Serving The University Of Texas At Austin Community Since 1900 @thedailytexan | thedailytexan.com
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Volume 121, Issue 70
NEWS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFE&ARTS
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Students discuss the University’s admissions policies in Senate town hall.
UT must offer cheaper class ring options so all students can participate in campus traditions.
Alumni bring music program to underserved communities in Colombia.
Tom Herman and the Longhorns look to shrug off heartbreaking loss to Iowa State.
CITY
UNIVERSITY
Sidewalk renovations coming to northern West Campus By Sara Johnson @skjohn1999
Austin Public Works is preparing sidewalk ramp construction along West 29th Street by the end of the month as part of a larger transit accessibility plan for Austin. The department has plans to build or update ramps at all crossing intersections along roads on West 29th Street from Shoal Crest and San Gabriel streets to Guadalupe Street, according to The Sidewalk Program Projects page for Austin. Public works director Richard Mendoza said there is a lack of concrete starting dates because all work is part of one larger project — the North Lamar Corridor Mobility Program. “Even though it’s one big thing, the whole project spans so much space that it’s easier to take construction on a piecemeal basis,” Mendoza said. “If we tried to do it all at the same time, it would clog up the streets and make it more inconvenient for residents.” The North Lamar Corridor Mobility Program project is part of the 2016 Austin Mobility Bond, according to their website. Karla Taylor, the chief of staff at the Austin Transportation Department, said with some work on North Lamar Boulevard and Guadalupe Street being placed on hold until 2020 at the earliest, any small improvements to the area in the meantime would move their ultimate plans forward. “Most of the goal in this area is to improve accessibility for wheelchair users,” Taylor said. “It would be foolish to not do work that would SIDEWALK
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Plagiarism officially defined Faculty Council Research Policy Committee drafts official definition of plagiarism for University Handbook. By Emily Hernandez @emilylhernandez
lagiarism: Every professor warns their students to avoid it, but until last week, UT had not officially defined what plagiarism is. Maurie McInnis, the executive vice president and provost, charged the Research Policy Committee with officially defining plagiarism in September 2018, committee chair elect Sharon Horner said. The Faculty Council approved the page-long definition at its meeting last Monday, and it will be published in the University’s Handbook of Operating Procedures, Horner said. “There’ve been times when complaints come forward, and they’ve had trouble adjudicating because there’s no official definition,” said Horner, a professor and associate dean for research and nursing. “Every professor has their own (definition). The (Office of the) Dean of Students lists one and so on and so forth.” The official definition of plagiarism from the committee’s draft is simple: “Plagiarism occurs when a person represents another’s material as their own work without proper attribution.” It also includes six footnotes that specify what “material” and “proper attribution” mean, who is responsible for enforcing a plagiarism accusation and how the definition was created using official sources such as the Office of
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Research Integrity. “The thing that probably makes it different from other published definitions is that it’s not limited to just what you write because in our modern day, it seems that the complaints are coming out about some other ways to plagiarize somebody’s work,” Horner said. “So we wrote it a little more broadly. It’s just not limited to the written word.” Government senior Delaney Tubbs said she thought the new definition was decent, but she would like to see clearer definitions for all academic dishonesty violations, including cheating because different professors have different policies. “(My friend) and I will often do reviews for tests together, so we’ll end up writing very
similar things on the test because we worked on it beforehand,” Tubbs said. “We always try to check (with) our professors, like ‘Can we work on this together?’ They’ll usually say yes, but some students might not have thought to ask.” Tubbs said she would also like a clearer distinction between intentional plagiarism and accidental plagiarism. The new definition states intentional plagiarism falls under academic dishonesty, which could result in disciplinary action. Since it is a definition and not a policy, it does not include what actions will be taken next based on what kind of plagiarism the student commits. “When you think about crime … it’s different when you intend to do something and if you accidentally do
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something,” Tubbs said. “That’s why we have manslaughter and homicide. I feel like it’s a lot worse if you paraphrase someone and don’t put an in-text citation stating where you got the paraphrase versus blatantly copying word for word what someone else wrote.” Journalism freshman Kiara Vega said she would like the University to notify students about the change once the definition is published. “I would like the University to send out an email saying, ‘Just to let you know, we created a new definition for plagiarism,’ because I didn’t know about this until (now),” Vega said. “The school needs one simple policy because I’m barely coming into this University, and I’m terrified of plagiarism.”
