 2019. Epstein came to UT to support the use of fossil fuels and advocate against alternative forms of energy.

Environmentalists push back, protest against lecturer Alex Epstein. By Graysen Golter @graysen_golter

rotesters stood outside the Mulva Auditorium Monday holding signs reading “People and Planet Before Profit” and “100% Renewable” in protest of a fossil fuel industry supporter’s guest lecture. The UT Center for Enterprise and Policy Analytics at the McCombs School of Business hosted the lecture

in the Cockerell School of Engineering, where Alex Epstein spoke to a full Mulva Auditorium about the risks in using alternative means of energy and why he supports the fossil fuel industry. In the small hallway outside, about 30 students and environmental activists advocated against Epstein’s claims against the efficacy of renewable energy. Epstein, the president of the Center for Industrial Progress, said during the lecture that he supports alternative energy such as

nuclear power but said they are not reliable enough to support billions of people. He said fossil fuels accounted for 80% of U.S. energy consumption in 2018, claimed fossil fuel is the world’s fastest growing source of energy and said radical change in energy usage with methods such as solar and wind would result in catastrophe. Protest organizer Kerry Cook said the protest saw the attendance of community environmental groups such as the Austin Sierra Club, Environment Texas and the

Citizens’ Climate Lobby, as well as student groups, such as the Extinction Rebellion ATX and Students Fighting Climate Change. Cook, a UT geological sciences professor, said she organized the protest to push back against lectures like Epstein’s, which she said often go without fact-checking or moderation. “The overall goal is general education but also pushing back against this kind of self-interest,” Cook said. “(It comes) in the face of all the P R O T E S T PAGE 2

CITY

APD unit aims to reduce Riverside crime

New census bureau offices promote participation

By Lauren Girgis @laurengirgis

A new Austin Police Department unit created last month is hitting the streets of Riverside to reduce crime in the neighborhood through large-scale projects. RISE, which stands for Region 3 Innovative Safety Engagement, was created as part of the Riverside Togetherness Project. In April, APD received a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to launch the long-term program, which examines crime in a two-square-mile area of Riverside, where roughly 4% of all crime in Austin occurs. “We looked at the different hot spot areas in Austin, and we compared current data to historic data and located several hotspots and determined that the most competitive area would be Riverside,” APD grants manager Kyran Fitzgerald said. “Then we met with community members and stakeholders and determined that we would go ahead and submit an application (to the Department of Justice, and) it was successful.” RISE is a six-officer unit attached to a regular patrol unit, said senior police officer John Nelson. Each of the six officers has one area of responsibility. The six areas are accountability, business engagement, enforcement, community engagement, environmental issues and public relations. Nelson said instead of constantly responding to 911 calls in the area, the RISE unit officers will examine issues, speak with community stakeholders, review crime and call data to identify crime patterns in their area of responsibility. “In the sector that I worked before, I can go call to call all night long,” Nelson said. “We’re very busy, we’re shortstaffed, and we’re dealing with a lot of

By Victoria May @toricmay

steph sonik

issues. If I have to run and go to the next (call), frequently we’ll try, but I don’t have time to sit with somebody and provide longer term care.” Nelson’s area of responsibility, environmental issues, requires that he examine landscaping, lighting and building features that don’t offer natural surveillance or create areas of concealment where illegal activity may occur. “We’ll go meet with business owners in an area where we’re noticing a high level of crime, and they can talk about whether or not they have

/ the daily texan staff

security measures in place (or) if they want to improve their lighting in a back alley,” Nelson said. “That’s obviously an environmental issue as well.” Nelson said part of the unit’s responsibilities include increasing trust between law enforcement and the immigrant population through outreach events that educate immigrants of their rights when calling 911 and reporting crimes. Alex Meed, a public affairs graduate student and Riverside resident, said he A P D PAGE 2

Inaccuracy in the upcoming census count could potentially cost the state millions of dollars, so Travis County is increasing outreach efforts, Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir said. The U.S. Census Bureau has opened offices in Travis County, among other locations, just in time to conduct the 2020 Census, which will begin on April 1. The new U.S. Census Bureau offices opening in Texas will manage operations and community involvement across 20 surrounding counties. Despite offices opening in two counties, Texas lawmakers have not set aside any money to ensure all residents participate, DeBeauvoir said. The census is used by the federal government to allocate more than $675 billion to state-funded resources such as infrastructure, education and healthcare on a state-by-state basis. Bruce Elfant, Travis County tax assessor-collector, said although he would have appreciated monetary support from the state, he is proud of Travis County’s efforts to raise money to support an accurate census count through private donations. So far, the county has raised over $600,000. “Greater census participation

means a more accurate account of the demographics within the state,” Elfant said. “A more accurate count of the residents within Texas potentially means receiving an even greater sum of money from the federal government. This is money we’re entitled to. This is money we could be using to better our community for all residents.” DeBeauvoir said Travis County is putting a premium on census participation, especially since typically underserved communities can experience even greater inaccessibility to essential resources. Even an undercount of a fraction of a percent could warrant the loss of millions of dollars, DeBeauvoir said. DeBeauvoir also said people across the nation will now be able to complete the census online, making it even easier to get involved. “We don’t necessarily have a blank checkbook, but Travis County is really trying to step it up in terms of community members’ involvement and the census,” DeBeauvoir said. “The opening of a census office in Austin just exemplifies the kind of attention we are giving to greater participation. Given the potential funding from the government for programs that everybody uses, such as Medicare or the public school system, participation in the census C E N S U S PAGE 2

