The Daily Texan 2020-07-21

‘A good start, but nowhere near enough’

students react to ut renaming rlm but keeping ‘the eyes of texas’

DT Volume 121, Issue 7 Tuesday, July 21, 2020 barb daly / the daily texan staff

Contents: page

DT Senior Videographer Jennifer Xia

Assoc. Managing Editors Brittany Miller, Marcus Krum

Senior Audio Producer Aurora Berry

Internal Relations Director Lauren Girgis

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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

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Sr. Life&Arts Reporters

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PERMANENT STAFF Editor-in-Chief Emily Caldwell

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News University Panhellenic Council moves sorority recruitment online due to COVID-19.

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Recent Dell Med graduates begin their residencies eager to fight the pandemic.

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Students continue to push for reform following UT’s announced changes toward inclusion and diversity.

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UT must reimplement and expand the spring 2020 pass/fail policy this fall to better support students.

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NEWS

News Editor

3

NICOLE STUESSY

TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2020

STATE

Mail-in votes soar amid pandemic As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, Travis County adjusts for primary runoff election.

By Hannah Williford @HannahWillifor2

he Travis County Clerk’s office and advocacy groups adapted based on COVID-19 safety measures for the county’s first election during the pandemic on July 14.

The election experienced significantly high voter turnout for a special election and runoff election, with 142,795 ballots cast

by Democrats and Republicans in Travis County, according to Travis County Clerk reports. In 2018, the joint primary runoff brought in a total of 63,052 ballots.

In addition, Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir said the number of mailin ballots cast may break records set by presidential elections. Democrats cast 20,621 mail-in ballots while Republicans cast 2,974, according to unofficial reports. DeBeauvoir said some ballots are still being counted.

“We’ve had to rearrange a lot of our warehouse to carve out more room to put individuals who can work ballot by mail socially distanced from each other,” DeBeauvoir said. “I’ve had to hire lots of extra temporary help to get through the avalanche of (voting) by mail.”

DeBeauvoir said she heard anecdotal experiences about people not receiving their ballots on time, keeping them from voting, and is discussing this with the post office. In addition, she said about 4,600 people incorrectly filled out the ballotby-mail application, and her office has attempted to track these people down and

megan fletcher / the daily texan staff make corrections.

At polling locations, social distancing was practiced and additional precautions, including finger covers and hand sanitizer at the door, were used to prevent spread.

DeBeauvoir said she intends to continue those precautions in the fall.

Business honors sophomore Brittany Given said she voted in the runoff election at the Austin Recreation Center during early voting, and that voting only took her about 10 minutes. Given said she felt safe with the precautions being taken.

“They had plexiglass up, latex we could use to sign and popsicle sticks we could use to select our choices on the ballot, so it felt pretty safe, probably more so because there wasn’t a line and there weren’t that many people,” Given said.

TX Votes president Janae Steggall

said this election was the first that TX Votes advocated for virtually, and she was impressed with the turnout. She said she is uncertain about the fall, but plans to continue advocating for voting through virtual means, such as creating individualized voting information for student voters.

Steggall said TX Votes will also partner with TurboVote in the fall, a service that sends voters notifications of upcoming elections and voting deadlines, according to its website.

“Our priority is always our student safety and well-being,” Steggall said.

“Well-being comes before voter registration and voter education. We always want our members to take care of themselves before anything with TX Votes comes in. So we are not expecting or

Our priority is always our student safety and well-being. Well-being comes before voter registration and voter education.”

JANAE STEGGALL

tx votes president

even asking our student members to help out with (in-person) voter registration efforts in the fall. We’re really pushing online voter registration.”

4

News Editor

NICOLE STUESSY

TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2020 CAMPUS

NEWS

Panhellenic council announces virtual recruitment

By Lauren Goodman @laurgoodman

The University Panhellenic Council fall 2020 sorority recruitment will take place virtually for the first time due to COVID-19 safety concerns.