CITY
UNIVERSITY
Increased traffic delays emergency services
Red River Street realignment project approved
By Graysen Golter @graysen_golter
Austin fire stations and emergency medical services are struggling to respond in time to emergencies due to traffic. Increases in population, traffic congestion and irresponsible driving are some of the top reasons for delayed response times to emergencies, according to the Austin Fire Department. Austin Fire Division chief Palmer Buck said the gold standard for fire stations is to respond in under eight minutes to 90% of emergencies, but traffic often delays fire stations across Austin by more than a minute on average. He said one emergency near State Highway 30 and State Highway 71 had a response time of 15 minutes. Buck said AFD is working with the Austin Transportation Department to fix the issue. He
said some of the solutions he has in mind are the creation of a computer system that would take current Austin traffic into account and give responders the quickest route possible to an emergency, as well as shrinking the currently bulky firetrucks to fit in narrower streets and roads. “It’s not a fire problem versus an EMS problem versus an Austin traffic conditions problem,” Buck said. “All the public safety agencies in the city are working together. We understand what we can do can affect that and vice versa.” Jen Duthie, the division manager for the Arterial Management division at the Austin Transportation Department, said ATD will be working with the Austin Fire Department and EMS to secure grant money for more software-based solutions to the traffic issue. She said new traffic signals T R A F F I C PAGE 2
By Laura Morales @lamor_1217
The UT Board of Regents approved $38.5 million to realign Red River Street and connect it to the existing Robert Dedman Drive. The street will be realigned to open approximately four acres for the development of Moody Center, the new basketball arena that will break ground on Dec. 3. UT President Gregory Fenves presented the proposal to the Board of Regents at the Nov. 14 meeting and asked to add the realignment project to the Capital Improvements Program. “The project we are requesting approval for is (money for) the utilities, sidewalks, roadway (and) traffic signals on Robert Dedman Drive from Dean Keeton to MLK (Boulevard),” Fenves said at the meeting. Red River Street is going back to its rocky higine
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R E D R I V E R PAGE 3
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MEGAN MENCHACA
News Editor | @THEDAILYTEXAN
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2019
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UT Senate town hall discusses fair admissions By Sabrina LeBoeuf @_sabrinakaye
UT Senate’s academic policy committee hosted the Fair Admissions Policies Town Hall on Nov. 18 to hear student concerns about the University’s admissions process. Isaac James, co-chair for the academic policy committee, said this is the first time the committee has hosted a town hall on this issue. “It’s really just to spark a discussion on ways that we can advocate on behalf of the student body to the administration on these issues,” said James, a Plan II and government sophomore. James and co-chair Steven Ding said they decided to discuss fair admissions in light of the case against former UT-Austin men’s tennis coach Michael Center, who pled guilty in April to accepting a bribe to fraudulently admit a student into the University. “It’s an issue nationally, the equity behind college admissions with however affluent you are, how much privilege you may have had growing up, how that affects your admissions chances,” said Ding, a management information systems and urban studies sophomore. At the town hall, the first topic discussed was automatic admission. UT-Austin currently accepts all Texas
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MANAGING EDITOR Catherine Marfin (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com
public school undergraduate applicants in the top 6% of their high school graduating class. Biochemistry sophomore Yukta Sunkara said high school rankings are not a good indicator of college readiness. She said she knew students at her high school who were in the top 8% that were more college-ready than higher-ranked students but were rejected from
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UT-Austin. “(The top 6% rule) disregards the other students who aren’t in the top 6% but who are college ready,” Sunkara said. When discussing the Coordinated Admission Program, where applicants are deferred to another UT System school for a year before being admitted to the Austin campus, Alex Sexton, a
public affairs graduate student who did his undergrad at UT-San Antonio, said that CAP students were never integrated into the UTSA campus. He said CAP students are not advised in their major, and they get their own orientation, which inhibits their student development. “At UTSA, we segregate (CAP students) from the rest
of us,” Sexton said. The town hall also covered admissions policies for out-of-state students. Biochemistry freshman Tyler Durham, who is from Portland, Oregon, said outof-state students aren’t as diverse in terms of socioeconomic status due to higher tuition rates. He said he wishes the admissions process was more holistic.
CAMPUS
Students press for ice machines in residence halls machines to dorms in October. The proposition will be moved to University Housing and Dining for approval after all residence halls compile reports that list seven potential uses for ice machines and possible locations, association president Tayler Kennedy said. “We can’t guarantee one in every dormitory,” Strong said. “But we are pushing for each residence hall to have (an ice machine).” Potential uses for an ice machine include first aid, accessibility of chilled drinks for events and individual use and environmental conservation, since the plastic ice tray use would go down, Strong said. Resident assistants sent out a poll to residents in Jester West via multiple GroupMe chats, which showed that a majority of students are in favor of adding ice machines to the dor-
By Brooke Ontiveros @Brookexpanic
NEWS OFFICE
(512) 232-2207 news@dailytexanonline.com
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Students attend a UT Senate Academic Policy Committee town hall on Nov. 18, 2019. The committee and attendees discussed automatic admission and the admission scandal that came into light this spring.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Spencer Buckner (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com
NEWS
Ice is often inaccessible during nights in Jester West dormitory, government sophomore George Strong said. When students want ice for drinks or injuries, they have no place to obtain it. “My friend messaged me … and she goes, ‘My roommate’s foot is swelling. Do you know where I can get any ice from?’” Strong said. “I was not sure if there is an ice machine in the dorms, and when I went to look, there was not one. Since J2 was closed, and Wendy’s didn’t have any ice, we couldn’t get ice for her.” The University Residence Hall Association, a student organization that submits proposals to improve the quality of dormitories, voted and unanimously passed a proposition on adding ice
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mitories, Strong said. “Ice is especially essential for students with long-term injuries,” said Kennedy, a history and liberal arts honors junior. “Students who tear their ACL, for instance, when they’re in the dorms, and they need that ice to reduce the swelling, they have to go all the way to JCL, and that closes around 11 p.m.” Chemistryi junior Slade Lee lives in Creekside. He said ice machines in dormitories will allow students to heal injuries faster. Lee and his friends have sprainedi their ankles playing basketball and did not have easy access
to ice. “You can walk to 7/11 — it’s like a block away from Creekside, but walking on a sprained ankle is not fun,” Lee said. “You can walk to the
(Student Services Building), but again it’s a pretty far to walk on a sprained ankle.”
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will include software that automatically facilitates and leads traffic in all directions to allow emergency responders to reach their destinations quicker. “We wouldn’t be searching for a solution if we weren’t aware that (emergency responders) do have trouble sometimes, especially as congestion increases,” Duthie said. “It’s a complex system out there for them to navigate, so we’re working with them in every way we can to find solutions to get there faster.” Jim Dale, the assistant director of Austin Transportation Department, said the community can help relieve the traffic burden on fire stations and EMS by being more aware of their surroundings while driving. He said distracted driving is one of the more common behaviors in Austin that lead to traffic accidents. “Paying attention and staying off the electronic devices while driving … is one of the primary issues that we face,” Dale said. Jacob Barrett, the public information specialist at Austin Transportation Department, said he encourages Austin drivers to avoid blocking intersections when there is not enough room on the other side of the street. He also said residents should take public transportation and avoid using cars as single-occupancy vehicles when possible to cut down on congestion. “Congestion is an issue that everybody feels in the city,” Barrett said. “We’re doing our very best to improve what we can on our side … but the community also has a part to play in helping manage congestion.”
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joshua guenther
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Shinhee Kang, right, helps John Keeton move his belongings across West Campus into his new apartment on Aug. 5, 2019. The Austin Public Works Department has planned a Sidewalk Program Project that is preparing construction on sidewalks along West 29th Street from Shoal Crest to San Gabriel streets.
