Issue #5 Fall 2012

HILLTOP VIEWS

St. Edward’s University • Wednesday, October 10, 2012 • Volume 32 • Issue 5 • hilltopviewsonline.com

Muslim prayer space expands Peter Beck pbeck2@stedwards.edu

A new center for prayer has opened up recently on campus. Allocating room 144 in the Woodward Office Building for religious use, Campus Ministry's endowments have allowed the Muslim Student Association (MSA) to create a permanent mosque on campus.

“We have decided to call it the Mary the Virgin Mosque,” said Mohammad Abu-Esba, MSA vice presiPhoto by Peter Beck dent and peer minister of The Muslim Student Association now offers Friday prayers every week, open to all students.

Interfaith Dialogue. “That might sound contradic- was provided due to mul- according to James Puglisi, reached up to 15 people. tory, but no. Islam embraces tiple offices at St. Edward’s associate director of CamCampus Ministry has also C h r i s t i a n i t y. pus Ministry. agreed to provide funding In fact, when Abu-Esba had difficulty for MSA’s observance of “We’ve decided to call asked who the finding MSA's presence at the upcoming feast of Iftar, most important all when he first came to which will be open for nonit the Mary the Virgin woman in Islam campus in 2011.

Muslim students to attend Mosque... That might was, the proph"The problem with Islam after Ramadan. et Mohammad at St. Edward's was not the Puglisi said he has seen sound contradictory, replied, 'Mary campus faculty, or any part MSA evolve significantly but no. Islam embraces of the non-Muslim com- over the past few years. the Virgin.'"

With an inChristianity.” munity. The problem was "The leadership has flux of internathe community themselves,” changed to try and draw in -Mohammad Abu-Esba, vice tional students Abu-Esba said.

Muslim students instead of president of the MSA in the past few At that time, prayer space doing things for the campus, years, more stuwas hardly larger than a clos- which is probably better for dents on camet, allowing three worshipers faith and development. In pus than ever were in need University working together, to fit. There was not enough turn, it could better educate of dedicated space for prayer. including the President’s Of- space for Friday prayers, the St. Edward’s community Now, there is a permanent fice, Campus Ministry, and which, since MSA had its space available. The room the Facilities Department, turn-around this year, has MUSLIM |4

Fraud necessitates student ID policy Kelsey Cartwright kcartwr@stedwards.edu

or Topper Tender. We had two or three people last year who ran up more than $20 of theft, basically,” said Michael Stone, director of auxiliary services.

The new card-only rule is meant to serve as a protection and a service for students.

“It is a convenience to stu-

In years past, students could use their St. Edward's University ID numbers in lieu of a physical ID card when purchasing food on campus.

But this year, university dining halls will no longer accept students' ID numbers in place “We had people ... of the cards.

“Too many stustealing meal plans or dents were giving Topper Tender ... two out wrong numor three people that bers,” said Margaret Samilpa, a ran up more than $20 cashier for Bon of theft, basically.”

Appétit.

The change is -Michael Stone, auxiliary services to avoid fraud director from students who might know multiple ID numbers by dents to punch in numbers, memory and try to use them but because of fraud we had at the register. to stop. It was the only way “[There were] students we thought we could efcarrying around someone fectively stop the problem,” else’s card or knowing other Stone said. numbers by memory,” Vonita Students have mixed opinEdens, office manager for ions on the change.

Bon Appétit, said.

“I think it is really inconBecause of this fraud, the venient because it is easy to university had to stop accept- misplace our ID cards, and ing ID numbers. as college students we do not "We had people steal cards—stealing meal plans IDENTITY| 2

6 | LIFE & ARTS

12 | SPORTS

13 | VIEWPOINTS

A glimpse into author J.K. Rowling’s new stand-alone novel that tackles life with a realistic setting and adult themes.

The women’s soccer team is currently ranked third in the nation and racked up a slew of shutouts in recent games.

Students weigh in on the iPhone 5 and a software update that nixed Google maps for Apple’s own map application.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS 2 NEWS Cluster of Texas Live oak trees near Doyle treated for oak wilt Kristina Schenck kschenc@stedwards.edu

Several trees on campus were treated for a fungal infection that commonly affects oak trees in the Texas Hill Country and is almost always deadly. The condition is known as oak wilt, and two Texas live oak trees in between Doyle Hall and the Fine Arts Building tested positive for the disease.

While one tree died and was cut down, the other is still alive. Campus arborist Nicholas Arthur is optimistic about the tree’s recovery.

“It is unusual,” Arthur said of the fact that the tree appears to be recovering from oak wilt. “Everyone thought this tree was going to die.”

A tree suffering from oak wilt almost always dies quickly because the fungus grows inside the tree in a way that severely limits its ability to retain and transport water.

Once a tree becomes infected with the fungus that causes oak wilt, it can deteriorate and die within a matter of weeks.

"It is a fungus, Ceratocystis fagacearum. Like any fungus, it grows in a mat of strands, hyphae, and it spreads by increasing its length, kind of like a plant’s roots, except much smaller in diameter," Bill Quinn, a biology professor, said. "It infects the plant at a wound site, in stems or roots, and grows into the vascular tissue, feeding itself from the water, minerals

Photo by Kristina Schenck Veinal necrosis is a strong indication that a tree has oak wilt.

and sugars out of the phloem and xylem. This plugs up the vascular system of the plant, eventually killing the plant."

Furthermore, the condition is hard to diagnose, can take a few weeks to display symptoms and is untreatable.

After the live oaks next to Doyle Hall started dropping leaves with a brown pattern along the veins of the leaf, a symptom known as veinal necrosis, the St. Edward’s Facilities Department tested both trees for the disease by taking a core sample of the wood.

Both tests came back positive, but Facilities decided to treat the healthy trees in the area rather than the infected ones because there is no cure for oak wilt.

“There is no sure-fire cure,” Arthur said in reference to oak wilt. “We do not treat it, we manage it.”

Facilities decided to treat trees within 100 feet of the two infected trees to prevent the disease from spreading.

This is necessary because oak tree roots often graft to roots of nearby oak trees and form an interconnected root system, and this enables the fungus to spread from tree to tree.

As part of the treatment plan, the nearby trees were injected with propiconazole, a fungicide, in two phases of treatments.

Doyle Fine Arts Building tree infected with oak wilt

treated trees

Doyle courtyard tree

Photo illustration by Andrew Hatcher A tree on campus next to Doyle survived oak wilt and surrounding trees were also treated.

Facilities gave the infected buildings. trees extra water and moniJohn Cotter, a professor, tored their health. Texas live has an office in Doyle Hall, oaks makes up 70 to 80 percent of the trees on “[The fungus] infects campus, and Fathe plant at a wound cilities maintains site, in stems or roots the trees for a number of rea... eventually killing the sons. plant.”

“The value of trees can be mea-Bill Quinn, biology professor sured in a lot of different ways,” Arthur said. This includes property values and and his window overlooks energy cost savings from the spot where oak wilt was shade that trees provide to detected.

“Trees provide shade. That shade is really important because it saves you electricity,” Cotter said. “Plus it is an incredible view.”

Facilities also treated a tree in the Doyle Hall courtyard for oak wilt in spring 2010, but Arthur believes that tree was damaged during construction when the building was remodeled in 2009.

“I think we can say now that it did not have oak wilt,” Arthur said of the tree in the Doyle courtyard.

For now, Facilities is monitoring the surviving tree and the other trees in the area.

Identity theft reported to UPD Continued from page 1

want to use credit cards or cash. I think it is our money so we should be able to access it however we want,” sophomore Kelsey Peters said.

Junior Taylor Rainbolt is on the other side of the fence when it comes to this new rule.

“I think that it is smart because the loss of money people have encountered from it,” Rainbolt said.

These cases of fraud were passed on to the University Police Department, according to Stone, but it is unknown whether or not anyone was criminally charged.

This type of fraud would

be considered identity theft.

Purchasing items under someone else's identity is a state jail felony. A person can serve anywhere from 180 days to two years in a state jail and be fined up to $10,000, according to Texas Fraud Laws.

Photo by Renee Cornue The dining halls on campus requires people to have ID cards present when paying for items.

