The Daily Texan 2022-05-06

SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN COMMUNITY SINCE 1900 FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022

@THEDAILYTEXAN | THEDAILYTEXAN.COM

VOLUME 122, ISSUE 69

leila saidane

/ the daily texan staff

SPRING 2022

' kara hawley

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YEAR IN REVIEW leila saidane

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Life&Arts page

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News

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Opinion

D&I

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Comics

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NEWS

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FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022

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

Managing Editor Phoebe Hayes

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Assoc. News Editors Skye Seipp, Samantha Greyson

Assoc. Photo Editors Julius Shieh, Connor Downs Senior Photographers Peyton Sims, Leila Saidane

News Desk Editors Sheryl Lawrence, Tori Duff, Kevin Vu

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

Assoc. Comics Editor Sylvia Asuncion-Crabb

Life&Arts Editor Zoe Tzanis

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OUR ISSUE STAFF

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AUSTIN WEATHER TODAY May. 6

HI LO

‘Long live the King’: UT’s beloved cat Domino loses battle with cancer

By Joelle DiPaolo @JoelleDipaolo

Video Editor Anchal Raghuvanshi

Forum Editor Safa Michigan

Comic Artists Daniela Rumbaut, Hingis Chang, Eleanor Irion

News Editor @THEDAILYTEXAN

CAMPUS

OUR PERMANENT STAFF

Editor-in-Chief Sanika Nayak

ANNA CANIZALES

87º 64º

TOMORROW May. 7

HI LO

Domino, the celebrity campus feline and UT’s most “beloved mascot” who brought comfort and companionship to many in the University community, died Tuesday. He was 13 years old.

“There have been a bunch of Bevos and white squirrels,” wrote Patrick Parker, one of Domino’s caretakers. “But there is only one Domino.”

Domino was diagnosed with feline immunodeficiency virus and an upper respiratory disease in late 2021. After antibiotics failed to treat him, a vet discovered a cancerous growth in his throat, Parker said. Domino was moved from campus to a foster home, where he lived until health complications caused him to have trouble eating. A vet visited his home to help him die peacefully Tuesday.

Nearly 100 people came to a memorial service hosted by the Cats of West Campus group on Wednesday. During the service, the tower bells played songs such as “Amazing Grace” and “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” Students, faculty members and employees wrote messages on one of Domino’s two houses and left treats and flowers for him during the service.

“I loved seeing students interacting with him,” said Renee Babcock, who used to care for Domino.

“We loved this silly little cat with the grumpy face.

He was a real rock star.”

Babcock, an academic advising coordinator, noticed a black-and-white cat claiming the West Mall as his own in 2009. Although initially timid, Domino grew into a spunky personality that earned him the love of the UT community. For 10 years, Domino greeted Babcock each morning.

After his arrival, the tuxedo cat’s popularity skyrocketed, partially due to a Reddit post that received nearly 80,000 upvotes in 2019. Following this, The Daily Texan made a video about him and, since then, he’s had his own social media pages, been a part of graduation photos and had multiple articles written about him. But more importantly, “The King

brooke ontiveros

of Campus,” as he was nicknamed, was a friend to many in the UT community.

“I feel like I’ve lost one of my own cats,” Babcock said. “I think there was something about his presence that we all counted on.”

University employees formed the Domino Council to feed and care for him during his early days on campus.

Parker, a research engineering and scientist associate, said he would sometimes find Domino in West Campus around dinner time.

“We had this funny race to get to the FAC so he could be fed,” Parker said. “It was so funny that we saw him so far away and he would recognize me.”

A petition calling for a Domino memorial statue has gained over 4,200 signatures in the past two months, with a spike in support after his death.

CITY

American Campus renovations on The Drag force Wooten Barber Shop to halt operations

that’s so sexy

CONTACT US

By Leena Alali

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(512) 232-2207 news@thedailytexan.com 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.

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/ the daily texan staff

The last standing slave quarters in Austin sits behind the Neill-Cochran House Museum in West Campus.

Urban slave quarters rediscovered in West Campus

By Leila Saidane @leisaidane

BUSINESS & ADVERTISING

Parker said the best way to celebrate Domino’s life is to advocate for stray cats on campus.

Graduate student Muneeb Aslam said when he came to the University as an undergraduate in 2014, Domino reminded him of his cat back home.

“Domino approached me, and it really made my day,” Aslam said. “(Domino) showed me love and affection, and it gave me a glimpse of what it felt like to be at home.”

Used to the bustling campus life, Domino got lonely during the early days of the pandemic. He followed Parker around after being fed one night in 2020.

“He just kept following us,” Parker said. “We’d go and he’d cry at us again. … That’s how I feel now. I just keep crying and crying and I’m not ready for him to leave us so soon.”

WEST CAMPUS

97º 73º

/ the daily texan staff

Deep in the heart of West Campus sits the last standing slave quarters in Austin. Situated behind the Neill-Cochran House off San Gabriel and 24th Street, hundreds of UT students unknowingly walk the same ground every day as the quarter’s residents did during the Antebellum period.

“We’re a city that has intentionally obfuscated our early history,” said Rowena Houghton Dasch, executive director of the Neill-Cochran House. “Austinites don’t want Austin to have been a place of enslavement; that doesn’t fit well with our progressive ethos.”

The dwelling will now be renovated as a part of the museum’s “Reckoning with the Past: The Untold Story of Race in Austin,” a year-long program to reintroduce the public to the history of the quarters. The program involves an interpretive plan that contextualizes the building by restoring its interior design and includes new programming such as tours, exhibits and interpretive signage. A twoday event from April 23-24 kicked off the new project.

Dasch said she made the discovery of the quarters’ history in 2016 after she began examining how the house would have functioned if it had been constructed post-Civil War. This brought her attention to a dwelling behind the house, which was assumed to be a generic addition to the house, she said. When she realized the main house lacked space for housekeeping tasks like cooking and cleaning, Dasch said it quickly became clear that the two-story building in the back was originally used to house slaves.

Dasch said she asked Tara Dudley, an assistant professor in the School of Architecture, to work on a plan with the Neill-Cochran Museum House to make a more

historically accurate exhibit. Dudley led students in her African American Experiences in Architecture course to examine the evolution of the building and its changes over time. During the process, Dudley recreated the interior and extended the museum’s programs to feature the stories of the enslaved peoples who lived there.

This research led to Lam, a 12-year-old boy hired from the Edgemont Plantation, now the current site of the military base Camp Mabry. When the Neill-Cochran House was used as the Texas State Asylum for the Blind in the 1850s, Lam taught the visually impaired students how to weave baskets, Dudley said, but did not receive any compensation for his work.

“Much of our history and knowledge about the past is lost because of the absence of buildings or just the ruins of them,” Dudley said.

“One way to really get at understanding that built environment, whether it’s still present or not, is to repopulate those spaces.”

The quarters were built alongside the house, which was commissioned by Washington and Mary Hill in 1855, with the upstairs as a living space and the downstairs as a workspace. Despite being built with the same materials, the stones comprising the exterior of the quarters appear mismatched and hastily placed in comparison to the uniform exterior of the main home.

“There is no documentary evidence that that building is what we say it is,” Dasch said. “What we can say though, is it’s built (with) exactly the same materials as the (main) structure and is built in the same way as the structure. Once you understand its context, it makes no sense outside of enslavement.”

The dwelling does not look like the typical log cabin used for enslaved people on plantations, contributing to its misidentification, Dasch said.

NEILL-COCHRAN

PAGE 5

The old school decor of the Wooten Barber Shop remains mostly unchanged from when it opened in 1964, despite the urban sprawl of The Drag where it is located. With burnt orange leather chairs and an eye-catching red-and-blue barber’s pole, UT students and longtime locals alike can be seen chatting with one another inside the shop — but Wooten will have to cease operations by June 15.

“I’ve done this for over 60 years,” said James Nelson, barber and owner of Wooten Barber Shop.

Nelson has been cutting hair at Wooten for several decades and said he often has former students come back with their sons for haircuts. He said the connections made during haircuts keep people returning to Wooten.

“I consider it a conversation, and a haircut (just) happens,” Nelson said regarding the job.

In July 2018, American Campus Communities, a student housing developer that was bought last month

by Blackstone, purchased a portion of The Drag that included the barber shop for a new development.

According to the Texas State Historical Association, the block was previously a real estate investment of the Wooten family of Texas and home to the Goodall Wooten Dormitory. Wooten Barber Shop was named after Goodall Wooten, son of Thomas D. Wooten — one of the original members of the UT System Board of Regents. The Hotel Ella, a small boutique hotel located in West Campus, was the Wooten family home in the early 1900s.

American Campus plans to renovate the entire block by building new student housing with retail shops on the ground floor. Alante Salon and

Teji’s Indian are the only other active businesses on the block that may have to shut down for the renovations.

“We do not have definitive redevelopment plans for the site at this time and have worked with the remaining retail tenants to temporarily extend their leases,” said Chuck Carroll, vice president of development, in an email. “One thing we can confirm is that we are still committed to preserving the iconic ‘Jeremiah the Innocent’ mural by Daniel Johnston in partnership with the Austin Creative Alliance.”

When American Campus bought the strip on The Drag in 2018, businesses residing there had to finish their existing leases before renovations could begin. Since the expiration of its old lease, Nelson said Wooten has been operating on a month-tomonth lease. The group has made verbal agreements to lease the shop a retail location on the same block after renovations are completed, but no actual contract or lease renewal offer has been made, he said.

Alante Salon owner Sanya Kim said she is still waiting on American Campus to follow up on their verbal agreement, but she looks forward to the building renovations.

“I have the chance to come back,” Kim said. “I (will) wait … if they give (the lease) to me.”

Though Nelson said he has been informed of Wooten’s deadline to move out, Kim said Alante Salon has not been given notice of a definitive date.

Nelson said he is planning on transferring the ownership to another Wooten employee and is searching for an alternative location to keep the shop alive.

“We’d like to have the Wooten, or ‘The Woo,’ continue,” Nelson said.

