DT Volume 121, Issue 2 Tuesday, June 16, 2020
graphic by sierra wiggers, photos by the daily texan staff
Managing Editor Sami Sparber
Senior Videographer Jennifer Xia
Assoc. Managing Editors Brittany Miller, Marcus Krum
Senior Audio Producer Aurora Berry
Internal Relations Director Lauren Girgis
Photo Editor Amna Ijaz
External Relations Director Assoc. Photo Editor Angelica Arinze Jamie Hwang Assoc. Editors Julia Zaksek, Jennifer Beck
Life&Arts Editor Trinady Joslin
Illustration Coordinator Abriella Corker
Assoc. Life&Arts Editor Ariana Arredondo
News Editor Nicole Stuessy
Sr. Life&Arts Reporters
Assoc. News Editors Emily Hernandez, Neelam Bohra
Sports Editor Myah Taylor
Beat Reporters Hannah Williford, Anna Canizales, Hannah Ortega, Areeba Amer Enterprise Reporter Meara Isenberg Copy Desk Chief Jimena Pinzon Associate Copy Desk Chief Irissa Omandam Design Editor Sierra Wiggers Assoc. Design Editor Maria Perez
Aisling Ayers, Grace Barnes
Assoc. Sports Editor Donnavan Smoot, Stephen Wagner Comics Editors Alekka Hernandez, Barbra Daly Assoc. Comics Editor Raquel “Rocky” Higine Senior Comics Artists Destiny Alexander, Steph Sonik
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Assoc. Multimedia Editor Faith Castle
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Editor-in-Chief Emily Caldwell
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PERMANENT STAFF
Contents:
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DT
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Emily Caldwell (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com
News UT announces face mask requirements and disciplinary actions for noncompliant students, staff and visitors this fall.
sports
MANAGING EDITOR Sami Sparber (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@dailytexanonline.com
NEWS OFFICE
Former UT athletes share their thoughts on school song “The Eyes of Texas.”
(512) 232-2207 news@dailytexanonline.com
spread
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.
Students and health care providers utilize telehealth to treat chronic illnesses during COVID-19 pandemic.
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opinion The editorial board urges UT to listen to its community and enact important changes on campus.
Life & arts
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Disabilities and Inclusion Agency campaigns for widespread access to accommodations given during coronavirus pandemic.
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NEWS
News Editor
3
NICOLE STUESSY
TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020
BLM
‘Change needs to be made now’ Student petitions call for change from administration regarding police presence, racist history. By Hannah Williford @HannahWillifor2
jamie hwang / the daily texan file Multiple petitions call for the Littlefield Fountain to be renamed. The campus landmark is named after George W. Littlefield, a former University regent who fought for the Confederacy with Terry’s Texas Rangers.
tudents armed with petitions garnering thousands of signatures are calling on the University to take steps toward racial justice. The petitions created by individual students and student groups, including NAACP Unit 6888-B and the Association of Black Computer Scientists at UT, culminated in a community statement from UT Senate following the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Michael Ramos and nationwide protests. “Have UT Austin acknowledge its Racist History and Vow to make Reparations” garnered the most traction, with nearly 16,000 signatures by Monday on
change.org. The petition calls for the renaming of buildings named after people who had racist or segregational views, such as Robert Lee Moore Hall, T.S. Painter Hall and buildings and landmarks named after the Littlefield family and James Hogg. “The most important thing that the UT administration can do right now is to act fast,” said business management sophomore Anwesha Ranabijuli, who created the petition. “Change needs to be made now if it’s to be made ever.” Last Friday, student-athletes made national headlines when several of them released a list of requested changes for campus and athletics programs. In response to the athletes’ and student body’s demands, UT Interim President Jay Hartzell announced Monday he is setting up meetings with
students, including Black student organizations and athletes, to hear their concerns and ideas. “Working together, we will create a plan this summer to address these issues, do better for our students and help overcome racism,” Hartzell said in a statement Monday. UT Senate’s community statement, which holds over 3,700 signatures, asked for eight changes, including divestment from the UT Police Department and the Austin Police Department, incorporation of land acknowledgement into UT programming, discontinuing use of “The Eyes of Texas’’ and the renaming of buildings with racist namesakes. The petition also calls for a required module of UT’s racial history, similar to AlcoholEdu, an online curriculum incoming freshmen
must complete before registering for classes. Audra Collins, president of the Association of Black Computer Scientists and petition contributor, said she is reminded of UT’s racist history when entering buildings such as the RLM. “The thing that we’re asking (the administration) to recognize is that their Black students feel this way,” Collins, a computer science senior, said. “It’s disheartening to know that a great portion of their Black students who they try to take pride in, or say they do, are feeling this way. And we’re asking them to help us in this.” Brett Dolotina, senate appointee to the president’s Student Advisory Committee, said their request for police divestment reform was based on the University of Minnesota cutting ties with the Minneapolis Police
Department, and resources would be reallocated to initiatives including social work and mental health resources. “We realized that the entire structure of policing as a whole is something that does not provide safety,” said Dolotina, a biochemistry and public health senior. The petition by NAACP Unit 6888-B focuses on reallocating UTPD funds to community-based policing, education and West Campus safety resources to eliminate police as a default response to disturbances, such as drunkenness. “I can guarantee you that campus is going to be different when we step back on,”said Kiara Kabbara, NAACP Unit 6888-B president and government junior. “People are actually having a chance to step away from what their reality is and seeing what’s actually happening.”
