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d a o r b a h y c d a u e st hin r t i w l l
Volume 121, Issue 26 friday, october 16, 2020
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/ the daily texan staff
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MAIN TELEPHONE
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News
UT Health Austin will open an epilepsy center focused on serving Spanish-speaking families.
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life & arts
As Halloween nears, students are planning new ways to celebrate safely.
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UT must mitigate the language barriers parents face when accessing UT communications.
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
sports
Women’s basketball players DeYona Gaston and Charli Collier are former high school rivals turned teammates.
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
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opinion
Copy Desk Chiefs Jimena Pinzon, Lawson Freeman
External Relations Director Austin Martinez
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Contents:
CONTACT US
Real estate experts advise students on when to sign leases for next year
BUSINESS & ADVERTISING
By Brooke Ontiveros
(512) 471-8590 advertise@texasstudentmedia.com
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As the pandemic obscures how classes will operate in the next school year, students may be conflicted on when the best time to sign apartment leases is, not knowing whether their classes will be primarily in-person or online. Almost half of the undergraduates at UT are attending classes fully online this semester, according to a UT news release from Aug. 11. UT President Jay Hartzell said the spring semester will operate under similar conditions as this fall in a campuswide email sent out Sept. 28. Because of the uncertainty, many students opted to live at home this semester rather than at their apartment. Students are now more hesitant to sign a lease for the next school year before knowing how their classes will operate, said Varsha Iyer, a licensed Texas real estate agent and apartment locator for Housing Scout, an apartment scout company for areas around UT. “Usual pre-leasing season is October, November, and a lot of people are kind of waiting (until) December or even January,” architecture junior Iyer said. Alex Bartram, broker and owner of MoveGroove Real Estate, said with the addition of several new high-rises to West Campus, the supply of student housing exceeds the demand. A mix of oversupply and the potential for classes to be online could contribute to many vacancies within West Campus apartments, Bartram said. “You’re still going to have a lot of people that prefer to be in West Campus because you’re kind of conglomerated with all your friends and social life and things like that,” Bartram said. “But if people are financially constrained and they’re making rational decisions economically and care about the budget, then I think we are going to see more students live
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farther out.” Bartram said the demand for apartments help dictate apartment prices, and students should wait until summer to sign for the fall to get the best deal since he suspects there will be many empty units available. Courtney March, vice president of leasing and marketing for American Campus Communities, said in an email American Campus properties do not anticipate less people wanting to rent for next year. “We are starting to see an uptick for students already looking for housing options for the spring semester,” March said. “We are offering discounted rate promotions at a number of our properties as well as offering more flexible lease terms, like those ending in December and those ending in May.”
/ the daily texan staff
Bartram said if students are particular about what apartment they would like, leasing early would be best. “Let’s say it’s senior year next year, and you want to get the best house and the best location. Then absolutely you’re going to want to look in September and October,” Bartram said. Iyer said while students can wait until the summer and still find available units, she still suggests leasing now to secure apartments that are likely to fill up first, such as high-rises. “Then if you do decide later on that you would like to stay home, you can always sublease,” Iyer said. “I’ve had many clients that have done that, and they always do end up finding someone to take their spot or to lease out their apartment.”
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NEWS
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News Editor E M I LY H E R N A N D E Z FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2020
STUDENT LIFE
Spring study abroad to continue UT-Austin students apply for spring 2021 study abroad programs despite ongoing pandemic uncertainty.
By Kevin Vu @KevinKek_
T will allow study abroad programs to take place in the spring semester, according to Education Abroad. Heather Thompson, director of Education Abroad, said Texas Global will continue to monitor the pandemic carefully and is prepared to adjust proactively for any contingency. According to the Texas Global website, recruiting for Maymesters and summer programs is ongoing, and Texas Global will make a final decision about
programs March 12, 2021. “We anticipate that program costs for 2021 will remain about the same,” Thompson said. “As we advise students to prepare for participation in 2021 programs, we are focused on supporting students’ safety, academic continuity and financial challenges, as we do invariably under usual circumstances.” This year, Texas Global refunded the $500 reciprocal exchange fee to students if they withdrew before they left for the program, Thompson said. Devin Walker, director of global leadership and social impact for the Division of Diversity and Community
Engagement, said he wouldn’t promote study abroad programs if Texas Global didn’t offer to refund the $500 reciprocal exchange fee. “Texas Global … decided to refund the students all of their money, and they took a big financial hit, but they did the right thing,” Walker said. Walker said the pandemic highlights how important having global awareness is. “It’s the importance of highlighting for students global awareness, global fluency and a global skill set,” Walker said. “In the middle of a global pandemic, I think it’s highlighting how small the world really is and how interconnected the world truly is.”
