The Daily Texan 2019-04-23

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TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2019

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NEWS

OPINION

LIFE&ARTS

SPORTS

Counseling and Mental Health Center sees influx of students as semester ends. PA G E 2

UGS courses at UT need to teach students life skills for after college. PA G E 4

App will have users ‘Pop’ into meetings at UT to make new friends. PA G E 8

Texas men’s and women’s tennis teams fall short of Big 12 championship. PA G E 6

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SPORTS

Former UT swimmer fights back Madisyn Cox to bring supplement company to court after her suspension.

By Hayden Baggett @hansfirm

ttempting to clear her name and collect more than $1 million in damages, former UT swimmer Madisyn Cox filed a lawsuit against a Dallas-based health and wellness company last Monday saying its vitamins are responsible for her failed drug test and suspension from competition.

Cox competed on the UT women’s swimming and diving team from 2013 to 2017 and earned two Big 12 Swimmer of the Year titles, eight All-American honors and the fastest time in the world for the 200-meter individual medley in March 2018 before she was suspended.

Cox is suing Cooper Concepts, Inc. for distributing multivitamins tainted with a banned substance that caused her sixmonth suspension last year.

In February 2018, Cox provided a

urine and blood sample to the Fédération and private health insurance, and Internationale de Natation, the internaemotional difficulty. tional organization governing aquatic “Part of Cooper (Concepts’) marketsports. FINA then suspended her from ing scheme is labeling everything with competition for two years after learning the exact ingredients so that you know she had tested positive for Trimetazidine, what you’re going to get,” Cox’s attorney a performance-enhancing drug not apMonica Cooper said. “We do estimate proved for use in the U.S. their mistake will be over a million dolIn an effort to lars, at least.” defend her repuCox’s two-year tation, Cox hired suspension was a sports-medireversed and she cine laboratory was allowed to to determine resume competiThe last six months the source of the tion last August have been a grave Trimetazidine, when the Court according to of Arbitration and harrowing learnthe lawsuit. for Sport recoging experience that Before testnized a connecing positive, Cox tion between the I would not wish on listed suppleCooper Concept any honest, clean, ments she had supplement and ingested in the Trimetazidine. elite athlete.” last seven days “The last six — including a months have MADISYN COX FORMER UT SWIMMER Cooper Concepts been a grave multivitamin she and harrowregularly took. ing learning The laboratory confirmed both an experience that I would not wish on open and sealed bottle of these multiany honest, clean, elite athlete,” Cox vitamins were contaminated with the said after her suspension was reduced. banned substance.

“I know that any supplement — even The lawsuit says Cox is seeking a multivitamin purported to concompensation for revoked competitain only those ingredients specified tion times, the inability to earn prize on the label and purchased at a local money, the loss of an endorsement supermarket — can be suspect.”

zoe fu | the daily texan file Former UT women’s swimmer Madisyn Cox seeks one million dollars in damages from health and wellness company Cooper Concepts, Inc. for allowing Trimetazidine, a banned substance in competition, in the vitamins she took.

Cooper Concepts released a statement Wednesday saying it has not yet been served its court papers.

“In September 2018, Cooper Concepts learned of Madisyn Cox’s complaint about the Cooper vitamin supplement she had been using and immediately removed it from its product line,” the statement says. “We are saddened and disappointed for Madisyn Cox and any competitions she missed.”

But Cooper, Cox’s lawyer, said on Friday the release is not enough to get the company off the hook.

“Based on some of the statements Cooper (Concepts) has made, something happened where it was a bad batch,” Cooper said. “It seems like they might be trying to shift the blame to one of their manufacturers, but at the end of the day, Cooper is the one that put their name on it.”

The UT women’s swimming and diving team did not respond to a request for comment.

Cooper Concepts has until May 15 to respond to the lawsuit and produce relevant court documents.

CAMPUS

RESEARCH

Canned pineapples pay parking tickets

Pictures of black hole assist UT researchers

By Mason Carroll @MasonCCarroll

Donating canned pineapple in 100% fruit juice can now help students and faculty avoid paying pricey parking fines and support UT Outpost, the food pantry and career closet on campus.

Food for Fines is a program created last year by Parking and Transportation Services and Student Government to support UT Outpost.

PTS associate director Blanca Gamez said students can participate by taking the canned fruit to any of the staffed parking garages on campus, and the cashier will make the transaction for the students.

“Not only does it allow us to partner with other organizations across campus, but it also allows us to work with students who may not be able to afford their citation but can afford four cans of pineapples,” Gamez said.

Students can pay off their $15 to $35 fines by bring four 20 oz cans and their $36 to $75 fines with six 20-ounce cans. Last year, the program asked for peanut butter, and now they are asking for canned pineapples because they are more allergy friendly and the demand is higher,

By Rahi Dakwala @Rdakwala

dakota kern | the daily texan file UT Outpost director Will Ross partners with Food for Fines to help normalize food insecurity.

Students can pay off tickets by donating canned pineapples this year to the program.

Gamez said.

“UT outpost looked at their food pantry and saw canned fruit tended to be the most popular item that was requested from students,” Gamez said. “Peanut butter stayed a lot longer and they still have leftovers from last spring.”

UT Outpost director Will Ross said they were very specific about the kind of fruit

they wanted because 100% juice is healthier. It is also easier to manage receiving just pineapples compared to receiving all kinds of canned fruit.

“We wanted to find a fruit that is something our students would really want to use on a wide-scale format,” Ross said. “It’s also easy to ask from our donors … because some donors deal with

peanut allergies.”

Ross said he is grateful for PTS and SG because they have been very supportive, and programs such as Food for Fines help normalize food insecurity.

“We don’t want students to feel ashamed that they are coming to the UT Outpost,” Ross said. “This is a place of

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The first-ever pictures of a black hole, released April 10, are helping UT researchers gauge the accuracy of their own studies.

