The Daily Texan 2019-11-26 by The Daily Texan

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

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Volume 121, Issue 75

NEWS

OPINION

SPORTS

LIFE&ARTS

PAGE 3

PAGE 4

PAGE 5

PAGE 8

Study finds UT “not affordable” for low and middle-income students.

UTPD needs to decrease drug arrests and refer offenders to counseling.

Furry friends help students cope with college, provide companionship.

Texas women’s basketball has a dominant weekend before its Hawai’i tournament.

CAMPUS

UNIVERSITY

Resolution urges UT to provide free menstrual products

Wayfinding aims to improve safety Safety projects to include call boxes, cameras to make campus safer, more navigable.

By Neelam Bohra @_neelam_b

All three legislative student organizations passed a joint resolution last week in support of the University providing free menstrual products in bathrooms across campus. Graduate Student Assembly and Senate of College Councils unanimously passed the resolution, and Student Government passed it in a 30-6 vote. The resolution proposes providing free menstrual products in all gender-neutral and women’s restrooms in academic buildings. “Standing there and seeing everyone vote for it and support it made me really happy,” said Sameeha Rizvi, a resolution author and public health freshman. “It’s something we were working hard to see, and to see people understand the necessity for this is so great.” Resolution author Radhika Patel said all three legislative student organizations passing the resolution proves it has student support. “This allows us to show faculty and administrators that there is student support for this initiative,” said Patel, an economics and math sophomore. “Whenever we meet with faculty and administrators, that will play an integral part in their decision making.” Patel said the SG Women’s Resource Agency met with the University’s chief financial officer when they started this initiative in the Student Activity Center, now known as the William C. Powers, Jr. Student Activity Center, and the Texas Union last year. Patel said authors of the resolution will meet with the CFO again to ensure the initiative can continue for longer than a year. She said administrators will control the actual implementation of the initiative. “We’ve done as much as we really can on the side of student support and research,” Patel said. “Now, it’s up to the MENSTRUAL

barb daly

By Lauren Girgis @laurengirgis

he University is working toward making campus safer and easier to navigate by adding call boxes and cameras to maps on campus and increasing wayfinding signage. UT requested a security audit from the Texas Department of Public Safety following the murder of student Haruka Weiser on campus in April 2016, said Jimmy Johnson, assistant vice president for campus safety. Among the audit’s recommendations was providing clear ways for people to navigate campus. The Office of Campus Safety has been working with Project Management and Construction Services over the years to implement projects that will fulfill these suggestions. “We have a very dense location,” Johnson said. “We are bound by the city. Our footprint is only so large, and as we expand our footprint, we have to do things that help incorporate easy navigation of the campus.” Wayfinding signage will be added on both the main campus and the J.J. Pickle Research Campus by February 2020. Johnson said

PAGE 2

outside of every parking garage, emergency call boxes and additional information will be added to monument signs that are already up. “Once you walk out of a garage, we want to have wayfinding right there at the exit,” Johnson said. “So you can say, ‘I am here. How do I get to there?’” Johnson said the other side of the signs will include information about nighttime safety programs, warning systems and other safety messages such as “Lock your car, take your keys.” “There’ll be those map signs coming out of the garages, and then there’ll be some additional directional signs on various key walkways … once you get onto the campus proper,” said construction services director Mike Carmagnola. Johnson said the signs will feature a way for people to find electronic maps using their phones so users can view live updates. The electronic maps will include upto-date information on campus features that physical maps do not show, such as construction. “For our 18- to 22-year-old student population, a hard map might not be something that is as practical,” Johnson said. Carmagnola said these projects

/ the daily texan staff

are necessary because the core of campus is becoming more oriented around pedestrian traffic rather than vehicle traffic. “Signage and wayfinding (are) an important element, not only for safety, but for just getting people comfortable if they’re not familiar with campus so that they know where to go,” Carmagnola said. Biology junior Alma Carro said she thinks more signs and maps on campus could help students find out how to get where they need to go. “When I was at orientation, I didn’t know where the (Flawn Academic Center) was, but I didn’t want to look dumb, and I didn’t want to seem like I was ‘the freshman,’” Carro said. “I did have trouble finding those places.” Johnson said the Office of Campus Safety tries to incorporate practices such as wayfinding and UT Police Department patrols to areas with heavy population traffic. Carmagnola said that, unlike a multiyear construction project, this wayfinding project should not disrupt pedestrians’ paths or cause them to take a different route. “We’re just enhancing what’s there,” Carmagnola said. “The actual disruption time would be pretty minimal.”

CITY

CAMPUS

Hate crimes rise at slower rate

UTPD hosts public active shooter prevention classes By Emily Hernandez @emilylhernandez

emma overholt

By Lauren Girgis @laurengirgis

In 2017, Austin had the most hate crimes in Texas. However, Austin is now behind cities of the same size in terms of hate crimes despite a small increase

in such incidents in 2018, according to the FBI Hate Crime Statistics report. Austin reported 19 total hate crimes in 2018, according to the report. Austin Police Department Lt. Jeff Greenwalt said Austin reported 17 in 2017. Of the 2018 hate crimes, 13 were

motivated by race or ethnicity, four by sexual orientation, one by disability and one by gender identity. “Crime, in general, fluctuates,” Greenwalt said. “It goes up and it goes down, and there’s dozens and dozens of contributing factors that can be

/ the daily texan staff

associated with that. So it’s not anything that we can take away (or) any specific trend.” UT reported no hate crimes on UT property for 2018, according to the 2019 Annual Security and Fire Safety report. H A T E PAGE 2

As the semester draws to a close, the UT Police Department is scheduled to host two more requested active shooter response trainings, which are likely to be the final classes on top of the 21 presented so far this semester. UTPD is about 64% of the way to matching the 33 classes the department hosted over the 2018-19 academic year. UTPD Chief David Carter said this is probably because it is the department’s first time hosting four public Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events classes this semester. Before this semester, the department only offered the classes upon request. “Reception has actually been good in terms of number of classes that we put on (by) setting a date and having people show up as opposed to on requests,” Carter said. “We still do both. The interest always picks up, unfortunately, after an event occurs. It’s the nature of emergency response.” The public classes consisted of a lecture-style presentation to an average class size of 30 to 50 people, Carter said. They covered UTPD’s “Run, Hide, Fight” method in detail and explained the psychological reactions peo-

ple would likely have in a highstress situation. “Moving forward, the construct is basically the same,” Carter said. “Rooms change, personality of the instructor may change, but at the end of the day, we want to make sure that we’re engaging with the community.” Carter said while the department will continue hosting the public and requested classes next semester, the focus and language of the class may shift to include other public safety concerns. “The focus on active shooter is clearly something that people understand and resonates,” Carter said. “But we’re also looking at it from an aspect of something that we’ve suffered on our own campus, which is somebody doing attacks with a knife. One of the things I want to be looking at in the future is the language may adjust to not just active shooter, but any act of mass violence.” The public classes, which were livestreamed and are available on UTPD’s website for a year, had 235 additional views online, UTPD spokesperson Noelle Newton said. Carter said UTPD will look at improving the feedback and tracking systems for the classes to understand attendee response S H O O T E R PAGE 3

