The Daily Texan 2022-03-08 by The Daily Texan

barbra daly

/ the daily texan staff

VOLUME 122, ISSUE 54 TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2022

a call to increase inclusivity State of LGBTQIA+ Affairs at UT Austin report provides recommendations for the University to promote a safer and more inclusive campus.

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PERMANENT STAFF

Editor-in-Chief Sanika Nayak

Managing Editor Phoebe Hayes

Assoc. Managing Editors Nathan Han, Fiza Kuzhiyil

Digital and Projects Director Addie Costello

Director of Diversity & Inclusion Abhirupa Dasgupta

Asst. Diversity & Inclusion Directors Rachael Hatchett, Megan Tran

Assoc. Editors Faith DuFresne, Julia Zaksek, Mia Abbe, Sruti Ramachandran

Forum Editor Safa Michigan

Illustration Coordinator Abriella Corker

News Editor Anna Canizales

Assoc. News Editors Skye Seipp, Samantha Greyson

News Desk Editors Sheryl Lawrence, Tori Duff, Kevin Vu

Beat Reporters Mackenzie Sullivan, Leila Saidane, Hope Unger, Joelle DiPaolo, Katy Nelson, Hannah Ortega

Life&Arts Editor Zoe Tzanis

Assoc. Life&Arts Editors Sofia Treviño, Reya Mosby

Sr. Life&Arts Film Columnist Noah Levine

Sr. Life&Arts Reporters Angela Lim, Kaiya Little

Sports Editor Hannah Williford

Assoc. Sports Editor Matthew Boncosky

Senior Sports Reporters Ethan Ferguson, Amsal Madhani, Jordan Mitchell

Newsletters Editor Trinity Smith

Assoc. Design Editor Juleanna Culilap Senior Designers Sara Kinney, Karina Kumar, Marissa Kapp Digital Designer Ciara Casarez Web Designer Grace Booker Video Editor Anchal Raghuvanshi Sr. Videographers Ethan Greeno, Shezan Samanani, Christina Dove, Bhargav Nallanthighal Photo Editor Kara Hawley Assoc. Photo Editors Julius Shieh, Connor Downs Senior Photographers Peyton Sims, Leila Saidane Comics Editor Barbra Daly Assoc. Comics Editor Sylvia Asuncion-Crabb Sr. Comics Illustrators Breyona Mitchell, Megan Clarke, Emma George, Rocky Higine Social Media Editor Bernice Chen Assoc. Social Media Editor Sarah Winch Senior Digital Staffers Kaitlyn Wilkes, Brooke Weatherbie Audio Editor Leni Steinhardt Assoc. Audio Editor Mikayla Mondragon Senior Audio Producers Hannah Ortega, Emmanuel Ramirez Editorial Adviser Peter Chen

L&A Reporters Kiernan McCormick, Darren Puccala Photographers Ryan Olszewski, Jonathan Sherchand Sports Reporters Tyler Winter

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UT alum Wande Isola breaks ground in Christian hip hop, blending her passions for faith and rap.

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Life&Arts

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Students speak out against Gov. Abbott’s order to investigate gender affirming health care as child abuse.

Texas rowing coach Dave O’Neill gears up for another season following 2021 national championship.

TOMORROW March 9

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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

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Phoebe Hayes (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@thedailytexan.com

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TODAY March 8

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ISSUE STAFF

Copy Editors Raùl Díaz Millan, Sara Doyle, Emma Gilliam, Aditi Hiremath, Kate Whyte

Future editor-in-chief Megan Tran outlines her platform and vision for The Daily Texan.

Copy Desk Chiefs Mantra Dave, Angelina Braese

Assoc. Newsletters Editor Jessica Garcia

Comic Artists Sawyer Murphy, Maya Deutch, Chloe Kim, Sydney Thompson, Evan Montelongo

Opinion

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Contents:

Murphy, Agbassi executive alliance elected 2022-23 student body president, vice president By Leila Saidane @leilasophiaaa

