The Daily Texan 2021-04-13

A face-toface fall

DT VOLUME 121, ISSUE 59 TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021

More than 91% of classes will be held in person this fall, returning to a class distribution similar to pre-pandemic semesters. rocky higine

/ the daily texan staff

PERMANENT STAFF Editor-in-Chief Emily Caldwell Managing Editor Trinady Joslin Assoc. Managing Editors Emily Hernandez, Ariana Arredondo Director of Digital Strategy Hal Riley Director of Diversity & Inclusion Areeba Amer Internal Relations Director Sanika Nayak External Relations Director Abhirupa Dasgupta Assoc. Opinion Editors Isabelle Costello, Hannah Lopez, Julia Zaksek

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UT students abroad in Europe navigate slow vaccine rollouts as well as worries of not receiving a vaccine.

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Graduate students are urging the University to grant extensions for their research and theses due to pandemic disruptions.

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Ivan Melendez is chasing an NCAA record a year removed from playing in junior college.

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As more students become eligible for COVID-19 vaccination, they will need to take important steps to protect their vaccination cards and should not post pictures of their cards on social media, a UT spokesperson said.

The cards, provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are the same no matter where a student gets their vaccine, said Jonathan Robb, director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness at UT. The cards include important information, such as the student’s name, date of birth, the vaccine manufacturer, date and location of the vaccination, and have extra spaces where other health information, such as future booster shots, can be added, Robb said.

When students get their vaccinations, they should not post a picture of their card on social media, according to FBI guidance.

Robb said if students have already posted their cards online, they should take down the posts to protect their information from being shared. “(At UT Health Austin), we’re providing stickers that show that you’ve been vaccinated. … There’s plenty of other opportunities … to commemorate that you did get a vaccination,” Robb said.

Robb said he recommends students carry a laminated photocopy of their card or have a photo of it on

their phone available so they can quickly show proof of vaccination if needed. “(Students) will have their actual medical record card that they received. …

They’ll have a laminated version that they can carry around, and we suggest they keep their actual card that isn’t laminated in a secure location, similar to a Social Security card,” Robb said.

The Office Depot at 907 W. Fifth St. and the Staples at 1201 Barbara Jordan Blvd. both offer free copy and lamination services for vaccine cards.

If a student misplaces their card before receiving a second dose at UT Health Austin, Robb said they can still go to their second dose appointment, and they will be given a replacement with information for both their first and second doses. If they lose the card after both doses, students can go through the athenahealth portal or call 1-833-UTCARES to get a replacement card, Robb said.

Students can request a copy of their official immunization record from the Texas Department of State Health Services, an Austin Public Health spokesperson said in an email.

Undeclared freshman Mackenzie Matwick said she is attending an event this weekend that will require proof of vaccination.

“If I’m able to get a little further back to normalcy by carrying around my vaccination card or a copy of it, I will gladly do it any day,” Matwick said.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Emily Caldwell (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com

MANAGING EDITOR

Trinady Joslin (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@thedailytexan.com (512) 232-2207 news@thedailytexan.com

How to protect your COVID-19 vaccine card

By Anastasia Goodwin

(512) 471-4591

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In this week’s forum, student-athletes discuss how to balance their demanding responsibilities.

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News Editor | @THEDAILYTEXAN TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021

CAMPUS

Fall classes to be 91% in person Students should expect a “near normal fall” and to attend most of their classes on campus.

By Tori Duff @torianneduff

ore than 91% of classes will be held face to face in the fall, Kathleen Harrison, the communications manager for the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, said in an email.

Approximately 4% of class sections will be held in a hybrid format and 3% will be held exclusively online, Harrison said. Students can view class modality on the fall 2021 course schedule, which was

released by the University on April 6.

Harrison said this distribution is similar to the fall 2019 schedule, before COVID-19 caused the University to move instruction online. However, Harrison said the number of in-person versus online classes may change as the University receives more guidance on public health conditions.

“The University’s decisions are based on the latest data and information available,” Harrison said. “If conditions change, we will continue to keep the safety of our community a top priority and adjust as needed.”