“It’s bittersweet in that it’s not ending in the way I would like to.”

sophie stoeger

/ the daily texan staff

The lot containing the Goodall Wooten, Alante Salon and Teji’s Indian restaurant on May 3. The land was recently been purchased by American Campus with plans to turn the lot into West Campus student housing.

LIFE&ARTS

ZOE TZANIS

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Life&Arts Editor | @TEXANARTS FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022

FEATURE

Christian Coffey: The reveal, reflection of Hook ‘Em After four years of secrecy, the face behind Hook ‘Em has been revealed.

By Sasha Haynes @sashafaye_2

hen Hook ‘Em takes the field, the crowd erupts. As UT’s horned mascot bounces up and down, the crowd jumps to their feet in pride and energy for the burnt orange. Underneath his costume, Christian Coffey, theatre and dance senior, gives his all to the UT community.

“Every single person has a part to play in school spirit, and (when) you bring that together, it just genuinely creates magic,” Coffey said.

On April 22, Coffey revealed in an Instagram post that for the past four years, he has been the face behind UT’s beloved mascot Hook ‘Em. As Coffey will soon become an alumnus of the University, he said he will always look back fondly on his time as Hook ‘Em, bringing school spirit to the stands.

As a freshman, Coffey said he initially wanted to become a part of the Texas Athletics marketing team and accidentally sent in his acting resume instead of his marketing application. Texas Athletics offered him the position of school mascot instead.

“One of my favorite things about being Hook ‘Em is being able to really shift the atmosphere — just by simple actions,” Coffey said.

Coffey said his time as Hook ‘Em provided him with the opportunity to meet many Longhorns throughout the years.

It has also allowed him to meet Matthew McConaughey and Kevin Durant, be featured in commercials and compete at Disney World.

“I always interacted with so many Longhorns over the years. When I’m outside of the suit, I see those people every day. I’d be nodding and being like, ‘Hey, what’s up?’ — not thinking that they have no idea who I am.”

In addition to the onslaught of opportunities portraying Hook ‘Em provided, Coffey said the role also helped him overcome his stage fright and enjoy the spotlight.

“Leading thousands of Texas fans in Texas Fight is one of the coolest things,” Coffey said. “I’m one being, and I’m directing this crowd of thousands of people. Being 19 years old when I first started this and leading and entertaining millions of people was mind blowing to me.”

Coffey’s good friend, alumnus Emmanuel Williams, said despite their close relationship, he was just as much in the dark about Hook ‘Em’s identity as everyone else.

“When I found out he was Hook ‘Em the whole time, I was like, ‘It all makes sense now, because I never (saw) him on the field.’” Williams said. “I was shocked.

He was one of my closest friends. We tell

copyright alejandra zuniga, and reproduced with permission

each other pretty much everything.”

After watching Coffey’s on-field performances for years, Ivory James, a psychology junior and UT cheerleader, said Coffey always put his heart into his performances as Hook ‘Em. “He was really good at being that character,” James said. ”He had his own style, and he was able to put his dancing skills into it. That’s really what made

STUDENT LIFE

Student-created Casa Marianella Market celebrates undocumented immigrant identity

him stand out.”

After four years of being Hook ‘Em, Coffey said he can’t wait to spend time pursuing different passions, such as his growing rapping career.

“I don’t want to ever box myself in,” Coffey said. “I want to be able to dip my toe in everything, so I rap, I sing, I play piano and I play instruments. I never want to stop learning.”

STUDENT LIFE

Valeria Rocha brings lunch box cakes to West Campus

alyssa olvera copyright afo’s photos, and reproduced with permission

By Kaiya Little @kaiyalittle

By Jessica Garcia @jessimgarc

On the afternoon of April 24, Alejandra Zuñiga smiled, taking in the buzzing atmosphere of vendors selling crafts and treats while people gathered to support her creation — the Casa Marianella Market.

Zuñiga organized the Casa Marianella Market as part of the Engaged Scholar Initiative at UT, which provides students the creative opportunity to devise a year-long project about a topic of their interest. For Zuñiga, her topic of interest centered on immigrant activism and providing a place where people can celebrate undocumented immigrant identity.

“My project was about reframing narratives about undocumented people that centered around trauma and allowing (them) to take their lives and narratives back into their own hands,” said Zuñiga, a government and communication studies senior.

Zuñiga hosted the market in partnership with Casa Marianella, a nonprofit organization that provides shelter and resources to displaced immigrants. The Casa Marianella Market consists of local vendors, a Convivio — a monthly celebration at Casa Marianella — and an exhibit called “Alegría Sin Papeles” that Zuñiga assembled showcasing interviews, artifacts and vision boards made by the undocumented immigrants she connected to during the year-long project. “(The vision boards) gave people a chance to think, hope and dream,” Zuñiga said. “A lot of undocumented people aren’t granted that luxury because they’re so focused on trying to make it today — their entire lives could be uprooted at any moment.”

Through the vision boards, Zuñiga said she hoped to create a space where undocumented immigrants could explore their

dreams for the future.

Zuñiga said the project allowed her to give back to her community in a way that presented and celebrated immigrants’ history and life stories in a vibrant environment such as a marketplace.

“I’ve always been in immigrant spaces, and it was something I had to do for my community,” Zuñiga said.

Carlos Villapudua, an engineering and advertising senior and vendor at the Casa Marianella Market, said they appreciated that Zuñiga drew on her experiences and passion for redefining the perception of undocumented immigrants to provide a platform in which larger audiences can hear their stories.

“There’s power in having people tell the stories of the identity they belong to,” Villapudua said. “(The market) shows the joy that people who are undocumented still have and the dreams they have, as opposed to just their stories of having to be resilient.”

Corporate communications senior Patrick Ruiz said he attended the market to support Zuñiga and felt proud that her project unified the community to celebrate undocumented immigrant identity.

“People were coming up to her project, looking at her vision boards and reading (the undocumented immigrants’) stories,” Ruiz said. “That was very heartwarming.”

Zuñiga said she hoped to convey a message about portraying undocumented immigrants in an uplifting way that represents different facets of their lives and not just in the context of their citizenship status.

“All people are deserving of a chance at safety and stability,” Zuñiga said. “I hope (the project) impacted at least one person and that these ideas reach other undocumented people.”

Chalky trails of powdered sugar stick to Valeria Rocha’s palms as she briskly moves through her kitchen. The sweet smell of a classic vanilla cake hangs around her.

Breathing in the scent, Rocha said her mind drifts to the feeling of being 12 years old again, standing in the kitchen of her Brownsville home, under the spell of a Youtube tutorial after reluctantly agreeing to help with her mother’s new venture — baking. “(Baking is) a way to connect to my past,” the international relations and global studies and Plan II junior said. “I used to hate it. Now I enjoy it, and it brings me comfort.

It makes me feel closer to home.”

Looking for a way to make money, Rocha said her friends encouraged her to rekindle her childhood baking skills at the start of the fall 2021 semester. Rocha said assisting in her mother’s cake business growing up made launching her own simple.

Rocha said her apartment-based small business, “Val’s Sweets,” caters to the West Campus community, and Rocha, who conducts all of her business through Instagram and Venmo, said she handles an average of five orders a day.

Beyond the practical connections that Rocha’s experience in the kitchen lends to her business, reminiscing on memories from the last time she was able to visit home three years ago revealed truths about her love for baking and her dynamic with her mother.

“Me and my mom are known for being super chaotic and all over the place all the time — it shows how much we have in common,” Rocha said. “I remember the house used to be filled with enormous three layer cakes, and to transport those from the house to some party (venues) was crazy.”

At the top of the Val’s Sweets Instagram

/ the daily texan staff

account (@_vals_sweets), Rocha promotes what she said she considers the unique selling point of her sweet treats — lunch box cakes. Lunch box cakes are palm-sized cakes that originated in Korean cafes and often feature delicate and elaborate icing designs. Rocha said the work of replicating the cakes’ trendy aesthetics can be time-consuming, while also challenging her art skills in a refreshing way.

“I’m just busy all the time. I have class, I have an internship and all this extra stuff I’m doing, aside from the small business,” Rocha said. “Sometimes (baking) adds to the stress, but other times, I’m really embracing my creativity and trying to come up with new things.”

Rocha’s roommate, advertising junior Victor Silva, said getting to taste-test many of the cakes that occupy their shared kitchen is the highlight of his experience living with a small business owner. Above this, Silva said Rocha’s hard-working attitude radiates around every cake-covered surface, and her attention to detail shines through every bite. “(Val is) very dedicated to her craft … she’s committed to doing the best that she can all the time,” Silva said. “I know she puts a lot of love into her cakes.”

After stumbling upon Rocha and Val’s Sweets in a shared group chat, design freshman Maria Rodriguez said she appreciated the accessibility of Rocha’s business.

Prompted by a desire to surprise a friend after a bad day, Rodriguez said the easy ordering process through Instagram DMs allowed for her to do something special for another person.

“The way she is and the way she approached business and with me made everything go well,” Rodriguez said. “You could say they’re just cakes, (but it’s also) the thought that goes into making them — it’s not just the act of purchasing something (from Val), it’s the experience (of) getting something to share with others.”

S A N I K A N AYA K

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Editor-In-Chief | @TEXANOPINION FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022

OPINION

EDITORIAL

Looking Forward, Looking Back: It’s always students who create change The Daily Texan Editorial Board praises student efforts and urges the University to listen and work with student organizers.

By The Daily Texan Editorial Board

n the past, looking forward, looking back editorials have been dedicated to calling on the administration to do better. While this is a necessary aspect of our role, this edition will be a little different.

Though change is long overdue and this University still has a long way to go, we’ve made that abundantly clear — over and over and over and over again.

This time, we want to look back at student efforts to make campus a more equitable place and dedicate this piece to commending their hard work. After all, this University has a plethora of issues, and students are repeatedly forced to advocate for themselves and others — advocacy that is too often overlooked by the administration.

Over the past two years, amid debate on the University’s racist alma mater, students voiced their disapproval of the school song. The Longhorn Band refused to play “The Eyes of Texas,” and Black students in the Longhorn Band formed LHBlacks to condemn the song and advocate for increased diversity and inclusion. The song is racist and bigoted, and most students know that.

