The Daily Texan 2019-04-22 by The Daily Texan

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MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2019

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119,

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NEWS

OPINION

LIFE&ARTS

SPORTS

Researcher speaks to engineering students about artificial pancreas technology. PA G E 2

Forum contributors discuss the problems and realities of UT’s admissions process. PA G E 4

Lizzo’s third studio album radiates body positivity and self-satisfaction. PA G E 8

Softball loses three-game series to the No. 1 ranked Oklahoma Sooners. PA G E 6

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UNIVERSITY

University faces hazing lawsuit UT students sue claiming Title IX, constitutional rights violations, seek $1 million. By Emily Hernandez @emilylhernandez

our undergraduate male students are suing the University, saying they were unfairly disciplined for actions they committed as pledges in an unnamed fraternity last fall, according to a lawsuit filed in early April. In the lawsuit, the anonymous plaintiffs accuse the University of violating the students’ rights under Title IX, the U.S. Constitution and the Texas Constitution. While the exact reason for the University’s disciplinary actions is not specified in the lawsuit, it states the Office of the Dean of Students placed the students on disciplinary

probation and required them to participate in a Virtual Academic Integrity Module tutorial. The tutorial is a disciplinary requirement for academic dishonesty, according to information on the tutorial from the UT Libraries website. The lawsuit states the University violated Title IX, the federal law banning discrimination on the basis of sex at any institutions that receive federal financial assistance, because it does not punish female students, especially sorority members who participate in sorority-related activities, as often or as severely as it does with male students. “The University treats all students and student organizations equally under its rules and policies and does not discriminate on the basis of gender,” UT spokesperson Shilpa

Bakre said in an email. The students are seeking $1 million plus attorneys’ fees, as well as the striking of the disciplinary action from the students’ records. The students, who are anonymously named Jon 1 Doe, Jon 2 Doe, and so on, are represented by attorneys Chigozie Odediran and Terry P. Gorman. Neither responded to multiple requests for comment. According to the lawsuit, the students have been harmed “emotionally and economically for perhaps the rest of their lives” by UT’s disciplinary process. The economic harm from the University’s disciplinary actions refers to students potentially being required to retake a class, meaning they would have

HAZING

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EARTH DAY

elias huerta | the daily texan staff Taylor Collins, Katie Forrest and their dog stand outside a silo that holds the meat produced on the land, tools, field guides and a provides a sense of closeness to what is ahead in the coming months— lots and lots of food.

By Elias Huerta @twitterhandle

ROAM Ranch in Fredericksburg is what Taylor Collins and Katie Forrest, both Austinites, call a lifelong dream to raise a family immersed in nature. They

bought the land in 2017 with no real background in farming aside from mentors and reading lots of books. So far, it’s working, and at the same time, it’s a work in progress. While other Texas farmers are ready to hop on the hemp

bandwagon, ROAM Ranch is planting fruit trees, herding bison, learning and teaching themselves through trial and error. They’re do-it-yourself farmers trying to make farming cool again. If it never was cool, they’re the

first. If it’s in season, they probably have it. As odd as it sounds, one of the most astounding parts of the land was a pasture of grass. Taylor hopped out of the Mule, looked at the ground, touched it and

RANCH

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CAMPUS

LEGACY

What ‘start-ups’ here changes the world

School of Journalism remembers former director Lorraine Branham

By Lauren Rahman @RahmanLauren

On Saturday, 22 student entrepreneur teams competed in Texas Shark Tank at UT, where they pitched their company ideas to investment professionals with backgrounds in venture capital and serial entrepreneurship. The competition, which featured teams of students from universities across Texas, was hosted by the University Securities and Investment Team and Texas Convergent, two UT student organizations. Invenstment team vice president Eric Sun said Texas Shark Tank allows students to show off their startups to investors from the Austin area and beyond. “Austin is one of the biggest startup hubs in the nation, and we really wanted to offer all the entrepreneurial opportunities that Austin has to offer to student startups across Texas,” said Sun, a

business honors, finance and math junior. “A lot of these connections actually lead to stronger relationships that result in an amazing mentor network and even seed funding in the thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars.” The first place startup was SurviVR, a virtual reality program for police training. The company, presented by a UT-Dallas student, creates realistic and cost-effective training scenarios that help police officers train and prepare for situations such as an active shooter or domestic battery. It is also the only VR training product that emphasizes unconscious bias monitoring, according to Brian Hoang, CEO and co-founder of SurviVR. Hoang said his team is trying to solve the problem of accidental or preventable deaths of both police officers and civilians, many of which they say could have

START-UP

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By Graysen Golter @graysen_golter