The University did not provide information

regarding face-to-face, hybrid and online class distributions by college for the fall.

“As we are still very much in the midst of a pandemic — and dealing with additional concerns about new variants of the virus — the safety of our faculty, staff and students must come first, and we will continue to take appropriate precautions,” Harrison said. “Those precautions may include how we ultimately deliver instruction in the fall.”

This semester, nearly 60% of classes have been entirely remote, according to previous reporting by The Daily Texan.

Of the remaining classes, approximately 16% are in person and 26% are in a hybrid or

blended format.

In a March 11 message to the UT community, UT President Jay Hartzell said the University is planning for a “near normal fall.”

“In general, we expect the fall 2021 semester to look more like the fall 2019 semester than the fall 2020 semester,” Hartzell said in the message.

Hartzell said the UT community should plan on coming to campus regularly in the fall, with some aspects of hybrid and remote learning still in place.

Some students are looking forward to the opportunity to go back to in-person classes, but are stressed about reacclimating to the

megan fletcher

/ the daily texan staff

face-to-face environment.

Kate Springer, a youth and community studies junior, said being online has given her the opportunity to be a fulltime nanny and navigate classes, and she is worried about adjusting to being in person.

“I’m nervous about feeling like I have enough time, because if I walk to campus once or twice a day, that’s a full hour or two that (I’m traveling to) campus, … whereas if I’m waiting for a class to start online on Zoom, I can be answering emails or doing work,” Springer said.

Despite her fears, Springer said she hopes the semester will look close to her first year and a half at UT.

“Not having a genuine space to learn from people or see their body language or have a real conversation … really takes away from learning,” Springer said.

Marketing junior Claudia Wu said the unknown of whether or not classes will be face to face can cause stress. Wu said she is still excited to return to some level of normalcy if she can attend classes in person.

“Any time there’s a major shift in the structure of something that we’re used to, it will always create a transition period,” Wu said.

“But I think that in itself should not deter people from going to in-person classes.”

FORUM

E M I LY C A L D W E L L

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Editor-In-Chief | @TEXANOPINION TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021

FORUM

Student athletes open up

In this week’s Tiny Texan Stories, student athletes discuss the pressures they face.

By Daisy Kielty and Maria Sailale Forum Editors

hen you think of The University of Texas, you think of Texas sports, the passionate fanbase and the sea of burnt orange with their horns up at any

given sports event. We are an institution of higher education first, but the emphasis on athletics is continuously battling for top priority.

We’ve won 53 national championships since 1949. We’ve won 517 regular-season conference titles.

UT student-athletes have gone on to win 130 Olympic medals.

We even have nine student-athlete Rhode Scholars. All these statistics are proudly displayed on the UT “Facts & Figures” page, right next to academics and research statistics.

UT’s administration cares about academics as much as the next school, but there is no denying that its athletics program gives our school a well-known name, diehard supporters and, most of all, money.

Even with the COVID-19 pan-

demic limiting spectator attendance at sporting events, Texas Athletics still made $22.1 million in profit for the 2019-2020 athletic year, according to the Austin American-Statesman. However, that number is nothing compared to the expenses generated by the athletic department every year.

In the same athletic year, Texas Athletics spent $178.7 million on things like scholarships, coaches’ salaries and benefits and team travel, according to the Austin American-Statesman.

Although college athletics is a huge money-making business, student-athletes do not get paid a cent. Our student-athletes are expected to be full-time students and full-time athletes at one of the top schools in the country.

They must perform well both in the classroom and on the field

while also managing the general stress of college.

In this forum, we hear from two student-athletes about their experiences at UT.

