The Daily Texan 2022-04-22

DT VOLUME 122, ISSUE 65 FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022

Overworked and underpaid

DONATE NOW! SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

UT academic advisers call for reform

megan clarke

TEXAS BASEBALL BAYLOR APRIL 22/APRIL 23/APRIL 24 TEXASSPORTS.COM/BIGTICKET

/ the daily texan staff

PERMANENT STAFF

Editor-in-Chief Sanika Nayak

Managing Editor Phoebe Hayes

Assoc. Managing Editors Nathan Han, Fiza Kuzhiyil

Digital and Projects Director Addie Costello

Director of Diversity & Inclusion Abhirupa Dasgupta

Asst. Diversity & Inclusion Directors Rachael Hatchett, Megan Tran

Assoc. Editors Faith DuFresne, Julia Zaksek, Mia Abbe, Sruti Ramachandran

Forum Editor Safa Michigan

Illustration Coordinator Abriella Corker

News Editor Anna Canizales

Assoc. News Editors Skye Seipp, Samantha Greyson

News Desk Editors Sheryl Lawrence, Tori Duff, Kevin Vu

Beat Reporters Mackenzie Sullivan, Leila Saidane, Hope Unger, Joelle DiPaolo, Katy Nelson, Morgan Severson

MANAGING EDITOR

Phoebe Hayes (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@thedailytexan.com

page

page

page

NEWS OFFICE

(512) 232-2207 news@thedailytexan.com

UNIVERSITY

The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely. If we have made an error, let us know about it. E-mail managingeditor@thedailytexan.com.

BUSINESS & ADVERTISING (512) 471-8590 advertise@texasstudentmedia.com

Sr. Videographers Ethan Greeno, Shezan Samanani, Christina Dove, Bhargav Nallanthighal Photo Editor Kara Hawley Assoc. Photo Editors Julius Shieh, Connor Downs Senior Photographers Peyton Sims, Leila Saidane Comics Editor Barbra Daly Assoc. Comics Editor Sylvia Asuncion-Crabb

Audio Editor Leni Steinhardt Assoc. Audio Editor Mikayla Mondragon Senior Audio Producers Hannah Ortega, Emmanuel Ramirez Editorial Adviser Peter Chen

ISSUE STAFF Comic Artists Chloe Kim, Devin Wilcox, Hingis Chang

L&A Reporters Jessica Garcia, Kiernan McCormick

Copy Editors Katie Stam, Isabella Zeff, Gianna Meagher, Sage Dunlap

News Reporters Hannah Ortega

Designers Sophie Zhang

Photographers Katie Shanina, Madison Morris, Hannan Abdikadir

Opinion Illustrators Sawyer Murphhy

Sports Reporters Bo Espey, Emma Hutchinson

AUSTIN WEATHER

88º 70º

Sanika Nayak (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com

Video Editor Anchal Raghuvanshi

Senior Digital Staffers Kaitlyn Wilkes, Brooke Weatherbie

HI

funtivites.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Web Designer Grace Booker

Sr. Life&Arts Reporters Angela Lim, Kaiya Little

LO

10

(512) 471-4591

Digital Designer Ciara Casarez

Assoc. Social Media Editor Sarah Winch

TODAY Apr. 22

10

Celebrate Earth Day with these suggested sustainable

Senior Designers Sara Kinney, Karina Kumar, Marissa Kapp

Social Media Editor Bernice Chen

Newsletters Editor Trinity Smith

04

Tesla’s factory brings potential jobs for students, environmental concerns for locals.

Life&Arts

Assoc. Design Editor Juleanna Culilap

Sr. Life&Arts Film Columnist Noah Levine

Senior Sports Reporters Ethan Ferguson, Amsal Madhani, Jordan Mitchell

News

Design Editor Jenny DeVico

Assoc. Life&Arts Editors Sofia Treviño, Reya Mosby

Sports Desk Editor Christina Huang

MAIN TELEPHONE

UT should better promote spaces on campus meant for Black students.

Assoc. Copy Desk Chiefs Lana Haffar, Emma Allen, Minka Atkinson

Sr. Comics Illustrators Breyona Mitchell, Megan Clarke, Emma George, Rocky Higine

Assoc. Sports Editor Matthew Boncosky

03

Moody Center’s grand opening marks transition from Frank Erwin Center.

CONTACT US

Opinion

Assoc. Newsletters Editor Jessica Garcia Copy Desk Chiefs Mantra Dave, Angelina Braese

Life&Arts Editor Zoe Tzanis

Sports Editor Hannah Williford

Sports

page

DT

Contents:

TOMORROW Apr. 23

HI LO

86º 69º

the moldy center

UT launches program for veterans, military families as they adjust to civilian life katie shanina

/ the daily texan staff

Joseph Kopser poses for a portrait. Kopser works with nearly 20 organizations on campus that are associated with military veterans and, in some cases, their spouses.

By Hope Unger @imhopeunger

UT started a new program earlier this month designed to support military veterans and their spouses as they transition back to civilian life by offering training for various careers.

The Center for Professional Education and the Institute for Military and Veteran Family Wellness joined together to launch the University of Texas Oscar Mike program, named after a common military phrase meaning “on the move.”

UTOM will consist of three online credentialing programs in project management, human resources management and becoming a personal trainer that will be offered to veterans or their spouses this summer, said Liliya Spinazzola, the senior director of professional education and strategic initiatives.