Astronomy professor Karl Gebhardt, who studies masses of black holes, said the images of the Messier 87 black hole, taken by the Event Horizon Telescope team, helped researchers confirm their predictions about black holes. Black holes are a collection of matter that have a gravitational force so strong, nothing can escape it, Gebhardt said.

“Objects would have to move faster than the speed of light to escape a black hole, which is impossible,” Gebhardt said.

Scientists use different techniques to study black holes, but the common way to measure their mass is to observe the stars in motion around the black hole, Gebhardt said.

“You measure how fast the stars are going around the black hole,” Gebhardt said.

“From there, you can infer

the mass.”

Gebhardt said he used this technique, as well as computer modeling, to predict the mass of Messier 87 in 2009.

“When the (Event Horizon) team came out with the image, they also measured the mass,” Gebhardt said. “I was amazed to see that their measurement was exactly the same as the one I had.”

Gebhardt said he is currently working with the Event Horizon team to improve the accuracy of his mass predictions.

Event Horizon will continue taking pictures of Messier 87 to get a higher quality image, Gebhardt said.

“If (Event Horizon) had better mass estimates, then they could make better predictions of what the image would look like,” Gebhardt said. “I want to remeasure the mass of (Messier 87) to provide them with more accurate estimates.”

Another way the Event Horizon images could help black hole research at UT is by combining image observations with data from the

BLACK HOLE

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CLAIRE ALLBRIGHT NEWS EDITOR @THEDAILYTEXAN

TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2019

This issue of The Daily Texan is valued at $1.25

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UNIVERSITY

Demand at CMHC increases as semester ends

By Elexa Sherry @ElexaSherry

As the semester nears its end, many UT students say they’re experiencing anxiety at an all-time high, driving more traffic to the Counseling and Mental Health Center.

The busiest times at the CMHC are during the last months of each semester, said Katy Redd, director of outreach for CMHC. But in recent years, Redd said there’s been an overall escalation in the number of students visiting the center.

“The demand for counseling and mental services has increased 77% over the last eight years,” Redd said. “Across the nation, most college counseling centers are experiencing an increase in demand in their services.”

Anxiety-related concerns are the number one reason students come into the CMHC, Redd said.

“About 76% of students who come in indicate anxiety is one of (the) reasons,” Redd said.

“Stress is the number two reason, followed by depression.”

Nursing sophomore Evan Mondebello said students feel especially stressed around finals. He said this time is “the make or break it” point with grades for a lot of people, which can cause an overwhelming amount of anxiety.

“As we get to the week of the tests, that’s when all of the stress really starts to hit,” Mondebello said. “It’s almost so stressful it’s funny.”

Mondebello said he feels uninformed about the mental health resources available at the CMHC.

jacob fraga | the daily texan staff An increasing number of UT students are visiting the Counseling and Mental Health Center at the Student Services Building with anxiety-related concerns. The busiest times at the CMHC are during the last months of each semester, when students feel more stressed around finals.

“I feel like it should be taught and given to me and I shouldn’t have to seek that information out,” Mondebello said. “It should be available (to) me.”

Redd said any student who comes into the CMHC will first speak with a member of the brief assessment and referral team. This team member will discuss and evaluate the student’s needs and come up with a plan that is tailored specifically to them. The plan may include meeting with a counselor for a certain period of time if there is availability, attending a group counseling

The demand for counseling and mental services has increased 77% over the last eight years.”

K AT Y R E D D

CMHC DIRECTOR OF OUTREACH

session or seeing someone in the community outside of UT, Redd said.

“We’re always available for students experiencing a crisis,” Redd said.

Redd said if a student needs immediate help, the CMHC will have someone available for the student to talk to.

However, there are not enough CMHC counselors for every student who walks in to have routine sessions.

“All of our services are offered at no cost to students with the exception of psychiatry, which is $10,” Redd said.

Business freshman Ethan Chase said the hardest part of adjusting to college is carving out time for yourself.

“In college, everything happens at once, like social stuff, homework, exams, projects, hobbies, passions,” Chase said. “A little stress is good because it motivates you, but too much stress is very bad for your health.”

Chase said mental health should be taken seriously.

“I don’t think mental health should be stigmatized, so if people need (help), they should go seek it,” Chase said.

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

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

COUNTY

Early voting for local elections begins, continues until May

By Katie Balevic

NEWS OFFICE

@KatelynBalevic

(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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COPYRIGHT

Early voting for Austin-area elections began Monday and will continue until April 30, with Election Day falling on May 4. The ballot has a variety of propositions, as well as mayor and city council positions for cities around Austin.

Travis County Municipal Utility District No. 14, which spans from Austin to Elgin, has three propositions on the ballot. Proposition A would issue $41 million in bonds for water, wastewater and drainage system facilities.

Proposition B would issue $2.88 million in bonds for park and recreational facilities. Proposition C would issue $61.5 million in bonds for park and recreational facilities as well as drainage system facilities.

Another item on the ballot would create the Travis County Emergency Services District No. 16 in the Pedernales area. Proposition A would create and fund the Emergency Services District, which would

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support. Our community is coming around and saying, ‘We are here to help our fellow Longhorns.’”

Mehraz Rahman, student body vice president, said SG decided to continue the partnership and program because the issues of financial and food insecurity have not gone away. “(SG) wanted to be able to bolster students who really needed that help on campus while at the same time maintaining an

pedro luna | the daily texan file Students patiently wait in line outside the Flawn Academic Center for the 2018 midterm elections. This year’s city election doesn’t limit voters to vote only in the precinct they are registered to vote in, according to the Travis County Clerk’s office.

provide additional emergency services to the Lakeway area.

The proposition would authorize ESD 16 to tax homeowners up to $0.10 per $100 of property valuation.