MEGAN MENCHACA

News Editor | @THEDAILYTEXAN

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2019

CAMPUS

This issue of The Daily Texan is valued at $1.25

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, 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 Design Editor Christiana Peek Associate Design Editor Renee Koite Senior Designers Kendall Jordan, Nila Selvaraj, Sierra Wiggers

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 Newsletters Editor Taylor Leen Audio Editor Sara Schleede Audio Producers Divya Jagadeesh, Harper Carlton Editorial Adviser Peter Chen

ISSUE STAFF Comics/Illustrators Leslie Tang, Roxanne Benites, Allie Jean, Annette Hui, Jack Perry Copy Editors Adriana Van Tho, Minka Atkinson, Olga Bravova, Jenny Xu Designers Christina Peebles, Mckenna Lucas

L&A Reporters Avery Wohleb News Reporters Aria Jones, Carly Rose, Brooke Ontiveros Photographers Andrea Muniz Sports Reporters Robert Trevino

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. 26

HI LO

77º 52º

TOMORROW Nov. 27

HI LO

63º 50º

I’m just a colonizer who loves mashed potatoes.

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

NEWS

Students create multidimensional self-defense device By Katya Bandouil @kat372

Looking into their pockets and backpacks, four UT students realized they had nothing to protect themselves with in a dangerous situation. “We all had pepper spray at the time,” finance senior Danna Tao said. “I had it on my keys. Realistically, in a situation that somebody is trying to attack me, I would probably not really know how to use it unless I’ve tested it out before.” A class project in which students had to pitch and create an original business idea brought Tao, finance senior Ashley Raymond, marketing senior Margaret McCallum and marketing senior Meagan Doyle together, and inspired them to fix this problem. With the 2017 campus stabbing still fresh in their minds, the team decided to focus on a product that would improve students’ safety. They created a multidimensional self-defense device called Pocket Punch that combines four common self-defense tools — knuckles, pepper spray, a flashlight and an alarm. “We’re a team of all-female college students, and we all have felt unsafe walking home,” McCallum said. “This spring, I was in Barcelona and unfortunately was attacked on the street. I really felt that if I had my Pocket Punch in that situation, I would have been able to avoid it altogether.”

Danna Tao, Ashley Raymond, Margy McCallum and Megan Doyle created Pocket Punch, a multiuse self defense tool, for a class project. They approached Sydney Marvin to develop the physical product to sell to the public. The Pocket Punch is more effective for self-defense because it combines multiple widely-purchased devices and broadens their alarming effect, Tao said. “We do have safety devices out there right now, but we don’t feel secure enough with them,” Tao said. “If anything, they’re just like a key chain, We wanted to add to it, and it give it that intimidation factor, which is what the knuckles are for.” After receiving positive feedback and funding support, the group approached

civil engineering senior Sydney Marvin to help design and engineer a product that could sell to the general public. “This group of McCombs girls approached me and said they needed someone to help them model this product,” Marvin said. “I actually went into the steps of making the real thing and slowly making prototypes.” The goal was to create a device that can prevent, prepare and protect in a dangerous situation, Marvin said. “The light is used to survey

your surroundings, and the knuckles are a really great intimidation factor,” Marvin said. “Hopefully, if you see someone walking down the street with knuckles in their hands, you won’t want to attack them. The alarm and the pepper spray are for if there is an immediate threat and you need something to scare off an attacker.” The students have set up a Facebook page and a website, and are hoping to partner with organizations on campus to have this device readily available, Raymond said.

“We’ve made Pocket Punch really affordable so that all students potentially could purchase it,” Raymond said. “We’re going to sell it for $29.99, which we think is a fair price for all of the devices in one.” The students have received patent-pending status and hope to finalize the patent next year, Raymond said. “We have definitely received a lot of overwhelmingly positive feedback,” Tao said. “A lot of my friends have been saying they want to be on a waitlist to buy.”

UNIVERSITY

PETA recognizes UT for inclusive vegan dining options By Aisling Ayers @aisling_ayers

UT Dining received an A+ for their vegan options from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals for the first time since it started grading schools. Lindsay Wilson, registered dietitian for University Housing and Dining, said PETA released UT’s grade on their vegan report card at the end of October. PETA also recognized UT Dining as part of the Dean’s List, a group of institutions that rank highest for their vegan offerings, according to PETA’s website. PETA used questionnaires, menus, public information records and student feedback to grade schools, according to their website. UT meets all of PETA’s standards except providing an all-vegan dining facility, according to a checklist on the site. Wilson said vegan options usually change each semester based on student feedback. The Student Committee for Dining Diversity, established this year, provides an inclusive outlet where students can offer this feedback, Wilson said. “We still include and encourage those following vegan

rocky higine

and vegetarian diets to attend the meetings, but we have also opened them up to those that may have religious-type

diets,” Wilson said. Wilson said J2 Dining and Kinsolving Dining offer vegan friendly stations that

/ the daily texan staff

include multiple side dishes and at least one vegan entrée and dessert. Wilson said the dining halls carry at least one

vegan pizza option, as well. Nutrition sciences freshman Divya Kashyap lives at Jester East Residence Hall and has been vegan for 3 1/2 years. She said eating vegan became more difficult when she arrived at UT. “There’s always options, but they’re not always the best options,” Kashyap said. “A lot of the time they just have vegetables ... and some kind or grain or tofu, which is alright. I feel like they don’t try as hard to be innovative, because there are so many things that you can do with (vegan meals). They say that they have different kinds of vegan pizza, but when I go up to ask, they say they don’t have the ingredients for it.” Psychology freshman Isabella Costantini said some vegetarian options at Kinsolving should accommodate both vegan and vegetarian students. “I’ll see that they have something that’s almost vegan, but it’s only vegetarian, and I’m like, you could have easily made that vegan,” Costantini said. “Sometimes they’ll make tofu, but they’ll make it vegetarian not vegan, which is like the only protein source that they might have that day.”

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.)

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.