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make it easier for residents to get around and go about their daily lives when that’s our entire goal with this initiative, even if it isn’t what normally comes to mind when people think about transportation.” According to the Sidewalk Program Projects page, some work on West 29th Street near Guadalupe Street finished in late September. Mendoza said the department prioritized work in this area because of Gudalupe’s status as a main traffic corridor. “The traffic flow on Guadalupe
specifically can get heavy between student rushes and regular transit rushes,” Mendoza said. “We wanted to get it done as quickly as possible so that wouldn’t become an issue for residents.” Nikki Nissan, a supply chain management junior, said the repairs were a good idea, both as an accessibility improvement and a safety improvement. “My friends and I take turns walking each other home when we go out, and the number of times I’ve seen one of my friends trip and almost break their ankle on a busted up sidewalk curb is kind of incredible,” Nissan said. “I know it’s kind of uneven on the north end of
West Campus compared to other places around here, so getting the sidewalks more uniform would do a lot to make sure people can get around safely.” Taylor said the transportation department plans to attempt to revive the North Lamar Boulevard and Guadalupe Street work at the start of next year because of responses from the public. “We know the land development code is still in rewrites, and that impacts our ability to do a lot of work,” Taylor said. “Hopefully, once things with that settle down, we can start doing the work people are asking us to do beyond these smaller repairs.”
NEWS
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2019
UNIVERSITY
Center for Asian American Studies opens new office
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Students and faculty gathered to listen to speakers from the Center for Asian American Studies during an open house event on Nov. 18th. The event was held to commemorate the new office space that will serve as the home for the CAAS in Bellmont Hall. By Saachi Subramaniam @saachsub
The College of Liberal Arts’ Diversity Committee students and faculty ate dinner in Bellmont Hall Monday to celebrate the Center for Asian American Studies’ new location. The new space has more offices, a kitchenette and places for students to meet and hang out. Alongside the relocation, the College of Liberal Arts’ Diversity Committee introduced a new initiative and a potential
major. The race, indigeneity and migration major and The Gender, Race, Indigeneity, Disability and Sexual Studies Initiative are part of the committee’s expansion at the University. The center is also celebrating its 20th anniversary. The center’s director Eric Tang said the move from Burdine Hall to Bellmont Hall is an important change and will add to the overall creation of community in the College of Liberal Arts’ Diversity Committee. He said for the past year, the committee has been expanding
not just with the new location but with the new major and initiative, as well. Tang said for these to develop, the committee had to work with the College of Liberal Arts staff and could see the new major potentially being ready for students to join in Fall 2020, offering tracks that include topics relevant to diversity, culture and migration. “People ask ‘Why UT Austin?’” Tang said. “It is because we are in many ways a hub for race, indigeneity and migration in the area.” Tony Vo, assistant director for the center, said he is
excited for the initiative, major and Center for Asian American Studies’ move into the Bellmont Hall space because it was time for the center to grow. “For years, we were in Burdine Hall ... but we have been dreaming of a center and a space of community,” Vo said. “There are 15 new offices in total, and we share the space with Art Galleries at Black Studies and Human Dimensions of Organization, and we are all very excited for this move.” Sarah Philips, a Center for Asian American Studies student ambassador,
said she’s noticed a difference as the new space gives more room for students to hang out and chat with their peers. The previous location in Burdine Hall was only a few office spaces. “We have more space for students to hang out and have a community,” said Philips, Asian American studies and government senior. “With the move, the new major and initiative are also a perfect way to introduce any students that may be thinking of joining something with (the center) or the College of Liberal Arts.”
CAMPUS
Online library system increases search efficiency, receives faster results By Brooke Ontiveros @Brookexpanic
With new changes to the online library system coming in January, students will be able to use one search box to filter through all library resources and receive faster and more relevant results, said Michele Ostrow, assistant director of Teaching & Learning Services. “It’s like … a giant upgrade system that lets you manage (library resources) more efficiently and have everything working together more seamlessly,” Ostrow said. Currently, separate independent systems work together to look through the library’s physical books, media and databases to present results, Ostrow said. Problems arise when these systems are not in sync, resulting in lost information.
“If for … brary, in the
you’ve ever looked an article in the liwhen you search main search box, it
It’s like … a giant upgrade system that lets you manage (library resources) more efficiently and have everything working together more seamlessly.” MICHELE OSTROW assistant director of teaching & learning services
will give you a link that will tell you if the full text is online somewhere else,” Ostrow said. “Sometimes, when you click that link, it can’t find the full text
barb daly / the daily texan staff
because something hasn’t been updated in another system.” The new online library will contain all its resources on the same system, eliminating miscommunication, Ostrow said. Since a single search will pull content from one place, users will also receive results faster. “All of the library resources are not connected,” library communications officer Travis Willmann said. “So the search takes longer, and the results it returns right now are not as objectively good as the ones that we should find in the new system.” But with these new updates, saved lists stored on the old system will be lost and borrower history will no longer be available, Ostrow said. “You’re going to have to either recreate the (lists)
you already had or download them to another place since, unfortunately, we can’t suck those into our new system,” Ostrow said. “And if you want to keep a record of everything you checked out, you have to do so on your own.” However, new features will allow users to see the loan period for any available item before check out and search across the majority of database content at once, Ostrow said. Willmann said the updated library system aims to make research and school work easier. “(The new library system) would help me be more efficient,” said Katelyn Hoffman, an art history graduate student. “I am here mostly for research, so being able to do less searching through different pages and getting faster results will definitely help me.”