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News Editor
NICOLE STUESSY
TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020
NEWS
CORONAVIRUS
Face masks required in University buildings this fall By Hannah Ortega @_hannahortega_
UT Interim President Jay Hartzell announced the University will require face masks or coverings inside all campus buildings in an email June 8. Masks are not required while walking around campus, but they are recommended, according to the email. Students, faculty and staff who refuse to wear face masks inside University buildings this fall will face disciplinary action, and the UT Police Department will handle noncompliant visitors, head of academic planning Art Markman said. There are four groups to consider when enforcing the face mask policy: students, staff, faculty and visitors, psychology professor Markman said. If any person from these groups enters a building without a face mask, they will be asked to put one on. If they refuse, they will be asked to leave the building. “There are separate disciplinary tracks for violations of University rules, … and now wearing a mask would be a University rule, and so those would be engaged,” Markman said. Markman said if a student comes to class without a mask and refuses to put one on, the faculty member can end the class. Visitors without a mask who refuse to leave a building would be considered trespassers, and UTPD would get involved, Markman said. Markman said cloth masks are encouraged because they are reusable, though surgical masks are also acceptable. “I think that the growing consensus in the medical community is that face masks are one of the most important things that people can do to slow the spread of COVID-19,” Markman said. “That was an early recommendation that came from our health and wellness group based on their reading of … the medical literature as well as the guidelines that came out from the Centers for Disease Control on reopening universities.” Public health junior Nora Ballí said she supports the face mask policy because it will help keep campus cases from increasing. “The University’s decision to require face masks is a responsible decision in order to protect the students and staff,” Ballí said in a direct message. “The UT community
alejandra gavilanes / the daily texan staff is densely populated, so social distancing will be a challenge … trying to mitigate the spread within buildings is the only way we will prevent a spike.” Mathematics junior Evan Florance said he’d prefer if UT made face masks optional. “I don’t think we need to be forced to wear them when Texas is doing very well against coronavirus compared to most other states,” Florance said. Markman said the University is unsure how many masks they will be able to provide, if any, but they will be provided for UT employees who work close to customers,
The UT community is densely populated, so social distancing will be a challenge ... trying to mitigate the spread within buildings is the only way we will prevent a spike.” NORA BALLÍ
public health junior
such as dining hall staff. “We certainly hope to have places on campus where people can buy them so that if you wake up one morning and forget your mask, you’re not stuck,” Markman said. While face masks are expected to be required for the entire school year, Markman said his team will continually reevaluate the policy in regards to how guidelines should be tightened or loosened. “This is just … one part of the variety of steps that we’re taking to … try to keep the community as safe as possible so we have a great year,” Markman said.
SPORTS
Sports Editor M Y A H
5
TAY L O R
TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020
BLM
Longhorn alumni weigh tradition with song’s racist past Student-athletes are calling on UT to drop “The Eyes of Texas.” Here’s what former athletes say.
