The Daily Texan 2021-08-03 by The Daily Texan

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VOLUME 121, ISSUE 9 TUESDAY, AUG. 3, 2021

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Senior Julia Grosso is predicted to take home a medal for the Canadian Women’s National Team.

Life&Arts

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UT maintains plans for fall semester as Austin experiences a rise in COVID-19 cases.

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News

Long-time Austin residents propose solutions to gentrification in East Austin.

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UT must pay all student workers a wage of at least $15 an hour to match standards set by other universities.

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LEGACY

Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize-winning physics professor, dies at 88 By Edly Termilien @thedailytexan

Steven Weinberg, a physics professor at UT who won many awards, including a Nobel Prize in physics, and helped create a leading physics research group at the University, died on July 23 at the age of 88. Weinberg conducted research on a variety of topics in particle physics, including work on the Standard Model with the theoretical physics group he founded of eight UT professors that came to be one of the leading academic physics cohorts in the nation. Weinberg discovered that weak forces and electromagnetism had unifying links, despite what scientists previously thought. This helped form the foundation of the Standard Model that scientists today use to understand the order driving everything since the creation of the universe. Physics professor Willy Fischler, who was part of Weinberg’s theoretical physics group, said Weinberg was a focused man when he was doing physics. “I loved him because he wanted to understand the problems he was working on, and he was going to solve them. He had this uncanny

Award-winning UT professor Steven Weinberg had a unique ability to communicate difficult physics concepts to the general population. He passed away July 23.

ability to know what was important and what was the important problem in physics and which problems needed to be solved,” Fischler said. In 1982, Weinberg moved to Austin and became the Jack S. Josey-Welch Foundation Regents Chair in Science at the University of Texas. Weinberg was awarded the

Nobel Prize in physics for his work on electroweak unification based on spontaneous symmetry breaking in 1979. In 2004, he was awarded the Benjamin Franklin Medal for Distinguished Achievement in the Sciences by the American Philosophical Society for his lifetime achievements. UT President Jay Hartzell said Weinberg changed the world in a UT press release. “The passing of Steven Weinberg is a loss for the University of Texas & society. Sending condolences to his family,” Hartzell said in a tweet. “Professor Weinberg unlocked the mysteries of the universe for millions, enriching humanity’s concept of nature & our relationship to the world.” Fischler said Weinberg’s students were always fascinated with his lessons. “He was already famous when he came to the University, which means he attracted a lot of good students in physics. He made the physics department extremely attractive.” Fischler said. “Not only (did he continue) to do superior work, which had interest way beyond the University of Texas, his work impacted the whole field worldwide, and that’s even after he got to Texas.’’

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NEWS

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021

STATE

Home to Texas: Changing the world starts at home By Lauren Nelson @laur3n_n3lson

Home to Texas, an internship program designed to help first-year students gain career experience in their Texas hometowns, finished their third year of programming Saturday with a record number of participants. Home to Texas has connected 94 students to internships in 17 different communities across Texas in the past three years, said Dustin Harris, the Home to Texas program manager. This summer, 46 students participated across 12 different communities. “I don’t know anything quite like this that offers students a paid internship in their home community, allows them to do research in their home community and teaches them research skills,” Harris said. Home to Texas is run by the IC2 Institute, the UT School of Undergraduate Studies and Texas Career Engagement, according to the Home to Texas website. The program hopes to help promote workforce growth in remote areas and prevent students from becoming disengaged with their hometowns after leaving for college, with the tagline “Changing the world starts at home.” “A big part of the program is for students to really get to know their communities in a different way through interning,” Harris said. Students are given $5,000

for participating in the program, Harris said. “We don’t want the students to choose between a quality development experience and a paycheck,” Harris said. Participants must work 40 hours a week and complete an online course which includes interviewing members of their communities, distributing surveys and preparing reports on the challenges and opportunities they discover, Harris said. Advertising sophomore Kristin Biggs is interning at Prytime Medical Devices in Boerne, Texas. Biggs said that the importance of learning to interview someone and making connections with “influential business leaders” left a lasting impact on her. The program demonstrates the University’s growing commitment to engage with the entire state of Texas and strives to solidify its relationship with alumni and regional and state leaders, according to their website. Kassandra Portillo, a biology sophomore interning at Langley Inverness Law Firm in Eagle Pass, Texas, said the program helped her gain confidence in her ability to talk on the phone and to professionals. “I always looked back at my hometown as a place I didn’t want to come back to,“ said Portillo. “(Home to Texas) really did encourage me to come back to my community and try to help it prosper in the future.”

megan fletcher

/ the daily texan staff

S A N I K A N AYA K

Editor-In-Chief | @TEXANOPINION TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021

COLUMN

OPINION

Pay student workers a livable wage Columnist Safa Michigan advocates for UT to do the bare minimum and establish a standardized pay rate of $15/hour.

