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Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Volume 120, Issue 107
NEWS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFE&ARTS
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UT laboratory tests robot created to help people recovering from a stroke.
Four Executive Alliance candidates make their case, outline their platform in SG election.
UT alumna Brittany Bernstrom discusses her pieces in “Celebrities” exhibition.
Sophomore guard Courtney Ramey leads Texas past West Virginia.
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
SPORTS
Candidates talk inclusion
Guards carry Texas men’s basketball to home win against WVU By Stephen Wagner @stephenwag22
for sexual assault to ensure student safety. “Sexual violence is not just an issue on UT’s campus … students face it across all spheres of campus,” communication and leadership junior Tucker said. Candidates also addressed concerns about access to mental health resources. Jerri Garcia, who is running for vice president with Jalesha Bass, said most students say they have had at least one bad experience with the Counseling and Mental Health Center and that University resources should not provide negative experiences to students. “We shouldn’t be creating financial barriers (for students),” social work junior Garcia said. “We should be opening doors.” Jackson, who is running
It’s been Shaka Smart’s belief this season that strong performances from two of his guards gives Texas a chance against any opponent. Smart was initially referring to guards sophomore Courtney Ramey and junior Matt Coleman III, but the formula rings true regardless of the combination. On Monday night against No. 20 West Virginia, Coleman took a backseat to a resurgent performance from Ramey and redshirt sophomore guard Andrew Jones. Jones’ career-high 22 points were more than enough as Texas cruised to a 67-57 victory over the Mountaineers. The game was a pleasant change from the 38-point embarrassment the Longhorns suffered in their last meeting in Morgantown, West Virginia. “Their aggressiveness and their ability to make plays is huge,” Texas head coach Smart said. “When you’re playing West Virginia, it’s not going to be pretty out there. It comes down to your guards being able to make plays, and those guys made a lot of them tonight.” Jones was nothing short of unstoppable in the first half, going off for 16 first-half points — nearly half of Texas’ 34 points. The Longhorns’ 62% first-half shooting was nearly a season high, only third to their first-half performances against Kansas State and California Baptist. “If we make some of these same shots in the second half against Kansas … or even in the Baylor or Tech game, maybe those (games) go differently,” Smart said. “And if we don’t make them tonight, then obviously our margin for error is much smaller.” Ironically, the season-ending injury to junior forward and leading rebounder Jericho Sims may have played a role in this late-season run. Since Sims’ back injury nearly two weeks
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jamie hwang
/ the daily texan staff
Candidates running for student body president and vice president discussed issues affecting UT students fiercely during Monday night’s debate. Candidates pictured here from left to right are Connor Alexander, Camille Johnson, Simona Harry and Lynn Huynh.
Candidates for president and vice president debate topics of safety, mental health, represenation. By Anna Canizales @annaleonorc
andidates for student body president and vice president proclaimed their opinions on student safety, mental health and student representation at the Student Goernment debate
Monday evening. Eight of the nine executive alliances gathered at an auditorium in the William C. Powers, Jr. Student Activity Center to speak about their campaign points and answer student questions. Shay Holt and Wade Ivey did not participate in the debate. Connor Alexander and Camille Jackson’s campaign was disqualified by the Election Suprvisory Board on Monday night after the debate because their campaign was issued two fines that exceeded the monetary amount of fines allowed. Alexander and Jackson will be appealing one of the fines with hopes to lift their suspension, according to an email to The Daily Texan. Candidates began with opening statements with their opinions about the biggest concerns facing the student body. Then,
the candidates answered questions about specific topics important to students. Candidate for president Anagha Kikkeri, who is running with Winston Hung, said the biggest issue for students is inclusion and equity. “Student Government and campaigns pick a few communities to tokenize … and leave out a majority of the student body,” government junior Kikkeri said. “We truly want to incorporate (everyone’s) voices.” Vice president candidate Suseth Muñoz, who is running with Sean Tucker, said the biggest concern is resource accessibility. Muñoz said the University needs to consolidate resources and give them back to students. Muñoz, a government and applied learning and
development sophomore, also said that if elected, her executive alliance would appoint a diverse executive board so all student voices are heard. Audience members asked candidates about sexual misconduct policies and the accusations against University professors last semester. Vice president candidate Alex Jackson said the sexual misconduct cases against UT professors have not been handled in a timely manner. “It makes it even more difficult and painful for survivors (to have professors accused of sexual misconduct at the University),” Jackson said. Candidate for president Sean Tucker said his campaign will create a committee of students who will monitor off–campus parties
UNIVERSITY
RESEARCH
Former UT tennis coach to serve 6 months in prison
UT scientists make coronavirus breakthrough
By Lauren Grobe @grobe_lauren
Michael Center, former UT men’s tennis coach, was sentenced to six months in prison Monday afternoon at a Boston federal court for accepting a $100,000 bribe to fraudulently admit a student to the University in April 2015. U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns sentenced Center to six months in prison and one year of supervised release. According to Center’s plea deal, the prosecutors originally recommended 15 to 22 months in prison and a $250,000 fine, the “low end” of the punishment range. Last March, the U.S. Department of Justice accused employees at high-profile universities, including UT, of accepting bribes to admit students as part of a nationwide investigation. Center plead guilty last April to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and
honest services mail fraud, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, the student’s father made three donations of stock totaling $631,564 to the Key Worldwide Foundation, a sham organization run by William “Rick” Singer. The organization was used to funnel money to coaches and administrators to fraudulently admit students. Singer paid Center $60,000 and donated $40,000 to UT’s tennis program. University spokesperson JB Bird said UT has worked on preventing fraudulent admissions in the future. “We remain focused on protecting the integrity of the admissions process for student-athletes,” Bird said in a statement. UT President Gregory Fenves announced in September that the University completed an internal legal review of the athletics admissions C E N T E R PAGE 3
By Nataleah Small @nataleahjoy
University scientists made a breakthrough in novel coronavirus research by creating a 3D atomic-scale map of the part of the virus that infects human cells, according to UT News. Jason McLellan, associate professor of molecular biosciences, and his UT colleagues published their findings Feb. 19 in the journal Science. Novel coronavirus originated in Wuhan City, China, in December 2019 and has killed 2,663 people worldwide as of Monday evening, according to the World Health Organization. Daniel Wrapp, molecular biosciences graduate student fellow in McLellan’s lab, said he studied the spike molecule on the surface of the novel coronavirus to create a 3D map of its structure. He said the virus uses the spike molecule
copyright ut news, and reproduced with permission
Jason McLellan, associate professor of molecular biosciences, and Daniel Wrapp, one of his molecular biosciences graduate student fellows, have created a 3D map of the structure of the novel coronavirus molecule.
