The Daily Texan 2019-11-01 by The Daily Texan

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

Friday, November 1, 2019

Volume 121, Issue 58

NEWS

OPINION

SPORTS

LIFE&ARTS

PAGE 2

PAGE 4

PAGE 7

PAGE 8

Professor emerita becomes second woman to win Steel Prize math award.

CMHC should expand mental health services to better serve students with social anxiety.

Local Olympics hopeful to run final lap, pursue art and writing.

Texas soccer defeats Oklahoma in a thrilling overtime victory.

UNIVERSITY

LGBTQ+ council convenes

UT Police committee to address free speech, homelessness

Created in May, UT’s first LGBTQ+ faculty council will gather data on demographics, evaluate campus climate and analyze University practices.

By Emily Hernandez @emilylhernandez

The UT Police Oversight Committee has not met since February, but University officials are planning for the committee to meet soon and be more “hands-on” in overseeing the UT Police Department this school year. The Police Oversight Committee serves as the University’s primary form of communication between UTPD and the UT community by ensuring UTPD’s policies and operations keep the community safe, according to its website. The committee reviews informal complaints from the UT community and can meet with UTPD leadership or UT President Gregory Fenves to address potential concerns. Committee Chair Bill Spelman said he is planning to schedule the first committee meeting after speaking with UTPD Chief David Carter next week. After Fenves and his chief of staff Carlos Martinez spoke with him, Spelman said the committee will address homelessness and Senate Bill 18. Spelman said while the University has created new policies addressing SB 18, which made most outdoor spaces at UT open to the public for free speech and expression in September, the policies are not yet public. Spelman, a professor at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, said the committee will also discuss how UTPD will enforce the new city ordinance that relaxes restrictions on where homeless people can camp, sit and lie in public areas. Carter said he usually introduces UTPD’s practices and structure at the committee’s first meeting of the school year. According to an email sent to student committee representatives, the committee usually meets four times every school year. “(Some) people … may have bad experiences with the police,” Carter said. “It’s good to (address) those kinds of situations (at these meetings). I want UTPD to be a learning organization, a serving organization, one that understands what its mission is — and that ultimately is to protect and serve our community, make sure that people are not only safe, but feel safe.” Lynn Huynh, an advertising

barb daly

By Lauren Grobe @grobe_lauren

T’s first LGBTQ+ faculty council, created in May, is currently looking into ways to best support a part of the faculty population which historically has been underrepresented. The Council for LGBTQ+ Access, Equity, and Inclusion was created to improve life on campus for LGBTQ+ faculty. Edmund Gordon, vice provost for diversity and chair of the council, said the council has now begun preliminary work into studying the climate for

P O L I C E PAGE 2

LGBTQ+ faculty. Gordon said the council will be gathering data on LGBTQ+ demographics on campus, evaluating the campus climate for LGBTQ+ faculty and determining what practices at the University need change. He said the council is also looking at what other institutions have done to address LGBTQ+ faculty because there is no collection of reports about being LGBTQ+ at UT-Austin. “I think the need has always been there,” Gordon said. “We needed a council to represent (LGBTQ+ faculty) and to empower that council to make recommendations about how the University can be

/ the daily texan staff

more inclusive.” Gordon said coming out can still be dangerous for faculty, which makes it difficult to quantify the LGBTQ+ population on campus. “Putting yourself out there in a homophobic world is minimally uncomfortable but maximally can be dangerous,” Gordon said. Lisa Moore, an English and women’s and gender studies professor, said one obstacle in forming the council was finding openly LGBTQ+ faculty members in every college at the University. “It was very hard to find somebody from every college and school,” Moore said. “That LGBTQ+

PAGE 2

CITY

City of Austin survey aims to assess APD community engagement

UT junior develops website to help students find short-term housing options

By Lauren Girgis @laurengirgis

Austin’s office of the city auditor is asking citizens to fill out a survey that evaluates the Austin Police Department’s engagement with the community. The city hired Matrix Consulting Group to assess APD’s community policing efforts in 2016, assistant city auditor Andrew Keegan said. Since then, Keegan said APD has attempted to implement the group’s recommendations, including increased staffing, support for community policing within the department and meeting regularly with community members and stakeholder groups. “We felt it was the right time to come back and see has there been any change in the environment since then,” Keegan said. The survey, which closes Friday, is available in English, Vietnamese and Spanish.

Keegan said the surveys were sent to neighborhood associations, distributed on social media and promoted by media contacts starting Sept. 27. The survey has received approximately 1,700 responses as of Monday morning, Keegan said. “The more responses, the better understanding we have of the perceptions and feelings of community members, and that’s going to make our audit better,” Keegan said. The survey asks respondents to rate their experiences with APD personnel from very negative to very positive. The survey also asks whether citizens see the same officers in their area, find APD officers responsive and professional, and what APD should do to improve its community policing efforts. Bill Spelman, professor of public affairs, said while neighborhood associations may S U R V E Y PAGE 2

By Sara Johnson @skjohn1999

Jaideep Patil said he’s wanted to study abroad since his first year at UT, but struggled to lease his apartment while he would be away. Last week, he launched a website to help other students solve that problem. LeaseEasy is a leasing website where students can search for leases shorter than one year or find roommates to share those leases with, Patil said. Students can share their email, name and the semester when they need housing, and Patil sends them available floor plans and potential roommates based on the student’s needs. Chemical engineering junior Patil said he developed the website to ease the leasing process for students. “What we’re doing is solving the root cause and not the symptom,” Patil said. “Short-term leases aren’t really available in West Campus, so we want to educate students that this option does exist.” Patil said he conducted research with study abroad and international students before launching the website and found

jack meyer

/ the daily texan staff

After chemical engeering junior Jaideep Patil struggled to find someone to lease his apartment before studying abroad, he created LeaseEasy. out that short-term leasing is in high demand among students. “This is a really big pain that students face,” Patil said. “Having a short-term lease ahead of time is a game-changer

because they don’t have to stress about having a sublease later on.” Amanda Golden, program manager at L E A S E PAGE 2