NEWS 3

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS

Event explores image of women Austin Hestdalen ahestda@stedwards.edu

Crowds of students packed into Jones Auditorium late on Sept. 27 to attend the Multicultural Leadership Board’s presentation, “Beauty and the Beast: Women vs. the Media.”

A variety of stations were situated throughout the lecture hall, including groups from the Health and Counseling Center and an advocacy group for elementary, middle and high school aged girls called GENaustin.

GENaustin has been helping girls across the Austin area with issues of self-esteem and eating disorders that are due to influences from media or bullying in schools.

“These issues do not just go away on their own,” freshman Hannah Steffan, an intern at GENaustin, said. “It takes effort and a large number of people to advocate a change.”

There were also activity stations in the auditorium. Some of these stations quizzed attendees on misrepresentation statistics. At other stations, attendees could share their fears with others by writing anonymous confessions on strips of paper.

“I am afraid of swimsuits,” one anonymous attendee wrote.

“I cannot work out in public gyms without getting dirty looks,” wrote another.

Stations like this one had a resounding effect with some attendees.

“It was a deeply personal experience,” sophomore Indigo Colton said.

Another station focused on the construction of a Barbie that was proportionally sized to the height of an average woman. The end product resulted in gasps of astonishment and chuckles of disbelief from participants.

Parking committee to find long-term options on campus Shannon Wilson swilson7@stedwards.edu

Courtesy of Alejandra Garcia Several stations were set up around Jones Auditorium Sept.

27 at an event to explore female body image in the media.

“It is slightly ridiculous how disproportionate Barbie would be in real life,” said Tony Nguyen, a sophomore and Multicultural Programming Board member. “If she actually existed, she would not be able to walk on her own two feet or even hold up her own head.”

After these introductory activities, presentations from two guest speakers provided deeper insight on body image and media issues.

The first guest was Claudia Carroll, the director of the Health and Counseling Center. Carroll primarily talked about eating disorders, their effects and their causes.

“Body image is psychological and rooted in personal experience,” Carroll said to a gasping audience. “This image is the result of comparing one’s own body type against something or someone else.”

It is this comparison that primarily leads to eating disorders, Carroll said. She described how the ideal of a woman provides an impossible comparison.

“Eating disorders have the highest rate of death among psychological disorders, and it is our thin-obsessed me-

dia society that is causing it,” Carroll said.

Carroll was followed by Innes Mitchell, professor of media and gender communication, who discussed the problem of female misrepresentation in the media.

“The media wants to portray women as being both innocent and seductive, to be desirable but not desiring,” Mitchell said, flipping through slides of advertisements that kept the audience’s attention. “It is a backward system where no woman can win ... I am not only concerned for women in our society but for my own daughter’s wellbeing.”

Missy Chambless, director of Multicultural Diversity Affairs and advisor to the Multicultural Leadership Board, was grateful to her team after the event, especially Alejandra Garcia, a junior and the coordinator of the Women’s Events.

“It is a critical issue for people to consider and think about,” Garcia said of the media’s representation of women. “So many people passively absorb it every day without ever considering the repercussions.”

The committee consists of over a dozen faculty members and is looking for input from a broad variety of people around campus before putting together possible solutions. Committee members want to include perspectives from entities

seems to be frozen throughout the day, since it is reserved for residents. These central campus lots include those on either side of Dujarié and Basil Moreau Halls.

Off-campus residents, faculty and staff must park in the various commuter lots, in the parking garage, or even in the visitor lots.

Some commuting students have reported they have had to park across the street and walk over to campus.

“I constantly end up on one of the top floors of the parking garage and have to walk all the way across campus, since the majority of my classes are located in the central campus area," Amy Jones, a commuting studentathlete, said.

While no immediate actions can be carried out, the faculty-led parking committee plans to propose practical parking solutions by the end of the academic year.

“Parking on any college campus is going to be difficult," Kimberly Morgal, assistant volleyball coach, said.

"I think more people need to utilize the parking garage option and be okay with walking a little bit”.

Construction projects and the growing student body at St. Edward’s University have greatly affected the parking dilemma some drivers face everyday around campus.

Students, faculty and staff struggle to find “... more people need a spot near to utilize the parking their offices garage option and be and workplaces in a reasonokay with walking ...” able amount of -Kimberly Morgal time.

Because questions continually arise from concerned such as the University Police community members won- Department, the Student dering how this problem can Government Association be fixed, the Faculty Senate and those affected in the recently formed an Ad hoc St. Edward’s community as Parking Committee. they seek to collaboratively “The problems that we create possible solutions. endure on a daily basis have Since the committee redeveloped over time and, cently formed, they do not accordingly, require com- have any immediate resoluprehensive solutions that tions for the current condirecognize the needs of all tions. However, they have campus constituencies [stu- recognized many problems dents, staff, faculty and ad- with the current parking ministration]," Bill Martello, situation that could be fixed. associate professor of manSome members have agement and member of the agreed that one cause of committee, said. the parking dilemma is that The committee was much of the central parking formed as the first real step towards developing practical proposals to address oncampus parking issues.

"As the campus has grown over the past ten years, changes in parking regulations, lot assignments and allowable parking practices has been instituted in a piecemeal fashion," Martello said. "This episode-by-episode process has contributed to our current conditions, and it will take time, analysis and goodwill to untangle Photo by Kristina Schenck these issues.”

For some, finding convenient parking can be an issue.

4 NEWS West Nile virus cases in Texas present ongoing health risks

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS

Muslim Student Association increases campus presence Continued from page 1

Wikimedia Commons Mosquitoes transmit the West Nile virus, and tend to congregate around standing water.

Mitch Harris rharris7@stedwards.edu

Texas has the highest number of West Nile cases in the country with more than 38 percent of the national total, according to the Center for Disease Control.

In second is Mississippi with just over five percent.

Travis County itself has diagnosed 86 cases of West Nile, according to the TDSHS. This is more than all reported cases in Delaware, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Nevada, Arizona, Virginia and Wyoming combined.

After another blistering summer, Austin recently received some much needed rain. However, with rain and cooler temperatures come the perfect breeding conditions for mosquitoes.

Typically, mosquitoes are nothing more than annoying. A bite leads to an itch, and an itch leads to a bump. However, mosquito bites can occasionally lead to deadly diseases like West Nile Virus.

So far this year, 1406 cases of “Wear long pants when West Nile have outside after dark and been diagnosed in the state of make sure to wear Texas, according mosquito repellent to the Texas Dewith DEET, especially partment of State Health Services at dusk and dawn.”

(TDSHS), 62 of -Mary Jones, nurse practitioner which have been fatal.

That is higher than any year since 2003.

Three deaths have been West Nile Neuroinva- recorded in the county this sive Disease and West Nile year as a result of the virus.

Fever are two forms of the This has some students virus, the former being the worried. more severe.

“I cannot remember the

last time I heard about West Nile this much,” senior Ashton Robison said.

Although several students have claimed to have contracted the virus, the Health and Counseling Center has not diagnosed any cases themselves. They do, however, advise students to take proper precautions to reduce their risk of catching West Nile.

“Remove any areas of standing water,” Nurse Practitioner Mary Jones said. “Wear long pants when outside after dark and make sure to wear mosquito repellent with DEET, especially at dusk and dawn.”

Jones also wants students to be aware of the intense flu-like symptoms of West Nile.

“The symptoms commonly associated with West Nile are high fever, body aches, stiff neck, headache, rash, nausea– could be a combination of any or all of these symptoms,” Jones said. "If you notice these symptoms please go seek attention from a medical professional."

about Islam,” Puglisi said.

Many Muslim students feel that MSA has increased their involvement in practicing Islam.

“I have never been a better Muslim anywhere than at St. Edward’s, and other students I know from Bahrain agree with me. We can be more religious here than anywhere,” Abu-Esba said.

Abu-Esba said many common misconceptions about Islam create a need for awareness and reconciliation.

“In the Introduction to Religious Studies class here on campus, the assigned text says that an angel comes down to tell Mohammad he will be the prophet, and he refuses. So the angel chokes him into submission until

Photo by Peter Beck The MSA established a permanent prayer space for students.

Mohammad follows his will.

Whoever wrote that text is not a Muslim scholar—the word choke is not even in [the] Quran. Just in those few lines students are given a violent message about Islam that was never there in the first place,” Abu-Esba said.

