The Daily Texan 2020-03-12

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

Thursday, March 12, 2020

Volume 120, Issue 119

NEWS

OPINION

SPORTS

LIFE&ARTS

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LBJ School to host UT’s first Women’s Campaign School this summer.

CAP students face difficulties in connecting with each other before they come to UT.

UT graduate student releases first book discussing trauma, healing.

Three former Longhorns file lawsuit against NCAA and former track coach John Rembao.

WORLD

BASKETBALL

UT extends spring break

In response to concerns about the coronavirus, spring break will now last until March 30.

Students will be able to return to campus and utilize University facilities starting March 23.

By Neha Madhira @nehamira14

he University will extend spring break for students by one week in response to COVID-19 concerns, according to a Wednesday press release.

In the release, UT President Gregory Fenves said on-campus classes will resume on March 30. The University will remain open during the extra week, Fenves said.

“UT is committed to the well-being of our community members and slowing the spread of the coronavirus while also supporting our students’ educational goals and the needs of staff and faculty members and students during these challenging times,” Fenves said.

The additional week is to prepare UT faculty and staff members to increase “social distancing” on campus, Fenves said. Students, faculty and staff will receive more details over the next few days, according to the press release.

Fenves said social distancing will help the University shift many lectures to online instruction, reconfigure classroom space and examine how to support employees or students who have special health needs.

“Students who wish to return to campus as previously scheduled on March 23 will

still be able to do so — residence halls, dining halls, health and counseling services and other facilities will be open,” Fenves said. “Other university operations will also continue during the next two weeks and beyond, with the potential for flexible work arrangements that align with our focus on “social distancing.”

Last Friday, Mayor Steve Ad-

ler declared a state of disaster and canceled South by Southwest due to coronavirous concerns. There are currently no confirmed coronavirus cases in Travis County.

“As recommended by public health officials, social distancing provides guidelines through which individuals avoid group settings and mass gatherings, maintain a safe distance from

others and follow good personal hygiene practices whenever possible,” Fenves said.

Last Tuesday, the University suspended all undergraduate travel to countries with a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Warning Level of 1, 2 or 3 and added them to UT’s Restricted Regions list. This travel suspension will extend to summer programs

and Maymesters.

“I know this is not the spring break we had expected,” Fenves said. “I am aware that many of you have had to change your plans, and I appreciate the resiliency you have shown throughout these difficult weeks. We must all come together as a community to make the semester as productive as possible.”

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NCAA, UT close upcoming sporting events to fans

By Wills Layton, Stephen

Wagner & Robert Trevino @willsdebeast @stephenwag22 @robtrev22

On the same day that the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, UT and the NCAA both made announcements concerning fan attendance at upcoming sporting events, including the 2020 college basketball postseason.

Moments after UT President Gregory Fenves announced the extension of spring break until March 30, UT Athletics announced that all home sporting events will be held without fans in attendance until March 22.

“We regret that our fans will not be able to attend our events to support our teams, but this decision was made with the health and well-being of our campus community and fans as the top priority,” Texas athletics director Chris Del Conte said in a UT Athletics press release.

This news comes hours after NCAA President Mark Emmert announced that the upcoming Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will only allow “essential staff and limited family attendance,” in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.

“While I understand how N C A A PAGE 2

/ the daily texan staff

UNIVERSITY

CRIME

Professors prepare to move classes online after break

Court refuses Meechaiel Criner’s appeal in 2018 Haruka Weiser murder case

By Anna Canizales @annaleonorc

University administration sent an email to all faculty on Sunday to prepare them for the possibility of switching to online classes after spring break due to the coronavirus pandemic, UT President Gregory Fenves said.

On Wednesday, UT-San Antonio was the first school in the UT System to extend spring break and move to online classes. UT-Tyler also announced Wednesday they would be extending their spring break until March 20.

Fenves said in an email to the student body Wednesday that the University will extend spring break by one week and practice social distancing after the break. Social distancing is defined as avoiding group settings and mass gatherings, according to the email.

Transitioning to online classes would be fairly easy for many classes that already provide material online, Fenves said. Online classes would likely use Zoom, a website that allows students and professors to log in to a web conferencing system at a prescheduled time, according to Zoom’s website.

Astrophysics professor Karl Gebhardt said he has already started using Zoom as an alternative for students who do not want to go to class due to coronavirus concerns. He said 30 or 40 students out of the 200-person class chose to use Zoom instead of attending class in person.

“We’re getting much more accustomed to online interactions,” Gebhardt said. “The students are

significantly more willing to type in a question into a chat as opposed to raising their hand in class and asking a question. At least for a big class … if you do it right, (it) might actually accentuate the class as opposed to being a significant issue.”

Christian McDonald, journalism assistant professor of practice, said he has also begun testing Zoom in his classes and believes it would be the best solution if classes needed to move online.

“I wanted to give myself practice and students practice on being able to do that,” McDonald said. “We’re just going to have to get creative.

Not every class is going to be able to work, but I bet we’ll find some kinds of solutions.”

McDonald said Zoom is free to use for student participants but requires payment from instructors. McDonald said he paid for Zoom personally, but he hopes the University will help provide access so all classes can take advantage of the service.

Gebhardt said he is surveying his students for feedback on how they think Zoom is working for their class.

He said if classes move online, he will record lectures in his office and allow students to send questions in the chat.

Luisa Fandino, textiles and apparel assistant professor, said faculty has online tools such as Instapoll that will make the transition to online easier.

“The responsibility of taking care of ourselves is on all of us, including students and faculty,” Fandino said. “It’s within all of us to keep moving and … avoid the infectors to vulnerable communities, like the elders and those with weak immune systems.”

