DT 2021-10-12 by The Daily Texan

DT VOLUME 122, ISSUE 25 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2021

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UT should provide preparatory resources for standardized language tests.

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RESEARCH

UT study shows how Mars’ surface was formed By Katy Nelson @KatyNel86

UT researchers recently discovered that, over the span of weeks, massive Mars flooding carved out canyons hundreds of meters deep. The researchers’ new study shows how water can potentially interact with land on different planets. While water erosion on Earth occurs over hundreds of years, the study published in September found Mars’ crater lakes stored significant amounts of water that rapidly eroded the valleys of Mars billions of years ago, said Alex Morgan, research scientist at the Planetary Science Institute. This discovery shows how other planets might interact with water differently than Earth. “The fact that Mars’ topography is dominated by these impact craters leads it to a scenario where it can very easily pond and store lots of water that can then fill up and breach to form these catastrophic floods,” said Timothy Goudge, an assistant geological sciences professor. Goudge said Earth’s surface is primarily affected by the movement of plate tectonics, while Mars’ surface changed due to the movement of flood waters. “When it comes to trying to understand what’s going on on exoplanets and other solar systems ... there’s a number of ways that water can affect the surface of a planet,” Morgan said. “On Earth where it’s over a long period of time, things are kind of in equilibrium … but on Mars … you’re gonna have a lot more catastrophic action.”

UT researchers have produced new findings regarding the creation of Mars’ surface.

The team conducted the study by going through an existing catalog of Mars’ valley systems and categorizing every valley into whether or not it stemmed from a lake, Goudge said. “Then we used a ... global topographic map of Mars from which we could extract the volumes of these canyons (and discover) how big are all of these canyons of valleys,” Goudge said. “Then we summed it up over the entire planet and got a final number of ... the total volume of erosion from prolonged valleys versus from lake breach floods.” Goudge said the water from these floods is currently either encased in ice, lost to deep space as a result of Mars’ weak atmosphere or incorporated into minerals in Mars’ crust. However, there is debate regard-

ing how much water was lost. “So, the most obvious reservoir of water is actually ice on Mars. So there’s a huge amount of water still on Mars: it’s just all ice. It still exists, but it’s locked up in like polar ice caps, and in fact there’s enough ice on the surface of Mars today to easily fill up all of the lakes that we studied,” Goudge said. The team plans to continue this research through computer modeling to reproduce the lake breach flooding and examine how flooding affected specific regions of Mars. “The next step would be to find a few case studies to understand the dynamics, and what happened as these outreach floods occurred,” Morgan said.

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

NEWS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2021

RESEARCH

UT researchers find method to quickly capture, store carbon emissions By Sonali Menon & Katy Nelson @thedailytexan

UT researchers hav discovered a way to store 200 times more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in deepsea technology, which can help mitigate climate change. The research team, which partnered with ExxonMobil in 2018 to improve carbon capture technology, pressurized water and carbon dioxide to form hydrates which will then be stored in ocean beds rather than be released into the atmosphere, researcher Aritra Kar said. Additionally, researchers found in August that by adding magnesium to reactors that create the hydrates, they could capture carbon dioxide 3,000 times faster than current methods. “If I just keep carbon dioxide and water inside the reactor and pressurize it and put the temperature something close to zero it will probably start forming in about an hour or even

in days,” Kar said. “With magnesium what we achieved was we could reduce this time from hours and days into just minutes.” Current carbon capture technologies require specific geological formations that can be used to inject carbon dioxide into, but not all areas have access to these formations. Hydrates can be stored in any deep-sea ocean floor, which most countries have access to. “The idea is to not let them escape,” Kar said. “The idea is to try to grab (carbon dioxide) and (trap) them somewhere else, so that they do not go into the atmosphere and cause global warming.” The researchers and ExxonMobil filed a patent for their discovery in July and are looking toward pursuing further research to demonstrate its potential at a larger scale, Bahadur said. “One of the major challenges is that we need to demonstrate this at much larger scales than what we are doing currently,” Bahadur said. “Right now we form hydrates in test tubes, but

