Issue #11 Fall 2012

HILLTOP VIEWS

St. Edward’s University • Wednesday, November 28, 2012 • Volume 32 • Issue 11 • hilltopviewsonline.com

Theft increases, police recover stolen property Jenna Jaco jjaco2@stedwards.edu

During the month of November, the St. Edward’s University Police Department [UPD] recovered about $10,000 worth of property, according to Alice Gilroy, crime prevention officer at UPD. “[Theft] has been happening in different places around campus. There’s always an uptick in the holiday season,

as bad as that “She was just walking sounds,” Gilroy said. and this girl ran up One student behind her... and recently observed a suspigrabbed her purse with cious person her laptop and stuff in walking near a dorm in the it.” early morning.

-Alice Gilroy, UPD UPD detained the man and found he was locks of several other bikes. riding a stolen bike. The man On Nov. 14, UPD found later admitted to cutting the three cut bike locks and bikes

hidden among some trees.

Officers suspect these bikes were placed to be picked up later by thieves.

Gilroy attributes these recoveries to the joint efforts of students and UPD officers.

“That was just quick action on the part of the student, and the officers following their leads,” Gilroy said.

“They didn’t just sit on it and think about it, they took direct action and called us.”

However, officers can not

recover all stolen objects. In November, a student was walking through the parking lot between East Hall and Theresa Hall when a woman ran up behind her and stole the student’s bag off her shoulder.

“She was just walking around minding her own business, and this girl ran up behind her ... and grabbed her purse with her laptop and stuff in it,” Gilroy said.

Since the victim was unable

to read the license plate number on the car the thief used to get away, UPD was unable to retrieve the student’s bag.

Gilroy said this kind of crime on campus is rare.

“I’ve worked [with UPD] four years, and I think that’s the first time we’ve had someone physically assaulted and robbed on campus,” Gilroy said.

Gilroy said preventative AWARENESS | 3

Construction projects moving forward to completion next fall Jacques Mercier des Rochettes jmercie2@stedwards.edu

Construction projects on campus are moving forward.

The old library building has been partially demolished, and the future expansion to the science building, John Brooks Williams Natural Sciences Center – South, is progressing.

“Everything is on schedule,” university spokesperson Mischelle Diaz said.

Construction on the new science building started eight months ago, and the library

renovation started in Sept.

Both buildings will be available for use in fall 2013.

“Nothing out of the normal construction practices happened,” Associate Vice President of Facilities Michael Peterson said.

Although demolition had already begun, groundbreaking for the renovated library, which will be called the Munday Library, took place on Nov. 1.

Peterson said the first two concrete floors of the new science building have been poured, and the site utilities have been set.

The two construction sites show that St. Edward’s University is growing, but Diaz said what students can see now is not everything.

“The constructions … are the second phase of our master plan,” Diaz said.

This Master Plan leads university growth through 2015.

The library project and the science building’s expansion are only the Master Plan’s first steps.

The Master Plan also proposes several important changes for the coming years. Beginning next fall, the LIBRARY | 4

Photo by Renee Cornue Construction progress on the new science building includes recently poured concrete floors.

7 | LIFE & ARTS

10 | SPORTS

14 | VIEWPOINTS

Shoppers waited in line for as long as 19 hours to shop at the new H&M.

The founder of the newly established Club Tennis team is ranked nationally.

Op-ed piece nostalgic for cancelled TV shows like “Arrested Development.”

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS 2 NEWS Campus coffee shop introduces punch card discount incentive Adam Crawley dcrawle@stedwards.edu

This semester, Jo’s coffee shop on campus has made punch cards available to students. The Customer Appreciation Cards enable students to get a free drink from the coffee bar after purchasing 10 bar drinks.

Students agree that this development brings an incentive to purchasing coffee at the store. But as of right now, the level of awareness seems relatively low.

"It needs to be more publicized, for sure," junior Michael Darling said.

Darling also said that this punch card system provides a definite incentive for students to purchase coffee, but since it does not currently apply to products other than bar drinks, he thinks that the punch card system should be expanded to include all coffee shop products.

Photo by Amy Barrientos Student organizations can host events in Jo’s coffee shop.

For students who regularly indulge in caffeine fixes, the punch card system is a wel-

come addition.

"For people like me who drink coffee religiously, it's a

definite incentive to purchase more coffee," senior Andrew Weber said. "I didn't know about it at all, though. At the very least, they should put up flyers or posters, or a small flyer at the register about [the cards]."

With this new development in mind, it is important to note what makes the on-campus Jo’s different from the other locations on South Congress Avenue and Second Street.

Jo’s is another in a line of coffee franchises that have occupied the room at the corner of the Ragsdale building.

It replaced Texenza in 2010, and with the new ownership came new features.

“The most striking difference [from Texenza] to me is quality,” Kara Casteel, manager of the on-campus Jo’s and former Texenza employee, said. “We have a higher quality of product in general, and this year we’re now doing the

customer appreciation cards.

Hopefully we can order some site-specific ones soon.”

At the other Jo’s locations, customers can get 10 percent discounts by using an Austin goLocal card. The St. Edward’s University location equivalent is a 10 percent discount if students use Topper Tender.

Another difference between the St. Edward’s Jo’s and other Austin locations is that the Jo’s on campus is a college location. Therefore, it has a bit less freedom than the other Jo’s locations in Austin.

“The South Congress Jo’s is different because it’s not on campus,” Casteel said. “They host a lot of events such as open mic nights and Hot Rod rallies. We want to incorporate some of what they do so that students can enjoy what they have on campus.”

To this end, the St. Edward’s Jo’s makes itself open to any student organization

that wants to host an event.

“I want to bring some of the atmosphere of the South Congress Jo’s to St. Edward’s,” Casteel said. “This campus is so conducive to the arts. I want students to feel like this is their coffee shop … I would love to support events."

The coffee shop is a popular place for the Penniless Poets event, an opportunity for students to share their poetry with others.

Occasional open mic nights also find a home at Jo’s. Currently, there are about three to six events hosted at the coffee shop per month, according to Casteel.

Casteel urges any student who wants to host an event to talk to the University Programming Board to arrange logistics.

For students interested in attending an event, the next open mic night is on Nov. 29.

Language barriers not problematic for some in Angers program Bridget Carter bcarter5@stedwards.edu

While there is no French language prerequisite for students to participate in the study abroad programs in Angers, France, students and faculty said language barriers were largely a non-issue in their experience.

Although students are not required to take a language before studying abroad in Angers, all students take French language classes during the program, whether for the summer or for a semester at the Catholic University of the West, UCO. The summer program differs from semester-long programs in that any student may study in Angers with

no previous background in French. Students studying in the fall or spring semesters are required to at least take French I while living and studying in Angers.

Since 2010, three students from St. Edward’s University have participated in the semester-long exchange program, meaning they were enrolled at the host university taking courses alongside UCO students. More students study abroad in Angers through faculty-led programs that enables participants to take classes taught by St. Edward’s professors with a group of fellow Hilltoppers.

“Although it was harder to understand the locals, many people in our group were familiar with the language,”

senior Missy Christman said.

Christman studied in Angers last summer without any previous formal French language instruction.

“It may be considered rude to the locals if you don’t speak French, but I got to learn about the French culture while taking a CULF class and visiting local markets," Christman said.

William Nichols, a global studies professor, has taught courses in Sevilla, Spain each semester since 2005. Because of his experience living in other countries, he was asked to help lead the program in Angers during the fall semester of 2009. Though fluent in Spanish, Nichols does not speak French.