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

h at e

continues from page

Renee Lafair, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League in Austin, said it is difficult to tell whether hate crimes are actually increasing or decreasing by the number reported. “On the one hand, there were likely more hate crimes, which is disturbing,” Lafair said. “But on the other hand, it was also an increase in agencies reporting hate crimes, which means there’s an increased awareness around identifying and reporting hate crimes and also indicates an increase in individuals reporting to the police, which is encouraging.” In 2018, Dallas reported 31 total hate crimes, Fort Worth reported 24 and Houston reported 25. Greenwalt said he does not know about other cities’ reporting methods or why their numbers are different. Greenwalt said in order for APD to prove a hate crime occurred, it is necessary to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the victim was selected because of bias or prejudice against a particular group. UTPD Sgt. Robert

Land said a nationwide lack of reported hate crimes may be because it is hard to prove bias. “In police investigations, one of the most difficult things to prove is why something happened,” Land said. “Even if we’re able to get all the facts together about something to figure out exactly how it happened, figuring out why that event happened is usually the most difficult piece.” Greenwalt said in 2019, Austin has been trending low with only nine reported hate crimes so far. He said the department has been undertaking efforts to encourage reporting, including participating in the Safe Place initiative, which allows participating local businesses to protect LGBTQ victims of hate crimes and harassment in public. “When we actually report the crimes and investigate them and hold people accountable, and they see in the news that people are being arrested for these types of crimes … we believe it has a deterrence effect on other people,” Greenwalt said. “We want people in the community to know that we take these crimes very seriously, and they should and can report them to us.”

ella williams

menstrual continues from page

faculty and administration to flesh it out.” Resolution author Anjitha Nair said administrators may tweak the resolution, but she hopes all bathrooms on campus will have free menstrual products eventually.

“If you start your period in class, you’d be able to get what you need and continue on with your day,” computer science sophomore Nair said. “That would be amazing, and it would show the University taking steps to make sure the needs of (people who menstruate) are being met on campus.”

/ the daily texan file

Patel said she believes administrators will implement the initiative. “Whenever there’s a necessity, students should have the ability or at least know that faculty and administrators will take into account what students need to be successful,” Patel said. “I’m not worried. I’m hopeful this works out.”

NEWS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2019

UNIVERSITY

UT unaffordable for low, middle-income students By Hannah Williford @HannahWillifor2

UT-Austin is among the majority of flagship universities in the nation that are “not affordable” for low and middle-income students, according to a recent Institute for Higher Education Policy report. The study found 46 flagship universities did not meet the affordability standards. According to the report, low-income students at UT needed $6,749 more to cover costs than the grants provided by the University gave. For middle-income students, that figure was $8,474. “Flagship universities are public entities that receive taxpayers’ support, and so they really do have an obligation to serve all of their residents, not just the wealthiest individuals in the state,” said Kim Dancy, research associate for IHEP. The report calculated the net cost for each student by using the school’s provided net price calculator. The amount of financial aid

Texas is sort of in the middle. They are not the worst of the institutions on either affordability or access, but they are also not great on either metric.” KIM DANCY

research associate for ihep

emma overholt

provided by a school was considered “not met” if the cost could not be covered by a student working 10 hours per week alongside their family setting aside 10% of income after taxes, bills and necessary expenditures for ten years, according to the report. “Texas is sort of in the middle,” Dancy said. “They are not the worst of the institutions on either affordability or access, but

they are also not great on either metric.” Dianne Todd Sprague, executive director of the Office of Financial Aid, said the Texas Advance Commitment will give free tuition to students with an adjusted gross income of $0 to $65,000 and will provide assistance for an adjusted gross income of $65,001 to $125,000 beginning Fall 2020. “These are additional funds that have been put into

play since President Fenves has come to campus,” Todd Sprague said. “We now have approximately $20 million additional recurring funds to distribute to students, and we are extremely excited about that.” Political communication junior Natalie Deller said she received financial aid through loans amounting to over $29,000, but no grants. Throughout her college years, she said she has worked two to

/ the daily texan staff

three jobs to be able to afford housing and other necessities. “You have the people that are able to afford (the University) and are able to succeed because of it, and then you have the people that are out here working two plus jobs ... and are having a hard time meeting that potential because of all these external factors,” Deller said. “That gap between those people definitely affects how they are going to succeed after college.”

CITY

Turkey Trot participants talk racing, share competition memories By Nataleah Small @thedailytexan

For the past 28 years, runners have braved the late autumn chill to participate in the ThunderCloud Subs Turket Trot on Thanksgiving morning. The 5-mile run has grown to be the largest of its kind in Texas, with 20,000 runners set to participate and 700 registered to volunteer for the race, according to the ThunderCloud Subs website. Proceeds from the 29th Annual Turkey Trot will be donated to Caritas of Austin, a nonprofit organization that assists people experiencing homelessness in the Austin community. Runners are able to participate in four different events that cater to all ages and abilities including the Kids K and the Timed 5 Mile Run. According to three of last year’s top contenders, the race is both a conditioning exercise for longer races scheduled later in the year and a family tradition that helps unite the community before reveling in the holiday festivities.

Rory Tunningley, UT alumnus placed first overall in last year’s race and works at RunLab, a sports medicine and training center for runners. Tunningley said he started competing in the Turkey Trot when he was 12 years old. Tunningley said he runs because he enjoys the competition, and he likes to push himself. He said he can imagine himself winning again this year, but doesn’t want to enter the competition assuming it will be too easy. “When I think it’s going to be easier, if I think I’m going to win, it’s usually harder than if I would expect that I’m gonna have to work really hard to win or run well,” Tunningley said. Rachel Baptista works at a running store and training center in Austin. Last year, Baptista said she placed first in the female category and 14th overall. Baptista said she became interested in running during high school when she would run to help her get in shape for soccer. But once she realized she was better at running, she decided to switch her focus to activities such

as cross-country. “I started noticing a lot of successes,” Baptista said. “I started doing really well at it and I was like, ‘I kind of like this. I like being good at something.’” Baptista said she loves participating in the Turkey Trot. She said she likes being with her family on race day and enjoys the crowded atmosphere of runners. In the 2018 Turkey Trot, Erik Stanley, UT alumnus, placed second overall. Last year, he said his wife ran and pushed their child in the stroller as he ran ahead, cell phone in hand, so the two could contact each other once they both reached the finish line. After the birth of their child, Stanley said he and his wife discussed making the Turkey Trot an annual tradition. Stanley said the race is a good way to do something active and healthy on the morning of a gluttonous holiday. “It kind of helps the rest of the day after you’ve put some hard work in in the morning,” Stanley said. “Then you can relax and hang out with everyone the rest of the day.”

