1 @thedailytexan | thedailytexan.com WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 volume 119, issue 123 serving the university of texas at austin community since 1900 N E W S O P I N I O N L I F E & A R T S Author whose book inspired the film “BlacKkKlansman” spoke to students Tuesday. PA G E 2 RTF core classes need to rep- resent more female directors. PA G E 4 UT student has not worn shoes in over two-and-a-half years. PA G E 8 S P O R T S Texas’ basketball season is on the line Wednesday night as Colorado visits town. PA G E 6 O F F B E A T UT squirrels make print debut U N I V E R S I T Y Department of Education to investigate University admissions By Megan Menchaca @meganmenchaca13 The U.S. Department of Education is investigating ad- missions practices at the eight in universities the federal scandal, including UT. involved admissions Federal education investiga- tors told the eight universities in a letter Monday that they would examine whether they violated any laws or rules that govern federal student financial aid programs. In the letter, the department said they may deny Pell Grants and federal student in the future if the universities are found to have violated federal education regulations. loans “UT received a letter from the Department of Education its preliminary na- regarding tional investigation,” Universi- ty spokesman Gary Susswein said in a statement to the Austin American-Statesman. “We will be working with (department) of- ficials and responding to a series of questions from them regarding admissions while we also conduct our own internal review, which is under way.” The department is request- ing internal control policies and procedures related to admissions for recruited athletes, the names of all students mentioned in the investigation by the Department of Justice and a variety of oth- er documents within the next 30 days. Letters were also sent to the presidents of Yale University, Wake Forest University, the Uni- versity of San Diego, Stanford University, Georgetown Univer- sity, the University of Southern California and the University of California-Los Angeles. “The allegations made and ev- idence cited by the Department of Justice raise questions about whether your institution is ful- ly meeting its obligations,” the letter said. The investigation comes after the Department of Justice accused more than 50 people on March 12 of a nationwide scheme designed to fraudulently admit wealthy students into universities. UT fired men’s tennis coach following Michael Center the day after he was charged with agreeing to accept approximate- ly $100,000 in exchange for designating a student who did not play competitive tennis as an athlete. Center is expected to plead not guilty to the charges in a federal courtroom in Boston rachel tyler | the daily texan staff These squirrels — Nutterbutter, an ‘acornology’ junior, Elle, a philosophy senior, and Snowpea, a computer science senior — are included in alumna Marie Romano’s yearbook and have different majors based on their location. copyright marie romano, and reproduced with permission Alumna behind ‘Squirrels of UT’ Instagram, Facebook pages creates squirrel yearbook available through Kickstarter. By Emily Hernandez @emilylhernandez1 t’s official — over 115 glossy pages filled with friendly campus squir- rels will now be available in a year- book, brought to students by the creator of the “Squirrels of UT” Instagram and Facebook pages. 2016 alumna Marie Romano, the photographer behind the social media accounts, opened a Kick- starter lasting until the end of this month to raise funds for the yearbook project, which reached its goal of $5,000 Monday evening. Currently, the Kickstarter has raised $5,160 with 122 donors and has four days left, so students can still order yearbooks there. Romano, who has been photographing campus squirrels since her undergraduate years, said she wanted to make the online photos into something more tangible. She said she first began making a simple photo book, which the University Co-op was going to sell. “I had finished everything around (last) Oc- tober, and I was about to send an email to get a bunch of books produced, but then it just hit me,” Romano said. “I don’t know if it was a dream or something, but I was like, no, it can’t be a photo book. It has to be more than just a photo book. I (decided) I need to change the whole concept of the photo book into a yearbook.” The yearbook contains more than 200 individ- ual squirrels split into four classes — freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors — complete with sports teams and different majors. Romano also created polls on her Instagram page and awarded squirrels “class prizes” based on votes. Kickstart- er donors could donate different amounts to be included in the book, such as $99 to become a professor for the squirrels. Kara Kockelman, professor of transportation engineering, will be the professor of “acornology” in the book since she donated at the $99 level. She said when she saw Romano post about creating a yearbook, she reached out to offer feedback for the yearbook. “Many of us find squirrels to be one of our world’s most accessible and gifted creatures,” Kockelman said in an email. “UT is incredibly fortunate to have so many on campus, offering a nice diversion and access to wildlife during one’s Faculty, staff no longer allowed to use Airbnb for University travel S Q U I R R E L S page 2 A D M I S S I O N page 3 U N I V E R S I T Y By Chad Lyle @lylechad The University informed staff- ers Tuesday they would no longer be permitted to use lodging service Airbnb for University business citing Texas law about boycotts of Israel. Earlier this month, Texas Comp- troller Glenn Hegar’s office added Airbnb to a list of three companies boycotting Israel. According to a law passed in 2017, House Bill 89, state agencies are not allowed to do business with companies on this list. In a statement to The Daily Texan, UT President Greg Fenves said the University’s decision was based on state law and condemned the boycott for singling out Israel. “The state of Texas prohibits agencies from doing business with companies that boycott Israel, as