Eanes Independent School District has Proposition A on

important partnership with an important department on campus: PTS,” Rahman said.

Ross said one of the best ways students can donate is through the gift of their time, but programs such as Food for Fines make a big difference.

“It’s a win-win,” Ross said. “You can pay a parking ticket but also do good work at the same time.

You know the canned food donations go back directly to Longhorns. It’s a fun way and an easy way to make a contribution to this program.”

Copyright 2019 Texas Student Media. All articles, photographs and graphics, both in the print and online editions, are the property of Texas Student Media and may not be reproduced or republished in part or in whole without written permission.

The Daily Texan, a student newspaper at The University of Texas at Austin, is published by Texas Student Media, 2500 Whitis Ave., Austin, TX 78712. The Daily Texan is published daily, Monday through Friday, during the regular academic year and is published once weekly during the summer semester. The Daily Texan does not publish during academic breaks, most Federal Holidays and exam periods. News contributions will be accepted by telephone 2.120). Entire contents copyright 2019 Texas Student Media.

the ballot, which would issue $80 million in bonds for construction and improvement of school buildings in the district. Also in EISD, Leya Simmons and James Spradley are running for Place 4 of the Board of Trustees,

Heather Sheffield is running uncontested for Place 6, and Ellen Balthazar and McKennon Rice are running for Place 7.

The Village of Webberville has one item on the ballot. Proposition A would

reauthorize the local sales and use tax to provide revenue for the maintenance and repair of municipal streets.

In the City of Lakeway, Sandy Cox and Tom Kilgore are running for mayor.

Seven people — Lisa Butler, Sanjeev Kumar, Doug Howell, Marvin Mead, Gretchen L Vance, Sean Sutton and Julie a Reichert — are running for L three available positions as a p council members.

In Round Rock, Blane a Conklin and Rene Flores are t running for Place 2 of the City i Council. Hilda Montgomery f and Selicia Sanchez-Adame i are running for Place 6.

In Pflugerville Indepen- w dent School District, Renae s Mitchell is running for Place 3 m of the Board of Trustees and a Vernagene Mott is running a for Place 4. Brian Allen, April t Griffin and Charlie Torres are n running for Place 5 In Briarcliff, Tim Crain, Michael Wright and Al Hostetler are running for mayor. Dave Hertel and James Johnston are running for two available positions as aldermen, who are elected members of the municipal council.

Texas Student Media is seeking students for its Board of Operating Trustees

Positions are available for students in the Moody College of Communication, as well as for other majors. The terms of office begin June 1, 2019. Board members will be appointed at the TSM Board meeting on Friday, May 3, 2019 at 1 PM. YOUTUBE.COM/THEDAILYTEXAN

Application deadline is Monday, April 29 at 12 PM. Visit texasstudentmedia.com to download an application with position requirements.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2019

SPORTS

Concussions common among Quidditch injuries

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copyright carly jordan, and reproduced with permission Senior Carly Jordan decided to try out for Texas Quidditch her freshman year of college because UT had just become US Quidditch champions. “It was really cool that, just last weekend, I finally got to (win a Quidditch championship) after seeing that four years ago and thinking, ‘Hey that could be me,’ and now it actually is,” Jordan said.

By Cynthia Miranda @cynthiamirandax

The Texas Quidditch team became national champions for the fourth time at the US Quidditch Cup 12 tournament in Round Rock earlier this month. However, as Quidditch becomes a more established sport, NPR reported last week that the potential for injury in the sport is becoming more apparent.

Quidditch is a co-ed contact sport involving a combination of lacrosse, rugby and dodgeball. A 2017 study from the University of Edinburgh looked at Quidditch players in the United Kingdom and found

concussions accounted for 20% of injuries in the sport.

The study also concluded that women experience concussions in the sport at twice the rate as men.

Simon Arends, a coach for Texas Quidditch, said he goes through training every season to learn about concussion protocol because it is required by UT and US Quidditch. He said the coaches will sit players out of practice even for minor injuries, such as cramps.

“From my experience, if anything, we take a few more steps beyond injury prevention than I’ve seen other sports teams do,” Arends said.

Carly Jordan, a journalism and radio-television-film

senior and member of Texas Quidditch, said she got a concussion while playing during her sophomore year. She said concussions account for some of the injuries.

“I would say concussions … ankle and knee injuries are definitely high up there, but I don’t really think there’s that much of a differentiation between men and women getting hurt in the sport,” Jordan said.

In fact, Jordan said more men were injured on the team this year. She said one player injured his ACL and another tore the meniscus in his knee.

Arends also said he noticed some injuries occur at the beginning of the game during “brooms up,” when the teams

on either side of the field run to the middle of the field to collect balls, similar to dodgeball. Arends said he broke his jaw because of “brooms up,” and he saw another player get a concussion from running full speed into his opponent. “(Breaking my jaw) was rough,” Arends said. “That part of the sport is just not necessary.”

Sarah Woolsey, the executive director of US Quidditch, said the organization takes measures to improve safety.

“We evaluate everything every single season specifically with a focus toward athlete safety, and we look a lot to the best practices in other sports,” Woolsey said.

RESEARCH

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Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, or Project LIGO, a large collaboration UT is a part of. Project LIGO is an experiment that detects gravitational waves, which are formed when two black holes orbit and collide into each other, said physics professor Aaron Zimmerman, who is involved with the project.

“By studying gravitational waves, we can learn about the sizes of black holes,” Zimmerman said. “We can see how far away they are in the universe and have a way of mapping out the universe.”

However, Project LIGO cannot determine how light interacts

with a black hole, astronomy graduate student María José Bustamante said.

“The findings from (Messier 87) are based on light, but we can’t look at gravitational waves from it,” Bustamante said.

“In that sense, the two studies complement each other.”

These studies on black holes are important because they can help scientists understand how gravity works, Gebhardt said.