Abu-Esba explained that the angel brings with him a verse from the Quran, but the prophet is illiterate and cannot read it. The angel

MET OPERA

then embraces him, and, out of love, Mohammad chooses to become a prophet of Allah.

In only a few months, MSA has increased its presence at St. Edward’s. It hopes to expand further with more programming, such as bringing in a sheik on Thursdays to talk about Islam. MSA’s Friday services are open to all members of the St. Edward’s community.

STUDENT PRICING AVAILABLE AT SELECT LOCATIONS

LIVE ON SCREEN

IN CINEMAS BEGIN THIS OUTSTANDING SEASON WITH TWO EXCITING PERFORMANCES: OCT 13

L’Elisir d’Amore DONIZETTI Starring Anna Netrebko

OCT 27

Otello VERDI

Starring Renée Fleming

Anna Netrebko opens the Live in HD season in L’Elisir d’Amore.

PHOTO: NICK HEAVICAN/METROPOLITAN OPERA

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS

games

GAMES 5

look for the answers to both games in next week’s issue!

check us out @ hilltopviewsonline.com

FOR WEATHER, SURVEYS, BLOGS AND ADDITIONAL COVERAGE FROM ALL OF OUR SECTIONS!

6

LIFE & ARTS Campus hip-hop festival exceeds expectations WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS

Landry Taylor ltaylor5@stedwards.edu

Heads were bobbing and hips were popping to the sounds of upbeat funk, airy synth, and soulful rhythm and blues from local artists at St. Edward’s University’s Hip-Hop on the Hilltop.

Local band Bagheera kicked off Oct. 3 event with a hybrid of chillwave, disco, and house music that slowly enticed students to get on their feet and bust a move on the Dujarie lawn.

“Don’t be afraid to dance,” group members Aidan Kennedy, a fellow Hilltopper, and David Elkin said to encourage audience members.

“I think [Kennedy] is really good,” sophomore Robert Fernandez said. “I’ve been a fan of his stuff for a while now, so it’s cool to see him in a school setting.”

Photo by Gabriellae Rogriguez Students grooved to local hip-hop celebrity Bavu Blakes as well as student group Bagheera.

The tone changed from fun dance music to meaningful and spiritual lyrics that students could connect to when Bavu Blakes took the stage.

Having performed with artists such as The Roots, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, Erykah Badu and many others, Blakes is one of the biggest names in

hip-hop to come out of Austin.

The event was a success as more students were present for this year’s event than in

previous years. raffle prizes, and, of course, “We were expecting 300 free food. However, not all people, but honestly I think students were impressed with we had more than that be- the spread. cause our food ran out “They got Pizza Hut pizza pretty quickly,” said senior when they could have chosen Le’Darrion Allen, the Black from all the amazing places Heritage Events Coordinator for Multicul“We all came together tural Leadership as a team and got this Board (MLB), who teamed up set up pretty quickly, with University so I’m very happy with Programming the turnout.”

Board to put on the evening’s festivities.

-Le’Darrion Allen, MLB “We all came together as a team and got this all set up pretty quickly, so Austin has to offer,” sophoI’m very happy with the turn- more Laura Fuller said. out,” Allen said.

“They put a limit on the Other festivities of the slices, which isn’t very hipnight included the creation of hop to me,” Fernandez said. an ice sculpture in the shape “Hip-hop is decadence, you of old-school headphones, know? It’s not one slice.”

J.K. Rowling’s move from Hogwarts to the real world a success Willa Goldberg wgoldbe@stedwards.edu

resurface in “The Casual Vacancy,” that is hardly reason to call them similar. Good books should address the things at the heart of humanity.

J.K. Rowling rose to fame writing the much-beloved Harry Potter series about magic, love and all things in between. However “Good doesn’t always in her next book, she has moved triumph over evil to the real world and not everyone can and adjusted be saved, but the well.

“The Casual book shows what a Vacancy” hit difference one person bookshelves and e-readers around can make.” the world on Sept. 27 and has since been landing undue comparisons to Rowling’s newest book ocRowling’s early works. curs in a world that is parAlthough familiar themes ticularly harsh, otherwise

known as reality. All of her characters have a multitude of shortcomings, and some often do not seem to have redeeming qualities. The ugly aspect of the characters surface as the central conflict reveals itself.

Barry Fairbrother, a councilor, dies and leaves a vacancy on the council of Pagford.

This leaves a casual vacancy that both sides of a divide within the council desperately want to fill. The divide revolves around a clash of the classes. Half the council wants to work to re-zone their town of Pagford to exclude the Fields. The Fields is an ever-encroaching area of people plagued by severe poverty and ever-present drug use.

Rowling’s writing style is reminiscent of John Irving, with gritty and blatant scenes involving sex, physical abuse, rape and the cruelty people often show one another.

Despite the less desirable traits the characters possess, they are undeniably relatable.

Depictions of the characters range from one who wants to be just as authentic as Holden Caulfield to one who selfharms to escape the torment of constantly being underestimated.

This book realizes that the world does not manufacture happy endings. Good does not always triumph over evil and not everyone can be saved, but the book also shows what a difference one person can make.

JKRowling.com Rowling’s first post-Harry Potter book covers serious issues.

LIFE & ARTS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS

Affordable and unique coffee is never far away in the 78704 Once Over Coffee Bar

teldred@stedwards.edu

Mystic Java Cafe (formerly Jeanie’s Java)

0.2 miles from campus This coffee shop, located just a short five-minute walk down South Congress, proves that good coffee does not necessarily mean highway robbery.

They offer two varieties of black coffee—medium and dark roast—for an affordable price of $2.75 for a large cup. Additionally, the prices for their other beverages are significantly lower than the coffee shop on campus. Along with coffee, their over-priced sandwiches are lower than most sub shops and come with a free side of hummus and chips. Surrounded by The Great Outdoors and a plant nursery, the shop’s patio is a picturesque garden wonderland, complete with bubbling water fountains and fragrant flowers. For a campus that recently lost a library, this coffee shop offers a multitude of quiet study nooks for individuals and groups, along with delicious drinks.

Olt orf St.

Summermoon Wood Fired Coffee

Mystic Java Cafe

Photo illustration by Andrew Hatcher Many coffee shops with cool environments and cheap drinks are easily within walking distance of St. Edward’s campus.

0.6 miles from campus Summermoon provides the best of both worlds. Their coffee prices are absolutely unbeatable: their coffee of the day rings up at just $1.55 for a small, $1.75 for a medium and $2.05 for a large—that’s a large, steaming, hot cup of joe for the same price as a small cup nearly everywhere else in Austin. They also offer one of the most perfectly-brewed cups of coffee south of Lady Bird Lake. Their secret lies in the production of their coffee beans: they’re wood fired in-house. This means that they ensure their coffee is perfectly roasted, as well as providing one of the lowest prices in town without sacrificing quality. Unfortunately, the shop itself doesn’t offer a lot of places to sit and enjoy their coffee, but it is the perfect place to grab a cup to go before heading into class.

Once Over Coffee Bar

Terrorism becomes comedy in audacious, bold British film triddle@stedwards.edu

St. Edward’s Summermoon Coffee Bar

WEEKLY ‘FLIX FIX | “Four Lions”

Travis Riddle re ss St .

W

So uth 1s tS t.

Barely awake, the practically comatose student stumbles into the coffee shop for the largest cup of coffee they offer before heading to a table and setting up shop.

Most college students are familiar with this experience.

Whether it is before that 8 a.m. class or just after a long night of studying, the coffee shop is a student’s second home.

However, the same students may quickly find that they have blown exorbitant sums of money on their caffeinated beverages at the campus coffee shops. So the search for the perfect cup of coffee for the right price began.

So ut hC on g

Tyler Eldredge

1.3 miles from campus Admittedly further from campus, Once Over Coffee Bar is completely worth the journey. This location offers the kind of eccentric, off-the-beaten-path atmosphere that Austin is known for. The prices of coffee to go are comparable to the coffee shops on campus, but they offer “coffee to stay” at a much more affordable price: $1.67 for the first cup, then just $0.87 for each refill—rather than dropping four bucks on two cups of coffee, it only ends up costing $2.54. The shop is small, so while not a good choice for any kind of group study sessions, it is also quiet and secluded, so it provides the perfect location for some alone time with textbooks. The spacious patio behind the coffee shop has more seating and includes a shaded deck with a babbling brook running behind it.