designated by the comptroller,” Fenves said. “The University of Texas at Austin follows that law. Economic boycotts that target Is- rael unfairly single out one nation and shut down the free exchange of ideas that we value at UT.” Chris Bryan, a spokesperson for the comptroller, said the comp- troller’s office decided to put Airb- nb on their “Israel boycott list” after the company announced it would no longer provide listings in the West Bank — a disputed terri- tory both Israel and Palestine are sparring over for control. Bryan said two investment re- search vendors were consulted for the decision. “In November, Airbnb put out a big announcement that they were going to remove listings in the oc- cupied territories in Israel,” Bryan said. “We worked with our vendors to determine whether Airbnb was a suitable candidate for inclusion on the anti-Israel list — or the Is- rael boycott list — and the vendors agreed that they were … so effec- tive March 1, Airbnb was added to that list.” In a statement announcing their decision to remove West Bank listings, Airbnb said it created a framework while evaluating the listings that considered their safe- ty and contribution to regional conflict, among other factors. “As a global platform operat- ing in 191 countries and regions and more than 81,000 cities, we must consider the impact we have and act responsibly,” the state- ment said. “When we applied our decision-making framework, we concluded that we should remove listings in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank that are at the core of the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians.” It’s possible for companies to be removed from the boycott list, but only if they demonstrate a change in the behaviors that land- ed them on the list in first place, Bryan said. “We evaluate the list quarterly, but if there’s no change in action on behalf of the company or no change in direction on behalf of the Legislature, it would be un- likely that a company would be removed,” Bryan said. Bryan also said all compa- nies are put through the same consideration process. “We don’t want treat Airbnb any differently than we to A I R B N B page 2 2 C L A I R E A L L B R I G H T NEWS EDITOR @THEDAILYTEXAN S T U D E N T G O V E R N M E N T 112th SG meets for last time, approves adding MEC seats for increased diversity University-wide representative Ryan Chandler speaks in front of the last session of the 112th Student Government Assembly. Chandler, a sophomore, proposed a resolution that aimed to help a homeless former UT student finish his degree. george wunch | the daily texan staff these past struggles, Chan- dler said he believes Carter can finish the education he started years ago. “He is entirely capable of this first because he is bril- liant,” Chandler said. “All he wants to do is study and write a book and get a degree and go into academia. But that is his only goal. He has been an academic all his life. Every time I talk to him … his favor- ite topic is talking about all the books that he reads and all the research that he does.” The bill was fast tracked, meaning members came back to vote on it after oth- er legislation was approved. the bill Members passed supporting Carter. The other approved leg- islation included Assembly Bill 16, which will create a pilot program for Multicul- tural Engagement Center representatives. When pro- posed on March 5, the bill said two seats would be giv- en to each of the six agencies within the Center, though this was changed to one seat per agency. “A lot of this comes down to the hindrances, the ob- stacles and the difficulties of running for SG reps and winning those campaigns,” said Trip Davis, deputy di- rector and communication studies sophomore. “There are years where they’re very competitive races. There are years where people across ev- ery seat do not make it into the assembly, and during those years, you can see a very homogeneous assem- bly, one that does not re- flect the various identities the University, of (does) not reflect the various back- grounds and ensuring that the assembly is representa- tive … can only improve their advocacy efforts.” Members also approved Assembly Resolution 14, which supports metal detec- tors in Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium and all other athletic stadiums. The detectors should be installed in two to three years, said Longhorn legislative aide Brian Chavez at the March 5 meeting. Author of memoir ‘BlacKkKlansman’ gives talk at UT C A M P U S By Hannah Ortega @_hannahortega_ At the final meeting for the 112th Student Government assembly, members ap- proved resolutions support- ing athletic stadium metal detectors and a homeless, former UT student as well as an assembly bill instituting Multicultural Engagement Center representatives. University-wide repre- sentative Ryan Chandler presented Assembly Reso- lution 16, which serves to support a man named David Richard Carter. Chandler said Carter, who asks for money at 24th Street and Guadalupe Street, attended UT in the 1970s for nine se- mesters. He completed more than 87 credit hours as a studio art student, and now he wants to return to UT and obtain his degree. “The point of this bill is to show the administration that he has support from students,” said Chandler, a journalism and government sophomore who worked at The Daily Texan last se- mester. “(We want to try to) spur the process along so that we can actually get him into a meeting, so we can determine whether he is viable and able to actually obtain the degree that would change the rest of his life.” Chandler said Carter ex- perienced drug and alcohol abuse during his time at UT, which led to a debili- tating injury that left him unable to graduate. He lat- er developed schizophrenia but eventually overcame his abuse. Despite substance 2 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 This issue of The Daily Texan is valued at $1.25 PERMANENT STAFF Editor-in-Chief Liza Anderson Managing Editor Forrest Milburn Assoc. Managing Editors Catherine Marfin, Andrea D’Mello Director of Digital Strategy Alexandria Dominguez Assoc. Editors Bella McWhorter, Em- ily Caldwell, Angelica Lopez Forum Editors Jennifer Liu News Editor Claire Allbright Assoc. 