The Daily Texan 2021-11-05

DT VOLUME 122, ISSUE 32 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2021

students celebrate DIA DE LOS MUERTOS rocky higine

/ 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

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

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 Senior Film Columnist Noah Levine Sports Editor Nathan Han Assoc. Sports Editor Matthew Boncosky Sports Desk Editor Taylor Hawthorne Senior Sports Writers Ross Fisher, Christina Huang, Hannah Williford Double Coverage Editor Kaitlyn Harmon

Senior Designers Jenny DeVico, Marissa Kapp Digital Designer Ciara Casarez

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 Assoc. Social Media Editors Bernice Chen, Sarah Winch Senior Digital Staffers Lily Kane, Nick Susa Audio Editor Addie Costello Assoc. Audio Editor Carly Rose Senior Audio Producers Mikayla Mondragon, Laura Morales Editorial Adviser Peter Chen

ISSUE STAFF Columnists Mia Abbe

Opinion Illustrators Paris Van Natta

Comic Artists Mia Hay, Audrie Roeder, Dylan Martinez

L&A Reporters Reya Mosby

Copy Editors Emma Allen, Kamryn Brownlee, Isabella Zeff, Andrea Rodriguez Designers Sara Kinney, Sam Treviño

News Reporters Ubah-Kamilo Moallim Photographers Laura Ullman, Jacob Levy Sports Reporters Arjun Rao

AUSTIN WEATHER TODAY Nov. 5

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Black students discuss the importance of safe spaces on campus.

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Life&Arts

11

Texas football heads to Iowa State this Saturday looking to break its loss streak.

TOMORROW Nov. 6

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it's cold so y'all should listen to this rly underground song called "sweater weather"

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

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UNIVERSITY

UT ranked No. 1 Texas university in 2022 U.S. News Best Global University Rankings

Assoc. Design Editor Juleanna Culilap

Assoc. Photo Editors Hannah Clark, Connor Downs

Beat Reporters Lauren Abel, Tori Duff, Marisa Huerta, Katy Nelson, Kaushiki Roy, Kevin Vu

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04

UT needs to address student concerns about Dobie Spaces.

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Opinion

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DT

Contents:

By Ubah Moallim @habukam

According to the 2022 U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings, UT ranked first of all Texas universities and is ranked No. 43 globally.

The ranking considered the University’s research reputation, publications, conferences and international collaborations against more than 1,750 schools from 90 countries, according to the report. The list also ranked UT’s mathematics, material sciences, arts and humanities, and geosciences studies among the top 25 in the world.

Brett Baker, an associate professor in the Department of Marine Science, credits the ranking to the University’s recruitment of quality faculty, students and personnel.

“I am not surprised that UT is first in the state,” Baker said. “I have had students, even undergrads, (who) have been on papers that are in high impact journals, … and they have collaborated with colleagues in Sweden and other places.”

University spokesperson J.B. Bird said that while rankings are not everything, they do show prospective students that a degree from the University is respected around the world.

“To compete at this level, you have to continually be improving and be really strategic in pursuing excellence,” Bird said.

Biochemistry freshman Jordan Alvis said he hopes to go to medical school and feels that the University’s

jack myer

/ the daily texan file

UT ranked first of all Texas universities and is ranked No. 43 globally, according to the 2022 U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings.

research opportunities will prepare him for his future endeavors. Alvis said UT creates the well-rounded students medical schools look for in applications.

“I am a part of the Freshman Research Initiative (where) you're getting all this research and lab experience before you're even a sophomore,” Alvis said. “It's also building your character.”

Neuroscience junior Amelia Robinson said students still benefit from faculty research, despite the pandemic making academic collaboration difficult. “(Research) makes (professors) so much more equipped to answer the theoretical questions and thread

together all the concepts and really contextualize … how we might be able to use this in a career setting,” Robinson said.

Robinson said that while the University is a state frontrunner, it still has work to do to improve student life. Robinson said she would like UT to improve contact tracing and campus inclusivity.

