Serving The University Of Texas At Austin Community Since 1900 @thedailytexan | thedailytexan.com
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Volume 120, Issue 102
NEWS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFE&ARTS
PAGE 2
PAGE 4
PAGE 6
PAGE 8
Hindu Students Association hosts events during Hinduism Awareness Week.
The CMHC should be used as a resource by students of all backgrounds and identitites.
Benson Center exhibit of Cuban comics shows subversive socialist ideologies.
Charli Collier has another double-double in Texas’ 50-44 victory over West Virginia.
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UNIVERSITY
Polls open on campus
Students will be able to vote early at the PCL and FAC starting Tuesday.
Staff Emergency Fund provides relief for struggling staff By Lauren Grobe @grobe_lauren
jonathan sherchand
/ the daily texan staff
Early voting for Travis County begins Tuesday and runs through Super Tuesday on March 3. Voters can vote on campus at the Perry-Castañeda Library and the Flawn Academic Center from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. By Hannah Williford @HannahWillifor2
arly voting will kick off Tuesday, allowing Travis County voters to begin choosing their primary nominees and determining local elections. Those who registered 30 days before election day, March 3, can vote on campus from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Perry-Castañeda Library and the Flawn Academic Center, according to the Travis County Clerk website. Janae Steggall, the civic engagement alliance chair for TX Votes, said she encourages people to take advantage of early voting, vote with friends and use social media to get other
voters interested. “(Early voting is) 10 whole days of essentially no line at any polling station, which just makes it so much easier and faster to go out and vote,” said Steggall, a government and international relations and global studies sophomore. “My past two times doing early voting, I’ve had a five minute wait one time and then no (wait) the other. I just walked straight into the polling station.” Democrats will vote for a presidential primary candidate from a pool that includes Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, former Vice President Joe Biden, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, billionaire Tom Steyer and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Although University Democrats does not endorse national candidates,
It’s time for change in Travis County. It’s time for people of color to stop being disproportionately represented in our jails.” ALEX EVANS plan ii freshman
Alex Evans, communications director for University Democrats, said her advice for choosing who to vote for is to do research and follow your gut. John Cornyn, United States Senate incumbent, will run for the
Republican senatorial nomination against business owner Dwayne Stovall, investor Mark Yancey, software developer Virgil Bierschwale and attorney John Anthony Castro. Twelve candidates are vying for the Democratic Senate nominee, according to the Travis County sample ballot. Taylor Frontera, the administrative director and state liaison for College Republicans at Texas, said she feels confident in Cornyn because of his experience in the legislature and his ability to work across the aisle. “He’s trying to be a true representative to his constituents,” Frontera said. “Even though you’re a Republican candidate in office, you get phone calls from
When Fran Peña realized she was having a mental health emergency, she did everything right. She went to an emergency room and checked herself into a mental health hospital, but before she could leave, she had to pay a bill. Then, another bill came in the mail. And another. And another. “For some reason, they won’t allow you to leave until you pay something,” said Peña, administrative program coordinator for the Latino Research Institute. “To me, (the hospital is) bringing more anxiety when they want money, when you’re supposed to be working on (anxiety).” Peña was able to pay her medical bills after a friend recommended she apply for the Staff Emergency Fund, which is offered through the Employee Assistance Program. “(I) got a check in the mail, and I was so relieved,” Peña said. “It really helped ease that burden and anxiety of having all these different bills.” The staff emergency fund is available to all University staff when they face unexpected outof-pocket expenses they are unable to pay, said Jeff Stellmach, a University senior social worker. The maximum award for an individual is $1,000. “Primarily, we’ve had people who have had medical emergencies utilize it,” Stellmach said. “But it’s not limited to just those.” The fund is supplied through donations from UT Cares, the Staff Council and, for the first time, HornRaiser. Kellie Sullivan, associate director for annual giving for the University Development F U N D PAGE 3
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UT scientists create fossil board game, foster learning By Anna Canizales @annaleonorc
Two UT scientists developed a game of chance to help students understand taphonomy, or how fossils are formed, in a classroom setting. UT alumna Anna Weiss and Rowan Martindale, an assistant professor in the department of geological sciences, created “Taphonomy: Dead and Fossilized.” Weiss, who was Martindale’s teaching assistant for the Life Through Time course in spring 2018, said the topic of taphonomy is complex, and developing a board game would make it more engaging for students. “There’s a really specific, random set of factors that have to happen in order for a fossilization to occur and then for the fossil to be found,” Weiss said. “(The game) mimics the chance aspect of it and the inherent randomness that goes into (something) eventually becoming a fossil.” In the game, players are paleontologists who travel through time and find fossils. Over 700 students at 20 different United States universities,
including UT, have played the game, Martindale said. She said one of the main goals of the game is accessibility, so there is a free printout version available on the Texas Data Repository website. “As long as you can access a printer and some cardboard, you could make the game yourself,” Martindale said. “The idea was if you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere and have no teaching budget ... the students can still learn the same material they would in a wealthy institution.” Martindale said they developed the game to not only teach students about taphonomy, but also to provide a lab activity that students would have fun participating in. “We tried to make the game as interesting as possible while still having a degree of scientific accuracy,” Martindale said. “The act of playing the game helps you learn the material.” Weiss said they are also developing a Spanish language version and working to expand the game to high school classrooms. The game can be adapted to play with different age groups beyond high school and college, Martindale said. “It could be a great resource for a lot of different people at various ages,” geology
sophomore Michael Chiappone said. “It doesn’t necessarily get too complicated so that it’s harder for younger people to understand it, but it’s not so dumbed down that older people can’t enjoy the experience.” Students who have played the game generally have a better understanding of the material than in previous classes, Martindale said. “Students were actually getting what we wanted them to get out of it,” Weiss said. “They were intuitively understanding (the concepts), and that’s really important for actually learning.” Weiss said they came up with the concept and rules for the game over the course of an afternoon and had people who were interested in board games test it out. “It takes a topic that isn’t often talked about in general media dealing with paleontology and (makes) it really interesting using game mechanics,” said Chiappone, who played the game in the Life Through Time class. “It takes an educational risk that some professors don’t take. When you can get your students to be hands-on in really different ways ... it can make a memorable experience.”
