Serving The University Of Texas At Austin Community Since 1900 @thedailytexan | thedailytexan.com
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Volume 120, Issue 92
NEWS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFE&ARTS
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New School of Architecture display opens, combines AI with building design.
For students with anxiety, the CMHC needs an online form to book appointments.
Jester staff member draws whiteboard art to boost resident morale.
Courtney Ramey and Elijah Joiner share special moments on the hardwood.
CITY
WEST CAMPUS
Graffiti Park relocates
Austin Planning Commission proposes replacing Graffiti Park with condos.
Abstract Longhorn mural adds color to West Campus By Nataleah Small @nataleahjoy
blaine young
/ the daily texan staff
The HOPE Outdoor Gallery is closed and may be replaced by residential condos. The gallery, called Graffiti Park, will be relocated to Carson Creek Ranch near the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. By Austin Martinez @austinmxrtinez
ustin Planning Commission voted last week to propose replacing Graffiti Park, a popular tourist destination that closed in January 2019, with two separate properties where 22 residential condos will be developed. Austin City Council will vote on the proposal at their Feb. 20 meeting. The park, officially named HOPE Outdoor Gallery, opened in 2011 on Baylor Street but is relocating to Carson Creek Ranch near the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, according to the gallery’s website. Austin-based artist Helena Martin said the park’s closing has
impacted many local artists. “It scattered all of us,” Martin said. “It was a cultural epicenter where we could all meet and catch up with each other. We would plan loosely to be there at the same time, and we could all vibe off each other that way.” Martin said the park influenced her to move to Austin in 2014. She said she owes Graffiti Park for launching her career as an artist because it gave her a space to sell art prints and T-shirts of her work while making connections with clients and other artists. “Austin really embraces art more than most cities,” Martin said. “People in Austin don’t judge so much, and that’s kind of what the Graffiti Park was. It was just this very colorful, rough around the edges playground for adults and children.” English freshman Claire Rudy said she enjoyed bringing friends to the park when they visited Austin because it had a beautiful view of downtown.
“The park represented the large creative influence in Austin,” Rudy said. “It brought travelers to see what made Austin such an artsy city.” The new park will include amenities not found in the original, such as parking, bathrooms, a cafe and art classes, according to KUT. Rudy said she will miss the original park because it was an Austin landmark. “I was not a fan when I heard that the park’s closing was to provide more estates,” Rudy said. “I know there was definitely a bunch of outrage from artists because it’s illegal to do graffiti on public buildings. This was a public space where everyone was free to create whatever art they wanted to, so this takes away a creative outlet.” Jeremy Ukazim, a 2018 UT alumnus, said the park was popular among students and served as a fun meeting place for his student organizations.
“It was a place for creativity and inspiration,” Ukazim said. “It was a relaxing place to get away. There was never bad energy at Graffiti Park.” Ukazim said Graffiti Park is just as important to Austin as Zilker Park and Lake Travis when it comes to capturing the creative and unique culture of the city. “Austin is a weird city and Graffiti Park is where you can see that weirdness placed in art,” Ukazim said. “People will miss having an outdoor place where anyone can go. There was no age limit, and it was free.” Martin said the best part of the park was feeling like she had a voice as an artist. “I’m just glad we had it as long as we did, and I’m even more grateful HOPE, the nonprofit that ran the park, has taken the initiative to make another park,” Martin said. “I feel very indebted to HOPE.”
A multicolored, abstract mural of a longhorn will soon brighten the north wall of The Castilian above the sidewalk on 24th Street. American Campus Communities, which owns The Castilian, commissioned Austin-based artist Micheline Halloul to paint the colorful piece. The West Campus location was chosen to pay tribute to school spirit at the University, Gina Cowart, vice president of branding, marketing and communications strategy for American Campus Communities, said in an email. “American Campus Communities believes in investing in the communities where we have a presence, and that includes working with local artists to showcase their work at our residential communities,” Cowart said in an email. The mural is being painted above the doorway of The Castilian’s north stair to create an “Instagrammable” space, Halloul said. “We placed it right above the doorway so that people could stand toward the edge of the sidewalk and take a picture,” Halloul said. Halloul said she began collaborating with American Campus on the mural design last fall but didn’t start painting until late January. Halloul said she is not a professionally trained artist, but this project marks her first year as a muralist. Halloul said she saw a post for the project on Thumbtack, an online service that matches customers with local professionals, such as painters and personal trainers. “The Thumbtack post had an image of an iPhone text message bubble,” Halloul said. “(It had) some sort of phrase referring to UT, and then it had a hook ‘em emoji. That was American Campus’ idea for the building.” Cowart said American M U R A L PAGE 3
CAMPUS
CAMPUS
Impostor syndrome burdens students, affects mental health
Students advocate for University parental accomodations, policies
By Anna Canizales @annaleonorc
College students from underrepresented communities often feel burdened with feelings of not belonging, said the director of UT’s Institute for Urban Policy Research and Analysis on the Jan. 27 episode of the National Public Radio podcast “The Academic Minute.” Impostor syndrome, or impostor phenomenon, is a psychological feeling that causes a person to doubt their accomplishments and fear being exposed as a “fraud” in their community, according to the American Psychological Association. Kevin Cokley, a professor in the department of educational psychology, described impostor syndrome as a sense of “intellectual phoniness.” “It’s basically this idea that people who are very competent and accomplished and smart nevertheless feel like they are frauds,” said Cokley. “They feel like in spite of their achievements and their competence, they have managed to fool people into thinking they are more intelligent and accomplished than they believe themselves to actually be.” Cokley said these feelings are especially high among students during final exams because of the sense of competition on campus. “There’s something about impostor syndrome that works or applies to everybody to some extent,” said Richard Reddick, an associate dean for equity, community engagement and outreach