MEGAN MENCHACA

News Editor | @THEDAILYTEXAN

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019

This issue of The Daily Texan is valued at $1.25

UNIVERSITY

NEWS

PERMANENT STAFF Editor-in-Chief Spencer Buckner

Video Editor Faith Castle

Managing Editor Catherine Marfin

Assoc. Video Editor Jackson Barton

Assoc. Managing Editors Alex Briseño, Lisa Nhan

Photo Editor Eddie Gaspar

Assoc. Editors Angélica López, Emily Caldwell, Abby Springs, Sanika Nayak Forum Editors Julia Zaksek, Kateri David News Editor Megan Menchaca Assoc. News Editors Gracie Awalt, Savana Dunning News Desk Editors Hayden Baggett, Nicole Stuessy, Jackson Barton, Hannah Ortega Beat Reporters Neelam Bohra, Lauren Grobe, Laura Morales, Emily Hernandez, Lauren Girgis, Sara Johnson, Graysen Golter, Tori May, Areeba Amer Projects Editor Chase Karacostas Projects Reporters Trinady Joslin, Tiana Woodard, Savana Dunning Projects Designer Emma Overholt Copy Desk Chiefs Jason Lihuang, Brittany Miller Associate Copy Desk Chiefs Lawson Freeman, Irissa Omandam, Jimena Pinzon

Assoc. Photo Editors Anthony Mireles, Joshua Guenther Senior Photographers Amna Ijaz, Ryan Lam, Brittany Mendez, Blaine Young Life&Arts Editor Jordyn Zitman Assoc. Life&Arts Editors Trinady Joslin, Brooke Sjoberg Sr. Life&Arts Writers Noah Levine, Mackenzie Dyer Sports Editor Donnavan Smoot Assoc. Sports Editor Wills Layton Senior Sports Reporters Daniela Perez, Myah Taylor, Stephen Wagner, Marcus Krum Comics Editors Channing Miller, Lauren Ibanez Assoc. Comics Editor Alekka Hernandez Senior Comics Artists Ella Williams, Rocky Higine, Barbra Daly, Steph Sonik Social Media Editor Rebeccah Macias Assoc. Social Media Editor Michael Hernandez

Design Editor Christiana Peek

Newsletters Editor Taylor Leen

Associate Design Editor Renee Koite

Audio Editor Sara Schleede

Senior Designers Kendall Jordan, Nila Selvaraj, Sierra Wiggers

ISSUE STAFF

Audio Producers Divya Jagadeesh, Harper Carlton

Comic Artists Cynthia Treviño, Destiny Alexander, Dan Martinez, Valeria Treviño, Natalie Hadaway

News Reporters Austin Martinez, Jennifer Xia, Hannah Williford, Sabrina LeBoeuf, Angelica Arinze

Copy Editors Connor Tolany, Aimée Knight, Dex Parra, Phoebe Hayes

Photographers Jack Myer

Designers Eunice Bao, Abby Ong

L&A Reporters Nataleah Small, Catherine Cardenas Sports Reporters Clark Dalton, Isaac Gutierrez, Nathan Han

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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

MANAGING EDITOR Catherine Marfin (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com

NEWS OFFICE

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

AUSTIN WEATHER TODAY Nov. 1

HI LO

65º 41º

Editorial Adviser Peter Chen

TOMORROW Nov. 2

HI LO

66º 42º

Amalgamate.

BUSINESS & ADVERTISING (512) 471-8590 advertise@texasstudentmedia.com Director Gerald Johnson Business/ Operations Manager Frank Serpas III, Brady Beal, Janie Castillo-Flores Advertising Manager Emily Cohen Production Michael Gammon Special Projects Stephen Salisbury Account Executives Diane Byram, Pam Garner, Julianne Phillipp, Justin Zuloaga Design Tillie Policastro

THE DAILY TEXAN MAIL SUBSCRIPTION RATES One Semester (Fall/Spring) $60.00 Two Semesters (Fall & Spring) $120.00 Summer Session $40.00 One Year (Fall, Spring and Summer)

$150.00

To charge by VISA or MasterCard, call 471-5083. Send orders and address changes to Texas Student Media, P.O. Box D, Austin, TX 78713-8904.

ADVERTISING DEADLINES Monday ....................... Wednesday, 12 p.m. 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.)

Karen Uhlenbeck is the first woman to win the Abel Prize and the second woman to win the Leroy P. Steele Prize for Lifetime Achievement.

Retired UT math professor second woman awarded Steele Prize for Lifetime Achievement By Sabrina LeBoeuf @_sabrinakaye

A UT professor emerita became the second woman ever awarded the Leroy P. Steele Prize for Lifetime Achievement by the American Mathematical Society last week. Karen Uhlenbeck, who taught at UT for 27 years, is a distinguished visiting professor in the School of Mathematics at the Institute for Advanced Study. She will receive the award in January 2020 for her geometry research and training of doctoral students. “I’m pleased because it’s a sign to a lot of the other women that they, too,

survey

continues from page

ensure APD gets an adequate number of responses, posting the survey on social media will not. “The people who have very strong feelings are likely to go out of their way to answer a survey and the people with the strongest feelings are probably going to be those who had a bad interaction,” Spelman said. “On the other hand, sometimes it goes the other way and there is a bias (in) favor of the police department having good interactions.” Spelman said there are two parts to community engagement. The first is going out and meeting community members to build a rapport with them, and the second is making contact with

lgbtq+

will have a chance to be successful at their careers,” Uhlenbeck said. In May, Uhlenbeck became the first woman awarded the Abel Prize, which she said is the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for math. She said she is still in shock from receiving the award in Norway. Mathematics professor Daniel Freed, who has known Uhlenbeck since 1980, said the award reflects Uhlenbeck’s contributions to the community. He said she helped launch the Park City Mathematics Institute and the Distinguished Women in Mathematics Lecture Series. “She’s contributed … in a very personal way by mentoring many, many,

the graduate mathematics department is 30% women, but when Uhlenbeck was in graduate school, there were no female professors. When Uhlenbeck came to UT 15 years after Title IX was established, she said there were only two other women in the math department. To build community, she started a lunch group with the other female natural sciences professors. “When I think back on my career in Texas, I have to say that it was a very good place for a woman who was getting into the spotlight,” Uhlenbeck said. “I had these other women figures that had come before me and were very much respected.”

many young mathematicians along the way,” Freed said. While mathematics graduate student Natasa Dragovic said she has never met Uhlenbeck, she works with the lecture series Uhlenbeck started. Dragovic and other graduate students bring in lecturers for the series, and she said it’s inspiring to hear from distinguished women. “It’s nice to see that there are quite a few already very distinguished women in this field that we’re doing,” Dragovic said. “They can be a great role model for all of us. It’s not just a man’s game, and there are actually quite a few good female mathematicians out there.” Dragovic said she calculated that

the public to identify recurring problems so police can partner with community members to fix them. “I’m getting a real good sense from the questionnaire that they’re going to be picking up on the first half of the community policing stuff,” Spelman said. “That’s good background material, but it’s only the first step. The second step they don’t really cover because it’s a hard thing to talk about and certainly a hard thing to ask people about (through) a social survey.” Psychology sophomore Marianna Lopez said she was not aware of the APD survey but would potentially fill it out. “I think they’re doing all that they can,” Lopez said. “Having a dad as a cop, I feel l understand a little bit more, but I think for now they’re doing well.”

