The Daily Texan 2021-11-23

DT VOLUME 122, ISSUE 37 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021

What’s in a name? ut students reflect on what their names mean to them

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Columnists reflect on what their names mean to their identity and culture.

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International students find community in campus organizations.

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UNIVERSITY

Stan Richards School of Advertising and Public Relations will not be renamed

By Tori Duff @torianneduff

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UT will not rename the Stan Richards School of Advertising and Public Relations despite backlash over Richards’ use of racist language, according to a report released Monday.

In October 2020, during a meeting for the advertising company he founded, Richards called an advertisement pitch for Motel 6 “too black” for a client’s “significant white supremacist constituents.” After conversations with the community and two investigative reports that recommended UT rename the college, University administration announced Monday it would keep the name due to Richards’ contributions to the school and advertising field and his apology.

“When considering Richards’ offensive comments and subsequent apology on balance with his many significant contributions to the field and the College, we have decided that his name will remain on the School,” according to the report.

The college hired two consultants in October to help determine how to respond to the incident. In both reports, consultants concluded that many Black students do not feel supported on campus and recommended changing the school’s name to prevent further harm.

“We understand that this outcome will perpetuate feelings of pain or anger within our community,” Jay Bernhardt, dean of the Moody College of Communication, which contains the advertising and public relations school, said in the report.

“We will do our very best to listen to all voices, offer support and continue

julius shieh

/ the daily texan file

The Stan Richards School of Advertising and Public Relations will not be renamed despite Richards’ use of racist language.

making positive changes that bring us together.”

The college committed to adjusting its branding and positioning within the School in the report. Certain projects, such as the “Stan Talks” video series, will be renamed. The School will also conduct a recurring study on the state of diversity and inclusion in advertising and public relations, work to increase Black representation in the school and will establish a diverse speaker series on underrepresented entrepreneurs, according to the report.

Following Richards’ comments, the firm lost roughly 40% of its clients, and Richards stepped down shortly after from his position within the agency. Richards also issued a video apology to the UT community in which he said he has never used racist slurs before the incident and

does not support white supremacy in any form.

The comment by Richards came after a summer of civil unrest following the police killing of George Floyd that sparked Black Lives Matter protests across the nation. While Richards apologized on multiple occasions, some felt too much damage had been done and the comments should not be forgiven in light of recent social progress.

“The Richards comments would be unfortunate and harmful at any time,” Will Sutton, one of the consultants hired by the college and former president of the National Association of Black Journalists, said in his report. “For those words to be uttered a short few months after a worldwide Black Lives Matter social justice movement was most alarming.”

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

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021

ENVIRONMENT

Grassroots organization opposes I-35 expansion

By Katy Nelson @KatyNel86

A citywide organization said they’re recruiting UT students to join their efforts to oppose the potential expansion of the I-35 highway because of environmental concerns and its role in segregating the city.

Rethink35, a local grassroots activism organization, is advocating for the Texas Department of Transportation to reroute I-35 around the city of Austin and to transform the roadway cutting through the city into a lower-speed boulevard.

TxDOT currently plans to expand I-35 through Austin, which would require obtaining between 30 and 32 acres of land, according to the Austin American-Statesman. Additionally, TxDOT plans to place lanes underneath the ground in tunnels.

Rethink35 co-founder Adam Greenfield said a boulevard would encourage

public transportation, create new housing opportunities and reduce stress on the environment.

“That’s the kind of environment that’s going to be a place that people would actually want to come to, which is much safer,” Greenfield said. “We calculate as much as 160 acres of new land would be on the tax rolls and would actually move people much more effectively because public transportation and bicycling scale up well, whereas driving doesn’t scale that well.”

Eliezer Pearl, a sustainability studies and computer science senior advocating for Rethink35’s plan, said the community can pressure Austin City Council if students and others realize the power they have to oppose it.

