The Daily Texan 2022-02-18

DT VOLUME 122, ISSUE 49 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2022

mONARCH

UT program offers mental health support to undocumented students.

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A new scholarship provides tuition for low and middle-income students from the Borderplex region.

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UNIVERSITY

Sweatt Center receives gift to promote success for Black male students

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UT should increase transparency regarding how student parking and permit costs are determined.

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The Heman Sweatt Center for Black Males received a $750,000 donation this semester to help advance initiatives that promote success for Black male students at UT. Darren Kelly, deputy to the vice president for the Sweatt Center, said the center is planning on using the money to expand current initiatives, such as the experiential learning trips to places like New York and South Africa. Kelly said they also intend to create new opportunities for Black male students, such as providing financial support for students pursuing internships.

“I’m looking forward to utlilizing this gift so that it can go directly towards empowering students to achieve their own personal and professional goals,” Kelly said.

The Sweatt Center is a faculty-led program with initiatives such as weekly meetings, internships and trips to help build community and professional development opportunities for Black male students, said Kelly.

The gift comes from donor Martin Taylor, a member of the UT President’s Austin Innovation Board.

Sweatt Center director Ryan Sutton said the center provides resources that are not always easily accessible to Black students.

“Access isn’t reaching all the way back into certain communities within this campus,” Sutton said. “It’s just a matter of connecting (Black male students) to existing resources, providing new resources and making sure that the barriers to access them are minimized.”

Sutton said there are about 140

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UT student body president Kiara Kabbara discusses the benefits of joining the government with a group of students.

students participating in Sweatt Center initiatives currently. He said his favorite part of his role at the center is interacting with students and watching them gain self-confidence.

“I get so amped when I get into gear with the students, whether it’s one-onone or small group,” Sutton said. “Seeing them flourish in new spaces or seeing their eyes just pop open with new experiences and new exposures, I live for that as well.”

Sociology sophomore Mason Porter said because of his time at the Sweatt Center, he has learned to explore opportunities on campus outside of his classes.

He said having the Sweatt Center allows Black males to be comfortable and build a community at UT. “It’s a safe space for Black men on campus,” Porter said. “It just helps us be more comfortable and get more acclimated to UT. (Because) obviously, there’s not a lot

of people that look like us on campus.”

Graduate assistant Jaylen Wright said being around so many successful Black men who support him has helped him grow as an individual and student.

“There’s something incredibly powerful about … just being in a space where you’re around educated Black men and they are there to support and mentor you,” said Wright, a health behavior and health education doctoral candidate. “I’m almost done with … my PhD, and I came in not knowing what I even wanted to do. Being around and being in that space molded me into what I am right now.”

Wright said he hopes this gift acts as a catalyst for more universities to put money and effort into similar programs on their own campuses.

“Hopefully this is not just the beginning, but just pushing this advancement of what it means to be a visible Black student on these campuses,” Wright said.

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NEWS

3

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2022

CAMPUS

SNAP eligibility expanded for students, will provide better food options

By Abbie Bard @thedailytexan

juleanna culilap/ the daily texan staff

Hey,

Students!

On Feb. 2, Gov. Greg Abbott announced the extension of increased emergency benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which could continue to provide low-income students with more options to obtain food.

Abbott approved for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to provide $326 million worth of aid to over 1.6 million Texas households, including eligible college students, according to a press release announcing the extension. SNAP, which provides low-income households struggling with food insecurity with monthly payments for food, expanded its recipient eligibility in January 2021.

Food insecurity affected anywhere from 33-70% of families in the Austin area in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a November 2020 UT Dell Medical School press release. Additionally, 42% of UT students experienced food insecurity in 2020, according to a survey.

“Food insecurity isn’t just, ‘I don’t know where my next meal is coming from,’” said Kelly Soucy, director of Student Emergency Services. “It could also mean that they don’t have the funds to access fresh food.”