“Of course the more lan-

guage you have, the more you French language requirement are able to interact. I’d apolo- said Esmeralda Hoang, an gize for not speaking French international education coorand they’d apologize for not dinator for the Office of Inspeaking English,” Nichols said “We don’t want to of his interaction with people in hinder the possibility Angers. for a student to Nichols believes that beexperience studying cause Angers is abroad.” a smaller city, the locals may - Esmerelda Hoang, international be more forgiveducation coordinator ing of foreigners who do not speak French.

“We do not want to create barriers for ternational Education. students to study abroad in “We want to give the opAngers,” Nichols said. portunity to any student.

Avoiding barriers is the We don’t want to hinder the reason for the absence of a possibility for a student to

experience studying abroad,” Hoang said.

Hoang also believes that by studying in another country, a student can learn the language much more quickly.

Taelor Russel, a global studies major, resided in apartments while living in Angers. Russell experienced the French way of life by immersing herself in the culture with other French and bilingual students.

“I don’t feel like I was cheated because I’m not fluent in French,” Russell said.

For more information on studying in Angers, visit the Office of International Education.

NEWS 3

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS

Awareness, quick action key to minimizing crime on campus

Meal plans, study spaces topics of forum discussion

Continued from page 1

Gilroy said preventative measures against theft can include anything from locking room doors to walking in groups at night. “[The victim] was alone. If she’d been with somebody it probably wouldn’t have happened, but she was just walking by her dorm and felt perfectly safe,” Gilroy said.

Jana Soares, a resident assistant for LeMans Hall, said security awareness is important inside resident halls.

“As soon as you notice someone in the building that’s not a resident of the building, report it to your RA or RD,” Soares said.

Gilroy said theft can still occur without people physically breaking into a building.

“Some of the thefts occur when people let somebody piggyback in on the front door ... We’ve had people wake up with people in their room. We’ve had people walk in and see people in their room,” Gilroy said.

Soares said common sense can be the best tool to promote safety in the residence halls.

KNOWINGYOUR SGA

Adam Crawley dcrawle@stedwards.edu

Photo by Veronica Adams UPD has recovered several stolen bikes over the past month.

“Keep your doors locked, keep your keys with you, don’t leave your things out in the lobby,” Soares said.

Students can take further action to protect their possessions. Gilroy said engraving items and knowing serial numbers can help recover the item should theft occur.

“We can’t prove that it’s not their property unless we know what the stolen property number is. We have to let people go with stolen property sometimes because there’s no way to identify it,” Gilroy said.

Gilroy said the most effective defense against crime on campus is awareness and prompt action.

“The best thing we’ve got going for us ... is the student and faculty and staff help, keeping their eyes open and calling us when they see suspicious stuff,” Gilroy said.

Students can call UPD to report suspicious activity or a crime.

“We have such a nice campus,” Gilroy said. “It’s relatively safe because everybody works together to keep it that way.”

Meal plan prices will increase next year, said a speaker at a recent Student Government Association forum.

A guest speaker attended the SGA public forum in which several new acts of legislation were passed.

Additionally, several new acts of legislation were passed.

The Nov. 22 event began with the director of auxiliary services, Mike Stone, who presented about the upcoming increases in meal plan rates for 20122013. Due to a projected increase in food and drink prices for the year, students’ meal plan rates will increase by a small amount.

“We changed the meal plan structure in 20112012 in order to ensure sufficient funds to sustain a campus cafeteria,” Stone said. “This will take the burden off of on-campus residents to sustain our cafeterias. There are forecasts for food and drink price increases which means that operation prices are going to increase.”

The school will continue to require all enrolled students to purchase a meal plan. The commuter plan will be the smallest.

“This plan is a way to minimally change the plan

due to food price increase mittee to help with depressures and take the signing the class ring. The burden off of on-campus eventual goal is to have residents, who have to this implemented soon.” purchase the meal plans The vote for this act was in order to sustain opera- passed unanimously. tion,” Stone said.

Another act introduced St. Edward’s meal plan was named Student Temis cheaper than most porary Area for Testing schools, said Stone.

Excellence or STATE. “Most schools have a This act would aim to cremuch higher cost for their ate a study area for stumeal plans, and we believe dents during finals week. that we have found a way “This bill would help to revise our meal “This development plan to fit with these of an official class new food ring will create a p r i c e s ,” Stone said. new tradition for St. After Edward’s campus.” this presentation, - Harrison Hadland, SGA senator various new acts of legislation were brought to the table. with the general planning The first act was to estab- of a study space for final lish a committee for an of- exams coming up. This ficial class ring tradition. bill … would help finance “This will be the final this study space because step in this process and of the lack of study space solidifying our position at the library,” SGA senain regards to the develop- tor Le’Darrion Allen said. ment a unified class ring This bill was also voted tradition. This develop- in unanimously. ment of an official class Other bills introduced ring will create a new revolved around helping tradition for St. Edward’s other student organizacampus and increase tions. the symbolic and social The SGA public forums capital of the University’s are open to all students community,” SGA senator who want to learn about Harrison Hadland said. campus events and put “It looks like we will be questions to SGA officers. doing a partnership with Balfour and have a com-

4 NEWS Library and science building construction advances on time Continued from page 1

Alumni Gym will be renovated to bring the building up-to-date.

“The restrooms need to be updated, and there is no air conditioning,” Diaz said.

The University Federal Credit Union gave $1.7 million for this renovation. As a result, the new gym will be named the University Federal Credit Union Alumni Gym. Peterson said that starting next year, the university will remodel the Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel.

Also, Mang House will be demolished and replaced with a new Campus Ministry building separated from the chapel by an all-faiths meditating garden. During the construction, Campus Ministry will manage its numerous activities from the third floor of Doyle Hall.

The Master Plan also includes projects such as renovations to East Hall — replacing paint, carpets, showers and fire sprinklers — and to some of the apartment buildings. These changes are projected to take place over the summer.

Over winter break, the area around the root base of Sorin Oak will be expanded to protected the tree.

While the campus is undergoing this period of change,

Photo by Renee Cornue The library renovation is part of a master improvement plan.

students, faculty and different university services can expect some constraints.

Kirsten Taylor, a student who goes to class in Fleck Hall, feared the construction projects would interfere with her commute.

“I thought that at first it would be a hindrance getting to class ... But it’s not a big deal at all,” Taylor said.

However, the construction does limit the number of parking spots on campus.

“It’s unfortunate that we don’t have a library,” Taylor

said. Nonetheless, current library services are still available on the third floor of Doyle Hall.

Diaz said that even though these changes can cause temporary inconvenience, they are all part of a larger agenda to improve the campus “It can be a little bit disruptive, but it really will enhance the way students can live and learn here,” Diaz said. “We are trying to build places that create a sense of place for students.”

CORRECTIONS The Nov. 14 issue contained factual errors. The Global Student Exchanges graphic on pg. 1 conveyed that 33 students from St. Edward’s University studied abroad at the Catholic University of the West in Angers, France. Rather, 3

St. Edward’s students participated in the student exchange program in Angers, not including students who have studied in France under faculty-led programs.

The story “Romantic comedy set in 1950s provides a charming evening”

contained two misnomers.

Actor David Stahl was listed as George Stahl. The article also stated that Matt Garcia played character Bo Decker. Rather, David Cameron Allen played Bo Decker.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS

HILLTOP VIEWS

JOIN US! Hilltop Views is seeking writers, photographers, videographers & designers to contribute to its 33rd volume...