“The thing that students can do is that we can really speak out and push our representatives, … and push them to act more on this issue and make them more aware,” said Pearl, president of the Urban Studies

jack myer

Society, a UT organization focused on issues such as affordable housing and economic development. “We’re going to organize town hall meetings and plan out some other activities to get people interested and aware of the situation.”

Greenfield said when TxDOT created I-35 in the 1920s, communities of color were pushed to the east side and wealthy white communities were located on the west. With a boulevard reconstruction of I-35, East and West Austin and their communities will be better connected.

“When the interstate highway was planned and built, planners had to figure out where it went, and wealthy communities didn’t want the interstate,” Greenfield said. “So planners pretty much every time realized that communities of color had less capacity to push back.”

Rethink35 member Miriam Schoenfield said more outreach events are currently being planned for UT in the spring semester.

/ the daily texan staff

The grassroots organization Rethink35 is recruiting UT students to join their efforts to oppose the potential expansion of the I-35 highway due to environmental concerns and its role in segregating the city.

“We’re really just getting started and making some connections with some of the students who are interested and want to do stuff about it,” philosophy associate professor Schoenfield said. “This project is part of a general movement that’s happening across the country, aimed at removing highways from the middle of cities.”

Greenfield said the organization is looking forward to increasing their presence as they continue to advocate for their boulevard version of I-35 for the rest of the year and into 2022.

“The group very much sees itself as having been a part of this long lineage of organizers going back to the freeway revolt movement of the 1960s and 1970s where communities fought successfully to stop a lot of freeway projects,” Greenfield said. “And we are the new generation.”

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021

STUDENT LIFE

UT students protest in response to Rittenhouse verdict

By Tori Duff @torianneduff

Content warning: This article discusses racial violence and violence against protesters.

About 20 UT students protested at the UT Tower on Monday in reaction to Kyle Rittenhouse receiving a not guilty verdict after fatally shooting two men at a police brutality protest.

“We know that Kyle Rittenhouse murdered these people; that is undeniable,” said Andrea, a member of the organization who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons. “Whether or not the state wants to do anything about it, that’s their problem. But that does not mean that the people are not going to protest.”

The protest was organized by the student group Students for Revolution and student advocacy group Cops Off Campus, a subgroup of student communist group Liberation Coalition that advocates for the dissolution of police systems. While most students who attended were there to protest the Rittenhouse verdict, a group of about five men caused multiple disruptions by yelling during speeches and talking loudly.

Rittenhouse shot and killed Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber at a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August 2020. The

protest was in reaction to the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man. Rittenhouse traveled to Kenosha from Illinois with an AR-style semi automatic rifle after calls on social media asked people to protect the city from possible damage during the protests.

“This system requires the protection of property over people, and it requires the oppression of Black people in order to preserve the working class,” stated a pamphlet distributed at the protest. “We cannot be rid of racial violence without uprooting this whole system. The only answer is revolution.”

Rittenhouse was not on trial for whether he had committed the shootings, but to determine

if the shootings were in self-defense. He faced seven criminal charges, the most serious being first-degree intentional homicide, but was not found guilty on any charges.

Amy, a member of the organization who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons, said going to a Black Lives Matter protest with an automatic weapon explicitly shows a violent motive.

“This ruling has greenlit the murder of protesters and has given the signal that the state will deputize reactionary citizens to do the work of the cops,” Amy said. “What is going to actually defend our communities is getting organized, fighting back, and fighting for a revolution.”

The group said this ruling sets a precedent of condoning vigilante citizens and condemning people who advocate for social justice and Black lives. Vera, a member of the organization who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons, said this endangers protestors.

“We have to look at the consequences of this acquittal,” Vera said. “(The state is) deputizing citizens to kill. If they do the work of the cops, if they show they are on the side of protecting private property over humans, you have a license to kill. But if you are defending Black lives, if you’re fighting back against police violence, then you absolutely have a target on your back.”

jamie hwang

/ the daily texan staff

The student advocacy group Cops Off Campus led a protest at the UT tower on Monday in reaction to Kyle Rittenhouse receiving a not guilty verdict after fatally shooting two men at a police brutality protest.

