The Daily Texan 2020-09-29

DT Volume 121, Issue 21 tuesday, september 29, 2020

chronicall y ill during cov id-19 barbra daly / the daily texan staff

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PERMANENT STAFF

Editor-in-Chief Emily Caldwell

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Beat Reporters Andrew Zhang, Anna Canizales, Amanda FigueroaNieves, Brooke Ontiveros, Samantha Greyson, Neha Madhira, Lauren Goodman

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AUSTIN WEATHER TODAY Sept. 29

HI 82º LO 55º

As we discuss sexual violence on campus, it’s more important to hear from survivors.

TOMORROW Sept. 30

HI 91º LO 58º

all Gremlin knows is cry and do crimes

08

life & arts

JP’s Pancake Company strives to create a joyful atmosphere in West Campus.

page

04

opinion

page

page

Spring classes will be about 60% online, 24% hybrid and 16% in person.

(512) 471-4591

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

sports

Texas women’s golf finished 10th in the Schooner Fall Classic after winning it in 2019.

Emily Caldwell (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com

MANAGING EDITOR

Megan Menchaca (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@thedailytexan.com

NEWS OFFICE

(512) 232-2207 news@thedailytexan.com

UNIVERSITY

Assoc. Copy Desk Chiefs Phoebe Hayes, Irissa Omandam, Megan Shankle

Forum Editors Daisy Kielty, Maria Sailale

Assoc. Editors Abby Dasgupta, Hannah Lopez, Julia Zaksek, Sanika Nayak

03

News

MAIN TELEPHONE

Copy Desk Chiefs Jimena Pinzon, Lawson Freeman

Double Coverage Designer Christina Peebles Senior Designers Megan Fletcher, Eunice Bao Video Editor Jackson Barton Assoc. Video Editor Jennifer Xia, Brendan Long

External Relations Director Austin Martinez

Contents: page

DT

CONTACT US

U.S. News and World Report ranks UT’s FirstYear Experience program No. 25 in nation

The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely. If we have made an error, let us know about it. E-mail managingeditor@thedailytexan.com.

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By Fiza Kuzhiyil @fiza11k

The U.S. News and World Report ranked UT’s FirstYear Experience program 25 in the nation and second in universities with over 30,000 students, but the program continues to make adjustments for COVID-19.

UT’s First-Year Experience, a program to ease the transition for first-year students, serves as a model in undergraduate education across the country, said Patty Moran Hicks, FirstYear Experience Office director. Hicks works with colleges and universities across the country to help other institutions of higher education adopt a signature course program that fits their needs.

“My favorite part of the FYE Office at UT-Austin is the mixture of outstanding programs that serve the whole student, and that we are able to serve the entire UT campus with these programs,” Hicks said. “We work in collaboration with all the schools and colleges at UT-Austin to administer cutting-edge courses and opportunities for new students at UT-Austin.”

Hicks said part of the First-Year Experience are Signature Courses, which are taught by tenured and tenure-track professors, allowing first-year students to interact with top faculty in each department.

“Most classes taken in the

Grant Daniels

Production Michael Gammon Account Executives Diane Byram, Pam Garner, Julianne Phillipp Design Tillie Policastro

THE DAILY TEXAN MAIL SUBSCRIPTION RATES One Semester (Fall/Spring) $60.00 Two Semesters (Fall & Spring) $120.00 Summer Session $40.00 One Year (Fall, Spring and Summer)

jamie hwang / the daily texan staff

Astronomy freshman Seth Brogdon attends class on Zoom in the Life and Science Library Sept. 25.

first-year are large lectures that are not always taught by the top faculty in each department,” Hicks said.

We still cover the same material, but you missed the important part of the social interaction.”

JAKE WOODS

fig mentor

“Having students interact early with distinguished faculty members really has turned the core curriculum on its head.”

The First-Year Experience also includes programs such as First-Year Interest Groups, which are groups of 18 to 25 first-year students who share classes during their first semester, led by an older student who shares resources with their mentees.

Jake Woods, a public health and Iberian and Latin American languages and cultures sophomore, became a FIG mentor after participating in the program his freshman year. Woods then realized a good mentor could help determine a freshman’s FIG experience.