in the College of Education. “If you belong to a marginalized identity group, it’s something that you probably feel very astutely and constantly.” Reddick said the feelings of impostor phenomenon greatly affect first-generation students and those who come from minority backgrounds because they have to work harder than other students to prove themselves
I feel out of place, not knowing what I’m really doing here. It would be easier to deal with the feelings we’re feeling if we knew that other people had them, too, and we could all help each other cope with them.” EVA PEREZ freshman
and are not as well represented in their field. “Knowing that these perceptions exist about (minorities having unequal opportunities) can also heighten feelings of being an impostor among students of color,” Cokley said. Undergraduate studies freshman Eva Perez said these feelings are very I M P O S T O R PAGE 3
barb daly
By Laura Morales @lamor_1217
The Graduate Student Assembly and Texas Horns for Life are crafting University policies to assist student parents with balancing family care and studying. Only six colleges at UT have an official parental leave policy. Christina Baze, president of the
Graduate Student Assembly, said she wants to gain more representation for student parents because they are often not considered a priority. “I do get the sense that students who are parents are not often considered when decisions are made and policies are implemented,” Baze said. “It really impacts a student’s career when there is a lack of support for parents.” As a student parent herself, Baze said the most pressing challenges
/ the daily texan staff
student parents face are child care and academic leave. She said she can balance school and child care because her husband works from home and her children are older, but many parents do not have the same support system. Baze said common University accommodations for student parents include a maximum of two semesters of leave and one-semester extensions on assignments, and teaching P A R E N T A L PAGE 2
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Civic organizations host voter registration celebration By Felix Kalvesmaki @thedailytexan
Political activists canvassed the streets of West Campus in hopes of registering UT students to vote in the upcoming primary elections. The Blue Action Democrats of South-Central Austin hosted the Walk West Campus event last weekend to register residents to vote by the Feb. 3 deadline. Students and local organizers split into groups to knock on doors throughout West Campus all weekend. Government sophomore Joe Cascino represented University Democrats at the event. “Unfortunately, West Campus is rarely targeted by wider civic engagement efforts,” Cascino said. “This neglect comes from the fact that registering voters in student housing areas is incredibly difficult due to a lack of data because the transient nature of the student population and security.” Melynda Nuss, president of the Blue Action Democrats of South-Central Austin and UT alumna, said targeting West Campus started as a logistical
News Reporters Victoria Duff, Sana Hameed Photographers Dakota Kern, Dawson McCall, Mateo Macias
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the world.” Following the lecture, guests witnessed the opening of Rehm’s exhibit. “(This display involved) creating a fictionalized space by consuming architectural imagery and then putting it into an impossible configuration of endlessly looping vertical stacks that make up an infinite city block,” Rehm said. The project was designed using neural networks, an AI technology designed to recognize
choice but became something more. Nuss said she was happy to meet new students and spread the word about voting in the upcoming elections. “When we were thinking about our coverage area, we realized that a lot of the area near the river was developing as high
rise condos and that it was very much like the area across the river downtown and up to UT,” Nuss said. “Since that area is in the same congressional district, we decided that would be part of our coverage area.” Nuss, a former election worker, said the voting
process can be complicated for UT students who are not from Austin. She said students often have to submit an absentee ballot when voting if they are not registered to vote in Austin. The polling places in the Perry-Castañeda Library and
and replicate patterns, to automate an architectural configuration, such as a building. This technology is becoming an important part of how students learn architecture. “I am excited to learn from this by seeing other professionals and how they are using these technologies in architecture and how it could be relevant in my future,” architecture senior Elle Brauchle said. “AI is potentially where the world is going and architecture is behind in that realm. It will hopefully catch up.” mateo macias
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assistants can request flexible hours. Baze said UT students have to negotiate their accommodations with supervisors that may not be receptive. John Dalton, assistant dean of graduate studies, said the Graduate Education Task Force in the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost has compiled the experiences of student parents and recommendations for the administration as part of a larger report on graduate students. The report has already been submitted to the provost’s office. Dalton said he has advocated for student parents for multiple years. He said he would not recommend University-wide policies because the academic demands of the schools and students will differ, so it is best the students speak with their advisers. “One size definitely does not fit all when it comes to graduate students,” Dalton said. “Between the student and the supervisor, they come up with a plan. That agreement is then signed off on by the college and school.” Baze said her goal is to
work with administrators to mandate parental accommodations for undergraduate and graduate students throughout the University since the current accommodations are mainly crafted for graduate students. “My goal is to draft legislation trying to encourage the administration to mandate parental accommodation for all policies and schools,” Baze said. “Ultimately, I would like to see a culture shift for parental support for all students regardless of their classification.” Cassie Guardiola, Texas Horns for Life president, said she is also working with GSA to advocate for undergraduate student parents, as well as create parking passes for pregnant students. Marketing senior Guardiola said Texas Horns for Life created a group chat for student parents with the goal of forming a support group. She said the students said they feel largely unsupported by the University. “The administration has not been very accommodating to these pregnant and parenting students,” Guardiola said. “We are hoping for UT to take it more seriously once we gather the support for this legislation.”
