@THEDAILYTEXAN | THEDAILYTEXAN.COM TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018 VOLUME 118, ISSUE 106 SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN COMMUNITY SINCE 1900 SPORTS Longhorns gear up for this week’s Big 12 Championships. READ MORE ON PAGE 6 NATION Castros discuss minority struggles in politics By Maria Mendez @mellow_maria Twins Julian and Joaquin Castro have both made names for themselves in American politics — but they could not have done it without their mother, Maria del Rosario “Rosie” Castro. While Julian Castro is known as a former San Antonio city mayor, a former U.S. Secretary of Housing and now a potential presidential candidate, political activism runs in his family. Julian and Joaquin Castro, who is the current 20th district U.S. Rep- resentative for San Antonio, said they grew up inspired by their mother’s love and political work. “We would … get dragged to rallies, speeches,” Julian Castro said. “Aside from her political ac- tivism, she was a great mom. She always made us feel loved. She always made us feel like we could accomplish things.” Alongside their mother, the Castro brothers discussed their upbringing, the Latino potential in the upcoming midterm and 2020 presidential elections at the Harry Ransom Center on Monday. The discussion, “Mak- ing the Grade,” was present- ed by the Center for Mexican CASTRO page 3 STUDENT GOVERNMENT he Daily Texan hosts annual SG candidate debate By Stephanie Adeline @stephadeline Executive alliance and Univer- sity-wide representative candi- dates presented their campaigns to a crowd of about 50 students in an annual debate hosted by The Daily Texan on Monday evening. After University-wide repre- sentative candidates present- ed their platforms, executive alliance candidates presented their campaigns and answered questions from the moderator and audience. Executive alliance candidates Guneez Ibrahim and Hannah McMorris, Bryce Fuller and Vikram Sundaram, Joshua Richardson and Chison Liu, Aus- tin Goss and Denny Lee, Aakash Saraiya and Daniel Noble Her- nandez, and Colton Becker and Mehraz Rahman discussed their stances on campus issues such as student housing, sexual assault and diversity on campus. Ibrahim and McMorris’ cam- paign emphasized the need for inclusion of students living in Riverside, including creating a student center in the area. “It’s not fair that so much of our student body is unable to DEBATE page 3 The black history of UT: The Daily Texan partners with UT-NABJ By Brianna Stone @bristone19 S ixty-eight years have passed since the irst black student stepped foot on the 40 Acres. Despite some victories throughout the years, the lack of black representation in the student and faculty population still remains an issue at UT. Today, in a sea of more than 51,000 students, fewer than 2,400 students identify as black. According to fall 2017 data, the black student population was only 4.6 percent of the total student body, while the black population in the United States makes up about 13 percent. Within the black population, demographics have shifted over the years. In the fall of 2008, there were 2,192 students who identiied as black only and in the fall of 2017, nine years later, there were 1,990. In contrast, the population of stu- dents who identify as being black mixed with two or more races has increased from 99 students in fall 2010 to 383 in fall 2017. Leonard Moore, interim vice president for UT’s Division for Diversity and Community Engage- ment, said there are many factors why the black student population has remained stagnant for so long. “Black kids in Texas have a lot of options, from HBCUs, public colleges and even private HBCUs,” Moore said. Moore said for the last couple of years, the University has been making an efort to increase the enrollment of students of color. Last fall, the University saw the largest incoming class of black students ever at ive percent, Moore said. “You have to have partnerships across the University,” Moore said. “Admissions can’t do it alone. The Division for Diversity and Commu- nity Engagement can’t do (it) alone. Everyone has to work together, including the diferent colleges and schools, to come up with better recruiting strategies.” Moore said the University has to be proactive in order to admit a class that relects the nation’s demographics. Despite receiving an astounding number of applications every year, Moore said recruitment is still necessary. “I think most people just don’t understand the black experience, and it’s not their fault,” Moore said. “I am amazed at how separate our worlds are.” The lack of black representation is also an issue for faculty. Black faculty make up only 4.1 percent. Out of 3,162 faculty members, only 129 are black. The Jackson School of Geosciences and the School of In- formation reported having no black faculty members as of fall 2017. The National Association of Black Journalists is partnering with The Daily Texan this semester for a se- ries featuring black students, faculty and alumni to share their experienc- es about being part of a community that comprises less than ive percent of the total campus. Jade Fabello and Lacey Grace contributed to this reporting. O T H E R 10.2% FOREIGN 18.2% ASIAN 42.4% WHITE 20.4% HISPANIC 11.3% ASIAN 8.1% HISPANIC 75.4% WHITE In 2007, this residence hall was named after Almetris “Mama” Marsh Duren, who played a cru- cial role in helping black UT students from 1958 to 1981. She served as a mentor, counselor and adviser to inspire young people of color. She served as dorm mother for the irst dorm open to black students. In 1961, black UT sophomore Sherryl Grifin staged a sit-in at Kinsolving Residence Hall to protest segregation on campus. At the time, black female students were only permitted to live in Whitis Dormitory or Almetris Co-op. After the sit-in, Grifin iled a lawsuit against the Uni- versity that eventually led to residential integration, which was announced by the Board of Regents on May 16, 1964. 1 2 5 6 13 3 4 7 8 10 9 On March 9, 1962, Martin Luther King Jr. visited the 40 Acres to give a speech at the Texas Union building. King gave his speech, “Civil Liberties and Social Action,” to a full room of 1,200 people. King urged for nonviolent protests to ight for equality. In 1962, of 20,000 students on campus, only about 200 were black. 11 12 In April of 2015, Shaka Smart became the 24th head coach of the basketball team and irst black head coach of the basketball program. In fall of 1967, Sam Bradley became the irst black UT basketball player. RING WEEK February 19–23 • 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Etter-Harbin Alumni Center texasexes.org/rings Ring Week is here!COMPLETED HOURS REQUIRED: Undergraduate, 75; Graduate, 16 2 This issue of The Daily Texan is valued at $1.25 PERMANENT STAFF Editor-in-Chief Laura Hallas Assoc. Editors Liza Anderson, Jaree Campbell, Cuillin Chastain-Howley, Josie Maclean Senior Columnists Elizabeth Braaten, Laura Doan, Noah Horwitz, Caleb Wong, Ryan Young Forum Editors Vik Shirvaikar, Janhavi Nemawarkar, Liza Anderson Managing Editor Ellie Breed Assoc. Managing Editor Tyler Horka, Forrest Milburn News Editor Catherine Marin Assoc. News Editor Lisa Nhan News Desk Editors Will Clark, Hannah Daniel, London Gibson, Anusha Lalani, Wesley Story, Brittany Wagner Senior Reporters Chase Karacostas, Maria Mendez, Brianna Stone, Allyson Waller Beat Reporters Stephanie Adeline, Katie Balevic, Mason Carroll, Meara Isenberg, Raga Justin, Anna Lassman, Sara Schleede, Tehreem Shahab, Sami Sparber, Brooke Vincent Copy Desk Chief Bella McWhorter Associate Copy Desk Chiefs Kirsten Handler, Taylor Presley, Ryan Steppe Design Editor Sunnie Lee Art Director Rena Li Senior Designers Andrea D’Mello, Clio Harralson, Aaliyah Jen- kins, Paolina Montes Senior Graphic Designers Mingyo Lee, Mallika Gandhi Video Editor Thomas Negrete ISSUE STAFF Columnists Usmaan Hasan, Tarek Zaher, William Kosinski Comic Artists Harumi Nishimura, Katerina Vasquez, Mack- enzie Payne, Serena Romero, Annette Hui Copy Editors Alexa Chung, Brittany Miller, Jason Lihuang Designers Mireya Rahman, Haley Pevsner Assoc. 