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LIFE&ARTS

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021

STUDENT LIFE

International students discuss organizations that foster community

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Suitcase in hand and thousands of miles away from her home in Beijing, Yuying Ma seemed ready to start a new life at UT. But after the glamour of moving across the globe subsided, homesickness crept in. Ma turned to the Chinese Student Scholar Association for help.

“A good way to transition from life in China to the U.S. is to (meet) friends who also come from China so we can figure it out together,” advertising senior Ma said. “Getting to know more students who have the same background as you (makes) you feel that you’re not alone.”

Making up only 10.1% of the student population, many international students struggle to feel at home so far away from their families. By providing a sense of community, organizations like CSSA, Planet Longhorn and Partnership to Advance Language Study seek to ease international students’ transitions to UT. Planet Longhorn, a club at UT that serves international

“(PALS) allows us to make connections, to make new friends from all the world and also expands our point of view about things we never knew,” Arboleda said.

Sydney May, leader of PALS’ English speaking group and fifth year linguistics student, said organizations on campus like PALS benefit everyone, not just international students.

“It’s important for domestic students that we have these organizations too,” May said. “Because especially at a school like UT that’s known worldwide, we’re obviously going to have a lot of international students, and I think domestic students can learn a lot from them.”

As for Santos, he said he understands that all students face the challenge of finding a sense of belonging, not just international students.

“Even if you’re a resident, if you haven’t found your place or your community in university you’ll feel alone. I could always rely on (Planet Longhorn) because I knew other people would have the same struggles that I was having,” Santos said. “It’s about finding the small community.”

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students from a variety of cultural backgrounds, hosts a variety of social events throughout the year. The largest international student-affiliated club at UT, Planet Longhorn contains more than 400 members from over 72 countries.

Edson Santos, Planet Longhorn president and economics and civil engineering senior, credits the organization with creating long-lasting friendships.

“It’s about making sure (international students) have connections by meeting new students that are from Austin or other countries,” Santos said. “It facilitates them in bonding and finding a smaller place in this big university. That’s the beauty of (Planet Longhorn), it makes you turn from a singular person to a whole community.”

UT also houses organizations to help international students beyond their social lives. Organizations like PALS, dedicate a portion of the club to help international students improve their conversational English skills.

Monica Arboleda, a second year member of UT’s ESL program from Medellín, Colombia, said she gains more from PALS than just English speaking lessons.

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Editor-In-Chief | @TEXANOPINION TUESDAY, NOVMEBER 23, 2021

OPINION

“I’m giving my name its own meaning.”

Columnist Faith DuFresne shares the impact of religion on her life and her name.

“

By Faith DuFresne Columnist

ave a little faith.”

I haven’t heard a new pun about my name in years. It’s the same old jokes that I roll my eyes and laugh at a little each time. The effort is appreciated, but trust me, I’ve heard just about everything you can think of.

Growing up, I attended Catholic school from kindergarten through high school, and for a long time, it was a huge part of my life. I went to Mass weekly, read the books, prayed before meals and big tests — it was something I always relied on. I won’t deny that I enjoyed seeing my name in textbooks and hymnals and hearing it through the halls. It made me feel more connected: My beliefs and name all in one.

My name now holds more meaning for who I am than the institution it calls upon.

Life got harder as it went on — as it tends to do.

High school brought new challenges and new hurdles for my faith, which opened the divide between my religion and my identity. I survived and, eventually, came to thrive, but I struggled a lot with my mental health. It made me question what I believed in, and as a result, my faith lost its role as the frontrunner in my life.

More time passed, but my internal conflict hit its peak when the unexpected death of a close friend and

my dog of 10 years shattered my relationship with my faith. I had never felt so hurt, lost, angry and, above all else, betrayed. I felt forgotten and abandoned by something that had been so important in my life, something I had counted on during my darkest days.

