The Daily Texan 2021-08-10

DT VOLUME 121, ISSUE 10 TUESDAY, AUG. 10, 2021

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UT students discuss how diet culture has been detrimental to their physical and mental health.

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UT faculty call for staff with children ineligible for vaccine to opt for remote classes

By Kevin Vu @Kevin_Vu

Faculty members sent a petition with over 80 signatures to UT President Jay Hartzell and Executive Vice President Sharon Wood on Monday, urging the University to create a virtual class option for faculty who care for children too young to be vaccinated.

“Taking this kind of risk with children is unacceptable, and it does send a message to the faculty affected that a major concern of ours is not a priority for the University,” said associate classics professor Ayelet Haimson Lushkov, who created the petition.

Eliska Padilla, a spokesperson for the University, said in an email there is no Universitywide policy that

allows faculty members to teach remotely if they have children under 12 at home.

“At this time, living with a child under the age of 12 who is not immunocompromised will not qualify the faculty member for a flexible teaching modality arrangement,” Padilla said.

Faculty can, however, submit individual requests to their college.

David Ochsner, spokesperson for the College of Liberal Arts, said in an email there is no blanket permission for faculty to change how courses are taught, but the college is reviewing individual requests. The college has told “a small number of faculty” they will review requests over the next two weeks to change in-person classes to virtual.

On Monday, University Health Services announced all students

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UT must better connect students to underresourced Austin communities like Colony Park.

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UT students and faculty analyze how voter restriction bill mirrors Jim Crow-era voter supression laws.

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must receive a viral COVID-19 test before arriving in Austin and reinforced that masks are “strongly recommended” but cannot be required inside University buildings per Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order.

Haimson Lushkov, mother of a two-year-old and a four-year-old, said while she won’t be on campus in the fall, her husband, who also works in the classics department, will have a discussion-based in-person class with five to 10 students.

“It’s difficult to socially distance in those classrooms. There’s no six feet in any direction,” Lushkov said.

“Without a mask mandate and a vaccine mandate, we can’t know whether our students are vaccinated, and we can’t require masks.”

Hi’ilei Hobart, an assistant professor of anthropology and mother of a three-year-old, said she is “incredibly anxious and also livid” about the situation in a Twitter thread.

“I wish UT would (allow) faculty, particularly those who are also primary caregivers to small children who are unable to (be) vaccinated, to make choices about risk,” Hobart said in an email.

Lushkov said before she could even request for her husband to teach remotely, the classics department chair said they could not accommodate professors with young children to teach remotely due to the College of Liberal Arts policy.

“When I asked for clarification, the dean said that she is not authorized to make a last-minute change based on having kids,” Lushkov said.

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COLUMN

OPINION

Educate UT students about Colony Park Columnist Munji Nfor urges the University to better connect students to Colony Park and other underresourced areas.

By Munji Nfor Columnist

he city of Austin has a deep history of segregation, and a prime example is the Colony Park neighborhood. Populated primarily by Black and brown individuals, this community lies in northeast Austin. Along with the Lakeside Hills and LBJ neighborhoods, Colony Park has been advocating for “increased investments, services, and amenities in their neighborhoods since the 1970s.”

Shockingly, this neighborhood does not have any large grocery stores, parks or swimming pools nearby. Residents have long been ignored and invalidated when they have been denied amenities that have been provided to predominantly white neighborhoods, and have had to face the frightening reality of gentrification.

In 2012, Colony Park was granted $3 million by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and 17 different departments within the city of Austin came together to form a Technical Advisory Group to assist with the renovation of the neighborhood.

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Unfortunately, many students don’t know about these historic developments. To increase student engagement and knowledge of the situation, UT should use their communication resources to raise awareness and provide information on how to get involved with Colony Park.

The primary students who are informed about these neighborhoods are in the Moody Honors Program.

This is because faculty members within the program have not only increased awareness of the work being done in these communities, but have also encouraged students to be participants in the initiative and have conversations with community members.

Emily Anaya, communication and leadership junior, is one of the students working with Colony Park leadership. She noted her lack of knowledge about the neighborhood before attending her honors classes.

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/ the daily texan staff

“I was very surprised to never have heard about it before. I’m not an Austin native, … but the fact that there’s a whole community in Austin that the UT community doesn’t (recognize) the needs of just kind of goes to show how we can be very isolated from what’s going on in the broader Austin community,” Anaya said.

Primarily confining the knowledge about the neighborhood’s history to one college or program isn’t productive. The University should be proactive when it comes to educating students about the Austin spaces like Colony Park.

Natalie England, Moody College media representative, discussed how raising awareness would be beneficial for both the community and students themselves, while also emphasizing the importance of listening to how informed students feel they are about various topics.

“I think part of communication is listening … as opposed to just pushing out a message,” England said. “Are we taking the time to ask our students how they feel?”