By Myah Taylor, Stephen Wagner, Marcus Krum @t_myah @stephenwag22 @MarcusKrum
hroughout her four years at UT, Celina Rodrigo sang “The Eyes of Texas,” dozens of times. But the 2016 women’s basketball alumna said she was later shocked to learn of the University’s historic alma mater’s racist origins and its lyrics’ association with Robert E. Lee, a Confederate commander. “Somebody had told me one time ... ‘You know “The Eyes of Texas” is (tuned) to the railroad song right?’” Rodrigo said. “But the first thing at orientation (is) you’re forced to memorize the song.” Now, 84 years after it was adopted as the official school song, Texas student-athletes are calling for change. Last Friday, more than three dozen UT student-athletes posted a coordinated statement on social media with requests for the University that included renaming buildings named after racist figures and removing “The Eyes of Texas” as the school song. Rodrigo said the current movement, sparked by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, has empowered student-athletes to speak out in a way that many former athletes say they have never seen before. “This has allowed them to use that platform to push for change,” Rodrigo said. “I don’t think it would’ve happened if all of this had not been going on. … It’s forced people to make a decision.” Longhorn basketball alumnus Eric Davis Jr. said the possibility of changing “The Eyes of Texas” was regularly discussed among Black student-athletes during his time at Texas from 2015-2017, but they were hesitant to speak up due to a lack of public support. “It was kind of hard because you didn’t know who had your back or who was going to speak up,” Davis said. “I needed the scholarship. I wanted to play ball. You don’t want to be shunned out, and you don’t want to be blackballed. It’s a lot that goes through your mind.” During his tenure as a student-athlete from 2015-2019, former Texas hurdler and
wide receiver John Burt said he stood and sang “The Eyes of Texas” at more than 50 football games and numerous track events. Although Burt became aware of the song’s usage in minstrel shows, he said he was able to put aside its history. However, he said he supports the current student-athletes and their requests. “Whenever I sang ‘The Eyes of Texas,’ I was singing it because it’s the school song, and I was singing it purely out of school pride,” Burt said. Burt said that while he’ll keep singing, he agrees that nobody should be forced to sing
it. He also said that this was the first time he’s seen the two teams he played on agree on one unified message. “Different groups of people are going to have different ideas, ideologies and feelings on certain things,” Burt said. “This is one thing that I’ve seen that both groups have agreed upon, as well as all the other sports.” In response to the national outrage over police brutality — and the requests by the student-athletes and other members of the UT community — Interim UT President Jay Hartzell said in a statement Monday that he has begun “scheduling conversations” to
address these ideas. While the idea of removing “The Eyes of Texas” as the school song has caused polarization among the Longhorn fanbase, 2019 men’s basketball alumnus Dylan Osetkowski said he thinks it’s time for a change. “I don’t see what’s wrong with starting a new tradition,” Osetkowski said. “Changing ‘The Eyes of Texas’ isn’t going to change the University. Why can’t this song completely change and change the dynamic of the way student-athletes, fans and alumni feel about this song as a whole?”
eddie gaspar / the daily texan file Texas football players join the crowd at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in singing ceremonial “The Eyes of Texas” following a 45-38 loss against the LSU Tigers on Sept. 7, 2019.
6
News Editor CORONAVIRUS
NICOLE STUESSY
TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020
NEWS
rocky higine / the daily texan staff
‘you miss that in-person touch’ Students, doctors navigate virtual health care to treat chronic illnesses during COVID-19 pandemic. By Amanda Figueroa-Nieves @amandafn02
efore the COVID-19 pandemic hit Texas, nutrition junior Dalia Nouraldeen would regularly visit her doctor to manage Crohn’s disease, a chronic illness that causes inflammation in her intestines. As her doctor showed lab testing results on a computer screen, the pair
talked about how fatigue, stomach and joint pain affects her daily life. Now, Nouraldeen receives her lab results over the phone and online. She says the experience is strange and causes miscommunication. And these days, she finds herself talking more to nurses than her actual doctor, whom she has known for almost two years and usually keeps updated on her personal life and progress in school. “If I’m with my doctor and they’re looking at me, I feel obligated to tell them everything that’s going on,” Nouraldeen said. “You feel a
little bit closer, a little bit more comfortable talking to an actual person that’s standing right next to you than seeing them on screen.” As the pandemic makes it difficult, if not impossible, for patients to receive treatment for their chronic illnesses, UT students are increasingly turning to telehealth, meaning they receive health care online and over the phone. Over the last month, UT Health Austin, the clinical practice of the Dell Medical School, has reported a dramatic increase in telehealth appointments, going from less than 25 appointments per day to 90-170. The sudden switch to telehealth in the
