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VOLUME 122, ISSUE 55 FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2022
‘we are not incubators’ On International Women’s Day, protestors voice their opposition to abortion right restrictions.
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Student creates foundation, gala for dad diagnosed with brain cancer UT student creates Gray for Glioblastoma foundation to raise awareness and fundraise after her dad’s brain cancer diagnosis. By Morgan Severson @morgan_severson
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fter her dad was diagnosed with the brain cancer glioblastoma multiforme, education sophomore Katherine Snedeker created the Gray for Glioblastoma Foundation to raise awareness and fundraise for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a cancer research center. “I’m a very action-based person,” Snedeker said. “It just kind of hit me one day. I couldn’t sleep one night, and I was thinking about how much it sucks to Google, ‘glioblastoma.’” Snedeker said her stepmother, who is in the medical field, easily found clinical trials and access to the top surgeons and care teams in the world for her dad, Craig Snedeker. She said the lack of information and support groups for glioblastoma motivated her to start the foundation. The goal of the foundation is to create a community for people affected by glioblastoma by providing people with support and resources, Katherine said. “I was frustrated,” Katherine said. “Me and my family were so fortunate to be given the resources that we were
(during treatment), … but it wasn’t as fulfilling as it should be. There’s not a big enough community. There’s not a pool of resources that you’re able to access.” Clara Russ, Katherine’s best friend, said she works on public relations, marketing and social outreach for the foundation. “(Katherine’s) always been a planner,” Russ said. “She’s really passionate about her family, and when her dad got sick, she really wanted to do something to help. It just makes sense that her decision was to plan an event that would end up helping him and getting rid of the cancer he has.” The foundation is hosting its first fundraising event, the Iron Man Gala, on May 19 in Bethesda, Maryland, Katherine’s hometown. Proceeds from the gala will go to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where Craig is receiving treatment. Katherine said the gala’s name was inspired by her dad. “He was always the dad that would pick us up from school even if he had a conference call to be on,” Katherine said. “Every day from elementary school until
I graduated high school, my dad would wake me up in the morning, make me breakfast and sit with me before I went to school. I could always feel his love.” Russ said the Iron Man Gala is not the first fundraising event Katherine has done. In high school, Katherine lost a friend who died by suicide, so she started a fundraiser to raise awareness for suicide prevention. “This is what brings her a sense of purpose and control,” said Katherine’s aunt, Lisa Tewell. “It’s the way she’s able to cope, … she shared (her idea for the gala) with me before she shared it with any of the family, and as soon as she shared it with me, it just sounded right.” Tewell said she helped Katherine with the foundation by acting as a mentor figure and helping her organize something her dad will be proud of. “Craig is the glue of our family,” Tewell said. “He’s the outgoing, just-loves-everybody person (who) always wants to get the family together.” Katherine, Tewell and Russ said the thing they are looking forward to most at the gala is seeing all their hard work come together and getting to celebrate Craig as a family.
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Editor-In-Chief | @TEXANOPINION FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2022
COLUMN
OPINION
School of Architecture should provide financial assistance for materials and technology Students should not be forced to front the cost of expensive materials for their degree.
