Serving The University Of Texas At Austin Community Since 1900 @thedailytexan | thedailytexan.com
Monday, September 30, 2019
Volume 121, Issue 34
NEWS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFE&ARTS
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New documents show more details about reports of hazing at Texas Cowboys retreat.
Forum contributors discuss the need for higher graduate srtudent wages.
Musical sketch comedy show “Over the Ledge” pokes fun at State Legislature.
Longhorns continue strong start to Big 12 play with win against Texas Tech.
TRIB FEST
texas tribune festival Pelosi talks impeachment inquiry facts, Texas’ role in 2020 elections. joshua guenther
& blaine young / the daily texan staff
(Top left) UT and A&M Systems chancellors sit during a broadcast of KERA’s “Think” with Krys Boyd, host and managing editor, during The Texas Tribune Festival on Sept. 27. (Top right) Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi sits down with Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith during the closing keynote of The Texas Tribune Festival. (Bottom left) Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Blake Fetterman speak during a panel on how different cities can tackle homelessness. (Bottom right) Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte discusses the lost rivalry with A&M.
By Lauren Grobe @grobe_lauren
Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, said the facts behind the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump are “self-evident” and justified, formally launching an investigation. Pelosi ended The Texas Tribune Festival in a one-on-one conversation with Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith. Last Tuesday, Pelosi announced the House Intelligence Committee would launch an impeachment inquiry against Trump.
“Let us try not to make it further divisive, but we cannot ignore our oath of office to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States from all enemies — foreign and domestic,” Pelosi said. On Constitution Day, Sept. 17, a whistleblower alleged Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to open a corruption investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son during a July 25 phone call, days after the president withheld financial aid to the Ukraine. Pelosi said the values of the Founding Fathers were violated on Constitution Day, the day they
should have been honored. “The president engaged in something that’s so far beyond what our founders had in mind,” Pelosi said. The committee, currently chaired by Rep. Adam Schiff (DCA), will investigate allegations of foreign collusion. Pelosi said the committee will have access to more information than previous House investigations. “The difference between 10 days ago and now are the facts that were revealed in that letter,” Pelosi said. “This is a cause for investigation.”
There is currently no timelinefortheinquiry’scompletion, Pelosi said, because of the gravity of the investigation. Facing the 2020 election, Pelosi said she is confident the Democratic Party will maintain the majority in the House of Representatives. “I do believe we will win again,” Pelosi said. “We have kept our promises.” Pelosi said she believes a “blue wave” will hit Texas in 2020. The Senate race in Texas gained national attention in the 2018 midterms when now2020 presidential candidate Beto
O’Rourke lost by less than three percentage points to incumbent Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX). It was the closest Senate race in the state in 40 years, according to the Texas Tribune. “Texas is our hope for the future,” Pelosi said. “When Texas goes blue, people will have to pay attention to everything that happens here.” Pelosi said the Democrats have more of the public’s support because the party accurately represents the country. “Our diversity is our strength,” Pelosi said. “Our unity is our power.”
SYSTEM
CITY
UT, A&M Systems chancellors discuss free tuition
Austin, San Antonio mayors discuss the politics of fighting homelessness
By Areeba Amer @areeba_amer
As the Texas population continues to grow, the UT System is working with other institutions to ensure all Texans have access to higher education, UT System chancellor James Milliken said. Milliken and Texas A&M chancellor John Sharp sat down to discuss the future of higher education, the rapidly growing Texas population and tuition at The Texas Tribune Festival on Friday. The event was a live broadcast of Think, North Texas Public Broadcasting station KERA’s podcast. “(Texas is) going to double in population (within the) next 30 years, but we’re probably not going to have double the number of these traditional university campuses that we have
today,” Milliken said. In the future, Texas higher education institutions will work together to offer more alternative paths to higher education credit, such as increasing dual credit classes for high school and offering more online classes at universities, Milliken said. For people looking to restart their education later in their career, the UT System hopes to offer more certificate programs and short courses to accommodate working students, Milliken said. “(We are trying to offer) the kind of thing people are going to be able to access … just in time for that next promotion or job opportunity,” Milliken said. “That’s a space I think we’re all trying to fill, but we’ve got to move more quickly.” Sharp said increasing the number of college-educated students T U I T I O N PAGE 2
By Graysen Golter @graysen_golter
Considering citizen reactions to Austin City Council’s recent moves to amend policies on homeless camping, Austin Mayor Steve Adler said he has “never felt more encouraged” to end homelessness in Austin. “Most people are in favor of us actually ending homelessness in our city and are supportive of this focused attention that’s happening now,” Adler said. “There’s a part of the population that is adamantly opposed to what’s happening. They’re very loud, and they’re very present, but I have never felt more encouraged ... than I am right now.” Adler met with San Antonio M AYO R
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joshua guenther
/ the daily texan staff
From left, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenber, Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Blake Fetterman, director of the Carr P. Collins Social Service Center of The Salvation Army of North Texas, speak during a panel on how different cities can tackle homelessness.
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MEGAN MENCHACA
News Editor | @THEDAILYTEXAN
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2019
This issue of The Daily Texan is valued at $1.25
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PERMANENT STAFF Editor-in-Chief Spencer Buckner Managing Editor Catherine Marfin Assoc. Managing Editors Alex Briseño, Lisa Nhan Assoc. Editors Angélica López, Emily Caldwell, Abby Springs, Sanika Nayak Forum Editors Julia Zaksek, Kateri David News Editor Megan Menchaca Assoc. News Editors Gracie Awalt, Savana Dunning News Desk Editors Hayden Baggett, Nicole Stuessy, Jackson Barton, Hannah Ortega Beat Reporters Neelam Bohra, Lauren Grobe, Laura Morales, Emily Hernandez, Lauren Girgis, Sara Johnson, Graysen Golter, Tori May, Areeba Amer Projects Editor Chase Karacostas Projects Reporters Trinady Joslin, Tiana Woodard, Savana Dunning Projects Designer Emma Overholt Copy Desk Chiefs Jason Lihuang, Brittany Miller Associate Copy Desk Chiefs Lawson Freeman, Irissa Omandam, Jimena Pinzon
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joshua guenther
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/ the daily texan staff
UT System Chancellor J.B. Milliken sits during a live broadcast of KERA’s “Think” at The Texas Tribune Festival on Sept. 27, 2019. Aimée Knight, Sabrina LeBoeuf, Nataleah Small News Reporters Jennifer Xia, Aria Jones Sports Reporters Aneesh Namburi
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could benefit Texas’ economy. “If we become the state that produces the most 18- to 23-yearolds in the country, and they are well educated, we smoke everybody,” Sharp said. “This is bigger than all
the gas, bigger than cotton, bigger than cattle, and all these powers and economic empowerment.” Both Milliken and Sharp said their systems’ first priority is in-state students. “We have a growing population (of students) here,” Milliken said. “That is our first obligation, and it is the first obligation of every public university.”