Lorraine Branham, former director of UT’s School of Journalism, died April 2 at age 66, prompting current faculty to reflect on her achievements and work at UT. Branham’s career in reporting and academia spanned over four decades, including her time at UT from 2002 to 2008. Before working at UT’s Moody College of Communication, Branham worked at newspapers such as The Tallahassee Democrat in Florida, where she was the first female and African-American executive editor. After leaving UT in 2008, Branham became the first woman and first person of color to lead Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications as dean. Kathleen McElroy, current director of UT’s journalism school, said she was inspired by Branham’s accomplishments and who she was as a person. “It meant something to me to see a black woman was running the UT School of Journalism,” McElroy said. “It shows you what the possibilities could be. (Branham) became a

copyright colin davy, the daily orange, and reproduced with permission Lorraine Branham, former director of UT’s School of Journalism, died April 2 at age 66. Branham was at UT from 2002 to 2008

mentor and a friend. (She had) quiet power and quiet elegance. (She was) a person who made stuff happen. I was in awe of her abilities to get things done. Every time I walked away from a conversation with her, I felt smarter.” Tracy Dahlby, a journalism professor who was hired during Branham’s tenure at UT, said he was nervous

about jumping into an academic career straight from a reporting career, but Branham easily made him feel at home. “Lorraine was the colleague of a lifetime,” Dahlby said. “When I met Lorraine, I knew I was in the right place. She had all the attributes of good editor. She was eagle-eyed, she

CHAIR

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CLAIRE ALLBRIGHT NEWS EDITOR @THEDAILYTEXAN

MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2019

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CURIOUS CAMPUS

Why doesn’t UT have extensive sex-ed resources? By Libby Cohen @libbycohen211

Every UT student completes the sexual assault awareness modules and attends the consent theater performance at orientation. After that, UT does not provide any further mandatory sexual education requirements. So, when one of our readers asked us, “Why doesn’t UT have more comprehensive sex-ed resources besides the EverFi course that freshmen take?” we looked into it as part of Curious Campus, a series where we answer reader-submitted questions. Kathryn Redd, associate director for prevention and outreach for the Counseling and Mental Health Center, said EverFi is the sexual education and assault prevention modules that incoming students must complete before classes. “Incoming students experience the sexual assault prevention for undergraduate modules, which is online comprehensive information and education about consent, sexual violence prevention and resources that are also available on campus,” Redd said. Along with EverFi, UT has organizations such as Voices Against Violence that run campaigns during sexual violence awareness month and perform interactive dialogues. Redd said other educational resources regarding sexual violence are provided when requested. “The trainings that we do for sexual violence prevention are on an as-requested basis so we go into student orgs, classrooms, fraternities and sororities,” Redd said. “A small team can’t

reach 250,000 students, so we work with our campus partners so that our message can get spread as far and wide as possible.” One of the platform points that former student body president Colton Becker ran on during the last Student Government election was the increased presence of sexual assault awareness. Becker said he noticed the modules and performances were not enough to start conversations on campus. “Right now, the University offers online modules that most students just click through as fast as they can without really understanding the information,” Becker said. “(With) all of this information that they are being bombarded with, they aren’t in the position to fully understand some of the issues that encompass the gray areas of interpersonal violence, including consent.” To increase the conversation to all UT students, Becker’s administration started an initiative to train First-Year Interest Group and Transfer-Year Interest Group leaders this spring to take to their classes starting in fall 2019. Trainings include different resources from Not On My Campus, a sexual violence prevention and education organization. UT also provides general sexual education resources for students at the Longhorn Wellness Center. Katherine Protil, health promotion coordinator for the wellness center, said four or more students can request Anatomy and Contraception or STIs and Communication workshops. In addition, the center works with the Gender and Sexuality Office to reach all students. “We work closely with Gender and

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Sexuality Center to include the LGBTQ community for comprehensive sexual education campaigns and education,” Protil said. This fall, FIG and TrIG students will experience the increase in sexual assault

education pushed by Becker. “Sexual assault is unacceptable, period,” Becker said. “The University has a responsibility to its students to provide resources and information in the interest of curving sexual assault.”

CAMPUS

Artificial pancreas tech automates insulin delivery By Samagra Jain

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About 1.25 million Americans currently live with Type 1 diabetes, according to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, but modern medicine has yet to provide a definitive treatment for the disease. Since fixing the pancreas is a difficult task and a solution is still many years away, much of today’s research focuses on managing the disease, diabetes researcher Frank Doyle said at a lecture on campus last Thursday. Type 1 diabetes is a disease in which the pancreas is unable to produce the regulatory hormone insulin, resulting in high levels of sugar in the blood. For patients living with the condition, constant insulin injections are required to prevent complications from high blood sugar, which can sometimes be fatal. Doyle, dean of Harvard’s engineering department, delivered a lecture to UT’s biomedical engineering department about his