MEGAN MENCHACA

News Editor | @THEDAILYTEXAN

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

CAMPUS

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PERMANENT STAFF Editor-in-Chief Spencer Buckner

Video Editor Faith Castle

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Sports Reporter Robert Trevino

Future performing arts director chats with students By Sabrina LeBoeuf @_sabrinakaye

The future executive director of Texas Performing Arts made a guest appearance at Bass Concert Hall Monday to speak with students from Hook ‘em Arts, a performing arts student group, at their Halloween party. “To talk with the students and hear from them is super valuable because I think administrators often … get really removed from the students, which is weird because the students are actually the reason we’re here doing this,” said Bob Bursey, future executive director of Texas Performing Arts. Bursey will begin work as director in January 2020, but until then, Bursey is trying to speak with the various constituent groups around Texas Performing Arts, said Tim Rogers, the organization’s assistant director of student engagement. “He wants to really get to know everyone and get to understand the organization before he starts so that he’s not just coming in not knowing anything or just saying, ‘I want to change all these things without knowing what people want,’” Hook ‘em Arts adviser Rogers said. Before the Halloween activities commenced, Bursey sat in a circle with the students and encouraged

jamie hwang

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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

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From left, sophomore Celeste Trevino, junior Alexander Canright, sophomore Ameli Garcia and senior Elana Loftspring decorate pumpkins during Hook ‘em Arts’ Halloween Pumpkin Party on Monday, Oct. 28, 2019. them to voice their thoughts and experiences concerning the Texas Performing Arts Andrew Smith, a management information systems sophomore and Hook ‘em Arts special events officer, told Bursey his concerns about the Bass Pass, a program that provides ticket discounts to peforming arts events for UT students. He

said he and his friends were frustrated with the limited amount of tickets for each show and the limited show dates. Smith said he would prefer a rush ticket process where any unsold seats are sold the day of the performance for a flat rate. He said he was able to get better seats in the orchestra level in

the past through rush tickets at other venues. “I’ve purchased Bass Pass tickets … and more often than not, they’re in second balcony,” Smith said. “Why are we doing that when the same day of show there might be an orchestra seat that someone hasn’t purchased?” While speaking with the

students, Bursey found out Hook ‘em Arts meets weekly, and he said he plans to attend more meetings once he moves to Texas from New York. “(The students) actually know more about it than I do, so I appreciate them for sharing and giving a sense of what we could do better or differently,” Bursey said.

CITY

MAIN TELEPHONE (512) 471-4591

NEWS

Travis County to vote on ninth conservation district By Nataleah Small @nataleahjoy

Many residents of Southwestern Travis County rely on Trinity Aquifer for their water supply, but due to overpumping and lack of regulation, the water supply is rapidly declining, said a representative from the Hill Country Alliance. Currently, eight groundwater conservation districts have been approved by the Texas Legislature and voters, and these distrcits currently manage Trinity Aquifer. During the Travis County General Election on Nov. 5, citizens will vote to decide whether to approve a ninth district in Southwestern Travis County Groundwater Conservation District. The Texas Legislature approved the creation of the district in 2017. “Some form of management is really critical in order to make the resource last into the future,” said Charlie Flatten, water policy program manager for Hill Country Alliance. The Trinity Aquifer extends across central and northeastern Texas, according to the Texas Water Development Board. The proposed district is meant to manage the groundwater in Trinity Aquifer that lies beneath Southwestern Travis County, according to a district factsheet. In recent years, overpumping has occurred because many people have moved to the Hill Country and drilled water wells, said Brian Smith, principal hydrogeologist

census

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is vital.” With an accurate count, Texas could get up to three more congressional seats because of an expected 5 million person population gain, according to the Austin American-Statesman. The results of this census will also play a role in redistricting ahead of the 2021 local elections, DeBeauvoir said. According to the U.S. Census Bureau

and aquifer science team leader for the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District. He said this problem is compounded with the little amount of surface water in the region. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality foresaw this issue 25 years ago after it conducted a study that identified areas of high population growth with limited groundwater supplies, Flatten said. The districts were created to manage groundwater, but because Southwestern Travis County was the last place to create a district, there was no one to stop people from drilling wells, he said. The eight districts have had to make decisions on behalf of Southwestern Travis County because voters have yet to approve the proposed district, said Juli Hennings, a board member for the proposed Southwestern Travis County Groundwater Conservation District. “One of the most important things that will happen once (the board that oversees the proposed district is) elected is that we will be able to have a vote at the table with our neighboring groundwater conservation districts,” Hennings said. The challenge will be to enact rules and conservation measures to manage the Trinity Aquifer while looking for other water sources, Smith said. “At some point with the growth we see this just cannot go on forever before we deplete all the aquifers,” Smith said.

website, almost 60% of people in East Austin did not complete their census form during the last cycle. “With today’s political climate, it’s really hard to trust that these results are going to be used just for funding purposes, especially if you’re an immigrant,” biochemistry sophomore Chris Dinh said. “It really needs to be communicated that these numbers are

being used for good. Everyone should be reaping the benefits of federal funding. Quality public education, reliable health care. These are things that people need.”