Students in a variety of disciplines could gain new perspectives from this effort. Premed students could learn about the correlation between food deserts and health issues as well as racial discrimination within the medical field. Criminal justice and law students could see common factors of the poverty to prison pipeline and how Black and brown people are often incarcerated at a higher rate than their white counterparts.

UT has plenty of resources that can be used to inform the student body and would be very helpful in highlighting the issue of segregation in Austin. For example, the University’s online platforms are one of the main avenues of communication between administration and students. In addition, the University could reach out to student organizations dedicated to mutual aid or add a section on the Student Involvement page listing various projects throughout the city that are seeking student volunteers.

The University’s legacy of producing good citizens and promoting leadership can be continued by making students more aware of the realities of life outside of campus and encouraging community engagement. The city of Austin kindly took us in as student residents, so we have a responsibility to help those we live alongside.

Nfor is a public relations sophomore from San Antonio, Texas.

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NEWS

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021

LEGISLATURE

UT community fears new bill will restrict voters using Jim Crow-era tactics

By Marisa Huerta & Edly Termilien @_marisahuerta

Gov. Greg Abbott announced Thursday that a second special legislative session would start Saturday after he failed to sign any bills into law in the July special session.

One bill includes the voter suppression bill Democrats walked out on twice in an effort to deny its passage. UT students and one faculty member say the law is reminiscent of Jim Crow-era restrictions.

Since the start of the 87th legislative session, Texas Republicans have made it a point to prioritize election integrity as a result of voter fraud

speculation in the November 2020 presidential election, said associate government professor Eric McDaniel. Republicans are now fighting to pass Senate Bill 1, which changes ID requirements, bans drive-thru voting and limits the number of polling locations as well as voting hours.

Texas Democrats first killed the voting bill when they fled to Washington, D.C., to draw national attention to the issue, but Republicans have said the bill will eventually pass no matter what. Abbott has promised to call “special session after special session” until enough Democrats return to meet quorum and the voting bill is passed.

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NEWS

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McDaniel said reducing the number of absentee ballot dropoff locations and getting rid of 24-hour and drive-thru voting would make the voting process more difficult for those in heavily populated areas and restrict the vote for communities of color.

“This is just as much of an attempt to control the power of cities in large metropolitan areas, those that are leaning more left, as well as affecting communities of color,” McDaniel said.

“There’s a lot of rhetoric around the wrong people voting, and it’s this idea of the election being stolen or that the wrong people are in power that resonated with what you saw with the coming of Jim Crow.”

McDaniel said the post-Reconstruction era used the practice of “purifying the ballot” to discourage minorities from voting by implementing barriers such as poll taxes to uphold the power of the white vote. McDaniel said it is problematic for Republicans to use election integrity as the main reason for the passage of SB 1.

“At the heart of all this is that narrative of the nation being stolen,” McDaniel said. “One of the most sacred things in your nation is the vote, so you’re going to try to protect your vote, but there is no evidence of widespread fraud and many of the major cases of fraud actually involve Republicans.”

While the future course of the bill remains uncertain, McDaniel said he is fully expecting it to go through at some point within the year as similar bills backed

by Texas Republicans have gone through in the past despite a quorum break.

“There may be some changes

to it, but the Democrats don’t have the numbers to stop it from going through,” McDaniel said. “Because of that, they need to force the governor to take it off of the agenda completely. But if not, they’ll be sitting there waiting it out in D.C. the whole time.”

Teniece Evans, vice president of Black Student Alliance, said she feels like the Jim Crow era has continued to work behind the scenes in the American political system.

“This history of voting rights concerning the Black community is one that is repetitive. Republicans have pulled every strategy out of the book to reinvent and revamp voter suppression,” Evans said. “From literacy tests, to mass incarceration, to ID laws, to polling locations, boundaries and even down to how you get to the polling site.”

Kevin Roberts, vice president of University Democrats, said the bill targets the Black community like Jim Crow-era laws did. By cutting voting hours on Sunday, the bill also cuts into the Souls to the Polls initiative, which encourages Black voters to head to the polls right after church, Roberts said.

“While (voter suppression) is not as blatant as it was in the past, it is very subliminal,” Roberts said. “It’s not really seen, and that’s why I think some people might be more willing to allow it.”

Evans said she is concerned that people of color, young voters and the LGBTQIA+ community will be disproportionately affected by the bill if it gets passed.

“The goal was never to ensure that the election is one that is secure from foreign powers or hackers, the goal is to secure the vote from those who they never intended to give it to in the first place,” Evans said.

NEWS

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021

CAMPUS

What has happened since UT announced plans to make campus more diverse and welcoming?

By Sheryl‌ ‌Lawrence‌ @sheryl_adelle‌

Last summer, the UT community presented a list of demands to UT administration, seeking to hold the University accountable for its racist past. While the University has made some changes, a common concern among students is that many points remain unanswered.

