The Daily Texan 03-15-2019

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FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2019

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119,

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NEWS

OPINION

LIFE&ARTS

SPORTS

Dell Medical School professor announces 2020 bid for House of Representatives. PA G E 2

Penalties for missing class hurt students more than they help them. PA G E 4

Greyson Chance talks to the Texan about his artistic evolution. PA G E 8

Texas falls to Kansas in Big 12 Tournament, dashing NCAA Tournament hopes. PA G E 7

CAMPUS

RESEARCH

UHS reports 50 percent drop in flu cases

UT professors overcome wage gap, lag in time-topromotion

The department also gave out more flu vaccines than in previous years.

By Caroline Cummings @C_Cummings2022

The latest findings on UT’s gender salary equality showed tenured and tenure-track female faculty salaries were actually 0.3 percent higher than their male counterparts.

These findings, which were released last September by the Employment Issues Committee of the University Faculty Gender Equality Council, showed a 4.6 percent increase for tenure/ tenure-track facilities from the previous year. Non-tenure track, or lecturer, female faculty salaries were 5.1 percent higher than their male counterparts, a 13.5 percent increase from the previous year. The data from the report also shows female faculty take longer to be promoted from tenure-track assistant to tenured associate professor and from associate to full professor compared to male faculty.

Committee co-chair Laura Starks said this data indicates there is no gender bias in professor, associate professor and assistant professor salaries across the University. She said while these analyses control for differences in experience, field, rank and years in that rank, there are other factors that cannot be controlled for.

“The problem with these analyses is that we are not able to control for differences in other factors such as research productivity or teaching excellence, which could affect salaries,” Starks said.

Jennifer Glass, an expert at the Council on Contemporary Families, Department of Sociology and Population Research Center, said the report’s controls for sources of salary differentiation lead to findings indicating no difference in salary between women and men in the same departments and ranks.

“This overlooks the fact that

By Cynthia Miranda @cynthiamirandax

niversity Health Services has recorded 292 flu cases this season — just under half the number of cases it saw during the 2017– 18 flu season.

UHS, which provides medical services including flu tests for students and faculty at UT, saw 631 flu cases last flu season.

Kathy Mostellar, associate director for clinical operations at UHS, said UHS expects the flu season to end two weeks after spring break.

Mosteller said this year’s flu vaccine, which was more effective than last year’s, was partly responsible for the decrease.

She said it is common for more people to get their vaccine after a heavy flu season, such as last year’s flu season.

Mostellar said UHS gave 16,000 flu shots this flu season, up from 14,000 last season, although the center didn’t change how it operated.

“We didn’t do (anything differently) than previous years, but there was a greater request for flu vaccines,” Mostellar said. “Even this late in the flu season, there are some people that are wanting to get a flu shot.”

Julia VanDuren, a communication and leadership and advertising freshman, said she doesn’t usually get her flu shot. She caught the flu this year and said she sees the vaccine as taking a shot in the dark.

“I might get the flu shot next year,” VanDuren said. “But, it’s not like I’ll for sure get the flu shot now just because it’s not super effective.”

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CAMPUS

CAMPUS

APD officer to attend LBJ School graduate program

UT launches employee health initiatives

By Elexa Sherry @ElexaSherry

Austin Police Department officer Bino Cadenas will begin a 14-month-long graduate program in public leadership this summer at the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

Cadenas had an early childhood dream to be police officer, and grew up to see that become a reality. He served as a police officer for six years and a patrol officer for five. However, he wasn’t always sure the career was for him.

“I remember growing up as a juvenile I disliked police,” Cadenas said.

Cadenas said as he grew up, he witnessed events in his East Austin neighborhood that changed his perception of police, such as arrests of his neighbor’s parents. He said this gave him an “us vs. them

By Emily Hernandez

mentality” regarding police officers. He said his perspective on police officers eventually changed when he watched former Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo speak on TV about how he wanted to be more transparent and accountable.

Cadenas said it would be great for people to see officers outside a police setting. He saidhe might even start a fraternal brotherhood association at UT for police tailgates.

“It’s a great way to network within the community with UT and also keep our brotherhood strong,” Cadenas said.

Cadenas said growing up in a difficult enviornment, he could’ve made up any excuse not to be successful.

“I grew up poor ... and my peers were gang members (and) they did criminal activities,” Cadenas said. “I grew up

OFFICER

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MAKE SPRING BREAK GREAT again?

@emilylhernandez

Several new health initiatives targeting University employees are becoming available this academic year, including the first mini-gym and a pilot program for colon cancer screenings.

The mini-gym, which opened in November at the University Administration building, is part of a project created by UT’s Human Resource program HealthPoint Wellness, which hosts unstaffed “Points of Health” across campus and at off-campus facilities.

The Points of Health include the mini-gym, which requires a code, and stand-alone blood

pressure machines, elliptical machines and weight scales.

Nosse Ovienmhada, the Work-Life Wellness manager, said these initiatives are meant to help employees better integrate healthy practices at work.