to attach to and then enter human cells so it can replicate and infect the body. Coburn Allen, associate professor of pediatrics and infectious disease
expert, said the novel coronavirus looks like a crown under a microscope, and the spikes of the crown are where there virus attaches to V I R U S PAGE 2
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The Disability Advocacy Student Coalition discussed a history of unfair and inhumane treatment of disabled people that continued into the 1990s at the Disability History Night on Monday in the William C. Powers, Jr. Student Activity Center. Coalition treasurer Caroline Graves spoke about policy improvements for disabled people in the 20th century to about 15 attendees. Graves, a public relations and government senior, said disabled people were subject to “ugly laws” from the late 1800s to the 1970s. Beggar ordinances, known as “ugly laws,” varied from state to state, but collectively dictated it was “illegal for any person who is diseased, maimed, mutilated or deformed in any way, so as to be unsightly or disgusting, to expose themselves in public.” Graves has played an active role in the coalition by trying to inform individuals on the history of disability activism and to make
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campus more accessible for students. “People very rarely have an opportunity to learn about disability history and the disability rights movement,” said Emeline Lakrout, coalition president and
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ago, Texas’ newfound lack of depth has forced Smart to give significant minutes to role players previously considered afterthoughts, such as freshmen center Will Baker and forwards Kai Jones and Brock Cunningham, to some extent. “We’re all scholarship players at Texas,” Ramey said. “We know we can all go, and people just stepped up tonight.” Smart said it helps the players to know that they can’t be subbed out and that Jones and Ramey are
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human cells. “(UT researchers) know what that looks like now well enough that they can start thinking about how to create a vaccine against it,” Allen said. By characterizing the structure of the molecule, Wrapp said scientists can design vaccines that prompt human antibodies — immune cells that combat viruses — to neutralize the virus before a person becomes infected. “When you’re trying to design a vaccine, you want to present the immune system with something that looks like … a virus, because it’s going to recognize that molecule as a foreign object and produce antibodies that bind to it,” Wrapp said. Protein engineers can use this spike molecule model to design a stable molecule that will act as an immunogen, a substance that causes the body to produce an immune response, to trigger the antibodies that will fight the virus, Wrapp said. Wrapp said the 3D map of the spike molecule will serve as a road map for future researchers. He said UT researchers are collaborating with the National Institutes of Health and biotech company Moderna to see if the mapped molecule will become a viable
vaccine candidate. However, Wrapp said a novel coronavirus vaccine might take a long time to develop because the majority of vaccine trials last up to a decade. “It’s in the preliminary stages of going through those clinical trials,” Wrapp said. “But even very optimistically, that will probably take somewhere between 18 and 24 months if everything goes exactly according to plan.” Allen said vaccines go through many cycles of development before they are most effective. “It’s always, in my opinion, somewhat miraculous if we see any vaccine come to market during the first wave of a pandemic,” Allen said. Jaish Bhojwani, management information systems junior, said he learned about the UT research on Instagram. When the University shared the information about the spike molecule structure, Bhojwani said a lot of his friends reposted the news on their stories. Bhojawani said he is proud that UT published the research. “It’s definitely significant that we work on it here because we are a very innovative and groundbreaking campus in that sense that we’re always pushing the boundaries of what we can do,” Bhojawani said.
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marketing senior. “Most people don’t even know it exists.” The most recent piece of legislation to advance accessibility was the Americans with Disabilities Act, enacted in 1990. The law forbids
trusting themselves. Ramey chipped in 21 of his own, as he’s averaged just over 20 points in his last four games. “Since Matt (Coleman) hurt his heel, the last three games Courtney and Andrew have been much more aggressive,” Smart said. “Those guys have taken it upon themselves to be our lead guards.” Jones said that with him and Ramey in sync, Texas can do great things, such as keeping its tournament hopes alive for one more game. NCAA Tournament expert Joe Lunardi said that Texas is a tournament team with
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The Disability Advocacy Student Coalition treasurer Caroline Graves gives a presentation on the history of discriminatory treatment of disabled people in the William C. Powers Jr. Student Activity Center on Monday night.
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discrimination against a person’s disability in areas such as employment and transportation. The organization hosts frequent meetings and other interactive events to raise awareness about disability at UT. This
Monday’s win and a win in the Big 12 Tournament. With three consecutive double-digit wins, the Big Dance is slowly becoming a possibility for Texas. But what has changed as the Longhorns turned a dreary losing streak into the most important win streak of the season? “A sense of urgency,” Cunningham said. “We were at a point in our season where, if we lost any of these past three games, our postseason dreams would have been shattered. But now that we’ve put ourselves in a good position moving forward, I think that brings new life.”
is the second disability history night organized to educate students on the history of disability rights and the struggles disabled people have faced in generating public policy for accessibility. “I hope it opens
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up people’s minds to question what they know about disability and become better allies and advocates for people with disabilities,” Graves said. Applied learning and development sophomore Olivia Guffey attended the history night for her psychology class, Individual Differences. She hoped to enhance her understanding of disabilities at the event. “(I learned) a lot more here than in my class, which was surprising,” Guffey said. “I learned that the whole history and movement was way bigger than I ever thought.” Lakrout said the coalition aims to give students opportunities to connect through their four pillars: advocacy and awareness, philanthropy, professionalism and friendship. “It can be really hard when you’re disabled to connect with others, both visibly and invisibly, so we try to provide people areas to do that,” Lakrout said. The Disability Advocacy Student Coalition will host their next event, a benefit fundraiser, on April 9.