The demands, signed by 4,045 students, staff, faculty and alumni, asked the University to discontinue use of “The Eyes of Texas” song, divest from the Austin Police Department and the UT Police Department and rename numerous buildings on campus named after people “who perpetuated racism on this campus,” among other requests.

In July 2020, UT President Jay Hartzell laid out plans to make campus more “inclusive and welcoming,” including renaming Robert Lee Moore Hall. On July 28, University spokesperson Eliska Padilla said the University does not plan to remove or change more structure names.

Sameeha Rizvi, the Senate of College Councils’ equity and inclusion director, said the University can educate people on its history without keeping structures named after racist individuals.

“I find it strange that UT will change some building names and remove statues that reflect the racist and oppressive history of this institution, but not apply those necessary changes to all,” said Rizvi, a public health and social work junior.

LaToya Smith, vice president of diversity and community engagement, said the division is working with multiple departments on what educating people will look like.

“It’s not just this static being able to decide buildings and history, but also how do we interweave it into curriculum, coursework, do we put it into orientation,” Smith said. “Not only getting the history and the knowledge, but

figuring out how we’re going to make it a part of our culture, and teach about it in the most effective way.”

Nasser Lawal, president of UT NAACP and a member of the UTPD oversight committee, said there is not enough conversation between UTPD and students.

“They thought (increased police presence) would keep students safe, but obviously as a person of color, when I see police lights, I don’t think about that,” said Lawal, an international relations and global studies and Middle Eastern studies senior.

Rizvi said in the past year Senate has focused on redefining the cultural diversity flag, but won’t leave the other demands on the statement unanswered.

“We still want to continue working with Black student organizations and students that led the effort in writing these demands, to ensure that these demands that have not been fulfilled are fulfilled,” Rizvi said.

Lawal said he hopes the University will increase enrollment among Black students in the coming years, but also recognizes that some students might not feel safe.

“On one hand, I would want more Black students to come to UT, but I wouldn’t want them to come if it isn’t a safe environment for them,” Lawal said.

In July 2020, Hartzell said “The Eyes of Texas” would remain the alma mater, but the University would work to acknowledge the history of the song.

In March, the University released a 59page report that determined the song was written in a “racist setting,” but is not “overtly racist.” Since then, students and faculty have made multiple requests for the University to remove the song.

Lawal said the University’s approach to the alma mater is performative.

“It’s like putting a Band-Aid over like a bullet wound,” Lawal said.

June 2020

UT students took action by creating a list of demands titled “Student Community Statement: 8 Demands for Transformative Change.”

July 2020

On July 13, UT President Jay Hartzell announced the University’s plans to make campus a more welcoming and diverse space. In the same message, Hartzell said the “Eyes of Texas” would remain the alma mater of UT, but the University would work to acknowledge the history of the song.

Sept. 2020

UT students and alumni started the “Rewrite Not Reclaim” campaign with a petition and video discussing the history of the song, why it is offensive and why it should be replaced.

March 2021

“The Eyes of Texas” History Committee released their 59-page report that determined the song was written in a “racist setting,” but is not “overtly racist.” juleanna culilap

/ the daily texan staff

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021

SPORTS

FEATURE

longhorns feeling flexible Becton’s offseason strength and conditioning program emphasizes explosiveness.

By Jackson Conner @jackson17conner

ollege football games aren’t won on Saturdays in the fall, they are won in the strength and conditioning programs conducted in the winter and summer offseason calendar.

When Steve Sarkisian built his coaching staff, one of the first hires was Torre Becton as director of football performance. After spending four years as the head athletic performance coach at California, Becton’s job is to design and oversee the Longhorns’ offseason workout regimen. Like many things in the Texas program under new head coach Sarkisian, the training looked a little bit different this year with the focus

primarily placed on increasing explosiveness.

“This is a velocity-based training program that measures not necessarily so much how much you can lift, but how fast you can move the weight from an explosiveness standpoint, then clearly from a speed standpoint on the field,” Sarkisian said during a Jan. 22 Zoom press conference.

Veteran players have commented about how this training regimen is unique from former strength and conditioning coach Yancy McKnight’s approach, who placed a bigger emphasis on how much weight a player could put up.

“It’s just two different styles,” junior defensive lineman Keondre Coburn said at Big 12 Media Day. “With coach McKnight, it was more being strong and lifting heavy like squats.

Coach Bec, we were doing power clean, hang clean, Olympic lifts I call it.”

The team is hoping that the compound lifts that Becton champions will translate into more

speed and flexibility come game day.

“This year with coach Torre (Becton), he’s been really focused on explosion, speed, making sure we’re flexible.

