The Daily Texan 2020-03-03 by The Daily Texan

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

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Volume 120, Issue 112

UT to change sexual misconduct policies to terminate, name violators By Lauren Grobe @grobe_lauren

he University announced substantial changes to its sexual misconduct policies Monday morning. These include a termination policy for UT faculty or employees who are found to have committed certain forms of sex discrimination deemed as “unacceptable behaviors,” according to a campuswide email from President Gregory Fenves. The changes come as a result of a review of UT’s sexual misconduct policies by law firm Husch Blackwell. The firm’s first report was released to the public Monday. Fenves said in the email that the University has accepted all of the firm’s recommendations. He said UT would implement three major changes based on the recommendations: the consolidation of survivor resources, the termination of certain policy violators and the release of the names of employees who violate certain policies. “If any UT faculty or staff member is found — after a thorough investigation — to have committed sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking or interpersonal violence, the presumptive punishment will be termination,” Fenves said in the email. The recommendations only apply to future policy and do not allow the University to retroactively terminate previous policy violators, such as English associate professor Coleman Hutchison and Sahotra Sarkar, integrative biology and philosophy professor, Husch Blackwell attorney Scott Schneider said. “The default is going to be separation from the institution, as opposed to now where there isn’t a default,” Schneider said. The report recommends the consideration of unique circumstances in cases where termination may not be necessary. Another recommendation is that the University release the names of employees who violate sexual misconduct policies but are still employed. Husch Blackwell was hired in November to review the University’s

sexual misconduct policies, according to the contract between the law firm and the University. Three lawyers from the firm held stakeholder meetings on campus and worked with the Misconduct Working Group to form their initial recommendations. The report also recommends the University clearly define sexual misconduct, require sex discrimination training, implement stricter Title IX investigation timelines and consolidate sex discrimination resources into one office. Currently, the University has three offices that deal with sex discrimination cases. Schneider said there are many resources for survivors on campus, but they were scattered and not well-advertised. “There’s a marketing problem here,” Schneider said. “There are tons of resources, and I’m not sure that students know about the existing resources. My concern is because of that, they go underutilized.” Another recommendation the University will implement is working with restorative justice experts, such as those in the Steve Hicks School of Social Work, to offer additional solutions to survivors, Fenves said in the email. Restorative justice programs focus on bringing together offenders and victims to allow for healing and understanding between both parties. One of the demands of the Coalition Against Sexual Misconduct was the implementation of a restorative justice program. Schneider said they included this recommendation to create more informal resolution options and help the community affected by a Title IX case. “When we have one of these cases, not only is the claimant and the respondent impacted, but a whole department can be impacted,” Schneider said. “Using restorative justice principles and vehicles (can) fix harm that the community has experienced.” According to the report, Husch Blackwell will continue to make other recommendations related to the organization of Title IX compliance offices, the investigation process when upcoming federal regulations are released, the effects of sexual misconduct on third parties and how the University can ensure sanctions remain consistent.

eddie gaspar

/ the daily texan file

Students hold a sit-in on the third floor of the Main Building right outside the provost’s office on Oct. 25, 2019. The University has since announced that it will begin to implement changes to its sexual misconduct policies.

christina peebles

/ the daily texan staff

STATE

Democratic primary candidates put forth final effort in Texas By Hannah Williford @HannahWillifor2

Democratic presidential primary candidates visited Texas to make their final case to voters ahead of Super Tuesday. Remaining candidates former Vice President Joe Biden, billionaire Michael Bloomberg, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren are each looking for which state they will focus on going into Super Tuesday, when 14 state primaries will take place. Joshua Blank, manager of polling and research at the Texas Politics Project, said Texas has the second largest amount of delegates, but it can be a difficult state for candidates to focus on. A large part of investments are dependent on how candidates did in earlier races, such as New Hampshire and Iowa, Blank said. “(Candidates are) thinking about where they’re most likely to be successful, but they’re also looking at

the expense of success,” Blank said. “Texas is a difficult state because Texas is so large. It has so many large and expensive media markets.” Blank said candidates did not initially focus on Texas because Texan candidates former Rep. Beto O’Rourke and Julian Castro, former Housing and Urban Development secretary, were running earlier in the race. Blank said Elizabeth Warren was the exception, setting up field offices in Texas early in the race, followed by Bernie Sanders. According to the Dallas Morning News, Warren has made nine appearances at Texas events since the beginning of 2019. Warren has offices in Austin, Houston and San Antonio. Katya Ehresman, UT Students for Warren member, said she has seen Warren’s involvement with Texas through her endorsements of local candidates, such as that of José Garza, Travis County district attorney candidate. C A N D I D A T E S PAGE 3

alice liu

/ the daily texan staff

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CAMPUS

COLA forms diversity task force to create action plans By Laura Morales @lamor_1217