continues from page

instantly told us that there indeed was a problem of climate in many parts of the University.” Moore said the council initially found that LGBTQ+ faculty often are not aware of each other’s presence. Theatre associate professor Paul Bonin-Rodriguez is leading the subcommittee on best practices and said he was surprised to work on a council of other LGBTQ+ faculty. “There has been that sense of a bit of isolation,” Bonin-Rodriguez said. “It’s been kind of an extraordinary experience to sit in the room together.” Outside of the gender studies department, Moore said being openly LGBTQ+ can be perceived as damaging or irrelevant to someone’s career. “I always jokingly say I’m a professional lesbian,” Moore said.

check us out

ONLINE

stories videos photo galleries thedailytexan.com

twitter instagram & facebook

@TheDailyTexan

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

/ the daily texan staff

steph sonik

/ the daily texan staff

“But maybe you’re a professional biochemist and you have a queer or trans identity.” The council has no definite timeline at this point, but is looking to complete a report by the end of the academic year. Victoria DeFrancesco Soto, director of civic engagement at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, said the climate subcommittee, which she chairs, hopes to release a survey to determine demographics and climate next February. “At the end of the day, the climate for faculty affects the larger student and staff and community climate,” DeFrancesco Soto said. Moore said she hopes the council will allow faculty outside of the gender studies field to feel comfortable being out. “I would like nobody to have to come to work here and fear that because of their identity that their job might be at risk,” Moore said.

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.

reneé koite

RECYCLE

your copy of

police

continues from page

and women and gender studies junior, said she was not sure if she wanted to be a part of the committee when she was appointed to it through an email in August from Fenves’ office. “I do want the opportunity to … learn how institutionalized methods of policing work while being able to keep them in check and ensure the safety of students over anything else,” Huynh said. “But at the same time I’m uncertain about … what tangible changes will actually come out of that.”

Spelman said he has worked with police departments for more than 40 years. He said he thinks UTPD has a good reputation with the UT community, but he wants to see them be more proactive in listening to the community and solving recurring issues. “The only example of something like this that I’ve seen in UTPD’s record over the last 20 years is bicycle theft, which they actually did a pretty good job on about 10 years ago,” Spelman said. “They don’t have a lot of serious crime to deal with, so they have a little more time on their hands to actually do this kind of proactive stuff and to head problems off and not just respond to them all the time.”

NEWS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019

CITY

Travis County honors APD officer’s herosim during UT Tower shooting By Jennifer Xia @JenniferXia7

lauren ibanez

/ the daily texan staff

UT System Police, APD see increase in female recruits By Austin Martinez @austinmxrtinez

The Austin Police Department and UT System Police are seeing more women apply and being sworn in as police officers. Myeshia Francis-Parker, APD senior police officer and recruiter, said 10% of the 1,800 APD officers are female. She said she hopes APD will continue its recent success with female recruitment. “We hold one or two women’s recruiting events a year,” Francis-Parker said. “We have expanded our recruiting team to seven persons, and more than half are females.” Eric Cortez, APD senior police officer and recruiter, said 513 female applicants applied to APD this year — an 18.2% increase from last year and a 470% increase since 2014. Cortez said more females have been hired because the physical fitness

lease

continues from page

the Herb Kelleher Center for Entrepreneurship, said LeaseEasy is a good example of growing an idea for a service into a small business. “He identified the problem, he figured out the best way to go about it and he put it into practice,” Golden said. “That’s how good service businesses are built — when

test standards have recently been changed to accommodate each applicant. “About six years ago, we had a standard where female applicants were required to do the same amount of pushups as the male applicants, and that was a little more biased toward males,” Cortez said. “We adopted this new running test that is based on gender and age, so it is unique to everybody. We’ve seen a huge improvement in hires as a result.” Mike Heidingsfield, the director of police for the UT System, said in an email that the number of women who are sworn officers in UT System Police has increased from 77 to 89 since 2013. UTPD recruiting Sgt. Tracy Staggs said 10 of the 102 UTPD officers are female. Staggs said promoting gender diversity within UTPD will allow the department to better serve and understand the community, especially UT students.

“With over 50% of the student body at the University being female, it’s important that we represent that gender group to provide services to them,” Staggs said. “We are here to ensure the educational mission of the University is accomplished by providing a safe environment for all students, faculty, staff and visitors on campus.” Francis-Parker said a high presence of female officers can inspire more women to join. She said it will also bring comfort to women who would prefer speaking to a female officer about situations such as sexual assault or domestic violence. “If they see more female officers out here doing the job, they will know they can do the job too,” Francis-Parker said. “It’s a male-dominated field, so we need more female officers in the department because women can do the job just as well as males.”

you keep the needs of the consumer in mind.” Chemical engineering senior Daphne Su said she looked for a sublease last summer and a program like LeaseEasy would have helped her. “It just felt like such a weird, specific need at the time,” Su said. “Now that I’ve gone through it myself, I’d definitely recommend any place that makes the process go quicker.”

Patil said he’s looking forward to trying to study abroad in New Zealand before he graduates, but he also is thinking about the next steps for LeaseEasy. “It’s been gratifying to help other students, knowing that I was able to help them face a problem I’ve had myself,” Patil said. “I want to be focusing on UT right now because that’s my domain, but there are more opportunities at other colleges too.”