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Ishida Rehm Studio’s exhibit, “Interface Architecture,” uses projector screens to simulate city blocks. The exhibit is free and open until March 13.
p a r e n ta l
HI LO
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L&A Reporters Grace Barnes, Kate Williams
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TODAY Feb. 4
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The voter registration event took place on Speedway on Feb. 3. The event lasted from 6 p.m. to midnight and included free food.
the Flawn Academic Center are great, but they are only for voters registered in Travis County, Nuss said. “Students have a choice: Do they want to register at home or register at school?” Nuss said. “Either way works, but they can’t try to vote at school if they’re registered at home, or vice versa.” Cascino said the UT polling locations may have a positive impact on voter turnout, but the fight for campus political participation is far from over. “At UT alone, we saw an increase in midterm turnout from 37% in 2014 to 54% in 2018,” he said. “This can also be attributed to adding a second polling location on campus. But since then, we’ve seen restrictive actions in response to these gains.” Cascino said these restrictive actions, such as banning mobile polling locations on campus for the primaries in 2018, were examples of voter suppression. He said the fight is not over. “We will overcome all obstacles with the power of students who will outorganize anyone in their way and allied adults who are willing to take a chance on the future,” Cascino said.
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Jennifer Rosas, a neuroscience freshman, puts a fire out with a fire extinguisher under the guidance of Roosevelt Easley, Fire Prevention Services Fire Safety Specialist II, during the FPS portable fire extinguisher training on Speedway on Wed, Jan. 29. UT students, faculty and staff who are interested in the training can register through UTLearn. CAMPUS
New display shows push toward AI in architecture By Victoria Duff @thedailytexan
Using artificial intelligence and augmented reality, the School of Architecture revealed Monday a gallery of projector screens that feature a simulation of infinitely tall city block designs. Los Angeles-based design practice Ishida Rehm Studio opened the exhibit “Interface Architecture” in the Mebane Gallery in Goldsmith Hall. The exhibition will be on display until March 13 and is free and open to the public. The studio works on projects related to architecture, product design, interactive media and data analysis. The co-founder of the studio, Casey Rehm, spoke about his work with AI and architecture before the opening in his lecture entitled “Complicit.” Rehm discussed the increasing prevalence of AI in architecture to create designs, such as the one in the display, which showed a pattern of buildings repeatedly generating. “There is something absolutely overwhelming and exciting about a machine’s potential in the future of architecture,” Rehm said about the use of automated reality software in design.
Rehm said the profession is changing to be more geared toward automation and stressed the importance of learning AI as an architecture student. When asked their opinion of this notion, professors in the School of Architecture agreed
There is something absolutely overhwelming and exciting about a machine’s potenital in the future of architecture.” CASEY REHM
studio co-founder
on the value of the skills Rehm specializes in. “It is becoming more and more important to talk about how automation impacts all fields of work,” said Kory Bieg, an associate professor and graduate advisor for the School of Architecture. “By thinking about these things, we can actually direct how we think about computers to make a more productive and positive impact in A I PAGE 2
eddie gaspar
/ the daily texan staff
A new mural of Bevo is almost finished on the north wall of The Castilian on 24th Street.
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Campus coordinated with University sports representatives to ensure their design aligned with UT longhorn trademarks. After the University denied the original text message design, Halloul said American Campus settled on a longhorn. She said the final design was based on a photograph she took of a longhorn in the Lyndon B. Johnson
National Historical Park. Halloul said American Campus wanted the mural to be colorful, so she transformed the original photograph into a digital drawing using Adobe Illustrator and added more colors to the design. “I presented them the final image, and they were totally on board,” Halloul said. “It was like we all connected.” Government sophomore Caroline Puryear said she likes the mural’s bright colors and geometric
shapes. Puryear said the mural could be a good draw for the University as it is longhorn-themed and located in West Campus. “I hope that with it being in the West Campus area, with West Campus being so nice and having so many students, that nice high quality art in West Campus will make it a nicer place,” Puryear said. Anthropology freshman Jessica Seymour said she loves how murals can influence an area. “I love art,” Seymour
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common among students but are not often discussed. “I feel out of place, not knowing what I’m really doing here,” Perez said. “It would be easier to deal with the feelings we’re feeling if we knew that other people had them, too, and we could all help each other cope with them.” Perez, who is a first-generation college student, said she feels like everyone else knows what they are doing at UT, and she cannot relate to that. “Especially if you’re (first-generation), you’re going to struggle way more,” Perez said. “You’re not gonna have the tips and tricks and advice or the well-structured
said. “I love that it can really transform a space from boring and bland to something that is both beautiful and also meaningful in a lot of ways.” Seymour said when she was driving by The Castilian, she saw Halloul painting the mural. Seymour said the piece might become one of her favorite murals in the city. “I like that it’s bright colors and it’s different from a regular (mural),” Seymour said. “It’s not boring or stuffy. It’s very abstract and it’s cool.”
