DT 2021/08/23

back in action

DT VOLUME 121, ISSUE 11 MONDAY, AUG. 23, 2021

UT welcomes students to campus for another uncertain fall semester.

destiny alexander

/ the daily texan staff

PERMANENT STAFF Editor-in-Chief Sanika Nayak Managing Editor Myah Taylor Assoc. Managing Editors Jennifer Errico, Hannah Lopez Director of Digital Strategy Katya Bandouil Director of Diversity & Inclusion Abhirupa Dasgupta Internal Relations Director Carolynn Solorio External Relations Director Rachael Hatchett Assoc. Opinion Editors Izzy Costello, Sruti Ramachandran, Megan Tran, Julia Zaksek Illustration Coordinators Abriella Corker, Audrey Williams

Double Coverage Copy Editor Angelina Braese Newsletters Editor Jessica Garcia Copy Desk Chief Phoebe Hayes Assoc. Copy Desk Chiefs Mantra Dave, Alex Mercadel, Chloe Roman, Andrew Walter Design Editor Megan Fletcher Assoc. Design Editor Juleanna Culilap Senior Designers Jenny DeVico, Marissa Kapp Digital Designer Ciara Casarez

Projects Editor Neelam Bohra

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News Desk Editors Samantha Greyson, Sheryl Lawrence Beat Reporters Lauren Abel, Tori Duff, Marisa Huerta, Katy Nelson, Kaushiki Roy, Kevin Vu Life&Arts Editor Fiza Kuzhiyil Assoc. Life&Arts Editor Morgan-Taylor Thomas Life&Arts Desk Editors Dina Barrish, Zoe Tzanis Sr. Life&Arts Reporters Ikram Mohamed, Sofia Treviño

Senior Photographers Kara Hawley, Julius Shieh Video Editor Anchal Raghuvanshi Assoc. Video Editor Ethan Greeno Senior Videographers Kameryn Griesser, Sofia Reyes Comics Editors Destiny Alexander, Barbra Daly Assoc. Comics Editor Alicia Paz Sr. Comics Illustrators Rocky Higine, Ana Louisa Matzner Social Media Editor Nuzha Zuberi

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Assoc. Social Media Editors Bernice Chen, Sarah Winch

Sports Editor Nathan Han

Senior Digital Staffers Lily Kane, Nick Susa

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AUSTIN WEATHER TODAY Aug. 23

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After a year and half of isolation, students finally unite with their online friends in person.

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Editor-in-Chief Sanika Nayak wants you to consider applying to The Daily Texan’s fall staff.

Life&Arts

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Opinion

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UT Health Austin has students covered if they misplace their vaccine card.

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Men’s tennis sophomore Eliot Spizzirri plays in the U.S. Open qualifiers Tuesday.

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DT

Contents:

TOMORROW Aug. 24

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the weather is not funny. please drink water

Sanika Nayak (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com

MANAGING EDITOR

Myah Taylor (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@thedailytexan.com

NEWS OFFICE

COVID-19

(512) 232-2207 news@thedailytexan.com

COVID-19 could infect thousands of students this semester, researchers find

By Kevin Vu @Kevin_Vu_

Over 10,000 UT students could potentially contract COVID-19 during the fall semester according to an Aug. 11 report published by the UT COVID-19 Modeling Consortium.

The report conducted by UT researchers estimates that an average of 11,200 students will contract the virus during that time period if the University does not implement proactive testing.

These findings provide the University with projections and awareness of vaccination rates and testing frequencies to help aid in decision-making, said Kaitlyn Johnson, a postdoctoral fellow and lead author of the report.

Johnson said the consortium used available data such as The New York Times’ case counts to estimate the number of students who could contract COVID-19. A similar report from the consortium last fall projected between 82 and 183 students would arrive infected with COVID-19 during the first week of the semester.

The 2021 report estimates that between 187 and 236 students will arrive infected. This year’s higher projections are due to major surges found throughout the United States and Austin, Johnson said.

“What we’re seeing right now is that there’s high levels of disease and infection everywhere in the U.S. and

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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.

BUSINESS & ADVERTISING (512) 471-8590 advertise@texasstudentmedia.com Director Gerald Johnson Business/ Operations Manager Frank Serpas III Advertising Manager Emily Cohen Manager for Product and Revenue Strategy Are Marlies Arevalo Assistant Advertising Manager Grant Daniels Account Executive Julianne Phillipp Design Tillie Policastro

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so that’s going to affect the number of infected students arriving at UT because UT is made up of students from the city of Austin, the state of Texas and the rest of the country,” Johnson said.

Amid a surge of COVID-19 cases in Austin, the University is requiring students take a COVID-19 test three days before moving on campus for the beginning of classes. It is also allowing professors to have a limited number of students in class until Sept. 17. Masks and vaccinations are optional.

