The Daily Texan 2021-03-23 by The Daily Texan

‘I did not feel human’ Students in COVID-19 isolation facility during winter storm say they received poor care.

DT VOLUME 121, ISSUE 54 TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2021

rocky higine

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PERMANENT STAFF Editor-in-Chief Emily Caldwell Managing Editor Trinady Joslin Assoc. Managing Editors Emily Hernandez, Ariana Arredondo Director of Digital Strategy Hal Riley Director of Diversity & Inclusion Areeba Amer Internal Relations Director Sanika Nayak External Relations Director Abhirupa Dasgupta Assoc. Opinion Editors Isabelle Costello, Hannah Lopez, Julia Zaksek

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AUSTIN WEATHER TODAY March 23

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never wanted to design again after march 12th ... here we are tho

UT students navigate conflicting COVID-19 vaccine opinions with parents.

Sports

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Life&Arts

After another first-round Tournament exit, head coach Shaka Smart’s future is murky.

COVID-19

By Anastasia Goodwin @agoodwin_news

Fully vaccinated students can begin gathering with some small groups of friends and loved ones without masks or social distancing, according to guidelines released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on March 8. People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving their final dose, according to CDC guidelines.

UT Health Austin has fully vaccinated 17,486 people as of March 13, according to the UT Austin COVID-19 dashboard. As of publication UT Health Austin was unable to confirm how many of those were students. “Since so few of our students have had the opportunity to get vaccinated, we encourage all students, regardless of vaccination status, to continue to follow the public health guidance of double masking, social distancing, testing through PCT and hand

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Emily Caldwell (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com

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Trinady Joslin (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@thedailytexan.com

NEWS OFFICE

(512) 232-2207 news@thedailytexan.com

CDC releases new guidelines for fully vaccinated people

Photo Editor Jack Myer Assoc. Photo Editors Kirsten Hahn, Jamie Hwang

MAIN TELEPHONE

UT and the Department of State Health Services will collaborate to identify COVID-19 variants in Texas.

Newsletters Editor Maia Borchardt

Illustration Coordinator Abriella Corker

News Editor Lauren Girgis

UT should provide more funding for the CMHC to expand its individual counseling services.

News

Senior Sports Writers Matthew Boncosky, Taylor Hawthorne

Forum Editors Daisy Kielty, Maria Sailale

Editorial Illustrator Charlie Hyman

Opinion

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Contents:

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.

destiny alexander

washing,” said Amy Young, chief clinical officer at UT Health Austin, in an email. According to the new CDC guidelines, fully vaccinated people can safely gather with others who are also fully vaccinated without social distancing or wearing masks. They may also gather with unvaccinated people from one household outside of their own without masks and distancing, as long as the unvaccinated people in the household are at a low-risk for developing severe COVID-19 symptoms. Although fully vaccinated students can begin having small gatherings in their homes, precautions such as wearing masks and social distancing should still be taken while in public, according to the guidelines. Traveling and participation in medium to large gatherings should still be avoided, according to the CDC. Graduate student

/ the daily texan staff

Mariana Muñoz said after the death of her mother from COVID-19, she has taken extra safety precautions and has not visited high-risk loved ones since. Muñoz, who is fully vaccinated, said the CDC guidelines made her feel more comfortable visiting her vaccinated loved ones. Muñoz said she plans to visit her 86-year-old father in the coming weeks, but still plans to wear a mask. “I’m pretty happy about that,” Muñoz said. “It’s the first time I’m gonna get to hug (my father) in about a year.” Assistant professor Andrew Gaudet said getting vaccinated felt like a weight taken off his shoulders. Gaudet said he feels more comfortable in public now, but is still being careful because he has two young children at home. “It’s still worth being careful for a little bit longer for those of us who can be, or can afford to be, in order for everyone to maintain health,” Gaudet said.