Instead of removing the song, the University announced plans to create “separate but equal” bands in fall 2022.

“The Eyes of Texas” still plays loudly and proudly at far too many UT events.

Black students on campus have been advocating for inclusion and equity for

years. A collective of Black student organizations on campus released a list of demands, and these efforts led to the addition of things like the Student East Mall Advisory Task Force, the renaming of RLM to PMA, and campus commemoration projects.

Aside from this, the bulk of the demands — divestment from the UT Police Department, required modules, renaming Littlefield and more — remain unfulfilled by the University.

Since fall 2020, disabled students have advocated for the creation of a disability cultural center on campus.

Their efforts were furthered by both the Disability Advocacy Student Coalition and the Natural Sciences Council. A survey released by these entities gathered over 855 student signatures.

Though UT has not publicly affirmed a commitment to creating this center, the initiative has garnered support from the vice president for student affairs and the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement. Students and administration are still in the process of finding a space and ​​​​approving funding for a director position. We commend those who worked so hard to bring this initiative to life.

Sexual misconduct continues to be a prominent issue on campus, and the charge for a safer environment has always been led by students. The Interpersonal Violence Prevention Coalition has continually dedicated itself to supporting survivors, advocating for better policies and working with Title IX to establish initiatives (including those recommended by Husch Blackwell). Last fall, the Tejas Club was accused of mishandling sexual misconduct allegations and not implementing prevention training. Students protested several times outside the Tejas house and called for the spirit group to be disbanded.

The University, however, has not stepped in to disband or even condemn the Tejas Club.

During Student Government elections this semester, the past failings of SG members remained in sharp

focus. Students questioned the role Health Services have reviewed these and necessity of SG, and the need for demands, and University Housing and structural change became apparent. Dining has announced plans to create Student concerns led to a vote of no gender-inclusive housing. But this isn’t confidence for this year’s SG executive enough. The University has still not board, and the resulting vote led to publicly affirmed its support of the recexecutive board members being asked ommendations and hasn’t shared conto step down.

Instead of supporting the student body’s In most of these wishes, the University movements, there is a decided to intervene, with the Office of the clear throughline of fervent Dean of Students halting student advocacy followed by the proceedings. the University’s negligence.”

Off campus, students living in Riverside this semester had to deal with inconsistent bus schedules along with a general lack crete details for implementing them.

These are not all of the student adof connection to the University. After months during which the University vocacy efforts from this year. The Sendid little more than encourage profes- ate of College Councils has consistently sors to be lenient with absences and worked to protect student interests. late arrivals due to busing issues, Riv- Beyond this, there have been countless erside students formed a coalition and other student efforts this year and evreleased a list of demands. These de- ery year before.

In most of these movements, there is mands included amendments to UT’s current contract with CapMetro to a clear throughline of fervent student ensure more consistent bus schedules advocacy followed by the University’s and an expansion of campus shuttle negligence. That isn’t to say that stuservices. These students are fighting dent efforts have gone to waste; if anyfor the right to live in affordable hous- thing, they’re wholly responsible for ing without facing unnecessary difficul- any progress that has been made so far.

UT, start listening to students and ties as a result.

UT has not committed to these stu- taking action. Student advocacy has dents’ demands or established a plan to made clear where the University is better connect Riverside students with lacking, and it’s frankly insulting to the University. continue to ignore their efforts.

In March, student leaders released Creating change too often falls an updated State of LGBTQIA+ Af- squarely on the shoulders of student fairs report. This report included 48 organizers and activists. recommendations to create a more It’s because of your collective action inclusive campus, including the addi- that this campus has improved. Thank tion of gender-inclusive bathrooms, you for working tirelessly. We know the expansion of both the Gender and it’s taxing, and we know our thanks Sexuality Center and the Multicultur- isn’t enough. It’s well past time for the al Engagement Center and divestment University to care for its community as from UTPD. The report is almost 100 much as its students do. pages long and displays the enormous The editorial board is composed amount of collective student effort it of associate editors Mia Abbe, Faith took to gather this research.

DuFresne, Sruti Ramachandran, Units like the Counseling and Men- Julia Zaksek, and editor-in-chief tal Health Center and University Sanika Nayak.

nathan dinh

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.

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.

/ the daily texan staff

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

D& &I

A B H I R U P A D A S G U P TA

Director of Diversity and Inclusion @TEXANINCLUSION

5

FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022

Future Daily Texan x BlackPrint ATX collaboration

By The Daily Texan D&I Board

This semester, only 4.6% of the people who applied to work at The Daily Texan were Black. Currently, there are less than 20 Black staff members out of the over 250 people working at the Texan.

It is clear from this data and anecdotes shared by current and former staffers that Black students at UT do not see the Texan as a welcoming space for them.

BlackPrint ATX is a Black interest publication that UT faculty member and former Daily Texan staff member Erna Smith began in the 1970s. In 2019, this project was restarted by former Texan staffers Faith Castle and Tiana Woodard.

This organization is a voice and platform for Black UT, publishing stories regularly on its website throughout the semester as well as a zine at the end of each semester.

In the future, The Daily Texan hopes to partner with BlackPrint ATX on a joint

flipbook featuring reporting from staff members of both organizations. This collaboration is intended to foster connections between Daily Texan and BlackPrint ATX staff members and encourage current and future Black students at UT to view the Texan as a space where their work will be valued and respected.

The Texan’s history of exclusivity and neglect toward BIPOC communities has been well-documented. The Diversity and Inclusion Board was established in part because Daily Texan staffers of color recognized that our newsroom must do more to make sure that this history remains a thing of the past.

It is our hope that this future collaboration with BlackPrint ATX — a valuable campus publication dedicated to supporting Black journalists — will be a step toward that goal.

The Diversity and Inclusion Board is composed of Abhirupa Dasgupta, Rachael Hatchett and Megan Tran.

Coverage Tracking

By BlackPrint ATX Editorial Board

BlackPrint ATX is the only Black interest publication affiliated with the University of Texas at Austin. Looking back, we have to acknowledge the rich history that demonstrates the resilience of this publication.

Founding members Erna Smith, Tom Collier and Rhonda Bailey created BlackPrint as an independent student newspaper for the African American Studies and Research Center, now Warfield Center. The first editions collected photos, poems and essays submitted by Black students at the University. Revitalized in 2019 by previous Co-Editors-in-Chief Faith Castle and Tiana Woodard, we remain dedicated to embracing Black thoughts and providing a safe space for expression.

BlackPrint ATX stands for honest media work, which we believe The Daily Texan provides. We hope that Black students across campus will have the opportunity to share their work in a space where it is respected and where it matters. At many times, our community grapples with having to rationalize our identities and minimize our voices, but that isn’t

neill - cochran CONTINUES FROM PAGE 2

This distinction led Joe McGill, founder of the Slave Cabin Project, an organization dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of slavery, to change the foundation’s name to the The Slave Dwelling Project before he spent the night in the top floor of the slave quarters on April 23.

jenny devico

sustainable. Both BlackPrint and the Diversity and Inclusion Board of The Daily Texan have similar goals in supporting the BIPOC community and Black journalists. Therefore, we, the members of BlackPrint ATX look forward to a future collaboration with The Daily Texan in a capacity that represents who we are as a publication and what we stand for.

Independently, BlackPrint will continue to provide a platform for anyone who needs it, but in the future, we hope that collaboration between The Daily Texan and BlackPrint ATX will keep our organizations accountable in creating a more diverse and welcoming campus for the Black community.

The BlackPrint ATX executive board is composed of: Ajà Miller, Co-Editor-in-Chief Nana Acheampong, Co-Editor-in-Chief Angelica Arinze, Managing Editor Terrian Spurs, Managing Editor Cristela Jones, Senior Web Editor Awab Ahmed, Senior Print Editor Ubah Moallim, Associate Print Editor Joy Onuwa, Social Media Editor Morgan Thompson, Events & Marketing Director

McGill led a talk the evening prior to the stay, giving people the opportunity to speak about current issues like reparations and removing monuments.

“We, as a city, have built over so much of that early history,” Dasch said. “You can imagine people accessing the site … and how they would have been working, and you just are never going to get that kind of visceral connection to history through a book.”

/ the daily texan staff

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6

Need to get to campus?

There’s a bus for that!

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UT Shuttle Service Guide ■

Full Service: Buses depart every 10 to 17 minutes on all routes from approximately 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (check schedules for individual route times). After 8:00 p.m., buses depart approximately every 15 to 30 minutes. All routes operate until midnight.

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Sunday Service: Buses depart approximately every 25 to 50 minutes from 3:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.

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Finals Service: Buses depart approximately every 10 to 20 minutes on all routes from 6:45 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. From 7:00 to 11:00 p.m., buses depart approximately every 40 minutes.

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Summer Service: Buses depart approximately every 15 to 40 minutes on all routes from 6:45 a.m. to 7:00 pm. From 7:00 to 11:00 p.m., buses depart approximately every 40 minutes.

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No UT Shuttle Service

GET A N

Also, check out: capmetro.org/ut-guide to see more services.

With the semester winding down, UT Shuttle service may become less frequent. But no need to panic! There are plenty of bus alternatives that will take you directly to campus and all across Austin. Scan the QR code to find the route that suits you best!

EDUC ATION

SPORTS

HANNAH WILLIFORD

Sports Editor @TEXANSPORTS

7

FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022

SOFTBALL

In failure, success, Texas softball sticks together, creates family After bumpy start to the season, Texas softball settles into their groove.

By Nick Hargroue @NHargroue_1

Whitaker are key to the team dynamic. While these players have limited time on the field, teammates attest that their infectious energy in the locker room has kept the game fun for the whole team.

“They’re all three like the funniest people I’ve met,” Dolcini said. “Camille Corona is pretty good at always making sure to start (the energy), and then I think the natural energy that comes off of good plays … (is) huge for us to continue with.”

Before games, the team sometimes plays hacky sack in front of the dugout, and sophomore outfielders Alyssa Popelka and Bella Dayton throw around a football in the outfield to loosen up their arms. The good vibes continue outside of Red & Charline McCombs Field, as the team took the weekend off before the Oklahoma series to relax, hang out by the lake and visit family.