I just couldn’t comprehend any of it. I was lost in a wave of faith for months. I felt disconnected and just so confused. What had happened to me wasn’t supposed to happen; life wasn’t supposed to knock me off my feet when I least expected it.

They say that when God closes one door, He opens another. As far as I was concerned, God went right along and slammed my fingers in each one. I gave up completely on my faith, and my hurt quickly turned to anger. I sat and argued with my teachers, refusing to take part in any of it. I didn’t want a faith that I felt didn’t want me.

And that’s where I am today. I still feel lost and hurt, and my heart still aches with memories of the ones I lost. Yet, I think I needed to step outside of religion. I needed to take a moment for my soul to be apart from the faith that had structured it for so long. It needed to be on its own, to make a choice for itself. My name now holds more meaning for who I am than the institution it calls upon.

In an ideal world, faith would’ve been a part of my life with no strings attached. I wouldn’t have had to struggle and, ultimately, suffer to discover what I needed, but you don’t get to pick and choose in this life. Being at UT has presented a whole new range of possibilities, and here, I don’t have to feel the weight of faith on my shoulders if I don’t want to.

Some day, faith may find its way back into my life, and I will welcome it if it does. I no longer hold the resentment and anger I once did. But for now, I’m giving my name its own meaning without the weight of a cross on my shoulders.

DuFresne is a journalism freshman from Dallas, Texas.

COLU

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“My journey to seek clarity in my name continues”

UMNS

Columnist Hillary Ma reflects on her Asian American identity through her birth names.

English name. For her, the answer was simple: Hillary, born July 11, 2001, and named after Hillary Clinton. My mother dedicated her first born child to the Clintons, who declared diplomatic relations with Vietnam on July 11, 1995.

My mother regarded the Clintons very highly because of the grace given for Vietnam to start anew.

My existence in America was a bridge between her longing for home and her hope in the American dream.

abriella corker

/ the daily texan staff

By Hillary Ma Columnist

y father washed a box of fresh jujubes while my mother dried them and peeled off the dead skin.

“How many boxes do you want to bring?” my mother asked, in Vietnamese. She just recently bought 12 boxes from the supermarket.

A bit flustered at the bulk of fruit my parents bought, I requested just one. But my mother packs two for me anyway. After all, that’s my family, and they love buying things in bulk.

Bulk is something my family values. So much so that they bestowed upon me multiple names: an English name, a Vietnamese name, a Chinese name, affectionate nicknames and a Catholic middle name — everything that encapsulated our complex history.

My mother never struggled to find me an

Despite living in the ambiguity of their own cultural identity, my parents have redefined that into a story itself ­­­­--- one where they can encapsulate their whole lifetimes into one name.

My father entrusted my grandmother to decide my Chinese and Vietnamese name: Ma Wai Yi, as the Cantonese pronunciation would be romanized as, and Ma Vy Y, the Vietnamese translation of my Chinese name.

But when asked for the meaning of my names, silence ensued. Being ethnically Chinese with Vietnamese roots had complex dynamics to explain: My family can only speak Cantonese and Vietnamese but can’t read Chinese characters. My family’s inability to read Chinese characters was a direct result of

survival instincts; they had to throw away what fully unified Chinese pride — its meticulous strokes and detailed characters.

Just a mere name can capture the cultural dissonance of my own Chinese-Vietnamese American identity. It was evident during my Chinese classes each time I was forced to write my Chinese name with characters I had to guess based on how similar it sounded to my actual name. It is evident when my Chinese friends’ parents all communicate with each other in Mandarin and send messages to each other, making me feel out of place despite also being ethnically Han Chinese also.

But it is most evident when my family struggles to read captions of old photographs from my late grandmother.

I sometimes feel frustrated at the turn of events in my family’s lives that have hindered us to understand the nuances of our own names, prevented us from learning each stroke to our own names and obstructed our capability to fit the mold of what people expect us to be.