NEWS

LAUREN GIRGIS

News Editor | @THEDAILYTEXAN TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2021

RESEARCH

Future of 3D printing at UT Cockrell School opens new additive manufacturing center to facilitate research and accelerate adoption. By Kevin Vu @Kevin_Vu_

he Cockrell School of Engineering opened a new center to focus on advancing additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing. Additive manufacturing is the process of constructing complex parts one layer at a time using a variety of machines and techniques such as selective laser sintering and PolyJet, said Jared Allison, operations manager for the new center. Center director Carolyn Seepersad said the 3,000-square-foot Center for Additive Manufacturing and Design Innovation includes $1.5 million of equipment to help print parts for different industries, such as aeronautics, defense or oil and gas exploration. Mehran Tehrani, an assistant professor in mechanical engineering, said the center will help multiple industry partners, such as EOS and re:3D, with different research projects. Seepersad said the center will also be used to facilitate faculty members’ research. “One of our machines, for example, is called a digital anatomy printer, and it can print parts such as a heart or bone that (have) the same mechanical properties of an actual heart or an actual human bone,” Seepersad said. “You can use these parts for things like surgical planning because it replaces cadaver

parts, so they’re faster and less expensive to access.” Seepersad said additive manufacturing is much faster compared to conventional manufacturing, which uses more material and is less capable of creating complex structures. “Because the parts are quite complex, you can get lots of functionality out of them that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to,” Seepersad said. “You can do really complicated honeycomb structures inside your part

that could help absorb energy or make it lightweight. You’ll see aerospace companies using additive manufacturing to lightweight some of their components.” Seepersad said the idea for the center was a decision made by nine Cockrell faculty members, including her and Tehrani. She said their goal is to accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing and apply it to important challenges today. Allison said the University has another facility called

Texas Inventionworks, where undergraduate students can access different equipment for 3D printing. The new center provides the University with higher-end equipment, similar to those used in industries such as aerospace, which faculty could use for their own research. “Texas Inventionworks is very inward facing in that it’s a lot of training (for) the students we have at UT,” Allison said. “The goal of

the (new) center is to bridge that gap and allow people in the Cockrell School to be able to access these industry-quality machines to be able to actually manufacture parts if they need them.” Allison said he is working to make sure all the machines in the center are working properly and those in the center have completed the necessary training. Once the center gets past this preparation stage, they will start making parts for

research, he said. Tehrani said each faculty member in the center will bring their knowledge of additive manufacturing to new projects and help the industry grow this field. “You interact with other faculty, students, postdocs, everyone who’s in the center to do projects that are more impactful,” Tehrani said. “We come together and use that to tackle a problem that we couldn’t tackle (before).”

One of our machines ... can print parts such as a heart or bone that (have) the same mechanical properties.” CAROLYN SEEPERSAD center director

What will your next degree be? Where do you want to earn it? What job title do you want? Exploring your next steps beyond graduation can be overwhelming. If you’re trying to narrow down your Graduate School options, we can help. Learn more about graduate degree programs at schools around the country, and connect with their recruiters by requesting more information through an online interest form.

www.graduatesoftexas.com

alejandra gavilanes

/ the daily texan staff

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

Editor-In-Chief | @TEXANOPINION TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2021

COLUMN

OPINION

Expand long-term counseling andreana lozano

/ the daily texan staff

UT should devote more funds from COVID-19 relief to supporting long-term CMHC services. By Hairuo Yi Columnist

s one of the many students who had to stay at home this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fear of missing out and a lack of motivation to continue my academic studies plagued me internally as much as the pandemic did externally. But after 12 Zoom sessions of short-term therapy with the UT Counseling and Mental Health Center, I’ve really seen a difference in my mental well-being. However, the fact that the CMHC provides no individual long-term therapy is always a concern on my mind. I will have no financial or emotional support from my family to continue telehealth therapy sessions after my allotted

number of CMHC sessions. UT must provide more funding for the CMHC to expand its individual counseling services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its future effects. I’m not the only one seeking more resources from the CMHC. According to the fall 2020 Student Sentiment Survey conducted by Student Government and the Senate of College Councils, 34% of respondents requested that UT expand mental health services. Respondents cited concerns about individual session limits and limited accessibility. The CMHC refers students to off-campus therapists for longterm individual therapy following the short-term individual sessions, but some students find it hard to get an off-campus counselor after a CMHC referral. Undeclared sophomore Libby Brett said that she had four sessions in short-term

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.

therapy at the CMHC, after which she was referred to an off-campus provider. “If someone is seeking counseling, they usually are looking for a long-term thing that needs time to be sorted out,” Brett said. “It’s just so hard to find someone right now.” Many students, like myself, don’t have the resources or support to get off-campus therapy. Therapy costs, family support and insurance concerns are all factors that hold students back from receiving the off-campus support we need, which is why the CMHC must expand its therapy resources. Since UT is receiving $48 million in federal COVID-19 relief from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, with only $15.7 million required to be used for student emergency aid, UT needs to make student mental health a