Through these programs, former military members and their spouses can gain the skills needed to take any required exam that will provide them with certain workplace certifications, Spinazzola said.

“There’s a lot of folks that are facing that identity challenge as you transition out of the military,” said Laurianne Rodriguez, the veteran spouse transition program coordinator at the Institute for Military and Veteran Family Wellness. “What we’re trying to do here is talk to folks, level with them and ease the process.”

Spinazzola said the UTOM program started because there was an urgency in supporting transitioning service members. She said her prior experience in military outreach through Texas Extended Campus aided her in helping shape the program.

“It’s kind of like a dual program,” Spinazzola said. “Not only are you learning the skill sets, you are also running the project in the classroom because we are dividing them in teams, and they’re running a real project just like what they would be doing in a corporate environment.”

Elisa Borah, the director of the Institute for Military and Veteran Family Wellness, said the program is set up to have the most in-demand certificates that

provide the skills employers are looking for. Borah said UTOM is forming partnerships with industry leaders in Central Texas for those transitioning out of the military.

“What we see is that at transition … the spouse now has a lot of new opportunities in front of them so that they could look into going back to school, to pursue a career they’ve always wanted,” Borah said.

Annually, 200,000 people leave the U.S. military, with 15% of them choosing to live in Texas, said Joseph Kopser, the special adviser and military affairs liaison for UT. Kopser said he served in the army for 20 years. Now, he works with nearly 20 organizations on campus that are associated with military veterans and, in some cases, their spouses.

“We want (veterans and their spouses) to know that at every stage in their professional career going forward, doesn’t matter what age or stage in life they’re in — UTOM, and the University of Texas should be the place they start to be able to get access to skills, training and opportunities that they need,” Kopser said.

Director Gerald Johnson Business/ Operations Manager Frank Serpas III Advertising Manager Emily Cohen Manager for Product and Revenue Strategy Marlies Arevalo Are Media Account Executive Chance Weick Design Tillie Policastro Digital operations Jason Lihuang

THE DAILY TEXAN MAIL SUBSCRIPTION RATES One Semester (Fall/Spring) $60.00 Two Semesters (Fall & Spring) $120.00 Summer Session $40 One Year (Fall, Spring and Summer) $150.00 To charge by VISA or Mastercard, Call 471-5083. Send orders and address changes to Texas Student Media, P.O. Box D, Austin, Texas 78713-8904

ADVERTISING DEADLINES Ad space is reserved by noon at least two business days before regular publications.

For special editions and other advertising opportunities, please speak with a TSM account executive for deadlines and e additional details. The publication schedule is Tuesday and Friday.

Contact advertise@texasstudentmedia.com

COPYRIGHT

Copyright 2022 Texas Student Media. All articles, photographs and graphics, both in photog print and online editions, are the property of Texas Student Media and may not be reproduced or republished in part or in whole without written permission.

The Daily Texan, a student newspaper at The University of Texas at Austin, is published by Texas Student Media, 2500 Whitis Ave., Austin, Texas 78712. Our work is made possible by support from our advertising partners and donors. To provide individual support, please visit The Daily Texan page at supportstudentvoices.org. To highlight your business, please email advertise@texasstudentmedia.com. The Daily Texan does not publish during academic breaks, most Federal Holidays and exam periods. News contributions will be accepted by telephone (471-4591,) or at the editorial office (HSM 2.120.) Entire contents copyright 2022Texas Student Media.

NEWS&SPORTS

ANNA CANIZALES & HANNAH WILLIFORD

News & Sports Editors | @THEDAILYTEXAN FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022

CAMPUS

Moody Center makes debut

The new home of Texas basketball, Moody Center will seat around 10,000 fans on game days.

By Christina Huang, Bo Espey & Leila Saidane @stina_huang @bospey @leilasophiaa

fter seven years in development, including about two years of construction, UT’s $375 million Moody Center made its debut with its first public concert featuring singer-songwriter John Mayer on Wednesday.

Replacing the retired Frank Erwin Center, the new, nearly 16,000-seat facility will host Longhorn basketball games, concerts, tailgates and private and public events. The Center was developed

by UT, Live Nation Entertainment/ C3 Presents, entertainment company the Oak View Group and actor Matthew McConaughey.

“It’s a haven for students … from sports to entertainment, you have (it all) at your fingertips,” said Veronica Cantu, the vice president of marketing for the Moody Center.

The venue, located on Robert Dedman Drive, realigns Red River street and creates a connection between downtown Austin, Dell Medical Center, the innovation district and the UT campus, according to a press release.

The Center implemented sustainable design strategies, including diverting 95% of construction waste from landfills through recycling materials, and preserving and relocating 200-year-old oak trees around the Dell Technologies Plaza. The venue also features murals by local artists, Cantu said.

“The real design principle that we pursued from the beginning was to … make it a destination for people, but also through the design and through the architecture, connect the city with the building and its goings-on visually,” said Laura Brodersen, lead project architect of the Moody Center.

Although the Moody Center is well equipped for concerts, with a capacity for 15,000 concertgoers, the facility was also built to be the new home of Texas basketball.

The Moody Center will seat around 10,000 on game days, which is a lower capacity compared to the 16,540-seat Frank Erwin Center.

But the new arena was designed to create a stronger home-court advantage for Texas’ basketball teams. Moody Center’s student section will wrap around both baselines and the sideline behind the player benches, allowing students to have a greater presence at games. According to Texas Athletics Director Chris Del Conte, Matthew McConaughey himself emphasized the idea of having 270 degrees of the lower bowl filled with students.