As always, if you have any thoughts on this topic or any other, please feel free to reach out to us at thedailytexanforum@gmail.com.

helen brown/ the daily texan staff

FORUM

FORUM

‘But until you live through it, I think it is hard to put into words’

‘We’re trying to get through the day, every day’

By Hannah Kuper Contributor

My entrance into the athletic world of UT was different than most. I was approached on move-in day my freshman year and was told that I should try out to walk-on to the rowing team. I had never rowed in my life and knew little to nothing about the sport, but I thought it a great way to meet new people. I had heard stories throughout high school about the rigor of college

sports, but until you live through it, I think it is hard to put into words just the physical and emotional toll that college sports puts on your body. Waking up at 5:30 a.m. for a total of six days a week while having additional afternoon practices is a difficult process to put your body through. However, this type of lifestyle becomes so natural to you that you eventually find it hard to imagine doing anything else. Rowing pushed my body and mind beyond any preconceived limits I thought I had for myself. It consumed my

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.

every thought and action throughout every day and every week. After stopping rowing six months in, I came to understand the pain, joy, disappointment and reward that comes from college sports. I am grateful to have had this experience because it allowed me to understand and respect college athletes that much more.

Kuper is a political communication sophomore from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She formerly rowed for the UT Division I women’s rowing team.

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.

By Morgan Pace Contributor

Being a student-athlete is hard, especially at The University of Texas, where you’re expected to excel not only in your sport but academically as well. There are many stereotypes that come with being a student-athlete, some good and some bad, but at the end of the day we all have the same thing in common: We’re trying to get through the day, every day. Some people can manage to give their all in their sport, some can manage to give their all in their classes, but trying to give

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100% of yourself in two different things comes with a lot of weight and stress.

The most important thing we all have to do is find balance, and no one tells you how to do that — you have to figure it out on your own. One thing I personally do is meditate. Before practice, I set aside 15 minutes in the morning to do just that, to breathe, because, believe it or not, throughout the days you can forget to do that with the weight of everything surrounding you.

Pace is a government freshman from Duncanville, Texas. She currently plays for the UT Division I women’s soccer team.

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

NEWS

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New COVID-19 vaccine developed with UT technology enters human trials

By Claire Stevens @clairestvns

A cheaper and potentially more potent COVID-19 vaccine, which utilizes scientific advancements pioneered by a UT researcher, entered human clinical trials this month in Vietnam, Thailand, Brazil and Mexico.

The new vaccine, NDV-HXP-S, relies on a modification of a spike protein, the part that allows viruses to insert their genetic material into cells, called HexaPro. The McLellan Lab, which is led by Jason McLellan, an associate professor of molecular biosciences at UT, engineered the protein.

Jory Goldsmith, a graduate student at the lab, said preliminary experiments show that vaccines containing HexaPro are more potent than those with the previous stabilized spike protein because human antibodies recognize and respond to Hexapro better since the spike protein is less prone to shifting shapes.

“There is at least … some published evidence now that HexaPro vaccines are just generally better than vaccines that only have the two (mutations),” Goldsmith said Goldsmith said the lab found that the spike proteins on the surface of coronaviruses are unstable, making vaccine development more difficult.

“We realized we needed to make this protein more stable in order to make it a better vaccine, (and) make it easier to produce vaccines in larger quantities,” Goldsmith said.

After altering and testing 100 versions of the spike protein, the researchers created HexaPro by introducing six

mutations that created a more stable spike protein. The older version of the modified spike protein only possessed two mutations, and labs used it to produce currently available vaccines, including Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson.

The new vaccine is grown in chicken eggs, a common method for creating flu vaccines, making it more affordable and allowing countries to produce their own vaccine rather than importing it from elsewhere.

Administrators can store the NDVHXP-S vaccine between two and eight degrees Celsius for at least a week, said Ching-Lin Hsieh, a postdoctoral researcher at the lab.

Countries can store Pfizer vaccine vials between two and eight degrees Celcius for up to five days before mixing, Moderna vials can be stored at the same temperature for up to 30 days before being administered, and Johnson & Johnson vials can be stored at the same temperature until its expiration date, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“In terms of distributing the vaccine around the world to the low-income (and) intermediate-income countries, this type of vaccine has a huge advantage,” Hsieh said.

In terms of distributing the vaccine around the world ... this type of vaccine has a huge advantage.”

CHING-LIN HSIEH postdoctoral researcher

copyright ut austin, and reproduced with permission

Human trials for the new COVID-19 vaccine developed by a UT researcher began in April in Vietnam, Thailand, Brazil and Mexico. The new vaccine, NDV-HXP-S, includes a spike protein that allows viruses to insert their genetic material into cells.

