Serving The University Of Texas At Austin Community Since 1900 @thedailytexan | thedailytexan.com
Thursday, January 30, 2020
Volume 120, Issue 89
NEWS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFE&ARTS
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Texas nursing labor shortage leads to $5 million allocated toward educational programs.
UNIVERSITY
UT restricts undergrad travel to China due to coronavirus
Free tampons belong in men’s bathrooms in buildings without gender-neutral ones.
Students talk growing up in cultures different from that of their parents.
Longhorns end three-game losing streak with one-point victory over TCU.
CAMPUS
UT online enrollment grows
The number of students in online classes grew 81% in three years as the University offers a wider selection, a new class format and a better digital learning experience.
By Brooke Ontiveros @brookexpanic
The University added China to its UT Restricted Regions list Wednesday, barring undergraduates from traveling to the country, Texas Global announced in an email. Texas Global oversees UT’s study abroad programs. According to the email, this move is a response to the increase in confirmed coronavirus cases in China as well as worldwide. China is classified on the Restricted Regions list as “High Risk” due to a level 3 travel warning from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Coronavirus is a viral respiratory illness. The newest version to infect humans, 2019-nCoV, has over 6,000 cases globally this year, 78 of which happened outside of China. The new virus was first discovered in December and has killed 132 people, according to the World Health Organization. According to Texas Global’s website, UT students and employees must follow UT’s travel policy if they are traveling internationally for any UT-sponsored, administered or related activities, such as research, internships, conferences and study abroad programs. UT faculty, staff and graduate students may only travel if the University’s International Oversight Committee’s Restricted Regions Review Committee approves. The committee will only consider essential travel petitions
christiana peek
By Mariane Gutierrez
@marianegtrz
nline class enrollment at UT has grown 81% between 2015 and 2018, according to the Austin American-Statesman, meaning nearly a quarter of the student body was enrolled in an online class in 2018. UT began offering
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online courses to its students in 2012 through the College of Liberal Arts and has since added more courses for different majors, said Joseph TenBarge, assistant dean at the College of Liberal Arts. According to the College of Liberal Arts website, the University currently offers two types of online courses — a livestream that is scheduled just like an in-person lecture and one that is
“on-demand” to the student’s schedule with assignment due dates every week. “Students nowadays are very comfortable with the tools that are required to take a class online,” TenBarge said. “So we began working with the model we’re currently using, which is what we call the live course model.” Marla Gilliland, director of course development at the College of Liberal Arts, said the
University launched online curriculum to adapt to a new generation of students that is more comfortable with learning online. “Online courses are of interest to students because of their convenience,” Gilliland said. “It can be easier to work them into your schedule. It’s also because they are livestreaming courses taught by top faculty, and they’re interactive so it’s a little bit of a
/ the daily texan staff
different experience.” Majors can have a variety of requirements, which mechanical engineering freshman Andres Valdiviezo said makes his schedule tight. Valdiviezo chose to take online courses for classes that matter less to his major so he could satisfy the requirements on his own time. “I had previous O N L I N E PAGE 3
ALUMNAE
CITY
UT alums awarded grant for businesses in sub-Saharan Africa
College graduates impact gentrification in Texas metros, Fed says
By Anna Canizales @annaleonorc
Three UT alumnae were part of the group awarded a $400,000 grant last Thursday for their work developing businesses in sub-Saharan African communities. The UT alumnae from the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders were among the 1% of applicants to receive this grant, said Glenn Robinson, interim director for global programs and innovation at Texas Global, via email. “The investments are designed to allow the entrepreneurs to create jobs, train other youth, impact their communities, and create or expand markets by providing required goods and services,” Robinson said. The grant was awarded to 42 young entrepreneurs, including UT alumnae Bonolo Monthe, Ogechukwu Uzoegbo and Rita Anyango, by the Citi Foundation, the United States African Development Foundation and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Robinson said the fellows received guidance on global competition, entrepreneurship and sustainability from their adviser John Doggett, McCombs School of Business senior lecturer and international alumni liaison, and from a grant writing workshop. “This grant is an indispensable green light towards the growth of our innovation,” said Uzoegbo in an email. “We are at an early stage, and we are operating manually from the start to the finished product. Receiving this grant just propelled us toward that direction.” Uzoegbo said her work focused on transforming plastic waste into spectacle frames and using innovative
By Austin Martinez @austinmxrtinez
daniel henderson
recycling and internet technology to increase access to eye care services. “The knowledge and ideas I gained during the field trips and my interaction with other Mandela Washington Fellows at the institute also contributed immensely (to my work),” Uzoegbo said. Anyango said her work
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centered on developing Uganda’s first 3D children’s animation series “Mukago” to increase diversity in animation. “With over 65% of Uganda’s population below the age of 30, I A L U M S PAGE 2
work, the report said. “It’s where you have restaurants, stores, businesses, and it’s very quick for people who work downtown,” said Zohaib Qadri, a 2013 UT graduate. “It’s just so convenient.” Vulnerable demographic groups, including minorities, low-income residents and residents without college degrees are relocating to suburban areas as they decline in population near urban centers, the report said. “You see people being priced out of their homes in neighborhoods that were at one point predominately Latino or African American,” Qadri said. “With new businesses and apartments coming up, people are forced out of areas where they’ve lived their whole lives.”