Come to our first budget meeting next semester to pick up assignments:

WEDNESDAY JAN. 23, 2013 5PM • MOODY HALL 209

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS

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GAMES 5

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6

LIFE & ARTS Beloved holiday tradition Trail of Lights returns WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS

Bryanna Estrada bestrad@stedwards.edu

Austin has celebrated Christmas with the beloved Trail of Lights for almost half a century. However, a lack of funding led to a two-year hiatus for the tradition.

Starting Dec. 16, the Trail of Lights at Zilker Park is back and free to the public.

Thanks to a collaboration with RunTex, Forefront Austin and Austin Parks and Recreation, the Trail of Lights will be back and better than ever.

The trail costs about $1 million, according to the event's website. Due to this, many corporate and individual donations are required to fund

Wikimedia Commons A large light tree is the most iconic Trail of LIghts installation.

the massive undertaking.

While the city will not be allocating any money, sponsors such as H-E-B, Dell,

Samsung, Seton Healthcare Family and Vista Equity Partners have come forward to help fund the Trail of

Lights.

Many individual donors have also stepped up to bring back the tradition they grew up with.

The Trail of Lights dates back to 1965, but then it was called Yulefest. It was not until 1992 that it became known as the Trail of Lights.

An eight-day event running for the public from Dec. 1623, the Trail of Lights will kick off with a 5K run starting at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 15.

The following day will be the Grand Opening, from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m.

The rest of the event will play host to a different theme every evening the event runs.

Examples include Military Appreciation Night, Unique-

ly Austin Night and Heritage Night.

School Spirit Night takes place on Dec. 20. Students are encouraged to come out wearing their school colors.

On Caroling Night, Dec. 21, the goal is to break the world record for most carolers singing.

There will also be Santa/Elf Night where visitors are to come sporting a Santa hat or elf ears then later closing the event is the Grand Closing.

If the return of the Trail of Lights is not enough, H-E-B is also doing something new.

Recently, the company has adopted a literacy initiative with the hope of encouraging parents to read to their kids – every child that attends will

receive a free book.

Like past years, the event is free and promises to provide a lot of food and drinks, as well as fun performances.

The new and improved Trail of Lights has also placed a huge emphasis on volunteerism, philanthropy and non-profit work in this year's event.

The Trail of Lights Village, sponsored by Dell, will be a large tent on the Zilker grounds housing 23 different central Texas non-profits throughout the three days.

The organizations provide interactive activities to get their message out and increase their reach in the community.

WEEKLY ‘FLIX FIX | “I Can’t Think Straight” British film explores taboo cross-cultural lesbian relationship Chloe Kirkpatrick ckirkpa@stedwards.edu

Weekly ‘Flix Fix takes the legwork out of wading through thousands of film choices on Netflix, bringing you the most truly bizarre, quirky and outright amazing gems instant streaming has to offer.

The thing about lesbian films is that they usually are not great. They usually are not terrible, either. For whatever reason, be it a low budget or a lack of mainstream interest, lesbian films never seem to live up to their potential.

“I Can’t Think Straight,” a 2008 film starring Lisa Ray, as Tala and Sheetal Sheth as Leyla, is no exception. The film tells the story of Tala, a wealthy Jordanian woman

who is preparing to wed her ing them from being together fourth fiancé, and Leyla, a openly: their male significant British woman from a Mus- others and their parents, who lim Indian family who is dating “Since Leyla and Tala Tala’s best friend Ali. come from different The two wombackgrounds, they en meet through Ali and become must deal with their fast friends, families’ traditions eventually realand expectations in izing that their relationship is different ways.” more than just a friendship. Leyla’s younger sister becomes suspicious of Leyla's obviously do not know their relationship with Tala even daughters are gay. before anything sexual hapSince Leyla and Tala come pens between the two – Le- from different backgrounds, yla’s love for Tala is obvious. they must deal with their The two women must deal families’ traditions and exwith various factors prevent- pectations in different ways.

While a story of two ‘straight’ women falling for one another is nothing new in the world of lesbian cinema, Tala’s and Leyla’s backgrounds are what make this story unique.

“I Can’t Think Straight” has a lot of potential, but the film is not executed as well as it could have been. The lead actresses are great, but the acting from the supporting cast lacks realism. Leyla’s mother reads like a caricature of a British Indian woman, and Tala’s upper-class Middle Eastern family is equally outlandish. Also, the actress who plays Tala’s youngest sister Zina appears to be white, not Middle Eastern.

While there was nothing terribly wrong with “I Can’t Think Straight,” the film

Courtesy of Enlightenment Productions The lesbian relationships depicted in the film are controversial.

probably would have been better if it had a bigger budget. Most of the film's shortcomings were obviously due to lack of resources. Despite

the interesting story, the cinematography was cheesy at times, and the supporting cast was equally cheesy.

LIFE & ARTS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS

H&M opens at The Domain to a crowd of over one thousand Brooke Blanton bblanto@stedwards.edu

It is 5 p.m. on a Friday night. A mother, her daughter and her niece have arrived at their sleeping place for the night.

Armed with blankets, the three shoppers spent the 50-degree November night on the ground at The Domain. These were not desperate circumstances. They chose to sleep outside that night to wait in line for the opening of a new clothing store, H&M, that would not occur for another 19 hours.

Cousins Marisa Guevara, 15, and Briana Hernandez, 16, from Pflugerville, Texas were the first of 1,100 people in line when the doors opened to H&M on Nov. 17.

For being first in line, Guevara and Hernandez received t-shirts, wallets and $75 gift cards to the inexpensive Swedish clothing store.

“We came for the style,” Hernandez said.

This is H&M’s fourth location in Texas. There are currently two in Dallas at and one in Houston. Recently, a third store was announced to be opened in Dallas. H&M began in 1947 by Erling Persson and now has 2,700 stores in more than 40 countries, according to the website.

The U.S. is H&M’s second largest market, behind only Germany. The H&M company plans to open stores in Bulgaria, Latvia, Malaysia, Mexico and via franchise in Thailand in the coming years.

According to Nicole Christie, the spokesperson for H&M U.S., the new store opening in Austin is “quite an accomplishment.”

Christie, who has worked

Topper Trends | Camo The winter trend of camo is not just for your little brother Katie Brown kbrownj@stedwards.edu

Photo by Brooke Blanton Some shoppers waited for 19 hours for the opening to H&M.

for the company for 12 years, was very optimistic about the Austin location’s achievements.

“We consider Austin a fashion market,” Christie said. “We think it’s going to be a very successful store.”

The wide selection of the H&M brand is Christie’s main praise.

“We have everything,” she said. “We have clothes for ladies, men, teens and kids. It’s a family store.”

Female shoppers could find opening offers at $10 for blouses. Colorful sweaters could be bought at just $24.95 each and shoes for as low as $12.95. Upstairs in the men’s section, sweatshirts were sold for just $12.95.

“If you want to buy something that you think is current, you don’t have to spend a bunch of money on it,” Brandon Fried, 24, said.

Fried is a long-time fan of H&M and although he got there three hours early, was not one of the first 500 and therefore did not get any prizes.

“Of course we heard about the giveaways and tried to

make it but … we barely got there,” Fried said. “They’re going to have good deals today and we waited in this long of a line, might as well keep waiting.”

According to Fried, waiting in line became tense at times.

“We’ve had a couple people try to cut in front of us in line,” Fried said. “I just said ’You know we’ve all been waiting here for hours.’”

Not all of these line-cutters responded well.