This team entered the year as a group of players and emerged from the gauntlet as a family. Coach White and the team have been deliberate in keeping the environment fun, loose and welcoming, leading the Longhorns into the postseason with a chance at a run toward Texas’ sixth Women’s College World Series appearance and its first since 2013.

BASEBALL

lorianne willett

/ the daily texan file

Freshman Sophia Simpson throws the first pitch of the inning. Texas played McNeese State at Red & Charline McCombs Field on Feb. 16.

SOME HEROES WEAR WHISTLES

bonuses DEPENDING ON POSITION, up to

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exas softball entered the season as a group of relative strangers, with new faces and program legends intertwined in the hunt for a common goal: a 2022 Women’s College World Series berth.

Early struggles aside, the Longhorns have attempted to create a championship-winning atmosphere while still remembering to love the game of softball.

The Longhorns were a top10 team entering the year and were expected to be one of the best teams in the country considering their returning talent.

Star senior infielder Janae Jefferson, leading Texas alltime in total hits and batting average, headed the lineup, while the Longhorns also added a talented senior transfer pitcher in Hailey Dolcini and a reigning Gatorade Texas Player of the Year in freshman pitcher Sophia Simpson to form a dominant pitching staff on paper.

Despite a hot 4–1 start to the season, Texas faltered against top competition. The team lost six games in a row to

highly ranked teams including UCLA, Florida State and Auburn. Many teams would crumble after such a stretch, but Texas head coach Mike White’s straightforward philosophy managed to keep the team together in the early portion of the season.

“Everyone just (needs to) — and we preach this — do your job: D.Y.J. That’s what we’ve got to focus on,” White said. “Sometimes I think, and this is what happens to the leaders, they try and do too much. … There’s this finality about their careers, and they start to put too much pressure on (themselves).”

This Texas team is young, with over half of its day-to-day starters in their first or second year on campus. Earlier in the spring, the inexperience showed, with the team unable to put together a complete, clean game of softball. As the season has progressed, however, the players grew to be more cohesive, culminating in the team’s victory over Oklahoma in April, shattering the Sooners’ NCAA-record 38–0 start to the season.

A key aspect of this growth is the camaraderie among the players, as the gap between veterans and newcomers has slowly vanished. Reserve players like sophomores Bri Cantu, Carlee Ratcliff and Jordyn

flexible hours paid sick time

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Texas baseball’s walk-up songs, from worst to best

assad malik

/ the daily texan file

A crowd spectates matchup for Texas baseball at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

By Jordan Mitchell & Hunter Dworaczyk @thejordankenzie @HunterDworaczyk

A pivotal part of the baseball experience, walkup songs should embody the player and strike fear into the opposing pitcher, while simultaneously being “hype.” A good walk-up song should kindle applause and prepare the player to launch a pitch 400 feet out to left field.

Baseball beat reporters Hunter Dworaczyk and Jordan Mitchell will analyze the Longhorns’ walk-up songs, because they are tired of analyzing the batting lineup based on superficial things like hits and slugging percentage. Instead, they will (subjectively) judge the players based on their one identifiable trait visible to the public eye.

Batter up.

9.

Skyler Messinger - “The Red” by Chevelle Jordan Mitchell: I asked Jeff Howe from 247 Sports what Messinger’s walk-up song was after my Shazam didn’t recognize it. He said it was by Chevelle — a rock group “overshadowed

by Metallica.” Like Chevelle, this walk-up song is forgettable.

8.

Dylan Campbell - “N 2 Deep” by Drake featuring Future Hunter Dworaczyk: With Drake being active for well over a decade now, it is no surprise that his songs are well represented in baseball lineups throughout the country. While “N 2 Deep” does have a nice beat, it is just not very distinguishable from other mainstream rap.

7.

Dougie Hodo - “When It Rains It Pours” by 50 Cent HD: During the season opener against Rice, “When It Rains It Pours” was the first walk-up song the Longhorn faithful got to hear this season. 50 Cent’s song serves as a solid tune to refresh Texas back to the top of the lineup.

6.

Trey Faltine - “Balenciaga” by Ozuna and Ele A El Dominio

JM: “Balenciaga” is very in-your-face, as is Faltine. The shortstop carries around a boombox with him to every game and gifted a signed baseball to a Texas State fan after the Longhorns narrowly topped the Bobcats 9-8. This song screams drama, and Faltine is the drama.

5.

Austin Todd - “Fishin’ In The Dark”

by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band JM: I wasn’t allowed to listen to country music growing up, but I knew I was missing out when I heard Todd’s walk up for the first time. “Fishin’ In The Dark” is now my second most-listened-to song of the year.

4.

Silas Ardoin - “Way 2 Sexy” by Drake featuring Young Thug and Future HD: Perhaps it is our youth, but Jordan and I agreed this song shows absolute confidence on Ardoin’s side. I’ll put it this way — would you want to pitch to someone who is “Way 2 Sexy?”

3.

Murphy Stehly - “California Gurls”

by Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg JM: Hunter and I argued about how this song fits Murphy Stehly for 10 minutes. “California Gurls” perfectly aligns with Stehly’s bold-batting persona at the plate but could not be further from his postgame interviews, where he is soft-spoken. Regardless, this walk-up song gets everyone singing the Katy Perry classic.

2.

Mitch Daly - “The Way I Live” by Baby Boy Da Prince featuring Boosie Badazz JM: It’s hard to pinpoint what is so great about this song. Maybe it radiates a nonchalant, happy-go-lucky charm perfect for the summertime?

Or maybe it’s the playful rhythm and rhyme? Regardless, this song has been stuck in my head for about three months now.

1.

Ivan Melendez - “El Rey” by Vicente Fernández HD: There are not enough words to describe how epic Melendez’s walk-up song is, so I will share an anecdote. Prior to transferring to UT, I took two semesters of Spanish at Wharton County Junior College. Despite not retaining much, I now know “El Rey” word-for-word. It is that remarkable.

Year in Review

8

FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022

City & Politics Research

The

peyton sims

NEWS

/ the daily texan file

Student Government & UT System

On March 7 the West Campus Starbucks, located on West 24th and Nueces Street, became the first location in Austin to announce its plans to unionize after employees cited issues with scheduling, wages and an “erosion of trust.”

racquel higine

d e pa rt m e n t BREAKING NEWS: COVID-19 & Campus

meba wondwossen

/ the daily texan file

/ the daily texan file

UT research led to the first COVID-19 vaccine patch entering phase one of clinical trials later this year. The HexaPro antigen, created by researchers from the University including, the McLellan Lab, has been used for multiple other diseases, including Human metapneumovirus.

The highly transmissible Omicron variant was responsible for UT’s record high 230 positive COVID-19 cases among students and faculty Jan. 5; the University adopted a mask-optional policy in March and the city of Austin lifted all COVID-19 emergency rules and orders after local infection and hospitalization rates fell to some of the lowest since the beginning of the pandemic.

leila saidane

BREAKING NEWS: Crime & City

/ the daily texan file

Leland Murphy and Isabel Agbassi were elected student body president and vice president on the platform of increasing University working wages and allocating funds to benefit students.

julius shieh

Looking ba c

Austin City Council furthered their efforts to make Sixth Street safer by increasing training for bar staff and determining if there is sufficient lighting, among other safety measures. West Campus still struggles with safety concerns after Austin Police Department did not respond to a found machete for hours.

/ the daily texan file

k

ard w r o f g n Looki UT capstone premieres and showcases

“Butterfly Knot” premieres

alekka hernandez

nathaniel brickens

/ the daily texan file

“Butterfly Knot” danced its way across the screen at the Texas Student Television Incubator premiere at Violet Crown cinema May 3. After its premiere, Longhorns can anticipate several seasons of “Butterfly Knot” in the coming years. When in regular production, Zhang and her team hope the series offers authentic representation of Chinese culture and fosters a more comfortable environment for international students.

/ the daily texan file

Tat-Tuesday closes out

After the pop stars, rock stars and movie heroes went home, UT’s homegrown creatives prove they shine just as bright. This month, UT’s Trombone Choir will travel to Zurich, Switzerland for a six-week residency, radio-television-film students will present their senior thesis films at the spring End of Semester Screenings and studio art graduate students will present their work at the upcoming MFA thesis exhibit.

BlackLight talks “Queer Eye” experience thereafter

copyright netflix, and reproduced with permission

The

This month, the Texan’s “Queer Eye” coverage came full circle when the Texan checked back in with Flores’ fellow “Queer Eye” castmate — Austin rapper Reggie DeVore, known by his stage name BlackLight. DeVore reflected on his near-decade career in the local hip hop scene, his audio engineering talents and the post-”Queer Eye” life.

leila saidane

/ the daily texan file

After closing out the semester, senior reporter and “Tat-Tuesday” columnist Kaiya Little plans to dedicate her fall tattoo coverage to showcasing inked professors and their stories. Check back in next semester for a window into the world of UT faculty, their foundational experiences, morals and mentalities.

Women’s Basketball

SPORTS

softball

d e pa rt m e n t men’s basketball

julius shieh

kara hawley

/ the daily texan file

Texas came into the season with high expectations despite losing its star player, Charli Collier, in the offseason. The Longhorns fought hard to meet their expectations, winning the Big 12 tournament and reaching the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row. Freshman guard Rori Harmon was a standout performer for the team this season, winning Freshman Of The Year and Most Outstanding Player in the Big 12 tournament. Although it came up short, Texas’ squad is in good hands with Harmon leading the way.

/ the daily texan file

During Chris Beard’s inaugural season, the Longhorns nabbed their first NCAA tournament win since 2014. Texas defeated ACC champion Virginia Tech in a 81-73 win, but fell to Purdue in the second round of March Madness. The Longhorns also earned their first 20+ win season since the 2018-2019 season and defeated eventual national champion Kansas in February.

lorianne willett

/ the daily texan file

TENNIS

baseball

andrew zamora

/ the daily texan file

Coming off of a walk-off loss to eventual champions Mississippi State in Omaha, Texas baseball had tremendous expectations entering the 2022 season. The Longhorns got off to a hot stretch beginning the season, starting off 11–0. However, the month of March saw the team lose eight games.