Leland Murphy and Isabel Agbassi were elected 2022-23 Student Body President and Vice President at an assembly Monday afternoon. Murphy and Agbassi won a total of 1,472 votes out of 2,750 total ballots cast. Samantha Burg and Thomas Vahalik ranked second with a total of 710 votes, followed by Albert Perez and Raymond Vasquez with 332 votes, and Edwin Bautista and Addison Ptomey with 236 votes. Government junior Murphy said the alliance’s first step will be to re-envision the Student Government budget and build an effective board. “This has to be very intentional,” public health junior Agbassi said. “(We want to make) sure we’re going to the groups that need representation and making sure … that (they know) that there’s an opportunity for them to advocate for the kind of change they want to see on a broad scale.” Murphy and Agbassi’s platform focuses on increasing University worker wages and using SG funds to benefit students. “(We will start by) laying the foundation so that people after us can come in knowing what SG can be and what it should continue to be,” Agbassi said. “Making sure that we can look back and (say), ‘We did everything that we could,’ and that when you ask people ‘What did SG do?’ they are able to answer.” Paige-Erin Wheeler and Hannah Berendzen will be the next Graduate Student Assembly president and

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.

BUSINESS & ADVERTISING (512) 471-8590 advertise@texasstudentmedia.com Director Gerald Johnson Business/ Operations Manager Frank Serpas III Advertising Manager Emily Cohen Manager for Product and Revenue Strategy Marlies Arevalo Are Media Account Executive Chance Weick Design Tillie Policastro Digital operations Jason Lihuang

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leila saidane

/ the daily texan file

Leland Murphy and Isabel Agbassi embrace after winning President and Vice President of the student body in the 2022-23 election.

vice president. The At-Large Graduate representatives will be Joyleen Sanchez and Seth Greenwald. Megan Tran will be The Daily Texan’s next Editor-in-Chief. Eric Yu and Devon Hsiao will be on the University Co-op Board of Directors. Felipe Rocha will be the Campus Events + Entertainment President. Helen Getachew, Alexander Feinstein, Sterling Mosley, Kevin Roberts, Jerold Holman, Braxdon Cannon, Inbar Turjeman and Adrian Tristán were elected as Universitywide representatives. Isabel Hsiao and Steven Garza were named University Unions Board of Directors at-Large representatives. The architecture representative will be Eric Hayes. The business representatives will be Reis Fierman, Surekha Balakrishnan and Rhys Claassen. The

communication representatives will be Ciara Ryan, Marlene Weis and Zachary Mohr. The engineering representative will be George Coutoumanos. The fine arts representative will be Jaxon Jedele. The law representative will be Saheel Junaghare. The liberal arts representatives will be Alison Fernandez, James Hallamek, Kennedy Bailey, Brian Pena, Diego Collazo and Dadrien Whittington. The natural sciences representatives will be Avery Sinnathamby, Jacob Villanueva, Satish Banjara, Alex Gonzalez and Joseph Ho-Shing. The pharmacy representative will be Amelia McGill. The public affairs representative will be Walker Adams. The transfer representative will be Ainsley Cindric.

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Copyright 2022 Texas Student Media. All articles, photographs and graphics, both in photog print and online editions, are the property of Texas Student Media and may not be reproduced or republished in part or in whole without written permission. The Daily Texan, a student newspaper at The University of Texas at Austin, is published by Texas Student Media, 2500 Whitis Ave., Austin, Texas 78712. Our work is made possible by support from our advertising partners and donors. To provide individual support, please visit The Daily Texan page at supportstudentvoices.org. To highlight your business, please email advertise@texasstudentmedia.com. The Daily Texan does not publish during academic breaks, most Federal Holidays and exam periods. News contributions will be accepted by telephone (471-4591,) or at the editorial office (HSM 2.120.) Entire contents copyright 2022Texas Student Media.

NEWS

ANNA CANIZALES

News Editor | @THEDAILYTEXAN MONDAY, MARCH 8, 2022

UNIVERSITY

LGBTQ+ affairs report provides recommendations to increase inclusivity The report is a reevaluation of the Queer Student Alliance’s 2006 state of affairs report. By Joelle DiPaolo @JoelleDipaolo

tudent leaders released an updated State of LGBTQIA+ Affairs report Monday with 48 recommendations to increase inclusivity on campus, 15 years after the first report of its kind was released for the University. Adrienne Hunter, co-director of the Queer & Trans Student Alliance, said the report, a re-evaluation of the Queer Student Alliance’s 2006 state of affairs report, can be a resource to help students to advocate for action. The report recommends the University departmentalize the women and gender studies program, add gender-inclusive bathrooms and divest funding from the UT Police Department, among other things. Hunter said although some actions were fulfilled because of the original report, such as the creation of an LGBTQIA+ studies minor, other recommendations, such as the creation of gender-inclusive housing, have not been entirely fulfilled. “Our approach for creating recommendations was (to center the) folks most impacted by the University’s harmful policies,” said Hunter, a radio-television-film, anthropology and women and gender studies senior. “If the campus is more inclusive for those folks … it will be more inclusive for all folks.” The report contains data from a 100-question Institutional Review Board-approved survey that was shared on social media and over email. Of the 2,000 student respondents, about 64% self-identified as queer. Hunter said the report intended to address inclusivity as a whole using a queer perspective. Graduate student Ashleigh Aviles said students with intersectional identities face more discomfort on campus. Indeed, the survey showed that LGBTQIA+ students of color were 1.45 times as likely to note discomfort on campus than other LGBTQIA+ students.