This is money we’re entitled to. This is money we could be using to better our community for all residents.” BRUCE ELFANT

Monday ....................... Wednesday, 12 p.m.

tax assessor-collector

Tuesday ..........................Thursday, 12 p.m. Wednesday .......................... Friday, 12 p.m. Thursday .......................... Monday, 12 p.m. Friday ...............................Tuesday, 12 p.m. .......................... 11 a.m. (Last business day prior to publication.)

lauren ibanez

protest

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danger that people around the world are facing due to climate change.” Cynthia Lesky, a member of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, said she attended the protest to support national and bipartisan legislation such as the Energy Innovation & Carbon Dividend Act, which was supported by Democrats such as presidential candidate and former U.S. representative John Delaney and Republicans such as Rep. Francis Rooney. Lesky said the legislation would boost the economy and decrease American carbon pollution by 33% within a decade by putting a fee on fossil fuels and allocating the money collected to citizens. “The purpose of that is to

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help families who are vulnerable to the rising costs that (climate change) will cause,” Lesky said. “We appreciate the fossil fuel industry … but the evolution of industry and the increase in population … convinces us that we have to transition from fossil fuels.” Sustainability studies junior Parker Chambers said he attended the protest to get more involved in activism related to climate justice and that people with less access to resources and privilege are threatened more by climate change. He said he was against Epstein’s presence at UT because the lecture risked spreading misinformation about the climate. “Climate change is an existential threat to all of us,” Chambers said. “I don’t even know why the University of Texas is allowing (Epstein) to speak here. Climate change is not debatable.”

COPYRIGHT Copyright 2019 Texas Student Media. All articles, photographs and graphics, both in the print and online editions, are the property of Texas Student Media and may not be reproduced or republished in part or in whole without written permission.

apd

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The Daily Texan, a student newspaper at The University of Texas at Austin, is published by Texas Student Media, 2500 Whitis Ave., Austin, TX 78712. The Daily Texan is published daily, Monday through Friday, during the regular academic year and is published once weekly during the summer semester. The Daily Texan does not publish during academic breaks, most Federal Holidays and exam periods. News contributions will be accepted by telephone 2.120). Entire contents copyright 2019 Texas Student Media.

alekka hernandez

/ the daily texan staff

is glad to see APD investing in community engagement in his neighborhood. “I think having engagement from APD would help prevent crime from happening before it actually happens,” Meed said. Nelson said it’s important

for UT students to participate as community stakeholders and report suspicious activity to 911, such as someone trying to open car doors. “It’s long-term, and it’s with broader strokes,” Nelson said. “With this unit and other units like it in the city, the hope is that we are making that long-term impact, and then by making that impact, the public feels more safe.”

NEWS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019 CAMPUS

Students design device to correct running form By Bithia Dantoumda @bithiaaa

Four biomedical engineering seniors created a device they said could be implemented as a physical therapy tool to help patients modify their running form in real time. The team of inventors consists of Jessica Fritz, Vignesh Ravindranath, Aradhana Sridaran and Sarah Bi. Fritz said the project came about when they were asked to solve a medical problem in their senior design class, which is required for all biomedical engineering students. “We kind of honed in on a running form device because there’s not really a device out there that tracks your form,” Fritz said. “I know I have a Fitbit, and most people have Apple Watches, but they just tell you how fast you’re running.” Fritz said everyone in the group is a runner. Some ran competitively in high school, while others run to maintain physical health. “The project really related

to me because since I was in high school, I have always been a runner,” Sridaran said. “Naturally, physically therapy and running was of big interest to me.” After doing some research and talking to experts, Sridaran said they found physical therapy patients’ main issue was not knowing how to position their body correctly while running when they weren’t at the doctor’s office. They also discovered every runner over time will experience runner’s knee, which is a commonly felt irritable sensation within the knee joints when a runner neglects their form. “We first considered what good running form technique was and what injuries may be caused by incorrect running technique,” Ravindranath said. “(Runner’s knee) can be caused by a lot of factors. Why we think our device is special is we try to address all those factors that lead to runner’s knee, where as other devices in the market may only address one factor or another.” Ravindranath said the

carlo nassise

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Rene Kinkade, left, and Samantha Mendoua go for an early morning run along Lady Bird Lake on Monday, Feb. 9, 2015. prototype has embedded sound output sensors that notify the subject wearing the device if they are positioned incorrectly. “ W e h a v e p r e s sur e

sensors on their feet and sensors on the hip and ankle to take various measurements and produce sound outputs in real time,” Ravindranath said.

According to the team, the device is still in its prototype phase but is operational. “ I t t o o k a lot of work,” Sridaran said. “I

remember that weekend, we spent around 35 hours for that single device. It was cool to see that it could actually manifest into something useful.”

CAMPUS

UNIVERSITY

UTeach encourages creativity

Donation establishes engineering chair

By Nathan Han @NathanHan13

Mathematics senior Connor Dillon said he always loved making things as a kid, but when he went to college, his passion faded with the stresses of life and school. Dillon said that’s why UTeach Maker was a perfect fit for him. The program is a micro-credentialing program in which UTeach students create things with 3D printers, woodworking tools and more. “This program just helped me get back to what I love,” Dillon said. “So I hope I can bring my passion to the classroom and influence students.” Shelly Rodriguez, director of UTeach Maker, started the program in fall 2016. She said she started with five hand-picked students and grew the program to 25 students this fall. The program centers around the idea of “Making,” or creative problem solving through hands-on crafts. Each student has a personal mentor, works in specialized internships and creates a final showcase that serves as a portfolio of their work. “At its heart, ‘Making’ is empowerment,” Rodriguez said. “It sits at this crossroad between (science, technology, engineering and math) but also arts and crafts and design-thinking that brings that personal self-expression.” Oren Connell, a UTeach Maker mentor, is also a teacher and manages the maker space

at the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders in Austin. “Maker education makes learning about more than just taking tests,” Connell said. “It helps students learn how to struggle and take risks.” Rodriguez credits the Austin maker community with helping and supporting the program. However, she said the community has lacked participant diversity. “It’s getting much better, but in the past, the community had been dominated by males,” Rodriguez said. One of the goals of UTeach, Rodriguez said, is broadening diverse participation in STEM. Kristiane Smith, a biology senior in the program, said UTeach Maker and the Austin maker community has

made her feel welcome. “There’s a maker space in Austin called the CoLab that helps LGBT people and minorities interested in making,” Smith said. “As an African American myself, I just found the environment super welcoming and somewhere that I felt encouraged to create.” Rodriguez said experiences like these are encouraging her to bring the UTeach Maker program to colleges across the nation. “We’re working really hard to make this something that becomes part of a nationwide initiative,” Rodriguez said. “We’re writing a grant with the University of Houston and West Virginia University to try and bring UTeach Maker to their campuses.”