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work on an artificial pancreas, a system that uses modern technology to automatically deliver insulin to a diabetic patient. Doyle has done research on improving the self-regulation of the system by using complex computer algorithms so it can

be entirely self-sufficient. “It’s like driving a car — if the system releases too little insulin, glucose builds up in the bloodstream,” Doyle said to a large auditorium of students and professors. “If you step too hard on the gas pedal, the patient goes

| the daily texan staff

hypoglycemic. It’s a delicate balancing act.” The artificial pancreas consists of an insulin pump attached to a continuous sensing device, which tracks blood glucose levels. When glucose levels rise, such as after a meal,

the pump releases insulin to control it. Earlier this year, Scott Hanselman, an engineer and Type 1 diabetic, presented at South by Southwest about his experience with the disease and how he self-programmed a system that attempts to do what Doyle’s does. “Every day of my life, I’m connected to this MacGyvered system that makes sure my body has the insulin it needs to survive,” Hanselman said in an email. “I would love to see an FDA-approved system that makes this technology accessible to all the Type 1 diabetics who need it.” Biomedical engineering sophomore Karan Shankar, who attended Doyle’s lecture, said solving these kinds of problems require a multidisciplinary approach. “You see (Doyle) using chemical engineering, biology, computer programming and even electrical engineering to make this all work,” Shankar said. “It’s the kind of problem that biomedical engineering is well suited for.”

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been avoided with more effective police training. “We take (this issue) really seriously, especially when we’re trying to differentiate and make a better product out there because if you mess this up and you get this wrong, you could kill somebody,” said Hoang, a software engineering senior at UT-Dallas. “It’s a very delicate problem, but we’re fully confident in our team’s ability given our experience.” Harvey Powers, a Texas Shark Tank judge and co-founder of the investment team, said SurviVR won the competition because the startup has shown significant traction, is a needed product and has a well-established market strategy. “(SurviVR has) inroads in the North Dallas police community and they have what seems to be … a lot of the right connections,” Powers said. “It’s a product that should be a good business … They’ve built it to the point where they have some tangible results, and we’re excited to see where it goes from here.”

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| the daily texan staff

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to pay again and possibly stay at UT for an extended amount of time in order to complete the class. The lawsuit describes the University’s disciplinary process for students as a “Draconian Disciplinary Dragnet” that is “confusing” and “limited,” and results in students rarely being found innocent. It

jamie powers | the daily texan staff UT-Dallas student Brian Hoang presents the winning startup, SurviVR, at Texas Shark Tank in the SAC Ballroom on Sunday. The company uses virtual reality technology to help train police officers for intense situations in the field.

states that in some cases, such as the plaintiffs’, students are denied the right to appeal their punishment directly from the Office of the Dean of Students. In other cases, students are given hearings conducted by the University with a panel of students and faculty to determine guilt. Another complaint outlined in the lawsuit is that the University uses lawyers during disciplinary hearings while also denying

students any legal counsel of their own, providing reasoning for the lawsuit to claim UT violated the students’ due process rights as listed in both the U.S. and Texas Constitutions. The lawsuit also claims the students’ equal protection rights under these constitutions were violated. Bakre said UT has not yet been served with or formally notified of the lawsuit, so it has yet to file a response in court.

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was precise in her thinking and had great ethics … (and a) delightful sense of humor.” Paula Poindexter, a journalism professor who received her doctorate from the Newhouse School, said it was not only Branham’s skills as a reporter and academic that made her stand out, but also her commitment to diversity. Poindexter said Branham was

committed to the students she worked with, whose careers she furthered by helping them with job and internship opportunities. “(Branham was committed to) not only (diversity) in newsrooms, but also having diverse faculty,” Poindexter said. “Diversity and a commitment to students … are two things that I will most remember her for. And if you were to ask her what she wanted to be remembered for, I would bet that would be it.”

MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2019

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talked about it. He said it used to feel like “driving on a concrete parking lot,” until bison were introduced and started bringing life back to the fields they “roamed” on, making the land more drought-resilient and able to hold thousands more gallons of rainwater than before. This isn’t just done by bison, but by chickens, turkeys and the honey bees that pollinate the field.

elias huerta | the daily texan staff

Top: There’s also a predator-friendly policy at ROAM Ranch: no shooting coyotes, skunks, raccoons or possums. These guardian dogs protect the chickens on the ranch are a part of the net-return ROAM is trying to achieve by placing less pressure on predators instead of killing them with guns. In turn, the predator population stays low and the dogs eat all the baby deer they want. They’ve never lived a day inside and prefer it that way. Bottom: Katie Forrest fills up the chickens’ water inside their area on ROAM Ranch. Every now and then, they’ll be moved around to different parts of the paddock to break up dirt and prepare for the next harvest of plants that they plan to use.