alekka hernandez

check us out

ONLINE

chloe bertrand

/ the daily texan staff

stories videos photo galleries thedailytexan.com

/ the daily texan file

UTPD hosts a discussion on how to respond to an active shooter situation at the Avaya Auditorium on Sept. 9, 2019. The department has two more classes scheduled for the rest of the semester, an initiative set to increase education and meet demand.

shooter

continues from page

count the number of people attending each class. The Office of Campus Safety also partners with UTPD to present the classes, said Jonathan Robb, director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness. “Campus Safety participates in the training by answering questions about University emergency communications,

preparedness resources, safety hubs and emergency procedures,” Robb said in an email. “We also make sure everyone at the training leaves with an emergency pocket guide, (which) are resources that communicate what actions the campus community should take during an active shooter situation and other emergencies.” Public health senior Rovianne Tindaan said while the classes sounded helpful to

some students, UTPD’s resources should also be allocated to education on campus carry policies, which became Texas law in 2016. “I’ve seen the emails (for the classes), and I just delete them out of my inbox, so in that sense, would I ever go? Probably not, unless something happened that would be the reason for me going,” Tindaan said. “If there was a scare of some sort, that would be the impetus to go use that resource.”

Experience it in

STARTS 11/21

@BullockMuseum

Tickets and showtimes:

Your ticket purchases support the Bullock Museum’s exhibitions and educational programming. IMAX® is a registered trademark of IMAX Corporation.

SPENCER BUCKNER

Editor-In-Chief | @THEDAILYTEXAN

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2019

COLUMN

OPINION

sally garcia

/ the daily texan staff

Give us a break: Fall break would combat burnout, exhaustion By Hannah Lopez Columnist

Tomorrow will be the first time University of Texas students have had a break in over 12 weeks. Since Labor Day, students have faced a nonstop onslaught of classes and work commitments that have drained them into exhaustion. To avoid student burnout, UT should give students a fall break the Thursday and Friday before Texas-OU weekend. In order for UT to consider instituting a two-day fall break, those two days would have to be made up somewhere else. In 2013, faculty members proposed and voted against instituting a fall break on the Monday and Tuesday of the ninth week of the fall semester by moving the fall semester’s start date from Wednesday to Monday. Moving up the start of the semester has been an extremely popular solution suggested in conversations regarding the creation of a fall break. However, this idea might be one of the reasons why a fall break never actually gets past conversation. Mark Simpson, assistant vice provost for Enrollment Management and University Registrar, said there are a variety of reasons why UT begins on a Wednesday. According to Simpson, starting two days sooner could cause complications. “A lot of it has to do with job availability since a lot of students have to work during the summer, apartment

and room utilization on campus, timing when high school ends and college starts … orientation … even factors of weather,” Simpson said. To avoid these types of complications, UT should instead eliminate Labor Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day as student holidays and move those breaks to the Thursday and Friday before Texas-OU weekend. This year, Labor Day was only five days after the first day of class. A break would be much more beneficial to students halfway through the semester as opposed to three days after syllabus week. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is the Monday before Spring semester begins. Instead of extending what is already a monthlong winter break, UT should use that extra day to institute a fall break. A break is not a break if students are already well-rested. Another reason why the 2013 amendments failed to pass was due to backlash from the College of Natural Sciences and Cockrell School of Engineering over lab time schedules. Many faculty members felt a fall break would interrupt the amount of time required for lab setup procedures, which would put an additional burden on the students and harm their education. However, instead of harming a students’ education, a break might actually be beneficial to their academic performance. The proposed break would fall before Red River Showdown and one of the two Austin City Limits weekends, which both leave many students exhausted without much time for studying or homework.

“A fall break is a really important conversation for our students because it has to do with learning,” Simpson said. “It is really helpful for students at times to have a break to know they can take a couple days down time before they ramp up for something else.” UT should care more about the quality of lab time rather than the quantity. By allowing students a break before one of the biggest weekends of the fall semester, UT is giving students time to both academically and mentally prepare for their classes the following week. Additionally, a fall break earlier in the semester would help prevent student burnout. Business honors sophomore Kaci Nguyen said without a student holiday to break up the excessive workload of this semester, she’s been overwhelmed into exhaustion. “I would love a fall break just to allow my breath to catch up to me,” Nguyen said. “I know a bunch of other schools have them … I really wish (UT) had one so I can have my own break from all the stuff that’s going on.” The University of Texas is one of the top educational institutions in the world, but educational prowess means nothing if students are too mentally exhausted to demonstrate all the knowledge they have accumulated throughout the semester. A fall break, specifically the Thursday and Friday before Texas-OU weekend, would give students a much needed reprieve from the immense strain of college. Lopez is a rhetoric and writing sophomore from Nederland, Texas.

COLUMN

UTPD needs to decrease drug arrests, increase referrals By Neha Dronamraju Columnist

Drug use is common among students — in a survey, 19.9% of UT students reported using marijuana in the past 30 days. A recent security and fire safety report published data showing an increase in drug arrests on campus — from 40 in 2016 to 64 in 2018. We’ve equated campus discipline to criminal discipline and consequently have made this campus — already rife with sexual predators and hazing — less of a safe space. UT should take action to reverse this trend and increase the rate of drug referrals as opposed to arrests. Students should instead be pointed to resources such as the Counseling and Mental Health Center’s alcohol and drug counseling services. On Sept. 6, 2011, a UTPD officer discovered three UT students smoking marijuana in Brazos Garage and initiated further investigation. One student received a court citation for possession of the drug and paraphernalia in addition to a referral to the Dean of Students. Cases like these have increased over the past three years. If you don’t see a problem with this, I’ll break it down for you: About 22% of full-time college students engage in illicit drug use — this is approximately 9,000 undergraduates at UT. According to a National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse survey, a few reasons students use drugs include stress relief, pressure to have sex and as an escape from trying situations. One can conclude that certain groups — women and those forced to contend with stressful circumstances — are more affected by drug use. When UTPD takes students’ mistakes to court, they are piling on the debilitating stress. If UT claims to look after the best interests of its students, the institution needs to re-evaluate their methods of handling 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.

mel westfall

/ 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.

