The Daily Texan 2020-03-04

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

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Volume 120, Issue 113

NEWS

OPINION

SPORTS

LIFE&ARTS

PAGE 2

PAGE 4

PAGE 6

PAGE 8

Local nonprofit Save Austin Now advocates for harsher rules on homeless camping.

UHD needs to better accomodate students with dietary restrictions.

Pharmacy alum, spa co-founders talk starting a business without prior experience.

March Madness comes early as Texas sneaks past Oklahoma behind buzzer-beater.

STATE

BIDEN WINS TEXAS PRIMARY Former VP Joe Biden was closely followed

by Sen. Bernie Sanders. Sanders took Travis County.

By Austin Martinez & Neelam Bohra

@austinmxrtinez @neelambohratx

ormer Vice President Joe Biden won the Texas Democratic presidential primary election with 33.4% of the votes and 94% of the precincts reporting at the time of print, according to The New York Times.

Biden was followed closely by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), who won 29.8% of the vote with 94% of the precincts reporting at the time of print. In Travis County, Sanders had 37.5% of the vote with 94% reporting; Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) and Biden cam in second and third.

“Call it a W. Thank you, Texas,” Biden tweeted Wednesday.

Biden won in Dallas County with 37.4% of the vote, Tarrant County with 34% and Harris County with 35.9%, according to The New York Times.

Josh Blank, research director of the Texas Politics Project, said the race for president has so far been fluid and unclear.

“We’ll see if this actually becomes a two-candidate race,” Blank said. “What

you’re seeing is the Democratic electorate mobilizing behind defeating (President) Donald Trump.”

Blank said Biden is performing better with African American voters, while Sanders is stronger with Hispanic voters.

“Texas is a more unique Super Tuesday state because it is demographically diverse, which will largely impact the votes,” Blank said.

University Democrats president Alex Meed said he thinks Biden’s lead was due to the changes happening throughout the race. He said major changes include former candidates Pete Buttigieg (Mayor, South Bend), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) dropping out and endorsing Biden in Dallas Monday.

“The moderate wing is definitely coalescing in terms of everyone going into Biden — even (Democractic candidate Michael) Bloomberg right now is considering the viability of that campaign,” Meed, a public affairs graduate student, said. “I don’t blame people who are upset that feel like their votes were wasted. We have a complicated system for how we elect the president. It means there will be

AMNA IJAZ

/ THE DAILY TEXAN STAFF

AMNA IJAZ

/ THE DAILY TEXAN STAFF

TOP: Former Vice President Joe Biden led Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) in the Democratic presidential primary race in Texas by a slim margin. Biden received last-minute endorsements from former Democratic candidates Pete Buttigieg (Mayor, South Bend), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) and former Rep. Beto O Rourke (D-Texas).

BOTTOM: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) narrowly lost to former Vice President Joe Biden in the Democratic presidential primary race in Texas. However, Sanders won several other states on the Super Tuesday map, including Vermont and Utah.

P R I M A R Y PAGE 3 STATE

COUNTY

US Senate primaries send Democrats to runoff, name Cornyn Republican nominee

Travis County DA heads to runoff, Garza leads

By Neha Madhira @nehamira14

By Hannah Williford @HannahWillifor2

The United States Senate Democratic primary race is heading to a runoff election after inconclusive results came in Tuesday.

A runoff election will be held for the Democratic senatorial primary on May 26 between the top two candidates.

None of the 12 candidates received at least 50% of votes plus one additional vote to be declared the winner.

Veteran Mary “MJ” Hegar will continue to the runoff after receiving 24% of the votes at 96% of counties reporting.

Six other candidates earned between 8%-14% of the vote at the time of print.

The candidates on the balR U N O F F PAGE 3

JORGE CORONA

The Democratic primary race between incumbent Margaret Moore, 53rd District Attorney, and challenger José Garza will most likely go into a runoff.

Although Garza gained a lead as votes tallied in Tuesday, neither of them have received over 50% of the vote, which is necessary to be declared the winner.

Moore had around 41% of the vote with 39% reporting, while Garza had around 44% with 39% reporting.

Presidential candidates Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) endorsed Garza.

Garza hosted an election night watch party Tuesday night at Mexican restaurant Mi Madre’s.

“I am incredibly honored and humbled that so many

/ THE DAILY TEXAN FILE

Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) won the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate for the fourth consecutive time last night.

(supporters) came out tonight to celebrate the work that (supporters) have been doing for the last ten months,” Garza said at the watch party.

“You have gotten behind a new vision for criminal justice here in Travis County and I am incredibly grateful to all of you.”

Moore has been endorsed by Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt and city council member Leslie Pool, according to KVUE. “There’s no question that criminal justice reform is a priority of our party,” Eckhardt said. “The only question in this primary is which candidate has the best chance of succeeding at it. … Margaret Moore has been an outstanding reform district attorney.”