Over the summer, The Daily Texan reported UT-Austin would provide free tuition to students with household incomes of $65,000 and under. UT-Rio Grande Valley announced in September that it would do the same for students with incomes of $75,000 and under, according to the UTRGV
newsroom website. Miliken said he is looking into expanding financial aid for all UT System universities. “This is something we’ve seen across the country,” Milliken said. “Frankly, I think we’re going to see this almost everywhere with public universities.”
inadvertently made rent unaffordable to people living east of Interstate 35 when actions were taken to decrease crime and increase amenities in the area, such as grocery stores. “Gentrification is a good thing … but there is a difference between gentrification and displacement,” Adler said. Nirenberg said the recent report released by the Council of Economic Advisers calling for more policing and less housing market regulations to solve homelessness will only further politicize the difficult conversations needed to solve it.
“It’s a dispassionate approach, and I think it sets us back,” Nirenberg said. Blake Fetterman, executive director of the Carr P. Collins Social Service Center of the Salvation Army of North Texas, said Dallas saw a 40% increase in overall homelessness in 2015. She said while more affordable housing would help, issues of mental health and domestic violence also should be addressed. Eva Thibaudeau, chief program officer for the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston, said Houston has been able to decrease its homeless population by 54% since 2011 by reaching out to
vulnerable people and quickly getting them the resources they need. However, she said Texas needs increased funding to implement solutions and suggested expanding Medicaid and creating a state tax. “(We have) very few funds dedicated to addressing homelessness or preventing it that aren’t federal taxpayer dollars,” Thibaudau said. “We … should be looking upstream and challenging our neighbors … (to) be saying ‘We are barely, barely keeping the dam together right now.”
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Mayor Ron Nirenberg and homelessness experts from across the state at The Texas Tribune Festival’s “Gimme Shelter” panel, where they discussed the current trend of homelessness across Texas, the cause of homelessness and what both government officials and the community can do to help. Adler said the rate of homelessness correlates with the housing market, and said the City of Austin
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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.
andrea muniz
/ the daily texan staff
English sophomore Sarah Hudson speaks at an anti-gun violence rally hosted by University Democrats at Republic Square on Sept. 28, 2019. Speakers, who included Mayor Steve Adler and U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, spoke on gun legislation reform, background checks and school safety.
Mayor Adler, Sen. Merkley speak at anti-gun violence rally hosted by University Democrats By Sara Johnson @skjohn19999
Mayor Steve Adler and U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, spoke Saturday afternoon in Downtown Austin at an anti-gun violence rally organized by University Democrats. About 100 students, local government candidates and activists listened to Adler, Merkley and several other speakers discuss gun legislation and the upcoming election season at the inaugural Austin Comes Together Against Gun Violence rally. The rally was hosted in partnership with Texas Gun Sense and the Austin chapter of the nationwide student activist group March For Our Lives. “Knowing that we’re (fighting for gun legislation reform) from Texas is a very important thing,” Adler said.
“I am so incredibly proud of our city and the values that we have.” University Democrats president Joe Cascino said Merkley came to Austin to speak on a panel at The Texas Tribune Festival Saturday morning, but stayed to speak at the rally. Merkley told attendees about the loss of his niece in a 2015 shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon. “Her graduation picture from high school had words on it,” Merkley said. “It said, ‘Adventure is out there.’ Her adventure didn’t last past the first day of community college.” Merkley said he supports the movement towards stronger background checks. However, he said he would “like to go further than that” and limit the number of bullets in gun magazines, devices that feed a set amount of bullets into a firearm, to
10 bullets. “There is no purpose to a magazine that holds 50 bullets except to walk into a crowded classroom and shoot and kill everyone around you,” Merkley said. Student activists also shared their thoughts on gun control during the rally. Sarah Hudson, an English sophomore and organizer for the Austin chapter of March For Our Lives, said she was among those in the church near the location of a 2016 shooting in west Houston. Hudson said she’s concerned about students’ mental health after experiencing violent situations. “It’s not easy to articulate the feelings that linger after incidents like this, so I’m not going to try,” Hudson said. “‘Generation Lockdown’ is a far better descriptor of us than ‘Gen Z’ or ‘millennial’ ever will be.”
Cascino, a government sophomore, said he and UDems intend to turn Austin Comes Together Against Gun Violence into a permanent coalition of organizations within Austin. “We’re not going anywhere until we see the changes we deserve,” Cascino said. “I don’t care if gun violence isn’t in the news cycle on that particular day. We’re going to be here. It’s going to be on our minds.” Cascino said he feels leadership of legislators has failed students, but he believes students will have the biggest impact on future legislation if they show support for new proposals. “We’ve been touched by (gun violence),” Cascino said. “We’re tired of falling asleep to El Paso and waking up to Dayton. The only way to fix it is if we stand together as a united coalition.”