A task force was formed Wednesday to make the College of Liberal Arts more inclusive by surveying students and crafting diversity and equity action plans, said one of the force’s co-chairs. Monique Pikus, director of diversity and organizational climate of COLA’s Office of the Dean, created the 13-person task force and will chair the group with Karma Chávez, department chair of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies. The plan will include a oneyear deadline and five-year deadline for completing initiatives to improve and broaden equity. Pikus said she has only been in the directorial position for four months, so she wants to have the input of the COLA community about issues it faces. She said she hopes to get a better understanding of the individual experiences of different identities in COLA. “My leadership approach is collaboration,” Pikus said. “To be a true leader, you can’t begin with, ‘This is what I want to do.’ I want the free flow of ideas, and the only

Sports Reporters Nathan Hann

The College of Liberal Arts has assembled a 13-person task force to craft diversity and equity action plans. The task force plans to use focus groups and surveys to get a better understanding of the experiences of different identities in COLA. way to do that is to preserve your own views until everyone has had the opportunity to express themselves and we’ve actually seen the data.” Pikus enlisted the help of graduate researchers to reach COLA students, faculty and staff through focus groups and surveys, which will be sent out during the spring and summer. She expects to have the reports compiled by the fall so the task force can analyze the results and use them as inspiration for

action plans. History graduate student Christina Villarreal is Pikus’ graduate assistant and is creating the focus group questions. She said the questions aim to understand the experiences of students, faculty and staff, not just their demographics. “These focus groups will give a better idea of different groups’ experience and perspective on diversity,” Villarreal said. “This will be

UNIVERSITY

Texas Traditions committee hosts Independence Day celebration

Architecture senior creates endowment for future students By Cecilia Garzella

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one big source of data for the plan.” Aside from Pikus and Chávez, members will self-nominate and be elected April 1. Representatives must include an undergraduate student, two graduate students, three staff members and four tenured and untenured faculty. History professor Alberto Martínez nominated himself for the task force. He is the chair of the Independent

Equity Committee, which published a report in October 2019 about the inequities Hispanic students and faculty face in academia. Pikus said she hopes the task force might turn into a diversity board. She said she defines diversity broadly to encompass not only race, but also class, age, gender orientation, sexuality, parenting status and socioeconomic background. “We are not one identity,” Pikus said. “We are multiple identities, and all of those impact our experience on campus. We want to make sure we are welcoming to all the identities.” English junior DeShawn McKeel said he received the email announcing the creation of the task force and gets other messages from the University about diversity initiatives. He said as long as he has been at UT, he has not seen any results. “It’s just a ‘for show’ type of thing,” McKeel said. “It’s all an act or the bare minimum to say they are doing something. I know for as long as I have been coming to UT, Black students have only been 4% of the population, and that has not changed at all.”

CAMPUS

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Tiffany Sun gives cupcakes to attendees at the Texas Independence Day celebration on Monday in front of Gregory Gym. The event offered free food, corn hole, a petting zoo and giant Jenga. By Madi Margulies @madimarg

A student watched a baby goat chew on his shoelace while ducks bathed themselves in a nearby water bowl, splashing students at the Texas Independence Day event at Gregory Gymnasium Plaza on Monday. Texas Traditions, the Campus Events + Entertainment committee that hosted the event, provided free food, including Tiff’s Treats cookies, Taco Bell tacos, sweet tea and Texas-themed cupcakes. Roughly 600 students participated in several activities, with the most popular being the petting zoo, said Anita Kalangara, Texas Traditions financial officer and finance junior. Texas Independence Day celebrates the day Texas separated from Mexico with the Texas Declaration of Independence signed March 2, 1836, according to the Texas Military Department website. “Texas Independence Day last year was smaller, but this year we were able to make it a lot bigger (because) we made it a more interactive event,” said Texas Traditions chair Catherine Carreon. The petting zoo, especially the baby goats, drew the biggest crowd, said Carreon, a philosophy and economics senior. The zoo also had sheep, rabbits, chickens and ducks. “My favorite part was definitely

the goats,” English junior Frankie Brown said. “They kept trying to eat my shirt. It was amazing.” Brown said they also liked the free tacos and sweet tea. The event featured Texas-themed games, such as corn hole, oversized Jenga, trivia and bracelet-making. The corn hole boards were painted with UT colors to look like a football field. The trivia questions included fun facts about Texas, such as the state bird, which is a mockingbird. If a student got the trivia question correct, they received candy, a cupcake or a little Texas flag. “I feel really happy with the event,” Carreon said. “Everyone seems to really be enjoying it.” Kennedy Stubblefield, marketing and psychology sophomore, said he and a friend were heading to the gym when they saw the petting zoo and abandoned their other plans for the baby goats. Stubblefield said he also enjoyed playing corn hole. “I must say the rabbits were quite disappointing,” Stubblefield said. “I had high expectations going into the rabbits, and they … were antisocial.” Carreon said her favorite part of the event was seeing all her hard work pay off, but the baby goats were a close second. “I was up until 3 a.m. last night planning … so it’s just really nice to see a lot of people really appreciate this,” Carreon said.

