The Daily Texan 2021-12-03 by The Daily Texan

Serving The University Of Texas At Austin Community Since 1900 @thedailytexan | thedailytexan.com

Tuesday, December 3, 2021

Volume 122, Issue 39

semester in review fall 2021

RESEARCH

CAMPUS

UT researchers use COVID-19 vaccine technology to tackle high-fatality virus By Katy Nelson @KatyNel86

Researchers at UT created the first ever treatment for a fatal virus by utilizing a similar antibody technology that was used to develop COVID-19 treatments. Researchers examined the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever’s protein structure and found the presence of two antibodies that combine to create a “bispecific antibody” which eliminates the virus, researcher Akaash Mishra said. In November, University researchers, along with collaborators from other institutions across the country, released their findings, which is the first potential treatment reported for the virus, Mishra said. “The bispecific is actually currently under clinical development to be used as a therapeutic against the virus,” said Mishra, a chemistry and biochemistry Ph.D. candidate. “Meaning, let’s say if a person from the U.S. … needs to go to continents where this virus is endemic, … they could actually get a prophylactic shock with one of these antibodies and stay protected for several weeks.” The virus is caused by ticks and can lead to serious complications in humans. In 2018, the World Health Organization identified the virus as one of its top priorities for research. The

virus is endemic in Europe, Africa and Asia, and it is unclear how many cases there are worldwide, according to the National Library of Medicine. “People infected with it could get this hemorrhagic fever,” said researcher Jason McLellan. “Thirty to 40% of infected people die, so it has a very high case fatality rate. And we had access to blood samples from people who had survived (the virus’) infections. So we have a source that we can isolate antibodies from and develop them into interventions.” The group is still continuing research to create a vaccine candidate from their research, but Mishra said development for a candidate is dependent on how authorities in the countries where the virus is present handle treatment. The team of researchers col-

laborated with the Prometheus Consortium for the research, which McLellan said is a group dedicated to developing therapeutics and vaccines for pathogens. McLellan said his group was required to choose among the WHO’s list of high-priority pathogens and they chose this virus. McLellan said their strategy to create the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever treatment was similar to some COVID-19 treatments. He said the fever’s antibody is similar to Regeneron, which is a single infusion antibody cocktail given to COVID-19 patients to lessen their symptoms and help them fight the virus. “Our collaborators isolated hundreds of antibodies from a survivor of (the fever), and then

chloe pertuit

VIRUS

PAGE 8

/ the daily texan staff

UT professor elected president of Linguistic Society of America By Kevin Vu @Kevin_Vu_

The Linguistic Society of America elected a UT professor as its president for the first time since 1973. Linguistics professor Anthony Woodbury will serve a one-year term as vice president in 2022 and a one-year term as president in 2023. “I feel very honored and I also feel that I have a responsibility to feel that I’m really taking the temperature of what is going on with the membership of (the society) and try to represent and enable to the best of my ability all these things,” Woodbury said. “There’s quite a lot of things going on in the discipline. There’s many, many new horizons.” The Linguistic Society of America has advanced the study of language and its structure since 1924 by sponsoring different peer-reviewed journals, conferences and programs, said Alyson Reed, executive director of the organization. “We’re delighted that Tony agreed to stand for election and we’re looking forward to working with him in the coming years,” Reed said. Reed said the nominating

Linguistics professor Anthony Woodbury will serve as president of the Linguistic Society of America in 2023.

committee selected Woodbury for these positions based on his outstanding scholarship and leadership abilities. Reed said the committee also considered potential candidates’ time commitments and their ability to lead a nonprofit organization. Woodbury said he has worked at UT since 1980 and has focused on researching and documenting Indigenous languages of the Americas. He said he has trained linguistics for native speakers of the Indigenous languages of Latin America and Alaska. Woodbury said he was

Comfy, shared car rides between cities Rides to Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Ft. Worth, College Station, Corpus Christi, San Marcos, and Waco. RideHitch.com Use code Horns2021 for 50% off your first three shared rides. First time users only.

shocked when he received an email in May about his selection as vice president and president-elect. “My jaw dropped,” Woodbury said. “I couldn’t believe it. I just thought, ‘Wow.’ I was just really surprised. It was just out of the blue. I always tried to be a good citizen, and do things for (society) when I had a chance. I had no idea that anybody was thinking of me to do this.” As president, Woodbury will preside at the meetings of the society, help with fundraising, be a spokesperson for the organization and deliver the presidential PROFESSOR

PAGE 2

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

Double Coverage Photo Editor Blaine Young Double Coverage Design Editor Jenny DeVico Double Coverage Copy Editor Angelina Braese Newsletters Editor Jessica Garcia Copy Desk Chief Phoebe Hayes Assoc. Copy Desk Chiefs Mantra Dave, Alex Mercadel, Chloe Roman, Andrew Walter Design Editor Megan Fletcher Assoc. Design Editor Juleanna Culilap

Photo Editor Jack Myer Assoc. Photo Editors Hannah Clark, Connor Downs

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

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2021

LOOKING BACK LOOKING forward PUBLIC SAFETY LOOKING BACK

LOOKING FORWARD University leadership and the UT Police Department will develop and announce long-term public safety improvements in response to community concerns following an off-campus shooting and other crimes.

The UT Police Department increased its presence in West Campus with the opening of a new satellite office on Guadalupe Street.

Digital Designer Ciara Casarez

Projects Editor Neelam Bohra

Assoc. News Editors Anna Canizales, Skye Seipp

News Editor | @THEDAILYTEXAN

Senior Designers Jenny DeVico, Marissa Kapp

Editorial Cartoonist Anna Kaminetz

News Editor Brooke Park

B R O O K E PA R K

jack myer

/ the daily texan file

Senior Photographers Kara Hawley, Julius Shieh Video Editor Anchal Raghuvanshi

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Assoc. Video Editor Ethan Greeno Senior Videographers Kameryn Griesser, Sofia Reyes Comics Editors Destiny Alexander, Barbra Daly

Sr. Comics Illustrators Rocky Higine, Ana Louisa Matzner

Next semester, the Student Government assembly will vote on impeachment articles for the SG president, financial director and communications director.

Social Media Editor Nuzha Zuberi Assoc. Social Media Editors Bernice Chen, Sarah Winch

julius shieh

Senior Digital Staffers Lily Kane, Nick Susa

/ the daily texan file

Audio Editor Addie Costello Assoc. Audio Editor Carly Rose Senior Audio Producers Mikayla Mondragon, Laura Morales Editorial Adviser Peter Chen

ISSUE STAFF Columnists Faleha Quadri. Emily Harrison

CAMPUS LOOKING BACK

Comic Artists Chloe Pertuit Copy Editors Sage Dunlap, Isabella Zeff, Andrea Rodriguez, Camryn Brownlee

Sports Reporter Peirson Livingston

Four executive board members resigned from Student Government after their concerns about unaddressed sexual assault allegations went unheard. In a vote of no confidence, the SG assembly voted to request the resignation of the remaining three members, including the SG president.

