Issue #8 - March , 2010

Hilltop Views S t .

E d w a r d ’ s

U n i v e r s i t y

Wednesday, March 24 , 2010

Volume 27 | Issue 8

7

Entertainment: A three-page recap of this year’s SXSW Festival.

A local yoga 11 Features: studio offers ways to both practice and give to the community.

hilltopviewsonline.com

Upsets 13 Sports: abound in March Madness.

University officials say tuition hikes fair Michael McNally

St. Edward’s University officials are defending the new tuition increase for the 20092010 academic year.

Officials say that, despite the tuition hike, the university is still less expensive than other universities of the same educational caliber.

Students will be seeing an 8 percent tuition increase in the next year. Yearly tuition, excluding fees, will increase from $24,040 to $26,084.

Vice President for Marketing Paige Booth believes that tuition is reasonable.

“St. Edward’s is very wellpriced by any comparison

of benchmark or competing universities,” Booth said.

Tuition increases have been a hot-button issue for private and public university students. Early in March, students around the nation protested tuition increases made to offset funding cuts in public universities as states battle budget deficits.

Students at the University of Texas, for example, were protesting a 5.4 percent increase from $8,936 in tuition and fees this year to $9,418 in the 2010-2011 academic year.

St. Edward’s students have been dealing with tuition increases for years. Since 1999,

Maryssa Perez

University officials tout that tuition dollars go back into the classroom.

when tuition was $11,438, tuition has increased by 128 percent.

“I think the reason we pay more is because it’s a private and a religious institution,

Students look to teaching for jobs Michael McNally Due to the sluggish job market, St. Edward’s University students and graduates alike are exploring teaching positions rather than careers specific to their major.

John Lucas, career counselor for the Career Planning Office, said that his office has seen a significant increase in the number of students applying for certification.

“Typically, it might be a junior or senior coming upon graduation who hasn’t been in education and all of a sud-

den has an interest in teaching,” Lucas said. “We’ve also seen alumni coming back who are interested in getting certified to teach.”

Some education majors, like senior Dora Elia Dovalina, believe that allowing students who have not majored in education to teach can be detrimental to school performance.

“Personally, I do not think that people should be allowed to teach if they have not received the adequate training that is needed to teach in an elementary or secondary grade level,” said

Dovalina. “It takes more than just a few weeks or months to really become a good teacher and teach students the correct way, every teacher should have had a degree in their particular field and not just go into an alternative certification program and get certified.”

There are several methods individuals can use to become certified to teach. The first option is to go back to school and take the education courses required for certification.

“It can be a lengthy process for some students,” Lucas

said.

The process is especially lengthy for students who major in subjects not traditionally taught in public schools.

Lucas recommended that students interested in pursuing an education related to teaching should contact the School of Education in order to obtain a contingency plan, which outlines what students have left to do in order to become certified.

Another route is the Masters of Arts in Education, a GRADUATES | 2

and it’s not necessarily superior to a public college education,” junior Whitney Car-

penter said.

St. Edward’s has the lowest tuition of the surrounding private universities in the region, excluding Abilene Christian University, which is ranked just above St. Edward’s in the U.S. News and World Report rankings, with its tuition set at $20,290 in the 2009-2010 school year.

Booth said that St. Edward’s market research has revealed that students and parents considering St. Edward’s as their college choice view Trinity University, Texas Christian University, Baylor University and Southwestern TUITION | 3

Faculty greenlights childcare Megan Ganey The Faculty Senate has moved forward with a plan to provide childcare for faculty and staff on or nearby St. Edward’s University.

Following months of research, the Faculty Senate’s Childcare Committee recommended taking the plan forward to the university’s administration. Members of the faculty are now scheduled to meet with University Executive Vice President and

Provost Sr. Donna Jurick to discuss the plan.

Jurick said that she received the proposal from Faculty Senate President Catherine Rainwater, but declined to comment until after the meeting takes place.

The Faculty Senate Childcare Committee surveyed 340 faculty and staff and 75-80 percent responded in favor of on campus childcare, said Craig Campbell, the UNIVERSITY | 4

Page 2 | NEWS

Wednesday, March 24, 2010 | Hilltop Views

St. Edward’s students skeptical about new MetroRail Sam Farias Students have doubts about the newly opened Capital MetroRail.

Due to its operating schedule and ticket prices, students at St. Edward’s University are likely to find the new railway an inconvenient method of transportation.

The MetroRail, which opened March 22, is a new passenger rail system that will run between Leander and Downtown Austin.

The MetroRail is 32 miles long and stops at nine different stations and runs from 5:25 a.m. to 9:25 a.m. and from 3:10 p.m. to 7:42 p.m., Monday through Friday. The rail does not run during midday or at night and does not run on the weekends.

Rachael Amador, a sophomore who commutes from Cedar Park, was disappointed in the MetroRail schedule.

She regularly leaves campus after 9 p.m. and won’t be able to ride the MetroRail home.

“If it ran longer, then I defi-

nitely would use it,” she said.

“Our hours aren’t like a nineto-five job.”

Amador didn’t think students would be able to take advantage of the MetroRail because student schedules do not match the MetroRail’s schedule.

“The main thing I don’t like about [the MetroRail] is that it stops at downtown,” said Paul Alvarez, a sophomore who commutes from North Austin. “It doesn’t go further south.”

Alvarez said most students will opt not to use the MetroRail because of schedule conflicts and because most students live south of downtown.

Alvarez will only use the MetroRail on occasion – only when he has no other option.

Students have also expressed concerns about the cost of using the rail service.

The first week of operation was free for everyone. After the first week, however, a one way ticket will cost $2 if rid-

ing on one side of the zone line and $3 if riding across the zone line, which lies between the Kramer and Howard stations. Monthly and weekly passes are available for $70 and $20, respectively.

“That’s 20 bucks a week,” said Amador. “I pay that much for gas in a week.”

Many other students won’t be able to afford or won’t want to pay to use the service, she said.

Students may already be making a move toward public transportation, though. The number of undergraduate students who bought parking permits this school year was 2,568 — a decrease of 82 since the year before.

Last year, 2,650 traditional undergraduates purchased parking permits, compared to 2,765 in the 2007-2008 school year. Financial Services Director Doris Constantine said that the gradual decline in the number of parking permits issued could indicate a rise in public transportation use among students.

AMERICAN-STATESMAN/ Kelly West

Monthly and weekly MetroRail passes will cost $70 and $20, respectively.