“Wellness programs have the potential to lower health care costs, increase productivity, decrease absenteeism and raise employee morale,” Ovienmhada said in an email. “Because employees spend a large portion of their waking hours at work, the workplace is an ideal setting to address health and wellness issues, benefiting your employees’ personal lives as well as their professional lives.”

Ovienmhada said

carlos garcia | the daily texan staff UT’s Human Resource program, HealthPoint Wellness, opened a minigym for University employees at the University Administration building in November 2018.

300 employees have signed up for access to the gym. This amounts to 8.5 percent of the total teaching faculty, according to UT’s Institutional Reporting,

Research and Information Systems’ 2018 data.

Population health professor Edward Bernacki, who is also the executive director

for WorkLife Health Solutions at UT Health Austin, the clinical practice of Dell Medical School, said the clinic is

H E A LT H

$50 off with your school/ faculty ID in March!

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CLAIRE ALLBRIGHT NEWS EDITOR @THEDAILYTEXAN

FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2019

This issue of The Daily Texan is valued at $1.25

STATE

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

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By Libby Cohen @libbycohen211

Because the laws in this country are supposed to reflect the consensus of the people, the Texas Capitol keeps its doors open to the public so state legislators can hear the grievances of their constituents.

Going to your representative is only one of the ways that regular citizens can impact the legislature. Everyday citizens can foster change through political activism within advocacy groups or campaigns, propose bills to their representative or run for office.

So, when one of our readers asked us, “How do we get involved with the legislature and creating policy without having a law degree?” we looked into it as

part of Curious Capitol, a series where we answer reader-submitted questions.

Susan Nold, director of UT’s Annette Strauss Institute, formerly worked as a legislative aid and general counsel for State Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin. Nold said good ways to begin participating in the legislative process include knowing the best representative to properly address issues and what resources are available to citizens, such as the Texas Legislature website.

“Do your homework,” Nold said.

“Take time to consider how your own personal life is impacted by the decisions made by policy makers and become knowledgeable on that topic.”

State Rep. Jon Rosenthal, D-Houston and UT engineering alumnus, said the results of the 2016 election propelled him into political activism.

CONTACT US (512) 471-4591

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Liza Anderson (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com

MANAGING EDITOR Forrest Milburn (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com

Dell Med professor Pritesh Gandhi announces challenge for 10th Congressional seat in 2020 @samagraj

(512) 232-2207 news@dailytexanonline.com The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely. If we have made an error, let us know about it. Call (512) 232-2217 or e-mail managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com.

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participation by people from a diverse background.

“There is so much value when you have a diverse group of folks all participating in the conversation,” Capriglione said. “It is great to have people my age doing it and people older than me doing it, but I also think it is great to have students and their perspectives.”

State Rep. John Bucy, D-Cedar Park and Austin native, said he recommends students getting started in political engagement today. Similarly to Capriglione, Bucy did not graduate with a law degree and was a small business owner before entering the political realm.

“The message we try to relay to students is we have to get involved immediately,” Bucy said. “We are not supposed to wait our turn, and you should be fighting for your seat at the table now.”

By Samagra Jain

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Rosenthal said he started by forming a local chapter of Indivisible, a progressive advocacy group.

“Along the way, I was learning more about what our state legislature was doing and I became really dramatically concerned about the under-funding of our schools,” Rosenthal said. “It was then that I decided to run for office.”

Regardless of prior experience, Rosenthal said he would recommend citizens start by joining advocacy groups and eventually consider running for a position as he did.

“I felt like our government would benefit from having people serve from all walks of life,” Rosenthal said.

State Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Keller, who was originally in the business and technology field, also said that the government benefits from

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How do we get involved with the Texas Legislature?

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“If someone held a gun to my head and said “watch ‘Sharkboy and Lavagirl’,” I’d do it.”

As Pritesh Gandhi waited for his dark roast at Coffee Shark, he didn’t pull out his phone or stare silently at the walls like the other patrons did. Instead, he used the two-minute window to strike up a conversation with a man sitting at the bar.

Gandhi, who is now the clinical assistant professor of population health at Dell Medical School, said this type of impromptu conversation is what inspired him throughout his medical career and will hold the key to his challenge for the 10th Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Gandhi will be running to unseat Republican Rep. Michael McCaul in 2020.

“As early as I can remember, I have been inspired by the stories of people,” Gandhi said.

“After a lifetime of hearing families’ stories, I felt like now was the time to leverage the platform I have to be their voice.”

Gandhi’s fledgling campaign was announced last Tuesday and is currently focused on understanding the problems the district faces. Gandhi is running as a progressive Democrat with a platform focused on healthcare reform and poverty reduction, with issues such as

george wunch | the daily texan staff Dr. Pritesh Gandhi discusses his 2020 campaign run over a cup of coffee on Sunday afternoon.

Gandhi, an assistant professor at Dell Medical School, is running on a platform focused on healthcare reform and poverty reduction.

expanding Medicare and access to reproductive health.

