The Daily Texan 2021-08-31

DT VOLUME 121, ISSUE 13 TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2021

unsustainable living Students face rising rent prices and dwindling affordable housing options in areas around UT. joshua guenther

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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 Editorial Cartoonist Anna Kaminetz

Double Coverage Photo Editor Blaine Young Double Coverage Design Editor Jenny DeVico 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 Design Editor Megan Fletcher Assoc. Design Editor Juleanna Culilap Senior Designers Jenny DeVico, Marissa Kapp Digital Designer Ciara Casarez Photo Editor Jack Myer

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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 Sofia Treviño

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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ISSUE STAFF Comic Artist Sylvia Asuncion-Crabb Copy Editor Katie Sun Opinion Illustrator Anna Kaminetz L&A Reporter Michelle Facio

AUSTIN WEATHER TODAY Aug. 31

HI LO

99º 75º

TOMORROW Sept. 1

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97º 77º

the weather is not funny. please drink water and electrolytes

06

Explore lesser-known destinations and attractions across the Forty Acres.

Sports

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05

Budget cuts and understaffing could force Texas Memorial Museum to close its doors.

Life&Arts

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The University must cover the expenses of sourcing varied halal dining options for Muslim students.

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News

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DT

Contents:

10

Steve Sarkisian confirms that redshirt freshman Hudson Card will start at quarterback.

LABELHEAD

MAIN TELEPHONE (512) 471-4591

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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

MANAGING EDITOR

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

NEWS OFFICE

UT residence halls return to full capacity precautions, such as masking.

Aaron Voyles, the director of residence halls operations for UHD, said UHD will continue to adapt to UT residence halls have reached the changing COVID-19 situation, 100% capacity with 7,400 students but it cannot enforce a mask or vacliving across the 14 residence halls cine mandate. Bathrooms are still amid Stage 5 COVID-19 levels, a communal and some dorms are spokesperson for University Housdoubled up. ing and Dining said.

“In terms of engagement, we’re Residence halls only reached offering a combination of in person 45% occupancy in fall 2020, with and remote or virtual program3,330 students living on campus ming, making sure that residents during a lower COVID-19 risk levhave ways to engage that they’re el. This semester, that number has going to be comfortable with,” doubled and Austin’s COVID-19 Voyles said. rating has moved from three to five.

The University required all resiWhile thousands more UT students dents moving to residence halls to megan fletcher / the daily texan staff have settled on campus this fall test negative within 72 hours before compared to last, some say they are moving, Voyles said. UHD is also excited for the return of the school disinfecting high-touch areas such year and are hopeful most people as faucet handles, card readers and will continue to follow COVID-19 door handles three times a day.

Voyles also said residents can bring up to one guest at a time, something they didn’t allow in the fall 2020 semester.

Design freshman Olivia Kouam said she expectThe below is considered directory information.

Under federal law, directory information Theinformation information below is considered directory information.

Under federal law, directory ed Jester East to be more can be madecan available to theavailable public. You restrict You access to restrict this information by this visiting information be made to may the public. may access to information by crowded than usual, but http://utx.as/personal-info.

Please be aware that if you request yourthat directory information to to visiting http://registrar.utexas.edu/restrictmyinfo.

Please be ALL aware if you would like there weren’t that many be restricted NO information about you given to anyone, including family restrict information from appearing inwill thebe printed directory, you mustyour make yourmembers, changes at this people when she arrived except as required by law.

Any restriction you make will remain in effect until you revoke it. web page by the twelfth class day of the fall semester. If you request that ALL your directory early in the morning to information be restricted NO information about you will be given to anyone, including your move in. by law. Any restriction you •make willparking remainpermit in effect until •family Namemembers, except as required • Classification Student Kouam said she is not revoke it.