The MetroRail is the first installation in Capital Metro’s long-range transportation plan entitled “All Systems Go.” The plan is intended to provide alternate modes of transportation for people living in the Austin area and to reduce traffic congestion during rush hours.

“One of the priorities for our region is to provide different options for people to get around,” Shaivitz said.

Additional rail lines are currently in the early plan-

ning stages. Plans for several different expansions can be found on the “All Systems Go” website. Capital Metro plans to utilize an existing line to create the Green Line, which will run from Austin to Elgin and branch off north, through Pflugerville and into Round Rock. Another line called the Regional Commuter Rail is in the beginning planning stages but is not being managed by Capital Metro. It will connect San Antonio, New Braunfels, San

Marcos, Buda/Kyle, North and South Austin, Round Rock and Georgetown.

“Those are longer term plans,” Shaivitz said. “It’s far too soon to even speculate a date for when they will open.”

Shaivitz also speculated on the possibility that the MetroRail will open for night and day time service, as well as weekend service.

“It’s something we’ll take a look at,” he said. “There are a number of opportunities for expansion with the MetroRail.”

Until then, students will have to continue to deal with the MetroRail’s inconvenient schedule if they plan to use its service.

“It’s all about being convenient for people,” said Nathaniel Collins, a freshman who frequently uses the Capital Metro bus system. “But the way [the MetroRail] is going to be, it’s not convenient for students.” sfarias2@stedwards.edu

Graduates explore teaching certification options Continued from page 1

relatively new graduate program at St. Edward’s that is becoming increasingly popular. Lucas believes this method is very beneficial.

“The difference would be significant when it comes time to employment because in almost all school systems, the Master’s degree candidate starts at a higher pay rate level,” said Lucas. “It would be really wise for [students] to explore going into a Master’s of Arts Teaching Program.”

Another option some students have taken advantage of is applying to non-profit programs, such as Teach for America. Those accepted to Teach for America commit themselves to two years of teaching in inner-city schools

and receive the standard starting salary of the area.

Senior Anna Unruh, a bioinformatics major, said she is in the final stage of the Teach for America application process.

“I actually want to go into medicine, but I’m also hoping eventually to teach medicine,” Unruh said. “I have also enjoyed doing student teaching here as a teaching assistant for general chemistry.”

Compared to traditional college-based methods of certification, some alternative certification programs may not offer the same in terms of preparation.

“There are some good alternative certification programs which offer an extensive program and others where the consumer should exam-

“If they are choosing education only to get a job or only to get a paycheck, that would be seen as a negative effect.”

— Judy Leavell ine carefully to see if they equip them,” Leavell said.

“Each alternative certification program would have to be looked at carefully to see if they really offer enough development to really be successful over the long term in education.”

Still, it is questionable whether the economy attracting more non-traditional teachers benefits the educational systems of the United States in general.

“I think that the economy has opened more people’s eyes to the possibility of teaching, and I think that’s a good thing,” Lucas said. “In the long run, I think it’s going to bring a richer pool of candidates to the teaching profession.”

Leavell is worried about the motivations of those suddenly interested in teaching in the down economy.

“If they are choosing education only to get a job or

only to get a paycheck, that would be seen as a negative effect,” Leavell said. “At the same time, we are recruiting non-education people, maybe people who are pursuing careers that pay well in math and science, and we would love for them to reconsider and come into education.”

Still, Leavell said she would like students to look more closely at careers in education.

“There is a great demand for teachers with math, science, bilingual, English as a Second Language and special education preparation,” said Leavell. “Because of these general shortages, we would encourage students with interest and talents in these areas to consider pursuing education as a profession. Our

department would be pleased to visit with any student who might want more information about the education profession.”

On the other hand, Dovalina added that the trend of non-education majors pursuing a career in teaching is unfair to those who spend their time in college majoring in education.

“I don’t think it’s fair for those [education majors] who went through school all four or five years,” said Dovalina. “People need to realize that teaching is not just like any job. It’s a large responsibility to make sure that we educate our students to the best of our abilities.” mmcnall@stedwards.edu

Hilltop Views | Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Police Blotter Date

Time

March 5

2:40 p.m.

Incident

Location

NEWS | Page 3

Resolution

Damage personal property

Parking lot behind WOB

Under investigation

March 6

Not available

Harassment

St. Edward’s University

Under investigation

March 8

Not available

Student conduct — excessive citations

Holy Cross Hall

Disciplinary referral

March 8

11:30 a.m.

Student conduct — excessive citations

Holy Cross Hall

Disciplinary referral

March 8

1:50 p.m.

Criminal mischief

Parking lot behind Premont Hall

Under investigation

March 8

1:54 p.m.

Fire alarm

East Hall

Not available

March 8

4:14 p.m.

Student conduct — excessive citations

Holy Cross Hall

Disciplinary referral

March 8

3:36 p.m.

Student conduct — excessive citations

Holy Cross Hall

Disciplinary referral

March 8

3:36 p.m.

Student conduct — excessive citations

Holy Cross Hall

Disciplinary referral

March 8

3:36 p.m.

Student conduct — excessive citations

Holy Cross Hall

Disciplinary referral

March 10

2:23 a.m.

Criminal mischief

Library

Open

March 10

11:05 a.m.

Hazmat — pepper spray

Moody Hall

Closed

March 10

1 p.m.

Student conduct — excessive citations

Holy Cross Hall

Disciplinary referral

March 10

10:13 p.m.

Damage personal property

Parking lot in front of Doyle and Premont Hall

Closed

March 12

10:30 a.m.

Theft

RCC

Open

March 17

8 a.m.

Theft

Grotto

Unfounded

Homecoming costs stay stable Allison Sanders The cost of Homecoming did not significantly increase in 2010, despite an increase in event programming.

The Homecoming Committee received funding from Student Life’s allocated budget to spend on Homecoming celebrations this year, and it spent between $12,000 and $15,000 on nine programs.

The number does not include the cost of Casino Night, which was a University Programming Board event. The event, as in previous years, cost $20,000.

Student Life has various areas of programming, one of which is Homecoming, said Assistant Student Life Director Katrina Woolery.

The working budget between $12,000 and $15,000 has remained stable throughout the years. This year was Woolery’s second in helping to coordinate the event alongside a student committee.

Woolery refused to provide a specific cost breakdown of each event.

Woolery stressed that the focus of Homecoming should not be on its costs, but on what the celebration means to the St. Edward’s University community.

“We met our goal in increasing attendance in all areas,” Woolery said.

The Homecoming Committee and Student Life also received close to $1,000 in donations from local businesses to help pay for some Homecoming costs, according to Woolery.