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elias huerta | the daily texan staff If you’ve ever walked down the bulk section at HEB, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve noticed those EPIC bars with pictures of bison and other animals on them. That’s Collins and Forrest. They initially started out with Thunderbird Bars, added on EPIC, acquired by General Mills and now spearhead ROAM Ranch. The EPIC bars don’t all come from this ranch, but the entire United States and Canada. It’s something that they really pride themselves on. EPIC only sources from ranches that produce a net positive return on the environment.

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GUEST COLUMN

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| the daily texan staff

Commonly asked questions about UT’s admissions process By Miguel Wasielewski Forum Contributor

As UT-Austin’s executive director of admissions, I get many questions about the undergraduate admissions process. And understandably so, since many people want to learn more about the automatic admission process. Key elements of our admission process are mandated by state law, and we focus our efforts to recruit outstanding students in ways that meet these legislative requirements. What is the automatic admission law? A state law passed in 1997 guaranteed automatic admission to all public colleges and universities in Texas for students who graduate in the top 10% of their classes in Texas public high schools. How does automatic admission work at UT, and why isn’t it actually “Top 10%” here? After the law took effect, an increasing number of seats at UT were filled by automatically admitted students, limiting the University’s ability to admit other talented students who had not graduated in the top 10%. In response, the state Legislature revised

the law in 2009. According to the statute, 75% of each incoming freshman class must be automatically admitted students. This allows the University to offer the remaining 25% to other talented students who are not automatically admitted. This means the number of automatically admitted students determines the total number of admissions offers. Due to increasing demand driven by the growth in the population of the state, this percentage level has decreased over time from the initial top 10%. For the incoming classes of 2019 and 2020, students graduating in the top 6% of their high school classes receive automatic admission. How do you determine what class rank will receive automatic admission? UT determines this percentage two years in advance, allowing high school juniors to know where they need to rank in order to qualify for automatic admission. This means we forecast the number of students we can accommodate in the freshman class in order to provide the classes and resources they need to be successful and graduate on time. Factors we consider include the number of current students on campus,

number of faculty available to teach, available classes and other resources such as housing and advising. To do this, we look at the predicted number of high school graduates across Texas and then the percentage of those students who, based on historical data, will likely choose to apply to UT. What is holistic review? Each application is individually, holistically reviewed within the context of each individual applicant’s learning environment, personal experiences and all of the information submitted in the application. This includes academic coursework, grades and high school GPA, relevant activities, short answer and essay question submissions and any other materials, including letters of recommendation. All information considered in our holistic review is important to understanding a student’s preparation for success and the overall competitiveness of the application. Under holistic review, there is no single factor that will determine an admission decision — other than graduating in the top 6% of a Texas high school class.

Why is it so competitive to get into UT? Growth in the number of high school graduates and in interest from strong student applicants — almost 51,000 applications last year alone — has resulted in admissions becoming more competitive. Between 2015 and 2017, there was an almost 0.07% increase in the number of high school graduates in Texas. During that same time frame, we experienced an 18% increase in nonautomatic admission applications. Does UT-Austin consider legacy status for children of alumni? No. That is against state law. Managing the admissions process at the public flagship University of Texas is a tremendous responsibility. Each day, I witness the transformative educational experience here on campus, and this institution’s ability to unlock student potential. My focus is to ensure we meet our public obligation to all Texans by recruiting and admitting talented students from across the state in accordance with the law and in meeting the high standards we have set. Miguel Wasielewski, Ph.D., is the executive director of the Office of Admissions at UT-Austin.

GUEST COLUMN

All students deserve an equal opportunity to attend UT By Dylan Zisman Forum Contributor

Every year, the competition for teenagers around the world to get into college gets tougher. With more people from an increasing variety of backgrounds pursuing a higher education, big state universities are finding their desks stacked high with applications from thousands of prospective students. UT is no exception to this trend. Last year, rumors circulated that UT admitted more students than its capacity, putting a strain on living situations and class scheduling alike, yet people complained about not enough students being accepted. Why is that? The answer is simple. Too many applicants are getting rejected, and still too many are being accepted. It isn’t that a larger percentage of applicants are getting rejected each year. In fact, a quick Google search will show you that, if anything, UT is admitting more students each year without changing their

acceptance rate all that much. The problem is that more students are graduating high school and pursuing a college education with each graduating class, and there is an inverse correlation between the amount of people that apply to a school and the amount of people who are accepted. Not only does UT have to ensure that only 10% of the admitted students are from out of state, but they also have to offer admission to the top 6% of each Texas high school graduating class, and that number is getting smaller each year. For years, the top 10% of students from a graduating class were offered automatic admission, and more recently that number was reduced to 6%. Still, UT is doing what it can to ensure that they don’t enroll too many students and cause Austin to become cramped. In-state prospective students and parents alike are flipping tables and turning to every parent with a student at UT, trying to figure out what they have to do to ensure their acceptance at one of the more prestigious and affordable universities in Texas.