Recruitment will take place from Aug. 17-24 as originally planned with a new virtual format for the entire process, according to the University Panhellenic Council website.

Bid Day will be a hybrid event with small in-person meetups, which are subject to change in compliance with city COVID-19 restrictions, according to the website.

“The biggest benefit is knowing that people can engage in this process and be safe while doing so,” said Catherine Holley, vice president of internal recruitment.

On July 13, the University Panhellenic Council posted a 30-minute webinar from Holley, a Plan II and health and society senior, and

Carlyn Crow, vice president of external recruitment. Since this format is virtual, attendance in Austin is not required. Other changes include an introductory video that potential new members will upload for the first round of recruitment and a more casual dress code.

According to the Protect Texas Together website, the University cannot enforce social distancing measures for off-campus events, and on-campus events generally will not be permitted this fall.

“Part of what we’re doing is trying to instill in our students a sense of doing the right thing, even when they’re not in the classroom or in our dorms or residence halls,” Interim UT President Jay Hartzell said at a press conference late last month.

Crow, a Plan II, business honors and marketing senior, said a large factor in deciding to move recruitment to a virtual format was giving incoming freshmen a way to meet

A Student’s Right To Privacy A Student’s Right To Privacy information below is considered directory information. Under federal

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joshua guenther / the daily texan file Corporate communication junior Jamie Kendrick, center, and other sorority members and pledges run across Guadalupe Street toward their sorority houses following Bid Day on Monday, Aug. 26, 2019. Bid Day has shifted online due to COVID-19 safety concerns.

new people despite the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

“High school graduates have had a rough run,” Crow said.

“They’ve been stripped of things that they were so excited about.

We want to make sure that recruitment isn’t one of those things they have to miss out on. We weren’t only keeping in mind the safety of the panhellenic community, we’re also thinking about the greater UT community and the greater Travis County community.”

Typically, 1,110 potential new members go through recruitment each year. Holley said over 900 potential new members have registered so far before the August deadline.

Although sororities and potential new members have to deal with the new challenges of going virtual, Crow said that this year’s “no-frills recruitment” is the best version.

“We love the idea of virtual being completely nothing but conversations,” Crow said. “It’s going to be the best way for people to make accurate decisions that

aren’t influenced by reputation, houses, clothes you’re wearing — all of those superficial aspects.”

Crow and Holley are posting weekly Instagram Live videos to give potential new members

We love the idea of virtual being completely nothing but conversations.”

CARLYN CROW

vice president of external recruitment advice. One key benefit to virtual recruitment is more time to self-reflect what members want out of a sorority, Holley said.

“Don’t think about all that is lost with not having recruitment in person,” Holley said. “Focus on the things that are there, finding an organization that best fits your values.”

LIFE&ARTS

Life&Arts Editor

5

TRINADY JOSLIN

TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2020

FEATURE

‘I’m excited to be able to contribute’ Dell Med’s inaugural class enters the field ready to fight against COVID-19 at residency programs around the country.

By Ariana Arredondo @ArianaxGraciela

itting in his kitchen, Juan Resendez cried tears of joy. He shifted his eyes toward the Zoom call, where 48 of his classmates were shouting with excitement.

In lieu of receiving letters with their residency program matches, Resendez and the rest of the 2020 Dell Medical School graduates discovered what programs they’d be attending over email.

To celebrate, they joined a Zoom call and opened their letters together at 11 a.m. on March 20.

Now, four months later, Resendez and other recent graduates around the country are joining the front lines as they begin working in hospitals and labs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m excited to be able to contribute,” said Resendez, who matched to the emergency medicine residency program at the University of Southern California. “These are times when all hands are needed on deck, so I’m super excited to be able to offer my help.”

Before starting residency, Resendez volunteered

at Dell Medical School, helping with COVID-19 contact tracing and checking people who entered the building for symptoms.

Another student on the Zoom call was Francisco Barrios, who was matched to the Dell Medical School’s Internal Medicine Residency program.