Sydney Svagerko, an international relations and global studies sophomore, said she is applying for a semester-long study abroad program in France because the school aligns with her major. Svagerko said she hopes her time in France will help her live her dream of working and living in France. “I have a real interest in helping people work across borders and in helping other people connect with each other and helping connect the world in a way that benefits the people who need it,” Svagerko said. Despite the uncertainty of the pandemic, Svagerko said at some point she will need to
go abroad for her major and is less worried about getting COVID-19 since her mom is a health care professional. “I’m reasonably cautious,” Svagerko said. “I still isolate myself, I’m at home this semester and I wear a mask whenever I go out. I’m not as worried about getting COVID-19 because I would probably get it from (my mom) if I do.” Biomedical engineering sophomore Anthony Page
said he is thinking of going abroad to Australia in order to complete a communications credit that is required for him to graduate. “Everything is up in the air, obviously, due to the pandemic,” Page said. “As of right now, the Australian borders are closed, so they don’t know when they are going to be opening yet. It could be mid2021 … I’m probably going to still apply, but it’s subject to change.”
As we advise students to prepare for participation in 2021 programs, we are focused on supporting students’ safety, academic continuity and financial challenges.” HEATHER THOMPSON director of education abroad
sophia solomon
/ the daily texan staff
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Editor-In-Chief E M I LY C A L D W E L L FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2020
OPINION
COLUMN
Bridge language barriers
To support Spanish-speaking parents, UT must break down language barriers in its communications. By Jesus Vidales Columnist
his year, after surpassing a 25% Hispanic enrollment rate, UT qualified to receive the title of a “Hispanicserving” institution. However, despite qualifying for this title, UT still has major strides to make before adequately accommodating its Hispanic student population. Many first-generation Hispanic students at UT have parents that are not fluent enough GALLERY
charlie hyman
in English to understand what is being asked of their children. Without proper communication from the school, they are often left to their own devices to understand UT communications. In contrast, English-speaking parents can easily get information from the school and have the luxury of contacting the appropriate people to ask questions. UT needs to address the issues Spanish-speaking parents of students face due to language barriers. The lack of accommodation for these language issues calls into question the validity of the title “Hispanic-serving.” While UT has certain programs in place for Spanish-speaking parents, it is not enough. “Virtual Spanish language prospective student information sessions are currently offered through the Admissions Welcome Center, and Spanish language guided virtual tours will be offered this semester as well (registration will open shortly),” UT spokesperson J.B. Bird said in an email. However, students continue to face language issues despite this virtual tour. Psychology sophomore Ana Sofia Ross said she signed her parents up for the Spanish tour of campus last year — and it didn’t go well. “I had to go to my orientation, the OAs didn’t know if
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anyone was going to translate and I just left my parents on their own,” Ross said. “It made me feel really upset. They act like they’re inclusive, but it just doesn’t happen.” Speaking from my own experience as a first-generation Hispanic student, there were times where my parents had a question and wanted to be more involved in what I was doing, especially after COVID-19 made everything uncertain. Luckily, a lifetime of translating legal documents for them made it somewhat easier to explain the concepts they didn’t understand. However, since they’re properly accommodated by the University, students with English-speaking parents don’t
normally have to go through this extra step. While the University claims to be inclusive by providing tours in Spanish, Ross’ story is just one of many examples that proves UT still needs to work on their bilingual programs and do more to bridge the language barrier. A dedicated hotline for Spanish speakers, or at least more Spanish translations on UT’s website and announcements, would be a welcomed addition for parents who want to be more involved despite language differences. UT should follow the example of other Texas schools as a foundation. On its website, the University
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of Texas Rio Grande Valley has a family involvement section that includes meetings each semester which provide information on a multitude of questions in Spanish. Although UT-Austin has less Spanish-speaking students than UT-RGV, our University is still responsible for properly accommodating its students. There is no doubt UT has provided plenty of opportunities for Hispanic students, but moving forward, UT must ensure it has all of the proper support systems in place. Only then will it truly deserve the title “Hispanic-serving.” Vidales is an English freshman from Houston, Texas.