“Someone called me a bitch,” Fried said. “I’m not ashamed though … they always walk away.”

Once finally inside, shoppers found themselves in a sea of people in the two-story store with a 700-person capacity. It was like bumper cars trying to weave in between people and employees and clothing racks and accessory tables.

The chaos of the opening was a turn-off for some shoppers.

“It was good, just overwhelming,” Asha Nelluvelil, 21, said. “It got to the point where it was just get something and get out.”

7

Not surprisingly, Vogue Magazine picked up on the utility of camouflage prints in 1943. Before this, the camo print was used solely for literal camouflage purposes in war, and was then transformed into a reoccurring and popular fashion trend.

This season, camouflage has made its return by returning from the battlefield and becoming couture. In other words, now is the time to raid your grandfather’s hunting gear and transform it into something fashionable and wearable.

I got my first taste of this season’s camo a couple months ago when I went shopping at Zara. I found a fantastic camo jacket with bedazzled jewels covering

the collar. I instantly fell in love with how chic it looked, especially when camo has the potential to look like it belongs on your brother’s action figure t-shirts and pajama bottoms.

After I saw the jacket, I started to see camo subtly making its appearance in fashion blogs, malls, online shops and magazines. I then began to wonder how I could incorporate camo into my wardrobe, and for a good price. As much as I want to splurge on that impeccable Zara jacket, it unfortunately doesn’t fit in my budget. It may be time for a thrifting adventure soon.

Now, I have always been a bold print kind of girl. I love the transition from the summer solid bright colors to the bold dark fall prints, which can be found in almost every form of clothing.

But rather than something dainty and delicate, camo offers a look that is edgy, yet effortlessly classic. Pair a camo jacket with a simple outfit like a pair of black skinny jeans and a top, or even pair it with a dress for a more girly feel.

Of course, camo is not just for the ladies out there.

Guys, incorporating the bold print into your wardrobe this season is nothing to shy away from. Try layering a camo jacket over a sweater and finalize the ensemble with a pair of combat boots.

So if you are a bold print lover like me or are just wanting to try something new, leave the solids behind this fall and adopt this fashion statement that has history, meaning and infinite potential.

Photo by Katie Brown Camouflage is no longer just for soldiers, but a bold print that can be dressed up this year.

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With the holiday season just around the corner, some Austin area stores have begun prepping their stores with holiday cheer.

In preparation for the season, 2nd Street District is holding its second annual Holiday Window Walk competition. Students from St. Edward’s University, Texas State University and the University of Texas at Austin, submitted design renderings for the various shops down Second Street.

This year, the theme was Classic Children’s Books and Fairy Tales.

The University of Texas only allowed their second and third-year graduate students from the Master’s program to participate in the competition. According to Michelle Habeck, their competition faculty adviser, the competition benefited the students’ graduate studio course. However, Texas State has undergraduate students participating like St. Edward’s.

“It sets the bar high. It makes our program more visible,” Assistant Professor of Scenic and Lighting Design Kathryn Eader said. “I am thankful for this experience for my students.”

Though the event’s ad states that the participants are theatrical design students, students from St. Edward’s do not all have a design emphasis. The students are members of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, USITT. Though the competitors are not officially affliated with the university, design professors and instructors have guided the students throughout the

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lsimms2@stedwards.edu

As part of the competition process, student designers could pitch up to three designs to Julie Sutton-McGurk, _______. From those designs, retailers pick from those submitted designs and the winners were announced through email.

St. Edward’s students won spots in 11 of the 19 windows. With such an amazing coup, the students are now physically preparing their window designs. They had to include a budget with a maximum of $500 along with their submissions. Members from USITT will help the designers create their pieces.

Installations officially start Nov. 30. “[This] is a real chance to be a professional designer,” McIntosh said. “The designs must be professional and not bubblegum. The design chic [has] to match the street atmosphere and reputation of Second Street.”

According to the event website, “over $8000 in scholarships generously provided

by Silicon Labs and The Downtown Austin Alliance.”

Half of any potential earnings from the competition will go to the student while the other will go towards to the USITT fund for their annual conference.

Winners will be picked by both community voting and guest judges on Dec. 15 during the retail district’s event Deck the District.

The windows will be on display from Dec. 8 to Jan. 2. To help a St. Edward’s student win the competition, vote at 2ndstreetdistrict.com. Voting begins Dec. 8 and ends on Dec. 15.

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process. Alongside Eader, Theatre Technical Director Joe Carpenter and Theatre Costumer T’Cie Mancuso have helped the students realize their potential.

Last year, students from St. Edward’s were the only ones to compete in the first ever Window Walk. A team consisting of junior Alyssa Dillard, senior Andrew Hatcher, senior Devon Brownlow and _____ Jessica _____ with their design called “The 12 Days of Princemas.”

“The main thing about design is having the confidence to believe that your design is good,” Dillard said. “That’s a lesson you learn as you get older. It’s a lot of good real world experience.”

Senior Skyler McIntosh said student designers could cater design for specific stores. For example, Dillard says she wanted her Jumanji themed design specifically for the Lofty Dog pet store.

The designers had the chance to meet with storeowners to discuss their designs as well as find the specific measurements of the windows.

Though the storeowners can give input on the designs, the designers have total creative liberty over the window.

The designers are prepared for evolving and transitioning their renderings into physical window designs.

“The biggest thing is to stay with the integrity of the design. It is a collaboration and negotiating,” McIntosh, who is the chair of the St. Edward’s chapter of USITT, said. “Part of the magic of design is that you don’t want to see how it works. It is easy to draw pictures, but when it comes to suspending a mermaid with 200 CDs, how do you do it?”

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS

Sa n

8 LIFE & ARTS Student designs exhibited in second annual Window Walk

Ch

av ez

St .

Photo Illustration by Hannah Smith The stores exhibiting St. Edward’s students’ work pepper the Second Street retail district.

1. Andrew Hatcher (‘13) / “Snow White” @ Austin MacWorks, 450 W. 2nd 2. Skyler McIntosh (‘13) & Devon Brownlow (‘12) / “Little Red Riding Hood”, W. 2nd & Guadalupe 3. McIntosh & Brownlow / “Little Mermaid” @ DuO, 225 W. 2nd 4. McIntosh & Brownlow / “Alice in Wonderland” @ Wee, 4171/2 W 2nd 5. Kristina Tijerina (‘13) / “The Secret Garden” @ Con’ Olio, 215 Lavaca 6. Lara HinCapie (‘14) / “Rapunzel” @ Etcetera, etc., 411 W. 2nd 7. HinCapie / “Princess and the Pea” @ Plain Ivey Jane, 408 W. 2nd 8. Alyssa Dillard (‘14) / “Jumanji” @ Lofty Dog, 403 W. 2nd 9. Zach Miranda (‘13) / “Hansel and Gretel” @ St. Barnard Sports, 401 W. 3rd N/A. Eileen Chaffer (‘12) & Gena Castillo (‘12) / “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”

[slapdash] “It gives you wings”

“They always forget to mention the sugar crash...”

LIFE & ARTS 9

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS

Austin receives an influx of tourists during Formula One race Mitch Harris rharris7@stedwards.edu

Austinites are used to large festivals and massive influxes of people. Austin City Limits, South by Southwest and dozens of other indie music and film festivals pepper the city throughout the year.

However, these festivals usually attract hipsters, college students and starving artists.

The international phenomenon known as the Formula One United States Grand Prix, also known as F1, came to Austin on Nov. 18 for the very first time, bringing with it a very different type of clientele.