LOOKING FORWARD Next semester, groups like the Campus Environmental Center said they plan to have conversations with students to address how they can do their part to create a more sustainable campus with lowered carbon emissions.

UT climate activist groups like the Students Fighting Climate Change organization campaigned and protested for oil divestment and more sustainable executive decisions from the University.

Designers Sara Kinney, Sam Treviño

LOOKING BACK

LOOKING FORWARD

Assoc. Comics Editor Alicia Paz

leila saidane

/ the daily texan file

MAIN TELEPHONE (512) 471-4591

POLITICS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Sanika Nayak (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com Myah Taylor (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com

The Supreme Court has yet to issue a decision regarding Senate Bill 8, but many are hopeful the bill will be overturned.

NEWS OFFICE

(512) 232-2207 news@dailytexanonline.com The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely. If we have made an error, let us know about it. Call (512) 232-2217 or e-mail managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com.

leila saidane

RESEARCH

TODAY Dec. 3

HI LO

78º 64º

TOMORROW Dec. 4

HI LO

78º 65º

“cut the curtains...deadass”

/ the daily texan file

Gov. Greg Abbott signed the voting restrictions bill into law, which bans overnight early voting hours and drive-thru voting. The country’s most restrictive abortion law, also known as Senate Bill 8, went into effect that prohibits abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy.

COVID-19 LOOKING BACK

LOOKING BACK AUSTIN WEATHER

LOOKING BACK

LOOKING FORWARD

MANAGING EDITOR

Researchers create an app to assist first responders monitor and manage floods in real time.

The University largely returned to a full in-person education without mask or vaccine mandates, but encouraged students, staff and faculty to wear masks and get vaccinated.

LOOKING FORWARD

UT researchers will conduct the largest study on the world’s most powerful telescope to look farther into the universe than ever before.

A new COVID-19 variant named Omicron was first detected in South Africa. President Biden urges all adults to get COVID-19 booster shots as the US detects early cases.

FOOTBALL Researchers create an app to assist first responders monitor and manage floods in real time

VOLLEYBALL The No. 2 Longhorns are looking for revenge and a ring in the NCAA tournament, where they host Rice on Friday and face a possible matchup against Kentucky in their region. The Wildcats took down Texas in the national championship last year.

News editor says goodbye, prepares for identity crisis By Brooke Park @broookepark

I worry a lot about who I will be without the Texan. Ever since I stepped foot in this anxiety trap called the basement in my first semester of college, The Daily Texan dominated my thoughts and feelings. My college life formed in response to everything and everyone I met in the basement, and it is hard to think who I could possibly be without this newspaper. I do not cry often, but when I do, it is because of this place. While nothing has hurt me so badly, I also cannot think of any entity that has inspired so much love. I made a little family during my time here. Megan Menchaca, thank you for hiring me as a general reporter. You held so much power, and I feared you greatly. It is wild that we

leila saidane

are such good friends now. Lauren Girgis, thank you for taking me in as your associate news editor and for giving me these great bangs. Hannah Williford, thank you for comforting me in Cabo Bobs. Neelam Bohra, thank you for keeping our friend group alive, and I am sorry I gave you a bad compliment that Christmas. Emily Hernandez, thank you for inspiring me to up

/ the daily texan staff

my fashion game. To my wonderful staffers, I love y’all. Thank you Anna for being the bestie. Skye, thank you for dealing with the “men are trash” jokes. Samantha, Sheryl, Kevin, Katy, Kaushiki, Tori and Marisa, I have watched you all grow so much this past semester. Through broken cardboard boxes and some great face painting, I want to thank y’all for letting

me lead us through this wild semester. As some of you may know, I have prided myself on getting through this semester as news editor without shedding a single tear. But of course, in the end I am crying. I got my start here. The news department raised me. Before I came to the Texan, I knew nothing and was nothing. My high school journalism teacher did not think I would make it. But now, I stand before all these opportunities I always hoped I would achieve but never believed I would actualize. And as I trace everything back to the Texan, I feel grateful to the newspaper that forced me to grow even when it was sometimes against my will. I never had school spirit. For the Texan and its people who make the space beautiful, I may make an exception.

professor

CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1

address, which is considered the highest honor in the linguistics field, Reed said. “I hope he can help us bounce back from the pandemic effects that we’ve been experiencing that (have) had a negative impact on the organization’s finances, the viability of our annual conference and how we can face the future challenges that our members are confronting at their home institutions,” Reed said. Linguistics department chair Richard Meier said it is an honor for Woodbury to achieve such a position since he is a person who is so passionate about his work understanding human language and teaching students his area of linguistic research. “It speaks … not only to the quality of Dr. Woodbury’s research and contributions to the field of linguistics, but I think it’s also consistent with the high quality of our department,” Meier said.

LIFE&ARTS

FIZA KUZHIYIL

Life&Arts Editor | @TEXANARTS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2021

MUSIC

UT music community: Eastern music should be celebrated Chorus addresses lack of diversity in performance content.

By Reya Mosby @ReyaMosby

he full-bodied sound of Bereket Middle Eastern Ensemble filled the Bates Recital Hall. Forty chorus members accompanied by an instrumental section, composed of both traditional Middle Eastern and modern rock instruments, joined together in song. As the concert came to a close, audience members sprung from their seats, grabbing one another to perform traditional Arabic dances. They united with the musicians on stage in a genuine celebration of Middle Eastern music and culture. Typically, modern choirs omit Eastern music — more specifically Asian and Middle Eastern music — from their choral repertoire and focus solely on a Westernized cannon. However, vocal performance freshman Gabreauna Nash said she finds this lack of diversity and inclusivity frustrating. “People have a rigid definition of what classical choral music has to sound like, and they don’t think (Eastern music) is traditional,” Nash said. “They don’t

want to seem too different, and it’s almost like a challenge to what they believe.” Western and Eastern music have many differences ranging from harmonic syntax and the use of improvisation, to the level of cultural intertwinement and the audience-performer dynamic. These discrepancies may make Eastern music seem daunting, resulting in a slow, dragged-out process of including Eastern sound in the classical choral cannon. However, Issa Aji, assistant music theory instructor, wants to force this change forward and foster critical conversations about diversity and inclusion in choral music. “Why is that happening all so slow?” Aji said. “We’re bound up in the walls of academia, and things don’t happen fast because it’s too much for the gatekeepers to handle. It’ll shake them up too much.” Music education freshman Taylor Harr said the leisurely paced changes reflect the need for choir directors and music educators to err on the side of caution when teaching Eastern music so they do it respectfully. Because this music comes from cultures that most Americans are familiar with, educators must work to include Eastern songs without tokenizing or culturally appropriating them. Additionally, Harr said she believes transparency and communication between students and teachers would help.