ONLINE

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By Brooke Ontiveros @brookexpanic

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals refused an appeal Wednesday from Meechaiel Criner, who was convicted of capital murder in 2018 for killing UT student Haruka Weiser in 2016.

Criner, who represented himself in the appeal, asked the Court of Criminal Appeals, the top criminal court in the state, to review the district court judgment, according to court records.

Criner’s appeal argued that his life sentence is unconstitutional, the district court’s judgment contained an error and the district court erred by denying his motion to suppress evidence and by denying him a new trial. The court decides which appeals it will hear.

According to the appeal, the district court erred when it denied his motion to suppress evidence found in a trash can, where police placed Criner’s belongings before transporting him to a homeless shelter. According to the opinion from a November ruling by the 3rd Court of Appeals, police found a portion of a partially burned Doc Marten boot, a black turtleneck and black pants that all resembled the clothes Weiser was last seen wearing. Inside the sweater was a receipt with Weiser’s name on it, according to the opinion.

Criner claimed this was an unreasonable search and seizure, according to the opinion. The district court denied this request.

“A defendant must demonstrate that he personally has an expectation of privacy in the place searched, and that his expectation is reasonable,” said the opinion.

carlos garcia

/ the daily texan file

Meechaiel Criner appears in the Travis County courtroom July 12, 2018.

He was convicted of capital murder for killing Haruka Weiser in 2016.

Criner also claimed the life sentence with the possibility of parole he received was unconstitutional. “‘An automatic sentence of life with the possibility of parole after 40 years imprisonment for a juvenile offender convicted of capital murder violates the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution, which prohibits the imposition of ‘cruel and unusual punishments,’’” said the opinion.

The appeal cited a U.S. Supreme Court decision that ruled life without the possibility of parole as unconstitutional. The Court cited a case in Texas that made life with the possibility of parole constitutional for minors, according to the opinion.

According to the opinion, Criner argued a clerical error was made in his sentencing where the Court did not specify if he will be eligible for parole.

The district court acknowledged this issue and modified the judgment to show the possibility of parole, according to the opinion.

Criner filed a motion for a new trial after alleging he discovered new evidence, according to the opinion.

The district court denied this motion because it did not fulfill the final requirement necessary to give Criner a new trial: Even if the evidence were true, it would have to result in a different outcome of the trial, according to the opinion.

The Court of Criminal Appeals determined these issues did not fall under any of the six predetermined reasons to grant review, according to the appeal.

“On this day, the Appellant’s Pro Se petition for discretionary review has been refused,” the notice reads.

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News Editor | @THEDAILYTEXAN

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2020

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CAMPUS

UT set to host first LBJ Women’s Campaign School this June

By Nataleah Small @nataleahjoy

The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs will host UT’s first Women’s Campaign School this summer, a training program for women wanting to learn how to run for office or manage a campaign.

From June 9-13, women from across the country will participate in the training program, according to the campaign school’s website. Amy Kroll, founder and executive director of the campaign school, said there is not a set number of participants, but she is anticipating about 20 to 40 women will attend. Kroll, a public affairs graduate student, said those who are interested can apply online or nominate someone they believe is a good candidate for the program from now through April 6.

“Our target is somebody who really is serious about running for office or becoming a campaign manager,” Kroll said.

Victoria DeFrancesco Soto, assistant dean for civic engagement and lecturer at the LBJ school, said it is important to have women in elected positions because women often outvote and outlive men.

Although barriers such as income and social stereotypes have held women back from participating in politics, Soto said once a woman decides to run for office, her chance at getting elected is similar to that of a man.

“It’s important to provide women

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the tools to get ready to run because there is the need to fill that representational gap,” Soto said. “And it’s a pretty blatant gap.”

Kroll said women will learn practical skills such as fundraising and how to speak on camera during the program.

There will also be a session on the last day where families will learn how to support a family member running for office, Kroll said. Family members of previous candidates will share their stories on what to expect when a spouse or daughter runs for office, she said.

“When a woman runs for office, it impacts her entire family and her community,” Kroll said.

Because the campaign school is meant to be bipartisan, Kroll said leaders with Democratic and Republican ties developed the curriculum for the program.

“We can learn so much from one another if we put aside the ideological labels and really focus on the mechanics of running a good campaign,” said Jennifer Sarver, campaign school board member and Republican curriculum lead.

Proficiencies such as developing a campaign finance plan and recruiting a campaign staff are nonpartisan, Sarver said. Participants can apply their ideological lens once they leave the campaign school, but she said the focus of the program is developing practical skills and techniques.

Sarver said she is excited that the program is taking place in the middle of the country because similar

destiny alexander

campaign programs often take place on the East Coast.

“I love that we’re bringing the program to Austin so women from Texas and from surrounding states can easily get to the campaign school, so we’re making it accessible to them,” Sarver said.

Despite her excitement, Sarver said

/ the daily texan staff

it may be challenging to recruit people from both sides of the aisle.

“It’s not always common that there are bipartisan schools like this and so, as a conservative, I want to make sure that we have a real balance in participation because I think that’s going to be important to the integrity of the program,” Sarver said.

CAMPUS

Emergency Operations Center to relocate to East Campus

By Brooke Ontiveros @brookexpanic

Project Management and Construction Services will begin building a new space for the Emergency Operations Center in the East Campus Garage to put the center in line with federal design guidelines.

The center will be relocated from its current position in the University Police Building to the East Campus Garage before fall 2021, said Jill Stewart, associate director of project management. The current center does not meet emergency operation center guidelines mandated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency because the center is too close to high-traffic areas, such as the Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, said Jimmy Johnson, assistant vice president for campus safety, in an email. Johnson also said the University Police Building does not have enough space to meet the guidelines.