medical industry came with both advantages and disadvantages, said Elizabeth Jacobs, chief of primary care and associate chair for research in the Department of Internal Medicine at Dell Medical School. According to their website, most clinics at UT Health Austin are providing telehealth appointments, which are conducted through Zoom. “If you can deliver health care to someone in their home, that’s really bringing value to them,” Jacobs said. “They’re getting what they need and you’re not asking them to spend two hours of their day trying to get there.” While Nouraldeen said the
7
You feel a little bit closer, a little bit more comfortable talking to an actual person that’s standing right next to you than seeing them on screen.” DALIA NOURALDEEN
nutrition junior
megan fletcher / the daily texan staff
jamie hwang / the daily texan staff Elizabeth Jacobs, chief of primary care and associate chair for research in the Department of Internal Medicine at Dell Medical School, has been treating patients through telehealth since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
experience is impersonal, one benefit of telehealth has been increased accessibility. She said when she had a recent flare up, she was able to get help much more quickly than she would have in person. “We went over my symptoms over the phone and decided that I needed to get blood work done and some other tests,” Nouraldeen said. “Normally, I would have to wait
weeks to schedule an appointment in the first place just to go over my symptoms.” Rose Monroe, a radio-televisionfilm and advertising sophomore, has started relying on telehealth to monitor her hormone deficiency. Monroe, who had her thyroid removed after experiencing thyroid cancer during her senior year
of high school, said her recent doctor’s appointments have been much shorter than her in-person visits, where she could talk in more detail about her concerns. “To me, doing Zoom and online stuff just isn’t the same as doing things in person,” Monroe said. “You miss that in-person touch.” Monroe said her doctor also had thyroid cancer at a young age, so she
felt very reassured by her success with the disease. She said they talk about their lives and tell jokes more during in-person appointments than telehealth appointments Nouraldeen said she feels like it’s easier to hide how she feels when she does not meet with her doctor in person. “Sometimes I would go to appointments and (my doctor) could tell that I wasn’t well just by looking at me,” Nouraldeen said. From a doctor’s perspective, Jacobs said another advantage of telehealth is an easy-to-use home monitoring system, which doesn’t rely on constant phone calls. UT Health Austin has worked with Seattle-based company Sentinel Healthcare to develop an app to monitor people who have tested positive for COVID-19. The app displays patients’ symptoms on a dashboard health providers can access in order to monitor patients at home, Jacobs said. Jacobs said her team has monitored symptoms for around 120 people, almost all of whom have been tested for COVID-19 at UT Health Austin. She said one patient was able to call the emergency room to prepare for their arrival, and another received IV fluids at home. “If people download an app and log their symptoms at home, we can see what their symptoms are, are they getting worse, are there concerning things that we should give them a call for and help them manage their COVID at home,”
Jacobs said. Jacobs said the potential uses for this system go beyond care for COVID-19 patients: This kind of app could be used in the future with other chronic illnesses. “It’s great because it empowers people,” Jacobs said. “They feel like someone is watching over them, because we are, and it reduces the amount of burden on the health care system.” Nouraldeen said although she does not want telehealth to fully replace in-person health care, she could see it becoming a supplement to traditional health services. “For something small that you just want to talk to your doctor about, telehealth … is a lot more convenient for people with a really active lifestyle, like a lot of students have,” Nouraldeen said. Telehealth is also more accessible to patients in traditionally underserved communities, said Jacobs, who works with CommUnity Care, a system of clinics in Austin that serves patients who may not have insurance or struggle with language barriers. The rate of patients who show up to appointments there has increased by 20-30% to almost 100%, Jacobs said, based on her anecdotal experience. Despite all of the advantages of telehealth, Jacobs acknowledged that technology isn’t the same as real, human interaction. “There is nothing more powerful than a relationship between two people, and that is true in medicine as well,” Jacobs said. “I get to develop relationships with people that I’ve taken care of for years. There’s something about the in-person interaction.”