7

their first terrorist threat, but poor Waj, actor Kayvan Novak, cannot even manage to sit in a position that looks menacing enough to please the ever-furious Barry, played by Nigel Lindsay.

To top it all off, his replica machine gun is far too small.

“Not too small, brother,” Waj assures his friend.

“Big hands!”

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.

“Four Lions” is a British comedy that was released in the UK in 2010 and was “To put it rather the first movie Drafthouse simply, ‘Four Lions’ is Films picked up most likely the funniest for distribution Jihadist terrorist here in the U.S. It is unlike comedy you’ll ever most comwatch.” edies usually seen in U.S. theaters, and it likely would not have While the story follows all ever received funding here four Lions, its primary focus because “Four Lions” is a is on Omar, played by actor comedy about Jihadists. Riz Ahmed, and his attempts Of course, the movie would to train himself and his not be funny if these were not friends to be proper Jihadcompletely inept Jihadists. ists while struggling with the The film opens with its four question of whether or not titular protagonists filming what they are doing is right.

“Four Lions” is one of the most laugh-out-loud hilarious movies released in years.

Though that is not to say the film is for everyone. It is definitely a dark comedy, which can be assumed given its subject matter, such as one scene when Barry first meets Hassan, actor Arsher Ali, in the middle of a public event, where he reveals he is strapped with bombs.

He lays down a rap, yells “Allahu Akbar,” and detonates his bombs, releasing party streamers and confetti onto the audience.

“What?” he asks them, “Just cause I’m Muslim, you thought it was real?”

Even with its pitch-black humor, the film does eventually reach an emotional climax that I will not spoil here, but it is a credit to writer-director Chris Morris that he was able to glean such poignancy from a movie like this.

To put it rather simply, “Four Lions” is most likely the funniest Jihadist terrorist comedy you will ever watch.

YouTube.com Kayan Novak plays Waj, the unqualified terrorist who could not be threatening if he tried.

8 LIFE & ARTS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS

AUSTIN CITY LIMTIS

Music festival

preview Austin City Limits (affectionately known as ACL) is one of the biggest music festivals around. With more than 130 bands on 8 stages over the course of 3 days, there’s bound to be something for music lovers of every genre. But with so much going on, it is easy to get lost in the shuffle. Here are some acts from this year’s festival that cannot be missed.

{ { 2012 line-up staff picks The Black Keys• Florence and the Machine• The Avett Brothers Justin Jones• Weezer• M83 Umphrey’s McGee• Dev• Big Gigantic• BASSNECTAR• Gotye• The Civil Wars• Trampled by Turtles The Dunwells• Childish Gambino Die Antwoord• Tegan and Sara Andrew Bird• Delta Spirit Oberhofer• Rufus Wainwright Quiet Company• Ben Howard• The Lumineers• The Eastern Sea•

FRIDAY

Solo rocker shares his highs and lows with personal lyrics Brooke Blanton bblanto@stedwards.edu

Justin Jones first became obsessed with music after hearing his first bluegrass show out in the country in Virginia.

He began playing guitar at age 11 and writing songs at age 13. He released his first album in 2004 and recently released his fifth album in 2012, entitled “Fading Light,” which Jones calls his “reawakening.”

His 2006 album “Love Verses Heroin” was recorded while “lost and addicted to drugs,” as he explained on his website.

JustinJones.com Justin Jones has been performing since the age of 11.

The solo artist sounds like a slower, rawer version of Mumford and Sons with more drums.

Check out “My Father’s Gun” and the harmonicaheavy “I Can Feel It.” Jones summed up his musical experience with, “Seems no

matter the struggles in life, I always come back to music.”

Justin Jones is set to perform at 2:30 p.m. Friday on the BMI stage. He will also be signing autographs at the Waterloo tent at 4 p.m. Friday.

Tegan and Sara: Candian twin sisters with heartfelt indie pop

Wikimedia Commons Tegan and Sara’s sisterly bond provides for emotional music.

Mitch Harris rharris7@stedwards.edu

Our neighbors from the north are known for many musical sensations—Justin Bieber, Celine Dion and Drake to name a few. However, Canada’s greatest mu-

sical export may in fact be Tegan and Sara.

Openly lesbian and identical twin sisters Tegan and Sara Quin make melodic, quirky indie pop. Their songs are biographical and emotional, yet somehow catchy and delightful at the

same time.

Tegan and Sara are no stranger to putting on a show.

They’ve been touring since 1998 when they first graduated high school. Their shows are down to a science. They each alternate strumming the guitar, playing the keyboard and leading the vocals.

ACL is just one stop on their tour with the Black Keys and will most likely feature favorites from 2007‘s critically acclaimed “The Con,” their 2009 album “Sainthood,” as well as new songs off their upcoming album “Heartthrob.”

Audiences should expect a fun, heartfelt and thrilling show when they play Friday at 4:30 p.m. on the Bud Light Stage.

LIFE & ARTS 9

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Award-winning locals rock ACL

Comedian becomes rap king

Mitch Harris rharris7@stedwards.edu

After three full-length albums and an EP, Quiet Company is an Austin-based band that shows no signs of slowing down. Led by frontman Taylor Muse, the alt-rock band is known for their high enthusiasm in concert.

Quiet Company has a unique, high-energy, brassy sound that comes from every

member in the band playing multiple instruments. Muse himself has been known to play at least 12, including trumpet, glockenspiel, banjo, and organ.

The band puts on shows that feel like old sing-alongs.

Whether you are familiar with the music or not, Quiet Company invites the audience to get involved. It is not uncommon to hear people singing along with the trom-

bone line or putting their arms around their neighbors.

Quiet Company has dominated the Austin music scene, winning 10 2011-2012 Austin Music Awards including Best Band, Best Musician for Muse and Best Album for their most recent release “We Are All Where We Belong.”

They will be playing on the Austin Ventures stage at 11:15 a.m. on Saturday.

DJ rises above EDM wannabes Brooke Blanton bblanto@stedwards.edu

In a world where every 13-year-old with an iPad is a DJ, Bassnectar is a beacon of hope and genius.

His music is not just something to listen to, but also an experience.

Bassnectar is San Francisco-based DJ Lorin Ashton who released his first album in 2001. His shows make you

feel like you’re in the future or on another planet.

As the forerunner in the EDM (electronic dance music) genre, Bassnectar’s music is incomparable because it is so unique. Bassnectar is known for his insane use of– what else?–bass and legendary light shows.

He has been known to incorporate varying genres in his mixes, from rap to pop to metal, that provide the per-

fect dance soundtrack.

Check out “Ugly (ft. Amp Live)” and his remix of “Lights” by Ellie Goulding.

His latest album, entitled “Vava Voom,” was released in April of this year.

A music festival veteran, Bassnectar previously performed at Lollapalooza, Wakarusa, and Coachella.

Bassnectar is set to perform at Austin City Limits 7 p.m.

Saturday on the Honda stage.

Mitch Harris rharris7@stedwards.edu

Donald Glover, a.k.a.

Childish Gambino, performs self-proclaimed the white man’s hip-hop. He approaches his rhymes honestly and raps about what he knows. Rather than vulgar lyrics about life on the streets, Glover lays down vulgar lyrics of life in the suburbs.

His lyrics are clever and fast-paced Glover got his start in stand-up comedy, wrote for the acclaimed comedy series “30 Rock,” and currently plays Troy Barnes in NBC’s “Community.”

Glover puts on a different persona as Childish Gambino. He is abrasive, mesmerizing, and endlessly

entertaining.

Coming off the recent release of his album “Camp” and his mixtape “Royalty” within eight months of each other, audiences can expect an eclectic mix of released and totally new material, and maybe even some free-

styling.

Gambino’s shows are a high-energy whirlwind of insinuation and innuendo, but with heart that shows from time to time.

He will perform Sunday at 7:15 p.m. on the Barton Springs Stage.

Wikimedia Commons Childish Gambino is praised on stage, screen and in script.

