The Daily Texan 2021-04-20 by The Daily Texan

DT VOLUME 121, ISSUE 61 TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021

Muslim students reflect during Ramadan

rocky higine

/ the daily texan staff

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

Newsletters Editor Maia Borchardt Copy Desk Chiefs Phoebe Hayes, Lawson Freeman Assoc. Copy Desk Chiefs Irissa Omandam, Megan Shankle, Chloe Roman Design Editor Christina Peebles

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Photo Editor Jack Myer Assoc. Photo Editors Kirsten Hahn, Jamie Hwang Senior Photographer Connor Downs

News Desk Editors Anna Canizales, Amanda Figueroa-Nieves, Andrew Zhang

Comics Editors Barbra Daly, Rocky Higine

Beat Reporters Skye Seipp, Samantha Greyson, Tori Duff, Kevin Vu, Sheryl Lawrence, Lauren Abel, Lauren Goodman, Laurie Grobe

Sr. Comics Illustrators Cynthia Trevino, Sylvia Asuncion-Crabb

Life&Arts Editor Aisling Ayers

Assoc. Social Media Editor Nuzha Zuberi

Assoc. Life&Arts Editor Lauren Castro

Senior Digital Staffers Benjamin Cohen, Chloe Young

Life&Arts Desk Editors Grace Barnes, Jennifer Errico

Audio Editor Aurora Berry

Sr. Life&Arts Reporters Fiza Kuzhiyil, Morgan-Taylor Thomas

Assoc. Audio Editor Addie Costello

Sports Editor Carter Yates Assoc. Sports Editors Stephen Wagner, Nathan Han

Assoc. Comics Editor Destiny Alexander

Social Media Editor Katya Bandouil

Senior Audio Producers Carly Rose, Jackie Ibarra Editorial Adviser Peter Chen

ISSUE STAFF Comic Artists Chloe Pertuit, Megan Clarke

L&A Reporters Lana Haffar, Sofia Trevino

Copy Editors Adriana Van Tho, Casey Ellis, Valeria Sixtos, Katie Stam

Photographers Ashley Miznazi, Evan L’Roy, Julius Shieh

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Opinion Illustrators Emily MacCormack

AUSTIN WEATHER TODAY April 20

HI LO

82º 43º

Muslim students celebrate Ramadan while navigating COVID-19 restrictions and school work.

TOMORROW April 21

HI LO

66º 50º

“there was a poop debacle”

Sports

page

Lawmakers propose policy changes for tenured professors after UT professor files lawsuit against students.

Life&Arts

page

News

McKenzie Parker is fufilling a lifelong dream of playing softball for Texas in her breakout season.

UT SYSTEM

UT System receives leftover military equipment By Kevin Vu @Kevin_Vu_

Assoc. Design Editor Megan Fletcher

Illustration Coordinator Abriella Corker

News Editor Lauren Girgis

Abbott banned state agencies from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations, threatening student safety.

Senior Sports Writers Matthew Boncosky, Taylor Hawthorne

Forum Editors Daisy Kielty, Maria Sailale

Editorial Illustrator Charlie Hyman

Opinion

page

Contents:

The UT System has received equipment from the Department of Defense for 10 years through the 1033 Program, which gives leftover equipment to law enforcement. The UT System received equipment valued at over $572,000 from the Department of Defense between 2015 and 2020, according to data from the Defense Logistics Agency. The cost is attributed to two items: a mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle and a PackBot, a robot which is typically used for surveillance, according to Michael Heidingsfield, director of police for the UT System. Heidingsfield said the UT System has also received two Humvees; ten M16 rifles, which have now been converted to AR-15s; and rifle sights, in case of an active shooter or other emergency situation. Heidingsfield said these items “would never be used for crowd control during a protest.” “These types of weaponry are intended to serve policing, both in the states and in nations ravaged by US imperialism,” said Kaya Epstein, student organizer with Coalition for UT Divest. “I think the knowledge that UT has ‘emergency’ military gear would be extremely scary to a lot of students, especially

lorena chiles

those of color, because there’s no guarantee that equipment won’t be used against (them).” Heidingsfield said the Humvees were deployed twice: once in response to a kidnapping of a student at what was then UT Pan American and once in response to a bomb threat at UT Brownsville. He said the mine-resistant vehicle was used during Hurricane Harvey to transport critical care staff to the hospital. On April 9, UT-Austin held an in-person event that showcased U.S. military technology developments, including some technology developed with UT research. During the event, UT President Jay Hartzell said the University has a long history of supporting the military. According to a 2015 study done by Vice, UT-Austin was ranked 45 out of 100