“I really love that I can make it something special for another group of

students,” Woods said.

Woods said he spent many hours on the Canvas page fitting the curriculum to an online format.

Woods said the online format makes it harder for students to build bonds.

“We still cover the same material, but you missed the important part of the social interaction,” Woods said.

Despite the online format, geology freshman Liz Collins said she finds her FIG helpful for socializing and academics.

“I hang out with the kids in my FIG outside of my FIG, just because we’re taking so many classes together,” Collins said.

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NEWS

News Editor E M I LY H E R N A N D E Z TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

5

3

UNIVERSITY

Hartzell discusses spring semester, COVID testing

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UT will continue to follow fall class models next semester and encourage testing.

By Andrew Zhang @andrewczhang

T will approach the spring semester with a similar plan to the fall, UT President Jay Hartzell said in a campuswide message Monday morning.

The spring semester will include “robust” online course options, along with hybrid and solely in-person classes, Hartzell said. University spokesperson J.B. Bird said the offerings would generally be proportional to those from the fall, where about 60% of class sections are online, 24% hybrid and 16% in person, according to an Aug.

11 news release.

Students will be asked to quarantine before returning in January, and staff who can work from home can continue doing so, Hartzell said. The spring calendar will remain the same as in previous years.

“We have not yet determined what commencement will look like and how much of the celebration will be in person or online,” Hartzell said.

Hartzell said UT’s proactive community test will now confirm if someone tests positive for COVID-19 without needing another test. Positive results from proactive tests previously required an additional nasal swab test.

Proactive tests no longer require an appointment, and testing forms can be completed on the Protect Texas Together app, according to a Monday news release.

UT proactively tested about 10,000 asymptomatic students and staff as of Monday, according to the release.

UT has not reached its goal of 5,000 weekly proactive tests because fewer than 5,000 individuals are willing to get tested each week, according to a Faculty Council letter

/ the daily texan file

dated Sept. 28.

UT plans to release an incentive program for community members who volunteer for proactive testing, and details are forthcoming, Hartzell said. Community members should get tested as frequently as once every two weeks to optimize contact tracing, he said.

“The University is working closely with Austin Public Health and health care providers,” Hartzell said.

“We strongly encourage you to get your testing done on campus.”

Hartzell said he was grateful for all the changes the community has already made. As of Monday afternoon, 94 UT community members have tested positive in the past 10 days, according to the UT COVID-19 dashboard. Since March, 1,259 community members have tested positive as of Monday.

“The number of confirmed positive cases is within the range of what we had expected given UT’s size; there has been a relatively small number of infections among faculty and staff members,” Hartzell said. “But there is much more work to be done.”

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4

Editor-In-Chief E M I LY C A L D W E L L TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

FORUM

FORUM

We are survivors

In these Tiny Texan Stories, we hear from survivors of sexual violence.

By Daisy Kielty & Maria Sailale Forum Editors

n this w e e k ’ s forum, we hear stories from survivors of sexual assault, rape and sexual violence on our campus.

University campuses are notorious for sexual violence. Of all undergraduates and graduates nationally, more than one in 10 students experience sexual violence. At the undergraduate level nationally, nearly one in four women and more than one in 20 men experience sexual violence during

their college tenure.

Unfortunately, these stories are rarely told.

Today, we’d like to share a few of them with you.

We hope that shedding light on this subject will help survivors feel less alone and will encourage people to reach out for help if they’re struggling. The first step is to talk about it, and we hope you will take that step with us today.

We are with you, we believe you and we are working for a campus that is rid of sexual violence.

All stories will be published anonymously to protect the survivors and their stories.

List of Resources: http://bit.ly/resourcesforsurvivors

FORUM

As always, if you have any thoughts on this topic or any other, please feel free to reach out to us at thedailytexanforum@gmail.com or submit your own story to

this form https://forms.gle/ BnnkBJGf9xUhnGYg9.