“Since the start of the pandemic, planning at UT has drawn upon data and analysis from leading epidemiological researchers from the campus community, who have pro-

/ the daily texan staff

vided projections about the spread of COVID-19 and its implications for UT,” University spokesperson Eliska Padilla said in an email. “These projections have been an important part of the campus planning process since fall of last year.”

The report assumes that 50% of unvaccinated students will participate in proactive testing and isolation if they test positive. If unvaccinated students are tested twice a week under the same vaccination projections, the estimate of students that could contract the virus this fall drops to an average of 1,700, according to the report.

If 80% of students are MODELING

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The Daily Texan, a student newspaper at The University of Texas at Austin, is published by Texas Student Media, 2500 Whitis Ave., Austin, Texas 78712. Our work is made possible by support from our advertising partners and donors. To provide individual support, please visit The Daily Texan page at supportstudentvoices.org. To highlight your business, please email advertise@texasstudentmedia.com. The Daily Texan does not publish during academic breaks, most Federal Holidays and exam periods. News contributions will be accepted by telephone (471-4591,) or at the editorial office (HSM 2.120.) Entire contents copyright 2021

S A N I K A N AYA K

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Editor-In-Chief | @TEXANOPINION MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2021

EDITORIAL

OPINION

The Texan needs your perspective

As a new semester begins, we want to remind you that there’s a place for you at The Daily Texan.

By Sanika Nayak Editor-in-Chief

ere at The Daily Texan, we’ve strived to serve the UT community since 1900. Along the way, we’ve managed to garner a semesterly staff of over 300 people, generate more Pulitzer Prize winners than any other college newspaper and boast an impressive reputation as the most award-winning college publication in the nation.

But we could do better.

Here at The Daily Texan, we strive to serve the UT community better than we have before. And we want you to be a part of our mission to do so.

For the last 121 years, the Texan has established itself as an integral part of the University’s legacy. Through the years, our newsroom has grown and changed with the help of our student staff and student readers. We’ve made mistakes in the past

that must be acknowledged — we’ve alienated groups on campus through insensitive coverage and been inaccessible to those who want to join.

No amount of prestige can erase that. We can, and we must, do better.

This paper is made by students, for students. It always has been. But the students producing the paper and those who consume it must reflect everyone in the UT community. That starts with an inclusive newsroom, one that welcomes you and inspires you to join us in our basement office. You have a place at the Texan and ownership of the publication as a member of the UT community.

There’s no precursor to applying. You don’t need to be a journalism major, have press experience or even be a writer. No matter your skills, there’s likely to be something at the Texan that suits your interests.

If you’re keen on activism and advocacy, join me in the opinion department. You’ll find like-minded people

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.

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interested in improving the University for all students.

We tackle the issues you care about, and aim to amplify the voices of student organizers to help spark real change on campus.

If you love to work at a fast and furious pace and care about keeping students up to speed, check out the news department. Keeping the campus community informed is one of our most important tasks. We often cover breaking news events and do our best to keep students in the loop about the events that affect them.

Are student life, music and movies your thing? Interested in interviewing the occasional celebrity? Consider joining the life and arts section, where you’ll write features galore and cover niche topics in the student community.

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.

If you’ve always been into sports, come cover games and all things Texas Athletics at our diligent sports department. We care just as much about telling the stories of the people in the sports arena as the final box score.

Our publication isn’t all about writing, however. If creative work is more your speciality, look into our design department, which ensures each flipbook’s layout is easy to read and produces wonderful graphics to go alongside stories.

Is the inner artist in you screaming to be seen? Consider our brilliant comics department to put your talents to use, or the opinion illustrator team to inventively portray a written argument through digital art. If you’ve got a knack for catching small errors, love correcting grammar and believe that

the devil’s in the details, join the copy department, fittingly known as the backbone of the paper.

I’m not done just yet. Are you most comfortable with a camera in your hands? Check out the photo department to keep your photography skills sharp by taking pictures of events, people, games and more. Our video department also offers countless opportunities to capture meaningful stories on film.

If you prefer to be off-camera but love to tell stories through conversation, the audio department has what you’re looking for. For those interested in creating connections with the student community, our social media and newsletter departments are the perfect place to engage with others.

Last, but certainly not least, our stellar diversity

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/ the daily texan file

and inclusion department is for those passionate about making the newsroom a more equitable and inclusive atmosphere. The work they do is absolutely essential to ensuring that our coverage is respectful to underrepresented groups on campus and that the Texan is available to everyone.

As editor-in-chief, I want to create a space that feels welcoming to all, a space that gives you the same community it gave me. Consider applying, and tell us what we can do to make the newsroom more accessible to you.

If you can’t apply, follow our work and let us know how we can be better. Whether it’s by being a part of the staff or as an avid content consumer, the Texan would be grateful for your perspective.