“I feel like it just boils down to honesty,” Harr said. “Be open with your students. These pieces deserve to be sung just as much as any other piece. Honesty with your students will lessen the hesitancy. In the music world, we’re always striving to have perfection. It’s okay to admit that you don’t know how to do something.” Furthermore, because Eurocentric choral literature predominantly tends to exclude minorities, it actively prevents minority students from feeling represented by the music they sing. “They are people who deserve to be represented just as much as Bach, Brahms and that kind of music,” Harr said. “They deserve to be represented, and it’s also very important for the students to see that they are included.” According to Aji, this lack of diversity deprives students of the opportunity to fully delve into all that choral music has to offer, putting students at a disadvantage because they are missing out on so much. “If we want a comprehensive knowledge of music, if we want to understand music at its core, why limit us to this very small little sect of music?” Aji said. “There’s so much more out there. You learn a lot from exploring other music and really taking them seriously.”

Daily Texan Crossword ACROSS 1. College entrance exams 5. Leader of sermon (abbr.) 8. Width times height 9. Main ingredient in guacamole (abbr.) 10. When your semester grades are posted... 12. To abhor 13. Quality of pasta 19. You don’t want me! I’m ______ goods! 20. He sat on the dock of the bay 21. Nonprofit 23. Monthly payment 24. Title IX handles this kind of discrimination 25. Where the Longhorns score touchdowns 26. Famous ice cream brand DOWN 1. Since I didn’t take notes, I’ll just have to remember what the professor ____

1 destiny alexander

I’m not sure why I initially hesitated to try out for the Texan. I could blame 18-year-old me for being naive or thinking I lacked skill. Whatever the reason — I’m sure it had to have been fair … right? I’m not sure why I hesitated to start this column either. I mean, it’s all I’ve been talking about for the last month, yet here I am at 3 a.m. the day it’s due trying to explain how all the memories and friendships I’ve made are worth so much more than the 21,000+ words I’ve produced. Fiza Kuzhiyil, you’ve done nothing but amaze me the last two years. You’re one of the hardest working people I know and encourage me every day to be a better editor, writer and friend. Progressing up the chain of command with you has been nothing short of pure fun. This semester would’ve been brutal without your basement bubble blowing sessions, late night hangs, and, of course, our 6-day apocalypse survival trial at ACL. Your wit and stellar leadership skills will stay with me, and I can’t wait to open the Texan one day and see your name in a management position. Zoe Tzanis, thanks for always making my job easier, but beyond that, thanks for being my rock this semester. I couldn’t have

LARTS associate editor finally writes about something besides music @mtthomas_

done it without you, truly. Despite working in LARTS, your lack of knowledge about pop culture references keeps me sane. I hope you’re prepared for unsolicited daily texts about whatever is happening in my life, because there’s no one else I’d rather ramble aimlessly to than you. Noah Levine, thanks for putting up with my lack of film knowledge. You’re the true Pumpkin King and I can’t wait to see you one day walking the red carpet. Carolyn Parmer, Caroline Culberson and Reya Mosby, hard work beats talent any day. Your courage to use personal experiences to tell community stories is inspiring. I’ve loved watching you grow this semester, and I hope your unique styles continue to produce some of the best stories this department has to offer. To the entire LARTS department, I’ve littered this column with the same dead verbs I’ve yelled at you about all semester. I expect verb-total-texts from all of you. Aisling Ayers and Lauren Castro, you may not see this, but thanks for taking a chance on my passion for music journalism. You gave me the opportunity I needed to find the heartbeat of my career and became great friends along the way. Much love to you both. This paper has been a crucial part of who I am the last two years, and I can’t imagine my life without it. But here I go.

connor downs

/ the daily texan file

By Morgan-Taylor Thomas

2. Art, but in spanish 3. Synonym for exam 4. He was out! No, he was _____! 5. Was the professor really lecturing or just _____? 6. Ryan Gosling’s wife 7. Cubic measurement (abbr.) 11. I am. You are. She __. 13. A dweeb? A nerd? No… 14. See ya__! 15. Key of Michael Jackson’s “Bad” (abbr.) 16. First word of a Steinbeck title 17. During finals season, everyone feels a bit like this 18. Her style ___ on punk rock, but she didn’t have the mohawk to prove it 22. Certain opioid (abbr.)

/ the daily texan staff

ACROSS: 1. SATS, 5. Rev, 8. Area, 9. Avo, 10. ItsFinal, 12. Detest, 13. AlDente, 19. Damaged 20. Otis , 21. NGO, 23. Rent , 24. Sex, 25. DKR, 26. EDY DOWN: 1. Said, 2. Arte, 3. Test , 4. Safe, 5. Rantig, 6. Eva, 7. Vol, 11. Is, 13. ADork, 14. Later, 15. DMin, 16. East, 17. Tense, 18. Edged, 22. Oxy

OPINION

S A N I K A N AYA K

Editor-In-Chief | @TEXANOPINION FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2021

COLUMN

Looking forward, looking back: Change is long overdue By The Daily Texan Editorial Board

In January, the fall 2020 editorial board wrote a piece called “These issues are nothing new.” They discussed professor sexual misconduct, transparency issues, and the disregard of Black student demands. One year later, almost nothing has changed. “The Eyes of Texas” remains our school song — it’s sung at every football game, emblazoned on each class ring and plays from the tower every night. Despite its racist origins, the University is set on clinging to tradition over inclusion. Black student voices have been repeatedly neglected by administration and alumni, even as they voice their discomfort. UT has once again shown its unwillingness to make simple changes to support students of color. The song shouldn’t have even been worth an argument, let alone the million dollar cost of an unnecessary consultant and the time it took to put together an insubstantial report. Sahotra Sarkar is still on the spring 2022 course schedule, despite being found in violation of Title IX policy. He was suspended as a faculty member for only one semester, and in the spring will teach two philosophy courses, PHL 325M and PHL 363L.

Coleman Hutchison will teach two English courses, E 349S and E 377K, despite having violated UT’s sexual misconduct policy, consensual relationship policy and conduct policy. While he was prohibited from supervising graduate students alone for two years and excluded from consideration for professorship or administrative positions, Hutchison is still allowed to teach honors and upper-division courses. Kevin Dalby is scheduled to teach PHM 181R in spring 2022, after having violated UT’s sexual misconduct policy in 2019. Although he was banned from supervising graduate students alone until fall 2021, he was recently awarded new research grants, and is slated to continue his career in an upward trajectory. Allowing professors with allegations to teach is a slap in the face to survivors, protestors and advocates — not to mention a safety risk for students. UT has made this mistake before: In 2013, the University allowed Phil Nemy to keep his job as the UT Los Angeles executive director, even after violating sexual misconduct and sexual harrassment policies. UT eventually fired him, but not before students filed four more complaints of misconduct. By allowing similar situations to occur once again, UT is staying complicit and enabling potential future abuse. Sexual misconduct among students and student organizations continues to persist at UT. In the last few weeks,

allegations against the Tejas Club and the lack of timely response from its leaders have been at the forefront of student conversations. Again, student activists and survivors have borne the brunt of demanding accountability, while the University stands by. UT must commit to taking swift action against organizations and individuals who violate Title IX. It’s hard to look forward to the close of another semester when it feels so little has changed. But it shouldn’t be this way. UT administration: It is your responsibility to create a safe and comfortable environment for your student body — a student body that has repeatedly called on you to do better. We need more transparency surrounding decision making at an executive level. We need you to prioritize Black student voices and listen to their requests to reckon with the racist history of this school and remove “The Eyes of Texas.” We need you to hold student organizations accountable for their actions. We need every professor found in violation of sexual misconduct policy to be fired immideately.