Making sure our hips are right because I feel that hips are the biggest jack myer / the daily texan file thing in football. You The Texas football team warms up before the Orange-White Spring need them,” sophomore Game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on April 24, 2021. running back Bijan Despite on-the-field struggles over the past Robinson said. decade, the Longhorns have never stopped reRobinson is expected to be the centerpiece cruiting the best athletes in the state of Texas of the Texas offense this year, handling bigand the nation. Becton’s new “velocity-based ger workloads than what he received as a true freshman in 2020. Becton’s tough workouts training program” can help these players prevent injuries and increase their fast-twitch reare thought to help Robinson and other players actions, which Sarkisian hopes will translate to reach their peak abilities, while helping them more wins on Saturdays. stay healthy through a grueling season.

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021

COLUMN

Chris Del Conte goes all in on Steve Sarkisian

jack myer

/ the daily texan file

UT Vice President and Athletic Director Chris Del Conte speaks to a group of fans on Dec. 3, 2019.

By Vicente Montalvo @VMont20

Texas athletics has gone through many changes under the leadership of Vice President and Athletic Director Chris Del Conte. From hiring a new men’s basketball head coach in Chris Beard to overseeing the final stages of the South End Zone expansion, Del Conte has been very busy over the past year.

Del Conte has enamored fans throughout his four years of leadership with solid coaching hires, but the move to the Southeastern Conference is by far his biggest gamble yet.

The last time Texas decided to move to a different conference was back in 1994 when the Big 12 was formed.

In the SEC, football is king. If the Longhorns want to make a big splash in their new conference, they need Steve Sarkisian to prove Del Conte right and become Texas’ next great head football coach. Sarkisian knows

what awaits him in 2025 after serving as Alabama’s offensive coordinator for the last two years.

“The SEC is a tremendous football conference,” Sarkisian said during an Aug. 5 press conference. “There’s definitely big people. There’s talented people (and) there’s good coaches.”

While Del Conte has been relatively quiet on the University’s decision to leave the Big 12, Sarkisian said that the athletic director has actively involved all Texas head coaches in the process.

“We’ve got a great deal of trust and faith in our leadership here at the University of Texas and President Hartzell, Chris Del Conte, in their process of navigating their move,” Sarkisian said. “I think the job that Chris (Del Conte) has done in getting all of the head coaches here together and letting them know this was the path, this was the journey we were going to be on, I really appreciate that.”

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exciting, and Del Conte thinks he hired the right man to lead Texas’ transition. But if Sarkisian can’t turn around the football program before Texas exits the Big 12, his hire could be considered a giant miss for Del Conte’s legacy.

The problem for Sarkisian is that he is taking over a program that hasn’t finished with 10 or more wins in consecutive years since 2008 and 2009. The wins need to start coming in sooner rather than later, and Sarkisian believes that could happen in their final seasons in the Big 12.

“I don’t know the timetable of what this other thing is looking like.

What I do know is you know we’re playing Louisiana (on) September 4,” Sarkisian said. “We’ve got a Big 12 schedule that is very challenging — we have to make sure we’re prepared to play every Saturday and make sure that we’re putting ourselves in the right position late into November where we’re competing for a conference championship.”

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LIFE&ARTS

CAMPUS

Students discuss diet culture UT students share their experiences with diet culture during college.

CW: Discussions around food, dieting and eating disorders.

By Sheryl‌ ‌Lawrence‌ @sheryl_adelle‌

uring their freshman year at UT, Emily Cruz said their friend group felt competitive. This competition wasn’t about who could get better grades or internships, but who could eat the least and exercise the most.

“We bounced off of each other’s relationships with food because we all thought we were doing really (well), but we were definitely not eating enough,” mathematics junior Cruz said. “We were all thinking we were good, and we really were not. We all felt sick all the time (and) really tired because we weren’t eating correctly. We were overworking ourselves.”

Cruz said the friend group almost could not talk to each other due to the dynamic. An estimated 30 million Americans struggle with an eating disorder during their lifetime, most starting on college campuses. Some UT students feel the culture and pressure influences their ability to have a healthy relationship with food.

During summer 2020, Cruz said they spent a few weeks in an eating disorder

outpatient program and learned to set boundaries with their friends, but they are still working to overcome fear foods, which are foods that cause negative thoughts and anxiety.

“I started allowing myself to eat a little bit more, relaxing more on my running because I was actively running every single morning about 10 miles every day,” Cruz said. “I (transferred) all that energy into working on myself, mending my relationships and overall creating a space for myself where I could feel comfortable.”

Kyla Kaatz, a psychology and Spanish senior, said she was terrified about gaining “the freshman 15” after struggling with body dysmorphia for the majority of her adolescence.

“From the time I was 12 to the time I was 18, I was probably eating maybe 1200 calories a day trying to maintain this very small body that I didn’t even think I had,” Kaatz said.

Kaatz said she noticed UT does not actively work on combating diet culture on campus.

“The way that UT treats diet culture … it’s not like they’re stopping it,” Kaatz said. “I don’t know if there’s so much perpetuating it on purpose, but (they’re) like, ‘make sure you don’t get the freshman 15,’ as if gaining weight is the worst thing you could do for yourself.”