My parents have seen it all: war, death, poverty and struggle. But to them, they have rescoped these experiences as something beautiful. Despite living in the ambiguity of their own cultural identity, my parents have redefined that into a story itself — one where they can encapsulate their whole lifetimes into one name.

My journey to seek clarity in the meaning of my name continues, even until this day. Each stroke I learn in my Chinese classes would feel like a stroke closer to the actual character, but my family would chuckle at my effort and reassure me that whatever character intended for my name didn’t matter.

Only their love for me did.

“The fact that you are our only daughter is more than enough,” my father would remind me. “Never forget that.”

After all — that is my family, and they love cherishing me infinitely.

Ma is a journalism and Chinese junior from The Woodlands, Texas.

FIZA KUZHIYIL

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Life&Arts Editor | @TEXANARTS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021

LIFE&ARTS

What’s in a name?

ut students reflect on what their names mean to them

Ifunanya Obi

By Carolyn Parmer @_carolynparmer

Whenever a teacher stumbled over a name on the roster, Ifunanya Obi knew the teacher was struggling to pronounce hers.

Sometimes her classmates laughed, but she soon learned to brush off the feeling.

“A lot of times young children can feel shame around their names if they have some type of foreign name because it makes them feel like an ‘other,’” public health sophomore Obi said. “But I encourage people to always be proud of what makes you, you, because that’s what life is all about — being unique.”

Obi’s first name means “love” in Igbo, a prominent Nigerian language. Her parents and friends call her by her middle name, Kendra, and Obi said she’s proud to have

two names representing her Nigerian and American cultures.

Although people often struggle when trying to pronounce her name, Obi said she understands.

“If there’s someone else that has a name from another culture that I’m not familiar with, I would probably mess up their name too,” Obi said. “So I have to give that same grace to other people.”

In high school, Obi watched a TED Talk

by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. After watching the video, Obi really embraced the cultural significance of her name.

“After I saw that, I was like, ‘Oh, wait, this is not something to be embarrassed about because you have a name that someone can’t pronounce or a name that someone has to ask you about five times,’” Obi said. “This is actually something cool that I should be proud of.”

copyright ifunanya obi, and reproduced with permission

Public health sophomore Ifunanya Obi reflects on the cultural significance of her name.

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Neha Yawalkar

By Caroline Culberson @greaterculberson

Neha Yawalkar’s first name is common among South Asian women. But the meaning of her name, derived from the Sanskrit word for “rain,” serves as a special metaphor to her family.

“My brother’s name is Niraj, a type of flower,” said neuroscience freshman Yawalkar. “We think about how I’m the older sister, and because I’m ‘rain,’ I’m there to help my brother to grow and to become a beautiful person.”

When playing pretend with her childhood friends, Yawalkar said she always changed her name to embody characters from pop culture, like Carly from the TV show “iCarly.” Years later, Yawalkar said she realized she loved her name and

wanted to own her identity.

“I like having this part of me,” Yawalkar said. “Sure, I don’t see (my name) represented in the media, but ... because I have this name, that means that I am myself, and I don’t have to be anyone else.”

No longer interested in “donning a persona,” Yawalkar said she hopes her actions will imbue meaning into her name — a word that evokes dependability, trustworthiness and kindness — for the people she loves.

Yawalkar celebrates sharing her name with so many other Nehas and accepting that she can embrace her individuality, even when sharing her first name with others.

“Despite having the same language that is associated with us, each person’s concept (of the name) and that word, depending on their experiences, is so radically different,” she said. “I just love that.”

jack myer

/ the daily texan staff

Neuroscience freshman Neha Yawalkar discusses how the meaning of her name serves as a special metaphor within her family.

Trent Probeck

By Jade Emerson @jade__emerson

julius shieh

/ the daily texan staff

Interpersonal communications junior Trent Probeck reminisces on how his name serves as a testament to the people who named him.

Trent Probeck’s mother planned to name him after country singer Travis Tritt.