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Editor-In-Chief
E M I LY C A L D W E L L
TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020
EDITORIAL
OPINION
We demand swift action, change
nathan dinh / the daily texan staff B y T h e D a i l y Te x a n E d i t o r i a l B o a rd
In response to the countless number of Black lives lost to police brutality and racial injustice, the UT community has rallied behind a list of demands titled “Student Community Statement: 8 Demands for Transformative Change.” We stand firmly behind this statement and each demand. The University of Texas at Austin must: 1. Divest from the Austin Police Department and the University of Texas at Austin Police Department. The University of Minnesota is distancing itself from the Minneapolis Police Department, and after the recent death of Michael Ramos in Austin at the hands of the Austin Police Department, UT has every reason to do the same. UT must divest from the University of Texas at Austin Police Department and instead invest in nonviolent, community-led programs on campus, such as food security resources and mental health services. This would allow the University to support its student population while limiting UTPD’s involvement in situations police officers are poorly equipped to handle. 2. Implement a test-optional undergraduate and graduate admissions policy. More than 1,200 American universities, including Texas A&M University, employ a test-optional admissions policy. As student leaders acknowledge, UT’s ACT/SAT score requirement was born out of UT Office of Admissions’ desire to counteract integration efforts in the 1950s — its roots
are inherently racist. Black students still only make up 4.9% of UT’s student population. If UT is truly “dedicated to attracting highly-qualified students, faculty and staff with a wide range of backgrounds, ideas and viewpoints,” then it must abandon its SAT/ACT score requirement. 3. Incorporate land acknowledgments in all UT programming. UT was built on indigenous territory, specifically the land of the Apache, Alabama-Coushatta and Kickapoo tribes. Several UT centers have already acknowledged this, as have comparable universities such as the University of Illinois System, the University of Connecticut and the University of California-Davis. Publishing a land acknowledgment statement and incorporating readings of the statement into large-scale events would ensure UT properly honors the indigenous peoples who lived on this land for centuries. 4. Use a multifaceted approach to incorporate conversations on race and systemic racism in the United States. UT requires freshmen to complete modules and attend presentations designed to educate students on safety practices, diversity and college life. These programs fail to address the racism BIPOC are subject to and how it presents itself on campus — be it explicit or microaggressive. There is a demand for racial literacy courses at UT and nationwide support for incorporating racial literacy into education. UT must incorporate anti-racism training into mandatory orientation programs. 5. Rename Robert Lee Moore Hall, T.S. Painter Hall, Littlefield Residence Hall,
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Littlefield Patio Cafe, Littlefield Fountain, Belo Center for New Media and James Hogg Auditorium as well as remove the James Hogg Statue to stop honoring people who perpetuated racism on this campus. Students have been pushing the University to rename buildings on campus named after racists since the turn of the century. These buildings, statues and spaces don’t reflect positively on UT. If UT cares at all about its students of color, its professional reputation and mitigating the harm caused by these buildings’ namesakes, it must immediately remove these names from its campus. 6. Discontinue the use of “The Eyes of Texas” at all UT related events. Our community has debated the song’s place for years, as its racist origins — being traditionally sung in blackface at minstrel shows — offend many students. UT has neglected to educate students on its history, and there is widespread support among students, faculty and athletes to discontinue the tradition. By neglecting to condemn or halt the promotion of this song, UT is actively whitewashing the University’s treatment of BIPOC. This invalidates the racism BIPOC have historically faced at UT. 7. Adopt equitable and inclusive practices in the recruitment, selection and promotion of UT faculty. UT has a problem retaining diverse faculty. Only 3.8% of faculty identify as Black as of 2019. Hiring professors from a variety of backgrounds will ensure that students of color feel represented on campus. Moreover, expanding the ethnic studies programs will ensure that students can take
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courses on issues pertaining to race and ethnicity. UT has adopted multiple incentives to recruit more diverse professors, but these incentives have obviously not done enough. 8. Institutionalize and fund a campus climate survey. If UT truly wants to make our campus inclusive for all students regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, ability or other identity, campuswide surveys are essential, as they allow students to bring concerns about inclusivity directly to administrators. Oppression manifests itself in a variety of ways on our campus, and only students themselves can know how and where they experience it. Other universities have conducted universitywide surveys. UT must do the same. These issues will not be solved, and these demands will not be satisfied by simply having “hard conversations.” Students, 13,000 and counting, are demanding UT take concrete action. You can read the full Student Community Statement here: https://tinyurl.com/ut-statement And sign it here: http://tinyurl.com/UTChange You can also sign a change.org petition that makes many of the same demands here: http://chng.it/hRTwhVkWHy “We are aware of three petitions created by students and look forward to working with them and the UT community to create the best possible experience on our campus for Black students,” said J.B. Bird, director of media relations and issues management for University Communications. Let’s hope that’s true.
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LIFE&ARTS
Life&Arts Editor
9
TRINADY JOSLIN
TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020
Short film gives voice to voiceless
BLM
By Grace Barnes @gracebarnes210
copyright andrew czad, and reproduced with permission Associate professor Ya’Ke Smith’s latest short film, “Dear Bruh: A Eulogy. A Baptism. A Call to Action.,” is meant to give humanity back to Black men.