“One way to understand it is by studying black holes, where gravity is at its strongest effect,” Gebhardt said. “We can test our models of gravity against observations from black hole studies. If the models still hold, it means we are closer to understanding how gravity works.”

New sensor research explores ‘new domains for computing processes’

albert lee

By Howard Yong @howard_yongg

alekka hernandez

| the daily texan staff

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UT researchers have developed a new technique for measuring semiconductors that is 100,000 times more sensitive than before.

The technique provides an improved understanding of infrared sensor technologies and could pave new, promising directions in night vision or free space communication, said Sukrith Dev, an electrical and computer engineering graduate student who helped with the recent discovery.

Dev works with Daniel Wasserman, an electrical and computer engineering associate professor, in the UT Mid-Infrared Photonics group that conducted the research.

“Essentially, our new technique allows you to more sensitively obtain a material property called the carrier lifetime … which may help determine material quality and define its potential

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applications,” Dev said.

When certain semiconductive materials are hit with light, electrons get excited and temporarily become free, Dev said. The carrier lifetime is the time it takes for these free electrons to stay excited before they recombine back to their respective place.

“For example, if you wanted to make something for communication, you want a fairly quick carrier lifetime,” Dev said. “If you want something very sensitive, like thermal imaging, then you want something longer.”

Dev and Wasserman’s strategy was unique because it used light signals to modulate microwave signals, which is the reverse of the traditional testing method.

“The problem with the traditional method is that you have to collect light and your emission is really poor,” Dev said. “But since we’re confining the microwaves to very small, pulsating volumes, our technique allows it to be more sensitive.”

With this technique, more sensitive

RECYCLE

| the daily texan staff

infrared sensors could be developed in the future, Dev said. “(The technique) may help with communicating in free space or improving bandwidth, and opens up a new region for studying electromagnetics and solid states physics,” Dev said.

Electrical engineering sophomore Mihir Shah said he is passionate about the field of semiconductors and solid-state physics.

“I feel like exploring new domains for computing purposes is now more crucial than ever,” Shah said. “I would love to do some research to the field of photonic integrated circuits to see more photonic systems implemented in our electronic ecosystem today.”

Research in these fields of electronics is increasingly important, electrical engineering sophomore Jaime Tan Leon said.

“Electrical engineers play a pivotal role in solving problems,” Tan Leon said. “Researching new ideas to improve sensitivity and quality today is important for engineers tomorrow.”

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LIZA ANDERSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @TEXANOPINION

TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2019

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SURE Walk is intended for safety, not a free ride

By David West Jr. Columnist

“It’ll be like five or six guys (calling for SURE Walk) that are trying to go to a frat party … and some of them may be intoxicated or under the influence,” said Godson Onyediri, a biology junior and current SURE Walk employee.

When students exploit SURE Walk’s services, they can endanger other students on campus.

SURE Walk’s sole purpose is to provide transportation for UT students to their residence in a safe and timely manner in order to combat the risk of assault on and off campus. Its services are free of charge and available Monday through Sunday until 2 a.m. SURE Walk provides students with a beneficial and essential resource that ensures safety throughout UT’s campus. However, students must refrain from using this resource for reasons unrelated to personal safety, as it leads to long waits for SURE Walk rides. This puts other students who may be in unsafe environments at risk because they are unable to obtain a ride quickly.

“There’s a couple times every night that some students will take advantage of us,” said Daniel Martinez III, a biology junior and current SURE Walk student employee. “(Students) just want an easy way home and not because they feel unsafe.”

Sure, UT students spend countless hours on campus studying, fulfilling various extracurricular commitments and attending daily lectures, so I can understand the urge to call free transportation to avoid burdensome walks to their dorms or apartments. In other cases, students may get home, realize they’re short on food and contact SURE Walk for a ride to a food spot on campus.

When students exploit SURE Walk’s services, they can endanger other students on campus.”

Students may believe these reasons to use SURE Walk are valid but must understand that they are not only misusing this resource — they’re also taking a ride away from a UT student who could be in an unsafe environment. SURE Walk does what it can to accommodate students who legitimately need its services, but they only have so many seats.

“SURE Walk vehicles are limited to vehicle capacity, including available seats and seatbelts,” said Blanca Gamez, associate director of Parking and Transportation Services. “If a cart only has two rider seats, then only two riders will be allowed to travel at that time.”

SURE Walk prioritizes reducing cases of assault on campus with their services. SURE Walk formerly stood for the Students United for Rape Elimination. As displayed in its former name, SURE Walk’s intent is clear and concise, and all students across campus should value its mantra.

Students should instead rely on UT Night Rides, a partnership between Lyft and UT’s Parking and Transportation Services, for all trips relating to convenience. “(SURE Walk) has taken precautions (to be aware) of some individuals who do take advantage … (some students) are on a watch list,” Martinez said.

SURE Walk continuously implements new rules in hopes of cracking down on students who are not using the program for its sole purpose.

However, students must take the initiative themselves to use UT Night Rides or other transportation options in order to improve accessibility for students who are more at risk.

West Jr. is a journalism sophomore from New Orleans, Louisiana.

COLUMN

UGS classes need to include important health information

By Neha Dronamraju Columnist

Can you pay attention in class if you haven’t eaten in two days?

Most people can’t. Students often neglect physical well-being when working toward academic success. In my case, regular eating habits are the first thing to go when I’m busy. My schedule doesn’t permit frequent visits to the dining hall, and although my dorm has a kitchenette, I don’t know how to cook anything.

I didn’t learn this life skill when I lived at home, so I would appreciate the opportunity to do so at school. UT, through signature courses, does a good job holistically advancing academic skills. Every UGS class curriculum must incorporate certain essential elements including interdisciplinary and contemporary content, critical thinking and oral communication.