She added that the state of the economy had nothing to do with the businesses being able to donate to Homecoming celebrations.

“It is just something that they do to help us,” she said.

The donations helped to fund the prizes given out throughout the week of Homecoming. Several prizes came from the stores of businesses helping with the donations.

Woolery also said that the state of the economy was also not an issue in the Homecoming budget, and that it did not factor into the costs.

“Our mission is to serve students with programs to create a sense of community,” she said. “The economy does not affect us in this type of program.” asander3@stedwards.edu

Tuition increases used to fund university expansion Continued from page 1

University as having similar standards of education, and all of those institutions cost more to attend.

“These are our primary competitors,” Booth said. “People do not consider lower-priced schools like Texas Lutheran, Concordia and Our Lady of the Lake to be of the same

quality as St. Edward’s.”

However, competition with other schools hasn’t been limited to the region. Many prospective St. Edward’s students are also considering out-of-state schools. St. Edward’s is still considerably less expensive than these outof-state schools. Loyola University of New Orleans, one of the closest in cost to St.

Edward’s, charges $28,770.

“Tuition decisions are made by the administration, informed by our own enrollment and retention data, competitive data, and periodic market research on the perceived value of St. Edward’s University,” Booth said. “ Booth said that increased income to St. Edward’s al-

lows for the retention of small class sizes and support staff for the student body. In addition, salaries for faculty, staff and top administrative officials has also increased.

Booth says in the past 10 years, St. Edward’s has strived to give students a value for their education.

“The vision was to become known as one of the

best small universities in the country, and we’ve done that by improving the quality of our educational experience for students,” Booth said. mmcnall@stedwards.edu

Where tuition goes • 82 percent increase in faculty • 43 percent increase in staff • New facilities and renovations • $29 million of 20092010 scholarships & grants • 70 percent endowment net increase.

Page 4 | NEWS

Wednesday, March 24, 2010 | Hilltop Views

New classes grab interest Jake Hartwell St. Edward’s University introduced two new minors at the beginning of the 20092010 academic year and 15 new courses in the spring semester. Student interest indicates that the minors and courses are meeting expectations.

Jewish Studies

4

One of the new minors for the 2009-2010 academic year was Jewish Studies. Approved in August 2009, Jewish Studies has already seen six students at the Catholic university declare the minor.

“Student interest is very strong,” said Richard Bautch, associate dean of School of Humanities.“Six declarations in six months is a pretty impressive start, and I think it’s going to continue to grow.”

In fall 2009, the university offered five courses as part of the Jewish Studies minor.

Three more classes were offered in the spring.

Freshman Catherine Hughes is one of several students who have expressed satisfaction with the Jewish Studies minor.

“I have loved my classes so far,” Hughes said. “I took

Introduction to the Hebrew Bible with Professor Bautch, and I loved the curriculum.

We learned about the history of Ancient Israel, which is fascinating.”

Art History

After having been in the planning stages for several years, the Art History minor was finally offered for the first time during the 20092010 academic year.

“I have 14 students who have declared [the minor] or told me they plan to do so,” Assistant Professor Mary Brantl said. “Especially as I meet with newer students, I’m sensing considerable interest in the minor.”

Several courses in the Art History minor count towards other programs and general education. Of those courses, the university offered two Topics in Art History courses—Modernism’s “Scream” and Art and Gender.

Junior Rebecca Tsucalas said the minor has provided her with a direction.

“It’s like I found my passion,” Tsucalas said. “I also feel that the minor has prepared me appropriately for applying to graduate programs.”

“I’d like to see the day when

St. Edward’s has an Art History major, though right now we’re just at the beginning steps of such a possible program,” Brantl said. “Such a possibility certainly seems in line with St. Edward’s commitment to a liberal arts education.”

New Classes

St. Edward’s offered 15 new courses this semester, including diverse topics from Survey of Africa to the Elections of 2008 and 2010. All of the classes are at or close to capacity.

One of the courses, Personal Finance, is taught by Associate Professor Amy Burnett. The course teaches students the basics of personal finance—checking accounts, buying a car, getting loans, credit cards, mortgages and more—and is at full capacity for enrollment at 27 students.

Senior Sam Cornish said that he enjoys the course.

“The class is fun, enlightening and applicable to real life,” Cornish said. “The most important thing that I’ve learned so far is to pay yourself first, not last.” jhartwe@stedwards.edu

University to discuss plan Continued from page 1

committee co-chair.

“There needs to be a task force to develop an implementation plan,” Campbell said.

Jennifer Dornan, co-chair of the committee, is arranging a meeting with administration to discuss how, if possible, to move forward with the plan.

The Childcare Committee has found in its research and surveys that five out of seven Holy Cross universities offer some form of childcare programs.

Rainwater said the issue

with the university in regards to plan is funding.

“If we have university-connected childcare, the program would have to be either cost neutral or better,” said Rainwater. “There are no facilities on campus that could be used in any cost neutral way.”

Campbell said that he believes having an on-campus or near-campus program can be cost neutral.

“We are not asking at this point for a subsidy,” Campbell said. “Data indicates that there should be enough revenue to support the place.”

The report cites family values and the St. Edward’s

mission as reasons for implementation, stressing community and the importance of being close to family.

“If we are a family-friendly institution that cares about the whole person in our families, than this should be something we should support,” Campbell said. mganey@stedwards.edu

Hilltop Views | Wednesday, March 24, 2010

check out

Hilltop Views

GAMES | Page 5

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

online edition at hilltopviewsonline.com

Answer to last issue’s Sudoku:

Page 6 | Hilltop Views Wednesday, March 24, 2010

ENTERTAINMENT

Alice leaves some moviegoers wondering Jake Hartwell Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” is not based on the books, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There,” by Lewis Carroll. The film is actually a loose interpretation of Carroll’s poem, “The Jabberwocky,” with Wonderland characters making cameo appearances.

Making sense of the Jabberwocky poem is a difficult task, so the film’s attempt is a noble one. Unfortunately, it fails. The artistic liberties taken by the filmmakers and

constant hints of meaning will leave true Carroll fans yearning for the nonsensical but innocent rhymes of the original poem.

This point cannot be stressed enough: The pure innocence and lack of regard for creating “meaning” made Carroll’s works great. One could finish “Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking-Glass” without the slightest idea of what it all meant. He had taken us on a wild, imaginative journey, and that was all that mattered.

“Alice in Wonderland” abandons innocence almost

immediately. As Alice runs down the rabbit hole to escape a marriage proposal, viewers realize that the innocence of Carroll’s Alice is gone; instead, we are given an awkward half-adult trying to find her place in the world.