Barrios primarily works at the Southeast Health and Wellness Center that treats both COVID-19 positive and negative patients.

Barrios originally was on a team assigned to care for patients without the virus, but after two weeks, his group was reassigned to begin caring for COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms.

Although the center is in a different building than the hospital, he’s still seen glimpses of the changes they’ve made due to the pandemic. “(Before, you would) walk past another team or another specialist and then you would stop and have a curbside chat with them,” Barrios said. “Now the hospital’s really emphasizing (that) everyone maintain their distance. … It feels more isolated.”

cynthia trevino / the daily texan staff

Barrios said the experience has altered his perception of the pandemic, as he is now seeing the effects first hand.

On July 19, the Austin American-Statesman reported 480 COVID-19 related hospitalizations in Travis County.

“Hearing the numbers … and then actually seeing it happen in the hospital, and actually putting faces with all the numbers ... it’s very eye opening,” Barrios said.

Resendez, who works in Los Angeles County, doesn’t work with COVID-19 patients, but he still worries

about contracting the virus in the emergency room and infecting others. According to the Los Angeles Times, there were 2,834 COVID-19 positive patients hospitalized in L.A. County as of Monday.

“You hear so many cases of asymptomatic carriers so definitely it’s a little nervewracking (to) go into work and constantly (have) to worry about becoming exposed,” Resendez said.

Yajie Zhang graduated from UT with a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences in the spring. In

April, she began working remotely for a New York-based pharmaceutical company to help create a treatment for COVID-19.

She moved from Austin to New York in early July and was quarantined for two weeks due to a New York policy and her sense of responsibility to help prevent the spread of the virus. This week, Zhang will finally join her team to begin working in the lab.

Zhang, Barrios and Resendez are joining others who have been on the

front lines of the pandemic for months.

“I know the people are working so hard like our group at (the pharmaceutical company),” Zhang said.

“They work … over 12 hours a day even sometimes … to get the work done as fast as possible.”

Though they’re all working long hours, Resendez said he’s eager to contribute.

“I’ve really enjoyed it,” Resendez said. “I’ve just been so excited at the end of the 12-hour day to go back to work the next day.”

6

COVER STORY

TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2020

BLM

‘A good start, but nowhere near enough’ Students continue pushing for change after UT announces plans to rename RLM building and keep “The Eyes of Texas.”

By Anna Canizales @annaleonorc

fter the University announced last week it will rename the Robert Lee Moore building and continue to sing “The Eyes of Texas” while acknowledging and teaching its

history, students say the changes are a step in the right direction, but more should be done.

The news came on the heels of widespread protests against police brutality and students’ and athletes’ demands for racial justice on campus. Students have been advocating to rename the RLM building since at least 2017, and the UT Senate of College Councils unanimously voted

in support of renaming the building in November 2019.

On June 9, the Senate of College Councils and 148 other student organizations presented a list of “tangible action items” to the University in response to systemic racism and violence against the Black community. These demands included divestment from the Austin Police Department and UT Police Department, increased conversations

We’re not going to settle, but we are going to acknowledge that this is good …

Let’s keep using our voices (and platforms).”

about race and systemic racism, renaming buildings, discontinuing the use of “The Eyes of Texas,” and funding an annual campus climate survey.

Serenity Douglas, UT’s NAACP athletic engagement committee director, said although not all the demands were met, it was good to hear the University was listening to students.

“We’re not going to settle, but we

SERENITY DOUGLAS

ut’s naacp athletic engagement committee director

eddie gaspar / the daily texan file Texas football players join the crowd at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in singing “The Eyes of Texas” following a 45-38 loss to the LSU Tigers on Sept. 7, 2019.

The University has decided to keep “The Eyes of Texas” as its alma mater while acknowledging and teaching its history.

are going to acknowledge that this is good,” said Douglas, a corporate communication senior. “Let’s keep using our voices (and platforms).”