lifestyle that you’re supposed to have. When you’re not prepared for that and you get (to college), it just feels like everyone’s out to get you.” Cokley said these feelings can increase levels of depression and anxiety. “(Students) find themselves in an environment where there are a lot of people who are smart and highly accomplished, and it may end up causing these students to doubt themselves or question whether they really belong there,” Cokley said. Faculty need to constantly reaffirm students that they deserve to be at the University and that they have the capacity to do well, Cokley said. “Faculty perhaps take for granted how much that means to students to hear (that they belong) from their faculty and staff,” Cokley said.
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Campus vending machines need healthier snack options By Maggie Lazaroski Forum editor
hilda rodriguez
You woke up late, missed breakfast, forgot to brush your teeth, yet somehow made it to class on time. All of a sudden, your cheeks go red with embarrassment as others either turn around to look at you or try to ignore the guttural noise from your stomach. Luckily, campus is dotted with vending machines, so you can get something to satisfy your hunger without putting yourself in a time crunch. However, most of the options from the vending machines aren’t exactly brain food, nor will they give you much energy or keep you full. In order to provide students with snacks that are conducive to our well-being, the University should stock on-campus vending machines with healthier options.
/ the daily texan staff
To schedule appointments, the CMHC needs an online form By Abby Springs Associate editor
For as long as I can remember, I’ve struggled with social anxiety. Making phone calls, speaking up in class and even simple conversations can create knots in my stomach and runaway thoughts in my mind. A while back, I decided I wanted to talk to someone about managing my anxiety. But as I picked up the phone to call the Counseling and Mental Health Center and schedule an appointment, the runaway thoughts returned: What if my problems aren’t bad enough? What if I forget to say something? What if they can’t help me? I put the phone down. I still haven’t been to that appointment. When you have social anxiety, a simple phone call can feel like an insurmountable task. Currently, the CMHC only allows students to schedule new appointments in person or over the phone. This means the only way I can get help is through the very thing that I need help for. To better serve people who struggle with social anxiety or other barriers, the CMHC should offer an online appointment scheduling form. Though my anxiety often makes me feel like I’m alone in my struggles, I’m not the only person who has experienced difficulty booking appointments. “I have really bad social anxiety. I always have,” English junior Allyson Stephens said. “So even just making that initial phone call — that was
really, really hard for me.” Social anxiety isn’t the only thing that prevents students from scheduling appointments. Undeclared freshman Henry Hooten wanted to go to the CMHC to learn better time and stress management skills. However, his busy schedule meant he couldn’t call the CMHC during business hours. “I would try to schedule an appointment whenever I had a moment,” Hooten said. “The issue was that I was busy with classes for practically the entirety of their hours.”
When you have social anxiety, a simple phone call can feel like an insurmountable task.” Hooten said an online system absolutely would have benefited him. “A lot of times, I could only find a free moment at night, which is why I wanted to schedule the appointment in the first place.” The current appointment system requires a short in-person or over the phone conversation with a licensed mental health professional. Then, the professional helps determine which resources are appropriate for the student. “Students are typically asked: ‘What is it that they’re experiencing?
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How long has it been going on? Have they ever been to a counselor before?’ Questions kind of digging into the issue a little bit more,” said Katy Redd, associate director for prevention, development and media relations at the CMHC. The CMHC requires the initial phone call or face-to-face conversation because students sometimes think that they can wait a few weeks for their appointment, but it turns out that they may need more immediate care. However, an online form can determine appropriate care as well. The CMHC could provide a confidential form that asks students the same questions as the phone or in-person conversation. The answers could be sent to a mental health professional, who would then respond to the student using the CMHC’s existing confidential messaging service. It’s not impossible, either — Redd stated that the CMHC is always open to improving the student experience. “We’re always trying to evolve our services. We’re always looking into what best serves student needs,” Redd said. For now though, if you need to book an appointment at the CMHC, remember that the office exists to help you. “Our counselors are very sympathetic. They’re ready to listen; they’re ready to hear you,” Redd said. You can call the CMHC at 512-4713515. Hopefully, someday, there will be an online form for you to fill out as well. Springs is a government and political communication sophomore from Dallas.
Most of the options from the vending machines aren’t exactly brain food nor will the give you much energy or keep you full.”
GALLERY
charlie hyman
/ 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.