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

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News Editor | @THEDAILYTEXAN

MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2021

NEWS

COVID-19

modeling

CONTINUES FROM PAGE 2

vaccinated by Aug. 25, symptomatic testing alone should be sufficient to prevent the virus from exceeding “the highest risk threshold,” which is 140 symptomatic cases per 100,000 people in a seven-day period, the report says.

Johnson said the report highlights how increasing rates of vaccination is the most effective way of reducing the risk of major outbreaks.

“Our projections suggest that proactive testing of unvaccinated students can help to suppress transmission and be cost saving overall, particularly if vaccination levels remain relatively low,” the report said. “However, increasing vaccination coverage among students is likely the most effective means of reducing the burden of COVID-19 and keeping costs low.”

Johnson said students can help prevent the levels of infections the report projects by continuing to wear masks, isolating if they’re sick, practicing social distancing, testing regularly, socializing outdoors and avoiding indoor gatherings.

While masking can also stop the spread of the virus, the University cannot mandate masks due to Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order in May that bans mask and vaccine mandates in government entities such as school districts, counties and cities. Padilla said the University is on state property, meaning it is a government entity and will “follow all applicable laws and regulations.”

“The University continues to encourage and offer vaccination as the best tool to contain the spread of COVID-19,” Padilla said.

UT professors want students to mask up UT professors can’t mandate masks in their classrooms, but are pushing for stricter COVID-19 protocol.

By Marisa Huerta & Kaushiki Roy

@_marisahuerta @kaushikiroy3

ome UT professors would like to enforce greater COVID-19 safety precautions, such as masking in their classrooms, despite laws and University guidance prohibiting mask mandates and vaccination requirements.

University spokesperson Eliska Padilla said professors cannot mandate masks in their classrooms, but they can offer non-academic incentives to students to encourage masking as long as state or University funds do not pay for them. The University also announced Tuesday professors can reduce classroom capacity or move classes entirely online until Sept. 17.

UT will provide free masks to faculty and staff at the William C. Powers, Jr. Student Activity Center and Texas Union hospitality desks.

Ayelet Haimson Lushkov, an associate professor of classics, said while any mitigation

measure is a step in the right direction, class size reduction and remote learning at the beginning of the semester is not enough.

Lushkov said she wants the course flexibility UT is offering for the first three weeks of school to extend throughout the semester or until the city obtains higher vaccination levels and a pediatric COVID-19 shot.

“Since we don’t have a mask or vaccine mandate in place, remote instruction is not only the safest (option) but will also provide the most consistent experience this term,” Lushkov said.

If in-person classes do continue, and if the University cannot require that professors implement safety measures in class, Lushkov said professors should be able to require masks if they choose.

“You’re protecting not just yourself, but vulnerable members of the community as well: anyone from your aging grandma, to your immunocompromised buddy, to my kids, who are too young to be vaccinated,” Lushkov said.

“I’d ask students to be responsible for their behavior outside the classroom.”

Lushkov said incoming UT students will increase the infection rate in Austin, and the University should plan accordingly.

“Given that the UT Modeling Consortium is forecasting 11,000 students infected with COVID-19 by the end of the term, we need as robust a mitigation strategy as we can get so we can protect our campus community and ensure a consistent, high-level education

destiny alexander

for our students,” Lushkov said.

Anthropology professor Pauline Strong said in an email she is worried about unvaccinated individuals putting others at risk.

“I am especially concerned about people in our class and social circles who may be immunocompromised or unvaccinated, including my young grandchildren,” Strong said. “I will direct students to information about public health recommendations, engage in discussion and hope that we will all commit ourselves to following public health guidelines.”

Strong said she supports remote teaching and will strongly

/ the daily texan staff

recommend that students wear masks inside classrooms.

Additionally, Strong said she believes that professors should protect their students’ health and safety, and in return, students should be fully vaccinated, wear masks indoors, practice social distancing and test regularly.

“UT is more than students and faculty, we have a huge staff who is absolutely crucial to making the University run,” Lushkov said. “We look after our entire community, even ones we don’t encounter every day. Conversely, when we don’t, we’re risking the lives of many, many people beyond the classroom.”

NEWS

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MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2021

CAMPUS

carolyn diaz

/ the daily texan file

University Housing and Dining has added Jester City Limits to its unlimited meal plan program over the summer, turning the Jester West Residence Hall dining spot into a buffet-style cafeteria.

Welcome Back, Longhorns!

Ta k e t h e n e x t s t e p i n y o u r j o u r n e y w i t h U F C U ® .

Jester City Limits to get new look for the fall

By Kevin Vu @Kevin_Vu_

University Housing and Dining has added Jester City Limits to its unlimited meal plan program over the summer, turning the Jester West Residence Hall dining spot into a buffet-style cafeteria similar to Jester 2nd Floor Dining and Kinsolving Dining.