Editor’s note: UT-Austin mandatory reporters do not have to report the stories published here.

helen brown

/ the daily texan staff

‘In that moment, I knew that this night felt wrong’

By Anonymous

Trigger Warning: Sexual Violence, Sexual Assault, Rape I have never told this story out loud, but here it is — written down on a computer for other people to see. When I was a sophomore at UT, I attended the annual ZBT/ Fiji Halloween party. I willingly went home with a boy I met that night.

When he asked me if I wanted to have sex, I said no. I didn’t want to have sex that night. Despite my hesitance and my clear expression of not wanting to have sex, he proceeded to try and have sex with me

without a condom. When I told him to stop, he shrugged and said, “Seriously?” He put a condom on and kept trying. When I told him to stop, he kept going and asked me if I was “really going to make him waste another condom.” In that moment, I knew that this night felt wrong. When I was finally able to go home the next morning I was confused about what had happened the night before. I knew it felt wrong, but I felt as if the situation was partly my fault. I was drunk.

I didn’t do more to stop it. I went home with him, so did that imply that I was going to have sex with him?

FORUM

FORUM

I’ve kissed death because of you

I felt like my body was not my own

By Anonymous

Trigger Warning: Sexual Violence, Rape, Sexual Assault, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, PTSD, Self Harm, Eating Disorder, Suicide Before the first day of classes my freshman year — which was also my 18th birthday — I was raped by a classmate in my major. On the first day, we had a class together and I could not hold it together. I tried so desperately to make it seem like

everything was normal. When I told my professor, she started recording lectures so I didn’t have to physically come to class anymore. The classmate then started dating someone new, who I never told about the incident. I attempted to end my life and had to be hospitalized twice. The following year, his girlfriend accused me of raping him and told me it was because he would never try to f--- “someone that looks like me.” The next day, I went to the top of a cliff in the Greenbelt

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.

and almost ended it entirely. I changed my major to get away from this person and the possible harassment I may face from a situation I had no control in.

I’ve since been diagnosed with body dysmorphic disorder, PTSD, an overwhelming struggle with self harm, and I’ve had a long, sickening battle with an eating disorder that has almost killed me. I hope that he and his girlfriend feel amazing knowing the dark, lonely places I’ve been and how many times I’ve kissed death because of it.

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.

By Anonymous

Trigger Warning: Sexual Violence, Sexual Assault, Rape National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 He was my friend. I trusted him. He raped me.

For so long I told no one because I was so scared of receiving backlash from his fraternity, our mutual friends and even my boy-

friend. Sexual assault causes so many feelings of disempowerment and feeling like your body is no longer your own. How could I continue feeling safe when the one thing that was truly mine, the one thing I should have full control over — my own body — was taken away from me?

This battle of feeling safe in my own identity and the many, many months of coping were exhausting, lonely and heartbreaking, but ulti-

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mately it fueled a deeper fire within me. I know now with confidence that my mess is my message. I will fight for all survivors, like myself, each day. My purpose on and off campus — and for my future — lies in protecting and defending others who experience the same trauma I have, and helping the one in five women on campus who will experience sexual assault to feel heard, supported and not alone.

EDITORIAL TWITTER | Follow The Daily Texan Editorial Board on Twitter (@TexanOpinion) and receive updates on our latest editorials and columns.

NEWS

5

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

COVID-19

Report discusses COVID-19 impact of UT community

By Amanda Figueroa-Nieves

@amandafn02

UT students returning to campus this fall could still amplify COVID-19 transmission in Austin, but there may be a delay in detecting the spread, according to a report by the UT COVID-19 Modeling Consortium.

“Chains of transmission that start within the UT population as early as September can gradually extend into the community leading to large numbers of cases, hospitalizations and even deaths over the course of months,” the report said. “The resulting lag can lead to a false sense of security regarding the spillover of risk into the community and a failure to recognize the causal links.”

The spread of COVID-19 from UT into Austin depends on the student-to-student and community wide rates of transmission, according to the report. University research associate Spencer Fox said COVID-19 spread on campus could strain the city’s health care capacity.

“Whether UT students get infected and then infect their parents or other family members in Austin, or it’s students … getting infected and then infecting the general people we interact with, … it’d basically constrain the health care system in Austin by sparking chains of transmission that could lead to significant disease burden in the city,” Fox said.