Brits maintain hometown feel

[slapdash] “Craig’s risk”

TheDunwells.com The Dunwells are a quintessential old time folk family band.

Brooke Blanton bblanto@stedwards.edu

British musicians The Dunwells explain on their website that their music “seamlessly melds elements of Celtic and American folk,

rock, country, blues, pop and soul into a sound all their own.”

The band consists of brothers Joseph and David Dunwell, their cousins, Jonny Lamb and Rob Clayton and their longtime best

friend, Dave Hanson.

The band plays a multitude of instruments including guitar, piano, banjo, drums, bass and pedal steel that accompany the simple, harmonizing vocals from Joseph Dunwell and Lamb.

The Dunwells’ debut album “Blind Sighted Faith” was released earlier this year.

The music from The Dunwells will bring you back to hometown open mic nights, but with serious talent.

From their album, check out the slowly sensitive “Only Me” and the romantic anthem “So Beautiful.”

The Dunwells are set to perform at 4:15 p.m. Sunday on the BMI stage. They will also be signing autographs at the Waterloo tent at 5:45 p.m. Sunday.

10

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS

Paralympian puts Hilltoppers en garde Nathalie Phan nphan4@stedwards.edu

An adjunct professor and avid fencer traveled to London over the summer to compete in the 2012 Paralympic Games. Gary Van der Wege, a fencing instructor at St. Edward’s University, participated in the games as a member of the U.S. fencing team.

Van der Wege, 60, was injured in a motorcycle accident in 2000 and suffered permanent leg damage. He became serious about competing after his accident in 2000, when he landed a spot on the United States Olympic team during the games in Athens.

After retiring from international competition in 2004 to focus on coaching and officiating, he made a comeback at the Paralympic

Photo by Gabriellae Rodriguez Paralympian Gary Van der Wege teaches fencing at SEU.

Games in London this past summer.

The Paralympic games are organized during Olympic years and take place after the Olympic games.

When asked whether he won any medals, Van der Wege smiled and said, “Is there a gold medal for Mr. Congeniality?”

Van der Wege began teaching at St. Edward’s in 1990

as technical director and guest designer at the Mary Moody Northern Theater.

Currently, he teaches a fencing class.

“I really enjoy his classes,” junior Bethany Cuenod said, a former fencing student.

“How often do you get to take such interesting classes ... just for fun? It is an entertaining class because you get to practice with a foil in

hand and step out of your comfort zone.”

In addition to this, students earn course credits for physical education.

“The fencing class was originally offered as a topic in theater class,” Van der Wege said. “Fortunately, the department appreciated that the class really was great training for actors. It is ... something that makes you learn how to move your body in space and solve problems in a fraction of a second.”

As a teacher, he loves to share what he notes as the “mysterious sport” of fencing with those who are interested.

“It’s tricky teaching something that has a preconceived image of ninjas and people swinging from chandeliers,” Van der Wege said.

Cuenod is inspired by Van der Wege’s experience.

“I think it’s inspiring,” Cuenod said. “It’s not every day that someone goes to the Olympics—let alone going to the Olympics, getting injured and not being able to compete—[and finds] an outlet that allows them to continue in the sport they enjoy and compete on a world level with it. What’s more inspiring than doing what you love despite adversity?”

Van der Wege weighed in on his time in the Athlete’s Village.

“Being in the Athlete’s Village with a sampling of every place on the globe is incredible. The simple act of swapping pins with athletes from Iran, Russia, Jordan and Palestine makes you realize how we all have a lot in common after all,” Van der Wege said.

Club swimming does laps around D-I competitors Kelsey Cartwright kcartwr@stedwards.edu

The club swimming team traveled to the Dallas the first weekend of October to compete in the Big Tex Invitational.

Vice President of Club Swimming Curran Kelley said the team’s goal was to place higher than they did the previous year. The team swam against Division III host the University of Texas at Dallas, as well as Division I-ranked University of North Texas, Kansas and Texas State.

Last fall, the team placed fourth at the Big Tex Invitational. Although ranked in the same standing as last year, the team scored more

points this year than they did at the same meet last year.

“We were a lot closer to getting third,” Kelley said.

According to Kelley, club swimming currently has about 30 active members on its roster and some promising freshmen.

The team also has a fulltime coach now, which has lead to vast improvements.

“Having a coach showed in our results last weekend. We had a lot of people swimming really fast times,” Kelley said.

Head coach Kimberly Haslage has coached at all levels, from summer league to the Olympic level, Kelley said.

The team would love to

host an on-campus meet, but faces challenges with the on-campus swimming pool.

“Because the facilities are not up to par, we can’t host meets yet,” Kelley said.

While Kelley does not believe that this is hurting the team, swimming leaders are working towards hosting meets.

“We definitely want to send a bigger team to nationals this year,” Kelley said when asked what his goals are for the team this year.

Last year, Kelley and his teammate, Kim Carrier, went to nationals in Atlanta and faced steep competition.

Carrier ended up placing 16th in the 50 freestyle and 15th in the 100 backstroke.

Although it was a great

SPORTS CALENDAR WOMEN’S SOCCER Thurs. 10/11 | 1:00 p.m. vs. Newman College Sat. 10/13 | 12:00 p.m. vs. Oklahoma Christian

MEN’S SOCCER Thurs. 10/11 | 3:30 p.m. vs. Newman College Sat. 10/13 | 2:30 p.m. vs. Oklahoma Christian

WOMEN’S GOLF Wed. 10/10 - Thurs.

10/11 Harold Funston Invitational Mon. 10/15 Dallas Baptist Invitational

VOLLEYBALL Thurs. 10/11 | 7:00 p.m. at Arkansas-Fort Smith Sat. 10/13 | 12:00 p.m. at Newman College

WOMEN’S CLUB SOCCER Sat. 10/13 | 11:00 a.m. vs. UT-San Antonio Sun. 10/14 | 12:00 p.m. at Baylor

RUGBY Sat. 10/13 at Lamar

CONGRESSMEN ULTIMATE Photo by Joe Arellano Club swimming competed against D-I teams at the Big Tex.

experience, Carrier felt one thing was missing.

“I felt like the team should be there. It was overwhelming because there were big name colleges there like Virginia Tech,” Carrier said.

Only time will tell if the Toppers will be able to bring more teammates to nationals this year. Even if it does not happen, Kelley already thinks the team has proven itself.

Sat. 10/13 - Sun. 10/14 Rice Tournament

SPORTS11

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS

Season of replaceGolfer heads statewide for love of sport ment referees over ATHLETE PROFILE

Shelby Sementelli ssement@stedwards.edu

With the dream of becoming a professional golfer in the forefront of his mind, sophomore Jose Hernandez left his home in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, to pursue his dream at St. Edward’s University.

He came to the United States because collegiate golf does not exist in Mexico. Having to adapt to a new culture, Hernandez has become more independent. So far this season, Hernandez has averaged a 74.7 in his golf game.

Shelby Sementelli: What is it like being on a team with players from all over the world?

Jose Hernandez: I think the diversity that we have on our team is very helpful because you learn a little

from everyone. Every part of the world has a different style of play.

SS: What is the most frustrating aspect of golf for you?

JH: I hate that one day everything in your round might go perfect, and the next day you play as if you do not know how to play golf.

SS: What is your favorite course to play and why?

JH: I like La Loma back in Mexico because it is one of the best golf courses in Mexico. It is up in the mountains, and the views are amazing. Also, my favorite club is my home golf course, Ventanas de San Miguel, because the design is really good and the practice facilities are great.

SS: Can you describe the best game of golf you have

Photo by Erin Reas Jose Hernandez is 57-26 in his career at St. Edward’s.

ever played?

JH: It is a little hard to remember, but when I was 15 I had to win a tournament to qualify for the national championship. I shot a 69.

I just hit the ball great, and I made the putts where I needed to. I ended up winning by 15 shots.

SS: Do you have a favorite golf club?

JH: My favorite club is my driver because it is the club that I use the most.

It is very important to hit your driver in a good spot every time so the approach becomes easier.

SS: What was the biggest change you had to get used to living in the United States instead of Mexico?

JH: Definitely the food.

Food is very different in Mexico and also the culture. I grew up all my life with a maid that cooked for me and cleaned all my stuff, so it was really hard to get used to doing everything myself.