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Graduate students ask for extended funding, program time emma george

By Sheryl Lawrence

/ the daily texan staff

@sheryl_adelle

Graduate students are urging the University to grant an extension of funding and time to complete their research, dissertations and theses.

The Graduate Student Assembly passed legislation Wednesday asking for an extension of funding and allowing zero-hour registration, which allows students to not register for any classes but still have access to University facilities, such as research centers and libraries, for at least one year.

Christina Baze, the fall 2020 assembly president, said she planned to graduate in May but had to push back her graduation to August. She said it was difficult to complete a higher-quality dissertation due to limited internet access and having to take care of her two children doing virtual classes.

“I don’t have funding for the summer (session) to pay tuition out of pocket,” said Baze, a STEM education graduate student. “It would be great if the graduate school would extend zero-hour

registration just to get rid of that one little administrative detail that I have to be registered for dissertation credits on my last semester.”

Annie Bares, co-author of the legislation and a member of Underpaid at UT, a graduate student worker organization that works to remove financial barriers for graduate students, said Underpaid at UT made a list of demands last May that include the recently passed legislation.

Other demands included providing workers with personal protective equipment if they are required to be on campus, compensating graduate students with hazard pay and reducing their tuition.

In December, the Texas State Employees Union and Underpaid at UT hosted a town hall where UT System staff, faculty and students voiced support for these and other demands related to the University’s COVID-19 response.

English graduate student Bares said she needs more time to complete her dissertation because of the switch to an

online environment.

“Myself and most other graduate students that I know spent much of the summer — especially if we were going to start teaching in the fall — really preparing and going to all kinds of workshops, reading about online teaching and giving ourselves a crash course in how to do a good job teaching online,” Bares said.

The University provided an extra COVID-19 related extension period on scholarly and creative productivity for tenured faculty, and Barnes said the University should extend these same accommodations to all graduate students.

Daedelus Hoffman, who co-authored the legislation, said some graduate students in the School of Fine Arts were adversely affected by the move online.

“You could imagine the way musicians, who rely on recording equipment (and) facilities that they couldn’t have at home … or people in dance (or) people in technical theater, who need access to

high-end equipment that they don’t have, (haven’t had access to necessary resources),” said Hoffman, an art history graduate student.

Hoffman said funding and program extensions do already occur, but vary by department.

He said the authors of the legislation are trying to limit those inconsistencies and make extensions more uniform across the University.

English graduate student Lindsey Holmes said taking her 3-yearold daughter out of childcare when the pandemic began meant she did not have a lot of time to focus on her research. Holmes said her daughter has since gone back to childcare, but the ongoing pandemic means her daughter could have to stay home again, and the pandemic’s impacts go past the classroom.

“When we first went online (in) spring 2020 there was a sense of, ‘This is crazy, just whatever you can get done is fine,’” Holmes said. “The following semester is more a backto-business-as-usual kind of thing, but my daughter was still home.”

NEWS

LIFE&ARTS

A I S L I N G AY E R S

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Life&Arts Editor | @TEXANARTS TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021

STUDENT LIFE

rocky higine

/ the daily texan staff

Student-poets talk art Three UT student-poets reflect on their different forms of art during National Poetry Month

By Lana Haffar @Haffaraway

n lowercase, italic letters, Zaynab Noormohamed delivers the punchline to a bite of brutal honesty. For her, writing poetry is a function of living.

“I think poetry is another form of a blood vessel or lifeline into my body,” said Noormohamed, an international and global studies sophomore. “Writing has allowed me to clear my mind … and come to terms with myself.”

Each April, the poetry com-

munity hosts competitions, daily prompts and writing challenges to celebrate National Poetry Month. Some student-poets have used this time to reflect on past work and their vision for the future.

“I turn 20 this April, and I want to start writing a poem every day,” Noormohamed said. “There’s a lot of growing to do between the ages of 20 and 21. I want to see how I change as a writer and a person.”