rocky higine
/ the daily texan staff
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In an effort to educate UT students on the values, practices and traditions constituting Hinduism, the Hindu Students Association is hosting Hinduism Awareness Week. The theme for this year’s awareness week is Saving our Bhumi, which means “Mother Nature” in Sanskrit, said event co-chair Hiranmayee Buyyanapragada. “The theme really means more than just saving the environment,” Buyyanapragada said. “It’s also saving our Bhumi by being united. Regardless of our diverse beliefs and backgrounds, we can all come together and have a good conversation, help bring out the best in each other.” Unity through diversity is promoted throughout many of the organization’s events and was their theme for the Hindu holiday Holi two years ago, Buyyanapragada said. Members kicked off the week Sunday by decorating tote bags for Hope Totes, an organization that provides children in emergency shelters, safe houses and foster care with tote bags full of clothing, toiletry and other necessities. The totes were provided to the organization by the South Asians’ International Volunteer Association, a Central Texas-based nonprofit promoting well-being through community engagement for
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older adults of South Asian heritage. The organization set up informational booths Monday in Gregory Plaza, each focusing on different aspects of Hinduism including the arts, science and how Hinduism exists globally. One booth explained Vedanta, which is the conclusion of Hinduism’s religious texts, and another centered
on murti, which is a statue of a deity used in prayer. Other events planned for the week include an interfaith discussion Tuesday and a showcase for traditional dance and music called Milan on Friday. For several members, the sense of community is what convinced them to become involved in the organization. “A lot of people who join
US Senate candidates discuss climate policy at Austin forum
E-Week kickoff brings engineers together By Madi Margulies @MadiMargulies
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is important since there is a lot of misunderstanding surrounding Hinduism. “A lot of people know about Christianity and Islam and Judaism, but they don’t really know about Hinduism,” Ndegwa said. “It is important to bring awareness so that people actually know what Hinduism is about and know that it’s more than just a religion.”
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this org find it to be a family away from home,” biomedical engineering junior Mansi Gattani said. “Out of the many orgs I tried out, this org felt the most welcoming.” Business freshman Kimberly Ndegwa said she was excited to learn more about Hinduism at the event Monday and thought having Hinduism Awareness Week
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Biomedical engineering senior Ajay Gadwal serves pakora during Hinduism Awareness Week at Gregory Plaza. The event, hosted by the Hindu Students Association, was held to bring awareness to Hinduism and its influence around the world.
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Senate candidates Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez, Royce West and Amanda Edwards speak on climate change at the University Presbyterian Church on Monday. The event was the state’s only candidate forum on climate change before the primary election on March 3. By Koshik Mahapatra @koshikmahapatra
Three Democratic candidates running to unseat United States Sen. John Cornyn gathered at the University Presbyterian Church on Monday to share their plans to address climate change. The Texas Interfaith Center for Public Policy, Texas Impact, Environment Texas and the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club hosted the event, which they said was the state’s only candidate forum on climate change occurring before the March 3 primary. The event is also a part of Texas Impact’s inaugural Texas Interfaith Advocacy Conference, which allows attendees to interact with political issues and their elected officials. The candidates, which include former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards, state Sen. Royce West and labor organizer Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez, said there is a moral responsibility and economic opportunity in confronting the climate crisis. “It used to be the case where you get in a setting like this and you had to debate whether climate change was real,” Edwards said. “We’re past that ... because we had to see and feel the implications for ourselves (in Texas).” Edwards said she supports investing in renewable energy sources and green infrastructure with enhanced resilience
against natural disasters. West said his decades of legislative experience would deliver a solution with bipartisan support from both the public sector and private industry leaders. “I don’t think it’s realistic to believe that we will ever end up with a fossil fuel-free economy, but what I do think is that we can position the industry leaders here in Texas also to make certain that … the dominant energy will be renewable,” West said. Ramirez said she supports a Green New Deal to help Texas achieve net-zero emissions. “If you read the Green New Deal … it simply states that we’re going to rise to the scale and ambition necessary and not leave any oil and gas worker behind,” Ramirez said. “We need the full scale and investment of the federal government to tackle climate change.” An increasing number of Texans say climate change is an important issue in determining who they vote for, according to an October 2019 University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. The poll found 72% of Texas voters who believe climate change is happening were either very worried or somewhat worried about it. “A candidate that denies climate change or doesn’t do anything about it … would definitely stand out in my mind as a negative,” economics junior Justin Van said.