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Video Editors Faith Castle, Bonny Chu Photo Editor Katie Bauer Assoc. Photo Editors Anthony Mireles, Carlos Garcia Senior Photographers Eddie Gaspar, Angela Wang. Joshua Guenther, Ryan Lam, Pedro Luna Life&Arts Editors Tiana Woodard, Jordyn Zitman Assoc. Life&Arts Editor Brooke Sjoberg Sr. Life&Arts Writers John Melendez, Landry Allred, Trent Thompson Sports Editor Ross Burkhart Assoc. Sports Editors Steve Helwick, Keshav Prathivadi Senior Sports Reporters Robert Larkin, Donna- van Smoot, Cameron Parker Comics Editors Channing Miller, Bixie Mathieu Assoc. Comics Editor Lauren Ibanez Senior Comics Artists Alekka Hernandez, Andrew Choi Social Media Editor Ryan Steppe Assoc. Social Media Editor Tirza Ortiz Engagement Editor Megan Menchaca Newsletters Editor- Peter Northfelt Sr. Digital Staffers Iris Bilich, Alexis Green Audio Editors JT Lindsey, Morgan Kuehler Audio Producers Sara Schleede, Eric Kiehnau Editorial Adviser Peter Chen News Reporters Libby Cohen, Graysen Golter Opinion Julia Zaksek, Isabella Waltz Photographers Blaine Young, Amna Ijaz, George Wunch Sports Reporters CJ Vogel CONTACT US MAIN TELEPHONE (512) 471-4591 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Liza Anderson (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com MANAGING EDITOR Forrest Milburn (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com 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. AUSTIN WEATHER TODAY Mar. 27 TOMORROW Mar. 28 HI 78º LO 55º HI 74º LO 61º He’s actually normal looking. By Graysen Golter @graysen_golter Ron Stallworth, the best-selling author whose story is the basis for Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlans- man,” spoke Tuesday at the Student Activity Center. film Hosted by the Texas Politics Project, the con- versation was dedicated to Stallworth’s memoir “Black Klansman: Race, Hate and the Undercover Investiga- tion of a Lifetime.” Pub- lished in 2014, the memoir details Stallworth’s story as the first African-American detective for the Colorado Springs Police Department and his infiltration of the Ku Klux Klan in the late 70s. Along with his police career, Stallworth also spoke about issues of modern-day racism and the role society needs to play to address racism on the individual level and the institutional level. “Everyone has a role to play,” Stallworth said. “I had to fight within the system of the Colorado Springs Police Department. It was a lily- white institution. I fought (racism) from within, and you all have to do the same. You can fight from the out- side, but you also have to fight it from the inside to create change.” Film director Spike Lee adapted Stallworth’s sto- ry and released the film “BlacKkKlansman” in 2018. The recently film won an Oscar for the Best Adapted Screenplay. Ya’Ke Smith, a film direc- tor and radio-television-film professor, said the film is its important because of improved representation of African Americans and oth- er people of color on and off the screen. The improve- ment is in contrast to the historical racism and classi- cism that continues to affect the film industry and society as a whole, Smith said. “These are not new prob- lems,” Smith said. “But I think, in this day and age, especially the era of Trump, these things are be- ing exhumed. What Spike Lee is doing here is showing in s q u i r r e l s continues from page 1 school day or workday. I’ve never seen a book like this. Every page is a distinctive creative contribution.” Kockelman said her in husband, who works UT’s Office of Legal Af- fairs, helped review the book to give Romano UT’s permission to publish. “I think it’s an amazing addition to any animal-lov- er’s or Longhorn’s coffee table, and is a terrific treat to also place in many UT re- ception rooms for visitors to browse,” Kockelman said. “This is a terrific gradua- tion gift. It’s just a hilarious token of the time spent here on campus.” Psychology freshman Siya Asatkar, who enjoys feeding the squirrels, said she has not bought a year- book yet, but she would love to depending on the price. “I think it would kind of be the same as the Ins- tagram, because it already has the name and the picture and a personality profile, but after I leave it would be a nice souvenir,” Asatkar said. Romano said those who ordered through the Kick- starter should have their books mid-May, and she is planning to create a website where people can continue to order the books for $25. a i r b n b continues from page 1 would treat any other company that would be listing considered that or de-listing for for matter,” Bryan said. “The comptroller takes this role very serious- ly, and I think it’s been the made clear relationship between Texas and the state of Israel is very important.” that Ron Stallworth explains to the audience how his boss feared he would sound “too black” when speaking on the phone with the KKK prior to their investigation. “Tell me what y’all think a black man sounds like,” he said. “I’ll shoot you down.” chloe bertrand | the daily texan staff UT is involved in an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education related to the college admissions scandal. The University could face consequences if found guilty of violating federal regulations. zoe fu | the daily texan file that these problems have al- ways been here … and are re- peating themselves, because we have not really dealt with them in a meaningful way.” packed audience the room and consisted of both UT students and other The community members. Bio- chemistry junior Sadiat Ag- boola said understanding different kinds of people and cultures is the key to ending bigotry and fear. yourself on other people and cultures in “Educate order to better connect with them and actually make progress,” Agboola said. “A lot of hate stems from fear and ignorance when there’s nothing to be afraid of. There’s nothing you can’t learn.” SHAZAM! Starts 4/4 $3 off Mon–Fri before 5 pm! *Some exclusions apply. Walk-up purchases only on day of show. Your ticket purchases support the Bullock Museum’s exhibitions and educational programming. IMAX® is a registered trademark of IMAX Corporation. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 3 UT students channel Austin start-up energy 3 C A M P U S blaine young | the daily texan staff From left to right, Abby Schwartz, Jack Sharkey, Niv Henn, George Sears, Jared Wolff and Dan Danzger are all involved with Varfaj Leaders, an initiative that helps support rising student businesses. By Libby Cohen @libbycohen211 Thirty University of Texas and New York University students are ex- panding their technology consultant company, Varfaj Partners, to support other student businesses in a initiative called Varfaj Leaders. Varfaj was started in 2018 by Aus- tin resident Cameron Zoub and NYU student Steven Schwartz to provide af- fordable tech-related services to exist- ing businesses, varying from website building to digital marketing. After generating $250,000 in sales, Varfaj has expanded their Austin branch to include 15 UT students. With their charity initiative starting April 1, the company will begin providing free ser- vice to young entrepreneurs ranging from middle school to college. Niv Henn, advertising sophomore and chief operations officer, said Varfaj wants to give students an op- portunity to start their company at a young age. “We were fortunate enough to have the resources we were able to call upon to make (Varfaj) happen,” Henn said. “We started realizing oth- er people have these same dreams we do, but they don’t have the means to get there.” Through the Varfaj website, stu- dents can submit business ideas to the company. If approved, Varfaj will help student entrepreneurs build their business, a service costing up to $50,000 for regular clients. “To get our attention — sell your inspiration the best you can, and if it’s feasible, Varfaj will help make it happen,” Henn said. Jared Wolff, business freshman and chief marketing officer, said the most rewarding aspect of Varfaj Leaders is sharing Varfaj’s success. “The best part about it is we can help young entrepreneurs, because we have personally seen the earlier you get into business, the better off you are,” Wolff said. Co-founder Zoub said Varfaj initially faced age bias. “There’s always going to be people who will say, ‘You guys are too young for this task’ and write us off immedi- ately,” Zoub said. “Once we are able to establish a relationship with a poten- tial client, they begin to realize how professional we are and we know what we are talking about.” Jack Sharkey, computer science freshman and developer, said al- though finding a balance between managing projects and school was challenging, the real-life application of computer science made the extra hours worth it. “I love the fact that I can take on any project, learn about how to do it and then actually go through with making it, and in the end, I come out a smarter version of myself,” Sharkey said. Come take your FREE GRADUATION PICTURE for the Cactus Yearbook! zoe fu | the daily texan file UT is involved in an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education related to the college admissions scandal. The University could face consequences if found guilty of violating federal regulations. progress,” Agboola order to better connect with them and actually make said. “A lot of hate stems from ignorance when there’s nothing to be afraid of. There’s nothing you fear and can’t learn.” a d m i s s i o n continues from page 1 on Thursday. UT President Gregory Fenves said in an email to students March 13 that Jim Davis, vice president for legal affairs, is conducting a thorough review of Center’s actions and whether the University’s admissions practic- es need to be modified to prevent future problems. “At UT, tens of thousands of students, faculty and staff members, coaches and admis- sions officers conduct them- selves with honor and distinc- tion every day,” Fenves said in the email. “Any ethical breach overshadows their accomplish- ments and violates our culture of service and distinction.” SHAZAM! Starts 4/4 CONGRATULATIONS, CLASS OF 2019 GRADUATES When: March 25-29 Time: 1 – 7 PM Location: HSM Building Lobby 2500 Whitis Just show up, no appointment necessary. Business-casual attire recommended. Receive a $10 discount off of the Cactus Yearbook with your picture. $3 off Mon–Fri before 5 pm! *Some exclusions apply. Walk-up purchases only on day of show. Your ticket purchases support the Bullock Museum’s exhibitions and educational programming. IMAX® is a registered trademark of IMAX Corporation. 4 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 C O L U M N C O L U M N abriella corker | the daily texan staff Expanding university sex education would fill in gaps, help students By Julia Zaksek Columnist You have an embarrassing ques- tion. A question about sex. You can’t ask anyone so, cringing, you type it into your web browser. Some maga- zine articles pop up — bright pages with breezy advice but no answer to your question. You try a more prac- tical approach. You know UT has information about sexual health online. You modify your search and scroll through the healthy sexuality page to find out more about STDs, contraception, relationship advice. No answer. Students are coming to UT with unanswered questions and miscon- ceptions about sex — something college students are expected to already know quite a bit about. If UT’s sexual health program is expanded to include practical infor- mation about sexual anatomy and address frequently asked questions about sex, UT students will have a reliable source when they have difficult questions. UT offers great information about STD prevention and sexual safety, but students need online re- sources that candidly address com- mon misconceptions about sex and discuss sexual anatomy — how sex works, how it doesn’t and how it can be enjoyable. Health promotion coordinator for UT’s Healthy Sexuality pro- gram Katherine Protil said UT’s sex education services are predominantly prevention based. “We have information on every- thing from STDs to information about contraception,” Protil said. But students aren’t expected to just know about birth control and STDs when they arrive on campus. “When you get to college, you’re expected to know how sex