Texas cities are seeing a surge in college graduates living in their urban centers and a possible increase in gentrification as a result, according to a report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. The report describes gentrification as a change in neighborhoods from an influx of affluent residents. Texas’ four largest cities — Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin — were part of the report. The college graduate population living within three miles of Austin’s urban center has increased by more than 15% since 2000, according to the report. Allie Fitzpatrick, membership and alumni record coordinator for Texas Exes, said about 145,000 UT graduates currently live in the Austin area. Luz Villa, Austin resident and You see people 2019 UT graduate, said she has being priced out always struggled to find affordable housing and cannot stay in of their homes in the city much longer with rising neighborhoods that housing prices. “Buildings were automatically were at one point being bought out, and high-rise predominately Latino buildings were being built,” Villa said. “I saw at least five to 10 new or African American” apartment buildings replace old, small dwellings in West Campus.” ZOHAIB QADRI ut graduate Urban centers attract college graduates with amenities such as restaurants, nightlife and shops, Kat Callahan, a 2006 UT according to the report. Additiongraduate, said she witnessed her ally, many college graduates live in own apartment get replaced with urban centers because the areas are newer buildings. disproportionately concentrated with high-paying jobs, and graduates prefer shorter commutes to G E N T R I F I C A T I O N PAGE 3
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020
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STATE
NEWS
$5 million grant to alleviate nurse shortage in Texas By Laura Morales @lamor_1217
The nursing labor shortage in Texas prompted the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to allocate $5 million to educational programs last Thursday. The board gave the money to the Nursing, Allied Health and Other Health-related Education Grant Program at their quarterly meeting. The board will be taking applications for the grant from nursing programs in the spring. House Bill 1401, passed in last spring’s legislative session, mandates the grant give priority to clinical training in settings with vulnerable populations. Stacey Silverman, the board’s deputy assistant commissioner of academic quality, said she has been working with UT’s School of Nursing and other programs across Texas to bring services to rural and lower income areas, which face the most significant shortage of licensed nurses. “The focus will be on developing new clinical partnerships with hospitals,” Silverman said. “What we are trying to do is get nurses out into communities of high need, particularly in the rural and underserved areas of Texas, of which there are so many.” Silverman said this rise in demand is most likely due to the growth of the retiree population, a demographic that needs higher levels of medical attention. She said nurses who are highly qualified are also retiring, further contributing to the shortage. The Texas Department of State Health Services estimates the deficit of licensed nurses across different specialties will rise to more than 25,000 in 2022, according to the department’s Nurse Supply and Demand Projections for 2015–2030. Cindy Zolnierek, Texas Nurses Association CEO, said her organization helped collect this data, and she presented it to the Texas legislature to show the need for increased investment in educational programs. “This data enabled the state to describe the nursing shortage, track the number of new graduates entering
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the workforce and define the difficulties schools are facing in increasing their capacity,” Zolnierek said. “This data effectively demonstrates the seriousness of the nursing shortage to the Texas legislature.” The Texas legislature and the board created the grant program, which has provided funding to Texas nursing schools since its creation in 2001, after a lawsuit settlement required tobacco companies to reimburse the state for
smoking-related Medicaid costs and to fund anti-smoking programs. Alexa Stuifbergen, dean of the School of Nursing, said UT’s program has received funding from the grant in the past and has a faculty member sitting on the board’s Nursing Shortage Reduction committee. She said the grant only funds for the initial expansion of enrollment, not the maintenance of those numbers. Stuifbergen said she is not sure if they
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will continue with the Texas Nursing Shortage Reduction Program which distributes the grant. “You don’t just want quantity, you want quality,” Stuifbergen said. “There is lots of research linking the education of nurses to the ultimate health outcomes that patients have. It will predict whether you survive your surgery (and) the occurrence of complications. The more educated nurses you have, the better off we are all going to be.”
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that are sent four to six weeks before departure, according to the University’s Restricted Regions list. Other countries in the University’s restricted regions considered high risk are Chad, El Salvador and Nicaragua. For level 3 warnings, the CDC suggests avoiding all nonessential travel with no precaution available to protect against the identified increased risk, according to the Restricted Region criteria. Texas Global requires approved travelers to China to have safety plans, and returning travelers must follow protocols set
by the University regarding arrival back to campus. Travelers are required to consent to these protocols before departure. The International Oversight Committee holds the right to take disciplinary action, such as withdrawal of travel authorization or withholding of reimbursement, for noncompliance with the UT travel policies, according to Texas Global’s website. All confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United States originated with residents who had recently traveled to Wuhan, China, according to CNN. Students at Baylor and Texas A&M showed symptoms of the virus but tested negative. rocky higine
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strongly believe that this demography, especially the young women, can be leveraged in the creative industries to meet the growing demand for quality digital content,” Anyango said in an email. “Eighty-five percent of our animation team is below the age of 35, and 50% of these are female, which is a phenomenal achievement in the animation industry anywhere in the world.” Monthe said she worked on making jam and marmalade using the indigenous foods and orphan crops of Botswana. She said receiving this award will help scale the business and grow the company. “Our aim is to change the relationship to our indigenous foods and further develop the value chain in order to create a new Climate Economy,” Monthe said in an email. “This allows for the creation of jobs,
diversification of the economy and growth of other businesses surrounding the indigenous foods sector.” The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative that empowers young people through networking, academic coursework and leadership training, according to their website. The Mandela Washington fellows were given the opportunity to apply for this grant. “The investments are designed to allow the entrepreneurs to create jobs, train other youth, impact their communities and create or expand markets by providing required goods and services,” Robinson said. “The fellows, who are between the ages of 25 and 35, have established records of accomplishment in promoting innovation and positive impact in their organizations, institutions, communities and countries.”
