The Daily Texan 2020-10-20 by The Daily Texan

DT Volume 121, Issue 27 tuesday, october 20, 2020

n t a m w y vote to e r u s r o f ‘I c ou

nt’

students trek back to their hometowns to cast their ballots.

cynthia treviño / the daily texan staff

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

News

Three UT students create a Facebook page to help students struggling with food insecurity.

life & arts

Organizations use social media and mentorship to recruit Black students to campus.

page

MAIN TELEPHONE

page

Professors should film short videos introducing themselves to their students.

page

opinion

sports

Black track and field studentathletes connect with head coach Edrick Floréal.

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Contents: page

More than 9,000 votes cast at campus polling locations so far By Neha Madhira @nehamira14

Around 9,000 people voted at UT’s two polling locations since early voting began on Oct. 13, according to the Travis County Clerk website as of Monday evening. Overall, 234,016 people have voted in Travis County in the past week, according to the website. During all of early voting for the 2016 presidential election, 20,433 ballots were cast on campus, accounting for about 9% of all votes in Travis County. Early voting this year continues through Oct. 30 and is six days longer than the time to vote early last election. Alex Pointon, an international relations and global studies sophomore, said she cast her ballot at Gregory Gym on the first day of early voting after her class. “When I got there, it wasn’t super busy,” Pointon said. “I was only there for about 30 minutes, even though I had my temporary license which meant (the poll worker) had to manually input everything.” Pointon said she got to the polls at around 11:40 a.m., and she was glad she showed up early. “I was really nervous about voting for the first time, but it was super easy to fill everything out,”

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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kirsten hahn / the daily texan file Students stand outside the Flawn Academic Center on Oct. 13, the first day of early voting in Texas. UT has two voting centers open for early voting at the FAC and Gregory Gym.

Pointon said. “I would advise going as early in the morning as possible because the lines aren’t nearly as long. Plus, you don’t have to wait in the heat.” Studio arts junior Fitzgerald Alan said the voting process was easy and fast. “I voted last Friday at around 6:40 p.m., closer to when the voting was going to end,” Alan said. “I went to the Greg Gymnasium for early voting. My experience was rather quick. I changed my address because I moved to a different apartment on campus, and that took like

three minutes.” Unlike Pointon,

Alan

Don’t matter who you’re voting for. If you’re above the age of 18 or 18 in general, go vote. Be a part of our country’s future.” FITZGERALD ALAN

studio arts junior said showing up at the end of the day worked well

for him. “It probably would be easier for you to go later on in the day because there would be less people in the way,” Alan said. “Go vote. Just do it. Don’t matter who you’re voting for. If you’re above the age of 18 or 18 in general, go vote. Be a part of our country’s future.” Eligible voters can cast their ballot from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Wait times for all polling locations can be found on the Travis County Clerk’s website.

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COPYRIGHT Copyright 2020 Texas Student Media. All articles, photographs and graphics, both in the print and online editions, are the property of Texas Student Media and may not be reproduced or republished in part or in whole without written permission. The Daily Texan, a student newspaper at The University of Texas at Austin, is published by Texas Student Media, 2500 Whitis Ave., Austin, TX 78712. Our work is made possible by support from our advertising partners and donors. To provide individual support, please visit The Daily Texan page at supportstudentvoices.org. To highlight your business, please email advertise@texasstudentmedia.com. The Daily Texan does not publish during academic breaks, most Federal Holidays and exam periods. News contributions will be accepted by telephone (471-4591), or at the editorial office (HSM 2.120). Entire contents copyright 2020 Texas Student Media.

NEWS

News Editor E M I LY H E R N A N D E Z TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020

STUDENT LIFE

Service orgs adapt to COVID-19 regulations, volunteer remotely By Morgan-Taylor Thomas @mtthomas_

t u d e n t organizations are adapting to COVID-19 regulations by participating in virtual community service, which some students say is limiting possible connections. Amulya Cherian, the internal service director for Humanity First, said they would participate in childcare and homework help at a local refugee housing shelter during a normal semester. Now, they meet over Zoom, which makes communication harder. Cherian said Humanity First is a service-oriented organization focusing on local and abroad service. “We have to coordinate with the parents, the kids and the actual shelter, so it’s very stressful,” neuroscience sophomore Cherian said. “Our main thing is … we can work together and