Sharing her work under the Instagram handle @zaynabeefeels, Noormohamed recently wrote poems about the Black Lives Matter movement, a letter to an eating disorder and reflections on womanhood.

Elsewhere on Instagram, sociology freshman Leah

Piñon superimposes her poetry on a background of movie stills, line art and album covers. From cutting up her grandmother’s old Vogue magazines to rearranging typewritten letters, Piñon said she enjoys mixing her original poetry with other media.

“There’s a rawness and vulnerability to making collage pieces because you’re putting art into a visual form that’s not just words,” Piñon said.

“It’s all the things I never had the courage to say.”

Piñon’s poetry takes the form of ransom notes, error messages and text conversations. During high school, she decided to share her work on Instagram at the handle @neptunespoet.

“It took me a while to make an account for it because I

felt that writing was very intimate,” Piñon said. “Now, it’s my only social media account. I’ve established myself through my poetry because it’s the most accurate representation of who I am.”

For public health junior Paranjaya Pokharel, childhood nostalgia continues to inform her work. Paired with her 35 millimeter photography are freeform meditations on family, longing and personal growth.

“People have told me that my writing feels familiar to them,” Pokharel said. “My writing seems very specific to me and my mind, but maybe those emotions come through.”

Pokharel posts her work on Instagram under the handle @parxnjaya. Because poetry

was a staple of her upbringing, she said sharing her own work has always felt like a natural process.

“My dad is a poet who writes Nepali poetry, and sometimes he would share it with me,” Pokharel said. “Seeing him use that as an outlet, it made me think that it was also okay for me to do that.”

In her poetry, Pokharel prefers to evoke a series of sensations, rather than following a concise plotline. She said she sometimes struggled with the connotations of the word poet to describe herself.

“I feel like an imposter saying that,” Pokharel said. “(But) when I heard the word poet, I never thought of it as a pretentious, far-off thing. …

It’s just an extension of how I express myself.”

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LIFE&ARTS

STUDENT LIFE

UT students studying abroad in Europe experience COVID-19 vaccine challenges

By Jennifer Errico @Errico_Jenny

Every night at 7 p.m., Katie Berger must be inside her apartment in France. If she wants to leave the next morning, she has to fill out a government form explaining why.

“I see my friends (in Texas) just eating in a restaurant and sometimes get FOMO,” said Berger, a public relations and journalism junior.

Berger is studying abroad in Reims until May, where France has implemented a third nationwide lockdown. Other European countries, such as Germany and Belgium, also initiated lockdowns in response to the 1.2 million new COVID-19 cases reported across Europe in mid-March.

Whether they call Europe home or are just there for a semester, some UT students are navigating European vaccine rollouts.

The European Union has signed agreements with major vaccine companies to secure 2.6 billion doses, hoping 70% of all adults will be completely vaccinated by September.

The EU allocates vaccines to each country, but vaccine distribution is determined by the member states.

Vaccine rollouts across the EU have been slow due to negotiation contracts, supply shortages and the temporary withdrawal of AstraZeneca

rollout because of links to blood clots.

Berger said as of Monday, she is still not eligible to receive the vaccine, according to France’s rollout guidelines.

“None of my friends here have (been vaccinated) because of the slow rollout,” Berger said.

“It’s funny because everyone (in Europe) makes fun of America for everything except the vaccine rollout.”

She said she plans on making an appointment to receive her first dose the day she returns to Texas in May. “I feel behind,” Berger said.

“I see all my friends at UT getting their vaccines and I’m like, ‘Wait, I want one too. I want to be able to hang out with everybody (again).’”

Audrey Black, an international relations and global studies, government, and history junior, said she was lucky enough to be fully vaccinated before leaving for Barcelona in March. She received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine at UT. “I’m the only person (I know) here that is vaccinated, like has any dose,” Black said. “I’m super thankful because it would be extra scary getting COVID-19 in a foreign country.”