The center currently houses 26 employees who develop and implement strategies for emergencies, such as natural disasters. The new center will include Campus Safety staff and offices, which oversees the emergency center, and be away from high traffic

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NEWS

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disappointing this is for all fans of our sports, my decision is based on the current understanding of how COVID-19 is progressing in the United States,” Emmert said in the statement. “This decision is in the best interest of public health, including that of coaches, administrators, fans and, most importantly, our student-athletes.”

Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby also announced that conference tournament games will have “limited access” beginning Thursday, restricting teams to 125 tickets reserved for guests of student-athletes and staff members.

“The attempt is to absolutely minimize the number of people that are here but still find a way to conduct the events and get the opportunity to play the games,” Bowlsby said in a press conference, adding that the Big 12 Board of Directors voted unanimously to restrict fan attendance.

Bowlsby said the Big 12 was advised by the University of Kansas Medical Center and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in taking

areas. According to a press release from Financial and Administrative Services, the new center will have the capacity for 60 people.

“There are about 25 or 26 different community partners that the University works with in addition to our own campus folks,” Stewart said. “We anticipate being able to about double that.”

The project will cost $5 million and will begin toward the end of the year, Stewart said. She said the project should be completed within 17 months.

The new location will have 17,000 square feet to accommodate for expansion and additional emergency partners when needed, Johnson said.

“The current operation center is … smaller,” Stewart said. “(The new center will) have the capability for supporting more people and more technology that’s needed.”

Since the current center can be difficult to access during times of emergency, the move will put the distance recommended by the Federal Emergency Management Agency between the center and large venues, Johnson said.

Austin and Texas both have their respective emergency centers away from busy areas, he said.

The new center will be housed along with Campus Safety offices, which

sanitary precautions.

“We don’t do this lightly,” Bowlsby said. “To have to take these steps is painful for everyone that’s involved, but these are unusual times.”

While there have only been more than 1,100 confirmed cases in the U.S. as of Wednesday afternoon, the quick spread of the virus has many taking precautionary actions.

“The priority of the Big 12 Conference is to ensure the safety of our students, coaches, administrators, event staff and fans as we continue to monitor all relevant information on the COVID-19 virus and its impact on hosting events in public spaces,” the Big 12 said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.

“We encourage those attending the games to closely follow the CDC hygiene and prevention recommendations relating to COVID-19.”

As fans who purchased tickets go through a refund process, Bowlsby understands that limiting attendance at Big 12 games will result in “a substantial loss of revenue.”

Texas will take on Texas Tech at 11:30 a.m. Thursday in the quarterfinal of the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City.

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eddie gaspar

/ the daily texan file

The UT Police Department responds to a report of a disturbance at the Union Building on March 4. manages emergency functions for the University, Johnson said.

The relocation of the center will also free space in the University Police Building that will be adapted as needed in the future by the UT Police Department, Johnson said.

Stewart said when the East Campus Garage was built, space was left for use by future occupants. Now, the new

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location will be built into this space on the ground floor, Stewart said.

The garage will also ensure parking for employees of Campus Safety and the Emergency Operations Center, Johnson said.

Stewart said there should not be a need to block off any road or part of the garage during construction, but there may be temporary closures.

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Management information Ben Tung, systems sophomore, said switching to online classes would make it difficult for on-campus organizations to meet. He said he is part of Ignite Texas and the organization revolves around weekly meetings.

“If everyone stays home, then as a student, it’s hard to adjust to that because we don’t have the resources teachers do,” Tung said.

ella williams

/ the daily texan staff

NEWS

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THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2020

PROJECT

the kidney club

From diagnosis to post-transplant, UT students feel less alone sharing their experiences

By Neelam Bohra @neelambohratx

n March 12, 2019, I forced myself to breathe, barely awake in my hospital bed. Tubes blew oxygen into my nose. Needles dug into my neck and arms.

But I was the healthiest I had been in years.

My new kidney was tucked under a fresh, 5-inch scar, finally removing the toxin build-up in my blood. Relief and discomfort overwhelmed me, and both feelings would follow me from my hospital bed to UT as I recovered from my kidney transplant surgery.

Kidneys remove waste from the blood and control blood pressure. Mine, though, spent years shriveling up inside of me like cut flowers left out of water too long. Soon after being diagnosed with kidney disease, though, I received a kidney transplant from Leah Waters, a journalism teacher at Frisco Heritage High School. She heard about me, underwent testing and, after learning her blood type matched mine, she decided to give me one of her kidneys.

Although I count myself lucky and having a transplant is a huge step forward, kidney disease is a minefield. Being a young person with kidney disease is isolating — I was one of the 12% of people who received kidney transplants between the ages of 18 and 34 in 2019, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Since then, I have found two other recipients at UT, who each have faced numerous challenges. For Mason Bettes, it was balancing dialysis with being a full-time college student. For Nhi Tran, it was navigating severe symptoms throughout high school.

Today, March 12, 2020 is not just the anniversary of my transplant — it’s also World Kidney Day. And together, we can manage the hardest part of being young people with kidney

transplants: feeling alone in our experience.

3 months post-transplant: Mason

On December 18, 2019, biochemistry sophomore Mason Bettes had kidney transplant surgery. He spent three days in the hospital after receiving his new kidney from his father, Robert Bettes.

Mason was born with chronic kidney disease and only one kidney, which failed during the summer after his freshman year of college.