By Lucero Ponce
he University of Texas School of Architecture (UTSOA) is one of the most prestigious architecture programs in the nation. Being part of such a great program not only requires time and dedication, but also additional expenses for project materials, technology and software. Being a college student is expensive enough, and architecture students have to spend extra hundreds of dollars just to work on their assignments. To help students with these added expenses, The School of Architecture should provide more financial assistance to students, specifically for project materials and technology. On top of paying for tuition, housing and personal expenses, architecture students have to set aside money to cover their materials and software. Texas Tech University College of Architecture, which has a similar curriculum to UTSOA, says that “on the generous side, an undergraduate student spends $500-700 per semester on printing, model making/building materials, and books.” Many students cannot
afford these added expenses and are left with no choice but to make it work. “I have paid for subscriptions to some of the online software, which this year so far has been around $60 to $90. … When I (first) bought all my materials, it was around $300. …Of course there’s always textbooks as well, so those are always expensive,” architecture sophomore Faith Bryant said. It is understandable that architecture students have to use expensive software and technology, especially considering the industry standard. However, if UTSOA recommends these materials and technology, the school should provide more financial assistance. Students should not have to worry over whether they can afford these essential resources. “One of my art studio professors suggested that we each buy a 3D printer; she didn’t say it was required but highly suggested it. The cheapest it goes is roughly $300, and the more expensive ones are $2,000,” Bryant said. “So it’s quite the decision to make if I want to purchase one or not, but I know it would benefit me. It’s just like the funds are not quite there yet.” The school does help alleviate these costs with internal
scholarships and initiatives like the material exchange, where students can find unused materials. However, they should work on reaching more students and letting them know they are not alone with these costs at any point in the semester. “We need (students) to be part of this conversation. I need to know what (students are) struggling with. … When students reach out to me, who are having trouble with (software) fees, I’ve had the ability to actually get it paid for by us or waived, but I can’t do it globally, because
it’s the way we afford all of our digital mechanisms and things of that nature,” said Charlton Lewis, senior lecturer and UTSOA assistant dean for student affairs. “So our financial model doesn’t work by providing free digital services.” Although it is reassuring that the School of Architecture faculty and staff are ready to support students, there is certainly a lack of communication about available options. “I did not know that they offered any sort of financial aid for (software),” Bryant said. “I
did not know that I could even go to the UTSOA faculty for financial reasons.” UTSOA should fundraise specifically for these resources and let students know that they can reach out for financial assistance throughout the year. Students deserve to learn the basics of the industry without having to worry about the added expenses of materials and technology, and the School of Architecture should help make that happen. Ponce is a journalism freshman from Laredo, Texas.
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Tony Chase honored his father, John S. Chase, through a generous benefaction of $1 million to the UT School of Architecture.
Son of John S. Chase gifts School of Architecture $1 million to support underrepresented students By Hope Unger @imhopeunger
To honor his father John S. Chase, Tony Chase committed a gift of $1 million to the UT School of Architecture to support underrepresented graduate students and faculty. John S. Chase was the first Black student to graduate from the School of Architecture in 1952, and he was the only licensed Black architect in Texas for a long time, Tony said. “Anyone who knew my dad knew that he was a man who walked on every level of life: political, professional, civic, philanthropic,” Tony said. “My childhood was replete with that. There were always … various people of influence around because my dad really thought it was important to be a part of all of those types of circles.” Tony said his father mentored minority architects in Texas and felt a commitment to aiding their careers. The John S. Chase Family Endowed Graduate Fellowship, one of two endowments created by the gift, is intended for underrepresented graduate students who received their undergraduate degrees from historically Black colleges, Tony said. “It’ll benefit minority students, obviously, by giving them an economic opportunity they otherwise wouldn’t have,” Tony said. “But it’ll benefit (the) greater majority of students who will then have the benefit of knowing, working with and socializing with students from underrepresented communities that they otherwise might not have (met). To me, I think that benefits society as a whole.” Tony said he gave the School of Architecture its own discretion in how to disperse the funds, which are only available to graduate students and faculty in the School of Architecture. The
gift goes toward the John S. Chase Family Endowed Professorship in Architecture as well as the graduate fellowship. Tara Dudley, an assistant professor in the School of Architecture, said she is currently writing a biography on John S. Chase’s work and life. “A lot of people across different constituencies (and) demographics are able and will be able to appreciate his story,” Dudley said. “It’s just fantastic to be able to have this task placed in my lap, and it was a no-brainer when I was asked.” Dudley said that while she attended UT as a graduate student, she received the John S. Chase scholarship, a past award offered to graduate students. “I was a recipient a couple of semesters of that award,” Dudley said. “As part of my thank you in recognition of that award, that honor, (I) had to write a thank you letter to Mr. Chase, and he always wrote back. It was wonderful to have that connection with someone who was being supportive, not only of me, but (of) other students’ education in the School of Architecture.” Victoria Chaney, diversity and equity chair for the Graduate School of Architecture Representative Council, said the school has been analyzing architecture through promoting equity, social justice and intersectionality. “I would really love to see more students of color and BIPOC students within the UTSOA campus and community … supporting designers and allowing them to have the opportunity to alleviate some of the costs associated with architectural education and allowing for new voices to emerge in the design community,” architecture graduate student Chaney said. “That’s really what I hoped would be the legacy of this endowment.”