Suseth Muñoz, an education and government senior, said the data backed up queer students’ thoughts about certain aspects of campus life, such as their perception of police on campus. For reference, straight, cisgender students rated their comfort with the police presence at 6.47 out of 10, whereas transgender students averaged a comfort level of 2.52 out of 10. “Though we have these really strong beliefs, now we have data (that spells out) what is needed to make a more inclusive campus,” Muñoz, Senate of College Councils vice president said. The committee looked at issues in four categories of student-centered spaces — student resources, academics, faculty and staff and policing. Recommendations include hiring more LGBTQIA+ staff in University Health Services and adding an X gender option for nonbinary students in the University’s Gender Identification System. On Feb. 22, the committee presented six of its recommendations to UT President Jay Hartzell. The recommendations include creating a gender-inclusive locker room in Gregory Gymnasium and considering allyship training in the tenure process. Hunter said they chose recommendations that were directly under the President’s sphere of influence. Aviles said while it is everyone’s responsibility to make UT inclusive, it is up to administration to enact certain changes. “As students, we cannot build a gender-inclusive restroom,” Aviles said. “There’s a huge space (in which) we really need organized action from the administration.” Hunter said that while some of their goals were not likely to happen immediately, such as abolishing Greek life on campus, they will set an important precedent. Straight, cisgender students rated their comfort with Greek life’s presence on campus at 4.66 out of 10, while LGBTQIA+ students rated their comfort at 2.92 and transgender students rated their comfort at 1.93. “Just because something is said to be unrealistic doesn’t mean you shouldn’t speak out about it,” Hunter said. “If we say we’re gonna make recommendations to make the campus as inclusive as possible, that includes ones that people (will) say are unrealistic.”

geo casillas

/ the daily texan staff

S A N I K A N AYA K

Editor-In-Chief | @TEXANOPINION FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 2022

COLUMN

OPINION

Survivors, my platform is a space for you

By Megan Tran @megan.t.tran

ditor’s note: Megan Tran ran unopposed and will be the next Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Texan. For this column, she was asked to present her platform and vision for the Texan. Content Warning: This column contains discussion of sexual violence. When I first applied to write for The Daily Texan’s opinion department, I only had one cause in mind: I wanted to advocate for survivors of sexual and interpersonal violence. Since then, I have written columns and contributed to editorials on a variety of issues, but I have never forgotten what initially drew me to the Texan. Survivors, I want to listen and work with you. I cannot enact change on my own, and you have worked so hard to create movements and advocate for yourselves. Your stories and your work are wholly your own, and no one can take that away from you. As Editor-in-Chief, I intend to use the Texan’s platform to both uplift survivor voices and push for long-overdue changes to better support survivors on UT’s campus. Amanda Garcia, Interpersonal Violence Prevention Coalition organizer and sociology sophomore, explained

the importance of seeking intentional, meaningful change. “I’m very happy to see that survivor justice is becoming more of a prominent conversation on campus … Unfortunately, with the amount of attention that sort of justice is getting, it’s also coupled with a lot of performative initiatives and false promises,” Garcia said. “As much as there is a culture shift, it has to be coupled with intention. At the center of it all (must be) accountability and dedication to doing the work, and it’s a lot, and it’s hard. It’s very personal for a lot of people, which makes it difficult, but that’s also what makes it necessary.” Promises for sexual misconduct reform should never be hollow platform points meant to garner praise, nor should they be shallow attempts to placate justifiably angered students and activists. Lasting, concrete changes are needed to both support survivors and tackle the pervasiveness of sexual violence on college campuses. On March 2, 2020, former UT President Gregory Fenves announced that he had accepted law firm Husch Blackwell’s first set of recommendations for sexual misconduct policy reform, and on July 8, 2020, UT President Jay Hartzell accepted the second set. These statements came after protests from student activists and organizers. Since then, we have yet to see the substantial changes that were promised. If progress has been made, UT has not communicated it.