eventually we want to form a roomful of hydrates.” This research is part of ExxonMobil’s $15 million investment to the University’s Energy Institute in 2016 in hopes of pursuing technologies to help reduce the environmental impacts of carbon emissions. The investment was made with the specific aim of further developing carbon storage technologies. “We are exploring options for what this technology could look like five years down the line, and how we could end up commercializing it,” Bahadur said. In 2020, carbon emissions fell 5.8% as a result of the pandemic, according

to the International Energy Agency. However, according to the European Commission, a downward trend must persist in order to reach the Paris Climate Agreement’s goal of a 1.5 degrees Celsius limit to global warming by 2050. “It’s extremely important to do this kind of research because where we’re at now with the climate system, we’ve put out so much into the atmosphere that even if we stopped emissions now, we (would) not stop warming,” geology professor Camille Parmesan said. “If you create a stable solid form of carbon, then that is a way of completely taking it out of the system.”

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OPINION

S A N I K A N AYA K

Editor-In-Chief | @TEXANOPINION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2021

COLUMN

Get rid of standardized testing option UT must get rid of option to submit standardized test scores in the application process. By Michael Lazenby Columnist

tandardized tests such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test have not only been proven to be poor indicators of a student’s future success, but have also created an unnecessary divide that largely impacts low-income students and those from underrepresented communities. While the University touts their holistic application process, standardized tests are an unneeded part of that process. Why is an innovative and esteemed university like UT admitting students based on dated and exclusionary measures? The University must put an end to the standardized test requirement by

GALLERY

anna kaminetz

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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.

getting rid of the option to submit exam scores altogether. While the University is not currently requiring applicants to submit test scores, it’s still an option. “There’s overwhelming research that discredits how useful (standardized test scores are) at evaluating students and whether they should get admitted into the program,” finance junior Varun Verma said. “I did a little research myself back in high school and it doesn’t seem like a great indicator of success. It’s also rooted in ways that can be biased towards discriminating against minorities and people coming from lower socioeconomic statuses.” While these issues have been proven by studies across the country, the University has turned a blind eye to them and the students they affect — primarily those from communities of color and low-income households. The University implemented the standardized testing requirement in the same time period they began integrating students of color. The timing of this added requirement hints at the fact that it was used to keep students of color out of UT. While the University cannot change its racist past, it can at the very least change the future. Verma explained a possible method to address the discriminatory nature of standardized tests. “At places like UT, you don’t see as much diversity as you might like. You can remove the focus on that score and look at a more holistic view of the student, that’d definitely be better,” Verma said. “Instead of just looking at an SAT score, contextualize where a student might be from or their background or how students from (high) school are doing, which can kind of take into account the different resources that the students have available. It’s an imperfect solution but it could at least be a little bit better than the status quo.” Test scores do not tell the story of a student’s circumstances. Students will be judged by their test scores when one is attached to their application. The divide created by standardized tests became more

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apparent over the past year. Miguel Wasielewski, executive director of admissions, explained why the admissions department waived the requirement of submitting standardized test scores during COVID-19. “We had to think, ‘Is there a different way of looking at (requiring standardized tests) because of what students can and cannot access?’” Wasielewski said. “We have very open communications with counselors throughout the state, they were letting us know students were having difficulty taking the SAT or ACT. Based on all of the information we saw, this test was not equitably accessible to students.” Students in underrepresented communities are forced to continuously confront these barriers, regardless of if there is a pandemic or not. For example, if access to study materials for the test are unavailable to students in these communities, preparing for and taking the test itself is not

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equitably accessible. Not only does the admissions department recognize this struggle, but Wasielewski also conceded that standardized tests can be used in an exclusionary nature. “When we think about higher education, if the standardized scores are being used in an exclusionary fashion, I think there would be a benefit of not having a student have to submit those scores,” Wasielewski said. While it’s encouraging that the University is aware of these problems, they must now act to solve them. Students and studies say that requiring standardized test submissions creates an unfair divide. If the University were to eliminate the option as a whole, it would pave the way for a more inclusive and diverse future for UT. Lazenby is an economics junior from Chicago, Illinois.