The smell of burgers and hot dogs on the grill permeated the air while Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” played from a speaker at the 2020 Engineers Week kickoff party Friday. The Student Engineering Council is hosting its annual E-Week, a weeklong competition between about 20 engineering organizations on campus. E-Week includes activities such as a scavenger hunt, talent show and charity dodgeball tournament. “Basically, it’s just a week where we skip a lot of class and we have a lot of fun,” mechanical engineering sophomore Jose Martinez said. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers hosted the kickoff event because they were last year’s champions. They provided food for the other organizations and planned three minigames to get the competition started. The minigames included a Frisbee passing game, a Pac-Manstyle maze and a barrel rolling game with tennis balls and baskets. During Pac-People, students locked arms and formed a human maze as their friends sprinted through the labyrinth of limbs. Martinez, external affairs officer of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ UT chapter, said there are about eight hours of competitions every day during E-Week. (“During E-Week,) everyone’s just
as invested and crazy about it as you are, and the energy is really cool,” Martinez said. Organizations earn points by competing in, attending and hosting events. The organization that earns the most points receives a trophy at the concluding event on Monday, the E-Week Banquet, and gets to plan the kickoff event for the following year. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers has taken home the trophy the last four years. “It’s a great way to bond with the engineering school, have a friendly competition and foster those connections,” said Sam LeBus, mechanical engineering sophomore and co-director of engineering activities for the Student Engineering Council. Scott Brinen, co-director of engineering activities for the Student Engineering Council, said his favorite part of E-Week is interacting with engineers he does not see throughout the school year. “I know people from two years ago that I met from the first week I was a part of that (that) I still have a connection with,” chemical engineering junior Brinen said. “Meeting new people each year and then seeing them again as we compete ... is super cool.” Mechanical engineering junior Haley Morris said E-Week can be chaotic, but in a good way. “The events are wild sometimes,” Morris said. “These are some of the events I’ve laughed the hardest at in my life.”
miller filla
/ the daily texan staff
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers hosted the kickoff of E-Week, a week-long competition between around 20 engineering organizations on campus.
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UT students request oat milk in campus dining halls By Nataleah Small @nataleahjoy
Requests for oat milk as a dairy alternative in dining halls trickled in to University Housing and Dining this year, UHD registered dietitian Lindsay Wilson said. UHD continuously receives student feedback regarding food and beverages, Wilson said. But because oat milk is still a niche option, it has yet to become readily available through UT’s vendors and has not been added as a milk alternative in Jester 2nd Floor and Kinsolving dining halls, she said. “If it does become a staple item that sells just as well as the soy and the almond, they probably will then make it available to (the) industry service setting,” Wilson said. Dairy milk is the most popular traditional milk, and soy milk is the most popular alternative milk in dining halls, UHD dining director Rene Rodriguez said. UHD added bulk dispensers of almond milk in the dining halls two years ago, but they had to be removed after one year,
Wilson said. “It just wasn’t as popular as the soy milk was,” Wilson said. “We were not moving enough product for our … vendors to actually keep that in stock.” Although almond milk is no longer available in
People like their coffee in a million different ways, so people can like their milk in a million different ways.” RUPA SHANKAR ut senior
large batches in the dining halls, Wilson said it is available for individual purchase in campus convenience stores. UHD has also steered away from offering cartons of alternative milks in dining halls because it is more difficult to keep track of their refrigeration and expiration, Rodriguez said. “If it’s in a regular little cooler that they’re
steph sonik
grabbing, we don’t know … how long they keep it out and things like that,” Rodriguez said. Time and temperature are the biggest factors that need to be controlled in dining halls, Rodriguez
said. Once a carton of milk is opened, he said it needs to be labeled with a use-by date so it can be discarded before expiration. Rodriguez said the large batches of soy and dairy milk are in refrigerated
/ the daily texan staff
cases, so it is easy to control their temperature. Rupa Shankar, a management information systems, business honors and Plan II senior, said she prefers to drink 2% and skim milk. Besides
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Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, from all over the political spectrum, and your job is to represent them.” The race for Travis County District Attorney will also come to a head on March 3 as candidates José Garza and Erin Martinson face off against incumbent Margaret Moore. Evans said University Democrats is backing José Garza. “It’s time for change in Travis County,” Plan II freshman Evans said. “It’s time for people of color to stop being disproportionately represented in our jails. It’s time for criminal justice reform. It’s
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identifying them as sweeter milks, Shankar said she cannot taste the difference between almond and oat milk but understands that people have different tastes and preferences. “People like their coffee in a million different ways, so people can like their milk in a million different ways,” Shankar said. Finance senior Sri Chakra Narayani Narasimhan said she used to drink almond milk but switched to oat milk because it has a milder flavor and is more similar to dairy milk. As a freshman, Narasimhan lived in the dorms and saw whole, 2% and soy milk in dining halls. Narasimhan said it would be better if more nondairy options were offered. However, she said she recognizes that it may be challenging for a university to accommodate multiple milk preferences when serving thousands of people. “Because soy is so abundant and has reached such great popularity, that’s easier for them to accommodate,” Narasimhan said. “I would rather have oat milk, but I expect a coffee shop to accommodate me, not a university.”
time to start properly advocating and supporting victims of sexual assault in the legal system.” Frontera, a German and international relations and global studies senior, said the reforms planned by the Democratic candidates would be too radical and ineffective. Frontera said Moore is making substantial progress in this area. “Moore has done a great deal for the county as DA including the implementation of new advisory programs to ensure civil justice is conducted appropriately,” Frontera said in an email. “Additionally, she has dramatically reduced prosecutions of minimal drug possessions. She still stands for the law and emphasizes that the rule of law must be followed but has created avenues to address unruly convictions.”