•you Local and permanent • Major field(s) of study information worried about COVID-19 addresses • Most recent previous educa• Expected date of graduation despite there being a lot of name number • classification heightattended if member of •• Phone tional and institution • Degrees, awards, and honors • weight people in her dorm. She athletic team local address and permanent •• Email •anJob title and dates of employreceived (including selection • major field(s) of study said she and her roomaddresses ment when employed by the • Public user name (UT EID) criteria) • student parking permit • expected date of graduation mate are doing their part •• Place of birth university in a position that • Participation in officially information phone number • degrees, awards, and honors by wearing masks, wash•• Dates attendance requires studentprevious status recognized activities and sports• the most recent e-mailofaddress received (including selection ing their hands and keep• Enrollment status • Weight and height if member of educational institution attended • public user name (UT EID) criteria) ing their room spaced out an athletic team • job title and dates of employ• place of birth • participation in officially to social distance. ment when employed by the recognized activities and “I’m looking forward • dates of attendance DIRECTORY INFORMATION SHOULD BE KEPT CURRENT. OfficialUniversity correspondence is sent in a position that sports to making more friends • the enrollment to postal orstatus email address last given to the registrar. If the student requires has failedstudent to correct this status and meeting new peoaddress, they will not be relieved of responsibility on the grounds that the correspondence was ple, hanging out with my not delivered.

For details about educational records and official communications with the University DIRECTORY INFORMATION SHOULD BE KEPT CURRENT. Official correspondence is sent friends and getting to see General Information, 2021-2022 catalog. to the postal or e-mail address last given to the registrar; if the student has failed to correct know my teachers betthis address, he or she will not be relieved of responsibility on the grounds that the ter. Just having fun and correspondence was not delivered. For details about taking it easy not to overeducational records and official communications with the whelm myself,” Kouam University see General Information, 2011–2012. said.

By Kevin Vu @Kevin_Vu_

A Student’s Right To Privacy

(512) 232-2207 news@thedailytexan.com The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely. If we have made an error, let us know about it. E-mail managingeditor@thedailytexan.com.

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Copyright 2021 Texas Student Media. All articles, photographs and graphics, both in print and online editions, are the property of Texas Student Media and may not be reproduced or republished in part or in whole without written permission.

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NEWS

BROOKE ONTIVEROS

3

News Editor | @THEDAILYTEXAN TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2021

STUDENT LIFE

U n su stainab le liv in g Student living costs rise as Austin housing market grows.

By Tori Duff @torianneduff

partment buildings, condominiums and co-ops have taken up all of the available land around UT for more than a decade, an Ausstudent housing

tin-based broker said.

As apartment complexes continue to increase prices without losing demand and replace old buildings with luxury housing, he said the state of student housing is becoming a crisis.

“All the land has been built out around

campus, and now students are mostly restricted to an area that is not sustainable,” said Blaine England, a housing broker who has been working for over 20 years in Austin.

A 2020 analysis by housing advocacy group HousingWorks Austin said 48% of renters in District 9, where West Campus is located, are “rent-burdened,” where a tenant spends more than 30% of their monthly income on housing. The district also has the highest average rent of all 10 districts at $1,709 a month, though this area includes more than West Campus.

In 2015, average rent in the same area was $1,520 per month.

“It’s not fair, and there’s less and less affordable options every year,” said Edward Smith, a UT student living in The Quarters Grayson House in West Campus.

Smith, a mechanical engineering senior, said he feels many apartments are able to get away with charging high rates for lesser quality apartments because of their proximity to campus.

An analysis by Zillow, an online real estate marketplace, recently found Austin

juleanna culilap

/ the daily texan staff

may be the most expensive place to live in the U.S. outside of California by the end of the year if current trends continue.

Just this semester, several new luxury student living complexes have opened, including The Standard, Villas on Rio and Torre. The average two-bedroom apartment rent at Villas on Rio is $1,400.

For reference, the median family income of UT students in 2019 was $10,375 per month, according to a UT Report to the Governor.

UT clinical professor Heather Way worked on a study called the Uprooted Project, which addresses housing displacement of vulnerable communities in Austin. Way said the University should play a more active role in building and acquiring affordable housing options for students.