Del Conte cited the Kansas, Duke and Arizona student sections as models for the new arena.

The student sections at the Erwin Center extended from the baselines towards the back of the arena, keeping most students far from the court.

“I’m so excited about just having a new facility,” said freshman Luke Allen, who frequents basketball games as a member of the Texas Wranglers spirit group. “I also believe that the smaller capacity will make the game crowd feel like it’s packed and loud.”

During high-demand games at the Erwin Center, the student sections filled up well over an hour before tipoff. This left an overflow of students placed on the second level, even further away from the court.

Junior Jonathan Stewart, also known as the “Hawaiian Shirt Guy,” can often be seen in the front row of games. The Erwin Center seating required him to show up early and sprint to secure limited front row space.

“Last year it was kind of tough for me to get my friends up on the

front row with me,” Stewart said.

“I’m looking forward to having so much more front row seating where I can get large groups of friends to come.”

The Moody Center also offers unprecedented access to the Texas teams for guests that are willing to pay. The Germania Insurance Club features large windows for season ticket holders to watch basketball players run out of the tunnel.

Both basketball teams are also anticipating the Moody Center’s impact on recruiting and player development. Just hours after the Moody Center’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, New Mexico State transfer Jabari Rice announced his commitment to Texas.

“The best players in the world want to go to a program where everything is supported at the highest level,” men’s basketball

head coach Chris Beard said. “And one of (the) examples of how to define that is facilities.”

Aside from the novelty of the Moody Center, the arena’s physical location also benefits player development. The short distance from the Moody Center to campus makes traveling from practice to class much easier. Many players had to drive to practice during the Erwin Center era.

A new practice facility is also in development to complement the Moody Center. Now that both basketball programs have received major upgrades, both head coaches are determined to deliver a quality product to match the new facility.

“It’ll require our best, night in and night out,” women’s basketball head coach Vic Schaefer said. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Fairfax Cryobank’s Sperm Donor Program

GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY ORTUN NITY OF LIFE IFE Donate to a Good Cause ause Earn up to

$4,000 00 leila saidane

/ the daily texan staff

Fans wait for the Moody Center doors to open on the Dell Technologies Plaza on April 20, 2022. The venue featured a performance from Grammy award­–winner John Mayer and artist YEBBA in its first public concert.

over 6 months We are looking for men ages 18-39 to join!

Flexible schedule, free STD testing

3

S A N I K A N AYA K

4

Editor-In-Chief | @TEXANOPINION FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022

COLUMN

OPINION

Inform Black students of safe spaces on campus UT must do more to inform Black students of inclusive environments specifically for them

By Justice DuBois Columnist

alking onto the 40 acres for the first time can be a nerve-wracking experience for any student. The questions of where to go, who to hang out with and what to do can be extremely overwhelming.

This anxiety is heightened for many Black students. Only 5% of UT’s students are Black, which can leave many wondering how they fit in at UT. This can lead many Black students to develop imposter syndrome.

UT needs to highlight spaces such as the Malcolm X Lounge, the Multicultural Engagement Center and the African American Culture Room using social media, tours, faculty and websites so that Black students don’t feel disconnected and alone at UT. UT does have some spaces for Black students on campus. These spots serve as places where students can feel comfortable around other students that relate to the Black experience at a predominately white institution. However, many students are not aware of these spaces until they interact with Black student organizations.

Tia Thomas, director of operations for Afrikan American Affairs, has experienced this directly.

“My first year on campus, I didn’t know anything about the (Multicultural Engagement Center). I didn’t really know too much about the X lounge either. I’m 21 and a junior and I just found out about the African American Culture Room,” Thomas said. “(If UT promoted spaces for Black students), you’d be taking a step forward into welcoming Black students on campus and not just bringing them to

campus and leaving them here.”

Thomas also emphasized other important aspects of Black spaces on campus. “(These spaces) don’t necessarily make you feel more included (because they are predominately Black spaces), but they make you feel more comfortable,” Thomas said.

Black students and parents would feel a lot more comfortable coming to Austin if more outreach were catered towards the limited population of Black students. UT

DuBois is a and sociology Killeen, Texas. sawyer murphy

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.

needs to show that its Black community is valued.

Richard Reddick, associate dean for equity, community engagement and outreach for the College of Education, explains a big piece of promoting spaces for Black students is students and faculty bringing awareness to these spaces, regardless of race or ethnicity.

“One of the things we can do as faculty members and staff members is to make sure we’re talking about these spaces.

And that’s not just faculty of color or students of color but everybody because that’s what makes people go,” Reddick said.

Reddick provided an example of how orientation advisers and resident assistants should be aware of these spaces as well when introducing students to campus. While this could have a great impact on students’ experience at UT, because they wouldn’t have to search for people who look like them, UT administration can also do more.

UT could help alleviate this problem by promoting these spaces through social media, tours, faculty and websites in order to be the welcoming campus UT aspires to be. public relations freshman from

/ the daily texan staff

RECYCLE | Please recycle this copy of The Daily Texan. Place the paper in one of the recycling bins on campus or back in the burnt-orange newsstand where you found it.

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

NEWS

5

FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022

CITY

Austinites can vote next week to decriminalize marijuana, end no-knock warrants

By Hannah Ortega @_hannahortega_

Austinites can cast their votes starting April 25 on a proposition that could end no-knock warrants and citations or arrests for low-level marijuana offenses.