For years, People for PMA, a grassroots student organization, had been gathering student support and having conversations with the administration after reading personal accounts of Moore’s racism and his writings on race, said Suzanne Jacobs, who co-founded the group.

“It felt really amazing to see that grassroots activism can make a change at a big institution like UT,” said Jacobs, a physics graduate student. “It’s so hard to make that a reality because big institutions are, by nature, hard to change. I realized that it only happened now because of the current climate in the country, but still it’s incredibly inspiring to me as I go forward and continue to fight for change.”

Senate President Alcess Nonot said the organization celebrated the renaming of RLM and plans to recruit more diverse faculty members, but will continue to push for the other demands to be met.

“The plan right now is just to go ahead and stick to the eight demands and not fall into compromise with any of them,” said Nonot, a human development and family sciences senior. “We are still planning to bring (“The Eyes of Texas”) up in all of our administration meetings and continue to show why students don’t want to sing the song, and why it’s important that a lot of athletes put their careers and their reputation on the line to stop UT from using the song.”

Along with the University’s announcement, some individual programs announced their own changes.

On Friday, the Butler School of Music sent a message to their community saying that no student enrolled in the school will be penalized for choosing not to perform “The Eyes of Texas” at events.

Following demands from UT athletes, Douglas, who is a Texas track and field athlete, said head coach Edrick Floréal would not require the

team to sing “The Eyes of Texas.”

“It’s setting an example for all of the other sports,” Douglas said. “Just like that, (Floréal) made a decision that if it’s racist, and if it affects the student-athletes in a negative way, if they don’t feel comfortable being forced to think this … we’re just going to replace it with a Texas Fight song.”

Student body President Anagha Kikkeri said in a statement that the University’s promises were great strides, but she said Student Government recognizes the conversation does not stop here.

“As the representative voice of the student body, we are committed to amplifying and advocating for all underrepresented and marginalized communities’ voices and causes, specifically of the Black community who has disproportionately been impacted by our school’s institutionalized racial

Heman Sweatt deserves better.”

Chukwurah said he feels uncomfortable singing “The Eyes of Texas” knowing it was used in a racist way at one point.

“It was a good start, but nowhere near enough,” Chukwurah said. “UT is known as a white institution primarily and a lot of minorities … don’t really feel comfortable.”

Gary Susswein, University chief communications officer, said in a statement that UT Interim President Jay Hartzell is continuing his conversations with students as the University begins to implement the changes announced.

“We are actively moving forward on some fronts — and hope to be doing so on all fronts in the coming months,” Susswein said.

It’s so hard to make (grassroots activism) a reality because big institutions are, by nature, hard to change.

SUZANNE JACOBS

people for pma co-founder

practices and biases,” said Kikkeri, a government senior.

Management junior Patrick Chukwurah said he was initially happy about the changes the University is making, but said he later thought some of the actions felt performative. Chukwurah pointed to the University’s decision to place a statue of Heman M. Sweatt in front of T.S. Painter Hall and name an entrance for Sweatt, who won a 1950 Supreme Court Case against Painter after he was denied entry to the University because he was Black.

“UT putting a statue (of Sweatt) in front of the entrance of the building named after (Painter) seems counterproductive,” Chukwurah said. “It seems like you’re honoring both people at the same time, and I feel like

sierra wiggers / the daily texan staff

8

Editor-In-Chief

E M I LY C A L D W E L L

TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2020

OPINION

COLUMN

COLUMN

Mitigate housing shortage

Reenact, expand pass/fail

UT has always faced a shortage of student housing, unable to guarantee even freshmen students the experience of on-campus living. Thousands of students are forced to find housing off campus in locations such as Riverside, North Campus and West Campus — the most popular location.

The global pandemic cost millions their jobs and has prompted many students to scramble to find space in their wallets to fund a college education and housing.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and universitywide tuition increases, UT must assist students during this housing crisis. UT should purchase off-campus housing complexes and lease units at fixed rates in order to help students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds find affordable housing.