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Unions, UT Facilities Service’s Zone Two division, Mechanical Distribution and UT Landscape Services met Monday afternoon to assess the potential causes of the leak. He said the

By Neha Madhira @nehamira14

barb daly

union

From left, C. Buddie Mullins, Jennifer Brodbelt, Cheryl Johnston, Keith Johnston, Keith Keitz, Nathaniel Lynd, Norbert Dittrich, Grant Willson, Debbie Willson, Gregory Fenves, Thomas Truskett, Van Truskett and Delia Milliron attend the Welch Gala 2019.

Union is working with all the organizations that had events scheduled in the building. “Our hospitality office is contacting those organizations and working to make arrangements for relocation or rescheduling of those events,” Buckley said. Health and society junior

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Garyetta Cooks said she tried to buy lunch Monday afternoon but found out the Union was closed. “Really I am in shock,” Cooks said. “I have to think of travel time, like where can I go to eat in between all my classes, but now it’s definitely an inconvenience.

joshua guenther

/ the daily texan staff

The Union Building is temporarily closed to fix a water leak. The closure was announced Monday, Oct 28, 2019.

The McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering will establish the Norbert DittrichWelch Chair in Chemical Engineering following a $2.5 million donation by the Welch Foundation, a private funding source for chemical research. UT has received $180 million total from the foundation since 1954, and the chair will honor the foundation’s former president Norbert Dittrich, who retired this year after 26 years of service. “The reason to why we’re establishing the chair is twofold,” Dittrich said. “The first is a recognition of my service at the Welch Foundation, and the second is the significant work UT’s engineering department has done in general. I have been with the Welch Foundation for 42 years. I know the foundation will continue doing great work

with UT and in general.” Thomas Truskett, McKetta department chair and engineering professor, said once a professor is nominated and approved to hold the chair, they will determine how the money can be used to advance the University. “They could use some of the money to support an undergraduate student to do research in the lab over the summer, help recruit a student to UT, buy a piece of equipment, support travel to conferences — I mean, you name it,” Truskett said. “Really, the value of these endowed chairs is they help us attract the very best faculty and retain those faculty members by giving them the flexibility to pursue the science where it leads.” Welch Foundation president Adam Kuspa said the chair is an essential component of resources needed to support faculty goals. “It allows the program to

maintain integrity,” Kuspa said. “Let’s remember that faculty members can hold their position for 30 to 40 years, which is a game-changer in building the capacity.” Camila Saez, a chemical engineering graduate student, said she is excited because the donation will not only support students but also help the department flourish. “Most of the projects we do start out as ideas on a whiteboard,” Saez said. “When organizations like the Welch Foundation support and take this chance on challenging ideas, it really helps us stay creative.” Truskett said the tentative date for choosing the chair is next fall. “Chemical engineering is one of the places on campus where some of the most innovative work in chemistry and in science takes place,” Truskett said. “So, it’s kind of a natural place for (the Welch Foundation) to invest in.”

SPENCER BUCKNER

Editor-In-Chief | @THEDAILYTEXAN

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

OPINION

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Tell us yourselves.

UT wants to respond to last Friday’s sit-in through the Texan’s opinion page. They must tell students why they’re failing us themselves.

By Spencer Buckner Editor-in-chief

At last Friday’s sit-in for student safety, dozens of students protested in front of executive vice president and provost Maurie McInnis’ office demanding answers. Answers to why men who violated sexual misconduct policy are scheduled to teach classes next semester. Answers to why we don’t know the names of every abuser on UT’s payroll. Answers to why it took a student protest to get the University to talk. The event’s organizers, Alyssa Ashcraft, Anilya Krishnan, Michaela Lavelle and Angela Kang say they were told by Soncia Reagins-Lilly, the dean of students, that there would be an official response sent yesterday — a response to help us answer these questions. As of publication, that response was never sent. Instead, when a Texan reporter emailed University Communications asking when a response would be sent out, she received this email: “We are in the midst of developing a response that will be shared over the next few days via an editorial in The Daily Texan. We recognize the urgency for a response and are working quickly to develop a road map to bring about meaningful change to our Title IX reporting, processes and procedures.” The protest organizers received an email with

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.

identical wording from the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost. The University’s decision to respond via an editorial in the Texan is troubling. I first heard UT’s plan secondhand around 4:00 p.m. yesterday. Their emails imply that we made some sort of deal, that I approve of their editorial.

It’s UT’s job to explain to the entire student body why professors who violate sexual misconduct policy are still teaching our classes. Not the Texan’s.”