“UT has historically never provided enough University housing for students,” Way said. “It’s a big problem … it certainly makes UT less competitive in terms of its ability to attract faculty and students as they cannot afford to live in the area.”

Way said that while luxury apartments being built do not necessarily drive up the cost of surrounding real estate, a big issue is these complexes taking the place of affordable options that are knocked down to create room.

“Rising rents can be affected by the fact that luxury housing being built shows there is an appetite for people paying higher rents,” Way said. “There’s also a loss of affordable housing that has historically served stuHOUSING

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S A N I K A N AYA K

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Editor-In-Chief | @TEXANOPINION TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2021

COLUMN

OPINION

Cover cost of diversifying halal dining options Columnist Safa Michigan asks the University to cover the expenses of sourcing varied halal dining options for Muslim students.

By Safa Michigan Columnist

n Arabic, halal means “lawful” or “permitted.” Muslims are expected to adhere to a halal code of conduct and consumption, which states that meat is only halal if it’s slaughtered a certain way. For Muslim students on campus, eating halal can be difficult.

After a years-long fight led by the Muslim Students’ Association, halal options were finally introduced to UT’s dining halls in January 2020. Although the newfound availability of beef and chicken patties was a victory, the problem is that to this day, options are limited to just those two items.

UT should better provide for its Muslim students by allocating funding to cover the expenses of finding halal sourcing for a wider variety of options. This would go a long way in making these students feel more included on campus.

Ammar Abed, a biology and math senior serving as the incoming

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.

anna kaminetz

president of the association, said because halal options are also limited off-campus, the dining halls should diversify their offerings.

“I’m lucky because I’m a local and my parents would give me food to keep in the fridge,” Abed said. “But out-of-state students don’t have that option, and they can’t cook in the dorms, either. And for students looking for halal food off campus, there are limited options with little variety and high prices.”

Most of the students eating in the dining halls are freshmen acclimating to campus. A lack of proper dining accommodations alienate those in a new environment. But the issue goes beyond freshmen. Upperclassmen and graduate students may also rely on dining halls to provide their meals.

Ultimately, nutritious meals are a

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.

/ the daily texan staff

necessity, and Muslim students deserve the same accessibility to food as other students. The University must be proactive about accommodating students’ religious beliefs.

Dining director Rene Rodriguez said that his team is committed to expanding halal options, but the problem is twofold — first, a lack of local sourcing, and second, the cost.

“We’re trying to do it within the current price points, because we don’t want Muslim students to have to pay more money, especially because it’s a law.

That’s not fair to our students,” Rodriguez said. “These suppliers’ price points are double what students are paying to come into the dining hall.”

Abed plans to resume the work of his predecessors and continue conversations with University Housing and

Dining, but he also admitted that sourcing and cost are problems.

It’s admirable that UHD is committed to diversifying halal options, and it’s refreshing that Rodriguez is adamant that Muslim students should not have to pay more money. This is where UT needs to come in.

We have the second-largest endowment in the nation, meaning that the University has the capability to fund UHD’s initiative to expand halal options. In addition, schools with lesser endowments than UT such as New York University, Boston University, and UC Santa Cruz offer varied halal options in their dining halls. If they can afford to accommodate their Muslim students, UT definitely can.

Muhammad Shaukat, a graudate student studying electronics, photonics and quantum systems, wishes that there were more on-campus dining options available for him this fall when he starts the Commuter Meal Plan. He also has an idea for how the University could help accomodate Muslim students right now.

“It’s the administration’s responsibility to help cover the costs, especially considering UT is a top university that values diversity,” Shaukat said. “But they could also use the patties they currently have to make different things, like shawarma or pizza.”

UT’s website states that one of its goals is to “create a positive, comfortable environment” by providing “diverse, high-quality food options.” It’s time for Muslim students to be included in that commitment.

Michigan is a Plan II and race, indigeneity and migration junior from Shreveport, Louisiana.