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original north-south alignment and will maintain the Robert Dedman name, said Jim Shackelford, director of Capital Planning and Construction. He said the road will also include protected bike lanes, unlike the existing street. “There is an existing street in the current location, which means we won’t be adding (asphalt) to the campus,” Shackelford said. “It also allows us to create a bicycle path along the relocated Red River Street that will accommodate the biking community.” The area will be removing a parking lot to make room for the arena. Shackelford said Manor garage will be immediately adjacent to the arena with access points to Robert Dedman. The garage will be walking distance to the arena, but it will also serve as the parking station for the soccer stadium, he said. Capital Planning and Construction has been collaborating with the city since Feb. 7 when the University presented the proposal to City Council. In the future, Fenves said the city plans to straighten out Red River Street north
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of Dean Keeton as well. Mary Vo, public information specialist at the Austin Transportation Department, said the University and the city are working closely to realign the street. The city conducted a traffic impact analysis along Robert Dedman street, Red River Street and San Jacinto Boulevard, Vo said.
“There was a traffic impact report to support the decision to move forward with the realignment when city council approved it,” Vo said. “The city has worked closely with the University in the past for development projects, and the realignment is similar in that capacity.” Vo said the University officially
started work on relocation of utility infrastructure Oct. 28, and the University intends to close the existing Red River Street on Monday, Dec. 2. Shackelford said the road will provide a more direct north-to-south linkage to the University. He said the return on investment will benefit both the city and the University, as the
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stadium will bring revenue and use from sporting and entertainment events. “The University and the city at large will receive a brand-new, state-of-theart, multipurpose arena,” Shackleford said. “It will not only house basketball but also community events, such as shows, plays, concerts and commencement ceremonies.”
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SPENCER BUCKNER
Editor-In-Chief | @THEDAILYTEXAN
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2019
COLUMN
OPINION COLUMN
audrey williams/ the daily texan staff
UT needs to consider mono student medical emergency By Jennifer Beck Columnist
audrey williams/ the daily texan staff
UT must begin to offer cheaper class ring options, allow all students access By Hannah Lopez Columnist
At The University of Texas, financially burdening students is a time-honored tradition. Last week, the high price tag of class rings prevented many otherwise eligible students from participating in the Texas Exes’ Ring Celebration. Money should not keep students from partaking in events dedicated to their success. In order to let all students participate in campus traditions, UT should offer and create cheaper class ring options. According to the UT commencement page, the class ring is “designed for and by UT students.” However, it has become extremely apparent that it has not been designed with every student in mind. The cheapest ring option the University offers has a base cost of $670, which is a $30 increase from last semester’s price. For many students, including psychology senior Marisol Chavez, the cheapest option is still unaffordable. “Right now I don’t have the money,” Chavez said. “My situation at home is not great. I’m providing for my siblings, so I’m working two jobs
and sending money back home.” For students like Chavez, the ring ceremony would represent the barriers they had to overcome to succeed. A class ring should be an option for the whole class. If a student is capable of attending and graduating from UT, they should have the ability to memorialize that accomplishment.
In order to let all students participate in campus traditions, UT should offer and create cheaper class ring options.”
“As a first-generation student, getting a ring would represent me getting through college and being the first person in my family to graduate … but it’s so expensive,” Chavez said. “I wish there was a more affordable option or at least a way we could be in the ring ceremony.” In a previous Daily Texan article,
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.
Courtney Roehling, vice president of engagement for Texas Exes, said the expensive pricing derives from the quality of metal UT chooses to offer. For this column, Roehling was not available for comment before publication. Since a large portion of the cost is determined by the type of metal, UT should create a ring that uses a cheaper alternative material. Students should be given the right to choose whether they want to purchase a higher-priced metal or a cheaper option. The symbolic meaning behind the ring does not stem from the metal itself, but the traditions that accompany it. A ring does not have to be 10 karats to be stored in the Tower overnight or to be given to a student by their parents. As long as a student is able to participate in these traditions, the ring will have ceremonial value. It will just be at a more affordable price. A student’s socioeconomic status should not determine whether they can be included at an event designed to commemorate their success at UT. Students should be able to show off their academic accomplishments without having to be financially burdened in the process. Lopez is a rhetoric and writing sophomore from Nederland, Texas.
GALLERY
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A few weeks ago, a friend of mine became very ill and displayed symptoms including fatigue, nausea, sore throat and a dangerously high, hallucination-inducing fever. After visiting a doctor, he was told he most likely had mononucleosis, or “mono.” He visited the Student Emergency Services website, intending to contact them about his condition, so they could inform his professors of the situation while he took the time he needed to recover. However, upon reaching the website, he discovered Student Emergency Services does not consider mono an emergency, and he would need to contact each individual professor himself to inform them of his condition. His sickness ended up being a bad case of strep throat, but I can’t help but think about all the challenges he would’ve faced if he truly did have mono. The period that an individual experiences symptoms can last for many weeks, and the academic stress of trying to inform professors of the situation and stay on top of schoolwork is a large burden to bear for students in bad health. The Student Emergency Services website has a list of illnesses and situations labeled “critical situations and/or medical or family emergencies,” and a separate list of conditions labeled “not considered emergencies.” For the latter, “related absences should be addressed directly with faculty.” The Office of the Dean of Students, which oversees Student Emergency Services, should remove mononucleosis from the “not an emergency” category and include the illness in the “critical situations and/or medical or family emergencies” category. “Mononucleosis is a virus infection,” said Dr. Melinda McMichael, a physician at University Health Services. “And typically the most common symptoms of mono are extreme fatigue, often fever, headache, sore throat, sometimes some nausea, a loss of appetite and occasionally a rash.” According to Dr. McMichael, since mono is a virus that doesn’t respond to antibiotics, mono can only be treated with lots of rest, self-care, and nutrition. Biochemistry and Plan II sophomore Aidan Comiskey said he was diagnosed with mono on the first day of class this semester. “It was pretty awful,” Comiskey said. “I felt generally sick — like I had the flu with a fever, body aches, and huge lymph nodes. I was also sleeping 12 plus hours a night and not feeling rested when I woke up.” Comiskey said his fatigue made it really difficult to get work done, even after he started to feel better. He said he even thought about withdrawing from school this semester, having known others who did so. For students struggling with extreme fatigue and other debilitating symptoms, making sure all academic bases are covered can be overwhelming. This is where Student Emergency Services is needed. Sara Kennedy, the director of strategic & executive communications for the Office of the Dean of Students, said the service is for “those situations where it is potentially too much to contact faculty members, as well as in cases when faculty ask for additional (verification). Sometimes a faculty member will ask for an absence verification from Student Emergency Services to verify the absence.” This resource is great for students trying to attend to their emergencies while also managing their school lives. However, as mono is not considered a medical emergency, the burden of contacting and managing class absences falls solely on the patient. Without the support of Student Emergency Services, students experiencing mono might not be excused from class or assignments. Like students who have been hospitalized, a student suffering from mono should not be expected to contact and coordinate academic accommodations entirely on their own during their recovery period. To alleviate stress and assist students who have been diagnosed with mono, the Office of the Dean of Students should classify mono as a medical emergency with Student Emergency Services. This would allow students with mono to use Student Emergency Services resources, lessening their burden and enabling them to rest and focus on their recovery. Beck is a radio-television-film freshman from Park Ridge, Illinois.