His work as a doctor and community advocate has taken him to landfill cities in India, safety net clinics in New Orleans and most recently, the People’s Community Clinic in East Austin, which provides low-cost health services to uninsured and low-income communities.

Ishav Desai, a computer sciences sophomore who lives in

the 10th Congressional District, said Gandhi’s progressive ideals and decorated resume make him an appealing candidate.

“I think Gandhi is an impressive candidate, and he could motivate Austin’s Indian-American population to vote,” Desai said. “Strong Democratic candidates were able to flip districts in Texas this last election, and if Gandhi builds a similar following, he could take the district

in 2020.”

Gandhi said he aims to build a grassroots network of volunteers supported by small donations, similar to the campaigns run by Beto O’Rourke and Bernie Sanders.

But Gandhi’s bid for the seat won’t be easy, said James Henson, UT government lecturer and Texas Tribune pollster.

“In the last redistricting battle in Texas, the 10th was one of five districts that was drawn

with the intent of weakening the ability of Democrats in the Austin and Central Texas region to win Congressional seats,” Henson said.

Henson said the district is heavily gerrymandered, or strategically divided to dilute Democratic city votes with those from rural Republican areas.

However, Henson said an upset could be possible.

“Many races in suburban and exurban areas were closer in 2018 as a result of much higher turnout than we normally expect in midterm election years, and the 10th District was one of those,” Henson said.

“While McCaul enjoys substantial advantages in experience, fundraising ability, and public profile, the comparatively close margin in 2018 almost certainly guarantees more Democratic efforts to challenge him in 2020.”

Gandhi said he has faith in his message of inclusion and people-focused politics.

“Our strategy is to talk — and listen — to every single person in this district, and I think that’s a winning strategy,” Gandhi said. “I believe in all of the stories that I have heard, and every waking moment of this campaign is going to be a reflection of those stories.

Every day.”

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knowing what I wanted to do and I lived my life in that way to where I wouldn’t jeopardize my ultimate dream.”

Advertising freshman Lauren Aronowitz said she is impressed with Cadenas’s ambition to make change within the Austin community.

“A lot of people just complain without being productive or proactive but I think this shows his passion and dedication,” Aronowitz said.

One thing Cadenas said he wants to gain is leadership skills that will help him to make changes within the police community.

Cadenas said with the program, he wants to gain tools that will allow him to speak up in his organization.

Journalism freshman Emme Basnett met Cadenas, and said she finds it admirable how he wants to further his education after being an officer as his full time job.

“I have a lot of respect for not only him, but his character,” Cadenas said.

samantha dorisca | the daily texan staff Officer Bino Cadenas will begin a leadership graduate program at the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs this summer. Cadenas has wanted to be a police officer since he was a child.

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FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2019

CAMPUS

Proposed bill would conceal vaccination exemption records

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By Kevin Loku @quotable_cow

A proposed Texas bill would prohibit the Department of State Health Services from recording the number of individuals claiming a vaccine exemption in public schools.

House Bill 1490, filed by Rep. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth, would pose an obstacle to researchers trying to identify areas of greatest concern for infectious disease outbreak.

UT researchers Lauren Castro and Maike Morrison are exploring possible hotspots of infectious disease outbreak based on nonmedical vaccine exemptions rates in Texas.

“In general you see higher rates of conscientious vaccine exemption in counties where you have higher income, a e higher proportion of the population that is white … (and) has n a bachelor’s degree,” said Cas” tro, an ecology, evolution and behavior graduate student. y l

n

Legislation such as HB 1490 poses a concern to the researchers, making their work almost impossible to complete, Castro and Morrison said. For clearer results, more data is required for their work.

“We are specifically trying to identify the regions of most concern and the sociodemographic groups of most concern,” mathematics junior Morrison said. “We’ve done this by taking lots of publicly available data from places like the Department of State Health Services and the United States census … to try to identify the predictors of vaccination exemption rates.”

The risk of aggregated groups of children without vaccinations leads to higher risk of disease outbreak in that area.

Morrison said a major concern is for immunocompromised children who have medical reasons for vaccine exemptions.

“For a disease like measles, you need 96 to 99 percent of the population to be vaccinated

| the daily texan staff

in order for herd immunity to be achieved,” Morrison said.

Many early childhood diseases such as measles have been nearly eliminated by vaccine campaigns.

“Trying to get people who (don’t) understand this isn’t the flu, it’s not chicken pox, it’s really serious and here’s why, is (how) I think communication could help change people’s understanding,” said Michael Mackert, director of the UT Center for Health Communication.

For now, Castro said the next step beyond their current research is to model the potential outbreak size of infectious diseases in low vaccination areas.

“Putting the risk in terms of students affected … I think that could change people’s perception of what is the risk,” Castro said. “At the end of the day everybody wants their kids to be safe, but how we move everyone to the evidence based scientific answer, I think is the million dollar question.”

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women spend a longer period of time in rank … and women faculty are more likely to be in colleges and departments that pay lower salaries.” Glass said.

Glass said “motherhood-bias” could be a factor contributing to the discrepancy.