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LIFE&ARTS
‘But no more’: RiseUp4AbortionRights protests on International Women’s Day RiseUp4AbortionRights celebrates International Women’s Day, protests recent state limits on abortion. By Emily Harrison @emilyy628_
rotesters cheered and shouted, held up signs and vowed to fight for the rights of all women to have access to safe and legal abortions. Standing on the Drag on International Women’s Day, this group celebrated with a clarion call for change. On Tuesday afternoon, women’s rights organization RiseUp4AbortionRights held a protest on Guadalupe’s West Mall where roughly 20 people voiced their opposition to recent state restrictions on abortion rights. The group condemned the Texas Heartbeat Act and voiced support for Roe v. Wade, a 1973 Supreme Court decision that affirmed a woman’s right to have an abortion. When five anti-abortion protesters arrived on scene to counteract RiseUp4AbortionRights’ protest, the group countinued to chant things like, “Rise up for abortion rights, for abortion rights rise up.” The first International Women’s Day was celebrated Feb. 28, 1909, and was created by the Socialist Party of America to recognize women who were locked in unsafe working conditions at garment factories in New York City. For protest organizer Victoria Mycue, their mission remains the same, despite the evolution of the women’s rights movement: to dismantle oppressive, misogynistic systems, protect human rights and empower women everywhere. “It’s a beautiful thing for us to celebrate what (we) have had to go through, the things that we have achieved and the things that we still have to achieve,” Mycue said.
Raheena Ali, an international relations and global studies senior and protest attendee, said for her, International Women’s Day represents a time to stand up against oppression and preserve both her rights and the rights of women everywhere. “We’re fighting back against every single policy and every single person who has hurt women or tried to attack women,” Lee said. “We’re just trying to live our lives, (but) we’re getting victimized in the process. But no more.” At the protest, several speakers took to the mic to tell stories of women who died from miscarriages as a result of not having abortion access. Protesters held up signs in their honor, mourning the loss and vowing for an end to unnecessary deaths. Organizer Coco Das told a story about Savita Halappanavar, an Irish woman who was denied an abortion while experiencing a miscarriage and died from sepsis as a result, emphasizing the importance of abortion accessibilty as a pressing matter that needs immediate attention. “We are in an abortion rights emergency and this emergency will foreclose on the lives of millions of women and girls,” Das said. Despite the presence of anti-abortion protesters, the women’s rights activists continued to march and chant in the name of their beliefs, wearing green bandanas to convey their support for access to safe abortions. “Women are flooding the streets to say that we are human beings, and we must decide for ourselves if we have children.” Das said. “We are not incubators, not the properties of men, the state and the church. We are all human beings with dreams, lives and hopes for the future.” megan clarke
/ the daily texan staff
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FEATURE
TEDxUT student speaker, activist Valeria Colunga inspires Gen Z to change world By Alishba Javaid @alishbaj24
Valeria Colunga said she will always remember hearing sirens and gunshots as she laid on the floor while the police persecuted narcos in front of her middle school. Growing up in Monterrey, Mexico, during the 2010s, when the government embarked on an extreme crackdown on drug trafficking, Colunga felt violence was normalized for her at an early age. “We were born into a world of chaos, a world that has pushed us to grow out of our innocence,” Colunga said. “Activism arrived in my life as a coping mechanism and a way to gain power over things I couldn’t control.” Colunga, a 21-year-old activist and international relations and global studies and Latin American studies senior, was one of nine featured speakers at TEDxUTAustin’s fifth annual Ted Talk Conference, “Blueprints,’’ on March 5 at the AT&T Conference Center. During her speech, Colunga encouraged Gen Z to create change and called on older generations to make room for younger voices in decision making. “The biggest misconception I have ever encountered is the idea that young people are not interested in participating in the government,” Colunga said. Colunga’s activism began when she helped create the first “Girl Up” coalition in Mexico, a movement to advance young women’s rights, skills and opportunities. Her activism has led to being appointed by the United Nations Foundation as one of eight Next Generation Fellows to write “Our Future Agenda,” a report aimed to foster solidarity between youth and the international community. “It is a great privilege and responsibility to represent the hopes and dreams of young people,” Colunga said. “When I work with young
sophie stoeger
/ the daily texan staff
Valeria Colunga, a 21-year-old activist and international relations and global studies and Latin American studies senior, was one of nine featured speakers at TEDxUTAustin’s 5th annual Ted Talk Conference, “Blueprints,’’ on March 5 at the AT&T Conference Center.