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NEWS
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2020
CITY
UT Health Austin to open Spanish-inclusive epilepsy clinic By Fiza Kuzhiyil @fiza11k
UT Health Austin will open an epilepsy clinic for Spanish-speaking families by mid-November, lead doctor Karen Skjei said. Skjei said the clinic has two goals: to improve care for the Spanish-speaking subpopulation in Central Texas and to create a trend of Spanish-inclusive clinics by publishing research from the UT clinic. “Our hope is that if we can demonstrate that the clinic does improve epilepsy (and) psychosocial outcomes in the limited English proficient Spanish-speaking population, then we can publish that data,” Skjei said. “Hopefully the trend will kind of spread beyond just Central Texas, and we can have an even bigger impact.” Skjei said the research at the clinic will be voluntary. Families will be surveyed before and after their visit to gauge the effectiveness of the clinic, she said. “My big hope is that families are willing to participate and give up their time in order to further this research,” Skjei said. Skjei said currently, her Spanish-speaking patients usually rely on either family members to translate or professional translators, which can negatively impact
visits. She said it can take time away from visits or create a lack of trust between the patient and care provider. “In order to have an effective relationship, there has to be obviously good communication but also a degree of trust,” Skjei said. “It’s hard to develop that same relationship when you’re working through an interpreter.” Rafael Sanchez, public health and urban studies junior, volunteered as an interpreter at the Austin Volunteer Healthcare Clinic in Austin, a free clinic for low-income, uninsured Travis County residents. “Doing this really helped me in being more aware of how much this help is needed,” Sanchez said. “It makes a whole lot of a difference in confidence, self-esteem and overall inclusion into a field where many non-English speaking immigrants feel the fear of the white coat.” Fay Medina, international relations and global studies and economics senior, translates for her Spanish-speaking family members and said they are not comfortable going to the doctor unless it is an emergency. “I think this mindset can be tackled by offering services to Spanish-speaking families,” Medina said. “It is also nice to see someone you can relate to, even if it’s just language. I think it will make families feel more comfortable.”
steph sonik
/ the daily texan staff
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2020
NEWS
CAMPUS
UT teaching assistants struggle in online environment By Sheryl Lawrence @sheryl_rence
Teaching assistants said they experience challenges with student engagement in online classes, but students now have greater accessibility to them when asking questions. Challenges include connecting with students and giving specific feedback on assignments. Gregorio Ponti, Graduate Student Assembly president, said he teaches a class to graduate students on preparing to be a TA. Ponti said TAs are struggling with time management as they try to give students valuable feedback and learn new programs. “Giving specific feedback (online) and trying to get that point across to students is different,” Ponti said. “Learning the new system, using Canvas or Gradescope or whatever instructors use … I think that’s a lot of the time disparities this semester. Anthony Collier, law student and undergraduate studies TA, said he doesn’t get to know the students as well with a big class. “I think that you do lose some of the personality when you’re online,” Collier said. “Those (400) students would be speaking for themselves, and they wouldn’t have to rely on me from the chat.” Aditya Tyagi, graduate student and electrical engineering TA, said he feels
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like his students do not view him as a resource outside the class. “(They only) see me as a grader who is just giving them feedback through Canvas,” Tyagi said. “They go to class. I’m just someone on the Zoom call. After that, they get their assignments done, and then I give them feedback.”
Alex Issa, graduate student and electrical engineering TA, said he tries to create a collaborative environment for students. “When you talk to me, unmute, turn your camera on,” Issa said. “Let’s have a faceto-face conversation. While I think students were resistant to it at first … I think
students are more comfortable asking questions.” Arnold Icaro, graduate student and accounting TA, said the virtual class gives students more accessibility to ask questions in class. “I encourage students, if they have questions, to put it in the chat, and then I can answer them,” Icaro said. “I think that’s helpful if
/ the daily texan staff
they don’t want to interrupt the professor.” Icaro said he was a commuter student from Pflugerville as an undergraduate, and having virtual office hours would have been easier for him to attend. “I feel like virtual office hours gives students a lot more accessibility,” Icaro said. “(It) gives them more flexibility and more freedom.”