The benefits of healthy eating are no secret. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a lack of certain nutrients or the underconsumption of fruits and vegetables are associated with lower grades. The benefits of nourishing food aren’t limited to academic success — studies also show that higher fruit and vegetable intake reduced depressive symptoms and increased positive mood among participants. Business freshman Lauren Park said she prefers machines that offer healthier options. “Some have Cheez-Its, Cheetos, just junk food,” Park said. “But I kind of like the one in the (University Teaching Center) because there’s Clif Bars and beef jerky. It’s healthier options, not just preservatives.” Additionally, many students live off campus and may have to skip going home for a meal due to class, office hours or student activities. More substantive food in vending machines would prevent premature burnout. “I could get a snack that would fill me up for longer,” Park said. “Like if it was a healthier snack I wouldn’t have to buy two snacks that don’t fill me up and are bad for me.” There are over 400 vending machines on UT’s campus. A handful of these machines are labeled with a sticker that says “Lite Bites,” meaning that some snacks meet certain criteria based on fat, saturated fat and sugar content to be considered healthy. Although some of these machines are geared toward healthy food, many of these vending machines only contain the typical fare: chips, candy and cookies, which has led to some confusion among students. Sarah Frey, health promotion coordinator at the Longhorn Wellness Center, said some of the machines with the Lite Bite labels are not being restocked with snacks that meet the criteria because there is higher demand for unhealthy snacks. Jeff Woodruff, vending coordinator for Parking and Transportation Services, explained why not all Lite Bite machines are restocked. “While it’s possible to modify the ratio of traditional versus healthier snacks offered in campus vending machines, snack options are determined by consumer supply and demand based on monthly sales audits conducted by our vendors,” Woodruff said. Nonnutritious food might be more profitable, but prioritizing the financial gains from individually packaged snacks over student health is an entirely misguided decision. The University should begin by restocking the misleading Lite Bites machines with healthy food and implement better options at all vending locations. We live in a time where poor student health poses a sizable threat to our future and our studies, and the University should equip us with the choice to combat that. Lazaroski is an English sophomore from Dallas.
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about their professional future in the field? LC: One, I believe in them. Two, I truly believe that dance is important. I think it needs to be more present in the world. And I think we need to find pathways for dancers and dance majors to understand what dance contains in terms of its potential for everyday people, everyday life — not just on the stage. DT: How will you help launch students into their professional careers? LC: (Dancers) are always doing things together, and we know how to collaborate. The world is becoming very afraid
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“I appreciate the idea of people maybe knowing that I’m the one with these
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was aiming to be zero waste by 2020. Although estimates show the University currently diverts 40% of waste from the landfill, Walker said the conversation is ongoing to reach the suggested goal of 2030. “We were very optimistic then,” Walker said. “We learned that there needed to be more work by the University on bins and signage, more awareness from students, staff and faculty about what to put where and more work with our vendors about contamination of nonrecyclables in the recycling bin.” Biology junior Melanie Albrecht serves as a student intern at Resource Recovery, a group that manages UT’s Zero Waste Program and manages the daily campus changes that are implemented. Albrecht runs audits on various dumpsters on campus to collect data about what is being
of human interaction and very suspicious of collaboration, and we know how to do that. We also know how to show up every day in a classroom where we’re not going to know half of what’s going on. People make up new material every day so dancers encounter the unknown every day. … How do we get beyond wanting to just dance in professional companies? How do we figure out how dance can be more widely applicable? Our skills can be shared with more of the general population, and if we can figure out how, then I’ve given them multiple ways to not only maintain a job but to be truly excited to do all the different things that might be possible with a degree in dance. That is essential for dance to survive.
weird little whiteboard words of encouragement. Maybe they’ll be more okay with approaching a staff member,” he said. “If that happens once, that’s all that matters.”
correctly recycled and sorted. “We see a lot of paper cups in the recycling when really those items should end up in the landfill trash or compost if they’re compostable,” Albrecht said. “All the other project teams kind of use that data to see where we need to target our efforts to increase our waste diversion.” Resources such as digital textbooks, DocuSign, online syllabi and QR codes make a large impact on sustainability, Walker said. Although sustainability is a global issue, Walker said it takes individual action to achieve and begin to see measurable change. Both Shu and Albrecht said it’s important to avoid putting pressure on oneself to live a perfectly zero waste lifestyle and instead strive to change the factors students have control over. “I can’t be perfect about this lifestyle. I have to find myself using it,” Shu said. “But I’m working towards it.”
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copyright jim lafferty, and reproduced with permission
New dance professor Leah Cox says her teachers inspired her to teach dance. Cox said she loves teaching dance because the clasroom is always alive.