Proposition A stems from the Austin Freedom Act of 2021, which is the brainchild of the progressive nonprofit Ground Game Texas. Julie Oliver, co-founder and executive director of Ground Game Texas, said the act would prohibit law enforcement from punishing citizens for Class A and Class B marijuana possession misdemeanors. A Class A misdemeanor is up to four ounces of marijuana, while up to two ounces of marijuana counts as a Class B misdemeanor.

Oliver said the act would also ban no-knock warrants by requiring law enforcement officers to knock, announce themselves and wait 15 seconds before entering a residence. “(No-knock warrants are) very, very dangerous, both to law enforcement and to the residences in which they’re served,” Oliver

said. “Sometimes, they serve them based on an anonymous tip and not much more, and it just creates this very, very dangerous environment for law enforcement and the folks who live around the area where a no-knock warrant is served.”

Austin City Council voted to place the proposition on the May 7 ballot after Ground Game Texas received nearly 35,000 petition signatures earlier this year from supportive community members, according to Oliver. Muneeb “Meebs” Aslam, a Travis County Democratic Party precinct chair and graduate student in the LBJ School of Public Affairs, said he helped gather signatures and wrote a resolution that secured support from the county executive committee.

“We gathered way more signatures than we needed, which was amazing,” Aslam said. “A lot of it is volunteer work, which is why it is hard to gather all the signatures. I volunteered, I got all my friends to volunteer and to go around, and people were more than happy to sign on this effort.”

Communication and leadership sophomore

SOME HEROES WEAR WHISTLES

bonuses DEPENDING ON POSITION, up to

plus flexible hours paid sick time

$15

+Hour

$1250 Hiring fair

may 7, 2-6pm

Oswaldo A. B. Cantu/Pan American Recreation Center 2100 E 3rd St

now hiring Lifeguards & camp staff!

APPLY NOW! AUSTINTEXAS.GOV/SUMMERJOBS

Zachary Krakauer Ganz also helped collect signatures and said these issues have support from both sides of the political spectrum.

“I think this will pass,” Krakauer Ganz said. “It’s just a tricky time of year to get students to vote because it’s right after the semester ends. Election Day is literally one day after the last day of class.”

Oliver said current punishment for marijuana possession disproportionately affects people of color and can harshly impact people’s lives.

“In every city where we’ve done public information requests, the demographic that bears the brunt of enforcement are the residents of color, and primarily Black residents,” Oliver said. “We found in Killeen, Texas, (where) we’re doing a similar initiative, 40% of the residents of Killeen are Black, but almost 80% of the arrests are folks who are Black, and 92% of all arrests are people of color.”

Following the May 7 election, Ground Game Texas will continue working on initiatives involving marijuana decriminalization, minimum

madison morris

/ the daily texan file

wage increases and more in cities such as Killeen, Harker Heights and El Paso, according to Oliver.

“With the feedback that we’ve gotten from the community, people are very excited for (this proposition), especially young folks,” Aslam said.

“So we’re hoping to mobilize and engage young folks, especially University students, and Austinites around this issue.”

Early voting runs through May 3 and Election Day is May 7. Voters must present a photo ID to vote in person. Registered voters can vote early or on Election Day on campus at the Flawn Academic Center or the Perry-Castañeda Library.

Early voting polling locations are open MondaySaturday 7 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday from noon-6 p.m. Polls are open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on Election Day.

ADDIE COSTELLO

6

Longform Editor | @addie_costello

FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022

INVESTIGATES

UNIVERSITY

ADVISERS FACE HIGH STUDENT DEMAND, DISPROPORTIONATE WORKLOAD ACADEMIC ADVISOR WORKLOAD RANGES FROM 100 TO 500 STUDENTS DEPENDING ON COLLEGE.

By Ali Juell @juell.ali

lexis Kyle answers a continuous stream of questions as students filter in and out of her Zoom meeting in the weeks leading up to fall registration.

Kyle serves as the undergraduate programs administrator for the School of Social Work. Despite lacking the official title of academic adviser, she and another staff member advise the 300 undergraduate students within the school.

“A lot of people are like, ‘Oh, it’s only 300 students, it can’t be that bad,’” Kyle said. “There’s a lot of support that goes into helping just one student. Let’s multiply that by 300.”

Kyle began advising within the College of Liberal Arts before switching to the School of Social Work. The transition meant taking on responsibilities left to Dean’s Office advisers in larger colleges, such as processing withdrawals, coordinating recruitment events and handling a heavier general workload between Kyle and her counterpart.

Despite managing approximately 150 students each, advisers within the School of Social Work have one of the smallest student case loads across campus.

Across the University’s range of colleges, ratios vary from 100 to over 500 students per adviser, according to student and adviser populations acquired by The Daily Texan through a public information request to the Office of the Vice President for Legal Affairs and confirmed by each of the listed colleges. As such, the workload placed on academic advisers is met with starting salaries incongruous to the cost of

living in a city like Austin, according to Kyle. salaries is standardized pay across University colleges.

“I think (with) advisers in smaller colleges, because we’re “(A lack of standardized pay) creates this inequity across wearing multiple hats, it does get exhausting,” Kyle said. campus in terms of services that are provided to students,” “Then we go home and have to grocery shop and, looking at Tedder said. “So students in different colleges are probably our paycheck, it’s like, ‘Where’s all of my hard work?’ It’s not also feeling that as a consequence of the University not equireflected in my paycheck.” tably paying advisers.”