fifth, I try to (tap) into our shared experiences and feelings.” Colunga’s roughly 15-minute talk required dozens of revised drafts, constant memorization and seven to nine weeks of preparation. However, the TEDxUT Austin’s curation committee supported her throughout the process. “She’s very energetic in her speech,” economics sophomore and curation committee member Adam Elhamdi said. “The way she speaks in person is also the way she speaks on stage.” Colunga said she felt empowered when giving her talk to the audience of
roughly 1,000 people. “As soon as I went on stage, it felt real,” Colunga said. “I (didn’t) want to mess this up, but I also felt at peace because I had been practicing this speech for so long; getting to see the audience’s reaction was very reassuring.” Colunga’s mentor Rubén Cantú, executive director of the Office of Inclusive Innovation and Entrepreneurship, who she met when she joined the WIELD career incubator program, said he was impressed by the leadership skills she exuded while speaking. “She took the reins and started
leading, and she’s like, ‘I want this class and I want it bad,’” Cantú said. “She really put all she wanted into it, … and she just blossomed.” Colunga said she wanted the audience to believe in themselves, recognize their power and be ambitious. “Believing in yourself is a form of self love because you decide to believe in what you stand for and what you want to see in the world,” Colunga said. “If I invite more people to think that way, that is going to be enough to inspire other people to take action towards what they want to see in the world.”
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FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2022
LIFE&ARTS
STUDENT LIFE
Vybe Social connects users looking for new friends By Catherine Cahn Life and Arts Reporter
“I want people to go to any given city and know where (they) can hang out with people...” CATHERINE MURRAY
ceo and founder of vybe social
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At first, traveling abroad seemed exciting to Catherine Murray, but as her trip to Guatemala approached, she worried that she would feel isolated without established friends in the country. Wondering how she would find peers without any prior connections, the UT alumna came up with a solution — Vybe Social. “I want people to go to any given city and know where (they) can hang out with people,” Murray said. “How can (they) get offline, go meet people and have real-life interactions?” Murray, Vybe’s founder and CEO, started Vybe as a bar and restaurant review app in 2020 to organize and present reviews for users based on their demographic, age and city. Now, after the February launch of Vybe’s second iteration, Vybe 2.0, Murray hopes the app will help Texas city dwellers
— predominantly college students — find community despite other barriers. “(We hoped) that if you have a more curated review experience, you would know where people are typically going,” Murray said. “But we realized that’s still not real time.” Murray said Vybe 2.0 accomplishes more of what she originally set out for: allowing people to post about their current and upcoming plans. To accomplish this, users can make their posts viewable to only their followers or to everyone within a selected distance radius. These posts, also called “hangouts,” serve as an invitation for others to join. According to Grace Tippit, business sophomore and Vybe’s director of college programming, the update came at a beneficial time because the COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally altered social lives and communication. Tippit said she hopes Vybe will bring people’s
social interactions back to what they used to be pre-pandemic. “People have tended to meet less people and just stick with their friend group or very close-knit people,” Tippit said. “We’re trying to combat that and have people go out and meet people they wouldn’t have before.” As students rebound from the pandemic, Tippit said Vybe is working to break down barriers. Instead of keeping plans contained in individual group chats, Vybe opens them up to anyone who chooses to download the app. “It takes away a lot of that exclusivity and allows you to know what’s happening without a lot of work,” Murray said. Logan Lett, a UT alumna, started using Vybe after graduating as a way to meet new people. She said she has since made friends from attending Vybe events and appreciates how easy it is to find plans through the app. Though she enjoys
Vybe’s effectiveness in her post-grad social life, Lett said the app would have been beneficial to her as a UT student. “I would have used it a lot at UT,” Lett said. “I wish that it was a thing while I was at (UT) because it’s always good to meet new people and go to events like that.” With more than 3,000 downloads, Murray said she believes Vybe has incredible potential for growth, especially on UT’s campus. As Vybe ambassadors, many of whom are UT students, continue to spread word about the app to different student organizations, Murray said she is excited to watch it expand. “I believe in the value of personal connection, especially coming out of COVID — we’ve been so isolated,” Murray said. “Vybe fills that gap because we’re letting you post, ‘This is where I am, and this is what I’m doing.’ It’s essentially saying anyone’s invited.”