I don’t. Here’s why: It is inappropriate for The Daily Texan to be the primary disseminator of official University communications. It is inappropriate because the Texan does not represent the University. It’s UT’s job to explain to the entire student body why professors who violated sexual misconduct policy are still teaching our classes. Not the Texan’s. Yet, a University spokesperson told me UT leadership decided an editorial

in the Texan would “speak to a larger audience.” I can’t imagine why the University would want to use the Texan, which only reaches a fraction of the student body, when they could reach every student directly via email. To me, it seems like University administration wants to use the Texan as a way to avoid doing their job. As a way to save face. As a way to minimize the fallout of a problem that is solely their fault. That is incredibly offensive to me. It’s more offensive to the entire student body who deserves answers, to the survivors of misconduct and harassment who have to attend a University that again and again seems to protect known abusers. All students deserve to know who the abusers that UT employs are. We deserve answers as to why men found in violation of sexual misconduct policies are still being brought back to teach our classes. We deserve answers as to why it took a protest to make the University finally start talking about this issue. Let me be clear — I would be happy to be part of an effort to inform the student body about professor misconduct. The editorial board has been doing that for over a year. But we will not run an editorial for you now. Not until you do your job and let the student body know yourselves why you continue to fail us. Buckner is a Plan II junior. He is the editor-in-chief.

rachel tyler

SUBMIT A FIRING LINE | Email your Firing Lines to editor@dailytexanonline.com. Letters must be more than 100 and fewer than 300 words. The Texan reserves the right to edit all submissions for brevity, clarity and liability.

/ the daily texan staff

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LIFE&ARTS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

FILM REVIEW

Eddie Murphy returns with ‘Dolemite Is My Name’ film By Sabrina LeBoeuf @_sabrinakaye

Iconic actor Eddie Murphy stars as Rudy Ray Moore in his vulgar, yet entertaining, return to the Hollywood spotlight in the Netflix biographical drama “Dolemite Is My Name.” This crass, raunchy comedy directed by Craig Brewer follows the life of Rudy, a black man who dreams of stardom and bringing black actors to the silver screen. After years of struggle, Rudy assumes the character of Dolemite and takes the stage as a comedian, something Murphy fans have not seen in a long time. However, Murphy’s jokes aren’t followed by the ba dum tss of a drum kit. Rather, Rudy, dressed in pimp attire, borrows jokes from Vaudeville days and refines them into a comedic song. His jokes explicitly lay out topics like beastiality, but they rhyme like Dr. Seuss. After gaining significant recognition, Rudy decides to take his career to the next level and invest his fortune in a film about his persona entitled “Dolemite.” For the film, he makes wild demands to weave kung fu, nudity and comedy into a story about the inner city and accomplishes it. When the movie reaches Hollywood-level success, reviewers bash the film because it sucks. But Rudy doesn’t care. He has people lined up down the street to see it. Unlike Rudy’s film, “Dolemite Is My Name” does not suck, as long as audiences are okay with hearing the word motherf----- in every sentence and watching Murphy get naked. The story does more than travel back to the 1970s via costume and set design. It

jazz

continues from page

EO: All of them. My style

of playing is (inspired by)

“Dolemite Is My Name” is a comeback film for both Eddie Murphy and Rudy Ray Moore.

shows the complexity of race throughout the entertainment industry. When Rudy and his friends see comedy film “The Front Page,” they are confused as to why the movie was not funny and did not showcase any black actors. In another scene, the film highlights the era of blaxploitation, where surface-level black characters like Blacula (black Dracula) were created in Hollywood to appeal to black audiences.

The film’s well-developed characters juxtapose the era of blaxploitation well. Rudy is more than a fame-hungry man. Throughout the film, he displays humility and expresses childhood trauma alongside his drive for excellence. Even smaller roles are well-developed and well-portrayed, thanks to star actors. Keegan-Michael Key plays Jerry Jones, the film writer for “Dolemite” and creates a deep,

virtuous creative that acts as a foil to Rudy. D’Urville Martin is played by Wesley Snipes, and he humorously brings a karate background to a karate-deficient character. Even Chris Rock and Snoop Dogg bring their A-game for their roles as radio hosts. The use of lighting adds to the depth of the film, creating a beautiful aesthetic while adding to the story. Rudy’s world goes from small

spotlights and lightbulb-lit rooms to neon lights and marquees. This, paired with the clever cinematography, shows audiences that a black narrative film by Netflix, a streaming company that has historically received less funding and notoriety, can be of high quality. “Dolemite Is My Name” reminds audiences that Rudy Ray Moore and Eddie Murphy are powerful,

Lee Morgan, Clifford Brown and Freddie Hubbard. My writing is inspired by Duke Ellington and Miles Davis. More personally, my mom and my dad (inspire

me). They were wary of me being a musician, but they always encouraged me to stick with it. My dad was actually the one that got me to where I am because he

forced me to audition for art schools and took me concerts and contests.

EO: Doing what I love to do, being accepted and received, being heard and felt, being able to give a gift. It would be really boring to just sit in my room practicing with

DT: What do you love most about being a professional musician?

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GENRE

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R AT I N G SCORE

black men with a story to tell. Though their careers date back to the late 80s and 90s, their names are relevant still today. They are f---ing timeless. nobody there to hear it. The people that have followed me since high school, who have seen my growth, for them to see how far I’ve come — it’s irreplaceable.

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6 SPORTS

D O N N AVA N S M O O T

Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

FOOTBALL

Bye week helps Texas football

eddie gaspar

/ the daily texan staff

Texas head coach Tom Herman addressed the media Monday to discuss injury recovery and hitting the reset button following Saturday afternoon’s 37-27 loss to TCU. Saturday marked Texas’ fifth loss to the Horned Frogs in six years.