Cossy Hough, assistant dean for undergraduate programs Veronica Trevino, media manager for financial and adin the School of Social Work, said being a smaller college ministrative services at UT, said because the needs of stumeans less financial resourcdents in the different colleges vary es and more responsibilities so widely, each individual college is not only for advisers, but also best equipped to decide how many for most of the college’s staff advisers are required to meet those and faculty. needs and what they should be paid.

“We’re working with what we Within the city of Austin, the have and trying to provide admedian family income is currently visers with balanced workloads, $98,900 according to the U.S. Delots of communication and clear partment of Urban Housing and expectations,” Hough said.

Development and median gross rent Sawyer Tedder, a Cockrell is continuously trending upward as School of Engineering senior Austin remains one of the top cities academic adviser, previously to move to in the world. Based on worked in the College of Edusalary data obtained by The Daily cation’s advising department.

Texan through an information reTedder said the opportunity to quest to the Office of the Vice Presdevote more time to student ident for Legal Affairs, the average advising and a higher salary senior academic adviser within motivated them to transfer to a Cockrell made $47,382 this year. new college, despite their love “Due to financial constraints, ALEXIS KYLE for the students and advisers that’s making it more difficult for social work programs adminstrator within education. us to do the work that we want to Both Tedder and Kyle said do, and it’s causing a lot of advisers the first issue that needs to be to look for financial security elseaddressed related to adviser where,” Tedder said.

There’s a lot of support that goes into helping just one student. Let’s multiply that by 300.”

7 University President Jay Hartzell said in an email to employees April 12 that the University understands how financial pressures exacerbated by the pandemic and the changing landscape of Austin are impacting staff members, and the University is working to retain employees through compensation initiatives and by developing solutions to rising housing costs.

Each adviser within the School of Nursing, one of the smallest colleges at UT according to fall 2021 undergraduate student populations, has approximately 211 students to advise, in addition to other administrative responsibilities similar to those in the School of Social Work.

Vinh Nguyen, assistant dean of student services for the School of Nursing, said he’s seen advisers leave the University for higher-paying jobs, demonstrating the need for an increase in adviser salaries so they can remain in their positions.

“A lot of advisers want to do a really good job,” Nguyen said. “They go back to school, and they develop themselves.

Some of these advisers have master’s degrees, some of them have (a) Ph.D., and they can’t make a living doing the thing that they love because of the cost of living.”

Nguyen said the decision to leave an adviser position, whether that be for another college or a position outside of the University, inevitably affects students who have connected to and built trust with their adviser over time.

Education freshman Sam Wiedemann said she wasn’t assigned to an adviser this semester because of departures within the College of Education’s advising department, leaving drop-in advising as the only avenue to speak with an education adviser. After deciding to transfer to business or economics, she was dependent upon her own research and an adviser within the School of Undergraduate Studies to navigate the transfer process.

“A lot of (the transfer process) has been self-geared, especially from the beginning when I couldn’t even meet with an (education) adviser,” Wiedemann said. “I couldn’t get in contact with them.”

Richard Hogeda, assistant dean for student affairs within the College of Education, said advisers within the college have opened additional advising slots during this time so that students have as much access to advising as possible.

“Student success is our number one priority,” Hogeda said.

Student-to-adviser populations, according to data obtained by The Daily Texan through a public information request to the Office of the Vice President for Legal Affairs, vary widely across campus. For example, an adviser in the College of Education is currently managing 414 more students than an adviser in the Jackson School of Geosciences.

“The current student-to-adviser ratio in the College of Education is not the norm,” Hogeda said. “We typically operate with five advisers. However, due to staff transitions, we are temporarily at four senior advisers for our population. We are working to fill our open positions as quickly as possible.”

The School of Undergraduate Studies was recorded as having the best student-to-adviser ratio when considering

only students in the undergraduate college. However, Undergraduate Studies advisers are also responsible for assisting other students outside of the School of Undergraduate Studies with topics related to major changes. This encompasses an additional 1,000 students. The eight advisers within the school help students like undeclared freshman Donovan Shekhdar work closely with the advising department to explore potential majors.

“For me personally, (advising has) been really hands on,” Shekhdar said. “So it’s been really easy for me to reach out to my adviser.”

Jeff Handy, director of the Vick Center for Strategic Advising, said the Center will become the Vick Advising Excellence Center following the School of Undergraduate Studies’ dissolution at the end of this academic year. The Center will shift to focus on providing training and tools to support academic advisers while acting as a conduit to improve and address advising conditions.

To assist advisers in providing the most personalized level of advising possible, Tedder said students can sign up for advising appointments outside of the weeks leading up to the registration period to prevent the possibility of entering registration without the information they need.

“Reach out for advising a little earlier and make it more a consistent thing that you add into your regular schedule each semester,” Tedder said.

Both Tedder and Nguyen said students advocating for advisers on this issue will motivate the University to remedy the advising pay disparity so both students and advisers thrive on campus.

“In the way that advisers want to support students, we’re at a point where we need other people to start helping support and advocate for us,” Tedder said.

Due to financial constraints, (it’s) more difficult for us to do the work we want to do,” SAWYER TEDDER cockrell school of engineering senior academic adviser

stuti gupta

/ the daily texan staff

8

FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022

NEWS

CITY

Tesla Gigafactory opening raises both excitement, concerns

Intrigued by true crime stories?