Change is long overdue. What are you waiting for? The editorial board is composed of Isabelle Costello, Sruti Ramachandran, Megan Tran, Julia Zaksek and editor-in-chief Sanika Nayak.

COLUMN

UT, renew your composting contract By Faleha Quadri Columnist

Seven years and 232 days. According to the scientists behind Climate Clock, this is the amount of time we have left to limit global warming by 1.5 C, depicting the urgency of the climate crisis we are currently facing. Almost every day we are exposed to horrifying stories of forest fires or melting glaciers and are met with the question of how to solve this pressing problem. While changes of large magnitudes will not be possible without political intervention, there are still habits that we can incorporate into our daily lives to better our environment. One of them is composting. Composting has great benefits for the environment such as reducing landfill waste and adding nutrients to the soil. This is why it is concerning to hear that although there are compost bins present in dining halls, University Housing and Dining is no longer composting the waste in these bins. Their contract has been expired for over a year, and food being “composted” in the dining halls is actually being taken to the landfill. It is critical that the UHD be more transparent about their expired composting contract and renew it as soon as possible. Neil Kaufman, sustainability manager with University Housing and Dining, provided some insight on why the contract was not renewed.

clara sanchez/ the daily texan staff

“Our service agreement with our service provider for composting had expired at the end of January of 2020, and a month and a half or so after that was the shutdown,” Kaufman said. “So even though we actually had a company that we were very closely considering bringing on, with the lockdown, we kind of dropped everything and really didn’t start reconsidering what the next steps were until quite a bit later, once we came back to campus.” While it might have been difficult to

renew a contract in the middle of the pandemic, students have unknowingly thrown their food scraps away in the trash for over a year, thinking that it was going to be composted. Chemistry freshman Adora Wu did not know anything about this situation prior to her interview. “I did not (know that UHD wasn’t composting) and that really surprises me because I keep seeing the compost bins in the dining halls,” Wu said. “I

think it’s very dishonest of UT to have the bins there, but they’re not actually being composted.” Wu also provided a potential, shortterm solution to this problem. “For the time being, they could put up signs (on the compost bins) just to educate people and let them know,” Wu said. “I’m sure a lot of people would also have a problem with this and they would push for UHD to bring back the compost and renew their contract.” Kaufman mentioned that University Housing and Dining is in an interim period, and is working with a different company to create a new composting contract. In the meantime, UHD is currently working on measures to ensure they are being transparent about their composting situation. “We’re going to be changing out the signage, to better reflect where that waste is going,” Kaufman said. “I think it’s also important, though, that students maintain their waste sorting habits, and that was initially kind of why we kept that compost (bins), as we thought it was just going to be a temporary lapse in that contract, but since it’s been so long we want to make sure that’s reflected to be accurate.” Although progress to create a more sustainable campus environment is being promised, it is imperative that UHD immediately replaces the signage on the compostable bins and renews their composting contract. Quadri is a Plan II and business freshman from Austin, Texas.

COLUMN

UHD must stop single-use dishes due to environmental impact By Emily Harrison Columnist

After several semesters of virtual learning, we are finally transitioning back to a normal campus. University Housing and Dining has made several changes, such as opening Littlefield Patio Cafe, finally expanding their hours and planning to open a couple of other cafes, but they still have a long way to go. The dining halls are still using paper plates, plastic cups and plastic silverware, even though they have a negative environmental impact. Reusable plates, cups and utensils are available occasionally, but not always. The dining halls have shown they are capable of using reusable options, so why can’t they be used everyday? UHD needs to prioritize environmental sustainability and provide reusable dishes to students regularly. The new single-use dishes are compostable, but no dining halls have compost bins, aside from Jester City Limits. While there are some compost bins around campus outdoors, they’re insufficient. Public relations sophomore Anika Grendell explained the issue with justifying the use of single-use dishes because they can be composted. “I don’t think (they’re compostable) with how they’re running it in the dining halls right now,” Grendell said. “If you’re out and about on campus, sometimes you’ll see compostable bins. There’s a few over by Littlefield Patio Cafe, but because only certain products are compostable, and food is compostable, the way the trash cans are working in the dining hall, they wouldn’t be able to compost that because there are some non-compostable items.” There are compost and recycling bins in JCL, which makes it possible to separate compostable products from non-compostable products, but at Kinsolving Dining and J2 Dining, there are only regular trash cans, so everything is mixed. When all of the trash is mixed, anything that was compostable no longer is,

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.

because it has been contaminated by other products. Mynor Rivera, director of dining operations, said they have a plan to add compostable bins in all of the dining halls in the spring semester. However, even if they added these compost bins, nothing is actually being composted since UT’s contract with their former composting company expired in January 2020. Without a contract, waste placed in these new compost bins will just go to the landfill. Rivera explained the reason for the single-use dishes is a shortage of reusable dishes and a staff to clean them. “The problem (at Kinsolving Dining is) the staffing, and (the) dishwasher machine was broken for almost three days,” Rivera said. “(In J2) our plates

SUBMIT A FIRING LINE | Email your Firing Lines to editor@dailytexanonline.com. Letters must be more than 100 and fewer than 300 words. The Texan reserves the right to edit all submissions for brevity, clarity and liability.

and silverware (aren’t coming in) because everything is delayed for now.” In my past columns about UHD, a shortage of staffing has been the University’s explanation for many issues. While they can’t force people to work for them, they need to either find people to hire or come up with a supplemental solution that doesn’t affect the students and isn’t wasteful. Due to their expired contract, nothing is being composted, causing everything to go to waste. There is no environmental benefit to UHD continuing to use these compostable and disposable products anymore, so the department must stop using them. Harrison is a journalism freshman from Dallas, Texas

sheryl longz/ the daily texan staff

RECYCLE | Please recycle this copy of The Daily Texan. Place the paper in one of the recycling bins on campus or back in the burnt-orange newsstand where you found it.