NEWS
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MEGAN MENCHACA
News Editor | @THEDAILYTEXAN
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2019
UNIVERSITY
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katie bauer/ the daily texan staff
The Texas Cowboys prepare to fire Smokey the Canon at a the game v.s. USC on Sept. 15. The Dean of Students and a third party investigator have released new details on hazing during the Cowboys’ retreat in the fall of 2018, such as new members being struck with wooden sticks.
New details of Texas Cowboys 2018 retreat released By Emily Hernandez @emilylhernandez
Documents recently released by the Dean of Students and a third party investigator show more details about reports of hazing at a Texas Cowboys’ 2018 fall retreat, including consumption of large amounts of alcohol and food, being hit with a wooden stick and biting the head off of a live hamster. The investigations, obtained by The Daily Texan through a Texas Public Information Act request, found the Cowboys violated the Institutional Rules on Student Services and Activities by engaging in hazing activities. In June, the Dean of Students suspended the Texas Cowboys for six years, but the suspension could end early, depending on evaluations beginning in January 2022. The third party investigation by law firm Cleveland Terrazas PLLC and the Dean’s investigation were prompted after former student Nicholas Cumberland died in fall 2018 from injuries sustained in a car accident on the way home from a Texas Cowboys retreat.
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According to the documents, which were first reported on by The Dallas Morning News, UT Student Conduct and Academic Integrity interviewed more than 100 people, and while some students admitted to hazing, others refused to discuss it or did not recall feeling hazed. The retreat planning checklist included food, Tabasco sauce, 35 cases of beer, 10 cases of White Claw, 15 handles of liquor, 10 cans of tobacco, a Juul e-cigarette for every new member, a live chicken, a dead octopus and two live hamsters, according to the Dean of Students’ investigation. According to the Dean’s investigation, the pledge class, called New Men, was instructed to drive to Canyon Ranch with these items to set up at 7 p.m. the day of the retreat, three hours before existing members, or Old Men, arrived by bus. These items were for about 65 students, 14 of whom were underage, according to the investigation. The evening began with relay races requiring members to chug alcohol and milk, and bear crawl across grass and Oklahoma drills, a banned NFL
exercise where two people run at each other to take the other person down, according to the Dean’s investigation. According to the investigation, a group of about 20 to 30 members circled around a New Man in the barn on the ranch and coerced him into biting the head off of one of the hamsters and spitting it into a trash can. Members told investigators the other hamster was unharmed, and the chicken was likely left at the ranch, according to the investigation. Other New Men told investigators they were struck with wooden sticks, and Cumberland’s mom told investigators Nicky had bruises for a month after the retreat. According to the investigation, six New Men, including Cumberland, left to drive back to campus after retreat activities ended at around 4 a.m. Cumberland and the three students sitting in the back did not wear seat belts, according to the investigation. The driver, who was sober, fell asleep at the wheel, causing the truck to fishtail, flip over the highway median and land on its side, according to the investigation. The investigation did not find the hazing to intentionally cause sleep
STATE
deprivation. According to the investigation, there were no regulations on when and how members should leave, and two cars of New Men were allowed to leave without sleep after checking to make sure the drivers were alert and sober. Shawn Cumberland, Nicky’s dad, said he was unaware of the new details until he read the article by The Dallas Morning News. He said the most important recommendation he made to the University is to clearly disband the unofficial “code of silence” that exists around Greek life members feeling like they do not need to report hazing incidents. “That would be the easiest way to significantly reduce hazing issues: A very clear statement that says, ‘If we believe that you’ve been withholding information and you haven’t been forthcoming, in other words, protecting the current violence, that the minimum sanction is (suspension for) one semester,’” Shawn said. “‘That didn’t ruin your career. It doesn’t ruin your life. It’s expensive and it’s inconvenient. But compared to my life, it’s small.’”
CAMPUS
Texans Supporting Hong Kong, students hold rally at Capitol By Jennifer Xia @JenniferXia7
Nearly 100 students, children and families dressed in black and carried yellow umbrellas during a rally at the Capitol Sunday to speak out against reports of human and civil rights abuses against Hong Kong protesters. The rally was hosted by Texans Supporting Hong Kong, an organization that stands in solidarity with people protesting in Hong Kong, according to their Facebook page. The rally was part of a larger “Global Anti-Totalitarianism rally” occurring around the world as China’s National Day approaches Tuesday, according to the Wall Street Journal. Austin has one of the fastest growing Asian communities in the U.S., according to the 2016 City Demographer’s Provisional Report. Public health freshman Jessie Hui said she thought it
was weird that a rally was not being planned for Sunday and decided to organize one herself because the movement is personal to her. “I grew up in Hong Kong and moved here in 2007,” Hui said. “I’ve lived in Texas longer, but Hong Kong has always been my home.” During the rally, students chanted and lined the south steps of the Capitol holding posters illustrating five demands. The five demands include withdrawing the extradition bill, discarding the “riot” characterization of protests, inquiring police brutality, releasing those who have been arrested and implementing universal suffrage . “My biggest intention with the rally is to let (Hong Kong) know they don’t stand alone, that around the world there are people supporting them,” Hui said. UT history professor Madeline Hsu spoke at the rally
and said she was proud of the students who participated. “Due to the repression of legitimate political expression, I am so admiring of these students that are taking these steps to bring people together to express these really important causes,” Hsu said. Chemical engineering sophomore Michael Montez said he visited Hong Kong over the summer and wanted to support the close friends he had made there. “It seems like in America, people don’t care that much, but Hong Kong is struggling with something so core to the American identity — democracy and suffrage,” Montez said. Hui said she was so touched by the turnout at the rally and was close to tears from the beginning. “Honestly, I don’t think that (the Chinese government) actually cares about any protesting, but it’s something we still have to do regardless,” Hui said. “Don’t underestimate us.”
evan l’roy
/ the daily texan file
A crowd of umbrella-wielding protesters chanted and sang at the steps of the Capitol Sept. 29 during a rally to show support for the activists in Hong Kong.
eddie gaspar
/ the daily texan file
The South Austin Museum of Popular Culture will be relocating to North Lamar in the upcoming month and will be occupying a new space behind the original Threadgill’s.