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D O N N AVA N S M O O T
Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2019
FOOTBALL
BASKETBALL
Texas moves on once again
Holmes’ third double-double not enough, as Longhorns fall at home
andre fernandez
jack myer
/ the daily texan file
With Texas’ 23-21 walk-off loss to Iowa State Saturday, the Longhorns Big 12 championship aspirations are all but lost. Above, head coach Tom Herman addresses the media Monday.
Longhorns aim to return to winning ways following loss. By Donnavan Smoot @Dsmoot3D
or the third time this season, Texas head coach Tom Herman stepped up to the podium following a road loss to a conference opponent. He wore a black shirt, appropriate for the mournful mood surrounding the Longhorns after Saturday night’s walkoff loss to unranked but favored Iowa State. It wasn’t just the loss for Texas but rather everything surrounding it. The offsides penalty that gave the Cyclones a fresh set of downs and an opportunity to run the clock down and kick the winning field goal added to an already crushing loss. On top of that, Baylor lost to Oklahoma, which with a Texas win would’ve made this week’s matchup against the Bears a de facto play-in game for the Big 12 championship. “We’ve still got a bunch of seniors in that locker room that have
bled, sweat and cried for this program,” Herman said. “And we owe it to be determined to correct the mistakes that were made and do our best to go 1–0 against Baylor this week.” The loss to Iowa State sets Texas’ record at 6–4 — dooming Texas to their tenth consecutive season of four or more losses and cementing a program on the edge of mediocrity. In terms of win streaks, the peak of the Longhorns’ season was Week Five, when Texas had won three consecutive games ahead of its matchup with Oklahoma in the Red River Showdown. Since then, the Longhorns haven’t been able to win back-to-back games. “(The fans) have every right to be (upset) if they are true supporters,” Herman said. “We have not played to the level of our expectations. If you’re a fan of us, you probably have very similar expectations, and we haven’t met those expectations thus far.” One of the areas that was particularly underwhelming was the run game. Texas was held to a pedestrian 54 yards on the ground. The Longhorns were simply unable to produce any level of momentum on the ground, which was extremely out of character for a team that has rushed for at least 100 yards in each game this season. Texas’ 2019 season has been
packed with disappointing moments that fall short of expectations — four of them, to be exact. While a narrow defeat to now No. 1 LSU can hardly be viewed as a letdown, losses to two unranked opponents and a poor-playing Oklahoma team can be. Add these heartbreaking moments to the sobering reality that Texas will likely not compete for the Big 12 championship, and the Longhorns’ anticlimactic season is nearly complete. “The thing that we have stressed to them is that you’re not ever going to be defined by when you get knocked down,” Herman said. “You’re always going to be defined by how you get back up when you get knocked down. This will be a good challenge for us to see what we’re made of in terms of responding to being knocked down.” With Big 12 aspirations out of the way and bowl eligibility locked up, the challenge now for Herman is getting his team to prepare and perform in the final two weeks of the season, which won’t be as hard to do as it may be perceived, according to Herman. “It’s not harder than probably what you guys may think,” Herman said. “These guys are competitors, and losing is embarrassing. Nobody wants to lose.”
By Robert Trevino @robtrev22
For the second straight game, the Longhorns found themselves down early. However, unlike Thursday night’s game against UT-San Antonio, they also found themselves down at halftime by 19 points. The defending Women’s National Invitation Tournament champion, the Arizona Wildcats, jumped out to a commanding 26-11 lead after the first quarter, then allowed just eight points in the second quarter, leaving a crowd of 3,147 at the Frank Erwin Center mostly silent. If there was a bright spot to be found in the opening two quarters on Sunday, it would have to have been senior forward Joyner Holmes. Holmes was the only Longhorn with more than one field goal made in the first half and finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds. “We have some groups that work well with each other and some that don’t,” Holmes said. “Just picking up on things a little
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Senior forward Joyner Holmes drives to the basket during Sunday’s 83-58 loss to Arizona. The 25-point margin of defeat is Texas’ largest since February. earlier, I think, we could have shown a lot more. We’re capable of a lot more, and we just weren’t able to show it tonight. I don’t really know why. I can’t really give you the true answer behind that, so we’ll figure that out in the next couple days.” The Wildcats’ dominance was due in no small part to their junior guard Aari McDonald, who nearly tied her season-high point total in just the first half, leading all players with 22 first-half points. “She’s fast, she’s quick,” Holmes said. “We didn’t adjust early, and (McDonald) just kept going downhill. We just have to learn how to adjust. She wasn’t doing anything spectacular.” If McDonald’s performance wasn’t spectacular, it was at least historic. She finished with 44 points in 34 minutes, the first time since 1998 that Texas allowed a player to score 38 or more points, and tying the record for most points by an opponent in Frank Erwin Center history. Holmes would keep her own momentum going into the second half, securing her third double-double in as many
games played with 2:11 remaining the third quarter. However, Holmes was right about Texas needing to adjust earlier. By the time they did, it was too late. Arizona took a 15-point lead into the fourth quarter and handed the Longhorns their worst margin of defeat since last season’s loss to No. 1 Baylor. “It’s way too early to panic, although I think the way we played today is alarming,” head coach Karen Aston said. “We’re young in a lot of areas, and you can see that in particular … when we put in a different lineup or someone subs in … (We’ve) got to address this and get better.” Texas has two more chances at home to regroup before the Rainbow Wahine Showdown in Honolulu, and though Aston reiterated that it is a long season, that can no longer give Texas any comfort senior leader Holmes said. “Granted, it still is November, so we have time,” Holmes said. “But I wouldn’t just continuously keep using the excuse that we have time because there’s only so much.”