“It is really important that we continue to be on the front edge of developing and utilizing as many tools as often as we can,” Robinson said. “The University should use that momentum and use that energy to put back into the students, because there are a multitude of areas that need more attentiveness.”

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

B R O O K E PA R K

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News Editor | @THEDAILYTEXAN FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2021

RESEARCH

UT-Austin to research hypersonics UT-Austin and UT-San Antonio have been granted $1.5 million to research hypersonics, the future of high-speed travel.

By Katy Nelson @KatyNel86

T-Austin researchers are working to speed up flight transportation so travelers can fly to anywhere in the continental United States in 15 minutes.

Earlier this month, the University Consortium for Applied Hypersonics, the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station and the Joint Hypersonics Transition Office awarded a $1.5 million grant to researchers to study how hypersonics, a technology that exceeds the speed of sound by five times, can enhance airway transportation, space travel and shipping.

This money is part of a larger $25.5 million grant the federal government distributed between 18 research projects to achieve the goal of traveling anywhere in the country within minutes.

“Fifteen minutes at Mach 7, you can get just about anywhere in the continental U.S.,” said Christopher Combs, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at UT-San Antonio. “You can imagine the appeal of being able to go have dinner in Seattle or New York or in LA and be back in time for bed, and that flight will take less time than it takes to get across town on MoPac.” Combs said his team is studying hypersonic separation events through simulations. Separation events are similar to when booster rockets attached to space shuttles separate during the launch process, engineering professor Noel Clemens said. Researchers could then attach boosters to air travel vehicles to increase speed.

“When they separate, now you have shockwaves that are coming off of the

boosters that are interacting with the main rocket, … and that interacts with the whole flow,” Clemens said. “What we would like to do is improve the simulation tools and then those make their way to government labs, they make their way to industry and then that lets them do their designs better.”

Clemens said there is concern separation events could endanger people on the ground. He said the team is looking at programming the boosters to guide themselves to a landing location or drop into the sea.

“NASA is interested in creating spacecraft that can go to different planets, for example, to the moon and back to Earth, and in order to do that the spacecraft has to come back into an atmosphere at very high speeds,” Clemens said. “You (also) have sort of the commercialization of space, but also, you have companies that are interested in high speed flight potentially for transportation.”

Combs said the research should conclude within about three years. However, the earliest hypersonic technology could be integrated into everyday life is 10 years.

“It’s a connection that makes a lot of sense,” Combs said. “We’ve got some other stuff going on with UT. … It’s a really nice collaboration and easy interaction for us with a complementary capability.”

John Schmissuer, a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Tennessee, said hypersonics has significant potential for the future of travel.

“One day we may be able to connect the world and have better daily interactions,” Schmissuer said. “Imagine being able to take a unique vaccine from one part of the world to the other very quickly in time to have it needed. Being able to connect, and at high speeds like that, has some merits for bringing the world closer together.”

copyright utsa, and reproduced with permission

Christopher Combs, an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, with their new Mach 7 wind tunnel in the UTSA hypersonics lab. UT-Austin researchers are working to speed up flight transportation so travelers can fly to anywhere in the continental United States in 15 minutes.

S A N I K A N AYA K

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Editor-In-Chief | @TEXANOPINION FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2021

COLUMN

OPINION

Listen to student concerns about Dobie Spaces Make Dobie accessible and address current concerns about the space.

By Mia Abbe Columnist

T is in dire need of additional housing for students. Freshmen are not guaranteed housing on campus, and finding housing off campus is a mad scramble as students try to scoop up the best deals at the closest locations.

In an attempt to fix the problem, UT has begun to purchase properties off-campus to convert into student housing. The most recent purchase by UT is Dobie Twenty21 Student Spaces, a large complex situated on top of the Target on Guadalupe Street.

It is commendable that UT is trying to fix its housing problem. However, UT must make sure that this housing remains accessible to students and that preexisting issues with these newly purchased complexes are fixed.