collaborate, but now our service feels a lot more isolating.” Cherian said the organization canceled their abroad trip last semester due to COVID-19, but they created a program teaching English to students in Ecuador over Zoom this semester. She said although it’s virtual, they’re still making necessary connections. “It’s very exciting because they think we’re the coolest people ever, but I don’t think they should think that way,” Cherian said. “I think they’re the coolest people ever … so it’s just very cute.” Katia Davis, service vice president for Alpha Phi Omega, said the organization often works with Austin’s homeless population. Davis said they would work with food pantry Micah 6 of Austin to help feed people experiencing homelessness, but since COVID-19, they’ve only been able to donate care packages, which has been very disheartening. Davis, an international business and international relations and affairs junior, said

the hardest challenge has been keeping everyone’s spirits up. “Everyone’s just stuck in one place so it’s easy to just drop off because everything’s virtual,” Davis said. Ansh Jain is the music and tech officer and co-founder of Epiphany, a musical performing organization that works with the elderly community, specifically those struggling with memory. Jain, a computer science and mathematics junior, said Epiphany completely stopped operations last semester. He said not being able to interact with the home care residents has been difficult for the organization. “Our entire concept hinges around us going and performing and interacting with these residents, which we’re unable to do,” Jain said. Jain said he is hoping they will be able to put together a recorded show via Zoom to send to the residents. “We are (also) writing personalized letters to (the residents),” Jain said.

Alpha Phi Omega members discuss ways to work with Austin’s homeless population Sept. 11. Student groups are engaging in virtual community service to adapt to COVID-19 regulations.

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Editor-In-Chief E M I LY C A L D W E L L TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2020

OPINION

COLUMN

Film introductory videos

Professors and students should film short videos to introduce themselves to their classes. By Margaret Butler Columnist

uilding genuine, personal and professional relationships with your professors is a sure way to enhance your college experience. However, online classes have made education extremely impersonal, and students often lose sight of who is on the other side of the screen. In the current virtual GALLERY

charlie hyman

environment, student engagement with UT professors is of the utmost importance. In order to foster this crucial interaction, professors should film short videos introducing themselves to their classes and encourage their students to do the same. While engaging with your professors has the potential to bring forth many advantages, because of screen-recorded lectures, UT freshmen still don’t know what some of their professors look like. Nursing freshman Sara Donovan is dismayed by how the current online format has affected student-teacher relations. “Right now, it’s hard to even form relationships with my professors,” Donovan said. “I wish I knew them on a personal level.” Professors can serve as a wealth of resources outside of the classroom. If your professors know you well, they can offer valuable, specific career advice. They can better help you when you are struggling with material, as opposed to a student whom they have never met. It is also much easier to request a reference or recommendation letter from a professor who knows you well, as they will be able to articulate a more

accurate depiction of you. Of course, students shouldn’t fail to reach out to professors themselves. Despite the online format, Donovan encourages UT students to try their best to participate and build a rapport with their professors. “There are still ways to set yourself apart, like in office hours,” Donovan said. “Because everyone always has their camera off, it’s easy to stand out.” However, as this virtual semester drones on and next semester promises to look the same, professors should take the first step and introduce themselves properly. In their videos, professors should take a couple minutes to talk about their backgrounds and their research areas, as well as personal tidbits like their hobbies and interests outside of the University. Biology lecturer Elizabeth Bradbury, who teaches an introductory biology class and has training in online teaching, shared an introductory video with her students at the beginning of the semester and required them to do the same. “The experience is much more enjoyable for both parties if they know more about each other, and knowing each other is part of building a learning community,” Bradbury said. “Establishing the formations of a learning community is the biggest challenge right now. Introductory videos are really valuable

tehya devora

because it’s a way to form these connections.” The introduction videos could be categorized by college and posted on Canvas for freshmen to browse. This way, freshmen can learn about a wide variety of professors, not just their own. Watching these videos could motivate disconnected freshmen to learn more about groundbreaking research at UT, allowing them to explore all their interests and potentially spark new ones. At the very least, these videos could show students that their

/ the daily texan staff

professors are people outside the classroom, too, thus facilitating a level of familiarity and mutual respect that will make online learning much more rewarding. Online classes make it difficult for students, especially freshmen, to forge meaningful connections with their professors at UT. Introductory videos that showcase professors’ personalities, interests and backgrounds will help to bridge that gap. Butler is an undeclared freshman from Austin, Texas.

