1Thursday, February 4, 2016@thedailytexanfacebook.com/dailytexanServing the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900dailytexanonline.com bit.ly/dtvidCOMICS PAGE 7OPINION PAGE 4SPORTS PAGE 6Photographer displays graveyard art. ONLINEWhy innovators repeat mistakes over again. ONLINENEWSHuey Fischer is the candi- date students need. PAGE 4Cultural appropiation of Indian culture is wrong. PAGE 4OPINIONLonghorns close strong on National Signing Day. PAGE 6Goalie Abby Smith leaves notable Longhorn legacy. PAGE 6SPORTSUT students donate hats to cancer patients. PAGE 8Professors, students dis- cuss textbook prices. PAGE 8LIFE&ARTSYoung Conservatives of Texas celebrate President Ronald Reagan’s 105th birthday. Read more atdailytexanonline.comONLINEREASON TO PARTYPAGE 7WORLDCOUNTRYZika virus prompts travel warningsStudy abroad office advises renewing passports nowStudents considering a spring break trip to Mexico or the Caribbean are advised to take safety precautions against the Zika virus, a relatively new disease spread through mos- quito bites. While no cases of the virus have been reported in the Aus- tin area, Chris Van Deusen, Texas Department of State Health Services spokesper- son, said cases have been con- firmed in Dallas and Houston. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an alert on Jan. 15 encouraging travel- ers to take extra precautions in multiple locations including South and Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean. “The virus is transmitted from humans to mosquitos and then onto other people,” Van Deusen said. “Our first line of defense is to obviously protect yourself from mos- quito bites if you’re traveling abroad so that you don’t bring the virus back to begin with.” Van Deusen said travelers should protect themselves by wearing long sleeve shirts and pants, bringing insect repel- lent and sleeping in areas with screens and air conditioning to prevent mosquitos from entering the room. Once they return to the U.S., travelers should avoid mosquitos for at By Mikaela Cannizzo@mikaelac16CAMPUSBalloons show UT campus carry opinionsMembers of the UT com- munity used their breath — literally — to fill colored balloons representing their opinions about campus carry at an event hosted by the UT Graduate Student Assembly on Wednesday. The event “Don’t Waste Your Breath” is in response to campus carry that will be- gin on Aug. 1, a provision of Senate Bill 11 allowing those with concealed handgun li- censes to carry guns on Texas university campuses. Partici- pants filled red balloons rep- resenting an opinion against campus carry, yellow balloons a neutral opinion and green balloons an opinion in sup- port of campus carry. The ratio of red, yellow, and green balloons was 14:1:1, respec- tively, by the conclusion of the event. Michael Barnes, chair of Legislative Affairs Commit- tee of the Graduate Student Assembly and educational administration graduate stu- dent, said GSA wanted to give students a chance to express their opinions about campus carry in a visual way. “These balloons will be tak- en to the GSA assembly meet- ing where we will consider a resolution that opposes guns in the classroom,” Barnes said. “President [Gregory] Fenves has the power to decide how campus carry will be imple- mented at UT. We want to make sure graduate students have a voice before he makes a decision.” Barnes said the event is part of a campaign to help graduate students be politi- cally active. “I believe it is important for graduate students to begin thinking about how to redi- rect this energy toward a state legislative lobby effort in the fall, leading into the next leg- islative session,” Barnes said. UT spokesperson Gary Susswein said campus carry was approved by the legisla- ture, but presidents of univer- sities were given the power to decide campus specific rules. “President Fenves put to- gether a council that has spent three months developing rec- ommendations in addition to By Rachel Lew@rachelannlewStephanie Martinez-Arndt | Daily Texan StaffAmerican studies sophomore April Arcibal and German sophomore Sarah Murray inflate balloons near the East Mall on Wednesday afternoon during an event hosted by the UT Graduate Student Assembly. U.S. citizens are advised to renew their passports as soon as possible because the State Department is expecting an influx of people seeking to renew expired passports. Students at UT who are partaking in the study abroad program know how essential it is to proactively renew passports, especially before it is time to travel internation- ally. The International Office at the University provides students as well as the gen- eral public passport renewal services as well as study abroad and ESL programs. Zoila Acevedo, a passport associate at UT’s Interna- tional Office, said the average number of people at the office increases during peak travel- ing seasons, so it is important for people to come early. “All spring is going to be busy,” Acevedo said. “We’re expecting at least 50 appli- cants a day. Spring break we’re expecting 75 a day. We might even have to have a cutoff.” Study abroad peer adviser John Paul Napleton, who has gone through the study abroad program twice, said the best way to stay ahead is to renew your passport as soon as you decide to travel. “If you’re considering go- ing abroad, whether you’re an undergraduate or graduate, do it right then and there so you don’t have to worry about it,” Napleton, an international and global studies and public relations senior, said. Passport renewal costs $147, which includes a $25 processing fee and $12 photo fee, according to John Ver- non, passport office manager. The expediting process costs a bit more but allows people to get their passports By Anusha Lalani@anusha_lalaniThe University Co-op will celebrate 120 years since its founding with a “120th Year Birthday Bash” featuring free food, giveaways and an inter- active photo booth Thursday. The Co-op was founded in 1896 by law professor William Battle as a place for students to buy textbooks. It operated as a true co-op, charging two dollars for membership and offering the opportunity for members to get rebates on purchases at the end of the school year. Today, all stu- dents, faculty and staff are automatically members of the Co-op. Biology junior Cameron Kerl, a student member of the Co-op’s Board of Direc- tors, said the Co-op is not only more than just a text- book destination but an or- ganization that has a long history of giving back to the UT community. “This semester, we funded a record number of student organizations,” Kerl said. “The Co-op has returned more than $34 million to the Uni- versity of Texas in gifts, grants and rebates since 2000.” Cheryl Phifer, the Co- op’s newly appointed Presi- dent and CEO, said she was attracted to the Uni- versity Co-op because of its charitable aspect. “All the other companies I’ve worked for have been Three months after putting mulch around exposed tree roots, a barefoot Jason Patt- man observed the new topsoil that has nourished the trees on the East Mall. Such efforts to sustain the tree ecosystem at UT earned the University a spot on Tree Campus USA’s list of schools dedicated to a healthy campus environment for the eighth- consecutive year. The desig- nation comes from the Arbor Day Foundation, which rec- ognizes universities that strive to engage students to maintain a healthy and sustainable eco- system around campus. Jennifer Hrobar, supervisor of urban forestry at UT, said the designation is a recogni- tion of the hard work by stu- dents and the forestry team, but their work means more than just an award to them. “It shows our commitment to care for the trees,” Hrobar said. “But we have [a] duty to take care of these trees, wheth- er or not we get a designation.” Pattman said the tree soil, which was heavily exposed to the sun, concerned him. “I had seen the problem in the fall and had been wanting to do something about it for a while,” said Pattman, a psy- chology sophomore. “I met Jennifer at Campus Sustain- ability Week and asked her if we could continue to take care of the trees on campus.” Arbor Day Foundation spokesperson Danny Cohn said applying universities CAMPUSCAMPUSCo-op celebrates 120 years with UT-AustinBy Bharath Lavendra@burrethUT earns campus environment award By Cassandra Jaramillo@cassandrajarBriana Vargas Daily Texan StaffPsychology soph- omore Jason Pattman climbs a tree barefoot on Wednesday afternoon, three months after placing mulch around trees on campus. Patt- man is part of an effort to sustain the tree ecosys- tem at UT. ZIKA page 2TREES page 2CO-OP page 2PASSPORTS page 2BALLOONS page 2Illustration by Melanie Westfall | Daily Texan Staff Name: HOUSE; Width: 9p2; Depth: 5 in; Color: Black, HOUSE; Ad Name: TRUDYS; Width: 19p4; Depth: 6 in; Color: Black, TRUDYS; Ad Number: - 2Friday, February 5th, 2016Board of Operating Trustees Meeting1 p.m. Jesse H. JonesCommunication CenterCMA 5.1362504A Whitis AvenueVisitors WelcomeWe encourage any community member who has any kind of temporary or permanent disability to contact Texas Student Media beforehand so that appropriate accomodations can be made. Anyone is welcome to attend. Texas Student MediaBoard of OperatingTrustees Meeting2NEWSThursday, February 4, 2016Main Telephone(512) 471-4591Editor-in-ChiefClaire Smith(512) 232-2212editor@dailytexanonline.comManaging EditorAmy Zhang(512) 232-2217managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.comNews Office(512) 232-2207news@dailytexanonline.comSports Office(512) 232-2210sports@dailytexanonline.comLife & Arts Office(512) 232-2209lifeandarts@dailytexanon- line.comMultimedia Office(512) 471-7835multimedia@ dailytexanonline.comRetail Advertising(512) 471-1865advertise@texasstudentme- dia.comClassified Advertising(512) 471-5244classifieds@ dailytexanonline.comCONTACT USVolume 116, Issue 92TOMORROW’S WEATHERHighLow6339I wanna fly the American flag! It matches our house! COPYRIGHTCopyright 2016 Texas Student Media. All articles, photographs and graphics, both in the 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 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. Permanent StaffEditor-in-Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Claire SmithAssociate Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alexander Chase, Davis Clark, Mary Dolan, Mohammad SyedManaging Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amy ZhangAssociate Managing Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nick Castillo, Jackie WangNews Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wynne DavisAssociate News Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Natalie SullivanNews Desk Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ellie Breed, Estefania Espinosa, Rund Khayyat, Catherine MarfinSenior Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mikaela Cannizzo, Rachel Lew, Forrest Milburn, Caleb WongLife&Arts Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cat CardenasLife&Arts Associate Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Megan Hix, Katie WalshSenior Life&Arts Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Duncan, Elizabeth Hlavinka, Charles LiuSports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jacob MartellaAssociate Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Akshay MirchandaniSenior Sports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Daniel Clay, Tyler Horka, Michael Shapiro, Mark SkolSpecial Ventures Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eleanor DearmanSpecial Ventures Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nashwa Bawab, Marisa Charpentier, Aaron TorresSpecial Ventures Photo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jesús NazarioScience&Technology Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ellen AirhartAssociate Science&Technology Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eva Frederick Forum Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Walker FountainSenior Opinion Columnists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Benroy Chan, Mubarrat Choudhury, Laura Hallas, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Noah Horwitz, Leah Kashar, Khadija SaifullahCopy Desk Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kailey ThompsonAssociate Copy Desk Chiefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Vera Bespalova, Nicole Farrell, Michelle ZhangDesign Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Iliana StorchAssociate Design Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kelly SmithSenior Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sammy Jarrar, Elizabeth Jones, Lillian MichelVideo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hannah EvansSenior Videographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Charlotte Carpenter, Heather Finnegan, Monica SilverioPhoto Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rachel ZeinAssociate Photo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Daulton VenglarSenior Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Zoe Fu, Joshua Guerra, Gabriel Lopez, Mike McGraw, Stephanie TacyComics Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Melanie WestfallAssociate Comics Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lindsay Rojas, Victoria SmithSenior Comics Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jason Cheon, Albert Lee, Connor Murphy, Isabella PalaciosSocial Media Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Akshay MirchandaniTechnical Operations Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tom LiSenior Tech Team Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adam Humphrey, Sam LimerickPodcast Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anthony GreenAssociate Podcast Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lillian MichelEditorial Adviser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter ChenTexan AdDeadlinesThe Daily Texan Mail Subscription RatesOne Semester (Fall or Spring) $60.00Two Semesters (Fall and Spring) $120.00Summer Session $40.00One Year (Fall, Spring and Summer) $150.00To charge by VISA or MasterCard, call 471-5083. Send orders and address changes to Texas Student Media, P.O. Box D, Austin, TX 78713-8904.02/04/16This issue of The Daily Texan is valued at $1.25The Daily Texan, a student newspaper at The University of Texas at Austin, is published by Texas Student Media, 2500 Whitis Ave., Austin, TX 78712. The Daily Texan is published daily, Monday through Friday, during the regular academic year and is published once weekly during the summer semester. 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 2015 Texas Student Media. Monday .............Wednesday, 12 p.m. Tuesday.................Thursday, 12 p.m. Wednesday................Friday, 12 p.m. Thursday.................Monday, 12 p.m. Friday......................Tuesday, 12 p.m. Classified Word Ads 11 a.m. (Last Business Day Prior to Publication) Issue StaffNews Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cassandra Jaramillo, Anusha Lalani, Bhareth Lavendra, Zach Lyons, Faith Ann RuzkowskiCopy Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew Kirsop, Sarah Lanford, Tyler PaigeSports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alana Kaufman, Aaron Torres, Sam WilliamsPhotographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Katherine Jenings, Asa Johnson, Stephanie Martinez-Arndt, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jenah Ovalles-Forey, Maddox Price, Nancy Tran, Briana VargasVideographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alejandra Gomez, Lisseth LopezComics Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jasmine Fiatavsala lafeta-Lelauti, Tiffany Hinojosa, Kiersten StegmanLife&Arts Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Stephen Acevdeo, Cameron OsmondColumnists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Janhavi Nemawarkar, Giselle SuazoPage Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Annie Hsu, Rebecca RiosBusiness and Advertising(512) 471-1865 | advertise@texasstudentmedia.com Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gerald Johnson Business/Operations Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Frank Serpas III Advertising Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Denise Twellmann Account Executives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brandy Beal, Allysun Gutierrez, Celeste Schurman, Shukree Shabazz Student Account Executives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Camilo Sanchez, Andrew Serice Student Designer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jannice Truong Special Editions/Production Coordinator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Stephen SalisburyMaddox Price | Daily Texan StaffLeydi Anguish performs at Cheer Up Charlie’s as “Lucian Anguish” in her drag king debut with local drag troupe Boiz 4 Now. FRAMES featured photo thedailytexanAmy Zhang | Daily Texan file photoThe Co-Op will celebrate its 120th year with a birthday bash this Thursday featuring free food and giveaways. publicly traded, and while profits are important, share- holder value is the main thing,” Phifer said. “I liked that everything we produce goes back to the University.” The Co-op’s first contribu- tion was a $10,000 donation towards the completion of Gregory Gymnasium. The Co-op’s corporate secretary, Julan Swain, said this contri- bution was the start of a long history of giving to the Uni- versity and the University’s athletic programs. “The Co-op has always been source of tradition for the UT campus,” Swain said. “When you want to express your pride for the University, you want to wear burnt or- ange — you want to be a part of this burnt orange family — and that’s why [people] come to the Co-op first.” Thursday’s event will fea- ture a new photo-sharing app known as Arcivr. William Kelleher, promotions manag- er for the Co-op, said the app will help the Co-op aggre- gate attendee-submitted pic- tures and download them in high resolution. “Rather than using a hashtag or a location to find pictures that people took at the event, Arcivr provides a place for users to upload those pictures, share them with other event attendees and be able to download high quality copies of them,” Kelle- her said. Arcivr will join other busi- nesses such as Favor, Alamo Drafthouse and Tiff’s Treats at the 4 p.m. event Thursday at the Co-op food court. CO-OPcontinues from page 1least a week in order to pre- vent the virus from spreading, Van Deusen said. UHS medical director Da- vid Vander Straten said the vi- rus is relatively mild, and flu- like symptoms such as fever, rash, muscle aches or pink eye typically remain for only a few days or a week. Vander Straten said patients diagnosed with Zika rarely require hospital- ization and most of the time do not show symptoms at all. However, the infection pos- es serious concerns for preg- nant women, such as early miscarriages or giving birth to a baby with microcephaly, a condition that inhibits devel- opment and results in an ab- normally small head, Vander Straten said. “Women who