A previous example of UT purchasing off-campus properties to add to their portfolio is 2400 Nueces

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.

Apartments. After UT purchased the complex in 2019, they proceeded to raise the monthly rent prices from a range of $665 to $1,775 to a range of $785 to $1,575.

Because West Campus pricing is so expensive and cheap options close to campus are limited, UT should not raise Dobie’s current rates but instead keep them the same or even lower.

University spokesperson J.B. Bird said that while he was unaware of the details regarding UT changing the current rates of Dobie Spaces after converting it to student housing, the goal of purchasing Dobie was to increase the number of affordable housing options for students.

“We know that long term, having more housing options will allow us to increase affordability options for students,” Bird said. “I don’t think anyone should be concerned about (the price rates) going in a dramatic direction because it’s going to be part of a portfolio of student housing and dining options, and our housing and dining options are affordable relative to the market.”

Dobie Spaces is a strategic purchase because of its close proximity to UT, but the complex has a lot of problems already. With 2.5 stars on Yelp and pages of reviews complaining about issues varying from slow maintenance to no hot water, one can only hope UT will strive to fix these concerns before advertising

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paris van natta

Dobie as University student housing.

Jamie McPhaul, psychology sophomore and former Dobie resident, spoke about some of the outstanding issues she experienced when she lived at Dobie Spaces as a freshman.

“Our AC didn’t work for the first month that we were there, and it was very hot in our room. We suspected there was mold in the shower because the paint was peeling off. We had clogging in the shower. … Food had gone down the drain of the kitchen sink and ended up coming back up (my roommate’s) shower drain,” McPhaul said.

According to Bird, UT plans to listen to student concerns and

/ the daily texan staff

address them in the next month.

“We know that students have voiced concerns. … We’re aware of that and we’re going to hear the concerns first and figure out what strategically the University can address,” Bird said.

The University should make sure that students have a decent, affordable place to live where they are not plagued with concerns about a lack of hot water or air conditioning. It is vital for UT to listen to student concerns about Dobie Spaces and keep the property accessible for students.

Abbe is a government and communications studies sophomore from Fort Worth, Texas.

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NEWS

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2021

UNIVERSITY

SSD staffing shortages limit number of available appointments

By Tori Duff @torianneduff

As of late October, Services for Students With Disabilities does not have available appointments to process accommodations until December due to staffing shortages.

“This (delay) seems like it’s something that’s more unique to this semester,” said Emily Shryock, SSD’s assistant director. “But we also do know that there’s more students, potentially, who have been diagnosed with disabilities or especially mental health conditions as a result of the pandemic.”

Shryock said that while SSD does not limit the amount of accommodations it issues every semester, lack of staffing has limited the number of appointments it is able to process. Typically, SSD aims to offer an appointment to a student within two weeks after they submit documentation. Currently, the wait has almost doubled, Shryock said.

Shryock said she did not have information on how many students are currently waiting to be granted accommodations.

While registered students do not have to re-request accommodations, new requests increase about 10% every year, and Shryock said staffing may not always match the growing demand.

“For a lot of students last year, online learning offered … flexibility, and so we found a lot of freshmen last year, and probably even a lot of transfer students, didn’t feel the need to register with SSD,” Shryock said. “When fall came around and we started transitioning back to campus, we had all of this year’s freshmen and transfer students in addition to all the ones from last year (to accommodate).”

Shryock said she doesn’t know if the delay will continue into next semester. In mid-October, SSD submitted a proposal to UT administration to add funding for additional staff members, but Shryock said even if the proposal is approved, it takes time to train new staff members.

Divya Kashyap, a member of the Natural Sciences

victoria smith

/ the daily texan staff

Council who worked on a campaign to increase accessibility for students with disabilities, said she had trouble getting accommodations her freshman year despite having the correct paperwork. Kashyap said she eventually gave up.