/ the daily texan staff

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NEWS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020

STUDENT LIFE

Students raise awareness about food insecurity By Samantha Greyson @GreysonSamantha

Three UT students launched a Facebook page last week to provide students with information about food sources, including a document listing resources where students can access assistance. The resource page, Hungry Horns, includes information on UT Outpost, Micah 6 Food Pantry and Hope Food Pantry. such as their location, contact information, hours of operation and how to receive food from these resources. Co-creator Hailey Fanucchi said the mission is to provide UT students with resources and destigmatize food insecurity on campus. Approximately 23.5% of UT students described themselves as food insecure, according to a 2018 study by the Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences. Biology senior Fanucchi said the fact that almost a quarter of students experience food insecurity initially motivated her to create

Hungry Horns. Co-creator Haley Etzler said the team decided to launch the Facebook page now because of COVID19’s negative impact on food security. “A lot of the hours at the places where individuals can get food have changed so it can seem overwhelming to someone to try to figure out where they can go to get food,” nutrition sophomore Etzler said. “Our mission was to make it easy for them by having everything in one place that they can access, and be able to go and get food.” Fanucchi said if the Facebook page is able to reach a large number of students, they will expand their efforts, but they are willing to change their outreach methods if the page is not well received. “We really wanted to get this information out there, because right now people are struggling even more than they were struggling before,” Fanucchi said. “Since there are a lot of students at home right now, we thought,

rocky higine

‘What is the best way that we can reach everybody, people who don’t come to campus and do come to campus?’ We thought the quickest way to reach everybody was Facebook.” Co-creator Alexis Salim said she witnessed food insecurity with the University Housing and Dining meal plan as a freshman. “It was impossible to eat three meals a day for the entire school year,”

biology senior Salim said. “The math just didn’t add up. Without the ‘safety net’ of a dining plan and without knowledge of nutrition or cooking, many people I know turn to eating out as a way to feed themselves. This is usually not sustainable since eating out is expensive.” Pediatrics professor Steven Abrams said an important step in the fight to end food security on campus is letting

/ the daily texan file

people know that they are not alone. “It’s a matter of letting people know that the problem they are dealing with is common and it is not their fault,” Abrahms said. “Nobody doesn’t have enough money on a college campus because they want to not have enough money. It is not that they are overspending. It is that they simply do not have the resources.”

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020

NEWS

STATE

UT-Austin students forgo mail-in ballots, travel home to cast 2020 election votes To ensure security of their vote, students choose to go home rather than mail in their ballots. By Andrew Zhang @andrewczhang

uring the primary elections in March, Alyssa Crosby sent her application for an absentee ballot far in advance. When she called the election clerk in her home of Tarrant County, they said they never received her application. Crosby had enough time to reapply for her ballot during the primary, but she said she isn’t taking any chances for the general election. To ensure her vote counted, she took the threehour trek north to her home in Mansfield, Texas, to vote last week. UT students who are registered in their hometowns must either travel back to vote or cast an absentee ballot to vote in what some experts call “the most consequential election ever.” However, uncertainty has grown around mail-in ballots in Texas, as a legal battle over ballot drop-off locations continues, and political figures question the legitimacy of mail-in ballots. While experts say absentee ballots are completely safe and there is no evidence linking mailin ballots to widespread voter fraud, some students have chosen to travel home to vote to ensure their vote is counted. Crosby, a government and journalism senior, said the politicization of mail-in ballots made

her uncomfortable voting by mail. “Because of (all the uncertainty), as well as my own experiences in the past, I for sure want my vote to count,” Crosby said. “So I was like, ‘I’m just going to go and stay a week or so at home and vote in person.’” Crosby said she arrived at her polling place over an hour before the polls opened at 8 a.m., but she did not cast her ballot until 9:45 a.m.