“When my kidney failed, I remember just staring out the window of my hospital bed for hours, never saying a word, contemplating life, like, ‘this is so pointless,’” Mason said. “I knew what was about to happen. I was about to go on dialysis for a long time.”

People go on dialysis to survive when their kidneys fail, said Nicole Turgeon, chief of abdominal transplant surgery at Dell Medical School. In hemodialysis, a machine removes toxins from the blood, which is exhausting because it is a huge

Now, I feel more normal, but still different at the same time I don’t think a lot of people our age have to go through something like that.”

MASON BETTES

biochemistry sophomore

blood exchange, she said.

“The first time I walked into the clinic, there were a ton of elderly, sick people,” Mason said. “They tried to talk to me because I was the youngest person they’d ever seen there. But I just couldn’t do small talk in the dialysis chair.”

In August 2019, Mason’s father matched as a

blaine young

/ the daily texan staff

From left: Mason Bettes, Neelam Bohra and Nhi Tran have found a community among others who had kidney transplant surgery. donor for his son.

During the four months before his transplant, Mason continued dialysis while taking a full course load and working part time. He switched to peritoneal dialysis, where a tube in the stomach uses fluid to remove waste from the blood.

Three months after transplant, Mason said he looks back on those months as a blur. He said he now enjoys life as normally as he can, working out every day and going out with friends.

“Now, I feel more normal, but still different at the same time,” Mason said. “I don’t think a lot of people our age have to go through something like that.”

Mason deals with differences like drinking two gallons of water a day and taking medicine to suppress his immune system, so it doesn’t attack the unfamiliar donor kidney. He avoids sickness, and even the common cold could send him to the emergency room.

“Imagine if we couldn’t have transplants,” Mason said. “We’d all be dead. I mean, I would choose to die over dialysis for the rest of my life.”

2 years post-transplant: Nhi Tran

On April 20, 2018, psychology sophomore Nhi Tran woke up early to her mother unhooking her from the peritoneal dialysis machine. Her clinic called — a registered organ donor had died, and their kidney was a match.

“I was more scared than anything,” Tran said. “Obviously, it’s a great thing. But it’s scary. This would be one of the biggest surgeries I would get in my lifetime.”

Tran learned about her declining kidney function during her freshman year of high school.

She missed months of school at a time throughout high school, getting treatments to prolong her kidney’s function. Sometimes, she couldn’t eat anything for days at a time. Other times, steroids made her swell up like the Michelin Man. “I don’t think people realize

how hard it is,” Tran said. “They were like, ‘Oh, dialysis won’t hurt that much.’ Until you’ve experienced it, though, you cannot understand it.”

During the second semester of her senior year, she remained in the hospital for a month doing peritoneal dialysis.

“All the schoolwork piled up, but no matter what I did, I couldn’t get better,” Tran said.

“When my doctor (sent me to the ER), I felt like I was going to pass out. I was so tired I didn’t have any emotion left.”

Tran received transplant surgery in April. Now, nearly two years after her surgery, Tran said she doesn’t think about it often.

Many of her current friends don’t know about her condition.

“It’s just a day-to-day thing now,” Tran said. “It’s part of my routine. It’s a part of me now.”

Transplanted kidneys don’t last forever. Tran’s clinics said hers could last at least 20 years.

Tran said it’s scary, but that she takes care of herself and tries not to think about it.

“Once I found out this one thing, everything toppled over,” Tran said. “Eventually, I was able to put up the dominoes again, build back my life after everything.”

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destiny alexander

/ the daily texan staff

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SPENCER BUCKNER

Editor-In-Chief | @TEXANOPINION

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2020

COLUMN

OPINION COLUMN

CAP students hurt by lack of communication mechanisms

By Jimmy Counihan Columnist

isabella hollis

/ the daily texan staff

Acknowledge other people, not just your technology

By Jackie Lugo Columnist

In an age where we have access to so many people, we struggle to connect, staying apart even when we feel alone. Our social dynamic is one where we are constantly on our own, despite our need to be with others.

Most of us walk to class alone, sit alone and eat alone. As we go through our days, we avoid the general population.

As technology becomes such an integral part of our lives, our phones have become a means of escape from our connection to those around us. This lack of human connection has caused a sharp increase in loneliness among students. Technology makes it easy to avoid people and compare ourselves to others. By making small connections to those around us, we can combat loneliness.

Journalism freshman Avery Austin said these communication barriers made her feel lonely in her first semester at UT. “Everyone walks around with AirPods,” Austin said. “We announce to the world that we don’t want to be approached.”

It’s hard for first-year students to adjust to the dynamic of such a huge campus, and adding communication barriers make it that much harder. Someone with headphones on is unapproachable — we’re unlikely to talk to them. Do any of us talk to the person sitting next to us in the dining hall, the Speedway tabler

or our bus driver? We’ve gotten so used to being able to avoid talking to the people around us.

Social media plays a big factor in our loneliness as well.

Psychology sophomore Mackenzie Ulam said assumptions made from social media posts contribute to these feelings.

“You feel like everyone has other people that they make Instagram posts with and you see them getting lots of likes and you assume that they’re happy and they’re fine,” Ulam said.

As important as it is to cultivate relationships, it’s often the last priority. But cultivating these important connections are anchors for our ... well-being.”

However, social media doesn’t show us the depths of people. Social media shows how much fun people are having, where they are and the people that like the post. We forget that people aren’t defined by the places they go and the people they are with. It’s important to remind ourselves that loneliness is universal, even if we don’t talk about it.

David Springer, a professor teaching about the subject of happiness and director of RGK Center for Philanthropy and

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.

Community Service, said that personal connections can fend off the effects of loneliness.