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NEWS

5

TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2021

UNIVERSITY

Texas Memorial Museum risks closing due to budget cuts, understaffing

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 ® .

connor downs

/ the daily texan staff

The Texas Memorial Museum is facing financial strain after budget cuts and a lack of financial support from UT.

By Katy Nelson @KatyNel86

The Texas Memorial Museum is facing financial strain after budget cuts and a lack of support from UT. Without more financial support, the museum may be forced to close in about two years, museum leadership says.

Edward Theriot, part of museum leadership, said the University defunded the museum seven years ago. Formerly called the Texas National Science Center, the museum managed research collections in biology and paleontology.

“The museum itself just became an exhibit museum without any ties to academia,” biology professor Theriot said.

The University still maintains the building for necessary repairs, but no longer funds museum operations. The museum is currently funded by donations, income from the museum store, ticket sales and, until recently, funding from the state legislature for partnering with the University.

The University did not request exceptional funding for the museum in the last legislative session, which cut museum funding by $75,000, Theriot said.

“That’s a significant portion of our annual budget, which is somewhere on the order of about $200,000 to $300,000, depending on what educational programs we’re doing or what we may be planning for exhibits,” Theriot said.

The University did not respond to multiple requests for comment on museum funding.

The museum is also dealing with understaffing issues, Theriot said. Seven years ago, 11 people usually worked in the building with management supervision. Now, only three full-time employees work alongside a half-time administrative associate, Theriot said.

“If two people are sick and can’t come in one week, we literally can’t operate the museum,” Theriot said.

Theriot said he is working on a report to present to the College of Natural Sciences to detail its operations, how much it costs to keep the museum open and when it expects to run out of money.

“We both suffered from and benefitted from benign neglect over the whole history of the museum,” Theriot said. “As long as it survived it was fine, but that’s coming to an end in the next couple of years unless things change dramatically at some level.”

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FIZA KUZHIYIL

6

Life&Arts Editor | @TEXANARTS TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2021

CAMPUS

LIFE&ARTS

10 useful hidden gems on the Forty Acres From places to eat to work out destinations, the Texan has you covered.

By Dina Barrish @BarrishDina

Building, to enjoy the calm and serenity of Waller Creek. Stand on the bridge to feel all those school stressors melt away.

ey Longhorns (even seasoned seniors), it’s time to find a new favorite spot on the Forty Acres. The Daily Texan compiled a list of useful places you just don’t want to miss.

Jester East Kitchen

Waller Creek

Texas Memorial Museum

When herds of noisy tourists disrupt the peace and quiet of the Turtle Pond, head toward the most theatrical corner of campus, the F. Loren Winship Drama

On days when Jester City Limits and Jester 2nd Floor Dining don’t fulfill those fettuccine alfredo cravings, hit the kitchen on the first-floor lobby at Jester East to chef up a delectable surprise for roommates, friends and lucky passerby. No hungry Longhorns!

Located on Trinity Street across from the Music Building and Recital Hall, the iconic long stairway and lion sculptures of the Texas Memorial Museum

immediately attract visitors. Venture inside Austin’s first science museum for a rich tour of Texas history Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Recreational Sports Center

When all the treadmills at Gregory Gymnasium are taken, don’t resort to pajamas and a bag of chips just yet. Blast that workout playlist and jog past Jester East Dormitory to the Recreational Sports Center on San Jacinto Boulevard.

Hit the track at the nearby Caven Lacrosse and Sports Center at Clark Field for an outdoor run, or head inside the Rec Center to lift weights and crunch those abs.

Campus Post Office

For sending letters to family and friends — or, more realistically, returning Amazon packages — the post office on Inner Campus Drive is a convenient resource. Don’t forget stamps!

Honors Quad Basement

Known as the “Q,” the recreational room in the Andrews Residence Hall basement features a ping-pong table, TV, foosball table and couches for lounging with friends. Don’t be fooled — honors

students know how to have a good time.

Campus Computer Store

Is your computer broken? Are you missing one airpod? Do you feel like going on an elaborate shopping spree? Well, look no further than the Campus Computer Store. Nestled within the Flawn Academic Center, UT’s own “Genius Bar” not only buys and sells electronics, it also offers student discounts.