By Safa Michigan Columnist

ustin is undeniably expensive. In fact, it was recently ranked the thirdworst city for minimum wage earners out of 75 cities in the US. For most student workers, who don’t have the time to balance a full-time job with busy school schedules, this is a dire situation. The minimum wage in Texas is $7.25 an hour, but a one-bedroom apartment in West Campus currently averages around $1,150. Several years ago, the city of Austin designated an official living wage of $15/hour. And yet, years later, UT students are working jobs that still pay them much less. UT must institute a standardized minimum wage of $15/hour for all of its student workers to offset skyrocketing living costs in Austin and demonstrate a commitment to student welfare. Alexis Carr, a psychology and African and African Diaspora Studies senior, receives $10/hour as a student

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.

associate for Texas Career Engagement under the work-study program. “I just think that it’s just not a livable amount,” Carr said. “Work-study is convenient because it’s on campus and I am guaranteed scheduled shifts, but it would be even more convenient if we got paid more. … I can’t afford not to work. … It’s convenient, but other than that I wouldn’t take a job at the University because they don’t pay enough.” Veronica Trevino, media manager of Financial and Administrative Services, said in an email that student compensation is determined by each hiring college, school or unit and ensures all wages are equal to or more than the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour. “CSUs best understand the positions for which they hire, the responsibilities each job entails, the skill set needed and their internal policies and budgets, and the flexibility that can be offered to the student worker by the CSU,” Trevino said. The harmful rhetoric that certain skill sets deserve more money reflects the often-parroted idea that “those who flip burgers don’t deserve as much as other kinds of workers.” All

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students deserve a livable wage, regardless of the type of labor they are performing for the University. Low pay was the only factor that led Samantha Bryant, a health promotion and behavioral sciences senior, to quit her job as an activity supervisor at the UT Rec Center. “$7.25 an hour at part-time status is not enough to pay for anything, anywhere,” Bryant said. “I know UT can afford (to raise minimum wage) and we deserve to not have to work multiple jobs to make ends meet.” It’s not just undergraduate students who are underpaid. Yartiza Carmona, a second year doctoral student who works as a Teaching Assistant in the psychology department, has to commute 25 minutes to campus because she can’t afford to live nearby, and she doesn’t even receive benefits. “The educational psychology department is notorious for not paying its TAs as much as, say, McCombs or Cockrell,” Carmona said.

/ the daily texan staff

“The pay should be standardized across the board.” Columbia University, New York University and the University of California System established a $15 minimum wage years ago. In 2020, they were joined by the University of Virginia, and several other schools in 2021, including the University of Michigan, the University of Memphis, the University of Colorado and the Indiana University System. With the second-largest endowment in the nation, the University should be able to follow the lead of these comparable institutions and absorb the costs of increasing minimum wage with ease. The fight to raise the federal minimum wage is decades old, and at this point, $15/hour feels like a basic ask. It’s time for UT to catch up to the 21st century and pay its workers fairly. Michigan is a Plan II and race, indigeneity and migration junior from Shreveport, Louisiana.

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NEWS

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021

CITY

UT researchers pinpoint 6 public transportation practices promoting equity By Kevin Vu @Kevin_Vu_