Voting is definitely more difficult than it should be. There’s way too many hoops to jump through.” SAMUEL STEINMAN-FRIEDMAN

mechanical engineering junior

Mechanical engineering junior Samuel Steinman-Friedman said he stayed registered at his home in Sugar Land, Texas, because he did not want to change addresses every year when moving to different apartments. He said he went home to vote last weekend, and he waited for about an hour. “Voting is definitely more difficult than it should be,” Steinman-Friedman said. “There’s way too many hoops to jump through. I made this joke to my dad while waiting in line (to vote) — if I can fill out the census online, I should

emma george / the daily texan staff be able to vote online.“ Currently, Texas law allows citizens 65 or older or those with a disability to vote by mail. Voters who are out of their district, such as students in college away from home, during an election can request an absentee ballot, according to the Texas Secretary of State website. Radio-television-film junior Colin Spalten said potential delays with the U.S. Postal Service convinced him to vote in person at his home in San Antonio,

Texas. Spalten said he doesn’t feel like it’s a big burden to return home, since he gets to visit his family and dog for a few days. “I worry about (my ballot) arriving on time,” Spalten said. “I mean, I worry about an Amazon package arriving on time, so I’d rather personally do my vote in person, just for that assurance.” Voting is a family occasion for business freshman Fatima Raja, who drove home Saturday to cast her vote in Tomball, Texas. Raja

said she specifically wanted to make her vote count in the House of Representatives race in Texas’ 2nd Congressional District, and she was glad to do it alongside her family. “In my family, everyone goes to vote together,” Raja said. “It’s my first time voting in a presidential election, and I didn’t want to just have to mail in my ballot. (Afterward), we went downtown, got some ice cream and (went to) a park to play frisbee.”

LIFE&ARTS

Life&Arts Editor A R I A N A A R R E D O N D O TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020

STUDENT LIFE

UT student orgs work to diversify campus, recruit Black students Black campus orgs use innovative recruitment methods to create a more inclusive Forty Acres. By Alaina Bookman @AlainaBookman

ith Black students making up 4.9% of the campus population, some Black campus organizations are pushing to diversify the Forty Acres by using innovative recruitment methods. The Fearless Leadership Institute, the Black Honors Student Association and the Onyx Honor Society are some of the various organizations working to recruit and create safe spaces for Black students. “A really big part of the recruitment process is just making sure that these students know that they have a space here at UT where they are welcomed,” said Cydni Cox, program coordinator of the Fearless Leadership Institute. Cox said the institute focuses on the advancement of Black and brown women through academic support, professional skill development and personal growth. Instead of recruiting current UT students to join the organization, the institute is also focused on encouraging more Black and

brown women to attend UT. “Because of the pandemic, we are working with those online resources as well as working with other Black UT organizations to reach out to high school students,” Cox said. In the past, the institute has led conferences inviting Black and brown high schoolers from across Texas to learn about UT. Now, the institute is using social media to gain the attention of high school students. “FLI has a more personable and genuine approach to recruitment, and that’s how we plan to get more women of color interested in coming to campus and seeing all that we have to offer,” Cox said. The Black Honors Student Association is working to increase the Black student population on campus and create safe spaces for Black honors students. “Our recruitment is about bringing people together, socializing, emotional well-being, engagement and actually getting to know our members,” said Hanna Tinsio, social media chair for the association. Advertising sophomore Tinsio has helped attract the attention of Black UT students through virtual events, online meetings and social media outreach. She also works with the diversity and inclusion coordinators in the UT honors programs to encourage greater diversity both in their programs and for incoming freshmen. “The BHSA has started a mentorship program to reach out to high school students to let them see that there is a place for them on campus,” Tinsio said.

alex donovan / the daily texan staff The Onyx Honor Society, the first Black UT honor society, strives to promote the advancement and inclusivity of the Black UT community, said Linda Hamilton, internal vice president of the society. Journalism junior Hamilton

said the society aims to create a more equitable experience for Black students on campus through different initiatives. To recruit Black students, the society hosts a summer book club and helps high school seniors with FAFSA and letters

of recommendation. As part of the efforts to encourage Black students to come to campus and succeed, the society hosted the Black Caucus, a social event in September for Black students to talk about

their experiences. The society also fundraised for the Black Student Fund, an emergency fund for Black UT students. “This campus has a place for everyone,” Cox said. “That’s why we’re here.”