Foreign royalty, A-list celebrities and racing champions took over the city in a way that Austin has never known.

Austin played host to the Prince Albert II of Monaco,

Courtesy of Circuit of The Americas Lewis Hamilton was the first winner of Austin’s CoTA track.

iconic filmmaker George Lucas and racing legend Mario Andretti — and that is just the short list.

Formula One is not the NASCAR style of racing

commonly thought of in the United States. Since Formula One is incredibly high profile and expensive, the differences are vast.

To begin with, NASCAR uses a relatively bulky stock car that is limitedly customizable. Winning depends primarily on speed and endurance through a long race.

F1 cars embody the height of automotive technology.

They are light, low to the ground and look like the cars of which 11-year-old boys dream at night. Winning an F1 race requires strategy, precision and intelligence.

NASCAR races consist of hundreds of laps on an oval track. No matter where the race takes place, drivers can expect the same track.

F1, however, races on intricate and treacherous tracks with sharp turns and hard

curves and no two circuits are the same.

The F1 track in Austin, formally known as the Circuit of The Americas, CoTA, is unique in that it is the only U.S. location in the 2012 F1 season. It is, in fact, the only F1 racetrack currently in the country.

The winner of 2012 United States Grand Prix and first champion of Austin's Circuit of The Americas track was Englishman Lewis Hamilton with British Formula 1 Team McLaren Mercedes. Hamilton won the last Grand Prix held in the United States in Indianapolis in 2007.

CoTA is actually southeast of Austin, about 9 miles from Austin-Bergstrom Airport.

The track is 3.4 miles long, can hold approximately 120,000 people in the stands and covers 375 acres.

CoTA was nearly filled to capacity for its first event with 117,429 people in attendance.

With more tourism, more money is bound to come into the state.

According to Angelos Angelou of Angelou Economics, the event may add more than $500 million to the economy over the course of the weekend. $30 million of which comes from sales tax alone.

CoTA estimates that the event will bring in even more money by reaching up to $500 million annually. The 10-year impact of the track is estimated by CoTA at over $4 billion.

The event did not stop at the track, however. F1 festivities took over downtown with Austin Fan Fest.

Austin Fan Fast hosted an impressive line-up of interna-

tional stars including Aerosmith, Flo Rida, Lupe Fiasco, Enrique Iglesias, Ghostland Observatory and Juanes.

The festival also hosted many free shows for local musicians like Quiet Company, The Rocketboys, Danny Malone and Wild Child.

In addition to music, Austin Fan Fest had interactive exhibits, F1 show cars, gaming and more scattered around downtown.

While it seems that F1 race culture and Austin culture may seem at odds with each other, the track and the races are here to stay. Fortunately, the city seems to have found a way to embrace F1 and make it a unique, original and “weird” event that can not only stimulate the economy, but open Austinites up to a world of racing never before known in the United States.

Photos courtesy of Circuit of The Americas

10

SPORTS Club sport founder nationally ranked for tennis WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS

Shelby Sementelli ssement@stedwards.edu

Even though spina bifida has restricted freshman Dylan Baggett to a wheelchair since birth, he has never let his disability hinder him from accomplishing anything. In fact, he has taken the opportunity to do just the opposite.

“My disability has opened my eyes to things I probably would not have done if I were born without a disability,” Baggett said.

Not many students can call themselves founders of a club sports team, and Baggett took that distinct accomplishment a step further when he became the first on this campus to use a wheelchair. Baggett is the founder of St. Edward’s University Club Tennis team, one of Campus Recreation’s most recent additions to the ever-growing roster of club sports.

Baggett has played tennis for as long as he can remember and plays competitively across the country against others in wheelchairs, but he also competes against nondisabled players for fun. In these types of matches, the non-disabled player gets one bounce and the player in a wheelchair gets two. The United States Tennis Association ranks Baggett 82nd in the country in the wheelchair tennis division.

Last semester, Baggett met with Director of Campus Recreation Andy Lemons to propose the club tennis team.

He wanted to contribute to the students at St. Edward’s and give himself a means to play more often. Campus Recreation approved the club, and there are now about 10 members. However, the club is unable to meet. Currently, the on-campus tennis courts are not handicap accessible, and there is no fea-

Courtesy of Dylan Baggett Baggett loves tennis, outdoor photography and kayaking.

sible way for Baggett to get on the court.

“There is basically a giant ditch in the way,” Baggett said. “I think the problem has been brought up in board

meetings, but nothing has really been done about it.”

There is also the additional question of whether or not these courts will be available for club sport use. The courts’

recent renovations have raised many questions about accessibility and playtime.

The courts’ current inaccessibility has not stopped Baggett from playing, though, just as his love of the outdoors does not stop with tennis. Baggett is an avid nature photographer and loves to kayak through national parks. Baggett is also the Austin chapter director of the non-profit organization Turning Point, a group that organizes sporting and outdoor recreation events for people with disabilities.

According to Baggett, growing up in Nacogdoches on 50 acres accompanied by frequent camping trips sparked his love for the outdoors.

Baggett’s passion for nature lends itself to many aspects of his life, including his time in the classroom. The freshman is an environmental science and policy major and wants to pursue sustainable

business consulting.

Baggett also tries to be a role model for people facing similar adversity. He meets with people who, because of a car accident or other reasons, have recently been restricted to a wheelchair.

“They think their life is over,” Baggett said. “Then I say something like let’s go whitewater kayaking.”

Once the tennis club can meet, Baggett wants to start off doing regular hitting sessions because many of the members have limited experience playing tennis. After the club works on skills, if there is interest, Baggett would like to see the team compete in intercollegiate tournaments.

Baggett’s says that he is treated really well at St. Edward’s and in general.

“Most of the time people are especially nice to me. Occasionally I get patronized, but generally everybody likes me,” Baggett said.

Bittersweet end to season does not stop volleyball ambitions Kristina Schenck kschenc@stedwards.edu

Following a tough loss to the University of Arkansas Fort Smith (UA-Fort Smith) in the Heartland Conference Championship game, the St. Edward’s University volleyball team ended the 2012 fall season with a second-place finish in conference. The Hilltoppers lost the game at Fort Smith on Nov. 17 in four sets: 17-25, 28-26, 2125 and 16-25.

UA-Fort Smith is ranked 23rd in the nation for Division II volleyball, and senior setter Mary McNamara said the Hilltoppers knew it would be a tough match.

“A lot of us knew stepping on the court that this could be the last game, but no one even wanted to think about that. It was ‘hey we’re going to go win this game,’” McNamara said.

Overall, the St. Edward’s volleyball team finished the 2012 season with an overall record of 18 wins and 10 losses.

Following the tournament, sophomore outside hitter Mary Koehler and senior libero Michelle Hundt both earned spots on the Heartland Conference All-Tournament Team. Seven players from the entire Heartland Conference placed on the team, including three players

from UA-Fort Smith, one from Texas A&M-International and one from Dallas Baptist.

Despite the recent loss, both Head Coach Sean Donahue and McNamara agreed that the season was successful because the Hilltoppers achieved goals the team set at the beginning of the season.

“I felt it was a good season.

We definitely kept improving each and every match,” Donahue said. “We were in the finals of the conference tournament, which was one of our goals.”

Donahue and McNamara both said the team strives to create a strong feeling of unity between the players, both

on and off the court.

“We really created a family feel with this team,” Donahue said.

McNamara said the team worked hard to foster a community atmosphere that would last after this season.