Darlene Bhavnani, an epidemiologist at Dell Medical School, said

as of Sept. 21, 1% of all case-contact relationships were between an infected student and someone outside the college age range. She said she is optimistic the disease can be contained to the UT community, according to previous reporting by The Daily Texan.

Fox said he doesn’t believe the report contradicts Bhavnani’s findings. The report is meant as a planning tool developed using models based on how much spread is occurring in Austin and the UT community, Fox said.

If UT enforces control measures and provides rapid testing, contact tracing and isolation resources for all students, it could lower the risk of the UT community spreading the disease into the city, according to the report.

“The graphs and tables ... are not intended as forecasts and do not present the full range of possibilities,” according to the report.

“Rather, they should be interpreted as plausible scenarios that highlight the potential impacts of transmission among students on the health and safety of the entire UT and Austin communities.”

University spokesperson J.B. Bird said about 80% of coronavirus cases were reached by the contact tracing team.

Last week, UT conducted 1,599 tests in the Proactive Community testing program out of the University’s goal of 5,000 tests per week, according to the UT COVID-19 dashboard. The University will roll out an incentive program for UT community members who

megan clarke

volunteer to get tested, according to a Monday morning message from UT President Jay Hartzell.

Fox said the amount of testing

by UT could be enough to prevent spread if it is a reasonably accurate representation of the entire UT population.

“Our hope is that testing expands, not only in number, but also potentially in diversity of the types of students that are coming in to get tested,” Fox said. “We know that there are different subpopulations on campus that are going to have disease at different levels. … A lot of the proactive community testing on campus is showing different disease prevalence than the group of students who are tested for the football game.”

/ the daily texan file

6

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

COVER STORY

FEATURE

Immunocompromised students feel trapped by university class policies High-risk students express frustration with UT-Austin, feeling left to choose between their health and taking classes.

By Neelam Bohra @neelambohratx

hen her lung r u p t u r e d , Heather Norman continued her online summer classes from her hospital bed, but said she struggled to receive online accommodations for her fall classes.

One of Norman’s original professors would not offer an online version of their course this fall, which Norman would need in order to graduate. Norman said if she took an in-person class, she would need to periodically take off her mask because of her lung.

“My (Services for Students with Disabilities coordinator) said, ‘If you want to take the class, you would have to leave the building and go to your car to breathe, and then come back in the building,’” said Norman, a psychology, history and American studies senior. “Literally, I can’t walk, and I can’t breathe.

How am I supposed to walk all the way to the building and then somehow make it back to class and not miss the lecture?”

Autoimmune diseases, chronic illnesses and conditions that require immunosuppressive

medication weaken the immune system. Students with weak immune systems like Norman said the pandemic creates a strange contrast in their lives — online classes make learning more accessible, but they are strictly isolated or risk high stakes to leave their homes.

Norman has multiple chronic illnesses — including complex regional pain syndrome, fibromyalgia and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome — that cause symptoms like chronic pain, fatigue and irregular heartbeat. She also has hypermobility and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which can cause her internal organs to tear. “(COVID-19) has made (life) better and it’s also made it

Literally, I can’t walk, and I can’t breathe.

How am I supposed to walk all the way to the building and then somehow make it back to class and not miss the lecture?”

HEATHER NORMAN

psychology, history & American studies senior

worse,” Norman said. “With the face mask rule, on the one hand, it’s very important for people to wear face masks because I could literally die. On the other hand, there’s times when I have to pull my face mask down for a moment. ... It’s just a mess.”

SSD said they cannot comment on specific student situations because of confidentiality rules.

Kathleen Harrison, communications manager for the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, said professors may struggle to teach remote and in-person versions of their courses simultaneously, and cannot necessarily offer online accommodations to students with higher risk of infection.

“When a student is at-risk for infection (e.g., immunocompromised) but is not sick or in quarantine, faculty are not necessarily required to provide an accommodation for an in-person-only class,” Harrison said in an email. “The recommendation is that students avoid this situation by enrolling in online classes and avoiding in-person ones.”