The conversion to an all-you-can-eat dining hall comes after UHD saw how popular and beneficial the buffet style was for students living on campus, said Rene Rodriguez, director of food service for University Housing and Dining. He also said the change allows for residents to eat without worrying about running out of money.

“We had several

students basically running out of money before the end of the year if they didn’t budget their money right,” Rodriguez said. “Instead of looking at the price point of an all-you-care-toeat (dining hall), they were spending all their money in a retail operation, which caused them to run out of money quickly.”

JCL previously served a variety of food options in a pay-per-item system similar to a restaurant, which drained students’ account balances as the year progressed. Students living in on-campus housing used Dine In Dollars or Bevo Pay to get their food, Rodriguez said. Food plans typically allocate $300 worth of Dine In Dollars per semester and $200 in Bevo Pay for the year.

“Because there was a lot of food insecurity

within the University, we wanted to guarantee students always had a place to eat the whole time,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said UHD will replace the food previously served in JCL with the food available in J2 and Kins Dining. While some students online have expressed their concerns regarding whether the quality of JCL food will change, Rodriguez said there’s no difference between the food previously served in JCL and the food served in the dining halls.

“We didn’t change our buying habits or our buying people,” Rodriguez said. “We’re buying food from our same manufacturer, we’re buying the food from our same mainline supplier, nothing has changed in regards to that.”

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NEWS

CAMPUS

Students vaccinated on campus can recover vaccine cards through UT Health Austin website

By Marisa Huerta @_marisahuerta

A recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found the majority of Americans support requiring vaccines for bar or restaurant visits. Many UT students share the same sentiment despite Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on vaccine passports.

While Texas does not appear to be moving toward requiring vaccination for dayto-day events, some students said they want to recover their vaccine cards to provide proof of having received a COVID-19 vaccine. Many students who lost their vaccine cards say they have received new ones from the University without difficulty.

Students who have misplaced their vaccine cards and were vaccinated through University Health Services can log into their Athena Patient Portal through the UT Health website and recover vaccination records online, UHS spokesperson Susan Hochman said.

Jannel Hayden, a human development and family sciences junior, said she lost her vaccine card when she was cleaning out her car and threw it out by mistake. She is now in the process of recovering it. Hayden said she wishes UT would require COVID-19 vaccination and is concerned about returning to in-person classes given the prevalence of COVID-19 in Austin.

destiny alexander

/ the daily texan staff

“I feel like UT isn’t taking all the precautions that we need them to take, especially with other schools requiring vaccines,” Hayden said. “I really think UT should take that step too, even with Abbott’s orders. … I think it’d be great, as a prestigious research University, for us to follow science.”

Mmesoma Igbelina, a human development and family sciences junior, said she believes a COVID-19 vaccination mandate is a necessity.

Igbelina said she wanted to recover her vaccine card after she lost track of it so she could keep a complete personal medical record.

“I remember submitting my previous vaccine forms before my freshman year, what’s so different about this?” Igbelina said. “I feel the University should require students to get the vaccine and at the very least require masks … especially with the new and worse delta variant.”

LIFE&ARTS

FIZA KUZHIYIL

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Life&Arts Editor | @TEXANARTS MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2021

CAMPUS

‘It was gut-wrenching’ Professors discuss in-person instruction, last minute changes and community safety.

By Ikram Mohamed @ikramxmoham

roubled by the University’s COVID-19 protocols President Hartzell discussed during a council meeting, Stephennie Mulder decided to create a Facebook group for faculty and staff to voice their concerns about UT’s response to the pandemic.

After nearly three semesters of online learning, a majority of UT classes will return to in-person instruction for the fall. Without

requiring masks, weekly testing or vaccination, UT’s Consortium Model study predicts a median of 11,200 students will contract COVID-19 during the fall semester.

“The group was organized to give us a place to think through and process what feels like a confusing set of information coming out of UT-Austin,” said Mulder, an Islamic art and architecture associate professor. “UT’s (actually) going directly against the recommendation of its own researchers.”

Mulder said teaching in

person during this time feels deeply unethical.

“Walking into the classroom this fall, I feel like I am being forced to endanger my own students,” Mulder said. “I’m entering this semester with a deep sense of despair and anxiety. I feel like I’m being forced to do something where it’s just very clear what the reality is.”

Journalism professor Tracy Dahlby said his safety concerns for his students and teaching assistants made him place his J301: Fundamental Issues of Journalism course

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online for the entire semester and his Reporting the World course online for the first three weeks. “(J301) is a very big class and it pretty much fills that auditorium wall to wall, with not many seats to spare,” Dahlby said. “Some students will be vaccinated, some will not. That kind of uncertainty in students’ minds isn’t conducive to good learning.”

Over the summer, Dahlby said he felt his life getting back to normal. He got vaccinated, took off his PROFESSORS

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MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2021

LIFE&ARTS

professors

CONTINUES FROM PAGE 9

mask in public and looked forward to returning to campus. Then the delta variant emerged, and cases began to grow.