After troubling loss against Horned Frogs, Texas regroups, recovers in second bye week of season. By Donnavan Smoot @Dsmoot3D

t wasn’t time to sound the alarm after Texas’ 4538 loss to LSU on Sept. 7. The Longhorns had faced a quarterback that is now No. 1 on many people’s Heisman list, a wide

receiving corps that has a serious claim to be the best in the nation and cornerbacks that were much more experienced than the team trying to replace eight starters. “This (was) a preconference game that has no bearing on our standing in our conference,” said head coach Tom Herman the Monday following the loss to LSU. “We will be a better team for having played that game, and I’m glad we did. And there’s a lot of positive that will come from having played that game, regardless of the outcome.” That was almost two months ago. Since then, Texas has consistently given up enormous amounts of yards and points to nearly every team it has played. Each week a new player pops up on the injury report, forcing the Longhorns to find an able body to fill the spot.

Texas has lost two games in three weeks, with a depleted defense and a team sitting third in the conference, one spot away from playing in the Big 12

We will be a better team for having played that game ... And there’s a lot of positive that will come from having played that game.” TOM HERMAN

head football coach

Championship game. At 5–3, the outlook for the remainder of the season is completely different than the outlook during

preseason play — an outlook that included hopes of a Big 12 Championship. However, help is on the way for Texas, and it comes in two forms. The first is the bye week. It gives Texas an extra week to prepare for Kansas State, who moved up to No. 22 nationally after a 48-41 upset over conference-leading Oklahoma. The bye provides an opportunity for the Longhorns to step back, evaluate how the season got to the point that it is and try to right the ship. On the physical side, the bye week gives injured players — across all positions — another seven days to heal. “My expectation is, if everything goes well, then all those guys will play against Kansas State,” Herman said. Herman is speaking of sophomore safety B.J. Foster, sophomore safety DeMarvion Overshown,

sophomore safety Caden Sterns, senior linebacker Jeffrey McCulloch and freshman running back Jordan Whittington. Along with their abilities on the field, all of those players except for Jordan Whittington have been in this position before. They have been on a team that quickly crashed after flying high on a six game winning streak before finding its way to AT&T Stadium with a conference championship on the line. Herman is hoping the experience of the 2018 team can find its way to this iteration of Texas. “There was a team last year that lost two games in a row, in conference, and still kept fighting, still kept battling, and found a way into the conference title game,” Herman said. “If we handle our business, we’ll make sure that we’re right there in the race.”

BASKETBALL

Texas survives scare from Lubbock Christian in opener By Robert Trevino @robtrev22

A win is never a sure thing when your opponent comes in having won 2 of the last 4 national championships — even if those came at the Division II level. Still, as head coach Karen Aston motioned for her players to call a timeout with 9:06 left in the fourth quarter, there was no mistaking at least a small semblance of panic in the building. Lubbock Christian opened the period on a 5-0 run to bring the game to within four points, but if a sense of unease was felt within the Texas huddle, they certainly didn’t show it. “Just focus on what we’re doing, pay attention to detail, jump to the ball and don’t get caught in the moment,” senior guard Jada Underwood said of what was discussed in the timeout. “Basketball’s a game of ups and downs, and (LCU was) going up. Basically, we just had to be solid and get a couple stops.” The Longhorns came out

on a 11-0 run of their own after that timeout and coasted to an 83-73 win. Despite the overall command that Texas had on the game — the Lady Chaparrals never led — Monday night’s exhibition was by far the closest such game in Aston’s tenure. “There’s no sense in me being overly critical, first of all,” Aston said about the close game. “I think it would be disrespectful to Lubbock Christian, who is a really good basketball team. We’re in a tough situation where we have kids that are trying sometimes not to foul, and that ends up being a worstcase scenario because they get caught late.” Three Longhorns finished with at least four fouls; sophomore starting center Charli Collier — who fouled out, along with sophomore guard Shae Routt and Underwood, the latter of which played with four fouls in the second quarter due to a statistical confusion on the Longhorn bench. “That hurt us, and that won’t happen again,” Aston said. “We just checked

Just focus on what we’re doing, pay attention to detail, jump to the ball and don’t get caught in the moment.” JADA UNDERWOOD senior guard

joshua guenther

/ the daily texan staff

Joanne Allen-Taylor steps back on a Lubbock Christian defender during Monday night’s 83-73 victory. The close score came as a surprise to the Longhorns, as Lubbock Christian is a Division II college. the book. That wasn’t right, and we let (Underwood) get four (fouls) in the first half. That’s just unacceptable. For a player, you can’t afford to have that.” Texas took control early, opening the game on a 10-0 run, starting with the senior guard Lashann Higgs hitting a three-pointer just 12 seconds into the game. The Longhorns used a 2717 lead in the first quarter

to capture momentum going into the second quarter. “I thought we came out really hot, and that may have been a detriment to us, to be honest with you,” Aston said. “I think we thought those shots were going to fall the entire night. We took some quick shots that led into better offense for them than maybe we should’ve, but those are learning experiences for young players.”

Ultimately,jjj“learning experiences for young players” was the theme of the night, as three returning Longhorns did not play: senior guard Sug Sutton and senior forward Joyner Holmes, as well as sophomore forward Audrey Warren. Freshman guard Celeste Taylor and Routt made their debuts on the floor for Texas, with the former getting the start to go along with seven points and

three assists in 37 minutes. Joanne Allen-Taylor, the sophomore guard who averaged just 1.1 points and 8.5 minutes per game last season, led the team with 24 points while never leaving the game. “We’re still learning, and we’re young,” Allen-Taylor said. “So it was good to get that experience because they did play us the way we expected them to.”