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Entire contents copyright 2018 Texas Student Media. STATE TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018 Obscure state ballot positions explained By Chase Karacostas @chasekaracostas Early voting for the March 2018 primary begins today, and there are a few offices on the ballot that might be a little con- fusing for a first, second or even third-time voter. To prepare you for the prima- ries, here’s an explainer of what six of the more obscure positions you will see on the ballot actually do. Railroad Commissioner Formed in 1891, the railroad commission was created by the legislature to regulate just that — railroads. About 30 years lat- er, its power expanded to cover pipelines, which was the first step in regulating what it almost ex- clusively covers now: the oil and gas industry. The commission is made up of three commission- ers who are elected to six-year, staggered terms. Within the oil and gas industry, the commission regulates pipelines, drilling, mining and exploration to protect natural resources and the environment. Comptroller of Public Accounts The comptroller — elected to a four-year term — is the state’s “chief financial officer” and serves as a chief tax collector, accountant, revenue estimator and treasurer. One of the office’s major functions is putting together the biennial rev- enue estimate that the legislature uses to form the budget. To the average person, the comptroller serves as a tax auditor that ensures people are paying their taxes while protecting them from being treated unfairly. For college students, the office administers the state’s col- lege savings programs including the Texas Tuition Promise Fund. Land Commissioner One of the oldest offices in Texas, predating the state’s entry into the union, the Texas General Land Office manages the resourc- es that support the Permanent School Fund. The PSF has served as a long-time revenue source for Texas’ public schools. The land commissioner regulates the sale and use of state lands by private investors, which subsequently pro- vides a source of constant funding to the PSF. The commissioner of this office is also elected to a four-year term. Agriculture Commissioner The two primary functions of the Texas Department of Agriculture are consumer protection and ag- ricultural regulation. For consum- ers, it regulates fuel pumps and all “weights and measures devices,” such as grocery store scales, to ensure consumers are never over- charged for products. The office also certifies organic produce and leads the development of statewide broadband services. The agricul- ture commissioner is elected to a four-year term. County Commissioner There are four commissioners who represent four separate pre- cincts of Travis County, and they are headed up by the county judge mel westfall | the daily texan staff who is elected county-wide. To- gether, they are the Commission- ers Court, and they serve as the policy-making and administrative branch of county government. However, despite being called a “court,” it is not a judicial court of law. They set the county tax rate along with building and maintain- ing county roads and facilities, such as the jail and courts. The commissioners and judge are each elected for four-year terms that coincide with the governor. Justice of the Peace Justices of the peace handle most small criminal and civil cas- es for the county. For civil cases, this includes lawsuits with up to $10,000 in dispute over issues such as debts, property, car ac- cidents and landlord-tenant dis- putes. Criminally, they handle all Class C criminal misdemean- ors that are punishable by fines only, such as traffic tickets. Tra- vis County has five justices of the peace that are elected by individual precincts to four-year terms. CAMPUS Gun Free UT group pushes stricter gun regulation laws By Meara Isenberg @mearaannee Donning bright orange t-shirts and holding signs that read, “Pro- tect our kids, not our guns,” a group of about 20 parents and UT faculty from the Gun Free UT group gath- ered at the East Mall on Monday to protest gun violence. “We are here to hold silent vigil … out of respect for everyone that was killed last week in Florida,” said Lisa Moore, English and wom- en’s and gender studies professor. “We want to continue to say that we will refuse to accept this as normal and that we will continue to show up, make our views known and demand common sense gun control.” Moore joined other gun reform advocates in front of the statue of Martin Luther King Jr. at noon for the 10-minute vigil and protest that followed. She said although Gun Free UT was initially organized to bring attention to Texas’ campus carry law in place at UT, which went into effect in August 2016, the group has since broadened its focus and joined the national conversation about gun violence. Following last week’s shooting at a Florida high school that left 17 people dead, multiple surviving students and parents have spo- ken out about gun reform, with some even planning to march on Washington, D.C. “We’ve been so inspired by the high school students in Florida,” said history professor Joan Neu- berger, who attended the protest. “We think any show of support helps encourage other people to take the time … to become more informed.” Psychology sophomore Tabitha Morris passed by the protest on Monday and said she was glad to see people on UT’s campus protesting gun violence. “I know in my classes we talk about safety and about how peo- ple are genuinely scared to come to class — that’s just not something that should be a thing,” Morris said. “Every single time something like (the Florida shooting) happens and nothing comes of it, it just heightens that feeling.” Moore said the group will con- tinue to meet at the MLK statue every Monday at noon, and she hopes students will come out and join them. “UT has historically been a cam- pus where there’s been a lot of activ- ism. A lot of great social change has started here,” Moore said. “This is a great opportunity for UT students to really take the lead, connect with students in Florida and elsewhere and really change things.” NABJ continues from page 1 v Ervin Sewell Perry was the irst black professor at UT. In the fall of 1964, Perry was named assistant professor of civil engineering, which he remained teaching until his death in 1970. Perry received his Master’s degree from UT in 1961 and his doctorate in civil engineering from UT in 1964. Prior to his death, he was named to receive the irst “Young Engineer of the Year” award from the National Society of Profession- al Engineers. In 1946, Heman Marion Sweatt applied for UT Law School and was denied ad- mission because he was black. Howev- er, Sweatt did not take no for an answer. With help from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Sweatt took action against the University in the 1950 Supreme Court case, Sweatt v. Painter. At the time, the president of the University was Theophilus Painter. This landmark court decision successfully challenged the “separate but equal” clause that was established in 1896 by the Plessy v. Fer- guson case, which legally upheld segre- gation as long as African-Americans had their own “separate but equal” facilities. After the success of the Sweatt v. Painter case, Sweatt was admitted to UT Law, becoming one of the irst black students on campus and paving the way for future African-American Longhorns. His case also inluenced Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, which ended segregation in public schools. students were able to enroll at UT. Today they are known as the Precursors. and is currently the head coach at the University of South Florida. In 2010, under the direction of Edmund T. Gordon, the African and African Diaspora Studies Department was established. In 2014, it became the irst program in the South to offer Ph.D. de- grees in Black Studies. Today, dozens of AFR classes are offered every semester, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in the program. In 1995, students petitioned to the UT president for an area for black students to gather. In 1995, the Malcolm X Lounge was opened in Jester Center as a safe haven for black students. Today, the lounge serves as a space for studying, meetings and social gatherings. The irst black athlete ever at UT was track runner James Means in 1963, a student from an Austin high school. In 1993, Barbara White was appointed dean of the School of Social Work, becoming the irst black UT dean. Under White’s leadership, the school doubled its enrollment and established a distin- guished faculty. In 2011, White stepped down from the position. She is the former president of the National Associ- ation of Social Workers, an organization with 120,000 members. Since the University’s irst president in 1895, there have been no black pres- idents. Over the last 123 years there has been only one woman UT president, Lorene Lane Rogers (1974-1975 ad interim, 1975-1979). All other UT presidents have been white males. Henry Reeves, a trainer, doctor and manager, was the irst black person to work with the UT football. He worked with the team from 1875 to 1915, and was referred to as Doc Henry. He was not allowed to eat with or room with the players. After his death, he was elected to the Longhorn Hall of Fame. Although UT athletics were opened to black athletes in 1963, there were no black football players until 1970. Darrell K. Royal, head football coach from 1957 to 1976, delayed integration of the football team for several years. Black UT students often protested at football games, demanding the