Moore has fought for issues like holding police officers accountable and increasing sexual assault prosecutions, according to her re-election

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NEWS

New petition aims to reinstate camping ban

By Neha Madhira @nehamira14

In an effort to reinstate the ordinance limiting where people experiencing homelessness can camp, an Austin-based nonprofit started a petition Feb. 24 to put the issue on the November 2020 ballot.

Save Austin Now is a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization started August 2019 to “educate and mobilize Austin residents about critical quality of life issues,” according to the organization’s website. The petition through Change.org currently has more than 95,400 signatures.

In July, the Austin City Council lifted a ban on camping, sitting and lying on public streets. City Council later revised the rules in October, ruling that camping on all city sidewalks will be banned, but sitting and lying down will not, unless it is 15 feet from a business, according to a KVUE report.

“We are focused on standard of living issues in the city and educating residents on standard living issues,” said Matt Mackowiak, co-founder of Save Austin Now and chairman of the Travis County GOP. “(This coalition) is the product of several months. After the council made modest changes to the ordinance, it became clear to us that a lot of the Council was not going to consider rescinding the rest of the ordinance or making any other changes.”

Mackowiak said the organization met with attorneys and came to an agreement on bill language with three main goals: reinstating the ban on homeless camping, restricting panhandling from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and reinstating the sitand-lie ordinance downtown to cover the University’s campus, as well as 2.5 miles around it. “(The language) is a model based on and perfected by the University of

copyright eddie gaspar, and reproduced with permission

An encampment site found underneath the Interstate 35 overpass along the Cesar Chavez Street intersection.

On Oct. 18, 2019, Gov. Greg Abbott’s office said they were considering using the Texas Department of Transportation to enforce the possible disbanding of tent communities under Austin bridges and overpasses.

Southern California that has kept their campus very safe,” Mackowiak said. “We believe (homeless camping) is a safety issue. There is really no reason to allow homeless people to sleep on a park bench if we are not allowing them (to) camp in certain areas.”

SafeHorns president Joell McNew said the organization will provide vocal support for Save Austin Now. SafeHorns is a coalition of parents, students and stakeholders concerned about crime, McNew said. “(The lift on the homeless camping ban)

wasn’t really shared with the UT community and students and stakeholders, who already are concerned about safety,” McNew said. “That’s why it’s important to bring it to the ballot so this gives a larger opportunity for people to ask questions, have comments and weigh in.”

Julian Reyes, member of Stop the Sweeps Austin, said his organization is a group of community members fighting against issues like these, and he does not support Save Austin Now. “What (the police) call cleanups are not cleanups, they are sweeps,” Reyes

said. “They’re destroying lives. What they are doing is illegal, immoral and unethical. It is genocide to people of color and genocide to the working class who cannot afford to live here.”

Reyes said he also plans on standing his ground and suing Save Austin Now. “This issue is about tourism, the economy, public safety and public health,” Mackowiak said. “We really believe this ordinance would be a massive safety improvement for UT students, for UT employees and for teachers and administrators.”

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By Nataleah Small @nataleahjoy

Angela Evans will conclude her tenure as dean of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs this December, according to an email from the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost sent last week.

Evans joined UT as a clinical professor in 2009 and has served as dean of the LBJ School since 2016, said Provost Maurie McInnis in the announcement. During her time as dean, she focused her efforts on strengthening diversity and inclusivity within the school, McInnis said.

“Angela Evans has led the LBJ School of Public Affairs with a deep commitment to service,” said President Gregory Fenves in the announcement. “She has expanded the school’s impact, particularly by building strong connections among students, faculty members and government officials.”

This announcement comes as the LBJ School celebrates its 50th anniversary. Evans said part of the job of leading the LBJ School is to prepare for the next generation of leaders.

“I think people make a

christina ke

/ the daily texan staff

Angela Evans, dean of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, will conclude her tenure in December 2020. Evans served as a clinical professor at the LBJ School from 2009-2016 before becoming dean. mistake by staying too long,” Evans said. “For people who are coming in with new ideas, make sure that you’ve created an environment that’s innovative, that’s healthy, that has great administrative, foundational protocols and processes.”

Ruth Wasem, clinical professor of public policy practice, said she wishes Evans was staying longer as dean

but knows Evans only made a five-year commitment to work in this position.

“Dean Evans is always someone who has liked to pass the baton on,” Wasem said. “She’s committed to training her replacements and grooming people to succeed her.”

Amy Kroll, a public affairs graduate student, said she received support from Evans

when she pitched the idea of creating the LBJ Women’s Campaign School, which will train women on how to run for office or become campaign managers. Kroll presented the idea to Evans in March 2019, and the program is set to launch this June.

She said Evans reached out to people within the LBJ School network to gain support for the program.

“This program would not be happening without the support of Dean Evans,” Kroll said. “Her belief in what students can do as leaders and entrepreneurs is inspiring.”

Under Evans’ leadership, Wasem said the LBJ School’s public affairs program ranked among the top 10 in the nation, according to the U.S. News & World Report. Wasem said Evans accomplished this by promoting the school and showcasing faculty talent at the University.

“She wants to shine the light on the people that are good in the school,” Wasem said.