works and be good at sex, and if you don’t know anything about it, it can be very isolating,” said Kendall Dunn, a Plan II and biology freshman. Almost 90 percent of UT stu- dents are Texas residents, and Texas has one of the worst sex ed- ucation programs in the country. Sixty percent of Texas public school districts teach abstinence only sex education and 25 percent have no sex education programs at all, ac- cording to a study from the Texas Freedom Network. This means a lot of UT students enter college without formal sex education. “We had someone come talk to us in middle school about STDs and abstinence,” Dunn said. “The gist was that, if you have sex, you will get cervical cancer, you will get pregnant and then you will die.” A lack of intensive and realis- tic sex education in middle and high school leaves college students with questions a simple Google search can’t remedy. The glamor- ized, unrealistic articles available online only further embarrass and alienate students. “A lot of online sources are written by professional, confident people who have a lot of knowledge about sex, and it’s not written in an educational way,” Dunn said. Several universities have exten- sive sex education programs — even in Texas. Trinity University has an online sex education guide that includes Q&As with local sex spe- cialists and provides direction to other reliable resources. Stephen F. Austin State University has a self- help page with links to information about sexuality and “Ask the Sex- perts,” a website where anyone can submit questions to sex specialists. Other universities in Texas pro- vide students with information about sexual health beyond pre- vention. University Health Ser- vices must expand their online re- sources to incorporate information about sexual anatomy and allow students to ask difficult questions. Their link to this information isn’t currently working. UT can improve its sex education in a variety of ways. The Universi- ty can expand its sexual health in- dex to incorporate sexual anatomy information, include a forum for asking sex questions like Stephen F. Austin or create a video series about sex ed topics — UHS already has one about contraception. En- hancing the Healthy Sexuality pro- gram at UT can make students feel informed, confident and less alone. Zaksek is a Plan II and wom- en and gender studies freshman from Allen. G A L L E R Y L I Z A A N D E R S O N EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @TEXANOPINION RTF core classes should screen more films directed by women By Isabella Waltz Columnist At this year’s Oscars ceremony, like so many others before it, women were almost entirely shut out of the writing and direct- ing categories. Last year, only four of the highest-grossing U.S. films were directed by women. With such a glaring gender imbalance, it’s critical for film schools to encourage female students to achieve success in an industry where they will face many obsta- cles — which are even more challenging for women of color and members of the LGBTQ community. UT’s radio-television-film department requires every student to take three intro- ductory media studies classes. This semes- ter, all three of these courses are screening films and television shows almost exclu- sively written and directed by men. To make core classes more inclusive, professors should screen more content with women in leadership roles behind the camera. By failing to adequately represent women in cinema, the RTF program isolates aspir- ing female filmmakers who would benefit from learning about successful women in the industry. “Because I am interested in cinematog- raphy, which is a field that statistically has less than 5 percent female representation, I often feel as though my own talent isn’t good enough simply because of the gender I identify with,” radio-television-film junior Madeline Johnson said. “When I see badass women like Ava DuVernay, Greta Gerwig and Issa Rae who are thriving in the film and television industry, it makes me feel like I can do the same.” By failing to adequate- ly represent women in cinema, the RTF program isolates aspiring female filmmakers.” One of these core classes spends one week each semester featuring prominent female filmmakers in screenings and lec- tures. After this week, screenings go back to putting women on the periphery. “It makes (students) think that women in cinema are niche or special instead of central,” said radio-television-film lecturer Jennifer Mc- Clearen. “They don’t become central to the foundation of the curriculum.” A common justification for lack of female representation in foundational media stud- ies courses is the notion that women hav- en’t been writing and directing films for as long as men have. “The canon is used as an excuse a lot of the time,” McClearen said. “The history of film is very male-centric. But there were women directing alongside the whole time — they’re just not celebrated and not brought to the forefront.” RTF professors have a responsibility to bring this overlooked history of female filmmakers to prominence in core classes, which will help end the cycle of everyone studying the same catalog of films that were largely written and directed by white men. While the department offers a wide range of media studies courses that feature more representation of female filmmakers, stu- dents with upper division standing are free to choose which subjects they want to study. Not every student will choose to take classes that highlight the work of female filmmak- ers. For this reason, the core classes that all RTF students have to take should feature a more balanced catalog of films. Film schools are in a unique position of power, because they have the ability to af- fect the way students think about issues such as representation. “Film schools are places where change can happen,” McClear- en said. “If we’re centering these things in our curriculum, it can make a change later on when (students) are in positions of pow- er, or making their first film and thinking of who they’re hiring.” By devoting more time in core classes to the study of women’s work, RTF professors will encourage female students to pursue filmmaking despite the hardships they will face in a male-dominated industry. Mak- ing female filmmakers a central part of the media studies curriculum will also create a more inclusive culture as students go on to positions of power in the industry. This way, Hollywood’s next generation of filmmakers will be more mindful of making space for stories we haven’t seen yet. Waltz is a radio-television-film senior from Dripping Springs. yulissa chavez | the daily texan staff 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. 