COMICS

CHANNING MILLER & LAUREN IBANEZ

Comics Editors| @THEDAILYTEXAN

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 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 Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Crossword ACROSS

32 Holder of a collateral loan 33 Aromatic shrubs 5 Taj Mahal city yielding an essential oil 9 Rabbit’s foot 36 It’s “read” during 12 With 50-Down, a reprimand home of Goodyear 37 Fowl with a showy mate 13 Modern-day Persia 38 Temporary tattoo dye 14 Kismet 39 About half of a 15 Protective regular-season garments worn schedule for dental X-rays 41 Gold-coated 17 Let the host 45 Snorters’ know quarters 18 Project’s windup 46 Galleria display 19 90° on a 48 It’s fixed when it’s compass flat 20 India ___ 49 Capital of Qatar 21 Not stereo 51 Religious symbol 22 Hefty lexical ref. resembling a plus sign … or a 23 Competitor of hint to the three Petro-Canada groups of shaded 25 Grated food squares in this flavorer used in puzzle baking 54 “That makes 29 “Not on your life!” sense now” 1 Shelter grp.

SUDOKUFORYOU 4

9 5 2 4 3 8 2 9 5 3 8 1 6 1 2 9 3 7 5 3

1 8 6 9 5 7 2 7 4 3 4

Today’s solution will appear here next issue

9 3 8 4 6 7 5 2 1

7 1 6 8 2 5 9 3 4

4 2 5 3 9 1 8 7 6

3 5 7 1 8 2 4 6 9

2 9 1 6 3 4 7 5 8

8 6 4 7 5 9 2 1 3

6 7 9 5 4 3 1 8 2

5 4 3 2 1 8 6 9 7

1 8 2 9 7 6 3 4 5

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE M A T E S

A W A R E

N O L A N

S W A B

T I L L

E L L A

M U S E

A S I A

L E G S

E L K A T I O B L E L T P T H R E A W S H Y

S A H A R A C R E V I C E S

P R O P B R I A R S H E H

O O L G U E L I C E T H R U T B E R M E B E L A O S D O S S K I T N A C A S K A T T E R I E L E P

S E Z W H O

I D E A

A G A R

M E L T

U T H G A Y S L I P T Y L E E M E I T M F A R B O X D E L I A D D S

55 Set in direct opposition to 56 It’s fixed when it’s flat 57 Spanish liqueur 58 Hollows between hills 59 Thor, to Odin 60 Cabinet position: Abbr. 61 Kirk ___, first actor to play Superman on the big screen

Edited by Will Shortz 1

24 29 34

22 25

36 38

40 45

DOWN 1 Balls of yarn 2 April 1 activities 3 End of a concerto 4 Fussy to excess 5 What jars with fireflies need 6 “I started a boat-building business in my attic … Now sails are going through the roof,” e.g. 7 Price of freedom 8 Addie’s husband in “As I Lay Dying” 9 Annual parade locale since 1890 10 Rugged fourwheelers, for short 11 Openly mourned 12 Title role for Michael Caine or Jude Law 14 Playground game with teams 16 Pollutant concentration meas. 22 Burger topper

No. 0924

41 47

42 48

PUZZLE BY JOHN GUZZETTA

24 Accepting bribes 26 Lena of “Havana”

35 What a shofar is typically made from

27 Jiffy

36 Be worry-free

28 Vietnamese holiday

38 One at risk of excommunication

30 Mournful poem

40 Leatherneck

31 With 52-Down, passage to the heart

42 “Wouldn’t that be nice!”

33 Letters on a speedometer

44 Trials and tribulations

34 Naval petty officer: Abbr.

47 Heart chart, briefly

43 Mitigate

49 They might be connected by children … or detectives 50 See 12-Across 51 College application figs. 52 See 31-Down 53 Currency on the Arabian Peninsula

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.

J O R DY N Z I T M A N

Life&Arts Editor | @JORDYNZITMAN

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

W CITY

LIFE&ARTS

Students seek authentic tacos UT Latinx community looks to East Austin area for family-owned restaurant options.

By Ariana Arredondo @arixgraciela

mages of tacos, tamales and chiles rellenos float across Ramiro De Los Santos’ mind, as he daydreams about the food he’ll eat when he returns home to Laredo. After spending almost an entire semester at UT, De Los Santos, a journalism and European studies freshman, said he has yet to find tacos that measure up to his experiences back home. The cultural significance tacos and Hispanic food have for members of the Latinx community means that claims of “authenticity” made by popular Tex-Mex restaurants are oftentimes met with uproar. “If a food is coming from one specific culture, people of that culture will get angry when that food is misrepresented and not actually authentic,” De Los Santos said. While De Los Santos said he has not been able to fully explore the Austin food scene due to transportation limits and his short time on campus, he is skeptical he would be able to find truly authentic tacos in the city. De Los Santos said the border city of Laredo has a high percentage of Latinx citizens and plenty of authentic restaurants. He said his hometown is where he is more likely to experience Latinx culture and food. “Coming from a border city, that’s as authentic as it’s gonna get without actually going into Mexico,” De Los Santos said.

Romelia Acosta, corporate communications sophomore, is from the border city of El Paso and said when she first got to UT, she was nervous to try the Mexican food. “I always had very authentic options, and I had the option to go to Mexico to eat,” Acosta said. “I don’t like Tex-Mex at all, so I don’t choose to eat here at all, and I am pretty picky about my Mexican food.” Acosta said she has found family-owned restaurants and taco trucks are more likely to satisfy her cravings. Places such as Riverside and South and

said. “We should really focus on giving them our money and helping them grow.” Journalism senior Lacey Segars said she is often frustrated with the larger chains in Central Austin and their unbacked claims of authenticity. She said the high prices at some chain locations also discourage her from eating there.