“Even mothers who work continuously and do not drop

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working on other health initiatives for UT System employees focusing on mental health and colon cancer. He said a colon cancer screening pilot program will debut this semester with a soft launch that will screen about 50 UT Austin employees this month.

“We found that the colon cancer screening rates for people (age) 50 and above are significantly lower than the national average, and we’re trying to get it up into 85–90 percent where we can save roughly five to 10 lives a year amongst all our employees,” Bernacki said.

Employees who qualify

| the daily texan staff

their work hours are likely to face slower earnings growth and slower promotions because of stereotypical attributions made by employers about their competency and commitment to work post-birth,” Glass said.

“We have very good anti-bias policies and work-family policies at UT. Our problems are more about uneven policy implementation and fairness across units and colleges

that have affected specific faculty members.”

Alma Jackie Salcedo, an academic adviser at the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, said she is happy about the wage gap shrinking and the increase in women faculty at UT. “I am really glad we’re getting a (female) dean of liberal arts,” Salcedo said. “It’s great we’re getting more women faculty and women leaders.”

for any of these health initiatives are those who receive a paycheck from the University and are insured by a UT Select health insurance plan, Ovienmhada said.

Bernacki said companies that offer exciting exercise programs are “tremendously” benefiting employees. He said people are more inclined to exercise in a group and will increase productivity through exercise, based on research he conducted.

“What we found with individuals who are regular exercisers versus employees in a population who did not exercise (was) that the productivity of the individuals who exercised was significantly greater,” Bernacki said. “People who are

inclined to exercise are higher performers, and once they engage in exercise, they were even higher performers.”

Kendall Dunn, a biology and Plan II freshman who runs and lifts weights when she feels stressed, said she thinks it is important for University employees to have a separate space to release stress and “blow off steam.”

“There can be a lot of pressure in a normal gym, especially a college gym, to be one of the fit people,” Dunn said. “Exercise for an employee who is on their feet all the time is very important because when working with customers (or students), it’s ideal to have less stress and less negative energy inside.”

CAMPUS

Curious Campus: Where are the best spots to nap at UT?

n h -By Jasmine Thekkekara @jjjasminetea t .

- According to the ,American College cHealth Association, edaytime sleepi-ness — exhibited by -50 percent of colmlege students — is a

the Fireside Lounge is her favorite place to nap after her classes and before her weekly organization meetings.

“I love sleeping on those big chairs by the fire,” Khandelwal said. “It just makes the place very warm and inviting.”

Doty Fine Arts building While this building itself is celebrating its 40th year on campus, it’s not as well-known due to its location on Trinity Street, near the LBJ Library. Design freshman Anastasia Paul said the reason she likes Doty is because of the color and feel of the couches on the second floor.

“It’s very quiet, and the interior is all brown, which gives it a homey, cozy feel,” Paul said.

SAC Mind Body Lab Located on the second floor of the SAC, the MindBody Lab is a small private room across from the Student Government office. Mechanical engineering freshman Aditya Goyal said he prefers the MindBody Lab because it is soundproof.

major problem. n UT has created the dUniversity Health

Services “Nap Map” dto help students comnbat the dilemma of ksleep deprivation. But ”while the Nap Map fserves as general guide ,for many students, it fmisses out on some ekey details for some .favorite spots.

So, when one of our readers asked us “Where are some good places to nap on campus?” we looked into it as part of Curious Campus, our series where we answer reader-submitted questions every week.

SAC Fireside Lounge The second floor of the SAC is usually teeming with studying students, but the Fireside Lounge provides a calming ambiance to combat a stressful day.

Finance sophomore Esha Khandelwal said

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Mostellar said 77 people who tested positive for the flu this year said they had gotten the flu shot. She said people often hear about the low rate of effectiveness of the flu shot, and they think it won’t really help them.

“When you hear in the news ‘(the flu shot is) 50 percent

“It’s very private.

At most two people can be there at once since there are only two chairs, which I believe recline, and there’s a divider between them,” Goyal said. “There’s usually a blanket available too, which is nice for when it’s cold.”

The Texas Union Whether you want to play a round of pool, work on a project, or catch some Z’s, the five-story Texas Union has it all. Mathilde Gireshema, health and society junior, likes to take her naps on the third floor of the union because she feels it’s

effective,’ … that sounds like it’s 50 percent not effective,” Mostellar said. “For predicting the strains, 50 percent is not bad.”

Mostellar said people can prevent the flu by washing their hands, having good hygiene and avoiding sick people, if possible.

“But the number one thing is (getting) the flu shot and then cleaning your environment,” Mostellar said. “Flu

I love sleeping on those big chairs by the fire. IT just makes the place feel warm and inviting.”

E S H A K H A N D E LWA L FINANCE SOPHOMORE

the best location.

“It’s pretty central to campus and all of my classes,” Gireshema said. “It also has a lot of good options for food (on the first floor), which I like better than other places

viruses live for a while on inanimate objects.”

Undeclared freshman Lauren Blummer said she caught the flu virus this year.