TUNE INTO THE DRAG AUDIO PODCASTS Each engaging episode guides listeners through complex, investigative stories about crimes that kept Austin on edge. gregory weston

Darkness Season 1 The Orange Tree: 2005 West Campus Murder

Darkness Season 2 2018 Austin Serial Bomber

Devilish Deeds 1885 Austin Axe Murders

These chart-topping podcasts and more from The Drag Audio are available for free on all major listening platforms.

www.thedragaudio.com Start listening today!

Produced by Moody College of Communication Students & Faculty

/ the daily texan staff

The exit sign for the Tesla Gigafactory from Texas State Highway 71 just outside of Austin. Long before approaching the sign, the factory itself can be spotted, towering over the landscape.

By Morgan Severson @morgan_severson

Tesla’s new Gigafactory in eastern Travis County could provide UT students and community members with nearly 10,000 jobs, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter. However, local environmental justice groups are concerned about how the factory will affect the ecosystem and marginalized communities in the area.

Tesla’s move to Austin comes after the company decided to move its headquarters here last year. The new factory, which opened April 7, will provide jobs in engineering, manufacturing, operations and construction. But the 10 million-square-foot factory could create issues with runoff, water quality and flooding since it is built on top of former swampland, said Paul DiFiore, an advocate with the local environmental justice group PODER. “We do see Tesla and their factory as part of this historical pattern of environmental injustice in East Austin and eastern Travis County, which puts polluting industries close to people’s homes that you would never have in West Austin,” said DiFiore, project manager for the Colorado River Conservancy.

The Tesla factory is located in a community that is already suffering from the effects of pollution and environmental injustice, said Alexia Leclercq, an environmental justice researcher and organizer with PODER and the CRC project. Some of the problems affecting the community around the Colorado River are drinking water quality, air quality and higher rates of asthma due to mineral mining from the river, Leclercq said.

“Any time a giant corporation wants to come in any area, I think people should be critical of that because their primary interest is, at the end of the day, making profit,” Leclercq said.

Residents are also dealing with economic impacts from the factory, as property values in the area increased 22% in 2021 from the previous year, according to the real estate firm Orchard.

Tesla did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

President Jay Hartzell said UT is one reason companies move to Austin, and these relocations allow the University to make partnerships with the private sector.

“We’re thrilled to be able to work with our partners to increase our students’ ability to learn, gain important experiences and to begin to change the world,” Hartzell said in a statement. “Tesla’s presence here will play a major part of this development for our campus and people.”

John Doggett, professor of instruction at the McCombs School of Business, said he believes Tesla’s move to Austin will influence other major companies to move to the city as well.

“There are going to be people who get jobs because you have suppliers and employees,” Doggett said. “They’ll have money to spend, and so there’s going to be restaurants opening, there’s going to be people buying houses. The ripple effect of this plant is significant.”

DiFiore said that initially, community members surrounding the factory were hopeful the Tesla factory could attract new businesses to the area. However, DiFiore said he saw a shift in the community members’ attitudes after Tesla’s Cyber Rodeo grand opening event invited 15,000 outsiders into the community without receiving any input from people who live there. “(Musk’s) philosophy on running a company does not seem to involve being a good neighbor or a good steward of your local environment or engaging with the local community,” DiFiore said.

LIFE&ARTS

ZOE TZANIS

9

Life&Arts Editor | @TEXANARTS FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022

STUDENT LIFE

Dinner with 16 Longhorns

UT Program connects students through food and meaningful conversation.

By Kiernan McCormick @KiernanMcCormi4

unique opportunity for Austin Viktorin to engage with fellow UT students came from an unlikely source: his mom via Facebook Messenger.

After seeing a post about Dinner with 16 Longhorns, a joint program organized by the Division of Student Affairs office and the Office of the University Ombuds, Viktorin’s mom encouraged him to apply. Intrigued by this chance, he did just that.

“I tend to be a solitary person,” business freshman Viktorin said. “I decided I’d go outside of my bubble, meet people, go out and try something.”

According to the Vice President for Student Affairs’ website, the Dinner with 16 Longhorns occurs annually and aims to “bring 16 students from across campus together to create a space

for genuine dialogue over dinner.” The program began in the fall of 2018 and picked back up in the fall of 2021, after a two-year pause due to COVID-19. In addition to the fall dinner in October, the 2021-22 school year consisted of two dinners in March and one in April.

During the event, students bond over food and unlikely connections.

Heather Miller, the director of development for the Vice President of Student Affairs’ office, said the office uses a series of questions inspired by The New York Times article “The 36 Questions that Lead to Love” to guide the conversation between students during dinners, allowing them to engage with one another on a deeper level and foster meaningful discussions. “(The program) is (about) getting to know somebody and sitting across from your next best friend,” Miller said.

“We’re humans. We are all drawn (to) that connectedness. This dinner brings that and makes us accessible to any of our students.”

Students are randomly selected from an applicant pool, and students who aren’t chosen get automatically placed in the applicant group for the next dinner.

Moving forward, Miller said there will be six dinners each academic year — three per semester — and an additional two in the summer.