Congratulations, Congratulations, UT UT Graduates Graduates
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o continues from page 1 a - Office, said HornRaiser is - an effective platform for any - initiative at the University. m “We’re able to draw attention to some of the many r e areas that you can donate back to here at UT, like ” the staff emergency fund,” e Sullivan said. Stellmach said the Staff Council and human resources department created the fund in 2003. Stellmach said the fund has been promoted through other avenues, and this year, HornRaiser contacted the Employee Assistance Program about hosting the emergency fund. The fund’s HornRaiser will accept donations through March 6, according to the HornRaiser website. “It’s an additional source of funding and promotion,” Stellmach said. “That’s our
primary interest: promotion to the campus.” Stellmach said the fund is also promoted through the Staff Council, the human resources department and
(I) got a check in the mail, and I was so relieved. It really helped ease that burden and anxiety of having all these different bills.” FRAN PEÑA
program coordinator
the Employee Assistance Program website. Peña said she had never heard of the staff emergency fund until she needed the financial aid. She also said it would have been much more
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FOR FOR THE THE CACTUS CACTUS YEARBOOK! YEARBOOK!
difficult to pay her medical bills without the fund, and she was grateful to the University. “Even though it’s not thousands and thousands of dollars, it does help no matter what,” Peña said. “If you don’t have any help like that, you’re stuck with all (these bills).” According to the UT System website, University staff who have worked at least 1,250 hours within the past year can take up to 12 work weeks of unpaid leave per year for medical and family emergencies. The University does not offer paid medical leave, according to the website. Under the UT System health care plan, an individual can pay up to $7,900 in outof-pocket expenses before the health plan covers all costs of covered benefits. “Our insurance, I wish it covered more, but it just doesn’t,” Peña said.
Thursday, February February 20 20 Thursday, 2–6 2–6 p.m. p.m. Friday, February February 21 21 Friday, 10 10 a.m.–3 a.m.–3 p.m. p.m. Saturday, February 22 Saturday, February 22 11 11 a.m.–4 a.m.–4 p.m. p.m. HSM HSM Building Building Lobby Lobby 2500 Whitis 2500 Whitis Open Open to to all all fall fall 2019, 2019, spring spring and and summer summer 2020 2020 graduates, graduates, including including graduate-level graduate-level degrees. No appointment necessary. Business Casual attire degrees. No appointment necessary. Business Casual attire recommended. recommended. Receive Receive aa $10 $10 discount discount off off of of the the Cactus Cactus Yearbook Yearbook with with your your picture. picture.
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Editor-In-Chief | @THEDAILYTEXAN
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020
COLUMN
OPINION COLUMN
gianna shahdad
isabella hollis
UT needs to abandon the A- for more forgiving grades
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Mental health is for all, regardless of your identity By Maria Sailale Columnist
Yes, you can prioritize your mental health. But you shouldn’t need me to remind you, nor do you need my permission. As college students, we somehow manage to attend our classes, go to office hours and study sessions, join organizations and secure internships, all while maintaining a social life somewhere in the mix. With international students and children of immigrants, this superpower also includes managing high expectations, whether self-inflicted or overly emphasized by well-meaning parents who are unable to empathize with the difficult transition we experience. I am an immigrant with parents who uprooted their lives to give me and my siblings better opportunities, so I know firsthand that the opportunities I have are contingent on the hardships my parents experienced. I know what that kind of pressure to succeed feels like. While these kinds of sentiments can serve as healthy motivation, they can also become a crippling mental burden when left unattended. We may feel as if we can handle this pressure alone, but our attempts to stay upright are futile if we don’t establish a support system for the times when we’re overwhelmed by factors outside of our control. The UT Counseling and Mental Health Center can serve this purpose.
“The mental health center’s oneon-one appointment is really useful for unloading every stress I feel backed up in my mind,” said Vira Wiguna, a business freshman and an international student. “It really helps to have someone just listen to your troubles, even for just one hour. I found out about it during orientation, but I never thought about reaching out until I had to call the (Behavior Concerns Advice Line) and do a follow-up.”
While these kinds of sentiments can serve as healthy motivation, they can also become a crippling mental burden if left unattended.” It is not uncommon for minority students to feel as if these resources aren’t made for them, and this concern is valid given the cultural stigma associated with mental health in some communities. Another alienating factor can be unfamiliarity with the kinds of services CMHC offers. Marla Craig, senior associate director for clinical services at CMHC, said they are constantly working to offset some of these barriers by increasing visibility and accessibility to students with marginalized identities. In addi-
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 Sam Thielman Columnist
tion to collaborating with FirstYear Interest Groups and resident assistants, CMHC also provides a counselor that acts as a liaison with the Multicultural Engagement Center and operates the Counselors in Academic Residence program (CARE), which places counselors in every college. “A student can call and talk to a counselor right away,” Craig said. “We have a team of counselors who not only provide counseling services, but they are also all across campus.” The CMHC website allows you to schedule appointments, find locations for walk-ins and speak on the phone to readily available counselors. You don’t have to wait to seek services and support. The start of a new semester is the perfect time to remember that, despite the pressures we may feel, we all have limits, and those limits indicate personal needs. Mental health was never a dinner table conversation in my family, and, even now, it is sometimes difficult for me to find the language to talk about it. Although I learned about CMHC during orientation, I felt as if I would be expected to come in already knowing what I wanted to get out of their services. While this initially pushed me away, I’ve become more familiar with the resources they offer, which has helped relieve some of that initial disconnect. It’s shown me that mental well-being deserves a place at the top of my to-do list. It should be at the top of yours too. Sailale is an undeclared PACE student from Dallas.