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020

LIFE&ARTS

Q&A

The Sound of UT: Abhi Velaga performs music in quarantine By Morgan-Taylor Thomas @mtthomas_

Abhi Velaga is a one-manband: The computer science senior plays instruments, contributes vocals and produces all of his own songs. Velaga has been releasing rock music since 2015 under the name Indulgent. He said he dives into his own thoughts and emotions to write his song lyrics. The Daily Texan: When COVID-19 first broke out, where were you stuck and are you still there now?

you have fine control over what you’re writing. DT: What album best describes your quarantine and why? AV: I would have to say (any) Code Orange (album). They’re this hardcore band, but they are one of my favorite bands of all time. They have a lot of dystopian but kind of dark songs, but not in the traditional metal (band)

way. … I really relate to how it feels. I think they’ve really leaned into this whole quarantine thing. DT: How does your music make you feel? AV: Over the course of a long period of time, I always tend to have such big highs and such low lows. All my music is meant to come from a bleaker darker emotion.

And it’s kind of me writing from a (place) of, ‘I’m at this peak, which is awesome, but I know there’s nowhere to go but downhill for a bit after this.’ I’ve never seen a peak be sustained in my life basically. I don’t have a theme, consciously, to begin with. The theme is whatever it turns out to be, which sounds like a bad idea sometimes, but it works out because I’ll write this music at a certain period of time and the theme will be whatever

emotional state I was in. DT: What song describes you now in this moment? AV: I’m in a Code Orange phase so I’m gonna go with “Spy” by Code Orange. That’s really (a) pretty hardcore song, but it kind of relates to the quarantine as well … The way I took quarantine was … I’m just going to find a way to come out of this as a

better person in some way … Whatever it is, I’m going to come out of this somewhat improved in some way. And when I hear that song, it really makes me think about, ‘What is your number one focus right now?’ and then just grinding at it with brutal savageness. No thoughts about hesitation, just keep grinding.

Abhi Velaga: My parents were trying to get me to come back, (but) I decided it would be better for my mental health to just camp out in Austin because I have two housemates. (I also) have all my gear here. I have my drum kit, my recording stuff, my amps, my guitars and film photography equipment as well. It’s all in my room, so I can’t take it all back. So this is kind of my studio in a way. DT: How has quarantine shaped your music? AV: Writing-wise, it’s been one of the best things for me, musically and artistically, to have so much time to just sit down and focus. I’ve been trying to be conscious about my songwriting and what style I take, because normally, I would kind of play what naturally flows out and write songs, and that works. But now when I do that, I write the same kind of material over and over. I could actually have this time where I could really think, ‘Let me try and actually play something different, let me (play) my guitar differently.’ … Once you put hours into it, then you can really feel like

copyright abhi velega, and reproduced with permission Abhi Velaga is a computer science senior who has been releasing rock music for five years under the stage name Indulgent. He said time in quarantine has given him a chance to explore ideas for new and unique music.

SPORTS

Sports Editor M Y A H T A Y L O R TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020

TRACK AND FIELD

Coach Flo serves as mentor

Texas track and field athletes discuss having a head coach to share the Black experience with at PWI. By Taylor Hawthorne @taylorrleigh_

he Texas Athletics program has 16 head coaches, but only two of them are Black. E d r i c k Floréal, one of the two Black coaches at Texas, took over the track and field program in 2018. As the nation reckons with past and present instances of racial injustice, conversations about race on campus have increased and many Black student-athletes are looking to the University for support. Senior sprinter Serenity Douglas feels she can relate to Floréal’s experiences because they share the

same skin tone. “I would say during this time and in college, it has been really beneficial to have somebody that can relate and understand,” Douglas said. “There is no, ‘Get me to understand,’ because he’s been there.” Floréal has been a coach for over a decade, but he said he doesn’t think his race influences the way he coaches because it is something he is used to. “This has just been the reality for all of my coaching life,” Floréal said. “I guess I’ve become numb to it.” When protests erupted and student-athletes began to question UT’s alma mater, “The Eyes of Texas,” Douglas said Floréal took action right away. “He really took initiative and

talked to us,” Douglas said. “He’s really been on top of it and he hasn’t been ignoring the color of his skin just because he is at a predominately white institution.” Junior sprinter Jonathan Jones is from Barbados, where the majority of the population is Black, so moving to Texas was a big change. He said having Floréal as his coach made the transition a bit smoother. “Coming here and having a Black head coach felt very similar (to home),” Jones said. “It made me even more comfortable because it would have been a culture shock coming to UT and being around now majority white people.” Floréal’s support doesn’t end at the finish of a race. For Jones, Floréal is like a dad to the team, and his influence goes far

elias huerta

/ the daily texan file

Track and Field head coach Edrick Floréal continues to mentor his runners as one of two Black head coaches at the University. Black students and athletes feel they can confide in Floréal, who has coached for over a decade.