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.

While I understand that the COVID-19 pandemic has been undeniably difficult to navigate and has taken attention and resources away from other issues, survivors do not deserve to have their efforts disregarded and their voices sidelined. Accountability and reform are long-overdue, and we have not forgotten. Those changes, however, do not begin and end with university administration. Greek life is rife with rape culture. Men who join fraternities are three times more likely to commit sexual assault than men who do not. Women in sororities are 75% more likely to be raped than other college women. The culture of Greek life allows sexual violence to perpetuate, but it is not the only one responsible. Any student organization that does not immediately address sexual misconduct allegations against their members — such as Tejas Club — has no place on this campus. “At the end of the day, if you’re not holding someone accountable, you’re basically taking the side of the assaulter. This is not the way to stand with survivors,” said Sophie Snapp, president-elect of Not On My Campus and an environmental engineering freshman. Survivors, The Daily Texan is a space for your voices. Change must be made, and I cannot do it without you. Progress is slow and frustrating, but ultimately, you will be the ones to make it happen. “We’re still here,” said Grace

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.

assad malik

Baldwin, an international relations and global studies sophomore. “Listen to (survivors’) stories and share them and read them and be angry … One day, this will be something that we can talk about openly and feel okay with

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.

/ the daily texan staff

talking about openly. It won’t be something that’s so stigmatized and something that we whisper and feel shame about.” Tran is a Plan II, English, and sociology sophomore from Houston, Texas.

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

NEWS

TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2022

STATE

‘It made us feel very powerless’: Trans students discuss governor’s order By Joelle DiPaolo @JoelleDipaolo

The night Kai Bovik and their friends heard about Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive attacking trans children, they got together to support each other. “It made (us) feel very powerless,” the sociology and math junior said. “As someone who grew up as a trans person in Texas, I could see that reflected onto me, and I could see what would happen because of this, which was really painful.” On Feb. 22, Abbott directed the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate parents allowing their children to receive gender-affirming health care, calling it abusive. The directive also mandates professionals

such as teachers and doctors to report these cases. Bovik said they started hormone treatment near their 16th birthday, which drastically changed their life. “The year before I started hormones is probably the worst year, mental-health wise, that I’ve ever lived through,” Bovik said. “I know that I probably wouldn’t be here or would be in a much worse place today if I hadn’t had those opportunities.” Maze Criss, a health promotion and behavioral science senior, said they were scared when they heard about the directive because of its direct impact on children. “This was really the first time that I could see clearly … a law that would have applied

to me if I had figured myself out when I was younger,” Criss said. On Feb. 24, faculty members from the LGBTQ+ studies program and other committees sent out an email in support of transgender children and their families. LGBTQ+ studies director Lisa Moore said the statement was written in order to present data supporting trans-affirming health care. “Because of the lie that it somehow constitutes child abuse to offer children appropriate medical treatment, we felt like we needed to counter that with some data-driven truths,” Moore said. Criss said the University’s gender care team was helpful and that the University was a safe space for them,

but they wish there was more of a University response to Abbott’s directive. “It’s really heart-wrenching to see one of the best institutions, and one that’s so heavily focused on research, not speak out when someone powerful says something that flies completely in the face of piles of research,” Criss said. On March 1, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the directive. On March 2, district judge Amy Clark Meachum ruled that the state of Texas cannot continue these investigations until a hearing on March 11 determines the validity of Abbott’s directive. Rachel, who asked to remain anonymous, said taking a stance against this

legislation would show how few people share these opinions. “One of the best things that can be done (is) … making it clear that the silent majority … doesn’t have these opinions, or they don’t support grinding transgender children down into the dirt,” Rachel said. “People with a real stake in these things aren’t standing for it.” She said she wants trans children to know they deserve to grow up exploring their identities. “It’s wrong, what’s been done to them and how they’ve been made into these political opponents,” Rachel said. “They deserve to flourish as individuals, and we as adults will do everything in our power to make that happen.”

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A group of children wave signs in the air to support trans youth. On March 1, hundreds of people protested outside of the Texas State Capitol after Gov. Greg Abbott placed restrictions on trans medical procedures.