Students are currently temporarily eligible for SNAP benefits if they qualify for workstudy through the University, or if their expected family contribution is zero. Before the eligibility expansion, students had to actively take part in work-study to receive benefits. The benefits and application are free, and students can apply at yourtexasbenefits.com.

Soucy said SES wants to break the stigma around experiencing food insecurity and requesting aid.

“We understand through a lot of research that, if folks don’t have their basic needs met, then they’re not able to meet their goals and that bigger picture of why they’re at school, why they’re wanting to get their degrees,” Soucy said. “Getting food, shelter, safety— all of that is so vital to them being successful in a classroom setting.”

Jennifer Barnoud, a registered dietician with University Health Services and the Counseling and Mental Health Center, said proper nutrition is critical for college students and that requesting aid is nothing to be ashamed of.

“Any degree of food insecurity is going to have physiological and mental health impacts,” Barnoud said. “I really want people to recognize that seeking assistance with food insecurity is totally appropriate. Most people that ever seek food assistance programs, it’s only transient.”

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Editor-In-Chief | @TEXANOPINION FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2022

COLUMN

OPINION

UT must increase transparency of high parking costs UT should be more clear about how student parking and permit costs are determined.

By Michael Lazenby Senior Columnist

ost students understand that college is expensive. While tuition and room and board are considered the more notable student costs, there are a few less advertised expenses that can put a large dent in a student’s bank account. One of these expenditures is student parking.

While there are student parking options on and around UT’s campus, prices for parking permits are relatively pricey, costing as much as $913 for two semesters. Paying nearly $1,000 to reserve a parking spot at the University can seem unreasonably high.

There are already a gamut of other fees associated with being a student, and like parking, they all tend to have one thing in common: there is little to no clarity as to how they are calculated. Since students use the University’s parking services, the Parking and Transportation department must be more transparent about how parking prices are determined.

Psychology junior Princess Quinones expressed her concern regarding the general cost of parking at the University.

“I ended up paying for a parking spot really far from school, and it’s (still) really expensive,” Quinones said. “I’ve seen people pay thousands (of dollars) for (a spot) at a parking garage super close. I paid around 300 (dollars) last semester, and I told myself I was never going to do it again.”

The cost of parking at the University is so egregiously high that students are running out of options.

However, while cost itself majorly deters students from purchasing University-distributed parking permits, cost transparency is quite important to Quinones as well.

“It’s not clear at all as far as how they charge (students),” Quinones said. “(Parking and Transportation) should be more clear with how they price (spaces). They should summarize how the fees are calculated. It’s (gotten) to where (daily) parking is so expensive, and without a pass, it’s also expensive.”

Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be much preventing the University from charging exorbitant prices for a permit. The current lack of pricing transparency and University accountability is dangerous and potentially harmful to students.

Blanca Gamez, associate director for Parking and Transportation Services, explained in an email some of the ways in which parking permit costs are decided.

“The committee (C9 Transportation Policies Committee) establishes permit costs based on factors related to parking location (i.e. whether a parking location is farther or closer from campus, whether the parking location offers covered parking, etc.), benchmarking with other universities to ensure our prices are kept to a minimum,” Gamez said.

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.

emily maccormack

If the department asserts that it compares its prices with other universities in efforts to keep prices low, what is preventing Parking and Transportation Services from including a simple price breakdown of the permit options on their website? In fact, if the University’s prices are truly “kept to a minimum” compared to other universities, this would likely give the University more reason to be transparent about their competitive parking permit costs.

Gamez also explained some challenges of breaking down and

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publicizing how permit prices are decided.

“Permit prices do not include specific, standardized fees that can be itemized or broken down per permit type, per year,” Gamez said.

The department likely analyzes the costs they incur in maintaining their spaces and garages.