are pregnant or who are considering preg- nancy should make sure they try to avoid mosquito bites, and if they are pregnant, they should notify their health care provider upon their re- turn,” Vander Straten said. “If they are able to avoid or post- pone their travel until after their pregnancy, that would be great.” Adrienne Howarth-Moore, director of Human Resource Services, said the University is taking proactive measures to educate students and faculty members about Zika. By post- ing information in accordance with Centers for Disease Con- trol and World Health Orga- nization, the UHS and Inter- national Office websites can keep everyone updated on the virus and how it is affecting travel, Howarth-Moore said. “Some students may be traveling to the Caribbean for spring break, and that’s defi- nitely going to be a time where anyone traveling should al- ways look at the travel pre- cautions before they travel,” Howarth-Moore said. According to the UHS website, Zika virus is most fre- quently transmitted through mosquito bites. Despite this commonality, the virus’s abili- ty to spread via infected blood makes it possible to contract the disease in other ways. Texas Department of State Health Services released a re- port on Tuesday describing a Zika case in Dallas that was most likely the outcome of sexual contact. Van Deusen said increasing numbers of the virus within the country could lead to pub- lic health interventions. “If we get to a point where we see the virus being trans- mitted by mosquitos in Texas, there may be steps that can be taken at that point,” Van Deu- sen said. quicker, Vernon said. “Ex- pediting is an additional $60,” Vernon said. “So it’s 2–3 weeks [versus the nor- mal 4–6 weeks], but during the peak season, which is from now to July, it takes the full 3 weeks. Anyone can apply here; it’s open to general public, you just have to have the right doc- uments to apply for a pass- port,” Vernon said. Government senior Andy Cerecero, who is also a study abroad peer advisor, said although the renewal process can be tough, covering the cost of renewal is more difficult. “The thing for me spe- cifically is being able to gather enough funds to be able to renew it because renewing the passport costs just as much as buy- ing the passport initially,” Cerecero said. “It may not seem a lot to an estab- lished, working adult, but being a college student, that’s like an entire pay- check that I have to use up for that.” getting input from faculty and students across campus,” Suss- wein said. “President Fenves will finalize his decision with- in the next few weeks.” Katherine Doerr Morosky, graduate student in STEM education, said the presence of guns on campus presents a danger to those who attend the University. “I feel really strongly about this because there is over- whelming evidence that more guns means more death,” Do- err said. “This is misguided legislation that is catering to a tiny minority of essentially NRA lobbyists, and it’s re- ally putting the safety of a huge community of young people at risk.” Computer science senior David Sipos said he trusts people who have concealed handgun licenses as much as he trusts police. “A lot of people that are against students having guns on campus assume that con- cealed handgun license hold- ers don’t have the training that is necessary, but they give all the trust to the police offi- cers that are walking around with guns anyways,” Sipos said. “We have trust in police who are just people like con- cealed handgun license hold- ers, and I don’t think it’s an educated position.” Biology freshman Uyi Evbayiro said he can see rea- son on both sides of the cam- pus carry issue. “I feel like there are posi- tives to both sides. Allowing people to carry guns on cam- pus could possibly prevent a mass shooting,” Eybayiro said. “At the same time, I un- derstand the risk involved. Having guns on campus could also pose a risk or dan- ger to other students in class because we can’t really pre- dict how people feel.” must meet five standards. The standards include a tree advisory committee, tree campus care plan, a list of an- nual expenditures, an arbor day observance and a student service learning project. A team of six arborists are the primary caretakers of nearly 5,000 trees that are worth about $25 million on the 40 Acres. With added construction and bark-munching squir- rels threatening the health of trees on campus, the urban forestry team seeks to inform the University community on the easily stressed ecosystems at events such as Arbor Day. Sometimes even the shortcut to campus that requires walk- ing across a tree’s roots can cause damage, Hrobar said. “They’re doing a good job at maintaining their urban forest care and keeping stu- dents informed,” Sheereen Othman, program assistant for Tree Campus USA, said. Hrobar, who has worked with UT urban forestry since 2012, said the team is looking forward to seeing more UT students involved in the next year. “It’s not just to promote healthy trees but to get the student community in- volved,” Hrobar said. TREEScontinues from page 1BALLOONScontinues from page 1PASSPORTScontinues from page 1ZIKAcontinues from page 1RECYCLE W&N 3ELLEN AIRHART, SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY EDITOR 3Thursday, February 4, 2016INNOVATIONHealing gel may lengthen lives of electronicsThe future of electronics depends on the capabilities of next-generation batteries. The materials of these bat- teries typically expand during charging, which eventually damages battery electrodes. UT engineers have created a self-healing gel that re- pairs broken circuits and conducts electricity. Guihua Yu, assistant me- chanical engineering profes- sor, contributed to the solu- tion of this battery problem. “Scientists and engineers really want to mimic what human skin can do,” Yu said. “We know that small wounds take a couple days to heal, but it is a natural process.” This gel has potential use in flexible electronics and com- plex next-generation batter- ies, according to a paper pub- lished in Nano Letters. This gel contains two parts: a conducting polymer gel and a supramolecular gel, a group of bonded molecules that provides the self-healing properties. Yu said that the combination of these materi- als makes this gel unique. “Most of the conventional self-healing gels don’t have good electronic conducting properties,” Yu said. “This limits their applications in electronics.” Yu’s team worked with a special class of polymer, called a conjugated polymer, which is adept at conducting electricity. This polymer then combines with the supramo- lecular gel to form the hybrid substance. The supramolecu- lar gel contains zinc ions and terpryidine, which together eliminate the need for exter- nal pressure or heat for the gel to heal. The next step after syn- thesizing this supramolecu- lar gel was binding it to the conductive polymer. Ye Shi, a material science postdoc- toral student and member of the Yu lab team, said that this took time to accomplish. “Our material is a hybrid containing two parts,” Shi said. “So the difficulty was finding the perfect combina- tion of elements, adjusting the ratio between the two components and finding good methods of synthesiz- ing and combining them.” The current product takes just minutes to repair itself. The gel is applied to circuit junction points, places in the battery that often break. When damage occurs, the supramolecular compo- nents of the gel allow it to reform and continue the flow of electricity without any changes to the mechani- cal properties. Yu says this gel has applications in many different electronics. “Today the base material for electronics is silicon, but we know from basic chemis- try that silicon is a semi-con- ductor and is brittle,” Yu said. “Often when using silicon for flexible electronics, the elec- tronic parts will break. Here is where our self-healing gel is very helpful.” More advanced inventions such as wearable electronics and robots can also benefit from this gel. “Robots have lots of differ- ent electrical wiring inside, and if anything breaks, very extensive work is required to fix it,” Yu said. “We want these robots to do things in a human manner, and not having to manually fix every broken element can achieve this and help such devices last longer.” The team published their work in multiple papers last fall but continue working on more efficient ways to syn- thesize the gel. Yu said that the process currently takes a few weeks and is not scal- able. He is uncertain about the cost and implementation into consumer markets. “It just depends on how the gel is synthesized and how efficiently it can be pro- cessed,” Yu said. Despite his reservations, Yu said that the gel will have a serious impact in the field of electronics. “I see great potential in many areas,” Yu said. “Be- cause this gel is conductive, it is relatively straightforward to apply to flexible or wear- able electronics. This gel al- lows parts to heal, which in turn makes your de- vices last longer and more cost effective.” By Zia Lyle@Zia_LyleIllustration by Connor Murphy | Daily Texan StaffVIRTUAL REALITYStudents experience virtual reality on campusStudents leapt, dodged and gasped as they experi- enced virtual reality for the first time. The HTC Vive team visited the UT campus last week and offered students a look into the world of virtual reality. Although virtual reality already has a well known position in the entertain- ment world, VR companies have steadfastly worked to get it into the classroom. Companies like Immer- sive