inclusion of black football players on the team. In 1970, Julius Whittier was the irst black person to receive a UT football scholarship, and thus the irst black UT football player ever to play varsity. In 1973, Roosevelt Leaks became the University’s irst black All-American. In 1977, Earl Campbell became the irst UT student, white or black, to win the Heisman Trophy. In 2014, Charlie Strong was hired as the head football coach, becoming the irst black head coach of any men’s sport at UT. In 2016, Strong was ired from UT In 1956, the irst black undergraduate https://thedailytexan.atavist.com 1 2 5 6 13 3 4 7 8 10 9 11 12 rena li | the daily texan staff TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018 3 Student Activity Center gets decked out CAMPUS Exterior renovations will offer more outdoor seating for students. By Brooke Vincent @brooke_e_v S tudents can rock around an outdoor ireplace and swing in hammocks un- der the trees this com- ing fall semester at the Student Activity Center. The exterior space on the south side of the building is being reno- vated into “outdoor living rooms” to give students a better space to lounge, eat and study. The project’s budget of $3 million covers the ad- dition of new outdoor decking, a hammock lounge, a water feature, the campus’ irst outdoor ireplace, 30 additional power outlets and 230 added seats. “We wanted the spaces to appeal to students during the day and early evening throughout the year,” said Michelle Rossomando, principal at McKinney York Architects. “The design has two main areas, the ‘tree deck’ area — an elevated wood deck with built-in wood benches, ta- bles and chairs that surround two large trees to take advantage of the shade provided, and the ‘ire lounge’ area — a brick patio with lounge furniture around a ire pit under mel westfall | the daily texan staff the tree canopy.” Designed by McKinney York Ar- chitects and built by Vaughn Con- struction, the space will repurpose and conserve existing structures. Old runnels, or decorative channels in the area that hold water, will be converted into bench seating and workers have set up protection for the existing trees so their canopy can shade the deck. Jim Carse from landscape services, coordinating all the tree protection eforts, repurposing or relocating trees and all other sustainable as- pects,” said Hirokazu Horikoshi, UT project manager. “The original cistern right now collects water that otherwise would go to storm drains and (reuses) that for irrigation pur- poses. It’s always been there, but we’re repairing it.” “We’ve been working closely with It’s important to have a space for fresh air, said Jordan Ricka- way, public health freshman. She said after moving to Austin, she felt depressed from being cooped up in the city. “There’s not a lot of places to lounge around outside, especially around campus, because there is so much construction that is really loud,” Rickaway said. “I basically lived outdoors back home, and it’s hard being inside all day. Having STUDENT GOVERNMENT outdoor space where necessities are is great and gives you a little peace and serenity.” From day one, making the space accessible to all students was a priority, said Nick Parras, Univer- sity Unions assistant director. En- trance and exit ramps will be placed throughout the outdoor area to fa- cilitate easy access to students who use wheelchairs. “The Student Activity Center was built in collaboration with the Ser- vices for Students with Disabilities oice to try and make this building not just at campus code and stan- dards, but beyond it,” Parras said. “Thankfully our architects (for this project) were able to do that from the beginning and they worked ev- erything else around that instead of building and then saying, ‘Whoops.’ This was a priority.” Construction is scheduled to end May 25, and the complete space should be ready for the upcoming fall semester, Parras said. “We hope that the fences come down and even if we don’t have a band and giant scissors and give- aways, people will naturally mi- grate to the space and be in it from seven in the morning to when we close at one at night,” Parras said. “This isn’t for donors, this isn’t for coaches, this isn’t for the general public. This is about extending the student space.” and is currently the head coach at the o the UT or black students er as oday, rings. The irst black athlete ever at UT was 963, a Electrical engineering graduate student Chison Liu, right, and electrical engineering senior Joshua Richardson are running for Student Government as an executive alliance. juan igueroa | the daily texan staff as appointed becoming the irst black UT dean. Under ship, the school doubled ollment and established a distin- ormer president of the National Associ- s, an organization epped By Brianna Stone @bristone19 Since the University’s irst president in e been no black pres- oman UT president, s there 75 ad SG presidential candidates: The little things matter These two Student Govern- ment candidates are focusing on the little things that will make life better for UT students. Joshua Richardson, electrical engineering senior, is running for SG president along with Chi- son Liu, electrical engineering graduate student, who is run- ning for vice president. The two say their campaign is a joke, but students are not amused. said Richardson students have to deal with a lot of minor inconveniences could be ixed. that “It’s the simple things that peo- ple overlook,” Richardson said. “We want to mitigate the num- ber of tiny infractions (against students) that just add up.” Richardson said it is often people who are involved with Greek life who interact with cam- pus politics, while the rest of the student body is not involved or doesn’t really care. After partic- ipating in Student Government during his freshman and soph- omore year, Richardson said he had to get out of the “rat race.” “We have a bunch of silly ideas, which we would prefer to run on, but (our actual plat- form) is real quality of life stuf,” Richardson said. Richardson and Liu hope to add feminine hygiene prod- ucts and two-ply toilet paper to restrooms on campus, make printing free and standard- ized throughout campus, make dining hall food cheaper for students who live of campus, change the parking rules to be less restrictive of where students can and cannot park due to fac- ulty-only lots and get rid of mis- cellaneous student fees, such as paying for certain documents. “Because we focus on these smaller things, our idea is to pull more weight behind a general crowd,” Liu said. “If we show we are able to do more things, then people will have the idea that SG actually has weight and it’ll put more faith into SG. We want (students) to put their faith in us and then hopefully in SG.” Richardson said SG needs to be more connected to the stu- dent body in order to make their life on campus better. “SG is so far removed from the student body that I still have some friends who don’t even know we have (SG),” Richardson said. Richardson and Liu describe themselves as the “zero-calorie, zero-regret” decision. Richard- son said, if elected, he will hold of his graduation until next year. “Trust us, we’re engineers,” the two wrote on their Facebook candidacy group. CASTRO continues from page 1 American Studies. Hope for family and Latino success led all three Castros to political careers. Rosie Castro, a renowned Chicana activist, irst sought political change because she saw her mother struggle without an education. “As I looked around, I saw the inequities of my mother’s life and the life of the people she worked (with),” Rosie Cas- tro said. “So very early on, be- ginning in high school, I began to realize that until (Latinos) had elected oicials, until our folks were at the table creating public policy, we would not see anything change.” This inspired Rosie to run for San Antonio’s City Coun- cil in 1971. Her campaign was unsuccessful, but Rosie’s sons became elected oicials after they both graduated from Stan- ford University and Harvard Law School. “If people have somebody to vote for, they’re going to vote,” Rosie Castro said. “Unfortu- nately, while there have been candidates in (these) past years, they haven’t been very good and nobody wants to vote for them.” Now the Castro brothers hope to continue galvaniz- ing the Latino vote in future elections. Julian Castro, who U.S. Representative for Texas Joaquin Castro, back left, and potential presidential candidate Julian Castro, back right, speak to brothers Rodrigo Aguayo, left, and Enrique Aguayo. juan igueroa | the daily texan staff has previously expressed in- terest in running for president since the 2016 elections, said he will make the decision whether to run by the end of 2018. For now, he said he will fo- cus on his super political ac- tion committee, Opportunity First, to help re-elect his broth- er Joaquin and