Black said Spain is distributing vaccines based on province demand. Barcelona, a province of Catalonia, has one of the lowest rollouts because only 20% of residents are 65 years or older.

destiny alexander

Plan II freshman Isabel Carey, who is from London, moved to Austin to attend UT in August. She received her first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine Thursday at Gregory Gym. “I obviously didn’t want to jump in front of anyone who truly needed it, but given the opportunity, I wasn’t going to waste it,” Carey said. “The U.K. has a different system of doling it out to the population, and I’m in the lowest (priority) category, so I don’t know when I could get it.”

Carey said she will be traveling back to the U.K. to visit her family and friends in May and

/ the daily texan staff

will be fully vaccinated by then.

Despite the battle against COVID-19, Berger and Black said they are thankful for their opportunity to study abroad, and Carey said she is grateful for how supportive the UT community has been.

“There have been a lot of ethical questions each country has had to deal with throughout the pandemic like who we prioritize first, which vaccine is the most effective, how we counterbalance the mental health crisis,” Carey said. “This is still a global pandemic. We are all undergoing the same struggles together.”

SPORTS

C A R T E R YAT E S

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Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021

WOMEN’S TENNIS

turati, texas create chemistry hannah clark

/ the daily texan file

Senior Anna Turati makes a return against Baylor on March 28, 2021 at the Texas Tennis Center. As one of three seniors on the Longhorns’ team, Turati has helped teach the underclassmen the importance of selflessness in a conventionally individual sport.

The Longhorns are on pace for their best record since joining the Big 12 conference

By Sam Starr @sam_starr_

ennis is an individual sport by nature, but this year, the Texas women’s program fostered a genuine chemistry that has propelled them to a 20–1 record.

The Longhorns are on pace for their best season since joining the Big 12 Conference in 1997, with their only loss coming against No. 1-ranked North Carolina on Feb. 7. Coming into the year with six freshmen on a team of 11 players, the Texas women’s tennis team has bonded together through competition in practice and selflessness on match day, head coach

Howard Joffe said. “(They are all) very lovely and high caliber people,” Joffe said. “They’ve been quite selfless with each other, and that’s allowed them to sort of grow together and work together in a complimentary way.”

All teams thrive on competition, but this particular team has cultivated an element of support for one another that most others in their sport lack.

The camaraderie certain players have with each other isn’t the main factor in who he picks as doubles tandems, but it has helped the Longhorns remain dominant in that area all season, Joffe said.

“It’s not really a function of chemistry.” Joffe said. “But the fact (that) the kids have chemistry together, I would say, is

helping performance for sure.”

The extensive freshman class is a perfect example of chemistry off the court leading to success on it, as Lulu Sun and Kylie Collins have scaled the national doubles ranks and landed among the top 10 duos in the country at No. 7.

Perhaps they have been provided an example through the play of senior duo Anna Turati and Fernanda Labraña. “(I) didn’t know that it would go as well as it has gone, but (Lulu Sun and Kylie Collins) proved to be a very formidable team at No. 1 doubles,” Joffe said. “Anna (Turati) and Fernanda (Labraña) are another doubles team, and it just so happens that they are roommates and excellent friends, ... and they just seemed like a natural fit.”

After playing together for four

seasons, Turati and Labraña have developed a solid friendship that has aided in their impressive 11–0 doubles match record this season, Turati said in a pre-recorded interview with Longhorn Network that ran on her senior night, April 2. “(Labraña is) always happy and positive. On the court we understand each other — we know when we need help, when we need more energy or when we’re struggling,” Turati said on her senior night. “We can really be a dangerous doubles couple.”

Turati and Labraña are role models for the younger freshmen as two of only three seniors on the team, Joffe said.

“One of the interesting parts of being international, which Fernanda (Labraña) and Anna (Turati) are, is ... the idea that

they can compete at the highest level (at UT) is something (they) really appreciate and really love,” Joffe said. “The freshmen on our particular team see that level of devotion and so forth and just embrace that.”

Turati’s love for her team has not gone unnoticed, and she has fostered close relationships among the Longhorns this season. The senior from Barzano, Italy, continues to teach the younger athletes the importance of selflessness in a conventionally individual sport.

Turati’s hard work in team building has led to Texas maintaining their No. 2-ranking throughout the season.