The preseason No. 1 team in the country now sits unranked after being swept at home by Oklahoma State.

Following a 43–14 season where Texas bowed out in the super regional to Big 12 rival Oklahoma State, the Longhorns loaded up for another run at a WCWS appearance with talented freshmen in Mia Scott, Katie Cimusz and Sophia Simpson. The team also added star graduate transfer Hailey Dolcini to compete with Oklahoma’s dominant pitching staff.

mariah barsotti

/ the daily texan file

Texas men’s tennis finished the regular season with a record of 16–10. The Longhorns just finished the Big 12 tournament where they lost in the semifinals to Baylor, 4-2. Texas women’s tennis had a strong start to their season but hit a rocky road towards the middle after the ITA championship. The team maintained a top five national ranking with a 20–4 record in the regular season.

They also won the Big 12 tournament with a 4-2 win against No. 2 Oklahoma.

Look in

g bac

k

Year in Review

9

FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022

Lookin

g forw ard

Student Government & UT System

BREAKING NEWS: COVID-19 & Campus

reid stacy

/ the daily texan file

The University began making repairs to Dobie Twenty21, where residents have reported poor living conditions. On-campus residents will be able to select roommates regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation starting in fall 2022 under University Housing and Dining’s family and friend housing option.

julius shieh

/ the daily texan file

Student Government plans to introduce the third part of a series of reform bills to increase accountability in the fall.

City & Politics

RESEARCH

peyton sims

BREAKING NEWS: Crime & City

kara hawley

/ the daily texan file

The 2022 Texas gubernatorial election is Nov. 8, 2022. The main candidates for governor are incumbent Republican Greg Abbott and Democrat Beto O’Rourke.

The city of Austin plans to upgrade more than 400 streetlights in West Campus by the end of the year, and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick intends to remove tenure in Texas public universities during the upcoming legislative session.

The

raquel higine

LIFE&ARTS

/ the daily texan file

Jason McLellan said the next step for researchers is to apply their structure-based vaccine design onto other diseases such as malaria.

d e pa rt m e n t

UT alum, weightlifter and “Queer Eye” star Angel Flores talks experience post season six premire.

copyright netflix, and reproduced with permission

Tat-Tuesday reignites

The Texan sat down with barbell athlete and transgender activist Angel Flores, who made her television debut on season six of Netflix’s original “Queer Eye” this January.

On the show, which premiered Dec. 31, 2021 the UT 2020 alumna shared her journey of growth and self-discovery. Now a personal trainer to Jonathan Van Ness of “Queer Eye,” Flores spoke to the Texan about her hopes to inspire change, promote self-love and fight for everyone’s right to engage in sports.

SXSW 2022

ryan olszewski

“Butterfly Knot” production begins

julius shieh

/ the daily texan file

/ the daily texan file

Organizing Starbucks employees submitted union cards and a petition to the National Labor Relations Board to hold an election for the store to officially unionize. In the coming weeks employees will receive ballots by mail and cast their votes on unionization.

julius shieh

/ the daily texan file

During SXSW 2022, local and international musicians flocked to Austin’s stages, offering audiences the opportunity to immerse themselves in country, Mediterranean and Korean sound. Life & Arts reporters got the inside scoop from industry-recognized directors, the Davids (Everything Everywhere All at Once), Adam and Aaron Nee (Lost City) and heart-throb actors, such as Daniel Radcliffe, Sandra Bullock, Jared Leto and Nicolas Cage.

At the beginning of the semester, Katherine Zhang, an advertising, Chinese cultures and languages and Asian studies junior, took on an incredible task — producing and directing “Butterfly Knot,” the first UT-based Chinese drama with a full Mandarin script. After working tirelessly with her team to generate and write the perfect script, Zhang collaborated with the Texas Student Television Incubator Program and began casting this March.

/ the daily texan file

This semester marked the reignition of Tat-Tuesday, a weekly Texan column, which aims to explore the stories of inked students, as well as their connections to their body art. In January, radio-television-film junior Roberto Almaraz shared his film-inspired tattoos with the UT community, along with his passion to become a walking gallery of his favorite cinematic works.

ack

Looking b

Lookin g

forwa

rd men’s basketball

Women’s Basketball TENNIS

andrew zamora

assad malik

/ the daily texan file

The Longhorns will fill gaps in their rotation following the absence of Joanne Allen-Taylor, Audrey Warren and Lauren Ebo. Rori Harmon, Aliyah Matharu, Shay Holle and Aaliyah Moore will all compete at the 2022 Red Bull USA Basketball 3X Nationals. With new associate head coach Elena Lovato and director of player development Sydney Carter, Texas women’s basketball hopes to continue their success under head coach Vic Schaefer.

/ the daily texan file

Texas brings the No. 12 ranked incoming freshman class onto the Forty Acres. The class, composed of three players all ranked in ESPN’s top 100 recruits, will fill holes in the roster left by veteran players such as Andrew Jones and Courtney Ramey. Guard Devin Askew and forward Tre Mitchell also opted to hit the transfer portal.

The Longhorns also have returning veterans, with leading scorers Marcus Carr and Timmy Allen.

gregory weston

baseball

assad malik

/ the daily texan file

The Longhorns likely will lose pitchers and hitting production to the draft in the coming offseason. Starting pitchers Pete Hansen, Tristan Stevens and star slugger Ivan Melendez are all likely to enter the draft. Expectations for next season will largely depend on the decisions of the current borderline draft players on the roster and on the amount of signed recruits that declare for college.

/ the daily texan file

The men’s tennis team heads into the NCAA tournament as the No. 12 seed this year. The Longhorns will host their regional starting May 6 at the Texas Tennis Center, where they will play Idaho and then the winner of the No. 20 SMU vs. No. 33 LSU game. If they make it out of the regional, they will head to Champaign, Illinois looking to make a deep run. The women’s tennis team is the No. 4 seed going into their 37th NCAA championship, where they have a 58–33 all-time record.

SOFTBALL

mackenzie coleman

/ the daily texan file

The Longhorns have had an up-and-down season, losing all five games in the Clearwater Classic to open the season but notching their first win against Oklahoma since 2014. The Longhorns sit at 35-15-1 overall and third in the Big 12 heading into the postseason, looking to make a run.

The Friends of The Daily Texan held their annual dinner on April 8 after a 2-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

Congratulations HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES 2021

2020

MARTIN CRUTSINGER

LAURA BEIL

SAM KEACH

RICHARD COLE

DAVE MCNEELY

DAVID DEVOSS

JOHN MOORE

BILL LITTLE

JOHN REETZ

RENAE MERLE

KRISSAH WILLIAMS THOMPSON

JOHN MCCONNICO JEAN-MARC BOUJU

GRIFF SINGER AWARD 2021

FERNANDO DOVALINA

2020

ART RINN DOLORES RINN

RISING STAR AWARD 2021

CASSANDRA JARAMILLO

2020

ABBY JOHNSTON

KELSEY MCKINNEY MARIA MENDEZ

THE DAILY TEXAN ACHIEVEM ENT AWA RD S In addition, the following students were recognized as deserving recipients and finalists of the Friends’ Awards and Sports Award, Jerry and Becky Conn Award, Middy Randerson Life and Arts Award, and McConnico-Bouju Print and Multi-Media Awards: Areeba Amer, Ariana Arredondo, Angelina Braese, Harper Carlton, Addie Costello, Jennifer Errico, Megan Fletcher, Samantha Greyson, Nathan Han, Phoebe Hayes, Trinady Joslin, Fiza Kuzhiyil, Hannah Ortega, Skye Seipp and Myah Taylor.

The Friends of The Daily Texan is a nonprofit organization for alumni of The Daily Texan, a UT Austin institution since 1900, and others interested in promoting the publication’s longterm sustainability as a site of student press innovation. Through mentorship, fundraising, networking and public education, Friends of The Daily Texan works alongside current Texan students to continue the publication’s rich tradition of journalistic excellence into the future.

Photos by Peyton Sims, The Daily Texan Staff

For more information about Friends of The Daily Texan, the honorees, to become a member or to sign up for our email newsletter, please visit www.friendsofthedailytexan.org.

FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022

-30-

Senior sports reporter realizes he isn’t a professional athlete, becomes a writer instead

By Ethan Ferguson @ethan_ferguson6

As I sit down to write my goodbye to a place that I’ve called home here on the Forty Acres for over two years, I can’t help but feel the nostalgia roll over me like a wave.

I’ve come to realize that the skills and abilities I developed by being a member of The Daily Texan have prepared me immensely for the success that I aspire to have as my life progresses. That being said, the path I took leading me to this moment was anything but short.

Reflecting on my life within sports feels like a relationship that started at birth. Growing up, I had aspirations of playing in the NFL. Much to my dismay, the 5-foot frame that I was given for the better half of my life limited my options. Additionally, my grandma didn’t approve of the dangers associated with football, so that was the end of that.

I learned very quickly that being short and skinny had the potential of posing difficulties playing certain sports. One factor of mine that stood out, however, was my speed. Because of this, I switched my focus to soccer. Playing competitively were

hannan abdikadir

some of the best years of my life.

Then came my interest in basketball.

Growing up in Chicago, basketball had a huge impact on my life. Playing it didn’t come easily at first, but through practice and dedication, I eventually was able to compete.

The point of this backstory is to emphasize why sports matter. Sports bring joy to

/ the daily texan staff

those who seek it out, who immerse their lives into them. Sports bring people together.

After deciding to attend the University of Texas, and knowing of its reputable sports programs, I joined the newspaper with the intent of telling stories about people being brought together.

Working here has made me who I am

11

today. The reputation and accolades which The Daily Texan has received over its 100plus years of publishing are entirely deserving. I am wholeheartedly grateful for the opportunities that have been given to me.

To my sports editors, Hannah, Nathan and Carter, your leadership inspires me, and I am so excited to see what the future holds for all of you. Thank you for your support and for motivating me to produce the highest quality content I could.

Matthew, Christina and Jordan, your talent as writers and reporters is uncanny. Continue to ask the hard questions and never lose your passion for sports, even if the sport in question is ping-pong on a makeshift table.