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LIFE&ARTS

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d i e t c u lt u r e

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Lindsay Wilson, a registered dietitian for University Housing and Dining, said in their programming they emphasize that the concept of the freshman 15 is a myth. Wilson said students typically only gain between 2 ½ to 3 ½ pounds, which is normal for anyone in that age range.

Psychology senior Sarah Jarrett said when she hit puberty, she had a hard time accepting her curves as a Latina and felt the need to fit the eurocentric body type. Jarrett said she spent the last three years actively trying to repair her relationship with food.

“You just have to be real with yourself,” Jarrett said. “You can’t believe whatever the voice in your head is saying because it doesn’t want you to be happy. It doesn’t want you to succeed.

It doesn’t want you to do well in school.

It wants you to suffer, and it wants you to be sad.”

Cruz said their time at an outpatient program made them feel like they failed themselves, and they had a hard time accepting they mistreated their bodies for so many years.

“With rehab and therapy (they’re) like, ‘you’re gonna get the help you need, that it’s a good experience, you’re gonna feel much better,’” Cruz said. “But you have to hit rock bottom to realize what you need to do to help yourself.”

megan clarke

/ the daily texan staff

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021

LIFE&ARTS

LABELHEAD

Students excited to explore Austin after spending semesters away

By Briana Ramsey @brianarramsey

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After finishing two semesters of online school from Houston, Naja Garrett created an Austin bucket list that contains everything from indulging in delicious foods to embarking on outdoor adventures.

“I’m using these adventures as a way to rewind after a long week and enjoy myself,” mathematics junior Garrett said. “I would recommend these places to students who love thrilling adventures as much as me.”

Since UT plans to reopen to almost full capacity for the fall semester, students are also excited to resume their extracurricular recreational endeavors around Austin. Garrett said the city is notorious for having a plethora of activities to help de-stress and unwind from classes.

First on Garrett’s bucket list is ziplining across the beautiful scenery at Lake Travis Zipline Adventures in Leander. Next is canoeing on Lady Bird Lake and eating at Hula Hut, and she hopes to add more to her list as the semester progresses.

Jalen Christian plans to take a trip to East Riverside Drive to pick up some tasty tacos from his favorite taco truck, Rosita’s Al Pastor Taqueria.

“I believe that Rosita’s Al Pastor is one of the best food trucks — if not the best food truck — in Austin,” said Christian, a rhetoric and writing junior. “My friends and I go there about two to three times a month just to relax,

unwind and enjoy some good eats.”

Christian said the taco truck is a gem he found as a de-stress spot during the pandemic before it recently expanded to a brick and mortar location. He said the restaurant will always be special to him since he was an original fan.

Zion James, sociology and Black studies junior, said he can’t wait to soak up Austin’s night scene at Buck Wild and Moonlight.

“I love clubbing on Sixth Street, listening to the music and enjoying the environment,” James said. “Not only is it so freeing, but it gives my friends and me the chance to dress up.”

James also can’t wait to eat at The Pizza Press, his favorite nostalgic spot. It’s where he and his friends made their first memories in college: staying until closing time, laughing about life.

Austin Aquarium is the first spot Ektor Rokhas, a petroleum engineering junior, wants to visit when his friends come back to Austin this month.

“The aquarium down here looks huge and very well put together. Plus, I haven’t been to an aquarium since I was 4, so I’ve been itching to go see it,” Rokhas said.

Rokhas really wants to prioritize his mental health more this semester by giving his brain a break and by exploring the city more.

He said college is full of ups and downs, but he wants students to remember we are people before students, and having fun is essential.

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Official Corporate Sponsor of Texas Athletics

briana ramsey

/ the daily texan staff

LIFE&ARTS

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021

UT students, staff share how they benefit from mindful consumption of technology

By Sofia Treviño @Sofiacis_7

During late nights when stress builds to panic attacks, Manuel Duran quickly dials his therapist’s number. Miles apart, Duran’s therapist guides him through breathing exercises to process his feelings and get through the attacks.

“As someone who struggles with mental health, technology is a blessing,” said radio-television- film sophomore junior Duran. “I’m moving from Fort Worth to Austin this fall, and because of technology I am able to keep my therapist and psychiatrist.

(It) took years to find (a therapist and psychiatrist) that worked for me.”

The explosion of technology in the past 20 years has expanded networks, maintained relationships from miles away and increased technological dependency. Some students believe the increasing use of technology enhances accessibility and opens up opportunities, despite it sometimes being perceived as a negative development.

“I struggle with things like social interaction and social anxiety,” Duran said. “What technology allows me to do is connect with a lot of people at my own pace, and it allows me to have friends that I’ve known for a long time and I can continue to nurture those friendships.”