“Nurturing intimate relationships and close friendships is one of the strongest predictors of our overall well-being and happiness, and can be a strong protective factor for college students,” Springer said.

Many things in our lives demand our attention: school, our phone, organizations and responsibilities. As important as it is to cultivate relationships, it’s often the last priority. But cultivating these important connections are anchors for our happiness and well-being.

Having someone to confide and connect with can transform the college experience.

Recently, I’ve tried to talk to people around me. If I like something someone is wearing, I compliment them. If I’m even slightly interested in an organization that’s tabling, I ask questions. On the bus, I make sure to tell the bus driver to have a good day before getting off. Small communications have helped me feel more connected to the people around me.

As great as it is to listen to your music as you commute, walk or eat, small communications throughout the day can transform and combat loneliness. It’s as easy as talking to the person standing next to you in line — acknowledging other people is less brutal than ignoring them.

Lugo is an English freshman from Harlingen, TX.

GALLERY

yulissa chavez

/ 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.

Applying to and choosing a college is a strenuous process: compounding the difficulty of finding “the one” — the university that feels like home — is the increasingly common practice of transferring.

In my last year of high school, established friend circles dissolved in favor of groups built around where we’d be heading for college.

However, when UT’s acceptance letter came and I was offered admission through the Coordinated Admission Program, there wasn’t a place for me in the Forty Acres friend group.

After I accepted my CAP offer, I moved to UT-Tyler, a place that was unfamiliar and four hours from home. Since I didn’t know anyone, I found myself starting from scratch in the friendship department. Luckily, I was able to make friends and quickly found footing among the East Texas natives.

However, telling my new friends I was a CAP student often led to looks of surprise and comments like, “Oh, so you’re leaving?” and, “I don’t really hang out with CAP students,” foreshadowing an end to invitations and further communication.

Coupled with being ostracized by four-year UT-Tyler students, locating people that are also in CAP and going to UT-Austin is often based on chance. Students at the six universities participating in CAP can struggle to find friends and belonging, which can lead to isolation and self-doubt.

Bella Tapia, an international relations and global studies sophomore and former CAP student said meeting other CAP students was frustrating and challenging, and that the only other CAP students she met were from random conversations she struck up in the hallway before class.

Tapia’s experience isn’t uncommon among CAP students. Due to the lack of resources, CAP students have to be creative in establishing their own networks of communication before they go to UT-Austin.

The least UT-Austin and participating CAP schools can do is create a way for CAP students to connect with one another.”

Muskan Umatiya, a radio-television-film sophomore and former CAP student, said being added to a Snapchat group was her main lifeline to other CAP students.

“The Snapchat group was started by someone I didn’t know, but I’m grateful they started it because otherwise I wouldn’t have met nearly as many people as I did,” Umatiya said.

The lack of resources and mechanisms for communication between CAP students stems in large part from the fact that CAP students aren’t officially enrolled at UT-Austin. This means that UT-Austin does not currently sponsor any ways for CAP students to communicate with each other before they reach the Forty Acres.

“Each of the CAP institutions have policies that govern communications with (and among) their students,” said Mike Washington, UT associate director of admissions.

“Any ‘official’ communication would need to be approved by the leadership at each of the institutions.”

However, Mike John Talamantes, the academic adviser for CAP students at UT-El Paso, said that UT-Austin would be in charge of this system.

“As UT CAP schools, we receive UT CAP agreements from the Admissions Office at UT-Austin,” Talamantes said. “We all follow their lead in UT CAP policies and procedures.”

Washington touched on this discrepancy in perceived responsibility by saying, “We have a role in administering the program, and (CAP schools) have a separate role in hosting the participants.”

But if UT-Austin is “administering” the program, surely they have flexibility over what comes up on CAP student’s MyStatus page and could include a “recommended” tab, with opportunities to communicate with fellow CAP students.

Washington acknowledged that “UT-Austin has an official communications portal (MyStatus) that informs CAP students of all official notifications from UT-Austin.” So why doesn’t UT-Austin recommend participation in an optin directory or even a Facebook group, which they have for incoming UT-Austin students?

The least UT-Austin and participating CAP schools can do is create a way for CAP students to connect with one another instead of making them start their first year of college alone and in an unfamiliar place, with only the promise of admission.

By helping CAP students come together and make the most of their time at participating CAP universities, they’ll have a higher chance of successfully joining the herd on the Forty Acres.

Counihan is a government sophomore from Austin.

WANT TO BE A COLUMNIST? | Scan this QR code and fill out our columnist interest form. We’ll be hiring throughout the semester.

All columnists must be current students at UT-Austin.

SPORTS

5

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2020

SOFTBALL

Texas seeks revenge with matchups against No. 10 Alabama

By Seth Forman @_SethAForman

In the final weekend tournament before conference play begins, the Longhorns are slated to take on one of the most anticipated opponents of the season in a rematch of 2019’s super regional: No. 10 Alabama.

Last year, a lot of questions surrounded the Longhorn softball program. Texas head coach Mike White had just moved from Oregon and several of Texas’ star players, including senior pitcher Miranda Elish and junior utility player Lauren Burke had come with him. The Oregonians wasted no time in helping propel Texas to a place amongst the elites, as the Longhorns finished 46–17 in 2019 and earned a spot in the Super Regionals.

“I feel like having Coach White for the second time under our belts, it really gets us closer,” junior infielder Janae Jefferson said.

Texas advanced to the Super Regionals as a No. 9 seed, with No. 8 seed Alabama to beat in order to reach the Women’s College World Series. Texas dropped the first game of the series but managed a huge comeback in the second game to force a deciding third game.