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ZOE TZANIS

Life&Arts Editor | @TEXANARTS

FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 2022

STUDENT LIFE

LIFE&ARTS

Tat-Tuesday: Student tattoo artist talks tattooing journey Freshman Isabelle Graffam discusses their growth and inspiration as a tattoo artist. By Kaiya Little @kaiyalittle

nee clutched to their chest, Isabelle Graffam craned their neck to see the outside of their leg where they teased their skin with a pen. Body twisted to fit the custom workspace on their dorm room floor, the journalism freshman felt their joints aching as time ticked on. Faintly, the sketch under their trailing hand began to look like a miniature spoon. Steadying their grip, Graffam switched the pen for a clean tool and a small container of ink. The needle kissed the surface of their ankle with a bitter sting that was quickly replaced with neat dark lines. Picturing it now, Graffam said their first tattooing experience, using their own body as their canvas, is one they will never forget — or regret. “I had started to dip my toes into something I’d been waiting to do for so long. I needed to jump into it, and I needed to do it myself,” Graffam said. “My mother would say (I act in a) rush because when I give myself something in the moment, she’s like, ‘How do you know you’ll like it forever?’ and I say, ‘Because I know that I like art.’”

Though Graffam, still honing their craft, said they consider most of their work to be rudimentary, they hope to open their own home tattoo studio next school year. Graffam’s favorite work in their growing portfolio is a hand-poked tattoo for a friend, showcases a meticulously drawn strawberry patch, challenging stereotypes around the often less delicate medium. “I had the same perception of hand-poke (tattoos) as everybody else,” Graffam said. “(People imagine that) you get a stick-and-poke in your friend’s bedroom with a sewing needle and try to hide it from your parents, but it can be so much more than that.” Regardless of how it’s done, Graffam said one of the best parts of tattooing is the sense of connection it can provide between the artist and client. “Having somebody else trust you (to tattoo them) is scary,” Graffam said. “That’s a lot for somebody to have given you their body, so I value that highly and find that I have (a lot of) anxiety, but (it’s) also a big honor.” From photography to pottery, Graffam said art has always played a role in their life, extending to even the most mundane parts. With this in mind, Graffam said they plan to apply to be a design major in the next year and make their tattooing and creative work more of a priority. “I push myself to have an artistic eye when I walk through the world,” Graffam said. “If I see shapes or patterns, I try to make note of it, take pictures of it and see inspirations for art everywhere I go.”

ryan olszewski

/ the daily texan staff

Isabelle Graffam poses with their sketchbook, showing off a tattoo they did on their leg.

BEYOND THE

FR AM E

Featuring the best from the photo department.

assad malik

| daily texan staff

The Black Pumas perform as a part of UT’s event announcing the launch of the $6 billion fundraising campaign “What Starts Here.”

LIFE&ARTS

TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2022

MUSIC

New beginning for historic Cactus Cafe By Darren Puccala @darrenpuccala

Lights dim as the crowd’s murmurs subside into anticipatory silence. The first act of the night makes their way on the stage with haste at the historic Cactus Cafe. A long-time institution for student and local musicians in the Austin area, the Cactus Cafe offers aspiring artists the opportunity to showcase their original music — an open invitation for all at any stage in their musical journey. After a two-year shutdown and ending a decade-long contract with NPR radio station KUT, the Cactus Cafe is heading in a new direction – a direction that started with the passionate Dylan Smith, a senior student programs advisor in the Student Programs Office. Smith, who has been working as the programming director since July 2021, said he hopes to solidify the Cafe’s success going forward through open mic nights and a welcoming atmosphere. “It was a lot of planning, asking questions, working with the University Unions to figure out what (we are) looking to do,” Smith said. “What are our resources at hand? What’s the vision?” The Cactus Cafe holds live music every weekend, usually a concert most Friday or Saturday nights. However, the Cactus’ backbone comes from weekly singer-songwriter open mic nights. “We’ve got a pretty full house every Tuesday,” Smith said. Open mic nights occur every Tuesday from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., but most singer-songwriters stay after to socialize with the growing community. After one visit, Erik Mason, a 25-year-old who has been performing in Austin since December, said he already feels a connection to the Cactus clientele. “There’s a huge level of support