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priority with these funds. Ironically, the CMHC budget for this school year is over $36,000 less than it was for the 2019-2020 school year, when COVID-19 impacted only the last few months of the 2019-2020 school year. With an enrolled population of over 50,000 students, UT only has up to 60 counselors on staff, including trainees, said Marla Craig, the senior associate director for clinical services at the CMHC. Though Craig said she has not seen an abnormal increase in CMHC appointments as opposed to a normal year, she acknowledges that the pandemic may have long lasting impacts on student mental health. “It’s the side effects of the pandemic, the isolation, the loneliness,” Craig said. “The loss of (the pre-pandemic environment) is significant, and the worry of having to learn through a different format

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for some can be very stressful.” Even though there has been more funding directed toward the CMHC in the past years with new positions, students still need more support. “We’re hiring 12 additional counselors in four different areas across CMHC, and we are estimating that we’ll be able to serve an additional 1,700 students,” said Katy Redd, the associate director for prevention, development and media relations at the CMHC. Even with an additional 12 counselors, that means there are no more than 72 counselors working with 50,000 enrolled students, with little possibility that everyone who needs help will receive it. UT needs to show students that student mental health and well-being will always be a priority, especially during a pandemic. Yi is a psychology freshman from Lubbock, Texas.

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NEWS

TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2021

COVID-19

Students voice grievances about isolation during storm By Skye Seipp @seippetc

During last month’s winter storm, Kara McDonald spent 10 days experiencing breathing and sleeping problems while shuffling between COVID-19 isolation facilities that had water and power outages. “It was just a sinking feeling that you are very alone and very helpless, … and you just have to watch things get worse,” said McDonald, a medical laboratory science freshman. McDonald and other COVID-positive students spent the duration of Winter Storm Uri, which caused mass power and water outages, at the isolation facility run by Austin-Travis County. Some students had little water or food, and fire alarms went off randomly during the week. McDonald was sent to the facility — a hotel in north Central Austin — Feb. 10,

and wasn’t able to return home until Feb. 20. Matt Lara, an Austin Public Health spokesperson, said Austin Public Health is unable to disclose the isolation facilities’ addresses to “protect patient privacy.” McDonald said the facility lost power Feb. 11, and she was moved to another facility the morning of Feb. 14. After the hotel experienced water issues and power outages on the evening of Feb. 13, the patients were moved to another location via non-emergency ambulances or by driving themselves, Lara said. “The isolation facilities were in constant communications with the Emergency Operations Center and were some of the most critical infrastructures that were being supported throughout the duration of the storm,” Lara said in an email. Water at the second location went out Feb. 16, McDonald said. She said she was given three bottles of water a day. For a couple of days,

julius shieh/ the daily texan staff

Medical laboratory science freshman Kara McDonald holds a blanket used for warmth during February’s snowstorm. Students who were in COVID isolation lacked resources such as power, water and heat.

McDonald was unable to flush her toilet while experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, which include diarrhea. McDonald said her doctor recommended drinking a “copious” amount of water for her symptoms, but she only had two bottles of water to drink after using the third for hand-washing and to brush her teeth. “I did not feel human,” McDonald said. “My body shut down physically and mentally … to where I didn’t think too much so I wouldn’t become upset with the living conditions I was in and the way they treated us.” Lara said there was not a water shortage and staff gave patients as much water or

food as they wanted/needed. Patients were also given buckets of water to flush the toilet, he said. McDonald said a staff member told her she would only get three bottles of water a day. She avoided asking for extra water because the staff was “kind of rude,” and she was scared to ask. Emily Egbert, an undeclared freshman also in isolation at the hotel, said she was only given salads or fruit to eat for some of her meals during the storm. Egbert estimated she ate under 1,000 calories a day and said one night she was given a salad with a moldy orange in it. She said a staff member “shamed” her when she asked for

something else to eat and said they were running out of food. “I would see the people across from me getting sandwiches and microwave meals and I would get a small side salad and I’m like, ‘Why is there a discrepancy in this?’” Egbert said. McDonald said being able to talk to friends and other people she knew in isolation facilities helped her throughout her experience. “If I didn’t know people who were also isolated it would have been, I don’t think I would have made it through in the way that I did,” McDonald said. “I think I would … have shut down, coming out of it and I wouldn’t be back into life.”

TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2021

COVID-19

UT to utilize excess space in COVID-19 sequencing machines By Samantha Greyson @GreysonSamantha

The University is partnering with the Texas Department of State Health Services to analyze COVID-19 samples from across Texas, allowing them to detect potential variants. UT’s Center for Biomedical Research Support, which provides technological support to research projects, currently uses samples from Proactive Community Testing to detect variants in UT’s population. Both the United Kingdom variant B.1.1.7 and the California variant B.1.429 have been detected in the UT community through proactive testing. “Since the (Genomic Sequencing and Analysis Facility) here at UT has sequencing machines designed for high capacity sequencing, we should be able to increase the efficiency of SARS-CoV-2 sequencing for both DSHS and UT,” said Dennis Wylie, research scientist for computational biology and bioinformatics. The University’s sequencing machine can test up to 700 COVID-19 samples at a time, but the University only receives around 200 samples a day, said Rachel Lee, microbiological sciences branch manager for the Department of State Health Services. The department receives more samples than the University but has smaller sequencing machines,

Lee said. “We don’t have to run five different machines for 500 samples, we can just use UT’s one,” Lee said. “We give them 500 samples, they have 200 samples. They don’t have to waste their reagents. It all fits in one plate — it’s perfect for everyone.” The Center for Biomedical Research Support collects positive COVID-19 samples from the University’s Proactive Community Testing program and sequences them through a machine, which tests the sample’s viral genome, said Andreas Matouschek, director for the Center for Biomedical Research Support. The viral genome is the virus’ blueprint and contains the information to make more COVID-19 cells, Matouschek said. After sequencing, the center assembles the information

from sequencing and analyzes it to detect mutations in the virus, which eventually lead to variants, Matouschek said. “Mutations in the virus are not uncommon so you’ll see a blip here and you’ll see a blip there, and it’s hard to know what it means,” Matouschek said. “But over time, people have discovered that a combination of these makes a new strain of virus.” Lee said the department approached the University for a partnership to better understand COVID-19 variants across the state. “Once we get our sequencing results, we have so many samples with so many different COVID strains,” Lee said. “We talked about how we can work together to expand the sequencing capacity for both laboratories and

to be able … to understand the prevalence and distribution of different variants in the state of Texas.” DSHS receives samples from the state’s Laboratory Response Network and commercial laboratories, which includes San Antonio, El Paso, Dallas, Harlingen and Houston, Lee said. “When they receive samples, and the COVID samples test positive and meet the criteria, then they’ll send it to us,” Lee said. “If anybody suspects UK variants or other variants of concern, they send it to us for sequencing.” DSHS is drafting contracts with the University in order to begin sequencing and analyzing efforts, Lee said. She hopes to have an in-house pipeline between the University and DSHS within the next few weeks.

minka atkinson/ the daily texan staff

NEWS

LIFE&ARTS

A I S L I N G AY E R S

Life&Arts Editor | @TEXANARTS TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2021

COVID-19

PARENTAL VACCINE CONCERNS Vaccine rollout sparks conversation between students and parents. By Grace Robertson @gracearobertson

lmost overnight, dinner table conversations shifted from daily life updates to the ongoing COVID-19 vaccine human trials. Yasmine Daghestani and her family had to confront a decision. “I was really down to sign up for the vaccine trials, but my mom was the one who was like, ‘No, don’t do that,’” Plan II sophomore Daghestani said. “(My parents’) advice means a lot to me in terms of medical decisions.” Daghestani said when her family first heard about the vaccines, they were hesitant to endorse it. Although her parents wanted to see more evidence of the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness,

they have since received the Moderna vaccine. As the vaccine rollout accelerates, conversations between students and their parents that once revolved around COVID-19 safety precautions now center around receiving a vaccine. Some students and parents are making decisions together about if, when and how to receive the shot. Every time government junior Meredith Baranosky clocks into her waitressing shift, she wonders if it will be the shift where she might contract COVID-19. “It makes me very anxious,” Baranosky said. “At work, I can’t take off my mask at the station to have a drink of water or have a quick bite to eat without being stressed out.” Her parents both received the second dose of the Moderna vaccine in early March, but Baranosky said she

ana louisa matzner

hasn’t found the time to be vaccinated yet. “Her not being able to get vaccinated does worry us,” Baranosky’s father said. “(But) a philosophy (her) mother and I share is that we are here to prepare our children, not protect them.” Baranosky said her inability to get vaccinated has created additional strain in their relationship. “There’s been a little bit of tension between my mom and I,” Baranosky said. “Do I think it will concretely impact my relationship with my parents? No, but it has caused some stress.”