UT researchers identified six practices that can be used by public transit agencies to advance transportation equity, according to a report published in July. Transportation equity means a more fair distribution of the benefits and burdens of transportation, allowing for lower-income individuals to access those benefits, said Jonathan Brooks, director of policy and planning for LINK Houston, an advocacy group for transportation equity. “Transportation is the ultimate shared interest; it’s often compared to a circulatory system,” Brooks said. “Public transit, especially local transit with frequent service extended into communities, is fundamental. It’s seen as a central public good and it really provides far beyond the simple dollars and cents around it.” Kaylyn Levine, a community and regional planning graduate student who worked on the report, said transportation equity comes from the inclusion of marginalized communities so their voices are heard during the public transit planning process. “I really think that looking at that local built environment and how you access different opportunities using public transit is really important to your quality of life,” Levine said. “Certain groups of people don’t get to experience this access and mobility, so I think it’s just really important work to look at the most vulnerable communities.” While public transit agencies hold meetings with the public, they are often one-way conversations, Levine said. “They try to inform the public rather than include them in the planning process,” Levine said. Levine said based on these shortcomings, she and her adviser, Alex Karner, spoke with staff from eight public transit providers and advocacy groups throughout the United States, asking them questions on how these equity-advancing

practices are being implemented. Levine said through speaking with the agencies, they were able to identify six practices that they believed other public transit agencies nationwide could use while offering benefits and limitations the practices could have: establishing advisory committees, partnering with advocacy organizations, incorporating equity into capital planning, planning with other regional transportation agencies, using ride-hailing and microtransit services, and creating an equity culture in the workplace. “We found that these agencies are really going above and beyond to incorporate equity, justice and fairness in meaningful ways during the planning process,” Levine said. “Without considering the equity impacts of a decision, you’re really just (doing a disservice to) the communities you’re supposed to be serving.” Jackie Nirenberg, director of community engagement and involvement for the Austin Transit Partnership, said that public transportation is an equity tool that connects people to opportunities and jobs, which was highlighted when people continued to use buses during the height of the pandemic. “This is a lifeline for people,” Nirenberg said. “These were essential workers, service workers, grocery workers, people who had no choice but to get to work, and the only choice they had was to take (public) transit.” Nirenberg said Capital Metro has implemented equity-advancing practices by engaging with communities, implementing translation services and launching Project Connect, a comprehensive transit plan that includes building a new rail system in Austin. “It’s more than building a train, it is actually an opportunity to rethink our community and make it better,” Nirenberg said. “Whether that be creating more hospitable places for people when they board our services, through better station designs or public art opportunities in neighborhoods.”

juleanna culilap

/ the daily texan staff

LEAVE NO TRACE:

DISPOSE OF WASTE PROPERLY

Visiting an outdoor space in Austin? Trashcans aren’t always nearby. Remember to bring bags and reusable containers so you can pack out all trash, pet waste, and leftover food. austintexas.gov/leavenotrace

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021

COVID-19

Delta variant spikes in austin By Kaushiki Roy @kaushikiroy3

The city of Austin moved into Stage 5 guidelines Friday for the first time since December, encouraging residents to mask up and avoid public gatherings. UT still plans to hold classes in person for the fall semester, according to President Jay Hartzell. The rise in cases, triggered by the delta variant, is mainly impacting unvaccinated individuals, said Rama Thyagarajan, an assistant professor in the department of internal medicine at Dell Medical School. However, the influx of new patients in Austin hospitals are mirroring last summer’s numbers, with only 16 staffed ICU beds available July 30 in Travis County, according to the city of Austin. Thyagarajan said the best way to curb the increase in cases is for people to get vaccinated. “About 97% of the hospitalization is happening in the unvaccinated to the point that the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) directors are calling it a disease of the pandemic of the unvaccinated,” Thyagarajan said. Hartzell said in an email to the UT community that the University does not have plans to introduce new restrictions and expects to hold classes in full capacity during the fall semester. Steven Ding, president of UT Senate, said the University is bound by Gov. Greg Abbott’s restrictions against mask and vaccine mandates in public schools. “It’s really frustrating from our perspectives because Austin is in

Stage 5 now and lots of COVID (is) spreading in the community,” Ding said. “Even hospitals are getting overwhelmed.” Kaitlyn Johnson, a postdoctoral researcher in epidemiological modeling for the UT COVID-19 Modeling Consortium, developed a COVID-19 dashboard that predicts future trends for cases in the Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area. Johnson also helped to develop another site that provides the number of hospital beds occupied and the percentage of the Travis County population that tests positive. Johnson said 289 patients are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19, with 101 in the ICU and

55 on ventilators as of July 24. “We are very rapidly approaching our health care capacity, and so we need to turn things around and reduce transmission immediately as much as possible,” Johnson said. Thyagarajan said the delta variant is one of the many mutations COVID-19 has showcased over the last two years. The variant first emerged in India and spread to over 100 countries. The delta variant is much more transmissible than the original strain of the virus, Thyagarajan said. “We don’t know many other symptomatic differences between the new strand and honestly, it is irrelevant,” Thyagarajan said.