promote new innovative candidates. the With current con- gressional gridlock on issues such as DACA and gun con- trol, Julian Castro said he is hopeful Texas Democrats will make a comeback in the national Congress. “I think that Ted Cruz is go- ing to lose his senate seat,” Ju- lian Castro said to applauding crowd members. But just like their mother in the 1970s, Joaquin Castro said they will have to focus on en- couraging more Latinos to vote. “I think part of the challenge is the political system right now (targets) the people that already vote,” Joaquin Castro said. Nicholas Mercado, an edu- cational psychology graduate student, has been following the Castro brothers’ career as a San Antonio native. He thinks the Castro family can win the votes. “It’s just really inspiring to hear their family story because it really resonates with the Lati- no community here,” Mercado said. “So it’s very empower- ing to see them and their suc- cess in both the academic and professional world.” juan igueroa | the daily texan staff LBJ Law School professor Victoria DeFrancesco, far left, talks about Latino voters with the Castro family. DEBATE continues from page 1 have the same experience,” Ibrahim said. “So I think start- ing to shift this culture where we’re equalizing the playing ield starts with Riverside, starts with low-income communities, starts with students of color that are forced to live there.” Fuller and Sundaram said the most important part of their platform is to foster conversa- tion on campus. “Vikram and I are running because we’re concerned about the state of civil discourse on this campus,” Fuller said. “It’s about making decisions through civil discourse and intellectual humility rather than groupthink and identity politics.” Richardson and Liu said they are committed to bringing about small changes on cam- pus, such as free printing for students and afordability of on-campus dining for students living of-campus. “Just because y’all don’t care about Student Government that Student doesn’t mean Government doesn’t care about you,” Richardson said. “What Chison and I hope to do is put forth little changes that a lot of people kind of just take on a day-to-day basis, stuf that peo- ple are like, ‘Whatever, that’s just how it is.’” Goss and Lee said, if elect- ed, they would dedicate their executive alliance stipends to other causes such as reducing transcript prices and improving SURE Walk. “Our campaign is about doing something right out of the gate that people can see and touch, and that’s putting these $60,000 aside that the executive branch gets and (doesn’t use) and put- ting it back into the student body so that they can aford tran- scripts that are basically unaf- fordable at this point,” Goss said. Saraiya and Noble Hernandez advocated for changes such as renaming the Robert Lee Moore building, building pubs on cam- pus and rewarding students for healthy habits. “If we can have a system where for every hour you spend at the gym, you get an entry for a lottery for some sum of Bevo Bucks, I think that would proba- bly make us the healthiest, ittest university,” Noble Hernandez said. On addressing sexual assault on campus, the Becker-Rahman campaign said they want to enact a mandatory consent training in First-Year Interest Groups. “One of the most efective ways to bring about change and how people approach these conversations about consent and things like that is repeated exposure,” Becker said. “As of now at orientation, there’s just one video learning tool that’s used that doesn’t ofer students the ability to really engage with this conversation and explore the nuances.” 4 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018 LAURA HALLAS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @TEXANOPINION Advice for a new McCombs diversity oicer COLUMN By Usmaan Hasan @uzziehasan columnist In response to a racially ofensive door dec- orating contest, McCombs recently announced the hiring of an associate dean for Diversity and Inclusion, who will function as the chief diversity oicer. The laudable goal of the CDO is to unite McComb’s myriad of diversity initiatives into one oice. This is not a novel approach — national hirings of CDOs have been on the rise since 2016. But to ensure the CDO is successful, structural challeng- es in McCombs must be addressed. McCombs ad- ministration must increase transparency around, guarantee authority for and continuously support the incoming CDO. Between the door decorating incident two months ago and the announcement of an im- minent CDO hire, McCombs administration re- mained completely silent about the steps it was taking. This closed-door attitude has to change for a CDO to be successful. The new CDO must be transparent to the student body. Equal access to information and open communication be- tween students and administration is imperative for a diverse and inclusive environment. Moreover, Dr. David Harrison, the McCombs representative on the University-wide Diversity and Inclusion Committee, mentioned the com- mittee made 22 recommendations to guide the jacky tovar | the daily texan staff creation of inclusive policies. This information is still held by McCombs administration and is still not made publicly available to students. The new diversity oicer must report direct- ly to the dean. Anything else will come across as appeasement and runs the risk of restricting the capacity of a CDO to enact meaningful change. It is currently unclear how the CDO will function. Formally, the CDO will be known as the associate dean for Diversity and Inclusion. Placed beneath the deans of McCombs, this naturally creates a hierarchy that can provide direction for the new COLUMN COLUMN associate dean but has historically posed a re- striction on their ability to operate. To ensure the numerous voices of McCombs students are heard and acted upon, the admin- istration must ensure this oice has a clearly de- ined structure and deliberate purpose from the beginning. Then it must ensure safeguards are in place to protect continued support of the oice. CDOs are increasingly facing resource scarci- ty issues that limit their efectiveness. Fifty-three percent of CDOs say they have not been given adequate resources to perform their responsibil- ities. New CDOs are hired with an initial ground- swell of support, but the role can deteriorate from a lack of access to leadership, funding and quality staf. Before the CDO’s tenure begins, ad- ministration must deliberately outline the goals of the new initiative. That way the goals can be used to maintain the CDO’s status within the McCombs administration. Without a clear plan, the role of the CDO will be forever in lux and incapable of serving the needs of their students. The incoming CDO must carve out an inde- pendent path for themselves distinct from ad- ministrative agendas, or else they risk jeopar- dizing their authenticity in the eyes of students. The business school has made great strides by introducing the McCombs Community Values to reinforce unity, but the CDO provides an ul- timate test for McCombs’ ability to create a di- verse environment. Hasan is a inance and international relations sophomore from Plano. mel westfall | the daily texan staff annette meyer | the daily texan staff Students should dedicate more time to reading for pleasure UT System needs to regulate its methane emissions By Tarek Zaher @zaher_tarek columnist Reading for pleasure is a better predictor of a child’s future success than their parents’ inancial status and education level. Despite this, fewer and fewer people are reading in general. College students should take the lead in reversing this trend. Reading for pleasure, or voluntary reading, can be deined as reading that is freely chosen or that students enthusiastically continue after it is assigned. It can be Harry Potter or Friedrich Nietzsche. It can last for ive minutes or several hours. It can, if given the chance, make you a better person. If you’re a student, getting high grades is probably one of your top priorities. Reading for pleasure in your free time can help you enjoy the required readings for your classes, which has huge implications for your academic suc- cess. The Growing Independence Report found that students who loved reading had higher test scores in cognitive and social competencies, math, reading and logical problem-solving. Being able to read for pleasure makes you a stronger and more motivated student. There’s more to life than getting good grades though. Lecturer Erik Dempsey said that books, especially the great ones, “open up questions that we need to answer as human beings.” They give you access to, as Dempsey said, “the thoughts of somebody who is far wiser and who sees things far clearer than you do.” You should read like it matters, because it does. The message or wisdom an author tries to convey might be a direct answer to a problem