When Probeck was born 30 days late, his mother, flustered, misspelled the singer’s last name, writing “Trent” instead of “Tritt” on the birth certificate.

“I do find it comedic in the fact that my mom tried to name me and messed that up,” interpersonal communications junior Probeck said. “I liked that about my first name.”

Next to his mother’s signature on his birth certificate is a blank space, where his father refused to re-sign with the proper ink. Despite that, Probeck still carries the last name of his father, who has never been

present in his life.

“I decided to keep the name as a constant reminder of someone I didn’t want to be,” Probeck said. “I wanted to do things in spite of what he does and what he represents. I wanted to bring some good to the world and be there for people. It’s influenced my career path in trying to possibly be a counselor or a therapist.”

To Probeck, his name serves as a testament to the people who named him, with his first name acknowledging his mother’s sense of humor in her mistake and his last name representing a name he reclaimed from his father. He thinks of himself as a mosaic of all the people in his life.

“We take people’s lives, we take people’s interests and we cultivate ourselves to be a combination of everything that has come before us to define who we are,” Probeck said.

N AT H A N H A N

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Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021

FEATURE

SPORTS

Bijan is back As Senior Day and the final game approaches, the good news is all about next season: Bijan Robinson is returning.

By Nathan Han @NathanHan13

ijan Robinson will be back.

The star sophomore running back spoke to media Monday for the first time since he dislocated his elbow Nov. 13 in a loss to Kansas and set the record straight on his plans for the 2022 season.

Robinson, who still has one more year before he can officially declare for the NFL Draft, said he was staying and would also be playing next year despite rumors that the running back would transfer or sit out next season.

“I’m a really loyal guy,” Robinson said. “And when I say I’m gonna do something, I’m gonna stick to it.”

The sophomore from Tucson, Arizona, cited “God’s plan,” as he does almost every single press conference, as one reason he’s staying.

But Robinson also acknowledged the outside pressure of his looming NFL career: Sitting out next year to preserve his body could help his draft stock and avoid any potential career-ending injuries along with general wear-and-tear in a league that increasingly rotates through running backs.

“A lot of people ask me that question,” Robinson said. “There’s some scouts that talk to agents that are saying I shouldn’t play this next year.

But I’m going to play. I just love football so much. Just being a part of that team, it would just be hard for me to sit out and watch, week to week, when I could be out there contributing.”

Robinson also said he’s heard “so many” rumors that he’s going to transfer, even to a championship-contending team. But the running back isn’t focused on another school, he’s focused on his teammates and even his future teammates.

The sophomore and one of the leaders of the current Longhorn team said he’s really active in recruiting, especially after his injury.

“I used to be not that active (in recruiting),” Robinson said. “But now that I see what (head coach Steve Sarkisian) is trying to do and who he wants, I’m trying to be that guy to come in from behind and say my little two words to them and encourage them to come here as well.”

Six Years Later

Twenty-nine seniors will be recognized with a pregame ceremony at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium before the game against Kansas State on Friday.

blaine young

/ the daily texan file

Sophomore running back Bijan Robinson carries the ball during the Texas vs. Kansas game on Nov. 13.

Seniors Anthony Cook, D’Shawn Jamison and DeMarvion Overshown were not listed among the 29 — the three defenders, along with other fouryear players like juniors Junior Angilau, Moro Ojomo and Casey Thompson have an extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic.

The seniors that are departing — including tight end Cade Brewer, offensive tackle Derek Kerstetter and veteran safety Brenden Schooler — expressed confidence in the newest coaching staff after the six-year players rotated through three head coaches and countless coordinators and position coaches.

One such player — six-year super senior offensive lineman Tope Imade — credits his first year of significant playing time to current offensive line coach Kyle Flood.

“I wish coach Flood would have come in three, four years earlier, but for him to do what he did with me, and actually have me contribute to the team, getting pancake blocks here and there, I couldn’t be any more grateful,” Imade said. “Even outside of me, I see walkons developing, and that’s amazing. I’ve never seen that before. … Sark is the guy. They’re developing players, and I can’t wait to see what they do next year.”