They should also offer a general outline of their costs and publicly compare it to the prices they charge students for permits. Additionally, it’s upsetting that the department hasn’t publicized this information given that other entities at the University offer

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public transparency reports. For example, the Purchasing Office at UT has a page on their website dedicated to increasing transparency.

Fees, costs, permits and other jargon aside, the simple fact is that the University’s consumers aren’t as informed as they deserve to be.

A simple disclosure on the University’s Parking and Transportation website regarding how permit prices and fees are determined would be an impactful yet seemingly feasible way to increase transparency.

Lazenby is an economics junior from Chicago, Illinois.

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

LIFE&ARTS

ZOE TZANIS

5

Life&Arts Editor | @TEXANARTS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2022

UNIVERSITY

LBJ Women’s Campaign School grant guarantees free tuition For the second year in a row, participants will attend at no cost.

By Sage Dunlap @SageDunlapp

eated in the dimly lit LBJ auditorium, Amy Kroll’s eyes beamed as Hillary Clinton strolled onto the stage just days after the 2018 midterm elections to receive a public service award and share her experiences as a woman in politics. With eyes glued to the glowing stage, Kroll began to imagine helping women launch political careers.

“Women were running for office in record numbers (in 2018),” Kroll, LBJ Women’s Campaign School founder and executive director, said. “But women were still only about a quarter of elected officials nationwide. … I saw that happening, and I (knew) we had an opportunity to take action.”

In 2020, after two

years of organizing, Kroll welcomed the inaugural class of UT’s LBJ Women’s Campaign School — an eight-month program designed to give women the tools and training needed to campaign for public office.

With eight graduates currently running in the Texas 2022 primaries, the program’s success in its first two years earned the support of valuable partners, including the Texas Woman’s University’s Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy.

For the second year in a row, 50 accepted participants in the Campaign School’s third cohort will attend the program for free, thanks to an $87,500 grant from Texas Woman’s Center.

“There is a secession happening where

women are leaving the workforce in record numbers,” Kroll said.

“We know that finances can be a barrier for women entering the political arena, so these grants from TWU are able to knock down the socioeconomic barriers for women.”

Texas Woman’s University offered assistance to the Campaign School before its launch in 2020 but did not offer full tuition scholarships until the second cohort of students. Without the economic pressures, participants enjoy the flexibility to figure out which aspect of the campaign process they find appealing.

“Women need to be supported when they run,” said Dr. Jennifer Danley-Scott, Director for the Women in Politics Certificate

Program at TWU. “If the training helps women become effective as campaign managers or digital media advisers, that’s something we would consider a success.”

Stephanie Bazan, a participant in the second cohort of the Campaign School, said the scholarship made the program more accessible for her. After finishing the program in 2021, Bazan embarked on a campaign for Austin City Council as a representative of District 5.

“There are people coming from various avenues, and a lot of us are working,” Bazan said. “Being able to have help with paying for the program can make somebody’s

decision on whether or not they’re able to do it. … I’m a mom and I work full time, so I certainly appreciated it.”

For Bazan, meeting this group of women who discuss ideas and support one another bolstered her confidence in launching her city council campaign.

“The LBJ Women’s Campaign School not only teaches women how to run a successful campaign, but it inspires them and sets them up with a powerful network for life,” Bazan said.

“Coming away with that group of women who were with me and lifting me up was one of the greatest things that I got (from the program).”

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2022

LIFE&ARTS

FEATURE

Monarch Student Program offers workshops, mentoring for undocumented students

By Alishba Javaid @alishbaj24

Immigrating to the U.S. from Mexico at age six, Marissa, an international relations and global studies freshman, spent her childhood in a border town where many surrounding adults worked as Border Patrol officers. Walking through the halls of her high school, Marissa, who wishes to remain anonymous, said she never felt completely comfortable with her undocumented status.

“Having (my status) in the back of my mind, I never felt safe talking about it, not even with high school counselors,” Marissa said. “I was scared to ask for help.”