you’ve been unable to solve yourself. Many people simply don’t want to go through the effort, though. “(Reading) does not come naturally … it’s very much an acquired skill,” Dempsey said. “It’s not just one skill, because authors write in a diferent way.” So if you’ve had trouble enjoying reading in the past, try a diferent kind of book. If you want something entertaining, iction books would be a great introduction to just how enjoyable reading can be — ”The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho is one of my personal favorites. If you’re interested in the meaning of life and the true deinition of happiness, countless philo- sophical books await such as Arthur Koestler’s “Darkness at Noon.” And if you’re thinking of how impossible it would be to ind the time to read, there are books like David Allen’s infa- mous “Getting Things Done” that could teach you simple ways to live a more productive life. The amount of people who watch television and use the internet to ill their time is in- creasing drastically. These distractions make us less engaged students. They also prevent us from paying attention to the most important and fundamental questions of life. “Reading books,” Dempsey said, “is the best corrective I know for that.” Zaher is a government and European thought sophomore from Hudson. GALLERY By William Kosinski @willkosinski columnist The University of Texas System owns 2.1 million acres of land in West Texas that accounts for $19.9 billion of the System’s endowment. The vast space, operated by University Lands, generates this enormous amount of money from leasing some land to oil, natural gas and mining companies. To minimize environmental consequences as the demand for fossil fuels grow, University Lands must regulate the methane emitted from its property. Methane emissions can not be neglected. Methane traps heat 25 times more eicient- ly over a 100-year period and contributes to about 25 percent of the global warming experi- enced today. Methane pollution predominately comes from the production of natural gas and petroleum, so regulations by University Lands are vital to the ight against climate change. “Methane traps heat 25 times more efficiently over a 100-year period and contributes to about 25 percent of the global warming experienced today.” Existing federal regulations for methane emis- sions are weak. They only apply to new, modiied, or reconstructed equipment used in the produc- tion and transportation of natural gas. Since there is little change in ownership of certain plots, many of the companies operating on Uni- versity Lands do not yet need to adhere to these requirements. Texas has no regulations, and University Lands only collects royalties on lost oil or gas. University Lands must create strong guidelines for methane emissions to hold their clients accountable for environmental damages. The hundreds of petroleum and natural gas companies on University Lands emitted 344,352 metric tons of methane from 2009 to 2014. This is equivalent to almost 12 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. At a cost of $36 per metric ton, this carbon dioxide equivalent is beginning to drain Texas’s economy — Hur- ricane Harvey alone resulted in the loss of $190 billion. Regulations should be incredibly important to the state of Texas if it wants to be an economic powerhouse. The House of Representatives recently voted to repeal the Bureau of Land Manage- ment’s methane regulations, leaving the Sen- ate to decide whether or not President Don- ald Trump can cut the red tape. Fortunately, in a time where the bureau and Environ- mental Protection Agency’s federal regula- tions for methane emissions are threatened, private companies and institutions are be- ginning to adapt sensible regulations. For instance, Exxon Mobil and seven other oil giants acknowledged the dangers of methane and are in commitment to reduce emissions across their operations. This is not enough. Smaller companies that operate on the UT System lands may not have the efficiencies to willingly and swiftly adapt new technologies. University Lands must hold drillers to strict methane standards even if it results in a few small companies terminat- ing their contracts. This land is valuable, and methane regulations would not hurt the UT System. Increasing demand for oil and natu- ral gas will allow for other companies who can afford the regulations to fill the vacancies. The Faculty Council and Staff Council at UT-Austin recently approved a resolution to create a team of scientists and engineers to research emissions and implement practic- es to combat them. If Student Government passes the resolution, then University Lands and the UT System should seriously consider the demands of its biggest beneficiary. Part of the UT System’s mission statement is to “improve the human condition in Texas, our nation and our world.” But the inaction to regulate methane emissions will continue to exacerbate water and food shortages, damage the atmosphere and create more catastrophic weather. The interests of University Lands’ companies must not come before the needs of the planet if the UT System truly wants to live up to its goals. Kosinski is a journalism freshman from San Rafael, California. 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. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018 5 ‘Everything Sucks!’ wanders from its name, delivers on laughs TELEVISION “EVERYTHING SUCKS!” LENGTH: 10 episodes RATING: TV-14 SCORE: Not at all to be taken seriously, the scene is clearly referencing advances in video production during this decade. It’s also just plain funny. The comedy of the series, while ini- tially laden with ‘90s references such as Tamagotchi digital pets and the advent of “Wonderwall,” is not inaccessible to those who were born post-1990. Rather, it is based mostly on things in the ‘90s which were oddities, but are completely normal now, such as the internet. The choice to make the internet a point of comedy becomes especially funny when the only reason it’s being used by the characters is to discover whether copious amounts of nutmeg will get them high. The real gift to “Everything Sucks!” in terms of comedy is hindsight, with to- day’s memes of “Wonderwall” and Kurt Cobain sunglasses appearing frequent- ly. These icons of the ‘90s may not have been recognized in their heyday, but in 2018 they are clear as day. “Everything Sucks!” is intelligently funny, while bridging nostalgia with is- sues remaining relevant in 2018. This series is worth watching not only for its comedy, but the depth of characters and careful attention to detail as well. By Brooke Sjoberg @sj0b3rg “Everything Sucks!” does not live up to its name. Showrunners Ben York Jones and Michael Mohan’s Netlix Original parody of the ‘90s drops their captive audience into 1996 with sets and wardrobe to rival even the most seminal ilms produced during the iconic decade. Set in Boring, Oregon, in 1996, “Ev- erything Sucks!” drops the viewer into the irst day of high school for protago- nist Luke O’Neil (Jahi Di’Allo Winston) as he chases the afections of the princi- pal’s potentially gay daughter Kate Mess- ner (Peyton Kennedy) and invokes the ire of the drama club. After ruining their spring production, Luke proposes the two groups unite to create a ilm better than their play. Kate’s wardrobe is a fantastic example of ‘90s grunge — lannel, baggy jeans, with little attention paid to accessories and hair — but without the culture and music typically associated. These ward- robe choices translate to the idea of Kate’s character lawlessly, as she spends too much time listening to “Wonderwall” on repeat to care about her appearance. Kennedy’s portrayal of Kate is true to the real experience of questioning one’s own sexuality among inquisitive looks and stares from her classmates. Many of Kate’s scenes concern her inner turmoil, with complex changes in Kate’s world- view becoming ever more apparent as she struggles with her relationships. Through the inclusion of “found footage” of his absent father, Luke’s “Everything Sucks!” is a misnomer for Netlix’s most recent original series. copyright netlix, and reproduced with permission changes and development are spurred. It is an interesting choice on the part of the showrunners to provide a source of guid- ance which isn’t quite a character but is deinitely not a dedicated narration. Luke’s interaction with his absent father through video is a major driver of Luke’s inluences actions and subversively the plot. While the movie created by Luke, Kate and their friends Tyler (Quinn Liebling) and McQuaid (Rio Mangini) is a central point in the beginning of the series, it quickly fades to the background as they navigate their relationships with each other and the drama club. There is a scene during the produc- tion of their ilm where they run into the issue of a blue