VR Education are work- ing to allow students to go back in time and sit in on historic moments, such as Einstein’s lectures on the theory of relativity, all in a 3-D-simulated environ- ment. Neely Droessler, an HTC Vive college field manager, said that VR technology opens many doors as in- ventors could use the tech- nology to design buildings and perform walkthroughs of their creation using one of their programs, Tilt Brush. Business freshman Far- rein Kahn said she is enthu- siastic about the possibili- ties of VR. “I would definitely be excited to see virtual real- ity technology incorporated into my classes,” Kahn said. “One thing I really love about this technology is how immersed one feels when in- side a virtual setting.” Electrical engineering sophomore Devin Ama- tyga said that it may allow doctors to practice with- out having to operate on real patients. However, not all students are sure they want to use VR in school. “Virtual reality is cool, but it may be a little dis- tracting in classes,” said aerospace engineering freshman Syed Mahmood. Molecular biosciences professor David Herrin said that students are only in class for a limited time, so virtual reality equipment needs to work quickly. He added that VR might be more effective if students used it on their own time. However, Herrin says that he would use VR to help students visualize dif- ficult topics in a biology courses, such as the struc- tures of specific proteins and DNA. “Applying that same ex- perience [VR] into a class- room setting could really enhance learning and allow students to understand the application of certain prin- ciples in courses that both focus on STEM and the lib- eral arts,” Kahn said. Kahn said it would be in- teresting to see virtual real- ity incorporated into one of her business classes. A vir- tual corporate environment would be an interactive way to learn about various as- pects of her subject. Mahmood said that he would even pay for VR for on top of his usual academ- ic fees such as textbooks, iClickers and other supplies. VR equipment ranges from Google Cardboard at $20 to the Oculus Rift at $600, according to the com- pany websites. Google has already shipped off over 5 million of their low-cost devices, which consumers can use with only a cell phone, according to Google’s official blog. “It’s incredible — there really are no limits,” Droess- ler said. By Lawrence Goodwyn@Tyler_GoodwynENERGYUT study finds different way of capturing carbon dioxideEfficient carbon capture is one of the best ways to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, but it could cost energy companies more than they’re willing to spend. A new UT study has found that coal-burning power plants could capture carbon dioxide gas with significantly less energy by implementing an improved carbon capture system. Carbon dioxide is one of the main greenhouse gases in the U.S. and contributes to climate change, according to the U.S. Environmental Pro- tection Agency. All carbon capture systems consist of a series of chambers connected by pipes that cap- ture fumes from burning coal as they exit the power plant. This study used a computer model to find the best cham- ber configuration to separate pure carbon dioxide from coal exhaust fumes, which contain other gases such as nitrogen and oxygen. Yu-Jeng Lin, co-author of the study and a chemical en- gineering graduate student, said that the problem with current carbon capture sys- tems is that energy is lost in the form of excess heat. “Our goal is to reduce the energy consumption that we spend on capturing carbon dioxide,” said Lin. “Basically, when we heat up solvent to regenerate car- bon dioxide, we evaporize a lot of water, but that’s not actually necessary.” In a traditional carbon cap- ture model, a liquid solvent first absorbs carbon dioxide where it comes into contact with exhaust fumes, then fun- nels to a hot chamber where the pure carbon dioxide gas evaporates. To counteract heat loss, Lin split the carbon dioxide- rich liquid into cold and hot streams, and then pumped the cold liquid through the top of the hot chamber so it absorbs the excess heat as it moves downward. Although the technology has held up under physical test- ing at the Pickle Research Cam- pus pilot plant, it may still be too expensive to interest most power companies. According to Dr. Gary Rochelle, head of the Rochelle Research Group and co-author of the study, it might be one to two decades before plants adopt carbon capture systems. “The first round of regula- tions to address global climate change is not likely to cut deep enough to require CCS [carbon capture and stor- age], but the next round will probably require it. As a con- sequence … our industrial interest is not really high right now,” Rochelle said. Rochelle said that the point of the research is to make the technology available when regulations and politics do force companies to further cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. “We just need to have someone who has the courage and the guts to say ‘yes let’s do it,’ and that requires the pub- lic’s support,” Rochelle said. “It’s important for the layman to appreciate that we have this technology.” Dr. Carey King, a lecturer and research associate for the Center for International Energy and Environmental Policy, has published work on the economic potential of car- bon capture. King said he doubts coal plants would adopt car- bon capture, even with in- creased energy efficiency, because of the burdens that other environmental regu- lations have already placed on them. “I’m still not sure it would be economically viable,” King said, adding that coal companies are less com- petitive because they have had to make investments in infrastructure to meet environmental standards. Lin still believes that coal will continue to be a major source of energy for the United States, at least for the foreseeable fu- ture, despite the popularity of inexpensive natural gas and oil as fuel as well as clean en- ergy sources such as solar and wind power. “The reason we think coal is going to be the major fos- sil fuel to generate power is because it’s cheap, the price of coal is relatively stable … and we still have an abundance of coal in the states for a while,” Lin said. By Kate Thackrey@KateThackreyCarlos Garcia | Daily Texan StaffA student experiences virtual reality on campus on Friday thanks to the HTC Vive on Friday. Recently, VR companies have steadfastly worked to get it into the classroom. Stephanie Tacy | Daily Texan StaffYu-Jeng Lin, Chemical Engineering graduate student, is the co- author a new UT study has found that coal-burning power plants could capture carbon dioxide gas with significantly less energy. WELCOME TO THE FIRST PAGE OF SCIENCE&TECH. When the presence of Beyoncé com- pelled us to actually watch Coldplay’s new music video for “Hymn For The Weekend” last Friday, the Internet erupted with a de- bate about appropriation of Indian culture — and what Beyoncé’s involvement meant. The fetishization of India, at least, is familiar. While Beyoncé’s presence brings up interesting questions about black pop- ulations in India, she nevertheless partici- pates in the Western reductive oversimpli- fication of Indian culture. The music video follows Coldplay’s lead singer, Chris Martin, as he soaks in the beauty of an exotic and colorful India while Beyoncé dons an Indian costume and plays a Bollywood actress. The video teems with Hindu religious symbols di- vorced from their significance. Holi, the Hindu spring festival, is reduced to a col- orful mess in which beaming brown chil- dren dance in the streets. This is a calculated aesthetic. India has been presented as a romantic and poor destination for foreigners to find them- selves countless times. Far more confus- ing is Beyoncé’s participation in this im- perialistic construction of India. When Beyoncé puts on a floral headdress and waves her arms in ways that are presum- ably meant to evoke Bharatanatyam, it is natural to wonder if we should be mad at Queen Bey. Beyoncé has aligned herself strongly with the modern feminist movement as a powerful black celebrity who openly em- braces the term. Her impact can especially be seen in discussions of intersectional feminism, or feminism that takes into ac- count overlapping identities such as race and gender. Beyoncé’s feminism appeals to many women of color, even those who are not black. There is some hypocrisy associated with South Asians accusing Beyoncé of appropri- ation, especially considering and rampant anti-black racism in Indian communities. Even Bollywood, India’s gargantuan movie industry, is guilty of reducing outside cul- tures to stereotypes and routinely ignores the stories of darker-skinned Indians. In an email, radio-television-film as- sociate professor Madhavi Mallapragada explained Beyoncé’s act of appropriation as unique. “…As a black woman dressed up as a Bollywood queen, we can read [Beyoncé’s] act as a subversive moment given the In- dian fetishization of white and fair skin,” Mallapragada said. “I think it is signifi- cant that people are calling out Beyoncé for what they think she could never have done — reduce another minority culture to a series of cliches.” Indeed, Black populations in India cer- tainly exist, but they have been consis- tently unacknowledged and marginalized. While some argue Beyoncé could provide some much-needed representation, her lack of Indian roots remains problematic. Business freshman Rachana Jadala ar- gued she was not the right person. “India’s rich and deep narrative