My first winter break of college, I was home catching up with one of my best friends from high school. She’d just gotten her final grades back and was relieved that she’d barely eked out a 90 in one of her classes, so she’d held onto her 4.0 GPA. I thought that was weird because my lowest grade was a 93, and I couldn’t say the same. UT’s plus/minus grading system punishes high-performing students without offering them enough in return, and encourages unhealthy work-life balances. UT switched to the plus/minus grading system in 2009. The motion from the Educational Policy Committee on Plus/Minus Grading reasoned that the system “may be used to reduce grade inflation” and “allows for more accurate representation of students’ performance.” It also said, “All 11 of our peer institutions … use some form of plus/minus grading.”
Other students are allowed to benefit from grade inflation, potentially giving them an advantage when applying for jobs or graduate schools.”
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/ the daily texan staff
The motion even includes an entire section dedicated to the impacts of the new system on A students. “Top students who receive the occasional B are much more likely to benefit from the B+ grade (than they are to be harmed by the A-),” the report said. Admittedly, the B+ is nice. It makes the difference between A and B less severe. UT’s only arguments for the inclusion of the A- without the A+, however, are that “faculty who now assign very few A’s may be more willing to assign A minuses,” and “given that all our peer institutions use plus/minus grading, this change would increase the equity of comparisons for students from different universities.” While this all sounds great, not every university uses this system. Other students are allowed to benefit from grade inflation, potentially giving them an advantage when applying for jobs or graduate schools. While UT’s peer institutions do all use a plus/minus system, they don’t all use the same type of plus/minus system. The University of Illinois, for example, puts the cutoff for an A at 92. Even within UT, there isn’t a standard system. The cutoff varies, and some professors just omit the plus/ minus system entirely. I’m sure at least some of you are rolling your eyes at this point. After all, we’re talking about differences of just one or two points here. The thing is, at the top level of grades, the margin for error is so small that one or two points can make a huge difference. This kind of pressure forces students to sacrifice their physical and mental well-being as they spend days preparing for major assignments. They’re disincentivized from spending time on student organizations, jobs or research — all valuable experiences that UT urges its students to take part in — because any studying time that they lose could make a huge difference. “I wish it wasn’t like that,” history sophomore Loren Fiebrich said. “I feel like it would be a lot easier on the students if it wasn’t.” Getting rid of A- could help hundreds of UT’s highest-performing students see a greater reward for all the work that they put in. They can shed a little of that collegiate stress, get some time back to work on their physical and mental well-being, and, with any luck, hold onto those sweet, sweet bragging rights anytime they’re back home. Thielman is a history and rhetoric and writing sophomore from Fort Worth.
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SPORTS
BASEBALL
Freshmen garner excitement as Longhorns gear up for home opener Tuesday By Nathan Han @NathanHan13
Even though it’s the first home game, players have already felt love from fans. The Longhorn faithful came out in droves on the road for the season opener at Reckling Park in Houston and watched as Texas swept Rice to start off the season 3–0, making it the first season opening series sweep since 2009. “The University of Texas travels well, and it was apparent here all weekend,” said Zach Zubia, a redshirt junior first baseman, in a postgame interview on The Horn. “With burnt orange in the stands all weekend and just being out here with the new team and new faces, it meant a lot.” Those new and exciting faces on the team, including freshman pitcher Andre Duplantier II, drew heavy praise from head coach David Pierce. Pierce said the Humble, Texas, native had “ice in his veins” after he worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam Sunday. Pierce also praised freshman shortstop Trey Faltine, who hit 3-of11 with a homer and three RBIs, for his relay throw to catch a runner headed for home in Saturday’s game. “What I liked about that play is that I think Trey had a good clock,” Pierce said. “He realized that he didn’t
Q&A
continues from page
8
SL: We never would have found that
had we not needed to go to the grocery store. So one of our buzz phrases that we have said a lot of times in our videos is “ask a local.” DT: Why the brand name RV Texas Y’all?
We want to be good ambassadors for Texas. We’re native Texans. There’s so many amazing things to see and do here that people come from all over the world to experience. Sometimes, other native Texans don’t always realize all the SL:
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020
jack myer
/ the daily texan file
Freshman infielder Trey Faltine throws ahead of a runner in Texas’ annual alumni game Feb. 3. Faltine is one of a host of freshman expected to get significant playtime in the early goings of the Longhorns’ 2020 campaign. have a good grip, but he knew he had time and really controlled himself there to make a throw. That’s what’s been outstanding with (assistant coach Troy Tulo(witzki). The youngsters up the middle are really learning from one of the best. A lot of guys will panic there when they don’t have a good grip. Trey maintained his composure and got a good grip before throwing a strike.” It’s all part of a group of newcomers, including freshmen second baseman Brenden Dixon
and designated hitter Douglas Hodo III, that has sparked excitement in both the team and this Longhorn fan base. “Trey is a personality,” Zubia said. “And I think that’s what makes him good. If you take his personality away from him, he’s not going to be any good. If you let him be himself, he’s going to be great.” Freshman pitcher Pete Hansen is another newcomer that fans might have the opportunity to see in action soon. Pierce
I think they love to compete. I think they’re passionate. I think they brought energy every single day. For a young group, they’re pretty mature.” DAVID PIERCE head coach
fantastic opportunities there are here. So that’s why we are RV Texas Y’all.