screen keying out the blue faces of their aliens, a clear nod to James Cameron’s 2009 ilm “Avatar,” where Luke experiments with diferent col- ors to maintain continuity in their ilm. As he discovers green can be keyed out by dying his bedsheets and painting his face blue, the camera pans over his face in such a slow and methodical manner. ENRON continues from page 8 jerking of jokes and I talk about porn. As an actor, I feel like if I was playing a woman who was talking about porn, I would have to play the restraint of knowing this is improper for me to say.” Beagles added that spectacle is a major aspect of the show the audience can really look forward to. “It’s the irst show that I’ve seen being made at UT that em- phasizes spectacle more than anything else. Every single scene has an element of ‘What the heck, why is this happening, this is so cool.’” Wolf’s wish is to fully re- alize the intent of the origi- nal production’s use of spec- tacle in order to liven up its inancial part. emotionless “We are really leaning into how to show more than just tell,” Wolf said. “There are a lot of very performative and theat- rical moments. Because struc- tured inance is not inherently theatrical, the original produc- tion physicalized all the met- aphors they (the characters) were using.” The goal for “Enron,” in its ampliied production elements, is to make the audience feel the same power as the characters in order fully feel the weight of how their big plans fail in the end. “The spectacle is built to bring the audience into the opulence of being inside a bubble,” Wolf said. “Then you watch every- thing start to disintegrate as they start to lose, and once that bub- ble pops everything falls apart.” MINORITY continues from page 8 that had those social struc- tures ighting against them, they’d probably end up in the same situation.” Smith said he uses his scenes, cast calls and scripts to encourage hands-on learn- ing. As a result of his teaching method and unique stories, Smith has become a favorite professor for students such a as radio-television-ilm junior. Andreu, Blanca “I really enjoy his class,” Andreu said. “I’m not sure what I want to do when I graduate, but I know that I like directing. He’s very prac- tical. Ya’Ke once let me use his casting call for practice.” For some students, Smith’s stories remind them of what they can accomplish. “The Be- ginning and Ending of Every- thing” taught her that she can write her own experiences into scripts,” said Megan Dedman, radio-television-ilm senior. “I feel like, over the years as an RTF major … I’ve been censored because I think that my classmates aren’t go- ing to get it,” Dedman says. “My biggest takeaway from Ya’Ke is to continue to write stories and characters that I can relate to.” Smith said he plans to give back to students as his ilm company grows. The ilm company awards an annual scholarship to San Antonio ilm students, one of which Smith says attends UT. elizabeth garabedian | the daily texan staff Ya’ke Smith is an independent ilmmaker and associate professor at UT who uses his movies to educate and culture students. “Exodus is not just a ilm company,” Smith said. “The goal is to one day begin pro- ducing other people’s ilms as well. I don’t think I’m the best ilmmaker in the world, but I really want to use my ilms to give back and hope- fully help other people along their journey.” 6 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018 Longhorns’ upset bid falls short as Baylor claims Big 12 title. By Justin Martinez @jthesportsdude S enior guard Brooke McCarty walked the court on Monday night to the sight of a standing ovation and with her head held high. off The scoreboard of No. 6 Texas’ game against No. 3 Baylor showed a 93-87 vic- tory for the Bears. And al- though they’d missed out on their biggest win of the season, the Longhorns felt they’d left it all on the court at the Frank Erwin Center. Texas entered the battle of the Big 12’s top two teams determined to avenge its 81- 56 loss to the Bears on Jan. 25, fighting tooth and nail with Baylor to force an 11- 11 tie with 6:13 left in the first quarter. The Bears awoke from their slumber, launching a 9-2 run fueled by six Texas turnovers. McCarty had an answer, though, as the senior guard sank a pair of con- secutive open threes to cut the Baylor lead to 23-19 at the break. “I thought our turnovers in the first quarter set us back a little bit,” Texas head coach Karen Aston said. “I thought we were playing very well de- fensively, but we just got in too much of a hurry.” Desperate to shake the TRENTON DAESCHNER SPORTS EDITOR @TEXANSPORTS TOP PERFORMERS player pts reb ast Brooke McCarty Ariel Atkins Joyner Holmes 32 15 10 2 4 9 5 1 4 the game. Despite the game seeming- ly being out of reach, Texas kept fighting. McCarty con- tinued to let it fly, drilling four 3-pointers and posting 16 points in the quarter. A late Longhorn come- back fell just short as the Bears escaped Austin with a six-point win. McCarty finished the night with a career-high 32 points on 7-of-9 shooting from deep. The strong performance was a welcomed sight for a player who has shot just 32.5 percent from 3-point range all season. Holmes also continued to show progress in the start- ing slot, finishing just shy of a double-double perfor- mance with 10 points and nine rebounds. The Longhorns (22–5, 13–3 Big 12) hope to rebound from Monday’s loss as the Big 12 tournament, and a possi- ble rematch against Baylor, looms in the distance. “I think as a competitor you never want to lose,” Mc- Carty said. “But at this point we can’t drown in our sor- rows. We have to move on to the next game. We’ll see them again.” McCarty’s career night not enough to lift Texas WOMEN’S BASKETBALL anthony mireles | the daily texan staff Senior guard Brooke McCarty drives past Baylor senior guard Kristy Wallace during No. 6 Texas’ 93-87 loss to No. 3 Baylor on Monday night at the Frank Erwin Center. McCarty scored a career-high 32 points and dished ive assists, but it wasn’t enough to propel Texas to an upset win. stingy Longhorns, Baylor hit even harder in the second quarter. The Bears began to crash the glass, out-rebound- ing an undersized Texas squad, 17-7. McCarty kept Texas above water once again, lighting up the Bears for six points as the Longhorns cut the lead to 39-35 with 50 seconds before halftime. But Baylor ended the quarter with a pair of unanswered buckets to claim a 43-35 lead at the half. “I can’t look away from the rebounding number,” Aston said. “It was very clearly the difference in the game, and there were critical moments where we couldn’t get a defensive rebound.” final- Longhorns ly landed some punches of their own in the third quarter as Joyner Holmes began to expose the Baylor frontcourt. The The sophomore forward gave an edge to a Texas team that’d been struggling to keep pace all night, scoring four points and totaling five boards in the quarter. Atkins brought the crowd to its feet with 5:33 left, fin- ishing on a fastbreak layup to give Texas a 51-50 lead — its first since 7:10 remained in the first quarter. The one-point advantage just 15 seconds as lasted Baylor senior guard Kristy Wallace sank a floater on the baseline, igniting a 14-5 Bay- lor run. The Bears created separation once again, enter- ing the fourth quarter with a 68-59 lead. The Bears went for the knockout punch in the final quarter as Baylor sophomore forward Lauren Cox sunk a right-handed hook shot, plus the foul, to give her team a 77-62 lead with 6:44 left in LONGHORNS IN THE NBA SWIMMING & DIVING Durant shines in All-Star Game, Aldridge struggles to ind minutes Longhorn men, women prepare for another run at Big 12 titles SEASON AVERAGES Kevin DURANT LaMarcus ALDRIDGE Points per game Rebounds per game Field goal percentage 26 6.8 52.3 22.4 8.4 50.1 Horford were reportedly the last picks for each team, with Aldridge headed to Team LeB- ron and Horford to Team Ste- phen. Durant played against three of his Golden State teammates on Team Stephen — Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Kevin Durant Durant shot the ball de- cently on Sunday night, going 7-of-13 from the ield and 3-of- 8 from three. He also grabbed six rebounds and passed for ive assists. He played the sec- ond-most minutes on Team LeBron. But Durant’s greatest impact came on the defensive end, where he had three steals and one block. He came up big on that end of the loor on the inal possession of the game. With less than seven seconds left, Curry attempted to get open for a game-tying three. James switched onto the much smaller guard. Curry saw an opening to his right, but met the outstretched arms of Du- rant before he could make a move. Durant and James crowded Curry until he was forced to pass the ball to shooting Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan. Durant followed the ball to DeRozan, eventually trapping him in