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30 Classic sci-fi film with a sequel 28 years later 32 Armed guard, 4 Old rocket stage maybe 9 Penne, say 35 Loosen, as laces 14 Clear weeds, say 38 Order in a pub 15 In good, playable 39 Fish-to-be condition, as a 40 Road Runner’s piano call 43 Animal that 16 Stephen ___, grazes Justin Trudeau’s predecessor as 44 The Spouter in Canadian P.M. “Moby-Dick,” for one 17 Accept as a loss, informally 45 “Ugh!” 18 Frank discussion, 46 Pessimist’s “optimally” perhaps 48 Small criticisms 20 Nobelist Wiesel 50 Fleur-de-___ 22 Same old, same 52 God, in Italy old 53 By whatever 23 Caper means 24 Courses without 60 Taste that is letter grades neither sweet nor salty nor 28 Baltimore or Las sour nor bitter Vegas newspaper 61 Sashimi fish 29 “Don’t Bring Me Down” grp., 1979 62 Collect, with “in” 1 The limit when there’s no limit
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63 1970 W.W. II drama with a repetitive name 67 Kitten’s plaint 68 Things doctors see when patients say “aah” 69 Animal in a Shakespearean title 70 Building wing 71 Animal in some ancient cave art 72 Choice in a coin flip 73 Put (down)
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36 Pooped 37 Of the eyes 41 Oblong pastry 42 Some college Greeks 47 Physics Nobelist Niels 49 Walled city on the coast of France 51 Lash into 54 Trading board game with “settlers” 55 Med. care providers
56 Now, in Nogales 57 Animal on a cigarette pack 58 Wolf in “The Jungle Book” 59 Just now 63 Spot for a soak 64 Egg: Prefix 65 Sturdy hardwood 66 Reactions to puppy videos
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J O R DY N Z I T M A N
Life&Arts Editor | @JORDYNZITMAN
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2019
ALUMNI
LIFE&ARTS
Alums create social change with music UT couple provides music workshops, lessons through A Dos Music Project to low-resource areas. By Ariana Arredondo @arixgraciela
s young students, Luz Elena Sarmiento and Ivan Valbuena benefited from programs that brought music education to their homes in Colombia for free. As a result, they were able to pursue careers in music. Now, they’re paying it forward with their own program. Sarmiento and Valbuena, who both earned doctorates in clarinet performance from UT in 2018, started A Dos Music Project after Sarmiento received the Presser Graduate Music Award in 2017. The project provides workshops, lessons, lectures and concerts to students in underprivileged areas where music education is not easily accessible. Sarmiento and Valbuena started by covering 4,000 miles in their home country of Colombia in July 2017. They have since brought music education to Sweden, Boston, Austin and more and plan to continue traveling after finding more funding. “One of the biggest impacts is seeing someone come to (the students) and tell them ‘Hey it’s possible. If you work hard and you study, you can make a living with this (music), and you can … be successful,’” Sarmiento said. Normally, the couple focuses on wind instruments traditionally used in Latin American music. But in one workshop, students stomp and clap their hands, as they participate in body percussion choreography and create music with their bodies. “In the beginning, we didn’t have any instruments, but we had to start teaching, so we had to create a strategy,” Sarmiento said. “At first we used unconventional materials like vegetables and recycled materials to make instruments, but then we learned body percussion.” The couple said they see their efforts
copyright ivan valbuena, and reproduced with permission
Ivan Valbuena (left) and Luz Elena Sarmiento (right) are bringing music education back home to Colombia with their project, A Dos Music Project. in music education as an opportunity to expose their students to knowledge they may have never received otherwise. “Most of the places where we were (located) were places where they never had any kind of (music) lesson,” Valbuena said. “When they had this opportunity to play this music, they were super happy and encouraged to continue playing.” Because there is not an option to receive a doctorate in musical performance in Colombia, the couple said they want to serve as role models for their students. They hope seeing someone who has similar origins as them
encourages their students to realize a career in music is an option. “Basically, we (funded our study) with scholarships from everywhere, so they can see you don’t have to have money to be able to accomplish your goals and dreams,” Sarmiento said. During their time at UT, Valbuena and Sarmiento worked as teaching assistants with the assistant professor of clarinet, Jonathan Gunn. “One of the things that was particularly enjoyable was to see (them) so passionate about something and actually
be able to implement a project and make a difference,” Gunn said. The couple now hopes to take A Dos Music Project back to Colombia to continue their work. They say they want to continue to impact students and use music as a way to create social change. “Our whole career was developed thanks to one of those programs, so we want to give back,” Sarmiento said. “It’s getting really important in the world right now to use music to change society, and that way we give purpose to what we do.”