/ the daily texan file
Redshirt sophomore Andrew Jones dribbles the basketball in Texas’ 70-56 win over TCU on Feb. 19 at the Frank Erwin Center.
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UT laboratory uses robots to help survivors of strokes By Will Brooks @will_brooks_3
A UT laboratory is testing a robotic exoskeleton that will be used to assist people who are recovering from a stroke. ReNeu Robotics Lab in the Mechanical Engineering Department began creating the exoskeleton named Harmony in 2011. ReNeu, named from a combination of the words rehabilitation and neuromuscular, specializes in using robotics to “improve the quality of life and rehabilitation” for people living with a disability, according to the lab’s website. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stroke can result in long-term, severe disability and reduced mobility in more than half of survivors ages 65 and older. Harmony is structured as a chair with two metal arms attached to shoulder joints that allow a user to move their arms in any direction, said Ana Oliveira, a ReNeu Lab engineer and mechanical engineering Ph.D. student. “The idea is that the patient can wear the robot while performing therapeutic tasks,” Oliveira said. “The robot
provides some assistance not only to help the patient to achieve the goal of the task, but achieve it in an anatomically correct way.” Kaci Madden, a mechanical engineering Ph.D. student in the ReNeu Lab, wore the exoskeleton to test its gravity compensation mode. This mode allows for the patient to experience weightlessness while moving their arms. “It was actually pretty gentle,” Madden said. “It didn’t feel unnatural at all. It’s like a gentle push in the right direction rather than a jerk.” Job Ramirez, lab manager and research engineer, began helping to develop Harmony in 2017 when he was an undergraduate student. Ramirez said one of the challenges of working with robots is that there are multiple ways of solving the same problems. “Robotic arms have been designed for a couple of decades now, so it’s a matter of fitting towards our constraints,” Ramirez said. “The solutions are out there. What’s not out there is how to put together the solution to solve our problem.” Another challenge ReNeu faces is fitting Harmony to
emily august
/ the daily texan staff
Research engineer Job Martinez demonstrates Harmony, ReNeu Labs’ robotic arm, in the Engineering Teaching Center on Monday. The program began in 2011 for recovering stroke victims. don’t want patients that are going to use the device to be intimidated by it.” Oliveira said working on
a wide range of heights and shoulder widths, Oliveira said. “The aesthetic choice is also part of it,” Oliveira said. “You
Harmony is an experience for life. “I’m very grateful for having this opportunity to be
here and to be in contact with people that actually might benefit from this technology,” Oliveira said.
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WEST CAMPUS
Imagine Lab hosts VR showcase for Entrepreneurship Week
Counter Cafe opens near campus By Hannah Williford @HannahWillifor2
By Jasmine Lopez @jazzilo99
UT students explored two room-scale virtual reality setups to interact with virtual reality Monday morning in the Jesse H. Jones Communication Center. The Moody Imagine Lab, part of the Moody College of Communication’s Innovation & Entrepreneurship program, hosted the showcase that helped begin Entrepreneurship Week, a five-day event presented by Longhorn Entrepreneurship Agency. The events are open to all students to experience innovation through panels and workshops. “This is a place where you can come hack and prototype and experience and get hands on with hardware that costs $4,000,” said Mitch Chaiet, UT alumnus and Media Innovation and Entrepreneurship coordinator. Lab manager Josh Ramirez said companies such as The Boeing Company and Ford are investing in VR headsets rather than applications to understand how VR can be used to their benefit. “Virtual reality and augmented reality are thought to be the next generation, not only for video games or entertainment, but also things like data analysis, medical research … just beyond what we’ve normally considered to be video games,” Ramirez said. He said Boeing discussed how a specific system that required three months of training only took two days of training with the help of AR at the Infinity Festival in Hollywood. AR projects images
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or information in front of the user while the user can still see their actual setting. Virtual reality replaces a user’s actual setting with a
Virtual reality and augmented reality are thought to be the next generation, not only for video games or entertainment, but also things like data analysis, medical research.” JOSH RAMIREZ lab manager
new experience. “The method used to be see one, do one, teach one,” Ramirez said. “Now it’s almost flipping it, and it’s starting to merge those categories so you can do one and teach one
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process and found no other students had been fraudulently admitted.
/ the daily texan staff
and learn one all at the same time.” One example of how VR is used for education and empathy is how CNN political commentator Van Jones made a virtual reality short documentary called “The Messy Truth VR Experience” that shows the perspective a Black person may have when pulled over by the police, Ramirez said. “It’s already being used heavily in the classroom,” Chaiet said. “Filmmaking classes (and) construction classes are the easiest two ways to get into VR, but biology and medical schools are starting to use surgery simulations.” Advertising junior Wis Escher said she saw the event on Instagram and attended because she is interested in advanced technology. “We don’t really go in that (more advanced technology topic in advertising), so I saw this as an opportunity to expand my interests,” Escher said.
“The scandal undermined the public’s trust and provoked outrage,” Fenves said in a campuswide email. “At UT, we are holding ourselves accountable and improving protocols across Texas Athletics.”
joshua guenther
/ the daily texan file
Former UT men’s tennis coach Michael Center was sentenced Monday to six months in prison for accepting a $100,000 bribe. Center was part of a scandal involving William Singer’s organization, which arranged acceptance at high-profile universities in exchange for bribes.