drug abuse. Philosophy and sociology senior James Lee is the co-president of Students for Sensible Drug Policy at UT. He is familiar with the report findings. “Honestly the report is a little unclear — it doesn’t give details about the specific contexts of those arrests, and I’m working on getting more information about that,” he said. “But I think the rise in arrests is concerning because a sensible drug policy at a university aims to help students, and this doesn’t.” Lee is a firm believer in rehabilitation efforts as opposed to corrective ones. “Countless studies and surveys show that harsh punishment doesn’t actually help the individual,” Lee said. “We as a society and a university need to focus our efforts on helping drug users address the factors in their lives that are pushing them to these decisions.” According to Chief of Staff Don Verett, UTPD has an agreement with local justice of the peace where they can exceptionally clear minor misdemeanor charges like possession of marijuana, as long as the student is referred to the Dean of Students Office for campus-contained disciplinary action. “Honesty is the best policy,” Verett said. “Always comply with the officer, and that’s the best way to avoid further consequences. Most of our officers have been to college, so we understand the make-up of the community that we police, and we want to be part of community care-taking function, not just law enforcement.” This, however, does not change the data. UTPD has been arresting drug offenders at a higher rate in the past three years, creating an unsafe environment for students that will not necessarily deter them from using drugs. UTPD needs to stop making these arrests, and refer the offenders to counseling and recovery resources that can actually help them reform. Dronamraju is a public health sophomore from Dallas. 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.

SPORTS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2019

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Longhorns drub Jaguars, prep for Hawai’i tournament By Robert Trevino @robtrev22

From the get-go, Sunday’s early afternoon affair at the Frank Erwin Center against the visiting Southern Jaguars was all Texas. The Longhorns’ first miss of the day came six minutes into the first quarter, the same quarter in which Texas scored a seasonhigh 30 points to open a 17-point lead. It was a complete quarter — even in spite of five turnovers — that saw Texas go 10-for-11 from the field, 8-for-8 from the free-throw line and pull away from the Jaguars, not with quick bursts of scoring, but with slow and consistent dominance. “It’s something we always stress, and I think the players know that’s my philosophy — to get out of the gates pretty quick in the first three or four minutes to really try to set a tone,” head coach Karen Aston said. “I thought we did that today.” Texas regressed to

jack myer

/ the daily texan staff

Sophomore center Charli Collier reaches for the ball during Texas’ 93-39 blowout win over Southern University at the Frank Erwin Center on Nov. 24, 2019. Collier put up a dominant 24 points and 16 rebounds. the mean slightly in the second quarter, albeit a mean that left them with a 4619 lead at halftime. Senior forward Joyner Holmes led

Our chemistry, we’re coming together and we’re playing really well. Today was eye-opening for me, like we can really do this.” CHARLI COLLIER sophomore center

check us out

ONLINE

stories videos photo galleries thedailytexan.com

the way early on with 12 first-half points and ended up keeping her double-double streak alive — with five such performances in as many games — with 27 points and 10 rebounds en route to a 93-39 win. “The last few games, we’ve been trying to stress to start off a little bit quicker,” Holmes said. “In the Arizona game, we got down in the first quarter because we didn’t start off as fast … I think we started off pretty

well (today) and carried it over to the second half.” Sunday’s contest was the last opportunity for Texas to tune up before its trip to Honolulu, Hawai’i for the Rainbow Wahine Showdown next Friday, where it’ll play three games in three days against North Carolina State, North Texas and Hawai’i. “I’m actually really excited,” Aston said on her team’s improving ability to translate how they practice to

APPLY to work at

THEDAILYTEXAN.COM/PARTICIPATE

GET SOCIAL WITH TSM

Housing available 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.

Housing available 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.

how they perform in-game. “You can tell that some lights are coming on a little bit. It’ll be interesting to see how we look three games in a row just because we do have a lack of depth … but I think they’ll be fine with that. The 54-point win would end up being the Longhorns’ most dominant victory of the early season, besting the 31-point drubbing they handed UTSA earlier this month. The 39 points from the

Jaguars were also the lowest the Texas defense has given up this season, in large part due to the 17 turnovers the Longhorns forced and varying defensive schemes such as zone defense and, at times, a full-court press. “I thought the ball pressure and urgency maybe even increased when we (substituted) … maybe we’re starting to find a bit of a rotation,” Aston said. “When you talk about hustle plays and just trying to set a tempo, it looked like we had that mindset from the beginning, so obviously I’m pleased with that.” In the end, it was the Longhorns’ largest margin of victory at home since a 56-point win over McNeese State last November, giving Texas momentum for the tournament in Hawai’i next week. The team’s excitement for their trip to Honolulu was portrayed by sophomore center Charli Collier, who couldn’t wait to answer a question about it. She grabbed the microphone before anyone else could say anything. “I’ve never been to Hawai’i, so it’s going to be amazing,” said Collier. “Our chemistry, we’re coming together and we’re playing really well. Today was eye-opening for me, like we can really do this.”

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

Lunch

special

AUSTIN’S BEST HOUSING FOR STUDENTS Open til 2 am

$4.99

2522 GUADALUPE ST 512-551- 8231

Everyday

{

11 a.m.–2 p.m.

DAILYTEXANONLINE.COM Facebook at dailytexan Twitter @thedailytexan

Reduce • Reuse • Recycle

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

D O N N AVA N S M O O T

Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2019

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Higgs returning to form

Nearly a year removed from her ACL surgery, Lashann Higgs is finding her way again.

jack myer

/ the daily texan staff

Senior guard Lashann Higgs looks to make a play off the dribble during the Longhorns’ dominant 93-39 win against the Southern University Jaguars on Nov. 24, 2019 at the Frank Erwin Center. Higgs tore her ACL in an early-season tournament in the 2018-19 season. By Myah Taylor @t_myah

enior guard Lashann Higgs was driving to the basket for a layup when she suffered an injury to her knee in a Friday night road game against Quinnipiac last November. Texas left Estero, Florida with a win, but the Longhorns would lose Higgs to a torn ACL for the rest of the season. The injury left Texas without its leading scorer and forced Higgs to forfeit her senior year. As she waited for the Big 12’s decision on her hardship waiver, the guard’s future with the Longhorns remained uncertain. But good news came in August when the conference granted Higgs another year of

eligibility for another shot at her senior season. Head coach Karen Aston said in September that Higgs spent significant time in the off-season working to get back up to basketball speed. The next step for Higgs, Aston said, would just be to trust her knee. “With every injury, it takes time to get that sort of confidence back,” Higgs said. “Every day, with every practice, with every game, it comes back more and more.” Aside from the large brace on her left leg, there seems to be no sign of Higgs’ injury. On Wednesday against UT-Rio Grande Valley, Higgs posted her second career double-double with 11 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. Then on Sunday afternoon, almost exactly a year after hurting her knee, Higgs moved up the middle for a layup in the