(that) everyone shows each other after performances,” Mason said. “The old guns would come up to the younger performers and say how great they did. There’s just a shared love of music.” Musicians looking to network with similar artists find the supportive and social atmosphere helpful. Musician John Perez, inspired by the acts on stage, returned to the Cactus after his first visit to try his hand at performing. “You get good feedback,” Perez said. “We have time to talk to each other (after). You don’t just perform and leave like other places. Upcoming musicians want to make connections with other musicians.” Smith said he wants the Cactus Cafe to remain an inviting space for local songwriters with a strong backing by the support of students. “There’s a lot of student interest,” Smith said. “It’s an amazing venue, and to be able to open that up to students potentially who want to perform is a really great opportunity.” Although UT students have supported the venue since its opening in 1979, making it an integral part of student life, Smith said the pandemic affected the way students recognized the Cafe. “Being shut down for almost two years is a big loss for our students,” Smith said. “If you were a freshman the last time the Cactus was open, and you’re a senior now, you missed out. If you’re an underclassman, you may not even know about the Cactus.” With continuing collaborations between student organizations and an exciting slate of programming scheduled for the spring semester, Smith said he hopes that student support will become stronger. “I want students to know that the Cactus is open for business,” Smith said.

kara hawley

/ the daily texan staff

UT alum Brandy Davis hosts a comedy show at the Cactus Cafe in the Texas Union on March 7. The Cafe has recently reopened its doors to musical performances and shows after a two year shutdown.

BEYOND THE

FR AM E

Featuring the best from the photo department.

julius shieh

/ the daily texan staff

Black Pumas lead singer Eric Burton performing at the University’s “What Starts Here” kickoff event March 4 outside the UT tower.

TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2022

LIFE&ARTS

MUSIC

UT alum, Christian hip-hop artist Wande Isola aims to empower women, encourage people to be themselves By Kiernan McCormick @ KiernanMcCormi4

Wande Isola’s rap career started in an unlikely location — a high school classroom. When Isola’s freshman biology teacher gave the class the option of creating a rap instead of an essay or PowerPoint, Isola said she jumped on the opportunity to take a more creative approach. After performing her biology-based rap to the class, Isola’s friends celebrated her newfound talent. “My friends were like, ‘Wow, you’re really good at this. You could be a rapper,’” Isola said. “I noticed a passion for it, (and) I had (also) been really passionate about my faith.” Isola, who graduated from UT in 2018 with degrees in public relations and journalism, decided to combine those passions as a Christian hip-hop artist. She said her rapping career gained traction through her posts on YouTube and social media, and she hopes to use her platform to further explore her faith and empower women. Isola signed to Christian hip hop record label Reach Records in 2019. Her debut single “Blessed Up” received 3 million streams on Spotify. This month, she will release new music and go on the “We Are Unashamed Tour 2022” with fellow Reach Records artists. Isola said her faith plays a pivotal role in her life and has a similar impact on her music, as discovering her faith provided her with a sense of passion and self-worth. “I wanted other people to have the awakening that I experienced,” Isola said. “It didn’t matter what other people thought about me because it was

like, ‘Okay, you don’t have to like me, but God likes me.’” David Junker, an associate advertising and public relations professor, said he was impressed by a rap Isola submitted for a project in one of his classes. “In addition to being smart, a good writer and creative, she has this vocal talent (that) I didn’t know about until she did that project,” Junker said. “I was like, ‘Woah, she’s for real.’” As Reach Records’ first female artist, Isola said she views her success and notoriety as a female Christian hip-hop artist as a privilege and looks foward to using her empowering lyricism to embrace her womanhood in the male-dominated industry. “I’m excited to lean more into my womanhood because hip-hop is very misogynistic,” Isola said. “It can cause women to shy away from their womanhood and be like, ‘Oh, I don’t want to look too feminine because people won’t take me seriously.’” Isola’s friend and former roommate at UT, Simi Deleawe, said she is excited to see Isola inspire other women with her music. “Wande’s influence is to empower other women to say, ‘I know there’s not a lot of women in engineering, but I’m going to be an engineer,’ and, ‘I know (rap is) not feminine, but I can make it feminine,’” Deleawe said. Isola said that with her music and positive messages, she wants people to feel inspired to be themselves and proud of their true identities. “God gave me (the) unique gift of encouraging people,” Isola said. “I want to encourage you to be who God made you to be and not feel like you have to fit into society’s laws. I will trust who God made me to be.”