If that’s not a big enough vote of confidence from this year’s group of seniors, then Bijan Robinson’s return to Texas in 2022 might be.

SPORTS

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021

FEATURE

Sprinter Teahna Daniels is back where it all began

By Ethan Ferguson @ethan_ferguson6

Teahna Daniels’ passion for track started when she was just eight years old, racing kids in her childhood neighborhood. Her mother knew that track was her calling after Daniels continuously beat the other kids out of the park in flip flops.

“When I was younger, my step mom and I used to pass by the Nike stores and she would always say, ‘Teahna, that’s gonna be you one day,’” Daniels said. “I always held that within me.”

Daniels quickly became a high school track phenom when she made her first world juniors team in 2014, becoming a champion in the 4x100-meter relay.

“That’s when I really started to believe, ‘Hey, I could really be a professional track and field athlete. I can do this,’” Daniels said.

Her rise in the collegiate ranks started while competing at Texas from 2016-2019. Now, a third-year professional sprinter and silver medalist in the 4x100-meter relay at the Tokyo Olympics, her rise in the professional ranks is just beginning. In 2021, she returned to the Forty Acres as a volunteer assistant to the place where it all started for her.

When she first came to Texas for the last visit of her recruitment, Daniels said that her decision wasn’t hard.

“As soon as I got on campus and started to tour everything, got to know the team and all that stuff, I just really kind of fell in love with it,” Daniels said. “Texas just had it all, honestly.”

One of her favorite moments as a Longhorn was when she became an NCAA Champion as a freshman in

2016. Finishing the 60-meter race in 7.11 seconds, Daniels claimed the American Junior record and earned the title of fastest freshman in NCAA history.

Another memorable season for Daniels came in 2018, the year that her father passed away. She won the Big 12 Championships and set the facility record running the 100-meter in 11.11 seconds. Daniels won 10 points for her team from the race and persevered through what she called one of her hardest seasons ever.

“The grind is not allowing the worry of yesterday to impact the success of today,” said Edrick Floréal, Texas track and field head coach.

She won her first national title in 2019 at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. In the 100-meter race, Daniels beat out Olympic gold medalists English Gardner and Morolake Akinosun.

“That race was really emotional for me, I’m not gonna lie,” Daniels said. “I just went into it with the utmost faith in myself, my coach and my talent.”

It was her first championship in a professional race and her first representing Nike.

Daniels’ current duties as a volunteer assistant coach include motivating the collegiate athletes and pushing them to work hard, do their best and emulate an example for them to take the next step in their careers.

Coach Floréal said that volunteer assistant coaches keep the practices and training at the highest level.

Depending on what is needed from training or if coach Floréal is out of town, Daniels helps oversee practice.

Lately, Daniels has addressed the mental aspect of running through meditation and is a certified yoga instructor. It’s been a hobby of hers

since high school, but Daniels said that the pandemic really brought to light ideas to venture into another area other than track.

“I think that mental health is really sort of a state of making yourself happy,” Floréal said. “You’re not always successful at it, but putting in the effort to keep and make yourself happy is important.”

The number one piece of advice that Daniels has to offer kids and college athletes right now is to not complicate things and keep things simple.

“The more you complicate things, the more you’ll get frustrated and you won’t accomplish whatever you want to accomplish,” Daniels said. “The more you keep it simple, the easier it is to process what you’re going through and find different avenues to get to where you want to go.”

copyright texas athletics and reproduced with permission

Former Texas sprinter Teahna Daniels returned to the Forty Acres this year as a volunteer assistant. Over the summer, Daniels won a silver medal in the 4x100 relay at the Tokyo Olympics.

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D E S T I N Y A L E X A N D E R & B A R B R A D A LY

Comics Editors | @TEXANCOMICS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021

COMICS