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020
CITY
TxDOT addresses safety concerns at West Austin intersection By Austin Martinez @austinmxrtinez
The Texas Department of Transportation added a median and “no left turn” sign to a West Austin intersection in response to the community’s safety concerns, TxDOT spokesperson Bradley Wheelis said. At least 84 people were injured at the West Austin intersection from 2015 to 2019, according to an August 2019 report by KVUE. UT football player Cedric Benson and graduate Aamna Najam died at the West Austin intersection of RM 2222 and Mount Bonnell Road in August 2019. Benson and Najam were riding on a motorcycle down RM 2222 when they crashed into a van turning left onto the road. The fatal crash pushed neighbors near the intersection to advocate for safety measures to prevent further crashes at the location. The median and sign will help block cars from crossing the intersection, KVUE reported. “Following the crash which killed Cedric Benson, TxDOT and the City of Austin agreed to install a median that prevents left-in/left-out turns at Mount Bonnell Road and RM 2222 to address safety concerns at the intersection,” Wheelis said in
an email. John Bianco, senior associate athletics director of sports communications and media relations, said in an email that he worked closely with Benson while he was a football player for the University. “Cedric Benson is one of the greatest football players in Longhorn and NCAA history and a cherished member of the Texas Athletics Family,” Bianco said. “It was a horrible tragedy losing him in a motorcycle accident last summer.” Benson was a four-year starter for Texas football and was recognized in 2004 as the nation’s top running back with the Doak Walker Award, according to The New York Times. He ranks 10th overall in Division I history and was selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2005 NFL draft, The New York Times reported. “We miss him every day, but his records, accomplishments and what he did for The University of Texas will never be forgotten,” Bianco said. “He was a special, special person who loved being a Longhorn and someone we all cared deeply about. If his legacy also allows for the intersection where he lost his life to be a safer place, that certainly will be a blessing.” Chemical engineering junior Santiago Diaz-
dan martinez
Arauzo said he grew up watching Texas football with his family and started watching Benson play for Texas when he was 6 years old. “He was a phenomenal player,” Diaz-Arauzo said.
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“He was very strong and very, very fast. He had the overall package for running backs in college football that you don’t really see … I guarantee you a lot of people remember his name.”
Diaz-Arauzo said he respects Benson not only for being a top UT player but also for staying connected with the University and the city of Austin after his UT career. “I’ll always remember
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Cedric Benson for the bands he used to put around his forearms,” Diaz-Arauzo said. “He was such a force on the field, and anyone that knows football would tell you that.”
CAMPUS
Education Abroad Fair offers affordable programs By Cat DeLaura @CatDeLaura9five
Texas Global Education Abroad hosted its biannual informational fair outside Gregory Gymnasium on Wednesday. The fair happens every semester and is designed to provide a space for students to learn about various opportunities to work or study internationally. About 4,000 students — 8% of the UT student body — study abroad every school year, according to the Texas Global Education Abroad website. Amy Exah, assistant director for faculty-led programs, said most students are deterred from studying abroad by the cost of the programs and the misconception that they will be unable to complete their degree on time. “All our work surrounds removing barriers to study abroad, making sure that we offer coursework that really
fulfills students’ degree plans and removing financial barriers,” Exah said. “We try to create lower cost programming, and we offer a lot of scholarships.” In total, over $1 million in scholarships are given away for studying abroad, according to the Texas Global Education Abroad website. However, alternative opportunities such as the Peace Corps can also be affordable options for students wanting to study abroad, UT Peace Corps recruiter Jacqui Hobbs said. The Peace Corps and the International Internship Program were also represented at the Education Abroad Fair. The Peace Corps’ two-year program allows college graduates to live and work abroad with all expenses paid, according to the Peace Corps’ website. A group of student alumni from study abroad programs also offer walk-in peer advising in the Texas Global Education Abroad office throughout the year. International internships
are much cheaper than study abroad programs and lend a competitive edge after graduation, said Sydney Jones, a representative for the International Internship Program. “Internships offer a much higher chance of cultural immersion,” said Jones. “When you study abroad, you end up being mostly with study abroad students or international students. Whereas if you’re working in a city, you might be the only intern at that organization, and so day-to-day interaction with locals is just a much higher possibility.” Theater sophomore Zach Martin said he hopes to study abroad during his time at UT and has worried about finding a program that fit his needs and interests. “It does seem like there’s a lot of opportunity to develop something specifically for what I want,” Martin said. “But I would definitely need to get money from the University or another outside scholarship.”
copyright lynette adkins, and reproduced with permission
Lynette Adkins, a real estate agent for Housing Scout and a UT alumna, helps students find apartments in the UT area.
g e n t r i f i c at i o n continues from page 1 “I watched as older houses with African American residents turned into nice new houses and mixed developments, and many of the new owners were white,” Callahan said. Qadri said a lack of affordable housing adds to the burden of tuition for students. “Once you graduate, you’re left with all this debt from your education and housing,” Qadri said. “It’s not a good place to
start fresh out of college and into the workplace.” Lynette Adkins, a 2019 UT graduate, helps students find housing as a leasing agent for Housing Scout. Adkins said in an email that Austin’s increasing gentrification has made students’ searches for affordable housing more difficult. “This is the first year I’ve done tours at apartments that have been up to 45 minutes away from UT,” Adkins said. “Housing inequality is forcing students to live farther and
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farther away from school in order to afford to go here.” Adkins said Riverside is an example of a recently gentrified area of Austin in which new apartment complexes, shopping centers and offices have been built. “Riverside and East Austin are two areas I’ve seen gentrified at a very rapid pace in my four years at UT,” Adkins said. “However, every area near downtown Austin is becoming gentrified as more and more people begin moving here, and lower-income residents are pushed out.”
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Surya Dwivedi, a computer science graduate student (right), asks questions about international internship programs to Richelle Ramey, Texas Global Asia internship program assistant, at the spring 2020 Study Abroad Fair at Gregory Plaza.