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

FEATURE

Erica Sullivan tackles Texas head-on Silver medalist, Texas swimmer Erica Sullivan put her mental health first with help of Longhorn coaches. By Pierson Livingston @piersonjl

week after Erica Sullivan won a silver medal in the Olympics, Texas women’s assistant swim coach Mitch Dalton was on the phone with the future Texas swimmer. The topic of the call? PostOlympic depression. He wanted to make sure Sullivan could hit the ground rolling once the freshman came to the Forty Acres in August. “I think those were even her words: ‘I want to hit the ground rolling with mental health support,’” Dalton said. “She just wanted to be proactive with all that.” So did Dalton. The former Team USA coach and Sullivan both said post-Olympic depression is common when it comes to swimmers: After months of preparation for competition at the top level, the weeks and months following the Olympics can be hard for

athletes as they transition back to their daily lives. “I just remember, before I even showed up to Austin, I had a phone call with (Dalton),” Sullivan said. “And he was just like, ‘I know you’re susceptible to (post-Olympic depression), so let’s start to get this worked out now, so the minute you get there, you can get to working with our sports (psychologist) or our staff at (Texas) Athletics.’” That’s exactly what they did. Dalton set Sullivan up with a personal sports psychiatrist to get ahead of the curve, getting “all that worked out,” Sullivan said. Finding the right path

Sullivan has been vocal about her own mental struggles after losing her father to cancer while simultaneously navigating her journey in coming out. Following the hardships her teenage years faced, the silver medalist already had a background with therapy. After watching her father in a battle with cancer, Sullivan began going to see a therapist

to help cope with his loss. “What (my therapist) and I were doing was building tools in my emotional toolbox. Filling it with tools and coping mechanisms and the ability to grieve so that if something bad happened to me again, I can be able to process it and understand it,” Sullivan said. Sullivan said she hit a personal rock bottom in February 2018. But after six months of “intensive therapy,” the young athlete relearned how to process emotions in a healthier way despite some challenges. “It took a long time. It got worse before it got better, but I had to trust the process,” Sullivan said “You have to hold on to hope that it does get better.” So, seeing how the coaching staff at Texas cared for its team was a key priority. Before competing in the Olympics or coming to Texas, Sullivan originally committed to the University of Southern California, when she was just 16 years old. Following changes to the coaching staff at USC, the Las Vegas product then re-entered the recruiting pool and decided to defer a year of college to train for Tokyo. One way Texas head coach Carol Capitani and Dalton are active in caring for the team’s mental health is setting aside time before practice every Wednesday to discuss hard topics outside of the pool. This series of conversations began in October, hence the nickname “Talktober” and has since continued deeper into the season. This type of attention to a broader scope of the athletes health was one of the reasons Sullivan decided to choose burnt orange as her college color after a visit to the Forty Acres.

Breaking onto the big stage

Before Sullivan swam with millions watching, she got her start in the pool at just six years old and her first taste of the Olympics two years later. “I remember (the) 2008 Beijing (Olympics), seeing Michael Phelps win all those medals,” Sullivan said. “As an 8-year-old, you can’t watch the screen and not be mesmerized and be like, ‘I want that to be me.’ If you don’t have goals like that, why else are you in the sport?” The first-time Olympian entered the games in a familiar place, having been to Japan to visit family many times before. Sullivan said she could feel a special energy as she prepared to race. But she had no idea that energy would feed her into a silver medal finish. Finishing four seconds behind swimming legend Katie Ledecky, Sullivan captured the second spot on the podium in the first ever 1,500-meter freestyle swim for women in the Olympics. It was a historic win for Ledecky, who took home the first gold in this new event, but she was just as excited about seeing the rookie come in right behind her as she was about her own win. “I just remember swimming the race and not knowing where I was (before) touching the wall and seeing Katie screaming and slamming the water,” Sullivan said. Unaware of her position in the race and thinking the veteran was celebrating her own triumph, Sullivan was stunned to look up and see a number two next to her own name. At that moment, realizing Ledecky was celebrating their Team USA top two finish together and not just herself, Erica Sullivan

became an Olympic medalist. Life beyond the pool

Following her time in Tokyo, Sullivan has used swimming again to help her find a sense of peace. But since joining the Longhorns, she also has found other ways to keep her mind active outside of the pool. The radio-television-film freshman uses movies and music as coping mechanisms to help her, even joking that Taylor Swift “gets me through all of the emotional trauma that I need to get through.” Despite still being young and relatively new to the global stage, Sullivan already knows that her plan is to try to compete in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. When she does retire from the sport, she already has another passion she plans to pursue. “Once that swim career is done I am going to be full on pursuing film. I set big goals,” Sullivan said. “I want to direct and to write my own original scripts.” Sullivan already has a screenplay she has written but wants to keep it to herself until she can work on the project with full focus. For now, outside of her RTF classes, her focus remains in the water, where she is already dominating as a Longhorn. Since arriving in Austin, the freshman has already earned the Big 12 Women’s Newcomer of the Week award and set a season best 9:44.75 in the 1,000-yard freestyle. She’s excelling not just due to her work on her physical skills, but also due to her and her coaches’ focus on her mind. “I think (the coaches) being vocal about the importance of mental health early on may have prevented a lot of things that could have happened down the road,” Sullivan said.

Managing editor pours heart out for one last Texan story By Myah Taylor @t_myah

In the future, when I recall the emotions The Daily Texan stirred in me, I predict “indifference” will never come to mind. My experiences at this paper have inspired laughs and tears. Pride and frustration. Yet, even when I distanced myself from the Texan, I ached to return. This is my way of saying that, despite everything, I love this paper. Thankfully, the Texan welcomed me back as its managing editor, a distinction I enjoyed because I had the opportunity to create the newsroom I’d always longed for. This fall was my favorite semester at the paper, thanks to the people around me. Sanika, you have been the best partner in crime, sounding board and friend. Jenny, I hold our conversations and bonding moments close to my heart. Hannah, you lead with such confidence. Rachael, it’s meant so much to me to connect over our experiences as Black women. Phoebe, your energy is infectious — you’ll be an excellent managing editor. Megan, I’m glad we returned to the basement together like old times. Jack, you’re a kind soul. I admire your compassion and hope you never put down a camera. I can’t forget my sports pals. Matthew, you’re a joy to be around. Never stop enjoying life and finding your voice. Nathan, it’s been an honor watching you grow as a reporter and, more importantly, as a leader. I’m eager to see what awaits you. Carter, I wish you had been on staff this fall. Continue learning and asking questions. Kaitlyn, thanks for your intentionality. I’m proud of y’all. To the rest of my leadership team and everyone I’ve worked with over the years — Brittany, Jason, Megan Menchaca, Stephen, Marcus, Daniela and more — thank you. Now for a confession. Often, I think people look at my title or what I’ve accomplished and see this put-together woman. Everything is not what it seems. I’m as chaotic as they come, and the reality is, loneliness has characterized a signif-

icant portion of my time at the Texan. Sometimes, the feeling became excruciating. I remember quiet production nights. All the meetings where I was the only who looked like me. Mostly, I remember feeling somewhat out of step with my peers, a mystery to them. The world often leads us to change ourselves for approval, so I want to celebrate the people who have accepted me as I am. Ross, you always made me feel like I belonged, which meant so much to me. Irissa, you truly sought me out, poking through my shell. You never wrote a 30,

so consider this your column, too. Wills, thanks for being there when I needed a friend. I’m glad we had each other. Kirsten, you once told me to “write positively and not with possibility.” That’s just one way you’ve cared for me. Peter, I can’t emphasize how thankful I am for you. I hope you know the impact you’ve had on me. My dear friend Emily is an honorary member of the Texan. There’s little she doesn’t know about the operation. Her listening ear helped carry me through.

Mom, thanks for all the long phone calls and for sharing my stories. Dad, thanks for supporting my journalism aspirations and self expression. Last, I’d like to thank God for sitting with me during the hard times. I’d be nowhere without His leading. My time at this paper wasn’t perfect, but I can say I’ve given it my all. I leave the Texan a better woman. More confident. More compassionate. More of who I want to be. What’s not to love about that?