As the group got to know each other personally throughout the evening,

Vitkorin said he felt comfortable confiding in students with a form of human contact that his fellow students at the dinner. is beneficial to their mental health, especial“You get to make friends, and at the end of ly after experiencing isolation as a result of the day, they’re there to listen, or you’re there the pandemic. to share,” Vitkorin said. “We had moments “They are providing a safe space for peowhen we were laughing, crying (and) sharing ple to show up, connect over a meal and leave simple stories (and) long, grandiose ones.” with a whole new GroupMe of connections,” UT Family Leadership Council members Schell said. host these dinners and volunteer to hold the Vitkorin said the dinner will serve as one of event in their homes. Kristin and Tony Schell, his favorite Longhorn memories, and the perthe Leadership Council’s chairs, hosted dinsonally fulfilling experience made a remarkners in spring of 2019, October of 2021 and able impact on him.

March of 2022. UT alumnus Bill Frisbee wel“It was defining for my semester,” Vitkocomed students in his home for the March 22 rin said. “It definitely made a mark on my and April 20 events. personal history. I will remember that night Kristin Schell said theThe dinners provide on graduation.”

New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Crossword ACROSS 1 Basis of a trivia question 5 Selects from various places 10 Main component of soapstone 14 Party with poi and poke 15 Threat to the Allies in W.W. II 16 Brouhahas 17 Website links 18 With 20-Across, goes to great lengths 19 Party giver 20 See 18-Across 22 Roll of fabric 23 More reasonable 24 Bottom-first birth position 26 “Scram!”

29 One in peak singing condition?

31 Saint, in Portuguese 32 Pull a fast ___ 34 Solidify, as Jell-O 35 With 39-Across, superior 36 See 41-Across 39 See 35-Across 41 With 36-Across, plays dirty 42 “Impressive!”

44 Actress Zellweger 45 “The price is negotiable,” in classified ads 46 What might display a little spirit?

49 Airport inits.

50 Prominent Venetian Renaissance painter 52 Particle binding quarks together

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

rocky higine

/ the daily texan staff

P A S T

A L P O

P U R R

R E G I M E

R E T A K E S

O N A L E R T

B E A T A X S T E

A M I N S O S S H O L L A L E C S O K I P

S A N G A R E A G F E S T A C R I P T H A S H A A F A R M A Y A P E N S S L O E A E A S E D N G K R A T I E R E L I E R E N D

P R I G

R O V E

I M A N

M A L T

N O W R U Z

A B O U T U S

H E R B E R T

Y E S S E S

N E V E N R I L E D E F T

54 Like some tales 55 See 60-Across 59 Isolate, in modern lingo 60 With 55-Across, no longer an issue 61 Discovery 62 Notable nights 63 Wear away 64 It might come with breakfast in bed 65 Lead-in to wolf 66 ___-turvy 67 Sources for longbow wood DOWN 1 Blunder 2 Emanation 3 Class with integrals, for short 4 Walrus weapons 5 Sandwich invented in Florida, despite what its name suggests 6 Took a car, in a way 7 La capital de Inglaterra 8 Fellas 9 Crosswalks cross them: Abbr.

10 Vehicle named after a lake 11 One between 10 and 20, say 12 They’re hopeless 13 Winter hrs. in New Orleans

Edited by Will Shortz 1

2

3

4

5

14

6

7

8

9

10

15

17

32

24 29

41

38

42

40

43

44 47

51

48

52

54 59

35 39

46

50

31

34 37

45

25

30

33

36

13

22

23 28

12

19

21

27

11

16

18

20

26

No. 0202

49 53

55 60

56

57

58

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

PUZZLE BY MEREDITH COLTON HAZY

21 Surname of Batman, by day

22 Cold comment?

24 Piano-playing sister in “Little Women” 25 Something brewing

26 Went on a lucky streak 27 Constraining

28 Abstainer from alcohol 30 Tennis call

33 C-section performers 35 “So there you ___!”

37 Pork order 38 Boatload 40 Blunder 43 Style of sneaker 46 Bad, in French 47 Demands blackmail from 48 ___ Beardsley, 19th-century English illustrator

51 Words of concession 53 Dandy

55 Popular boba flavor 56 Grim

57 Chew (on)

58 Brand name in the freezer 59 Do a bit of tailoring 60 Rainy

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

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

DONATE NOW! SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

10

FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022

STUDENT LIFE

Tips to celebrate Earth Day, live sustainably crushed-up water bottle rolling around on Speedway? Recycle it. Small efforts can make a big difference over time.

By Jessica Garcia @jessimgarc

Earth Day unites people worldwide in celebration of the modern environmental movement and brings awareness to different ways to protect the Earth against the effects of climate change. Since its inception in 1970, people have celebrated Earth Day annually on April 22.

The Daily Texan compiled a list of ways students can get involved in sustainability on and off campus and live mindful of their impact on the Earth.

Eat sustainably

TEXAS STUDENT MEDIA is at the forefront of student focused, skills-driven, practical learning.

Through its award-winning media entities — The Daily Texan, TSTV, KVRX, the Cactus Yearbook, Texas Travesty, and Burnt X — more than 1,800 students learn how to report and produce news and entertainment content each year, run independent newsrooms and gain the professional credibility that will allow them to thrive in an ever-evolving industry.

SUPPORT STUDENT VOICES and help transform lives by continuing this tradition of excellence.

Go to supportstudentvoices.org today to contribute to the next generation of leaders in media!

LIFE&ARTS

Austin boasts a never-ending list of tasty places to explore, and, unbeknownst to some, the city is home to plenty of opportunities to practice sustainability while dining out.

Restaurants such as Salty Sow — an American gastropub on Manor Road, and Odd Duck — an American eatery on Lamar Boulevard, serve locally sourced food, making them a worthwhile visit.