If a student needs financial aid to attend college and can’t get accepted by their in-state universities, where are these students supposed to turn? They can apply to a small out-ofstate school and pray for scholarships, take out loans and go into debt, or they can find a local community college and potentially not get the degree to become the doctor or lawyer or businessperson that they had aspired to be. Obviously, these are hypotheticals, but it wouldn’t be surprising if people are currently in this exact situation. As for the out-of-staters, their problem lies on a different premise entirely. They are fighting to be 10% of a freshman class in which the other 90% are already struggling to get in. The reason this 10% figure exists is because UT is legally required to hold open a large portion of their admission slots for the automatically admitted students. However, out-of-state students don’t apply to UT because it’s their best option financially or all of their friends are headed to Austin. These kids have a genuine interest in what the school has to offer,

and they probably have an impressive résumé to boot. The admissions office needs to take note of the out-of-state applicants. Unless they grew up in Texas bleeding burnt orange, these are the students that want to be a part of the UT community more than anyone else. So, what’s the solution? Admit more outof-state kids and fewer in-state? Do the opposite? Change nothing? Quite honestly, there isn’t one clear-cut answer, but something has to be done. Whether it be removing the automatic admission system entirely or increasing minimum criteria to apply, it is my firm belief that no matter what changes or what stays the same, someone is always going to complain. As a kid from Houston who doesn’t know exactly what got him the elusive golden ticket of admission to this school, I believe that everyone deserves an equal chance to go to school here at UT. Sadly, that’s not the case, and something needs to change. The options are there and it’s time for UT to pick their poison. Zisman is a biology freshman from Houston.

GUEST COLUMN

Universal admissions requirements are outdated, harmful By Ethan Davis Forum Contributor

Did you, student reader, apply to schools besides the University of Texas-Austin? Do you remember the bane of your existence during your senior year of high school? A name worse than Voldemort, but more important than the key to your own dorm room — the key to your admission, ApplyTexas. The dreaded website that had you write countless essays and prompts for the bare minimum of allowing our University to even consider you. As a music student, on top of spending time meticulously crafting my responses to

prompts and essays, I had to fly to Austin and perform in front of a panel of highly trained experts in the field of singing, with no guarantee that my efforts would pay off. My efforts weren’t rewarded in many other schools where I auditioned, and despite that, I paid for the chance to present myself, a luxury few can afford. The price — although a problem on its own — isn’t the issue I want to tackle here. In fact, I was happy to audition. For me, it was the most accurate demonstration of my potential they could get. I wasn’t applying to be a wordsmith, after all. I was applying to be a musician. So why, then, are students universally made to prove that they’re adept in every field, especially writing? If you have a passion for

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.

engineering, why should a lack of a quality essay be part of the admissions decision? Why should a McCombs student have to worry about their low science scores on the ACT when the workforce they apply to rarely, if ever, needs them to perform a lab study? The skills most college admissions require of students don’t equate to their individual passions, strengths and aspirations — instead, they magnify weaknesses for anybody who finds it hard to read a boring text and answer questions about it under a time limit. And that’s not even touching a high school grading system far too outdated for the modern world we live in. It’s now harder than ever to judge a person based on a numerical grade value. As new generations take to employment,

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the workforce diversifies. Take the Avengers franchise as a relatable example: watching the credits for a movie fifteen years ago compared to one now shows just how much more expansive and varied the jobs in the film industry have become. And that’s just an example of something you can see yourself. With more content being produced than ever, more research being done than ever and more mouths to feed than ever, we need to stop judging our potential students based on a universal scale, because that scale is not universal anymore. We need applications that let passion shine through, not just grades. Davis is a music sophomore from Columbus, Ohio

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MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2019