DT: When people, fans come up to you,
TL: A lot of people go, “Well, gosh, why
TL: Several people over the last few
aren’t you broader than this?” Because I think almost every RV channel out there is broad. They didn’t narrow it down. We wanted to be predominantly about Texas because it’s so unique.
DT: How has the RV Texas Y’all
community grown?
It’s been pretty organic. We started the website back in 2013, and we started doing YouTube videos in 2016. We never expected it to form this sense of community. SL:
what’re they saying?
days have said they bought the exact same RV we have because of watching our channel. I told Stacie we’re becoming influencers.
DT: Who are full-timers, typically? TL: Probably five years ago it was
people that were retired that wanted to live a little different lifestyle. Nowadays, there’s a lot of kids coming right out of college and going full time. If you can work from home, you can work from an RV.
mentioned his name in the starting pitching conversation for Tuesday, and Hansen pitched two scoreless innings in his Texas debut Saturday. Sophomore pitcher Kolby Kubichek, recovering from a minor ankle sprain, was the other starting pitching option mentioned. By next week, Longhorn fans will certainly be well-acquainted with all of the freshmen. After Tuesday’s home opener against UTSA, Texas will play Lamar on Wednesday and Boise State in a
three-game weekend series before finishing their home stretch next Tuesday against Sam Houston State. Despite being at home, the upcoming stretch will still be a test. But Texas has utmost confidence in its ability to handle the upcoming schedule and bring it every game. “I think they love to compete,” Pierce said. “I think they’re passionate. I think they brought energy every single day. For a young group, they’re pretty mature.”
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6
MARCUS KRUM
Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Collier’s big night lifts Texas Sophomore forward’s double-double boosts Longhorns to victory. By Robert Trevino
@robtrev22
n an experienced Texas team, sophomore center Charli Collier has emerged as a star this season, averaging a double-double and giving Texas a boost that has been much-needed at times. In Monday night’s 50-44 win over West Virginia at the Frank Erwin Center, she once again came through with a solid performance, scoring 11 points and pulling down 15 rebounds for her 13th double-double of the season. “I feel like our preparation definitely (helped) us for the start of this game,” Collier said regarding the Longhorns’ early 13-2 lead. “We tend to start off slow, so if we can keep starting off how we did tonight I feel like we can compete with a lot of teams … we came out with a lot of energy … it was a good outcome for us.”
The Longhorns not only put an end to a two-game losing streak, the first such streak this season, but they also avenged an earlier loss to West Virginia, when the Mountaineers rallied in the last minute to deny Texas a comeback in Morgantown, West Virginia. There was no need for such a comeback this time around, as, thanks in part to Collier, the Longhorns never trailed Monday night. “I’m just really proud of our team as far as reacting and responding to a really disappointing and tough loss (to Kansas),” Texas head coach Karen Aston said. “Then talking about what we needed to do to get back to playing better, more competitive basketball. I thought we did that tonight.” Collier was just one of two Longhorns that finished with double figures in points — senior guard Sug Sutton had 10 points of her own — and dominated the glass with her 15 rebounds. No other player on the court finished with 10 rebounds. “I feel like we matched their physicality this game, and at times we were more physical than them,” Collier said. “It came down to who was going to be more physical, and we got the job done on that
evan l’roy
/ the daily texan staff
Sophomore center Charli Collier lines up a free throw in Texas’ 50-44 win over West Virginia on Monday. Collier scored 11 points and put up a game-high 15 rebounds in the victory. end and that really helped us a lot.” Aston’s team had one of its best defensive performances in recent memory Monday, limiting the Mountaineers to an abysmal 0-for-15 from 3-point range. West Virginia managed just 44 points, the fewest points Texas has allowed in conference play and the second-fewest points allowed in the entire
This win definitely got our confidence up, and we can make another run for it.” CHARLI COLLIER sophomore center
2019-2020 campaign. “And so when we got stops, it gave our team confidence because we knew that was something that we needed to do better than we’d done in the last two games,” Aston said. The Longhorns have just five games remaining in the season and are currently ranked third in the Big 12. And
Collier, who has developed into a strong leader for the Loghorns in just her sophomore season, understands the importance of each win as they try to make a final surge before the Big 12 Tournament. “The past couple of losses were really sad,” Collier said. “This win definitely got our confidence up, and we can make another run for it.”