But in that second game,

L AW S U I T

CONTINUES FROM PAGE

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Elish suffered a nasty face injury when then-sophomore catcher Mary Iakopo threw to second, striking Elish in the face and forcing a trip to the emergency room. Elish missed Game 3, when Texas fell 8–5 to miss the Women’s College World Series.

“There is a little added motivation just because it’s kind of a revenge game,” Jefferson said. “It’s huge motivation going into them.”

This year, Texas looks for a different outcome in their two regular season games against the Crimson Tide. Elish has come back from injury stronger than ever, entering this weekend’s tournament coming off the second perfect game of her career. Elish will look to replicate that performance this weekend.

“I was just executing my pitches really well,” Elish said. “I was throwing really quality pitches and that’s what coach White really stresses and we saw really good results from that.”

Jefferson also looks to exact revenge this weekend.

Last year, Jefferson had six hits and two runs in the Longhorns’ series against Alabama. This year, she will enter the weekend with Big 12 Player of the Week honors after raising her batting average from .516 to .554 in an incredible 9-for-12 performance the past weekend.

Arizona, SMU, Stanford, UC-Berkeley and Texas.

Rembao denied the allegations of sexually harassing

haley bell

/ the daily texan staff

Junior infielder Janae Jefferson swings at a pitch during the Longhorns 2-0 win over Liberty at McCombs Field on March 6. Jefferson recorded three hits and an RBI. Now Texas looks to avenge the 2019 Super Regional disappointment. “(I was) basically just being more aggressive on the count,” said Jefferson. “I feel like that’s where my success really gets better, when I’m being more aggressive on the count.”

or abusing the three athletes, according to USA Today.

With the lawsuit, the three former student-ath-

Jefferson’s excellent batting and second base play from last season isn’t the only reason White will look to lean on her in the big games this weekend.

letes are now looking for the NCAA to implement new policies regarding coachstudent relationships along

“The thing is to keep your heartbeat between 80 and 60,” said White. “Janae Jefferson has learned some of that as she’s going along … she seems to be pretty cool,

BASKETBALL CONTINUES FROM PAGE

6

to go out there and play like we know how to play.”

Aston said it won’t take much to keep her team focused on the task at hand.

After Sunday’s emotional senior day game and with NCAA Tournament bid implications on the line, the Longhorns will have much to play for heading into the long weekend.

calm, collected out there.”

The Longhorns have already knocked off five ranked opponents this season, and are eager to make it six in Tuscaloosa.

“I think that what you find a lot of times when you go to the conference tournament is either you see a team that somewhat feels fatigued and tired of conference season … or you see a team that is actually enjoying their time together (and) want to play as long as they can together, and still understands that it’s a championship,” Aston said.

“It’s a chance to cut a net down, and I think that our team has that sense.”

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elias hueRta

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Three former Longhorns filed a class-action lawsuit against the NCAA, the NCAA Board of Governors and former Texas track and field coach John Rembao alleging the NCAA neglects to protect student-athletes from sexual abuse.

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MARCUS KRUM

Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2020

BASKETBALL

Texas prepares for Big 12 run

PResley Glotfelty

/ the daily texan file

Sophomore forward Charli Collier goes up for a bucket during the Longhorns 86-76 win over Oklahoma at the Frank Erwin Center on Feb. 29. Collier finished the night with a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double.

The Longhorns know they’re headed to the Big Dance. Now they’re focused on a Big 12 title.

By Myah Taylor @t_myah

fter fighting through a two-month battle against tough conference opponents, the Texas women’s basketball

team is now preparing for its first act of the postseason: the Big 12 Tournament.

“It’s kind of nice to get through the grind of the Big 12 season,” head coach Karen Aston said. “As you get toward the end of it, the players get really fatigued. It’s (the preparation) almost monotonous. It’s a long stretch where they have to stay focused.”

The Longhorns will travel to Kansas City for their firstround game against West Virginia on Friday. Unlike previous seasons when Texas was one of the top two seeds, the No. 3 seeded Longhorns will have to play more basketball than usual with No. 1 seed Baylor and No. 2 seed

TCU both getting the first round bye.

But Aston said playing in the first round, rather than waiting to play an unknown first round winner the next day, will aid in the team’s readiness.

“We know who we’re playing,” Aston said. “We know we’re playing West Virginia.

We know what they do. We know what we’re going to get when we play them, so the clear-cut preparation makes it a little bit simpler and not so vague.”

West Virginia is one of many teams currently on the NCAA Tournament bubble, so wins in the Big 12 Tournament are crucial for the

Mountaineers.

Meanwhile, Texas is projected to make the Big Dance, but winning a conference championship is still a goal.

“I would say more than anything we need to just focus on right now,” sophomore center Charli Collier said.

“This is the biggest thing for us — winning a Big 12 championship — so we just need to go in with the mindset that everything else will just take care of itself if we take care of these games coming up next for us in this tournament.”

While the Longhorns have struggled this season, they’ll head into the postseason with signature upset wins over thenNo.17 Tennessee, then-No. 1

Stanford and, most recently, then-No.25 TCU. Texas has displayed its potential numerous times throughout the season, but confidence on the team isn’t always high. With high stakes games approaching in the coming days and weeks, it will be up to the Longhorns to control their own destiny.

“We can shock a lot of teams and we can beat a lot of teams,” Collier said. “It’s up to us more than anything.

The coaches can’t do it. Nobody else can, the fans — it’s us. We’re the ones playing.