must be told by actual Indian people,” Jadala said. “The narrative should not be centered around a white band.” Ultimately, accounts of India from out- side — including those from Beyoncé — should challenge themselves to engage in this complex cultural narrativ instead of resorting to appropriating objects of reli- gious and spiritual significance. Only in this way will we be able to truly represent Indian culture. Nemawarkar is a Plan II freshman from Austin. Where would you expect to find a candidate for State Representative on a Monday? Perhaps a fundraiser or a speak- ing engagement. Or, in the case of HD- 49 candidate Huey Fischer, spending 17 hours on campus registering hundreds of students to vote. I met Fischer, 23, who is running in the Democratic primary for Texas House District 49, at 10 p.m. on Monday night. He was 15 hours into his shift registering voters on campus and was strolling through the PCL, remind- ing students to register to vote before the midnight deadline. This serves as just one indication of how seriously he views stu- dent engagement, not only his campaign for House but in the electoral process as a whole. As rates of student participation in the electoral process remain stubbornly low, it is commendable to see a candidate for State Representative work to harness the power of students. As Fischer put it, it makes sense for a candidate for State Rep- resentative in Central Austin to focus on students: “Young people are not being rep- resented in the Capitol properly. If I am elected, I would be the only House mem- ber under 30. … Tuition is on the rise at UT, rent is going up and the legislature is not responsive to our needs, forcing things on us that we don’t want. Students are turning out in this election and are going to decide on a candidate who best reflects their values.” Fischer is banking on enthusiasm among Democratic college students for ei- ther Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders to give him momentum down ballot — and is hoping to demonstrate to progressive students at UT that he is the torchbearer for their causes. That is clearly the case. His platform points include advocating for lower student debt and better manage- ment of public universities, combatting homelessness and mental illness amongst LGBT youth and raising the state mini- mum wage. While these may seem pie-in-the-sky in a state decisively controlled by Repub- licans, Fischer argues that the Legislature needs the fighter for progressive causes that it currently lacks. “I’m going to be the most liberal mem- ber [of the Texas House]. [HD-49] is the most liberal district — it deserves the most liberal member. I’m tired of seeing Demo- crats play defense against the Republicans. It hasn’t worked.” Texas students would be wise to consid- er Fischer — not only does he have exten- sive experience working in the Texas Leg- islature as an aide. He is the only candidate who has clearly shown he prioritizes the University and its students. Given the ris- ing costs for students and the issues of race across the campus and state, Fischer would be a smart choice. He is not far re- moved from the University where he spent his four years on the 40 Acres as a student activist, working to register students to vote and getting them engaged in the po- litical process. While Fischer’s opponents — perhaps most notably AISD trustee Gina Hino- josa and UT law professor Heather Way — have progressive bona fides of their own, only Fischer has the experience in the legislature and campus connections to make him the most competitive candidate for UT students. Even more importantly, Fischer is the only candidate who under- stands that the heart of HD-49 — the Uni- versity of Texas — deserves to be engaged at the same level as neighborhood associa- tions and chamber of commerce meetings. Wouldn’t it be nice if all our candidates for elected office recognized that? Fountain is a government senior from Pelham Manor, NY. Universities across the United States are filled with students working to reach the ultimate goal — graduation. While the thought of transitioning from slightly functioning college student to full-blown competent adult can be frightening, life on the other side is full of positives. En- tering the workforce is an exciting time in a young professional’s life. But for over 800,000 international students, gradua- tion is the beginning of a whole other set of problems. The United States is an attractive op- tion for many foreign students when the time to apply for higher education comes around, and colleges welcome these stu- dents with open arms. In the 2013–2014 academic school year alone, 886,000 stu- dents from outside the U.S. enrolled in schools across the country. However, a graduating foreign student enters a lim- bo of costly legal processes to acquire an H-1B visa, a document allowing them to stay in the U.S. after graduating to pur- sue a professional career. The H-1B visa program, also referred to as work visas, began in 1990 so com- panies in the United States could hire foreign workers. But only 85,000 work visas are available to the nearly 1 mil- lion potential applicants. Plus, 25,000 of these visas are reserved for students with a graduate or higher-level degree. There has always been a cap, but it has remained the same since 2005 despite ever-increasing demand. Large corporations, most of them technology-focused, look outside the do- mestic workforce when they have trouble finding qualified applicants. Microsoft’s CEO, Bill Gates, is a well known support- er of the H-1B program and campaigns for its much-needed expansion. With rapidly advancing technology providing a portal for businesses to the world, the United States needs to make certain that we have sufficiently skilled employees to meet workforce expectations. Immigration lawyer Mario Flores rec- ognizes that the current state of the H-1B program needs to be fixed. International students put in as much work, time and a lot more money than students who are citizens of the United States. According to the University of Texas at Austin’s International Office, international students contributed $1.46 billion to the Texas economy alone in the 2013–2014 school year. The U.S. econo- my clearly benefits from these students, so it is only right for their training and contributions the labor pool to be met with the opportunities they deserve. Giselle Suazo is an international rela- tions junior from Honduras. 4 OPINIONWALKER FOUNTAIN, FORUM EDITOR | @TexanEditorialThursday, February 4, 20164A WEEKLY PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY TEXAN EDITORIAL DEPARTMENTLEGALESE | 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 | E-mail 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 (@TexanEditorial) and receive updates on our latest editorials and columns. FORUMFischer’s UT focus buoys strong candidacyBy Walker FountainDaily Texan Forum Editor @wf_atxEven Beyoncé cannot appropriate cultureBy Janhavi NemawarkarDaily Texan Guest Columnist @janhavin97FORUMMike McGraw| Daily Texan file photoONLINEOur commentary doesn’t stop on the page. For more of our thoughts on the issues of the day, check out our blog, A Matter of Opinion, at dailytexanonline.com. FORUM5,123international students attended UT in Fall 2014. Of those, 3,217 were graduate students. 886,052international students attended U.S. universities for the 2013-2014 academic year. 85,000 H-B1 Visas are granted to foreign workers each year. 20,000 are reserved for for professionals with a Masters or Doctoral degree from a U.S. university. Infographic by Iliana Storch | Daily Texan StaffBy Giselle SuazoDaily Texan Guest Columnist @Giselle_suazoDash for visas hurts international studentsIndia’s rich and deep narrative must be told by actual Indian people. The narrative should not be centered around a white band. —Rachana Jadala, Business freshmanThe H-1B visa program, also referred to as work visas, began in 1990 so companies in the United States could hire foreign workers. But only 85,000 work visas are available to the nearly 1 million potential applicants. Name: CLASSIFIDES; Width: 60p0; Depth: 10 in; Color: Black, CLASSIFIDES; Ad Number: - CLASS 5CLASSIFIEDSADVERTISING TERMS There are no refunds or credits. In the event of errors made in advertisement, notice must be given by 10 am the fi rst day of publication, as the publishers are responsible for only ONE incorrect insertion. In consideration of The Daily Texan’s acceptance of advertising copy for publication, the agency and the advertiser will indemnify and save harmless, Texas Student Media and its offi cers, employees and agents against all loss, liability, damage and expense of whatsoever nature arising out of the copying, print- ing or publishing of its advertisement including without limitation reasonable attorney’s fees resulting from claims of suits for libel, violation of right of privacy, plagiarism and copyright and trademark infringement. All ad copy must be approved by the newspaper which reserves the right to request changes, reject or properly classify an ad. The advertiser, and not the newspaper, is responsible for the truthful content of the ad. Advertising is also subject to credit approval. Self-serve, 24/7 on the Web at www.DailyTexanOnline.comCLASSIFIEDSTHE DAILY TEXANAD RUNS ONLINE FOR FREE! word ads only870 MedicalDonors average $150 per specimen. Apply on-linewww.123Donate.comSeeks College-Educated Men18–39 to Participate in aSix-Month Donor Programtwitter: @burnt_xfb: /burntx snapchat: burnt_xinstagram: @burnt.xREMEMBER!Yousaw itin theTexanREDUCEREUSERECYCLEThink before you trash it! 370 Unf. Apts. NOW LEASING WEST CAMPUS! Studios starting at $950 and 1-1’s starting at $1,150. Pre-leasing for summer/fall move-ins. Located at: Diplomat - 1911 San GabrielRed Oak - 2104 San GabrielEnvoy - 2108 San GabrielBarranca Square - 910 W. 26thRio Grande Square - 2800 Rio GrandeMontage - 2812 Rio GrandeCall us direct at (512) 499-8013 or visit us at www.wsgaustin.com NOW LEASING HYDE PARK! Studios starting at $875 and 1-1’s starting at $950. Now pre-leasing for summer/ fall move-ins. Located at: Melroy - 3408 SpeedwayLe Marquee - 302 W. 38th StMonticello - 306 W. 38th StCall us direct at (512) 499-8013 or visit us atwww.wsgaustin.com 512-499- 8013 760 Misc. ServicesDISSERTATION WRITING BOOTCAMPIntensive dissertation writing skills class. Email info@phd. coach or go to www.phd.coach. 