“This is my second time getting the flu and both of those times I didn’t get a flu shot,” Blummer said.

She said she’s going to get her flu shot next year.

“It’s definitely worth it,” Blummer said.

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LIZA ANDERSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @TEXANOPINION

FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2019

EDITORIAL

ella williams

| the daily texan staff

Professors need to reconsider grade-based attendance policies Grade penalizations for missing class can hurt students more than it helps them.

By The Daily Texan Editorial Board Most professors at UT require students attend class in some way — whether it’s through quizzes, participation or simply making attendance a part of students’ grade in the class.

Requiring attendance makes sense. While we’re in college, our classes should be our priority, and part of that responsibility is going to class. Students should attend class if they want to succeed in that class, and penalizing students for not attending enforces this.

We understand the desire to enforce policies designed to get students to go to class.

But using grades to require attendance — especially punishing students for not showing up — doesn’t always work.

Making students attend class can have negative impacts on students’ health. Many professors require a doctor’s note for a student to miss class because of illness, which encourages students to attend when they feel poor, but not bad enough to visit a doctor. Several students we spoke to told us they had attended class with illnesses such as the flu and bronchitis to avoid jeopardizing their grades. One member of the editorial board went to class despite being sick because of a harsh attendance policy — she left class twice to vomit in the bathroom.

Few students will go all the way to the doctor’s office for a cold, but going to class with a contagious, albeit minor, illness endangers the health of students and professors in the room.

There’s a reason colds and the flu spread like wildfire on a college campus, and requiring attendance — even with exceptions for students who go to the doctor — makes this problem worse.

Requiring doctor’s notes also isn’t a great solution to health concerns, as this can disenfranchise students who don’t have insurance. For students without insurance, going to the doctor for illnesses such as the flu can pose a financial burden. Students’ finances shouldn’t impact their grades.

University Health Services offers cheap medical care for uninsured students, but it is located on campus and many lower-income students can’t afford to live

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.

that close to UT. For uninsured students who live in an area such as Riverside, getting a doctor’s note to get an excused absence can mean taking the bus all the way across town — with the flu.

And not every student wants to disclose medical conditions to their professors. Students who have chronic illnesses and don’t want to register with Services for Students with Disabilities struggle with strict attendance policies. One member of the editorial board experiences chronic migraines, but decided not to register with SSD after learning the steps involved in the registration process. Her department has an attendance policy where students who miss multiple classes automatically fail the class.

As a result, she frequently attends classes while feeling disoriented, struggling with speech and experiencing painful headaches and nausea.

To be frank, it seems to us like students pay less attention in classes they only attend for the attendance grade.”

Attendance also poses financial burdens for some students.

For students who have jobs while attending UT, a flexible schedule can be a godsend.

We’re not suggesting students who work don’t need to go to class, but if your boss assigns you hours that conflict with your class schedule you may be forced to choose between a reliable source of income and your grades.

Many professors also require students to purchase subscriptions to services which log their attendance. Services such as Squarecap, Top Hat, Arkaive and iClicker can cost up to $62, and some only track attendance. Some students have to register for more than one service a

semester. These services can substantially burden students, just to make sure they’re attending class.

This system can fail students in other ways as well. One member of the editorial board took a class where the professor enforced his attendance policy by subtracting points from students’ final grades for each day they missed. The professor took points for classes during the add-drop period, when she was not yet registered for the class.

Even when students are required to attend class, this doesn’t mean they’re participating in learning on any given day. To be frank, it seems to us like students pay less attention in classes they only attend for the attendance grade. We’ve heard stories of students sharing attendance codes for services such as Squarecap in class group messages, which enables students to sign in from a distance. Other students sign in at the beginning and then leave.

Clearly, a blanket attendance policy doesn’t always work, nor is it justified.

The best classes we’ve taken in college didn’t enforce attendance — instead, they were worth attending. The best professors we’ve had at UT made attending class the best way to succeed by providing the most valuable information possible in lecture, not by docking students’ grades if they didn’t show up. If a student can skip class every day and still make an A, shouldn’t they be able to?

Instead of enforcing attendance by taking a grade, consider offering extra credit for attendance. Or consider announcing quizzes in class, and allowing make-ups for students who miss for a legitimate reason — just don’t demand a doctor’s note. Consider grading based on participation instead of attendance, which would reward students who are clearly engaged with the material, even if they can’t show up everyday.

Professors are understandably wary of letting students off the hook for attending class. They don’t want students to succeed while slacking off. But there are ways to ensure only students who deserve a good grade get one that don’t have as many unintended consequences.

By docking their grades when they miss class, you may be hurting your students.

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.

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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FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2019

BASEBALL

Peter provides much-needed spark as Texas Tech awaits

By Daniela Perez @danielap3rez

After a landslide win over Texas Southern, an unlikely hero stood amongst reporters.

Longhorn fans are used to hearing from freshmen like Eric Kennedy and Bryce Reagan. But after Tuesday, catcher Caston Peter joined the duo following an incredible showing.