“Over 90% of the cases are because of the delta variant and the symptoms are still fevers, body aches, sore throat, cough, loss of taste and smell.” Ding said the Faculty Council is working on alternatives for students and staff in terms of class structures and capacity. “We’re hoping that the Dean’s and the Provost Office will give faculty more accommodations to be able to teach in person if they want,” Ding said. “There’s a lot of faculty members who have young children who aren’t eligible to receive the vaccine, and are concerned for a lot of them coming to campus and having kids at home.”

megan fletcher

/ the daily texan staff

NEWS

SPORTS

C A R T E R YAT E S

Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021

FEATURE

Grosso goes for gold in Tokyo jack myer

/ the daily texan file

Senior midfielder Julia Grosso sprints past a defender during a game against the University of Kansas on Sept. 11 2020. Grosso is the first member of the Texas soccer team to compete in the Olympic Games.

Julia Grosso is set to medal with the Canadian Women’s National Team as first Texas soccer Olympian. By Christina Huang @stina_huang

ulia Grosso became Texas soccer’s first Olympian when she was selected to represent Canada in the Tokyo Olympics. Now, the rising senior will officially leave the Olympics with a medal of her own. Early Monday morning, the Vancouver product helped the Canadian National Team in a 1-0 semifinals win over the United States Women’s National Team. The Canadians will face Sweden on Aug. 5 to determine the gold medal winner. Grosso is one of three collegiate players on an active Olympic soccer roster this

year. She expressed her excitement about playing for the Canadian Women’s National Team in a July 20 video for Canada Soccer. “It’s genuinely a dream come true for me; it’s been really cool to watch this team play ever since I was 5 years old,” Grosso said. Some of Grosso’s notable Olympic teammates include two-time bronze medalists Christine Sinclair and Desiree Scott. Grosso was not even born when Sinclair scored her first international goal back in March of 2000, but Peyton McGee, Texas soccer alumna and Grosso’s former teammate, said learning from someone with Sinclair’s experience will help the young player develop her game once she gets back to the Longhorns. “Any international experience is fantastic. And to be able to learn

from the likes of Christine Sinclair and all that stuff is unbeatable,” McGee said on July 29. Although her experience with the Canadian Women’s National Team is invaluable, a large part of Grosso’s current success in the international realm can be attributed to her time at Texas. Grosso has learned how to command an offense with the Longhorns, leading Texas in both goals and assists during the abbreviated 2020 season. “At the University of Texas, she’s having an opportunity to become a star. … Canada’s going to need her to be a star,” Texas head coach Angela Kelly said back in 2019. Grosso made the 2020 All-Big 12 Conference Second Team selection and had all the physical tools to compete internationally,

but her experience being relied upon as an offensive focal point gives her the mental toughness to handle the added pressures of the Olympics. “She is the most phenomenal athlete that has come through our program,” said Grosso’s former teammate Emily Strouphauer on June 25. Although she’s received an immense amount of support from coaches and teammates throughout her career, none of her accomplishments would have been possible without her strong work ethic. Grosso said that she prides herself most on the work she puts in by herself away from organized competition. “What matters the most is not what everyone sees you do but what you’re doing by yourself,” Grosso said. “It’s what I do by

myself when no one’s watching (that) is what’s going to really help me when everyone is watching.” Even though Grosso’s family and friends are not in Japan due to the pandemic, they are cheering her on back in North America. As the first Texas soccer player to get the chance to go to the Olympics, Strouphauer said she wants her teammate to compete hard on the pitch while also taking in the otherworldly experience of the Games and enjoying the fruits of her labor. “I mean obviously it’s the Olympics so you have to take it seriously but also I hope she has a really good time, because I’m sure there’s so much pressure on her right now. I just want to see a smile on her face when she gets out on the field,” Strouphauer said.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021