With locations in South and East Austin, Lick It Up serves plant-based Mexican street food that’ll leave the mouth watering for days.

For the coffee enthusiasts, visit Juan Pelota Cafe on Nueces Street for an enjoyable cup of farm-sourced coffee and other locally sourced treats.

Participate in a cleanup

Keep Austin Beautiful, a nonprofit service organization founded in 1983, strives to keep Austin clean and educate people on the importance of maintaining the environment for future generations. The organization encourages Austinites to keep their neighborhoods beautiful and trash-free by hosting various cleanups each week.

Students can even get involved in cleanups to beautify and clean the spaces they inhabit without leaving campus. See a

hingis chang

Shop sustainably

The next time you open your wallet for some retail therapy, shop at stores that support sustainable fashion. Check out Raven + Lily on South Congress to browse bags, jewelry and clothes with designs inspired by nature. The female-founded Miranda Bennett Studio makes zero-waste clothing and offers a garment takeback program to recycle used clothing.

For a more cost-effective approach, try thrifting. The eclectic thrifting scene truly embodies Austin, and there are always new and innovative places to check off the list. Located near UT campus on Guadalupe Street, RagzRevenge sells thrifted vintage clothing from Levi’s jeans to racks of sweatshirts to fulfill college students’ dreams.

Visit a marketplace

While hitting the snooze button might seem enticing, start weekend mornings off right at one of Austin’s many farmers’ markets. Located downtown and in Sunset Valley, Sustainable Food Center Farmers’ Market features various small businesses and fresh produce vendors for customers to support every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. While shopping, don’t forget to snap some cute pictures to post on Instagram.

Next Sunday afternoon, take a study break to check out Guad Vintage Market from noon to 6 p.m. Located at the corner of Guadalupe and 30th Street, the market offers market-goers the chance to step up their wardrobe through sustainable fashion and accessories.

Use reusable bags

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. generated 4,200,000 tons of plastic bags in 2018 and only recycled 10% of them.

It takes hundreds of years for plastic bags to decompose over time, posing a danger to the environment.

Remember to bring reusable bags instead of plastic bags to reduce the amount of plastic waste in landfills.

/ the daily texan staff

SPORTS

11

FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022

SOFTBALL

APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR

TEXAS STUDENT MEDIA hannan abdikadir

/ the daily texan staff

Fans huddle together for warmth as they cheer on Texas softball despite the cold weather.

Softball fan excitement grows

By Emma Hutchinson @emmahutch_

Texas softball took the Red and Charline McCombs Field by storm against Oklahoma last weekend, rounding up the largest crowd in program history.

Last Saturday, 1,698 fans packed into the stands for the final game of the series, surpassing the previous single-game record of 1,570 that was set against Oklahoma State nearly 16 years ago. Friday’s game drew in at a close second of 1,687 and Thursday in third with 1,498. Overall, the series saw the largest total weekend attendance for the program, coming in at 4,883 attendees.

Texas has ranked within the top 32 teams in average home attendance every season since McCombs Field opened in 1998. Texas’ current high for average attendance across a season happened in 2019. That year, softball averaged 959 fans and sold out the last seven games of the season.

History repeated itself this season. For the first time since 2019, the team had three consecutive sellouts for the series against Oklahoma.

“We feel like we’re getting some momentum back that we had in 2019,” head coach Mike White said. “To start getting the stands full of support and putting some really good games on the board, it’s just great.”

To accommodate the attendance increase, McCombs Field recently added seating behind right field. The new section was originally supposed to be

finished before the spring 2020 season but wasn’t installed because of the pandemic.

Some of Texas’ student athletes from other sports have made appearances at softball games this season. Texas football star Bijan Robinson and basketball forwards Brock Cunningham and Christian Bishop were seen on Twitter in the stands supporting their fellow student athletes.

Despite the success in numbers, White emphasizes that the most difficult part of raising fan attendance is actually enticing people to show up to the games for the first time.

“Our big thing is getting people to come to the games, but once they come, they enjoy it, they love it, and we get them back,” White said. “Now, we’re just going to have to build some more stands.”

The team implemented various themes and events into their game schedules to engage viewers of all ages and build a more intimate connection between the team and its supporters. Such activities include asking fans to wear specific colored shirts, autograph signings, inviting younger fans to stand with the team during the national anthem and allowing fans to run the bases after the games.

“It’s all about the energy when you’re out there engaging with the fans,” White said. “What’s so great about softball is that we’re so close to the fans, so we try to take advantage of it.”

As the Longhorns head into the final stretch of the season, the team hopes to see another roaring crowd May 8 for its last game at McCombs Field this spring season.

STUDENT BOARD MEMBERS, EDITORS & STATION MANAGER POSITIONS Your application and supporting materials must be submitted online at texasstudentmedia.com by

Tuesday, April 26, 2022 at 12 PM These positions are due to be appointed at the TSM Board meeting scheduled for

Friday, April 29, 2022 at 1 PM

Scan code for information & application or visit

texasstudentmedia.com

12

Ditch the bus.

Ride with Hitch.

Get 50% off your first three rides* CODE: UTNEWS2

Hitch offers private and shared rides from Austin to Houston, Dallas, College Station, and more. So it’s like uber, but for longer distances. Learn more at ridehitch.com. *Discount applies up to $25 off each ride

B A R B R A D A LY

Comics Editor | @TEXANCOMICS FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022

COMICS