Duran said being mindful of technology consumption is a good way to not become dependent. He said there should be guidelines, especially for younger people, on how to use technology properly.

“I know people blame technology, and especially social media, for the rise of depression in teens, but people need to realize that technology is a tool that can be used however the user wants,” Duran said. “It can

be used incorrectly and cause teens and young adults to have a host of issues, or it can be used for good and make things like mental health care more accessible.”

Merging technology into her art projects, Yuliya Lanina brings her visions to life through her surrealist art with different mediums such as installations and animations.

Currently working on an animation project about intergenerational trauma using physical drawings and music, Lanina said technology has made the process easier. Lanina and the composer can keep each other updated by communicating through emails and Slack without having to be in the same room. Lanina also shares her work through virtual showings, which makes her art accessible during the pandemic.

“You can be in a remote location and still have the possibility to virtually go to a show, to a museum or to see a film. It gets people from different places, regardless of their financial situation or location, (to) see it,” Lanina said.

Geography professor Paul Adams said it’s not realistic to view technology with a one-sided perspective of being harmful or beneficial. Though technology does open up a world of possibilities, he said users should make sure to take breaks and be mindful of how they are using it.

“The most important thing we can do is build in times of detachment, moments of reflection, days of downtime, opportunities for digital detox,” Adams said. “This is essential. And we also have to consider how digital media affects people whose voices tend to get drowned out. Digital technology is a kind of space where we (once again) need to struggle for freedom.”

STUDENT LIFE

rocky higine

/ the daily texan staff

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021

COVER STORY

LOOKING FORWARD

Looking back

Looking forward

Austin moved its COVID-19 risk-based guidelines from stage 3 to stage 5 within a matter of weeks due to increasing cases of the delta variant. Over the summer, the University had 193 positive COVID-19 cases from students, faculty and staff. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order that banned mask and vaccine mandates for public entities such as UT. Texas Exes canceled Camp Texas, a retreat for incoming freshmen, due to positive cases in the facility where the camp is held.

UT is still planning on fully returning in the fall, with teaching, learning and research mostly in person, with some virtual and hybrid options.

The University is strongly recommending that both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals wear masks inside University buildings. All UT students not already residing in Austin must take a COVID-19 test three days prior to moving to Austin. Students who already live in Austin must take a COVID-19 test three days prior to the start of classes on August 25. The University asks students to limit contact with those outside their households leading up to arriving in Austin to reduce the spread of the virus.

destiny alexander

austin experiences changes in covid-19

/ the daily texan staff

LOOKING BACK

texas legislature enters special session Looking back The 87th Texas legislative session brought forward the heartbeat bill, SB 7, which bans abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, and the critical race theory bill, HB 3979, which bans teachers from discussing current events or topics of political contention in the classroom.

Abbott planned to continue construction of the border wall and a special session was called to address unresolved issues from the past session. An elections bill, which would limit voting hours/polling locations and ban drive-thru voting, resulted in Texas Democrats leaving Texas for Washington, D.C., to avoid a quorum. connor downs

/ the daily texan file

Looking forward The future of the elections bill remains uncertain as Texas Democrats remain in Washington D.C. despite the start of a second special session. At least 26 Democrats announced they would stay in Washington for the remainder of the session and will continue to urge Congress to pass voting rights legislation. The Texas legislature began its second special session August 7, lacking a quorum. The 17-item agenda touches on election integrity, border security and critical race theory.

15

‘the eyes of texas’ continues to spark conflict Looking back

Looking forward

University administration did not respond to the Texas Tour Guides being on strike asking for the removal of “The Eyes of Texas” lyrics from the Admissions Welcome Center since the beginning of May. The University did not respond to initial requests for the lyrics to be taken down. A year after UT President Jay Hartzell announced plans to make campus more diverse and welcoming, the University has not made a plan on how to educate the community on its racist history and has not addressed many other student demands such as incorporating land acknowledgments into University programming and renaming Painter Hall, Littlefield Hall or any other buildings on the community’s list of demands.

The Longhorn Band will continue to be required to play “The Eyes of Texas” at UT events.

Another currently unnamed band that will not be required to play the alma mater and the fight song will be formed in the fall semester of 2022.

UT Student Government, LHBlacks and history professor Alberto Martínez plan to release statements against the alma mater. No one, including athletes, will be required to sing the song, according to an email University spokesperson Eliska Padilla sent to the Texan in July.

connor downs

/ the daily texan file

graduate students undergo health insurance change Looking back UT’s graduate students expressed concerns over a health insurance switch from UT Select to Academic Blue regarding taxability, coverage of chronic illnesses and out-of-pocket costs. Graduate organization Underpaid@UT wrote a formal letter to the University, hoping to address the concerns and understand changes. According to the graduate school, students will not have to pay a tax and extra costs will be handled through a student application for up to $6,600 in aid per year. The University also revealed the plan will save the school about $10 million, which they say will be used in part to raise pay. connor downs

/ the daily texan file

Looking forward Students continue to have questions about how the insurance changes will impact pregnant students, those with chronic diseases and members of minority groups. Additionally, students are skeptical of using University Health Services to cover insurance costs and are concerned more graduate students using the service will lead to longer wait times. The graduate school has not provided clear answers to those questions yet.