“We had a lot of seniors ... a lot of young people and only one junior. A lot of our attitude was that this was our last season to give everything we have got. It is not just about us, and it is about the team in general. How can we create that for the teams next year even if we are not going to be there?” McNamara said.

With six graduating seniors, the volleyball team signed five players to join the team in the

Hilltop Views Archive The Hilltoppers are graduating six seniors after this season.

fall of 2013.

“For next year, we have already committed five on early

sign-in. Will we pick up a sixth or not, we do not know yet,” Donahue said.

SPORTS11

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS

SPORTS COMMENTARY

SPORTS CALENDAR

Swiss sport combines whips, paddles and pucks Kelsey Acosta kacosta@stedwards.edu

Hornussen is a traditional Swiss sport that had been played in countryside of Switzerland for over 300 years. The sport requires both incredible aim and the ability to see a small black puck as it whizzes through the air at speeds over 125 miles per hour.

The word ‘Hornussen’ is often translated to mean ‘farmer’s golf.’ The sport got this name because it was primarily played by Swiss farmers as a pastime, according to ESPN. Do not let the name fool you, though. Hornussen and golf are nothing alike.

Hornussen is not really like any other sport, even though, to the untrained eye, it seems to have a grab-bag mixture of sport-like components.

Explanations of Hornussen liken it to everything

Wikimedia Commons Hornussers hit a small black puck with a whip-like club.

from golf to baseball to tennis and even cricket. The reality is, though, that Hornussen is nothing like any of those sports. It is something completely different and in a world totally its own.

Hornussen is played with a small black puck called

the hornet, which sits on a tee at the end of a curved metal track called the bock.

The batter must swing a long flexible club — which looks like a blend of a whip and a golf club — along the bock and hit the hornet as hard and far as possible. The

Column as I see ‘em Nolan Green ngreen2@stedwards.edu

Column as I see ‘Em is your weekly fix for all things NFL. Here are the selected games for week 13.

Thursday New Orleans at Atlanta

Look for Atlanta to completely shut down the Saints this time around and shut down any chance of New Orleans making the playoffs.

Falcons by 10.

Sunday Jacksonville at Buffalo

Neither team has a high percentage to make the playoffs, but Buffalo still has the advantage here. Bills by 7.

Seattle at Chicago

Chicago suffered a tough loss to San Francisco, but still hold a one game lead in the NFC north. Look for them to extend the lead against Seattle. Bears by 10.

San Francisco at St. Louis

Colin Kaepernick emerged as a star for the 49ers, but now they have a choice to make at the quarterback position. 49ers by 21.

New England at Miami

After a dominant perfor-

mance against the laughable Jets, New England can coast for the rest of the season to their first place playoff position. Pats by 21.

Arizona at NY Jets

See above. Cardinals by 10.

Indianapolis at Detroit

An intense game between two teams with viable postseason chances. Look for the Lions to surge towards the playoffs. Detroit by 10.

Minnesota at Green Bay

Green Bay took a beating against the Giants, exposing their terrible defense to the league. Look for Green Bay

number of points the hitter scores is determined by how far the hornet travels.

That is just the offensive side of Hornussen.

On the playing field, the players of the opposing team must try to hit the small black hornet out of the air with paddles called schindeln. If they manage to knock the hornet out of the air, this keeps the hitter from scoring. If the hornet hits the grown unimpeded, the hitter is awarded the appropriate number of points.

An average game of Hornussen lasts between three and four hours. The game lasts until every player has hit the hornet four times.

The game is broken into two innings. Unlike baseball, the home team hits first and the visiting team hits after them, according to The Telegraph. Each player gets to hit the hornet twice per inning.

Imagine 32 to 38 players hitting the hornet four times each. If you do the math, that comes out to anywhere from 128 to 144 hits per game.

No wonder it takes so long to play a game.

According to a local Swiss Hornusser in an interview with ESPN, Hornussen is a sport that needs to be watched in person to really be appreciated, which means that it is highly unlikely that you will see a Hornussen match on any of the 20 different ESPN channels.

However, there are plenty of videos of this wacky looking sport on the Internet if you have the urge to check it out.

There may yet be a chance of seeing a game in person.

Since the game made it big in Europe, over 20 teams have popped up all over the United States.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Thurs. 11/29 | 5:30 p.m. vs. UA - Fort Smith Sat. 12/1 | 2:00 p.m. vs. Newman Tues. 12/4 | 5:30 p.m. vs. Northwood (Texas)

MEN’S BASKETBALL Thurs. 11/29 | 7:30 p.m. vs. UA - Fort Smith Sat. 12/1 | 4:00 p.m. vs. Newman Tues. 12/4 | 7:30 p.m. vs. TAMU - Kingsville

CONGRESSMEN ULTIMATE Sat. 12/1 | 8:00 a.m.

Autism Speaks Charity Tournament

DANCE TEAM Sat. 12/1 | 7:00 p.m.

Second Annual Christmas Spectacular

NFL predictions for week 13 to only slightly improve in their attempts to shut down Adrian Peterson. Packers by 7.

Houston at Tennessee

Houston has a cakewalk this week after pulling out a lucky win against the Lions on Thanksgiving. Texans by 21.

Carolina at Kansas City

Neither team has a chance to make the playoffs, but Cam Newton will have a good game against the terrible Chiefs defense. Panthers by 7.

Tampa Bay at Denver

Peyton Manning, at age 36, is playing some damn good football. This could be the year he takes the Broncos to the Super Bowl. Denver by 20.

Cincinnati at San Diego

Cincinnati now has the same record as Pittsburgh, which has to be a surprise to most. San Diego is no longer relevant in the playoff picture, and will not deter Cincinnati from winning.

Bengals by 7.

Pittsburgh at Baltimore

Both teams had a rough last game, the difference being that the Ravens won. Af-

ter Pittsburgh gave up eight turnovers to the Browns, the Ravens will have no problem doing the same. Ravens by 14.

Philadelphia at Dallas

Neither team has been very impressive this whole season, look for this game to be no different. Eagles by 3.

Monday NY Giants at Washington

Giants are surging in November, something new to that team. RG3 can beat the Cowboys, but not the Super Bowl caliber Giants. Eli and the G-men by 20.

12 SPORTS PHOTO ESSAY

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS Dodgeball Champions: The Doont Baigs

Tennis Singles Champion: Jason Callahan

intramurals Champs

Basketball 3’s Champion: Team Run

Volleyball Competitive Champion: How I Set Your Mother

Soccer 7’s Champions: Unreal Madrid

Volleyball Recreational Champion: Hunt Hall

Flag Football Champion: Le Huntson

Photos courtesy of Jordan Yuson

VIEWPOINTS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS

13

OUR VIEW

Puerto Rico’s statehood would benefit the U.S. A number of notable changes occurred after the 2012 elections, with several states legalizing same-sex marriage and marijuana.

However, another outcome could affect the number of states that make up the future United States of America.

For the first time, after a non-binding referendum, the majority of Puerto Ricans voted in favor of statehood.

However, analysts have discovered that the issue of Puerto Rico’s statehood is more complicated than this majority vote would indicate.

Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States.

According to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Insular Cases,

a commonwealth is “a territory ... belonging to the United States, but not a part of the United State.”

Puerto Rico voters were asked to vote on two issues.

On the first issue, 54 percent of voters opposed the status of Puerto Rico as a United States Commonwealth. And on a second issue, 61 percent voted for statehood as the best alternative, 33 percent voted for a sovereign free association, and 6 percent voted for independence, according to CNN Politics.