But these signature courses fall short of comprehensively addressing skills that support physical well-being. Life skills should be added to the list of required elements.

Eliana Salinas, a Plan II and sociology freshman, lives off-campus and experienced a difficult transition to living by herself and incorporating healthy habits.

“I think we need to relearn everything we thought we knew how to do when we come to college,” Salinas said. “We’re all struggling with something that seems so elementary.

I think incorporating things like nutrition and exercise and how to time manage while

maintaining those two aspects would be valuable in classes.”

Lori Holleran Steiker, Steve Hicks professor of addiction, recovery and substance abuse services, and director of instruction, engagement and wellness in the School of Undergraduate Studies, is spearheading an effort to better integrate self-efficacy in signature courses.

Holleran Steiker teaches a signature course called Young People and Drugs. Students come to her office hours and divulge their mental and physical health struggles.

She mentioned that her TAs noticed students were coming to class smelling like alcohol. Students were not performing to their academic potential.

“Can someone learn if they’re falling asleep in my classroom?” Steiker said. “If someone’s coming so hungry that their stomach is growling and they’re lightheaded, will they be able to get everything they need out of my class? No. It doesn’t matter if I’m the best teacher on the planet. If we’re not concurrently paying attention to the holistic aspect of wellness, then we’re really missing the mark.”

Integrating life skills into the signature course curriculum doesn’t require any complicated resources — just information. According to Patty Moran Micks, director of the First-Year Experience Office, professors propose topics they want to teach as a signature course. The First-Year Experience Office reviews the applications to see if the proposed class fits their model, and if they approve it, the class will be offered as a signature course.

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.

abriella corker

Introducing physical wellness into a signature curriculum could be as simple as informing faculty that it is a necessity. To take it a step further, the First-Year Experience Office could include it as an essential element and require faculty to integrate it into their UGS classes. Academic achievement and well-being are closely tied together. In order to promote holistic success for students, the FirstYear Experience Office should mandate that

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.

| the daily texan staff

professors teach general life skills in their UGS courses.

“We welcome many new students every year,” Holleran Steiker said. “And what a missed opportunity it would be not to say to them, ‘In order to do well at UT, you need to be looking at not just your intellectual pursuits but your health pursuits.’”

Dronamraju is a public health freshman from Dallas.

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Place the paper in one of the recycling bins on campus or back in the burnt-orange newsstand where you found it.

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5

TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2019

FOOD

CAMPUS

Students consider coffee consumption a necessary drain

Students discuss sunscreen use for various skintones during summer

By Abby Hopkins @abbyhopkins_

brittany mendez | the daily texan staff Corporate communications senior Ariana Villalta says the $15 to $20 she spends a week on coffee is worth the investment and potential benefits. Although consistent coffee purchases add up, students are willing to sacrifice in other areas to make up for the money lost.

college students like, so it’s fun to connect with students on campus,” Springman said. “It’s one constant I have In an average week, Roxin my life that won’t change.” anne Springman, art and Corporate communicaentertainment technologies tions senior Ariana Villalta sophomore, spends anywhere usually spends $15 to $20 a from $20 to $50 on coffee. week on coffee.

According to a 2016 Acorns “I try not to think about survey, she’s not alone. The it too much because there’s average American spends a lot I could do with that just over $20 a week on cofmoney, but I think it’s like a fee, while 41% of millennials ‘treat yourself’ kind of thing,” surveyed admitted to spendVillalta said. ing more on coffee in the Villalta said one reason past year than they invested college students are willing in their retirement. Howevto spend so much on coffee er, for many students, their is the trendiness of latte art coffee spending habits are and coffee shop aesthetics. either temporary or worth the Additionally, Villalta said it’s long-term costs. a healthier alternative to oth“Right now, I feel like it’s er sources of caffeine, such just an addiction that will as energy drinks. pass, … but it (has) definitely “Since we’re studying and started hurting me (financialstay(ing) up so late or we ly),” Springman said. need to just get through the Although Springman day, I think that coffee is an brews her own coffee in the essential part for a lot of peomornings, she said she typple because of the caffeine,” ically purchases more on Villalta said. campus or at a coffee shop Although consistent coflater in the day. Springfee purchases add up, some man said coffee is worth studentsyou will connected sacrifice other Texas Student Media will keep the cost because it brings investments to make up for with daily to the news, sports and culture back fondlinks memories of her the money lost. family and allows her the to UT“Instead stories shaping community. of going out and create new memories with buying clothes or something, fellow students.

I would rather spend that “It’s a thing that all money on coffee or just food

By Romi Geller @macaromes

GET SOCIAL WITH TSM

in general,” Villalta said.

“I’m more food-oriented rather than material things.”

Springman also said she is willing to sacrifice purchasing clothes and sometimes skips lunch for coffee. Instead of making these sacrifices, some students choose to work at coffee shops to get free drinks.

Fay Medina, international relations and global studies sophomore, has worked at Caffé Medici for almost six months. However, Medina said the shop’s coffee is worth the cost because of the taste and she would pay if she didn’t get drinks for free.

“I don’t pay for coffee to get into the study mode,” Medina said. “I get it more because of the taste. I pay as much as I do or as I would in other coffee shops because of the quality of the coffee.”

Villalta said the convenience of campus coffee shops is what contributes the most to her spending. After graduation, she will cut back and make her own coffee.

“It might significantly go down because I do have a coffee machine at home,” Villalta said. “I just don’t have time in the morning to make my own coffee and drink it and enjoy it.”

As a child, communication and leadership junior Debbie Nehikhuere hardly ever wore sunscreen. Growing up in a black community, Nehikhuere said her impression was that she did not need sunscreen.

As summer creeps closer and temperatures in Austin steadily rise, students may be taking more time to prevent potential skin damage by applying sunscreen.