RECYCLE

your copy of

YOUTUBE.COM/THEDAILYTEXAN

Ramiro “Ray” Martinez, a former Austin police officer, was honored for his heroism during the UT Tower shooting at a plaque unveiling rededicating a county building in his name. Elected officials, Martinez’s family members and other supporters came to officially honor Martinez at the Travis County Ray Martinez Office Building rededication ceremony last month. Martinez and Houston McCoy, who passed away in 2012, were the two APD officers who made it up the Tower and took down the shooter, who killed 17 people from the top of the Tower in 1966. According to KUT, the building was named after Martinez in 2004 but nothing on the building indicated who he was or why the building was dedicated to him. “I had been to that building multiple times but I didn’t make the connection (to) our Ray Martinez that went up on the Tower that day, so that’s what was so important about

that rededication,” said Don Verett, APD assistant chief of police and chief of staff at APD. Martinez, who was at home off-duty when he heard about the shooting, said he was proud

I feel that I am a representative of those people that gave their all that day, the police officers and civilians.” RAMIRO “RAY” MARTINEZ former austin police officer

to have the name on a plaque. “I feel that I am a representative of those people that gave their all that day, the police officers and civilians,” Martinez said. “They always remember the outlaw, but they don’t remember the hero.” The Ray Martinez building contains a courtroom and offices for Raúl González, Travis County Justice of the Peace for Precinct

4. González said he pursued the creation of the plaque because he wanted to formally recognize Martinez’s actions. “I’m just honored that I get to serve in this building named after him, that people know this is their justice court,” González said. During the ceremony, state Sen. Judith Zaffirini. D-Laredo, said the shooting happened while she was studying journalism at UT. She said Martinez exemplified courage when he took it upon himself to go up to the Tower. “You don’t forget those sights,” Zaffirini said. “You don’t forget those sounds. I remember even sitting in the bathroom while (my husband) showered, too terrified to be alone.” Theatre studies sophomore Brenda Vazquez said it is important that Hispanics such as Martinez are recognized for their contributions to the world. “A lot of us do have a heart of gold,” Vazquez said. “When I hear people actually recognizing it, I feel proud because sometimes there is a stigma within Hispanics. I try and be proud of my heritage and what I am.”

brittany mendez

/ the daily texan staff

Ramiro “Ray” Martinez, former Austin police officer, was rededicated a plaque Saturday Oct. 19 outside the Travis County Ray Martinez Building in southeast Austin for his help during the UT Tower shooting in 1966.

SPENCER BUCKNER

Editor-In-Chief | @THEDAILYTEXAN

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019

COLUMN

OPINION COLUMN

UHD must create safe spaces for students in dorms By Anna Marlatt Columnist

isabella hollis

When she was a freshman, Kelly had a panic attack in her dorm. It was 1 in the morning, her roommate was sleeping and all of the study rooms were taken. As a last resort, she ran up the stairwell of Jester East Residence Hall, hoping no one would walk in. This shouldn’t have happened, and it’s unfortunate she felt like there was nowhere in her building she could go to calm down. After sharing her story with others, Kelly realized she wasn’t alone. Many of her friends have also needed some sort of safe space to get away and calm down on their own terms. These safe spaces would allow students on campus to relieve their anxiety in a place that is easily accessible all day, every day. This is Kelly Choi’s story. She is a government sophomore and the Student Government Mental Health Agency co-director, and her story isn’t unique. To help students in desperate need of a calming place to de-escalate, University Housing and Dining should create designated safe spaces in all on-campus residence halls, and students should express their support by testifying at the student government assembly. Safe spaces could be designated locations where students can receive short-term, 24/7 mental health resources. Having these spaces in residence halls would improve students’ accessibility in terms of both travel time and extended hours.

/ the daily texan staff

Expand mental health care to help socially anxious students By Maggie Lazaroski Columnist

Thousands of strangers fresh out of high school arrive in a brand new city. They sleep in small rooms with someone they’ve never met before and attend events to try to find the community they belong in. They talk to countless people, many of whom they will never meet again, for snippets at a time. In this environment, it’s easy to get lost in a crowd where everyone is trying to distinguish themselves, to make themselves heard. Yet, it is a pivotal time to find people to support you throughout the next four years. You may be familiar with these events — the infamous transition into college. It’s difficult for everyone, but especially for socially anxious or introverted students. In order to help socially anxious students with their transition into college, the Counseling and Mental Health Center should expand their workshop on building social confidence to accommodate more students. Many people with social anxiety have difficulty starting conversations and attending social events. In an urban environment where the “mind your own business” mentality thrives, the first year of college can feel like an eon of loneliness. When I came to college, I found navigating new friendships in this fast-paced environment intimidating, especially without an established support system. I felt

an intense pressure to make new friends, but was often too shy to initiate conversations. One thing many people with social anxiety find especially difficult is being comfortable in large groups — something that is omnipresent in many lower-division classes and at orientation. Sociology sophomore Devia Joshi agreed. “In smaller groups, it’s easier,” Joshi said. “It’s like a forced interaction, which kind of helps because you can’t hide.” Group size isn’t the only inhibiting factor for people with barriers to socialization. Even just approaching individuals and starting a conversation can feel like an uphill battle. “There are a lot of times where we do walking in groups for orientation or something and I would think about approaching someone, but I’d be too nervous,” said Julianna Leung, international relations and global studies sophomore. “And then next thing you know, I don’t have anyone to talk to in the group.” The discomfort of adjusting to a totally new social situation is bound to take a toll on the overall happiness of students who face difficulties adapting. This is not insignificant. According to the American College Health Association, 67.4% of college students have felt very lonely in the past year. Feeling like you can’t find a community induces a great deal of anxiety in many students. At UT alone, 76% of the issues the CMHC helps students with are related to anxiety. The CMHC

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.

currently offers a multitude of services students can turn to, one of which is a group therapy class called “Build Your Social Confidence.” However, the need for this kind of counseling may exceed what the class can handle. This class is offered every Monday for the entire semester, but is limited to a small number of students. It’s currently full. “Therapy groups have 5 to 10 members,” said Katy Redd, associate director for prevention and outreach at the CMHC. “It’s being run by licensed mental health professionals, but we do limit the number of students who participate.” Given the overwhelming statistics about loneliness and anxiety among college students, the CMHC should expand this workshop to accommodate more participants by offering more sessions and further publicizing it as a resource. “I think it might serve some students in a better way to show that they’re not alone,” Leung said. “You’re not crazy for feeling super shy and excluded. You shouldn’t feel unwanted because of that. It’s just that there are a lot of moving parts in social interaction.” The University of Texas is an excellent place to get an education, but if students feel alone and ostracized, their memories won’t be fond. The brick wall of social anxiety can be prohibitive in such a turbulent environment, and we need to ensure that all students feel comfortable finding their community. Lazaroski is an international relations and global studies sophomore from Dallas.

It’s unfortunate she felt like there was nowhere in her building she could go to calm down.”

GALLERY

yulissa chavez

/ the daily texan staff

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.