/ the daily texan staff

for the most militarized universities in America, with Department of Defense research and development funding of $124,334,000. In 2017,

the University received a $1.1 billion contract from the Department of Defense to conduct research and development to improve U.S. national security. Kathy Barker, a clinical assistant professor at the University of Washington and a contributing author to the book “Preventing War and Promoting Peace: A Guide for Health Professionals,” said change and influence come from students and faculty, not administrators. “I think students can do a lot, they can protest, they can write letters, they can do articles,” Barker said. “Protests and speaking out are at least the start.”

(512) 471-4591

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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

MANAGING EDITOR

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

NEWS OFFICE

(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.

NEWS

LAUREN GIRGIS

News Editor | @THEDAILYTEXAN TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021

CAMPUS

A look at UT’s safety measures

Campus safety changes five years after the murder of Haruka Weiser. By Ivy Fowler & Tori Duff @ivysfowler, @torianneduff

TW: Discussions of murder, sexual assault n the five years following the murder of freshman Haruka Weiser, UT has increased safety measures on and off campus to reduce crime risk. However,

some advocates say additional steps could be taken to improve student safety. Weiser was walking home from a class at 9:30 p.m. on April 3, 2016 when she was killed by Meechaiel Criner. Criner was sentenced to life in prison in 2018. Since then, the Office of Campus Safety, University of Texas Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety and other campus entities have partnered to create a plan for public safety on campus and in student housing areas. Part of this plan included the hiring of 13 additional UTPD officers, acting UTPD chief Don Verett said. In addition, Verett said UTPD has worked to expand West Campus presence since 2013. Alycia Castillo, policy analyst for the Texas Criminal Justice

Coalition, said increased policing is not a comprehensive way to improve safety. Rather, preventative resources are what make people safer. “We’ve increased our spending on corrections (and policing) year by year for many decades, and we’re not seeing that translate directly to less crime. There’s just no correlation there,” Castillo said. Instead of policing, Castillo said the University should invest in mental health and medical support, which help with the root causes that lead to crimes. “Personally, I am not for increased police presence or expanding (UTPD’s zone) only because of how harmful police presence can be to the BIPOC population,” said Vanessa Sayroo, future Not

On My Campus president. Other measures the City of Austin and UTPD have taken include: The launch of the LiveSafe at UT Austin app. This app allows people to “report suspicious activity, access important information, report an incident, request help, receive emergency notifications and virtually walk with friends.” Increased lighting on streets and pathways around buildings and in West Campus. Reducing vegetation blocking street lighting and walking paths. A safety presentation from UTPD during freshmen orientation for all students. This training outlines what to say on 911 calls and what resources are available. Installation of High Activity Location Observation Camera System

christina peebles

/ the daily texan staff

in heavily populated areas. Other resources such as SureWalk and UT Night Rides have also been implemented. Evidence showed Haruka was sexually assaulted at the time of her death. Student advocates from Not On My Campus said that while reactive measures to crime and sexual assault are important, preventative measures are what make students feel safe. “Getting the conversation going is important and stopping interpersonal violence from happening is the goal in general, but there’s no way to do that without people being educated about interpersonal violence,” nursing junior Sayroo said. SafeHorns member and UT parent Deanna Vereb said hearing about UT’s response to Haruka Weiser was disappointing to her. “I would have liked to have seen more of an

acknowledgement (of safety concerns),” Vereb said. James Richardson, communications manager for Horns for Safety, said outreach efforts should focus on making sure students know what safety resources are available to them. “The changes have been visible, … but the biggest thing that we can do from here on out is raise awareness for changes,” law student Richardson said. The University said it is committed to improving safety and preventing further tragedies like Haruka’s death in a statement to The Daily Texan. “We will never forget her, and we can honor her by walking together, looking out for each other, and living with the kind of joy she brought to life,” said Soncia Reagins-Lilly, vice president for Student Affairs and Dean of Students in the statement.