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Counter Cafe quietly opened its third location in Austin at the beginning of the year near Guadalupe Street, replacing Conans Pizza Central in West Campus. Located on West 29th Street near Cabo Bob’s Burritos and Buffalo Exchange, the cafe serves breakfast, lunch and brunch from 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Cafe owner Debbie Davis said she started the business in 2007 at a small 26-seat diner on 6th Street and Lamar Boulevard. Davis said she expanded her business to other locations because the original restaurant building is for sale and she wants to ensure her business continues. She said the original location will be maintained until it is sold by the building’s property manager. So far, Davis said she has enjoyed the new West Campus location. “We’re getting a really good mixture (of people), from the students to people in their late 70s and 80s that have lived in the neighborhood for decades, and
old professors,” Davis said. “This whole neighborhood around here really represents what Austin has always been.” Davis said the diner has secluded spots where people can do work and drink coffee and a more lively area of booths and stools where restaurant patrons can see the kitchen. Davis, who worked at Whole Foods 40 years ago, said she based the menu on comfort food made with quality ingredients inspired by the grocery store. Her personal favorites include the southern toast, collard greens and grits. “I believe you’re only as good as your ingredients, and that’s what we strive for,” Davis said. “But keep it simple, and keep it comfort food. It’s not rocket science. It’s a meal.” Davis said she opened the business quietly to allow for a smooth transition, and she is advertising the Counter Cafe through word of mouth, similar to how she spread the word for the original Lamar location. Davis said the community has embraced the cafe with open arms. “I think on Sunday we had
300 guests,” Davis said. “It’s like throwing a party every day.” Hydrogeology junior Addison Savage said she has heard of the cafe, although she has not gone yet. She said she looks to eat local when she goes out and pays attention to the food quality and atmosphere. “To me, it’s part of the Austin experience of having so many things to try, and while I’m here, I might as well experience as many as I can,” Savage said. Biomedical engineering freshman Zahra Karim said although she finds herself mostly eating fast food due to convenience, her favorite places when she has time to go out are breakfast and brunch options because of the atmosphere. “(Going out for brunch is) very vintage but homey, and the people there are very (much) townspeople, so everybody’s nice,” Karim said. Davis said in addition to providing good food, the atmosphere is an important factor. She said the design of the Counter Cafe is simple but elegant. “I want people to come in here and feel comfortable and inspired,” Davis said.
jonathan sherchand/ the daily texan staff
The third establishment of Counter Cafe opened earlier this year and is located on West 29th Street, near Cabo Bob’s Burritos and Buffalo Exchange. The cafe is open from 7 a.m.-3 p.m. and serves breakfast, lunch and brunch.
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with Tayler De La Cruz Kennedy, said their administration would implement full-time counseling services at every dorm on campus. Kikkeri said their campaign will increase access to CMHC virtual counseling to remove barriers for students who are unable to attend in-person counseling. Multiple candidates
said at the end of the debate that no matter the outcome of the election, they believe in the other candidates running and will continue to work for their platform points in other ways. “We can’t advocate for everyone on this campus,” said vice president candidate Lynn Huynh, an advertising and women and gender studies junior. “What we want to do with our term is give everyone the power to advocate for themselves.”
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2020
OPINION
Executive Alliance candidates present their platforms We asked all nine Executive Alliance tickets to share a 500-700 word column with the Texan about their campaign. Seven agreed. Today, four campaigns present their platforms and vision for UT. GUEST COLUMN
Jalesha and Jerri want to reclaim narrative, fight for the unheard
Adam and James call for a Texas better together, vulnerability
Tayler and Alex share their stories, identities, experiences
Connor and Camille want to build a home for you at UT
By Jalesha Bass & Jerri Garcia
Candidates for Executive Alliance
By Adam Bergman & James Comerford
Candidates for Executive Alliance
By Tayler de la Cruz Kennedy & Alex Jackson Candidates for Executive Alliance
By Connor Alexander & Camille Johnson
Candidates for Executive Alliance
This is for the students that don’t feel heard, to the first-generation students who feel out of place, to those to whom this system was not built for: It’s time to transform. Even more, it’s time to be taken seriously. We are here to transform the experiences students have at UT. We are here to ensure your access, success and happiness. We are here to shed light on the resources available to you. We are here to build a future you feel confident about. We are here to listen and to believe you. We are here to make UT a place you can continue to be proud of. We want to provide opportunities you can take advantage of while addressing the hard topics that no one else dares speak about. We hear your voices. We know your stories. We share your stories. We are here to change the present for a better future, and that’s on period. For far too long, people have falsely embodied “saviors” of the voices that are unheard. We are here to take back our narratives. We are here to speak on our behalf. No longer are we going to let those who are simply empathetic to our situation be in control of the radical change we want to see. No one will fight harder for the issues of disadvantaged students than the ones who face them daily. Jerri and I decided to start campaigning because we were fed up with the hardships that we’ve experienced at UT. In December, we discovered that UT was going to have a different Riverside bus schedule during finals week. Why add another obstacle for us to jump over during such a crucial point in the semester? Thus started the two-hour rant about our UT experiences and what we wanted to see changed. After that much needed rant, we decided that there was something that needed to be done. After looking over all of our options, we decided that running for Student Government’s Executive Alliance would be the best way to be the change we want to see. We decided that during this campaign we will run with integrity, authenticity and transparency. Through transparency, we admit that doing this is really hard for us. During our first week of campaigning, Jerri and I took a full day off from all of our studies and responsibilities to recover from all that was happening. One thing we need y’all to know about campaigning is you need to have some type of privilege to have the resources to run a campaign, which we lacked. It’s unfair for us to compare ourselves to other campaigns. Our team is comprised of 13 hardworking and passionate individuals. We don’t have all the tools necessary to run a big campaign. However, what we do have is drive. No one in our positions will ever have the resources or the money to accomplish what we are trying to do. Additionally, we can’t just keep letting other people of privilege speak on our behalf. We have to stand up and use our voices to have seats at the table. We refuse to continue to allow the issues that we face to stay in the dark. All of the issues we will be fighting for have affected us personally and students we know. These are daily issues we have to deal with, and we have no one to help us get through it. We want to take you on a journey to change the present to better the future. Additionally, to help students understand SG, we have been vlogging our campaign experience and will continue to do so while we are president and vice president. We vow to take you through every step of the journey so you’ll no longer have to wonder what SG is doing. Fortunately, part of our job is slightly easier since our current Executive Alliance stated that they wanted their work to continue with the new president and vice president, to ensure started projects are finished. Some of their projects include UT Outpost and SURE Walk, some of the key initiatives that we are targeting. They have already started the fight, and we plan to continue it. In the Education Code of Texas, it says “... the state can achieve its full economic and social potential only if every individual has the opportunity to contribute to the full extent of the individual’s capabilities and only when financial barriers to the individual’s economic, social, and educational goals are removed.” We vow to remove any barriers that hinder students from accomplishing their economic, social and education goals. And that’s on period.