SPORTS

HANNAH WILLIFORD

Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2022

ROWING

Dave o’neill looks to grow rowing legacy in 9th season Texas rowing coach Dave O’Neill gears up for another season after 2021 championship. By Tyler Winter @Tyler_Winter1

or the first time in school history, Texas won the Directors’ Cup in 2021, an award given annually to the best overall athletics program in the country. While fans tend to focus on more prominent sports at Texas, like football, the rowing team took home the national championship last year and was a key part of the Longhorns’ overall success as a program that led to the honor. Head coach Dave O’Neill came to Texas in 2014 with the goal of turning Texas into both a rowing school and a rowing state. After securing the school’s first rowing title, he has begun the transformation he dreamed of. “I understand the assignment,” O’Neill said. “It’s been really satisfying to get this program to the point where we all thought it could be.” O’Neill discovered the rowing scene during his freshman year at Boston College, where he helped found the rowing club. Following his graduation,

he went on to coach at the school and earned a head coaching offer from the University of California in 1998. At Cal, O’Neill won eight Pac-12 Championships and two national titles. “(To most), rowing is an East Coast sport, but it’s changed quite a bit,” O’Neill said. “Even just when you look at the last few NCAA champions, it’s not an Ivy League dominated sport anymore. It’s some of these big-time, traditionally football schools that have been doing quite well.” The rowing scene has changed considerably, and now Texas is getting in on the action. During his seven-year tenure as Texas’ head coach, he has won six Big 12 championships, a national title and has twice been named the national coach of the year. To O’Neill, of all those accolades, the one that matters most is his team’s national championship. “We certainly came here with a goal in mind,” O’Neill said. “We expect a national championship.” During his career as a Longhorn, O’Neill has seen international acclaim for the school grow. O’Neill often has conversations with rowing coaches from all over the

O’Neill’s resume from his short stint at Texas world, who he says know of Texas despite not is already a long one, but it is still growing. He being an historic rowing program. As an Olympic has seen his students reach the Olympics, win sport, international recruitment is unlike most numerous titles, and he believes that the greatest other sports in its scope and competitiveness. achievement is day-to-day improvement. With There are currently 11 international student aththat in mind, he has his eyes on the big picture. letes on Texas’ roster. “Rowing can change the world,” O’Neill “They know the brand of our team, of our Unisaid. “There is no better place to be doing that versity,” O’Neill said. “As our team has gotten betThe all New York Syndication Corporation than atSales Texas.” ter, we’re recruiting kids from over theTimes world.” 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Thursday, February 24, 2022

Crossword ACROSS 1 It counts on your movements 7 Rev (up)

10 Neighbor for a Syrian 14 Antelope with lyre-shaped horns

15 Loving murmur 16 “Chestnuts roasting ___ open fire”

17 Side Hyde tried to hide

18 TV talent show? 20 Spark of a sort

21 “The Simpsons” character who competed in a crossword tournament 23 Gathering of spies? 24 Ocho ___, Jamaica

26 Eavesdropping on the most conversations, maybe 28 FM band on the radio? 32 Pinkish violet 33 Typical kabuki performer, in any role 34 Round food item with square indentations 38 Blesses 39 Approaches closely 43 Rare tic-tac-toe win 44 Popular samosa filling 46 Aid at a carwash 47 Field of “Mad Men,” informally 49 Academy Awards M.C.? 53 “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” artist 56 Rating one chili pepper, say

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

joshua guenther

/ the daily texan staff

Texas rowing seeks a second straight national title after head coach Dav O’Neill led the Longhorns to a championship in 2021.

D R O P

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Y A N G

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G S O T S R E M I E A P L E P T S E S E P E T G R S O U S E N S S T

T A R S H R E E E I N S E T A L A M I A F L E T T O E R R S C A T W P E E V E O G E T B U T A P O E T E W S O A S T

R O L L

O X E Y E

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K N O P E

S O T O E H O R T O M A N A L A S T T O N S O R E O K E E N E D D Y

57 Ever 58 General meaning 60 Programming language named for a beverage named for an island 64 U.S. symbol? 66 Tied up, as a ship 68 Promotional gift, often 69 Actress Ortiz 70 Mean 71 Minor uproar 72 Place to climb stairs that go nowhere 73 Places DOWN 1 Many-time “Survivor” locale 2 Invited to chat, in brief 3 Toll rte. 4 Where Silicon Valley is 5 “___ say!” 6 Soap ingredient 7 Deeds 8 Mahatma Gandhi’s given name 9 Mascot of the N.F.L.’s Ravens, appropriately 10 Lacking the killer instinct, say 11 Team up 12 Four of the 10 decathlon events 13 Prepared to pray, perhaps 19 Collectible stamp?