LIFE&ARTS
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Life&Arts Editor A R I A N A A R R E D O N D O FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2020 STUDENT LIFE
Pandemic doesn’t scare off spooky season Students find ways to keep up Halloween traditions and celebrations during pandemic. By Jennifer Errico @errico_jenny
fter a trip to Target, C a m r y n Davis came home with two new roommates: Kenny and Lenny.
“I can’t celebrate Halloween in the traditional sense, so I figured it’d be funny to have two plastic skeleton men in my apartment,” said Davis, a radiotelevision-film sophomore. “You’re stuck in your apartment anyway, so why not make it festive?” The pandemic has interrupted most Halloween traditions, such as trickor-treating and going to parties, but students are still finding ways to enjoy the spooky season. “I’m more excited for Halloween than I usually am because it’s a day that’s going to be different than all the other days,” mechanical engineering sophomore Alaina Tibbs said. “We finally get a break from the
same routine we’ve been caught in since March.” Tibbs said Halloween has been her favorite holiday since middle school, and she always hangs up spider webs and skull décor around her room to get into the Halloween spirit. She usually gives herself a year to plan her costumes, dressing in a new one each weekend of October, Tibbs said. Her group costume designs with her friends fell through this year because her friends either stayed home this semester or didn’t feel safe getting together. “I’m used to (Halloween) being where you’re around a bunch of people and bonding with strangers,” Tibbs said. “You pass by different people and are like, ‘Hey, I love your
costume.’ It’s literally the perfect meet-cute.” Tibbs said she and her roommates have planned a week of festivities leading up to Halloween. It involves carving jack-o’-lanterns, having a Tim Burton movie marathon and going to a “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” drive-in. Davis said she also plans to watch horror movies, but her favorite thing to do to get into the holiday spirit is visiting haunted houses. “I can’t go to a real haunted house, so I created a personal (one) for my roommates,” Davis said “I’ll hide in the dark and do the clap from ‘The Conjuring’ or click my tongue like the girl from ‘Hereditary’ while my
roommates walk by. God, they hate me.” Divya Nagarajan, public health and biochemistry sophomore, said she plans to celebrate Halloween like in years prior. A week before Halloween, she and 10 of her friends are getting tested for COVID-19, and if none of them test positive, they will have a small house party. For the past two months, Nagarajan has only closely interacted with two people: her roommate and her boyfriend. She said the house party is a way to reunite with her larger circle of friends and celebrate her favorite holiday. “I finally have something on my calendar to look forward to,” Nagarajan said. “In my
mind, Halloween is the big finale before the semester ends. I honestly don’t know what else we have to look forward to.” Tibbs, Davis and Nagarajan said the hardest part about Halloween this year will be losing the social interactions. The nature of the holiday makes it difficult to comply with procedures such as maintaining social distancing guidelines and sanitizing. “It’s different, but it’s fun reinventing Halloween in the midst of a global pandemic,” Tibbs said. “Carving pumpkins or watching ‘Corpse Bride’ are good distractions from the constant stress we’ve been under for eight months. (Halloween) gives us a sense of normalcy.”