SPORTS

FEATURE

Tara Davis soars through the air on her way to winning the 2021 NCAA Track and Field long jump final in Eugene, Oregon. Davis is now one of 27 University of Texas athletes. competing for Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Texas women find their way to podium at Tokyo Olympic Games By Kaitlyn Harmon @kait_harmon

Longhorn Nation is well represented at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games with 27 University of Texas athletes and two coaches competing on the world’s biggest stage. Three female Longhorns already have their medals in tow, but some are still in search of the gold. Valarie Allman, Texas’ track and field volunteer assistant coach, secured the USA’s first medal in track and field Monday after a monstrous 68.98 meter throw in the discus. Allman rushed over to Zeb Sion, Texas track and field assistant coach, after she earned the gold medal, and the two embraced in a joyous hug. Allman, a graduate of Stanford in 2017, began

her track and field career during her freshman year of high school. Eleven years later, she’s not only attending her first Olympic Games as a Cardinal and a Longhorn, but also as an Olympic gold medalist. “OLYMPIC CHAMPION. DREAM. COME. TRUE,” Allman took to Instagram to say. Eleven Longhorns are still in the hunt for their dream-come-true podium finish, starting with long jumpers Tara Davis and Chantel Malone on Tuesday. Malone, a competitor for the British Virgin Islands, graduated from Texas in 2011. Ten years later, she’s going head to head against Texas’ NCAA record holder, Davis, in the women’s long jump finals. Unlike Davis, Malone also competed in the 200-meter and

400-meter sprints during her collegiate career. Davis and Malone will compete back-to-back in competition order, with Malone jumping first. Going into Tuesday’s gold competition, Malone’s personal best is 7.08 meters, while Davis’ personal best is 7.14 meters. Yet, only one woman can take the gold. “The feeling I think I will have competing at my very first Olympics, I think it’s going to be the highlight of my life,” Davis said in an NCAA Championships YouTube video. “Bringing back the gold medal from the Olympics is going to be the biggest dream that I feel like any athlete has ever dreamed of, and I will do everything in my power to do that. Texas athletes aren’t just

making an impact on the track, however. While USA Olympic pitcher Cat Osterman and team fell to Japan in the gold match, Osterman collected her third overall medal and second silver medal of her Olympic career. As a Texas freshman, Osterman earned her first Olympic medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games when USA Softball placed first on the podium. Four years later, Osterman was back on the podium, this time medaling silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Julia Grosso, rising senior soccer player at Texas, is representing Texas all the way to the gold medal match on Thursday, Aug. 5, when the Canadian Women Soccer National Team takes on Sweden in the quest for gold.

Grosso made her Canadian Olympic debut when she was named to the starting nine line-up against Chile on July 24. “It’s genuinely a dream come true for me,” Grosso said in an interview with Canada Soccer. “It’s been really cool to watch this team play ever since I was 5 years old, and to watch every Olympics and World Cup that they’ve been in is honestly a dream come true for me to now be a part of.” Davis, Malone and Grosso have a chance to achieve their ultimate goal in the final event of their respective sports just as Allman did. Regardless of the outcome, however, all are connected by the fact they are representing the University of Texas across the globe.

LIFE&ARTS

JENNIFER ERRICO

Life&Arts Editor | @TEXANARTS TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021

CITY

austinites combat gentrification By Kareena Shukla @k4r33na

Minority communities in East Austin fight to keep their homes. jack myer

renda Malik, president of Rogers Washington Holy Cross neighborhood, mourns the closure of the beloved original L.C. Anderson High School in East Austin. A high school for Black students prior to desegregation, L.C. Anderson built the foundation for the circle Malik grew up in. Although the forced closure happened in 1971 after she graduated, Malik is constantly reminded of the erasure of her community. “(The school) was such a focal point that the community could rally behind and the closing of it was just traumatic. … It split us up,” said Malik. Austin is the 10th fastest gentrifying city in America due to fewer regulations, lower taxes and a decreased cost of living attracting companies like Tesla. As the Austin population increases, minority communities are being forced to leave their neighborhoods at a disproportionate rate compared to their white counterparts. To combat displacement, a group of UT faculty have established the Uprooted Project to help prevent residential areas, like Malik’s neighborhood, from becoming victims of gentrification. Jake Wegmann, an associate professor of community and regional planning, leads the Uprooted Project. The Project offers resources to neighborhoods susceptible to gentrification by spreading