Jester West Basement

After devouring a slice (or three) of Jesta’ Pizza, take two flights downstairs to study in the Jester West Basement. Ace group projects at the big tables and open space, or use the study room to cram solo.

Union Underground

Neon lights, bowling, air hockey, refreshments and more. Have fun on a budget in the basement of the Texas Union.

Bevo Bucks accepted.

Etter-Harbin Alumni Center

Grab a coffee or a bite to eat at Texas EXpresso, and study outside among century-old oak trees. Sponsored by the Texas Exes Foundation and located across the street from the Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, the space serves as a wedding venue, conference center and reception site.

kara hawley

/ the daily texan staff

Jerald Molina, a freshman biology major, lines up for a shot at the pool table in the Honors Quad basement on Aug. 29.

LIFE&ARTS

TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2021

7

ALUMNI

UT Facebook group provides repurposed resources

By Michelle Facio @michelleefacio

When UT alumna Camille Jackson cleaned out her apartment in late January, she thought about tossing her old items into the garbage or selling them online. Instead, inspired by posts on the Buy Nothing Facebook page, she chose to give those items a new life by donating them to people in her community through UT’s local Buy Nothing group.

“You see something you don’t have use for (that) has use for somebody else, whereas if you take something to Goodwill … you don’t know if it’s ending up in a warehouse forever or in a landfill,” Jackson said.

With the Buy Nothing Project, an international network of localized “Buy Nothing” groups, people donate, find items and connect with neighbors. The UT/Hyde Park Buy Nothing group is currently stacked with over 1,500 members. It helps UT students, alumni and other community members clean out homes, furnish new apartments and even make friends.

Kym Whitehead, one of the UT/Hyde igh-frequency running Park areaservice Buy Nothing group adminissaid7 thedays group provides members inutes ortrators, better, a week with everything from furniture and calculators to clothing. She said she values Buy Nothing’s most important rule: Nothing can be given or received in exchange for money. to change “It givesSubject people a chance to act on the impetus to be their better selves,” WhiteLBJ head said. “These are not useless items High School Dr that you’re going to throw in the garbage or put out for bulk collection or take to the dump. Something you don’t want is e magically transformed into something Dr that will improve a stranger’s life.”

Buy Nothing member Nichole Wagner said she doesn’t live near her family, so the online community provides her a 801 sense of belonging.

MetroRapid “I’ve gotten to know a lot more of my Limited-stop service for ain the neighneighbors and kind people fasterby ride.

Board and borhood being part ofde-board the group and at designated having a place tostations. ask questions that are MetroRapid operates every 10 minutes during peak hours on weekdays.

h-Frequency Transit Routes

January 2021

Tumbleweed Dr

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2 MetroBus Local Bus service every 15 minutes during peak hours.

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ana louisa matzner / the daily texan staff

hyperlocal,” Wagner said.

Wagner said during Winter Storm Uri in February 2021, Buy Nothing group members came together to provide one another with resources such as water, power and food. Wagner, who had power throughout the storm, offered neighbors a place to charge their phones.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, UT alumna Sharon Shelton spent time walking around her neighborhood, taking pictures of items people left out in the street and posting them to Buy Nothing’s Facebook page.

“When the pandemic started, because I’m elderly, I had to stay indoors and didn’t go out and make my postings,” Shelton said. “I got several emails from people asking if I was okay, checking in, was I still healthy, could they buy me food, did I need anything — and this is from a Facebook group. This is something really special.”

Shelton said Buy Nothing’s overwhelming positivity impressed her.

“Buy Nothing challenges the whole idea that everybody’s competing and everyone’s in it for themselves, and the fundamental basis of our economy is making money however that can be done,” Shelton said. “This goes in the face of that. This is people sharing what they have with each other.”

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The Editor is eligible for stipend AND tuition credit.

participateTSM.com The Cactus yearbook has published continuously since 1894 and is the official record of the University of Texas.