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. 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. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 5 Dominant pitching drives Texas to strong start in Big 12 play W & N 5 S O F T B A L L By Marcus Krum @marcuskrum As Big 12 play enters full swing, it’s time for the good teams to start to show they’re just that. With four con- ference games coming this week, the Texas softball team will be looking to hit its stride and prove its place in this conference. The Longhorns’ start to conference play went almost exactly as planned. Winning the three games at McCombs Field by a combined score of 24-3 to sweep Iowa State, Texas gained the mo- mentum it was looking for. “(It was) really important,” outfielder Kaitlyn Washington said. “It was a big confidence booster for us, and it helps us get ready for the rest of the conference.” The three wins came at the hands of a stingy pitching staff which is rounding into form at just the right time. The Long- horns have given up just three runs over the last six games as pitchers Miranda Elish, Shea O’Leary and Brooke Bolinger have really settled into their roles after Bolinger and Elish went through a cou- ple rough starts against powerful lineups in non-conference play. “All of us, we all work together really well, and we all have different kinds of pitches,” Bolinger said. “(Texas head) coach (Mike) White works great with us working on our pitches, and we all mix really well.” The odd one out is Ari Adams, whose 1.79 ERA is atypical for someone who is left out of a rotation. Yet, with Elish and Bolinger’s experience combined with O’Leary’s NCAA-leading 0.45 ERA, there’s just not a spot for her as one of the three starters at this point in the season. “It all depends on how we do,” White said. “Ari Adams, right now she’s kind of that fourth one, probably working the middle half of the order, that middle part in early relief.” If having “too many” solid starting { joshua guenther | the daily texan file Ari Adams has dominated in the circle throughout her sophomore season, posting a 1.79 ERA. Adams, who has a 4-0 record and 16 strikeouts this season, is one of the Longhorns' many star pitchers on a roster that includes the NCAA's current ERA leader. pitchers is the biggest problem that White is faced with this season, then Tex- as will be just fine. A wealth of pitching talent could prove key as the Longhorns dive into conference play this week, with one game at Baylor on Wednesday and a weekend series in Stillwater against Oklahoma State. The first away conference series could end up being a test for Texas. At 23–9, the Cowboys have beaten the likes of Kentucky, Arizona State and Oregon — all ranked teams. Oklahoma State is 5–0 at home, as well. The sweep one weekend ago was not just a good start to conference play, but a step towards the Longhorns’ postsea- son goals. In series against teams like Oklahoma State, continuing to try to pick up more three-win weekends is something that will help push Texas to the next level. “The biggest thing is to win the se- ries,” White said after last weekend’s series. “Sweeps are bonuses. Obvi- ously to have a chance at the cham- pionship, you’ve got to be able to get those sweeps.” b a s e b a l l continues from page 6 GET SOCIAL WITH TSM Matteo Bocchi and Matt Whel- an, who combined for 6.1 innings pitched and just one run allowed. “That ball gets out of our park just about every single day. I mean, it was absolutely crushed.” Instead, Hibbeler’s deep fly ball was the second out of the inning, and after a Tate Shaw strikeout, the Longhorns’ fate was sealed. With Texas down 3–2 in the ninth inning with one out and a runner on base, Texas shortstop Masen Hib- Texas Student Media will keep you connected beler hit a deep fly ball to left field with daily links to the news, sports and culture that was just inches short of serving stories shaping the UT community. as the go-ahead two-run home run. absolutely crushed that ball,” said Pierce. The Longhorns had a series of hard hit balls that just were not lucky enough to find the plush green grass of Nelson Wolff Municipal Stadium, and as a result, the rally needed to manufacture the game’s tying run never came. “(Masen Hibbeler) (Masen Hibbeler) abso- lutely crushed that ball. That ball gets out of our park just about every single day. I mean, it was absolutely crushed. D A V I D P I E R C E HEAD COACH “We had some hard hit balls late (in the game),” said Pierce. “Ryan Reynolds, with a runner in scoring position, (hit a) line drive to first base. So, I mean, that one you have to tip your cap to them, they played really well.” The tough stretch over the past week combined with tonight’s loss sends the Longhorns to 17–11 on the season, with a conference record of 3–3. Whether is play- ing well or not, the only stat that team the matters still remains unchanged: wins. The Longhorns will return to Aus- tin for the first time in over a week this Friday to begin a three-game series against Xavier with first pitch currently set for 7 p.m. If there was ever a place for Tex- as to get back on track, it would be at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. The Long- horns are currently 12–4 on the turf in Austin, and a good weekend would work wonders with Big 12 play set to resume the weekend after. 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The advertiser, and not the newspaper, is responsible for the truthful content of the ad. Advertising is also subject to credit approval. 