A lot of students opt to live in West Campus because of its location, which presents the convenience of easy access between apartment and campus. Unfortunately, this ideal location often comes with a four-figure price tag.

Unlike on-campus dormitory housing, off-campus rent typically does not include the additional costs of food and utilities. A standard UT shared room with a communal bathroom costs students around $12,277 for the 2020-2021 school year.

This price includes housing from August to May as well as an unlimited meal plan and utilities — two additional costs attached to off-campus housing.

Off-campus housing is usually based on a 12-month contract where most complexes charge students around $1,200 per month in rent, according to general consensus among students.

Living in West Campus costs about $14,400 in just rent payments.

“On campus, we plan to replace the old Creekside dorm and also build new graduate housing on the east side over the next few years, which should add 1,600 beds,” Chief Communications Officer Gary Susswein said in an email. “We are working with a consultant to identify potential opportunities for public-private partnerships to create more affordable student housing.”

Madeline Purdy, a management information systems junior, said increasing West Campus housing rates have always been detrimental but especially so this year.

“Students don’t always have parents paying for them or the means to work a job, and Austin is an expensive city to live in,” Purdy said. “I have friends that use money from summer jobs and internships to pay for their housing expenses throughout the year, and a lot of those people don’t have those jobs this summer.”

UT has purchased West Campus property in the past, such as the 2400 Nueces property. By continuing this process in upcoming months, UT would be able to control some housing prices in West Campus and reduce the financial exploitation of students.

Expanding the school’s property portfolio in West Campus would be a capital-intensive solution but would enable UT to allocate more housing units to low-income students and subsequently reduce the socioeconomic bias regarding which students can live near campus.

With rising housing costs, students who are financially unable to live in West Campus are forced to find housing elsewhere. Faith Moore, a youth and community studies junior, lived in Riverside, but the two weeks she spent there were incredibly inconvenient.

“I decided to sign a lease in Riverside to try to save my parents some money, but after two weeks of living there, I realized I hated driving back and forth to class and my extracurricular activities,” Moore said. “It was just a distance burden.”

Students who live far from campus generally feel isolated from campus life, and for those without access to personal transportation, the trip to and from campus can be a hassle. Moreover, using public transportation can be risky for students during this time due to the contagious nature of COVID-19.

While living far from campus can save students money, it comes with its own set of challenges. The economic ramifications of the pandemic are affecting many students, and the University has the power and responsibility to lessen these effects.

Prasath is a finance junior from Westford, Massachusetts.

LEGALESE | Opinions expressed in The Daily Texan are those of the editor, the Editorial Board or the writer of the article. They are not necessarily those of the UT administration, the Board of Regents or the Texas Student Media Board of Operating Trustees.

SUBMIT A FIRING LINE | Email your Firing Lines to editor@dailytexanonline.com. Letters must be more than 100 and fewer than 300 words. The Texan reserves the right to edit all submissions for brevity, clarity and liability.

patience hebert / the daily texan

By Sneha Prasath Columnist

By Hunter Bergfeld Columnist

During the spring 2020 semester, UT provided many students with much-needed relief by allowing them to pass/fail any class, including core and major-required classes. UT has decided to revert back to its normal pass/fail policy for the summer and fall semesters.

It has become clear the normal policy was never equitable to begin with and that UT is failing to focus on the needs of its students.

Given UT consciously decided to reopen campus despite the risks students and faculty will face due to COVID-19, the University must continue to provide methods of academic support for students — many of whom are facing mental, physical and financial hardships due to the pandemic.

UT must not only continue the pass/fail policy implemented in the spring but also learn from recent events that are spotlighting systemic inequities and expand the pass/ fail policy to support students recovering from difficult circumstances.

Joey Williams, the director of communications for the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, said in an email that the pass/fail option was a way of giving students flexibility in light of the lack of time or notice to prepare for the shift online. Although many courses will be taught online, Williams said the pass/fail policy will not change for summer of fall.