The Cactus is part of Texas Student Media and publishes in conjunction with The Daily Texan, Texas Student Television, KVRX Radio and more.

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2021

LIFE&ARTS

STUDENT LIFE

UT student writes and directs films about finding beauty in unique places

By Carolyn Parmer @_carolynparmer

Every morning before school, when his parents couldn’t drive him, Marlon Rubio Smith hopped on the Houston Metro bus. What others viewed as a tedious commute, Smith viewed as a way to appreciate life.

“To me, that little short trip is beautiful,” Smith said.

In June 2021, the radio-television-film sophomore turned his fascination with public transport into a film called “Beauties of the Morning.” The silent feature documents two high schoolers riding the Metro to school.

After COVID-19 turned all of his classes virtual, Smith said he began reminiscing on his mornings in high school where getting to school required more than opening a laptop.

“Many of my ex-classmates … don’t really seem to miss (high school),” Smith said.

“It’s not that I miss it like, ‘Oh, I wish I could be there right now,’ … but I actually miss some of the experiences in going to school on the Metro.”

Smith’s friend Simon Chardey, who portrayed the male student in the film, said acting in it impacted his view on his daily routine.

“I’ve been trying to find happiness (in) tiny little things and not so much focusing on the biggest achieve-

ments, but small things I do every day, like how those could be fulfilling,” Chardey said.

Although a decade has passed since he has acted in anything, Chardey said he enjoyed acting more than he expected.

“There was this one part where (Smith) wanted me to dance across the street, and it was a busy, popular street so there were so many cars coming by,” Chardey said.

“Right after we filmed, I got text messages from three people that I knew that they saw us at the intersection, and I thought that was hilarious.”

Smith’s girlfriend Samantha Sangerman, a Houston Community College freshman, played the other charac-

ter, a female student. She said she spent her favorite moments filming inside a private Metro bus.

“We had permission to have our own Metro,” Sangerman said. “The first day (filming) was the scene inside the Metro, so it was an opportunity to just be there, taking our time and doing what we have to do.”

Annalise Vanderwater, a Sam Houston State University sophomore, took behind-thescenes photos and videos for the film. She said she loved participating in a creative environment after months without the opportunity to do so.

“During COVID and quarantine it was really hard to have a creative outlet, and so it brought me back to the real world and how you can …

create something so easily,” Vanderwater said.

Smith, who wrote, produced and directed the film, said he is also editing it himself to bring his vision to life.

Currently, Smith hopes to edit his film by November in time to submit it to Houston film festivals.

As he edits, Smith said he looks back fondly on his time in high school. Creating the film helps him appreciate even the bad days.

“Even with the bad stuff, like missing the bus, once you recall those experiences, they’re nice,” Smith said.

“That’s what makes high school sort of special. At the moment it’s like, ‘Oh, why does it happen to me?’ … And right now it’s a nice memory that I have.”

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Marlon Rubio Smith films Simon Chardey at a Metro station for Smith’s short film, “Beauties of the Morning.”

SPORTS

N AT H A N H A N

9

Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2021

FOOTBALL

Card to start, but Thompson to play Steve Sarkisian named freshman Card as the starter but said Thompson would also play

By Matthew Boncosky @mboncosky

teve Sarkisian took plenty of timeneeding numerous scrimmages and an entire off-season — before finally announcing Texas’ starting quarterback to open the season.

The Texas head coach gave redshirt freshman Hudson Card the nod at the first of his weekly Monday press conferences. Sarkisian noted how tight the competition between him and junior Casey Thompson was and that the latter would also play in Saturday’s game against No. 23 Louisiana.

“We’ll continue to evaluate the situation from there, but that’s the direction we’re going to go this weekend,” Sarkisian said.

Sarkisian wouldn’t say how much or in what situations Thompson would see the field, or even whether or not there will be an ongoing battle between the two quarterbacks going forward.