NEWS
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FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2022
UNIVERSITY
Palestinian Solidarity Committee releases statement condemning UT By Joelle DiPaolo @JoelleDipaolo
The Palestinian Solidarity Committee released a joint statement March 8 condemning the University after they deemed legislation affirming the rights of Palestinian advocates as a non-University issue. The joint statement, signed by 16 student organizations, came after a Feb. 20 email from the Dean of Students informing leaders of Legislative Student Organizations that their legislation was a non-University issue. As such, the legislation could not use the University logo or official organization names, including Student Government, Senate of College Councils and the Graduate Student Assembly, that would indicate University affiliation, according to an email from Doug Garrard, associate vice president of campus life and deputy Dean of Students. Because of the University’s conditions, the Palestinian Solidarity Committee decided not to introduce the legislation to any of the LSO’s, said Jenna Homsi, a member of the committee. “The issue is they’re having to give us these conditions in the first place, and they are silencing what we had originally wanted to say,” said
psychology junior Homsi. The joint resolution sought to repeal the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism from campus because a clause in the definition states that criticizing Israel is antisemitic. Student Government adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism in March 2021. Palestinian advocates say they are worried this would infringe upon their rights to free speech during any demonstrations they hold protesting the occupation of Palestine. Some Jewish students say they worry that repealing the definition will lead to poor University response to antisemitic attacks on campus. “The current definition we have in place is good protection for antisemitism,” said Zachary Denn, McCombs representative for Student Government. “If it gets stripped away, I’m just scared to see the outcomes and what’s going to be allowed on the campus.” The University declined to provide comment clarifying why the PSC legislation is not a University issue. PSC member Nura Bawab said because this legislation was in response to legislation passed by Student Government
adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism, it is a University issue. “I don’t think that we as Palestinians, as PSC, have to wait for … repercussions to happen in order to say something,” said Bawab, a fifth-year advertising and textiles and apparel major. “We’re seeing this as clear censorship and a clear double standard from the University.” Walker Adams, LBJ School of Public Affairs representative for Student Government, said the University’s decision disappointed him because of what it could mean for student advocates moving forward. “The University administration’s unprecedented interference restricts student sovereignty and prevents us from even attempting to discuss these critical issues,” Adams, a public affairs graduate student, said in an email. PSC member Haya Saidi said all students should fight against censorship on campus. “It is something that affects all of us as students and shows that the University has the ability to interfere in student issues that do not concern them,” undeclared freshman Saidi said. “We can’t allow them to censor us and to prevent us from speaking on issues that matter to us.”