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An interior design senior donated half her personal savings, $15,000, this semester to help future architecture students after receiving a $30,000 scholarship funding her tuition, housing and supplies. Katherine Kligerman endowed the School of Architecture with an excellence fund to assist students struggling with the costs of the program. She was one of 12 students nationwide awarded with the $30,000 Angelo Donghia Senior Scholarship in Interior Design in 2018. Architecture is a five-year degree program, so students pay for an additional year of tuition plus supplies and computer software needed for projects. Kligerman said architecture students spend at least $8,000 just on school supplies for architecture classes, not including textbooks. “You’re entering school, and right away you have to purchase things such as drafting supplies and computers that can handle all the technology required by the major,” Kligerman said. While the architecture school does provide resources to students on campus, Kligerman said many students cannot stay on campus all night to work in the architecture studios. “Architecture is such a time-consuming major,” Kligerman said. “Having a job is almost impossible when you’re working in studios and pulling

all-nighters. It’s heartbreaking to see some people have to put up with these costs.” Once Kligerman began working with the School of Architecture to donate her money last fall, she learned she could make a long-lasting impact on the school. “The initial plan was to create multiple scholarships for students using the $15,000 fund,” said Garrett Loontjer, associate director for development for the School of Architecture. “I let (Kligerman) know that if she were able to get $25,000, she would have an endowment on her hands. This would enable her to have something that would provide support for (School of Architecture) students forever.” In an effort to raise the additional $10,000 required to establish an Endowed Excellence Fund, Kligerman reached out to the Austin community for donations. The fundraiser, active on HornRaiser until March 21, has already raised over $14,000 since the start of this semester. Kligerman said she hopes to see a future where it becomes easier for aspiring architects to pursue their goals without being discouraged by expenses. “Who wouldn’t be tempted to take that $15,000 and go on a spending spree or travel the world?” Loontjer said. “Instead, Katherine chose to give that back to the (School of Architecture) in order to support students who are struggling to make ends meet.”

mateo macias

/ the daily texan staff

Interior design senior Katherine Kligerman has gifted the School of Architecture $15,000 from scholarship funds and personal savings to reduce tuition costs for her fellow architecture students.

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TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

T H R O U G H T H E LENS

Featuring the best from the photo department.

dawson mccall| daily texan staff

Psychology major Josh Villanos holds one of Fannie’s Farm baby goats on Monday. The Fannie’s Farm Friends petting zoo, put on by Campus Events + Entertainment, featured an array of adorable chickens, ducks, goats and rabbits.

CAMPUS

UT student rolls out new skating club, Texas Skate Mates, for all beginners

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jonathan sherchand

/ the daily texan staff

RECYCLE your copy of RECYCLE your copy of your copy of RECYCLE your copy of RECYCLE your copy RECYCLE RECYCLE your copyofof

Arjon Bashiri, Simone Greer, Jason De Los Santos, Olly Landreth and Anna Altamirano (left to right) are the members of Texas Skate Mates. Landreth is the founder of the club, which ehopes to create a community of skaters that support each other. s e Greer said. “Recently, I got back into it. I was By Mikayla Mondragon watching Camp Woodward, (an athletic sum@miki_mondragon mer camp,) on YouTube … (where) they give r (kids) scholarships … and they skateboard their r lives away.” What started out as a woman with nothing Landreth also wanted to create an opportunity but her quad skates and a passion for skating has for her fellow radio-television-film classmates to devolved into a skater club with 20 members in just make a portfolio of skating videos. one week. n “Skate media is very prolific,” Landreth said. Olly Landreth, a radio-television-film “I really wanted to make sure that we all had an ,sophomore, started Texas Skate Mates last opportunity to grow and learn and how to collabokweek and found students interested in all rate on all this stuff.” ntypes of skating, including roller skating, inWhile the club does not have formal meetline skating, penny boarding, longboarding, ings, members hang out during informal skating BMX biking and scootering. times. Texas Skate Mates has a skate at House Landreth said members can bring “anything Skatepark on Mondays, a street skate on Frithat rolls and is not electric.” days and a skate at Veloway, a three-mile track Almost every member is a beginner skater. in South Austin on Saturdays. Anna Altamirano, a theatre and dance and ra“Turnout right now is pretty low,” Landreth dio-television-film sophomore, used to skate on a said. “A lot of (the members) are beginpenny board, but Landreth encouraged her to take ners wanting to learn, but they may not have up skateboarding. the time or the resources to buy a board yet. “(Then) we came up with this idea of making They’re figuring it out.” Skate Mates, and (Landreth) took me to buy my In the future, one of Landreth’s goals is to first board,” Altamirano said. teach disadvantaged middle schoolers and high Landreth wanted to create a group dedicated schoolers in East Austin how to skate. to supporting beginners and “people scared of For now, Landreth said she wants to create a looking like a beginner.” community of skaters who support each other and Simone Greer, a radio-television-film sopho- share skating with people who want to try it. more, said Landreth recruited her after hearing “(Skating) saved my life,” Landreth said. her talk about skating in class. “Sometimes, it’s described as being the purest “I’ve been able to ride a board since I was 10,” form of joy.”