/ the daily texan file

A new house under construction in East Austin on May 26, 2021. To combat displacement of minority communities, a group of UT faculty have established the Uprooted Project to help prevent residential areas from becoming victims of gentrification.

awareness and suggesting policy interventions curated by experts on the subject. Their two main goals are to identify gentrification and provide the city with information to help eliminate involuntary displacement as a result of gentrification. “Gentrification is not only about the removal of landmarks, but more importantly about the displacement of people,” said Wegmann. “I don’t think you can stop gentrification, but what you can do is plan a better future for the neighborhood.” Built in the 1950s, Rogers Washington Holy Cross became a home to the Black community after being denied housing in other areas of Austin. When Malik became the president of her Rogers Washington Holy Cross Neighborhood Association, she vowed to protect the neighborhood from demolition. “We were a very close-knit community, everybody knew everybody and we would get together and talk about family and friends and break bread,” Malik said. “However, about five to six years ago, we started to notice every week there was a house going down and something of a monstrosity put in its place.” Set on keeping her promise to preserve the community, Malik and the rest of the neighborhood association of Rogers Washington Holy Cross applied

to be titled a historic district, which would help maintain the original neighborhood. Recognized for its rich Black history, Austin City Council designated Rogers Washington Holy Cross as a historic district in September 2020. “It’s not all about the money,” Malik said. “You have to think about the people and the Black sweat and tears that were put into building these neighborhoods.” Mechanical engineering junior Emily Jones has lived in the Cedar Park area her whole life. In the past few years however, she said the changes in East Austin have been rapid. “(I) look at Austin in a different light,” Jones said. “Growing up I always saw it as this unique city filled with life, but now it seems it’s heading toward becoming another tech capital. Especially with the increased cost of living in Austin, I don’t expect to recognize certain areas of the city in the future, if not even the whole city.” Both Jones and Malik are concerned the place they’ve called home for years is slowly dissipating, but hope more awareness can promote solutions. “I won’t let my district get pushed further and further east,” said Malik. “I always ask the question, ‘How far east do we have to go to be left alone?’”

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021

LIFE&ARTS

FEATURE

UT organization supports children of cancer patients through community initiatives By Kareena Shukla @k4r33na

Richa John felt her heart warm as she welcomed a group of 10-year-olds to Camp Kesem. At first shy and homesick, the kids quickly became John’s friends, teaching her about the fragility of life. “As a camp counselor, I got to meet a lot of kids who had been deeply affected by every surgery or treatment their parents underwent,” said John. “Even so, they all have such a unique take on life.” Camp Kesem is an organization dedicated to supporting children of cancer patients by holding one-week camps at no cost. Camp Kesem has 137 different chapters serving 11,300 children between ages six and eighteen. After joining the University of Texas chapter her freshman year, Camp Kesem has been part of John’s life for almost four years now. “With having to witness a parent suffering through a disease like this, children often have to take on bigger roles,” said John. “I like to think that for one week, I help to restore that childhood experience.” In the U.S, an estimated 41 out of 100 men and 39 out of

100 women are at risk of developing cancer during their lifetime. Rebekkah Schear, associate director of patient experience at the Livestrong Cancer Institute, understands the need for children to acclimate to the news of a parent’s diagnosis and makes referrals to Camp Kesem. “When the cancer diagnosis is found, it impacts the family social fabric,” Schear said. “By allowing kids to come together who have a shared experience of a loved one with cancer, they have this safe space where they can just be kids, but they can also process their grief surrounded by people who understand what they’re going through.” Premed senior John, Kesem Name “Pup,” said she’s inspired to take part in other events that support the cancer community like Texas 4000, a 18-month leadership program committed to fighting cancer through community initiatives. The student-led program encompasses a 4,000 mile bike ride from Austin to Anchorage, all while raising money to support cancer research. “Cancer is this daunting and difficult disease, so biking across the country seemed easy in comparison,” John said.