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2021

Project editor’s love-hate relationship with student paper ends in pathetic fizzle By Neelam Bohra

There is an ugly dry-erase board sitting in my apartment. Peeling blue duct tape segments it into sections, where the names of reporters, their stories and editors’ initials are written in marker. When I walked into the upscale pothole we call a basement for the first time since the pandemic shutdown, the board felt like an ancient relic I needed to possess. Those were my initials on it. Those were my former co-editor, current roommate and future maid of honor’s initials on it. They should’ve been erased after spring break of 2020. Instead, they froze in time, unseen for months until the words permanently melted onto the board. The news department replaced it with a newer, shinier board. So now, it’s just sitting in my apartment. I guess I have some things in common with this dry-erase board. It took years off my life to report, push for diversity and inclusion, and gaslight (edit) at this paper. It provided a stepping stone for me to go into professional reporting while also infuriating me in keeping problematic structures in place. My first news editor came to my house with a basket of presents when my kidneys failed. A year later, I got to write a column

Photo editor tries to delete Slack, is deleted by Slack instead By Jack Myer

@neelambohratx

@jackmyersphoto

blaine young

about kidney failure. Another year later, I wrote a song for the fall 2020 news department and Zoomed into our last pitch meeting from the hospital. I kind of got a family out of this dingy, terrifying place. Nicole, thank you for guiding me through all these years with your funny stories and willingness to listen to my anxiety rants. Anna, we’ve gotten to grow so much together as coworkers! I miss you and Draco Malfoy the cat. Brooke, I love you and your Kim Possible pants and your willingness to hear all of my stories. Hannah, you are one of my favorite reporters I got to work with. I think we learn a little bit from each other every day. Areeba. My dance partner for “Ghungroo.” My chronic illness bestie. We’ve changed a lot since

/ the daily texan staff

Dahlby’s class, and I love who we’ve become. Megan. You took a chance on me. You answered my many 2 a.m. texts and have been a constant pillar of support these two years. I love you. I will be sending late texts decades from now. Skye, thanks for never reporting me to our nonexistent HR department when you were a GR. And look at us now! Who would’ve thought? Lauren and Emily. My platonic soulmates. I borrowed our single brain cell to write this. You’re both laughing on the couch right now as you tear apart the chocolate advent calendar from Trader Joe’s. I never would have predicted such beautiful and talented people would have come into my life, much less because of The Daily Texan. I wish I could freeze this moment on a dry-erase board, too.

30s

I have a complicated relationship with joy. I came to UT-San Antonio as an 18-year-old in a strange city where I knew no one. I picked up a student newspaper looking for a crossword puzzle, and instead I found an opportunity: The Paisano was seeking writers, designers and, most importantly to me, photographers. I went to a meeting and decided that I wouldn’t go again if I didn’t want to. I kept going, becoming an assistant photo editor before I transferred to UT-Austin the next fall. At UT-Austin, I knew The Daily Texan was the only organization I wanted any part of. Fortunately for me, it wanted me back — specifically the photo editor, Eddie Gaspar. Since he took a chance on me two years ago, I’ve grown from a dude with a camera into a storyteller. Beyond my personal growth, I was pushed as a leader and got to know the amazing journalists I get to work with every day now, to whom y’all are indebted to for the articles you read every day. Joy has never been a familiar feeling for me, but creating this newspaper and

the pictures that accompany it brought me more joy than I could ever have imagined, and for that I’ll always be thankful. Specifically, I want to thank Eddie, Josh, Amna, Presley, Jamie and everyone else who was in the photo department before I became editor who gave me the time of day. Additionally, my backup dancers, Blaine, Connor, Hannah, Julius and Kara, who helped keep the department afloat, and in whose hands I leave it. I also learned an immense amount from people I worked with outside of the Texan, like Arturo Fernandez at the Post-Gazette, Liz McGathey at Star Local Media, Ricky Galindo from the Paisano and Angela Wang at

Texas Athletics. My amazing managing editors: Trinady, Ariana and Myah, I couldn’t have done any of it without y’all’s encouragement and input. I can’t forget the department heads who I’ve gotten to work with this semester, who are amazing journalists and I know will conquer the world with their bylines. And finally, to you, the reader, for whom we work tirelessly and will continue to work. The newspapers we made for you meant everything to me, and I’ll always cherish them and the people who I made them with. However, I know it’s time for the next generation of journalists to step up and feel the joy that the Texan has given me so much of.

blaine young

/ the daily texan staff

Design editor finally learns to leave basement at reasonable time By Megan Fletcher @megan_efletcher

As I write this, I’m taking ibuprofen. I have a splitting headache. I left the basement last night at about 3 a.m., after losing track of time talking with the same six people I always do. It was (is) our last week in it, some of us for good, and I don’t think anyone really wanted to leave. That I was comfortable spending almost 12 hours in the basement is shocking. The basement is probably the exact opposite of my ideal space, what with its harsh lighting and lack of windows. I’m photophobic — most bright lights and screens cause me pain — but the dingy fluorescents of the basement have never given me the slightest bit of a headache. Since my fourth week of college, I’ve been confused as to how the Texan became such a huge source of comfort, even as most of my nights working were fueled by anxiety to

meet the print deadline. I did not realize at the time how lucky I was that I was able to be here my very first semester. The irony is, I owe my entire career here to misinterpreting an email from the copy department — I actually wanted to work for them. I love that it happened, and the seven semesters since then have been marked by my confusion that I enjoy my second choice department so much. (It became my first choice in my third semester. Sorry.) I would not have made it here without the help and mentorship of my high school journalism adviser, Mrs. Riemer. Christiana, Sierra and Maria, thank you for making me feel welcome and teaching me everything I know. Christina, thank you for guidig and mentoring me through the spring. I’ll miss the spontaneous Zoom calls for d3.js graphs and the fresh excitement of the new website.

RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE your copy of RECYCLE your copy of your copy of your copy your copy of your copyof of

Peter, thank you for your guidance and critiques over these last years. I will miss the adequate ratings. Myah, thank you for an amazing last semester. I was only comfortable applying for this job when I saw you were in charge, and I don’t regret it at all. To the motley crew that deprives me of sleep after production ends — Nathan, Mantra, Phoebe, Jack and Jenny — thanks for the time. Juleanna and Jenny, I can’t thank you enough for your wonderful ideas and insight for the paper, listening to my incoherent rambling, and just being amazing. To my team: Ciara, Marissa, Grace, Karina, Morgan, Sam, Sara, Isabella and Sally, thank you for your amazing work and conversation in yet another chaotic semester. I just hope I didn’t scare any of you off.

destiny alexander

/ the daily texan staff

Associate managing editor writes last column, stays on brand by forgetting to upload it By Hannah Lopez @TheBasicHannah