“Safe spaces should feel cozy and private with different stations (meditation, deep breathing, etc.) people could go to and de-escalate,” Choi said in an email. Because this space needs to be private, the see-through glass study rooms on each floor of Jester, UT’s largest residence hall, would not presently qualify as a designated safe space. Plenty of students are already in favor of safe spaces. “It’s a good idea to provide safe spaces closer to where mostly freshmen (live) who are just transitioning into college,” psychology freshman Star Apura said in a direct message. “It’ll be easier for them to go to (the safe spaces), plus more students will be aware of them.” Safe spaces can also offer areas for breaks from roommates who may violate one’s privacy. “I feel like safe spaces are needed for students who have roommates that make them uncomfortable (or they) don’t like,” nursing freshman Lexi Paget said in a direct message. “Since their room isn’t a safe space for them, they need a place to go where they can feel at home, as well as a place to go to clear their mind and recenter.” Furthermore, safe spaces normalize receiving help. “By putting (safe spaces) in a massive student environment, it shows and proves that there is a need for these services,” psychology freshman Ethan Glass said in a direct message. “This helps students not feel like an anomaly.” With a considerable amount of student support already demonstrated, the natural next step is creating these spaces. So, how can students ensure UHD addresses their needs? Choi has already found the ideal avenue. “(Student Government’s Mental Health Agency) would pass legislation through student government mandating that these spaces are created,” Choi wrote. “Ideally, (UHD) would find unused space in every on-campus housing unit and turn them into safe spaces.” The next step is creating support for the bill. Once enough people testify in its favor, the Student Government Assembly will vote to approve the mandate. “The UT community can (spread) awareness of this piece of legislation and (tell) the administration why it’s needed,” Choi said. “Furthermore, (the Mental Health Agency will) need people to testify for the bill during assembly.” For more information about testifying, students can contact the Mental Health Agency. In order for the bill to go through, the agency also needs support from relevant administrators and experts. I reached out to interview the residence life team to tackle this portion of the project’s success but was told the team first needs to gather more information before talking about the possibility of safe spaces. Safe spaces are a powerful force that could improve the lives of many students for a variety of different reasons. Thus, while students may not share Kelly’s exact narrative, they do all have one thing in common: a need for a place to de-escalate. Marlatt is an international relations and global studies freshman from Missouri City.

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 o ly m p i c s

continues from page

GHosT

people feeling empowered, uplifted and inspired to have a more proactive attitude,” Baisden said. Howell said her final race to the finish line is not about the recognition that comes from motivational speeches or medals. It’s about having a proactive attitude and using everything she has to reach her highest potential. “I’m throwing all caution to the wind,” Howell said. “I’ve faced a lack of money and absolute devastation to get this. I’m willing to lose everything to attain more of myself.”

RECYCLE your copy of

continues from page

intrigued them, she said it wasn’t the driving factor behind their purchase. “It was less a love of ghosts and more excitement to try and take something really weird and truly unique and see if we could make it even better,” Hall said. Extensive research is required to gain knowledge about stops along the tour, said Alexandra White, a tour guide for Austin Ghost Tours. “I had to learn the basics of what kind of ghosts there are and the difference between an actual account of a ghost and an urban legend,” White said. “Finding proof is always a fun part.” For guides who lead tours on a regular basis, some might think the spook factor would be all but diminished. However, that factor varies from person to person. White said while it doesn’t completely go away, friendly encounters with the ghosts help build trust. “I always get spooked,” White said. “The ghosts know who our guides are (and are) happy to have us come

Q&A

continues from page

accompanied by an adult. (I) fell in love. At nine years old, you put yourself in the shoes of John Connor and you’re imagining being Arnold Schwarzenegger’s best friend and him protecting you and you guys going on this adventure. Then you flash forward 28 years and he is your friend and you have the real experience.

check us out

ONLINE stories videos photo galleries thedailytexan.com

DT: When you were younger,

did you ever think you could have a role in these movies?

GL: No, never at all. I never

even considered being an actor when I was young. I was an extremely smart kid. I was always top of my class. I was friendly, but I wasn’t overly extroverted. It was always football, basketball, track. That’s all I cared about. (My mom) was a 15-year-old widow when she had me, so school always came first. It wasn’t until my senior

Life&Arts Editor | @JORDYNZITMAN

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019

around because they know we’ll get the story right.” For Hall, the spookiest encounters are in the details that no one would expect, such as feeling a pinch at the back of her ankles when no one is around or unexplained technological disruptions. Specifically, Hall recalls trying to take a photo in the Littlefield House and having the camera malfunction. “We could click the shutter everywhere except for the windows,” Hall said. “Definitely weird … That’s the prevailing theme.” As someone who has always been interested in the paranormal, Wallace said he is more intrigued than frightened by the ghost encounters tour guests report to him. “I’m desensitized to the whole mess,” Wallace said. “Some people have really creepy stories, and it’s always nice to get a little bit of a chill up your spine.” For Wallace, spooky sensations and creepy tales quickly became an integral part of his life as a ghost tour guide. “After hearing so many ghost stories over the past nine months or so that I’ve been doing this, it’s almost become a new normal for me,” Wallace said.

/ the daily texan staff

year in high school, after I sustained an injury playing football and I had to pivot, that I started pursuing the arts. It (was) a good decision in hindsight. DT: During your time on screen, you were either in action scenes or staring down your target. How did you get in the headspace to play the Terminator? GL: Be confident in the fact that your human body in space is enough. If you occupy that space and you stand there with confidence and with energy and frequency buzzing in your body like a drawn bow, you can achieve a level of presence that is undismissable. People have to look at you even though you’re not necessarily speaking or moving your face or doing anything in particular. Be OK with doing nothing. It’s OK. Just sit there and see and listen, and the audience will be with you. DT: Did you and the cast

share any fun or quirky

Gabriel Luna, Rev-9 from “Terminator: Dark Fate,” talked with the Texan about his time on set and his start as an actor. moments on set? GL: When I was on stage, most times I (was) staring daggers at Natalia Reyes (who played Dani Ramos) and scaring her all the time. But we played a neck slice game. As a Terminator I took it very seriously (and)

became very competitive. The idea would be you try to sneak up on someone and slice their neck (with your hand). If they block it, you have to do 20 push ups. If they don’t block it, they have to fall, play dead (and) you get to take a photo. All of those photos were compiled

and shown in the slideshow at our wrap party. So there was this healthy competition of who could be the greatest Terminator on set. DT: Who was the greatest

Terminator?

GL: I was, of course.

GET SOCIAL WITH TSM

Skyloft is a new high-rise close to The University of Texas for students who want to live in the heart of West Campus. Our firstclass amenities and million-dollar views of Austin take off-campus life to all new heights. Everything about the Skyloft high-rise is designed with a luxury experience in mind. Amenities include rooftop pool deck, fully furnished apartments with modern kitchens and a smart TV, a fresh market, parking garage, bike parking, beautiful Austin views, in-unit washer and dryer, multiple study rooms, coffee bar, controlled-access entry, a business center and a fitness center. Skyloft is also pet-friendly! Visit SkyloftAustin.com and call 737-207-9400 to set up a tour.