Varun Rai, associate professor and associate dean for research of the LBJ School, said Evans showed him how to look at the school from a strategic perspective.

Rai said Evans focused on preparing LBJ students to address the world’s biggest problems in the most effective ways. Because Evans spent nearly 40 years working in Washington, D.C., Rai said she knows what works in the world of policy and how to train students to be successful in that environment.

“She is the person I think who works (the) hardest and absolutely in the best interest of the school,” Rai said.

CAMPUS

Historic library reopens after 3-month renovation

By Will Brooks @will_brooks_3

The Hall of Noble Words, one of the University’s oldest study spaces, reopened in the Main Building Monday after nearly three months of renovations.

The hall is located in the east wing of the Life Science Library, on the second floor of the Main Building. Renovations included retrofitting the original wooden desks with power outlets, adding new furniture and replacing the historic chandeliers with energy-efficient ones, said Travis Willmann, communications officer for UT Libraries. Students have studied in the Hall of Noble Words since before the UT Tower was finished in 1937, Willmann said.

“The old chandeliers were removed and replaced with these newer ones,” Willmann said. “They still have a sort of classic look to them, but they’re not the artifacts of the original space. These were built for modern standards in lighting so they provide a sort of softer light in the space.”

The hall was last renovated in 2007, according to Project Management and Construction Services, and was due for an update, said Anthony Tomasello, evening supervisor for UT Libraries.

“The place was kind of dingy,” Tomasello said. “Now it just feels better … (Other top-tier universities) always look immaculate. I always felt like, ‘You need to put more money into taking care of this place.’”

The library wanted to maintain the building’s historical elements throughout renovations, Willmann said.

“We’re not doing anything with the beams or the original architectural effects because that would be a much more involved process,” Willmann said.

By renovating the hall, the library wanted to also adapt to students’ current needs, Willmann said.

“The older style of architecture makes you feel like a student,” Tomasello said. “I feel like the modern buildings make you feel like you’re in an airport.”

William James Battle, who

dawson mccall

/ the daily texan staff

The recently renovated Hall of Noble Words, within the Life Science Library in the Main Building, as photographed Tuesday. The renovations kept the collegiate feel but added modern electrical upgrades as well as new furniture. later became president of the University, selected the 31 quotes that sprawl across the ceiling’s beams from historical figures, novels and holy books, according to a report from Project Management and

Construction Services. The hall is named after the gold-painted quotations that cover the hall’s structural beams.

Government junior Cayden Connally said he finds inspiration in the quotes selected by

Battle over eight decades ago.

“I just think it’s inspiring to see all the words on the ceiling,” Connally said. “Sometimes it’s distracting, but it’s a nice break from staring at a computer screen.”

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020

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lot were former U.S. Rep. Chris Bell, Michael Cooper, former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards, Jack Daniel Foster Jr., Annie “Mamá” Garcia, Victor Harris, MJ Hegar, Sema Hernandez, Adrian Ocegueda, labor organizer Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez and state Sen. Royce West and D.R. Hunter.

Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn won the Republican senatorial primary with 76% of the vote at 96% of counties reporting. Cornyn ran against Mark Yancey, Dwayne Stovall, John Anthony Castro and Virgil Bierschwale.

History graduate student Jon Buchleiter attended a watch party hosted by Texas Rising, a progressive advocacy group on campus. He said he didn’t pay a large amount of attention to the Democratic primary race.

“I don’t think Cornyn is particularly vulnerable, so I don’t view it as a particularly competitive race,” Buchleiter said.

In a video posted by the Austin American-Statesman at the Travis GOP watch party, Cornyn said he plans to reach across the aisle to

copyright chip roy, and reproduced with permission

Former state Sen. Wendy Davis (D-Austin) won the Democratic primary race for U.S. Congressional District 21. She will face off against Republican incumbent Chip Roy. Democratic voters during the general election.

“We are united as one party, and we go into the general election stronger than we have ever been

before,” Cornyn said in the video.

In U.S. Congressional District 21, Wendy Davis won the Democratic primary with 86% of the vote with 96% of counties

reporting at the time of print. Davis ran against Jennie Lou Leeder. Incumbent candidate Chip Roy, who ran unopposed, won the Republican nomination.

Daniel Browning, a UT alumus and intern on the Wendy Davis campaign, said he believes in Davis’ policies regarding reproductive rights, the environment and gun control.

“I like her tenacity,” Browning said. “She had a really terrible loss in 2014, and she came back from that … fighting and she came back with a clear vision of how to move forward.”

In U.S. Congressional District 25, incumbent Roger Williams won the Republican primary nomination against Keith Neuendorff. Julie Oliver won the Democratic primary nomination against Heidi Sloan.

“Thank you, Texas,” Oliver said in a tweet. “Extraordinarily proud of the determination and commitment that our organizing team and our volunteers have shown — working their hearts out, knocking doors, canvassing and working hard day in day out to drive historic turnout. This win is theirs.”