Amsal and Emily, it was a pleasure working alongside you covering the same sports.

There is no doubt in my mind that both swimming and diving and women’s basketball at Texas will continue to have a myriad of successes.

To my parents, thank you for being excited about my interests and for providing me with the resources to chase my passions.

To those of you who have read my work, thank you. Your support means the world to me.

This isn’t the end of my story, but technically, the words have run out. Hook ‘em.

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I was the worst associate managing editor.

Here’s what you need to know:

By Nathan Han @NathanHan13

I’ve joked way too many times about finally leaving the Texan, but now that it’s actually time, I know I’m going to miss it, all because of the people.

Phoebe, thanks for a semester of getting out of the basement early. Your kindness and compassion this semester never failed to impress me.

Fiza, you’re going to be a great managing editor, and I can’t wait to see how the paper grows under your leadership.

Myah, thanks for dealing with my long, and often late, stories as my sports and managing editor. I enjoy hearing what you have to say every time we chat and am really glad you were my FIG mentor.

Matthew, thanks for letting me beat you in ping-pong over 60 times. I wouldn’t have enjoyed the Texan as much with-

out having you as my fellow football and basketball writer.

Carter, thanks for being a friend since the very start of orientation and for sticking it out that spring — I was always impressed by your hard work and patience that semester.

Christina, you’re destined for great things, and thank you for breathing life into the sports department — always keep sending audio messages.

Hannah, I’m glad you made the right switch from news to sports, even if it took you two more years than it took me. Never let an old and musty group of reporters shoot down your swagger.

My fall ‘21 staff — Ross, Taylor, Kaitlyn, Vicente, Arjun, Aakriti, Emma, Toby, Hunter, Pierson, Payne, Shez, Ana, Emily, Jordan, Nicks, Nikhil, Riley, Margaret — it’s been a privilege to watch y’all grow as reporters and writers. Thanks for letting me be your sports editor.

My past editors — Donnie, Marcus, Megan — I learned a lot my freshman

copyright blaine young, and reproduced with permission

year from all of y’all. Thanks for being my editors.

Rachael, Carolynn, Addie, Mantra, Lana, Megan, Jenny, Juleanna, Jack, Blaine and

too many others to name, thank you for making my time in the basement and at the Texan fun and something I looked forward to every week.

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12

News department traitor says goodbye to Texan, now unsure of identity

FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022

digital director makes final upload

connor downs

jonathan sherchand

By Hannah Williford @howdy_its_hannah

During my first semester as a reporter, then-news-editor and now-real world-reporter Megan Menchaca passed out Daily Texan stickers. I sealed mine to the bottom left corner of my laptop with pride. It was a milestone I had dreamed of, and it stayed with me as I traveled to protests, elections, debates, baseball fields and volleyball courts. I watched its lamination wear down from a bright burnt orange to its white base, with a barely-legible “XAN” appearing on the end. I, frankly, am worn out too.

The Daily Texan is not for the faint of heart.

I recommend those who join adjust their sleep schedule to begin around 1 a.m. (but be prepared to wake up for the 8 a.m. breaking news), become master budgeters to cope with a salary that’s a maximum of $200 per month (I’ve worked out the hourly rate for that more than once, and let’s just say it isn’t pretty) and learn to enjoy the task of sending emails (and a few reminder emails after that too.) I also recommend, as Peter says at the beginning of every semester, to prepare to meet some of your best friends.

In two years in the news department and one year in sports, I struggle to think of a moment where I didn’t feel part of something.

As a news reporter, I found myself under the wing of big sisters I never had in Emily Hernandez, Lauren Girgis and Neelam Bohra.

Following in their footsteps as I became editor, I was greeted with new companions in Anna Canizales and Brooke Park. Brooke, I’m glad that somewhere along the way I unknowingly won you over.

/ the daily texan staff

After six semesters at the news desk, I finally tried my hand at sports. They are the only department at the Texan that has a TV, so I would say that was my main motivation.

Aside from the cable access, I don’t think I will ever forget how I felt walking back from the first volleyball game I covered. I remembered all at once why I loved reporting. Five months later, I found myself in the editor position. I’m pretty sure I am the smallest sports fan to ever run the department, but thanks to the expertise of Nathan Han and Matthew Boncosky, it seems like we’ve muddled our way through.

Now, for just a few thank yous.

To Matthew, thank you for putting up with a semester of boomer jokes. I hope you’ll get to live the life of a 40-year-old man in peace now.

To Christina, thank you for teaching me essentially everything I know about college basketball. Waking up to your 2 a.m. voice memos always makes my day start with an interesting twist.

To Jordan, Ethan and Amsal, thanks for humoring me with randomly scheduled pitch meetings. You guys are fantastic at what you do, and I will miss you.

To my general staffers, I’ve loved watching you all grow. Keep reporting and know I’m always rooting for you.

To copy, design, D&I and anyone else who sits in the vicinity of the sports desk, thank you for putting up with what I’m sure was extremely annoying commentary from me all semester.

To Nathan, I’ll send your thank you in a text since you are apparently against the idea of 30 columns.

Lastly, thank you to the basement. I never thought I would miss a room with no natural lighting, but here we are. The Daily Texan is in my heart forever.

/ the daily texan staff

By Addie Costello @addie_costello

EDITOR’S NOTE: Addie Costello and Mikayla Mondragon both spent the majority of their time at The Daily Texan in the audio department. As they come to the end of their time at the Texan, they’ve created their 30 columns in the form of short podcasts. Scan the QR codes to give their 30s a listen.

Audio producer puts down headphones

By Mikayla Mondragon @miki_mondragon

hingis chang

/ the daily texan staff

TEXASSPORTS.COM/BIGTICKET

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FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022

13

Editor-in-chief can’t stop crying

By Sanika Nayak Editor-in-Chief

I’ve never known a semester of college without the Texan.

Literally. I’ve been here since the very first semester of my freshman year as a columnist, stayed two more years as an associate editor, spent time as a D&I director, and finally ended up here, as editor-in-chief. And I’ve loved every minute of it.

After all this time, what is there to say? Well, a whole lot.

Let’s get started: First, to Liza: thank you for seeing something in me and hiring me as a columnist way back when. I was in awe of you the moment I stepped into that basement, and I’ll never stop looking up to your leadership.

Fran, thank you for believing in me and choosing me as an associate. From you, I learned so much about creating relationships and using the paper to support student voices. I’ll always remember our ed board hang outs (hopefully another coming soon). Lastly, to Emily: thank you for your undying encouragement and support. You were always a text or call away, and I don’t think I can fully express my appreciation for that.

Next, to my lovely, wonderful ed boards: Every one of you has made the opinion department a better place. Your work, humor and diligence energized me throughout the year. Maria, I’m so glad we got to work together over the summer. I know you have a bright future ahead.

Izzy, I still miss you dearly.

You are a force to be reckoned with, and you’ll excel at whatever you undertake. Sruti, thank you for coming to work for me

both on the D&I board and as an associate. You are incredibly dedicated, meticulous and driven. Faith, you are such a hard worker and such an attentive and enthusiastic person.

Your fun spirit as a columnist shines through even now. Mia, aside from being dangerously funny, you are someone who cares about the community and is unafraid to say what needs to be said. Always hold on to that.

Julia — from pitch group to ed board, we have been through it all together. I’m so excited for everything you have coming up, and I’ll really miss being in the basement with you. And of course, to Megan: It’s been such a joy to know you as an associate editor and friend. You are so passionate and dedicated, and I’m so happy to hand you the reins next year. You’re going to kill it, and I’m always here for you.

Onto some of my other wonderful colleagues turned “adequate” friends. Hannah – I so wish you were here this semester. Working with you was one of my highlights at the Texan, and I’m glad we’ve become such close friends. Reeserton forever. Abhirupa, your commitment to inclusion is exactly what the Texan needed. Thank you for always being such an understanding, kind and smart person, leader and friend. Carolynn, I’ll never forgive you for leaving because I miss you, but I’m so glad I hired you as my contributor. Jenny, you are so sweet and fun to be around, and the basement misses you. Lastly, to Rachael: I’m not quite sure what to say here, because what can you say to a best friend? Thank you for the talks, the laughs, the support, everything. You are so special to me, and so special to

copyright rachael hatchett, and reproduced with permission

this paper.

This year, I’ve had the privilege of working with the best managing editors. Phoebe — I love your honesty, your understanding, and your willingness to work hard. Thanks for helping make my last semester here so smooth. And to the wonderful Myah Taylor: If there is one thing I know, it’s that I hope we get the chance to work side by side again. Our partnership extended beyond the Texan, and you have become a close friend and confidante.

And now, to the people behind the scenes. TSM and Gerald, thank you for your continual support. And to Peter: You’re yet another person that there’s not enough room here to thank fully. Your guidance this past year has meant more to me than you will ever know.

You are an integral part of our newsroom, and your advice has been invaluable in my time as editor-in-chief.

I would be amiss if I didn’t express my immense gratitude to our entire staff: my columnists, the reporters, photographers, illustrators, department

30

heads and so much more. It’s not easy to work at the Texan — trust me, I know. To say that you all inspire me is an understatement. I’ll carry the energy I felt in the basement for the rest of my life. I’ll miss hearing Matthew and Nathan’s pingpong games as I work.

To those outside of the Texan who mean the world to me: Kav, Ank, Niti, Dev, Hamsi, Sunny, BM — thank you for giving me a reason not to constantly think about this paper, and to actually destress, all while being in my corner. Most importantly, thank you to my parents, grandparents, and my sister Anavi for being proud of me, and encouraging me to be proud of myself.

Finally, thank you to the UT community for giving me this opportunity. Thank you to the organizers and activists who spoke to me for our editorials; I hope I was able to use this platform well. Thank you to everyone who picked up a paper, followed us online and consumed our content. We do it all for you.

This week, I’ve embarrassingly cried multiple times alone

in the office and in my bedroom. I gave my all to the basement, and did my best to lead and learn. I wasn’t perfect, and there are things I wish I’d done better, but at the same time, there’s a hell of a lot I’m proud of. I’ve learned to take risks, be unafraid, and trust myself more than ever before.