Monarch Student Program, a program dedicated to supporting students who are undocumented, have temporary status or come from mixed-status families, launched in 2016 to promote community and positivity on campus. They offer services such as workshops, mentoring and advising to provide a safe space for these students to discuss their mental health struggles.

“Our mission is to create a supportive system — a network for these students to make sure that they’re supported in all aspects — that way they’re successful here at UT,” Monarch Program coordinator Alicia Moreno said.

The organization hosted a virtual workshop Jan. 26 led by Dr. Joanna Menendez, UT’s Counseling and Mental Health Center liaison for Latinx students,

where they covered stress and self-care, specifically catering the content toward undocumented students.

“I felt safe in that session,” Marissa said. “I felt comfortable talking about certain issues that I had. (It) really helped me open up.”

Moreno said Monarch aims to address the unique stressors undocumented students face, such as financial barriers, job insecurity, lack of access to legal services, fear of detainment or deportation and discrimination.

“There’s a lot of compounding stress,” Moreno said. “You add that on top of everything that documented U.S. citizen students experience with academic pressures, and it’s a lot.”

The workshop dove into the physical manifestations of stress as well as tools for stress management and self-care. In addition to resources and advice, Marissa said the workshop provided an inclusive environment.

“You can only talk about these stressors with people within your community because you’re sharing the same struggles,” Marissa said. “Opening up about those certain things took some weight off my shoulders.”

There are about 250-300 undocumented students at UT, according to Moreno, and over 427,000 undocumented students in the U.S, according to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal. She said Monarch strives to redefine UT’s campus as a comfortable place for these students.

“We’re all trying to disrupt what it means to be undocumented and make

campus overall more accessible and supportive in this community,” Moreno said.

Moreno said Monarch collaborated with UT’s Counseling and Mental Health Center for the workshop in an effort to ensure that this community feels their mental health needs are valued.

“We want to cater our support and our services (to) students who need us,” said Stephanie Dodoo, associate director for CMHC’s Diversity Counseling and Outreach Specialists.

We’re not just serving one type of student. We want to be culturally informed (and) culturally responsive to our

students’ needs.”

Monarch will hold another workshop, tailored to promoting entrepreneurship and innovation, on Feb. 22. Marissa said Monarch provides a safe space to embrace her identity and reach out for support.

“When I came to college, I said to myself, ‘You’re meeting new people. It’s a new space. Take the time to navigate who you are and embrace your status. Don’t be afraid to discuss it with other people,’” Marissa said. “That’s what I found so amazing about Monarch — there was that support system for students.”

rachel tyler

/ the daily texan staff

NEWS

7

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2022

SYSTEM

UT-austin receives $2.5 million in of support Borderplex students

By Hope Unger @imhopeunger

The Hunt Family Foundation donated $2.5 million to UT to support scholarships for low and middle-income students from the Borderplex region to encourage more students from the area to attend the University.

UT will double the donation to $5 million as part of the Texas Challenge, a program where UT matches gifts over $100,000, to provide scholarships for undergraduate students from the Borderplex region that includes El Paso, Las Cruces and the Ciudad Juárez area. Scholarships from the donation will be provided starting fall 2022, said Angela Watkins, executive director of University Priorities.

“It’s a scholarship that’s going to fund multiple students,” Watkins said. “It’s going to be multiple students every year, and … in terms of speaking about the foundation, their commitment to … students from El Paso is pretty tremendous.”

UT alumnus Woody Hunt and his wife Gayle Hunt established the foundation in 1987 to support individuals from the Borderplex region, according to the

foundation’s website. Watkins said Hunt, who served on the UT System Board of Regents, is a strong community leader in El Paso and is interested inencouraging more students from El Paso to attend the University.

