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MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2019
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NEWS
OPINION
LIFE&ARTS
SPORTS
The new UT program aims to prepare students to enter the video game industry. PA G E 2
The Editorial Board endorses Camron and Amie for SG Executive Alliance. PA G E 4
This Old Wood repurposes crumbling structures to make unique wood decor. PA G E 8
Febres’ career-high pushes Longhorns past Iowa State in resounding win. PA G E 6
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New H-E-B coming to West Campus, replacing Randalls store By Libby Cohen @libbycohen211
An agreement between UT Austin and H-E-B to bring the supermarket closer to campus was passed at the UT System Board of Regents meeting last week. H-E-B will replace the Randalls at the corner of Exposition and Lake Austin boulevards, providing students living in West Austin with a closer H-E-B location. UT will also benefit from this lease change as the property is owned by the University. Regent member James C. Weaver presented the motion to the board, and it passed on Wednesday with the board’s full support. J.B. Bird, director of media relations for UT, said the deal remains to be fully negotiated between UT real estate representatives — including Amy Wanamaker — and H-E-B. Once launched, Bird said the new location will help lower tuition costs. “The leases from these properties generate revenue for the University, and that revenue helps keep tuition low,” Bird said. “One of the reasons we can keep costs down is because of the generosity of our donors, including Colonel Brackenridge who gave us this tract over a century ago.” In addition to this cost benefit, students who shop at H-E-B and live in West Campus will have a shorter travel time for their weekly grocery store visit. Petroleum engineering sophomore Grant Gillespie said this new location will benefit his
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Down geaux the Tigers Texas outfielders lead the way in series sweep of No. 1 LSU.
By Daniela Perez @danielap3rez
he last winter winds blew through UFCU Disch-Falk Field early Sunday afternoon, dropping Austin’s temperature into the 30s. Tailgaters huddled around the warmth of their barbecues while Texas players put on their thermal face masks. But outfielder Austin Todd ditched the face mask, unlike others, and opted for long sleeves instead — a difference that may have allowed Todd to record Texas’ final hit. In the bottom of the ninth inning,
Texas came back from a 6-4 deficit and took down the LSU Tigers, 7-6, to sweep the No. 1 team in the country. “Coming back from behind like that, we could’ve easily laid over,” Todd said. “Every single guy ahead of us was just grinding out at-bats, trying to get on. Who knows, even if I had gotten a walk who knows, (designated hitter Zach) Zubia may have gotten that hit, so you never know. Be always ready.” Todd, who suffered thumb and shoulder injuries in his sophomore campaign, returned this year ready to make up for lost time. Without skipping a beat, Todd has become a rock in the outfield and leads the team
with 17 RBIs. However, Todd’s biggest accomplishment came Sunday afternoon. His fellow outfielders Duke Ellis and Eric Kennedy already set him up with an opportunity to win the game. Kennedy tallied an RBI and waited at first while Ellis stood in between second and third with the game tied at six runs apiece. All that stood between Todd and a third-straight Longhorn win was the 90 feet to first base. Two pitches later, Todd singled up the middle, which was enough to BASEBALL
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the daily texan file
TOP: Outfielder Austin Todd celebrates with his teammates after a walk-off hit during Texas’ 7-6 win over the LSU. The game took place at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on March 3, 2019. RIGHT: Third baseman Ryan Reynolds jumps past an LSU first baseman during game two of Texas’ weekend series against the Tigers on March 1, 2019.
CAMPUS
CAMPUS
Falcon comes in ‘clutch’ atop tower
On-campus Methodist church stands with LGBT congregation
By Rahi Dakwala @Rdakwala
Tower Girl, the peregrine falcon that lives in a nest box atop the UT Tower, laid three eggs this past week. If the group of eggs, called a “clutch,” hatch successfully, they will be Tower Girl’s first successful clutch and the first record of peregrine breeding this far south, said David Hillis, director of UT’s Biodiversity Center. “The peregrine falcon’s breeding range is mostly north of here, and if this is a successful clutch, it will extend their breeding range a little more to the south,” Hillis said. Tower Girl has lived on top of the Tower for at least eight years and has tried to lay eggs for several of the past years, Hillis said. “She laid eggs last year and the year before, but (the eggs) were not fertile,” Hillis said. “There was not a permanent male around those times, so
it was not surprising that the eggs were not fertilized.” The presence of a male is important since they fertilize the eggs, said Jen Schlauch, an undergraduate teaching assistant for the Biology of Birds class. “Most wild birds lay eggs seasonally, usually in the springtime,” said Schlauch, a biology senior on the ecology track. “But unless a male has mated with Tower Girl, the eggs won’t be fertilized and won’t hatch.” The male will also help take care of Tower Girl and the eggs, said Phil Butler, a student program coordinator in the College of Liberal Arts who photographs Tower Girl. “The male will bring food to help Tower Girl eat while she incubates the eggs,” Butler said. “The male also takes part in incubation to give Tower Girl breaks.” The eggs need to be incubated for about 33 consecutive days, but Tower Girl cannot do it alone, Butler said.
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Despite past failures, there have been encouraging signs this year that the eggs will be viable, said Bruce Calder, a UT alumnus who in 2013 requested UT install a nest
box for Tower Girl. “Copulation was observed this year, and that is a big encouragement,” Calder said.