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c a n d i d at e s continues from page

“The first thing that I really noticed when starting to observe Warren’s campaign in Texas is that she was not only investing in infrastructure really early, but she was the first campaign to hire any Texas state staff as well as create offices in Texas before anyone else, except for Julian and Beto,” government junior Ehresman said. Sanders visited Texas cities 13 times, according to the Dallas Morning News. Sanders has opened five offices in Texas. Kaya Epstein, UT Students for Bernie member, said since Sanders’ rally in Austin on Feb. 23, the organization has seen an increase in support on campus. She said Texas is ready for a candidate like Bernie. “Texans don’t want to be living in a state where

they’re not taken care of,” biology freshman Epstein said. “There’s a stigma around Texas being (the state where) we want our independence; we want our freedom. We want those things, but we also want to be part of this country … in a way that means we are giving to this country but also getting back from it.” Biden and Bloomberg have also had a presence in Texas. Biden opened four field offices in Texas, while Bloomberg has almost 20, 11 of which were opened in February. Blank said Biden has been less active than other candidates during the primary process and that Bloomberg’s spending is consistent with his overall campaign strategy. “(Bloomberg) is extremely active in Texas both in terms of spending money on ads, opening field offices, hiring staff,” Blank said. “It’s not a Texas-specific strategy for Bloomberg. That’s just the Michael Bloomberg strategy.”

OPINION VOTE in today’s primary elections

SPENCER BUCKNER

Editor-In-Chief | @TEXANOPINION

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

Polling stations are open 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Perry-Castañeda Library, Flawn Academic Center and Texas Hillel. COLUMN

brittany le

/ the daily texan staff

Election day must be an excused absence to encourage student voting By André Williams Columnist

Have you noticed the campaign posters that decorate the entrance to the Perry-Castañeda Library? Have you been stopped by someone offering you an information packet on a candidate running for election? If so, then you know what time it is — voting season! Last Friday, Feb. 28 marked the last day of early voting. Tuesday, March 3 — or Super Tuesday— marks the official voting day for the 2020 primary election. It is important that everyone ensures their voices are heard by voting. TX Votes, a nonpartisan student organization, works hard to ensure students are registered. Anthony Zhang, chemistry and public health junior, explained how TX Votes works to increase student involvement in elections. “The main things we (focus on) are voter registration and voter education,” Zhang said.“We register hundreds and hundreds of students in classrooms. We got invited to move in … (where) lots of freshmen are getting their new addresses … we can register them at their new address.” However, even with all the groundwork done by students, even by explaining the importance of voting and even with opportunities for early voting, persuading students to go and vote is easier said than done. In 2019, only 12% of registered voters turned out to approve amendments to the state’s Constitution. In 2018, the voting rate among UT-Austin’s registered students was 54.8% when it should ideally be much closer to 100%. It is time to expand the conversation from focusing solely on getting students registered to vote and instead figure out how to get students more engaged in the

election process. But how do we get more students to show up to the polls? Well, some professors at the University of Pennsylvania believe they have the answer. In an effort to increase voter turnout, professors at the University of Pennsylvania are “giving extra credit and excusing absences” for students who go and vote. Excusing absences for students who miss class due to voting is a simple but effective step in ensuring all students have the ability to vote. English associate professor Elizabeth Richmond-Garza explained that she would support excusing student absences with some conditions.

Even during early voting, wait times can be extensive. If voting was an excused absence, student would have more time to and be more willing to wait in these lines.” “I would excuse an absence for any official activity that was part of a student exercising their full legal rights,” Richmond-Garza said. “Students would need to let me know in advance that they will not be present and to follow up with me or their TA on what they had missed.” Other professors oppose the idea because students are given many opportunities to vote early. I understand their view, as early voting did last over a week, but due to schedule conflicts

or simply not planning ahead, many students are not able to utilize early voting opportunities. Voting early was an issue even for me. I went to the PCL on Friday after class planning to vote early. I knew that the lines would be long on Tuesday and wanted to avoid the long wait time. However, I did not anticipate the line that greeted me at the door as I entered the PCL. Even during early voting, wait times can be extensive, so simply encouraging students to vote early does not solve the problem. If voting was an excused absence, students would have more time and be more willing to wait in these lines. Besides, what about students who want to vote in their home cities or states? Some students may prefer to vote in their home district because they want to specifically impact that area. While students can get an absentee ballot, the rules surrounding this process are often confusing. Due to these regulatory steps, many students may feel discouraged to undertake the process of receiving an absentee ballot. Voting is one of the main channels of advocating change within our communities. If we truly want our students to be leaders and promote change, we must encourage students to participate in all opportunities of civic engagement— voting being one of the easiest methods. We must make the voting process as seamless and as easy as possible and ensure all students have the opportunity to vote, whether on campus or at home. Allowing flexibility in attendance could go a long way in promoting this kind of change. Dear students, your voice has power. Utilize it during this election season. Williams is an international business junior from Fort Worth.