jessie curneal
/ the daily texan staff
A Palestine Solidarity Committee leader takes questions from the audience for their Zoom guest speaker about Palestinian censorship campus 3. The NewonYork TimesMarch Syndication Sales Corporation
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50 Display of choppers 51 What an old car might be sold for 53 “All right, cool” 54 Song title following the lyric “Scuzza me, but you see, back in old Napoli …” 55 “M*A*S*H” co-star 56 Legendary print maker 57 “Jeez!” DOWN 1 Field 2 Respectful term of address 3 ___ party 4 Wield 5 Sitting with one’s hand under one’s chin, perhaps 6 Outbursts of laughter 7 Keen 8 Hippie accessories 9 Person of extraordinary skill 10 Amulets 11 “Sister Outsider” essayist/poet 12 One being asked for donations, often 13 Makes known 15 It’s high in France 21 Speak sharply 22 Antismuggling device
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PUZZLE BY KYLE DOLAN
24 R-rated, perhaps
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37 The Beatles’ “___ She Sweet”
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47 Over 38 Comics-based 48 Counterpart of film character truth played by 28 Cold and Rosemary Harris, 49 Tavern menu miserable heading Sally Field and 29 Video game Marisa Tomei 51 Dump franchise based 40 Informs at a later on a sci-fi film 52 Onetime member stage, with “in” franchise of the record 30 Helps finish a 42 Relative of a industry’s Big raccoon Four nursing program?
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.
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HANNAH WILLIFORD
Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS
FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2022
MEN’S BASKETBALL
SPORTS
Texas drops Big 12 quarterfinal game TCU stormed back to take down the Longhorns in a stunning second-half comeback. By Nick Pannes @nickpannes
ans that traveled to Kansas City, Missouri, to see No. 22 Texas face TCU in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Championship could have left at halftime fully confident the Longhorns would walk right into the semifinals round. With a commanding 40–22 Texas lead. ESPN estimated a 97.5% probability of a Texas victory near the end of the first half. Yet, the defending Big 12 Tournament Champions squandered their advantage and suffered their biggest upset of the season thus far, losing 65–60 in the closing seconds of the game. “I hate to lose more than I like to win,” Texas head coach Chris Beard said. “I’ve got some guys I’m trying to teach that to. Winning’s an art. Our guys are out there trying to just win the game, but they don’t really understand how you get there.” By all logic, this was Texas’ game to win. The Longhorns won both of their previous contests against TCU earlier in the season by a combined total of 31 points. TCU’s biggest threat, dynamic defender and leading scorer sophomore guard Mike Miles, was hamstrung by an ankle injury.
don’t,” Beard said. “Guys who know Texas fired on all cylinders in the how to win hate to lose. Hopefulfirst half. Senior forward Timmy Ally … Timmy (Allen) and (senior len and senior guard Courtney Raguard) Marcus (Carr), their anmey conducted an offense that saw swer eventually will be, ‘Let me go eight players score off the back of follow some guys who know how a team-wide 10 assists. The Longto do this, guys that have been in horns shot 7-of-11 from three and the NCAA Tournament.’” 65.2% from the field. Thursday’s loss could mean TexThe Horned Frogs couldn’t even crack 30% shooting in the first half. as drops from a projected fourth to a fifth seed in the NCAA TourOnly two TCU players made more nament. TCU could also rise from than one basket. Miles, who has avertheir spot as a projected tenth seed, copyright texas athletics, and reproduced with permission aged 15.1 points per game this season, especially if they win again in the went 0-of-5 from three and 1-of-8 Big 12 Tournament semifinals. overall. All of this culminated in an 18-point lead at halftime. Yet, TCU came out of the gates strong in the second half Featuring the best from the and easily reversed the momenphoto department. tum in the opening minutes. Texas stymied TCU’s offensive explosion for a while, but their seemingly insurmountable lead gradually fell apart. Then, with 12:07 remaining, the Longhorns inexplicably lost their ability to shoot the ball. Over the next six minutes, TCU outscored Texas 16-2, taking a one-point lead. Texas went 3-of-16 from the field after the 12-minute mark, while TCU made 8-of-12. Junior guard Damion Baugh ended the game as the leading scorer on the court with 17 points and four assists. Miles regained his shooter’s touch and scored 11 points in the second half, including an eight-point burst of back-to-back threes and free-throws right after the 12-minute mark. Thursday’s game was the third straight loss for Texas, all of which have been marred by poor shooting. This time, Beard highlighted his team’s attitude during the second half as a factor in the loss. “I think we’ve got a bunch kara hawley / the daily texan staff of guys that think they have Audrey Warren and Aliyah Matharu hug after beating OSU 65-50 at the Frank Erwin Center. Texas women’s basketball the answers, but they really played their last ever game Saturday, March 5.