Bullock Museum celebrates American Indian Heritage By Aria Jones @AriaJonesetc
Women danced in dresses covered in metal ornaments to the sound of a beating drum as part of an on-campus celebration of American Indian Heritage Day. Great Promise for American Indians, a nonprofit that aims to preserve the traditions of American Indians, performed the dance Friday in the foyer of the Bullock Texas State History Museum. Nan Blassingame, program director for Great Promise of American Indians, said the group has performed at the museum every last Friday of September since the day was declared a state holiday in 2013 by House Bill 174. Before the performance, Kaitlin Lloyd, museum external affair committee co-chair said museum visitors could walk through “Becoming
Texas,” an exhibit that shows how Native American culture is being passed on through generations and reviews Native American history from more than 16,000 years ago. “A lot of the kids may see some of the things in the museum and think Native Americans were a thing of the past, but then we come and show them we’re still here (and) we don’t dress like this every day,” Blassingame said. Shante Crommie, Great Promise volunteer marketing staffer, said the museum event is a precursor to The Austin Powwow held on Nov. 2, which brings Native American communities from across the country to Austin for food and activities. Blassingame said this year will be the 28th annual Austin Powwow. “We like to have events like this where we’re representing and showing fellow Austinites that we’re here,
the culture is still alive, and we’re sharing that culture with the community,” Crommie said. Event attendee Sasha O’Daniel said she brought the metal ornaments, or jingles, for the dresses used during the performance as a way of preserving culture. “I had no use for them, but I didn’t want to sell them or anything,” Sasha said. “That didn’t feel right. To me, they’re regalia.” Patrick O’Daniel, Sasha’s husband who also attended the event, said he is from New Mexico where he was surrounded by Native American culture, but it is not like that in Texas. “I love the fact that the Bullock Museum provided a space for (the organization) to be able to teach about the culture and share it with everybody, because it’s important,” Patrick said. “This is something that you don’t get to see every day.”
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SPENCER BUCKNER
Editor-In-Chief | @THEDAILYTEXAN
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2019
FORUM
FORUM
helen brown | the daily texan staff
Graduate students struggle to make ends meet By Kateri David and Julia Zaksek Forum Editors
UT graduate students are barely scraping by. Although they serve as teacher assistants, aid professors in research and help run academic workshops and student events, they are often not paid a living wage. Graduate students have to stretch a small stipend to cover rent, groceries, student loan payments and their tuition, with which the University is helping less and less. As of now, graduate students that are
struggling to pay their tuition can receive additional aid to make ends meet, but that fund will run dry next semester. Tuition and housing costs in Austin are rising, but pay for graduates stays the same. A lack of pay also affects summer plans for graduate students. The University does not offer paid teaching assistant positions in the summer, forcing many students to leave the city and find a way to support themselves elsewhere. The problems don’t stop once the school year begins. Teaching assistants don’t receive their first check until Oct. 1. Graduate students sarcastically call this month “the hunger games.”
As September comes to a close and “the games” finally come to an end, students and faculty reflect on the role graduate students play at UT and the challenges they face. In this piece, philosophy graduate student and teaching assistant Emilie Pagano describes her experience working for the University. She breaks down what her pay can and cannot cover in Austin. The Faculty Against Inhumane Remuneration discuss their efforts to draw attention to graduate student exploitation, with particular emphasis on the “hunger games” at the beginning of the academic year. As always, if you have any thoughts on this topic, or any other, please feel free to reach out to us at thedailytexanforum@gmail.com
FORUM
FORUM
What we get paid and why it’s not enough in Austin By Emilie Pagano
standards, isn’t work, and therefore goes unpaid. For instance, many graduate seminars are designed to help faculty members publish their research, but graduate seminars wouldn’t serve that function without graduate students to engage Recently, a colleague collected data on how well with that research. Our intellectual labors, then, graduate students in the Department of Philoso- are going unpaid. phy are paid, relative to graduate students in other To put this all into perspective: The average departments, given the cost of living in Austin. cost of rent for a one-bedroom apartment in AusThough graduate students in philosophy tend tin is around $1,400 a month. Graduate students not to be paid well, we ranked among the bottom with roommates are paying roughly $700 a month few. The average graduate student in our depart- in rent. Add to that roughly $100 in utilities and ment makes roughly $15,000 a year, and is com- $200 in groceries a month, and the average stupelled to have roommates, to live far from campus, dent has $250 leftover for everything else. In my to diligently budget, to leave Austin for the sum- case, I spend $150 of that on mental healthcare, mer and to work, rather than conduct research, in given that the University encourages students the summer and/or during the academic year. to use off-campus providers. That leaves a $100 The central issue is fairbudget for my other expensness. In most cases, stues — student loan payments, dents are put at an academcar insurance, dog food, enteric disadvantage given how tainment, visits home and the much they’re compelled to like. I’m lucky enough to have work to pay their rent, fill a partner that helps with all of We’re nearly imtheir refrigerators and in this. In some sense, though, poverished, and many cases, care for their this makes the issue clearer for families. Likewise, those me. Without him, it doesn’t this affects not students who can’t off-load seem possible. only the quality of their financial burdens on Importantly, this starts to our lives, but our parents or partners are put look like exploitation when one at academic disadvantages considers the demands of the ability to do our relative to those that can. discipline more generally. In jobs well.” The fact that many graduate philosophy, the immense presstudents have to work sigsure to publish, coupled with nificantly harder than others the widespread belief that exbecause of their finances celling at philosophy is somecoming into graduate school is unfair. thing only those with “innate talent” can do, is a It impacts diversity too. Because historically recipe for self-loathing. However, if our only shot underrepresented students — for instance, stu- at getting a job is having publications in good dents of color and first-generation students — are journals — which we’re often told is the case — we statistically more likely to come from lower income have no choice but to push as hard as possible to backgrounds, our department is unable to attract get them. them. Understandably, $15,000 a year may be This coupled with the stress associated with unfeasible for these students. As a result, we’ve financial instability, creates significant psycholost the ability to diversify, an issue the University logical burdens for graduate students that make purports to care about. it difficult to do what it takes to succeed in the What’s more, the average graduate student discipline. And around it goes. does significantly more work for the University Of course, graduate school can be wonderful. than is compensated. According to the Universi- The point, however, is this: We’re nearly impoverty, our pay is calibrated for a 20-hour work week ished, and this affects not only the quality of our — that is, given our various teaching appoint- lives, but our ability to do our jobs well. In particments — together with tuition reimbursement. ular, it affects our ability to be effective teachers To the University, $15,000 looks like a great deal. and mentors for our students, as well as to produce However, that’s a misleading picture. Not only do the kind of research that will get us hired. The Uniwe teach, but we regularly engage in both intel- versity simply isn’t making us a deal in good faith. lectual and service work that, by the University’s Emilie Pagano is a philosophy graduate student. Contributor
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.