High Rise Student Luxury only steps to campus! Tour today to see why space matters in our spacious floorplans. Great amenities, caring staff and much more! Call 21 Rio at (512)391-1991 to schedule a visit.

eddie gaspar

History senior Morgan Wallace is a ghost tour guide for Walking Tours of Austin.

Housing available

J O R DY N Z I T M A N

Texas Student Media will keep you connected with daily links to the news, sports and culture stories shaping the UT community.

AUSTIN’S BEST HOUSING FOR STUDENTS CACTUSYEARBOOK.COM

{

Reduce • Reuse • Recycle

DAILYTEXANONLINE.COM Facebook at dailytexan Twitter @thedailytexan

THE EASIEST WAY TO FIND OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING On the site, you can: Search by distance/neighborhoods Read reviews of current and former tenants Contact properties for more information Compare properties side by side Compare amenities, monthly rates, etc.

VISIT UTEXAS.RENT

KVRX.ORG Facebook at kvrxaustin

Reduce • Reuse • Recycle ADVERTISING TERMS There are no refunds or credits. In the event of errors made in advertisement, notice must be given by 10 am the fi rst day of publication, as the publishers are responsible for only ONE incorrect insertion. In consideration of The Daily Texan’s acceptance of advertising copy for publication, the agency and the advertiser will indemnify and save harmless, Texas Student Media and its offi cers, employees and agents against all loss, liability, damage and expense of whatsoever nature arising out of the copying, print-ing or publishing of its advertisement including without limitation reasonable attorney’s fees resulting from claims of suits for libel, violation of right of privacy, plagiarism and copyright and trademark infringement. All ad copy must be approved by the newspaper which reserves the right to request changes, reject or properly classify an ad. The advertiser, and not the newspaper, is responsible for the truthful content of the ad. Advertising is also subject to credit approval.

digest.texasstudentmedia.com

CHANNING MILLER & LAUREN IBANEZ

Comics Editors| @THEDAILYTEXAN

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019

COMICS

SUDOKUFORYOU 9

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

Crossword ACROSS Southwest tribe or river 5 Lay aside 10 Beach pounder 14 Longtime name in cosmetics 15 Lay aside 16 Neighbors of the Omaha 17 Bottled (up) 18 Hand-held anxiety reliever 20 One of seven of ancient Greece 21 Slice, e.g. 22 Bouncerturned-TV star 24 Need for 7-Down 25 Tease 28 The world’s largest one is in Hubei, China 29 Sport in a ring

ANSWER I S C Y B RING M E

P S S T

S T I R

A C E D

P RING L E

A W L

T E C H S

W RING O U T

P E A S H O O T E R

U S B

35 36 38 39

40 41

Image on the back of a $50 bill Person put in a box Certain Easter candy Sister of Jupiter Give a false impression of eco-friendliness Johns across the pond Local fundraising grp. Treating badly Choose Hip-hop’s ___ tha Kyd It gets the party started Whimper Rakes it in Fruit with a cedilla in its name

56 57 58 59 60

Calculation that may involve pi Feel It holds water Cooper’s creation What the “E” of Euler’s formula V–E+F=2 represents “Sharknado” channel

21 22

1 2

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

35 37

39 41

5 9 3 6 4 2 1 7 8

2 6 4 8 7 1 9 3 5

5 4 1 7 6 9 3 2 8 8 9 5 4 1 3 2 7 6 Wound up 1hello5to 4 “Say ___” (ad slogan of 1998) 6 3 7 Italian “dear” Scratches 9 8(out) 2

3 4 2 5 6 7 8 9 1

8 1 5 4 2 9 7 6 3

9 7 6 1 8 3 5 2 4

1 2 8 7 3 4 6 5 9

4 5 9 2 1 6 3 8 7

6 3 7 9 5 8 4 1 2

Lorem ipsum

Longhorns Take Care of Each Other

Arrr matey. This scurrvy beast is today’s answerrrrrr. Crop it out, or it’ll be the the fishes for ya!

Shocks 43 44 45 Eye part 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 3 Traditional crop 45 grown by a 54 55 small farm, maybe 46 56 57 58 4 Meets (with) 59 60 61 51 5 [Over here!] 54 6 Outright PUZZLE BY JACK MOWAT 55 7 Activity for a 25 Presenter at 44 32 Prefix with storm chaser Milan Fashion -pedic 46 8 “Rockin’ Around Week 34 Took turns the Christmas TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE 26 ___ Jackson, tackling Tree” singer real name of H A R A S S K A L 47 35 ___ Addiction, 9 “Indeed” Ice Cube alternative A Z A L E A I D A 48 10 Doesn’t just 27 Zip rock band N T O P L A Y N A B whimper 49 Schnozz that headlined I C S U S S U D I O 29 They lead the first RING O S T A R R 11 Home of Bears T H O 50 UPS drivers’ people Lollapalooza Ears National assignments: underground R E N T N O E S Monument Abbr. 37 When most O R T H Y O P E 30 Challenge for a dreams occur S A R A S U R A L 12 Popular 52 Little Orphan mayor caramel candy P U L L S S T RING S Annie, e.g. 41 Satisfy 31 Like good cakes L A M E A T C A S E 13 Fedora material 53 ___ pad and bad cellars 43 Speech fillers O M E S N O 19 Abbr. in an old R A G H D R H O O K Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 7,000 past atlas E N G A G E M E N T RING puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). 23 Traditional A D O R E R N E I L Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay. literary theme L A S E R S S A S E or motif 42

6 3 2 4

7 8 1 3 9 5 2 4 6

No. 0927 16

DOWN

2 8 9 5 3

Edited by Will Shortz 1

Today’s solution will appear here next issue

6 3 5 1 2 9 7 8 4

9 8 4 7 6 5 2 1 3

7 2 1 3 8 4 9 5 6

8 5 6 2 9 1 3 4 7

3 1 9 4 7 8 6 2 5

2 4 7 6 5 3 8 9 1

Lorem ipsum

96% of

Longhorns disapprove of pressuring someone to drink more than they want. @UTBruceTheBat 2019 UT Austin National Social Norms Center Survey

D O N N AVA N S M O O T

Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019

SOCCER

Texas bests Sooners in overtime In a dramatic Big 12 finale, the Longhorns defeat rival Oklahoma in a 3-2 overtime victory.