the corner. DeRozan tried to create some space, but Durant’s hounding defense prevented him from getting a good look. DeRozan got a shot of after the buzzer, resulting in a 148-145 win for Team LeBron. Durant has had a fantas- tic defensive season, and this was just another play to sup- port that claim. Durant’s next game will be on Thursday when the Warriors face the Los Angeles Clippers. LaMarcus Aldridge While Durant was inte- gral to Team LeBron’s win, to see Aldridge struggled any time on the court for the team. Aldridge played a total of just four minutes, the sec- ond-lowest of any player in the game. He inished the night 0-for-1 from the ield and blocked one shot. Al- dridge did not see any time in the game after the 3-minute mark of the irst quarter. Aldridge’s next game will be on Friday when the Spurs play the Denver Nuggets. By Abhishek Mukund @abhishek_mukund The NBA held its annual All-Star event in Los Angeles this past weekend. Although there were no Texas alumni featured in the irst two days of festivities, Golden State Warriors small forward Kev- in Durant and San Antonio Spurs power forward LaMar- cus Aldridge represented the Longhorns during the All-star Game on Sunday night. This year saw a change in the game’s structure after last year’s game saw a risible lack of defense — the two teams scored a combined 374 points. Instead of the game being an East vs. West battle, the two highest fan-vote recipients — Cleveland Cavaliers small for- ward LeBron James and Gold- en State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry — were named team captains and picked the teams. The winning team would donate $350,000 to a charity of the winning cap- tain’s choice, while the losing team would donate $150,000 to a charity of the losing captain’s choice. James was reported to have picked Durant irst. Aldridge and Boston Celtics center Al w tch us at YOUTUBE.COM/THEDAILYTEXAN By Ross Burkhart @ross_burkhart It’s no secret that when it comes to men’s swimming and diving, Texas is the crown jewel of the Big 12. The Longhorns will try to defend their reputation as the conference’s elite by facing TCU and West Virginia this week in the Big 12 Championships at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center. Events be- gin Wednesday and continue through Saturday. No. 8 Texas has won a mind-boggling 38 consecutive conference championships under head coach Eddie Reese, including all 21 in Big 12 history. “Big 12s are going to be really fun,” senior Jonathan Roberts said. “I think there is going to be a lot of big swims dropping all over the place … Just use that energy, take it into NCAAs and we are all looking for- ward to that. It is going to be a good time.” For Roberts and fellow se- niors Jared Butler, Thomas Colket, Brett Ringgold, Joseph Schooling and Austin Temple, this week’s competition will mark the inal time that the ath- letes oicially compete in Austin as Longhorns. Schooling enters the meet with four individual and 11 relay Big 12 titles under his belt, while Ringgold and Roberts also have three individual titles in their re- spective careers. Another competitor to watch for is junior Townley Haas, who has left his mark on this meet in previous years. Haas captured two individual Big 12 titles in 2016 and another in 2017. In the diving department, sophomore Grayson Campbell and freshman Jordan Windle have been dominant all season and will look to continue their success in the one-meter and three-meter events. The two challengers com- ing into Austin are no strang- ers to the Longhorns, as the three programs have faced of in each of the last ive confer- ence championships. Texas has yet to face West Virginia this season, but the Long- horns defeated TCU, 159-108, in their inal dual-meet of the regular season. angela wang | the daily texan ile Senior Brett Ringgold competes during the Texas Invitational last December at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin. The same facility will host the Big 12 Championships this week. By Stephen Wagner @stephenwag22 The No. 4 Longhorn wom- en look to cap off their first undefeated dual-meet sea- son in 30 years by defending the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center this week. Coming off an assertive 162- 105 victory over TCU on Feb. 2, Texas hopes to carry that momentum into this week’s Big 12 Championships. The Longhorns have tra- ditionally had success in the Big 12 Championships, winning an astonishing 15 of 21 championship meets, in- cluding last year’s title. Five returning mem- bers from the 2017 cham- pionship team will look to individual defend their freestyle titles as well, including senior sprint swimmer Rebecca Millard and junior distance freestyle swimmer Joanna Evans. Evans, a 2016 Olympic competitor for The Bahamas, has had a record-breaking season in which she best- ed the school mark for the 1,650 freestyle by just over two seconds. The Olympian will be charged with leading Tex- just as she did as again against Texas A&M on Nov. 3, where she was part of a winning 400 freestyle re- lay team and individually won the 200, 500 and 1,000 freestyle events. In addition to an impres- sive college season, Evans also won silver in the 400 freestyle and a bronze in the 800 freestyle at the 2017 World University Games in Taiwan. On the diving side, soph- omore standout Alison Gib- son will look to continue her strong season, which has featured victories in the three-meter and one-me- ter dives at Arizona State and Arizona, respective- ly. Gibson was also named the Big 12’s Women’s Diver of the Week following the TCU meet. The fourth-ranked Long- horns will attempt to ce- ment an impressive season with yet another Big 12 championship by the end of the week. Events are sched- uled to begin Wednesday and conclude Saturday. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018 7 Today’s solution will appear here next issue 2 1 8 5 7 2 4 6 5 1 9 3 4 3 6 9 7 2 9 1 7 4 8 2 8 9 1 3 1 5 8 4 5 SUDOKUFORYOU 7 2 6 5 8 4 9 1 3 3 9 1 7 2 6 8 4 5 5 8 4 9 3 1 6 7 2 8 4 7 3 6 9 2 5 1 6 5 9 4 1 2 3 8 7 2 1 3 8 7 5 4 6 9 1 6 8 2 5 3 7 9 4 9 3 5 6 4 7 1 2 8 4 7 2 1 9 8 5 3 6 Music startup hosts secret shows MUSIC anthony mireles | the daily texan staff Sofar Sounds is a global movement bringing the magic back to live music by curating secret shows in Austin where local bands can showcase their music. “It is changing the way people di- gest music (because) we have curated an interesting environment for people to experience music and for artists to perform,” Cantu said. “It takes all of the white noise out because anyone who is going to get a ticket to go to a show at a place they have never heard of, and for a band they don’t even know, must really love music.” A local folk band known as the Cover Letter preformed its irst Sofar Sounds showcase at the Blu Dot last Saturday. Jacob Shipman, vocalist and guitarist for the Cover Letter, said while it is always nerve-racking to play more intimate showcases, it was extremely welcoming and fun to play to a smaller audience. LIFESTYLE CULTURE Students struggle to stuf their faces amid stufed schedules RTF professor examines minority experience with audience 8 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018 Sofar Sounds uses odd spaces to bridge artists and music enthusiasts. By Liliana Hall @lilihallllllll L ast Saturday, dozens of people showed up at the Blu Dot, a furniture store in downtown Austin — and it wasn’t because there was a sale on ottomans. Sofar Sounds used the loca- tion as a venue for a secret show where three local bands had the opportunity to showcase their music. Sofar Sounds is a music events start- up company that strives to bring mu- sicians and music lovers together in unique spaces. It is in nearly 400 cities around the world, yet it continues to be one of Austin’s best-kept secrets. Steven Cantu has been the city director for So- far Sounds Austin since 2015 and works side by side with artists to make each showcase unique. “(We connect) artists with music lov- ers,” Cantu said. “It is an environment where people are actually paying atten- tion and are actually there for the music.” The team at Sofar Sounds curates secret showcases twice a month in Aus- tin. There are typically three acts at each showcase and no headliner, and venues range from x to y — basically any ev- eryday space Sofar Sounds can get their hands on. Caroline Betik @carolinebetik Many students can relate to juggling a packed schedule and quickly grabbing a granola bar for breakfast, or a burger and fries before heading to their next class. As students take on more responsibilities, conve- nience dining has become a popular part of the culture on campus over the past years. Breakfast, lunch and din- ner were once staple meals in the lives of Americans. How- ever, many college students opt to skip meals in order to save time. As more