Christopher Quarshie, a North Texas infectious disease specialist and a member of the Infectious Disease Society of America, said an immunocompromised person with COVID-19 may experience a longer-lasting infection and a higher risk of mortality, regardless of age.

“Your immune system is the essential component of treating an infection,” Quarshie said.

“Without that, your chances of healing or recuperating are much less, and for COVID, your

immune system is like a gold mine.”

Balancing student chronic illness

life

with

a

Autumn Lanning, a history and government junior, has rheumatoid arthritis that causes them

chronic pain, fatigue and fevers, which sometimes keeps them in bed all day. They said it is easier for them to attend online classes, but the option to take them should have existed before the pandemic.

copyright annabeth cummins, and reproduced with permission Sustainability studies senior Annabeth Cummins chose to do all her classes online because of her Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune disorder.

7 “It took an entire worldwide pandemic for classes to even have the option to go online (and) for (UT) to even take a look at the attendance policies,” Lanning said. “Hopefully, if anything comes out of this, (more accommodations) will, but I am not going to hold my breath.”

Although all of their classes are online, Lanning said they live near campus because they could not break their lease, and their financial situation requires them to break quarantine and work a job. They said it frustrates them when students break safety protocols.

“In my head, I’m just like ‘Hold your breath,’ and I pinch my mask tighter,’” Lanning said.

“I don’t think I would (go out), even if I was completely abled, just because of the risk of other people and also because abled people are getting affected by it too. But, just the thought of having that sort of like blissfree nonchalance to everything — that does sound kind of nice.”

kicked in when two people entered her apartment laundry room without masks.

“It’s weird because it was just a girl my age, but the closer she got to me, the more I felt really anxious about it,” Cummins said. “I shouldn’t have to tell someone that I’m high-risk to get them to care. … I’m angry at people that won’t take the time to consider others, but also at UT and their lack of putting in regulation to ensure that people are protected, instead of just saying, ‘Oh, we have to trust in everybody.’”

UT requires students to wear

masks in campus buildings at all times and social distance while eating or drinking on campus, according to a campuswide message from UT President Jay Hartzell June 29.

Cummins said she chose all online classes but lives near campus because she could not break her lease. She needed an internship credit to graduate and said she struggled to find a remote internship for her major.

“There was so much anxiety around making the class schedule that would allow me to graduate but also not endanger me,” Cummins said.

Cummins said she wanted to have more college experiences, but most are not possible before she graduates this semester.

“It sucks to know that other people still get to go and have fun, but also, I feel like, ‘Why are you there?’” Cummins said. “‘You shouldn’t be there. No one should be there.’”

Norman said she was able to take all of her classes online after a month of communicating

with University officials, and she will still graduate on time.

“It’s my last semester, and honestly, a lot of people (with chronic illnesses) like me end up not graduating,” Norman said.

“I just really thought to myself, ... I don’t want this one class to be the reason why I don’t graduate this semester. ... I don’t want to have to put off my dreams because of a chronic illness.”

I don’t think I would (go out), even if I was completely abled, just because of the risk of other people and also because abled people are getting affected by it too.

AUTUMN LANNING

history & government junior Sustainability studies senior Annabeth Cummins has Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune disorder that attacks her thyroid and forces her to endure daily chronic pain. She said her fight-or-flight instinct

copyright heather norman, and reproduced with permission

copyright heather norman, and reproduced with permission

Senior Heather Norman said her professor won’t offer an online version of the course this fall even though she needs to take it to graduate.

Psychology, history and American studies senior Heather Norman struggles to receive online accommodations for her fall classes.

8

Life&Arts Editor A R I A N A A R R E D O N D O TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

LIFE&ARTS

FEATURE

‘You’re supposed to be here, JP’ JP’s Pancake Company brings good vibes and desserts to West Campus with his food truck.

By Lauren Castro @laurrncastro

P Udenenwu sells pancakes in turquoise cups in the heart of West Campus. At 6 feet, 7 inches tall and 300 pounds, he said some people are surprised

to find out he’s the man behind the brightly colored food truck and desserts.

“There was this overwhelming sense of peace that I felt that (told me), ‘You’re supposed to be here, JP,’” Udenenwu said.