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

Editor-In-Chief | @TEXANOPINION TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021

EDITORIAL

OPINION

Explaining Abbott’s PROOF OF VACCINE BAN Abbott banned state agencies from requiring proof of a vaccination, endangering students. By The Daily Texan Editorial Board

arlier this month, Gov. Greg Abbott said state organizations that receive public funding cannot require someone to provide proof they’ve received a COVID-19 vaccine. This executive order, signed April 6, affects more than just bureaucratic state agencies like the DMV. Public universities across the state are also prohibited from requiring students to prove they’ve been vaccinated. “Governor Abbott’s executive order is clear that organizations receiving public funding cannot require people to show documentation that they have been inoculated against the coronavirus,” Karen Adler, director of media relations and communications for the UT System, said in an emailed statement. “Accordingly, UT institutions

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.

will not require students to provide proof of a COVID vaccination before returning to classes.” This executive order threatens student safety and well-being all over Texas. Here, we explain why. How did Abbott justify the ban?

Abbott argues that “vaccines are voluntary and never forced,” and therefore state-funded institutions cannot withhold services from someone that chooses not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. While this reasoning comes across as egalitarian, the decision is undoubtedly partisan. According to results from a February UT/Texas Tribune poll, white Republicans are the most prevalent group to either refuse or feel hesitant about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. While the order should be focused solely on public health, Abbott’s decision clearly benefits his supporters. What’s wrong with the executive order and why is it dangerous?

It is normal for public universities to require students to provide proof of vaccines and screenings. 87% of campuses in the U.S. require a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, also known as MMR, according to a 2019 article in the Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics. At UT specifically, all incoming students are required to submit proof of having received the MMR vaccine, meningococcal vaccine and a tuberculosis screening. Requiring vaccinations on college campuses is not new, and it would not be out of

the norm to extend these requirements to COVID-19. “It’s kind of weird how students get defensive about it because colleges already mandate a lot of vaccines, so I think mandating the COVID-19 vaccine would just be normal,” government freshman Santiago Pacheco said. Without proof of the COVID-19 vaccine, UT has no way of knowing who could potentially spread the virus. Previous vaccination requirements were put into place for this very reason — to protect students from preventable diseases. This executive order is a danger to the health and safety of the entire UT community. How does this impact UT?

Students who don’t have easy vaccine access and other members of the community who, despite being vaccinated, have a greater chance of nonetheless contracting COVID-19 and experiencing serious illness, will be at risk if there are unvaccinated people on campus. Additionally, vaccine distribution has been uneven — Black and Hispanic Texans are vastly underrepresented among those getting vaccinated across the state. Without a vaccine mandate, it becomes harder to protect students from marginalized communities and to ensure students who need it can access the vaccine. Students looking to get vaccinated through the University can fill out UT Health Austin’s vaccine form to begin the process. According to Dr. Anthony Fauci,

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.

emily maccormack

the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, anyone who is currently based in the U.S. and wants to be vaccinated can likely do so by the fall. There are, of course, some exceptions. Biology freshman Edward Cheong is attending classes virtually in South Korea, where vaccine rollout is lagging. Despite worries about what a vaccine mandate would mean for international students, Cheong said he still supports UT mandating proof of vaccination if there are accommodations for international students. He also said he disagrees with Abbott’s order. “One it’s stupid, two it’s stupid, three it’s stupid. You have a way to possibly prevent (the spread of) COVID-19 by creating herd

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/ the daily texan staff

immunity and you just throw it out the window,” Cheong said. “It’s freedom to harm other people, and that’s just ethically incorrect and wrong.” Why does this matter?

If in-person classes and other activities are to resume as planned, students, faculty and staff will be around large numbers of people and at risk of contracting COVID-19 if not enough people are vaccinated. We’re tired of our governor making executive decisions based on political ideology, not safety. COVID-19 will continue to be a significant threat to Texas college students, faculty and staff safety for the foreseeable future — something it seems the Governor’s Office made no effort to consider.