COLUMN

Check your biases at the door about UT’s PACE program By Maria Sailale Columnist

UT is well known for its automatic admissions policy. Thousands of talented and high-achieving students have earned their spot at the prestigious University in this way. However, in light of a growing and increasingly competitive pool of applicants in recent years, the University has been forced to turn more and more qualified applicants away. To address this issue, UT offers the Path to Admission through Co-Enrollment program to a select number of students as a way to offer more high-achieving students a chance at enrollment. Despite its overall success, however, some students unfortunately find themselves questioning their status as UT students once admitted through Co-Enrollment program. Students are enrolled at both Austin Community College and UT for a minimum requirement of 24 hours and six hours respectively per year. The program, more frequently referred to as PACE, lasts the duration of the first year, after which

students are offered automatic admission to ap- campus life serves as evidence of their stake in the proved majors. Despite their co-enrollment at Forty Acres. two campuses, UT clarifies on the program webEven though PACE offers students unique site that they are UT students from day one. This advantages, including smaller classes and a dedindicates the unique posiicated team of mentors and tion of students enrolled in advisers, because of its small the program. size and its relative newness, “Students in the PACE most students are unaware program are conditionalit exists. ly admitted to UT Austin Some are merely misinPACE offers students during their time in the proformed, and in both cases, unique advantages gram,” said Jasmine Rose students sometimes find Schmitt, PACE’s student themselves justifying their ... because of its program coordinator. “Upon status as UT students to small size and relasuccessful completion of their peers. Students someprogram requirements, times associate a stigma with tive newness most they transition to full-time the program or feel as if their students are admission status.” participation in it is a taboo unaware it exists.” While students in the protopic because they weren’t gram are restricted in the admitted in the same way as number of classes they can the majority of their peers. take at UT during their first year, perhaps their “Initially, I was apprehensive to admit to peoability to live in on-campus housing, join organiple that I’m in PACE,” said Dina Gaye, a first year zations and participate in nearly every aspect of undeclared PACE student. “I felt embarrassed

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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that I was not admitted as a full UT student, especially because this program isn’t common among other universities.” The program serves an important role in expanding UT’s commitment to offering a quality education to as many talented students as possible. Students should not feel as if they are stuck in limbo — they should feel supported by their peers. “During the first few weeks of school I struggled with defining my status as a college student,” said Catherine Gavin, a first year undeclared student in the program. “I felt uncomfortable explaining to people that had not heard of PACE that I was enrolled in two institutions.” No UT student should be made to question their right to claim this campus as their own. We should do better to check our harmful assumptions and redirect our efforts instead to celebrating our contributions. This would help assure students that they are a valuable addition to the community. After all, we all graduate with the same diploma. Sailale is an undeclared PACE freshman from Dallas.

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LIFE&ARTS photo

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TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

with myself.” As a biracial woman in Austin, Blanks said she is painstakingly aware of the color and dynamic of every room she enters. This is a significant theme in the “Manifest” collection. To Blanks, the verb “manifest” means to claim space, which she said can be hard in a city where many people of color feel a sense of isolation. “I’ve had a lot of women of color approach me and ask me how I enjoy my life here and how I’ve found community,” Blanks said. “‘Manifest’ is really meant to show that Black and brown people can exist here and enjoy it. I wanted to show that we can have freedom in this metropolis.” For this project, Blanks said she wanted to act as a vessel for the movement and a catalyst for change rather than solely a photographer and model. “Despite the progressiveness and liberalization of Austin, it’s

actually the only major city in the country with a steadily decreasing African American population,” Blanks wrote in her artist’s statement. “I have heard a calling and felt a sense of duty to express my passion for equity.”

We are all constantly changing and evolving. To me, that’s the only constant.” RILEY BLANKS

fouNder, woke beauty

Virginia Cumberbatch is a close friend of Blanks as well as a co-founder of Rosa Rebellion and recipient of the Austin Anti-Defamation League’s Social Justice Award. She said she has been by Blanks’

side since the concept of “Manifest” was born. “She shared with me the first iterations of the project. She so vulnerably and transparently shared the complexities of her maturation, some of her confusions growing up in this world and finding her place in it,” Cumberbatch said. “Manifest” tells the story of a woman of color claiming space in modern America. Vulnerability played a big role in the creation of this series and is clearly seen in the images. In her introduction of Blanks, studio owner Miranda Bennett described Blanks as a “communication artist.” “At her core, Riley is an activist in every sense of the word,” Bennett said. Blanks said she doesn’t see a clear end to “Manifest” but rather a collection that will continue to grow, evolve and expand as she does. “I don’t think it will ever be complete; I don’t ever want it to be complete,” Blanks said. “We are all constantly changing and evolving. To me, that’s the only constant.”

netflix

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Elle Fanning and Justice Smith star in “All the Bright Places,” a new Netflix film about mental illness and its impact on romance.

tennis

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Gabby Cusano. No. 61 freshman Lexi Ryngler has proven to be a powerhouse for Texas but has been out due to injury in recent matches. Returning to the competition are seniors No. 3 Anna and No. 26 Bianca Turati, sophomore Tijana Spasojevic and junior Fernanda Labraña, who lost in singles to Michigan across the board at the last meet. The No. 20 Turati twins had better success in doubles, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Wolverines, who clinched the doubles point in the end. “We’re working really hard, and we need to keep

in the movie dim and contrast earlier, cheerful scenes. A big disappointment of the movie was its shallow exploration of deep topics. Whereas Violet’s mental health problems were thoroughly examined, only the surface of Finch’s were scratched. For most of the movie, Finch is portrayed as a buoyant, lively character, with many of his struggles taking place off screen. This makes for a lot of confusion when Finch is suddenly not well and viewers are left to wonder what is hapenning, with little to no context provided. When Finch begins disappearing for days at a time, he tells Violet he needs moments to “feel in control of himself,” but what threatens his control isn’t explicitly stated once in the entire film.