Udenenwu discovered his passion for pancakes in 2015 while working at Taco Cabana. One day, he made pancakes for his co-workers from some leftover mix and whatever else he could find in the kitchen. He said the atmosphere in the room was pure joy.

“I was addicted,” Udenenwu said. “From that day forward, unintentionally, I made it my mission to recreate this atmosphere again and again and again.”

In mid-January, Udenenwu opened JP’s Pancake Company in West Campus.

Udenenwu offers toppings such as bananas, chopped bacon, blueberry syrup and Nutella.

“The attention and the detail that we get to put into something that makes people feel good when they eat it is my favorite part,” Udenenwu said.

Advertising senior Sarah Mohammadian met Udenenwu after he waved her and a friend over to the truck. She then kept visiting the truck to chat with Udenenwu, and he eventually hired her.

“I was actually the first person he ever hired,” Mohammadian said. “I’m really not a sweets girl at all, so it’s

jamie hwang

/ the daily texan file

Business administration sophomore Keshawn Jackson, far right, waits in line at JP’s Pancake Company while Udenenwu serves “the OREO” pancake of the month on Sept. 24.

jamie hwang

/ the daily texan file

JP’s Pancake Company owner JP Udenenwu poses in front of his food truck on Rio Grande Street Sept. 24.

not on-brand for me to work (there), but honestly, I really like (it).”

Advertising senior Ansley Marquardt joined the team after she responded to Udenenwu’s call-out on Instagram for marketing help.

Later, he created a permanent position just for her. She said he really cares about his clientele and staff.

“We have our shifts in the truck, but we’re also friends outside,” Marquardt said.

For some students that visit the turquoise truck, Udenenwu has been ready to offer relationship advice and friend matchmaking. Mohammadian and Marquadt said the environment fosters family-like relationships.

Coming from Nigerian roots, Udenenwu said he is no stranger to the obstacles that Black business owners face.

Although he fully supports the Black Lives Matter movement, he said he has mixed feelings about the #SupportBlackBusinesses trend.

“I worked so hard to get where I’m at,” Udenenwu said. “I don’t want the risk of anybody else trying to take credit for the blood, sweat and tears that I put into it.”

Udenenwu said his truck’s revenue was only impacted for one month after the hashtag was created, and while he understands its intentions, he believes the motive may have gotten lost in translation.

“The heart behind it was good in the beginning, but it soon became just a photo op” Udenenwu said. “Everything is trending nowadays, so this was a way to score woke points for a lot of people.”

Udenenwu said he will continue to chase the same joyful atmosphere he found at the beginning of his pancake career.

“I’m just waking up every single day, and I’m making a commitment to not only be the best at where I’m at, but to do the best with what I have,” Udenenwu said. “And now we’re here.”

LIFE&ARTS

9

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

CAMPUS

Campus organizations celebrate Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month flautas and chiles rellenos.

“I’m really proud of my Hispanic traditions,” Luna said. “I like for people to be celebrated, and it’s

By Anissa Reyes @anissaareyes

Cecilia Garcia was supposed to spend this month performing at Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations with Mariachi Paredes de la Universidad de Texas, UT’s Mariachi ensemble. Due to COVID-19, this year’s performances were cancelled.

“Not being able to (perform) is weird,” government sophomore Garcia said. “I’ve never missed a year of performing, ever, since my freshman year of high school.”

Latinx and Hispanic students and organizations at UT have had to adjust their traditional celebrations during the month. Garcia said the Mariachi ensemble hosted in-person gigs last year, but they pre-recorded performance videos to post to Facebook this year.

Garcia said each member of the Mariachi ensemble recorded their individual parts, which were then edited together in a final performance video.

“I live in an apartment so it’s hard to record that loud and not bother my roommates (or) neighbors,” Garcia said. “It’s a pretty hard process but, you know, what else can we do?”

Neuroscience junior Mayeli Luna is vice president of RGV Familia, an initiative under UT’s Division of Diversity and Community Engagement that seeks to provide a community for Latinx students from the Rio Grande Valley. Created in June, this is the organization’s first year celebrating Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month.