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

NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021

CITY

What to know about Proposition B for May 1 ballot By Tori Duff @torianneduff

Austin voters will cast their ballot on eight different propositions May 1, including Proposition B, which would reinstate the camping ban for Austin’s unhoused population. A “yes” vote on Proposition B would support three main points: Sitting, lying down or sleeping in public areas such as sidewalks near the downtown area around the UT campus, including West Campus and North Campus, would become a criminal offense. Panhandling would be criminalized between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m at certain locations. Camping areas would have to be designated by the Parks and Recreation Department. In June 2019, Austin City Council repealed a 2014 ordinance that established a camping ban in areas of Austin. The City has since purchased hotels for long-term housing and began the HEAL initiative, which partially implemented the camping ban in four high-traffic areas. On Thursday, a coalition of Austin activist groups called the Summit to End Unsheltered Homelessness presented a report outlining a plan to house 3,000 people. Lynn Meredith, chair of the coalition’s Core Leadership Planning Group, said that while Proposition B may make this effort more difficult, it will not discourage groups from advocating for better care. “People are living on the street,” Meredith said. “We have a humanitarian crisis. So what does Prop B do? It might make it harder to place some people, … but at the end of the day whether it passes or not, this is the important work our community needs to

do. We have to house people who do not have a place to be that is dignified and safe.” Groups opposing the proposition say criminalizing these actions will only make it more difficult for people attempting to make it out of homelessness. The UT chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America began canvassing on campus on April 15 against Proposition B by educating students on what the proposition would do to the homeless community if passed. “(Proposition B) would make it that much harder to escape homelessness because it would push homeless people out of the city and make it harder for them to access services,” co-chair of YDSA Bennett Burke said. “It would give so many more people criminal records that aren’t deserved, which in turn makes it even harder to get a job or housing.” Chas Moore, founder of the Austin Justice Coalition, said the proposition defies the spirit of Austin. “It’s saying that we know these people don’t have anywhere else to go, but we don’t want to see it,” Moore said. “It’s saying, ‘Is the tourist aesthetic of Austin more important than people’s well-being?’ and the answer is absolutely not.” Early voting for the ballot including Proposition B runs from Monday, April 19 to Tuesday, April 27. There are no on-campus early voting sites. However, the Austin Recreation Center located at 1301 Shoal Creek Blvd. is the closest location to campus, and is open for early voting from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. On May 1, the Flawn Academic Center on campus will serve as a voting location from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. People can check their nearest voting location at the Travis County Clerk website.

jenny devico

/ the daily texan staff

TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021

NEWS

STATE

Proposed legislative bill could make suing students grounds for revoking tenure By Skye Seipp @seippetc

TW: Mention of pedophilia, sexual harrassment

eddie gaspar / the daily texan file The Texas capital on a sunny day. State lawmakers are considering two bills this legislative session that would change how tenured professors are evaluated and what can cause revocation of tenure.

State lawmakers are considering two bills this legislative session that would change how tenured professors are evaluated and what can cause revocation of tenure. Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, filed Senate Bill 1623, which would allow public institutions to possibly revoke tenure or otherwise discipline a faculty member if they file a civil lawsuit against a student, regardless of whether the suit is dismissed or not. The legislation was prompted by UT classics professor Thomas Hubbard, who sued three students last year for libel after they said Hubbard advocated for pedophilia and called for his removal in fall 2019, according to previous reporting by The Daily Texan. Hubbard was not found to be in violation of University policies, according to previous reporting by the Texan Bettencourt said at a Senate Committee on Higher Education meeting that it was “abhorrent” a professor would file a lawsuit without first dealing with the

situation internally. “Clearly, the University is going to have to be the adult in the room because obviously there hasn’t been one up to this time,” Bettencourt said. “(Students) are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend their free speech rights when tenure grants it for the professor, and that’s what this bill is attempting to get to.” Hubbard said in an email he tried to solve the issue through the University multiple times, but nothing was done. University spokesperson J.B. Bird did not respond to a request for comment regarding the lawsuit prior to publication. Bird declined to comment on the Senate bills. Archie Holmes, executive vice chancellor of the UT System, testified at the Senate hearing that 20 faculty members have had tenure revoked over the past five years across the entire UT system. There are about 5,800 tenured faculty members in the UT System, Holmes said. UT-Austin has 1,627 tenured professors, said Eliska Padilla, UT-Austin’s issues and communications manager. Each institution in the UT System has a “wide variety of ways for dispute resolution” that students, staff and faculty can implore, Holmes said when addressing students