“You can go to one of the main parts of Austin and spend $5 on a small taco made by a white person,” Segars said. “Anyone who’s Hispanic should be mad about that.” Segars also said in her experience, the smaller, Latinx-owned locations are often underappreciated and forgotten about in comparison to

We should support local restaurants that are actually authentic and owned by Mexican people.” ROMELIA ACOSTA ut sophomore

East Austin oftentimes have the food she is looking for. Riverside’s population is more than 50% Hispanic. Because of this demographic, more restaurants and food trucks in the area are run by Hispanic people, which ultimately increases the level of authenticity of the food. “We should support local restaurants that are actually authentic and owned by Mexican people,” Acosta

rocky higine

Q&A

UT professor discusses new book about American West By James Robertson @jamespqrob

In “Dreams Of El Dorado: A History of the American West,” history professor H.W. Brands chronicles the epic and violent national struggle to settle the American West. Weaving together larger narratives with intimate personal narratives, Brands creates a sweeping tapestry of Western expansionism that ranges from the expedition of Lewis and Clark to the Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. The Daily Texan caught up with Brands to discuss his new book. copyright manny alcalÁ, and reproduced with permission

Dallas-born trumpeter Ephraim Owens loves jazz for its collaboration and conflict. @gebarnes210

Dallas-born Ephraim Owens is a blues, jazz and gospel trumpeter who performs in Austin and around the world. He has also recorded with artists such as Sheryl Crow and Mumford & Sons. Owens enrolled at the Booker T. Washington High School for the Visual & Performing Arts in Dallas, and he later received a scholarship to study jazz and music education at Texas State University. There he continued to pursue music in and outside of the classroom. He then moved to Austin, which has become a second home to the musician. While jazz is not typically a college student’s genre of choice, bringing smaller

artists from underrepresented genres to campus can broaden students’ musical palates. Owens performed at the Blanton Museum of Art on Oct. 17 and was joined by a local pianist and bassist for a special free performance. The Daily Texan: Although you are known as a blues, gospel and jazz musician, you have said that jazz is your preferred musical medium. Why? Ephraim Owens: Jazz cov-

ers all the bases of music, in my personal opinion. (Jazz is) freedom of structure — there are melodies that build the song, but there’s room to play around and make changes. There’s free reign of thought and more conflict than in any other kind of music. That’s

There’s free reign of thought and more conflict than in any other kind of music. That’s why I choose jazz.” EPHRAIM OWENS performer

/ the daily texan staff

Q&A

Jazz musician Ephraim Owens talks genre, life as performer

By Grace Barnes

the larger chains. She said people should give their money to Latinx-owned businesses in order to help them grow. “There’s a lot of culture in Austin — in the hidden parts of Austin and in the forgotten parts,” Segars said. ”It’s sad, and it’s a disservice to those people that places like Torchy’s or Taco Ranch even exist or get the business that they do.”

why I choose jazz. There are certain cultures of jazz, like Latin jazz has certain nuances to pay attention to, but there’s still freedom of expression. It’s also the communication with other musicians. It’s really nice when we find our groove and our direction. I love the collaboration of this music. It’s very rewarding. DT: What was it like attend-

ing Booker T. Washington High School?

EO: I was already interested

in jazz when I got there, but when I heard Roy Hargrove, that was it. That was when I really figured out what I wanted to do. I had my dad take me to school early every day to check out the jam sessions and see what other musicians were doing. We were all a big family — the arts, theater and choir. We were all inspired by what we wanted to do. We had to learn all this music on top of our classwork, which was hard but fully inspiring.

DT: Which artists or musicians inspire you?

J A Z Z PAGE 5

Daily Texan: How did you go about crafting the narrative of your book?

The

H.W. Brands: I knew about the California Gold Rush, the American colonization of Texas, migration to Oregon, and the battle for the Great Plains in the northern plains and the southern plains. I knew there were big stories I wanted to cover. Then, what I had to do was arrange them chronologically, so they would make sense in terms of the history and the unfolding of things. Then, to the extent that I could, I needed to find eyewitnesses. I needed to find people who were there and who left accounts to find voices to make these movements come alive.

to Oregon and found farms where they built a foundation for their families for decades in the future. So, some of the dreams were played out. Other dreams were destroyed. Black Elk, the Lakota Sioux, is one of my main characters, and he had the vision of the circle of the hoop — how everything was supposed to fit together in his case and for his people. The dream was shattered. It was shattered over the course of 20 years and finally destroyed permanently in the massacre of Wounded Knee. DT: How should we, as mod-

ern readers, reckon with the bloody and violent legacy so deeply intertwined in the history of the West?

HWB: There were dreams of missionaries, such as Narcissa Whitman, who

dreamed she was going to convert the Indians to Protestant Christianity. Her case I find to be particularly interesting and revealing. She had the interests of people other than herself at heart. But on the other hand, the way she interpreted those interests was from a particularly narrow perspective. She thought these people need to be brought to the Christian gospel. In doing that and being part of the immigration movement to Oregon, she helped introduce various diseases to the Native American population, including the Cayuse Indians, among whom she settled and whose numbers were decimated by disease. And in response to that, among other things, she and her husband and several other people at the mission were massacred.

With these great aspirations for the West, how can readers approach the idea of whether these are simply dreams or tangible accomplishments?

DT:

The book is called “Dreams of El Dorado,” and there are lots of people who are seeking dreams of various sorts. Some people succeeded, like those who went to California and those who went

HWB:

In “Dreams of El Dorado,” H.W. Brands details the complexity of westward expansion.