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Sororities to launch diversity initiatives, make rush more open By Sara Schleede @saraschleede
The University Panhellenic Council is launching a new task force and set of initiatives to diversify Greek life and make sorority recruitment more accessible. The council’s president Evana Flores said the executive board began their efforts in response to a Campus Climate Response Team meeting after UT Police Department removed masked protestors carrying torches from the Main Mall in November 2017. “They were asking us what we were doing to educate our members about white supremacy and making people allies,” advertising senior Flores said. “We set out to write a statement from that point owning up to the issues in the past and the issues currently going on and actual ways of amending it.” Starting fall 2019, the counpedro luna | the daily texan staff cil’s executive board will include Senior advertising major Max Harberg and senior finance major Lance of the Inter Fraternity Council give away water a vice president of diversity and Monday. This came after the city’s water boil announcement Monday morning, which left many students without inclusion. Business sophomore potable water. Eliana Schuller currently works on the new diversity and inclusion task force and is applying for the position. “It’s important that we address these issues on a chapter level within our community,” Schuller By Katie Balevic By Megan Menchaca said. “My biggest idea is to cre@KatelynBalevic @meganmenchaca13 ate more programming that is both engaging and informative to change the overall culture without The City of Austin issued a boil water notice MonA citywide boil water notice has been issued for the first making it seem too forced.” day following recent flooding, telling residents to time in the history of the Austin water utility. Here are some The new task force will overboil water before using it for drinking, cooking or answers to questions frequently asked by students. see each chapter’s diversity edmaking ice. ucation programs. Schuller said “The notice is being issued as the utility works to Why do I need to boil the water? the task force is committed to stabilize the water treatment system,” the notice said. After historic flooding in Central Texas,inclusivity the water and supply promoting integBoil notices usually only last 24 to 48 hours, but is now full of debris, silt and rity, muddespite and requires extended a history of segreupdates will be posted daily about the actions taken filtration by the city. These conditions it difficult gation are andmaking intolerance among to treat the water and how long the advisory will last, for the water plant to filter the volume of water needed for the notice said. By the end of the day Monday, the boil the entire city. S O R O R I T Y page 3 water notice escalated and the City urgently called for Although there is no evidence of bacterial infilresidents to limit their personal water usage. tration, Austin Water is advising residents to boil “Water reservoir levels are reaching minimal levthe water to ensure that it is safe to drink until UNIVERSITY els,” the notice said. “This is an emergency situation.” further notice. Recent flooding caused high levels of silt to flow
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By Savana Dunning @savanaish
The UT Department of Computer Science is in the of approval for a new online master’s degree program. “The question everyone wants to ask is, ‘Can online be done as well as the tradilecture?’” the PCL needs to be high in ordertional “Iton-campus really wasn’t until about Brent de- any for it to remain a permanent poll-said10:30 a.m.Winkelman, when there were partment of lines,” computer sci-said. ing location. significant Dillard director. “Polling locations are largeence“Even though“My it’s a response midterm eleccan’t an it awful be better?’ costs for the county, especiallyis, ‘Why tion, there’s lot on the youand have online for- to early voting locations, so theyWhen ballot, wean were expecting mat, you’re able to absorb incan’t justify the costs of having a have that turnout.” formation at your own pace. final CAM P U Sstages
By Savana Dunning @savanaish
hope that will translate to greater student engagement.” While Monday marks the first day of early voting for midterm elections, it also marks the first day the PCL would be used as the campus’ second polling
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$175 million renovation with add new screen and student seatings to DKR. PA G E 2
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Austin music community pays tribute to rapper Mac Miller with special event. PA G E 8
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UTPD introduces 11 new public safety officers
31 – 16 TEXAS (3 - 1)
TCU (2 - 2)
TEXAS JUMPS INTO LEGITIMACY
By Megan Menchaca @meganmenchaca13
Along with officers wearing blue, black and white, the UT Police Department now has 11 officers patrolling campus in fluorescent yellow uniforms. UTPD previously had more than 50 security guards at various locations around campus, along with regular police officers. UTPD Chief David Carter said he made 11 of these guards into public safety officers by changing their titles and uniforms in By Ross Burkhart early September to fit with @ross_burkhart the jobs of similar officers at other public universities. “Other universities have here’s one question Texas playpolice officers and they have ers and coaches most frequently public safety officers, which answered this week: How would are basically mobile secuthis team respond after a win over USC rity guards,” Carter said. when a bigger, tougher opponent in TCU “But we see them a little bit was lurking ahead? differently. Their primary To the delight of an exuberant Texmission is to be ambassaas crowd, the Longhorns answered that dors and go out and be extra PROJECT question by giving one of their most eyes and ears for the campus complete, all-around performances in and UTPD.” recent memory. Carter said these new officers respond to non-emerSophomore quarterback Sam Ehlinger gency alarms, collect losttook a knee on the final play as the rest and-found items, take police of the Longhorns walked onto the field reports from students and to celebrate the 31-16 win over the No. 17 answer questions. Horned Frogs on Saturday. The victory “They’re not police offimarked the program’s first three-game cers per se, but they are out win streak since 2014 and its first time there as community servants beating Top 25 opponents in consecutive working to support our Uniweeks since 2008. versity and especially our “I think it’s a huge win,” junior safety students, as well as faculty, Brandon Jones said after the win. “Me staff and visitors,” Carter said. “It’s healthy for stuF O O T B A L L page 2 dents to see these officers elias huerta | the daily texan staff out there and know that they Texas junior wide receiver Collin Johnson celebrates a 31-yard touchdown reception in Texas’ 31-16 victory over the can report things to them.” TCU Horned Frogs. The Longhorns have now won three straight games to improving their record to 3-1. Because the officers are non-commissioned and are not licensed to be police ofSTATE UNIVERSITY ficers, they do not have the ability to arrest people, carry a weapon or respond to emergencies on campus. Donald Smith, one of the public safety officers, said despite not being a commissioned officer, he still FISCAL YEAR 2018 works to keep the University “(O’Rourke’s) focus seems to whether to revise the auto-admit threshold is “The University is anticipating a simBy Chad Lyle By Katie Balevic safe by easing the workload @LyleChad @KatelynBalevic be on fighting for illegal immibased on application data. ilar number of Texas resident freshmen reported children were held in of Lisa commissioned officers By Dreher grants and forgetting the mil“The University of Texas at Austin annualadmission