Clearly, the University is going to have to be the adult in the room because obviously there hasn’t been one up to this time.” SEN. PAUL BETTENCOURT

r-houston

being sued. Sarah Blakemore, the first student sued by Hubbard, is the daughter of Republican political consultant Allen Blakemore, according to reporting by The Texas Tribune. Sarah Blakemore declined to comment. Allen Blakemore has worked for Bettencourt before but denied that the bill was written as a favor to Allen Blakemore, according to The Tribune. Bettencourt’s office did not respond to a request for comment prior to publication. Zoé Thomas, a graduate student and assistant instructor, and government senior Hollie Green, who were both sued for libel in December, both declined to comment. Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Grandbury, said during the committee hearing that he wanted to work with Bettencourt on the language of the bill. “I’d want to be very careful about restricting access to the courts, simply because you’re a professor and creating a perverse incentive with the student body or the students that come to that professor,” Birdwell said. Senate Bill 1159, filed by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, would change the number of years between tenured faculty evaluation from six to four years. In addition, public institutions could revoke tenure if the faculty member has been involved in “sexual harassment, fiscal malfeasance, plagiarism, or conduct involving moral turpitude.” Creighton did not respond to requests to comment prior to publication. Both bills were left pending in committee.

LIFE&ARTS

A I S L I N G AY E R S

Life&Arts Editor | @TEXANARTS TUESDAY, APRIL 2O, 2021

STUDENT LIFE

Students give iftar meals to those celebrating Ramadan at Nueces Mosque on Monday. Nueces Mosque provided grab-and-go meals with water for free to avoid gatherings.

Ramadan reflections

Muslim student community celebrates Ramadan, balance schoolwork, spirituality By Lana Haffar

‘

@haffaraway

n the quiet hours before sunrise, Adam G h a n e m wakes up to prepare for a day of fasting. This month marks his first Ramadan spent away from home. “This is definitely the first time I’ve fasted without any real support,” said Ghanem, a mechanical engineering freshman. “Here, I feel like it’s a lot more about myself and my own development than the community (aspect).” When the arrival of the crescent moon signals the start of Ramadan, Muslims around the world prepare for 30 days

of spiritual reflection and daily fasting. After a full day of forgoing food and water, Muslims commonly gather to eat a dinner called iftar and attend evening Taraweeh prayers. “The community is never closer than during Ramadan,” public health sophomore El-Shymaa Mohamed said. “It’s a very different feeling, (having) iftar with all your friends than when it’s just by (yourself).” This year, gatherings are smaller to avoid the risk of COVID-19. Some students are celebrating Ramadan alone and others have returned home to their families. “Our main goal in having a mosque near campus was to have a good place for students to come and have that community feel,” said Suhaimia Suleman, vice president of Nueces Mosque. “Since everything is

online, you don’t really feel that, especially the freshmen that have never (been).” Because Ramadan follows the lunar calendar, the dates of the holiday shift back by 10 to 12 days every year. For the past few years, Ramadan has fallen at the end of April or beginning of May, aligning closely with final exams. “As a student, you’re not fully able to avail this month,” neuroscience senior Suleman said. “As a senior, … I have to decide whether to give more attention to schoolwork or more time to prayers.” After the sun sets, Muslims are permitted to eat and drink before a meal called Suhoor near sunrise. Some students said they have reworked their sleep schedules around this time to preserve energy. “It’s definitely a hurdle that’s

going to need to be crossed,” Mohamed said. “By 10 o’clock, I need to be asleep so that I can wake up at 5 o’clock.” Ghanem said a challenge this month may be finding a meal in the dining hall. On Fridays and Saturdays, Jester 2nd Floor Dining closes at 8 p.m., just before Ghanem is able to break his fast. “I texted my RA about it … (but) I honestly don’t know what I’ll do,” Ghanem said. “I’m afraid that I’ll go to the line and there (won’t be) many options.” Although students cannot eat dinner on the property, Suleman said the Nueces Mosque offers grab-and-go iftar meals for students. “People can just come and pick it up, … and then after they’re done they can come back for Taraweeh prayer,” Suleman said. A central focus of Ramadan is

minimizing distractions and focusing on one’s inner faith. Biomedical engineering sophomore Hebah Tanveer said she practices mindfulness by writing daily journal entries. “(I like) to track how my prayers went and how much Quran I was able to get through,” Tanveer said. “(Ramadan) isn’t just about not eating or drinking. It’s about pulling yourself away from the world and temporary happiness.” Despite adjusting to new circumstances, Tanveer said she looks forward to growing as a Muslim and strengthening her relationship with God. “Ramadan comes every year at a time when I really need it,” Tanveer said. “It’s sort of an eraser for your chalkboard. It gives you a clean slate, and you’re able to start anew.”

TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021

LIFE&ARTS

DANCE

ashley miznazi / the daily texan staff Dance senior Ivana Castañeda performs a dance representing her journey crossing the border in a Pflugerville, Texas creek bed Monday. Castañeda, featuring her dance film project “Beyond the Wall” in the Cohen New Works Festival, immigrated to the United States from Colombia at the age of 15.

Dance students reflect on performances for Cohen New Works Festival By Sofia Treviño @Sofiacis_7

Standing in the middle of a grass field, four masked dancers dressed in jeans and white tops extend their arms out. Each dancer’s forearm contains a single handwritten word that collectively reads: We Are All Human. “We create all these boundaries and labels on people that we forget the main thing, that we are all humans,” dance senior Ivana Castañeda said. The Cohen New Works Festival is held biennially and is run entirely by students who showcase music, plays and dance. The 2021 festival occurred April 12-16 and included works addressing discrimination, racial trauma and white supremacy, while also challenging dance traditions.

For her dance film project, “Beyond the Wall,” Castañeda featured four Latinx dancers to help portray the trauma resulting from language barriers and the often idolized American Dream. “I deal with (language barriers) every day and the elusiveness of opportunities and the trauma itself,” Castañeda said. “My background, being from Colombia and a dancer, added more of a personal sense to the film.” To symbolize the experience of people crossing the border, Castañeda used voice-overs of her Latinx interviewees describing their experiences with discrimination and layered them against images of rivers and a field of grass. “It gave me the opportunity to show myself and give a voice to other people,” Castañeda said. “It is really (rare) to see a specific dance film about Latinx

people. The festival (gave) me the opportunity to do that (and it) meant a lot.”

The theme was that now more than ever, we’re forced to deal with what’s happening right now in front of us.” HOWARD ROCHELLE

dance and social justice graduate student Howard Rochelle used his dance film, “Xpress VIBE The Bigger Picture,” to address 2020’s “polarizing sense of doom” by filming

improv and freestyle dance in front of the “If he can’t breathe, we can’t breathe” mural by Chris Rogers in downtown Austin. “The theme was that now more than ever, we’re forced to deal with what’s happening right now in front of us, and we can’t run away from it,” said Rochelle, a dance and social justice graduate student. “We can’t tuck (it) away and ignore it.” When art is blended with technology, Rochelle said creative outlets become more accessible to others. “Art curates what happens in the world,” Rochelle said. “When you put that on the back burner, you’re saying that you don’t want people to be connected to the greater society as a whole.” Since 2019, Tiffany Merritt-Brown, a dance and social justice graduate student, has been

researching how Black people live in the U.S. political environment and how communities can sometimes act as sources of healing. This year, she was able to translate her research through her dance film, “Therapie Au Chocolat,” which filmed dancers performing traditional African dance technique on a Miami, Florida beach. She said her work has been influenced by elements of nature and their potential to be a source of healing for Black trauma. In times of grief, Merritt-Brown said people tend to turn to the arts for solace. Art has often reflected the culture and politics of the time, and she said her dream is for it to influence society. “My dream for the arts is that we become a place of tangible change,” Merritt-Brown said. “So much so that when people look at us, they have a model of what the world should look like.”

SPORTS

C A R T E R YAT E S

Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021

FEATURE

Lifetime Longhorn breaks out Sophomore McKenzie Parker has ‘flipped the switch’ in her 2021 campaign. By Jaclyn Helton @jaclynghelton

cKenzie Parker said she was born to be a Texas Longhorn. The sophomore infielder grew up in Conroe, Texas, a suburb outside of Houston, where she was raised by die-hard Texas fans Leslie and Ronald Parker alongside her little brother Bryce. From an early age, Parker says her family instilled in her a love for the University which motivated her to one day play for Texas. “Growing up — my family, for generations, (have) always been UT and Longhorn fans — I would come to football games, softball games, baseball games, it’s always run through our blood,” Parker said at a media availability April 14. After three consecutive First Team All-District selections at Willis High School, Parker’s dream of playing at Texas turned into a reality. Once on the Forty Acres, Parker received extensive playing time with 27 starts in 41 games. But the freshman didn’t see the same success as she had at Willis, hitting merely .250 on the season. She faced more adversity in her 2020 campaign when the season was cut short due to COVID-19