Edited by Will Shortz 1

21 24 29

31 33

39 45 49 54

No. 0120

43 48

PUZZLE BY HOWARD BARKIN

22 Prefix with -tonic 25 Hankering

27 Present opener? 28 Complete failure 29 Such as

30 One of two Disney characters singing “For the First Time in Forever”

31 Watch brand for 007

35 Expanse crossed by the Silk Road

36 Enter 37 Exhibit greatly, as charm 40 “The Lord of the Rings” baddies 41 Brownish red 42 It dissolves in H2O 45 What teaspoons are vis-à-vis tablespoons 48 Many a groaner 50 Setting for Robinson Crusoe 51 Lifesaving inits.

52 Kind of test 53 Sulks

54 “Alternatively …” 55 Torch thistles, e.g. 59 Prayer leader

61 Highlight of una scena 62 Sell

63 Goes on to say 65 Give under weight

67 Niagara Falls locale: Abbr.

Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 7,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay.

TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2022

SPORTS

BASEBALL

No. 1 Texas baseball falls for first time this season following strong start By Jordan Mitchell @thejordankenzie

Texas baseball made the trip down Highway 290 for the 2022 Shriners Children’s College Classic at Minute Maid Park this weekend, and the No. 1 Longhorns made the Major League ballpark its home-away-from-home in the classic early-season event. Playing on the Houston Astros’ home field is tough for any team; the seating boxes and pillars ricochet batted balls across the outfield, and the shortporched Crawford Boxes in left field make for an enticing home run target for right-handed batters. On Saturday, Texas faced off against LSU in front of a crowd of over 24,000, just a few thousand less than the alltime attendance record for the College World Series. Against the Tigers, redshirt sophomore Silas Ardoin’s double to the center field wall got Texas’ offense going. From there, the Longhorns put up six runs against the Tigers in a statement win. In addition, Texas’ 7-2 win over No. 17 Tennessee on Friday showed the Longhorns could hang with some of the SEC’s best. The Longhorns scored on fielding errors and walks while the pitching staff played hard-nosed on the mound, pounding the zone with strikes for a total of 17 hits allowed over the source of both games. Pivotal to the effort was redshirt senior Tristan Stevens, who dished out 100 pitches for only five hits and no runs against LSU on Saturday. “The crowd was awesome, and the atmosphere was something you dream about as a kid,” Stevens said to the Houston Chronicle. “So to come out and compete like that against another prestigious program like LSU, it was everything I wanted.” But the Longhorns wouldn’t leave Houston unscathed.

jonathan sherchand

/ the daily texan file

Redshirt senior Tristan Stevens throws a pitch during the alumni game. The right-hander pitched seven scoreless innings with only five hits and zero runs against LSU March 5.

Ahead of Sunday’s matchup against UCLA, head coach David Pierce announced that he would not start sophomore pitcher Tanner Witt as a precaution against irritating a tender muscle above his elbow. “(After) talking to him yesterday, he felt like when he maxed out, he had good tolerance,” Pierce said to Baseball America. “I didn’t feel like he had 100%, and he’s just too early to risk, so we scratched him.” Witt wasn’t the only surprise scratch from the starting lineup. Sophomore cleanup hitter Mitchell Daly was relieved of his second base duties after a lackluster weekend in Houston, walking twice and striking out four times.

Shaking things up, Pierce placed catcher Ardoin in the four-hole as the designated hitter, while sophomore Texas A&M transfer Kimble Schuessler started behind the plate and redshirt senior Murphy Stehly played at second. The lineup changes proved detrimental for the Longhorns. While sophomore Lucas Gordon and the bullpen could not keep the Bruin batters at bay, Schuessler struggled to throw out base stealers. In addition to defensive trouble, Texas’ bats struggled against pitcher Kelly Austin’s meticulous cutters and sliders, which yielded eight strikeouts and a single walk in his 5.1 innings pitched. The one run scored against UCLA was a moonshot from redshirt

junior Ivan Melendez in the fourth inning, which landed above Minute Maid’s train tracks running above left field seating. Twelve games into the season, the Longhorns have proved they can be dominant in future SEC conference play. With wins against bluebloods Tennessee and LSU in addition to the sweep of Alabama, Texas is 5–0 against the SEC this season. However, the loss to UCLA is a reminder that no team is immortal. The 5-1 loss to the Bruins brings the Longhorns to 11-1 on the season. Texas remains atop of the national rankings, and the team takes on 10-2 Texas State in a home-and-home midweek series Tuesday and Wednesday.

COMICS

B A R B R A D A LY

Comics Editor | @TEXANCOMICS TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2022