“Something UT needs to do is help diversify student services … and also allocate more funds and resources to help the people (in SSD) who are trying their best,” nutritional sciences junior Kashyap said. “I understand that there needs to be a system in place (to get accommodations), but it’s just frustrating to me that it’s completely up to the student because, having disabilities, you’re always advocating for yourself.”

Cole Glosser, president of the Disability Advocacy Student Coalition, said while staffing shortages are not SSD’s fault, it is unacceptable UT administration did not plan to accommodate the influx of requests as the University transitioned to largely in-person learning for the first time in a year and a half.

“It’s also the perfect storm of having staffing shortages in pretty much every area, but of course that doesn’t mean that students’ right to an accessible education should suffer,” the sports management senior said. “I don’t think that the University is trying to harm students, but it is the consequence of not thinking significantly about how this issue was going to impact this semester particularly.”

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2021

STATE

UT alum James Talarico to run for state house seat in 2022 following redistricting

By Tori Duff @torianneduff

State Rep. James Talarico, a Democrat from Round Rock, said he plans to run in 2022 for a state House seat in Austin because Texas’ new political map that was approved last month could force him out of his current district.

“Republicans have gerrymandered me out of my district,” Talarico, a UT alum, tweeted.

“If they think they can keep me off the House floor, they better think again.”

Talarico currently represents House District 52, but new districting lines indicate the area will go to a conservative candidate in the 2022 midterms, Talarico said in the tweet. If Talarico wins the race for House District 50 in Austin, a seat

currently occupied by Celia Israel, he would become the state representative for many UT students. Some students said they look forward to the possibility of having a newer and more socially aware voice in politics to represent them.

House District 52, under the previous political map, swung 43.7% for Donald Trump and 53.9% for Joe Biden in the 2020 Presidential Election, according to The Texas Tribune. In contrast, the new political lines of Talarico’s district would have voted 51% for Donald Trump and 46.7% for Joe Biden, leaning the majority of

voters toward a conservative candidate, according to the Tribune.

Talarico is the youngest member of the Texas House of Representatives, and during his time in the House since 2018 he passed bills limiting insulin copays to $50 a month and banning police reality shows in the state. He also proposed bills to legalize marijuana and set a $70,000 minimum teacher salary.

Bennett Burke, a member of UT Young Democratic Socialists, said Talarico’s aggressive action to pass forward-thinking legislation excites him for Talarico’s possible future in Austin.

“One thing I really do respect about James Talarico is how he, in the Texas House, put forth a bill to cap the price of insulin,” said Burke, a political communication and history junior. “His willingness to take on the pharmaceutical industry, one of the most extortionist industries in the country, is admirable, and I would hope to see more of that if he hangs on to power.”

Ric Galvan, Central Texas campus organizer for Texas Rising, said he’s eager to see representatives who focus on social justice issues, since many were passed over in the past legislative session.

“I think it’s interesting that he’s decided to hop over into HD50, and I’m excited to see how the election plays out,” history senior Galvan said. “I would like to see him help expand the House to be more social justice conscious, and fight for things that really matter to everyday Texans. I trust that he can do that well.”

Talarico did not respond in time for publication.

Talarico tweeted that he was not upset about being drawn out of his district, but by the tactics used to do so.

“I’m mad about *how* they did it,” Talarico tweeted. “Republicans are trying to get rid of me by dividing the communities of color in my district. By silencing their voice. By robbing them of their power. The people I swore a sacred oath to represent.”

copyright james talarico campaign, and reproduced with permission

NEWS

LIFE&ARTS

FIZA KUZHIYIL

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Life&Arts Editor | @TEXANARTS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2021

CAMPUS

Campuswide ofrenda creates space to honor loved ones for Día de los Muertos First campuswide ofrenda brings Latinx students, community together for Día de los Muertos.