Peter couldn’t contain his excitement as he recounted the home run, five RBIs and two runs he tallied on a windy Tuesday night. However, it’s not being a freshman that makes Peter an unexpected standout—it’s his walk-on status.

As the co-valedictorian of Stratford High School in Houston, Texas, Peter was accepted into the University of Texas at Austin on merit. Initially, he wasn’t even planning on playing collegiate baseball.

“For a while I didn’t know if I was going to be able to play D1 baseball at all,” Peter said.

“And then my summer coach really helped me out, my high school coach got me in contact with (Texas head coach David Pierce) and I came to a couple of camps. They saw me play in the summer.”

Pierce recognized Peter’s abilities at Texas’ summer programs and decided to offer Peter a spot on the squad.

However, as a freshman walk-on, Peter was never expected to start a game.

“But to start this season he was definitely our number three and so you really don’t play your number three very often,” Pierce said. “And if you do, anyone in the country is going to suffer from it.”

That was until the shocking loss of catcher DJ

carlos garcia | the daily texan file Catcher Caston Peter swings at a pitch in Texas’ 7-10 loss to UTSA on Feb. 28 at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin. Peter has been thrust into the starting position following starting catcher Michael McCann’s injury and notched a home run and five RBIs in the Longhorns’ 17-3 win over Texas Southern on Tuesday.

Petrinsky and injury to Michael McCann that Peter quickly found himself behind home plate with little college experience.

Prior to Stanford, Peter went 0-5 on the plate with only one walk. At Stanford, though, Peter was able to get his first hit of the season which would prove fruitless in their 9-0 defeat. Peter recognized that his unsuccessful

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performances took a toll, but his teammates helped him build his confidence.

“I haven’t played all that well but I just kind of settled down and got some confidence in myself,” Peter said.

“My teammates picked me up let me know that I’m here for a reason and they believe in me and that’s helped me believe in myself and just calmed me down.”

That, coupled with the support Petrinsky and McCann have given Peter, allowed him to find success.

“I wouldn’t be where I am if it weren’t for DJ and Mike,” Peter said. “I mean, they work with me every single day, they give in the best position to succeed.”

Pierce said he was not only proud of the player Caston has become, but is confident

play, Caston can’t help but feel confident about their upcoming series.

“I mean it was great, coming off a rough series where things just weren’t going our way to come back and build our confidence with our pitchers, our hitters and our defense just felt awesome,” Caston said. “Especially rolling into Big 12 play this weekend.”

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in his two catchers.

“For him to settle in and start looking like a guy who is comfortable doing his job, that’s very encouraging,” Pierce said. “Our pitchers like throwing to him, so hopefully we’re back to a pretty solid one and two for Michael and Caston.”

Now, with No. 12 Texas Tech coming to town Friday to kick off conference

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FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2019

The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Friday, March 15, 2019

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ROSS BURKHART SPORTS EDITOR @TEXANSPORTS

FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2019

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Kansas delivers knockout punch Texas’ NCAA tournament hopes take another crucial hit in third straight loss.

ryan lam | the daily texan file Guard Kerwin Roach II dishes a pass to forward Jericho Sims in Texas’ 69-57 win over Oklahoma State on Feb. 15 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin. After a 65-57 loss to Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals, the Longhorns’ hopes of playing in the NCAA Tournament are even more bleak.

By Steve Helwick @s_helwick

he flame on the flickering candle may have vanished for good.

The 2018–19 Texas basketball season, one which saw the Longhorns attain their highest ranking in the Shaka Smart era, now remains in the hands of a selection committee after Texas suffered a critical defeat to Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament on Thursday.

Texas’ 65-57 loss to Kansas depletes the Longhorns’ record to 16– 16, with an alarming five losses in their final six games. Now, the team desperately hopes its five Quadrant 1 wins and four victories against the current AP Top 25 are enough to sway the committee for a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the third time in Smart’s four years.

“We don’t get that opportunity to speak directly to (the committee), but if we’re gonna evaluate teams based on the quality of our wins, I think we deserve consideration,” Smart said.

“You certainly want to control your own destiny and that’s the most disappointing thing about tonight.”

Texas held firm against the

transition baskets was the difference,” perennial powerhouse in the first 20 Smart said. “Defensively, that was minutes of action against a Kansas the biggest key… because in the halfteam it split the season series with. court possessions, we guarded them Forward Dylan Osetkowski contributpretty well.” ed eight points while shooting guard The Longhorns played at full Jase Febres knocked down a pair of strength with the return of previoustriples to erase a seven-point first half ly-suspenddeficit and ened shooting ter halftime guard Kerwin deadlocked Roach.

Afat 29. ter missing Both offive contests, fenses opened Regardless of our record, Roach came up at halftime, every game that we’ve off the bench but Kansas’ and provided to a greatplayed, it was there for the late-game er extent. us to win. Teams don’t momentum Jayhawks Texas needed. point guard want to see us out of our The senior inDevon Dotleague.” cited a minison pushed 5-1 run to pull the pace and the Longhorns captained DYLAN OSETKOWSKI within four several fast SENIOR FORWARD points with breaks, and Texas’ tran2:43 remaining. sition defense failed to record stops.