UT faculty protest graduate student “hunger games” By FAIR Coalition Contributor
and teach and design their own courses. Simply put, without their work, the University would not function. If the University of Texas truly aims to provide our undergraduates with a world-class education, we cannot continue to do so on the backs of hungry graduate student workers.
The University of Texas system has the second largest endowment in the nation with an estimated value of $31 billion, but graduate students here are struggling to survive on meager living stipends that have failed to Student activism keep up with rising living costs in Austin. Graduate students across the University The beginning of the academic year is parhave begun organizing to protest their inadticularly tough for graduate students. equate wages and untenable labor conditions Most graduate students are not paid by the by founding a new group, Underpaid at UT. University over the course of the summer and They are building alliances with the many they don’t receive their first paycheck until other underpaid staff workers and tempoOctober, more than a month after classes rary teachers at the University whose labor have begun. makes this institution run. Because so many have The pressure that graduate to stretch their resources student workers and their allies to pay for rent and food, are exerting upon the University graduate students sarcasadministration is beginning to tically refer to the month show results. If UT truly aims to of September as “the Last spring, the provost provide ...a worldhunger games.” announced that $10 million would be invested during the class education, we How far it goes 2019-2020 academic year in cannot continue to While the University’s graduate student workers. own Office of ScholarIn response to a series of do so on the backs ships and Financial Aid actions undertaken by Underof hungry graduate estimates that graduate paid at UT activists last year, student workers.” students need more than some of these funds will help $25,000 to live in Austin graduate student teachers pay year-round, first-year tuition bills, but this is a onegraduate teaching assistime temporary solution to tants in the College of Liberal Arts earn as enduring problems. little as $13,684. It is not nearly enough. And for graduate students in Fine Arts, Following the lead of the graduate stuthe situation is even worse. dent activists involved in Underpaid at UT, Some endowed departments are able to last spring, dozens of faculty members came contribute to their graduate students’ living together to found a similar organization, stipends, but most are not. Faculty Against Inhumane Remuneration. Compared to other top public research We are committed to drawing attenuniversities, this funding for graduate tion to graduate student workers’ exworkers is shockingly low. ploitation, and the bureaucratic intranWhat is more, doctoral candidates who sigence that has produced their “hunger win prestigious fellowships are often forced games” at the very beginning of the to pay thousands of dollars in medical academic year. costs and tuition because the terms of their We know that the University of Texas can fellowships forbid them from teaching. do better, and we will continue to speak out Graduate students provide the until it does. University of Texas with vital labor. The Faculty Against Inhumane RemunerAs teaching assistants and assistant ation coalition is a facuty organization at UT instructors, they grade papers, deliver lecdedicated to increasing awareness of student tures, lead supplemental discussion groups wage inequality.
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J O R DY N Z I T M A N
Life&Arts Editor | @JORDYNZITMAN
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2019
Q&A
Film director Rian Johnson takes stab at Texan’s questions, discusses ‘Knives Out’ creation process
copyright jack plunkett, and reproduced with permission
Rian Johnson at the black carpet premiere for “Knives Out” at Austin’s Fantastic Fest on Sept. 25. By Noah Levine @ZProductionz
At the Fantastic Fest premiere of “Knives Out” on Sept. 25, The Daily Texan spoke to director Rian Johnson from “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” and “Looper” about his newest film. The Daily Texan: How does working on a such a large franchise like “Star Wars” differ from making
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experiences, the album fails to provide audiences with anything musically or stylistically unique. The album is a prime example of pop music churned out by California music labels every year. Like cotton candy, it’s fluffy, digestible and short-lived. After the first bite, the spun sugar instantly dissolves, leaving no trace of structure or integrity. Bassy’s music reacts the same way — it’s enjoyable to listen to, but no songs stand out as exceptional or memorable. PMD is a spoken-word interlude that defines the album title as “postmodern depression.” It opens with melancholy piano chords and makes the listener question whether the artist is experiencing genuine emotional pain
a film like “Knives Out”? Johnson: You know, it’s a lot more similar than you might expect. Because at the end of the day … in some ways, (Star Wars is) a bigger movie, but what actually makes a movie tick — the scenes working, the actors doing their thing — is pretty much the same deal, but with a different set of challenges. This was a more dialogue-based movie and the “whodunnit” (genre) which is really specific. So different challenges, but Rian
or is just another rich kid complaining about a broken heart. Bassy sings,“Rooftop pool/Versace ring ripples/Swim from the other side/We will meet in the middle.” The song’s tone is millennial and privileged. It’s sexy, fancy and sad, but fails to make a meaningful connection with the listener. “Where We’re From” is a melancholy love song about a one-sided relationship. Bassy croons the words “Don’t say that you want my love” so many times, it feels like a broken record. It’s an inoffensive, slow jam that’s easy to listen to, but that’s the song’s only distinguishing quality. The 32-year-old has the voice of a youthful tenor. He’s a good singer, but the song’s whiny “will they, won’t they” tone teeters on the obnoxious side. His lyrical style has yet to
not as a fundamentally different thing. DT: What films inspired the classic style of “Knives Out”? RJ: I grew up loving Agatha Christie, and the movies in the ‘70s and ‘80s that were made from her books, the original “Death on the Nile,” and “Evil Under the Sun,” and those are kind of the two real touchstones for this. Also, because those movies had big all-star casts, you sat down and had a blast watching everybody. They