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experience taking courses that were not important to my major, (and) that ended up being harder than what I needed them to be,” Valdiviezo said. “I decided that I could try taking an online course that would require less of my time.” TenBarge said because the new generation of students are more comfortable learning online, there is much better communication in the classes.
“When students take our courses, we give a survey at the end of the semester, and students replied that (online classes) are better than the other large courses they take,” TenBarge said. “That’s because in an auditorium it’s much more difficult to have an interactive classroom and have students chatting.” Gilliland said the College of Liberal Arts is continuing to develop online course tools to provide a better learning experience for students. She said the University will innovate courses by
introducing cutting-edge methods of course production in the future, such as polishing the livestreaming platform. “(UT) has been able to increase both the number of online courses as well as the enrollment in those courses,” Gilliland said. “The leadership and the faculty at UT are not only more equipped to have that conversation about their strategies delivering courses online, but they are able to plan more effectively, so we are experiencing tremendous growth because of that.”
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SPENCER BUCKNER
Editor-In-Chief | @THEDAILYTEXAN
THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020
OPINION COLUMN
COLUMN
gianna shahdad
helen brown
Free tampons belong in men’s bathrooms, too
/ the daily texan staff
Expand classrooms included in Lectures Online program By Hannah Lopez Associate Editor
Six years ago, Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Services introduced UT’s automatic lecture recording system, Lectures Online. The automatic program offers professors an efficient way to easily record their presentations and upload them to Canvas for students to review. In a survey later done by LAITS, a combined 91% of students either agreed or strongly agreed that Lectures Online helped them learn. The only problem? It’s only available in 21 classrooms. Recorded lectures are an invaluable resource that allow students to easily play back any part of the lesson they need clarification on or missed in their notes. Students who rely on auditory learning and aren’t enrolled in a class with recorded lectures are at a severe disadvantage compared to their peers. In order to provide students with all the necessary tools to succeed in their education, UT should expand the amount of classrooms used in the Lectures Online program. Michael Heidenreich, director of studio operations in the College of Liberal Arts, said classrooms are picked based on the size of the class in order to reach greater amounts of students. Due to these standards, only about 70 classrooms with a total of 6,500 students are able to use the service. Compared to the almost 52,000 students that attend UT, the outreach of this program is falling significantly behind.
“For the College of Liberal Arts, we looked at what were the larger auditoriums that have the most students enrolled,” Heidenreich said. “When we first started doing this we also tried some smaller rooms, and … it just wasn’t as valuable.” However, even though a smaller class means fewer people, it is no less important. Every class, no matter what size, should have the option to offer students the Lectures Online system.
For a program that is so invaluable to student learning and comprehension, there needs to be more than 21 classrooms offering this service.” Additionally, an increase of Lectures Online classrooms would help students who do not necessarily need accommodations through Services for Students with Disabilities, but learn better through sound. According to biology junior Sara Morakabian, the reason for her success in some of her classes is due to the option to listen to recorded lectures. “Especially in a STEM environment, my grades and GPA would
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.
By Abby Springs Associate Editor
not be where they are right now if it weren’t for recorded lectures,” Morakabian said. “As students, I think we should understand that the funds and resources of UT are not unlimited … but I think (UT) should invest more in recording equipment for the classrooms.” Individual recordings on students’ phones isn’t enough. Not only is there a difference of quality in sound recording, but it also limits the amount of people who are able to listen to the lecture. According to UT policy, “recordings, when permitted, are for personal use only and may not be uploaded to the internet or otherwise shared, transmitted, or published.” Since recordings on phones cannot be shared, the Lectures Online system would allow everyone to have access to review lecture material. While some professors are concerned that recording lectures would diminish class attendance, there are simple ways to avoid those kinds of scenarios. Instead of giving consequences to force students to attend lecture, create incentives encouraging students to come to class. Offer extra credit through in-class activities or participation points. Do not punish a group based on the actions of a few individuals. For a program that is so invaluable to student learning and comprehension, there needs to be more than 21 classrooms offering this service. UT needs to increase the number of classrooms using the Lectures Online system in order to help students reach their greatest academic potential. Lopez is a rhetoric and writing sophomore from Nederland, TX.
GALLERY
charlie hyman
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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.
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If you’ve been on Twitter the past few weeks, you’ve likely seen these viral videos with hundreds of thousands of likes — a young woman with a microphone approaches college students to ask them their opinions on tampons. The girl is Kaitlin Bennett, a self-proclaimed conservative journalist, and the question is this: “Do you think tampons belong in men’s bathrooms?” While Bennett would disagree, the answer to her question is a resounding “yes.” Menstrual products need to be two things : accessible to those who want them and free for those who can’t afford them. To accomplish this goal, UT should provide free menstrual products in men’s bathrooms in buildings without gender-neutral facilities. Student activists have already been making strides in promoting menstrual equity. Last fall, a joint resolution passed by Student Government, the Senate of College Councils and the Graduate Student Assembly called on UT to include free tampons and pads in all women’s and gender-neutral bathrooms. “Menstrual equity is just our way of trying to provide resources to all people, regardless of if they can afford it,” said Alexzandra Roman, government and women’s and gender studies sophomore and co-director of the Women’s Resource Agency. “The University does not necessarily know who is menstruating or who might need certain resources or what economic backgrounds we’re coming from.” Low-income menstruators often have a difficult time acquiring period products, as they can’t be purchased with government assistance programs. Roman said that Student Government is currently working with UT administration to implement the resolution, an important step in achieving access. “A lot of people are really for it,” Roman said. “It’s not just women either, we also found that a lot of men are in support and have even asked when this might be an option in men’s restrooms.” Still, the resolution leaves out one thing — full access for all who menstruate. It calls for free products in only women’s and gender-neutral bathrooms. However, not all menstruators are women, and not all buildings have gender-neutral facilities. Transgender men may menstruate, which means that they also need tampons and pads. Transgender Americans are also far more likely to face poverty, heightening the need for free menstrual care. While men could use the proposed tampons and pads in gender-neutral bathrooms, not all buildings even have gender-neutral options. These include Waggener Hall, the Engineering Education and Resource Center, the Butler School of Music, the Belo Center for New Media, Painter Hall and four of the buildings in the six pack. Radhika Patel, economics sophomore and co-director of the Women’s Resource Agency, said the Student Government resolution did not include men’s restrooms because it is only one step in the overall path of achieving menstrual equity. “Based off of our talks with the administration from last year … the best way for this resolution to get passed and for it to get implemented within this academic year was if we geared the resolution towards … women’s and gender-neutral bathrooms,” Patel said. Of course, implementing programs like this take time, and the members of Student Government should be commended for their efforts in increasing access. However, this resolution should not be the final step. Because of the important advocacy of students, free menstrual care is finally becoming a reality. Once this program is implemented, UT should turn its sights to adding free tampons and pads to men’s restrooms, especially those in buildings without gender-neutral facilities. UT needs free menstrual products for all — no matter their gender identity or income level. Springs is a government and political communication sophomore from Dallas.