We’re the ones with the ball in our hands, so we just have BASKETBALL

PAGE 5

TRACK & FIELD

Former Texas track coach sued over alleged abuse

By Marcus Krum & Alex Briseño

@MarcusKrum @alex_briseno

Three former Longhorns filed a class-action lawsuit against the NCAA, the NCAA Board of Governers and former Texas track and field coach John Rembao, alleging that the NCAA neglects to protect student-athletes from sexual harassment or sexual contact from coaches.

The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District

Court for the Northern District of California by law firms FeganScott and Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, alleges that the NCAA permitted years of sexual abuse by the lack of policies or sanctions put in place to force schools to report any cases of abuse.

All three former student-athletes whom the lawsuit was filed on behalf of — Erin Aldrich, Jessica Johnson and Londa Bevins — competed at Texas while Rembao was on staff as the

track coach from 1997-2001.

Aldrich, who was a 2000 Olympian and an eight-time All-American high jumper, started her career at Arizona with Rembao before they both headed to Texas in 1997.

Aldrich told USA Today that the abuse stopped once she arrived at UT, but only because he allegedly shifted his focus to Johnson.

Johnson, who later became a two-time All-American high jumper at Arkansas, was subject to Rembao’s alleged abuse as soon as she

got to the Forty Acres. Bevins, a middle-distance runner who eventually became a seven-time All-American at Arkansas, told USA Today she decided to go to Texas after Rembao heavily recruited her before he allegedly targeted her.

“The behavior alleged in this story is disturbing,” UT Athletics Director Chris Del Conte said in a statement from UT Athletics. “Our current coaches and staff know that such behavior is totally unacceptable and will not be

SEE THE EXHIBITION 21st and Guadalupe Streets hrc.utexas.edu

tolerated at The University of Texas.”

Johnson filed an official 24-page report detailing the alleged abuse and submitted it to the University. The University’s subsequent report found that Rembao did not violate the University of Texas’ sexual misconduct policies.

Rembao served as an assistant coach at a multitude of schools across the country, making stops at Cal Poly, L A W S U I T PAGE 5

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| @TEXANCOMICS

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 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 Thursday, March 12, 2020

Crossword

SUDOKUFORYOU 6 1 3 4 7 9 8 5 1 4

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9 5 7 6 8 2 9 1 3 6 2 5 7 4 6

4 2 5

Today’s solution will appear here next issue

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ACROSS 28 Do a home ec assignment 1 Employer of Detective Lindsay 29 E.N.T. case Boxer in a 30 Depart from a series of James straight line Patterson novels 32 Techie or Trekkie 5 Fragrance since 33 Boxing 1932 champs of the 9 Aviary sound 1960s-’70s?

12 Santa ___, Calif.

36 Tony Blair, for the U.K. 13 “Point taken,” ’60s-style 39 Apothecary’s unit 14 Title partner of 40 “In Old Mexico” or Hobbs in a hit “In Old Santa Fe” 2019 film 44 It’s trained in music school 15 Reactions to social media 45 An indispensable posts? ingredient in the elixir of life, per 18 Wizard Lao-tzu 19 Animation stack 46 Domination, in 20 “I strongly advise slang against that” 47 Things that 21 Breeds of hunting scouts earn dogs? badges for?

26 Not legally 51 Target for holistic immune healing 27 “Head for the 52 Stand taken by a hills!” speaker?

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE R E P O P W A V E

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H C A L N A D R E O D O A V O B E P A R T I T U C E B A L E L L R

A M I R G S D E R I D E

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53 First cellular co. to offer service nationwide 54 Cows’ various glands?

58 Paris network 59 Davidson of “S.N.L.” 60 Like pipes, again and again 61 Country where the cellphone was developed: Abbr.

62 Port SSE of the Suez Canal 63 Where a batter eventually goes to the plate?

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DOWN 1 Partition 2 Fool’s gold?

3 Prefix with caution or condition 4 Govt. lawyers 5 Fork foursome 6 Throw into confusion 7 Sequence of 0’s and 1’s 8 “What a stomachchurning thought!”

9 Takeout option 10 Where a yellow ribbon is tied in a 1973 #1 hit 11 Be attributable (to) 12 Preferred variety of stock 14 Part of a schedule 16 Unit of an estate 17 Heaven on earth

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PUZZLE BY JAKE HALPERIN

22 Letter-shaped construction piece 23 Airline of 61-Across 24 Part of a weightlifter’s routine 25 Parrot’s cry 30 Like many antebellum mansions 31 Down-to-earth fig.

32 Jumbo 34 “Here’s an ___ …”

35 John Wayne Birthplace Museum locale 36 Cry upon opening a hospital bill, maybe 37 Heavens on earth 38 More selfsatisfied 41 Portmanteau fruit 42 “Travel” for a bigheaded person 43 Second-grade offering?

45 Bygone monarch

46 Very 48 Very, abroad 49 Whom Italians call “il Sommo Poeta” 50 Expand 54 Ocean State sch.

55 Cruise ship amenity 56 Prefix with lateral or lingual 57 “I suppose that’s kinda funny”

Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 7,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year).

Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay.

8

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

Life&Arts Editor | @TRINADY05

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2020

BOOKS

LIFE&ARTS

UT author turns trauma into art

“Violence/Joy/ Chaos” author discusses her book and how writing it helped her cope with trauma.

By Jennifer Errico @errico_jenny

ane Fleming found beauty in her darkness.

Fleming, an English graduate student and Rhetoric 306 assistant instructor, published her first full-length novel, “Violence/Joy/Chaos” at age 27.

Fleming said she wanted to write the book she wished she had as a young undergraduate student when coping with the aftershocks of sexual assault and living in a toxic, abusive relationship.