“It was gut-wrenching when I realized all my classes wouldn’t be in person,” Dahlby said. “I felt like this (was) the turning point we’ve all been waiting on ... and it’s frustrating to see (fall 2020) repeating itself.”

I feel like I’m being forced to do something where it’s just very clear what the reality is.”

STEPHANNIE MULDER

islamic art and architecture associate professor

Compared to last fall, some professors, like history lecturer Rachel Ozanne, don’t feel as shocked with last-minute changes surrounding in-person classes.

“I taught the class virtually last fall, so I have pre-recorded lectures,” Ozanne said. “Of course, I’d rather redo them, but given the limitations of time, I have those recordings ready to go. I feel more capable of rising to the challenge (than last year), but it’s frustrating.”

rocky higine

/ the daily texan staff

While this semester may not look as many initially hoped, Ozanne said as her eyes welled with tears, her students continue to impress her with their willingness to adapt.

“Students have been working so hard to keep up with their coursework, meet these new requirements and adapt to new learning environments,” Ozanne said. “I’ve seen my students come together and just do their very best, and that’s been a beautiful thing to witness. I’m very proud of our UT students.”

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JACK MYER

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Photo Editor | @TEXAN_JPG MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2021

THROUGH THE

L ENS

Featuring the best from the photo department.

On Aug. 5, Austin raised its COVID-19 risk guidance to Stage 5. Nonetheless, as hospital beds in Texas become scarce, about 50 spectators descended on the corner of 26th and Rio Grande streets to enjoy a performance by Hotel Ugly, made up of Mike and Chris Fiscella. The fans, most of whom were unmasked, danced and sang as the duo of brothers from Houston gave a performance of their latest hits, including their most popular single, “Shut up my moms calling.”

jack myer

Hotel Ugly, made up of Chris and Mike Fiscella, performs in West Campus on Aug. 21.

| daily texan staff

jack myer

/ the daily texan staff

Fans dance and sing along to Hotel Ugly in West Campus on Aug. 21.

jack myer

| daily texan staff

Mike Fiscella of Hotel Ugly embraces his brother and bandmate, Chris Fiscella, as they perform in West Campus on Aug. 21.

jack myer

/ the daily texan staff

Fans hold up the lights on their phones as they sing and dance along to Hotel Ugly in West Campus on Aug. 21.

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MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2021

LIFE&ARTS

STUDENT LIFE

UT students talk making friends online during pandemic After months of communicating with friends virtually, students are beginning to meet in person.

By Sofia Treviño @Sofiacis_7

tuck at home for last year’s virtual fall semester, Karla Garduño eagerly followed fellow UT students who popped up on her Twitter timeline in hopes of making new friends.

When Garduño came across her nowfriend Ivanna Abi-Saab’s tweets, she

messaged her because of how much she related to them. That initial interaction with Abi-Saab gradually blossomed into one of Garduño’s closest friendships.

“It’s even more unique because (I’ve) been talking to these people for an entire year and haven’t even seen them in person,” public relations sophomore Garduño said.

Many students have used online platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Zoom and GroupMe as a way to connect with their peers while in isolation for the last year and a half. As the University

Welcome back,

Students!

transitions to in-person classes for the fall semester, students anticipate finally uniting with their online friends.

Garduño said she looks forward to seeing her internet friends, but she plans on taking precautions when initially meeting them in person, like convening with them on campus or other public places.

“Sometimes people don’t turn out to be (who) you expect, but at least online you have a trial,” Garduño said.

Abi-Saab said spending almost a year quarantining during the pandemic took a toll on her social skills and

communicating online became her norm.

“It got to a point where I would freeze up in person,” Abi-Saab said.

“I would stutter and I was like, ‘No, this is embarrassing.’”

When Abi-Saab first met her current roommate, Maddie Beischer, in a UT GroupMe chat, the biology sophomore said she had a “friend crush.” After sending each other memes for almost a year, Abi-Saab said she considers Beischer her best friend.

MAKING FRIENDS

PAGE 13

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MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2021

making friends CONTINUES FROM PAGE 12

Abi-Saab said she mostly communicated with her friends online during her first semester at UT, but after getting her second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in April, she said she started hanging out with them more in person.

“Now my internet friends (are) my real-life friends,” Abi-Saab said.

Sophomore Thalía Menchaca said she made online friends through UT’s National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) chapter.

After meeting fellow Hispanic students through the organization, she said she feels less scared to attend in-person classes.

“It’s great to know there’s other people from the (Rio Grande) Valley now on our officer board,” Menchaca said. “I feel less alone already. I

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have these people here that are very much like me.”

Menchaca said having a group of friends before ever setting foot on campus will be one less challenge to tackle as classes begin.