Dr. Adewole Adamson, assistant professor in the department of internal medicine at Dell Medical School, said wearing sunscreen is crucial for skin protection.

“It is important that people wear sunscreen because the UV radiation from the sun can cause damage to the skin,” Adamson said. “Particularly if the rays of the sun are powerful enough to cause sunburns, and that can lead to an increased chance of developing skin cancer.”

Adamson said he has a special interest in the relationship between the sun, skin cancer and people of color. Several studies highlight a relationship between a person’s skin tone and their likelihood of getting skin cancer, Adamson said.

“People who have lighter skin, who self-identify as a white, have more sensitivity to the rays of the sun,” Adamson said. “There is a direct relationship between how susceptible you are to damage from the sun and how light your skin is.”

Despite this, Adamson said he recommends that people of color wear sunscreen to prevent possible damage from the sun and for cosmetic benefits such as the prevention of wrinkles.

Nehikhuere said that after educating herself on the topic of skin damage, she also advocates for the use of sunscreen.

“People sometimes joke and say, ‘We don’t need to use sunscreen,’” said Nehikhuere. “At first it was frustrating, but now I’m trying to educate myself and educate others that if you are a person of color, you still need sunscreen.”

Biology sophomore Deniz Sevilmis said growing up, she was conscious of using sunscreen to prevent skin damage. Sevilmis said that while she worries about skin damage increasing her likelihood of getting skin cancer, the cosmetic benefits of wearing sunscreen are appealing to her.

“Even on days that I don’t put sunscreen on my body, I’ll always put on my face,” Sevilmis said. “I feel like I invest so much money and time into my skincare so I wear sunscreen so I can avoid wrinkles, and not undo my skincare regimen.”

Though there are a vast variety of sunscreen products, Nehikhuere said many don’t appeal to people of color due to the white tint they leave behind on the skin. This tint, Adamson said, is due a type of sunscreen characterized as a physical blocker.

“Sunscreen comes in two different categories — physical blockers and chemical blockers,” Adamson said. “Physical blockers sit on the top of the skin and provide broad spectrum, and because it sits on your skin it gives you that ‘white look,’ which is cosmetically undesirable for people with skin of color.”

Recently, skincare and sunscreen brands such as Unsun, SuperGoop and Glossier have expanded their product line to be more inclusive for people of color by using chemical blockers or tinting the sunscreen to blend evenly.

Chemical blockers work by using compounds to absorb the sun as opposed to physical blockers, which use minerals to reflect the sun’s rays.

This allows users to protect their skin from the sun while skipping out on the white cast some physical blockers leave.

The beauty industry still has a long way to go in terms of inclusivity, but Nehikhuere said she credits social activism for its demand for diversity.

“Through social activism and social media, we’ve been able to target brands and tell them that we are consumers who want products that will work for us,” Nehikhuere said.

channing miller

| the daily texan staff

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6

ROSS BURKHART SPORTS EDITOR @TEXANSPORTS

TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2019

MEN’S TENNIS

Texas falls short of Big 12 title Loss to Baylor dashes hopes of conference repeat.

By Robert Trevino @robtrev22

exas entered Lawrence, Kansas, for the Big 12 Championship as the No. 2 team in the country, having not lost a conference match in over 365 days, looking to defend last year’s conference title.

Though the site of the conference championship was a far cry from the Texas Tennis Center — which hosted the 2018 tournament — there was a little déjà vu for the Longhorns, who advanced on a bye to the semifinals on Saturday by virtue of being the No. 1 seed to face No. 25 Oklahoma. Texas had faced the Sooners the previous Sunday to wrap up regular season play, a match it won 5-2.

After Colin Markes pushed his dual match singles record to 16–2 with a win over Mason Beiler, the Longhorns secured the opportunity to win backto-back conference championships for the first time in school history with a date against the second-seeded and No. 8 nationally ranked

pedro luna | the daily texan file Harrison Scott prepares to return a serve in Texas’ 4-3 win over Baylor on March 31 at the Texas Tennis Center. The senior, ranked 53rd nationally, helped sweep a game against the No. 1 doubles pair from Baylor and nab a singles win as well in Lawrence.

Baylor Bears.

The doubles point — one of interim head coach Bruce Berque’s points of emphasis late in the year — looked to be in the Longhorns’ hands after Harrison Scott and Christian Sigsgaard swept the No. 1 doubles pair in the country, Sven Lah and Jimmy Bendeck, 6-0. But the Bears would take the remaining two doubles matches, earning the crucial point.

“I think the doubles point was again pivotal, and it is tough to win a match against a team like this,” Berque said. “Losing the

doubles, we just didn’t execute as well as Baylor did in key moments.”

No. 53 Scott kept his momentum from doubles, however, running through No. 76 Will Little in straight sets to even the match at one point apiece. It seemed as though Texas would do what it had done all year in conference play: drop the doubles point but run away with singles.

But it would be the Bears’ day. Baylor’s Lah and No. 49 Matias Soto outlasted Markes and Ito, respectively, in second-set

tiebreakers to each win in straight sets and push the overall score to 3-1 in favor of Baylor. And with the Longhorn threats of Sigsgaard and Rodrigo Banzer — two reliable seniors — still on the court, Adrian Boitan clinched the final point over No. 73 Leonardo Telles to win the Big 12 title for Baylor.

“It’s nice to see our freshman (Boitan) come through for us in the end,” Baylor head coach Brian Boland said. “That guy is a warrior and it was well deserving that he finished

WOMEN’S TENNIS

the match.”

It was the Longhorns’ first loss in Big 12 play since a loss to Texas Tech on April 19, 2018.

“We will be sad today and we will be sad tomorrow, but we have to get back to work and wait for our seed call in the (NCAA) tournament,” Scott said of the loss. “(This loss) doesn’t define our season at all. We just can’t let it affect us.”