conve- nient foods tend to dominate the marketplace, they have also won over the limited amount of cash or Bevo Bucks UT students have throughout the year. With access to Jester City Limits, Kin’s Market and many fast food shops located around UT, it’s easier to build a hab- it of fast food snacking rath- er than sitting down to eat a balanced meal. Advertising freshman Ricky Martinez said he tries to ind time to eat meals, but due to his schedule, he usually resorts to having two meals a day with snacks in between. “I prefer meals over snacks, but most of the time snacks are more convenient,” Martinez said. “I eat a lot of chips, pop- corn, peanut butter … really all the typical college student snacks. When I do eat meals, I usually grab a burger and fries from Jester City Limits, Wendy’s or Chick-il-A.” While grab-and-go food is the most opportune, this habit is not the best option for nourishing our bodies as students may think. According to The ‘Freshman 5’: A Meta-Analysis of Weight Gain in the Freshman Year of College, written by Rachel A. Vella-Zarb and Frank J. Elgar, potential predictors of weight gain among students include high junk food consumption, overeating and snacking. Jennifer Barnoud, registered dietitian at University Health Services, released a pamphlet for students titled “Food and Mood” this month that stresses the importance of a balanced meal and eating nutrient-dense snacks to sustain a regular daily food intake. “Include whole grains, lean proteins, unsaturated fats, cal- cium, fruits, and vegetables (to encompass a balanced meal),” Barnoud writes. “Choose snacks like whole fruits, nuts or whole grain crackers. Add a powerful nutritional punch to your day by having dark green and orange/red vegetables.” Undeclared freshman Estefany Mora said she un- derstands the importance of nikole pena| the daily texan staff getting the proper nutrients, but because she is so busy, she only eats meals whenever she thinks she actually should eat. “I do not normally eat the traditional three meals a day,” Mora said. “This (dinner) is my irst real meal I had in awhile. I did not eat a meal yesterday because I had class and meet- ings. I normally eat snacks like an apple or granola, some- thing with substance to get me through the day. I would prefer to have a full meal, but snack- ing is usually my best option.” In “Food and Mood,” Bar- that because noud writes “hanger” — angry hunger — is a real thing which can easily afect mood and other parts of the body, students should try to acquire adequate calories by eating every 3 to 5 hours. “Include complex carbohy- drates and protein with every meal to stabilize blood sugar and mood,” Barnoud wrote. “This also helps prevent cre- scendo eating. Eating mindful- ly encourages healthy choices and weight. It also reduces risk for extreme eating behaviors. Your body is wise. Listen to it!” CHARLES LIU & CHRIS DUNCAN LIFE&ARTS EDITORS @THEDAILYTEXAN “This is one of the coolest things that we have done,” Shipman said. “It is re- ally cool how it is invite only and (Sofar Sounds) doesn’t announce any of the bands so you really get a chance to expe- rience music at the curation of someone else’s inest.” Guests who are approved to attend will receive the location and time at least 36 hours before the showcase. Sofar en- ables guests to apply for tickets on their website up to ive days before a show, using a lottery system to select approved guests. Each invite comes with a plus one and free drinks. “To walk into a show with a complete- ly open mind is really rare,” said Angie Vanegas, a vocalist for the Cover Letter. “It is like a little adventure because nor- mally everything is always planned so to implement that element of surprise is really cool.” Beyond providing a listening room atmosphere where the artists can play their music in the most personal form, Sofar is reinventing the music culture because the focus is no longer on the person ilming the entire set in front of you but actually on the artistry being performed. “What I have noticed is, when we do work with artists, one thing they all re- ally appreciate is the audience and the amount of engagement they get after the showcase,” Cantu said. “They are in this room with these people and they are able to perform for them (while) creating real fans.” By Alexis Tatum @tatumalexis Last weekend, “Black Pan- ther” conveyed minority per- spectives through a superhero fantasy, but one UT professor creates smaller, more ground- ed pictures that discuss the trials and tribulations of everyday life for minorities. Ya’Ke Smith, an indepen- dent ilmmaker and associate pro- radio-television-ilm fessor, said he didn’t always know that he wanted to be a ilmmaker. By writing poems and short stories, Smith said he discovered that he want- ed to be a storyteller, but he eventually found ilm to be his favorite medium. “When I was 11 years old, ‘Boyz in the Hood’ came out and that ilm greatly impacted me,” Smith said. “I saw a por- trayal of black people I knew that had been dehumanized in the media and on the news. It gave them their humanity back. After seeing that, I said, ‘This is what I want to do.’” Since then, he said, he has produced a number of projects through Exodus Filmworks, the ilm company he pioneered in 2005 in his hometown of San Antonio, Texas. Smith said his productions that would feature stories otherwise go untold. Much of Smith’s work includes sto- ries about people of color and situations that are unique to that special demographics are not normally featured on big screens. “For a long time, and still today, we (minorities) often don’t have the opportunity to tell our own narratives,” Smith THEATER & DANCE says. “There’s always some- body else trying to tell us who we are. I tell stories about real people … who are struggling against a system that is liter- ally hell-bent on keeping them down in the irst place.” One of Smith’s latest proj- ects, a web series called “The Beginning and Ending of Ev- erything,” tells the story of a woman recently released from prison who goes on a journey to ind the child she gave up as a result of her sentence. Smith said he hopes that students who have never experienced the realities of his stories can learn something from them. that “I hope they see similarities between them- selves and those people, too,” Smith said. “If they were born into that circumstance and MINORITY page 5 All-women, non-binary cast breaks from status quo in ‘Enron’ play Enron once was a proud leading energy company, until its shady accounting techniques concerning debt and failed projects brought the corporation to its knees in 2001. alex briseno | the daily texan staff By Trent Thompson @trentthompsonut “Enron” tells a familiar sto- ry of one of the biggest inan- cial scandals in history, but UT Theatre and Dance brings a unique twist to the tale with an inventive cast of all wom- en and non-binary actors and imaginative display. Hannah Wolf, the play’s director and MFA graduate student, said her decision to cast non-binary actors was her intention since the project’s inception. By exercising male roles through non-male actors, Wolf’s aspiration is to allow an opportunity to question the sta- tus quo of male behavior. “There is a lot of talk in our society looking into toxic mas- culinity and power,” Wolf said. “I’m thinking speciically at what are the traits that sit on a human’s body and what they are trained to do throughout their entire life subconsciously.” Wolf said her vision is to explore these traits on bodies our society doesn’t naturally see in powerful roles. When audiences see actors who aren’t men display traits normally at- tributed to men, the absurdity of common male behavior is more obvious. When acting se- nior Annemarie Alaniz took on the role of former Enron CEO Jefrey Skilling, she saw it as an opportunity to assume an iden- tity that she normally wouldn’t be able to fulill in real life. “I know that there would probably be no other oppor- tunity to play a character this way,” Alaniz said. “Getting to take on those qualities became more than about portraying a male. It’s about portraying someone who was born with this assumed power that he automatically thinks he has.” Expanding beyond a gen- der power dynamic, Wolf’s in- terests also led her to explore how she can question typical male behavior. “The goal is for (the cast) to portray tactics that are often prescribed to the male gender,” Wolf said. “Because (I’m) a per- son who naturally does not do these gestures, I get to ques- tion what’s going on here. It’s subverting what we think the status quo is.” Acting junior Caroline Bea- gles said her role as former Enron CFO Andrew Fastow allowed her to fully realize this concept. “Whenever you play a female character, there are normally restrictions in what kinds of bounds you can break,” Beagles said. “In ‘Enron,’ I get to make ENRON page 5