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Texas overpowers West Virginia in annual ‘Shoot for the Cure’ game
evan l’roy
/ the daily texan staff
Senior forward Joyner Holmes goes to work in the paint in the Longhorns’ 50-44 win over West Virginia at the Frank Erwin Center. Holmes scored eight points in the victory. By Myah Taylor @t_myah
watch us at
In a game honoring cancer survivors Monday night, the Texas women’s basketball team was able to grind out a 50-44 victory over West Virginia. Unlike recent matchups, the Longhorns enjoyed an aggressive start to the annual Shoot for the Cure game. Sophomore center Charli Collier scooped a layup up and in and sank a 3-pointer to put her team up 5-0 early into the first quarter to start the game. “I thought we had energy,” head coach Karen Aston said. “I thought we really had a purpose as we started. In particular, defensively.” Good defense and effective ball movement allowed the Longhorns to further extend their lead throughout the first period. A layup from senior guard Sug Sutton right before the buzzer put Texas up 21-10 heading into the second quarter. The Longhorns would carry their first quarter energy into the next period, first with a monster block from senior forward Joyner Holmes and then with two scores from Sutton.
“If I go back and look at the film, it’ll surprise me if I see too many possessions where we didn’t play hard,” Aston said. “And we needed to get moving in that direction again.”
I thought we had energy. I thought we really had a purpose as we started. In particular, defensively.” KAREN ASTON head coach
Texas didn’t hold back after halftime either. The third quarter saw the Longhorns play the kind of team basketball that has been absent in their recent losses. The frontcourt duo of Collier and Holmes combined for 19 points on the night. “I feel like we got great position in the paint, but also our guards fed us the ball well,” Collier said. “It just frees up everything when you can get the
ball inside.” The Mountaineers came surging back late in the third quarter and continued to shave the deficit in the fourth. With three minutes to go in the game, the Mountaineers pulled within three. But Texas stayed alive with gutsy drives to the hoop from Holmes and Higgs as the final quarter came to a close. “For a minute there we kind of hesitated,” sophomore guard Audrey Warren said. “But we realized if we just play our game, do what we did in the first half, do what we practice. We knew we’d come out victorious.” The Longhorns honored cancer survivors in the crowd at halftime, and before and after the game. While they picked up another Big 12 win, they also had the chance to play hard for those in the crowd who are supporting the battle against cancer. “I hope we’ll continue to do this,” Aston said. “We’re fighting trying to find a cure, and those women we ran (by) in the tunnel — they’re fighting every day. It’s the least we can do to show up and play hard when they come here.”
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 18, 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 18, 2020
Crossword
SUDOKUFORYOU 1 5 8 3 7 6 5 3 1 9 2 1 4 3 1 2 7 1 6 2 4 5 9 3 9 7 5 1 3 2 3 6 7
Today’s solution will appear here next issue
5 4 7 9 2 1 3 6 8
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19 Cause of ruination 23 Yukon S.U.V. maker 24 Vikki who sang “It Must Be Him” 26 Smart ___ 29 Subtly suggest 33 “Be that as it may …” 35 “Here’s trouble!” 36 BuzzFeed competitor 37 Totally blown away
38 Musical for which 48 Relatives of weasels with Liza Minnelli won dark fur an Oscar 39 Release a fertilizable egg 40 Part man, part deity 43 Stereotypical place of exile 44 Sam the Froot Loops mascot and others 45 Tiny bit of energy 47 Drops from the sky
51 Legal drama with Susan Dey 53 Coal containers 55 ___ Boss (German fashion house) 58 Leg, in old slang 60 San Francisco area, with “the”
Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 7,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay.
8
T R I N A DY J O S L I N
Life&Arts Editor | @TRINADY05
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020
Q&A
LIFE&ARTS
Alum curates Cuban comics exhibit
The Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection will house the artistic, educational comics until March 1. By Kate Williams @kwilleliza
our glass cases contain the history of Cuba under the rule of Fidel Castro. The Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection’s exhibit, “Cuban Comics in the Castro Era,” uses a handful of colorful comic books to explore themes of art and methods of art production during the Cuban revolution, when comics were used as a tool to popularize socialist ideology. Gilbert Borrego, a UT alumnus and a digital repository specialist for UT Libraries, came across a collection of Cuban comics while working at the Benson and created the exhibit to finish his Master of Science in Information Systems and explore his love for comics and history. Borrego spoke with The Daily Texan about the exhibit and what he hopes visitors can learn from it. The Daily Texan: What was the process like to complete this project? Gilbert Borrego: It was a
long process. After I processed (the archive), the ideas had to
haley bell
/ the daily texan staff
The Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection’s exhibit, “Cuban Comics in the Castro Era,” is a collection of comics discovered by Gilbert Borrego, a UT alumnus and a digital repository specialist for UT Libraries. The exhibit explores artistic themes and methods that were used to promote socialist ideology during the Cuban revolution. take shape in terms of what I wanted to discuss beyond just comic books. I had to think about the role that comic books played in the larger picture of the Cuban revolution. I had to think about good representations of the people of Cuba, the ideology of the government and the viewpoints of the populace.
consider comic books having that big of an influence on culture. We have Marvel and DC comics that became movies and became such powerhouses in terms of popular culture, but when you think about Cuba, especially during the ‘60s, you think mostly about television and radio and newspapers. Comics actually had a very colorful history with the revolution because it involved subversive artists who first drew these underground books that were anti-(Fulgencio)
DT: Did you learn anything new while curating this exhibit? GB: I don’t think one would
Batista. So, I think the idea that comic books actually played such a large role in helping to usher in the ideology of the revolution is probably my biggest takeaway. DT: Do you have a favorite comic book that you came across while doing this? GB: One of the main characters that have come out of this was Elpidio Valdés by Juan Padrón. This was a rendition of a character that fights off any enemies to the Cuban
people. He also knows the skills of a samurai and all these other things on top of this very interesting, complex character. I like that one because I think it exemplifies what Cuban comics are about, which is to have a combination of adventure, humor and politics all wrapped up in one character. I think that character is the pinnacle of what a lot of these Cuban comics represent. DT: What do you want visitors to take away from this exhibit?