“In Hispanic culture, familia es todo, so we want to have that ‘home away from home’ feeling within our

disappointing I wasn’t able to be around other people in my culture (because) music and traditions bring people together.”

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initiative,” Luna said.

Rather than throwing a party like Luna would have wanted to, the organization started Valley Culture Series, a social media campaign highlighting individuals from the Rio Grande Valley.

Students, faculty and alumni could answer questions and write out their cultural experiences living in the Valley in a Google form, which the organization compiled into a feature post on Twitter and Instagram.

“We ask them things, like ‘What message do you want to send to your RGV community (during) this month?’ or ‘How (has) being Hispanic helped you grow as a person?’” Garcia said. “Learning more about students here at UT can unify us more in our culture and experiences.”

Texas Folklorico Dance Company is a student organization for members to explore Mexican culture through dance. Karla Cuellar-Ramirez, a civil engineering and government junior, said they only performed at one Latinx/

Hispanic Heritage Month celebration this year, which was hosted by the SHPE Austin Professional Chapter over Zoom.

Aside from dancing, Cuellar-Ramirez and one other performer had to worry about WiFi, camera angles and staying 6 feet apart on the Physics, Math, and Astronomy building patio.

“We couldn’t really see the laptop, and I was very nervous of the music going out and then we’re just dancing without any sound,” Cuellar-Ramirez said. “The (laptop) camera is so small, (and) it’s hard to keep focus (because) when I dance, I spot a certain place, but it wasn’t the same spot in the camera.”

/ the daily texan staff

Cuellar-Ramirez said it was hard to perform without the energy and applause from an in-person crowd.

“The energy the crowd puts out is very important to me because I feed off of it,” Cuellar-Ramirez said. “After the performance, we were checking the comments and people were (saying) ‘good job’ and stuff, but we didn’t get to see that while we were performing.”

Despite not being able to take part in in-person events, Luna said she still celebrated Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month on her own by cooking traditional Mexican meals like mole,

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10

Sports Editor M Y A H T A Y L O R TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

SPORTS

ATHLETICS

Undefeated weekend sparks fanbase Texas Athletics’ huge weekend brings a sense of normalcy to its fan base during the pandemic.

By Carter Yates @Carter_Yates16

onghorn students and fans could forget about the world’s issues for a little while as they sat on the edge of their seats, rooting for Texas victories in what amounted to an undefeated weekend for the Texas football, soccer and volleyball teams.

The pandemic sent the world into a tailspin in mid-March, halting all sporting events. As the number of COVID-19 cases continued to rise in the summer months, Texas fans didn’t know if they would be able to enjoy fall sports this semester.

Now, with three separate programs winning a game this past weekend, the fan base is being rewarded for the long wait.

The sense of normalcy sports brought this weekend is important for the student body, marketing sophomore Brendan Pinkerton said.

“I think Texas Athletics is one of the biggest morale boosters on campus,” Pinkerton said. “Just take Saturday’s football game alone — that held all of campus’ attention for hours because of the type of thriller it was. I think it helps bring the campus together regardless of what is going on. It kind of gives us a sense of normalcy.”

copyright scott smith, and reproduced with permission

Scott Smith (right) and Cody Owens (left) cheer for the Texas football team during their 42–31 victory over West Virginia on Oct. 5, 2019. The duo is excited to have Texas Athletics underway this season, even with limited in-person attendance.

Economics sophomore Conrad Vilven said the uncertainty surrounding fall sports during the peak of quarantine makes weekends like this past one even more enjoyable.

“I did not (see sports returning in this capacity), if I am being honest,” Vilven said.

“I wanted to be optimistic, but I just didn’t see a way that we could have sports like this with everything going on, but that just makes it even better to me that it’s happening now.”

While some question the need for live sporting events

and in-person attendance during the pandemic, UT fan Scott Smith said the University is taking the right precautions to ensure the safety of all participants. Smith has been a season-ticket holder for over 25 years and has a daughter at UT. He decided to hold onto his tickets even during the peak of uncertainty surrounding the upcoming year.