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The on-campus University United Methodist Church said they will not go along with the national denomination’s recent vote to uphold the ban on LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriage within the church. The United Methodist Church called a special general conference Tuesday in St. Louis to decide the extent of its LGBTQ inclusivity. The church voted 438-384 to pass The Traditional Plan, which strengthens accountability and punishment for LGBTQ clergy and clergy who perform same-sex marriages, giving churches until 2021 to make these changes. “This decision resolves a long-standing debate about how we can best accomplish our mission of making
disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world,” United Methodist Church Bishop Scott Jones said in a statement. University church senior pastor John Elford said the recent decision goes against Methodist teachings on acceptance. “It creates a second-class citizen in the church,” Elford said. “It’s like you’re not a full Christian, and you can’t do all the things that the rest of us can do. We think that’s wrong.” Elford said he has been speaking to local pastors about resisting this decision. He plans to perform same-sex marriages in the University church, even if it will result in the suspension of his clergy order. “I don’t want to continue participating in what I think is
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CLAIRE ALLBRIGHT NEWS EDITOR @THEDAILYTEXAN
MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2019
This issue of The Daily Texan is valued at $1.25
PERMANENT STAFF Editor-in-Chief Liza Anderson Managing Editor Forrest Milburn Assoc. Managing Editors Catherine Marfin, Andrea D’Mello Director of Digital Strategy Alexandria Dominguez Assoc. Editors Bella McWhorter, Emily Caldwell, Angelica Lopez Forum Editors Jennifer Liu News Editor Claire Allbright Assoc. News Editors Anna Lassmann, Sami Sparber News Desk Editors Gracie Awalt, Meghan Nguyen, Meara Isenberg, Hannah Daniel, Raga Justin Beat Reporters Chase Karacostas, Tien Nguyen, Chad Lyle, Katie Balevic, Hannah Ortega, Savana Dunning, Rahi Dakwala, Mason Carroll, Nicole Stuessy, Jackson Barton, Emily Hernandez Projects Editor Ellie Breed Projects Reporters Maria Mendez, London Gibson, Lisa Nhan, Morgan O’Hanlon, Kayla Meyertons Projects Designer Rena Li Copy Desk Chief Kirsten Handler Associate Copy Desk Chiefs Jason Lihuang, Brittany Miller, Jimena Pinzon, Haylee Reed Design Editor Mireya Rahman Associate Design Editor Renee Koite Senior Designers Christiana Peek, Kendall Jordan, Nila Selvaraj
Young Assoc. Video Editors Faith Castle, Bonny Chu Photo Editor Katie Bauer Assoc. Photo Editors Anthony Mireles, Carlos Garcia Senior Photographers Eddie Gaspar, Angela Wang. Joshua Guenther, Ryan Lam, Pedro Luna Life&Arts Editors Tiana Woodard, Jordyn Zitman Assoc. Life&Arts Editor Brooke Sjoberg Sr. Life&Arts Writers John Melendez, Landry Allred, Trent Thompson Sports Editor Ross Burkhart Assoc. Sports Editors Steve Helwick, Keshav Prathivadi Senior Sports Reporters Robert Larkin, Donnavan Smoot, Cameron Parker Comics Editors Channing Miller, Bixie Mathieu Assoc. Comics Editor Lauren Ibanez Senior Comics Artists Alekka Hernandez, Andrew Choi Social Media Editor Ryan Steppe Assoc. Social Media Editor Tirza Ortiz Engagement Editor Megan Menchaca Newsletters EditorPeter Northfelt Sr. Digital Staffers Iris Bilich, Alexis Green Audio Editors JT Lindsey, Morgan Kuehler Audio Producers Sara Schleede, Eric Kiehnau Editorial Adviser Peter Chen
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CAMPUS
Campus departments partner for video game program By Lauren Girgis @laurengirgis
The Computer Science and Arts and Entertainment Technologies departments have partnered to launch the Game Development and Design program in order to provide undergraduates with the resources they need to go into the video game industry. Formerly known as the Game and Mobile Media Applications program, this new certificate is intended to provide more overlap between the departments, said Paul Toprac, associate director of game development. “You need to have certain core fundamental skills no matter which department you’re in,” Toprac said. “And then there’s some courses you can take ... to get certified in game development.” Students participating in the program will work together during their senior year to develop actual games during a capstone course, which allows students to apply their education to projects, said Bruce Porter, Game Development and Design steering committee chair. “We’ve been doing this for about eight years, and we’ve had some remarkably sophisticated
games developed by these partnerships,” Porter, a computer science professor, said. “What’s special now is the ... new courses and opportunities in fine arts for these students.” To ensure the program responds to changes in the gaming industry, an advisory council of industry representatives will give advice to the program, Porter said. “It’s going to be very important for a program like this to stay in touch with industry trends and to be ahead of those trends,” Porter said. “We will create new courses and tear down old courses that are no longer as relevant (to) try to keep ahead of where the industry is going.” Austin dominates the Texas gaming industry with more than 140 of the 270 gaming companies in Texas located in Austin, according to the Austin American-Statesman. “We have strong participation from the industry here, and that’s part of the program ... having a strong partnership outside of UT with the game companies,” Toprac said. Toprac said it’s important for the partnership to be fostered between both of the departments’ students since they will have to communicate with each other and
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a series of courses there to help (Arts and Entertainment) students so they learn what they need to learn about programming.” Computer science senior Huylar Lee wants to develop video games after graduating, and said it’s important for the departments to
understand each other’s respective challenges. “Previously, it was difficult for the CS students to get into the (Arts and Entertainment) courses,” Toprac said. “Now there’s gonna be a pathway for them to do that. Likewise ... we’re going to make sure that there’s