first quarter of Texas’ game against Southern. But this time, the play resulted in two points on the board rather than heartbreak. Higgs hasn’t played scared. Several times Sunday, she got herself involved in the paint, snagging rebounds and fighting for the ball on defense. On the perimeter, Higgs also contested shots. In one play, she extended her arm in the face of a Southern player attempting to shoot. The ball soared over Higgs and brushed the rim before being rebounded by Texas. “I think she’s starting to get comfortable,” Aston said. “It’s funny, but yesterday I left practice thinking she kind of looked like herself in practice … as did a few of our players. But it just takes time … to get used to the timing of playing the game, and physicality might be a little

bit different.” While Higgs only contributed six points in Texas’ 9339 victory over Southern, she did her part by getting her teammates involved. Assists to sophomore center Charli Collier and sophomore guard Joanne Allen-Taylor set Texas up to score points from the three-point line and in the paint. Now five games into her new senior season, Higgs said she’s grateful for the opportunity to be back out on

the court and be a voice for her teammates. After Texas’ blowout win, Higgs grabbed a microphone and thanked fans in the Frank Erwin Center for coming to the game before greeting some of them on the sidelines. “It feels great,” Higgs said. “I mean, I’ve been out for almost a year and for so long. And just to be back out here with my teammates and the coaches and to be able to play in front of the fans again is a great feeling.”

And just to be back out here with my teammates and the coaches and to be able to play in front of the fans again is a great feeling.” LASHANN HIGGS

senior guard

FOOTBALL

Herman reflects on Longhorns’ culture of development By Donnavan Smoot @Dsmoot3D

With the season nearly over, the next step for Texas is to hit the recruiting trails. Texas is consistently at the top of recruiting rankings. However, there has been some concern about the development of the talent that has been brought into Austin recently. “No, no we haven’t,” said head coach Tom Herman about whether the talent has been developed to its potential. “I haven’t. The players haven’t. We’re all in this together, but at the end of the day, the buck stops with me. So that is a big charge of mine in the off-season is to find a way to get these guys better developed and put them in better positions to succeed and also then comes the

part where the players gotta decide, you know. I want to take the steps that are necessary to be developed.” Many players went down this season for Texas. The mantra was always “next man up.” However, the next man up wasn’t always able to do his job and fill in the gap. As Herman has said before, it isn’t enough to simply know what the problem is, but acting on it is the key. “You evaluate,” Herman said. “We’ve got a saying around here, and I learned it from Coach Meyer, and it is stuck with me and made sense because I’ve been on staffs where position coaches aren’t getting the response from a player that they want, and they say, ‘oh that friggin kid, that kid, that kid, that kid.’ No, that coach. You’re the adult. You’re the one that does this for a living. So

jack myer

We’re going to be there in times of need. We’re going to provide them with every tool and resource there is to be successful.” TOM HERMAN head coach

/ the daily texan file

Texas head coach Tom Herman addresses the media during his weekly press conference on Nov. 19, 2019, following the Longhorns’ 23-21 last-second loss to then-unranked Iowa State. we’re never going to blame the players.” That mindset of accountability on the part of the coaches is one of the key values for Texas. It is understood that at the end of the day, 18-22 year olds are the focus of the operation. Herman and his staff see themselves and the culture of

the program to be “parental” in the way they operate. “We are going to shower them … with unconditional love,” Herman said. “We’re going to be there in times of need. We’re going to provide them with every tool and resource there is to be successful, but we’re also, much like a parent should …

going to hold them to a very high standard, and when that standard is not met, we’re going to, A, hold them accountable and, B, teach them, like a good parent, how not to make that mistake again.” The strength of the relationships between players and coaches has been an emphasized theme this

season. Herman made a clear effort to make it known that his enforcement of the Texas standard strengthens the trust rather than break it. “The list goes on and on of guys that know and understand how much I care about each and every one of our players, and it’s important to me,” Herman said.

COMICS

CHANNING MILLER & LAUREN IBANEZ

Comics Editors | @THEDAILYTEXAN

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2019

The The New New York York Times Times Syndication Syndication Sales Sales Corporation Corporation 620 620 Eighth Eighth Avenue, Avenue, New New York, York, N.Y. N.Y. 10018 10018 For For Information Information Call: Call: 1-800-972-3550 1-800-972-3550 For For Release Release Tuesday, Tuesday, November November 26, 26, 2019 2019

Crossword ACROSS ACROSS

Shape Shape of of a a U.F.O. U.F.O. 5 Unit in Ohm’s 5 Unit in Ohm’s law law 11 11 Consumer Consumer protection protection org. org. 14 14 Seis Seis + + dos dos 15 15 Howl Howl of of happiness happiness 16 Nighttime 16 Nighttime flier flier 17 17 Comedian Comedian who’d who’d make make a a good good pyrotechnician? pyrotechnician? 19 The 19 The Dolphins Dolphins or or the the Heat, Heat, on on scoreboards scoreboards 20 “___ or sugar?” 20 “___ or sugar?” 21 21 Youngster Youngster 22 22 Lady Lady birds birds 23 23 Completely Completely smash smash 24 24 Supermodel Supermodel who’d who’d make make a a good good broker? broker? 26 ___ Baba 26 ___ Baba 27 27 It It abuts abuts the the Fla. Fla. panhandle panhandle 1 1

SUDOKUFORYOU 3

2 5

7 4

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

Today’s solution will appear here next issue

2 6 9 1 5 3 4 8 7

8 7 1 9 4 6 5 2 3

3 4 5 7 2 8 6 9 1

5 8 4 3 6 2 1 7 9

Lorem ipsum

1 3 6 5 9 7 8 4 2

9 2 7 4 8 1 3 6 5

7 5 2 6 3 4 9 1 8

6 1 3 8 7 9 2 5 4

4 9 8 2 1 5 7 3 6

29 29 30 30 32 32 34 34 35 35 39 39 42 42 43 43 47 47 50 50 52 52 53 53 55 55 57 57 58 58

Shock Shock Carded, Carded, informally informally University University URL URL ender ender Boxes Boxes of of 12 12 Activist Activist who’d who’d make make a a good good valet? valet? Famous Greek Greek Famous moralizer moralizer Bit of Bit of immorality immorality Word Word after after “he” “he” and and “she” “she” Milwaukee Milwaukee team team Yoga Yoga surface surface “Who “Who am am ___ ___ judge?” judge?” Rapper Rapper who’d who’d make make a a good good barber? barber? Not kind kind Not Things counted counted Things on on a a diet: diet: Abbr. Abbr. Condiment Condiment at at a a cantina cantina