Incumbent Lloyd Dogget won the Democratic primary for U.S. Congressional District 35 against Rafael Alcoser III. At the time of print, Republican candidates Jenny Garcia Sharon, “Guillermo” William Hayward and Nick Moutos each held 29% to 37% of the votes.

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jacob fraga

/ the daily texan file

José Garza is projected to go to a runoff election in the Travis County district attorney race with incumbent Margaret Moore. Garza was endorsed by high-profile politicians, including presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts).

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website. Garza’s main goals as a DA would be to change how the criminal justice system weighs most heavily on working-class people or people of color, restoring trust at the DA’s office and reimagining justice in Travis County, according to his campaign website.

“Meeting him and seeing how relatable (Garza) was … (showed) hardworking and working-class people can also succeed and grow in this world,” said Kris Sherrill, a government and economics freshman who attended the watch party. “The way (substance abuse) is treated in this country is not right, and the way that he wants to change that in Travis County really just speaks to me.”

Government freshman Shivani Amara, who attended the watch party, said she has been volunteering for Garza since January.

“I have block walked for him, phonebanked, texted, and I just really support (Garza),” Amara said. “Obviously, I am going to be pretty sad if he loses because I have put a lot into this campaign, but I think that it’s not over and José is going to keep trying.”

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problems.”

“I will be casting my ballot for Joe Biden,” O’Rourke said at the rally, according to the Dallas Morning News. “We need somebody who can beat Donald Trump … and in Joe Biden, we have that man.”

Ben Speigner, the chair of the progressive caucus for University Democrats, said he supported Sanders because of his political stances. He said Biden’s advantage is his consolidated voter base.

“I would say the moderates did a better job of coalescing around one person than we did, but there’s a lot of race left, a lot of time between now and the primary convention,” Speigner said.

Biden also carried Alabama, Arkansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Virginia at the time of reporting. Sanders carried California, Colorado, Utah and Vermont at the time of reporting, according to The New York Times.

“This campaign will send Donald Trump packing,” Biden said at a rally in California on Tuesday.

4

SPENCER BUCKNER

Editor-In-Chief | @THEDAILYTEXAN

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020

COLUMN

OPINION COLUMN

gianna shahdad

/ the daily texan staff

UT can connect students to local community

By Khadeeja Shah Columnist

sally garcia

/ the daily texan staff

UHD can better serve students with dietary restrictions

By Sydney Gray Columnist

Sometimes, I just choose not to eat in the dining halls at all.

This may seem dramatic to most freshmen who experience the dorm dining halls, but for students with strict dietary needs, living in a dorm isn’t always a walk in the park. Although the dining halls always have at least one option for gluten-free and vegan students, many times that option is salad or rice and not much else.

While at first glance salad may not seem like a bad option, it’s hardly something to be excited about when it’s my only option three to four times a week.

When food choices are routinely limited for a student with a severe allergy, the question has to be asked — what does University Housing and Dining do for students with severe dietary restrictions?

Freshman psychology major Baylee McGuire finds it hard to eat a vegan diet in the dining halls on campus due to UHD’s heavy focus on meat dishes throughout the week.

“While there is always a form of vegan food provided, the options are fairly repetitious, and I feel as though it’s harder to get the vitamins and nutrients I need because of it,” McGuire said. “On some days, there really aren’t many options for vegetarians and vegans.”

It’s hard to tell exactly what qualifies as “enough options” for students with dietary restrictions, but one main dish and two to three sides doesn’t seem to cut it on a day-to-day basis. For vegan

students, it’s hard to meet the minimum protein requirements for daily nutritional intake.

For students like me who are gluten-free, it’s just as difficult to find filling, nutritious meals that meet the amount of calories necessary to function every day.

Freshman nutrition major Emily Floyd said while she finds it hard to find a variety of gluten-free meals every day, she doesn’t mind it because they force her to make healthy choices.

UHD attempts to provide options for all students, but when it comes to gluten-free and vegan alternatives, they need to be doing more.”

“I don’t mind being gluten-free at UT, but some of the choices get pretty repetitive,” Floyd said.

“Like sometimes I want to eat pizza or have spaghetti, but they don’t serve gluten-free versions of those every day.”

Without a doubt, UHD attempts to provide options for all students, but when it comes to gluten-free and vegan alternatives, they need to be doing more.

A mere attempt is not enough.

“If a student lives on campus, they

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.

are automatically put in a Housing and Dining contract,” UHD dietitian Lindsay Wilson said. “If a student does have dietary restrictions, we recommend they reach out before they sign a housing contract to review their needs and see if we have accommodations that meet those needs. That’s a conversation we like to have with the student to help them better make that decision of whether it is in their best interest to live on campus or potentially off campus.”

Either dietitians should be more accessible and available to discuss options for students’ meals, or the dining hall plan shouldn’t be required. When students with dietary restrictions who live on campus are required to purchase a dining plan along with their housing, this severely limits the student and their ability to eat nutritionally dense meals that support their diet.

Even though UHD provides alternate meal plan options, it requires students to fill out tons of paperwork and go through Services for Students with Disabilities, which is a long, complicated process.