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MARCUS KRUM
Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS
Bigger than basketball
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020
BASKETBALL
daKota Kern
/ the daily teXan file
Sophomore guard Courtney Ramey muscles his way past an LSU defender in the Longhorns 69-67 loss to the Tigers on Jan 25. at the Frank Erwin Center. By Alex Briseño @alex__briseno
exas guard Courtney Ramey and Tulsa guard Elijah Joiner played on courts 450 miles apart, but both headlined the college basketball weekend after reminding us not only of the power in sports but of something that echoes outside any arena. Joiner, Tulsa’s 6-foot-3-inch junior guard from Chicago, was raised by his mother and stepfather while his biological father wasn’t in the picture. That all changed recently. Joiner and his father have reestablished a relationship, which eventually led to his father making the trip to see his son play at Tulsa for the very first time Saturday night. As for Ramey, his story isn’t about reestablishing. It’s about remembering, and playing for, his mother. Ramey’s mother, Angie Marie Turner, died when he was 10. So as Saturday unfolded, Joiner performed with his father in the stands for the first time, and Ramey put on a show for his mother, just as he’s done over the last 10 years. The results? Joiner already had 19 points deep
into the second half, but the game getting the words out. “It just means wasn’t over yet. Tulsa and No. 23 a lot to me knowing that he was here Wichita State were tied, 51-51, with and that I could do this in this special only 3.3 seconds remaining. moment. I never pictured this. I nevJoiner caught the inbound pass er pictured him being in the crowd and stormed down the court to the cheering me on and things like that right wing. With one-tenth of a secthis far in my life.” ond left on the clock, he threw up a “But he’s here, and I’m just so contested 3-pointer before falling to happy that he’s here,” Joiner said bethe ground. It went in. fore collapsing into the arms of Tulsa The miraculous shot wasn’t just a head coach Frank Haith. career-high 22 points for Joiner, but Joiner eventually regained his it was for an upset victory, triggering composure, adding, “I just thank God a flood of students to storm the court that he helped us build the relationin celebration. ship that we have After the crowd now. That’s my eventually settled right-hand man, down and the and I’m just glad court started to I honestly never pic- to see him out here clear, Joiner’s faexcited to see his tured this moment son perform.” ther congratulated him with an emoIn our backwith my father being tional hug. yard, Ramey put here for the first Moments later, on a poetic perforJoiner delivered time. I’m just so hap- mance of his own. a tear-jerking highpy that he was here Ramey’s monologue after lights came later for this moment.” he was asked to than he probably describe what this preferred. He was ELIJAH JOINER moment meant limited to a zetuLsA GuArd to him. ro-point first half, “I honestly nevbut with 3:02 left er pictured this moment with my in the game, he took over. father being here for the first time. After hitting a late 3-pointer to cut I’m just so happy that he was here Iowa State’s lead to two points, he got for this moment,” Joiner said, barely his hands on the ball again, this time
with the Longhorns still down by two and just over a minute left. He looked as if he was going to use a screen from Jericho Sims at the top of the key before crossing back over to create a wide open 3-pointer from the left wing. He hit it. It was the Longhorns’ first lead of the second half, and that was all they needed to escape with a 72-68 victory thanks to the late heroics from Ramey’s 14-point second-half performance. Once Ramey was finished conducting his closer, he turned to the Longhorn bench that swarmed him almost immediately after he made the shot. Before they could get to him, though, he pointed to his wrist. He later explained that the gesture was a reference to a tattoo he has on his arm for his mother. “Everything that I do is for her, so I just wanted to point her out,” Ramey said. “I just feel like she was with me tonight.” Joiner was later featured on ESPN as the top play on SportsCenter for both the shot and the moment he had with his father. Ramey didn’t end up on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays. His mother wasn’t there for his shot either, but there was a moment — as brief as it was — and it belonged only to them.
BASKETBALL
Longhorns fall to Jayhawks on the road in Lawrence By Wills Layton @willsdebeast
Winning on the road is difficult, and winning on the road against a ranked team is even more so. But beating No. 3 Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse is almost impossible, and Texas found that out Monday. The Longhorns failed to take advantage of the opportunity to bolster their résumé on Monday night against the Jayhawks, losing 58-69 in a game that could have moved the team squarely onto the NCAA Tournament bubble. After winning the last two games by a combined five points, Texas came into the matchup with some momentum. A clutch performance by sophomore guard Courtney Ramey against the Iowa State Cyclones had the Longhorns rolling into the game. “Each win is important for us,” Ramey said following the victory over Iowa State. “Every game really is just taking it one game at a time and not putting anybody above anybody. Iowa State was our Kansas today, and Kansas is going to be Kansas on Monday.” The matchup was a rematch of a close game that took place in Austin on Jan. 18, during which the
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Longhorns gave away a halftime lead to lose by nine. Additionally, the loss to Kansas was a part of two games in a three-day stretch that ended with a blowout at the hands of the Mountaineers. Monday’s story saw the same end result. The Jayhawks’ aggressive style of play drew Texas junior forward Jericho Sims into early foul trouble, forcing center forward Will Baker and junior forward Royce Hamm Jr. to match up with one of the best big men in the Big 12: senior center Udoka Azubuike. The Texas players were fighting through fatigue after having played another game only two nights prior. But the emotions of the moment were enough to fuel the Longhorns as they tried to fight their way back into the game late into the first half, earning a twopoint lead to close out the half. “Just the conviction to hang in there,” head coach Shaka Smart said at halftime. “They’re going to make tough shots because they’re a good team. We got to have the conviction to stay with our plans and stick together and play twenty more minutes.” However, that conviction didn’t stick around for long. The Jayhawks were able to regain the lead quickly,
jacK myer
/ the daily teXan file
Junior guard Matt Coleman dribbles past defenders in Texas 69-67 loss to the LSU Tigers on Jan. 25 at the Frank Erwin Center. scoring four straight to start the second half. They would keep the Longhorns at arm’s length for the first 10 minutes before stretching their lead to double digits with less than eight minutes to go. They
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would stay ahead for the rest of the game. While very few expected the Longhorns to compete with the more talented team on the road two days removed from an emotional comeback
victory, the loss does not bode well for Texas’ tournament hopes. However, the Longhorns will have to respond before their next matchup against Texas Tech at home. “When the game’s not
going perfect for you individually, you don’t have time to feel sorry for yourself,” Smart said. “You have to do what’s next. Just try to hang in there and continue to fight and stay together.”