applications, and this con@lisa_drehers97 prison-like cages and separatwho are often preoccupied lions of Americans — you know, ly assesses historical application and enrolltributed to our decision to maintain the ed from their families for months. Incumbent Republican Sen. Americans are The University’s automatic admission ment rates to determine the automatic admit same automatic admission criteria,” Thedreamers Trumpalso,” Administration and Ted Cruz took on Democratic Cruz said. threshold will remain at 6 percent for the percentage that will result in 75 percent of Wasielewski said. T PSystem D page 2 companies contracting with the UT-Austin and other UUT rival Rep. Beto O’Rourke for the During agovernment discussion about 2020-2021 the University’s Texas resident population Sydney Simmons, a former Texas resihave received pub-application cycle, according to a schools have partnered with General first time Friday night in Dallas, marijuana legalization, announcement last week. being automatically admitted,” Wasielewski dent, applied to UT even though she knew lic backlash which over their Twitter handling of Dynamics Information Technology focusing on domestic issues O’Rourke supports, Cruz said Exercise science freshman Sanja Stojcic said in an email. she was not going to be in the automatic the families. and numerous other entities unsuch as immigration. he thinks it should be decided at admitted when she apWasielewski said the University is exadmission threshold. General Dynamics is was one automatically of the der contract with the United States the state level. plied in to the UT in 2017. Stojcic, who applied pecting a similar number of Texas resident “I was in the top 11 percent,” said Simlargest defense contractors government, involved with carrying KXAS political reporter Julie Fine, who co-moderated the “Legalizing marijuana ac-has done when the threshold was still 7 percent, said applications. Last year, a total of 51,033 mons, now a biomedical engineering country but is also casework out President Donald Trump’s sepdebate at Southern Methodtually a question I think she recalls freshman applied, according to the Texas for where unaccompanied minors sinceher high school friends who did aration of immigrant children from ist University, posed the first reasonable minds can differ,” not the qualify Admissions website. 2000 under its contract with U.S. for automatic admission were A D M I S S I O N page 2 their parents. question of the night. She asked Cruz said. “IOffice think of it Refugee ought to Resettlement. more stressed The about the application process UT-Austin’s Cockrell School of O’Rourke about his support for be up to the corporation states. I think released Colshe was. “Being auto admit was defiathan statement Engineering has an ongoing research granting citizenship to Dreamorado can decide way, and and said nitely June one 19 on Twitter it aisrelief not especially because I knew I was partnership with General Dynamers, undocumented immigrants Texas can decide another.” going to get involved in the family separations atinto UT,” Stojcic said. “The auto ics, specifically its Mission Systems who were brought to the United When thethe issue of gun vio-border or admit percentage is small. It’s tiny. Because U.S.-Mexico construcprogram. This program includes creStates as children. O’Rourke aflence was raised, O’Rourke deit’s so small, other people had to worry about tion or operation of detention centers. ating cybersecurity technology and It has, profited off the influx firmed his support and attacked scribed himself as ahowever, proponent it more than I did.” software architecture for aerospace ofAmendment, immigrant children beingThe detained engineering, said Patrick Wiseman, Cruz for saying the United of the Second but automatic admission policy carries a and hasan posted a flurry of job openexecutive director of communications States should deport them. added he supports assault stigma with it that causes some prospective
Collin Johnson’s big day provides spark in conference opener.
Cruz, O’Rourke clash inMoney firstawarded Senate debate from UT
New PCL polling location experiences long early voting lines A line of students extended from the ballot boxes in the back of the Perry-Casteñeda Library
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City of Austin declares water crisis, shortage
Austin tells residents to boil water after floods
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University auto-admission threshold to stay at 6 percent for upcoming applicants
Despite its title, “Honey Boy” steers away from all things sweet. Directed by Alma Har’el, “Honey Boy” was created by and based on the events of Shia LaBeouf’s life. The 90-minute drama tells the story of an actor named Otis Lort, who is admitted into a rehab facility after being charged with multiple alcohol-related offenses. As the movie progresses, it becomes clear that Otis’s adult struggles are rooted in his desire for closure in his relationship with his abusive father and his traumatizing childhood upbringing. Alongside a relatively straightforward plot, the movie prevails in its magnificent casting. Playing 12-year-old Otis is Noah Jupe, a terrific young actor who gives the emotional performance of a child desperate for a present father. Jupe captures all aspects of boyish charm, while also channeling a wide spectrum of Otis’s emotional derangement. Between laughing fits and complete hysteria, many of Jupe’s scenes are difficult to watch with the magnitude of his convincing performance. Lucas Hedges delivers an intense portrayal of adult Otis, who struggles with a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder and begins mirroring his father’s violence and alcoholism. Able to perfectly capture anger and heartbreak through every scream and cry, Hedges is frightening and raw, providing an achingly vulnerable performance that is sure to cause more than a few goosebumps. The most compelling cast member is LaBeouf as Otis’s father James, a role he characterized based on his own childhood experiences. While his brash vernacular scatters comedic relief throughout the movie, LaBeouf’s portrayal is mostly terrifying, causing viewers to fear for the safety of young Otis with his father’s abusive tendencies. Though it is clear James loves his son but struggles to express it, LaBeouf’s rageful outbursts are as
Honey Boy GENRE
Drama R
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effectively unpleasant as his moments of affection, where the authenticity of his emotional vulnerability is questionable. The movie is highly successful in its storytelling. Toggling between past and present scenes proves to be an effective technique for the overall clarity of the plot. The transparency of the ways Otis was affected by his father leaves room for other interesting plot exploration, such as the companionship Otis finds in unexpected people and his awareness of human interaction that he finds himself deprived of. The soul of the film is carried through great production. Har’el does a stellar job at capturing scenes that equally distribute the presence of the characters and the setting around them. As a movie with a heavy aspect of anger and rage, the tone is fueled by warm lenses and outdoor shots, glorifying the outdoor heat in a way that builds to the intensity of the damaged character relationships. The music is appropriately minimal alongside stunning cinematography, offering a very indulging cinematic experience through raw, continuous shots and little sound editing. While Har’el put the film together, it is LaBeouf’s masterpiece above all. As mentioned in the final lines of the movie, “Honey Boy” is LaBeouf’s ultimate step towards closure in his troubled relationship with his father. To the audience, it is a harrowing story of a deranged relationship between a father and son. To LaBeouf, it is the story of his life, put together in one final attempt towards healing.