CAMPUS

Students reflect on National Picnic Day stories

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depends on her shoes. “If I’m wearing cute shoes, then (I go to) Zilker because it’s not a hike,” Colon said. “If I’m feeling adventurous, I’ll go to Mount Bonnell or 360 All it takes is a blanket, food, friends (Bridge Overlook).” and the outdoors to enjoy picnics. Corporate communications sophoIn honor of National Picnic Day on more Will Sheehan said the time of day April 23, students share their picnic decides where he picnics. He said during experiences in Austin. Nursing senior the daytime, he prefers going to Zilker, Madison Leonard said she picnics at least once a month and enjoys the out- but enjoys Mount Bonnell or the 360 bridge for sunset picnics. doors aspect of it. Although the three said food was a “It’s a fun way to be in nature and necessity, Sheehan said the time of day still have quality time with friends or yourself,” Leonard said. “(It’s) just get- determines what he brings. For sunset or late-night picnics, he said he’ll bring a ting to do something, like eating, with flashlight or lantern, but for daytime picfriends that you do all the time but doing nics a football or speaker will do. it outside.” Aside from picnic essentials, Leonard Leonard said she often visits the BarTexas Student ton Media will keep you connected said picnics are easy to plan. Creek Greenbelt, Zilker Metropolitan or St. news, Edwards sports Park. Sydney Colon, with daily linksPark to the and culture“It feels like you’re not just sitting at home and doing nothing,” Leonard said. UT international relations and global stories shaping the UT community. studies alumna (‘18), said for sponta- “You’re doing something but it’s easy, and it doesn’t take a lot of effort.” neous picnics, the destination usually

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In a similar way, Colon said picnics differ from restaurants in that there’s less pressure. With picnics, people avoid the possibility of high costs or holding tables for too long. She also said it lessens pressure for dates. “If someone (went) on a picnic and it’s the first date, it’s low-key because it’s public enough to where if you’re like, ‘I gotta get out of here,’ there’s a lot of options,” Colon said. She also said birthday picnics are helpful because they act as a potluck and people don’t have to worry about cleaning their house. With less pressure, Sheehan said minimal distractions lead to more quality time with others. “You’re removing yourself from other people with a group of people,” Sheehan said. “Anytime you do that, it fosters a unique intimacy for conversation.” Sheehan also said picnics provide new experiences. As opposed to Chick-fil-A,

| the daily texan staff

where people expect the same experience each time, he said picnics give him the chance to escape that stability. “(Picnicking) is different every time,” Sheehan said. “The sunset’s going to look different every time, the weather is going to be different and the scene changes throughout the seasons.” Despite the changing scenes, Leonard said a major challenge accompanying picnics is the unpredictable weather. “I’ve been before (when) it started raining,” Leonard said. “We had to leave because you can’t really do anything about it.” Regardless of the supplies, activities or destination, Sheehan said picnics matter because of the people. “I would never picnic with my boss, that would be weird,” Sheehan said. “But going on a picnic with a girl you really like or some of your closest friends — that’s the best. A picnic is only as important as what you make it out to be.”

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MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2019

SOFTBALL

Texas no match for Sooners

joshua guenther| the daily texan staff Infielder Janae Jefferson attemps to catch an Oklahoma runner out during Sunday’s game against their Red River Rival at the Red and Charlene McCombs Field. Texas dropped all three games to the No. 1 ranked Sooners.

Longhorns come up short against top-ranked Oklahoma, get swept at home. By Marcus Krum @marcuskrum

t had been 18 games and 1,827 days of futility against Oklahoma, and twice, it came down a matter

of inches. It wasn’t that the Sooners were worlds of talent better than Texas. But the top-ranked Oklahoma squad showed exactly why it has been five years since the program has fallen to Texas. They came up with clutch plays to end a pair of close games at Red & Charline McCombs Field,

then displayed their powerful lineup to close out the sweep over the No. 11 Longhorns with a 9-2 win on Saturday. “They’ve been on the big stage a lot longer than we have,” Texas head coach Mike White said. “They’re just a little more seasoned than us. … We can practice all we want, and trust me, we probably practice the same stuff they do, but they’ve just been on the bigger stage longer.” In the series’ second game, the Longhorns threatened to halt Oklahoma’s dominance in its tracks. Texas manufactured a run in the sixth inning to tie the game up at two runs apiece and send it to extra innings. The eighth inning quickly turned into chaos. Oklahoma plated one run on a sacrifice fly. Thinking the runner may have not touched the plate, the Texas dugout pleaded for the Longhorns to go back and tag her. Second baseman Janae Jefferson took notice and extended the play by attempting to go back and make the tag. The Sooner runner on third made a

heads-up play and ran home as well, and both runners were ruled safe. Trailing 4-2, Texas got two quick outs in the bottom of the inning, but then picked up two base hits. Jefferson laid down a bunt and the Oklahoma infielder overthrew the first baseman, scoring the runner from second. Outfielder MK Tedder was sent around from first but was thrown out at the plate, ending the game. White tried to argue for obstruction on the play, but to no avail, as the Longhorns fell 4-3. “Either way, it would’ve been a close play, obstruction or no obstruction,” Tedder said after the loss. “I was just trying to give it my best shot.” The wacky ending to game two followed a game one loss in which two of Oklahoma’s runs came in a mistake-filled fifth inning for the Longhorns. An error and two other defensive misplays gave the Sooners a sliver of light that they jumped all over, spoiling pitcher Miranda Elish’s excellent start and taking the 3-1 win.

