Racial Geography and Waller Creek Tours
Dr. Gordon led the class on a tour of campus and gave a rundown of the university’s racial history and how racism is still immortalized through different statues and buildings on campus. One example of how racism is still prevalent in UT’s architecture includes Littlefield Mansion, which housed ex-Confederate slave-owning benefactor George W. Littlefield and his former slave. Along with that, Dr. Gordon indicated how some statues, such as a statue of George Washington, were meant to portray him as the ‘Father of the Confederacy’. This urged the class to think critically about how racism is built into UT’s history.
Then, Dr. Banner led the class on a tour along Waller Creek to explain and indicate certain effects of urbanization on Waller Creek’s water quality, quantity, streamflow, and channel morphology. The class received valuable information about the negative impact urbanization can have on ecosystem services such as flood mitigation, biodiversity, and even recreation. To further illustrate urbanization’s negative impact on water quality, the class measured pH and TDS values of the water at several different spots along the stream and discussed possible sources of contamination.
![Img 0312 Group Picture With Dr. Ted Gordon 1](https://www.esi.utexas.edu/files/IMG_0312_Group-picture-with-Dr.-Ted-Gordon-1-800x600.jpeg)
![Img 0348 Picture Of Window Outside The Ut Tower Showing Features Of Athena And Aphrodite](https://www.esi.utexas.edu/files/IMG_0348_Picture-of-window-outside-the-UT-Tower-showing-features-of-Athena-and-Aphrodite-800x600.jpg)
![Img 0357 Dr Ted Gordon Pointing Out Observations To Attentive Students In Front Of The Ut Tower](https://www.esi.utexas.edu/files/IMG_0357_Dr-Ted-Gordon-pointing-out-observations-to-attentive-students-in-front-of-the-UT-Tower-800x600.jpg)
![Img 0368 The Little Field Fountain Which Symbolizes A Much Militaristic Past Of The Us Around Ww 1](https://www.esi.utexas.edu/files/IMG_0368_The-Little-Field-Fountain-which-symbolizes-a-much-militaristic-past-of-the-US-around-WW-1-800x600.jpg)
![Img 0382 A Sewage Manhole In The Middle Of A Flowing Waller Creek](https://www.esi.utexas.edu/files/IMG_0382_A-sewage-manhole-in-the-middle-of-a-flowing-Waller-Creek-800x600.jpg)
![Img 0384 Students Taking Field Notes As Dr.banner Explains Some Aspects Of Urban Stream Syndrome](https://www.esi.utexas.edu/files/IMG_0384_Students-taking-field-notes-as-Dr.Banner-explains-some-aspects-of-Urban-Stream-Syndrome-800x600.jpg)
![Img 0416 Students And Dr.banner Crossing Waller Ck To Make Some Better Observations](https://www.esi.utexas.edu/files/IMG_0416_Students-and-Dr.Banner-crossing-Waller-Ck-to-make-some-better-observations-800x600.jpg)
![Img 0421 Dr.banner Pointing Runoff Source Below The Swimming Pool](https://www.esi.utexas.edu/files/IMG_0421_-Dr.Banner-pointing-runoff-source-below-the-swimming-pool-800x600.jpeg)
![Img 0430.ut Infrastructure Trying To Straighten Out Waller Creek](https://www.esi.utexas.edu/files/IMG_0430.UT-infrastructure-trying-to-straighten-out-Waller-Creek-800x600.jpeg)
![Img 3322 Fossil In Waller Creek](https://www.esi.utexas.edu/files/IMG_3322_-Fossil-in-Waller-Creek-800x600.jpg)
![Img 3340 Group Picture With Students And Dr. Gordon In Front Of Littlefield Fountain](https://www.esi.utexas.edu/files/IMG_3340_Group-picture-with-students-and-Dr.-Gordon-in-front-of-Littlefield-Fountain-800x600.jpg)
![Img 3343 Disconnected Sanitary Sewer Pipeline In Waller Ck](https://www.esi.utexas.edu/files/IMG_3343_Disconnected-sanitary-sewer-pipeline-in-Waller-Ck-800x600.jpg)
![Img 5870 Large Amounts Of Trash In Waller Ck And Near Bald Cypress Tree](https://www.esi.utexas.edu/files/IMG_5870_Large-amounts-of-trash-in-Waller-Ck-and-near-Bald-Cypress-Tree-800x600.jpg)
![Img 5878 Pneumatophores Near The Bank Of Waller Ck](https://www.esi.utexas.edu/files/IMG_5878_pneumatophores-near-the-bank-of-Waller-Ck-800x600.jpg)
![Img 5881 Students Staking Notes At Waller Ck With Storm Drain In Background 1](https://www.esi.utexas.edu/files/IMG_5881_Students-staking-notes-at-Waller-Ck-with-Storm-Drain-in-background-1-800x600.jpg)