evolve. No one wants to hear a grown man complain about how he’s stuck in the past. “NASCAR” is reminiscent of Tracy Chapman’s 1988 song “Fast Car.” Both had moderate, consistent beats and compare love and relationships to car rides. While the vehicle described in Chapman’s song is a metaphor for escaping a troubled youth, Bassy’s “NASCAR” is a metaphor for the subject of his affection. He describes a visceral, sexual connection whereas Chapman’s metaphor is deeply emotional. The listener is left wondering whether the Californian can authentically write about anything besides the dynamics of physical attraction. Overall, the album lacks grit. PMD is sensual enough to turn on as background music during a hookup and
were a little self aware, but still gave you a good mystery. That was kind of the sweet spot we’re aiming for with (“Knives Out”). DT: Was it intimidating to work with such A-list talent? RJ: It’s terrifying. It’s f---ing terrifying. But then you show up on set and you start working with them, and they’re all super sweet. Then you realize you’re all just trying to make a good movie together. And suddenly, you’re no longer just
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bears a close-enough resemblance to a lullaby that a listener could fall asleep to. Bassy’s lyrics appear heartfelt because he followed an adage wellknown to every artist, “write what you know.” Although it appears Bassy has experienced emotional suffering, it doesn’t seem like any cut was ever very deep or left much of a scar. It’s fluffy, formulaic music that’s easy to produce and easy to replicate. It’s not a bad album, and will likely be successful because it is non-abrasive. But because the lyrical content is emotionally shallow, it won’t stand the test of time.
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T H R O U G H T H E LENS
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sitting there talking with Jamie Lee Curtis, you’re just collaborating with someone and it feels like when you were making student films with your buddies and just trying to make something cool. So it’s scary, but that goes away really quick. DT: What advice do you have for student filmmakers? RJ: My advice is just make your stuff and keep making it. Make as many films as you can with whatever you have access
to. Develop your voice, work on yourself, read good books, travel, meet people, have experiences. Don’t start thinking, ‘How do I get an agent? How do I break into the industry?’ Focus on your voice and focus on developing who you are as a person, what you want to say, and doing it over and over so you get better at that. And if you do that, you’ll develop your voice, and all that (other) stuff will find its way to you one way or another.
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| daily texan staff
Laura Huffman, regional state director of The Nature Conservancy, meets with attendees after her panel on cities’ role on climate change in relation to inequality.
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D O N N AVA N S M O O T
Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2019
VOLLEYBALL
joshua guenther
/ the daily texan staff
Senior outside hitter Micaya White gets low to the ground to hit the ball against Minnesota. White helped lead the team to victory against Texas Tech Sept. 28 2019.
Texas handles Tech in sweep After falling to Rice two weeks ago, Longhorns find rhythm in second Big 12 conference victory. By Marcus Krum @marcuskrum
exas suffered a shocking road loss to then-unranked Rice less than two weeks ago. But 10 days after that defeat, the Longhorns appear to have officially gotten back on the road to a Big
12 Championship. Then, Texas was searching for a feeling of cohesion. Now, the Longhorns are more comfortable playing with each other than ever, and it showed in their dominant 3-0; 25-17, 25-18, 25-18 win over Texas Tech. Senior outside hitter Micaya White has led the Longhorn attack all season, and Saturday was no different. White led all Longhorns with 147 kills heading into Saturday’s matchup. She tacked on 13 more in the Longhorns’ victory over the Red Raiders, hitting at a .520 clip. “We’ve been working a lot on our communication between me and my hitters, and especially in the backcourt,” sophomore setter Jhenna Gabriel said. “There’s an extra level of comfort that we’ve been working to achieve. Today was one
of the first days that we actually reached that.” Gabriel had the Texas offense running smoothly Saturday. She finished with a game-high 34 assists against Tech, spreading the ball around and allowing each of Texas’ hitters to stay involved. “Jhenna did a really nice job with our offense,” Texas head coach Jerritt Elliott said. “Best night she’s had in terms of her distribution and getting her backcourt involved … Today was the first time we actually got involved a lot.” The key to unleashing what can be a mighty Longhorn offense? Just having fun. “Once our game is flowing and everybody’s having confidence in themselves, everybody knows who’s hot on the team … It’s fun volleyball at that point,” Gabriel said. “You’re not
FOOTBALL
overthinking everything.” Texas’ fun started early in the first set and never stopped. Texas jumped out to an early lead, then played around with a new 6-2 formation that saw Gabriel leave the floor. The Longhorns had a stretch run where they built a 10-point lead even without the star setter on the court. From there, Texas knew it was in control. “We came out super aggressive,” senior libero Claire Hahn said. “We knew from the start that we’re winning this game. And so we just came out, served tough and got them offensively and defensively, and I think they crumbled pretty early.” From there, it was smooth sailing. A steady Longhorn team went into cruise control, not once trailing in
the sweep. Sophomore outside hitter Logan Eggleston came back from Wednesday’s injury with a 12-kill performance, and freshman opposite hitter Skylar Fields tacked on 11 more. Hahn said the loss to Rice was immediately put in the past, and the Longhorns just had to rebuild trust. Through two conference matches in which Texas has lost just one set, it appears the trust has been rebuilt. The tension from the loss is gone. The Longhorns have relaxed, and that’s exactly what makes them dangerous. “I felt like we’ve been a little bit tight,” Elliott said. “I feel like we haven’t been playing as smoothly as the preseason. And today, it looked like we had a lot more fun.”