“It would have made me feel less alone, less isolated to know other people are experiencing these things,” Fleming said.

“Violence/Joy/Chaos” is a collection of essays and poems exploring Fleming’s trauma and the rocky road to healing and recovery. The collection is a reflection of the dark period during her

early 20s while she was an undergraduate student at William & Mary University and after she transferred to UT-El Paso.

“I organized (the book) in a linear timeline from the earliest essays to the latest,” Fleming said. “However, the recovery process is not a … line from broken to healed. It’s interspersed with moments of joy and moments of chaos.”

Fleming said she turned toward unhealthy ways of coping in college such as self-medicating, drinking and excessive partying because she felt like she had no one to open up to.

“Things that seemed normal for the college experience were ways of me covering it up and coping,” Fleming said.

She said she allowed herself to have moments of silence to write out about the experiences she couldn’t talk about.

“Trauma lives in the gaps, and you have to listen to the silence to start the healing process,” Fleming said.

Writing allowed her to put language, whether it be poetic or lyrical, to what she was going through and what she was processing, she said. “(Writing) helped me feel like it was something that was a part of me, but really didn’t define me,” Fleming said. “It was just part of my journey.

“Violence/Joy/Chaos” was published by Rhythm & Bones Press, a small,

blaine young

/ the daily texan staff

Jane Fleming, an English graduate student and Rhetoric 306 assistant instructor, recently published her first novel, which will be available in April. independent publisher in Pennsylvania founded by Tianna G. Hansen. Hansen said her press focuses on “trauma-turned-art” stories to present a safe haven for taboo stories and topics such as rape, mental illness and sexual assault. Hansen was also Fleming’s editor.

“I’ve been through a lot of trauma myself,” Hansen said.

“I’ve been in abusive relationships and I had a lot of family

trauma, so the whole basis of the press was for other people to feel like they’re not alone.

I wanted to give a face to all these voices.”

Hansen said she felt connected to Fleming’s story and how she came out on the other side of her trauma.

“Violence/Joy/Chaos” didn’t just unite Hansen and Fleming. Fleming’s brother Jordan Aman said it also strengthened

their relationship.

Aman designed the cover of “Violence/Joy/Chaos.” He said the image is supposed to be a representation of the peace one can find after violence and chaos.

“The birds are swallows because, symbolically, swallows are messengers,” Aman said.

“I’m playing on the idea of the connection to your higher consciousness allowing you to be self-reflective and pave

the pathway to healing.”

Fleming said she hopes, through her book, people will find comfort in knowing they are not alone.

“I’m hoping (“Violence/ Joy/Chaos”) will reach a demographic of young women of all ages, especially those who are going to college and who have experienced trauma, (and help them) see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Fleming said.

SXSW

Unofficial SXSW shows feature local, underground artists

By Carlie Whisman @thedailytexan

The South by Southwest 2020 festival was officially canceled last week, but that doesn’t mean the music stops playing in Austin.

Shows are still happening throughout the week with lineups featuring local artists from the Live Music Capital itself.

For the music lovers let down by the cancellation, there’s still something to look forward to: a week of free and cheap concerts.

The Daily Texan has compiled a list of unofficial SXSW shows to help you soothe your SXSW blues and help support local artists.

Galactic Interactive 2020 Head to Hotel Vegas & Volstead on Friday for a night of free music, comedy and drag.

There will be performances from electronic duo Capyac as well as the rap and hip hop collective PNTHN. Additional local acts include Manny Wave, Me nd Adam, The Lagoons, Con Man, Ladi Earth and Lord Friday the 13th.

KVRX presents: Amygdala (SA), Leche, Black Mercy, Friday Boys and Dregs This free showcase presented

by KVRX is happening Friday at

The North Door.

With artists Amygdala, Black Mercy, Leche, Dregs and duo Friday Boys, this punk lineup is completely locally sourced.

PorchFire Fest Hosted by PorchFire Records, this two-day minifest is happening on Friday and Saturday at the PorchFire house in West Campus. The lineup is almost completely local, with performances from 20 artists and bands including Luvweb, Flounge, stunts and Young June. $10 donations are suggested at the door.

South By Almost West Showcase For fans of techno and house music, check out the South

by Almost West Showcase on Monday at the Vulcan Gas Company. Get your face painted and see performances from Austin’s own Jules, Reue, Linus, Hollywoodrails, Kivi, Tko, Roxy V, Samwise and Aspen88.

The show is free with RSVP. Nine Mile Showcase 2020 Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday at Cheer Up Charlies with a showcase hosted by Nine Mile Records. Suggested donations for this show go directly to the artists who sustained losses from the SXSW

anthony mireles

cancellation. Austin’s own Night Glitter, Hikes and Elijah Ford are playing along with non-local acts David Wax Museum, Caitlin Sherman, reb fountain, Dirty Streets and Patrick Sweany.

Weekday at Barry’s Presented by Hotel Hot Burrito, this punk showcase is happening on Tuesday at Barracuda. The British punk band Wire is headlining this $25 show with local performances

from Borzoi and Sailor Poon.

The Bird Barn Presents: Spring Thing This free show is on Thursday at The Electric Church.

Yayo Sanchez AKA DJ KissGuy,

Being Dead and Bourgeois Mystics are among the local artists playing. Additional performances include The Bobby Lees, The Wants, Gustaf, TOP nachos, The No. 44 and LIFE.

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FREE ADMISSION WITH THE BIG TICKET!

B S A X E T

/ the daily texan file

Japanese Breakfast performs at Lustre Pearl during SXSW on March 15, 2019. The festival was officially canceled this year, but local artists will still play throughout the week.

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