By Sofia Treviño @Sofiacis_7

fter setting down the finishing pieces on the ofrenda, or “offering” in English, she and her grandmother built together — bright orange marigolds paired with pink, white and yellow pan dulce — Kayla Sanchez stepped back and looked at the pictures of her passed loved ones. Now, three years later, Sanchez celebrates Día de los Muertos instead by submitting a photo of her grandmother to the Latino Studies website to be set up on a different ofrenda.

“This is a way to honor my grandmother,” the political communication sophomore said. “It made me feel closer to her for me to honor her. … I am passing on traditions she taught me and keeping (her) legacy alive.”

On display in the Gordon-White Building from Oct. 25 through Nov. 2, UT’s Latino Studies’ Día de los Muertos ofrenda honored Longhorns’ friends and family who have passed away. Día de los Muertos — a two-day celebration from Nov. 1 to 2 — reunites the dead and living through ofrendas to attract ancestors, salt to cleanse the spirits’ souls and water to help them along their journeys.

The department’s first campuswide ofrenda, a collaboration with the UT Humanities Institute, offered Latinx

students and staff an opportunity to submit photos of loved ones and participate in a toe tag (tags used for identification purposes in morgues) workshop to celebrate their cultures in a safe space.

Since moving to campus this year, Sanchez said she started to reflect more on her culture through events and activities sponsored by Latino Studies.

Sanchez said seeing photos of other Longhorns’ loved ones made her feel even more connected to her culture.

“I don’t think I actually ever appreciated being Hispanic or (having) Mexican origins until I got to Austin,” Sanchez said. “It feels like, ‘Wow, this is great. My culture is beautiful,’ and I want to show everyone.”

On Monday, Latino Studies and the UT Humanities Institute held a toe tag workshop to honor undocumented migrants who passed while on their journey across the trecherous Sonoran Desert of Southern Arizona. “(It’s important to) give them dignity they didn’t experience in death,” said Melissa Biggs, Humanities Institute program coordinator.

Because there are extra toe tags, Biggs said she welcomes any organizations that wish to host workshops to reach out.

Ashley Nava-Monteros, Latino Studies communications specialist, submitted photos of her recently passed

chloe pertuit

grandfather and her sister, who passed before Nava-Monteros was born, but whom she calls her “guardian angel.” Nava-Monteros said seeing all of the people on the ofrenda helped her feel a connection to others who also struggle with loss.

“The only thing that’s certain is death,” Nava-Monteros said. “People have different opinions and we lead very different lives, but that’s the one thing that unites us all. It’s what makes us human.”

Working in the Latino Studies department, Nava-Monteros said she realizes the importance of having spaces for minority groups on campus.

She said the department calls itself a “home away from home,” a place students can confidently celebrate their identities and culture.

/ the daily texan staff

“We wanted to create a community healing space,” Nava-Monteros said. “It’s powerful to see all the photos that people have submitted and knowing there’s many stories and people behind each photo and realizing that there’s all these different relationships.”

Whether people pass with loved ones at their side, or, in the case of many undocumented migrants, with no one, Nava-Monteros said Día de los Muertos offers a time to remember them all.

“Grief is a really funny thing,” Nava-Monteros said. “I love that this day is turned into a celebration. It’s sad that we don’t have these people with us physically, but we know that they live on through our memories and hearts — it’s a beautiful way to bring them back to life.”

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2021

LIFE&ARTS

STUDENT LIFE

Malcolm X Lounge provide safe, special place for Black students

By Reya Mosby @ReyaMosby

Beaming smiles and energetic greetings filled the Malcolm X Lounge as newcomers hurried inside. With the lights off, students spread across the space, cuddled up in blankets and curled into cushioned red chairs. While some snacked and discussed the scary movie playing on the big screen, others took time to chat and do homework, each finding a happy place of their own.

The Malcolm X Lounge hosts movie nights and other recreational events, serving as a safe space for Black students on campus. Since Black students at UT pushed the UT administration to create the X Lounge in 1995, many have found solace in the homey space on the ground floor of the Jester Center.