766 RecruitmentPROJECT MANAGER Nation- wide General Contractor spe- cializing in retail store interior construction and renovation seeks applicants for an entry level Project Manager. Require- ments include fundamental construction knowledge and a minor or above in Construc- tion Project Management or comparable. LEED Certification, Bilingual in English/Spanish a plus. Relocation to the Hous- ton/Conroe area and moderate travel will be required. Email re- sume to linda@russcon.com. No phone calls. 790 Part TimePART-TIME RESEARCH ASSIS- TANT (Work-From-Home) Hours/Week: 10-15 hours per weekSalary: $11.00 per hourCompany Overview: GrassRoots Media is a multi- media internet and print media company that distributes propri- etary news, research and politi- cal analysis to underserved de- mographic markets. Duties: Candidates shall use a combi- nation of online and print me- dia sources to research various economic and political policy topics and assemble research into a standard research docu- ment template prepared by our company. Candidates shall use a combination of public librar- ies, university libraries to ob- tain photocopies of microfiche newspaper articles. Candidates shall use a combination of legal databases, industry databases and SEC corporate filing docu- ments to compile comprehen- sive research reports on target- ed topics. This is a part-time work-from- home position and the candi- date will be allowed to schedule their own hours. E-Mail rÈsumÈs to GrassrootsT- VCareers@gmail.com SPORTSThursday, February 4, 20165Derek Stout | Daily Texan file photoDespite being the No. 1 quarterback in the class of 2009, quarterback Garrett Gilbert failed to impress Texas. up the defensive line. They went out and signed five DTs in this class alone, three of which are four- star recruits. This should be considered good news, but any expectation that any of these freshmen could immediately replace an NFL-level talent would be misguided. Recruitment rankings aren’t exactly a crystal ball. Texas’s 2009 recruit- ing class ranked sixth in the nation based on the 247Sports compos- ite rankings. The class featured two five-star re- cruits, one of whom was Garrett Gilbert, the No. 1 overall quarterback in the class. Texas finished the 2009 season with a loss in the national cham- pionship. They followed the loss by recruiting the second best class in the nation for 2010. The combination of the No. 6 and No. 2 classes was not enough for Texas to return to the national championship in 2010. In fact, it was not even enough for the Long- horns to return with a winning season; the Longhorns finished 5–7 that year. Gilbert, the top quarterback, had a lack- luster season and eventu- ally transferred to SMU. Texas fans should be ex- cited that talent is return- ing to Austin, but they should also allow Charlie Strong and his staff time to mold these young recruits before expecting a 10-win season. When it comes to recruiting, nothing is cer- tain. The one thing we do know is that Strong has put together an outstanding class in exciting fashion. What he can do with that class won’t be evident till kickoff next season. RECRUITINGcontinues from page 6… now is not the time to lose a level head regarding expecta- tions for next season. Farley, when she was 8. Abby was good, but she wasn’t the headliner of the team. “We found out how far be- hind she was at her age from the select side,” Mitchell said. Abby continued to work with Llamas on her own until he became too com- mitted to his own club soc- cer team. That’s when Sagu came in to help. Like Llamas, Sagu contin- ued to drill her on the fun- damentals of goalkeeping: “how you position your legs, how you position your body,” Sagu said. She caught up and passed her teammates. Her club team went undefeated in the State Cup. Ryan Higginbotham met Abby when she was 13, when Abby was moved up in age group with the Texans. Farley would no longer coach her; now it was Shawn Cantrell’s turn. Higginbotham was the director of the girls and Shawn’s assistant. When Abby was his goal- keeper, Higginbotham knew something others didn’t. “When I knew that I had Abby Smith in goal, I didn’t think you could beat me,” he said. “And the team felt the same thing.” Higginbotham didn’t win every game when Abby played for him. “If I did, I would have won four national championships with her,” he said. “But you still had the feeling, you still had the feeling.” Under Higginbotham’s coaching, Abby began to blossom into the defensive force she is now. There was the time she practically won a game by herself — “She did it a lot,” Higginbotham interjects — at U16 regional quarterfinals. A majority of the team was injured. “I wanna say we had, like, seven healthy bodies,” he said. “But we had to get 11 on the field.” Higginbotham scrapped 11 players onto that field. What ensued was one of the best exhibitions of goalkeep- ing and managing a game he had ever seen. “So, the game was 90 minutes long. I think Abby wasted probably 40 min- utes,” Higginbotham says. “I can tell you — that day she won a game that we probably shouldn’t have won.” He became Abby’s head coach when she was a fresh- man in high school — a time when most protégés are a year away from being discov- ered. But by that point, Abby was already being recruited and recognized, having re- ceived her first recruiting let- ter when she was in seventh grade. The first one opened the floodgates for more. The schools that seem to contend for national cham- pionships every year began calling. She could have gone to UCLA, Notre Dame, North Carolina or Stanford. “I thought it was go- ing to be UCLA. I did,” Higginbotham said. But during Abby’s visit to Texas, former Texas head coach Chris Petrucelli and Abby connected immedi- ately. On the ride back home, Abby told her parents, “I want to be a Longhorn.” It surprised her parents. Petrucelli was fired Dec. 3, 2011. Abby was a senior at Plano West High School and was two months away from signing her letter of intent to Texas. Angela Kelly was hired Dec. 19, 2011. The first time Beth spoke with Kelly, they didn’t talk about soccer. “We talked about Al- zheimer’s,” Beth said. Beth’s father died from Al- zheimer’s. Kelly’s mentor and good friend is former Ten- nessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt, who was diagnosed with early-onset dementia in May 2011. Beth fell in love with her. Abby bonded with her as well when she met her in person for the first time. UT’s proximity to home also played a part in Abby’s decision to commit to Texas, something she didn’t tell her parents until later. Abby started as goalie all four years she was at Texas. She earned a spot on the the first or second All-Big 12 teams three of her four years. Abby broke Dianna Pfen- ninger’s career shutout record on senior night of her senior year — the final home game of the season. When she was honored before the game, she had tears in her eyes. “It’s something no one else can experience if you’re not here, so this place has been our home, and it’s always sad when you have to move forward, but it’s been a great ride,” Abby said after her final home game Oct. 30. It’s currently the offseason, so Abby can train and get ready to make the move from the south to the northeast. Texas’s leader in shutouts will keep working hard and push- ing herself. Kelly said she’s the future of the Women’s National Team. “I think it’s gonna be a good change,” Abby said. “Just because you gotta get out of your comfort zone.” GOALIEcontinues from page 6Rachel ZeinDaily Texan StaffFollowing her historic stint as a Longhorn, Abby Smith was draft- ed by the Boston Breakers with the 27th pick in the National Women’s Soccer League draft. RECYCLEyour copy of 6 SPTS6JACOB MARTELLA, SPORTS EDITOR | @texansportsThursday, February 4, 2016FOOTBALLThirty-two players in the Longhorns’ 2016 recruit- ing class took an official visit to Texas. At the end of National Signing Day, head coach Charlie Strong landed 24 of them. “It was a great day to- day,” Strong said. “A great finish, and our coaching staff, players included, did an unbelievable job.” Unlike past years, Strong didn’t want recruits to commit to the Univer- sity right away, so other schools wouldn’t make a push to flip them. While college football analysts across the nation doubted Strong’s recruit- ing tactics, Strong said the haul of recruits was worth the wait. “Just looking at the na- tional exposure, the way it took off, everybody kept saying, ‘What’s happening in Austin?’” Strong said. “It became big-time news just because it was falling for us today. But we needed that, and we’ve just got to con- tinue to build on it.” Strong used that motiva- tion to build Texas’ needs on defense. The Longhorns brought in four defensive tackles — four-stars Jordan Elliott, Chris Daniels and D’Andre Christmas-Giles, as well as three-star Marcel Southall. Texas bolstered its second- ary with commitments from safeties Brandon Jones and Chris Brown, a four-star and three-star, respectively. Strong also landed two commitments from four-star outside linebackers Jeffery Mc- Culloch and Erick Fowler. Texas’ recruiting cycle finished with the 11th-best class in the country after being ranked outside the top-30 on Tuesday night, according to the 247Sports composite class rankings. Strong says the incred- ible finish wasn’t his own doing. The involvement of the players on the current roster was what truly fu- eled the recruiting process. “The best salesmen was our players,” Strong said. “We had workouts this morning, and when I called them all up, they were all saying, ‘Hey, coach, big day today. Are we going to get it done?’ I said, “You guys know more than I know, so you should know more about it.’” Current Texas players Malik Jefferson, Charles Omenihu, P.J. Locke and DeShon Elliott all played an active role in the pro- cess, talking with re- cruits through Twitter and Periscope. “It’s very exciting,” Jef- ferson said on Longhorn Network’s Recruiting Day Special. “We want to see kids come here, want to lift this program and be excited.” While Texas is enthusiastic about the direction the foot- ball program is going, Strong said the team has have a lot to work on before they play Notre Dame on Sept. 3 to open the 2016 season. “We know we have to win some football games,” Strong said. “We just have to continue to work and continue to build and con- tinue to put [the players] in the right place.” WOMEN’S SOCCERNational Signing Day is officially over. The Long- horns had a lot to be happy about, but success should come with caution. Texas had a wild, thrilling finish to the recruiting season by snagging seven players on National Signing Day, five of which were four-star re- cruits. But now is not the time to lose a level head regarding expectations for next season. Texas head coach Char- lie Strong is no stranger to recruiting success. Last year he landed the No. 10 class in the nation, accord- ing to the 247Sports com- posite rankings. This year, his class lands at No. 11, narrowly behind the previ- ous year. Longhorns fans should be excited — bring- ing in more talent is never a bad thing. But anyone expecting Texas to contend for a national champion- ship immediately may want to rethink their logic. Following the recruit- ment of last year’s No. 10 class, the team went 5–7 in 2015. Inexperience from the freshmen class greatly contributed to the sub .500 record. While last year’s freshmen should develop into better players for the upcoming season, the need for Strong to complete his roster might bring result similar issues. With defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway heading to the NFL, Strong and his staff knew they had to shore RECRUITING page 5By Mark Skol Jr. @markskoljrSIDELINECAVALIERS HORNETS WARRIORS WIZARDS MAGIC THUNDER Excited to welcome the Class of 2016 to the Longhorn Family! #LetsRide #BelieveCharlie Strong@Strong_TexasFBTOP TWEETLonghorns close StrongAbby Smith crumpled on a couch at the Richard Mithoff track and soccer field house the morning of Jan. 15, 2016. The National Women’s Soc- cer League draft was about to start. “I literally had no idea where I was gonna go,” Abby Smith, UT’s former goal- keeper and career leader in shutouts with 30, said. The Boston Breakers drafted her with the 27th overall pick. Abby’s journey to Texas began when she was 7 years old. Fifteen years later, the evolution of mind and body turned Abby Smith into a 22-year-old college superno- va and the first soccer player to be drafted in UT history. She racked up 300 saves in her four years as a Longhorn and was First-Team All-Big 12 Conference her junior and senior seasons. “It’s just been a slow pro- cess of working to get bet- ter,” she said. “I’ve gone over humps of working through fitness and being critiqued.” Before she was UT’s star soccer player, Abby Smith, born in Portland, Oregon, in 1993, moved to Dallas with her parents, Mitchell and Beth Smith. She was 4 years old. There, Beth worked at North Dallas Athletic Club from 2000 to 2002, a train- ing site for members of the Dallas Sidekicks. Mitchell and Beth became friends with members of the team and took Abby to their games on weekends. The Sidekicks brought her into the locker room. She scrimmaged with some of the players on the field after games. The goalie, Sagu, caught her eye. “Seeing Sagu play indoor, that’s when she knew she wanted to be a goalkeeper,” Mitchell Smith said. “She didn’t really care about watching the players on the field. She just loved the goalkeeper — that’s all she cared about.” In 2001, Beth switched jobs from North Dallas Athletic Club to the Baylor Tom Landry Fitness Center, taking employee Jesse Llamas with her. Before he worked with Beth, Llamas was a pro- fessional goalkeeper, who bounced around between Mexico, El Paso and Dallas in his 10-year career. Beth brought Abby to work on weekends, and dur- ing Llamas’s lunch break, he took Abby to a lush backyard garden outside the Landry Center. Llamas became Ab- by’s friend and her personal goalie coach. He drilled the fundamentals of goalkeeping into her head. “I’ve always worked with professional goalkeepers, you know, 18-and-above my whole life — well, for 10 years,” Llamas said. “And to work with her was challenging because I was like, ‘OK, I can’t do the same things I do with professional goalkeepers.’” At an age when most chil- dren were watching cartoons and playing with toys, Abby was perfecting goalkeep- ing technique. That level of commitment is necessary for any athlete, but rare in a 7-year-old. “You are always very tentative as a goalkeeper coach because you don’t want to burn them out,” Llamas says. “But she really enjoyed it and really wanted always to do more.” When Abby was young- er, she jumped around club teams, playing for the Texas Longhorns Club soccer team, which then changed its name to Solar Soccer Club when she was 7, and the Dal- las Texans, coached by Ian By Aaron Torres@aaron_torres95Signing Day should be met with cautionDaulton Venglar | Daily Texan StaffGoalie Abby Smith started three years in front of the net for the Longhorns. In that time, she racked up numerous accolades, inlcuding First- Team All Big 12 as a senior in 2015. Smith finished her Texas career as the all-time shoutout leader in school history. Smith succeeds after legendary careerTexas ends with recruiting frenzyGOALIE page 5Longhorns take down Incarnate Word 7-0No. 38 Texas domi- nated in its dual-match today against Incarnate Word, winning 7-0. The No. 28 dou- bles tandem of senior Breaunna Addison and sophomore Dani Wa- gland came out strong against Incarnate Word sophomore Rachel Sadig and freshman Victoria Kareh, winning 6-0 in the No. 1 position. At No. 2 doubles, senior Lana Groenvynck and junior Neda Koprcina controlled throughout, claiming a 6-0 victory and clinching the dou- bles point going into the singles matches. In singles play, Koprci- na dropped one game to Kareh, taking the win 6-1, 6-0. Freshman Katie Poluta followed Koprci- na’s lead, sweeping her match 6-0, 6-0 at No. 6 against sophomore Maria Batchinsky. The streak continued at the No. 4 spot where freshman Daniella Roldan edged senior Taryn Strahl 6-3, 6-4. Groenvynck went head to head with junior Sarah Savedra 6-0, 6-3 at the No. 5 spot. The other two matches continued, but Texas had secured the win 5-0. The win gives the Longhorns a 2-1 record this season. Texas will return back to action this Sunday at home against UTSA. —Alana KaufmanSPORTS BRIEFLYBy Samuel Williams@smwilliams27TODAY IN HISTORY2007Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts beat the Chicago Bears 29-17 to claim Super Bowl XLI. Manning threw for 247 yards and one touchdown en route to winning the game’s MVP award. Stephanie Tacy | Daily Texan StaffHead coach Charlie Strong addresses the media on National Signing Day. Strong and the Longhorns racked up 24 players over the recruiting period. Texas ended with the No. 11 recruiting class in the country according to 247Sports composite rankings. COMICS 7COMICSThursday, February 4, 20167Today’s solution will appear here next issue SUDOKUFORYOU2 7 3 6 1 8 5 6 4 2 3 8 7 5 6 4 2 7 9 5 4 6 9 9 7 4 2 9 3 7 5 1 45 9 4 7 6 1 8 2 33 8 7 9 4 2 6 5 16 1 2 3 8 5 7 9 48 6 3 5 7 9 1 4 21 4 5 6 2 3 9 7 82 7 9 8 1 4 3 6 54 2 6 1 9 8 5 3 79 3 1 4 5 7 2 8 67 5 8 2 3 6 4 1 9 8 L&ACAT CARDENAS, LIFE&ARTS EDITOR | @thedailytexan8Thursday, February 4, 2016Overcome with frustra- tion, a student thumbed through her red ink-laced test, while government pro- fessor Shannon O’Brien ex- plained the questions she missed were in the required textbook. But her student hadn’t purchased the text- book. It was too expensive. With textbooks prices increasing 82 percent in the last decade, students may find themselves fac- ing difficult decisions: shell out money or face academic consequences. O’Brien said her con- versation with the stu- dent nearly 13 years ago shaped how she researches prospective textbooks. “I have noticed over the last 10 years or so that stu- dents are increasingly will- ing to not buy a book if the price is too high,” O’Brien said. “So, I figure I can ei- ther bang my head on the wall in frustration or ac- cept that a certain percent- age of my classes will [act] this way. So I’ve adapted my classes