UT associate professor Ya’Ke Smith aims to rewrite the narrative of the Black experience with new film. t 11 years old, Ya’Ke Smith watched “Boyz n the Hood” for the first time. Released in 1991, the film follows Tre Styles, a young Black boy sent to live with his father in south central Los Angeles, where gang culture is prosperous and police brutality is rampant. Smith said he remembers how the film impacted both the world outside “the hood” and his godbrothers, who were gang leaders in the projects they lived in. He said the way the film rewrote the negative stereotypes about African American men sparked his own interest in the world of filmmaking. “Even at a young age, I can remember the impact (the film) had,” Smith
said. “What (the director) was able to do was really show their humanity. For me, that’s what film is all about — not only dealing with social issues but rewriting the narrative (of Black men).” Now, as Moody’s first associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion and an associate radio-television-film professor, Smith has used his 20 years in the industry to do just that. Following the killings of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Garner at the hands of police, Smith wrote a poem titled “Dear Bruh.” In 2020, he used the poem in his latest short film, “Dear Bruh: A Eulogy. A Baptism. A Call to Action.” The film was released May 29 in response to the killing of George Floyd and the protests that followed. Several voices read the original poem aloud as a compilation of images and videos show Black men playing “with their children, playing ball together, hanging out (and) just being human.” Smith said he chose to use the poem, which includes the last words of Black men killed by police, to juxtapose the scenes on screen. “There’s a moment (in the film) where there’s a montage of voices: ‘Stop following me,’ ‘I can’t breathe,’ and ‘It’s not real.’ Those are the last words of Black men who have been killed,” Smith said. “Those words could be my last words, and that haunts me.
That’s not poetry. That’s real.” Yuta Yamaguchi is a former student of Smith’s and has been the director of photography for nearly all of his films. Through working with Smith, Yamaguchi said he learned a lot about social injustice and using film to give voice to the voiceless. “(Smith) grew up knowing these issues and the pain and suffering that his community has gone through; he instills it into his characters,” Yamaguchi said. “Every time he asks me to work on his films, I jump at the opportunity to amplify his voice and help him tackle these issues that are oftentimes overlooked.” Miguel Alvarez, radio-television-film lecturer and former classmate of Smith’s, said Smith uses his voice to highlight the experience of people of color and does so in an unabashed, unflinching way. “So many people of color in this country feel that no one listens to them and that the things that are happening to them are not respected,” Alvarez said. “Part of our job (as artists) is to speak up, and (Smith’s) work is a testament to that. (His films) force you to reckon with what’s going on in
a way other films might not.” Smith said film is a way for him as an artist to process not only his own pain, but to give voice to the pain of other African Americans. He said he hopes to use film to change the way Black men are viewed and help combat systemic racism. “A lot of what we see has to do with fear because of all of these ways in which Black men have been portrayed as villains, as evil — that comes from the media,” Smith said. “We learn so much about different cultures via the moving image. I think it’s important that we as artists think about what we are offering to the world with whatever we create.”