Photographer Riley Blanks shares her work at an exhibit in the Miranda Bennett Studio. Banks founded Woke Beauty, a photography brand and business that celebrates women’s inherent beauty.

Less common for the genre is that the soundtrack of the movie is absolutely beautiful. The composer, Keegan DeWitt, does an incredible job at capturing the ups and downs of Violet and Finch’s relationship through a series of string-heavy orchestral pieces. DeWitt strategically goes back and forth between upper and lower string voices, which at times brings clarity to the confusing plot. Many long scenes feel like they were taken straight out of a music video, bringing in happier moments the film might have otherwise lacked. The movie excels with a great cast. Fanning does an excellent job at capturing the raw, heartbreaking moments in her chilling portrayal of Violet. As the story progresses, Fanning flips a switch when Violet blossoms back into an older, happier version of herself, showcasing the actress’ wide stretch of talent. Smith is the soul of the movie, bringing to life a charismatic and tragic portrayal

“All the Bright Places” GENRE

Drama/Romance TV-MA

R AT I N G SCORE

of Finch. Doing the best he can with a script that does not give his character the depth it deserves, Smith creates a timeless character that will resonate with viewers long after the credits roll. “All the Bright Places” needs much more than 108 minutes to successfully tell the stories it attempts to take on. Despite an intriguing first act, the movie only becomes more disappointing as it goes on, aiming to highlight the severity of several mental health illnesses but falling desperately short of giving them the attention they deserve.

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there and try our best and just keep working hard with the team.” Not only is a match

evan l’roy

/ the daily texan file

Freshman Lexi Ryngler runs toward the tennis ball in a match against West Virginia on Feb. 17. against Michigan a good opportunity for Texas to turn around its losing streak, but it will also be the last match before Texas faces Big 12 Conference competitors this season. Weather permitting, Texas

will take on No. 16 Michigan at the Texas Tennis Center this Tuesday at 2 p.m. If the match is to be relocated, the Longhorns will host Michigan indoors at the Edgar O. and Melanie A. Weller Tennis Center.

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Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

BASKETBALL

Texas seeks a win in Norman

The Longhorns look to boost their NCAA Tournament chances with a win over Oklahoma in Norman. By Wills Layton @willsdebeast

ver the course of a month, Longhorn fans have gotten to know two different versions of the men’s basketball team. In the first half of February, Texas not only lost four games in a row but also lost two starters in junior forward Jericho Sims and junior guard Jase Febres. The absence of Sims and Febres forced the team to create new lineups with the season on the line. The second half of the month can only be described as improbable and exciting. With four consecutive wins heading into a road matchup with Oklahoma on Tuesday, including two in a row over ranked teams, Texas has turned its season around. The depth of the roster, including junior

joshua guenther

/ the daily texan file

Junior forward Royce Hamm Jr. fends off Baylor defenders in Texas’ 52-45 loss to the Bears on Feb. 10 at the Frank Erwin Center. forward Royce Hamm Jr. and freshman forward Brock Cunningham, has been crucial for a team whose season appeared to be over just two weeks ago. “Just to see that their hard work and their talent is finally being able to be displayed, despite the adversity that we’ve been through,”

redshirt sophomore guard Andrew Jones said regarding the performances of Hamm and Cunningham. “Nobody expects nobody to be injured, but when you get that situation, you’ve got to be able to step up, and these guys are making plays like they’re supposed to.” In addition to quality

performances by freshman center Will Baker and freshman forward Kai Jones, the play of Hamm and Cunningham, who have both joined the starting lineup, has made the biggest difference in Texas’ late-season surge. Hamm said last weekend’s victory over Texas Tech was his best performance

in his time at UT. He scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds, making his presence known on both sides of the court. “I try to play hard every chance I get,” Hamm said. “I just tried to exceed my energy. I just wanted to come out in the second half and bring my team energy. I knew that’s

what it takes in order for us to win this game.” The players have earned the admiration of their head coach as well. The hot seat underneath Shaka Smart is cooling off thanks to not only quality coaching but high effort from all of his players. “Those guys, they’re our blue collar guys,” Smart said regarding Hamm and Cunningham. “When they lose themselves in the fight, they really play that way. We’ve been looking for guys that can be role players. I think that’s what those guys have done this last stretch of games, just losing themselves in the fight.” However, the Longhorns can’t afford to rest on their laurels. The best remaining chance in the regular season to make an impression on the selection committee will be against the Oklahoma Sooners in Norman. If the Longhorns can win on Tuesday, they will continue to bolster their chances of making the NCAA Tournament. “There’s still two weeks and a day until Selection Sunday, so there’s a ton of basketball still to be played,” Smart said following the win over Tech. “If we can play our best basketball and if our guys can stay connected around each other and put winning over everything else, then it does give us a chance to win big games.”