“The community, the fellowship, there’s nothing but good times and good vibes there,” said Ophelia Brown, a public relations freshman. “You can always count on somebody to be there for you. Somebody is always going to be studying, willing to talk and just willing to be a friend.”

Christian Coffey, a theatre and dance studies senior, said many of his happiest memories, such as learning how to play spades and dominoes, are associated with this space.

While Coffey said he can recall movie nights, late night study sessions, game nights and watch parties, exercise science freshman Aaliyah Barlow said she holds late nights with friends in the lounge, blasting music and eating hot wings. Even more importantly, Brown said the X Lounge introduced her to many advice-bestowing upperclassmen who mentored her.

“When I was considering going here, my brother would always tell me about the Black spaces on campus — (how) I would always feel safe and open and how much fun they would have,” Brown said. “UT has a really close knit Black community.

laura ullman

/ the daily texan staff

Students sit inside of the Multicultural Engagement Center, one of the several places on campus, along with the Malcolm X Lounge, designed as a safe space for Black students. The lounge often hosts events like movie nights, late night study sessions, game nights and watch parties.

For other Black students to reach out and tell me about all that’s going on here, I felt like I wasn’t just another Black student at a (predominantly white institution). We have a family here.”

The Multicultural Engagement Center on campus also provides a place for students of color to find community. Founded in 1988, the MEC was built as a response to the anti-apartheid movement at UT, where Black students banded together to protest South Africa’s discriminatory racial policies and demanded a center for Black and Hispanic students. Originally the Minority Information Center, the name changed to the Multicultural Engagement

Center in 2011 to include Asian and Indigenous students.

“It can be hard to find people that look like you,” Barlow said. “These spaces are for us, and so I’m able to go there and meet new Black people that I never really see around campus because it’s like finding a needle in the haystack. When you go to these places, it’s just nice to surround yourself with people on campus that look like you.”

Because Black students only make up 5.3% of the UT student body, finding a sense of community is essential. Computer science freshman Kylan Duncan said the vitality of Black spaces help him feel

like he belongs on campus.

“I go to my computer science classes, and I’m the only Black kid in there,” Duncan said. “When I go to these Black spaces, it’s a reminder that I’m not alone.”

For Duncan, these spaces allow Black students to be uncensored versions of themselves and provides them with safety, community and positivity.

“I always have a safe haven to go to,” Brown said. “When anything is too overwhelming, my classes get too hard, or I just feel not heard, I know I can always go to the X Lounge and be seen, be heard and feel important.”

LIFE&ARTS

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2021

BOOK

Off the Shelf: Barbara Laubenthal shares...

By Jade Emerson @jade__emerson

While reading “From the Ashes of Sobibor: A Story of Survival,” for the first time, Barbara Laubenthal, associate professor in the Department of Germanic Studies, said she knew: “This is the most important book I’ve ever read.”

Written by Polish Holocaust survivor Thomas Toivi Blatt, the memoir describes his experience as a teenager during World War II. After losing his entire family in the Sobibor concentration camp, Blatt eventually escaped and spent years hiding from the Nazis in Poland. Blatt’s clear and vivid writing drew Laubenthal into this story of survival in a landscape of stark racism and failed democracy — something she hopes will never happen again through reading and remembering.

The Daily Texan: What made you pick up the book for the first time?

Barbara Laubenthal: I was always really interested in history. It also has something to do (with) — like many Germans of my generation — my personal history. As a grandchild of the generation that was alive during National Socialism, I’ve always felt a specific responsibility for making sure that what happened is remembered and that it’s not going to happen again.

There’s a special responsibility of Germany, for what happened; (It) got me interested in the book and reading the memoir of somebody who witnessed this time and survived it.

DT: What’s the most impactful part of the book?

BL: At one point, (Thomas’) mother says, “We should leave,” to the father. And the father says, “No, we’re going to be fine. All these stories are exaggerated.” A couple of pages later, the adults talk and Thomas hears them say, “These stories must be exaggerated because after all, we live in the 20th century. These are civilized times.” …

It makes you realize that the transformation of a country or of a political system into totalitarianism or into dictatorship can also go gradually. People will feel that this cannot happen because of all the democratic institutions that exist around them. But still, it’s going to happen.