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LIFE&ARTS
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020
FILM REVIEW | ‘THE RHYTHM SECTION’
‘The Rhythm Section’ is not as Lively as its cast By Avery Wohleb @averywohleb
A film directed by Reed Morano, “The Rhythm Section” tells the story of Stephanie Patrick (Blake Lively), a young woman whose family was killed in a plane accident years prior. After settling into a life of addiction and depression, Stephanie learns the accident was actually a terrorist attack covered up by the government to avoid public fear. Now on a mission for revenge, Stephanie meets a former MI6 agent (Jude Law) who aids her as she embarks on a journey to find the killer. The opening scene kicks off with high intensity. Blurry flashbacks are used as an attempt to show Stephanie’s difficulty coping with the death of her family, but the lack of context dulls the emotion and makes the scene more confusing than moving. For several minutes at the beginning, the constant back-and-forth panning between Stephanie and other characters is dizzying and might distract viewers from plot points that are central to the story later in the film. As the plot progresses, some production decisions become questionable. There are several moments throughout the movie where the music used does not match the tone of the scene at all.
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weren’t able to catch the cultural phenomenon in theaters, now is as good a time as any. The film follows the story of a couple traveling to a Swedish midsummer festival for academic research, where they become involved in an ominous ritual. “Booksmart” — Hulu As Olivia Wilde’s directing debut, “Booksmart” features Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever as overachievers on the cusp of graduating from high school when they realize
Along with mismatched music, the editing is often choppy and abrupt, muddying the visual experience. Both do little to clarify an already complex narrative. The writing of the movie is its biggest shortcoming. The concept is interesting, albeit unoriginal, but it is not successfully executed. Introducing side characters to Stephanie’s revenge plan renders the plot inconsistent and directionless. The story unfolds in such a confusing manner that the big plot twist and final climactic scenes feel incredibly underwhelming and leave viewers more puzzled than shocked. Despite many production flaws, the film succeeds with its casting. Despite her inconsistent English accent, Lively is powerful and selling as Stephanie, completely engaged with the character through every triumph and defeat. Law makes a nice contrast alongside her. He initially gives a rather predictable portrayal of an MI6 agent, but brings to life a layered and imperfect man along the way. While the narrative is not always clear, the story is satisfyingly honest. Despite being intensely trained by Law’s character, Stephanie does not become a professional assassin overnight. The struggles Stephanie faces in her pursuit of revenge, ranging anywhere from losing a fight, controlling her rage or being unable to pull a trigger, make for a
they’ve completely missed out on several rites of passage. Cramming four years of can’t-miss fun into one night, the girls learn there’s more to life than being booksmart. “John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch” — Netflix Presented as an after-school children’s special, “John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch” is a star-studded exploration of fear and loathing. Joined by big-ticket names such as Jake Gyllenhaal, Natasha Lyonne and David Byrne, Mulaney spoofs Mister Rogers with literal flying colors.
copyright netflix, and reproduced with permission
Blake Lively plays Stephanie Patrick, an assassin in training with an intense desire for revenge, in the new movie “The Rhythm Section.” raw and realistic showcase of humanity, which is often absent in the action genre. Stephanie’s difficulties might frustrate viewers along the way, but “The Rhythm Section” is a refreshingly honest depiction of a damaged character’s growth and how loss affects them.
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rocky higine
‘The Rhythm Section’
Overall, “The Rhythm Section” is yet another attempt at a Bond-esque action film. While it introduces more nuanced character elements than expected, it is bogged down by messy production and an unclear plot structure and ultimately fails as a film.
/ the daily texan staff
GENRE
Thriller/Mystery R
R AT I N G SCORE
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about to start something about Mexicans, and then his stepmom came in and she’s like, ‘Oh, well, Margaret’s Mexican,’” Castellanos said. “And she’s like, ‘Oh really? You don’t look like it.’” Because of Castellano’s paler skin, she often passes as white. As a result, she and Bergen don’t appear to be an interracial couple unless people know her personally. “In terms of other people seeing us, it doesn’t draw attention,” Castellanos said. “People just go, ‘That’s a couple,’ and don’t think much further than that.” Bergen said he doesn’t recall the incident because he may not
have been in the room, but he doesn’t doubt that it happened. “No one really seems to care, (at) least on my end,” Bergen said. “We’ve been together three years now. If they haven’t liked it for three years, I think you kind of get used to it at this point.” Bergen said he doesn’t believe the relationship he has with Castellanos has been affected by the racial difference between them. He said he sees her as just another person. Ultimately, Jack said Ryan is just the person he happened to fall in love with. “Most of the time, I don’t think neither of us really even thinks about the fact that it is technically an interracial relationship,” Jack said. “It’s just a relationship.”