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Two-strike hitting key factor for Longhorns By Nathan Han @NathanHan13

Despite a nine-game winning streak to start the season, head coach David Pierce still had some unanswered questions about the offense of this Texas baseball squad before last weekend’s games against LSU, Arkansas and Missouri. “I think we’re a long way (away),” Pierce said. “To be honest, we’re still trying to create an identity. There’s some guys that can run. There’s guys that will get plenty of opportunity … But I think we’ve got a lot of work to do, mainly on two-strike hitting.” And in their weekend series against those three SEC teams, Longhorn fans learned just how important two-strike hitting is for Texas. In their two losses against LSU and Missouri, the Longhorns were 4-36 in two-strike counts, hitting .111/.255/.222 with one home run, seven walks and 24 strikeouts. In their win against Arkansas, Texas hit 6-20 in the same two-strike situations (.300/.391/.450), batting in four RBIs with one home run, three walks and eight strikeouts. The difference between the team that struck out 16 times against LSU and the team that had arguably their best offensive game of the season against Arkansas came mostly in two-strike hitting. And according to Pierce, improvement in those two-strike hitting situations just comes down to swinging at the right pitches. “The first thing I ask (the hitters) all the time is, ‘Are you swinging at the right pitches?’” Pierce said. “If you’re swinging at the right pitches, and you’re missing them, then maybe it’s a vision thing or a timing thing or a mechanical thing. But we don’t want to go straight to mechanics.”

rankin white

/ the daily texan file

Senior outfielder Austin Todd runs to the base in Texas’ 2-1 victory over Boise State on Feb 22. at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. Nowhere is the importance of two-strike hitting more clear than in senior right fielder Austin Todd. Pierce said Todd, who has reached base safely in all 12 games thus far, is the team’s best hitter. He credits much of his success to working with assistant coach Troy Tulowitzki, the former big-leaguer and All-Star that Pierce brought onto his staff this season. “The best thing (Tulowitzki) has told me is probably just slow the game down,” Todd said. “So that’s really what I’ve been trying to do. There’s times where I get myself out. I’ll swing at bad pitches that look fat but they’re probably balls, and I get myself out. I just need to narrow it down and swing at pitches I know I can handle.” Another positive sign for the Longhorns is the improvement of another outfielder in those two-strike counts.

Freshman Douglas Hodo III saw a rash of poor two-strike hitting catapult him to the team leader in strikeouts in the first six games. “It’s that fine line you got to expand in the strike zone,” Pierce said. “But then you don’t want to go so far as long as you have a chance.” But over the last six games, Hodo flipped the script and found that fine line. In his last twelve at-bats with two strikes, he’s drawn six walks, many in 1-2 or 0-2 counts, and is now the team leader in walks. If Texas wants to replicate its offensive success against Arkansas, the team will need to follow in the footsteps of Hodo and Todd. Two-strike hitting could end up being the difference between success and failure for this offense’s season.

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Texas seeks redemption against No. 16 Michigan By Yazmin Dominguez @yazminceleste_

The No. 4 Longhorns started their season off strong but have struggled as of late. Texas’ last two opponents, No. 12 Stanford and No. 17 Pepperdine, proved to be forces, leaving the Longhorns with two consecutive losses — one at home and one on the road. Now, Texas is coming home with its focus on No. 16 Michigan.

Texas hasn’t had much luck against the Wolverines in the past. Over the past 13 years, Michigan has shown dominance, earning five wins to Texas’ two. In their most recent matchup, the Longhorns traveled to Ann Arbor last year and fell 6-1. “Our schedule is littered with very, very strong teams. So it’s going to be another challenging match,” said head coach Howard Joffe on the tough competition. “All these matches are very

good. It’s exciting because this is the stuff that’s gonna fuel our run towards the end of the season and let us improve.” Despite the difference in rankings, Joffe doesn’t attribute rankings to team success. Instead, he believes it is more about how the team is performing. “What matters is how the players are doing, are they improving and so on and so forth,” Joffe said. “And so I think, the ranking may go

down a bit, it may go up a bit, but really where it’s at is, is the team fundamentally getting stronger and if they are, we’ll be there at the end.” What may come to the Longhorns’ advantage this time around are the new competitors Michigan will be faced with from Texas, including on-the-rise freshman Adri Nagy, returning redshirt sophomore Marta Perez Mur and freshman TENNIS

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COMICS

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, MARCH 3, 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, March 3, 2020

Crossword

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27 Disposable 59 It begins on Ash drink receptacle Wednesday popular at parties 60 7’1” Shaquille 31 For 62 March Madness quartet … or, 32 Mine cart collectively, the contents second parts of 33 Cutting-edge 17-, 25-, 37- and technology? 51-Across? 35 Masters of 64 Creator of Yertle meditation the Turtle 65 Treasure cache 37 So-called “millennials” 66 General at Gettysburg 40 White-feathered wader 67 Made a mistake 42 Squander 68 Health teacher’s subject, 43 New Deal inits. informally 44 Dungeons & 69 Consumed Dragons monster 47 Copycat’s drink order 51 Keyboard shortcut for “undo,” on a PC 54 Ireland, to an Irish poet 55 Stow, as cargo 56 Birds’ bills

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE A T B A Y

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Edited by Will Shortz 1

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PUZZLE BY TRENTON CHARLSON

13 Takes a breather 18 One with a shortened sentence 22 Camera type, in brief 26 State animal of South Dakota 28 Synagogue singer 29 Function 30 ___ capita 34 Like most vegetables at a salad bar

36 Personal identity 37 Majesty 38 Parlor ink, for short

49 Ballroom dance that originated in France 50 Menu selection 52 Poke fun at

39 Suffix meaning “approximately”

53 Kinshasa’s country, formerly

40 Fence off

57 Fort ___ (gold depository)

41 Awful pun 45 Stick up 46 Chin dimples 48 Colored part of the iris

58 Put money in the bank 61 You’ll trip if you drop it 63 Took the reins

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.