A world of fantastic wonder becomes the vehicle for some sort of ill-expressed comingof-age tale. And as Alice’s breasts try harder and harder to escape the confines of her ever-loosening clothing throughout the film, viewers may start to miss the Alice from 1951. At least she could keep her knickers on.

Another critical flaw in the

film is its deterministic nature. At the beginning, all of Alice’s exploits are divulged by a fortune-telling scroll.

The place is supposed to be Wonderland, but you lose all wonder when a magic scroll tells you the plot of the next hour and a half.

The film tries to push meaning on viewers. It’s as if the filmmakers set out to make a film about feminism, female autonomy and defying gender roles, but they realized halfway through that trying to inject their own meanings into Carroll’s epic would be like burning a pile of his books. To atone

Portugal. The Man rocks Parish Alex Gay Returning to Austin for the first time since October 2008, the band Portugal. The Man played at the Parish March 5 and 6 to very energetic crowds. This tour coincides with the release of their new album, “American Ghetto,” and includes The Dig and Port O’Brien as supporting acts. Portugal. The Man played a collection of songs from all five of their albums,

including two songs from their most recent release on the first night and another on the second.

Portugal. The Man’s approach to live music is not traditional. The style is half structured song and half improvisational jam. This allows the band to play a completely different show every night, giving fans a new experience every time. Fortunately for fans that attended both nights, the band mixed

up the set list with a variety of songs for each night.

The psychedelic and soulful sounds were complemented well by heavy smoke and surreal lighting. Nearly every song offered an intricate solo by the band’s guitarist John Baldwin Gourley, known for his high-pitched voice and bluesy riffs. Each song was tight, and they performed with flair that only a few modern bands can maintain.

A band that performs at least

250 nights per year would be expected to have a nearly flawless set, but Portugal.

The Man did not disappoint.

Portugal. The Man’s live show incorporated covers of popular songs when least expected. They weren’t afraid to throw in the chorus of Ghostface Killa’s “Kilo” or “One” by Three Dog Night.

They even played a complete cover of David Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream,” while including a couple lines of MGMT’s “Weekend Wars.”

Keep an eye out for Portugal. The Man; they are a rising band with electrifying and musically versatile live sets. Luckily, Austin is one of their favorite cities to play in, so expect them to return soon. agay3@stedwards.edu

Alex Gay

Portugal. The Man returned to Austin for two shows at the Parish March 5 and 6.

for their transgressions, they tried their best to be “subtle,” intending to give the slightest, cleverest hints at meaning. Unfortunately, they aren’t particularly good at subtlety or cleverness, making the film a jumbled mess of obscurity and confusion unworthy of bearing the same title as Carroll’s original work.

Despite its many shortcomings, the film is visually attractive. Perhaps the colors will be enough to distract audiences from the wrongness at the heart of the film.

Associated Press

jhartwe@stedwards.edu

Expo celebrates Nemesis comic Patrick Jones Jason Neulander presented “The Intergalactic Nemesis” to the Monarch Events Center March 6 as the finale of this year’s Staple! Alternative Media Expo.

“Nemesis” details the adventures of reporter Molly Sloan and her sidekick Timmy Mendez as they track an illegal pelt-smuggling ring in Eastern Europe. Things are hardly what they seem as Sloan and Mendez are drawn into a conspiracy involving secret societies and monstrous aliens.

The work was a collaboration between writer Neulander, comic artist Tim Doyle, three revolving stage actors, foley (sound effects) artist Buzz Moran and composer Graham Reynolds.

The unique presentation of “Nemesis” bridged multiple mediums. Comic strips were projected onto a movie screen while the actors and

foley artist performed on the side of the stage. The composer sat behind the actors with an electric keyboard, providing live musical accompaniment to the story much like an organist would for a silent film.

The “Nemesis” saga was “born in 1996 at the Hideout [a small coffee shop in downtown Austin],” Neulander explained. “Nemesis” was independently a radio play and comic book before its current incarnation as a combination of both. Several Alamo Drafthouses presented “Nemesis” before the premiere of “Alice in Wonderland.”

“Nemesis” closed out this year’s installment of Staple!, which featured print and webcomic authors in person. Staple!, now in its sixth year, is Austin’s festival for a new generation of comics fans. pjones4@stedwards,edu

Hilltop Views | Wednesday, March 24, 2010

ENTERTAINMENT | Page 7

SXSW Recap Film

Leaves of Grass With high profile roles in everything from “Fight Club” to “The Incredible Hulk,” and a pair of Oscar nominations, it seems audiences and Hollywood alike can’t get enough of actor Edward Norton.

Perhaps this was why filmmaker Tim Blake Nelson cast Norton to fill the roles of both male leads in his film, “Leaves of Grass.”

The film made its American premiere Friday at South by Southwest, and drew a sold-out crowd to the Alamo Drafthouse.

Both Norton and Nelson were on hand to introduce the movie and to participate in a Q&A with legendary movie fan and local, Harry Knowles (Ain’t it Cool News) after the screening.

“Leaves of Grass” tells the story of two Oklahoman twins, Bill and Brady Kincaid (Norton), who have taken very different paths in life. Bill makes a name for himself in academia, teaching classic

philosophy in the Ivy League system. Brady, despite his high IQ, has stayed in Little Dixie and lived as a local marijuana dealer.

Brady tricks Bill into returning to Oklahoma, and despite Bill’s intentions, he gets himself caught up in a Brady’s feud with a Tulsa drug lord (Richard Dreyfuss).

Norton delivers superb performances in both roles. He pays credence to the well-spoken, educated Bill, while simultaneously mastering the role of the backwoods Brady with often hilarious results.

Nelson employs the use of “twin shots” so often, that most audience members will legitimately believe they are watching two different actors, especially when Norton dons a mullet while playing Brady.

This technique certainly complements the film, as the audience is able to focus on the engaging plot line and hysterical dialogue, rather than focusing on camera tricks.

According to Nelson, “Leaves of Grass” will be opening in limited release in New York, Dallas and Austin, but positive reception could help to push the film into wider release.

Caroline Wallace cwallac2@stedwards.edu

Associated Press

After a week mostly void of sleeping, bathing and eating, SXSW has come to a close. Here are some of the festival highlights from film, interactive and music.

For more coverage of SXSW, visit www.hilltopviewsonline.com.

Citizen Architect: Samuel Mockbee and the Spirit of the Rural Studio Samuel “Sambo” Mockbee always thought everyone deserved shelter for their comfort and for their souls.