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MARCUS KRUM
Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS
THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Texas wreaks Havoc in win
jack myer
/ the daily texan file
Junior guard Matt Coleman drives to the basket during the Longhorns’ 69-67 loss to LSU at the Frank Erwin Center on Saturday. Coleman shot 50% from the field in his nine-point, seven-assist performance in Texas’ 62-61 win against TCU on Wedesday night.
Shaka Smart called for his famous fullcourt press, Havoc, as Longhorns end three-game skid. By Stephen Wagner @stephenwag22
exas head coach Shaka Smart has historically struggled against TCU. But, the last two times the squads have matched up — in the NIT in 2019 and in Fort Worth on Wednesday night — the Longhorns finished the night with a win. Texas cranked up the defensive intensity, overcame 17 turnovers, held off a late rally and earned a much-needed 62-61 victory to end a three-game skid. “This is a big win for our guys to build some confidence,” Smart said. “Our guys fought. It wasn’t perfect, but that’s what you’ve got to do to win
run to give the Longhorns their first on the road.” double-digit lead since their win over The 61 points that TCU scored are Oklahoma State on Jan. 15. the fewest Texas has allowed in its “I thought the way we started the past five games, thanks largely to the second half really won us the game,” Longhorns’ full-court press. Smart said. “Our guys did a really Midway through the first half, good job of being the aggressors.” Smart made the decision to employ his Texas seemed comfull-court pressure fortable, but the pesky defense Texas fans TCU team fought to yearned for following stay in the game. its effectiveness in the We talked the last The Ed and Rae second half of the loss Schollmaier Arena to LSU on Saturday. couple of days about rose to its feet three But this time, Texas owning the challenge. times in the final 12 used a perfectly timed press in the first half. We knew there were minutes — twice it was forced to sit back Smart was immedigoing to be chaldown after clutch ately rewarded for his lenges today, and our shots from sophomore decision with a TCU turnover, leading to a guys did a great job.” guards Andrew Jones and Courtney Ramey. fast break opportunity SHAKA SMART The third time the for Texas. head coach crowd rose to its feet, Smart ultimately it remained standing. called off the press After Ramey drilled a miraculous midminutes later, but the impact the agair double pump baseline shot to put the gressive defensive call had on his playLonghorns up 59-51 with 4:00 left, TCU ers was apparent through the rest of made the type of late run that has haunted the half as the Longhorns took a 28-27 Texas since the start of 2020. lead at the break. But unlike in its heartbreaking losses Texas matched its intensity in to Oklahoma, Kansas and LSU, Texas the second half, going on an 8-0
made the final play. TCU’s 8-0 run spanning just over a minute and a half tied the game with 2:20 remaining before Smart called a timeout. Junior guard Jase Febres connected on a three just 30 seconds later to give the Longhorns a threepoint lead just inside of two minutes. “Our guys did a good job in the timeout, saying, ‘Hey, it’s alright. We’ve got this, we can do it,’” Smart said. “We hung in there and made some big shots at the end of the clock.” TCU sophomore guard RJ Nembhard nailed a pair of free throws on the ensuing possession, cutting Texas’ lead to one and ultimately setting the game up for a final shot from TCU with six seconds left. But as Nembhard drove the length of the court and dribbled hard toward the right wing, junior forward Jericho Sims slid in the way, forcing Nembhard to drag his foot and travel. Texas inbounded the ball and ran out the clock to pick up the win. “We talked the last couple of days about owning the challenge,” Smart said. “We knew there were going to be challenges today, and our guys did a great job.”
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Collier, Holmes has Texas in position for late-season run By Marcus Krum @marcuskrum
After a quiet first season in the burnt orange and white where she averaged just 5.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, the sophomore center has emerged as a constant driving force for a surging Longhorn squad. As Texas has won 10 of its last 12, Collier has solidified her place as the most consistent offensive player on this team. She has averaged 14.2 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, leading the Longhorns in both categories. “She’s going from coming off the bench, maybe not pressure, not expectations, to the prime-time player that she came here to be,” Texas head coach Karen Aston said in a preseason press conference. It’s clear at this point that when Collier is on, so is Texas. The last time the Longhorns fell — a five-point loss to ranked West Virginia — Collier finished three of 9 from the field and played just 26 minutes after picking up four fouls. In their only other conference loss this season, which was Jan. 3 against TCU, she shot a season-low 20% from the field and finished with just five points. But the best part about Collier’s game this season is that lackluster performances such as those are few and far between. In her 19 starts, she’s scored less than 10 points just four times. Her season-low rebound total was five in a win over Iowa State in which she