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Life&Arts Editor
LIFE&ARTS
TRINADY JOSLIN
TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020
CAMPUS
Students campaign for increase in permanent accommodations through online petition By Trinady Joslin @trinady05
Disability advocates on campus have asked for an easier accommodations process for years. With the transition to online classes, they finally got it. Accommodations are a way to increase access to courses for disabled students who register with Services for Students with Disabilities. But getting them is difficult, and not all professors are willing to abide by them. After the switch to online classes, Kasturi Bandyopadhyay said she noticed the attitude surrounding accommodations dramatically changed. “When it was just one or two of us asking for the same thing, (professors were) like, ‘No, my hands are tied,’” spring ‘20 graduate Bandyopadhyay said. “It felt like it was so much work (accommodating) two students, but now they’re doing it for a class of 70 or 100 students like it’s no problem.” The online format didn’t remove the need for individual accommodations, but it did make classes more accessible by changing attendance requirements and increasing flexibility with assignments. Now, members of the Student Government Disabilities and Inclusion Agency are campaigning for these changes to remain after UT returns to in-person classes. Taryn Medina, Ria Otwani and Alejandra Zuniga started a petition called “AccessibilUT”
Can we really say we’re one University when we actively disregard barriers and choose not to eliminate (them) so we can have an opportunity for everybody to succeed?” TARYN MEDINA
youth & community studies senior
and listed several accommodations, such as mandatory online office hours and a minimum of two unexcused absences, that they hope to make available to all students. “We’re at a turning point right now where there’s so much that can be done,” said Medina, youth and community studies senior. “Why not implement these practices into standard practices?” Medina said the Disabilities and Inclusion Agency formed the list after talking to disabled students on campus. Then, Otwani said they tried to include accommodations that were implemented in the transition to online classes. “This global health pandemic has allowed for UT to just give us all these available resources that could have been placed before,” said Otwani, management information systems junior. The Disabilities and Inclusion Agency also worked with Emily Shryock, assistant director of SSD. Shryock said the accommodations listed on the petition are not “resource-intensive,” meaning any additional funds from the University or time from individual professors would be marginal. Online office hours could be provided using the existing University Zoom account, and SSD already owns software to provide closed-captioning on videos. SSD has always encouraged professors to make their classes flexible and accommodating for all students, Shryock said. Because of the pandemic, conversations about accessibility have become more common. “We’re learning a lot of things about barriers for students, and the barriers we’ve already known about are being exposed a little bit more,” Shryock said. “So, I think there is an openness and willingness to learn and change by necessity that we haven’t seen before.” SSD works with students who have documentation for their disability but also knows some disabled students on campus don’t have access to get a formal diagnosis. The changes the Disabilities and Inclusion Agency is suggesting could benefit all students, Shryock said. Promoting more equal access is another reason for the campaign, Medina said. “If UT is serious about creating a successful environment for all students to learn, we have to limit the barriers,” Medina said. UT has already made the changes the
Disabilities and Inclusion Agency is asking for, Medina said. If they aren’t kept, Medina said it would show the University only cares about accommodations when they impact the able-bodied population. Medina is graduating this summer, so she won’t be at UT to see the benefits of the accommodations campaign. For her, this isn’t about her own accommodations, but increased access for all.
“Can we really say we’re one University when we actively disregard barriers and choose not to eliminate (them) so we can have an opportunity for everybody to succeed?” Medina said. “I think UT is very hypocritical in that sense.”
lauren banez / the daily texan staff
COMICS
Comics Editors
B A R B D A LY & A L E K K A H E R N A N D E Z
TUESDAY, JUNE 16 2020
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A Student’s Right To Privacy A Student’s Right To Privacy The information below is considered directory information. Under federal law, directory
information can be made todirectory thedirectory public. You may Under restrictUnder access to this information by The information below isavailable considered information. federal law, directory The information below is considered information. federal law, directory visiting http://registrar.utexas.edu/restrictmyinfo. Please be aware thattoto ifthis you would like to information can available to to the the public. public.You You mayrestrict restrict access this information information can be be made made available may access information byby restrict information from appearing in the printed directory, must that makeifyour changes at this visiting http://registrar.utexas.edu/restrictmyinfo. Please beyou aware you would visiting https://registrar.utexas.edu/students/records/restrictmyinfo. Please be aware that iflike youto web page by the twelfth class dayinofthe theprinted fall semester. you must request thatyour ALLchanges your directory restrict information from appearing directory,If you make at this request that be ALLrestricted your directory information about be restricted NObeinformation about you will be given information NO information you will to anyone, your web page by the twelfth class day of the fall semester. If yougiven request that ALL including your directory to anyone, including youras family members, except as required by law.to Any restriction make family members, except required by law. Any you restriction make will remainincluding inyou effect until information be restricted NO information about will beyou given anyone, your will remain in until you revoke it.by law. Any restriction you make will remain in effect until you revoke it. effect family members, except as required you revoke it. • name • classification • weight and height if member of an athletic teamif member of local and permanent •• name major field(s) of study •• classification • weight and height addresses student parking athletic team permit • local and permanent expected dateofofstudy graduation • an •• major field(s) information • addresses phone number •• expected date of graduation degrees, awards, and honors • student parking permit • the most recent previous information e-mail number address •• phone received awards, (including selection • degrees, and honors educational institution attended most recent previous public user name (UT EID) received •• e-mail address criteria) (including selection • the • job title and dates of employeducational institution attended •• public place of birth user name (UT EID) • criteria) participation in officially ment when by the • job title and employed dates of employrecognized activities and dates of of birth attendance •• place • participation in officially University inemployed a positionbythat ment when the sports recognized activities and enrollment status •• dates of attendance requires student status that University in a position sports • enrollment status requires student status DIRECTORY INFORMATION is is sent DIRECTORY INFORMATIONSHOULD SHOULDBE BEKEPT KEPTCURRENT. CURRENT.Official Officialcorrespondence correspondence sent to the e-mail last to the registrar; if the student hashas failed to correct this to the postal postal or or e-mailaddress address lastgiven given the registrar; if the student failed to correct DIRECTORY INFORMATION SHOULD BEtoKEPT CURRENT. Official correspondence is sent address, he orhe she not relieved of responsibility on the grounds that the correspondence this address, or will sheaddress willbe not be responsibility the grounds that the to correct to the postal or e-mail lastrelieved given toofthe registrar; ifon the student has failed wasaddress, not delivered. For about educational records official communications correspondence not For details about andon this he orwas shedetails willdelivered. not be relieved of responsibility the grounds that the with the University see General Information, 2019-2020 catalog. educational records official communications with the correspondence wasand not delivered. For details about University see General 2011–2012. with the educational records andInformation, official communications University see General Information, 2011–2012.