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NEWS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2021

CAMPUS

CMHC expands services to give students 24/7 access to mental health resources By Tori Duff @torianneduff

The Counseling and Mental Health Center will now provide 24/7 mental health counseling through a third-party chat and phone service with licensed professionals. My Student Support Program, an online counseling service, will provide students access to a 24/7 chat feature they can access through the CMHC website or the program’s app. According to last week’s announcement, Students can request a counselor of the same gender, sexuality or race and virtually meet within an hour, last week’s announcement said. The program has counselors in 167 different countries who speak over 150 different languages, CMHC director Chris Brownson said. Students are first met with a program representative who is trained in mental health support but is not a licensed professional to assess their needs, Brownson said. Students can receive guidance from the initial contact and decide whether to then meet with a licensed professional. “Sometimes, you’re struggling with something or you have some problems that you want to discuss or get a little bit of support,” Brownson said. “There’s various levels of training that do a great job at meeting students where they are.” Nimisha Jain, former president of the UT chapter of the National Mental Health Alliance, said having

access to a counselor who speaks a student’s preferred language or shares a similar identity can help students feel more comfortable sharing their mental health concerns. “If someone is an immigrant or knows multiple different languages, sometimes you have to translate what you’re originally trying to say,” Jain said. “You might not even be able to translate your full thoughts properly because you have to take a second.” Caroline Thomas, a former co-director for the Mental Health Agency within Student Government, said that while the increase in crisis resources is a positive change, some students still want to see an increase in resources for long-term counseling. “We’re increasing the number of short-term crisis resources, which is definitely a necessity, but it’s important that we are providing either on-campus resources for students to get longterm care or supporting them to find off-campus resources for long-term care,” Thomas said.

hilda rodriguez

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Students will still have the option to meet with counselors at the CMHC, but only from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Within the partnership, CMHC also offers a digital library of mental health resources to address student concerns, which can be found on the CMHC website. Marketing junior Macie Simecek said more access to mental health resources is critical, especially during the pandemic. CMHC first worked with My SSP in December 2020 to offer counseling to students taking virtual classes from out-of-state because licensing issues prohibited CMHC from providing counseling to students outside of Texas. “Our mental health issues don’t stop at 5 p.m.,” Simecek said. “It’s a really good idea that students, especially incoming freshmen and current freshmen, can have this resource to talk to a professional at any time because loneliness is more than ever during the pandemic.”

TUESDAY. OCTOBER 12, 2021

RESEARCH

UT-Austin conducts study on reducing suicide risk in LGBTQ+ youth By Kevin Vu @Kevin_Vu_

UT-Austin and UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers are studying intervention methods to determine effective methods in reducing suicide risk for LGBTQ+ youth. The study, a partnership between researchers from the Steve Hicks School of Social Work, Dell Medical School, UT Southwestern and Texas Health Institute, will launch in January 2022. Phillip Schnarrs, a population health associate professor and co-principal investigator for the study, said the team will work with nearly 600 LGBTQ+ young adults from the Dallas and Austin areas who have thought about suicide. The team will look at two different interventions. One of the interventions called Suicidal Teens Accessing Treatment After an Emergency Department Visit will link individuals with health or mental care professionals that will follow up with the patients after an emergency room visit. The second program, which is called the Youth-Nominated Support Team, will do the same but also train a support person, like a family member or friend chosen by the patient, he said. The researchers will receive feedback from patients, family members and the project’s advisory board to see whether the interventions are working and what they can change about them, Schnarrs said. “What (this study) is doing is it’s trying to move the prevention from after attempt to before attempt,” Schnarrs said. “We want to reach people before they even attempt suicide.” Schnarrs said LGBTQ+ individuals are more likely to have suicidal thoughts compared to