We stand for execution and reaching tangible goals within the University of Texas’ Student Government. We stand for leading by example and setting a precedent for future student body presidents. We are running for a movement that is greater than the sum of its parts. We have this campus excited about a future that is just beyond the horizon, and they are rallying around our pragmatic plans to get there. Texas Better Together extends beyond our campaign team, and we embody an ideology that is greater than our four platform points. UT coined the phrase “What starts here changes the world,” but there are things here that need to change. Why does this trailblazing, prestigious and influential institution continue to turn a blind eye to the lingering ailments that plague the Forty Acres? In a survey, 15% of the student body reported that they were survivors of sexual violence. Students with mental illness lack support, and the stories of our fellow classmates’ suicides are brushed under the rug so as to maintain our Texan pride. The Texas Better Together ticket promises to sever the cord that has tied pride to prejudice for so long. It is no easy task to come to terms with the failures of an institution as highly regarded as UT, and President Gregory Fenves can attest to this. Here are our solutions to the University’s most pressing issues: Our social organizations are not currently required to undergo sexual and domestic assault prevention training. We know UT has organizations ready to get engaged with its student body and combat our shortcomings. When, if not now, will we usher in a new era of safety? We will work to mandate that all social organizations undergo professional sexual and domestic assault prevention training. The McCombs School of Business School and the Cockrell School of Engineering already host successful mental health awareness weeks. We should expand and extend this concept across each college on campus, simply because the expectations for each student is different. We will ensure that each college adopts mental health programs that address the unique expectations and demands of its students. We will make this University more transparent. We are already advocating for urgent and important issues that students repeatedly tell us matter to them. Right now, two professors that are guilty of sexual misconduct with students remain on payroll, teaching UT students. Students are outraged. We will reflect this outrage among students to President Fenves. We will hold the administration publicly accountable. We will also hold the athletic department accountable for their lack of transparency. Students feel misled about what the Big Ticket was supposed to grant them. We will work to create a solution that is honest and fair, and delivers value to students. Campaigns at the University of Texas are run on larger-than-life promises that students rally behind. More often than not, these great ideas dwindle with the annual transfer of power. Camron Goodman’s Continuity Committee provides longevity and accountability to executive alliances after they leave office. We plan to build upon his foundation and provide the Continuity Committee with the discretion and resources to follow through on campaign promises that earned the elections of our previous student body presidents and vice presidents. Let’s ensure that great ideas do not burn out with the passing of the torch. We are proud of the University of Texas, and we are proud to be Longhorns. We are proud of our vulnerability, and we want to share this sentiment with the Longhorn Nation. We will cast a beaming light onto the issues that our faculty tend to shy away from. We will ensure that the stories and accounts of all victims, survivors and those who suffer from mental illness(es) are properly heard and acknowledged. Their voices will guide us to a UT that embraces vulnerability and accepts its flaws on the path to improvement, rather than hiding them. It takes more than good intentions to accomplish our goals. It takes persistence and execution. This will never be about Adam and James, and we will emphasize that to every student we meet. This movement is about the students, and that is why we are here to make Texas Better Together.
A boy walks into the San Jacinto Residence Hall lobby for the first time in the late summer of 2017. He is alone but not intimidated because he knows this is what he has worked for the past four years. The steep price of college tuition was the reason he quit high school athletics to work a full-time job at the age of 15 and focused on academics in an attempt to earn a scholarship. As a first-generation student growing up in a largely single-parent household, he knew he would not receive any help from his father when it came to college expenses and quality of resource accessibility. The boy enters his room and knows it will be different not sharing a home with any of his nine siblings from four failed marriages. His brothers and sisters mean the world to him; two of them are differently abled than others, but that does not stop the boy from constantly joking with them when he has the opportunity. The struggles they went through as a family only brought the boy closer to his siblings as they grew older. He will miss them. He leaves his room and heads downstairs. The first person he sees is a girl in the elevator struggling with a case of water. He thinks to ask her if she needs help, but he is too shy and lets her pass. All in all, it had been a good day. The boy had gotten everything situated in his dorm and was ready for the semester to begin. He had no idea that three years later he would be a Resident Assistant for that dorm, and the girl he was too shy to suggest helping with the water would be one of his closest friends. The girl he saw had arrived earlier that day, two weeks before school was to start in order to attend a leadership conference. She is accompanied by her two supportive parents, both of whom were first-generation college students. Her mother, who was a first-generation citizen from Mexico, supported her but did not want her to leave her hometown for fear of being too far away if something were to happen. As the girl continues to unload her belongings, she thinks about how her mother wanted her to attend UT-El Paso, which was what most people in her hometown did, but the girl wanted to experience other opportunities away from home. She does not know anyone here and is intimidated by the size of the school. She hopes she will find her place, but is having second thoughts on if she made the right decision. The pressure her parents have put on her to succeed in college weighs heavily on her shoulders. To get her mind off worrying, the girl goes for a walk around the track outside and thinks about the goals she has for her future at UT. She sees others walking and is shocked by the extensive amount of cultures represented around her because her hometown had a predominant influence of Latinx culture. She is worried she will have difficulty maintaining her Hispanic identity and hopes she will be accepted because of it. As she walks back to her room at the end of the evening, she feels anxious but excited for this new opportunity. At the time, she would have never guessed that three years later she would be the University Resident Hall Association president and running to be the next student body president. We all have stories of our own, setting us apart from others, defining us as individuals, making us unique. As you may have guessed, these are our own stories of our first day at UT, and we are proud to share them with you. You see, our life experiences shaped us into the people we are today and helped us find the communities we identify with here. We represent those that may appear different from the “normal” person, those who have endured hardships in their life, those who are experiencing life on their own for the first time, and many others — not just because they support us but because they are a part of us.