DT: Has your experience as a writer changed your perspective on this book?

BL: The takeaway for everybody who writes is the clear precise language. …

It’s written in a simple way, but not simple in the sense that it lacks complexity, just in a very direct and clear way that makes you really see through his eyes.

He manages to (portray) this little town that he lives in, the situation in the concentration camp and the other characters. You see them right in front of you. … You feel like you’re part of it. You’re in it.

DT: What is the lasting importance of this book?

BL: It tells the story of the Holocaust through the eyes and experience of one person, but he’s representative of all the victims, of all the people who died in the Holocaust. … This book reminds us to always be aware that we have to defend democracy. We have to stand up against racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia and against any group or any ideology that is hostile to democracy. It’s a story about the Holocaust, but it’s also a story that reminds us that we have to remember the Holocaust — remember what happened so that it doesn’t happen again.

sylvia asuncion-crabb/ the daily texan staff

N AT H A N H A N

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Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2021

SOCCER

SPORTS

Texas advances to Big 12 Championships in penalty kicks Off penalty kick heroics from goalie Savannah Madden and forward Cameron Brooks, Texas beat West Virginia in the Big 12 semifinals.

By Arjun Rao @thearjunrao1

he Texas soccer team spent all season dealing with adversity and showing that it is the real deal.

In a match that came down to the wire, the Longhorns proved what they already knew: They can beat any team in any stadium.

No. 20 Texas took down a strong West Virginia team in penalties, 4 - 3, to advance to the Big 12 championship.

Facing off against the Mountaineers, a team that has historically had the Longhorns’ number and boasted an all-time record of 9-2-2 against Texas heading into Thursday’s match, was another step in its journey toward the Big 12 Tournament crown.

Mirroring the Oct. 21 game against the Mountaineers, regulation ended in a 0-0 tie, followed by two overtime periods that did not lead to any scores from either team.

Both teams had ample opportunities to score, but stout defense and unlucky bounces were prominent in the game.

This set up a high-stakes penalty shootout that would determine who TCU, the Big 12 regular season champion, would be facing in the championship game Sunday.

After the Mountaineers made their first two penalties and Texas senior defender Emma Regan put a beautiful curve into the top left corner of the goal, star freshman midfielder Lexi Missimo took the spot for the next shot and aimed to tie the shootout at 2-2.

jackson stublar

/ the daily texan staff

Senior forward Cameron Brooks won Thursday’s game for the Longhorns on a penalty kick to put Texas up, 4-3. Head coach Angela Kelly put Brooks in for the shot that sent Texas to the Big 12 championship match.

As the shot left her foot, it looked good until it wasn’t, rocketing toward the goal before bouncing off the left post.

Mountaineers junior midfielder Julianna Lynch had an opportunity to put the Mountaineers up 3-1, but her shot hit the crossbar.

Using this newfound hope, senior midfielder and Canadian Olympic hero Julia Grosso hit a shot into the top right corner of the goal to tie the Mountaineers.

With the Mountaineers and Longhorns each hitting its next shots, West Virginia freshman forward Dilary Heredia-Beltran’s shot was saved by Texas senior

goalie Savannah Madden.

Head coach Angela Kelly put senior forward Cameron Brooks in for the shot that could send Texas to the Big 12 championship match.

Lining up straight behind the ball, Brooks ran up and took a shot that Mountaineers senior goalie Maddie Murphy wasn’t able to react to in time.

After a hard-fought battle that saw 29 combined shots and 15 fouls — 11 by the Longhorns — Texas’ victory was another injection of confidence into a team that is already overflowing with belief in itself.

“I think it’s a great blend of senior leadership and a lot of bright, young talented players,” Kelly said. “They gave a lot, and I’m so incredibly happy for this squad.”