“I think Texas has led most institutions in regards to their testing,” Smith said. “I know my daughter has gotten three COVID tests on campus. They

are obviously doing mostly remote learning and they test the students on the Friday before the game. I think they have gone above and beyond on some things, and quite frankly, maybe they’ve gone further than we even need to.”

Even though the arenas and stadiums are limited in capacity and subdued in regards to the usual atmosphere, UT fan Cody Owens said he is still thankful for the opportunity to attend sporting events. Owens, who attends as many as 10-12 Texas sporting events a year

with Smith, said in-person attendance has helped him and others cope with the pandemic.

“It’s extremely important for everyone right now,” Owens said. “There’s a lot of negative things going on around us, but nothing else really matters when Texas or any other university is playing. They have their fans and everyone unites no matter what.”

Whether or not a Texas team wins or loses its game on a given night, they are providing hope and unity to an entire fanbase and university by

stepping out onto the field. In a fall semester characterized by isolation, Vilven said Texas Athletics may be the thing keeping students united.

“It’s huge for the morale of the University,” Vilven said.

“I think it brings a sense of community to everyone, even though everyone is isolated right now and doing their own thing. I think sports is the biggest thing right now that is bringing everyone together. It’s uplifting this entire University.”

COMICS

Comics Editor

B A R B R A D A LY

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

11

12

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

SPORTS

WOMEN’S GOLF

Texas women’s golf fails to defend Schooner Fall Classic title, places 10th in first tournament of season

By Luke Casola @CasolaLuke

The Texas women’s golf team finished 10th Monday at the Schooner Fall Classic in Norman, Oklahoma. The Longhorns failed to maintain their success from recent years at the Belmar Golf Club, finishing second to last at the tournament this season.

Before the tournament Thursday, Texas head coach Ryan Murphy said the team was happy to play in an event for the first time together

since the season was canceled in March.

“We’re going up there to try and win the tournament as a team, but my mind is on individual play, and particularly those freshman,” Murphy said.

The squad was unable to come from behind in order to win the tournament. The team won the Schooner Fall Classic last year despite being one stroke behind Oklahoma entering round three.

As the Longhorns seek their fourth-consecutive Big 12 Con-

ference Championship, they will look to garner their topthree in the nation dominance from last year’s fall season.

After a historic performance from Baylor Sunday and Monday, with three of its players finishing within the top five individually, the Longhorns would have needed a near perfect final two rounds to place first and overcome the Bears. Only four total players in the tournament shot under-par, two of which were in Baylor’s lineup.

Senior Kaitlyn Papp led the

team with a third-place finish in last year’s Schooner Fall Classic, but she was not in the lineup beginning Sunday for the Longhorns.

Senior Agatha Laisne and junior Sara Kouskova, the two Europeans on the team, won’t join the team until the start of the spring season, Murphy said. Laisne is a tough loss for the Longhorns, as she was named to the preseason watchlist for the ANNIKA Award on Thursday.

Due to a lack of roster depth right now, the lineup consisted of freshmen Bentley Cotton and Ashley Park, who

finished eight-over par and 21-one-over-par, respectively.

“We’re kind of fragmented right now,” Murphy said.

“My Europeans are still in Europe. We weren’t sure we were going to play officially until we got well into August, so I didn’t want to bring my Europeans over here knowing that we could potentially cancel the fall season so that gives some younger (players) some opportunity.”

Sophomore Sophie Guo stood out for the Longhorns with the highest individual finish on the team, shooting seven-over-par and tying for 15th overall. Guo was tied

for 31st after round one and tied for 16th after round two.

The squad was in ninth place after the first round with a score of 294 behind junior Hailee Cooper and Cotton’s two-over-par finishes, but the Longhorns fell to last place after the completion of day one. Due to high winds, the last five scheduled holes on day one were postponed to day two.

Next, Texas will compete in the Betsy Rawls Invitational on Oct. 10-11 and look to emulate last season’s record performance by capturing the event for the fourth year in a row.

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/ the daily texan file

Junior golfer Hailee Cooper sends a drive down the fairway during the Betsy Rawls Invitational tournament last year. The Longhorns finished 10th in the Schooner Fall Classic this weekend after winning the tournament in 2019.