BEYOND THE
FR AM E
SPORTS
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FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2022
FEATURE
Freshman guard Rori Harmon wins big at Big 12 women’s basketball awards By Ethan Ferguson @ethan_ferguson6
In her freshman season, Rori Harmon started 27 of the 29 games she played in, getting her hands on the ball as much as possible. One of the best freshmen in women’s basketball this season, the point guard has already received a plethora of awards throughout the year, such as Big 12 Freshman of the Year. The instant success was expected, however. Prior to coming to Texas, the Houston product was named a McDonald’s All-American and the 2021 Texas Gatorade Player of the Year during her high school career with the Cypress Creek Cougars. “Growing up, my dad would always say, ‘You just have to have the heart to want to take the ball from somebody,’” Harmon said after defeating West Virginia earlier this season. “I came here to play basketball for (head) coach (Vic) Schaefer, and defense is his number one thing.” Harmon has learned from her dad’s lesson. At Texas, she has received Big 12 Freshman of the Week honors four times and ESPNW Player of the Week honors once. She also secured the coveted Big 12 Freshman of the Year Award, All-Big 12 second team honors and was placed on All-Defensive and All-Freshman Big 12 teams. “She wanted to be on a team in college that embraced defense, that embraced playing hard, that embraced the ball pressure piece,” Schaefer said. “And she’s at the right place.” Harmon leads the Big 12 and is ranked No. 4 among NCAA freshmen in steals with 77 this season. She’s averaging 2.7 steals per game and led a game in steals 14 times, the most on the Longhorn’s roster. Expectedly, Rori is usually guarding the opposing team’s ball handler. “Like coach always says, she’s the one that starts our defense,” senior Audrey Warren said. “She brings it every time. I know she’ll go after every ball she can get.” Despite her defensive accolades,
Harmon’s talent isn’t restricted to one end of the court. Regardless of her lack of experience in college athletics, she executes the main keys of the Longhorn offense, such as scoring off of forced turnovers, finding the open teammate on offense and sinking shots consistently. “Just like on defense, if she starts our offense and she’s going hard, I think everybody else will go hard with her,” Schaefer said. This season, Harmon became the seventh freshman in Texas history to record 100 assists in a single season. Averaging 4.8 assists per game, Harmon led the Longhorns in assists during 23 games. In two games this season, she obtained over 10 assists. Additionally, Harmon is more than capable of sinking her own shots. Averaging 10.4 points per game, she scored in double figures in 15 games and has been the game’s leading scorer four times. In two games, Harmon scored at least 20 points. “When she’s played well, our team plays well,” Schaefer said. “That’s the learning piece that I have to teach her. She has a really impactful job.” Despite being the team’s shortest player, Harmon averages 4.7 rebounds a game and has an impressive six games as the team’s leading rebounder. Harmon is the only Big 12 player and one of two freshmen with more than 250 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists this season. She’s also acquired two double-doubles. Another thing Harmon has faced is the threat of the freshman wall. Of the 29 games she’s played this season, she’s started in 27 of them. Playing an average of 28.7 minutes a game, it’s evident that her game has been crucial to the Longhorns’ success. “It’s a challenge, but it’s not hard,” Harmon said. “Having that sense of urgency of wanting to be successful as an individual first and then, if you’re working on yourself, you get to help your team.” It is indisputable that within the game of basketball, you get out what you put into it. With three more years of eligibility at Texas, Harmon only has time to grow her laurels.
assad malik
/ the daily texan staff
Freshman guard, Rori Harmon enters the Frank Erwin Center before the game. Harmon led the team by scoring 20 points during the game.
kara hawley
/ the daily texan staff
Rori Harmon goes up for a shot March 5. Texas beat OSU 65-50 during their final game at the Frank Erwin Center.
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B A R B R A D A LY
Comics Editor | @TEXANCOMICS FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2022
COMICS