“I feel like I thought it was going to be a little easier because I am a giant introvert, and so I would rather meet people (online) than have to go to them and talk to them,” Menchaca said.

While she could see her friends on Zoom before, she said virtual interactions with them didn’t fully ease her loneliness because she knew they lived far away. Now, Menchaca said she looks forward to meeting her online friends in person.

“It’ll be interesting in person because that kind of connection will be back in the room (and) that (connection) hasn’t been there for over a year now,” Menchaca said.

copyright karla garduño, and reproduced with permission

Having had to resort to making friends through social media, UT students share their experiences with meeting in person and how platforms facilitated in being social.

RAIL& BUS& RAPID& EXPRESS& PICKUP, OH MY!

MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2021

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FOOD

6 spots for new Austin foodies

By Zoe Tzanis @ZTzanis

Despite our differences, three truths unite UT students, staff and alumni: We need food, we like food and when it comes to food, we want the best bang for our buck.

To help everyone, from veterans to newcomers, enjoy the UT food scene, The Daily Texan compiled a list of the six best spots around campus to try during the first weeks of the semester.

Don’s Japanese Kitchen

GE T AN

We have dozens of ways to get out and explore Austin for free with a valid student ID. CapMetro.org/ourservices

ED UCATIO N

Known for his authentic Japanese classics and modern fusions, Don remains a campus legend. Located in the parking lot behind the Co-op, you can spot students lined up for Don’s best-selling dish: the customizable “Don” bowl.

According to electrical engineering sophomore Sarah Dickerson, nothing beats Don’s exquisite food and kind attitude.

“Everyone on campus loves him,” Dickerson said. “Their line is an hour-long, so you have to get there a little before they open.”

Chick’nCone

The irresistible scent of homemade waffles wafts from Chick’nCone’s front doors, reeling in a steady stream of hungry longhorns. A fairly new addition to Guadalupe, their signature dish, a handheld chicken and waffles, comes with air-fried chicken wrapped in a soft waffle cone.

Need that extra sweet kick?

They mix their milkshakes with crunchy waffle pieces.

UT alumnus Anthony Matthews, known on Instagram as @thehungrylonghorn, said he enjoys their simplistic aesthetic and inventive take on a Texan classic. He suggests newcomers try the traditional cinna-maple flavor.

UTea Pho

UTea Pho’s affordability, friendly staff and traditional Vietnamese offerings, like pho and vermicelli, make the restaurant a hidden gem of West Campus.

Finance sophomore Emily Vo said she loves UTea Pho’s accessibility and authenticity.

“I feel like Austin doesn’t have a lot of Asian food, so I think that it’s really cool that there’s one so close to campus,” Vo said. “I personally love almost everything they have.”

LIFE&ARTS

LIFE&ARTS

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MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2021

hannah clark

/ the daily texan staff

Autumn Mckinney and Zae Hois peruse the menu at Chick’nCone in West Campus on Friday, Aug. 20, 2021.

Roppolo’s Pizzeria

Austinites know Roppolo’s at 26th and Guadelupe for their gigantic, biggerthan-your-face Sicilian-style pizzas. Serving both traditional and specialty pies, Roppolo’s provides options for all pizza lovers.

When she’s hungry and on a budget, government sophomore Jailyn Serrano said she always goes to Roppolo’s.

“You get a lot of bang for your buck there,” Serrano said. “Five dollars for a huge slice of pizza is a pretty good deal, and the pizza is so good.”

Kerbey Lane Cafe

Offering quality queso, burgers and all-day breakfast, the Kerbey Lane Cafe at 26th and Guadalupe serves as a second home for many UT students.

With a comfortable environment for any situation: a dinner with parents, a meetup with friends or even a first date, Kerbey’s booths are ripe for memory-making.

Music studies sophomore Jaxon Jedele calls Kerbey an Austin staple.

“It really fits a unique vibe with the art on the walls,”

Jedele said. “I really love the chicken and pancakes.”

JP’s Pancake Company

Located at 26th and Rio Grande, JP’s made history as Austin’s first-ever pancake food truck.

Owner JP Udenenwu calls himself a “pancake-ologist.” He serves BYOB (Build-your-own bowl) pancakes and specialties, such as “The Hayley,” a tower of handmade milk chocolate chip pancakes coated with peanut butter, Nutella, honey and bananas.

N AT H A N H A N

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Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS

MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2021

MEN’S TENNIS

SPORTS

Spizzirri heads to U.S. Open Men’s tennis sophomore Eliot Spizzirri will play in the U.S. Open qualifiers after a dominant pro summer.

By Ross Fisher @rossfisher23

copyright courtesy of texas athletics, and reproduced with permission

Eliot Spizzirri strikes the tennis ball. The sophomore is set to play in the U.S. Open qualifiers from Aug. 24-27.

ike many other 19-year-old University of Texas students, tennis sophomore Eliot Spizzirri was busy building his professional resume this summer. Except he was not working a part-time gig or taking on a summer internship — Spizzirri was grinding out wins against professional tennis players in the Illinois summer heat.