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Sports Editor M Y A H
TAY L O R
TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020
SPORTS
FOOTBALL
gabriel lopez / the daily texan file Longhorn fans cheer in the stands of Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium during Texas’ 56-0 victory over San Jose State on Sept. 9, 2017. Even with a Big Ticket, fans aren’t guaranteed access to games in the fall due to coronavirus uncertainty.
Die-hard fans talk football with limited seating By Myah Taylor @t_myah
While other UT students spent last Black Friday with family before returning to campus after Thanksgiving break, Elena Edwards flew back to Austin early to catch Texas’ last home game of the 2019 football season. Edwards’ flight into Austin that morning kept her from seeing the first quarter of Texas’ victory over Texas Tech, but the sociology and government junior said she ran through rain and fog to witness the remaining three. As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout Texas, Edwards and other Longhorn superfans likely won’t get the UT football experience this year that they’ve relished in the past. While Gov. Greg Abbott has increased stadium capacity in the state to 50% from the initial 25% limit as a part of his Phase III reopening plan, questions
remain about who will be allowed inside Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium this fall. “If I wasn’t able to go (to games this fall), I’d be so upset,” Edwards said. “But I’d work my way around it because I’m such a die-hard fan.” James Miller, a fourth-generation Longhorn who graduated in 2007, said he thinks UT students should receive priority seating over alumni and season ticket holders. “If you’re reducing capacity and you want the home atmosphere to be there, why wouldn’t you reserve first come, first served to students?” Miller asked. “The team is for (the students) because the team is (students).” Adding to the confusion, the Big Ticket, UT’s all-access student sports pass, went on sale June 9. Many students voiced concerns on social media, saying they are reluctant to shell out $175 without knowing if they will be allowed to attend sporting events in the fall. The Texas ticket office is currently
working with medical experts on what social distancing procedures would look like in the various areas of the stadium, including the student section, said Drew Martin, Texas’ executive senior associate athletic director for external affairs. “The ultimate goal is to accommodate as many fans as possible while maintaining as safe an environment as possible,” Martin said in an email. Although University officials haven’t said how they plan to accommodate students, they believe all season ticket holders will fit into the stadium under a 50% capacity limit, according to the Austin American-Statesman. Miller said he’d feel safe in a stadium at 50% capacity, especially while wearing a mask, but he’s nervous about the heat that will likely send groups of people into cramped concession spaces to buy water. “If I could get on the phone with Chris Del Conte and be like, ‘This year only, can we all just bring water in?’” Miller said.
“Because if I never had to leave my seat, I would feel so much better.” Ryan Lepper, a UT 1999 alumnus and co-founder of the Horn-Ball Texas Tailgaters, said limited stadium capacity won’t stop the festivities that happen just outside of the stadium. “I have a feeling that if there is a capacity limitation at the stadium, we’re just going to see more people at the tailgate,” Lepper said. “They’re gonna still want to be in the atmosphere.” Edwards can recall the pride she felt after watching Texas win over Oklahoma in the stands at the Cotton Bowl when she was 15 and again in 2018 when she finally became a UT student. Though she’s still hopeful about the upcoming season, she said the thought of not being physically present for game days this fall is “devastating.” “Football is just such an integral part of my experience here at UT,” Edwards said. “It would be kind of devastating to not be able to enjoy that.”