On a diverse campus with people who all have different needs, students who live on campus should have a customizable experience when it comes to which foods help them thrive. If UHD provided more options for students with dietary restrictions or allowed them to opt out of the meal plan altogether, students would have the ability to choose what best fits their dietary needs and create a plan that is best for them.

Gray is a journalism freshman from Dallas.

UT undergraduates could act as mentors to the high schoolers by offering advice, study tips and exposure to different areas of study.”

GALLERY

gianna shahdad

/ the daily texan staff

SUBMIT A FIRING LINE | Email your Firing Lines to editor@dailytexanonline.com. Letters must be more than 100 and fewer than 300 words. The Texan reserves the right to edit all submissions for brevity, clarity and liability.

Although Austin boasts a diverse population, UT is very isolated from the rest of the city. Students have their own shopping centers on The Drag, and most undergraduates don’t venture off the Forty Acres much except to explore the infamous 6th Street.

Additionally, campus itself isn’t very accessible — traffic and ridiculous parking fees make visiting a nuisance, so Austin residents don’t benefit from having such a prestigious institution right in their backyard. UT has a responsibility to serve its population by better connecting students with the city through expanding existing outreach and volunteer initiatives to include local high schools.

UT currently sends students to elementary schools to mentor and tutor students as part of the Neighborhood Longhorns Program. However, adding a division to include high schoolers would facilitate a stronger connection between UT and Austin’s residents as well as benefit both populations.

College students are much closer in age to high schoolers than elementary schoolers and can understand the struggles of applying to college and getting prepared to pursue higher education. UT undergraduates could act as mentors to the high schoolers by offering advice, study tips and exposure to different areas of study. In return, they would gain volunteer experience and exposure to different parts of the city.

While many organizations individually send volunteers to mentor students in Austin high schools, it can be difficult to accumulate the resources to consistently reach out to schools.

“I think getting in touch with the schools has been the hardest,” said Shrestha Datta, a neuroscience freshman and a member of Longhorn Brain Bee. “Having a connection with the Austin high schools through UT would have made the process (of reaching out to schools) faster.”

A more centralized, universitywide effort to connect with these students would have far more resources at its disposal, thus potentially increasing its scope and impact. This way, students wouldn’t have to be part of a certain club or organization to get involved — by virtue of being a student at UT, they would be able to participate.

“I definitely think more emphasis should be put on outreach and mentorship, especially for low-income students and schools that don’t have the typical ‘connections’ accessible to some other high school students,” said Echo Nattinger, government and Plan II freshman. Long-term mentorship would close the information gap between those who attend under-resourced schools and other students.

Leslie Blair, executive director of communications in the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, believes “a sustained outreach effort, as opposed to short-term initiatives like Explore UT, would be valuable,” especially for students from schools that are understaffed and under-resourced. College students could fill in some of the gaps left by high school counselors that might not be able to give every student individualized attention.

If such a program were to be implemented, it should be in partnership with Austin high schools. Each school has different programs and syllabi, so volunteers would have to be trained accordingly. Sustained interaction with the high schoolers would allow the undergraduates to act as role models for younger students. Additionally, college students would gain volunteer experience and exposure to parts of Austin they might not have otherwise interacted with while simultaneously fulfilling a mentorship need in the Austin community.

Instituting such a program would allow UT to build a legacy of outreach and encourage more local students to attend something mutually beneficial for college students and high schoolers alike.

Shah is a neuroscience freshman from Austin.

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All columnists must be current students at UT-Austin.

5

MARCUS KRUM

Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020

BASEBALL

Longhorns fail to complete rally, fall to Arizona at home

By Emily Barton @em_barton1

Coming off a weekend series in Houston, the Longhorns faced a real challenge at home Tuesday night against Arizona.

After the Wildcats jumped out all over sophomore starting pitcher Owen Meaney, Texas just couldn’t recover, as Arizona would go on to win 8-6 at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

“I don’t know what else to say. (It was) just a bad ball game,” Texas head coach David Pierce said. “It was a really weird line score tonight. I haven’t seen too many outcomes like that.”

Texas opened up its ninegame homestand with an unpredictable 4 1/2 hour game.

It seemed the Longhorns were piecing themselves together from the weekend and trying to regroup.

In just his second appearance of the season, Meaney never settled in on the mound.

Arizona picked up an RBI single before Meaney loaded the bases, and Texas was forced into an emergency pitching change in the middle of the first inning. Sophomore pitcher Cole Quintanilla finished the inning escaping further damage.

In the second, Arizona picked up a three-run homer off of a hit left field, and just

TENNIS

CONTINUES FROM PAGE

6

losing streak.

“Today the person that clinched the match was Marta, and that makes it very satisfying,” Joffe said. “That’s (going to) help our team, because the more we get wins across the board, the more of a danger we are when we get to the NCAA Tournament.”

In the first two matches against ranked opponents,

like that, the Longhorns found themselves down by four runs.