With the Jayhawks in striking Dotson scored a team-high 17 points distance, Texas squandered each enand recorded four assists, leading suing offensive possession. Kansas Kansas to outscore the Longhorns’ didn’t sink a field goal for the final half court-centric offense on fast 3:34. But that was canceled out by breaks, 17-0.

Texas’ poor shooting. Smart’s team “I think the difference in

missed each of its final six field goal attempts, failing to record a single point from the 2:43 mark onward.

Fighting for the Longhorns tournament hopes was Osetkowski, playing in his final collegiate game, excluding potential postseason tournament action. The physical big man splashed in a season high 18 points and controlled the glass with seven rebounds, but the senior’s breakout night was not enough to extend Texas’ Big 12 Tournament life.

According to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, the Longhorns’ have an eight percent chance of receiving a bid to the NCAA Tournament.

If Texas’ number is called, it would enter March Madness with several footnotes. No 16-loss team has ever received an at-large bid to the bracket nor has a .500 team received an invitation.

Eliminated from the Big 12 Tournament, the body of work is done. All the Longhorns can do is tune in to Selection Sunday and watch.

“Regardless of our record, every game that we’ve played, it was there for us to win,” power forward Dylan Osetkowski said, citing the difficulty of the Big 12. “Teams don’t want to see us out of our league.”

MEN’S TENNIS

Unfazed Longhorns upend top-ranked Ohio State

By Robert Trevino @robtrev22

Arguably the two deepest men’s tennis teams in the country met Thursday as the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes rolled into town with a 16–1 record, looking to bounce back from their first loss of the season to No. 19 Texas A&M on Monday. Meanwhile, No. 4 Texas sought to avenge its only loss of the season when the Buckeyes swept the Longhorns in the semifinals of the ITA National Indoor Championships.

In the end, it would be Texas who would take the match, 4-1 — just over 24 hours after former head coach Michael Center was fired — dealing the Buckeyes their first doubles point loss all year. Texas also won three of the first four singles matches played before Texas’ Leonardo Telles clinched the match by coming from behind to take the final two sets and beat No. 69 Martin Joyce, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

“Man, did they compete,” Bruce Berque, newly appointed head coach, said.

“That’s been the signature of this team all year. Colin

Markes lost his first match of the season, and other guys stepped up … it was all about battling tonight.”

No. 9 Yuya Ito dominated Ohio State’s No. 28 Kyle Seeling, winning, 6-0, 6-3.

After the Buckeyes’ James Trotter ended Colin Markes’ 15-match win streak with a 6-2, 7-5 win, Texas led 2-1.

But it would be senior Rodrigo Banzer who would step up and redeem his loss earlier this week. Banzer with a grueling first set tiebreaker win and a 6-2 second set to push the lead to 3-1 for the Longhorns.

“We have some mature guys on the team that have matured in their years here,” Berque said. “That was one of the reasons we decided to go with (Banzer) in a big match today, he didn’t start off well at all but he’s got so much experience in matches like these and he just kept fighting.”

And with No. 4 Christian Sigsgaard in the midst of third set and No. 49 Harrison Scott attempting to win a second set tiebreak to take the match in straight sets, it would be Leonardo Telles who ran away with the third set to finish the Buckeyes and set off a wave of

joshua guenther | the daily texan staff Senior Harrison Scott returns a volley in No. 4 Texas’ match against No. 1 Ohio State at the Texas Tennis Center in Austin. Scott was instrumental in pushing the Longhorns past the Buckeyes in their second match since head coach Michael Center was fired.

celebration on Court 3 and across the Texas Tennis Center, with the elation of defeating the country’s top team pouring out.

“We’ve been thinking

about this match for a long time,” Scott said. “We did feel like we were ready, the crowd was unbelievable, they really helped us … I was having a hard time

focusing (during the end of my match) because I saw Harrison (Scott) was up and I didn’t know if he was going to win or not … I was telling myself to keep focused and

think about my match.”

Texas moves to 16–1 and will welcome Columbia on March 22 for another top10 matchup at the Texas Tennis Center.

8

TIANA WOODARD & JORDYN ZITMAN LIFE&ARTS EDITORS @THEDAILYTEXAN

FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2019

SXSWMUSIC

Producer talks music video revolution Tara Razavi talks about visual effects, and technology in music videos.

By Landry Allred @l2ndry

ith the release of innovative music videos from A$AP Rocky and Tyler, The Creator, Tara Razavi, the executive producer at Happy Place, discussed the music video revolution.

Cherie Hu, a reporter for Forbes, led the discussion as Razavi shared her take on technology in the world of music Thursday at SXSW in the Austin Convention Center. She spoke on her role as a producer, the rise in technology and the key in creating engaging visual content.

She also shared her experience working with A$AP Rocky and Tyler, The Creator.

Razavi compared her job to the workers at a magic act, moving the rabbit in the hat from under the stage to the next area.