If I’m being completely honest, I had no intention of working for the Texan this semester. When I got the phone call asking me to try out for associate managing editor last summer, I hesitated. After working in the opinion department for two years, and spending half of that time online due to COVID-19, I was exhausted. But I think saying yes was one of the best decisions I could have ever made. I faced a lot of loneliness during the pandemic, but the Texan has brought me so much laughter, happiness and community this year. Despite the pain and tears it has caused me through the years, I am so thankful to have been part of this organization. Sanika, thank you for making the phone

call that pushed me to stay with the Texan this semester. You’ve been here since the very beginning, and I’m so happy that I was able to end my last year of college with you still by my side. Abhirupa, despite the Texan contributing to about half of my stress levels while at college, it also brought me my best friend. Thank you for always being there for me and never putting up with anyone’s bullshit. You’re the V to my Jimin, forever and always. Fran, thank you for reading my audition column and still hiring me despite how shitty it was (because let’s be honest, it was terrible). You saw potential in me during a time where I didn’t believe in myself or my abilities, and for that I’ll always be grateful. To the rest of my wonderful opinion family: Abby, Emily, Julia and Izzy, thank you for making it worth coming into the basement every day. I wouldn’t have wanted to annoy

nikita kulkarni

/ the daily texan staff

the UT administration with any other group of people. Furthermore, thank you to every columnist I have ever had the privilege to work with at my time in the opinion department. I will forever be in awe of your passion, your endurance and your determination to change the systemic flaws of this University. Your voices have struck a part of me, and they’re something I’ll never forget. I also want to thank the people who, despite not being here since the beginning, might as well have been with the way they impacted my time at the Texan. Myah and Jenny, you were here through it all this semester. Myah, no one has done this job like you have. You’ve made the newsroom a better place, and I’m inspired by your leadership. Jenny, thank you for sharing this position with me. There is no way I would have been able to get through this year (or all the flipbook uploads) without you by my side. Rachael, the tragedy of the century is that we only got one semester to work together. Thank you for clicking with me on every level imaginable. We must have known each other in another life. And to the ones who got me through every production night of the semester — Phoebe, Megan, Jack, Nathan, Matthew, Blaine (and yes, even you, Peter) — how does one last round of pingpong sound? I joined the Texan during the fall semester of my sophomore year. Next week, I will have officially graduated from the University of Texas. My college experience is synonymous with my time at this paper. As I give this last piece of myself to the Texan, I hope I’ve had just as much of an impact on this paper as it has had on me.

30s

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2021

Associate copy desk chief finally free from searching ‘attribution’ entry in style guide By Chloe Roman @thedailytexan

Here lies my first and last piece to ever be written in The Daily Texan. Enjoy. I found myself in the damp basement the spring semester of my sophomore year, after transferring to UT. Although I only had three months in the basement, the Texan and copy department have provided security as a constant during “unprecedented times.” I’m sad the Texan may never return to its fullest, but the community I’ve found through our paper is one of my most meaningful college experiences. I’m thankful to have found a place on this campus where all are welcome. After five semesters with this silly little cow paper, I must now try to save my fried eyeballs from staring at one too many Google Docs and go find a new personality trait. I can’t imagine my time at UT without the Texan and all those who have provided me with hope and kindness during some of the darkest times. Phoebe, you are a shining light and an amazing friend. You are intelligent, kind and hardworking, and I know you will be an amazing ME. Thank you for always listening to my audio messages

and providing advice. Your support has kept me going. I am glad to know you and I cannot wait to see what you do with this paper in the spring! Lawson, Irissa and Megan, the support from you all during the pandemic and winter storm was crucial to making this paper run. Thank you for always listening, providing laughs and supporting all of us in crazy times. You are some of the sweetest people I have ever met! Jimena, although we only worked in person together for a few weeks, you were such a crucial part to my learning and growth at the Texan. Thank you for your patience and always accepting my love of sports. Thank you to my friends and family who never real-

ly knew what I did here but supported me nonetheless. A special thank you to the biggest UT fan, Aunt Kat. I wouldn’t be a crazy Longhorn without you! To my Wednesday night copy cuties, thank you for showing up and letting me pester you all. I appreciate the forced listening to my delirious rants and our nights singing Taylor Swift. I’ve loved spending my Wednesdays with y’all (except Emma G, who has never shown up in person. EVER!) I hope you all learn as much from me as I do from getting to work with you. So, here’s to the end. Although I am sad to close this chapter, I will always hold the Texan near and dear. And for one last go: No more news, society has surpassed the need for news.

jack myer

/ the daily texan staff

Lifelong LSU fan learns it’s hard to root against Longhorns, among other things By Kaitlyn Harmon @kait_harmon

A year and a half ago, I didn’t even know what AP style was. I was dazed and confused, changing my major four times from biology to religious studies to human dimensions of organization to journalism. But when I finally became a wannabe journalist — the type of journalist I wanted to be when I was 10 years old — everything became a fever dream. Sports have always been a part of my earthly identity. Like many of us, they’ve been the untouchables: the things that make the bad days better and the hard days easier. They’ve mended fights, they’ve made a stranger a friend, they’ve been conversation starters and unifiers. If you asked me at what specific moment I fell in love with sports journalism, I couldn’t tell you. But what I could do is take you back to Jan. 13, 2020 when the LSU Tigers beat the Clemson Tigers in the CFP National Championship. When the play clock hit triple zeros and the confetti fell from the top of the then-Mercedes-Benz Superdome, tears filled my eyes as I stood beside my best friend, my dad, witnessing the team we’d followed for 15 years win a national title. It was truly one of the best mo-

ments of my life. I realized right then and there that it would be rather stupid of me not to pursue what I love, even if that meant covering a subpar Texas football team and exceptional Texas beats that were not all about the Tigers in purple and gold. Flash forward six months: I’m interviewing for a Daily Texan position with absolutely no experience, just a whole lot of ambition and passion and grit. I was quickly humbled, taught and mentored through multiple sports beat positions and a Double Coverage editor position, and I wouldn’t trade any bit of this past year and a half for the world. To Myah Taylor, Nathan Han, Stephen Wagner, Matthew Boncosky, Daniela Perez, Carter Yates and many more, thank you for your

grace, words of wisdom and patience. I am genuinely so thankful for each of your friendships, and I’ll always cherish them more than I’ll ever cherish any byline I’ve ever had. To my Double Coverage production staff and the entire sports department, I’m sorry that I never entered the basement, not even once. Some things change. Dreams mold and change and sometimes die. And while I’m not too sure what I want to be when I grow up –– and while I may never know –– what I do know is that I’ll always have sports. The untouchables, the conversation starters, the unifiers and the menders, the relationship builders and the friendship creators. And that’s the good stuff, that’s what life is really all about.