ANSWER ANSWER TO TO PREVIOUS PREVIOUS PUZZLE PUZZLE E E L L K K

S S U U N N

P P R R O O

L L II F F E E

N N O O C C A A R R B B

O O N N E E N T N T II C C A A L O N L O N P L L P A A II C O N C O N R K E R K E E D D S S E

II S S T T O O

R R E E U U P P

N N E E W W D D A A D D S S

S S O O H H O O

A A G G O O G G

S S O O N N S S

A A G G E E

P P O O S S E E D U D U N M A R N M A R T T A A R R H H R R E E E E N N O O D E O N D E O N A A II T T N A N G G A D H O D H O N N Y T R O Y T R O Y Y E E N N

H H A A N N G G S S T T E E O O N N R R B B L L II B L L B E Y E Y T T S S

D D O O N N N N A A

A A N N II T T H H X X P P O O K K E E M M O O N N

II C C O O N N

K K E E N N S S

U U R R S S A A

O O C C T T A A N N E E

N N E E R R U U D D A A

L L Y Y L L E E

O O N N O O

O O L L D D

N N Y Y E E

59 59 60 60 61 61 64 64 65 65 66 66

67 67 68 68 69 69

CheeseCheesecovered covered bite bite Thomas Thomas Gray Gray wrote wrote one one on on Eton College College Eton Actor who’d who’d Actor make make a a good good dry dry cleaner? cleaner? –: –: Abbr. Abbr. Reach Reach Muppet Muppet with with a a smartphone smartphone friend friend named named Smartie Smartie E.R. E.R. staffers staffers Pretty Pretty much much Farmer’s Farmer’s purchase purchase

DOWN DOWN

Frankfurter, Frankfurter, informally informally 2 2 Frigid Frigid 3 3 Nickname Nickname for for someone someone under under five feet feet five 4 Asian peninsula peninsula 4 Asian 5 “If II may may say say a a 5 “If few words few words …” …” 6 Swarm 6 Swarm 7 7 Sullen Sullen 8 8 Headaches Headaches for for coders coders 9 9 Go Go off off on on 10 10 Responses Responses to to mumbles mumbles 11 11 Instigates Instigates 12 12 Word Word repeated repeated before before “little “little star,” in in a a star,” nursery nursery rhyme rhyme 13 13 Parts Parts of of teaching teaching schedules schedules 18 Fancy bash bash 18 Fancy 22 Pester 22 Pester 23 ___ chi chi ch’uan ch’uan 23 ___ 1 1

Edited Edited by by Will Will Shortz Shortz 1 1

2 2

3 3

4 4

5 5

14 14

6 6

8 8

9 9

10 10

11 11

15 15

17 17

18 18

23 23

30 30

31 31 35 35 40 40

29 29

32 32

33 33

34 34 37 37

41 41

38 38

42 42 48 48

53 53

49 49

43 43 50 50

51 51

54 54

57 57

46 46

25 25

28 28

36 36

47 47

45 45

22 22

24 24 27 27

13 13

19 19 21 21

26 26

12 12

16 16

20 20

39 39

7 7

No. No. 1022 1022

55 55

58 58

44 44 52 52

56 56

59 59

60 60

61 61

64 64

65 65

62 62 66 66

63 63

67 67

68 68

69 69

PUZZLE PUZZLE BY BY SAUL SAUL PINK PINK

24 24 25 25 28 28

31 31 33 33 36 36

“I’m “I’m do-o-one!” do-o-one!” In In town town again again ___ Baux___ Bauxde-Provence de-Provence (French (French commune) commune) Audibly Audibly overwhelms, overwhelms, with with “out” “out” Co. Co. with with brown brown trucks trucks Grp. Grp. headquartered headquartered in in Austria, Austria, which which isn’t isn’t a a member member

37 37 38 38 39 39 40 40

41 41 44 44 45 45 46 46

Goals Goals Essential Essential molecule molecule Run Run away away (with) (with) Device Device on on which which to to get get texts texts Steadiness Steadiness on on a a ship ship Opening Opening in in a a pet pet carrier carrier “Put “Put away away your your wallet!” wallet!” Homer’s cry Homer’s cry

48 48 49 49 51 51 54 54 56 56 59 59 61 61 62 62 63 63

Met, Met, as as a a challenge challenge Savvy Savvy Bangkok Bangkok native native Pasture Pasture noise noise Units Units of of chains chains xx furlongs furlongs Letters in Letters in a a Big Big Apple Apple address address Awkward Awkward predicament predicament 1,000 1,000 G’s G’s Covering Covering for for a a bald spot bald spot

Online Online subscriptions: subscriptions: Today’s Today’s puzzle puzzle and and more more than than 7,000 7,000 past past puzzles, puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 ($39.95 a a year). year). Read Read about about and and comment comment on on each each puzzle: puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay. nytimes.com/wordplay.

J O R DY N Z I T M A N

Life&Arts Editor | @JORDYNZITMAN

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2019

CAMPUS

LIFE&ARTS

Pet therapy comforts students

Support animals become growing trend among college students, combat anxiety, ease depression, reduce stress. By Avery Wohleb

@averywohleb

o help with the stress that comes with college, many students find comfort in their furry, friendly and sometimes prickly friends. According to the Washington Examiner, the number of college students in the United States who have requested to register emotional support animals has increased substantially within the past few years and continues to grow. When thinking of service pets, dogs are usually the first animal to come to mind. However, neuroscience junior Sydney Morlock registered her pet hedgehog Penelope as an emotional support animal two years ago, and said she has loved every moment of it. “I was nervous about going to college,” Morlock said. “An easy way to break the ice was to bring (Penelope) to social events with me because I would talk about her. She kind of helped with that barrier of anxiety when meeting new people.” In 2018, a study conducted by the American College Health Association revealed that 63.4% of college students surveyed had experienced intense anxiety within the past

evan l’roy

/ the daily texan staff

Sydney Morlock finds comfort with Penelope her hedgehog, especially during high stress periods. Over the past few years, students have taken to emotional support animals to better deal with stress and anxiety. year. Another 41.9% said it was hard to function because they were depressed. Morlock said that when school gets difficult, Penelope serves as the perfect distraction to help her later re-engage on her work, sometimes even bringing Penelope with her to class. “(Penelope) usually sits on my desk when I’m doing homework or working on a project,” Morlock said. “I’ll take a break from school to take care of her or take a moment to play with her and it helps me refocus later.” Outside of college students,

pet therapy has grown in other areas, becoming a common practice in many hospitals for sick or injured patients. According to PetMD, therapy pets have proven to be great helpers for patients, as well as an opportunity for general research on pet therapy. Kim Stephens, director of Child Life and Expressive Therapies at Dell Medical, said through their Woody Pet Assisted Therapy program, many patients — particularly children — have greatly benefited from the company of therapy dogs at

the hospital. “It may just be a patient that is anxious and we’re just trying to provide some distraction and reduce anxiety,” Stephens said. “There are so many validated studies that show a reduction in both pain and anxiety and just improving (patients’) general mood.” Stephens said bringing therapy pets to the hospital has also helped patients feel more comfortable living in new or unfamiliar settings. “A lot of times the patients who are interested in pet

therapy have a pet at home, so it gives an opportunity to normalize the hospital experience,” Stephens said. While it might be helpful for some students, Morlock said she encourages students to register their pets as emotional support animals only if they feel it would be beneficial and affordable, whether it be a dog, goldfish or even a hedgehog. “Penelope is an unusual pet and I am an unusual person,” Morlock said. “She has helped me a lot over the past few years here.”