SOCCER
Del Conte discusses A&M rivalry at Texas Tribune Festival By Daniela Perez @danielap3rez
Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte and Texas A&M’s athletic director Ross Bjork spoke about reinstating the Lone Star Showdown on Friday at a panel during the 2019 Texas Tribune Festival. The teams haven’t faced off since 2011, but Del Conte is adamant about resuming the rivalry. “Us not playing A&M is not good for college football … we need to play each other,” Del Conte said. The rivalry has been around since 1894, with Texas leading the series 76–37–5. The rivalry has been at a standstill since Texas beat A&M 27-25 courtesy of Justin Tucker’s walk-off 40-yard kick in College Station in 2011. A&M then moved to the SEC at the start of the 2012 season, resulting in a discontinuation of the Thanksgiving week tradition. But according to Bjork, this is because former UT athletic director DeLoss Dodds halted the rivalry. “Chris’s predecessor, (three) predecessors before said, ‘Hey, you know what, we decide when we’ll play A&M,’” Bjork said, as reported by the Austin
American-Statesman. “They moved on. (The feeling was) so you know what? Forget ’em. And so that’s pretty deep within the A&M family. Hey, there was an offer made, it was declined and so I think now both programs have moved on.” The state of Texas has not moved on, however. In November 2018, state Rep. Lyle Larson, R-San Antonio, filed a bill that would allow the teams “play a nonconference, regular-season football game against one another on the fourth Thursday, Friday, or Saturday of November each year.” Gov. Greg Abbott also supported the reinstatement in February. In 2018, Del Conte called then-A&M athletic director Scott Woodward about a potential matchup in the 2022-23 season. Woodward declined the offer. The Longhorns are now scheduled to play Alabama in 2022. Bjork, who was only in the 82nd day of his job at the time of the panel, said the rivalry would have to be reinstated on the Aggies’ terms. “The sentiment that I get is Texas A&M offered to continue and the University of Texas said no. (A&M was told) it’ll be on our terms,” Bjork said, according to the Austin American-Statesman.
joshua guenther
/ the daily texan file
Athletic director Chris Del Conte discusses the lost rivarly with Texas A&M alongside Aggie athletic director Ross Bjork Sept. 27 2019. Both want the rivarly to return at some point.
joshua guenther
/ the daily texan file
Sophomore midfielder Julia Grosso dribbles the ball past a Gonzaga defender in an attempt to score. Grosso would score the lone goal for the Longhorns against Kansas State Aug 22 2019.
Longhorns beat Wildcats for second consecutive Big 12 victory By Aneesh Namburi @aneeshnamburi
A few weeks ago, it was unclear how well Texas soccer would fair when Big 12 play began. After an up-and-down nonconference performance, it was anyone’s guess. However, the team picked to finish third in the conference during the preseason has surprised many through two conference games. The talented team flashed potential at times this season, including in a 2-0 victory against Washington, but had also displayed plenty of flaws in lossess to Monmouth and Providence. With various injuries spread across the roster, there was doubt that the team would become any more consistent. After two Big 12 wins — one over Kansas and a 1-0 win over Kansas State on Sunday — the Longhorns are sitting in first place. The adversity the team has struggled with this season is starting to pay off on the field. “I just think our early season adversity has definitely created
resiliency and our team is showing that in their play,” Texas head coach Angela Kelly said. “They have fortitude, a never say die attitude.” Although the margin of victory versus Kansas State was a single goal, the Longhorns were aggressive and dominant from the start. In the first 15 minutes of the game, Texas collected six shots compared to Kansas State’s zero. While the game would become more even, the Longhorns continued their aggression on offense. “It was a well organized K-State team,” Kelly said. “I think the shots were 22 to 15 in favor of us. The K-State goalkeeper was huge on quite a few of those 22 shots.” At the end of the first half, the team had the chance to collect the first goal of the game. Senior defender Atu Mshana kicked the ball well past the backline to senior forward Cyera Hintzen, who had snuck behind the Kansas State defense. Hintzen would leap for a header, but the ball would up outside of the goal post. Texas seemed to have found the
back of the net in minute 63 as senior forward Cyera Hintzen and junior forward Haley Berg found sophomore Julia Grosso, who scored from eight yards out. However, an offsides call negated the goal. Both teams would continue to trade opportunities until the 86th minute. Redshirt junior Cydney Billups sent an outlet pass to Berg, who then found Grosso about 12 yards away from the goal. Only needing one touch before firing a shot, Grosso found the back of the net. “Goals are really hard to come by in this game,” Kelly said. “You can’t just draw something up and score goals in our game. You have teams that drop, teams that press and teams that do a little bit of both. K-State showed a couple of different formations during the game within the run of play. The Longhorns head back to Austin for three consecutive home games against TCU, West Virginia and Oklahoma State, respectively. If the team can sustain this level of play, there is reason for optimism moving forward in Big 12 play.