other groups because of their experience living in environments full of discrimination and stigma. According to the Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization focused on suicide prevention efforts among LGBTQ+ individuals, 42% of LGBTQ+ youth across the country seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year. “LGBTQ individuals are often in environments that are not accepting of them as gender and sexual minorities,” Schnarrs said. “I think that wears on people and especially LGBTQ young people.” Lauren Gulbas, a social work associate professor and co-investigator of the study, said despite the number of LGBTQ+ individuals who are at risk of suicidal thoughts, they are understudied in the field. “Currently, most research focuses on straight individuals, yet sexual and gender diverse

young adults are at the highest risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior,” Gulbas said. Gulbas said the team is focusing on matching people with doctors instead of therapists because some patients could be concerned that their therapist is not affirming of their sexuality or gender identity, which makes it difficult to build trust. Gulbas said she hopes the study will help reduce suicide risk among LGBTQ+ youth. “I’m a mother, and I’ve worked with adolescents and … individuals who have attempted suicide,” Gulbas said. “And that is really the last thing you want a person close to you to either feel, have thoughts about or to attempt. I can still remember with crystal clarity the story of one particular adolescent that still sticks with me 10 years later.”

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NEWS

LIFE&ARTS

FIZA KUZHIYIL

Life&Arts Editor | @TEXANARTS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2021

STUDENT LIFE

National Coming Out Day: UT community reflects Students, staff discuss National Coming Out Day experiences and campus resources. By Sage Dunlap & Sofia Treviño

@SageDunlapp @Sofiacis_7

erves coursed through Amanda Garcia’s body as she clicked “share” on her Instagram coming out post during Pride Month in 2021. Immediately, loving messages flooded her comment section. “When I came out, I felt so much love from the queer community, and I had never felt more supported,” Garcia, a sociology and government sophomore, said. “I understand it’s not going to be that case for (everyone) if they come out, but my advice is to know that there’s a community of support and understanding (people).” Every year on Oct. 11, members of the LGBTQ+ community celebrate their identities during National Coming Out Day. In celebration of the Second National March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Rights in 1987, the day creates an open and safe space for members of the community to come out and feel seen. Freshman year, while her friends shared who they had crushes on, Garcia said she took the opportunity to casually come out as bisexual. She said her UT friends supported her immediately, though she still hesitated to talk about her sexuality in spaces with her old high school friends. “I’ve pretty much known my sexuality

since middle school, but I have (only recently) come out,” Garcia said. “Everyone has their own timeline, and whether you choose to come out or to never come out ... everything is valid.”

When I came out, I felt so much love from the queer community, and I had never felt more supported.” AMANDA GARCIA

sociology and government sophomore

Liz Elsen, director of the Gender and Sexuality Center, said Coming Out Day fosters growing representation in the community. She said allies understand the importance of financial donations, as well as empathy, in helping LGBTQ+ students. Elsen said the GSC crisis fund collects donations that mostly help students who lose financial support from their families after coming out. “Our students deserve to not feel like they have to come out,” Elsen said. “Maybe one day, they’ll just be able to live and

breyona mitchell

people won’t automatically assume that everyone is cisgender and heterosexual. That’s a dream for a lot of our students. But that’s not the world we’re living in right now, so it’s important to have representation.” Many other organizations on campus offer a safe space for LGBTQ+ students to freely express their identity every day of the year, not just National Coming Out Day. Thalía Menchaca, vice president of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, said raising awareness for coming out can inspire others to do the same. “Some people aren’t comfortable coming out yet, but seeing someone who is or has come out might be an inspiration for them to come out eventually,” journalism sophomore Menchaca said. Cultural obstacles and a lack of family support, Menchaca said, can make coming out a difficult process for many young

/ the daily texan staff

people of color especially. Menchaca said the group strives to provide a community for students who don’t feel comfortable coming out to their friends and families. “One barrier (for coming out) for myself is that I am Mexican American, and there are a lot of students who identify as Hispanic or Latino (with this barrier),” Menchaca said. “I hope (we) can kind of maybe break that (pattern), even just at UT.” Though National Coming Out Day provides a safe space for those in the LGBTQ+ community, Garcia stressed that people don’t have to come out until they feel ready. “Coming Out Day creates a good environment where everyone is coming out, and it releases some pressure off of you,” Garcia said. “At the same time, while it might feel comforting to have everybody coming out at once, definitely don’t feel peer pressured if you don’t feel ready.”