Chemical engineering senior Arshaan Ali, Kesem Name “Baymax,” said he was stunned to see such improvement in campers’ confidence and involvement. Upcoming co-director for next summer’s camp coordination, Ali roots for the campers emotional development at their home away from home. “The first day of camp, (one camper) wouldn’t talk to anybody,” said Ali. “But slowly she was becoming incredibly comfortable and that kind of blew me away, just the fact that she felt so accepted in our little community.” Elle Saliba, Kesem Name “Bubba,” cried tears of joy as she watched campers play soccer in the grass on friends and family day. The children were beaming and candles were being blown, in celebration of a parent’s birthday. In that brief moment, Saliba felt like everything would be okay, like they would get through this together. “Witnessing an every day thing happening with such joy will never leave me,” said alumna Saliba. “Watching what Kesem play out in what is otherwise just a field of kids laughing together … that’s strength.” Besides having such an impact on children’s lives,

Camp Kesem is an organization dedicated to supporting children of cancer patients by holding one-week camps at no cost.

organizations like Camp Kesem and Texas 4000 also exercise the future of young leaders. Saliba and John said they feel lucky to have cultivated such a loving community with their peers and

become sources of comfort for those in need. “People silently suffering yet having the courage to share their pain with me takes a deeper level of friendship,” said John. “I ride for them.”

COMICS

DESTINY ALEXANDER

Comics Editor | @TEXANCOMICS TUES, AUG 3, 2021

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021

LIFE&ARTS

Q&A

‘American Horror Stories’ actor talks filming his death scene, researching influencers By Noah Levine @ZProductionz

Santa comes for naughty influencers in the newest installment of Hulu’s horror anthology. “American Horror Stories” presents a new terrifying story each week set in the world of “American Horror Story,” featuring both familiar and new cast members from the original series. Nico Greetham (“So You Think You Can Dance,” “Power Rangers Ninja Steel,” “The Prom”) stars as a rowdy influencer named Zinn in the season’s fourth episode, “The Naughty List.” The macabre tale follows an influencer group, known as the Bro House, that fights to retain their reputation after posting a disturbing video. When their pranks get

tangled up with a disgruntled Mall Santa (Danny Trejo), they become the stars of a twisted livestream. The Daily Texan spoke with Greetham about his work on the blood-splattered holiday episode. The Daily Texan: While preparing for your role, did you research famous influencers and TikTokers?

I started to enjoy them. I was like, “This is how they get you!” I was watching their videos with appreciation. … I wrote down a massive list of things they do that (included things) like: They all have wide vacant eyes, they do fake fighting, they scream all the time, veins pop out of their neck when they talk. That was honestly my whole preparation.

Nico Greetham: They were my bible. All of the YouTubers and the TikTokers. I studied the Paul brothers pretty in-depth. Bryce Hall from TikTok was a huge inspiration of mine. It’s so funny because when I first started I was like, “Oh, my gosh, these guys don’t feel real. They don’t feel like real humans. They’re like animals.” But then the more I researched them,

DT: Can you talk about what it was like filming your death scene? NG: Funny enough, there was a stunt double there fully dressed as my character … prepared for all of the things that were to be done to Zinn. And then when we got to it, they set up the camera and they realized it needs to be my face, it can’t be my stunt double doing the

electrocution scene inside the pool. They were like, “Nico, we’re gonna tie you up, gag you, you have to fall face forward into the pool, you’re going to wiggle around for 5 seconds, and then you are going to be still and dead for another 5 seconds, you got that?” And I was like, “Ummm. Yes?” We did two takes of it, and it was me — it was fully me. I was freaking out, but it looked okay in the final cut! DT: Do you have any fun stories from being on set? NG: Okay, so it’s so funny because it’s really not featured heavily at all but there’s a quick shot where we are doing a pillow fight. Originally in the script it said we were wrestling so we all got to set that day thinking

we were gonna wrestle. We even had an intimacy coordinator on set to be like, “Are you guys okay with the wrestling?” just to cover all bases. We get there and it’s a pillow fight, which is fine, but I can’t tell you how dangerous this pillow fight was. There were so many feathers to a point where after like a minute and a half of our director just giving us direction … we all started choking. There’s like a silence, and then we are all like literally gagging on these feathers. Dyllón (Burnside) fully throws up. Charles (Melton) and I have to go outside, we can’t breathe. Kevin (McHale) has a feather lodged in his throat. We fully thought we had to go to a hospital. It was so nuts and you would never think from … a pillow fight any of that would’ve happened.

Zinn (Nico Greetham) cowers from the Mall Santa in “American Horror Stories: The Naughty List.”