Art history and history sophomore Drew Rappold said his father, sister and mother all received the vaccine in February in their hometown of Dallas, Texas. Because his classes are online, Rappold said he is less concerned about receiving a vaccine right away, but hopes to get vaccinated in the near future. “I got a text (from my mom) saying, ‘Can you be in Dallas at 5:30 tomorrow (to get vaccinated)?’ and I said no because I could not,” Rappold said. “I think they were perturbed by it because they worry about me not living

/ the daily texan staff

with them.” Drew’s mother, Beth Rappold, said that Rappold being unable to get the vaccine worries her. “I’m still sad about it,” Beth said. “He’s been the one I’ve been most worried about.” Students are navigating a new frontier in parent-child relationships as many of them coordinate vaccine-related appointments and conversations. “I’m going to make (Drew) drive up here if I can get the (vaccine) appointment, which he’s not worried about but I don’t care,” Beth said. “He just doesn’t worry like we do.”

TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2021

LIFE&ARTS

MUSIC

UT student traverses rock music world with band By Lana Haffar @haffaraway

Adorned with dark eyeshadow and a red bass guitar, Katelyn Ware takes her place at center stage, her sister Natalie by her side. Plugging in their amps, the sister-led rock band prepares to energize the audience. “When you play in front of people and you just see them bobbing their head, it’s so validating,” business freshman Katelyn said. “You’re doing something that sparks people’s attention. People are alive with you.” Growing up around WareHouse Rock Academy in Conroe, Texas, a music school owned and operated by her parents, Katelyn said playing music with her sister has always been a part of her life. In 2015, at the ages of 13 and 9, the sisters decided to start a band. “We’ve always been jamming together,” Katelyn said. “We decided to start going out and playing shows together instead of (being casual).” When the sisters first formed the band, they called themselves “Underage” to reflect how young they were, but as they grew older, they rebranded themselves as “Release the Reign.” Natalie started as the drummer, then transitioned to guitar, while Katelyn delivers powerful vocals as the lead singer and bassist. “I would classify (us) as rock, but alternative rock,” Katelyn said. “It’s more like harder music in the background and then softer vocals. There’s more actual singing than other rock bands.” The Ware sisters released their debut EP in 2017 and filmed a music video for their song “Lights Out” in 2018, which has garnered almost 20,000 views on YouTube. In the summer of 2018, the sisters went on tour and performed at venues such as Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles, California. After their set, they were approached by Rock Avenue Records about a record deal.

“We played Whisky a Go Go, and (Rock Avenue Records) told us that they really liked us,” Katelyn said. “A few weeks later, we were signed with them.” Last year, Sami Schutt, a freshman at Lone Star College, joined the band as a drummer. Schutt played with the Ware sisters at their family’s school before the sisters invited her to join the band. “Being able to be a part of this (group) is the best experience,” Schutt said. “I used to be a fan of (the band), and now I get to perform with them and help inspire people in the crowd.”

You’re doing something that sparks people’s attention. People are alive with you.” KATELYN WARE

business freshman

Songwriting is a collaborative process for the band, and Natalie said they favor messages that are open for interpretation. “It’s kind of cool that some of the lyrics that we have … people will think they’re about a boy, and some people will get something completely different,” Natalie said. Last summer, the band put on “quarantine shows” on Facebook Live in order to keep playing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Natalie said performing without a live audience was an interesting experience. “Our parents tried to be like a live crowd, but it was really weird,” Natalie said. “They tried to create a mosh pit with just them.”

Release the Reign: (left to right) Katelyn Ware, Sami Schutt and Natalie Ware pose for a photo shoot. Katelyn Ware, a UT freshman, traverses the rock music world with her band.

As Katelyn completes her freshman year online, she said she is excited to interact with live audiences again.

“On stage … you have a chance to say something that means something,” Katelyn said. “I connect with these new people in so many different ways through music.”