Column as I see ‘em

Predictions for week 6 of the NFL Nolan Green ngreen2@stedwards.edu

Column as I see ‘Em is your weekly fix for all things NFL.

Thursday Pittsburgh at Tennessee

Coming off a big win against Philly, the Steelers look to make it two in a row.

Pittsburgh by 10.

Sunday Oakland at Atlanta

Atlanta continues to roll, dominating the Raiders.

Falcons by 10.

Cincinnati at Cleveland

Ravens by 14.

Kansas City at Tampa Bay

At a surprising 4-1, the Bengals take an easy W. Bengals by 10.

Battle of the 1-4 teams.

Tampa Bay by 7.

St. Louis at Miami

Buffalo and Fred Jackson continue to put up big rushing yards. Bills by 10.

Rams over Dolphins by 10.

Indianapolis at NY Jets

Tebow time might happen.

Jets by 3.

Detroit at Philadelphia

Detroit, coming off a bye week, takes this one by 7.

Dallas at Baltimore

Cowboys stand no chance.

Minnesota at Washington

Minnesota continues it’s reign as NFC North leaders. Vikings by 10.

Buffalo at Arizona

Green Bay at Houston

New England at Seattle

Monday Denver at San Diego

Patriots, coming off a big win against Denver, over Seattle by 14.

NY Giants at San Francisco

49ers face a tough team in the Giants. San Francisco by 7.

Houston dominates on the ground. Texans by 21.

Denver rebounds from their loss against the Patriots. Broncos by 7.

Jacob Mooney jmooney@stedwards.edu

Eastin donned the striped jersey and took the field for the Detroit Lions taking on the St. Louis Rams.

Ever since her appearance during the pre-season, Eastin’s whistle and hat have been on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Although the replacement referees did not live up to the standard of the original officials, fans of the league should be happy the 2012 NFL season even started. Re-

The infamous conclusion of the Packers-Seahawks game on Sept. 24 was the final straw for the NFL’s labor dispute for the professional referees on strike.

These professional referees have been on strike with NFL for three months, demanding collective bargaining rights and more money.

With no time remaining on the game clock, the two replacement referees stood above the dogpile of “Fans accross the players in the end zone fighting country were outraged. for the ball. The Even President Obama two officiating referees waved said the call was their hands sig‘terrible.’” nalling opposite outcomes of the game-defining play. This play call would determine if the Se- member: it was not that long attle Seahawks would come ago when the 2011 NBA back from behind to score on lockout shortened the season the final play or if the Green from 82 to 66 games. The Bay Packers would secure the National Hockey League is win. currently locked out due to The replay showed that legal disagreements between M.D. Jennings of the Packers the owners and the league, had possession of the foot- with no end in sight. ball, which would have won The NFL referees earned a the game for the Packers. In a salary average of $149,000 in surprising twist, though, the 2011. According to ESPN, call went to the Seahawks, the NFL and referees came giving them the win. to an eight-year agreement.

Fans across the country The referees will earn an avwere outraged. Even Presi- erage of $173,000 in 2013. dent Obama said the call By 2019, they will earn an avwas, “terrible.” By Friday, the erage salary of $205,000.

NFL had come to an agree“I want to make sure the ment with the official NFL long term interest of the referees. game is taken care of. There The replacement referees are short term pains,” said did, however, make history. Roger Goodell, commissionShanon Eastin became the er of the NFL. first woman referee to offiThe NFL refs were welciate a regular season NFL comed back with open arms. game. On September 8th,

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS 12 SPORTS Women’s soccer blasts opponents with record-breaking wins Tyler Eldredge teldred@stedwards.edu

Something is going right with the women’s soccer team. They are currently ranked third in the nation and only have one loss on their record to conference rivals Dallas Baptist.

On Oct. 4, the Hilltoppers recovered from this loss by beating St. Mary’s in the annual Battle of the Saints match on enemy turf. For the most part, the scores of their winning games have been two things: extremely high and scored by freshman players.

On Sept. 20, they dominated The University of Texas of the Permian Basin with an 8-0 game, on Sept. 22 they shutout McMurry 6-0 and on Sept. 29, despite Oklahoma Christian’s home field

advantage, they blasted them with a 7-0 win.

“I feel like since we have a young team this year, it has worked to our advantage,” junior goalkeeper Danielle Licarione said. “Everyone works hard and plays hard for each other, and hopefully that mentality will carry on even after I graduate.”

One of the team’s top scorers agrees that this year is different from the others.

“We have better team chemistry this year than we ever have had before,” junior Rachel Murray said. “It's a lot easier to play together on the field when you know that you can trust all of the girls on the team.”

A first-rate team creates an atmosphere where everyone can be focused when it is necessary.

“There's a sense of con-

Photo by Shannon Wilson The team bested opponents with several high-scoring games.

fidence when we are out there together,” Murray said.

“There are expectations that we have for each other, and it is awesome trusting that anyone that is on the field can get the job done.”

But the team cannot build

a relationship by being serious all the time.

“Even though half of our team is completely new, we act as if we've all been best friends for years,” Licarione said. “Whenever we are off the field, we find fun wherev-

er we are, and there's never a dull moment with this team. ” The important thing, then, is to create a serious team with playful dimensions.

“We have a ton of fun together. It's these times that bring us closest together,” Murray said. “Being able to be goofy and embarrassing in front of your teammates is what brings us closest together, so we like to do things like bus karaoke, where everyone has to sing and dance.”

The test of their kinship comes when going head to head against another strong team.

“Those are the games I look forward to the most,” Murray said. “There is a different sense of intensity and passion when we have those big games coming up, and it is always exciting to have a new challenge. When I'm in

the game, I don't think about how I'm doing things. The only thing that I'm thinking about is what I can do to make sure that we can win.”

Feisty and committed, the women’s soccer team does not suffer from a lack of dreams, and, at the rate they are going right now, achieving those dreams is not too far-fetched.

“We want to go to the national championship, and we have what it takes to make it,” Licarione said. “I'm so proud of our team so far; everybody on our team has contributed to our current and future success.”

The team has two home games scheduled soon as they face off against two familiar faces: Newman College on Oct. 11 at 1:00 p.m. and Oklahoma Christian on Oct. 13. at noon.

Quidditch club determined to bring Hogwarts to the Hilltop Shelby Cole scole2@stedwards.edu

If you have ever looked at Main Building and thought, “Man, this looks like it came straight out of Hogwarts,” then thank the Sorcerer's Stone. Two St. Edward’s University students recently founded the St. Edward’s Quidditch Association, and co-Presidents Kim Valmores and Michael Haywood have ambitious plans to Potterize St. Edward’s.

The team will operate like two halves of a whole: one part competitive Quidditch team, one part student organization, similar to the Congressmen Ultimate, the ultimate Frisbee club on campus.

Haywood serves as the leader of the Quidditch team, bringing his past experiences with

the sport to the pitch. Valmores, a self-described “Luna Lovegood” type, serves as the events coordinator.

The pair oversees a team of house presidents, who represent the four houses at Hogwarts: Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin and Gryffindor.

The club hosted its first meeting on Sept. 21, during which all attendees were given both a cup of homemade non-alcoholic butterbeer participated in a sorting hat ceremony.

According to Valmores, every new addition to the club will be sorted into his or her appropriate house.

Members who are interested in playing Quidditch will have the opportunity to play in an inter-house scrimmage in November and a bigger tournament in January. The squad will start training ses-

sions within the next month.

No, it is not necessary to be athletically inclined.

“I get winded when I do anything like stairs, for example,” Slytherin house leader Jaqueline Jacot said, jokingly.

“But I really like Quidditch.

It's really fun, and it doesn't feel like exercise.”

If you are concerned about the flying aspect of the sport, do not fret. The International Quidditch Association—the governing body for competitive Quidditch—mandates that all players must straddle a broom and run, not fly.

“I have seen people ride mops, Swiffers, hockey sticks, ax handles, twigs,” Haywood said. “It does not really matter, as long as it is stick-like.”