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collaborate since it happens at the professional level. “I think the artist should be aware of the programming side, and the program- b mers should be aware of the f artists’ side,” Lee said. “It h helps provide a better cohe- m
sive project and better final b release in the long run.” y h c e s T s a h t t
5G network: Newest thing hitting world technology block By Rahi Dakwala @Rdakwala
Fifth generation network, known commonly as 5G and the newest generation of wireless technology, will be launching in phases beginning this year and will require updates to cell phones and cell towers. 5G will allow wireless devices to send more information at faster speeds and allow for technologies such as self-driving cars to become a reality, said Lili Qiu, computer science professor and a member of UT’s wireless networking and communications group. Wireless devices currently send information through fourth generation networks. However, 4G’s data rate, or speed at which information can be transferred, is no longer fast enough to handle the amount of information being sent through the network, Qiu said. “To achieve transmission at higher data rates, 5G network will use radio wave signals that operate at a higher frequency,” Qiu said. The particular waves that 5G will use are called millimeter waves, which refer to a type of high frequency signal, said Rebal Salem Al Jurdi, an electrical and computer engineering PhD candidate. These waves have never been used for wireless communication before and will allow for the transfer of unprecedented amounts of data, Jurdi said. “Millimeter waves will send data like videos and images only to an intended audience without interfering with other audiences,” Jurdi said. “This type of data transfer is called ‘beamforming,’ and will solve a huge issue we have now where signals sent from different transmitters
If you have a single cell tower to cover a city, then only that one tower can speak to devices.” LILI QIU
COMPUTER SCIENCE PROFESSOR
annette meyer
interfere with each other and are targeted to everyone.” However, it is often hard for millimeter waves to pass through buildings and travel long distances, Jurdi said. To address this issue, 5G will employ small cells such as millimeter wave receivers that sit at the windows of the buildings and are aligned with larger cell tower antennas. “The receiver would receive the signal from the cell tower and forward the message to you,” Jurdi said.
| the daily texan staff
The small cells can also support more devices at a time, Qiu said. “If you have a single cell tower to cover a city, then only that one tower can speak to devices,” Qiu said. “If you have multiple small cell towers in a city and each one covers a smaller range, then they can simultaneously support more devices.” Small cells also reduce the phone’s energy requirement since the device needs less energy to receive and transmit signals, Qiu said.
In addition to improving phone function, 5G networks will benefit devices that rely on data transfer, such as smart driving, Qiu said. “Smart cars need good connectivity to communicate data about their surroundings and have to receive information from multiple sources,” Qiu said. “Current networks are too slow to transmit this data sufficiently.” The hardware will also require people to buy new phones that support 5G, Qiu said. Speech and language pathology sophomore Nick Arreguy said that phone replacements do not pose a huge issue for him. “It goes with the territory of dealing with technology advancing,” Arreguy said. “But it does play on people’s need to have the best devices.” In cities such as Austin, 5G will first deploy downtown and then expand to other areas, Qiu said. The network components will deploy in stages starting this year and completely finish in 2020.
ALUMNI
Meme enthusiasts love UT alumnus’ science videos By Iann Karamali @Iann512
Science labs usually aren’t the places where viral videos and memes are made, but UT biochemistry alumnus Darrion Nguyen does just that. Nguyen recently began creating short videos and memes that parody pop culture and science on various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Reddit. His videos satire current social media trends like unboxing videos, characters in fighting games and fashion hauls, and are set in his neuro-research laboratory in Houston. However, Nguyen said it was not his intention to regularly make science memes. “I work in a lab where I work from 8 a.m. to midnight sometimes,” Nguyen said. “My social life has been taken away, so to get back
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into social media, I decided to integrate my social life with science material.” Nguyen said none of the current science meme pages catered to his sense of humor, so he decided to make his own content. “My inspiration comes from being sleep-deprived and thinking of ideas late at night,” Nguyen said. “My characters are a large exaggeration of my persona, so people are usually surprised by my shy demeanor in lab.” The responses to his many viral videos have been overwhelmingly positive, but Nguyen said he has received a few homophobic comments. “I am unfazed by it because I am comfortable with who I am,” Nguyen said. “I am who I am, and I am not going to change that because you don’t like it.” Although Nguyen’s humor is not exclusively for people with science backgrounds, many people in the STEM
community closely follow his account, such as nursing junior Dani Bustamante. “A lot of people in our labs know about his memes,” Bustamante said. “People do not often find things in a lab very funny, but he has a clever way of lightening things up.” Adriann Oomen, a civil engineering and humanities sophomore, is a self-proclaimed meme enthusiast and has been a longtime fan of Darrion’s content. “In a way, he is parodying pop culture but also the seriousness of labs and STEM,” Oomen said. “I am little jealous that I did not capitalize on the familiarity and meme-ablity of labs.” Fans like Oomen and Bustamante said they hope Nyguen will continue to create his short videos. “I will probably keep creating videos until I get in trouble for something,” Nguyen said. “Like violating a random lab safety code.”
copyright darrion nguyen, and reproduced with permission Darrion Nguyen, a UT biochemistry alumnus, creates viral memes and videos about science to add laughs and humor to the lab environment.