LIFE&ARTS

TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2021

FEATURE

UT freshman sells greeting cards, donates proceeds to low-income hospital patients By Zoe Tzanis @Ztzanis

Standing in the corner of an operating room in India in 2018, Anusha Dabak watched as her aunt administered anesthesia to a patient for surgery. A vegetable vendor who had been hit by a truck, he could only afford treatment in a low-income clinic. “You could see how scared (he was and) how much fear he was in about the cost,” neuroscience freshman Dabak said. “Unaffordable health care is a raging issue everywhere, but I had not seen it firsthand. That just kind of opened my eyes.” Dabak decided to blend her passions for art and helping others into a singular project called “My Giving,” launched in the summer of 2018. The project provides financial assistance for medical procedures by selling hand-drawn greeting cards and donating 100% of the profits to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Allen. “When you are involved with the designing element, the marketing, the talking … it definitely helps you to think more about the cause,” Dabak said. In high school, Dabak said she always enjoyed art classes and would often make birthday, holiday and thank-you cards for friends and family. Nursing freshman Gaby Montenegro said she has received many handmade gifts from Dabak over their seven years of friendship. “For all of her close friends, she always handmakes them something,” Montenegro said. “I know she puts the same amount of work in(to) the cards that she makes.” Montenegro said she’s seen Dabak’s artistic ability grow from a hobby to an agent for change, and she encourages anyone who can to get involved. “Take the time to spend what would be the amount for a cup of coffee at Starbucks and support a cause,” Montenegro said. “You’ll get a card out of it that’s beautiful, and you could probably bring up someone else’s level of joy as well.”

marissa xiong

Customers can purchase the cards by emailing or direct messaging Dabak on her Facebook and Instagram pages. After volunteering at her local hospital in Allen, Texas during her senior year of high school, Dabak shared My Giving with her volunteer mentor Sandra Torres, who helped her direct the funds toward patients who needed financial aid for treatment. “She never missed a Saturday in the breast cancer center,” Torres said. “She actually donated the money from (My Giving) to the breast center specifically.” After her first year of selling cards, Dabak said she donated more than $700 to patients in need of financial aid for medical procedures the center. Now, she said she wants to expand the project and donate to hospitals in Austin and

/ the daily texan staff

countries abroad. “I do really want to be able to send the money to developing countries like India, (which) was my original intention,” Dabak said. “Because of COVID, unfortunately, it’s been really difficult finding those people.” After her aunt died in 2018, Dabak said she was unable to reconnect with the hospital in India where she originally wanted to send the proceeds of her project. Although she hopes to eventually help those in need around the world, Dabak said she will continue to focus on fighting health care inequality in her area. “I feel like this is the least I can do in memory of her,” Dabak said. “Without her, I never would have been able to really get to know the issue. It really helps you think about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.”

C A R T E R YAT E S

Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2021

MEN’S BASKETBALL

SPORTS

Smart’s future murky after upset The sixth-year head coach is 0-3 in NCAA tournament games after loss to Abilene Christian. By Matthew Boncosky @mboncosky

u e s t i o n s surrounding the future of Shaka Smart, Texas men’s head basketball coach, are swirling once again after yet another shockingly quick exit from the NCAA Tournament. The Longhorns entered this year’s 68-team field as a No. 3 seed after winning the Big 12 postseason tournament, but fell in upset fashion to No. 14 seed Abilene Christian University in the opening round, bringing Smart’s record in the NCAA Tournament to 0–3 in his six years as Texas’ head coach. “Lots of tears in the locker room right now,” Smart said after the loss on Saturday. “Lots of guys extremely upset about the way the game ended, the fact that we have to go home now. (Everybody is) really disappointed.” Smart’s previous two tournament exits were equally heartbreaking. In 2016, No. 6 seed Texas lost to No. 11 seed Northern Iowa on a half-court buzzer beater, 75-72. Two years later, No. 10 seed Texas blew

a 14-point second-half lead in an overtime loss to No. 7 seed Nevada. This time around, Smart was expected to finally get over the hump with one of the most talented and experienced rosters in the country. After a strong regular season that saw Texas win the 2020 Camping World Maui Invitational Tournament, capture its first ever Big 12 Tournament title and finish the season ranked ninth in the final AP Poll, the Longhorns rolled into the NCAA Tournament with lofty expectations of a potential Final Four run. The matchup with Southland Conference champion Abilene Christian, which made the jump to the Division I level in 2013, was a tough draw for the Longhorns given the Wildcats’ reputation for playing frantic, disruptive defense. Regardless, Texas was expected to win, and win comfortably. But Smart’s decision to remove freshman forward Greg Brown from the rotation didn’t pan out as it had in the Big 12 Tournament, and the Longhorns appeared woefully unprepared for Abilene Christian’s aggressive defensive attack, committing a season-high 23 turnovers in the shocking upset. “We just beat The University of Texas,” said Joe Golding, Abilene Christian’s head coach after the game on Saturday. “Little old Abilene Christian out in West Texas built a program that went toe-to-toe with The University of Texas, and it’s an incredible story. It’s what March is about.”