The team also plans to scrimmage against neighboring schools’ teams in the

future, like the University of “We will decorate the locaTexas, Texas State, Baylor tion with crystalline lights, and Texas A&M. white drapery and white floFor those members who are ral arrangements to help our not interested in Quidditch, the club has plans “ I have seen people for social activiride mops, Swiffers, ties. Haywood and Valmores are hockey sticks, ax open to the idea handles, twigs... ” of club members participating in -sophomore Michael Haywood whatever they want, citing a pick-and-choose attitude. guests feel as if they were Valmores mentioned hold- transported into a Winter ing a campus-wide Harry Wonderland,” Valmores said.

Potter Day, in which particiThe club will pay tribute to pants would wear robes and St. Edward’s in a number of house colors to school to ways, from incorporating a draw more attention to the silhouette of Main Building club. She also has high hopes in its logo to giving a nod to for hosting a Yule Ball in De- the late Edward Shirley. cember.

“Instead of ‘Dumbledore’s

Army,’ we are calling ourselves ‘Shirley’s army,’” Valmores said, who had a close relationship with the professor. Shirley taught a course at St. Edward's that analyzed religious themes in the Harry Potter series, and once mentioned to Valmores how cool it would be to have a Quidditch team on campus.

The Quidditch team aims to promote team bonding and camaraderie throughout the entire St. Edward’s community.

“I hope that we not only have fun with each other, but I also hope that we help each other grow as individuals as well,” Valmores said on her expectations for the club.

Oh, and if you find the Room of Requirement on campus, do not hesitate to get in touch.

VIEWPOINTS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS

13

OUR VIEW

Voters can become informed with fact-checking Fact-checking has exposed erroneous facts in statements made by both candidates during the presidential debate.

The first of three debates leading up to the presidential nomination took place in Denver last Thursday. In the aftermath of the debate, both President Barack Obama and Republican hopeful Mitt Romney have been targets of fact-checking with journalists and pundits trying to determine just how factual Obama and Romney’s facts were.

The debate was already a heated event. Many viewers were appeased by Romney’s sudden bravado, calling his offensive performance a victory. Others thought Obama was in control, despite his laid back approach. Regardless of who performed better

during the debate, the factchecking that happened after the debate has exposed erroneous statements presented as facts by both Romney and Obama.

Two key websites that contributed to the first wave of fact checks were PolitiFact and FactCheck. These sites unearthed the truth behind the facts and statistics presented to the nation by both candidates.

For example, in the presidential debate, Romney claimed that Obama had actually doubled the U.S. deficit. According to PolitiFact. com, Romney’s claim was false. Their evidence shows that Obama has actually reduced the deficit by 8 percent.

Similarly, PolitiFact disproves Obama’s claim that Romney’s definition of a

small business includes Don- but it makes comprehending ald Trump. In fact, under a political issue a simpler task Romney’s proposed tax plan, for the voting public.

Trump would get a tax cut This first round of factsimply because he was a tax- checking has proven that payer, not a small business. both Romney and Obama Although both candidates are capable of bending the fabricated or altered certain “Now, voters have facts, Romney presented inacan opportunity to curate informaunderstand what’s tion more often than Obama. going on behind Because of the scenes of the websites like candidates’ debate PolitiFact and FactCheck, it has performances.” become harder for politicians to get away with untruthful claims. Anyone can truth in their favor. Regardeasily Google a statistic or less of political affiliation, further investigate a topic on voters should not blindly the Internet. This may be bad trust their candidate. Instead, news for some politicians, voters should construct their

own viewpoint on an issue, not based on a candidate's performance in a debate, but on studied facts.

And the presidential debates are just that–performances. Like actors on stage, candidates must persuade an audience to believe that they are telling the truth, and that they are worthy of votes.

Thus, the debates are, more often than not, more about rhetorical skill than factual information. Even in the age of the Internet and easy factchecking, the so-called winner of the debate is usually the candidate who performs best.

Romney’s sense of urgency and determination certainly painted him in a better light than Obama visually, but his false claims do not help his chance at the presidency.

That being said, many voters are not going to change their minds this late in the game, even if their chosen candidate is caught fabricating information.

Throughout our nation’s history, voters have essentially been forced to blindly accept what candidates present as fact. Before the age of the Internet, the general public had to rely on the candidates’ performance skills.

Now, voters have an opportunity to understand what’s going on behind the scenes of the candidates’ performances.

In the past, fact-checking required ample time and effort.

The first presidential debate this year was almost immediately fact-checked. The quick and easy availability of the facts means that every voter can be informed.

New iPhone operating system gets mixed reviews from students Jacob Mooney jmooney2@stedwards.edu

The hype around iPhone 5 and its new system update has died down, but the new Apple Maps program remains controversial. Is the new Apple Maps just the punchline of an Apple joke, or is the new system really that much of a downgrade?

Google Maps has been installed on every iPhone since 2007. To many users, iPhones have become a personal GPS. However, with the release of the iOS 6 system update, Apple removed Google Maps from the phone. This change has been met with criticism from many iPhone users.

The last problem Apple

Apple Maps application A screenshot of the Apple Maps app, new to iOS 6.

faced with a phone launch was in 2010, when the iPhone 4 had signal issues due to the metal sides of the

phone touching users’ faces during phone calls. They offered a solution by sending every customer a free case that would solve the signal problems.

However, Apple has yet to offer any new solutions to the map problem except for using other map applications from the App Store.

Apple CEO Tim Cook addressed these problems in an apology letter published on the company’s website.

“With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short,” Cook said.

From a business perspective, although there was no real need to remove Google Maps, it was a decision that was overdue. Apple’s change

really was not that unexpected.

Apple has always been focused on having complete control over its products. It is surprising that Apple kept the third party program installed on every iPhone for so long, especially since Google’s Android is a direct competitor.

The iPhone and Google maps were so synonymous that no one really stopped to think how Google was supporting their competition. It is surprising Google was not the one to pull Google Maps from the iPhone first.

Other students had mixed opinions regarding the new iPhone and software update.

Conversely, sophomore

Bentleigh Barnett said she got lost using the new map program.

“It doesn’t recognize certain addresses and last weekend it sent me to a wrong location,” Barnett said.

Senior Rob White, said he has not run into any problems, but the new iPhone seems underdeveloped.

“It was released too early.

I haven’t had any problems with Apple Maps, but I believe that it’s the maps outside of America that aren’t very good. I also think people are just looking for reasons to jump on Apple,” White said.

Senior Jasmine Crespo also had issues. “At first I really liked it but then I started having problems trying to find

destinations. It’s definitely a downgrade, but it’s not to the point where I’m going to stop using it,” Crespo said.

In his apology letter, Cook sought to assure Apple customers of coming better days.

“Everything we do at Apple is aimed at making our products the best in the world. We know that you expect that from us, and we will keep working non-stop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard,” Cook said in the letter.

It is unclear how long it will take for these solutions to materialize.

14 VIEWPOINTS Commercial space endeavor would have economic benefits Kelsey Acosta kacosta@stedwards.edu

Since June, the Californiabased space tourism company, SpaceX, has been buying property in the South Texas region of Cameron County.

The company has been shopping around for the ideal site to build a commercial space flight program.

Although SpaceX has purchased land in Cameron County, the final decision about where they will build their launch site has yet to be made. SpaceX is also looking at areas in Florida, Puerto Rico and Virginia. However, Cameron County is said to be the lead contender for the program, according to the Brownsville Harold.

The land that SpaceX bought is located roughly five miles north of the Mexican border and three miles south of South Padre Island, according to the Austin American-Statesman. This is a prime location because space crafts need to be able to land in a large body of open water while staying close to the equator.

For those people with a real adventurous spirit, this company could provide a chance to explore the last great fron-

tier. The prospect of being able to take a trip into space is definitely exciting. It is a childhood dream come true.

Besides offering people a chance to live out their dreams, this space tourism program would be a great addition to Texas. If Cameron County is chosen as SpaceX’s launch site, it would make South Texas the center of space tourism, which would lead to the creation of many new jobs.

However, the land that SpaceX has purchased is located near two state parks and a wildlife reserve, according to KUT. This fact raises concerns about the environmental impact that a rocket launching site would have on the surrounding area.

The Federal Aviation Administration is currently conducting an environmental impact study in Cameron County, but they have not released any information about the potential impact this enterprise could have.

Although the economic benefits of having space tourism in Texas could be wonderful for our economy, the threat of a negative environmental impact is not something to be taken lightly.