Even if this referendum is an indication of what the majority of Puerto Ricans want, the island still will not be able to achieve statehood without

Congress intervening.

According to Puerto Rico’s Secretary of State, Kenneth McClintock, the commonwealth’s economic, social and political turmoil greatly contributed to the recent majority vote for statehood.

Moreover, because of the increasing exodus, 58 percent of Puerto Rico residents live on the mainland of the United States, according to McClintock.

However, ballot complications might have made the vote inconclusive. Many voters did not believe the ballot was clearly defined.

Those who would have voted for the status quo, either disagreed with the ballot’s

wording or failed to com- sire for change. prehend it. They ended up Puerto Rico’s status as an voting against their intended unincorporated territory cause.

One-third of all votes cast on the “The results of this question of an referendum are alternative status were left blank. inconclusive, but they If you consider expose Puerto Rico’s these anti-statehood votes, the desire for change.” results in favor of Puerto Rico’s statehood would be less than 50 percent, ac- seems unfair. cording to Luis Agrait, a Puerto Rico exists under professor at the University of U.S. federal laws, but its Puerto Rico. residents do not have to pay The results of this refer- some federal taxes. Also, endum are inconclusive, but Puerto Rico has a nonvotthey expose Puerto Rico’s de- ing representative in the U.S.

Congress.

If Puerto Rico became a state, an extra $20 billion in federal funds could help the economy.

Also, the Puerto Rico’s companies do not pay business taxes. These stipulations would disappear if Puerto Rico became a state.

Puerto Rico has been under United States control since 1898. In 1917, the island’s residents became American citizens, able to join the military, but not vote in presidential elections.

Extending the status of statehood would not only be fair decision, but also a profitable one for both Puerto Rico and the United States.

Crime initiative unfairly targets Austin’s homeless population Sara Sanchez ssanchei@stedwards.edu

As Austin’s downtown entertainment district continues to grow, so does the worry of increased crime.

To try and combat this crime increase, Austin Police Department, APD, created the Public Order Initiative to crack down on violent crime and property violations. Unfortunately, their main target was downtown’s homeless population.

Like most major cities, homelessness is a reality.

Homelessness should be met with understanding and innovation, rather than by criminalizing the victims.

“All the ordinances like this do is stack more things on homeless people that they can’t pay,” said Ken Martin, executive director at Texas

Photo by Renee Cornue Austin Police Department’s Public Order Initiative targets Downtown’s entertainment district

Homeless Network. “I think the criminalization of homelessness is not the way to go.”

Downtown entertainment districts like Sixth Street are in close proximity to shelters like Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, or ARCH, which serves not only the homeless but also refugees

and low-income families.

Local businesses are complaining of rowdy behavior from some homeless individuals, and in return APD is pushing this initiative.

At this point in Austin’s growth cycle, it is implausible to relocate either the entertainment district or the

homeless shelters.

ARCH has been operating in downtown since 2004, and was partially funded by the City of Austin.

To move it to another location would leave a lot of homeless in greater need of temporary shelter, food and other resources than they al-

ready are.

“The city built ARCH, and if the didn’t want homeless people there, why did they build it there in the first place?” Martin said.

Furthermore, it would be impossible to create a new venue or part of town that can draw in as many people as Sixth Street does every weekend.

Since Sixth Street is a large identifier for Austin, local government should not totally banish the less fortunate to make way for everyone else.

The better solution for lowering crime rates in downtown is to create ways for both homeless people and entertainment-goers to remain peaceful and respectful.

Targeting only the homeless will not help.

Increased police officer presence during downtown’s

busiest hours would be benefical, but they should be there to keep the peace and not to arrest.

Another helpful strategy might be to increase capacity at downtown shelters, or to create new ones.

“We’ve proven over and over that what works to get people off the streets is to provide permanent supportive housing,” Martin said.

Instead of helping create a dialogue about how to decrease homelessness in Austin, this Public Order Initiative will create a false stereotype that all homeless people are violent or disruptive.

The Public Order Initiative is not a bad idea in theory, but if it is carried out to just target the homeless, it is unfair and unbalanced.

14 VIEWPOINTS Musicians and designers make culturally insensitive decisions

The top five television shows that should not have been cancelled

Lesli Simms

Jonathan Coker

lsimms2@stedwards.edu

jcoker@stedwards.edu

A couple years ago, it seemed like people displayed their latent racism during Halloween.

Every year, some guy would dress up like Lil Wayne including his teardrop, his grill, his dreads and his black skin. They would dig up some blackface paint and smear it all over their faces.

But that was only during Halloween.

Despite the thousands of terribly insensitive examples, the most troubling displays of ignorance are in recent fashion shows and music videos by beloved celebrities and innovators.

In late September, Dolce & Gabbana debuted their spring 2013 line at Milan Fashion Week. Amid the vibrant colors, detailed patterns and interesting textures was one repeated image: the mammy figure.

Hanging from the ears of models and printed on the outfits was the image of the mammy, the stereotypical caricature of a female African servant.

From her incredibly dark skin to her massive lips to the fruit on her head, this image was a mammy.

After a literal decade of anticipation, No Doubt released their new studio album on Sept. 25. On Nov. 3, the band released the video for their newest single “Looking Hot.” Fans watched as Gwen Stefani sang in the desert dressed as a Native American woman. Meaning she was wearing a bikini while riding a white horse then later posing in a teepee with

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS

Chloe Kirkpatrick ckirkpa@stedwards.edu

Wikimedia Commons Karlie Kloss is a world famous American fashion model.

a wolf.

At one point, in the video her band mates tied her up in the town square as if they were going to publicly shoot her for being Native American.

It is one thing to be dressed as Native Americans, but to have Gwen Stefani tied up was quite offensive.

The video has since been pulled.

On Nov. 4, Victoria Secret fashion show was pre-taped.

The show will not officially be aired until Dec. 4; however, the company has already had to remove one of their featured looks from the broadcast.

In some weird attempt to honor Thanksgiving, model Karlie Kloss strutted down the runway in a fringe bikini adorned with turquoise jewelry and a gigantic feather headdress placed sassily on her head.

The feather headdress is actually one of the most sacred regalia in Native American culture. It is a symbolic adornment that must be is earned.

This ceremonial piece was worn exclusively by men

who were regarded as the most respected and powerful in a tribe.

Both Victoria’s Secret and No Doubt have issued public apologies. Essentially, both claimed to not realize their images were offensive.

Here’s the thing: feigning unawareness over the display of racism and ignorance of their product does not absolve them of their racism.

Claiming that they did not know just reinforces that they have no respect for any culture/race/sexual orientation/religion other than their own.

If their frame of reference is only within their homogenous group then they are just ignorant.

Not all consumers look the same. To assume that their only demographic looks like them is not acceptable.

Also, anyone who tries to claim that none of these situations depict racism, or that people are too sensitive these days, has obviously never been discriminated against.

No one is overreacting.

Not enough people are reacting.

Of all the new television shows that premier each year, only a few get picked up for subsequent seasons. Ordinarily, the shows that get cancelled were not that good in the first place. Sometimes, the wrong show gets cancelled. After a being put on hiatus in early 2012, NBC comedy “Community” is scheduled to premier again in Feb. 2013. Here are the top five more shows that should have never been cancelled in the first place:

5. How To Make It In America (2010-2011)

“How To Make It In America” was an HBO original show that tried to capture the wide-eyed bravado of the hipster generation. Although the show only lasted two seasons, it was not a failure.