The switch will take effect September 1.

COMICS

DESTINY ALEXANDER

Comics Editor | @TEXANCOMICS TUES, AUG 10, 2021

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021

Managing editor says goodbye

By Ariana Arredondo @ArianaxGraciela

The entire time I’ve worked at The Daily Texan, I’ve been scared. Butterflies, imposter syndrome, anxiety, whatever you want to call it, I’ve been afraid.

After working at the Texan for six semesters, I’ve been Life and Arts Editor, a director on the Diversity and Inclusion board, Associate Managing Editor and now Managing Editor. After all that time here I wish I could say I’m not scared anymore, but the fact is, I still am.

The first time I went to the newsroom to try out for the Texan, I was so nervous I got lost before finally finding my way to the Life and Arts desk.

I walked in with wide eyes and pitches scribbled in my bright teal journal. I think it’s pretty fair to say I had no idea what was in store for me.

The pressure that comes from being a queer Mexican woman pursuing journalism during a pandemic wasn’t something I think I could have ever prepared for. After being in leadership at the Texan amid an unreasonable amount of unprecedented events, I’ve learned a lot. But the most important lesson I’ve learned is that fear isn’t bad. Fear means you care. It means your heart wants something so bad it can’t bear to fail. I’ve found it challenging to hold on to the eagerness I felt when I first walked into the newsroom, but I’ve had the privilege of working alongside incredibly talented and passionate people who remind me to keep going everyday.

I’m writing this just a few hours before the deadline, and as I rush to make word count I’m filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for all the friendships

I’ve made and all the growth I’ve experienced.

Thank you to my highschool yearbook teacher Ms. J. You taught me everything I needed to know about not only journalism, but hard work. Thank you Abhirupa and Katya for being the best management team I could’ve asked for, y’all kept me sane. Thank you Brooke for welcoming me to Life and Arts with open arms.

To Aisling, Grace, Jenny, MT, Noah and the entire Life and Arts department: Thank you for being absolutely amazing. I hope to finally see y’all in the fall. Thank you Megan for your support and guidance during my time as managing editor.

Areeba, thank you for ranting about anything and everything with me. I can’t wait to finally meet you.

Thank you Trinady for being my best friend. There aren’t enough inches to describe how grateful I am for the countless

rocky higine

times we’ve cried in the In-NOut parking lot. Come pick me up, I miss you. Thank you to Britney, Dina and Annette for being amazing friends. I’m so glad I’ve been able to have y’all in my life. También les quiero agradecer a mis papás, mi hermano y mis hermanas. Siempre me han apoyado en todo, los amo.

Saying goodbye so soon feels unreal. I came to UT with the goal of joining the Texan and entering leadership, and now I find myself looking around wondering what’s next. I’m not quite sure yet, but what I do know is I want to feel excited about reporting again. I want to scribble pitches in my journal and interview people until my minutes run out on Otter. I want to write for hours and tell amazing stories. Heck, I even want to transcribe. This is my first byline in a long time and I’m hoping for many more. Wish me luck.

/ the daily texan staff

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021

Sports editor still hung up on meeting he missed over a year ago

By Carter Yates @Carter_Yates16

I only worked at The Daily Texan for three weeks before I made my first royal mistake.

I was a wide-eyed freshman assigned to cover softball, hungry to prove myself to the sports editor, Marcus Krum, and the rest of the staff whom I had only met once or twice. What stuck out to me after orientation and the first few pitch meetings was how all these students of different backgrounds were unified in their goal to inform the student population and connected by their sentimental love for the famous Daily Texan basement newsroom and the bonds they formed there. I hadn’t developed an affinity for the workspace at that point, but I was sure one day I would be just like them.

I couldn’t wait.

Perhaps it was the anticipation and excitement of my new job that caused me to become so engrossed in trying to find the best possible pitch for a softball story that afternoon that I missed the Wednesday night pitch meeting in the dingy, fluorescently lit basement.

The freshman me in mid-February of 2020 breathed a sigh of relief when Marcus reassured me it was ok as he intently listened to my pitch over the phone. But the almost-junior me who writes today wants to go back in time and fix that blunder more than anything, because it was one of my last chances to experience the camaraderie of the basement that all the student journalists around me adored.

I never could have known then that by the time my work with The Daily Texan ended after five total semesters, including summer sessions, I would only enter the basement three times.

Most of the people who write these farewell columns gush about the

memories and life long friendships they made working in that underground newsroom. In all honesty, I could walk in there today and not feel a damn thing.