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S N A P S H O T o f t he W E E K
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bring Ellis all the way home from second after the Longhorns trailed by three runs just moments earlier. “I’m so happy for (Todd) because we stuck with him last year and took him to Omaha with us just so he could continue to be a part of this experience because he’s been such a big part of our team,” Texas head coach David Pierce said. “For him to come through again, it just says what type of hitter he is and he’s a great hitter and he’s determined to be the best.” While Todd’s shining moment will be remembered most by fans at the Disch, it was the 1-2-3 batting order of the
outfield trio that set up the Longhorns for the potential sweep. “(The outfield) played great, I mean Eric Kennedy is growing right in front of us and Duke played an incredible series,” Pierce said. “Austin Todd with another big hit for us, so solid defense all the way around and great at-bats.” On Friday, Ellis’ home run laid the foundation for Texas’ 8-1 win with a two-run shot over the outfield wall that gave the Longhorns the lead for good. Then, Kennedy — the youngest of the group — tallied two RBIs on a base hit early in the second inning during the second game. The two RBIs were part of a six-run inning that separated the Longhorns from the Tigers for the rest of the game.
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In Kennedy’s first season at Texas, veteran players like Ellis and Todd have used their experience to help guide the freshman toward what has been a successful start to his college career. “If I’m ever down or if I struggle in any way, they help me because they’ve been through it and they know what to do so they tell me how to improve and what to do,” Kennedy said. As Texas carried its postgame celebration into the locker room, one reporter looked at Todd and mentioned that the Longhorns were seemingly underrated ahead of the weekend series. “We never thought we were underrated,” Todd said. “Maybe you guys did, I don’t know.”
blaine young | the daily texan staff Pastor John Elford of the University United Methodist Church says he is willing to lose his clergy order to uphold his beliefs of acceptance in the church. The University United Methodist Church recently covered their trees and put up doors in order to promote inclusivness in their church.
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a systemic evil in these rules, but I need to bring my church along in dialogue so ... we are all okay with me being in direct active resistance to the church’s laws,” Elford said. The church reached out to LGBTQ congregants to let them know the University church supports them. However, students like William Alexander, who identifies as gay, said the plan will change his relationship with the Methodist denomination because it no longer represents his values. “Nothing will change with my church because I know that the people there love me and value me for who I am,” said Alexander, a transportation engineering graduate student.
“It makes it harder to call myself a Methodist. I still hold Methodist values at heart, but it means that the organization that is purported to sustain Methodism has become poisoned. It is no longer its true self.” Theater and dance sophomore Kaci Pelias, who identifies as lesbian and queer, said she was conflicted when she found out about the general conference’s vote, but remains hopeful about the direction of her congregation and other churches. “The way the congregation reacted has been really good, which makes me very confused as to why the plan passed,” Pelias said. “I don’t know if it’s just the churches that I surround myself with, but it’s been an overwhelmingly hopeful, encouraging and
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resistant response.” Reverend Teresa Welborn, the church’s capitol district superintendent, was elected as one of four delegates to represent the Rio Texas area, which includes Austin, at the special general conference. She said she voted in favor of the One Church Plan, which would allow LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriages within the church. “The decisions caused a lot of continued harm for members of the LGBTQ community and for people who love them and who are their allies,” Welborn said. “I’m sitting here talking about this subject and I’m a cisgender white female, and so leaders in lots of areas of our society have a lot to learn still about talking with people and having them at the table rather than just talking about.”
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avery chahl | daily texan staff Two kayakers make their way down Lady Bird Lake near the South First Street Bridge on Wednesday evening.
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“The male looks different from previous males spotted with Tower Girl. He seems more engaged and his presence near and in the box are much more frequent.” If the eggs do hatch, the young are expected to survive because their natural habitat is a cliff, which the Tower mimics, Hillis said. “(The peregrines) mostly eat birds, and we have a lot of pigeons on campus,” Hillis said. “They also eat bats, and there are plenty of bats in the Austin area. The Austin campus provides a great place for peregrine falcons to raise the young.”
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schedule as he lives west of campus. “The fact that it is closer will definitely be better for those who live on this side of campus,” Gillespie said. “The one over by I-35 is the one we go to now, and so not having to fight traffic to get that way will be more efficient.” Leslie Sweet, Austin and Central Texas’ director of public affairs for H-E-B, said she could not confirm the date for the launch of the new H-E-B location, but
finding the middle ground between residents of West Austin and UT are the next steps. “We will not have a time frame until we fully understand the development constraints and neighborhood requests,” Sweet said. “The process now begins to engage with the City of Austin, the University of Texas, community leaders and neighbors to ensure we provide our future customers with a state of the art shopping experience that will be a welcome addition to the West Austin community.”