COMICS
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2019
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J O R DY N Z I T M A N
Life&Arts Editor | @JORDYNZITMAN
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2019
LIFE&ARTS
THEATER REVIEW | ‘OVER THE LEGE’
‘Over the Lege’ merges politics, humor By Aimée Knight @aimeeknight321
The Texas Legislature and musical sketch comedy might seem as likely a pair as a wool sweater this September, but the improbable fusion — improv and politics — is the bread and butter of Austin-based sketch show, “Over the Lege.” Centered around the foibles and failings of the state’s Legislature, “Over the Lege” performed their latest installment “Over the Lege Part 4: The House Awakens” at the Rollins Theater on Sept. 27. Despite some of the sketches lacking pace and failing to draw laughs, the majority of the show excels in its embrace of a flagrant disregard for subtlety. The brainchild of UT alumna Stephanie Chiarello, “Over the Lege” began production in 2015. Self-described as “a little SNL meets The Colbert Report,” the show is comprised of two acts. It begins with a patchwork of sketches satirizing issues such as voter suppression, gun control and marijuana legalization. In the second act, Chiarello sits down to interview a celebrity guest associated with Texas politics. If you’re looking for nuanced humor, you won’t find it here. Throughout the night, cast members donned human-sized onesies made to look like chickens, touted terribly misplaced wigs and performed multiple choreographed dance routines
reminiscent of 1920s chorus lines. It’s over the top, and they revel in it — this unapologetic approach to the absurdity of politics is what makes it work. A standout moment was the opening visual short. Parodying popular fast food chain Chickfil-A’s anti-LGBTQ stance, they spliced together scenes of happy customers chowing down on chicken bits, with black-andwhite footage of people undergoing electroshock “conversion” therapy. Over it all a cheerful voice quips: “We’ve gone from frying chicken to frying brains. Chick-fil-A: Fry Away the Gay.” Evidently, the cast of “Over the Lege” aren’t afraid to dive headfirst into contentious political talking points. The show oozes with Texas signifiers. Another sketch, titled “So You Think You Can Vote,” is hosted by the Buc-ee’s beaver, who sounds as goofy as expected, given the mascot’s ridiculous headshot. The sketch features various citizens attempting to jump through numerous hoops to register to vote Spoiler: only the white guy succeeds, and he’s not even of voting age. Much like SNL, however, not all the sketches hit their mark. Some dragged on longer than they should have and lacked a climactic moment, instead dwindling in energy before fizzling out. Hitting its stride after intermission, host Chiarello sat down to interview that night’s political guest,
copyright steve rogers photography, and reproduced with permission
Cast members of “Over the Lege” perform their Weekend at Bernie’s-inspired sketch at the Rollins Theatre on Sept. 26. Sarah Davis. A Republican state representative from Houston, Davis may well have felt out of place given the show’s Democrat-centric approach. However, Chiarello’s comic timing and quick wit carried them through, and it was refreshing to watch the two women banter in good faith.
When asked to do her best rendition of a Democrat, Davis played along: Jazz hands waving, she mocked “Free stuff for everybody!” Housed in the realm of comedy, these two women from opposite sides of what feels like an ever-growing political aisle, shared the stage with composure and
Marc E. Bassy’s most recent album ‘PMD’ is sugary-sweet, then gone @nataleahjoy
California-based R&Bsoul singer and songwriter Marc E. Bassy dropped a
symphony of hip-hop beats and heartfelt lyrics on Sept. 27. The artist’s sophomore album, PMD, was released on his personal independent label New Gold Medal. It deals with themes of youth,
Over the Lege Musical Comedy
C AT E G O RY GENRE
SCORE
ART
ALBUM REVIEW | ‘PMD’
By Nataleah Small
good humor. Although a little rough around the edges, the show still impressively fills a niche not many people likely knew existed in Austin. The result is a distinctly Texan and unique 90 minutes, which concludes with a call to civic duty: No matter your party, get out there and vote.
problematic relationships and touches on the artist’s struggle with depression. While Bassy’s delivery appears to be a genuine representation of his personal PMD
By Sabrina LeBoeuf @_sabrinakaye
PAGE 5
copyright new gold medal, and reproduced with permission
Marc E. Bassy’s sophomore album is easy to listen to and does little to offend the sensibilities of its audience — or offer them anything new or interesting.
South Austin Museum of Popular Culture packs up, prepares to relocate north Behind a stack of boxes, Leea Mechling packs away music posters and flyers. Before putting the black portfolios away, she flips through the pages and reminisces. As the South Austin Museum of Popular Culture prepares to leave its original home on South Lamar for a larger space at Threadgill’s, Mechling said she cannot help but remember. SouthPop, which collects and showcases art and music memorabilia, opened in 2004, but Mechling’s life in the arts scene dates back before then. She has been collecting music memorabilia since 1968, and said she has collectibles spread across her home and a climate-controlled storage unit. She remembers her days working at the Armadillo World Headquarters, an iconic music venue from the 1970s, especially now as she prepares for the museum’s move to the space donated by Threadgill’s owner Eddie Wilson. “When you look at the old posters and even new ones now, you see the poster, the name of the band and if you’ve been to that gig, it brings the performance back to you,” Mechling said. SouthPop will reopen as
the Austin Museum of Popular Culture on Oct. 27 with an exhibit on artist Jim Franklin. The new space will give museum patrons on-site parking for the first time, as well as more elbow room in the gallery. The museum will also have more storage space to house collections. Not everything will travel to the new location. The museum board’s vice president Freddie Krc said the outdoor stage will
We’ve made a lot of good friends and have collected a whole lot of stuff here, but the next evolution of us is taking place.” LEEA MECHLING
museum executive director
stay in its spot. “I’ll miss it being outside when it’s a beautiful day, but I won’t miss it when it’s raining,” Krc said. The SouthPop stage will see its last event on Oct. 5 at 6 p.m.— a concert from Bottlecap Mountain, an Austin-based pop indie rock band. Stewart Gersmann, band member and songwriter, said they are honored to be the
last artist to perform at the original location. “It feels like a fun little milestone, at least in my life, or milestone for the band, even though they’re not actually closing and going away,” Gersmann said. Mechling said the move is bittersweet, but she is thrilled to display more pieces than ever before. “We’ve made a lot of good friends and have collected a whole lot of stuff here, but the next evolution of us is taking place,” Mechling said. “I’m just so happy and really looking forward to what comes next.” Eddie, who founded the Armadillo World Headquarters and worked alongside Mechling in the past, has been trying to fill the upstairs space for decades, so he said it’s perfect that the Austin Museum of Popular Culture is coming in. “It’s like having a part of the library move in,” Eddie said. “I’ve been beating the drum for a lot of years with regard to the history of Austin, and this is like having a major player in that history suddenly cuddling up to us.” Sandra Wilson, Eddie’s wife, said bringing the museum to Threadgill’s is more than a partnership. It’s a reunion dating back to the days of the Armadillo. “We’re still all family, and for them to come here, it’s like they’re coming home,” Sandra said.
jack myer
/ the daily texan staff
SouthPop has been at its original location since 2004, and will move to Threadgill’s on Oct. 27.