sylvia asuncion-crabb
/ the daily texan staff
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2020
LIFE&ARTS
STUDENT LIFE
Virtual learning drains students’ batteries By Ikram Mohamed @ikramxmoham
Caught in a never-ending cycle of learning and studying for her online courses, Kriss Conklin says the digital nature and workload of her classes is taking a toll on her mental health. “(I’ve) probably cried more this semester than I’ve ever cried in my life,” journalism sophomore Conklin said. “We’re only like five weeks in, (and) it’s not even like I’m sad … the only word is ‘frustrated.’” With more than 60% of classes fully online this semester, some students say the online nature of courses has amplified feelings of anxiety and stress. Conklin said she has felt increasingly overwhelmed since the semester began. She said the pandemic and her focus on schoolwork have made it difficult for her to have social interactions. “I’ve definitely been feeling more low just by just being at home,” Conklin said. “Being online is really draining.” Conklin is doing her online coursework from her home in Houston. She said she feels she has to teach most of the material to herself while keeping up with homework. “Having to sit and read through so much and watching video(s), I feel like I’m not really retaining a lot of information,” Conklin said. Government freshman Lauren Post, who has two in-person and five online courses, said she is grappling with her mental health while attempting to stay on top of her schoolwork. “I’m really overwhelmed,” Post said. “I’m not taking care of myself as much. Overall, just not doing well.” Stephen Strakowski, a psychiatrist at UT’s Mulva Clinic for the Neurosciences, said students’ mental health decline is largely caused by the loss of social interactions. “People are hunkered down in their homes, and so they aren’t having significant social interactions,” Strakowksi said. “Even
with these big Zoom meetings, that’s just not the same as being around your friends and colleagues, and so the loss of that social contact is a major contributing factor.” According to a recent study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, there have been increased risks of moderate to severe levels of depression and anxiety among college students nationally since the pandemic began. Though it’s hard to predict, Strakowski said he assumes students’ mental health will only continue to decline as the online school year continues. “I encourage young people to continue to socialize safely within the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control (and Prevention),” Strakowksi said. “Continue to do that and not just spend the whole day in your house. Study groups, anything that can get you around other people will help temper the current situation.” Post says she looks for “little pockets of joy” by participating in student organizations and safely socializing with friends. However, the stress is ever-present. “I’m never not stressing about homework,” Post said. “Assignments are being piled on one after another. It’s a never-ending game of catch-up.” Like Post, Conklin said she has spent multiple long nights this semester catching up on assignments rather than spending time with her peers. “I’m super drained. It feels like I’m operating on autopilot a lot,” Conklin said. “I don’t ever stop doing work. The reason why I push myself so hard is because once you fall behind, it’s college. It’s hard to come back. That’s what I’m scared of.” While juggling exams and assignments, Post and Conklin said they just want a break. “Every single person is going through this anxiety of falling behind and not being able to catch up,” Post said. “We just need a breather.”
sylvia asuncion-crabb
/ the daily texan staff
COMICS
Comics Editor
B A R B R A D A LY
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2020
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Sports Editor M Y A H T A Y L O R FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2020
SPORTS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
High school rivals, college teammates DeYona Gaston posts up at Texas to join Charli Collier after decommitting from Mississippi State. By Carter Yates @Carter_Yates16
hen Charli Collier was a senior at Barbers Hill High School three years ago, she posed with a standout sophomore from Pearland, Texas, for a photo in front of a VYPE poster. Texas’ junior center had no idea that DeYona Gaston, the young star flashing the “Hook ‘em” sign next to her, would one day join her at The University of Texas. Collier has since become the face of the women’s basketball program. Texas is also expecting contributions from a five-person freshman class that includes Gaston. The two-time Class 6A All-State selection shocked the Texas fanbase when she flipped her commitment from Mississippi State in April to follow head coach Vic Schaefer to Austin. “I was really excited. I knew who she was, and I knew what she was capable of,” Collier said. “She’s a really good player, and she is
copyright texas athletics, and reproduced with permission
Women’s basketball teammates DeYona Gaston and Charli Collier pose for a photo. The two were high school rivals before both committing to play for Texas. Gaston decided to go to Texas partly because of Collier.