These rockets need a large

open body of water to land in, and if they are being launched from the Cameron County area, they will be landing in the Gulf of Mexico. This could do harm to the Gulf of Mexico, which is still struggling to recover from the BP oil spill that happened in summer 2010.

However, the Gulf of Mexico is not the only ecosystem that may be threatened; there are two state parks and a wildlife reserve close to the possible launch site.

These areas are well known areas for excellent bird watching. According to KUT, Luke Metzger, the founder and director of Environment Texas, believed the region to be a significant ecological area, and has stated that Environment Texas is opposed to the SpaceX project.

No final decision about the location of the launch site has been made as of yet, but it appears that, if Cameron County is chosen, SpaceX may be in for a fight with environmental organizations.

On one hand, this could be an incredible opportunity for Texas, but it is not a decision that should be made at the expense of the well-being of the Gulf of Mexico and the surrounding areas.

Wikimedia Commons Tourism company SpaceX could bring commercial space flight to Cameron County, Texas.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS

Mitt Romney’s educational policies favor private sector

Wikimedia Commons Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan.

Wesley Stewart jstewar9@stedwards.edu

As the Super Bowl of American politics crescendos toward the Nov. 6 election day, the candidates’ positions on important social issues are being debated, discussed and concreted in the media, online forums and blogs and in the voters’ minds. The social, economic and international issues facing us at this time require address from the candidates.

One particularly important topic is education. As college students, especially those of us with student loans, the positions of the candidates and the outcome of the election will affect us directly for the next several years of our lives. As citizens, it means our social potential and ability to compete in an increasingly global, technologically driven economy.

Every three years, the 34 nations in the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, including the United States, are ranked according to per-

formance on an academic test taken by 15-year-olds in each county. This data is used as a snapshot of sorts to see how the nations compare to each other in terms of academic performance and government spending on education.

The most recent study was conducted in 2009; the United States ranked 2nd in spending and 25th in performance. Clearly, something about our education system is not functioning correctly. Each candidate believes that his position on education will benefit the American people.

Romney is in favor of primary and secondary education being transitioned to a voucher system, where money goes directly to parents so that they can decide where their children go and what type of education they receive. This requires that options exist, and that there is a clear way to compare these options, but Romney makes no mention of standards for comparison.

Romney's position on

current standards, for both academic institutions and teachers, is that they should be state mandated rather than federally mandated, with a goal of increasing student performance and teaching effectiveness. He supports incentives for states to reform or eliminate teacher tenure and to institute an effective evaluation system, arguing that teachers will perform better when they know they are being evaluated.

Romney’s position on higher education is particularly applicable to college students, and his position has the potential to affect us for years. Student loan debt is increasingly problematic in our country. The long term financial burden placed on citizens by debt affects the financial system and the credit market. Romney favors reduction of federal spending on higher education, in the form of student loans and Pell Grants. He would take steps to reduce the Department of Education and use its resources to inform families and students with financial need about their options.

Also to the end of reducing federal involvement in higher education funding, Romney would like to do the opposite of Barack Obama and privatize the educational loan market and higher education in general.

Romney believes the government should have little to do with financing or supporting citizens pursuit of higher education, and that the private sector will do a better job of both providing support for people to get educated as well educate them itself.

VIEWPOINTS 15

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS

Rick Perry proposes tuition freeze for public colleges in Texas Ryan Coulehan rcouleh@stedwards.edu

Texas Governor Rick Perry is calling for all public universities in Texas to guarantee that the tuition students pay for their first semester of college will be exactly what they pay for their last, and every semester in between.

Perry’s proposition seeks to limit the debt students accumulate over four years in college by eliminating surprise charges each semester.

In Texas right now, the average price for a semester is $7,166, while the average debt of a Texas college graduate is just under $21,000, according to The Texas Tribune.

Perry’s proposition seeks

to limit the debt students accumulate over four years in college by eliminating surprise tuition increases each semester.

While this is a noble goal on Perry’s part, and seems at first to have no negative strings attached, this may actually have adverse ramifications.

The tuition freeze is meant to be an incentive for students to graduate in four years, and Perry is threatening to cut funding to colleges that do not graduate their students on time.

Currently, funding is based mainly on the number of students enrolled at a university, not the number coming out of it.

Perry’s graduation ratebased budget would force the

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universities to be accountable for how quickly their students graduate, the same way public elementary and secondary schools have been held accountable for standardized test scores.

Anyone who has been to college knows that it can be excruciatingly difficult for some college students to get their priorities straight and become accountable for themselves.

In a perfect world, a four year tuition freeze would be a fantastic motivation to do well; unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world.

Students will always have a tough time getting through college in four years, whether the cause is too much fun or too much work. Therefore, it

would be unfair for a university to be penalized for the actions of its students.

However, this is not to say that a tuition freeze is a bad idea. In fact, a tuition freeze would allow more students to attend college, and perhaps alleviate a lot of financial worries.

If a student does not have to work while going to school, it is plausible that he or she would make better grades and perhaps even graduate earlier.

But this is only a likely case for some students, and not a viable basis for taking away a university's federal funding.

And what about schools that do not receive state funding? St. Edward’s University is a private school, and

Wikimedia Commons Gov. Rick Perry wants to freeze public college tuition.

already comes with a bigger price tag than most schools.

Would this tuition freeze

affect private schools like St. Edward’s at all?

Perry makes absolutely no mention of private colleges and universities in his program pitch, so it is safe to assume that he intends to leave them alone.

Yet, in the long run, it is likely that private schools will either have to implement similar policies in order to compete, or let themselves become facilities for the elite, virtually wiping out economic diversity among future students attending private institutions.

The bottom line is this: a tuition freeze as an incentive to graduate in four years is not a bad idea, but punishing universities if students do not graduate on time is.

Barack Obama’s policies favor students Jacob Sanchez jsanchen@stedwards.edu

presidential nominee Mitt Romney is elected, it seems possible that student loans would change along with health care. After all, Romney has promised that he will repeal the Affordable Care Act on his first day in office.

Another part of "Obamacare," as the Affordable Care

The upcoming presidential election is important this year, especially for college students.

College students have a lot to gain or lose whenever the next session of Congress begins because lawmakers will be trying to balance “Only one candidate the budget, and in this race actually many programs cares about the needs that students depend upon may of college students– be on the chopBarack Obama.” ping block.

Only one candidate in this race actually cares about the needs Act is sometimes called, alof college students—Barack lows students to stay on their Obama. parents' health insurance Obama benefitted students plan until age 26. Extending by removing the banks as the age eases the worry of middlemen for guaranteed paying for health insurance loans. This change was made both during college and in alongside Obama's health the first few years of employcare reforms. If Republican ment after college. Students

can focus on graduating and starting a career instead of paying for health insurance.

Another important change made by Obama has been the doubling of Pell Grants from $16 billion in 2008 to $36 billion now. The number of students eligible for Pell Grants has also increased.

Pell Grants are essential to many students who could not attend college without them.

Romney wants to restrict Pell Grants, which is a bad idea. Restricting these grants will prevent young people from attending college and that ultimately means fewer educated workers in the workforce. Romney's plan will stifle economic progress by stifling education.

Both Romney and Obama have realized that the rising cost of college cannot continue, but only Obama has proposed a plan to lower tuition.

Romney has not laid out any specifics regarding the issue

of lowering tuition.

Over the course of a student's four years at college, they are eligible to receive a $10,000 tax credit. This tax credit will be eliminated if Romney is elected. Romney would effectively be taking away $10,000 that could have been spent in the economy.

This and many of his other positions, makes Romney seem like he does not care for college students.

Romney has criticized Obama for failing to stop tuition increases, but no president has the power to control every university in the country.

The President and Congress can only do so much to stop the rising cost of college.

To actually fix this problem Congressional Republicans must refrain from blocking Obama's education-related bills.

16 PHOTO ESSAY

hiphop on the Hilltop

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS

On Oct. 3, 2012 The Multicultural Leadership Board and the University Programming Board wanted to show the influence of Hip Hop in our St. Edward’s Community. Hilltopper Aiden Kennedy from Bagheera and Bavu Blakes performed at St. Ed’s on the Dujarie Lawn.

Photos by Gabriellae Rodriguez.