The documentary “Citizen Architect: Samuel Mockbee and the Spirit of the Rural Studio” is a fascinating film that chronicles a man whose life was dedicated to making other lives better.

As an architect, a profession that tends to ignore the homeless and the less

fortunate, Sambo lead a life of compassion and goodwill. He lent a helping hand to those who were often overlooked.

Rural Studio’s architecture takes an unorthodox approach to design and building structures. The imperfections in building and design add character, a certain kind of human factor and a purpose that you don’t get from huge architectural companies that are only doing it for the paycheck.

Matthew Kerwin mkerwin@stedwards.edu

Strange Powers Eschewing the sensational for the substantive, the documentary feature about The Magnetic Fields frontman Stephin Merritt, “Strange Powers,” premiered at SXSW March 15.

Shot over a 10-year period, the film grants audiences an unprecedented amount of access to Merritt’s creative process, which involves a cornucopia of bizarre instruments and notebooks filled with songs written in the dark corners of disco-filled gay bars. The film also

gives viewers a look at the palpable, dynamic tension between Merritt and Claudia Gonson, his longtime friend and creative collaborator.

Directors Kerthy Fix and Gail O’Hara craft their film with the sort of intelligent self- awareness that is often reflected in Merritt’s songwriting. In doing so, Fix and O’Hara maintain the integrity of their subject while delivering an engaging story about a remarkably talented human being.

Rebecca Robinson rrobins4@stedwards.edu

War Don Don From 1991 to 2002 the country of Sierra Leone faced a long and painful civil war. Rebecca Richman Cohen’s documentary, “War Don Don,” tells the story of rebel leader Issa Sesay and the Special Courts trial that he faced after the war.

Cohen combines security and news footage from the trial, interviews with key members of the trial and beautiful shots of Sierra Leone. The story of Sesay hasn’t been told to many people outside of Sierra Leone, and it is a story that people need to hear. The film does

Interactive Screen Burn Arcade One popular exhibition at the 2010 South

by Southwest Interactive conference was TexLUG, a group of adult Lego fans who, from March 12-14, displayed iconic structures assembled with those lovable snaptogether plastic bricks.

Thousands of people visited the fourth annual ScreenBurn Arcade exhibit at the Austin Convention Center to take pictures of everything from roller coasters in full motion to the Eiffel Tower, all created out of Legos. Kids and adults alike were smiling as they wandered away from the Lego displays to enjoy the rest of the exhibit.

While the Screenburn Arcade was promoted as the video game portion of SXSW Interactive, there were plenty of organizations showing that video game culture is more than sitting in front of a television with a joystick. Artists from Massive Black, an entertainment developer, and The Art Department school sketched live models for a crowd of onlookers, who were in awe of the artists’ abilities. Members of the Independent Game Developers As-

an incredible job of giving viewers all the details and history that they need to understand the trials and problems. The film runs a

Otto Normalverbraucher

sociation-Austin, an advocacy group, were available to answers questions about the video game industry. GameCamp! representatives provided a look at their summer camp where high school students learn to create video games.

ScreenBurn Arcade was free and open to the public, which allowed for a diverse crowd of industry leaders, out-of-towners and local residents. With many parts of the industry packed into one area, people with a variety of ages, careers and ambitions were able to play the latest games, mingle and experience the mixture of cultures that extends beyond playing video games. SXSW Interactive ran through March 16.

Luis Estrada lestrad@stedwards.edu

little long but ultimately is an amazing retelling of Sesay’s trials.

Proctor Anderson panders2@stedwards.edu

Page 8 | ENTERTAINMENT

Wednesday, March 24, 2010 | Hilltop Views

SXSW Recap

Music

Holly Aker

Breathe Carolina used colored strobes in their set.

Artery Foundation Every year the Artery Foundation, a music management company, hosts two showcases at SXSW: a free day show and an official show. The free show brings out more than 15 bands, attracts hundreds of people and always leaves a good number of fans outside the venue because of capacity limits. The official show, held at the Cedar Door, is scaled down to six bands and attracts slightly fewer people, but it still leaves many fans out in the cold.

The official show started off with a set from Bury Tomorrow, a post-hardcore band from the United Kingdom.

Bury Tomorrow is a typical post-hardcore band with sing-scream trade-offs and synchronized head banging, but the band put on an exciting show that pumped up the whole audience. The most memorable part of Bury Tomorrow’s set was when the guitarist specifically pointed out his Lady Gaga shirt and dared anyone to laugh.

Following Bury Tomorrow, Asking Alexandria, another British band, took the stage.

Mixing post-hardcore with

electronic-techno beats to create their truly successful sound, Asking Alexandria was very well received by the audience at the Cedar Door.

The band was lucky to even take the stage, because, before the showcase started, the lead singer lost his SXSW musician pass and was temporarily not allowed access to the venue.

Evergreen Terrace, a hardcore/metal band from Florida, was up next. With the hardest sound of all the bands of the night, Evergreen Terrace’s show was filled with breakdowns, crowd surfing and lots of tattooed fists pumping the air. The most surprising part of the show was when the lead singer announced that he was stoked to see Muse and planned to rush over to Stubb’s right after the band’s set.

I See Stars, a six-piece electro-hardcore band from Michigan, went on after Evergreen Terrace. Like Bury Tomorrow, I See Stars also followed the sing-scream pattern and surprisingly was the only band at the showcase able to get a full-blown mosh pit going. The band

was lead by 17-year-old lead singer Devin Oliver, dressed very Luke Skywalker-esque in all black, and 19-year-old lead screamer Chris Moore, sporting a hefty Afro.

Breathe Carolina took the stage next and completely changed the atmosphere in the Cedar Door. The band’s sound is purely electronic but adds screams and clean vocals to the mix. When the band stepped on the stage, all light vanished except the near constant multi-colored strobe lights behind the singers and keytar player. With a booming bass beat alongside the strobe flashes, the show felt more like a rave than a music concert. Everyone bounced along to the music, making Breathe Carolina’s performance the best of the night.

Holly Aker haker@stedwards.edu

Red Bacteria Vacuum Red Bacteria Vacuum likely accumulated a few new fans after South by Southwest’s Japan Nite on Friday. The all-girl punk band from Osaka, Japan succeeded in garnering attention from everyone within earshot.

Their set involved heavy guitar-riffs, drums and plenty of yelling sprinkled with melody. Red Bacteria Vacuum have been described by GEEKS, a pop band, as “crazy…. but kind of good crazy. They drink and smoke a lot.”

Japan Nite was hosted inside Elysium, the

Sondre Lerche The Day Stage Café was buzzing with two words Thursday: Sondre Lerche.