Freshman pitcher Jared Southard was sent in for the second pitching change in just three innings. The only action for Texas in the entire first half of the game was from the bullpen. Pitcher after pitcher came into the game and walked the Wildcats hitters.

“We put some guys out there for the first time to see what they could come up with and if they could get the job done,” Pierce said. “We’re going to find the right mix for sure. We need about 10 to 12 of them, and I know we’ll find them.”

The deficit grew in the fourth, where Arizona added two more to the board off a wild pitch and sacrifice fly before hitting a two-run home run to bring the lead to 8-0. Nine Texas pitchers entered the game. Only two lasted longer than an inning on the mound.

“It’s hard to pitch once every two weeks, and that’s one of the things that we’re struggling with, is just getting the right amount of inning for each guy to get in a groove,” Pierce said. “The reason why we’re still throwing that many guys is because we haven’t had enough guys separate themselves, but it’s happening, and it’s going to happen and we’ll continue to get better and we’ll get it down to the guys we can trust and go from there.”

the Longhorns fell to No. 12 Stanford and No. 17 Pepperdine by a combined score of 11-3. Tuesday’s home victory over the Wolverines was a welcome sight.

“I think it’s really positive for us,” Perez Mur told Longhorn Network. “We’ve been playing highly competitive teams, and so I think this is giving us a good, positive impact to start our regular season on Friday. I think it gives us motivation knowing that we’re one of the best teams in

JACK MYER

/ THE DAILY TEXAN FILE

Senior outfielder Duke Ellis swings at a pitch during Texas 8-6 loss to Arizona on Tuesday. Texas fell behind early, closed the gap but was unable to complete the comeback.

The Longhorns livened up the marathon game when a seventh-inning rally no one ever made it 8-6 from hits by redshirt junior infielder Cam Williams and sophomore

the country, and we can play amazing tennis.”

The win over Michigan serves as a confidence boost for the Longhorns as they jump headfirst into Big 12 play against West Virginia on Friday.

“I think our team is not accustomed to losing, and we lost two in a row against Stanford and Pepperdine, so this is a quality win,” Joffe said. “I think it is going to give everyone confidence as we step into conference play.”

outfielder Eric Kennedy followed suit. Yet Texas couldn’t bring in runs in the final two innings, ending the rally and solidifying the win for Arizona.

On top of the loss, Texas lost

senior catcher DJ Petrinsky, who left the game in the eighth.

“It was his shoulder and the length of the ball game,” Pierce said. “He was going to suck it up, but he knew he couldn’t

throw the kid out, so it made sense to just switch him. I just think it’s still part of his building his strength and improving his arm strength but also dealing with the elements.”

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6

MARCUS KRUM

Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020

BASKETBALL

Coleman saves the day in Norman Junior guard Matt Coleman brought the heroics to Oklahoma, extending Texas’ five-game winning streak.

By Stephen Wagner @stephenwag22

t only took the madness of March three days to set in for the Longhorns.

In hitting a near buzzer-beater to sneak past Oklahoma 52-51 Tuesday night, junior guard Matt Coleman III is the first to attest to the month’s chaos.

“It’s March right now. The time of the win just feels good,” Coleman said. “Texas-OU, the rivalry, we knew it wasn’t going to be easy.”

Texas had played well against the rival Sooners for most of 40 minutes, but 50 of the final 60 seconds were unforgiving to the Horns.

The Sooners stole a one-point lead from the Longhorns with 39 seconds left on a pair of senior forward Kristian Doolittle free throws. Oklahoma forced a defensive stop on the other end, placing the game in their own hands.

After blocking sophomore guard Courtney Ramey with

under 30 seconds to play, Texas immediately fouled with the Sooners up one.

Oklahoma junior forward Brady Manek drained both shots, and Oklahoma took a comfortable 50-47 lead with 26 seconds left. But Texas didn’t stop fighting.

“Our mantra is having the audacity to play with no fear and to respond when things don’t go our way,” Texas head coach Shaka Smart said. “It certainly was a game where there’s a lot of things that didn’t go our way, but our guys just kept fighting.”

Coleman connected on a contested baseline floater, and Manek gifted Texas a late chance. He missed the first of his two free throws to ensure the lead would not grow beyond two points in the final seconds.

Coleman sped up the court and quickly got to the right baseline, no more than nine feet from the basket. Coleman tried to create separation between himself and the Oklahoma defender with his shoulder, but couldn’t create enough. He threw up an air ball and sent Doolittle to the line.

Needing only one make to give the Sooners a 3-point lead, Doolittle missed both free throws and gave the Longhorns a second chance.

It was déjà vu for Smart, who last year found himself in a remarkably similar predicament before Coleman’s game-tying attempt was blocked.

JACK MYER

/ THE DAILY TEXAN STAFF

Junior guard Matt Coleman drives to the rim during the Longhorns 69-67 loss to LSU on Jan. 25. Coleman hit a running three to give the Longhorns the win against rival Oklahoma Tuesday night.

“Poetic justice,” Smart said. “We had the good fortune of them missing free throws … and Matt made a great play.”