to minimize this behavior.” In a recent survey of 2,000 students conducted by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, more than 65 percent said they had not purchased a textbook at some point in their college career because of cost. Other professors remain unaware of the costs of the textbooks they’re assign- ing. Chandler Forsythe, an international relations sophomore, said his profes- sor was surprised at the cost of the German textbook he required for the class. “On the first day of class, [my professor] found out that the book he usually assigns had risen in price from $90 to $200,” Forsythe said. “He had no clue why. Lucky for me, purchasing textbooks is not an issue, but I know it is for a lot of students.” Ethan Senak, a higher education associate at the USPIRG, said in addition to rentals and downloads, a main cause of the textbook problem is the control pub- lishing companies have in regulating textbook prices. “[F]ive companies … dominate upwards of 85 percent of the market,” Senak said. “There’s less competition now.” After buying unneces- sary textbooks in the past, Plan II freshman Cade Stone said he changed his buying strategy. “I ended up spending $120 for [a textbook] and used it pretty minimally,” Stone said. “This semester, if a professor says we abso- lutely must buy the book, then I’ll spend the money. But otherwise, I’ll wait.” This tactic could be poten- tially harmful to students. Biology freshman Kayla Blackmon said stalling to buy a textbook last semester jeopardized her grade. “I waited to purchase an expensive science textbook, wanting to see first if it would be necessary to get- ting a good grade,” Black- mon said. “My professor assigned homework the sec- ond day of class out of the book, and we had a test the next week. Luckily, I found the textbook in one of the libraries on campus, but it could have been costly.” The risk of a student not completing their required reading is why Professor O’Brien said she hesitates to assign certain books. She said she believes other pro- fessors should not only as- sign their students the best books but ones students can and will buy. “If the best book is expen- sive, many professors will continue to use it because they are committed first and foremost to the educational aspects of the class,” O’Brien said. “I would just rather have students read one book thoroughly than have them not buy anything at all and come to me asking why they did not do well on the test.” By Cameron Osmond@CameronOsmondIllustration by Victoria Smith | Daily Texan StaffIllustration by Mel Westfall | Daily Texan StaffStudents who want to be perceived as smarter, kinder and healthier don’t need to work harder — they just need to be average. The Langlois Lab in the Department of Psychology at UT-Austin conducts research challenging common defini- tions of beauty and seeks to understand the greater impli- cations of the averageness the- ory of facial attractiveness. This theory suggests that the more a face resembles mathematically average facial configurations, the more attractive it seems. As a face starts to deviate from the average, people consider it less attractive. Scientists create these aver- age faces with image morph- ing technology called Morph Age, which aligns and blurs images of faces. Once a two- face morph is created, it can be combined to a four-face morph, eight-face morph, 16- face morph, and even a 32- face morph. At the 32-face morph the faces start to look the same. One study demonstrated that college students rate the male and female morphs as more attractive than the in- dividual faces that composed the morphs. In a more recent study, Ju- dith Langlois compared the neurophysiological response to attractive, unattractive and averaged faces. Scientists did this by measuring brain activ- ity as a direct response to the faces via electroencephalogra- phy, a method used to record electrical activity of the brain through electrodes placed on the scalp. The results suggest it is easier to process high attrac- tive and mathematically av- eraged faces. This is because less neurocognitive responses are evoked, according to the study published in the journal Cognitive, Affective and Be- havioral Neuroscience. Partic- ipants were also asked to dis- criminate between human and chimp faces. High attractive and average faces were catego- rized as human more quickly than the unattractive faces. The applications of this research have major social consequences. For example, attractive individuals make more money, have more job mobility, are considered more healthy, smart, nice and athlet- ic, according to the American Psychological Association. Stevie Schein, psychology graduate student in the Lan- glois Lab, elaborated on the sig- nificance of attractiveness bias. “It’s an interesting intellec- tual question. … It’s an issue of figuring out what’s happening in the human brain because we know it has such impor- tance,” Schein said. “Adults are shockingly consistent in how they perceive attractiveness.” Schein further said that people prefer faces that are more prototypical, or faces participants are more experi- enced with. This concept also applies to other objects as well, even patterns and ani- mals. Evidence suggests the potential for this prototype to shift as a result of varied exposure, according to the journal Social Cognition. As experience with different faces increase, attractiveness preference shifts to the new average of the diverse faces. This knowledge is a gate- way to better accept dif- ferent faces and address attractiveness bias. “A big step would be to acknowledge bias, that we all have it and are act- ing on it,” Schein said. “If people are conscious of the bias and are motivated to change it, they are pretty good at not acting on it.” By Keun-Woo Lee@thedailytexanEducation sophomore Maddie Friedman recalls scrolling through pages of a friend’s blog that chronicled the journey of her 8-year-old son, who was dying of cancer. Inspired after hearing the daily struggles of a suffering cancer patient, Friedman launched the UT chapter for Love Your Melon. “His life and his journey in- spired me to become a part of this,” Friedman said. “I wanted to be able to help other kids that were in a similar situation to him even though I couldn’t really help him.” Launched last fall, the UT Love Your Melon crew is one of hundreds of university-led divisions of apparel company Love Your Melon. The phil- anthropic business sells bean- ies, T-shirts and accessories, donating a new hat to a child with cancer for every hat pur- chased. After a university-led crew sells a certain amount of hats, the company sends them on trips to patient’s homes and hospitals to deliver the hats di- rectly to the kids. While Love Your Melon apparel is cur- rently sold out, their new col- lection arrives on Feb. 8. “Being involved with a charity organization like this sets you apart because you get experiences and emo- tions directly out of it,” Fried- man said. “It makes me feel grounded and gives me a sense of purpose.” When they aren’t visiting hospitals or patient’s homes, the UT Love Your Melon crew works to spread awareness through social media chal- lenges and hat-selling events. They recently participated in a social media challenge that called all university-led crews to get celebrities to post pic- tures wearing Love Your Mel- on hats on their social media page. Ilaria Tare, psychology sophomore and the crew’s vice captain said they were excited to receive photos from Patrick Dempsey and Ashton Kutcher. “It’s really cool to actually see how you’re immediately affecting people,” Tare said. Winners of the crew chal- lenges are awarded credits that add up to house and hospital visits, which allow crew mem- bers to visit the children they are helping and deliver the hats donated by Love Your Melon. The UT chapter re- cently accumulated enough credits to visit the Ronald McDonald House where they supplied each child a hat and spent the whole day with the kids. They are currently work- ing on gaining enough credits to do a hospital donation event in Dallas. “It was really rewarding to first-hand be with a child who was undergoing treatment in a hospital and hang out with him,” Friedman said. “We brought cookies to decorate, but we ended up just sitting there and talking with them. It made me feel like there was a real purpose to all of this work that we had put in.” Friedman said the UT chapter has exceeded predict- ed sales this semester, so they have extra hats on standby ready to donate to children in Texas as they are diagnosed. Psychology sophomore Megan Burke said she joined the UT Love Your Melon crew because she has always been involved with charity organi- zations, some of which per- tained to similar cancer-relat- ed causes. She said she enjoys getting to see the direct results of her sales on the faces of the children who receive the hats. “We get to actually give the hats to the children and spend quality time hanging out with them,” Burke said. “We just get to raise their spirits. We get to make an impact on their lives, but they make a much larger impact on our lives.” By Stephen Acevedo@thedailytexanIt’s an interesting intel- lectual question. … It’s an issue of figuring out what’s happening in the human brain be- cause we know it has such importance. —Stevie ScheinPsychology graduate studentHigh textbook prices flatten students’ walletsCAMPUSSCIENCE SCENECAMPUS‘Love Your Melon’ organization sells hats to share positivityStudy illustrates link between average faces, attractiveness