Although several different pronunciations of his name floated around, people seemed anxious to see what the Norwegian songster, recently dubbed “one of the most talented new names in contemporary pop,” by the Los Angeles Times, had to offer.

Lerche not only fulfilled the expectations of a crowd of about 75 people, but also

surpassed them. His latest album, “Heartbeat Radio” was released in 2009 to dazzling reviews. Although he plays with a band on the album, he performed solo, which gave fans a different experience of their favorite songs.

Lerche strummed, fingerpicked and pounded his stunning electric blue guitar in a punky pop rock fashion which complimented his unique, but perfectly angelic voice. The crowd was diverse, with some bopping

in their seats, some napping on bean bags, and others in full-on jam-out mode.

Lerche conversed with the crowd throughout the performance, creating rapport and showing what a genuinely nice, down-to-earth guy he is.

The performance ended in a standing ovation, and afterwards, Lerche hung around awhile, chatted, and enjoyed the next show.

Courtney Love South by Southwest has been known to forge the careers of many bands from obscurity to success, but the festival is also known for bringing back old musical favorites. At this year’s SXSW Music Festival, Courtney Love recreated the band that made her famous, Hole.

On Saturday night, Love headlined the Perez Hilton party, where a mixture of

young and old fans gathered to take in some of her familiar tunes. Many of the attendees were anxious to see the dramatic star in action, and she did not disappoint.

Instead of yelling at the crowd or rushing off stage, as Love had been known to do in the past, she relied solely on her music to make a statement. In 30 minutes, Love rocked many of Hole’s classic tunes from “Miss World” to “Doll Parts,” while

still giving the crowd a taste of some new music to come.

If the show proved anything to her detractors, it showed that Love still knows how to rock.

Anya Marina South by Southwest panelist and performer, Anya Marina, took the main stage at Maggie Mae’s for an unfamiliar crowd Friday.

She performed a 30 minute set in the Chop Shop Showcase, beginning with two songs from her new album, “Slow and Steady Seduction: Phase II,” to ease the audience into her quirky pop rhythm.

She proceeded to rev the audience up with her cover of T.I.’s hit single, “You Can Have Whatever You Like,” and pulled a fan on stage to sing along.

This song was the catalyst that set the audience into

dancing and smiling fiends for the rest of her performance.

However, during some of the songs she could not be heard over the music.

Overall, the audience was pleasantly surprised and left with a smile and anticipation for the remaining performances.

marshy dance club on Red River Street, and featured a small sampling of the Japanese music scene.

From pop to punk to visual-kei, the occasion proves to be quite interesting every year.

Red Bacteria Vacuum is following their SXSW performance with a variety of dates across the country, including a show at the Viper Room in Los Angeles later this week.

Matthew McClennahan mmcclen2@stedwards.edu

Megan Russell mklenzi@stedwards.edu

Samantha Davis sdavis8@stedwards.edu

Alyssa Palomo apalomo@stedwards.edu

Hilltop Views | Wednesday, March 24

Holly Aker

Ozomatli performed at Auditorium Shores Thursday.

Ozomatli Ozomatli is a combination of many different sounds.

The band from Los Angeles appears to be a Latino band, but then adds in flavors of hip-hop, salsa, cumbia, samba and reggae to create a truly original sound.

On Thursday night, Ozomatli lit up the stage and the river at Auditorium Shores for a crowd of over 1,000 people. The seven-member band started the show with a fast beat that set the tone for the night and got everyone in the crowd on their feet.

Ozomatli kept up the energy throughout the night by playing songs that lured the audience to dance. Couples grabbed one another to salsa

The Ruse Every year, people from all around the globe flock to Austin for a week of emerging musicians, film premieres and celebrity sightings. South

by Southwest is one of the largest film and music festivals in the world, sticking to its Austin roots by showcasing primarily the Indie genre.

One SXSW showcase that stood out among others was

and samba to the different beats of each song while the rest of the audience shook their hips, tapped their feet and let the music move them.

As the show went on shouts of “Ay, Ay, Ay” piped up from throughout the audience.

Even as the night air chilled, Auditorium Shores stayed hot with Ozomatli’s mixture of saxophone, trumpet, guitar and three different kinds of drums.

Holly Aker haker@stedwards.edu

ENTERTAINMENT | Page 9 All In The Golden Afternoon Lewis Carroll’s novel “Alice in Wonderland” is not only the driving force behind many plays and ballets, the 1951 animated Disney movie, and Tim Burton’s most recent film, it is also the inspiration from which a husband and wife duo from Austin, Texas derived their group name and music style.

Rachel Staggs’s and Carlos Jackson’s innovative band All In The Golden Afternoon, also the title of a poem in Carroll’s story, performed a show at the Dirty Dog sports bar on E. Sixth Street Saturday evening as part of the official SXSW music showcase. Though the audience turnout was only average, the couple’s mellow experimental and instrumental artistry was able to turn the sports bar’s

familiar noisy and chaotic atmosphere into an environment that was a much more calm, light-hearted and even a little peaceful.

All In The Golden Afternoon’s sound can best be described as tranquil, unique and dreamy. Staggs and Jackson have a way of making you feel amiable and relaxed, almost as if in a dream yourself. Though the Dirty Dog is not an ideal place to fall asleep and carelessly float around, in another situation their music definitely has to potential to take someone to a wonderland of their own.

Miike Snow Following the invigorating performances by Underground Legends and The Cool Kids, the emerging band Miike Snow took center stage at the SXSW Showcase and rocked the house with their fresh, new sound.

Miike Snow is interesting because it fuses electro-pop with soft indie pop to create its unique sound.

On Friday evening, synth boards and drum machines of every variety littered the stage. St. Edward’s University sophomore Jessica

Collins said, “The band not only played the anticipated song ‘Animal’ but also surprised everyone with unreleased material.”

Although there was a 40minute delay, due to the time it took to change out the musical instruments on set from the previous acts, it was clear that the audience felt it was well worth the wait.

The band put on an amazing, captivating show. the performance of The Ruse, a band based in Los Angeles.

With their indie rock sound and high energy, they drew in a great crowd on Saturday afternoon at the Live.Create.

Lounge on E. Fifth Street.

Sponsored by Zone Perfect, the event offered complimentary drinks and Zone Perfect nutrition bars to attendees.

The band put on an amazing, captivating show, although it was a small venue.

Megan Lewis mlewis5@stedwards.edu

New Zealand Party Every year Austin hosts musicians from around the globe at South by Southwest. With so many countries delivering their best up-and-coming artists to the American music scene, a strong SXSW tradition has emerged.