going to bring a lot of energy and talent to this team. It was really good news knowing that she was going to come here.” Gaston did not originally intend to play basketball at Texas, but she said the allure of playing in her home state as well as joining Collier and the new coaching staff influenced her in making the switch. “My family (was a factor in my commitment). I did it for
my family so they could come and see me all the time,” Gaston said. “I also knew that Coach Vic was a good coach for me because he’s a hard coach; he is not one of those easy coaches. I’ve always wanted to play with Charli because I knew how her game was. I felt like her game and mine would connect very well.” Collier and Gaston are both post players, but their styles have differed since
high school. While Collier is more of a traditional post up player, Gaston has a talent for handling the ball even when she’s not backing down a defender. It’s her ball skills and competitive fire that have made her a standout in preseason practice, Collier said. “She’s capable of putting the ball on the floor,” Collier said. “I feel like she is really versatile as a big. She’s not afraid, even as a
After being ranked as the No.1 player in the nation for the class of 2020 as a freshman, Gaston missed her entire sophomore season and part of her junior season because of injuries. Despite her physical hardships, Schaefer believes that Gaston is all the way back to her freshman form. “She’s had a few little nicks and injuries the last couple of years, but I think she is back,” Schaefer said when Gaston originally signed with Mississippi State. “She is going to be everything that we thought she was going to be as a freshman. I can remember watching and following her for a long, long time.” Now teamed up with Collier, Gaston said her former high school opponent is teaching her leadership skills and tricks on the court. “I’ve tried to practice most of her post moves,” Gaston said. “I’ve been a post player (in high school), but I haven’t been a true (college) post. I usually study her post moves and see what I can do to flip into it better. She inspires me to be a better teammate and player on the court.”
freshman, to step in and lead the drill. She’s shown a lot of confidence so far. It’s early in the season, but she’s bringing a lot as a freshman on She is going to be everythe team.” thing we thought she was While Collier going to be as a freshman. was consistently lauded as the top I can remember watching and folhigh school playlowing her for a long, long time.” er in her class, Gaston’s high school career was VIC SCHAEFER women’s basketball head coach more tumultuous.
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SPORTS CROSS COUNTRY
Cross country kicks off season Saturday after long hiatus
graeme hamilton
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A cross country runner runs in the Longhorn Invitational in October 2015. The Longhorn cross country team opens its season Saturday at the Arturo Barrios Invitational. By Taylor Hawthorne @taylorrleigh_
The last time the Texas cross country team saw a long stretch of grass and dirt was Nov. 23, 2019, at the NCAA Championship meet. The team will open its 202021 season Saturday at the Arturo Barrios Invitational in College Station, Texas. At the 2019 Arturo Barrios Invitational, the women’s team finished ninth in a field of 26. The Arturo Barrios Invitational is restricted to host only six teams this year and will be the first of Texas’ two meets in the shortened season. This is a significant cutback compared to the nine races last season, making the stakes higher for each race. The Longhorns will compete against Texas A&M, Baylor, LSU, TCU, Texas Tech and UT-Arlington on Saturday. Texas beat all but Texas A&M and Texas Tech last year. Both the men’s and women’s teams placed in the top 10 in all meets last season, most notably second and third at the Big 12 Cross Country Championships.
Texas went on to post its best finishes at the NCAA Championships since 2012. The men’s team will go into Saturday’s race without senior Sam Worley, who is still recovering from a tibia fracture from early February. Last season, Worley placed in the top 15 in every race except the NCAA Championships, where he placed 27th with the fastest time on the team. Worley’s absence might be a big hit for Texas, but senior John Rice could fill the gap. Rice finished with the team’s second-best time at the NCAA Championships, placing 83rd, and had four top-15 finishes last season. Sophomore Haftu Knight posted four top-15 finishes as a freshman last season and had the third-best time in the NCAA Championships. Knight’s return after a solid freshman year should be beneficial for the team. A new member of the team, freshman Graydon Morris, is someone to keep an eye on this Saturday. Morris is the second male to qualify for the Foot Locker Cross Country National Championships four times
and won three consecutive high school cross country state championships. The women’s team returns with graduate student Kathryn Gillespie and seniors Madeline Vondra and Claudine Blancaflor, who should provide some experience for the team. Gillespie posted three straight top-15 finishes last season and finished 149th in the NCAA Championships, Texas’ second-best finish at the meet. Vondra finished close behind, placing 162nd. Other newcomers to look out for are freshman Gracie Morris, who finished second at the 2019 UIL State Cross Country Championships, and freshman Kelsie Vicknair. Vicknair was named the 2019 San Antonio Cross Country Runner of the Year and took fifth at the 2019 UIL State Championships. The Arturo Barrios Invitational will be the team’s first and only meet before the Big 12 Championships at the end of the month. The men’s 8K will start at 9:30 a.m., followed by the women’s 6K at 10:15 a.m. at the Dale Watts Cross Country Course.