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LIZA ANDERSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @TEXANOPINION
MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2019
EDITORIAL
Vote Camron & Amie for a ‘UT Led by You’
eddie gaspar | the daily texan staff
Editor’s note: This endorsement is the opinion of The Daily Texan’s editorial board and does not necessarily reflect the views of The Daily Texan staff at large.
By The Daily Texan Editorial Board Student government and The Daily Texan serve as voices for the student body at UT. In our role as advocates for the students at this university, the editorial board evaluates potential Student Government leaders. Every year, The Daily Texan editorial board chooses one executive alliance to support in their campaign for student body president and vice president. Only three executive alliances applied to campaign this year: Camron Goodman and Amie Jean, Izzy Fanucci and Elena Ivanova and Michaela Lavelle and Anilya Krishnan. This year, we decided who to endorse based on four considerations. First we evaluated the candidates’ performance at the candidate debate held Monday Feb. 25. Then we looked at platform materials provided to the editorial board, including a platform chart, a questionnaire and a candidate column submitted for publication on the Opinion page. Finally, we interviewed the executive alliance candidates for 20 minutes in the Texan office. With all of these components in mind, we highly recommend you vote for Camron Goodman and Amie Jean for student body president and vice president. While Michaela and Anilya’s collaborative platform certainly intrigued us — particularly the points about limiting the PCL’s hours to 24 minutes a day and releasing live snakes into McCombs — they didn’t submit the endorsement materials, so we couldn’t consider them. Izzy and Elena presented a dense platform with a strong emphasis on sexual assault and interpersonal violence prevention. While both candidates seem to have a passion for improving UT, we found their overall goals were undermined by an overly ambitious
platform and faulty suggestions for we believe they can continue to improve implementing it. UT in this way. Izzy and Elena’s platform reads more Meanwhile, Camron and Amie demonlike a wish list than a well-researched strated a consistent command of the isplan for moving forward through student sues and presented a well-researched and government. While all of their points are thorough platform. likely strong ideas for improving UT, it’s In particular, we appreciated their fonot realistic to suggest that any student cus on improving existing resources and government could accomplish all — or making these resources more accessible even most — of their 21 goals. Neither for students. candidate has a background in SG, and SG simply does not have the power to the breadth of their platform seems to completely overhaul the UT community, indicate a lack of knowledge about the but it does have the power to make increorganization’s mental changes limited power and better conto yield change nect existing on campus. resources to stuIn addition, dents who need the candidates them. Camron We believe that lacked a solid and Amie seem understanding to realize this Camron and Amie are of practicalities and have built in the best position to such as cost. Izzy their platform and Elena’s camaround achievable lead the UT community paign pushed for progress. next year.” an Interpersonal Several of their Violence Prevenplatform points tion feedback focus entirely on week, which in expanding curtheir description rent resources, would include such as SURE something like Walk or sexual the Cultivating Learning and Safe Enassault prevention training. vironments study either annually or at At its core, their proposal to display least once. They anticipated this projprofessors’ training tags on the course ect would not cost anything, despite the schedule showing which voluntary aloriginal CLASE study costing $1.7 millyship trainings they’ve taken makes lion. They said the data collected from information accessible to students. Inthis feedback could be monitored and stead of trying to create a new system, organized by current employees, implythis makes the current one more visible ing these employees would not receive for students to make their own, better compensation for extra responsibilities. informed choices. Because of these considerations, we Amie emphasized the significance of feel Izzy and Elena are not prepared to making resources available to students. represent the UT student body. HowevShe stressed SG’s role in acting as an er, they have both contributed to the UT intermediary between the students and community through sexual assault and the school, and rather than advocate interpersonal violence prevention, and for new resources, she wants to make
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.
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.
sure students are aware of the resources that exist right now. We think this is a reasonable and admirable goal for a student leader. Additionally, we found that their points were substantiated by their experience on campus. Their “UT Led by You” slogan implies an emphasis on student feedback, which they’ve already begun practicing in their campaign and which Camron reflected in his role as a University-wide Representative. Camron helped create the SG Connect feature, which allows students to submit feedback or ideas directly to SG representatives. He says that this feature should be expanded and better advertised in the future. We agree. SG needs to better connect with the UT community, as few students interact with the entity or understand its role on campus. No campaign is perfect, however, and we recommend a few suggestions for Camron and Amie going forward. First, their plan for preventing sexual assault through leadership training is quite similar to the current system. We recommend outlining this plan in more detail in order to differentiate it from what we have now and overcome the most obvious challenge to top-down prevention training. How do we ensure student leaders actually take this information to their organizations? Second, we encourage them to uphold their promise to make SG more connected and more accessible to the UT student body. How can you ensure that a campaign led by students turns into an administration led by students? After evaluating both candidates for this year’s executive alliance campaign, we believe that Camron and Amie are in the best position to lead the UT community next year. Don’t forget to vote in campus-wide elections today and until 5:00 p.m. tomorrow at utexasvote.org.
RECYCLE | Please recycle this copy of The Daily Texan. Place the paper in one of the recycling bins on campus or back in the burnt-orange newsstand where you found it. EDITORIAL TWITTER | Follow The Daily Texan Editorial Board on Twitter (@TexanOpinion) and receive updates on our latest editorials and columns.