6 B A S K E T B A L L 6 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 R O S S B U R K H A R T SPORTS EDITOR @TEXANSPORTS NIT more than consolation for Texas Roach, the Longhorns shelve disap- pointment to focus on suc- cessful NIT run. By Robert Larkin @r_larkintexas uring the first half of Tex- as’ game against Xavier, Kerwin Roach II wanted to let the Texas fans inside the Frank Erwin Center know that he cared. After sinking a layup despite being fouled at the rim, Roach turned to- ward the fans to his right, beat the letters in “Texas” across his chest and screamed for them to get fired up. Scenes like the one with Roach transpired across the court during the Longhorns’ overtime victory against Xavier on Sunday. In an ex- tremely physical game, Texas play- ers were diving on the floor, taking charges and refusing to be beat down by a bigger team inside the paint. Players were yelling at one another and pumping up the fans in the crowd. Despite the talk of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) being a consolation prize, the Longhorns have ditched that attitude altogeth- er. Their win against the Musketeers was the product of good basket- ball, but more so, it was the result of the Longhorns playing with the energy they lost in the last week of their season. “All 45 minutes, it was all about heart,” Roach said after the win. “You know, just coming into the game, we knew they were going to bully us. There were altercations on the floor, them trying to be physical and stuff like that. We just had to have a physical mentality and stand back up to them.” The NIT used something significant to stand for in college Shooting guard Kerwin Roach II drives to the basket during Texas' 78-76 overtime win over Xavier in the second round of the NIT. Roach posted an impressive, versatile stat-line of 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists. As a senior, his college career extends with an upcoming game against Colorado. andre fernandez | the daily texan file basketball. But with the NCAA Tour- nament’s expansion and exhaustive television coverage, the NIT has be- come more of an afterthought with fans seeing it as the byproduct of a disappointing season. Texas, however, doesn’t see it that way. The Longhorns see it as an invaluable opportunity to achieve something special in the postseason. And that motivation to prolong their season has seeped into an energized brand of basketball. “Every win is a big time win, es- pecially to keep our season going,” guard Courtney Ramey said. “I feel If you don't advance in the NIT, that's the taste you have in the mouth as a senior for the rest of your life. If you're a returning player, for several months” S H A K A S M A R T HEAD COACH like we got some good juice right now, and we want to keep playing.” Texas head coach Shaka Smart in- sists that performing well is a point of pride for his program. And if anyone knows about the struggle of keeping a team focused in this tour- nament, it’s him. When Smart was an assistant coach at Clemson in 2007, his team qualified for the NIT after limping through ACC play. But that team re- focused itself and ended up making it to New York City for the tournament final and finished second. On Wednesday night, Smart will have a chance to return to the Big Apple should the Longhorns defeat Colorado in the NIT quarterfinals. While some may view that as a less- er accomplishment, the Longhorns don’t really care. They’re focused on winning the tournament that’s ahead of them. “If you don’t advance in the NIT, that’s the taste that you have in the mouth as a senior for the rest of your life … If you’re a returning player, for several months,” Smart said. “We have one more game until we make it to New York and the goal is to win the whole thing.” B A S E B A L L Incarnate Word pitching dooms Longhorns in San Antonio Become a lawyer. Join the champions. Winner of more: ADVOCACY CHAMPIONSHIPS; BEST BRIEF LEGAL WRITING AWARDS; ABA NATIONAL APPELLATE ADVOCACY CHAMPIONSHIPS ... than ANY U.S. law school. Inquire today! stcl.edu/champion By CJ Vogel @cjvogeldt Texas had an opportunity Tuesday night to get back to winning ways with a meeting in San Antonio with the University of Incarnate Word. They failed. The Cardinals from In- carnate Word defeated Texas 3-2, handing Texas its second straight loss and its fourth loss in the last six games. “It was a good baseball game,” head coach David Pierce said in his post game interview with Texas Sports. “They earned their first two (runs). We probably gave them the third (run), but at the same time that’s a very solid team.” Pierce out starting pitcher Ty Madden trotted joshua guenther | the daily texan file Infielder Masen Hibbeler almost corrected Texas' woes at the plate by blasting a near-home run, but the Cardinals recorded an out to secure an Incarnate Word victory. for his first appearance since March 17, after battling a minor shoulder injury. The return to the mound for Madden went anything but smoothly. Facing just six batters, Madden recorded two outs, allowed four hits and allowed one Cardinal to score before being pulled. Texas was able to keep the game close due to the performances by pitchers B A S E B A L L page 5 1303 SAN JACINTO • HOUSTON, TEXAS • 713-659-8040 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 7 CLASS 7 The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Wednesday, March 27, 2019 Crossword Edited by Will Shortz No. 0220 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 15 18 24 27 37 43 46 58 59 ACROSS 1 “Not so!” 8 Modifier for “film” or “pinot” 12 *Instructions for premade dinner rolls 14 *Noble couple 15 With 4-Down, each year 16 Election day in the U.S.: Abbr. 17 Workplaces for scrub nurses, for short 18 Wrestling combos 21 Come through in the ___ 24 Completely mistaken 25 With 38-Across, hex that’s hard to shake 26 Cotton gin inventor Whitney 27 Have the wheel 28 Holier-___-thou 30 Partiality 31 *Latin American side dish that combines two food staples 34 *Title pair in a 2004-07 Nickelodeon sitcom 37 Practically an eternity 38 See 25-Across 39 Set aside for later 43 Bath tissue layer 44 Earth Day’s mo. 45 Word of caution 46 Items scattered on bridal paths 48 Almond-flavored 50 Cool, in dated liqueur slang 51 Ancient kingdom in modern-day Jordan 52 Sn, to chemists 53 *Eponymous founders of a Massachusetts- based firearms manufacturer ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE C A L L C A P E D O V I N E O M I T C O L D S O B B E R A W E B R A T R E D O O H O K A W A R E D I E T A R Y F I B B E R S U R E M R S O L D E A D A P T T O B E M I S C G O Y A O R N O T R A T S A D A Y T O B E T I T A N U S E D M E N C H I N E S E C A B A G E R E M I X A L S O B L E U S O T S L A P W E W A S R O B E D A L O O F O W E S Y A W N S W E D S A M A T 58 *Duo of magicians who are the longest-running headliners in Las Vegas history 59 Bit of pond scum 60 Mark ___, longtime game show partner of Bill Todman DOWN 1 Rankle 2 Sock tip 3 Try to hit, as a fly 4 See 15-Across 5 Fills a cargo hold 6 Unaffiliated voters: Abbr. 7 URL ending associated with the beginnings of the answers to the six starred clues 8 P.M. who inspired a 1960s jacket 9 Trilogy of tragedies by Aeschylus 10 I.C.U. drippers 11 Hi-___ monitor 12 Enter to steal from 13 Upbraid 14 Gave out hands 15 School support 19 Shakes one’s grps. booty 20 Unnervingly strange 21 Positive kind of attitude 22 Extended family 23 Sound of contemptuous disapproval 12 14 13 17 33 19 20 21 22 23 25 26 28 29 30 31 32 34 35 36 39 40 41 42 44 45 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 56 57 16 38 55 60 PUZZLE BY BYRON WALDEN 25 Hootenanny instrument 28 Barbershop quartet voice 29 Pilgrimage to Mecca 30 “Act like you’re supposed to!” 32 Sleeps in a tent, say 33 Rigel or Spica, by spectral type 34 Johnny of 2005’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” 35 Part to play 36 “Can I get you ___?” 40 Casino patron 41 Language of 15-Across 4-Down 42 School founded by Henry VI 44 ___ male 45 Caravan animals 47 Insurance giant based in Hartford 48 Supplement 49 Cut the lawn 51 Prefix meaning “within” 53 Employer of a masseur 54 Brooks with Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards 55 “Brokeback Mountain” director Lee 56 ___-pitch softball 57 One of 100 in D.C.: 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. SUDOKUFORYOU 3 6 7 8 5 9 2 1 8 7 3 9 2 8 7 5 7 6 2 3 7 4 2 1 4 5 4 3 1 4 5 7 8 Today’s solution will appear here next issue 6 5 3 4 7 8 9 2 1 2 9 7 5 1 6 8 3 4 1 8 4 3 9 2 6 7 5 3 7 8 1 2 9 5 4 6 5 2 6 8 4 3 7 1 9 9 4 1 6 5 7 2 8 3 7 3 5 9 8 1 4 6 2 4 1 2 7 6 5 3 9 8 8 6 9 2 3 4 1 5 7 Arrr matey. This scurrvy beast is today’s answerrrrrr. Crop it out, or it’ll be the the fishes for ya! Lorem ipsum 9 4 2 8 1 3 6 7 5 1 7 8 6 5 9 2 3 4 5 6 3 4 7 2 8 9 1 3 1 4 2 8 7 5 6 9 7 8 9 5 6 4 3 1 2 6 2 5 3 9 1 4 8 7 8 3 7 1 4 5 9 2 6 4 9 6 7 2 8 1 5 3 2 5 1 9 3 6 7 4 8 Generate and 8 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 T I A N A W O O D A R D & J O R D Y N Z I T M A N LIFE&ARTS EDITORS @THEDAILYTEXAN 8 S T U D E N T L I F E Student lives barefoot lifestyle Heath Massery takes ‘no shoes, no problem’ motto serious- ly, even if other students don’t. By Kenzie Kowalski @kenz_dra_scott or most, socks and shoes are essential to making an outfit pop and protecting feet from the harsh Texas elements. Linguistics and philosophy sopho- more Heath Massery hasn’t worn shoes for two and a half years. Believing that function, Massery shoes alter said he prefers his feet to be one with the ground. foot “If you change the form of your foot, then you change the function of your foot,” Massery said. “That can lead to pain all the way from foot pain to lower and upper back pain.” Massery said the barefoot lifestyle frightens some due to liability and health code concerns. However, he says this is a double standard, because customers can track anything into a business and be unaware of it, because their feet are not in direct contact with the ground. Massery’s lifestyle attracted the at- tention of radio-television-film junior Justice Beverley, who included Massery in a documentary project. Beverly said he plans to incorporate his story into a bigger project this semester. “(Being barefoot is) not hurting any- body,” Beverley said. “That’s really why the documentary needs to be made. It needs to show the fact that this is not as bad as people say.” amna ijaz | the daily texan staff Heath Massery shows off his commitment to his barefoot lifestyle in front of the tower March 4, one of the coldest days of the semester. Although Beverley said that Massery is not harming anyone by being bare- foot, Massery has actually injured him- self on his campus commute. Massery exercises caution when walking outside, but in the couple of cases where he was running late to class he cut the bottom of his foot on exposed metal and lost a toenail to a bathroom door. “(People say) ‘You opened a door on your toe, you should have been wearing shoes,’” Massery said. “I could have. It could have happened on my way out of the front door or if I was going to the bathroom and just opened the bathroom door on my toe.” Despite a letter from the Texas Department of State Health Services showing that it is not illegal to be bare- foot in a restaurant, Massery has been kicked out of many restaurants, dining halls and libraries. He received a refund for the Dine In Dollars he did not spend due to the frequency with which he was kicked out of J2 and Kinsolving Dining. Travis Willmann, communications officer for the University libraries, said campus buildings’ rules are often cho- sen by the facilities manager of the building itself. “That’s how they come up with these rules, and they base it on any number of things.” Willmann said, “It can be social norms, it can be safety, it can be welfare, it can be another criteria, whatever they choose to base it on.” The Perry-Casteñeda Library build- ing use policy considers going bare- foot “disruptive” and does not allow Massery in the building without shoes. Willmann said rules on wearing shoes in the library will remain in place as long as the majority of people stand unaffected by them. “I’m not saying it won’t ever be a pol- icy where people are allowed in bare- foot, but for the time being, a facilities manager in coordination with staff has determined that (going barefoot is) not acceptable presentation in the building right now,” Willmann said. 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