For a program that has not won an NCAA Tournament game since 2014, having fired long-time head coach Rick Barnes in 2015 after reaching only one Final Four in 16 appearances, Smart’s 0-3 record in six years stings. Smart has two years remaining on his contract with Texas and will demand a $7.1 million buyout if Texas Athletics Director Chris Del Conte

and UT President Jay Hartzell decide to pull the plug on his tenure. However, finding a replacement for Smart could prove difficult and costly, with five-time national champion Indiana University, among others, already on the market for a new head coach and limited options on the table. Senior guard Matt Coleman, whose relationship with Smart

dates back to eighth grade, deflected blame for the loss away from his coach after the game. His sentiments, while honorable, probably won’t change Smart’s fate, with much of the roster likely departing heading into next season. “(Smart) built a culture here,” Coleman said Saturday. “His guys just didn’t play up to their skillset. It’s not on him. I failed him.”

jack myer

/ the daily texan file

Shaka Smart coaches the Longhorns from the sidelines against UAB on Dec. 3, 2019. The sixth-year head coach’s future is uncertain after Texas lost to No. 14 seed Abilene Christian in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, bringing Smart’s overall tournament record with the Longhorns to 0–3.

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Texas set to lose substantial production in 2021-22 By Nathan Han @NathanHan13

Heading into the 2020-2021 season, the Texas men’s basketball team was returning every single player from the year before. Next season, however, the outlook for roster continuity looks much more bleak. Every single player has the option to return, given that the NCAA granted players an extra year of eligibility. But for players like sophomore forward Kai Jones, who is projected to be a first-round NBA draft pick, the option to leave and test the waters in professional play could be too enticing to resist. One of Texas’ top talents might have already played his last minute as a Longhorn. Austin American-Statesman reporter Brian Davis reported that senior guard Matt Coleman is “unlikely to return” to the Forty Acres. “I think he’s done all he can do to show the pro level who he is and what he brings to the table that he needs to go off and chase that dream,” Coleman’s father said to Davis. Coleman has been a mainstay throughout head coach Shaka Smart’s tenure at Texas. The senior point guard started all but one game in his four years as a Longhorn, where he accumulated 1,448 points. Three other seniors face a similar decision: forward Jericho Sims, forward Royce Hamm Jr. and guard Jase Febres. Freshman forward Greg Brown, a former McDonald’s All-American, could potentially join Kai Jones and leave for the NBA draft early. That leaves four players who are likely to return:

Courtney Ramey

The junior guard from St. Louis, Missouri, led the Longhorns in scoring and 3-point shooting percentage for the majority of the season. Then, he hit a shooting slump at the worst possible time, scoring only six points in Texas’ last three games combined, shooting 2-for-21. If Coleman leaves, Ramey will bear most of Texas’ playmaking responsibilities and much of the scoring load. So, whether or not Texas can get the early season version of Ramey or the

end-of-season version will go a long way.

Brock Cunningham

Anybody who watches Texas basketball will appreciate Cunningham’s hustle and tenacity. But the redshirt sophomore forward will need to improve his 3-point shooting to embrace a larger role than the 15.2 minutes per game he played last season. Shooting 25% from behind the arc limited the Longhorn offense when he was on the floor last season. Becoming at least an average floor-spacer

would help Texas tremendously moving forward.

Donovan Williams

Williams is the next player up if the guard rotation sees its expected share of departures. For much of his first two seasons, the sophomore sat behind more experienced guards, and when he was on the court, played a secondary, off-ball role. Next season will be a different story. Can Williams reliably make 3-point shots? Will he be able to create offense out of the pick and roll? Williams hasn’t had to

answer those questions in his freshman and sophomore campaigns. Next year, he will.

Kamaka Hepa

Hepa was planning to redshirt his junior year before the NCAA granted players an extra year of eligibility. Because of the ruling, the forward ended up playing in nine games this season. With Texas potentially losing lots of length in the frontcourt with Kai Jones, Brown and Sims, Hepa’s energy could prove crucial for whether or not Texas can maintain its status as an above-average defensive team.

christina peebles

/ the daily texan staff