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2021

MOVIES

Nostalgic, nightmare-free Halloween movies to binge this fall By Mackenzie Sullivan

Hotel Transylvania Available on Hulu with Starz Add-on

@macksully

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LIFE&ARTS

Want to get into the spooky spirit without needing to hide under the covers afterwards? Enjoy these wholesome Halloween throwbacks, perfect for cozying up with a warm beverage and fuzzy blanket. Halloweentown Available on Disney+

From magic to giant pumpkins, this 1998 Disney film consists of all things Halloween. After following their grandmother home, Marnie Piper (Kimberly J. Brown) and her siblings discover their witch ancestry and the existence of Halloweentown, home to supernatural creatures. When Halloweentown faces peril, Marnie and her family put their newfound heroic abilities to the test. Seen this one already? Good thing there’s four movies in the series.

Count Dracula (Adam Sandler) opens up Hotel Transylvania, a luxury resort for the paranormal, to lock away his daughter and provide a vacation destination for other monsters. When a human discovers the hotel and falls for Dracula’s daughter, Mavis (Selena Gomez), chaos ensues as Dracula juggles running the resort and watching over Mavis’ budding romance. Frankenweenie Available on Disney+

Though not a scary movie, “Frankenweenie” will elicit tears. After the tragic death of his canine best friend Sparky, Victor Frankenstein (Charlie Tahan) sets out to bring him back to life. Victor successfully resurrects Sparky, but things quickly get out of hand when Victor’s classmates try to do the same with other dead animals. Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island Available to rent on Amazon Prime

Twitches Available on Disney+

Separated at birth, twin sisters Alex and Camryn (Tia and Tamera Mowry) reunite and realize they both harbor witchy abilities. They must work together to save their home, a magical realm called Coventry, from a force called the Darkness. Follow up this twin-tastic tale with the sequel, “Twitches Too.” Ghostbusters Available to rent on Amazon Prime

After three quirky scientists (Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray) lose their fellowship at Columbia University, they form a team called the “Ghostbusters’’ and set out to rid the city of paranormal beings. Business begins to boom, but the team faces trouble when an angry ancient god appears.

The Mystery Gang reunites for a trip to a remote island to investigate the legend of Moonscar, the ghost pirate. However, they get more than they bargained for when they discover zombies are on the island as well. Ruh-roh! It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Available on Apple TV+, livestream from the PBS app Oct. 24

A wholesome Halloween movie binge wouldn’t be complete without this nostalgic classic (or Snoopy’s cuteness). Charlie Brown (Peter Robbins) and the Peanuts crew excitedly prepare for Halloween festivities, with the exception of Linus (Christopher Shea), who decides to instead wait for the mystical Great Pumpkin to arrive.

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LIFE&ARTS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2021

BOOKS

“Rekindling a love for reading” during National Book Month By Sofia Treviño @Sofiacis_7

Celebrated every October, National Book Month allows people to dive into stories and grow their passion for reading. To help those with empty To-Read lists, three students share books that got them back into reading after a slump. “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens

Having lost motivation to read after starting college, psychology sophomore Trisha Lobo said “Where the Crawdads Sing” launched her back into a reading routine. The novel follows Kya Clark, the prime suspect in a North Carolina murder. Lobo said she admired Kya’s resilience whe facing hateful comments from people in her town. “As a psych major, I tend to flow through life thinking I can judge people quite well,” Lobo said. “This book really told me, ‘Now, don’t get too narcissistic, you cannot read people superficially.’ It opened my mind to broader personality traits.” Growing up reading and diving back into her books after a slump, Lobo said she appreciates all that books do for her, such as learning from characters and themes. “Reading exposes you to so many different perspectives and teaches you more about yourself,” Lobo said. “The books we

read live shape how the world.”