However, there is no ounce of bitterness in my bones as I depart from this organization. I know now that the basement is only a place. The writers before me who laid the Texan’s foundation knew the basement itself was not special, but the people they met and the relationships they formed there were. They had a different arena to build lifelong relationships, but I was blessed to work with and befriend some of the most amazing people I’ve met as we covered Texas Athletics during a crucial time period in history: the COVID-19 pandemic.

Myah Taylor, thank you for always pushing me to reach my potential. Your gift for leadership kept our department united, and I worked every day for the past eight months as editor to be the kind and motivating boss to the current staff that you were to me.

Stephen Wagner, thank you for providing me counsel as my associate editor this past spring when I was a young editor still learning how to lead the staff. I would have drowned without your help, but you selflessly stayed on staff while working another job to ease my transition.

Nathan Han, thank you for your continuous friendship since we first met at freshman orientation in the summer of 2019. I am continuously astounded by your writing skills and am so thankful we grew together and pushed each other at this publication as we both moved into positions of leadership in the sports department. I am so excited to see the Texan’s sports content this fall under your guidance.

Matthew Boncosky, Taylor Hawthorne, Kaitlyn Harmon, Vicente Montalvo, Tong Vu and Brittany Archer, thank you for sticking around on the

30s

copyright carter yates, and reproduced with permission

sports staff once I took over the reins at the start of the new year and constantly putting in your best effort to tell the stories of Texas athletes. I am so grateful for each and every one of you for helping me become a better editor and being veteran leaders on our staff.

Trinady Joslin and Ariana Arredondo, thank you both for serving as managing editors in my time with this paper and for teaching me valuable lessons about how to lead others.

These people and all the others I have had the pleasure of working with since January of 2020 are what make The Daily Texan the best student publication in America, not a basement.

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021

Newsletter editor looks over one last test email

By Maia Borchardt @maia_borchardt

Hang on a second — you’re telling me you don’t immediately think of the Newsletters department when The Daily Texan crosses your mind? You should reevaluate that. Who needs The Daily Texan when you have the Daily Digest? (And the Weekly Rewind and Tailgating with Texas. Subscribe today!)

Honestly, though, this department has given me a lot to be grateful for over the past few semesters. I can’t think of a better place to have cultivated community while the legendary basement wasn’t there to foster the creative energy that self-imposed high expectations undoubtedly produce.

Maybe it’s the compactness of the space that forms such tight bonds between people there, and I think the same principle applies to the Newsletter team. It was truly special to witness how nervous I got before meetings of less than 10 people at the beginning of the fall.

And in each one, I know I pushed the socially acceptable limits of how many times one person can ask if they’re making sense, because it seemed like my goal was at least 20 per meeting.

But can you really blame me for being anxious? The Daily Texan is, after all, a uniquely motivating but daunting environment.

Throughout my time here, I’ve met people who seem so much more talented, accomplished and just genuinely competent than me, which makes them all the more intimidating and admirable.

But that’s the thing about the Texan: It has a way of making you

believe you’re good enough for it, just because you’re on the same team with the people who impress you every day. Even though I’ve never met anyone here who readily admits they know what they’re doing, that respect has pushed me to at least try and get things right — even if it took possibly hundreds of questions directed to Chase, Megan, Trinady and Ariana over many production nights.

Chase, thank you so much for your guidance and support when I felt very unprepared to take on this department, and to all the managing editors, thank you for being there for me when I had no clue what the cover story was or where to find photo credits.

To the Newsletter department this past fall, spring and summer, thank you for showing me what it means to be part of a team during times that felt most distant. Jessica, Natasha, Sonali, Omar, Andreana, Marisa, Natalia, Athena and everyone else, you’ve all impressed me so much and made this past year and a half of (sometimes very) late nights worthwhile. If I was nervous, it’s simply because I didn’t want to let down a fantastic group of writers and people, and I hope you’ve all gotten something positive from your experience in our small department.

To everyone at The Daily Texan I’ve gotten to work with, thank you for bringing the best out of me and showing just how much passion and dedication it takes every day to create this paper.

Here’s to the many more exciting beginnings and heartfelt farewells to come — and of course, more newsletters to brighten up your inbox!

copyright maia borchardt, and reproduced with permission

JACK MYER

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Multimedia Editor | @TEXAN_JPG TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021

THROUGH THE

LE N S

PHOTO

Featuring the best from the photo department.

evan l’roy/ the daily texan file

Celia Light rides a golf cart in front of the Neon Grotto in downtown Austin on Monday, March 22, 2021

evan l’roy

/ the daily texan file

The Austin Fire Department responds to a fire on Rio Grande Street in West Campus on Tuesday, March 2, 2021. andrew zamora

/ the daily texan file

The Texas Baseball Team celebrates a 15-1 victory over the Kansas State Wildcats at UFCU Disch-Faulk Field on Saturday, April 10, 2021.