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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
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 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 Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Crossword ACROSS
29 Trip through the bush 31 *Decorative 6 Home to seven garden feature “-stan” countries with fish 10 Drive-up bank 33 Many an adopted conveniences pet 14 Wagner on a very 36 Star pitchers valuable baseball 37 *Almost-identical card pair, figuratively 15 James of Her Majesty’s Secret 41 ___ Sea (mostly dried-up lake) Service 42 Country on an 16 Actress Patricia isthmus of “Hud” 43 *It flows through 17 *Currency Turin replaced by the euro 46 Big name in sunglasses 19 ___ a soul (no one) 50 Clinch victory in 20 G.O.P. fund51 Result of a coup raising org. 54 Top-notch 21 Makes a boo-boo 55 Preachers preach 22 Apply suddenly, it as brakes 57 Oodles 24 Not go bad 59 Periods after the 26 Just one small fourth qtr. bite 60 Duchess of ___ 28 Pigeon’s sound (Goya subject) 1 Diving gear
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61 Common New Year’s resolution -- as hinted at by the answers to the four starred clues 64 “Dear Santa” requests 65 Like 2, 4, 6, 8 … 66 The mermaid in “The Little Mermaid” 67 Magnetite and cassiterite 68 Common first word 69 “___ after class” DOWN 1 Neglects, as responsibilities 2 It’s reshaped by Lasik surgery 3 Humanitarian org. since 1946 4 Clear tables in a restaurant 5 Tennis’s Arthur ___ Stadium 6 Call off, as a mission 7 Composer whose work might be appropriate during March Madness? 8 Alternative to an Airbnb 9 Supplements 10 Elsa’s sister in “Frozen” 11 Fans of Conan O’Brien, colloquially 12 Cast away, like Crusoe 13 Subtle acknowledgments
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18 Give kudos 23 Floral necklace 25 Sentence shortener 27 Yarn purchase 30 Gym lifter’s unit 32 Tropical fruit with orange flesh 34 Mafia bosses 35 Olympics chant 37 Like the French and Italian flags 38 Silently bids adieu
39 Limited, as a search 40 Doctors’ org. 41 Thank you, in Tokyo
49 Big name in chocolate and bottled water 52 Zapped at a riot, perhaps
44 Eggs on sushi
53 Kagan on the bench
45 Like some teeth, pork and punches
56 Comment at a bridge table
47 Get down on the dance floor
62 Egg cells
48 “God Save the Queen,” for one
58 Herbal brews
63 Emotion that’s “raised”
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T R I N A DY J O S L I N
Life&Arts Editor | @TRINADY05
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020
CAMPUS
LIFE&ARTS
Jester East art inspires students
blaine young
/ the daily texan staff
Kevin McCalla is a Jester East staff member who creates intricate whiteboard drawings with funny or motivational messages in the resident hall’s lobby for students each morning.