This campaign is not about a school. It’s about a home. After talking with hundreds of students, community leaders, and reflecting on our own experiences, we realized that so many students feel unsafe and unheard by our academic institutions. That must change. Your home should be safe, accessible, engaging, inclusive and empowering. Like so many other students, when Connor and Camille first came to the University of Texas at Austin, they did not feel at home. That is why they are running to be your student body president and vice president: to build a home so that every student feels safe, empowered and a part of our UT family. This is the lens that has guided their entire campaign because they believe this school is better together. We plan on taking totally achievable, smart and tangible action in improving the communication and transparency between the student body and our administration. A home is a place where you feel safe and can trust the people around you. If our UT administration isn’t honest enough with us to actively communicate the reasons for their actions, how can we trust that they have our best interests in mind? Connor and Camille believe that our leaders must be held accountable for every action they make and plan to create space for that dialogue to take place. Connor and Camille want to implement a town hall each semester between the administration and student body where the concerns of students can be discussed. But words are just words if there’s no action behind them. To ensure action is taken and solutions are found, we want to create a Student-Led Working Group with representatives from the administration and faculty that isn’t limited to talking about one issue, but rather can talk about every issue. Our concerns, ideas and questions must be addressed, and we propose an action-oriented way to combat a complete lack of transparency. We all come from different backgrounds, experiences and ideas, but we’re united by the place we call home. A family is a group of people that rallies behind the same causes and challenges its members to be better, but it also seeks to understand, listen and celebrate each one another! Connor and Camille want to create a Homecoming Week where we dedicate ourselves to having fun and celebrating each other and our University. We also want to fund the Big Ticket for every student — no one should be excluded from the UT experience. This is just a small piece of Connor and Camille’s platform. They address so many issues in nine Opportunities for Change which include mental health; transparency; safety; sustainability; student resources; school spirit; diversity, equity and inclusion; accessibility; and community engagement. They are proud to be running on such a broad, comprehensive and detailed platform — this platform has something for everyone, and we hope you find something that resonates with you, too. 51,832 students, 25 platform points, nine opportunities for change, two candidates and one UT family. What starts here changes the world. Changing the world takes more than everything any one person knows, but not more than what we know together. Let’s be better together.
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.
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LIFE&ARTS
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2020
Q&A
Alumna discusses paintings in Art for the People gallery By Kaylee Benavides @thedailytexan
Alongside Frida Kahlo and David Bowie sit a Boston Terrier and a tortoiseshell cat. Including paintings of famous people and pets, the “Celebrities” exhibition at the Art for the People features two paintings by artist and UT alumna Brittany Bernstrom — “Boston Terrier” and “Two-Tone Cat.” Bernstrom spoke with The Daily Texan about being one of 31 artists featured in the “Celebrities” exhibition and discussed skills she learned through the UT art program and continues to use today. Daily Texan: What does the Art for the People application process look like? Brittany Bernstrom: I’d actually been there before. I happened to see that they had an open call for celebrity and pet portraits. I’ve been teaching how to do pet portraits the last few years, so I’ve done a lot myself and it just felt like a really good fit specifically to apply to that show.
me. There was this famous internet cat, Venus, that had that split face, but (I wondered), ‘How do you make a background that works with essentially two different cats in one?’ So I was doing that and decided to go with that green (background) and pull from the eye color to make the background pop, but still fit in with the colors of the pet. DT: How long did each piece
take you to make?
BB: On and off maybe about six hours for each piece. I made the frames as well and that was like a full one- or two-day process because it’s been a while since I’ve actually made a frame by hand. Actually, not since college. DT: What made you want to build your own frames again? BB: I like working with my hands and thought this was a good excuse to make a flute frame, which I hadn’t done before. If I’m gonna be applying more things, I want to pull in all those old skills I learned back at UT and start doing that again.
DT: Why did you choose a
tortoiseshell cat and Boston Terrier for your piece?
DT: Do you have any advice for current UT students pursuing art?