By Aneesh Namburi @AneeshNamburi

eading into their match against the Oklahoma Sooners, Texas soccer was hoping that the end result Thursday would be different than the Red River football game that took place a few weeks prior. While the contest did have some back and forth excitement, the outcome ultimately fell in favor of the Longhorns, who won in a 3-2 overtime victory. “It was a lot of grit from us at the end,” Texas head coach Angela Kelly said. “We came out a little flat, and they got on the board early. While that was unacceptable, I thought we had a great response, specifically from Cyera Hintzen, who led us tonight offensively.” Texas needed a victory Thursday to stay in the top tier of the Big 12 as the regular season came to a close. However, things did not start ideally for the Longhorns. Not even five minutes in, Oklahoma freshman midfielder Maya McCutcheon was able to get the ball past junior goalkeeper Savannah Madden, giving the Sooners an early 1-0 lead. From there, the Longhorns buckled down and were able to find openings within the Oklahoma backline, leading to goals from forwards senior Cyera Hintzen and freshman Sydney Nobles, giving Texas a 2-1 lead going into halftime. One big difference in Thursday’s game was

Our goal and mission has been to win a conference title... We’re going to be excited and hungry for the battle.” ANGELA KELLY head coach

joshua guenther

/ the daily texan file

Sophomore midfielder Julia Grosso attacks the soccer ball in Texas’ match against Texas Tech at Mike A. Meyers Stadium on Oct. 27. Texas fell to the Red Raiders 2-1. the movement of the offense. Since junior midfielder Haley Berg moved down to the midfield and sophomore defender Cameron Brooks entered the frontline, Texas’ attack has been noticeably more cohesive, and it showed in the Longhorns’ performance. “It’s a credit to Cameron and her willingness to come out and get extra touches after practice in front of the coaching staff,” Kelly said. “We’ve always known that she can strike the ball well and with a ton of pace. It’s just been a perfect example of taking advantage of your opportunities.” A scare came in the second half for Texas when Oklahoma evened the match back up in the 69th minute. The Longhorns have

been privy to giving up leads in the past, so this goal had the potential to put the squad on edge. However, instead of folding, Texas persevered like it has all season. It took some time — the rest of regulation and two overtimes — for the Longhorns to receive the goal they had been coveting, but the Cameron Brooks clincher was a byproduct of Kelly’s biggest point all year: finishing opportunities. Texas had seven shots on goal against the Sooners, but their 3 for 7 conversion rate is a strong star for a Longhorn team heading into a pivotal stretch of the year. Up next for Texas is the Big 12 Championship, a weeklong tournament with several

TENNIS

implications. The Longhorns’ success could be the difference in determining whether they make it back to the NCAA Tournament. Currently ranked third after the regular season, Texas will need to prove that it can sustain a high level of play and make a deep run in the championships in order to be in a good position for the postseason. “Our goal and mission has been to win a conference title,” Kelly said. “It’s going to be an interesting time in Kansas City over the next couple of weeks with all eight teams having essentially an equal opportunity to win, so we’re going to be excited and hungry for the battle, making sure we put everything out there.”

FOOTBALL

Texas regroups, recovers from injuries during bye week By Daniela Perez @danielap3rez

anthony mireles

/ the daily texan file

Junior Fernanda Labraña moves to strike the tennis ball in a match on March 16, 2019. Labraña will compete in both the singles and doubles draw.

Tennis wraps up, sets new goals ahead of Texas Invitational

however, with Anna Turati and Ryngler heading to the ITA National Championships Nov. 6 and Bianca Turati playing in a professional 25K tournament in Malibu, California, on Nov. 4. Four women’s tennis players will wrap up As the fall season nears its end, the Longtheir fall season at this weekend’s Texas Inhorns, backed by several strong performancvitational, which will take place at the Texas es, are still in the position to be in championTennis Center from Nov. 1-3. Junior Fernanda Labraña, sophomores ship contention in the spring. Ryngler made the fiMarta Perez Mur and nals at the ITA Texas ReTijana Spasojevic and gionals with a statement freshman Gabby Cusano victory over No. 28 Katya will compete in the sinTownsend of Texas A&M gles draw as well as the I’ve been pretty and qualified for the ITA doubles draw. National Championships in pleased with our fall Six teams will be at the Beach, California. tournament, most notably so far. We’ve made Newport Anna Turati fell to No. 4 rival Texas A&M, who took good steps forward Alexa Graham of North Cardown Texas at the NCAA olina in the semifinals of the as a team working tournament last season. ITA All-Americans. But she Miami (Florida), Rice, SMU on our accountabili- bested the No. 2, No. 7, No. and Tennessee will also be 22 and No. 45-ranked playty and discipline.” in attendance. ers before falling to Graham The Texas Invitational HOWARD JOFFE to qualify. will be the second tournahead coach Anna and Ryngler’s ment in a row held at the matches in Newport Beach Texas Tennis Center after the H-E-B Wom- will be the last for the women’s tennis program of en’s Pro Tennis Open last weekend. Seniors the fall. Anna and Bianca Turati took home the douHead coach Howard Joffe said bles title and Bianca took home the singles the Longhorns had an impressive title at the H-E-B Open. fall thus far, but there is still room “Playing at home in front of our fans is for improvement. always a treat and an honor,” Anna Turati “I’ve been pretty pleased with our fall so said. “It just feels special to play in front of far,” Joffe said. “We’ve made good steps forthe fans.” ward as a team working on our accountability The two, along with freshman Lexi Ryn- and discipline, but it’s still a really big aspect gler, won’t be participating this weekend, of our game we need to focus on every day.” By Nathan Han @NathanHan