I’ve been facing what feels like an existential crisis about moving forward from this job.

This paper has been a part of my identity for the last four years, and leading it has been the uncontested highlight of my college career. I’ve been plagued with worry wondering how I’ll keep myself busy, or whether I’ll have anything that mimics this again in the future.

The truth is, I don’t know the answers to these fears, or really how to move on just yet. What I do know, however, is that this has been an experience that has allowed me to grow more than I’d ever imagined. For that, I’ll always be endlessly grateful.

Nayak is a speech, language, and hearing sciences senior from Austin, Texas. She was the editor-in-chief.

D&I director cries because it’s ending while smiling because it happened

By Abhirupa Dasgupta @ginuwinelyabby

You’d think after eight semesters at this paper, I would’ve done everything I could possibly want here. And yet, there’s so many chaotic stories I wish I could’ve written, with titles like “Selling T-shirts can’t save the world, but it’s like y’all aren’t even trying” and “DEI initiatives should still happen even if it hurts your feelings” and “Immigrants deserve to go to medical school, too.” I wish I could’ve responded to the dude who commented “Fatphobia isn’t real because no one is scared of fat people” on my column about how we should stop instilling body image issues into young girls.

But I couldn’t and I didn’t because it would undermine the integrity of the Texan, which is a culmination of so many people’s hard work. I spent half my time here in the opinion office and the other half on the D&I board, and throughout all of it I was constantly humbled by the talent, work ethic and tenacity of my

colleagues — and my friends.

Fran and Abby, y’all are so, so cool and our ed board’s nights in the basement are some of my very fondest memories. I swear we’ll get the whole gang together at some point again!

Sruti and Carolynn, I’m so proud of how much you both contributed to the D&I board in such a short amount of time.

Megan, you’re one of the most thoughtful and astute people I know. You’re going to be a phenomenal EIC and the Texan is so lucky to have you as a leader.

Areeba, I still can’t believe we were fifth graders at the same time. I spent three semesters doing half the amount of work you accomplished in one, and I can sincerely say that at least a third of what I learned at the Texan, I learned from you.

Sanika, Sank, my Texan ride or die: Most people are either good at their jobs OR the wittiest, funniest, most authentic people you’ve ever met. You are all of the above, and I’ll always aspire to be the kind of leader you’ve been this past year.

Hannah, I’m so glad we wrote those columns about the Big Ticket. I didn’t know it when I met you in the PCL that first time, but you would become my dearest friend and closest confidante. I expect to hear from you bright and early on June 10.

And finally, to “whoever is the new D&I director:” I’m not even going to bother to leave you a guide or instructions or whatever.

Whatever I built at the Texan, you built with me, and I have no doubt that you’re going to do a fantastic job, a much, much better job than me. I know you’re too smart to forget that, but if you ever need a reminder, give me a call.

Throughout my time as the D&I director, I’ve thought critically about the concept of journalistic objectivity and I don’t think it exists. I think people’s identities will always impact their work. I think the best journalism happens when we produce content that honors our own identities and those of the people around us.

And I think, objectively, that joining the Texan was the best decision I made in college.

Long time opinion editor draws ire one last time

copyright mia abbe, and reproduced with permission

copyright hannah lopez, and reproduced with permission

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By Julia Zaksek @julia_zaksek

I’ve worked in The Daily Texan’s opinion department every semester since I was a freshman.

I knew I wanted to join since before I first came to campus. My high school newspaper was where I made my closest friends. It was where I learned how much I love opinion writing and how important advocacy is to me. I wasn’t a journalism major, but I found my way to the Texan immediately.

I was a columnist, then I was the forum editor, and for the past two years, I’ve been an associate editor. I’ve never known a semester without the Texan. The basement has been a key part of my experience at UT, and I can’t believe it’s coming to an end.

Everyone says it, but there really is something special about the Texan and the basement. Everyone is so passionate about their work, and the editors I’ve worked with over the years are some of the best, kindest and most talented people I’ve ever met.

The opinion department helped me learn how to argue and how to

advocate for students and faculty on campus. I’ve written about menstrual product access, graduate student wages, COVID-19 accommodations and sexual misconduct. I’ve interviewed dozens of students, professors and community organizers. I’ve written, co-written and edited dozens of pieces. And I’ve done it all surrounded by people just as committed to change and community as me.

Sanika — I’m so glad we went on this journey through the Texan and opinion together. From being in the same pitch group as freshmen to being co-editors to working with you as my EIC, it’s been one hell of a ride. You are so talented and passionate, and I know you’re going to be amazing in whatever you do.

Mia — I knew there was a reason you were my favorite columnist. Your pieces are always so hard hitting, impactful and just well written. I hope you stay with the department and continue advocating for students.

Faith — it’s been so fun to get to know you and work with you this semester. You never fail to make us laugh, and I hope you stay with the department.

Sruti — you’re such a talented editor and writer. You do so much so well, and I hope next year you can give yourself some grace! You don’t have to do everything even when everything you do turns out so well.

Working at the Texan has also taught me how to take criticism — both from Peter and his many “adequates” — and my crowd of critics that commented on each and everyone of my columns before comments were (thankfully) turned off on the Texan website. Comments about the pointlessness of my major, my lack of understanding about a variety of topics — including the Constitution, of all things — only spurred me on and encouraged me to continue my advocacy.

So, if you’re out there Austin-ex, my most frequent and committed critic, I at long last have a reply to your question, “What on Earth can you do with a women’s and gender studies major?” In the fall, I will be attending the University of Iowa School of Law on a full threeyear merit scholarship with the ultimate goal of working in public interest law. And I couldn’t have done it without the Texan.

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14

FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022

News desk editor schedules last Slack message, still forgets to respond

By Sheryl Lawrence @sheryl_adelle

People always ask me, “Why are you working for The Daily Texan if you’re an accounting major?” and the answer I always have is, “I don’t know.” The real answer is that when I scrolled through Twitter one day before the fall 2020 semester began, I saw many reporters from The Daily Texan reporting on how the COVID-19 pandemic would change my college career. After seeing the dedication and purpose within the organization, I applied to The Daily Texan, and the news editor at the time, Emily Hernandez, gave me a chance. Why? I still don’t know, because I had zero experience. After that, Lauren Girgis took another chance on me by giving me a senior reporter position, and I hope I didn’t make her question that decision. To this day, I don’t know if they know how much they changed my college experience and my future career, but I thank them for it.

During my time here, I dabbled in other departments, but the news department has and always will hold a special place in my heart. Thank you to my

current editing team — Anna Canizales, Skye Seipp, Samantha Greyson, Tori Duff and Kevin Vu — for working with me over all these semesters. A special thank you to Skye because your support truly helped me during our time as senior reporters, and because you valued my opinion even when I’ve only been a news desk editor.

For my other departments: Thank you to Nuzha Zuberi for letting me write some social copy, to Fiza Kuzhiyil for helping me publish some stories in Life&Arts and to Trinity Smith for letting me write some weekly rewinds.

I also want to thank the managing editors I have worked with during my time in this organization, especially Trinady Joslin, because I couldn’t have asked for a better managing editor for my time as a senior reporter. I’ll never forget the week of the winter storm, and I’m sure everyone else on our team won’t forget either.

Last but not least, I want to thank the reporters who allowed me to edit their stories. Specifically, thank you to the senior reporters from these past two semesters — Katy, Hope, Morgan, Joelle, Leila, Mackenzie, Kaushiki and Marisa — y’all will do great things whether you are at The Daily Texan or not.

While I had a lot of good experiences

leila saidane

at The Daily Texan, I think everyone in this organization can agree with me that it is taxing. This organization and this industry are not for people who can’t hold themselves accountable, the same way we try to hold other people and institutions accountable. When entering this industry, treat your coworkers, reporters and editors like you treat your sources. Listen

/ the daily texan staff

to them with all your attention, ask questions when you don’t understand and refrain from putting words in their mouth.

The culture of this newsroom has come a long way, but a lot of work still needs to be done. I thank this organization for what it has given me, but I hope everyone who is a part of it can recognize that this newsroom needs to change in many ways.

Design editor writes first column, tries hard not to ramble

By Jenny DeVico @jennydevico

I never thought I’d be a cool kid and get to write one of these. But, it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t come clean. So, here it goes: Two years ago, I lied to Christiana and told her I knew how to work InDesign. Wow, that feels better.

I applied for the Texan during spring 2020. I had an hour to design two pages. This is the funny part: Three hours went by, and no one came and got me.

I thought maybe I looked professional enough to be on this paper, so I left the basement grinning.

I was confident I got the job, so I waited for the congratulatory email. But instead, I got something even better — rejected. So I did what I do best: cried and called my best friend, Reese.

Wait for it! Two weeks later, I received an email stating a last-minute spot opened up. I replied YES so fast, and one phone call later, I was an issue designer.

On my first shift in the basement, I came with design notes because I wanted to look qualified. So it’s safe to say it worked.

Honestly, being hired on design as a second choice is how I felt initially. Shout out to Barb for rejecting me from comics when I had an identity crisis and wanted to leave design (sorry @design lol).

I want to thank the Academy … just kidding. Thank you to Christina for always believing in me and pushing me beyond limits. Oh, and telling me we had a special sports issue,

copyright parisa mahmud, and reproduced with permission

Double Coverage, this whole time.

To the Double Coverage team, I loved being your design editor and working on my favorite issue.

Kaitlyn, my DC queen, I miss our

stressed-out phone calls but would like to thank you for being my rock through it all.

Blaine, you are truly an amazing human being, and thank you for taking a picture of

Bijan for my lock screen.

Megan and Juleanna, thank you for always listening to me ramble on, answering all of my dumb questions, and being the best mentors.

To my Thursday crew, Sara, Morgan, Amaya and Sophie, you guys are the best.

Thank you for being a part of the “best” day of the week. A day that never had any problems, and everything just went by so smoothly … wink wink. It was always a joy when y’all were there.

Thank you to the rest of my design staff for being awesome and for all of your hard work. It has been an honor being your design editor. I won’t forget you.

Phoebe, thank you for making me feel comfortable applying for this role, and spelling out big words for me.