BB: I thought combination-wise it’d be nice to have a cat and dog. I thought the Boston Terrier would be fun because it’s black and white, so I thought I’d do that and have this bright pop of pink in the background. The two-tone cat was kind of an experiment for
BB: Yeah, I’d say don’t be afraid to try different things. If there’s a class that sort of interests you and you’re not sure about it, take it. Take more than just art as well. For me, I found it really useful to take different science classes because that influences your
baseball
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approach of this team is just to keep on grinding. We talked about the process, and that’s a big deal around here. The process is what it’s going to take to win every single game. I think we have to take it one game at a time.” Texas is no stranger to the Sam Houston State team. This year, the Bearkats are a largely veteran team under the direction of new head coach Jay Sirianni. While the Longhorns are off to a great start, Sam Houston State could challenge them. The Bearkat lineup has put up at least four runs in four of its first six games
and could pose a test for a Texas pitching staff that has started the season looking like one of the best in the Big 12. Against Boise State, the Longhorns displayed all of their talent on the mound. This talent, combined with timely hitting from some younger players put into big spots, makes Texas a team with serious depth and potential. “The staff is really deep, and I can see us using a lot of talent here,” Texas assistant coach Sean Allen said. “The best pitching staffs in the country use eight to 10 guys, I can see us using 12 to 15. Allowing the younger guys that are part of the bullpen to get in the right situation and build confidence.” Texas will likely throw several faces on the mound Tuesday, but junior pitcher Bryce Elder will most likely
copyright brittany bernstrom, and reproduced with permission
Brittany Bernstrom, an artist and UT alumna, based her two-tone cat painting off of the Instafamous cat, Venus. art. I took French as well, and that encouraged me to study abroad. (It) influenced (my art) in a way that just
studying art wouldn’t have done because you get too caught up in a loop of just seeing other art and there’s so much more
assume his role of “Friday night guy” against LSU. Elder is a part of a group of pitchers who are looking to display their vast improvement from 2019’s late-season meltdown. “The strike-throwing ability last year wasn’t great,” Allen said. “We were really great early with a bunch of young guys in prominent roles. Once we got to conference play, the ability to command the baseball along with some other things are what flipped our season.” While the season is still young, Tuesday’s matchup is just another opportunity for Texas to show that this early-season run is not mirroring the trajectory of last season, but is instead a signaling of greater things to come.
out there as well. Take the things you’re a little bit scared of taking. It makes your brain think differently, I guess.
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MARCUS KRUM
Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2020
BASKETBALL
Ramey keeps Longhorns alive
Sophomore guard Courtney Ramey is the Longhorns’ gift that keeps on giving. By Wills Layton @willsdebeast
oming into Monday night, the Texas men’s basketball team had lost more games than it had won in February. However, inspired play from Longhorn guards has brightened up this rough period. In Texas’ 67-57 upset win over No. 20 West Virginia on Monday, sophomore guard Courtney Ramey’s continued leadership and strong play was the light that led the way for Texas. In the past three games, Ramey’s contributions have been vitally important in keeping the Longhorns competitive down the stretch this season. Ramey began Big 12 play inconsistently, routinely going through dry spells and turning on the scoring at unexpected moments. In the last three games, Ramey’s
growth has been a key to his and the team’s success. “The guys have really taken ownership of what we’ve asked them to do starting with this guy (Ramey),” Texas head coach Shaka Smart said after defeating Kansas State last week. “He’s really taken a leadership role and done a great job first and foremost in practice and in our preparation, owning the message that the coaches have given to them.” Since a tough loss to Iowa State on the road on Feb. 15, Ramey has been on fire, serving as the emotional impetus of the team. In that game, where the Longhorns lost by 29, Ramey’s energy was one of the only positive outcomes. After the matchup, Ramey called out the entire team’s effort level. Understanding that the season was slowly slipping away from him and his teammates, he did what any good leader would do: held individuals accountable. “There’s some stuff we have to fix going into the next game,” Ramey said following the road loss to Iowa State. “And it’s stuff where we just have to play with bigger nuts, or emphasis. We’ve got to play way harder, play with nuts.” The Longhorns’ first two baskets of Monday night’s game against the Mountaineers came off Ramey’s fingertips. On most possessions,
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/ the daily texan file
Sophomore guard Courtney Ramey shoots in Texas’ 64-50 win over Kansas State on Jan. 11 at the Frank Erwin Center. the ball ran through Ramey. He finished with 21 points by the end of the night. In the first half of the mustwin game, Ramey along with redshirt sophomore guard Andrew Jones, combined for 27 points, accounting for all but seven points of the team’s total offensive production. The second half went just
as well for the duo, as their individual scoring onslaughts continued. Jones finished with 22 points of his own on the night. Ramey dished out four assists for the game, in addition to collecting five rebounds in a game the Longhorns had to win to keep the dream of making the NCAA Tournament alive.
“Over the last couple games and throughout the whole season, Courtney and I have built a chemistry,” Jones said following Monday’s win. “With guys out, it’s forcing me to step up and play a bigger role, and it’s forcing him to play a bigger role. When two good players are in sync, you can
do great things and lead teams to victory.” Ramey’s late-season resurgence has been the biggest reason for the team’s turnaround. After losing four games in a row, the Longhorns have now won three in a row and will lean on Ramey as they make a late season push for the Big Dance.