“We’re right there,” outfielder Kaitlyn Washington said. “Maybe one error away from being where they’re at. We’ve just got to turn the page.” With pitcher Shea O’Leary sidelined with an ankle injury, Elish was forced to make appearances in all three games. In the weekend’s final matchup, the fatigue of both Elish and pitcher Brooke Bolinger was evident, as the Longhorns fell 9-2 with a limited bullpen. “It hurt a lot,” White said. “(Oklahoma was) the better team, there’s no doubt about that. If we had more options with those other players, that would’ve helped out.” A record 3,903 people filled up McCombs Field over the weekend’s three games. Rare appearances were even made by the Longhorn Band and Bevo XV. But someone must have forgotten to tell Oklahoma. The country’s best team took care of business, and the Longhorns’ losing streak will continue until the next meeting.

BASEBALL

Longhorns embarrased in Stillwater, swept by Cowboys By Daniela Perez @danielap3rez

Going into Saturday afternoon’s game against Oklahoma State, Texas was already trailing the series 2–0. The Longhorns were only able to hit one ball in Thursday’s 15-0 loss while their 10-2 loss saw nine hits but only two runs, both coming in the ninth inning. For a moment on Saturday, however, it seemed as though the Longhorns could have taken one game from the Cowboys. They clawed and battled every inning to maintain or take the lead from OSU. But Texas’ efforts proved fruitless again, falling 11-10 in the final inning of the game. “It’s not really about our opponent right now, it’s about ourselves and that’s what we have to figure out,” Texas head coach David Pierce said in a postgame interview with Texas Sports. “It’s who we are, and (the) guys have to step up and trust themselves and go compete, it’s that simple.” Though Texas’ batting found a rhythm against OSU, fielding and pitching mistakes took the game away from the Longhorns and handed it over to the Cowboys — a story the Longhorns know all too well. They took an early lead in the first inning after a double from designated hitter Zach Zubia that brought both right fielder Austin Todd and shortstop Masen Hibbeler home. Now leading 2-0, the Cowboys were quick to respond and put the score at 2-1. A similar rhythm continued throughout with both teams responding whenever opposing runners found their way home. Even after the Longhorns blew a 5-3

pedro luna | the daily texan file Outfielder Tate Shaw rounds third base and heads towards home plate during the Longhorns’ win against Lamar on April 16 at the UFCU-Disch Falk Field. Texas would travel to Stillwater the following weekend and drop a three-game series against the Cowboys.

lead by allowing six runs in the bottom of the sixth, they responded with four runs in the seventh and another in the ninth. Then, Texas regained all the momentum after a two-run home run by first baseman Tate Shaw tied the game at 9-9 in the top of the seventh. “It’s one of those deals you piece everything, you view the

game in three pieces and you have to play all three against good quality teams,” Pierce said. However, not even the Longhorns’ biggest resurgence could erase the five errors they committed earlier in the game, or the lackluster pitching which allowed the Cowboys to come back in the bottom of the ninth. In all, 10 Longhorn pitchers

saw the mound on Saturday, and tallied a combined 12 walks, 10 hits and only eight strikeouts. While Texas struggled with pitching in the final frame, Pierce made three pitching changes in order to salvage the Longhorn lead. However, no pitcher was able to stop the bases-loaded situation that inevitably lead to Texas’ takedown.

“Well, now you gotta put together playing the right way with the right heart and mentality. But you got to play well, too,” Pierce said. “And, can’t kick the ball around and you can’t walk people, it’s that simple.” After being swept in Stillwater, the Longhorns will stay on the road to play Texas State in San Marcos on Tuesday.

CLASS 7 7

MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2019

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TIANA WOODARD & JORDYN ZITMAN LIFE & ARTS EDITORS @THEDAILYTEXAN

MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2019

ALBUM REVIEW | ‘CUZ I LOVE YOU’

Texas-born artist releases album

Lizzo’s new album ‘Cuz I Love You’ preaches self-love, positivity. By Sandeep Bhakta @sandeepbhakta1

ody positivity hasn’t always been the norm, but with Cuz I Love You, Texan singer, rapper and songwriter Lizzo makes music that preaches her own self-love while extending the same message to her listeners. Before becoming the confident and magnetic powerhouse she is know, Lizzo was a flute-playing band nerd influenced by church gospel music. Now, with her April 19 release, Lizzo takes her experiences and her past to create an album that unapologetically demonstrates her abilities as an artist. Her third studio album is saturated with energy that’s the result of years of growth. Cuz I Love You is the culmination of years worth of bubbling confidence and potent empowerment set by her 2016 EP Coconut Oil. Her current work is everything set by its predecessor but with a voice that’s not only more refined but also more direct. There’s never a dull moment in Cuz I Love You. Numerous tracks are accompanied by instrumentals that are both vibrant