played only 25 minutes. Collier has added a 3-pointer to her arsenal, making her a threat at any spot on the floor. After shooting 29% on just 17 threes last season, Collier has made 42% of her 47 attempts from deep in 2019-20. While those aren’t high-volume numbers, her 20 threes so far are the most by any Longhorn this season. “It’s definitely different, a drastic difference from last year,” Collier said in a press conference after the Nov. 14 game against UTSA, Texas’ first win this season. “Just playing now, being more comfortable, starting — it’s all different for me. I feel like I’m adjusting to it well, and if I continue to practice how I play, I’ll continue to grow.” In her first season as a starter, Collier has evolved into a nightly double-double machine. Senior forward Joyner Holmes has followed right behind. Holmes has averaged 13.9 points and nine rebounds per game. She’s also second on the team with 43 assists, adding more than just pure scoring. Yet for all the consistency of the two members of the Texas frontcourt, the rest of the Texas roster has had its share of ups and downs. And maybe that’s OK. If Collier and Holmes are the backbone of this Texas team, the rest of the starting lineup is the heart that keeps things flowing. Holmes and senior guard Sug Sutton follow Collier with 13.9 and 10.4 points per game each. But these are just two of Texas’ spark plugs that can carry the
jack myer
/ the daily texan file
Sophomore center Charli Collier goes up for a shot over two Kansas Jayhawk defenders during the Longhorns’ 85-77 win at the Frank Erwin Center on Jan. 22. Collier finished with 17 points and 15 rebounds in her double-double performance. load for the Longhorns in any given game. “There has to be a real selfless behavior to say, ‘I’m going to do whatever it takes to help the team,’” Aston said of the depth of the team. In a win over now-16–4 Tennessee, Collier put up just four points on 2-of-8 shooting. Yet
Sutton and senior guard Lashann Higgs each finished with 19, and the Longhorns escaped with the win. Against Iowa State, Holmes and Higgs each scored 17 on another rare off night from Collier. The Longhorns left Ames, Iowa, with an 81-75 victory. On any night, any other member of Texas’ rotation
has the ability to put the Longhorns’ offense on their back. When one is down, the other picks them up, and that’s what makes this team a true contender. There are some clear marks of teams poised to be a postseason threat. Nobody wants to face a team that’s hot off a winning
streak, and nobody wants to face a team with a player that can heat up at any moment. The Longhorns have more than one player that fits that bill. If Collier and Holmes can continue to hold down the inside, Texas looks ready to continue to make strides as it gears up for some late-season magic.
COMICS
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A L E K K A H E R N A N D E Z & B A R B R A D A LY
Comics Editors| @THEDAILYTEXAN
THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020
The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Thursday, January 30, 2020
Crossword
SUDOKUFORYOU 6 2 9 4 7 8 2 3 6 4 1 3 6 1 7 8 7 2
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32 Comic strip title character who is Beetle Bailey’s sister 35 Winter D.C. setting 36 Quite an accomplishment 38 Do some underground exploring 40 Find an ideal compromise 43 Transitional zone between two biomes 44 Early Cuzco resident 45 Pull 46 End notes 47 Highland tongue 49 Aunt ___ of “Oklahoma!” 51 Estadio exclamation 53 Pie hole 55 Places where people may have the knives out for you, in brief
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56 Classic tune often played by ice cream trucks 61 Adjust 62 Sport that is the key to interpreting the answers to 21-, 40- and 56-Across 66 Consist of 67 Get to 68 Temporarily inactive 69 “That really hurt!” 70 Waitress at Mel’s Diner 71 Magic 8 Ball response 72 Prefix with -phyte DOWN 1 Snarky remark 2 Residents’ org. 3 Muscleman with a mohawk 4 Eponymous Dutch town 5 Subject of several Georges Seurat paintings 6 Doth proceed 7 Horror movie staple 8 Part of a parka 9 Winter season 10 Place for cold cuts 11 Like skating rinks, typically 12 Manners 14 Rock group from Sydney 16 Vets’ charges 20 Dish seasoned with saffron 22 Uncultivated tract
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PUZZLE BY BY TRENTON TRENTON CHARLSON CHARLSON PUZZLE
23 Bulk-purchase retailer 24 One who closely adheres to the Torah 28 Picked locks? 30 Some library catalog info, for short 31 Magellan, e.g. 33 Runs up, as expenses 34 Surfboard stabilizer 35 Higher-up
37 Golden ___ 39 Carrier that offers only kosher meals 41 Bibliographer’s phrase of inclusion 42 Levels 48 Something no single speaker provides 50 Menial 52 Certain B.S. holder: Abbr. 54 Cornered
56 Letter in the NATO alphabet 57 Prefix with -phyte 58 “What a long week!” 59 “___ is other people”: Sartre 60 Commands respect from 63 Swimming gold medalist Thorpe 64 Columbus-toCleveland dir. 65 Old Pontiac with a V8 engine
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T R I N A DY J O S L I N
Life&Arts Editor | @TRINADY05
THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020
CAMPUS
LIFE&ARTS
Third-culture kids seek community Students who grow up in cultures different than their parents’ struggle with identity and feeling disconnected. By Jennifer Errico @errico_jenny
ordan Blumberg can answer the question “Where are you from?” in more than three different ways. “I don’t have a good answer,” electrical engineering freshman Blumberg said. “No one understands that (I’ve) lived all over the world, just the same way that (I) don’t understand that they’ve lived in the same place for their entire lives.” Blumberg was born in Maryland, claims Texan residency, has lived in England, Italy, Turkey and Thailand, and graduated high school from the International School of Beijing in China. Blumberg is a third-culture kid. A third-culture kid, or TCK, is a person who grows up in a culture different than their parents’, so the term “third culture” refers to their fused identity. The TCK subgroup is so small, the demographic isn’t officially recognized by the Office of Admissions. Some are labeled Texans, like Blumberg, though she had to petition for it after originally being labeled as out of state. Others may be labeled international students or even out-of-state students, depending on their citizenship status. Psychology junior Reem Ayoub, is another TCK. Born in Maryland to Jordanian parents, she moved to Abu Dhabi at age 8 and moved back to the United States and started at UT in 2017. Ayoub said her reintegration into the U.S. was strange because of cultural differences. She also said she struggled with adapting to students’ “America-centered perspectives.”