“Students are able to make their fall course and attendance decisions with advance knowledge of the mode of delivery, which was not the case in spring,” Williams said.

Brandon Thint, a neuroscience senior who used the pass/fail policy in the spring, said Williams’ explanation is not fair.

“We didn’t really pay to be in an online course with zero tuition deductions, especially in the U.S., which is currently in one of its highest spikes with its failure to properly distance,” Thint said. “Because of that, there’s a lot of outlying circumstances causing a large change in lifestyle and people not having a correct mental and physical well-being.”

UT’s refusal to make changes past the bare minimum reveals the pass/fail policy was never equitable to begin with because it leaves behind students who may need the policy most.

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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.

isabella hollis / the daily texan That said, it is imperative UT not only re-implement the spring pass/fail policy but also extend it to students who have gone through traumatic, performance-impacting or life-altering events in future semesters.

“In the past and in the future, outside of COVID, I think that if there is (an) outside circumstance, a pass/fail option would be a necessary option for them to take,” Thint said.

Less than a month before UT shut down due to COVID-19, my father passed away. I was not only emotionally impacted by this event, but I lost the ability to read without getting an extreme headache for over two weeks. As I had an 18-hour course load, this proved to significantly impact my grades.

While professors were accommodating to a degree, it is hard to recover from not being able to read for two weeks. At the time, I couldn’t pass/fail my classes since they counted toward my major, and as I was already planning on taking a fifth year, Q-dropping simply wasn’t an option.

Once the University announced students could pass/fail classes that count toward their majors, I felt a massive burden lift. That being said, while the policy was implemented due to COVID-19, the pandemic wasn’t the reason I needed to pass/fail my classes.

The events of 2020 have shown the student body that UT’s pass/fail policy was never equitable in the first place.

UT should not only change the pass/fail policy for the summer and fall semesters in response to the pandemic but also expand this policy to assist students who have been through traumatic circumstances, creating a fair academic atmosphere.

Bergfeld is a radio-television-film and anthropology senior from Houston, Texas.

EDITORIAL TWITTER | Follow The Daily Texan Editorial Board on Twitter (@TexanOpinion) and receive updates on our latest editorials and columns.

LIFE&ARTS

Life&Arts Editor

9

TRINADY JOSLIN

TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2020 FEATURE

Austin baker hops on viral realistic cake trend

By Kate Williams @kwilleliza

Before anyone asks — no, this story is not a cake.

Last week, a trend of videos of hyper-realistic cakes made to look like other food or household items took the internet by storm. But one Austin woman has made a living off these illusions for years.

On July 9, Natalie Sideserf posted a video montage of what appeared to be eggplants, onions and chicken sandwiches on Twitter.

She cut into them, revealing they were in fact cake. The video got 17 million views and helped spurn memes across the internet, where users joked about everything being made of cake.

Natalie is an Austin-based cake decorator known for her realistic cake designs. She graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in fine arts in 2008, and after only creating art with traditional materials, she didn’t imagine herself going into cake making until she sculpted her first cake: a cow skull for a friend’s birthday.

“I had never used cake before,” Natalie said. “I had always used traditional art media. I gave it a shot and I realized that it was really fun, and there was a lot more that I could do with cake than I realized.”

Natalie moved to Austin in 2011 and worked for a bakery. The following year, she entered a bust cake of Willie Nelson into a local cake baking competition. Her brother put a photo of the cake on Reddit, and after it went viral, she opened Sideserf Cake Studio, an appointment-only bakery, with her husband, Dave Sideserf.

In 2016, Dave left his job as director of a tech company to join Natalie full time.

He now bakes, runs their social media and

copyright sideserf cake studio, and reproduced with permission Austin-based baker Natalie Sideserf shows how to make a “cake loin” on her YouTube channel. Sideserf went viral after posting a montage of her hyper-realistic cakes on Twitter, gathering over 17 million views.

edits videos for their YouTube channel, where they post cake-making tutorials.