“I think there’s got to be a feel for the game (in deciding when Thompson plays),” Sarkisian said. “Hudson’s earned the right to be the starter, but somewhere in this game Casey’s going to get his opportunities as well.”

Obviously, Texas fans know what Thompson is capable of.

The dual-threat quarterback out of Oklahoma replaced an injured Sam Ehlinger in the 2020 Alamo Bowl and proceeded to tie a Texas bowl game record with four touchdown passes. His performance created plenty of buzz and excitement about the future of the position following Ehlinger’s decision to declare for the NFL Draft.

While Texas fans haven’t seen as much on-field action from Card, he’s proved to be

no slouch either. Local Austinites might remember him from his days at Lake Travis High School, where he led the Cavaliers to the 6A Division 1 state semifinals in 2019. It’s no surprise the highly touted recruit found his way into a heated competition for the QB1 spot.

As Sarkisian has said throughout the off-season, having two quarterbacks on the roster that can play at an elite level is a luxury not many teams have. Ensuring that Thompson will see the field and get legitimate, non-garbage playing time would provide peace of mind in case something were to happen to Card or vice versa.

“We’re going to need both quarterbacks as the season goes on,” Sarkisian said. “I don’t think we’re taking a step back offensively.”

As far as why Card ultimately got the nod over Thompson, Sarkisian noted his arm talent and work ethic while being careful to emphasize how that’s not a knock on Thompson. Sarkisian focused mainly on what the quarterback can do for the team in a couple key areas: consistent-

ly moving the ball down the field, understanding situational football and preventing unnecessary turnovers.

“It was a tough call,” Sarkisian said. “In general, we try to make the best decision for the program at that time.

But again, that’s why I think Casey’s going to play in this game, (and) we’ll reevaluate after one game.”

As Sarkisian also noted, neither quarterback has started a game in their college careers yet. Whatever fans think they know heading into the season might completely flip once the real games start.

What Sarkisian really wants to see from his quarterback is consistent play. The minute a quarterback goes out on the field trying to be extraordinary is when bad things happen, he said.

“I think both guys understand that,” Sarkisian said.

“Now, when they get their opportunities, it’s not trying to win the job on one play. We’re not trying to have a starting quarterback just because he wows the crowd.”

jack myer

/ the daily texan staff

Redshirt freshman Hudson Card makes a pass at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium on April 24.

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“I’m looking forward to the roar of the crowd” Sarkisian talks new “vibe” around campus as first gameday approaches

By Nathan Han @NathanHan13

Steve Sarkisian said there’s just a “vibe” about campus these past few weeks that’s different than when Texas first hired him as its head football coach in January.

“It was hard to get a real sense of the campus, the community, the pride because you just didn’t see people,” Sarkisian said. “And I really feel like in the last month and a half or so, I’ve really felt Longhorn Nation — definitely felt it much more than I did for the first six months or so on the job.”

Ahead of No. 21 Texas’ home opener against No. 23 Louisiana on Sept. 4, Sarkisian spoke with the media in person Monday. The big storyline of the press conference was his decision to name redshirt freshman Hudson Card as starting quarterback.

But the former Alabama offensive coordinator also said he was excited for the return of football to Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in a full capacity fashion, calling the crowd “a unique home field advantage.”

“Not everybody can say they have 100,000 fans that

are just rabid and excited and behind you,” Sarkisian said. “We’re one of the few that (can).”

While discussing his first return to college football gameday as a head coach since 2015, Sarkisian seemed as passionate as he has been all offseason.

He said the gameday atmosphere is one of the main reasons “you take a job of Texas’ caliber.”

“I love college football. I love everything about it. I’m looking forward to getting off the bus, walking down through the fans,” Sarkisian said. “I’m looking forward to the buzz in the stadium and the pregame. And I’m looking forward to the roar of the crowd. I mean, I think that if that doesn’t get you chills, you can go find another profession, right?”

“Well, we try not to screw up grandma’s cookie recipe. We try to make sure that we’re putting everything in that cookie that makes it taste the best.”