Night supervisor uses passion for art to create unique illustrations that encourage and bring positivity to residents. By Kate Williams @kwilleliza
hen students walk into Jester East, they are welcomed by a whiteboard adorned with flowers and an uplifting message: “Stop waiting for permission to be who you want to be.” Kevin McCalla, UT class of 2008 alumnus, works the night shift at the front desk of Jester East, where he creates elaborate whiteboard illustrations that have become a staple of the dorm. These illustrations can take hours to complete, but
McCalla said seeing students smile is all the motivation he needs. “Everyone needs encouragement or just a stupid funny image, including me,” McCalla said. “Half the time I’m just like, ‘What would I need to hear?’” McCalla spent a lot of his childhood in the hospital because of a genetic condition and said he used art as a way to escape the dreary environment. “The art in hospitals is really bad,” McCalla said. “So I would be five years old staying in Washington, D.C., at the National Institutes of Health, looking at the bad hospital art in the ‘80s, like, ‘I don’t like the way that this thing flows with this.’” McCalla needed a kidney transplant the year after he graduated from UT with an art degree so he started working night operations on campus because UT provides health insurance. Not long after McCalla became a staff member in 2007, a UT student died by suicide. “There’s been a few (suicides), but the first one hit me the hardest,” McCalla said. “I’m just
the night guy. There’s nothing I can do to make people feel better.” McCalla said this experience changed how he viewed his job. He began to realize the impact he could have on residents’ lives, finding he could brighten their days through art. “I just want people to smile,” said McCalla. “I want them to be encouraged. College is hard enough. I don’t want anyone to feel hopeless.” Since February 2018, students in the dorm have come to anticipate these whiteboard art pieces. On most days, it’s common to see a student or two pausing to take a picture of whatever joke or words of encouragement are on the board. “I love them so much,” Rushale Krishan, psychology freshman and Jester East resident, said. “There’s so much thought and effort that goes into making them, and I just appreciate the positivity they bring into our lives.” The whiteboards have helped to create a supportive community in Jester East. Krishan said McCalla’s drawings have built a sense
of camaraderie for residents, even when she didn’t personally know he made them. “I feel like they bring us together in a way because everybody can relate to liking those pictures and knowing that somebody put a lot of hard work and effort into them,” Krishan said. McCalla’s work not only puts smiles on the faces of Jester East residents but inspires his coworkers. “He does a fantastic job of representing UT faculty as a whole but especially here in Jester East,” said Sean Tucker, communication and leadership junior and Jester East resident assistant. “(He’s) a perfect example of how every day and every moment that you have, you have a chance to do something really special to impact somebody else.” At first, McCalla said he enjoyed people not recognizing that he is the artist behind the whiteboard, but he is happy for students to know. JESTER
CAMPUS
Q&A
Students, University work toward zero waste goals, sustainable lifestyle
New dance professor Leah Cox seeks to engage nondancers
By Aisling Ayers
By Grace Barnes
Bombarded with offers of cups, T-shirts and other merchandise from various campus organizations, some students who are walking down Speedway jump at the opportunity for a free gift. Others are determined to decline anything that is not reusable, no matter how tempting. “If it’s not something I want to eat or something that I see myself using in the future, I will refuse it,” sustainability junior Vivi Shu said. “(If) I’m just going to throw it in the trash, why don’t I let them keep it?” Shu is one of many students striving to maintain a zero waste lifestyle, meaning they divert 90% of waste from the landfill to instead be composted, recycled, reused or repurposed. While working on a project about the fashion industry’s rapid production rates, Shu said she became interested in the ethics of the origin of everyday objects and how much waste she produced daily. “I have all this stuff, and I don’t even use half of it,” Shu said. “I had to start decluttering and realizing what stuff was really important to me.” On a typical day, Shu carries a reusable water bottle
When UT’s job announcement for a new dance professor came across Leah Cox’s desk, she wasn’t necessarily looking for a job, but after reading the description, she knew UT was where she wanted to be. This spring, the College of Fine Arts welcomed Leah Cox, a widely recognized dancer and arts administrator, to its faculty in the Department of Theatre and Dance. The Daily Texan spoke with Leah Cox about coming to UT and what she hopes to accomplish during her time here.
@aisling_ayers
@gebarnes210
blaine young
/ the daily texan staff
Vivi Shu is one of many students trying to maintain a zero waste lifestyle. Shu said the hardest thing is being prepared every day. and bag, metal spoon, straw and chopsticks. “The hardest struggle is being prepared,” Shu said. “Living a busy lifestyle makes it a lot harder to plan ahead and buy groceries in bulk or avoid plastics in grocery stores.” Shu said she has to make a lot of sacrifices while trying to maintain a zero waste lifestyle. “A lot of the things we do are based on convenience, and we take (it) for granted,” Shu said. “It’s a burden for me to
PAGE 5
be prepared.” Although Shu said her lifestyle choice is often misunderstood by others, she would rather take on the burden than be a burden for her environment. “People say, ‘Well what does it matter? You’re one person out of many,’” Shu said. “And I’m like, well, that’s their choice. Maybe if I do it, more people will be encouraged to join.” On a Universitywide scale,
director of sustainability Jim Walker said creating a zero waste campus is complicated due to managing different campus entities and the size of the University. “We’re a small city,” Walker said. “We have a lot of different buildings on campus. It all takes a conversation. It takes resources and funding to manage.” In 2011, Walker said UT W A S T E PAGE 5
The Daily Texan: What inspired you to teach dance? Leah Cox: I was inspired
to teach by my teachers because they made dance exciting, and they painted it as a way of existing in the world, not just something we do, not even as a way of life. It’s almost like a lens that you can use. What I love about dance is precisely that — that it can be a way of understanding the world and under-
standing human existence. All the tools that we gain through dancing, you can apply to everything. DT: What do you love about
teaching dance?
LC: The classroom for dance is always alive. I mean that in the sense that dancers always take class. It’s not like you graduate from it. Dance in particular, as a form, has continued to see how class is a site of immense possibility. There’s a lot of research and discovery that goes on in class. It’s also a place where I’m learning what matters to young people today that are coming up through the form. How do I then have to adapt and discover new material to help them do the kinds of things they want to do? I mean, 10 years ago, even social justice as an area of concern was nowhere near the level of importance that is today. Now, we have to fold that into dance.
DT: Dance, and performing
arts in general, is a hard field to break into. What would you say to students who would like to study dance but who are unsure D A N C E PAGE 5