T R I N A DY J O S L I N

Life&Arts Editor | @TRINADY05

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

CITY

PHOTO

Photographer displays latest collection to celebrate inner beauty By Hannah Heckman @semi_secure

As a photographer and businesswoman, Riley Blanks uses her camera to bridge gaps and build community. In 2018, Blanks, 29, founded Woke Beauty, a photography brand and business based in Austin that celebrates women’s inherent beauty. Her most recent exhibition was at the Miranda Bennett Studio in East Austin and featured her latest collection, “Manifest,” where Blanks spoke about her relationship with photography. “I am mostly fascinated with the sociological aspect of photography, how it can connect people,” Blanks said. In her artist’s statement, Blanks defines her newest collection as “a template for American cities whose marginalized individuals are being displaced, as a call to action for justice, equity and reform.” “Manifest” features vibrant self-portraits of Blanks in various places around Austin. For each of these, Blanks said a great amount of consideration went into the location, clothing, color and texture of the portrait. Blanks, who said she is used to being on the other side of the camera, stepped out of her comfort zone to capture these narrative portraits. “I used to judge self-portraiture. I thought it was vain,” Blanks said. “But for me, the actual process of taking these images involved a lot of conversation P H O T O PAGE 5

LIFE&ARTS

CBD shop breaks stigma

Cannabis boutique MaryJae aims to challenge taboo around CBD usage, educate consumers about benefits and create a safe space. By Carlie Whisman @thedailytexan

ases of intricate glass bongs and pipes line the walls of MaryJae, a high-end smoke accessories and CBD shop on

South Lamar. Owner Jae Graham said she created MaryJae to break the taboo around cannabis and smoking and to provide a safe space for consumers of all kinds to learn about the benefits of CBD. Graham said her inspiration to start MaryJae was her father, who started using cannabis during his battle with cancer. Before he passed, he asked her to share the healing powers of cannabis with everyone, especially the elderly community. Graham decided to start the venture and sold her house to travel for over a year, learning as much as she could about CBD and curating an array of products before opening the store in 2017. Beginning as MaryJae Smoke Culture, Graham said she shortened the name to MaryJae to rebrand the store as a smoke shop and a lifestyle shop. “We are a female-owned, women of color (and) queer community safe

Jae Graham opened MaryJae, a female-owned CBD shop on South Lamar, to challenge taboos associated with cannabis and smoking and provide a space for people to learn about benefits of CBD. space that anybody can come to, but we are here for the women, the elderly, the queer community — just anyone that’s ‘other,’” Graham said. MaryJae’s curation is carefully selected by Graham, who personally tests all the CBD products to ensure everything is clean, safe and effective. From topicals, edibles and prerolled joints, MaryJae has a variety of CBD products for every kind of consumer — even pets. In addition to CBD, MaryJae sells cannabis themed jewelry, glassware, bags and more. “We (buy) a lot of (products) from

females, people of color, the queer community and small businesses,” Graham said. “I want to serve the people behind the product so I can connect the product to my people, the community.” With a variety of CBD strains providing different kinds of relief, Graham said MaryJae aims to share the relaxing qualities of CBD for both physical and mental health. “I started using cannabis because of my PTSD, and it really helped me manage (it),” MaryJae employee Effy Williams said. Excited by the inclusive space she

saw as a customer, Williams said she was inspired to join the MaryJae family to help break the stigma around cannabis and share what has helped her with others. MaryJae employee Amy Garcia said this education, not just CBD sales, is the basis of the company. In a rapidly changing industry, people don’t know what products do and how they are used, Graham said. “People are able to come in and ask any questions they want,” Garcia said. “We want to educate people and help them in a clean, comfortable space.”

FILM REVIEW

Netflix’s ‘All the Bright Places’ falls short in tackling mental illness By Avery Wohleb @averywohleb

As it turns out, most of the places are not very bright. Directed by Brett Haley, “All the Bright Places” is a Netflix original film

based off the Jennifer Niven novel of the same name. The movie tells the story of Violet (Elle Fanning), who is severely depressed following the sudden death of her sister. For a school project, Violet partners with Finch (Justice Smith), who becomes determined to ease Violet back into the world as they explore the

wonders of Indiana. However, as the two grow close and begin dating, Violet realizes Finch may need just as much help getting through his own mental health struggles. The cinematography is stunning as Violet and Finch explore Indiana. Warm shots of woods, water and open fields

highlight the emergence of Violet from her dark state. The movie pays homage to its title by becoming brighter during moments where Finch and Violet are happy. However, when Finch begins retreating into a dark state, the colors N E T F L I X PAGE 5