Texas (23–3) will head back home to Austin and prepare to host an NCAA Regional from May 3-5 at the Texas Tennis Center.

BASEBALL

In ‘survival mode,’ Texas looks to rebound after tough weekend

By CJ Vogel @cjvogeldt

amna ijaz | the daily texan file Petra Granic returns a ball in the Longhorns’ 4-3 match win over TCU on April 8 at the Texas Tennis Center. Granic took a match in straight sets in the tournament final.

Texas falls to Kansas in final round of Big 12 Tournament

By Clark Dalton @Clarkdalton1T

After already claiming the Big 12 regular season title, the Longhorns set out to run the gauntlet again in the Big 12 Tournament.

Traveling to Lawrence, Kansas, Texas was heading into the tournament after being awarded the No. 1 seed.

Texas got off to a strong start Friday against Baylor, toppling the Bears 4-1.

“We played Baylor a couple of weeks ago without their regular starters,” Texas head coach Howard Joffe said. “I think that overall, I was very pleased with our team today because Baylor, with all of their players, is a very formidable opponent.”

The Longhorns would continue to increase the depth between them and the field as they rattled off a dominant performance against Texas Tech in the following round.

Saturday’s match played to a beat similar to the regular season meeting between the two teams, with

the Longhorns controlling the match from start to finish, eventually ending in a 4-0 sweep.

“I definitely think that relative to our last four or five matches, today was maybe our best performance, so that was very encouraging,” Joffe said.

“It also doesn’t hurt that we won the match. It was definitely a good performance, something that we needed because we will need it tomorrow.”

Although the Longhorns had accumulated the best record in the conference, they didn’t have the advantage of hosting the tournament.

That right was reserved for Kansas, a team that almost defeated the Longhorns in Austin at the beginning of the season.

That would just happen to be the team Texas was matched up against in the tournament final.

The match didn’t favor the Longhorns from the beginning as they fell into a hole, losing the doubles point.

It appeared that a spark

was ignited when junior Petra Granic earned a victory in straight sets against Kansas’ Ploburng Plipuech 6-1, 6-3.

However, Texas couldn’t find the same success in the singles play that had defined its 2019 campaign.

The deficit would continue to increase as sophomores Bojana Markovic and Fernanda Labraña lost at the No. 4 and No. 5 line.

This created a difficult situation since Texas already trailed 3-1 and would need to stage an epic comeback just to stay in contention.

Junior Anna Turati kept fighting, winning her 17th consecutive victory over Janet Koch in straight sets 6-2, 6-3.

Despite Texas’ best efforts, the Jayhawks emerged as the victor Sunday as Maria Toran Ribas upset Katie Poluta in three sets 6-2, 3-6, 4-6.

Now with a Big 12 Tournament loss to swallow, the Longhorns will look ahead to their next opportunity in the NCAA Tournament just two weeks from now.

Texas has reached the lowest point in its 2019 campaign.

The Longhorns are coming off a weekend sweep to Oklahoma State, in which they were outscored 36-12 across three games. They have now won just four of their last ten games.

“We’re in survival mode right now,” Texas head coach David Pierce said on Friday in an interview with Texas Sports. “We’re all pissed off about it. We are not pleased with our play.”

The sky was the limit for this Texas team at the beginning of the season. After the first 15 games, Texas sat with a 12–3 record, including a three-game sweep at UFCU Disch-Falk Field over then-No. 2 LSU. However in the 27 games since, Texas has a losing record at 12–15, and has plummeted in the Big 12 standings as a result.

Heading into the third and final game against Oklahoma State, Pierce had a very direct message for his team, which had just been dominated by the Cowboys.

“Some will have to sit back and evaluate themselves, and coaches do the same,” Pierce said. “It starts with me … We have to figure out what it takes be in survival mode. If that means we have to drag bunt three times in a row … If we have to throw five changeups in a row, it’s called survival and that’s what it’s about. Our team going in there and being tough minded.”

With the final three weeks of the regular season looming, Texas will need to string together as many wins as possible to earn a favorable seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The next opportunity for Texas to find its way back into the win column is a midweek test with the high-powered offense of

Texas State (27–13).

The Bobcats are currently riding a six-game win streak in which the team has scored 67 runs over that stretch.

With the current struggles on the mound for the Longhorns, the 30-minute bus ride could certainly feel a lot longer on the return trip if things continue to go poorly for the Texas pitching staff.

The Longhorns have been anything but successful on the road this season.

Texas has won just six of its 17 road games this season and is 2–8 in its last 10 games away from UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

Regardless, Texas knows exactly what it must accomplish Tuesday.

Any additional statistic about records or previous games must go out the window if Pierce’s squad hopes to regain its composure before the postseason.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Bobcat Ballpark.

ryan lam | the daily texan file Pitcher Bryce Elder winds up for a pitch in Texas’ 8-1 win over then-No. 2 LSU on March 1 at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. Elder’s 3.05 ERA ranks third among Longhorns pitchers.

7

TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 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 Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Crossword

SUDOKUFORYOU 3 9

2 5 6 8

6 2

6 4

1 5

6 8 6

7 1 8

9

7 1 2 5 3 4 9 7 6

3 7 1 5 4

Today’s solution will appear here next issue

6 5 4 2 1 9 3 8 7

3 7 8 6 5 4 2 1 9

9 1 2 8 7 3 4 5 6

1 4 6 9 8 7 5 2 3

5 8 3 4 2 6 7 9 1

2 9 7 5 3 1 8 6 4

4 3 5 1 9 8 6 7 2

8 6 1 7 4 2 9 3 5

7 2 9 3 6 5 1 4 8

ACROSS 1 Places for baseball team insignia 5 Weaver’s device 9 Rigged 15 Eight-sided solids 17 Shaky beginning?