after Parker played in only seven of the team’s 27 games. The lack of playing time had nothing to do with physical attributes but everything to do with a lack of production, head coach Mike White said at an April 14 media availability. “I’ve had two years of experience with McKenzie,” White said. “It wasn’t the lack of being able to do some things athletically — she’s got a big arm, she’s got a big bat, she moves well,

but she just didn’t play her best in the games.” Entering a make-or-break 2021 year, Parker began the season much like she ended the last one: on the bench. Parker started only three of the teams first eight games as she found herself in a reserve position behind freshman shortstop Alyssa Washington. After March 12, she made 21 consecutive starts. “The switch flipped,” White said of Parker.

As Washington underwent some predictable freshman growing pains in the batter’s box, Parker took over for the team at shortstop. While Washington still started 19 games on the year, Parker has blossomed as a mainstay in the lineup with a .414 batting average, five home runs and 18 RBI. “McKenzie (Parker) took over and hasn’t let up since,” White said. The Longhorns are now into

conference play with a 31-6 overall record, and Parker’s power at the plate combined with her athleticism and sure hands in the field has made her the crowned jewel on the No. 7-ranked team in the nation. For Parker, the surreal nature of playing for her favorite team is starting to set in, and she’s taking advantage of the opportunity. “Growing up and being able to finally get here, I can look back and be like, ‘Wow, I literally did it,’” Parker said.

Sophomore infielder McKenzie Parker is enjoying a breakout season for the Texas softball team and is currently batting .414 with five home runs and 18 RBI.

TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021

SPORTS

FEATURE

Sannem, Katz stay connected through documentary filmmaking By Ethan Ferguson @ethan_ferguson6

Texas seniors Jake Sannem and Austin Katz earned a national championship together less than a month ago as a part of the Longhorn men’s 800-meter freestyle relay team. Now, the two are taking entirely different paths with their swimming careers. While their bond through swimming is coming to an end, their relationship as creative partners is just beginning. Sannem, a human dimensions of organizations major, and Katz, a radio-television-film major, are working alongside each other on a mini-documentary about the Mexican

free-tailed bats in Austin. Up to this point, they’ve affectionately called the documentary, “Batumentary,” Katz said. “This is not the official title, this has just been a joke and sitting title for the moment while we figure it out,” Katz said. “What the documentary is trying to understand is the difficulties that wildlife faces as humans have been urbanizing the world around us. We’re just using the bats as a case study.” Sannem, who had the option to return to the Texas program due to the NCAA’s decision to grant all athletes an extra year of eligibility as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, is choosing to call it a career after a

Texas seniors Jake Sannem and Austin Katz won’t be swimming together in the Texas program anymore, but the two are teaming up on a documentary film about Mexican free-tailed bats in the Austin area.

remarkable senior season. “One of my biggest goals that I had in the sport was that I wanted to win something, whether that be an individual title, a relay title, a team title,” Sannem said. “In terms of goals in the water, I surprised myself this season and really accomplished a lot more than I had ever expected.” Katz’s time with Texas is also over, but his swimming career is not. The senior is training for the June 13-20 USA Swimming Olympic trials after earning All-American honors at Texas in the 800-meter freestyle relay and the 200-meter backstroke. “I’m competing in trials later on this summer in a couple

months (and I’m) super excited, super pumped,” Katz said. “The Olympics have been a goal of mine since I was ten years old, maybe even younger.” The COVID-19 pandemic gave the pair inspiration for the documentary. The duo said societal reactions to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s July 2020 update that said that COVID-19 originated in a market in Wuhan, China, put an unfair blame on bats as the cause of the pandemic. Sannem said they wanted to learn more about the Mexican free-tailed species and its importance to Austin. “COVID created this negative connotation that has really been affecting the bat population here in Austin,” Sannem

said. “We spent a lot of evenings under the South Congress Bridge (and) the bridge in Round Rock, learning a lot about the bats there.” According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, bats provide positives for the Central Texas ecosystem and are an essential part of farming. Not only do they help pollinate plants and spread seeds, but they also help control insect populations. The city of Austin is about 60 miles away from the world’s largest Mexican free-tailed bat roost in Bracken Cave. “It’s important that we don’t lose an integral species just out of blind retribution for something that they didn’t cause,” Katz said.

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