GB: I think I just want people to come away with an idea about the complexity of Cuban politics. I think that most people don’t necessarily know much about Cuba, other than that they’re sort of this pseudo-enemy of the United States, that they’re these socialist mainstays from the past. And I think I want people to walk away and understand that Cuba had a long history of coups and injustices, and they still persevere with their humor, art and creativity.
Q&A
FILM | “THE CALL OF THE WILD”
Full-time RV couple talks life on the road, breaking from routine
Harrison Ford stars in new adventure ‘The Call of the Wild’
By Faley Goyette
By Avery Wohleb @averywohleb
@faley_goyette
No house, no property tax, no problem. Tom and Stacie Langland have lived full time in a recreational vehicle for the last 15 months. Since starting, they’ve become celebrities in the RV community by sharing their experiences with an audience of over 14,000 YouTube subscribers through their channel and business, RV Texas Y’all. The couple attended the Austin RV Expo last Saturday and spoke to The Daily Texan about their brand and RV lifestyle. Daily Texan: Why did you decide to live in a RV full time? The
Stacie Langland: We like to live
outside more than we like to live inside. Our goal is not to hole ourselves up in our RV and never come out. We want to be in state and national parks. Tom Langland: I was tired of rou-
tine. Part of the fun of this lifestyle is you don’t get into a rut. We took our
mateo macias
/ the daily texan staff
Stacie and Tom Langland gave their first seminar presentation Saturday at this year’s Austin RV Expo. The Langlands run the popular YouTube channel RV Texas Y’all, which currently has over 14,000 subscribers. hobby and we turned it into a career.
Holy cow.
DT: How often do you have to stop
TL: You felt like you were in the 1800s.
SL: That can be a challenge depending on where you are. We were in Devils Tower, Wyoming. While we were there we needed groceries, and we had no idea where to go and we didn’t have cell service. So we asked the park host and they sent us to this little town of Hulett, Wyoming, which was about 20 minutes north.
SL: You felt like you were in this Old
to get food?
FREE ADMISSION WITH THE BIG TICKET!
West town. It was the neatest thing. The sheriff was riding around on horseback.
TL: The bank is called bank. Store is store. The saloon is saloon.
Q & A PAGE 5
RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE your copy of RECYCLE your copy your copy of your copy of your copy of your copyof of
Harrison Ford is back for another crazy adventure, with his furry companion as a dog instead of a Wookiee. Directed by Chris Sanders, “The Call of the Wild” is an adaptation of the Jack London novel of the same name. The movie tells the story of a sweet 19th century canine named Buck whose life quickly shifts when he is stolen from his home in California and sold to become a sled dog in Alaska. As he embarks on several unpleasant journeys, Buck meets John (Harrison Ford), who takes him in and allows him to explore his wild side, unrestrained for the first time. The movie begins with Harrison Ford’s iconic and well-known voice narrating the opening scene and several others throughout the film. Ford’s solemn voice instantly sets up the serious tone of the film, but it is almost immediately contradicted with the first look at Buck. The bizarre CGI of Buck is at first distracting, and he seems more digitized than the other sled dogs in a way that renders the experience unequal. At times, Buck even seems
to have a special capacity to show more emotion on his face than the human actors around him. However, as viewers become invested in the progressing story, the CGI slowly begins to feel natural, and it’s easy to forget Buck is a computerized dog. Once again playing a father mourning the absence of his son, Ford parallels many of his other iconic roles in a powerfully moving portrayal of John. Prior to meeting Buck, John has retreated to a life of alcoholism and solitude after the death of his young son. However, when Buck comes into his life, John slowly transitions back to his former self, and Ford blossoms with the opportunity to play a refreshingly optimistic role later in the film. The cinematography of the movie is absolutely beautiful. Alongside a perfectly buoyant soundtrack, the story covers themes of nature and wilderness, creating a heartbreaking reality check when viewers remember that Alaska no longer looks like the green utopia the movie portrays it as. Strategically dark visuals, such as hazy snow and blizzards, illuminate the hardships Buck endures in the first half of the movie. When Buck and John
“The Call of the Wild” GENRE
Adventure PG
R AT I N G SCORE
meet, the seasons change, and the plants blossom in a gorgeously bright contrast that successfully highlights the positive change for the two characters. The film’s writing is mostly well done, although there are a few plot decisions that seem questionable. In the beginning, several scenes where Buck is beaten or harmed seem too intense for the young target audience. Later, as Buck discovers his wild side, he is followed by a large wolf that represents his true nature as a dog. For most of the film, however, it’s unclear if the wolf represents something evil. However, concluding scenes tie together any potential loose ends and ultimately create a strong, unique narrative. Overall, “The Call of the Wild” is a successfully composed story of the friendship between two unlikely friends. With an engaging plot and pleasing visuals, the movie is an entertaining watch and certainly proves why dogs are called man’s best friend.
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“Call of the Wild,” starring Harrison Ford, depicts an Alaskan man named John who meets a runaway dog that becomes his friend and companion.