“I fell in love with the program, and I love Texas here — the coaches, my girls — so I’m just very happy I came here,” Turati said on her senior night.

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SPORTS

FEATURE

Melendez hunting for NCAA record in first season with UT

andrew zamora / the daily texan file

Redshirt sophomore Ivan Melendez trots home during a game against Kansas State on April 9, 2021 at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. Melendez has record seven home runs in his last six games and is chasing the NCAA Division I record for most consecutive games with a home run (8).

By Vicente Montalvo @VMont20

Last season, Ivan Melendez played in the NJCAA for Odessa College and batted .354 through 22 games. This year, Melendez is chasing Division I baseball history as the hottest hitter on the Texas Longhorns.

Two people currently hold the record for most consecutive games with a home run at eight: Duke pitcher Ryan Jackson, set in 1994, and Georgia Tech third baseman Andy Bruce in 1991.

Redshirt sophomore infielder Melendez currently has six consecutive games with a home run, and he hit two bombs in the team’s last game against Kansas State on Sunday. Melendez said he still hasn’t gotten used to his phone blowing up with

congratulatory messages and social media mentions.

“The last time I’ve gotten this much attention on social media is when I committed here,” Melendez said during a press conference Sunday. “I don’t know if it’s just the University and the brand or the logo, but I think just being here is pretty awesome.

It gives you the attention (you strive for).”

When only looking at hitters who have had at least two plate appearances and have played in 75% of Longhorn games this season, Melendez leads the team in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base plus slugging and RBI. His recent performances over the past two weeks have garnered recognition from the conference. He was tabbed as

the Big 12’s Co-Newcomer of the Week on April 5 before earning Big 12 Player of the Week on Monday.

Head coach David Pierce said he knew he had a productive player when Melendez made the transition from junior college to Division I, but he did not expect him to chase NCAA records.

“I think everybody’s a little taken back,” Pierce said during Sunday’s conference. “We knew he could hit. He’s the best guy, potentially the best hitter on the team.”

Before Melendez was chasing history at UT, he was a high school prospect from El Paso, Texas at Coronado High School. Despite receiving First Team All-State honors as a senior, Melendez received only one offer at the Division I level.

“I only had one Division I offer out of high school, which was New Mexico State,” Melendez said during a press conference Wednesday. “It didn’t work out for my family and me. I thought that going (to junior college) was the best decision for my career.”

Once at Odessa College, Melendez’s power hitting caught the eye of several major college programs. Texas, however, might not have taken a chance on the infielder had it not been for the advice of nineyear MLB veteran and UT alum Omar Quintanilla.

Quintanilla and Melendez both hail from El Paso, Texas, and according to Quintanilla’s Instagram page, he worked with the current Longhorn on his game.

“We got a pretty good tip from

a former University of Texas player that played in the big leagues: Omar Quintanilla,” Pierce said at the Wednesday conference.

“It was just a great combination of we needed a power bat, Omar gave him a great endorsement, and then he was ready to move on.”

Melendez has the opportunity to tie the record during a midweek, two-game series against Nevada. If he gets through that series, he can break the record Friday against Abilene Christian.

While Texas fans will watch with anticipation every at-bat Melendez has over the next three games, the junior college transfer said he is not changing his approach at the plate.

“I don’t really think about it,” Melendez said. “I just go out there and just try to hit the ball and help the team win.”

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Summer 2021 Courses

GET AHEAD THIS SUMMER The university offers summer classes at lower rates in order to support our students’ paths to success and promote continued learning in the community.

Special rate for summer classes.

Specific high-demand courses in summer 2021 will be offered at a discounted rate of $500 (for undergraduate Texas residents) and $2,000 (for undergraduate non-Texas residents).

In addition, summer tuition rates for undergraduate students are 25% off of the 2020-21 long semester rates. Graduate and professional rates are 15% off of the 2020-21 long semester rates. More information can be found at onestop.utexas.edu/summer.

Registration for Summer 2021 is open April 19 – 30

Summer rates may not apply to Option III. Students in Option III programs should check with the program administrator for tuition rate information.