CITY

FILM REVIEW | ‘MARRIAGE STORY’

Fuerza Unida promotes labor justice

Divorce drama captivates audience By Avery Wohleb @averywohleb

Founders and co-directors of Fuerza Unida, Viola Casares and Petra Mata, embrace as they prepare the organization’s homemade products for the 16th annual Women and Fair Trade Festival in Austin. By Mackenzie Dyer @mackdyerr

This past weekend, Fuerza Unida, a San Antonio-based nonprofit, celebrated their upcoming 30 years of social activism and community involvement at the Women and Fair Trade Festival in Austin. It all started when Viola Casares and Juanita Reyna arrived for work at the Levi Strauss & Co. plant in January 1990, just as they had every day for over a decade. The women, along with 1,150 garment workers, were mostly Mexican-American. When they gathered to hear a message from their managers, it was something no employee expected to hear: The plant was shutting down, and they would not receive retirement benefits. Reyna said management justified closing the plant to stay competitive with other large corporations, and then outsourced the women’s jobs to Costa Rica. Their families were suddenly short of much-needed paychecks. “That struggle … it was shock, and it was anger,” Reyna said. “We just wanted to protect ourselves and our families and to work for a just settlement with Levi.” With little education or authority, the women fought

back. They used what founder and co-director Casares calls their “struggle” to form Fuerza Unida, Spanish for United Force. Fuerza Unida works to unite and educate garment workers and their families about social, economic and environmental justice. The organization operates as a sewing cooperative in San Antonio, Mexico and other Latin American regions. Fuerza Unida has about 70 members of all ages and genders, Casares said. Most are older residents of San Antonio, and some are former Levi Strauss workers. To spread the word about Fuerza Unida’s mission, Casares brought handmade Mexican textiles to the 16th annual Women and Fair Trade Festival at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin, where they have participated in the event since 2003. Casares and the members of Fuerza Unida fight to keep their doors open every day to educate the public on how big corporations manipulate garment workers and how shopping fair trade can support vulnerable communities such as theirs. Casares works closely with Austin Tan Cerca de la Frontera, or “Austin So Close to the Border,” who advocate for labor and human rights by sponsoring events such as the Women and Fair Trade festival.

“The purpose of the (festival) is not only to sell but to let people know what fair trade is, which is the direct sales from producers to consumers,” Josefina Castillo, executive director and co-founder of Austin Tan Cerca de la Frontera, said. Fuerza Unida also filed a lawsuit against Levi Strauss, which resulted in no compensation but brought attention to their issues and strengthened their community’s resolve, Casares said. “Rather than getting knocked down and crying, we learned a lot and gave back,” Casares said. “They said we were one big family. But when they took away our jobs to make more money, they said we were a bunch of illiterate women, and we didn’t know any better.” Casares said the group organized and empowered themselves to provide training and education for the ex-Levi workers. Through hunger strikes, boycotts and other protests, Fuerza Unida eventually got severance pay for the workers from the other two San Antonio Levis plants that shut down in 2003. “The struggle of Fuerza Unida has shown me a lot,” Casares said. “It is a struggle trying to educate our women, but it has shown me how to be a better mother, a better grandmother, a better person.”

Don’t be deceived by the title — this film is far from wedding bells and cake. Directed by Noah Baumbach, “Marriage Story” is a highly successful depiction of a marriage in its final stages. Following Nicole and Charlie throughout the process of their divorce, the unwinding couple battles for custody over their young son. As the movie progresses, the pair begin to realize just how far they will stray away from what they once perceived as love and how much that realization truly affects them. The movie establishes its compelling format from the opening scene. Shots of characters in intriguing candid moments are accompanied by a deeply moving narration from the divorcing couple. What could have easily become a bleak narrative is instantly made interesting by unique characterization and surrounding settings, offering an indulging cinematic experience that is as successful in keeping the audience as entertained as any blockbuster action movie. Scarlett Johansson gives an extraordinary performance as Nicole. Begging for her husband

to acknowledge her interests and desires, Johansson embodies grief, hidden only when channeling her priority of motherhood. A character shift later in the film allows Nicole to beam with a rejuvenating independence following her separation from Charlie, allowing Johansson to show off the broad spectrum of her emotional capacity. Adam Driver is nothing short of phenomenal. Delivering a highly memorable performance as Charlie, a desperate and lonely father yearning to maintain a relationship with his son, Driver is the heart of the film. Capturing anger and heartache in its rawest form, Driver is so overwhelmingly convincing it feels like a punch to the stomach. During one climactic dispute between the divorcing couple, Driver is equally vulnerable as he is terrifying, becoming entirely captivating and impossible to look away from with the magnitude of convincing performance. The production of the film is simply outstanding. Where the movie might have succumbed to its dreary subject matter, it is saved by scattered comedic relief that is both necessary and appropriately timed. The cinematography and graceful soundtrack is strategically bright in contrast to the dark events taking

Marriage Story GENRE

Comedy-Drama R

R AT I N G SCORE

place, a perfect metaphor for how, despite the all-consuming nature of Nicole and Charlie’s divorce, the world moves on. Above all, the movie is excruciatingly honest. Fueled by small moments of authenticity, the film successfully captivates its audience and keeps them engaged throughout. A sneeze, stutter or mispronunciation from a character makes the journey feel entirely genuine, capturing an achingly real depiction of a subject often dramatized in film. More than anything, the film is a raw and soulful representation of the humanity often absent in portrayals of divorce, masterfully created in a way that is sure to stick with viewers long after the credits roll. So yes, it is a two-hourlong movie about divorce, but there is never a dull moment. Brought to life with an all-consuming production and highly capable cast, “Marriage Story” is timeless and real, a painfully human experience that is entirely one of a kind.

Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson star in a touching, tear-jerking divorce drama.