Now he’s preparing for the opportunity of a lifetime.

Spizzirri won his first professional singles title earlier this month at the ITF Futures in Decatur, Illinois, just a week after winning his second-ever pro doubles title at the ITF Futures in Champaign, Illinois.

Just as it seemed life could not get any sweeter for the Longhorn sensation, Spizzirri got a call on Wednesday informing him that he was one of nine players awarded a wild card for the U.S. Open men’s singles qualifying tournament from Aug. 24-27 at Billie Jean King Center in Queens, New York.

After winning his first

professional singles title in Decatur on Aug. 8 — a massive milestone in his young career — Spizzirri shifted his focus to the upcoming fall season with Texas, planning to return to Austin on Aug. 20. Little did he know at the time, his return to Austin would have to be put on a brief hold.

As the Greenwich, Connecticut, product was wrapping up another grueling training session Wednesday morning, he got the surprise call from Kent Kinnear, head of men’s tennis at United States Tennis Association Player Development.

“I was stoked,” Spizzirri said.

“I was a little shocked, and it definitely gave me the chills a little bit, just because I’ve grown up going to the qualifying of the U.S. Open,” Spizzirri said.

The news was the realization of a boyhood dream for Spizzirri, who has been going to the free-toattend U.S. Open qualifying tournament every year since he was 8 years old.

Spizzirri recalls being awestruck, watching the tournament as a teenager and daring to dream that he too would make it to the big stage one day.

“It’s a little bit of a dream,” he said. “I can’t say I definitely knew it was gonna happen but I was striving for it every day because — I mean, I saw the level and it looks daunting when you’re maybe 14 years old, but you keep working and eventually get better and better, and opportunities arise. I definitely was visualizing it and

hoping that one day I would get that opportunity,” Spizzirri said.

The qualifying tournament will be a homecoming of sorts for the Texas ace, who practically grew up at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center, training with the United States Tennis Association there every year since he was 12. Spizzirri hopes that his familiarity with the grounds will lend him a sliver of an advantage.

The Texas standout is the second youngest competitor to receive a wild card for qualifying this year, a role he has grown accustomed to in his first full season playing collegiate tennis and on the ITF circuit.

Being among the youngest, Spizzirri feels that he has nothing to lose.

“My goal is to take (qualifying) literally one point at a time … I’m going to go out there and try to impose my game as much as I can and do some damage,” he said. “I’m not there just to act like I belong, I’m there to win,” Spizzirri said.

SPORTS

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MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2021

FOOTBALL

Bijan Robinson is primed for a breakout year

By Nathan Han @NathanHan13

Bijan Robinson said last year’s West Virginia game was the first time he truly felt comfortable on the field.

On the first play of the game, the then-freshman running back broke out for a 54-yard run and had a highlight reel-worthy stiff-arm on the very next play. But after notching 75 yards in four carries in the first quarter, Robinson got just one carry in the second quarter.

It was the start of a source of frustration for Texas football fans all year long: Why wasn’t Bijan getting more carries?

When Robinson earned Alamo Bowl Offensive MVP honors, rushing for 183 yards but rarely seeing the field in the second quarter after his second score, he was asked the very same question. “(Running backs) coach (Stan) Drayton has a system and he wants to keep everybody healthy,” Robinson said.

This year, new head coach Steve Sarkisian elected to keep Drayton.

But Drayton’s system of keeping his running backs fresh and healthy with constant substitutions might not be sticking around.

In an August teleconference, Sarkisian said his plan is for Robinson to average around 20 carries a game. The most carries the star running back had in a game last season was 16.

“If we can put a ballpark in that 18 to 22 range, roughly 20 touches a game, that puts us in a good position,” Sarkisian said. “That still allows opportunity for other players to do what they want to do and what they can do to help our team.”

Junior running back Roschon Johnson returns, and Texas added Alabama transfer Keilan Robinson as a change-ofpace running back who could add an extra speed element to the backfield.

It’s a deep group that Sarkisian called one of the most consistent position groups on the roster.

But success still starts with Robinson, who wears No. 5 in honor of Reggie Bush. Sarkisian coached Bush at the University of Southern California in 2005 when he won the Heisman Trophy.

The six-foot, 200-pound springy Reggie Bush might not be the best comparison for the powerhouse Robinson is in terms of playing style, but at Big 12 Media Days, Sarkisian did mention one similarity.

“The biggest thing Bijan resembles to Reggie Bush is the one-cut ability,” Sarkisian said. “I hadn’t seen that for quite some time, the ability to make that full speed one-cut and be at top speed and get vertical. jack meyer / the daily texan file Bijan has that. Seeing it Sophomore running back Bijan Robinson carries the ball in the spring game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial on tape is one thing. To Stadium on April 24, 2021. see it on the ground field level is another. I saw it every day throughout spring ball like, ‘Wow this is impressive.’”