Dave said the transition from tech to cake wasn’t a difficult one because he already “knew his way around an oven” after working in kitchens in college. Now, he enjoys choosing cake flavor combinations.

“For example, like a lemon cake,” I gave it a shot and I realized Dave said. “It looks like a lemon and inthat it was really fun, and there side the cake flavor is lemon.”

“And then sometimes we switch it up was a lot more I could do with completely and we’re like, ‘This peach is cake than I realized.” going to be chocolate,’” Natalie said.

The couple also offers classes at their NATALIE SIDESERF cake studio, where students of all ages co-owner, sideserf cake studios and experience levels can learn to make realistic cakes, though they paused the

classes due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

In addition to creating cakes and teaching others, Natalie said she’s been on several TV shows, including as a guest judge on season three of “Nailed It!” and as a competitor on Food Network’s “Buddy vs. Duff.”

So far, Natalie said two of the more difficult cakes they’ve made have been a cake that looks like Freddy Krueger and a hanging deer head.

Her next challenge is a cake version of herself, which she said was inspired by people on social media

commenting “Are you a cake?” on her selfies.

“I’m calling it a selfie cake, and I think it will be fun because I can hold it next to myself and I’m really comparing,” Natalie said.

“So, talk about a challenge.”

10

Sports Editor M Y A H

TAY L O R

TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2020

SPORTS

FOOTBALL

Bands banned from road games Longhorn Band members react to Big 12’s no-travel policy for bands and spirit groups.

By Stephen Wagner @stephenwag22

hen Judson Hayden first heard that Big 12 schools had reached an agreement restricting travel for visiting bands during the 2020 football season, he wasn’t frustrated or angry — he was thankful.

“At first, I was relieved,” said Hayden, junior Longhorn Band saxophone player. “It’s nice to know our health and safety is being kept in mind. That and the health and safety of the people who were going to be at the games.”

The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal first reported on July 6 that Big 12 bands and spirit groups will not travel to road games for the 2020 football season, with the possible exception of the Texas-Oklahoma game at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Several Longhorn Band members hope for a game day experience but are wary about how it might impact safety in the wake of the pandemic and fall sports cancellations throughout the country.

Hayden and junior clarinet player Mercy Ogunlade said they would not attend any football games in the fall, home or away, if the decision was solely theirs.

Ogunlade said she disagrees with the University’s attempts to make concrete plans for the fall.

“Deep down, I’m not super proud of how UT and the athletic department has been dealing with COVID,” Ogunlade said. “I definitely think (UT) should have made a plan way sooner because we’ve known about this virus

amna ijaz / the daily texan file The Longhorn Band marches across the field during the Longhorns’ 36-30 win over Oklahoma State on Sept. 21, 2019. Due to COVID-19, spirit groups and bands across the Big 12 will not be allowed to travel to road games.

for months.”

Hayden and Ogunlade expressed concern about catching or spreading COVID-19 by performing at football games, particularly since they both know people who have contracted the virus. Hayden says he’s not sure if he trusts others to follow health and safety guidelines and that it may be too much to expect at a football game.

“I’ve seen people not wearing masks; I’ve seen people not taking the precautions they need to

take at stores and grocery stores.

To expect that at a football game is a little bit much,” Hayden said. “(UT Interim President Jay Hartzell) said trust was going to be an important factor in reducing the spread of coronavirus on campus, but we’ve seen how well that approach goes. I don’t think it’s safe to trust everybody in Austin to maintain those guidelines.”

Junior clarinet player Leonard LeGrand is amazed that the first fall without football on the Forty Acres since 1893 is a possibility

and is losing faith that a season will even be played at all.

“Going into college, I never expected something like this to happen because it’s never happened in my life before,” LeGrand said. Adding that it’s “completely bizarre,” he’s still open to performing at football games in the spring.