Demian Chavez, a Plan II and theater freshman, was born in El Paso and said he lived on both sides of the border and feels that El Paso has a different culture than the rest of Texas. Chavez said the scholarship is a great way to provide students from El Paso a chance to get an education at UT. “One of the reasons I think a lot of El Pasoans stay in the area for education is it’s significantly more affordable to get an education at UT-El Paso or El Paso Community or even New Mexico State as opposed to UT-Austin, (but) there is a lot of opportunity (in Austin) that just isn’t in El Paso,” Chavez said.

Chavez said his mother had to support a family of four on only her income and government assistance. He said he feels fortunate to not have to take out any loans his first year due to internal and external scholarships. “(El Paso students) have a lot to offer,” Chavez said. “But the financial barriers of entry (have) historically been difficult to overcome, (except) for the lucky ones that get generous aid from the University or from outside groups that just make being in Austin a possibility.”

raquel higine/ the daily texan staff

SPORTS

HANNAH WILLIFORD

9

Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2022

VOLLEYBALL

turbulent times for texas volleyball Setter Jhenna Gabriel’s retirement threw another wrench into the Longhorns’ offseason.

By Jordan Mitchell @TheJordanKenzie

t has been a turbulent offseason for Texas volleyball.

Following the loss against Nebraska in 2021’s regional final, the Longhorns were expected to retain every starter for the 2022 season, with the exception of senior Brionne Butler, who aged out of NCAA eligibility.

With minimal roster gaps headed into spring volleyball, scrappy UCLA transfer Zoe Fleck addressing the back-row defense concerns, and four new freshmen joining the team in the fall, Texas was in contention for another No. 1 preseason accolade in 2022.

However, things changed quickly during the offseason.

After longtime associate head coach Tonya Johnson left the Forty Acres to take over LSU’s program, head coach Jerritt Elliott addressed the personnel gap by hiring Olympian outside hitter Jordan Larson. The Nebraska product, who Elliott describes as a “home run hire,” was brought onto the Forty Acres in January to begin acclimating to the program.

However, Larson will not be in Austin for much of the spring, as it was announced Feb. 15 that she would be playing professionally overseas until May.

Originally, she was expected to play professional volleyball locally in Dallas and was expected to play a large role in spring training.

In two months, Texas volleyball has also lost half of its starting lineup through transfers, graduations and players leaving the team.

Junior Skylar Fields, who earned a Third-Team All-American honor for the 2021 season, announced that she would be entering the transfer portal just six days after the loss to Nebraska. Less than a month later, the opposite hitter officially signed with USC, leaving big shoes to fill as Texas’ second-leading scorer for the season behind junior Logan Eggleston.

Although replacing Fields’ punch at the net is difficult, Texas acquired an accomplished hitter in Kentucky transfer Madisen Skinner. In the Wildcats’ 2020 national championship run, the true freshman emerged as a feisty attacker that played well under pressure. She put up 19 kills and had a .455 hitting percentage against Texas in the championship game. Skinner brings tournament experience to a team that works for a trip to the Final Four this fall.

Melanie Parra is another outside hitter expected to step up. Although she primarily recorded minutes behind the service line and in the back row, the sophomore put on a show as a primary attacker when O’Neal was ruled out for the final regular-season game of the 2021 season, recording nine kills for .471 and three blocks.

With more time at the net, Parra could become

Gabriel’s spot, as Naomi Caballo transferred to NC the leading scorer on the team as an attacker and State during free agency. serving specialist.

Last season, Ka’aha’aina-Torres shared minutes The Longhorns will also be without junior Jhewith Gabriel as an unconventional setter who could nna Gabriel, who announced in January that she step up as a brick wall in the front row. In 2021, the would retire from college volleyball to prioritize junior recorded 21 blocks in only 58 sets played, her mental health. Gabriel, another All-American, whereas Gabriel typically set from the back row to managed the offense as a setter and played a corestablish a three-pass option for Texas. nerstone role in assisting the middle blocking trio of While Texas enters the 2022 season with quesButler, Asjia O’Neal and Molly Phillips. tion marks, they will also hold on to team leader With Gabriel’s retirement, the Longhorns will Logan Eggleston and head coach Jerritt Elliott, likely use Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres as their game who has been with the Longhorns for over 20 manager. Unless Elliott picks up another setter years, providing some constants for the team from the transfer portal, Ka’aha’aina-Torres will be York Times Corporation movingSales forward. the only player on the rosterThe thatNew is eligible to takeSyndication 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Friday, February 18, 2022

