An unknown man reportedly wore a bandana and a fake nose while loading a large gun during a UT online student protest of the Eyes of Texas.
The Texas Tribune reported that “a threatening incident” was reported to UT-Austin police. A student-led online event about ‘The Eyes of Texas’ was crashed by an unknown man on camera wearing a bandana over his mouth and nose and who appeared to be loading a large gun.
“The fact that a conversation about changing a song inspired someone to bring a gun to a Zoom call is just ridiculous,” said senior Irene Ameena. “And shows that this isn’t just some small debate. This is something that’s violent like it is violent to bring a gun and show it to people.”
The group leader later posted to Facebook:
Given the sensitive nature of the matter discussed on this call, we believe this was a targeted incident. We unequivocally condemn the racism and violence that have been brought up in conversations about this song and again call on the university to remove the “Eyes of Texas” as the official school song of the university.
Apparently, many students have refused to provide campus tours to potential University of Texas students due to opposition over a hanging Admissions Welcome Center plaque with Eyes of Texas lyrics.
But the UT-Austin administration so far stands by the tradition of the song, despite nearly 180 faculty members “threatening not to attend graduations… unless it’s confirmed the song won’t be played. A previous petition calling for the song’s removal had garnered close to 100 faculty signatures,” the Tribune explained.
UT-Austin history Professor Jorge Canizares-Esguerra said of the sign, “It is not sustainable because it promotes division. It’s unsustainable as a policy because it shows the world that the university is divided.”
The Tribune reported the student group alerted university officials and the UT Police Department of the threatening incident.
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