Bush isn’t the only great running back Sarkisian has coached. Sarkisian pointed out that every team he’s coached has a running back, including Najee Harris in his last stint at Alabama as offensive coordinator, with over 900 rushing yards.

Robinson is the next running back in line to reach that mark, barring injury. He made several preseason All-American lists, was named a preseason watch list candidate for the Doak Walker Award and is projected to have an outside shot at the Heisman Trophy.

If the Texas offense is to reach their full potential this season, giving Robinson the right workload will be a large reason why. It certainly sounds like that is Sarkisian’s plan.

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MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2021

SPORTS

VOLLEYBALL

Meet the 2021 Texas Volleyball team

By Hannah Williford @HannahWillifor2

No. 1 Texas volleyball hosts its first official game of the season this Friday and the team is returning every one of its players in the fall.

Here are six key players to watch out for in their opening match: Logan Eggleston

Butler has turned heads in the Texas volleyball program since her freshman season in 2018, when she was selected for the All-Big 12 First Team and became an All-American honorable mention. Despite a rocky start to her sophomore year due to an injury taking her out of the first eight matches, Butler returned with a vengeance last season. The middle blocker ranked first in the nation with total blocks (147) and 11th at blocks per set (1.48), leading her to first team All-American honors.

and made Second Team All-Big 12 last season after playing in all 29 matches.

Jhenna Gabriel

Skylar Fields

jack myer jack myer

/ the daily texan file

Eggleston became a dominant force on the court during her college career, and doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. The team captain earned Big 12 Conference Player of the Year during the 2020-21 season, as well as becoming an AVCA First Team All-American. She started every match of her junior season, and was ranked 10th in the NCAA for kills per set, averaging 4.63.

Eggleston’s achievements, however, don’t stop on the court. As well as being captain of her own team, Eggleston became the Big 12 Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year in June with a 3.57 GPA. However, she does not seem to be resting on her laurels after Texas lost in the national championship this spring.

“It leaves that bad taste in your mouth,” Eggleston said, after the team’s loss to Kentucky. “We’re coming back stronger next year.”

jack myer

/ the daily texan file

With only two seasons under her belt, Fields shows a bright future for Texas volleyball.

The junior, who plays opposite hitter, was an honorable mention All-American last season and earned First Team All-Big 12 honors.

In their semi-final game against Wisconsin last spring, Fields, a biology major, was one of four players who broke double digits with 18 kills.

“We just went out there and handled our business,” Fields said.

/ the daily texan file

Gabriel is like glue for Texas volleyball. The junior from Honolulu, Hawaii, is ranked ninth in the nation and first in the Big 12 for assists per set (11.32) and 1,155 sets in total throughout the season, earning her a spot along with many of her teammates on the All-Big 12 first team. The setter started every match and set of the 2020-21 season, and helped the team to its thirdranked hitting percentage in the nation.

Gabriel graduated with a degree in public relations in three years this summer, and she will earn her master’s degree at UT in sports management.

Asjia O’Neal

Molly Phillips

middle blocker, gained First Team All-Big 12 last season and had plenty of breakthrough moments during the NCAA tournament this spring, ending three games with over 10 kills.

O’Neal, the daughter of former NBA star Jermaine O’Neal, is ranked 20th in the nation for hitting percentage.

Melanie Parra A new addition to UT’s team this spring, Parra hasn’t had much of a chance to make a name for herself as a Longhorn after her arrival to the program was delayed by COVID-19. However, the freshman’s career as part of the Mexican national team, which won the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation championship, gained her international attention at just 16 years old. After joining the team this spring, Parra had 76 kills in the nine matches. The newly-minted Longhorn will be cheered on by fans from her hometown of Culiacán, Mexico, as well as the Texas faithful.

Other players to watch - Libero Reilly Heinrich, a local from Georgetown, Texas, will return for her second season after playing in 11 games in 2020-21.

- Offensive hitter Madison Williams will return after being injured last season and only being able to play in two matches.

- Sydney Peterson, who earned Academic First Team All-Big 12 honors last season, will return again after playing in all 29 matches last season.

- Nalani Iosia, who was selected for the Big 12-All Rookie Team and played in every match last season, will also be back for her second year.

- Setter Naomi Cabello played in the second half of the 2020-21 season and will also return.

Brionne Butler

jack myer

jack myer

/ the daily texan file

/ the daily texan file

Middle blocker Molly Phillips will also be returning for her third season this fall

jack myer

/ the daily texan file

O’Neal is another budding star for Longhorn volleyball. The redshirt sophomore

jack myer

/ the daily texan file

COMICS

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Comics Editors | @TEXANCOMICS MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2021

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