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

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2022

SPORTS

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

UT MARKETPLACE FEBRUARY 23, 2022 10AM – 3PM SPEEDWAY PLAZA hannan abdikadir

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@amsal_madhani

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Audrey Warren leads a youthful Texas basketball team

By Amsal Madhani

S ID GE CO E T O TO T A CL E AS R

CAP

RID WI E F TH OR UT FR ID EE

/ the daily texan file

Senior forward Audrey Warren shoots a basket during a match at the Frank Erwin Center on Wednesday. Texas beat Iowa State 73–48.

SPRING 2022

www.UTaustinmarketplace.com www.UTaustinmarketplace.com

Following the 2020-21 season, Texas women’s basketball lost three of its players, including the top pick in the 2021 WNBA draft, Charli Collier. The shuffling left question marks around the team, specifically who would emerge as the leader of the young squad.

Senior forward Audrey Warren has answered those questions with her play this year. Although she isn’t exactly lighting up the scoreboard, averaging around nine points, four rebounds and two assists per game, she has brought a sense of consistency, fight and leadership to a team that needed it.

“The thing you want from any player is just that consistency that you know what you’re going to get from her every day,” Texas head coach Vic Schaefer said on Feb. 11. “I’m always going to get somebody who plays hard in Audrey. I’d like to have a player who plays hard and doesn’t throw the ball to the other team. Other than that, I know what I’m going to get from her.”

The one aspect of Warren’s game that sets her apart from others is her hustle. It doesn’t matter if the Longhorns are getting blown out or if there are only two minutes left in the game, Warren gives her all on the court. She puts her body on the line in key situations to help make a play and win the game. Even when she is significantly undersized compared to her

opponent, Warren draws charges in the painted area consistently, as seen in her last matchup against Emily Ryan and Iowa State.

It seems as if every game Warren plays, she draws a charge and gives maximum effort every second she’s on the floor. She fights for every rebound, dives for every loose ball and moves around consistently on the defensive end to prevent opposing teams from scoring easy buckets.

Warren may not be an every-night starter at this point in the season, but her impact has not diminished in the ups and downs of her playing time.

“I’ve always viewed it as, it doesn’t really matter if you start or if you get 30 minutes or 20 minutes,” Warren said Feb. 11. “It’s more about what you do with the time that you’re on the court, so whether you come off the bench or you start, it’s the productivity that you’re giving the rest of the team.”

Warren’s leadership has helped get the Longhorns to where they are today, currently the No. 14 team in the nation that just blew out No. 6 Iowa State. She has kept her team on track and ready to go for the latter half of this season with contributions on and off the court.

With just a handful of games to go, Warren and the Longhorns are taking it game by game as they shoot for higher seeding in the Big 12 conference.

“We’re going to take it one game at a time,” Warren said. “We’re focused on Oklahoma tomorrow, and whatever’s after that is what we’ll focus on the next time.”

COMICS

B A R B R A D A LY

Comics Editor | @TEXANCOMICS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2022

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Ring Week

is happening

NOW!

Feb. 14–18 • 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Etter-Harbin Alumni Center (ACROSS FROM THE STADIUM)

Eligible students* can purchase the official UT Class Ring now and participate in Tower Dedication & Ring Celebration in April!

Students must order by Feb. 18 to participate in these unforgettable events! *COMPLETED HOURS REQUIRED Undergraduate, 75; Graduate, 18

TexasExes.org/Rings