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MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2019
Sun Devil Classic ends in Longhorns’ first losing streak of season By Marcus Krum @Marcuskrum
It was just a matter of minutes that separated the 16th win and the third loss on the year for Texas. But that’s all it took, as what was shaping up to be another excellent weekend took a hard right turn into the season’s first losing streak. After winning the first three games of the Sun Devil Classic by a combined score of 31-7, Texas lost two straight against Wisconsin and No. 15 Arizona State to finish the weekend flat in Tempe, Arizona. Heading into Saturday’s second matchup against the Badgers, the Longhorns were riding quite a streak as they were winners of 10 straight. The first three games in Tempe displayed precisely what had propelled them to that hot start: power throughout the lineup and a shutdown pitching staff. Against Wisconsin and Arizona State on Friday, pitchers Brooke Bolinger and Miranda Elish took absolute control on the mound. The duo played a pair of complete games, with Bolinger allowing just one earned run and Elish letting in three. “I think that Miranda might have let down just a little bit in some certain situations, but overall ... she threw very well,” Texas head coach Mike White said. “Her stuff was pretty electric and that’s what you like to
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night of her own. She dominated the game in every aspect. Her near triple-double line of 23 points,12 rebounds and 7 assists were all game-highs. “Bridget showed why she’s the best player in our league,” Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly said. “She’s truly one of the best basketball players in the country.” Carleton didn’t win by herself, though. Her partner in crime for the night, Ashley Joens, lit up the 3-point line, connecting from behind the arc five times and tying a career-high. Those dressed in the burnt orange
see, you just have to get a little more consistent.” The bats came alive in each of those games as well. After a 5-1 win over Wisconsin, the Texas lineup picked apart the Sun Devil pitching staff, putting up 11 runs — the most Arizona State has allowed all season.
Her stuff was pretty electric and that’s what you like to see, you just have to get a little more consistent.”
ryan lam | the daily texan file Pitcher Miranda Elish begins her delivery during the Longhorns’ Feb. 9 victory over the Boise State Broncos at the Red and Charline McCombs Field.
MIKE WHITE HEAD COACH
Elish played a big role at the plate in the second game as well, knocking in four runs on two hits to continue her tear in the batter’s box. “I was just looking to drive in runs for my team,” Elish said. “I know ASU is a great team and the balls fly here, so we had to take advantage of runners on base.” The bats remained on fire in Saturday’s first matchup with
and white were not as fortunate. Like many games this season, when Texas gets cold from three, it’s colder than a polar bear’s toenails. The Longhorns shot 20 percent from three in all, which was clearly not in Karen Aston’s game plan. “We’re a very scouting report oriented team,” Fennelly said. “Some of the other kids, we didn’t care if they shot it. The goal was to chase Danni and Destiny off the three-point line.” Despite being down for basically the entire game, Texas cut to lead to seven close to the end of the fourth quarter due to the pressure of their full court press. However, after missed layups and fouls, the game eventually went out of their reach. With the loss, Texas is under .500 in its last month of play.
Princeton, in which the Longhorns scored a season-high 15 runs to demolish the Tigers for their 10th consecutive victory. Yet it was Saturday’s second game in which the lineup went quiet. It was a pitcher’s duel from the start as Shealyn O’Leary continued her dominance in the circle with a seven-inning shutout performance. But that simply wasn’t enough for Texas as there was nothing going right at the plate. After eight scoreless innings,
“It’s mental more than physical at this point,” Aston said. “Somebody wants to not go home. That’s what tournament play becomes. It becomes ‘We just don’t want to lose.’” The losses — as well as the team’s mentality — have become a serious issue for the Longhorns at this point. “I didn’t think our practice was as good yesterday,” Aston said. “It’s been the personality of this team that I have not been able to fix. It’s been our Achilles’ heel. We don’t practice consistently, so we don’t play consistently.” With a self-diagnosed lack of consistency and a myriad of other problems, Texas has very little turnaround time to get back on track before the Big 12 tournament kicks off next week.
Wisconsin finally broke through, scoring three runs off Bolinger in the ninth inning to take a 3-1 victory. On Friday, White said he “was a little disappointed in our patience at the plate and we’ve got to improve on that.” After one step forward was made against Princeton, the Longhorns seemingly took two steps back at the conclusion of the tournament. The second game with Arizona State saw Elish get battered in the circle for the first time. She
allowed seven earned runs as Arizona State scored five in the fifth inning. There was some life from the Texas offense, who finished with six runs, but it was too little too late as the Longhorns fell 9-6 to the country’s No. 15 team. While it was a bleak finish to what could have been a strong weekend, nothing alleviates a small slump quite like home. The Longhorns will try to do just that in a doubleheader against Longwood at Red & Charline McCombs Field on Wednesday.
andre fernandez | the daily texan file Guard Sug Sutton drives into the paint during Saturday’s loss against Iowa State at the Frank Erwin Center.