within us we interact

and with

“A Court of Thorns and Roses” series by Sarah J. Maas

After too many predictable storylines turned her away from reading, corporate communications junior Aysia Touchett found the “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series. A darker retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Sarah J. Maas’ series revolves around huntress Feyre Archeron after her imprisonment in the fairy kingdom, Prythian. “I could not put them down,” Touchett said. “Going to college, I related to (Feyre) being transported to a completely different place (and) dealing with new people, surroundings and situations.” As time passes in Prythian, Feyre finds unexpected friendships and romance in her fairy captors. “The series taught me that finding parts of people that they don’t show everyone is a lot easier than people think it is if you sit down and talk to (them),” Touchett said. “By learning how to communicate with each other, you can better understand the person.”

even though she’s read it five times so far, she never tires of the plot. Describing the book as “the epitome of loss of self,” Brown said Oscar Wilde’s novel reveals Dorian’s negative consequences from not owning up to his malicious acts. Each sin misfigures his hidden painting, from a younger, beautiful version of himself to a misshapen and ugly figure, representative of his soul. “If there was a visible way to see who we are on the inside, I’d want my painting to represent how I feel about myself,” Brown said. “(Dorian) taught me to be more aware of how I treat others, to romanticize

parts of my life and not take things for granted.” Brown said every book serves as an escape from reality and takes her on a journey. She said she loves recommending books to friends and views books as the healthiest form of self-care. “The words that someone puts onto a page can have a huge effect on other people,” Brown said. “Some people fly through books and some people go slow, but there’s a book out there for everyone that can take them for a ride. Reading is for everyone if you give it a chance.”

“The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde

English sophomore Jacqueline Brown called “The Picture of Dorian Gray” her all-time favorite book, and

julieta cruz

/ the daily texan staff

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2021

SPORTS

FEATURE

Walking down the same path

Former Longhorn legend Mike Adams is now coaching after an impressive Hall of Honor career. By Aakriti Singla @texansports

As a middle schooler in Arlington in the 1980s, Mike Adams stayed up late on the porch during the summer surrounded by friends and the yellow, moonlit sky talking about one thing only: football. “I grew up in a troubled area, and football allowed me to keep the focus and drive that I had,” Adams said. Friendly competition with the older kids on the football field early Saturday morning turned into late night high school football practices. Several years later, Adams walked onto the green turf of Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium as a starting wide receiver his freshman year. “It was definitely one of the best times of my life, having a chance to play early as a freshman,” Adams said. Adams is set to be inducted into the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor this Friday after an impressive career as a wide receiver for the Longhorns. Also an electric kick and punt returner, he broke record after record with the Longhorns and is the all-time leader in receiving yards, touchdowns and receptions. As a junior and senior, Adams helped lead his team to the Southwest Conference Championship game in 1985 and the Big 12

Championship in 1986. Adams is also the only player in school history with more than 1,000 career punt return yards (1,060) and more than 1,000 career kickoff return yards (1,591). He would go on to be drafted in the seventh round by the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers where he played one season before suffering a knee injury. That didn’t stop Adams, though, who continued on to the Canadian Football League to play for the BC Lions in 2000. But Adams said he didn’t get the same genuine camaraderie in the pros as he did in college. “When you get to the next level, NFL, CFL ... everything is centered around money,” Adams said. “The relationships aren’t as genuine because you don’t know if you’re going to be here next year or if the other guy is going to be there. It was a cutthroat business.” Adams recognized that with his injury and surgeries, his chances of returning to the NFL were slim. “I knew why my career ended, as opposed to some guys who just get cut because they’re not good enough,” Adams said. But Adams’ passion for football didn’t end there. After earning his bachelor’s degree from Texas in applied learning and development in 2009 and a master’s degree in 2011 from

Concordia University, the former football star turned to the sidelines, where he worked at several Austin-area high schools as an administrator and coach. The 47 year old is now an assistant principal at Canyon High School in New Braunfels, a passing game coordinator for the school’s football program and a father. “I have two boys myself … who have

aspirations to play in college football,” Adams said. “That’s really one of the main reasons I continue to coach because I was going to get out and go straight full-time administration, but they wanted me to stay in and I feel like I owe it to them — being that they’re getting to walk down that path, and I walked down that path.”

robert patton

/ the daily texan file

Adams receives a pass on Sept. 28, 1996. He is set to be inducted into the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor this Friday after an impressive career as a wide receiver for the Longhorns.