DC photo editor pictures new happy ending By Blaine Young @jblaineyoung

Honestly, I never thought I would get my graceful exit. My final curtain call. I started at the Texan almost four years ago with big dreams and an open heart. I found my passion for photojournalism here. Three semesters into the photo department, I thought I had it made. When I had everything I wanted, everything went wrong. By the time the pandemic started, I had lost my job, almost all my friends and my peers’ respect. In this way, the pandemic was a saving grace for me. It forced me to take a break. I spent over a year questioning what I wanted to do next. I thought the Texan would be a permanent stain on my memories. Then I found out Myah Taylor was going to be the fall 2021 managing editor. Myah talked to me over the summer about the changes she wanted to make at the Texan. She made me feel like this was a place I could come back to. Maybe I could turn my bad memories into new, better ones, and finally bow out with grace. And that’s what I did. Being your Double Coverage photo editor this semester has been one of the highlights of my college career. I’m back where

I belong in this dusty basement, producing a paper. I’m finally getting the ending I worked so hard for, with a 30 column to match. Here’s to everyone who works better with support rather than under pressure. I wouldn’t have gotten here without the help of many amazing people I met along the way. I want to thank the spring 2019 photo editor, Katie Bauer, for hiring me that first semester. It was the spark that started the flame. Josh Guenther, who taught me so much on our Tuesday editing nights. He is a great mentor, photographer and person to be around. Josh, I really can’t thank you enough for your kindness and friendship, both while we worked together at the Texan and after. Thanks to Myah, I literally wouldn’t be here without you. Thanks to Nathan and Matthew, y’all made football games so much more enjoyable. And to the rest of the Double Coverage team, especially Kaitlyn and Jenny. College football will never be the same to me. Thanks to the entire fall 2021 photo department. It was such a pleasure getting to know y’all. And to the p-staff: Connor, Hannah, Julius and Kara, your company in the photo corner was always appreciated. A big thanks to our photo editor, Jack. Thank you for giving me the opportunity I needed this semester to show what I can

Diversity & Inclusion co-director says goodbye, feels hopeful for future of sensitive newsrooms By Carolynn Solorio @twitterhandle

Prior to accepting a position at The Daily Texan, I had no real experience inside a newsroom. What I did have, however, was the experience of a person who knew what it felt like to be misrepresented in the media, and underrepresented as a student at UT. When I was first granted the opportunity to join the Diversity and Inclusion board last spring, I knew it would present me the chance to address some of the issues that kept the Texan from reaching every type of student at UT. What I didn’t know, though, was that I would gain my closest friends, the most genuine peers and a supremely rewarding work experience. Firstly, I want to thank Sanika Nayak for offering me the invitation to join such a wonderful group of people. Your guidance has challenged me to dig deeper and seek solutions that best serve our student body. For that, I am eternally grateful. Also, to my co-directors Abhirupa and Rachael, you have my deepest respect and admiration. Working alongside you both this past year has made me a more genuine leader, a more attentive director and most importantly, a better person. Finally, I want to shout out to Sewa and Briana, my internal contributors,

for pushing me this semester to improve our content and to focus on important issues within the newsroom. You both have made such an impact. Thank you! This past semester especially has challenged the Texan to produce content covering issues that were particularly sensitive and challenging. Time and time again I was overwhelmed with gratitude for reporters who were committed to a thorough and inclusive production process, as well as a management team who was equally as dedicated to overseeing it. I feel proud of the environment we were able to create inside the newsroom, and the difficult conversations we were able to facilitate. It wasn’t always easy — honestly, it seldom was — but good, inclusive journalism

shouldn’t be easy. Inside the newsroom, I feel hopeful that the practices my peers and I put in place to ensure diverse coverage will be not only maintained, but improved in the future. I’m so inspired by the content I’ve been fortunate enough to help oversee in production, and I’m confident in the inclusive potential of the Texan in the future. The Daily Texan is a special thing, and it should feel that way for every student who reads it. While there is always room for improvement, the impact on the readers is paramount to anything else. I can only hope that what I’ve done with this paper, and the amazingly brilliant people who make it happen, has elevated its impact for everyone who reads it.

do. Thank you for being my counterpart on the football field. And thank you for your friendship. Lastly, I want to thank my girlfriend, who I met at a Daily Texan party almost three and a half years ago, Laura. I couldn’t have done any of this without all your support and love.

matthew boncosky

/ the daily texan staff

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2021

30s

Senior digital staffer makes one last character limit joke to say goodbye By Nick Susa

@aplatyrhynchos

As a senior digital staffer, normally I’d keep my reminiscing and goodbyes to 280 characters or less. I’d call this amazing, life-changing experience “unforgettable” and leave it at that. Any long winded messages of thanks would simply be left at “thank you,” and nothing more. However, leaving the Texan isn’t a normal experience. A few semesters ago, it was hard to think that I would ever join the social team. I wasn’t sure I could apply. I didn’t think that I had the skills to make a difference here. The good thing about skills, though, is that you learn them as you go. Although, I could never seem to remember the @s for our sports teams, (sorry, Texas sports!) I learned so much from writing social copy for the different departments. Writing the social copy for Life and Arts articles always made my day. After I make it through these last few weeks, I plan to try my hand at writing reviews and listicles, too. I joined the Texan mid-pandemic, so I never really made memories in the basement or sat in the newsroom to see everyone’s hard work. However, I greatly

virus

CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1

they were down-selected to top candidates that we were able to say potently neutralize the virus

check us out

ONLINE

respect everyone who made the Texan their home on campus. Everyone here wants to help each other grow, and that’s what makes it such a great place to be. Being here and engaging with everyone’s work is inspirational. Before I go, I want to thank Katya for making my first semester in social a great experience. I couldn’t have made it where I am without your encouragement and positivity. Nuzha, thank you for making me one of your senior digital staffers this semester. I already loved trying to make our posts as engaging as possible, but getting to help the general staffers and post our work made it all the more worthwhile. I couldn’t have asked for a better final position at the Texan. Bernice, I wrote and edited most of my copy with your guidance. You are like the Queen of news social copy. I’m honored to have worked alongside you and glad we made it through all the Double Coverage flipbooks this semester. Thank you for your trust! Sarah, you always had my back. Since Bernice is the Queen of news social copy, you are the Queen of sports social copy. I couldn’t imagine this semester without you.

Lily, I’m glad you were my fellow senior digital staffer this semester. Keep up the great work! Finally, thank you to our general social staffers. Remember to check that you’ve spelled names correctly, that your copy fits the

character limit and that you’ve attributed sources. Most importantly though, have confidence in yourself, and make puns when it’s appropriate! I’ve truly enjoyed working with everyone, and I wish you all the best!

at low concentrations of the antibody,” McLellan said. Mishra said it is important that researchers focus on Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever because the virus’ expansion could

potentially bring cases to the United States. “I hope what we have done so far … helps in the development of better vaccine candidates for (Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic

fever),” Mishra said. “The endemic zones have been expanding in the past few years and before a threat happens in the United States, we need to be prepared for that.”

stories videos photo galleries thedailytexan.com

RECYCLE your copy of RECYCLE your copy of RECYCLE your copy of RECYCLE your copy of RECYCLE your copy RECYCLE your copy of RECYCLE your copy of RECYCLE your copyof of

NOW

GE T AN CAP MET RO

capmetro.org/route20

Taking a trip or going home for the holidays? Hop on Metrobus Route 20 to get to and from the airport for free with your valid student ID.

ED UCAT ION