From Lunch with the Germans to Japan Night to the Canadian Blast BBQ, countries throw events to showcase their most promising acts and a hint of their native cultures.

The New Zealand party was no exception. Music lovers filled Brush Square Park Friday for cocktails and performances by The Ruby Suns, Surf City, Bachelorette and Gin Wigmore.

The Ruby Suns opened the night with their worldly blend of indie pop melodies. The three-piece band played a short set on a stage adorned with lights and flowers.

Next, Surf City entertained partygoers with uptempo, drum-heavy tunes.

One-woman band Bach-

elorette played third. Despite some sound issues early in the set, Annabel Alpers mixed up dreamy, psychedelic tunes on her MacBook accompanied by her haunting, fluid vocal melodies.

Rising star Gin Wigmore rounded out the night. The announcer proclaimed her the hottest artist in New Zealand right now, and the audience seemed to agree.

Wigmore’s signature vocal style, reminiscent of a more Rock ‘n Roll Amy Winehouse, was a hit with the crowd.

Caroline Wallace cwallac2@stedwards.edu

Megan Soffer msoffer@stedwards.edu

Some of their hits include “Beautiful is Gone,” “Perfect World” and “I Can’t Stop.”

They were promoting their newest album, “Love Sex Confusion,” released March 23.

Jackie Pica jpica@stedwards.edu Caroline Wallace

The Ruby Suns opened the New Zealand party.

FEATURES

Page 10 | Hilltop Views Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Country dancing spots

Kite Festival a tradition Morgen Brown

Midnight Rodeo is a popular spot for St. Edward’s students.

Emily Blasdell Country music and good old dancing is one of the best ways to experience Texas’ country heritage. With plenty of esteemed dance music halls, dancers and country music aficionados have plenty of opportunities to experience the best of Texas music.

Here are a few of the Austin area’s country music halls.

Midnight Rodeo Ages 18+ 2201 E. Ben White Blvd.

With a 2,000 square foot solid oak dance floor, entertainment stage and great drink specials, Midnight Rodeo offers a little something for everyone. Thursday nights are usually packed for College Night, where both country music and popular hits are played. There is also no cover before 11 p.m. for ladies. Those looking for some live music should go on a Friday night, when country stars like Brandon Rhyder, Roger Creager and Kevin Fowler play. Saturday is Ladies Night, meaning no cover for ladies all night long. Also,

there’s usually a guarantee you will see someone else from St. Edward’s University at Midnight Rodeo because it’s only a five minutes from campus.

Rebel’s Honky Tonk Ages 21+ 305 W. 5th St. Located just downtown, Rebel’s Honky Tonk Country Bar offers a front patio, a huge dance floor and an electronic bull ride. At Rebel’s there’s never a cover and great drink specials all night. With Ladies Night, Dollar Dollar Thursdays and Rebel Nights on Fridays, locals can have a country night in the city. On Saturdays, Rebel’s opens at 6 p.m. so people can watch sports events while listening to their favorite country music.

The Broken Spoke All Ages 3201 S. Lamar Blvd.

The Broken Spoke considers itself the “last of the true Texas dance halls.” Open since 1964, the Spoke has seen country legends and stars like Willy Nelson, Dolly Parton and George Strait.

Courtesy of Midnight Rodeo

They pride themselves on being a true and traditional country dance hall. Open Tuesday through Saturday, The Broken Spoke also has a restaurant that serves lunch and dinner and provides dance lessons almost every night. Because there is live band every night, The Broken Spoke charges a $12 dollar cover.

Gruene Hall All Ages 1281 Gruene Rd. New Braunfels, Texas It’s a bit of a drive, but Gruene Hall in New Braunfels is a legend among country dance halls. Built in 1878, Gruene Hall is the oldest continually running dance hall in Texas. It’s another popular place to find country legends and newcomers to the scene. Since the only music played is by live bands, tickets usually cost around $25 and can be bought in advance or at the door. For a complete list of shows, check their Web site at www.gruenehall.com. eblasde@stedwards.edu

A combination of birds, planes, butterflies and boxes fill the air.

Although this looks like a typical gathering of people in Austin, this clustering is a part of the city’s 82nd annual kite festival.

The Zilker Kite Festival is one of many weirdly famous events in Austin’s great outdoors. The festival is typically scheduled on the first Sunday of March, although this year’s festival was postponed to March 14 because of rain. The festival took place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and there was no admission fee.

In 1929, the Exchange Club of Austin founded the first Kite Tournament in the old Lamar Park to encourage creativity in chil-

dren and the community.

The event was moved to Zilker Park in 1936, and today it holds the bold title of the longest continuously running kite festival in the United States.

The Web site notes that in 1956, “the Kite Tournament was opened to competitors of all ages and to this day contest events have changed very little.” The areas of the contest included the 50yard dash, highest kite angle, steadiest kite, strongestpulling kites, smallest and largest kites and the most unusual kite. For less experienced flyers, there was a kite-making workshop and a kite-flying demonstration, both opening at 11 a.m.

For the estimated 10,000 to 20,000 attendees, there were a variety of volunteer opportunities. Some at-

tendees brought their own picnics, but there were also plenty of food vendors available.

The Zilker Park Kite Festival is sponsored by the Exchange Club of Austin and the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department. A percentage of every purchase at the Kite Festival went to support local non-profits working to prevent child abuse.

This year’s kite festival was a success for everyone involved, as “most folks [came] out to see the spectacular sight of hundreds of kites in the sky and to enjoy a spring day at the park,” according to the Web site.

For more information, visit www.zilkerkitefestival. com. mbrowne@stedwards.edu

Hilltop Views | Wednesday, March 24, 2010

FEATURES | Page 11

Seva Yoga offers classes, a way to contribute Danny Salazar Esta “Seva” Herold strives to improve the Austin community with the help of yoga and meditation.

Herold’s new yoga center, Seva Yoga, offers locals a way to do yoga and contribute to the community.

Seva Yoga allows people who desire to take these yoga classes pay whatever fee they can afford, and all proceeds go to a charity of the instructor’s choice. Herold’s business partner, Carlos Martinez, came up with the idea to offer yoga classes to the community as a way to serve.

Herold started teaching a single yoga class to faculty, staff and students in the gym at St. Edward’s University in September 2005.

But Herold wanted to expand the experience beyond St. Edward’s and to use it to influence a much larger group

of people. She still holds her informal classes on campus in addition to those at Seva Yoga.