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Texas track and field legend to be inducted to Hall of Honor

Richard Duncan attributes his success in multiple track and field events to his positive mentality. By Emma Hutchinson @ emmahutch_

ichard Duncan knows the underdog story all too well. A 6-foot-3-inch NBA wannabe transferring from Canada, who was thrown into track and field due to his mother signing him up at the age of 10, surely wouldn’t become anything more than just another face in a sea of shiny new recruits. But 60 phone calls and eight scholarship offers later, Duncan found himself to be a diamond in the rough of college athletes, accepting a partial scholarship from Texas to join their track and field team. “People just assume that certain athletes are going to be great forever when they get out of high school, that they’re always going to be number one. But what’s great about sports is that you can change that outcome,” Duncan said. “It may not happen in one year, it may happen over several years, and for me, I came in as not knowing anyone and no one knowing me, to making a splash and continuing to get better every year.” And that splash created one massive ripple in the fate of Duncan’s athletic career: he became the only athlete in NCAA Division 1 history to receive All-American honors in the triple, long and high jumps in the same season. In recognition of Duncan’s athletic career, he will be inducted into the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor this Friday as one of 10 honorees. As an eight-time All-American, two-time Olympian and three-time World Championships qualifier, greatness seemed to be in his blood. Yet the secret to his success comes from the mentality of it all, according to Duncan. “There were a lot of people that said, ‘Oh, the athlete you could be if you only did one event, imagine how good you could be,’ and I decided that I didn’t have to listen to them,” Duncan said. “I didn’t have to be who they wanted me to be, I wanted to be different and I knew that I could do it and I knew that I was

joshua guenther

/ the daily texan file

Former track and field star Richard Duncan will return to the Forty Acres to celebrate his induction into the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor this Friday.

capable. I’ve trained with some people that were phenomenally better than me physically, they were more talented than me and I’d beat them every time.” Now a father to three boys involved in sports and the assistant coach of his six-year-old’s hockey team, Duncan hopes to inspire the next generation of unknown underdogs with his perspective. “I always used to take a bad omen and take out the positive in it and use it as motivation,” Duncan said. “That’s kind of the mental part that I try to pass on to the kids; the coaches are going to coach and give them all the skill stuff, but very rarely do coaches give kids mental strength.” Corey Cotton, Duncan’s former roommate and lifelong best friend on the team, will be attending the Hall of Honor induction ceremony to celebrate his teammate’s historical accomplishments. “What I think everyone loved most about Rich was that you weren’t going to outwork him,” Cotton said. “He wasn’t just going to motivate you by telling you what to do, Rich was willing to put in the work as well, and that meant everything from practice to eating

right to being the cheerleader.” The two have been friends for over 20 years and will reunite with their fellow teammates this weekend to make a toast to Duncan’s well-deserved success and to relive their memories as Longhorns. “For our era, there’s no other person more deserving than him,” Cotton said. “I’m a little biased, since I was one of his best friends and roommate, but he’s deserving because his numbers say so.” Despite the 42-year-old’s athletic background, Duncan now finds himself working in Los Angeles as the CEO of BIOlympic Medical Distribution. However, he still holds onto the mindset he created during his time at Texas and keeps it with him, no matter what life brings. “Sports is really just preparing you for life,” Duncan said. “All of my experiences translated later on to just no one being able to tell me, ‘You’re not capable of doing this,’ or ‘No one’s done this before, you’re not good enough to do it.’ All those things don’t enter in my world.”

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