With TCU standing between Texas and its first Big 12 championship since 2007, the Longhorns have momentum on their side.

Texas drew against the Horned Frogs on Sept. 30, setting up an exciting matchup for the crown on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

The Longhorns overcame history, stagnant soccer and a penalty kick deficit to take down the Mountaineers on Thursday. Only time will tell if they can take down TCU as well.

SPORTS

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2021

FOOTBALL

Keeping up with the Longhorns: All you need to know about Texas football before Saturday’s game against Iowa State

By Nathan Han

Everybody takes their Ls

@NathanHan13

Freshman wide receiver Xavier Worthy isn’t much of a loser. The California product only lost one game in high school.

But despite Worthy’s best efforts, including a 63-yard touchdown, Texas has lost three straight.

“It's kind of big on me,” Worthy said Tuesday. “But this is a learning experience. Everybody’s got to take their Ls. … So I’ll just build off of it for next year.”

With seven touchdowns in 33 catches and 657 yards, he’s still on pace to break several records as a true freshman, only 153 receiving yards and two touchdowns away from topping Roy Williams’ records as a freshman.

Even after three straight losses and a middling 4–4 record, there’s no shortage of news when it comes to Texas football. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

So without further ado, here’s five things to know headed into Saturday’s game in Ames, Iowa, against the Cyclones.

Joshua Moore’s future

Junior wide receiver Joshua Moore had a heated argument with head coach Steve Sarkisian after Wednesday’s practice, according to reports from Orangebloods and 247Sports.

Sarkisian addressed the situation in a Thursday teleconference. The head coach said Moore is available for Saturday's game against Iowa State, despite reports that said his status would be questionable but did not clarify any further.

"I think sometimes people get this misconception that because I'm a player's coach that we don't coach hard," Sarkisian said. "We have a very demanding staff. We coach hard.

We believe in discipline. We believe in doing things the right way. And when things aren't going that way, we coach our guys."

The junior pass catcher struggled against Baylor. Three mistakes, including a dropped touchdown pass, fumble and a pass going through his fingers for an interception, proved to be the difference in the loss.

jack myer

/ the daily texan file

After a reported argument with head coach Steve Sarkisian, junior wide receiver Joshua Moore will still be available this Saturday in the game against Iowa.

Getting Bijan going

Another key contributor to the Texas offense, Bijan Robinson was shut down in the loss to Baylor, only totaling 43 yards on 17 carries.

The Bears made it their gameplan to shut down the talented sophomore running back, stacking the box and daring the Longhorns to throw.

Oklahoma State also focused on stopping Robinson in the Cowboys’ win over Texas.

“With all that being said, we still got to find a way to get Bijan the ball, get him the ball in space and create space for him in the run game,” Sarkisian said.

Monkey-ing around

On Monday, allegations surfaced that a monkey belonging to the girlfriend of Texas’ special teams coordinator Jeff Banks hurt a child on Halloween.

The bizarre situation immediately went viral on social media, but Sarkisian pointedly declined to comment on the monkey business when asked whether the allegations were a distraction.

“No, not a distraction at all,” Sarkisian said. “That's a personal matter. And I don't discuss our coaches’ personal matters.”

Iowa State Presents Challenge for Pass Protection

Missed holding calls aside, the Texas offensive line improved in pass protection against Baylor. But the Longhorns will face yet another strong defensive line against the Cyclones. “(Iowa State)’s got a couple of really good pass rushers,” Sarkisian said. “When you get behind the chains and you play third-and-long football, … they create the one-on-one matchups for their pass rushers to go attack the quarterback.”

The play of the two Texas tackles, junior left tackle Christian Jones and Derek Kerstetter, super senior right tackle, could be the deciding factor Saturday if the Cyclones follow the blueprint against Texas and focus on stopping the run over the pass.

COMICS

DESTINY ALEXANDER

Comics Editor | @TEXANCOMICS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2021

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