18 Simple, simple, simple [1,2,3] 19 Half of the rap duo Black Star [4,5,6] 20 Performed, to Shakespeare 21 Gilbert of “The Conners” 23 Santa’s “gift” for bad children 24 “Pow!” 27 Prefight ritual [7,8,9] 29 Singer with the 2010 3x platinum single “All I Do Is Win” [10,11] 33 Hightail it away 34 Gambling locale 35 Greek T’s 37 Ban competitor

41 Response to a court oath 42 Dark movie genre [12,13,14,15] 45 Stat for a pitcher 46 Mischievous fairy 48 Capital of West Germany 49 Island party 50 Emperor who rebuilt Rome after it burned 53 Substitute for Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers, informally [16,17] 55 Silly marketing ploy designed to get attention [18,19,20] 58 Covers with black goo 59 Real comedian 60 Hightail it away, with “out” 62 When some lunches end 66 Tiny bit of sunlight, for short [21,22,23]

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE S A P S

A P L I T

I N A N E

L O L A

T H A I

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S A N M A R I N O

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D A M N

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H A S H

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T O W E D

D E N S

68 Diplomatic controversy of the 1790s [24,25,26] 71 Author of “Faust” 72 Tutor of Alexander the Great 73 Underline 74 Patsies 75 “Phooey!”

Edited by Will Shortz 1

2

3

4

15

5

7

8

9

16

11

12

13

14

38

39

40

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34

DOWN 1 Open to both men and women, as a college 2 Palm berry 3 Veteran’s woe, for short 4 “Oh, yeah?”

5 “___ Miz” 6 Room in a harem 7 Crystal balls, e.g.

8 Colorful parrot 9 Post office service 10 Prefix with conservative 11 Bobby who defeated Boris Spassky at the 1972 World Chess Championship 12 “Same here!”

13 “Like … um …”

14 “Hilarious!,” online 16 Kind of yoga 22 Call, as a soccer game 25 Some choir voices 26 Repast 28 Boots, mask, etc., for a firefighter 29 Evidence of a leak 30 Obi-Wan Kenobi, for one 31 Kentucky’s Fort ___

6

No. 0319

60 67

54 58

61 68

71

72

73

74

62 69

63

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PUZZLE BY DANIEL LARSEN

32 Like a “doh!” moment 36 Condescending sort 38 Enlist again 39 Where the Tigris and Euphrates flow 40 Paint carelessly 42 Parts of a yard 43 Go ___ great length 44 Ancient speakers of Quechua

47 Like some tuition at public universities 49 Hotly desire 51 Coins in India 52 United 54 Big name in cheese 55 Change direction sharply 56 To whom a coxswain calls 57 Houston’s home 59 Toupees, in slang

61 Vega’s constellation 63 “So long!”

64 Droop from lack of water 65 Things assayers assay 67 DVD forerunner 69 “___ your lip!”

70 Obstinate animal

Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 7,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year).

Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay.

8

TIANA WOODARD & JORDYN ZITMAN LIFE&ARTS EDITORS @THEDAILYTEXAN

TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2019

FEATURE

amanda saunders | the daily texan staff Management information systems junior Yoon Lee created Pop, an app that facilitates face-to-face, real-time meetups between students based on interests, personalities and availability.

New friendship app ‘Pops’ up

By Celesia Smith @celsmit

Over 50,000 students walk over the bricks of Speedway, whisper under the lights of the PCL and pack lecture halls, but a study conducted by the Foundation of Arts and Healing found that, regardless of university size, over 60% of students still feel lonely.

Management information systems junior Yoon Lee set out to decrease this statistic with an app to curtail loneliness among UT students. Through working with the UT Social Entrepreneurship Learning Lab, Lee created Pop, which utilizes user interests and availability to match students for hour-long periods to meet.

Lee said his motivation for Pop stemmed from his interest in mental health. After spending two years in the South Korean military and experiencing feelings of detachment, Lee said he came back to UT wanting to improve mental health by alleviating loneliness. He said he tested out the idea by creating a lunch-buddy style program that paired students who signed up via a Google form.

“I manually paired people up and then got their feedback,” Lee said. “Some of them told me they loved it, so I created an application that facilitates real-time meetups based on interest, personality and passion matches.”

Plan II and psychology freshman Elita Gao participated in Lee’s market testing. She said she had a great time talking to her lunch buddy, but thinks Pop’s success depends on the type of user. “(My match) was amazing. We talked for four hours and Yoon only assigned us a one-hour slot, which was insane,” Gao said. “But the results will definitely vary from person to person. If someone’s super arrogant and not a good conversationalist, (Pop) won’t work.”

Gao also said freshmen and transfers would benefit from Pop, but she hopes the app doesn’t become another version of Tinder or Bumble.

“If it becomes large scale, there’s always the risk of it becoming Tinder, where someone wants to meet someone for ulterior motives,” Gao said. “But I think it’d be really cool for freshmen or transfers, especially freshmen who come (to UT) and don’t know anyone.”

Pop’s team works to ensure the app doesn’t become a

Tinder duplicate by matching students seeking friends without chatting via the app or seeing photos beforehand. Arts and Entertainment Technologies junior Sarita Hangtagool is working as a UI designer for Pop, creating the interface and supporting the creation of the app wireframe.

“I’m working with our user researcher to see what features people want on (the app),” Hangtagool said. “We want it to be easy and fun for (students) to use.”

To ensure student safety, Lee said his team will use student feedback to ensure threatening individuals are blacklisted. He said Pop will also assign students public places to meet and then require location verification.

Pop will be released publicly in fall 2019 exclusively for UT students. It will use a freemium model where the basic version is free, but users can opt into purchasing extra match criterion. Lee said he hopes students will adopt Pop so that he can expand its reach over time.

“I want to help out UT students first and prove that it works,” Lee said. “Then I want to spread it to other universities and then companies. I hope this to be a new paradigm of socialization.”