beyond the track. When it comes to supporting his athletes, Floréal said it is important for him to see things from their vantage point. “My experiences have helped me become more sympathetic and understanding, especially when our students are experiencing similar issues in their lives that I have,” Floréal said. Jones said he’s sometimes afraid to scooter around campus at night, and he is fearful when the police pull up behind him. He said having someone he can be brutally honest with about the struggles he faces as a Black man increases the trust he has in Floréal. “The fact that again, he’s Black, reassures me that I can trust what he’s saying because to me. There’s some sense of credibility,” Jones

said. “He’s not just making it up to make me feel better. He’s been there.” Floréal said he tries not to let his skin tone affect the way he acts as a model for his athletes. “I do believe connecting with the student-athletes and building those relationships is an essential part of being a leader,” Floréal said. Douglas said Floréal’s openness about his own experiences and identity as a Black man has helped her during her time at Texas. “He has shared his Black experience with us, and he has a lot of wisdom in that aspect,” Douglas said. “Because of that, it definitely helps trying to navigate giving advice about coaching and about being at a predominantly white institution.”

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020

SPORTS

FOOTBALL

Texas prepares for Baylor amid coronavirus concerns By Myah Taylor @t_myah

The Texas football team is set to play Baylor Saturday in the annual battle of I-35 — so long as the Bears get their COVID-19 situation under control. Baylor returned to practice Sunday after the university announced Oct. 8 all football activities would be suspended due to a recent surge in coronavirus cases on the team. Baylor Athletics Director Mack Rhoades announced Oct. 12 that 28 players and 14 football staff members had tested positive. The Big 12 postponed the Bears’ Oct. 17 game against Oklahoma State to Dec. 12 as a result of the outbreak. The Oklahoma State game was the third matchup on the Bears’ schedule to be canceled or postponed. Baylor was scheduled to start its season on Sept. 12, along with Texas and the rest of the Big 12, but positive coronavirus cases plagued the Bears’ first opponent, Louisiana Tech, and forced the teams to postpone. Baylor’s start to the season was delayed again when coronavirus concerns on the team led the Big 12 to postpone its matchup against Houston Sept. 19. “We’re heartbroken from this postponement,” Baylor head coach Dave Aranda said in a press release following the cancellation. “While we’ve been eager to play football this fall, we have all made a commitment to only do so with the highest level of safety and care for our student-athletes.” In order for the game between the Longhorns and Bears to take place Saturday according to the Big 12 football game cancellation

eddie gaspar

/ the daily texan file

Senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger rears back to throw a pass against the Baylor Bears on Nov. 23, 2019. Baylor has only played in two games this season, following three separate postponements due to COVID-19 precautions.

thresholds, both teams must field a minimum of 53 players, including scholarship and walk-on players. Texas head coach Tom Herman said Monday that the coronavirus situation on his team has been “really, really good.” Texas Athletics has not reported any new cases on the team since June, when it announced that 13 Longhorns had tested positive for the virus. As far as Herman is concerned, Baylor has everything under control now, too. “Our assumption is that

Baylor will be here,” Herman said. “How many players they’ll have active for that game, I’m not quite sure.” Aranda said Monday that he feels confident about fielding 11 players on both offense and defense Saturday, and “everyone is negative.” “I feel like by the middle of the week, we’ll have most everybody back,” Aranda said. “So far, so good, headed in the right direction.” The outbreak at Baylor is part of a larger trend of coronavirus cases on college football teams. The University of

Florida suspended all football activities after a round of coronavirus testing last week left the team under the SEC’s 53man roster limit for a game to take place. The SEC postponed the Gators’ games against LSU to Dec. 12 and Missouri to Oct. 31. Florida head coach Dan Mullen tested positive for the virus Saturday, and he joined a growing list of college football head coaches who have done so. “As the fall turns into winter, I think you’re going to see more and more of this,” Herman

said. “I don’t think this caught anybody by surprise, none of us at least. We knew that this was definitely a pitfall.” Due to the complications, Baylor has only played two games this season. One was a close loss, and the other was a blowout win, so the Bears are a mystery in more ways than one. “We’ve got graduate students and secretaries and everybody, student assistants, scouring the Baylor media sites, especially their message boards and fan boards,” Herman said. “We’re trying to figure out who we’re going to play.”

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020