With the Big 12’s travel restrictions on visiting bands and spirit squads now in place, Hayden, Ogunlade and LeGrand are left considering the

missed memories associated with band travel trips. But if it keeps everyone safe, Hayden says it’s worth it.

“On one hand, it’s kind of frustrating and disappointing to see that we’re not going to have those experiences, but on the other hand, it’s a necessary step,” Hayden said. “If football being canceled or if the season being reduced to just the players on the field saves lives, then we should go about doing that.”

COMICS

Comics Editors

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Sports Editor M Y A H

TAY L O R

TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2020

SPORTS

CORONAVIRUS

Small sports fight for financial support during pandemic

zackary strain / the daily texan file Texas women’s rowing team mans the boat on Lady Bird Lake in Austin on Feb. 6, 2013.

jack myer / the daily texan file Former Texas men’s tennis player Yuya Ito goes for a backhand during the DropshotLLC Men’s Pro Tennis Open on Nov. 21, 2019.

By Donnavan Smoot @Dsmoot3D

Americans long for a post-pandemic world, but what’s waiting on the other side could be far from normal, especially in sports, where financial losses are changing the college athletics landscape.

The success and revenue of football and men’s basketball often help sustain other athletic programs. While some bigger sports — softball, women’s basketball and baseball — can afford to operate at a deficit in the wake of the pandemic, the smaller, niche sports may be in trouble. Several athletic programs around the country have already felt the effects of COVID-19 and have been cut before their fall seasons even begin.

“That’s certainly a concern,”

said Dave O’Neill, Texas rowing head coach, on the possibility of rowing being cut from the athletic program. “I was concerned about that last year. I’m just always concerned about that.”

Texas Athletics had an operating budget of $179.5 million during the 2018-19 fiscal year, according to a Texas press release.

The Longhorns generated $144.5 million from football alone in the previous year, according to a 2019 USA Today article.

Not every program is as valuable as the multimillion-dollar Longhorns, which only increases the burden of continuing sports that don’t generate revenue. O’Neill said he believes in the athletic department at Texas and thinks his team will be okay, but it’s the other programs he’s apprehensive about.

“At The University of Texas, I think we’re in a good position as an athletic department,” O’Neill said.

“So I’m not too worried about that.

But I’m worried about (rowing) in general.”

On July 8, Stanford University announced it would be cutting 11 programs, which have accounted for a combined 20 national championships and 27 Olympic gold medals. The programs will resume in the 202021 season if it is safe to do so, the statement said.

“We felt it was imperative to confront the financial challenge before it worsened, to undertake a deliberate and collaborative decision-making process with our Board of Trustees and campus leadership, and to exhaust all alternatives before making profound changes in our programs, especially during this difficult time,” the university said in its official statement.

Stanford’s decision to cut many athletic programs has more than just financial ramifications, as it ends the collegiate careers of over 240 student-athletes. Smaller schools across the nation have cut programs, but Stanford’s decision was one of the first on its scale.

“I was really sad (when I saw

anthony mireles / the daily texan file Former Texas women’s golfer Emilee Hoffman putts at the Betsy Rawls Invitational at UT Golf Club on Oct. 22, 2018.

their decision),” former Texas rower Caitlin Shick said. “One thing about rowing that’s different than other sports is that there’s no professional rowing team or league. So for most girls, including myself, you row in college and then when your career ends after the four years, that’s kind of it.”

As for Texas rowing, the only way to make its case to stay is by winning, O’Neill said. Since rowing is not a major revenue sport, its existence is decided by

results, which should play out in Texas’ favor. In the last five years under O’Neill, the Longhorns have placed in the top 10 at the NCAA Championship and have consecutively won five Big 12 Conference Championships.

“You can turn any negative into a positive,” O’Neill said. “We need to show why we’re important. We have to be showing year after year that rowing adds value to the University ... and I think we do a really good job of that.”