and passionate. These instrumentals don’t diminish Lizzo’s prowess as a vocalist, but instead accentuate it. The intro track, which shares the album name, displays Lizzo’s vocals while showcasing an orchestral sound. She balances lyrics, such as “Never been in love before/What the f--- are f---ing feelings, yo” with blaring horns to create a piercing flow that remains consistent throughout the entire work. Lizzo’s album balances both high energy and intimacy. Tracks such as “Tempo” and “Exactly How I Feel,” which feature Missy Elliot and Gucci Mane, respectively are dancey and dynamic. But in the closing track “Lingerie,” Lizzo displays a facet of her personality that’s bare and exposed. The instrumentals are toned down and sensual, her vocals are intimate and the message is sultry. With lyrics like, “So I lounge around in my lingerie/Ooh, you better come my way” Lizzo doesn’t seek to conceal her femininity and sexuality. She acknowledges both aspects without hesitation. However, while toned down tracks like “Lingerie” are refreshing in Cuz I Love You, they feel a little too rare. The foundation of Cuz I Love You is loving one’s self. Within her work, Lizzo creates tracks about her body that are simply positive and this message reverberates heavily within Cuz I Love You. She displays a universally basic mantra that self-love is individualized, and it’s okay to go against the norm of hating one’s body. This

copyright atlantic records, and reproduced with permission Houston-born singer and rapper Lizzo charges Cuz I Love You with an infectious message of self-love.

message shines brightly in the album’s lead single “Juice.” With a sound that’s both retro and funky, Lizzo creates a fun, addictive track filled with lyrics that ooze confidence. She boldly states, “No, I’m not a snack at all/ Look, baby, I’m the whole

damn meal (Ohh, baby).” With these lines, Lizzo reveals herself to her listeners as a woman who’s proud of who she is and isn’t afraid to show it. In a society that engenders self-hatred, Lizzo reminds the world that this practice doesn’t have to be

true. Cuz I Love You is a response to those who expect Lizzo to minimize her own existence because of her body, sexuality and femininity. With her 11 tracks, she creates a work filled with love and a lesson of self-appreciation anyone can learn.

Cuz I Love You GENRE SCORE

Pop

Q&A

Quinn XCII talks romance, music

pedro luna | the daily texan staff Quinn XCII rounded out his tour “From Tour With Love” at Stubb’s Bar-B-Q in Austin on April 17.

By Jordyn Zitman @jordynzitman

Detroit native Quinn XCII packed Stubb’s BarB-Q on April 17 for the final show of his 2019 tour “From Tour With Love.” After graduating from Michigan State University, Quinn was signed to Visionary Music Group, joining the likes of hit-makers Jon Bellion and Logic. The 30-city North American tour promoted his second studio album, From Michigan With Love. While openers Christian French and Ashe occupied the crowd, Quinn XCII spoke with The Daily Texan about his writing process, collaborations and how he defines success. Daily Texan: What was it like to leave college and right away start making music? Did you ever think it wouldn’t work out? Quinn XCII: I got my degree from college, but I was always tempted to stop because I knew in the back of my mind I was never going to use it for a career or job. I also wanted to make my parents happy because they were

paying my tuition. The least I can do is get my degree and then pursue music afterwards, that was my mindset. I was very confident in music. Even though I was a bad student, I always knew music was something I was good at. DT: Your sound is very unique, but who would you compare yourself to? QX: I would say I could compare my stuff to Jon Bellion in terms of the way we both interpret music and blend genres together. I’ve gotten comparisons vocally to Chance the Rapper or Adam Levine, a lot of people. I like that I can’t really compare it to too many people because there’s some sort of uniqueness to that. DT: You’re engaged now. How do you think your music has changed from that? Do you think it will continue to change after you’re married? QX: It’s changed in a way, I’ve gotten much smarter as a songwriter. I’m also able to talk about more cheesy subjects, like I can write love songs, I have a fascination with love songs. I’m very fortunate to be in a position where I have a stable

relationship, but I also don’t want my situation in life to compromise some of the things I had been doing and talking about. I’m definitely not going to be a corny love song artist now just because I’m getting married. I’ve matured more, and I think by living more you experience things, you become more mature and that just naturally funnels into the music. DT: Have you or do you ever think there will be a moment where you can say ‘I made it’? QX: I don’t think I ever will, mainly because I don’t like that term. I feel like success is a very subjective term. To me, success is doing what you love and getting paid for it. In a weird way, I’d say I’m successful in that sense. I don’t think I’m ever going to wake up one day and say, ‘I made it,’ because I’m always going to strive for things and never be fully satisfied, but I like that because it keeps me going and keeps me motivated. If you feel like you made it, that’s almost a bad thing because it might make you less motivated. I always want something to chase.