Coleman crossed halfcourt and picked up a high ball screen from junior forward Royce Hamm Jr. Trapped between three Soon-

er defenders, Coleman tapped his feet, leaned in and threw up a 30-foot line drive. He drained it off the glass, shocking an Oklahoma crowd that had been nearly ensured a win on Senior Night just 10 seconds earlier.

“It’s about letting your nuts hang,” Coleman said. “At the end of the day, it’s about mak-

ing plays.”

Texas’ playmaking may have proved to be just enough to save its season.

After winning what NCAA Tournament expert Joe Lunardi effectively called a play-in game, the Longhorns’ tournament chances jump to 67% ahead of Saturday’s

matchup with eighth-place Oklahoma State.

“Sometimes you need some evidence to be able to keep going and to be able to stay with the process,” Smart said. “For them to win these games in tough environments is huge, and Saturday is going to be a big one for us.”

TENNIS

Texas ends losing streak ahead of start of conference play

By Yazmin Dominguez @yazminceleste_

No. 6 Texas got back into its groove Tuesday after a hard-fought 4-2 win over No. 15 Michigan, breaking its twogame losing streak.

Things were looking bright for Texas when seniors Anna and Bianca Turati clinched the doubles point just moments after freshman-sophomore duo Adri Nagy and Tijana Spasojevic earned a victory over their opponents.

“Obviously I’m super happy, and the girls are happy to get

the win,” head coach Howard Joffe said. “Michigan is a good team, a very good team. The challenge given to the girls is that they’re all doing such a good job with the substance. It’s just challenging them with getting a ‘W,’ and I think today was a very good example of that.”

The Longhorn-to-watch was redshirt sophomore Marta Perez Mur, who clinched Texas’ win after the success of her singles. It was Perez Mur’s first time facing Michigan, as she redshirted her freshman year due to an injury.

“You want to be the last match because you want to

clinch, but whenever you lose, it’s also tough,” Perez Mur said to Longhorn Network after the match. “But honestly, it’s something every tennis player should experience. You feel a different kind of support. Also, with the crowd it’s just different, and I’m super honored to represent the University of Texas and to be able to clinch matches like this one today.”

Perez Mur’s success was a testament to her work in her first full season in the lineup.

Perez Mur’s match-clinching win was key in snapping the T E N N I S PAGE 5

EVAN ROY

/ THE DAILY TEXAN STAFF

Redshirt sophomore Marta Perez Mur makes contact with a forehand swing during the Longhorns 4-0 victory over Iowa on Jan. 24. Perez Mur had a three-set victory Tuesday.

»

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COMICS

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A L E K K A H E R N A N D E Z & B A R B R A D A LY

Comics Editors| @THEDAILYTEXAN

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020

The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Crossword ACROSS

54 Home of the first man to walk on the moon, the first American to 32 Take rudely orbit Earth and 4 Tank top? the first American 36 Want an actress woman to walk in 10 Risky thing to go from “Mad Men”? space out on 39 They’re often lit 55 Want an actor 14 QB Manning from “Here 40 Company whose Come the 15 Lofty ambitions bathroom sinks Girls”?

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23 Want an actor DOWN from “Wonder 49 Deck divided into 1 Drooping flower Woman”? the Major and feature Minor Arcana 27 Cobbler’s supply 2 Sheet of ice 28 Vow to get even? 50 Org. seeking 3 Common kind clean skies of pen for 29 Pennsylvania illustrators N.L. team, 51 By the dawn’s early light? familiarly 4 Many an animated meme ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE 5 Thinks the world of A H H S H A M U G A T O R 6 Stroke on a letter C O Y R A N O N E L O P E 7 “Leave it to me!”

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45 Cable news anchor Hill 46 Quiet corners 47 Univ. units 48 “La Traviata,” for one 49 It’s monumental 52 Place to veg 53 Medicinal qty.

55 “Who woulda thunk …?”

56 Suffix with crap 57 John Winston ___ Lennon

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.

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

Life&Arts Editor | @TRINADY05

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020

FEATURE

LIFE&ARTS FEATURE

Austin jewelry-making studio promotes sustainability, female empowerment

By Grace Barnes @gebarnes210

lily dayanim

/ the daily texan staff

Maya Aroch (left), Laurie Aroch (middle) and Shannon Mouser (right) pose together at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Austin on Feb. 29. The trio opened Viva Day Spa in 2005 after collaborating on business ideas for years prior.

Local spa offers luxurious relaxation

By Grace Barnes @gebarnes210

Laurie Aroch, Maya Aroch and Shannon Mouser had no business opening a spa. Fifteen years ago, the pharmacist, ex-corporate employee and masseuse did it anyway.

While the two sisters and their best friend had no educational background in entrepreneurship, they always had a passion for it. They decided to found Viva Day Spa to provide guests with quality service, hopefully leaving them feeling better than when they came in.

In 1999, Mouser started working as a masseuse at a local spa. Around that time, she met Laurie Aroch, who was a student at UT’s College of Pharmacy.

The two became best friends.