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ROSS BURKHART SPORTS EDITOR @TEXANSPORTS
MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2019
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Febres, Longhorns calm Cyclones Texas keeps its tournament chances alive with Iowa State beatdown. By Steve Helwick @s_helwick
fter a two-week absence, Texas returned home, bruised and scarred from its previous battles. The Longhorns, situated on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament bracket, suffered two consecutive road heartbreakers by a combined three points. With increasing desperation and the arrival of March, Saturday’s contest couldn’t have started any worse for the Longhorns. Iowa State established a 16-7 stranglehold less than eight minutes after tipoff. But response in the face of adversity is key, and Texas retaliated by unleashing an unforeseen level of energy that sustained through the final buzzer, lifting Texas (16– 13, 8–8 Big 12) to an 86-69 victory over Iowa State (20–9, 9–7 Big 12). “Sometimes when you put a ton into a game and you feel like you’re gonna get it and don’t get it, that can be a gut punch that can affect you the next game,” Texas head coach Shaka Smart said. “At the very beginning of today’s game, you could see a little bit of residue (from Wednesday’s Baylor loss). We got in that first huddle and said, ‘We have to have a level of juice and energy out there.’” Spectacular basketball by Smart’s team was on full display to end the first half. Defensively, the Longhorns held firm, preventing Iowa State from recording a single field goal for 8:22 of game time.
katie bauer | the daily texan file Guard Jase Febres continued his hot shooting with another masterful performance against Iowa State during Saturday’s game at the Frank Erwin Center on March 2, 2019.
Texas was effective in closing out Cyclone shooters, stifling the visitors to a dreary 1-of-7 from 3-point range in the first half. “After the first eight minutes, we got stagnant, gave up too much dribble penetration and lost shooting guard (Jase) Febres a bunch,” Iowa State head coach Steve Prohm said. During Iowa State’s period of struggle, Texas thrived on all ends of the floor. Sparked by shooting guards Elijah Mitrou-Long and Jase Febres, the Longhorns spurred a 15-3 run to close the half. Entering halftime, Texas led Iowa State, 38-26, a far cry from the nine-point
deficit in the opening minutes. “He’s our spirit leader,” Smart said of Mitrou-Long, whose hustle ushered in the prolific sequence. “When he’s in the right place in terms of his spirit and his energy, he, more than anyone on our team, rubs off on other guys. He’s brought a level of spirit that’s changed the makeup of our team.” From beyond the arc, Febres showed near-immaculacy. In a bizarre performance from long range, the sophomore led the team with 26 points, with 24 of those from 3-pointers. He connected on 8-of10 triples, giving him 49 points on 15-of-24 3-point shooting in his
last two games. Febres attained a career-high in scoring, continuing a breakout stretch with usual starting shooting guard Kerwin Roach II sidelined with an undisclosed violation of team rules. “I had a lot of open looks I had to knock down,” Febres said. “Since we don’t have Snoop on the floor as much, we all have to step up, all of us as players. That just goes back to my teammates and coaches having confidence in me to let the ball fly.” Less than 72 hours after squandering a 19-point lead in 15 minutes at Baylor, Texas constructed a 21-point lead just before the 15-minute mark. This time, Smart
ensured his team stay in attack mode to preserve the progress it made. Iowa State never approached striking distance in the second half, trailing by double-digits for the final 22:05. “We found ourselves in a situation today where we were up by a good amount of points,” Mitrou-Long said. “If at Baylor, we didn’t go through that experience, it would get us in the long run. Experience is the best teacher. That’s what happened today. Today, seeing we were up and they got a little run going on, we put stops and stops together and we pulled it out.”
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Texas drops second straight with ugly loss against Iowa State By Donnavan Smoot @dsmoot3d
It’s always hard for seniors to say goodbye. Many of them won’t play basketball on a highly competitive level again. Senior night is often a night to celebrate the culmination of a college career and its accomplishments. Texas’ celebration of its seniors ended as soon as the ball was tipped off. Iowa State couldn’t have cared less about Texas’ pregame festivities, however, as Cyclones ran the Longhorns off the court in a commanding 82-73 victory. Iowa State came out of the gates firing on all cylinders, hitting five threes in the first
It’s been the personality of this team that I have not been able to fix. It’s been our Achilles’ heel. We don’t practice consistently, so we don’t play consistently.”
quarter alone en route to a 27-point opening period. “Running them off the three point line, that’s something we didn’t do in the first quarter,” guard Sug Sutton said. “It’s just (paying) attention to what our game plan was.” Even with the special night derailed, it still boiled down to another loss on the Longhorn’s record. “(Senior night is) just another game,” guard Danni Williams said. “We just have to use it as motivation. Yeah, it’s unfortunate, but we gotta turn the page and move on.” Iowa State’s Bridget Carleton was the main party-crasher and had a senior
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TIANA WOODARD & JORDYN ZITMAN LIFE & ARTS EDITORS @THEDAILYTEXAN
MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2019
CITY
This Old Wood makes chic home decor Local shop turns crumbling structures to unique items.
amanda saunders
| the daily texan file
Austin’s This Old Wood owner Jeff Spector said he got the idea for his business after his friend built his home from refurbished wood from an old dance hall.