Fiza, thank you for playing Taylor Swift in the basement; and Nathan, I have cooler Jordans than you.

Peter, thank you for the adequate emails.

They were highly competent.

To my mom and dad, thank you for always being my cheerleaders and constantly pushing me to be my very best. I couldn’t have made it here without you.

Reese, thank you for always loving every page I designed and pushing me to move up, even when I wanted to back out. We can officially cross off being a part of our school newspapers together.

Nabeela, thank you for the best ramen on Thursday nights.

And lastly, to The Daily Texan, thank you for these past two years. It might have been stressful but also rewarding. I am so honored to have worked with the most incredible people, and I can’t wait to watch this paper grow for years on. HAGS!

Life&Arts film columnist rolls credits on Texan career

By Noah Levine @ZProductionz

Aw shucks.

I’m graduating? Really? Damn it. Anyway, I guess I have no choice but to leave this wonderful publication and all of the amazing opportunities it has graciously gifted me. Going into college, I certainly did not expect to get involved with the university newspaper whatsoever, but man, am I so happy I did.

Brooke Sjoberg, Jordyn Zitman and Tiana Woodard were the best Larts parents I could ever ask for. Tunneling down into the dingy basement after a long day of freshman general education classes (Intro to Statistics? WTF?) was always the highlight of my day. Brooke’s laugh is my second favorite laugh in the entire world (behind The Joker’s of course.)

Trinady Joslin (aka Harley Quinn super-fan #2) and Ariana Arredondo helped make my sophomore year at the Texan absolutely splendid. I am so grateful for all of your incredible advice, support and friendship.

Lauren Castro, Avery Wohleb, Grace Barnes, Fiza Kuzhiyil and Aisling Ayers are some of the best friends I have made in my four years here at UT. Without the Texan, I never would’ve met these super neat people and would certainly know a whole lot less about Harry Styles.

Of course, the current Life and Arts staff: Zoe Tzanis, Sofia Treviño and Reya Mosby deserve a gigantic thank you.

You’ve made my last semester at the Texan quite splendid, if I do say so myself. Zoe, your PowerPoints were the best I’ve seen in all four years for sure. I do wish I won

snail of the week at least once though.

A special thanks is owed to James Preston Poole. If your tweet about UT never stumbled its way onto my Twitter timeline, I doubt I ever would’ve batted an eye toward the Texan. Seeing your surprisingly low “Hereditary” review in print while visiting campus was pretty much the treasure map that led me to apply for a position in Life&Arts (completely disagree with your wack rating though.) Savannah Salazar, your passion for film and stellar festival coverage was always an inspiration to me. I love watching both of your careers flourish.

While pursuing a career in filmmaking, the Texan has consistently been an incredible aid in my film industry journey. Film criticism gets a lot of flack from Twitter trolls, but in all honesty, good critics love movies probably more than some fans think. It brings me no joy to criticize a project, as I know firsthand the immense dedication it requires to pull this artform off. Film journalism is a way to celebrate film. A way for viewers to convey their feelings in writing about how someone’s work truly made them feel. As I hope to pursue a career in film directing, I will never forget the skills I uncovered while analyzing countless films for The Daily Texan.

Before I depart, here’s a few quick thank yous: Andrea Tinning for strangely deciding to hire me, Michael C. Hall for complimenting my “Friday the 13th” shirt, Anne Hathaway for giving me a wonderful fist bump, Jared Leto for looking into my soul, Jesse Eisenberg for saying I might be successful, Alana Haim for complimenting my shoes, Nicolas Cage for chatting with me about Dracula, Cameron Monaghan for letting me gush about his “Gotham” performance, Daniel Radcliffe for wishing me

rocky higine

luck in my film career, and the wonderful PR teams at Fons, Warner Media, Moroch and Netflix for the amazing opportunities.

While journalism may not be my overall career goal, I never EVER plan to stop reviewing, interviewing and discussing anything and everything related to the wonderful world of entertainment.

/ the daily texan staff

I owe it all to DT. Thank you so much.

SCORE 5 tears out of 5

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FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022

15

Managing editor takes advantage of first byline, won’t shut up

By Phoebe Hayes @ phoebehayes_

After following the very confusing directions to the basement for my copy tryout, I found myself looking down the scariest staircase I’d ever seen. At that moment, I was sure I had done something wrong and was not where I was supposed to be. I would shortly discover, however, that I was in the exact right place — in a literal sense but also in a cheesy, bigger-picture-life-trajectory way.

So, despite my initial shock — and still not entirely positive I was in the right place — I descended the steps and opened the door to the newsroom for the first time.

I’d discover that what actually makes the Texan so special isn’t the fact that it’s a literal hole in the ground, or the creepy staircase you have to take to get into the hole, but the people who make their way down here, week after week. Those people, who make the basement a warm and bright place, despite the too-bright fluorescent lights and chilly tile, are the heart of this newspaper and the heart of my time here.

My sweet copy cat elders, I think about you guys every day.

Jason, I remember my first semester’s hectic Thursday nights and the pre-pandemic copy department regularly.

Your leadership has been some of the most impactful in my time at UT, and I thought about your feedback emails every time I wrote one of my own.

Irissa, we worked together very few nights, but your warmth was the first thing that made me feel at home at the Texan. Your impact is greater than you know.

Lawson, you were the first person I met at the Texan; the first thing that solidified my desire to work here. Thank you for never failing to be kind and patient with me, up to the point of leading me through co-chiefdom.

Jimena, Kirsten, Megan and Brittany, watching you all taught me so much. Thank you for including me in every aspect, and continuing to support me far beyond your time at the Texan.

My other friends at the Texan, you have impacted me in ways I can’t begin to explain.

Myah, Nathan, Jack, Matthew and Jenny, those pingpong-filled nights that frequently morphed into early

mornings were a highlight of my time here. The conversations will always live in a special place in my heart.

Nathan, you (are not the worst AME of all time) light up those around you in a way that not many people are able to, and I am so thankful to have gotten to work with you these last few semesters.

Thank you for editing nearly every weekend story this semester, and for always putting something good on Aux. Jenny, we must have known each other in another lifetime, and I am so thankful to the Texan for uniting us in this one. Our borderline-dangerous Dunkin’ runs that made us perpetually late to budget were such a bright spot, and we’re probably forgiven, since we showed up with donuts, right?

Addie. I can’t do this justice in a paragraph in a 30 column, but you are the most dedicated, hard working, inspiring and funny person I know. I can’t imagine college without you, or what I’ll do when I can’t see you every day. You inspire me to be more kind, to work for what I want to achieve, to just be a better person. I couldn’t have asked for a better friend, and I’ll never be able to tell you how thankful I am for you.

Peter, Myah, Sanika, Kirsten and Megan Menchaca, the guidance and support you have offered this semester has been life saving. Knowing that y’all were in my corner has been the biggest comfort. When I thought things were too hard or that I couldn’t handle what was going on, you chimed in with wise words I didn’t know I needed, but desperately did.

Anna and Fiza, you’re both so dedicated and are going to be amazing as MEs. It’s an honor to pass the torch along to you guys.

For a while, I think I’ve been scared that when I leave the Texan, I’ll also leave behind the person I have become while working here. That version of myself, who has parts of Addie’s dedication, Myah’s selflessness, Jason’s humor, Irissa’s kindness, Jenny’s compassion (this list is endless), is a version that I have really come to love, and the thought of leaving that behind along with the basement was terrifying.

I’ve come to realize, though, that version of myself is what the Texan has given me.

30

Copy desk chief finally allows herself to use Oxford comma again

connor downs

/ the daily texan staff

It has felt at many moments that being part of this newsroom is a one sided job. I often felt that despite pouring everything I have into this paper, I came away with little to show for it. But reflecting on who I was walking down those steps for the first time and who I’m going to be as I walk up them the last time — that is what the Texan has given me. I am so grateful for who the Texan has allowed me to become.

Thank you all so much for being a part of that.

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By Angelina Braese

Sophomore year of high school, I joined yearbook staff. Led by Mrs. Boehringer, I joined yearbook to venture deeper into my childhood fascination with photography, but more so to justify quitting lacrosse.

I eventually quit yearbook halfway through the year under the guise of returning to the lacrosse field, and when Mrs. B found out, she kind of yelled at me. But she did so nicely.

A Moody graduate herself, she instilled a deep sense of respect and admiration for student journalism in me that will never die out. And she’d probably be proud of this column.

Fast forward to my freshman fall at UT. I’m home in my boring suburb, questioning why the higher powers unleashed a oncein-a-century pandemic at the dawn of my new adult life in college. I fill out the Texan’s interest form. Social rejects me. Copy invites me to tryouts. I actually miss copy tryouts because my puppy gets out, and I spend an hour listening to my dad berate my brother for letting his third child — our dog — out without checking if the fence was closed. Jimena and Lawson were nice enough to let me reschedule. And I am eternally grateful for them having done that.

I spend two semesters on issue staff, led by Irissa in the fall and Megan in the spring. I befriend Mantra, who I can talk about

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European football with and bully for liking warm milk.

When we hang out for the first time, we go on a walk and joke about being copy desk chiefs someday. Not even a year later, we do exactly that.

July rolls around, and Myah — having been told by Irissa I was weird enough to actually enjoy editing sports stories — texts me about a Double Coverage copy editor position while I’m in a remote village in Montenegro with two bars of service. I climb up a wall to connect to a coffee shop’s internet to reply. ‘I’m in’, I enthusiastically say, despite not knowing what a sack is.

My DC role ends up teaching me what a sack is, how to make small talk about college football and

to never let your hopes up when it comes to Texas.

No one in sports believes me when I say we’d lose to Kansas, and I end up being the only staff pick to get it right.

In December, Phoebe interviews both me and Mantra for CDC and gives us the job, unknowingly allowing us to fulfill the half joke, half promise we made to each other months prior.

While Mantra is staying on staff, I’m grateful to have done all of this with him.

To Myah, who gave me the push to apply for my first p-staff job. To Matthew, who made every Thursday bearable. And to Phoebe, who I owe basically everything to — thank you. You guys — and the basement — are in my heart forever.

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