“The role of the producer is not the one that a lot of people know,” Razavi said. “It’s not as sexy as you think. You’re the first one there,

and you’re the last one there.”

As a producer, she said she not only makes decisions about money but also sits down with artists, talking through ideas. “(It’s about) entering your artist’s head, figuring out what they want, seeing it from their eyes and finding the tools to make that happen,” Razavi said.

Being a producer during the rise of technology, Razavi said the ideation process remains the same but the execution has shifted. From turning Tyler, The Creator into a centaur in one video to including an elephant in Jennifer Lopez’s video, the possibility for using visual effects are limitless.

“Visual effects are like a black hole,” Razavi said. “You don’t know what’s going to happen.”

However, with the rise in technology, Razavi said she takes the business side out of beginning conversations with artists to focus on maintaining artistry. In an era where record labels don’t control artists anymore, Razavi said she keeps an open mind, taking each project individually.

“My business decisions don’t come first,” Razavi said. “They wrap around my creative decisions.”

Razavi said she’s seen a lot of trends in the music video industry of artists desiring to be different. However, she said this trend is overrated.

“We’re all different. If you’re doing well, it’s because you’re

katie bauer | the daily texan staff Tara Razavi discusses how technology shifts the way artists create music videos, specifically highlighting videos from A$AP Rocky and Tyler, The Creator.

different,” Razavi said. “You’re speaking to an audience that no one else is speaking to, so I say just do what you want.”

The main concept Razavi pushes for is the idea that there’s no equation for a successful music video.

She said executives often project their opinions onto their artists.

“There’s not right or wrong answer on how to do it,” Razavi said.

“What I’ve learned is to just embrace the mess.”

After viewing A$AP Rocky’s “Kids Turned Out Fine” and Tyler, The Creator’s “See You Again” videos, Razavi said their videos were successful not because they relied on a specific formula, but because each artist clearly understood who they are and what they want.

“Working with them is me being

on my toes,” Razavi said. “Literally anything is possible and nothing in my brain is closed.”

With this in mind, Razavi said a lot of misconceptions about producing music video emerge from the idea that people try to figure out how to be something they’re not.

“This isn’t numbers,” Razavi said. “This is art.”

Q&A

Greyson Chance discusses new album, artistic evolution

By Tiana Woodard @tianarochon

Dropped from all his record labels within the span of two weeks, singer-songwriter Greyson Chance’s music career came to a halt at age 15. But with a new label, an ongoing tour and upcoming album, a 21-year-old Chance is once again taking his chances in the music industry.

Well known for his viral 2010 cover of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi,” Greyson has returned to the scene with a more authentic, mature approach to pop music. The Daily Texan spoke with Chance about his artistic evolution as well as his upcoming album portraits, set for release on March 15.

Daily Texan: What inspired you to take a break from music?

Greyson Chance: I wasn’t enjoying what I was doing.

There was just no attention on anything I was saying within music. I just didn’t really see a path for myself forward where I felt like I could be happy. And so I talked to a lot of people in my own life and … for me it was, you know, maybe it’s time to try something new and to try something different.

DT: Did you ever have any fears returning?

GC: Oh, talk about everyday. There are definitely lots of moments of self-doubt and wondering, “Is this going to

eddie gaspar | the daily texan staff Following his March 14 SXSW performance at Palm Door, singer-songwriter Greyson Chance is set to release upcoming album portraits on March 15.

work?” I told myself when I left school, “Listen, go and make a body of work that you’re really proud of. And regardless of how it goes and how it performs or any of the things that happened after, at the end of the day, if

you go and make an album that you felt like you gave it your all, then you won.”

DT: Do you still want to be associated with your former image as a child star?

GC: I wouldn’t say I

necessarily want to distance myself. I just think I want to recreate myself. I want to recreate the way people view my name and then my art. I think the only way that I can do that is to put out more records and tour as much

as I can.

DT: You publicly came out two years ago. How has your sexuality impacted your artistry?

GC: I’ve been able to live honestly within my old life.

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That’s transcribed to the music as well.In terms of the way I write, it hasn’t affected anything in that regard. But I will say, I just think because I’m living happy and honest in my own life, that’s just transcribed and makes it better.

DT: What’s the underlying theme behind your upcoming album portraits?

GC: The first theme of the album would have a lot about transformation. I also fell in love for the first time last year and had to go through my first heartbreak as well, or at least my first true heartbreak. Not to be melodramatic, but that shit sucks, and it rocks your world because I wrote a lot about that. The last theme is a redemption theme of — you know what I mean?

You’re going back into the studio and really wanting to prove to people … who have already known my name that, ‘Hey, actually, I can do this in a serious way and let me show you how I can do it.’

DT: Do you see yourself taking another break in the future?

GC: I’ve never felt this more energized and more excited about everything that’s going on. I don’t see any break in the foreseeable future. The only time that I’m going to stop is if no one’s coming to the shows anymore. If I need to start playing in a bar — Oklahoma, maybe.

But as long as people still want to hear me play out, I’ll be here.