Meanwhile, Laurie’s sister Maya was working in the corporate world in Atlanta, Georgia, where she quickly grew tired of the scene.

Mouser said the three of them toyed with the idea of opening a spa, using her background in the industry, Laurie’s pharmacy knowledge and Maya’s corporate work experience.

“We had been collaborating on ideas for years when Maya decided she wanted to take a

break from working in the corporate environment,” Mouser said. “By the time she arrived (in Austin), we had already started considering opening a business, and then we did. We hit the ground running when she arrived.”

Viva Day Spa first opened in 2005, despite people trying to deter them from starting a business without formal business education. Mouser said their commitment to the idea had them convinced they would succeed.

“I think it was a perfect storm for us,” Maya said. “We were just young and idealistic enough. We were very passionate about creating a place for the community and working with people we knew and loved.

We had a good team, and we were unstoppable.”

At the time, there weren’t other spas like Viva Day Spa in Austin. Maya said there were small spas in the area, but they weren’t full service, the aesthetic wasn’t right and the quality of service wasn’t up to standard.

The three women also wanted to create an atmosphere where people could relax and experience luxury, without extravagance or stuffiness. “(We wanted) a hip, plush

environment with an Austin vibe: upscale but unpretentious,” Mouser said.

Mouser and the Aroch sisters said they hold the spa industry in high regard, and they are passionate about the self-care and wellness aspect of the spa business. Laurie said she knew she wanted to work in this industry after finding a home at Peoples RX, where they encourage alternative ways to be healthy in addition to medication.

“So much of what they (Peoples RX) do is educate the public and recommend alternative ways to take care of yourself in terms of wellness,” Laurie said.

“I felt like the spa world really complemented that.”

As self-identified “people people,” Viva Day Spa’s founders said they find it gratifying to be able to take care of others for a living. Mouser said the thing they love most is having guests leave feeling better, which they attribute to their guiding principles.

“We have three golden rules at Viva that we’re constantly talking about: Do the right thing, show others you care and do the best you can,” Mouser said. “It’s been what we’ve done and it’s worked, so we’re very committed to those three principles.”

Beyoncé needed it in 24 hours, and Nina Berenato delivered.

Last spring, Berenato, an Austin-based metalsmith and jewelry designer, got a call from her public relations firm. Beyoncé’s stylist had an emergency project for her: making custom jewelry pieces for the music video for “Spirit,” a song from the live-action remake of “The Lion King.”

“Since the beginning of my career, I’ve had my jewelry in a showroom in New York, and that’s how Beyoncé’s stylist knew about me,” Berenato said. “She reached out to my showroom and said, ‘Hey, we have this emergency project, we need it in 24 hours, can Nina do it?’ People know that I have my manufacturing facility here so I’m able to pivot pretty quickly and create things.”

After negotiating so she could ship the materials to herself, Berenato got to work on the 10 custom gold face masks.

“I pulled it off, I shipped it to them and didn’t hear anything about it,” Berenato said.

“The whole project was very

hush-hush. I had to sign this huge (non disclosure agreement). The next thing I knew, they were putting out the video and I got to see them (the face masks) in the video, which was awesome. It definitely got us a lot of recognition in the fashion industry.”

Despite the quick turnaround time required for the piece, Berenato sourced the materials sustainably in order to stay true to the company’s mission.

The female-run business recently converted their packaging to be 100% compostable, which was a long-term goal of the company. Berenato said changing their packaging was one of the biggest challenges to overcome.

“We only ship out maybe six or seven packages a week, so sometimes it feels like we don’t make that big of a difference,” Berenato said. “But even as a small business, we’re setting an example that (sustainability) can work.”

Berenato said every piece of jewelry at her Austin studio is designed with the goal of empowering women and making them feel beautiful and capable.

Many of Berenato’s collections are inspired by movie heroines or figures in Greek and Roman mythology. She said her newest collection is called “Furiosa,”

named for the “Mad Max: Fury Road” character. “(Furiosa) really stood out to me because we rarely get to see the female hero overtake (the male hero) in all aspects — brute strength, mental strain, everything,” Berenato said.

Lillian Hutchinson has been the wholesale coordinator and media manager at Berenato’s studio since they first started selling pieces out of a refurbished trailer on Barton Springs Road.

“I’ve loved being able to see how far we’ve been able to grow and how much we’ve been able to help our community with everything that we do,” Hutchinson said.

Morgan Spencer, a sales associate and assistant buyer, started working at Nina Berenato several months ago but has already come to appreciate the business’ focus on sustainability.

“We do all these really cool things (like supporting female creators), but we also stand for something really amazing,” Spencer said. “So much of working with vendors is asking, ‘Please don’t include extra plastic, we’re really trying to cut down our plastic here.’ Not everyone else is necessarily pushing for that.”

amna ijaz

/ the daily texan staff

At her studio at The Domain in Austin, metalsmith and businesswoman Nina Berenato makes unique, handmade jewelry. Berenato has designed jewelry worn by many high-profile celebrities such as Beyoncé, Billie Eilish and Lizzo.