BASEBALL
SOFTBALL
Texas hopes to stay perfect against Sam Houston State
Texas opens up daunting week with double-header
By Emily Barton @em_barton1
Coming off of their second weekend sweep of the season, the Longhorns hope to stay undefeated as they head into their last game of the homestand. Texas’ 8–0 start is the program’s best since 2009
when the Longhorns made it all the way to the College World Series finals. On Tuesday, Texas will face a Sam Houston State team that has gotten off to a 5–1 start. The matchup will be the Longhorns’ last game before heading to Houston for the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic. There, Texas will face three SEC
teams, including No. 11 LSU and No. 6 Arkansas. While it’s easy to look ahead to the bright lights of Minute Maid Park, Texas needs to take care of the Bearkats first. “I think this team is very resilient,” redshirt junior infielder Zach Zubia said. “The mental B A S E B A L L PAGE 5
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Junior utility player Lauren Burke swings to strike the softball in Texas’ 4-2 win over North Dakota State on Feb. 22 By Carter Yates @Carter_Yates16
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Redshirt Junior infielder Zach Zubia swings in Texas’ 2-1 win over Boise State on Feb. 22 at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
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Saturday night marked the first time the Longhorns weren’t the superior team in the diamond this season. Despite a gutsy, complete game pitching performance by senior pitcher Miranda Elish, No. 4 Texas fell 1-0 to the Duke Blue Devils in the fourth game of the Texas Invitational tournament. The loss was the first time Texas’ offense failed to score a run since May 23, 2019. “Everything happens for a reason,” Texas head coach Mike White said after the loss. “We didn’t lose that game because of Miranda Elish. We lost that because we didn’t capitalize on some opportunities.” Perhaps the biggest story coming out of the Longhorns’ 4–1 performance over the weekend was the breakout of junior utility player Lauren Burke. Now in her third season playing for White, Burke went 9-for-15 over the five game stretch while picking up six RBIs. After starting in only two out of the previous five games before the Texas Invitational tournament, Burke made her case as to why she should be a mainstay in the lineup as Texas begins its most challenging stretch of the season. Burke is a utility player who has the ability to rotate among outfield, first base or catcher. Her hot bat and versatility on the defensive end makes her a valuable asset as White attempts to craft a lineup with the most offensive potential. “The more positions you play, the more successful you’ll be,” Burke said
on Friday night. “Wherever Coach White puts me, I just do my best.” The resurgence of Burke was a welcome sign for a Texas team that needs all hands on deck for this week. The Longhorns will start with a doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon and evening against No. 11 Louisiana at Red and Charline McCombs Field. After ending its seven-game home stand, Texas will travel to the West Coast to face off against No. 1 UCLA and No. 2 Washington on consecutive nights. The Longhorns have aced nearly every test that has been presented to them this season, but this week will be the most challenging stretch they’ve faced so far. Louisiana, UCLA and Washington are a combined 41–4 on the season, and all three teams are ranked in the top 15 in the country. Texas played only one ranked team all season in No. 12 Tennessee. Very rarely can a top 15 matchup be considered a trap game, but the Longhorns will have to fight the urge to look ahead to its Thursday trip in order to handle the Ragin’ Cajuns in both games of the doubleheader. Louisiana enters the contest sitting at 11–3 despite facing a grueling schedule in the early season. They have already won and lost matchups against No. 7 LSU and No. 8 Oklahoma State. White said this stretch of games will be vital in battle testing the team for a postseason run. “What I’m hoping is that … we are learning something that prepares us for the postseason,” White said. “That’s why you play these tough games in tough situations.”
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 25, 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 25, 2020
Crossword ACROSS Ideologies 5 Something to pitch or break 9 “I give up!” 14 Ham or lamb 15 ___ bowl (health food offering) 16 1988 Summer Olympics city 17 Subject of interest to a 23andMe user 18 Vivacious 19 “You are not!” retort 20 Cellphone button 22 Tiny sound? 23 Xylophonist’s need 24 URL ending 25 Hit from the ’60s? 27 “Baa baa” mama 28 Groups plotting coups
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T R I N A DY J O S L I N
Life&Arts Editor | @TRINADY05
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2020
FEATURE
LIFE&ARTS
‘Beauty is more than just looks’ UT freshman starts Nigerianinspired makeup business that caters to Black women. By Angelica Arinze @thedailytexan
usiness freshman Kachi Akamelu said her love affair with makeup began at 16 in the Walmart
makeup aisle. “My mom (and I) would be in the store for like 30 minutes trying out different colors and researching brands that are good for Black skin tones,” Akamelu said. When she started watching more makeup tutorials on YouTube and Instagram, Akamelu said the art spoke to her. As her passion and skills for makeup grew, she was later able to land her first unofficial client. “One of my childhood friends asked me, ‘Can you do my makeup?’ but I had never done makeup for another person before,” Akamelu said. “I spent all day doing her makeup. It was really makeshift. I had a lamp and a couple of brushes, but I still made it work.” People then began asking her to do their makeup for prom. Akamelu turned the hobby into a business, named Adé Galore. “I just really liked the essence of it, transforming somebody else and then
kirsten hanh
/ the daily texan staff
Kachi Akamelu started her own makeup business out of San Jacinto Residence Hall. Akamelu has turned a life-long passion into a positive force within the community. seeing the reaction after they get their makeup done,” Akamelu said. Akamelu meets clients in their homes and offers a variety of makeup services that range from $30 for a simple “Soft Glam” to $50 for a more elaborate, glamorous beat for Houston clients. Akamelu’s decision to name her business Adé Galore stems from her Nigerian roots. The word “Adé” means “royalty” in Yoruba, and “galore” means “full of,” which she said reflects
her business’s philosophy of self-confidence and high self-esteem. “(Beauty is) more than just looks,” Akamelu said. “It’s more something that you radiate in your aura — that you can be beautiful and you also have a kind heart.” Akamelu said she wants to use her makeup business to foster a more inclusive space on campus for Black women to get their makeup done. Shareefa Gyami, one of Akamelu’s clients and an international relations and global studies freshman, said
businesses such as Adé Galore enrich UT’s tight-knit Black student community. “I like to support Black businesses because it truly is the only option (for us) when it comes to beauty services,” Gyami said. Akamelu’s makeup looks have also gained popularity on social media, with one of her tutorials posted in December 2019 amassing over 16,000 views on Twitter. Adaria Blackwell, a nursing freshman at Chicago State University, has known Akamelu since middle school
and believes her business is making a positive impact in the community. “Seeing students my age and color willing to bring positive energy throughout the Black community is inspiring and powerful,” Blackwell said. “I truly believe that what Kachi and all the other business women are doing is helping to advance the Black community in the direction it needs to go.” Akamelu said Adé Galore not only helped her create an impact in the community but has also aided her in her
own personal growth. She said both doing makeup and watching other beauty gurus has allowed her to become more confident and prioritize her self-care. “I used to be the person that couldn’t walk out of the house without makeup,” Akamelu said. “People like Jackie Aina and Beauty With Melissa definitely inspired me to always go in with my race in mind and to just have pride in my complexion and to have that and be able to promote that beauty to other Black women as well.”
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