He called the plays a mixed bag that would both allow specific players to get touches and gain confidence early while still being effective scheme-wise.

“We try not to out-think ourselves or outsmart ourselves and say, ‘Well, if we added this?’ All of a sudden you bite into that cookie, and your mom made it and it never quite tastes like grandma’s cookie,” Sarkisian

said. “So we try to keep it pretty similar.”

Bird’s Eye View

On the flip side, the playcaller for the defense will not be scripting plays and calling them from the sideline.

Defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski will be viewing the game up in the booth, Sarkisian said, where he’ll be joined by safeties coach Blake Gideon and quarterbacks coach AJ Milwee.

“So it’ll be the three guys up top and everybody else down,” Sarkisian said. “Obviously along with some analysts and (graduate assistants) up top.”

Grandma’s Cookies

Texas will script its opening plays, Sarkisian said Monday.

Texas’ offensive playcaller compared those first couple of scripted plays to “your grandma’s cookies.”

“You guys remember when you grew up, and you go to your grandma’s house, and she makes the best cookies, right?” Sarkisian said.

jack myer/ the daily texan staff

Texas head football coach Steve Sarkisian gives an interview following the annual Orange and White game on April 24.

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dents in places like East Riverside where you have affordable apartments that are being torn down to pave way for luxury ones.”

The same HousingWorks Austin analysis found median rents in Riverside to be around $1,280 a month per person, with an average family having a median annual income of $3,860 per month. Average rent was $1,172 per month in 2015. Now, around 50% of residents in the area are rent-burdened.

Many students have lived in Riverside to avoid higher prices, trading affordability for accessibility as it is a 20 to 30 minute commute to campus every day.

But Riverside is not immune to the housing market growth, and the city of Austin has also failed to address issues with student housing.

An ongoing study by the Austin Mobility Bond Project of Austin gentrification rates shows the Riverside area is one of the “most vulnerable” to housing instability on the study’s rating scale, given the housing market has accelerating rates of growth that are unsustainable for the average demographic in the area.

Austin City Council also voted to rezone Riverside for mixed-use development in 2019, which caused students to protest in fear of losing their housing to higher rent prices.

In 2004, the city passed an initiative called the University Neighborhood Overlay Plan (UNO) which increased the zoning density of the West Campus neighborhood. England, a student apartment housing developer at the time, said the nature

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of UT student housing has changed greatly since this measure.

The plan requires developers that build housing complexes taller than a certain height — which varies across different areas of West Campus — to reserve 10% of units to be affordable for students who are making 60% of the median family income in Austin, and they must reserve another 10% for those making 50% of the median family income.

Height restrictions range between 40 feet and 220 feet depending on the location.

But England said this is complicated by the Capitol View Corridors, a measure that restricts building heights to 200 feet in different areas of the city to prevent the view of the Texas Capitol being blocked. Given the proximity of West Campus to the Capitol, the city does not often approve buildings tall enough to qualify Howard Ln for UNO affordable housing.

325 TECH RIDGE “The campus has really boxed PARMER itself in, meaning complexes can charge what they want because stuBRAKER LN ACC dents want to be near campus,” EnCHINATOWN DOMAIN Northridge gland said.

The Domain 803 Nora Linares-Moeller, the ex-Braker Ln 801 ecutive director of HousingWorks UT seen RESEARCH MASTERSON Austin, said students are not CAMPUS as being rent-burdened, which creates challenges for them to find RUTLAND affordable housing.

RUNDBERG Rundberg Ln Rundberg Ln “One of the reasons students 325 have been forgotten, is that you CROSSROADS tend to think of a student having a FAIRFIELD scholarship, or their parents pay325 NORTH LAMAR ing for their housing, or they’re on 10 TRANSIT CENTER OHLEN campus,” Moeller said. “But this Wal Mart year, the increases in property and Northcross housing have been astronomical, NORTHCROSS Mall and yet household incomes hav300 St Johns Ave en’t grown fast and neither have CRESTVIEW student incomes.”

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