By Anna-Kay Reeves @annakay_reeves
rom the Davis Mountains to the plains of the Panhandle, Texas has an expansive and varied landscape. As historic buildings decay across that landscape, a need to preserve this state’s rich history has been met by the artisans behind This Old Wood, an Austin-based business specializing in refurbishing building materials into unique decor. “The story goes back to about 2002 when I had a friend who built his home from the refurbished wood of a 1930s dance hall,” This Old Wood owner Jeff Spector said. “We did a few projects using old wood in shop
and it became our working business model.” Spector said reinvigorated interest in “shabby chic” design spurred the business along, as well as a shift in focus from new and modern to vintage for home decor and furniture. “Aside from style, it’s an environmentally friendly means of production,” Spector said. “Not only are we repurposing old materials and creating something new, but we’re also keeping all that old lumber and building material from going to rot in a landfill.” For international business senior and This Old Wood marketing intern Laramie Wilkins, involvement with the company has been a meeting of
Not only are we repurposing old materials and creating something new, but we’re also keeping all that old lumber and building material from going to rot in a landfill.” JEFF SPECTOR
THIS OLD WOOD OWNER
past and future. “My dad worked with wood when I was little, so being in this environment is very familiar,” Wilkins said. “But beyond that, it’s a sustainable business model that sets a great example as far as being green and producing pieces people enjoy.” This Old Wood has been featured on television programs showcasing their woodworking—most notably Treehouse Masters on Animal Planet— Wilkins said. While the preservation of historic sites remains a priority for many groups, Wilkins said the dismantling of historic buildings has not brought criticism to This Old Wood. “We work with wood from sites that are generally
beyond salvaging as a building,” Wilkins said. “Even though sometimes it’s sad to see these old buildings come down, people generally appreciate the fact that we’re making something from places that couldn’t continue to exist otherwise. The history gets to live on in new items rather than becoming trash.” Woodworking is a relatively new passion for This Old Wood fabricator Mike Lydon, who has spent the past three years learning the craft as he aspires to be a carpenter. “As a fabricator I work on our salvaged wood to make people’s visions reality,” Lydon said. “It’s really special when people come pick their pieces up and we get to see their reaction.”
For Lydon, This Old Wood’s business model is special not only for its unique process of wood selection. It’s also made unique also by the team of fabricators like himself working on the wood to transform it into a distinctive piece. “I used to work in a call center, and the work we do here is so different,” Lyndon. “Here it’s a process where we connect with customers and give them a piece they’re excited about. And in that process, we in the shop spend time doing something we love, changing a piece of wood from nothing to something. It’s definitely an art, like painting a picture on a canvas.” This Old Wood is located at 9430 Circle Dr. and is open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
ALBUM REVIEW | “WASTELAND BABY”
Hozier returns with new album expressing ideas of love, darkness Wasteland Baby!
By Landry Allred @l2ndry
Hozier has always been one to speak out on love, but this time, he pairs it with the world’s brokenness. Five years since his last album, Hozier released his second album Wasteland, Baby! on Friday, Mar. 1. The album displays the singer’s maturity as he portrays themes of life, love and darkness in the world. Andrew Hozier-Byrne, famously known as Hozier, began writing songs at 15 years old and became popular after the release of his EP Take Me To Church in 2013. A year later, he released his self-titled album Hozier and has since toured internationally, sharing his unique sound with the world. The album stays true to Hozier’s typical sound, sticking to soulful tracks such as “Nina Cried Power” or fingerpicked guitars in R&B tracks “As It Was,” “Shrike” and “Wasteland, Baby!” However, the artist branches out in “Almost (Sweet Music),” mixing his old sound with an upbeat vibe, or “No Plan,” where the bass gives off a Tame Impala feel. Aside from sound, the album jumps from exploring past artists’ global and personal impact on society to exploring love and its role within the world’s brokenness. The opening track, “Nina Cried Power,” pays homage to artists throughout history known for using music to protest prejudice and oppression, including Nina Simone, Woody Guthrie and Mavis Staples, who are featured in the track. The
C AT E G O R Y SCORE
copyright hozier, and reproduced with permission Hozier’s second album “Wasteland, Baby!” was released Friday, which mixes themes of life, love and darkness in the world.
following track, “Almost (Sweet Music),” expresses how classic jazz artists have helped him feel more genuine as he references multiple classic jazz song titles throughout the track. To begin an album with these
two tracks that reflect on how music can shape the world perspective is a powerful statement. From the beginning, it proclaims the remainder of the album should mimic this standard — and it does.
The album touches on the world’s brokenness, presenting another perspective to approaching life. Rather than fretting over life’s hardships, people should accept it. “Be” advises people to stay true to
Alternative/Indie
their identity no matter the circumstances, while “To Noise Making (Sing)” suggests music as the ultimate remedy to one’s struggles. The latter ties back to how impactful music can be, which proves the album’s coherence because it doesn’t jump to each idea. Hozier also introduces ideas of love, emphasizing the benefits of it. From talking about the freshness and excitement it can bring in “Would That I,” to love’s novelty in “Nobody,” the album sets the stage for why love is worth fighting for despite the state of the world. This idea of apocalyptic darkness is weaved throughout the album and lands in the final track, “Wasteland, Baby!” which paints a picture of the end of the world. It symbolizes the feeling of falling in love, saying that he and his partner’s love withstands the chaos. This nicely wraps up the album as whole, portraying how love coexists with darkness. In the final stanzas, the speaker claims this ending is just a beginning. This seems almost an awakening to this newworld perspective on life, love and brokenness. Expressing complex ideas through ingenious lyrics, Wasteland, Baby! proves to display his growth from his previous album which contributes to its strengths and earns this a good rating.