Head coach Tom Herman met with the media Wednesday to discuss the state of Texas football. The Longhorns are currently in the middle of their second bye week of the season — something the team desperately needed following their 37-27 loss to TCU and slew of injuries throughout the season. Herman said he was happy with his team’s development over the week, but he also emphasized there is still work to be done. “(It’s been a) really good couple days,” Herman said. “I like the energy, the accountability. You know I think our guys, they watch the same video we do and I understand that. We have not performed to our standards here the last few weeks. But … we’ve still got plenty of football left to play. You know our backs (are) against the wall … and we’ll find out what kind of fighters we have.” Following the bye week, some of Texas’ key players will be back for the game against Kansas State. Herman said that both freshman running back Jordan Whittington and sophomore defensive back Caden Sterns practiced individually Wednesday, while sophomore defensive back B.J. Foster was in a green jersey and ran 7-on-7 drills. Sophomore safety DeMarvion Overshown and linebacker Jeffrey McCulloch did not practice Wednesday but should be back next Tuesday, Herman said. “All those guys are trending in the right direction to be available to us next Saturday,” Herman said. Junior tight end Cade Brewer, who suffered an ankle injury against the Horned Frogs, had surgery this week and will not be back

until the bowl game. Sophomore punter Ryan Bujcevski also had surgery for his broken clavicle, and senior kicker Chris Naggar will assume his role for now. Texas will have added depth on its roster against the Wildcats. Getting the team physically ready has been important to the head coach, but Herman has also been working on the relationships between the younger players. “We got a lot of older veterans and a lot of young guys, and we’ve got to find some of those bridge guys from the older group to the younger group,” Herman said. Last year, quarterback Sam Ehlinger and tight end Andrew Beck assumed those roles as “bridges” between the old and the new. Herman said he has been talking with sophomore linebacker Joseph Ossai, freshman defensive lineman Keondre Coburn, freshman offensive lineman Junior Angilau and sophomore running back Keaontay Ingram to be this season’s links. Herman said these leaders should help create urgency in some of the younger players. For some of the players, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the emotion of their three losses. However, Herman combatted that Tuesday with a team meeting where they discussed what their response should be going forward. “Human nature, when you don’t get the outcome that you desire, is to blame others, complain about your circumstances and defend yourself,” Herman said. “We can’t have that. We have to fight human nature and the way you want your outcome to change. You’ve got to change your response … So we’ve got to crank the urgency level up for some guys and the attention to detail for some others, but I think they all are very keenly aware that there’s a lot of football left to be played.”

joshua guenther

/ the daily texan file

Head coach Tom Herman addresses the media in a press conference on Sept. 16. Herman says Texas’ season isn’t over despite the recent performance.

J O R DY N Z I T M A N

Life&Arts Editor | @JORDYNZITMAN

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019

FEATURE

LIFE&ARTS

Track star balances art, athletics Austin-based runner Magnolia Howell draws on lessons from art in pursuing 2020 Olympic ambitions.

kidus solomon

/ the daily texan staff

Magnolia Howell, right, and her running partner Kendall Baisden, left, regularly train for the 2020 Olympics at Clark Fields on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019. By Mackenzie Dyer @mackdyerr

either the thrill of racing past the finish line nor the training it takes to get there are why Magnolia Howell runs. She runs because it’s an art form. This year, she’s taking her final lap. Since Howell was eight years old, she ran track every day of her life. Now, Howell runs professionally for the national Trinidad and Tobago track team, which she said honors the legacy of her Trinidadian father. “But after not making it through

my second Olympic attempt in the 2016 trials, I needed to reassess why I was running in circles,” Howell said. In 2017, Howell took a hiatus from track to focus on her fine arts career. She wrote and painted part time after graduating from California State University Long Beach in 2007, and used those skills to form “Art on the Run,” a company that travels to provide painting classes and parties. At her art parties, Howell — under the pseudonym “Magnolia Lafleur” — said she reads personalities through people’s paintings. She also empowers them with the same creative determination she learned from running track. While some track athletes

or coaches may view Howell’s artistic endeavors as a distraction, Howell said it enhances her performance. “Being a professional athlete was never my full identity,” Howell said. “It is one expertise paired with other studied skills. It’s important to me to be a well-rounded person and not lose my other abilities for the image of one.” Howell returned to track for a third and final attempt at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She gave up everything to do it. Less than a month ago, Howell sold her belongings and left Los Angeles to train in Austin — a city she said not only hosts the “power team that will take (her) to the Olympics” but also reflects her

“weirdness” as an athlete, artist and academic. Howell’s coach, Darryl “D2” Woodson, said he approaches training her with an artistic mentality to channel the entirety of her talent into running. “I translate the language she uses for art to the track,” Woodson said. “She’s got a ‘no-quit’ mindset and is willing to make the sacrifices needed to make it to the Olympics. I have to remind her that doubt is her only limitation.” Woodson said the Olympics is the pinnacle of a track athlete’s career, and even if Howell doesn’t make it after all the sweat and tears, she will have succeeded by pursuing her dreams.

“That’s the best any athlete can do,” Woodson said. “And she’s going to do it.” When she’s not training, Howell still hosts art parties. She also visits Texas companies and schools to give motivational speeches with her friend and fellow Olympic hopeful, Kendall Baisden. Baisden, business honors junior and professional model, said their tour is called “K & M’s ‘Running into your best self’ Talks.” She and Howell break down how others can reach their full potential and develop a well-rounded persona. “The goal is to leave the room better than before, to leave O L Y M P I C S PAGE 5

CITY

Q&A

UT student leads ‘ghost tours’ highlighting spooky Austin spots

Q&A: Gabriel Luna, star of ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’

By Catherine Cardenas @c_aaattt

Creepy landmarks, historical context and a theatrical leader who brings the stories to life are all the markings of a successful ghost tour. History senior Morgan Wallace does just that for Walking Tours of Austin. While attending his first

ghost tour in October 2018, Wallace said he was immediately intrigued by the legends and stories told by his guide and decided to become a guide himself. “I thought it was the coolest thing ever, and I had never done it before,” Wallace said. “I immediately buddied up with (the guide).” Because the tours are unique to each company, qualifications to be a ghost

tour guide tend to vary from owner to owner, Wallace said. “(The owner) wanted someone who was passionate about history, passionate about performance in equal measure — somebody who would be good at the whole speaking thing,” Wallace said. “I’ve managed to fit all of those qualities.” UT alumna Angela Hall, co-owner of Haunted ATX,

said most employees are hired through referrals from current employees. “It takes someone doing the job to recognize that ability and passion and knowledge in someone else,” Hall said. Hall and her partner bought Haunted ATX in 2014 after the original owner relocated. Although the paranormal factor GHOST

PAGE 5

By Nataleah Small @nataleahjoy

“Terminator: Dark Fate” hit theaters Nov. 1. The film is the sixth iteration of the killer robot saga that first gained popularity in the 1980s. In the film, Gabriel Luna plays the deadly and nearly indestructible Rev-9 terminator. The character is stern, calculating and aggressive. Luna couldn’t be more different. During a conversation with

the Texan, the Austin native discussed growing up, watching the Terminator films, his time on set and getting in the headspace of a villain. The Daily Texan: Growing up,

did you like watching the Terminator movies? Gabriel Luna: I always loved

the Terminator movies. I saw the first one at nine years old Q & A PAGE 5