In the show, main characters Ben and Cam scour the underbelly of New York City desperately trying to launch their own fashion line. Each episode, Ben and Cam make one mistake after another all in the name of the American Dream.

Even though it was a critical success, “How To Make It In America” was not a profitable hit for HBO.

4. Pushing Daisies (2007-2009)

“Pushing Daisies” was one of those special television series that does not come around often, but when it does, people pay attention.

It starred Lee Pace as a pie maker named Ned who could bring people back to the life

by touching them.

For the brief period it was on ABC, “Pushing Daisies” was the perfect combination of humor and real-life dilemmas.

Quirky, fast-paced wit is alive and well, so it would make sense to bring “Pushing Daisies” back from the dead.

3. Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000)

“Freaks and Geeks” was a teen comedy-drama that followed siblings Lindsay and Sam Weir, who respectively were the freak and the geek, and their friends through one awkward, hilarious year of their high school career, from 1980 to 1981. The show was produced by Judd Apatow and starred James Franco, Seth Rogen and Jason Segel, among other future stars.

Despite gaining a cult following, “Freaks and Geeks” was cancelled after 12 episodes.

“Freaks and Geeks” was one of TV’s wittiest portraits of high school life.

2. My So-Called Life (1994-1995)

“My So-Called Life” starred Claire Danes in her breakthrough role as 90s high schooler, Angela Chase. The show follows Chase and her kooky best friends through the plights of high school.

An undeniable product of the 90s, Chase seemingly crawled out of a grunge music video, dancing around her room to the Violent Femmes free from her tortuous lust for Jordan Catalano.

And like any 90s teen, she pondered why everyone around her was so phony.

Bringing “My So-Called Life” back now might seem

anachronistic, but, honestly, the 90s are in and angsty high school drama never goes out of style.

1. Arrested Development (2003-2006)

“Arrested Development” aired at the right time in the wrong place. A seemingly perfect parody of post 9-11 life in America, the quirky and complex sitcom followed the once-prosperous Bluth family after the family company fell apart.

“Arrested Development” featured established actors like Jason Bateman and narrator Ron Howard, and it also gave rise to Michael Cera, who got his start playing George Michael Bluth.

The show was cancelled after three seasons due to chronically low ratings, despite critical acclaim.

After years of rumors that an “Arrested Development” movie was in the works, “Arrested Development” is returning in 2013 for a special season on Netflix. While this is some consolation, an online exclusive is no replacement for the real thing.

Kevin Sullivan/L.A. Times Out/KRT

Jessica Walter plays Lucille on “Arrested Development.”

VIEWPOINTS 15

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS

Tragedy in Spain proves a night of fun can quickly turn deadly Beatriz Parres bparres@stedwards.edu

When big party nights and holidays are around the corner, many college students are thinking about which party to go to or what outfit to wear for the night.

However, what no one thinks about is that sometimes a night of fun can end up in a night of tragedy.

Everyone wants to go to “the place to be” for the night. In Madrid, Spain on Halloween night, it was DJ Steve Aoki’s Halloween concert where over 10,000 people attended the event hosted at the Madrid Arena venue.

What started out as a night of fun ended in tragedy as three 18-year-old women

died and two were hospitalized after they were crushed in avalanches.

The 17-year-old injured, Belen Langdon del Real, passed away that Saturday morning.

All four women went to the party for the same purpose: to have fun.

However, no one thought of the consequences a party of this size would result in.

Throughout the night, there was alcohol, drugs, underage drinking and not enough space in the venue to hold that many attendees.

Sometimes even downtown Austin gets that crowded.

There might not be over 10,000 people on Halloween night, but there are definitely bars where it is hard to walk

HILLTOP VIEWS 3001 S. Congress Ave.#964, Austin, TX 78704 Phone: (512) 448-8426 Fax: (512) 233-1695 hilltopviewsonline@gmail.com www.hilltopviewsonline.com Kristina Schenck Editor-in-Chief

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Hilltop Views is a weekly student newspaper published by the School of Humanities and serving the community of St. Edward’s University. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the university, whose mission is grounded in the teachings and doctrine of the Catholic Church.

Letter Policy: Hilltop Views welcomes all letters to the editor. Letters may be edited for space, grammar and clarity. Letters will be published at our discretion. Anonymous letters will not be printed.

through or even catch your breath.

There have been times when touching the floor is not even an option and you end up being carried out in the crowd.

Although this tragedy happened in Spain, it got worldwide coverage. It is sad to think that it had to get to the point where four young women lost their lives in order for authorities to take action and implement regulations.

Most college students do not care about regulations or laws. When the weekend and holidays come along, there are only certain things that young people think about.

What students should be worrying about is how safe

the place they are going to is, making sure they eat before they drink, limiting the number of drinks they should have and always having a plan B in case of an emergency.

It is easy to get caught up in the party environment where you just want to go where everyone goes and want to drink as much as everyone does.

But, by doing that you are also putting yourself at risk.

Is it worth attending “the party of year” when you know the outcome could be dangerous?

Remember to always think twice about your safety and think twice before attending certain parties, no matter how much fun the parties may sound.

Wikimedia Commons Steve Aoki is a world-renowned electro house muscician.

Electoral College fails to reflect majority Jacob Sanchez jsanchen@stedwards.edu

and the Electoral College vote were divided between the two candidates for president was 2000. The candidates were Democratic Vice President Al Gore and Republican Governor George W. Bush.

Gore won the popular vote with 48.4 percent while Bush won the Electoral College

Those that predicted Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney to have a landslide in the Electoral College were wrong. Incumbent President Barack Obama won the Electoral College with 332 votes compared to Romney’s 206, and Obama won the popular vote “The Electoral College with 51 percent of the vote. went to the man with Th ro ug ho ut the popular vote, but the entire camthis has not always paign, the media and candidates been the case.” hyped this election to be very close, but the results were anything but that. with 271 votes. Bush won The Electoral College went because he carried Florida to the man with the popular by 537 votes after numerous vote, but this has not always recounts and a one-time debeen the case. cision by the U.S. Supreme One of the most recent elec- Court. tions that the popular vote Many pundits predicted

that the 2012 election would end with a situation like 2000. That did not occur, but it could in future presidential elections.

One proposal that circumvents the Constitution is the National Vote Interstate Compact which would let states select electors for the Electoral College based on the national vote.

The proposal has been passed by eight states and the District of Columbia, but would not go into effect until a combined total of state electoral votes is 270, the amount needed to win the White House.

Currently there are only 132 combined electoral votes.

While the National Vote Interstate Compact needs states to change their own laws, other proposals require a Constitutional amendment to implement a national popular vote.

These proposals would

most likely fail because some states do not want to give up their power that they hold on presidential elections.

According to a Gallup poll conducted in 2011, 62 percent of Americans would want to switch from the Electoral College to a national vote.

If it is the will of the people, then elected officials should listen to them and attempt to change the Constitution.

Despite people supporting a national vote it will most likely not become the law of the land.

If it was to be proposed, the bill would most likely die in Congress.

Ultimately, the Electoral College will stay in place for the foreseeable future, but states can adopt the National Vote Interstate Compact to reflect the popular vote.

Swing states should not determine who is president, the majority should.

16 PHOTO ESSAY

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS

Journey of Faith A group of students attended the peer-led Grounded Retreat hosted

by Campus Ministry Nov. 9-11. The retreat was held at the Rocky River Ranch in Wimberley on the Blanco River. Students were challenged to examine and reflect on their journey of faith as they took time to be still.

- Photos by Emily Blasdell