evan l’roy
/ the daily texan staff
Psychology junior Reem Ayoub poses in front of the Blanton Museum of Art on Jan. 27, 2020. Ayoub moved to Texas to attend UT after living in Dubai since she was 8 years old and found the transition difficult due to the cultural differences between the two countries. “At first, it was hard because I would get frustrated that people didn’t understand things the same way I did,” Ayoub said. Ayoub said adjusting to UT itself — a school rich in culture and legacy — was a difficult transition. “I did go to a school where we were so used to people coming and going that you never really got attached to the school,” Ayoub said. “It’s just really interesting to see that there’s so many generations that come back and are still drawn to the (UT) campus and traditions.” Ayoub’s previous school, American Community School of Abu Dhabi, was an international school where she said she had
peers from 60 different countries. She said that experience made her transition to UT, where 89.2% of the students are from Texas, more difficult. “I felt like people attempted to stick with their own people because all the minority groups that were here were just such a small part of the student body,” Ayoub said. “That was really weird for me at first because I was used to just getting along with everyone, regardless of who they (were).” Psychology sophomore Aayushi Sangani is a third-culture kid born in India, but she moved to Dubai at the age of 1. She never lived in the U.S. until she came to UT.
In hopes of finding other TCKs with similar experiences, Ayoub and Sangani joined Planet Longhorn. “I’ve met a lot of people (there) who are not only international, but also third-culture kids,” Sangani said. While Ayoub said finding people to connect with helped improve her college experience, she still struggles with feeling like UT, or any one place, is her home. “Living in neither Jordan or the U.S. (made me) kind of just feel really disconnected from both,” Ayoub said. “(Because) I never lived in Jordan, I never really felt connected to that part (of myself).”
TELEVISION
What to binge on Netflix while avoiding homework jokes. If that’s your thing, grab some snacks and settle in for some antics. “Lore” — Amazon Prime Video An adaptation of Aaron Mahnke’s critically acclaimed podcast exploring real-life stories that have inspired the most wild of nightmares, “Lore” is a horror anthology fans won’t want to miss. The series is animated, blending the storytelling capabilities of Mahnke’s podcast with powerful visuals.
By Brooke Sjoberg @SjobergReport
One week into the semester and you’re already procrastinating. If you’ve already fallen behind on homework or aren’t quite ready to start that term paper yet, here are some top picks from The Daily Texan, both new and old, to stream until your motivation returns. Some of these are short and snappy, while others are long enough to fill an evening willfully ignorant of responsibility.
In for the long haul
Short and snappy
“Sex Education” — Netflix The focus of “Sex Education” is a secondary school-aged young man, Otis, whose mother is a sex therapist. After eavesdropping on his mother’s conversations with her clients, Otis becomes a proxy sex therapist for his friends, whose pubescent sexual lives and relationships rival those of his mother’s clients in voracity and complexity. “Ares” — Netflix If you’re a fan of stories about secret societies, “Ares” is the show for you. The short horror series
copyright netflix, and reproduced with permission
Ncuti Gatwa stars as Eric Effiong in the Netflix original series “Sex Education.” The show has been nominated for awards by GLAAD and MTV. follows a college student who desires to become part of Amsterdam’s elite. However, they get far more than they bargained for when they discover the secret society they’ve joined has a
violent secret. “Letterkenny” — Hulu For a town with only 5,000 people, Letterkenny sure has a lot of problems. Join brother-sister duo Katy and Wayne, along
with their friends Squirrely Dan and Daryl, as they navigate the many issues modern life presents for their small-town life on the family farm. This show is filled with witty banter and crass
“Troop Zero” — Amazon Prime Video In an effort to achieve her dreams of being recorded on NASA’s Golden Record, a woman in 1977 rural Georgia puts together a group of “Birdie Scouts” in hopes of winning a competition. Featuring Viola Davis, Mckenna Grace and Jim Gaffigan, this film promises laughs as well as an unconventional plot. “Midsommar” — Amazon Prime Video The instant cult classic A24 film “Midsommar” is available on Amazon Prime Video. If you N E T F L I X PAGE 5
CAMPUS
Interracial couples face family judgement, discrimination By Alejandra Gavilanes @alegavisilva
Outside of his neighbor’s New Year’s Eve party, Jack and his boyfriend Ryan could hear people chanting, “Build that wall.” Walking back into the home, they found a room of Jack’s predominantly white neighbors dancing to each other’s pro-wall chants. Frozen in place, they struggled to decide what to do next. Ryan, who is Hispanic, was the only person of color in the room. “I felt Ryan tense up next to me,” Jack said.“I struggle a lot with knowing when it’s my place to step in (as a white man).” Jack, a UT alumnus, and Ryan are in an interracial relationship. While Jack said he doesn’t think the racial
difference between he and his partner matters, incidents such as the party and occasional snide comments from others remind him that not
He was like, ‘Sweetie, you know, you’re cute, but don’t you think you should end up with someone like us?’” JACK
ut alumnus
everyone agrees with him. Jack’s father is accepting of his relationship with Ryan, but he said his experience at the party is an
example that showed him not everybody is. Before they finally left the party, Jack was pulled aside by his neighbor. “He was like, ‘Sweetie, you know, you’re cute, but don’t you think you should end up with someone like us?’” Jack said. This situation isn’t isolated. Margaret Castellanos, arts and entertainment technologies junior, identifies closely with her Mexican heritage even though she comes from a mixed background with Mexican, Iraqi, white and Native American roots. Her boyfriend, Trenton Bergen, is white. While visiting Bergen’s stepmother, Castellanos had an experience with his aunt that she said made her feel negatively. “(Bergen’s aunt) was
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