The studio’s official opening of Seva Yoga, which is located in the Austin Yoga School on S. Lamar Boulevard, took place March 19.

The event consisted of a day of free classes, silent meditation, a vegetarian potluck and live music.

“We have had such great experiences practicing [yoga] ourselves,” she said, “we wanted to include others.”

The classes at Seva Yoga feature 27 teachers that teach 60 classes with differing approaches to yoga and meditation. Herold attributes the success of her yoga classes to word of mouth.

“We teach anything from beginners, intermediate and special classes to help people with hips and lower back pains,” she said.

stock.xchng

Yoga is a popular way to relax and unwind.

Leslie Davies, a freshman, took yoga in high school and first started attending Herold’s on-campus yoga classes before getting involved with Seva Yoga.

Davies said that yoga helps her grow as a person.

“I need yoga,” she said. “The idea of Seva Yoga is wonder-

ful and a great way for people to get involved.”

Davies believes in the effects yoga can have on people’s lives, and said it is a way to stay in touch with one’s mind and body.

“It helps people open their minds, which is very healing,” Herold said.

Herold is thrilled to be teaching the classes Seva Yoga is offering. The main point of the studio is to promote service and unity in the community, she said.

“It’s wonderful to be able to offer these classes,” she said.

“It lets us come together as a community and meditate. It’s all about serving individually and as a whole.”

Herold said getting the project off the ground was “remarkably easy.” She started with an ad on the Web site Craigslist. She had lists of people who were interested in the project and about 20-30 people decided they wanted to participate.

According to Seva Yoga’s official Web site, the suggested donation for a class is $10. Participants are asked to donate more if they are able to, or less if they cannot afford it.

Like she did with her St.

Edward’s classes, Herold said that no one would be turned away if they were not able to contribute a donation.

Herold said it is rewarding to get to teach these classes to the community. Davies said she enjoyed being able to be a part of it.

“I feel like a stronger member of the community,” Davies said. “I have something to offer.” “[Yoga is] a natural expression of my heart,” she said.

“It’s an honor being able to give back. It’s my devotion.” dsalaza4@stedwards.edu

Page 12 | Hilltop Views Wednesday, March 24, 2010

SEU sports play over break Bryce Bencivengo The spring sports season is in full swing at St. Edward’s University, and many of the university’s teams were in action over spring break.

Baseball The baseball team had two series during spring break, with its first March 12-13 against The University of the Incarnate Word.

This series signaled the final time the Cardinals would travel to the St. Edward’s Lucian-Hamilton Field as a conference opponent, since Incarnate Word will leave the Heartland Conference next year.

The Hilltoppers opened the series to the conferenceleading Cardinals with a 3-7 loss. The Hilltoppers were behind 7-5 in the second game of the doubleheader before the game was suspended due to darkness.

The Cardinals were threatening when the game was suspended with the bases loaded and only one out, but the Hilltoppers held the line.

When the game resumed March 13, the Hilltoppers opened up the offense, scoring five runs to take a 10-7 lead. In the ninth inning, St. Edward’s surrendered two runs but kept it together to

win 10-9.

In the final game of the series, the Hilltoppers took the lead early and stayed ahead of the Cardinals. The Hilltoppers scored seven runs in an explosive seventh inning, widening the lead 13-5. In the eighth inning, St. Edward’s scored two more runs to mercy rule the Cardinals, ending the game 15-5.

The steady offense continued in a road series with Newman University. The Hilltoppers captured three wins in a four-game series victory over the Jets. In the series, the Hilltoppers put up a staggering 60 runs in just four games.

The Hilltoppers sit comfortably in fourth place in the Heartland Conference, going into a series with the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith March 24.

Softball After a 4-6 start to the 2010 season, the St. Edward’s softball team has hit their stride, winning nine out of their last 10 games and remaining undefeated in the Heartland Conference.

The women traveled to Eastern New Mexico University for a non-conference match up with the Zias March 17.

The team split the doubleheader with Eastern New

SEU Sports Information

Sophomore Jenny Varteressian hits a run.

SPORTS Free Lessons Offered in the Austin Area

DANCING AT THE OASIS If you’re willing to make a bit of a drive, free dance lessons are available Wednesday and Sunday nights with a live band at The SEU Sports Information

Oasis on Lake Travis on their Starlight Terrace.

Senior Adam Wolotira swings at bat.

Mexico after winning the first game 7-1. In the second game, the Zias were down in the final inning when Eastern New Mexico got a threerun home run to take game two, 6-5.

The softball team continued the road swing playing a doubleheader against Oklahoma Panhandle State University. The Hilltoppers came away with two wins March 18.

The Hilltoppers scored early and often in game one and had the game in hand the whole way, winning 8-0.

In the second game of the day, three pitchers combined for a two-hitter to beat the Lady Aggies 8-0.

Women’s Golf The women’s golf team competed in the Claud Jacobs Intercollegiate Tournament hosted by Texas State University on March 14-15.

St. Edward’s was the only non-Div. I team competing at the tournament. The women finished tied for ninth with McNese State University.

The Hilltoppers were in 10th after the first day, four strokes behind McNese State and six behind Houston Baptist University.

During the second day,

the Hilltoppers were able to make up the deficit with McNese State but finished four strokes behind Houston Baptist.

The top two Hilltoppers were freshmen Jacy Benites and Melisa Gonzalez, who tied for 23rd overall. Senior Emily Kvinta finished third for the Hilltoppers. She tied for 48th overall.

The women will play their next tournament, the Grand Canyon Women’s Invitational, in Goodyear, Ariz., April 5-6. They will also play one more tournament before the Heartland Conference Tournament towards the end of April.

Men’s & Women’s Tennis Both the men’s and women’s tennis teams played four matches over spring break, with both teams going 1-3.

The men’s and women’s tennis teams had an identical schedule with both teams traveling to Las Vegas for three matches and then to Dallas to play regional foe Northwest Missouri State University.

The men’s team, ranked 19th in the nation, faced CONTINUED ON | 13

RUTA MAYA YOGA Within walking distance of campus, Ruta Maya offers a slew of yoga classes open to anyone who has made a coffee house purchase. Classes are offered every day except Sunday.

DANCE PARTIES AT THE HIGHBALL The Highball hosts dance parties every first Thursday, which kick off with a free dance lesson. On March 24, they will host free country dancing lessons starting at 8 p.m.

FULL MOON YOGA For an outdoor experience, Charles MacIrney hosts a monthly Hatha Yoga class while the sun sets and full moon rises. The upcoming course is March 29 at 7:15 p.m. at 4400 Ridge Oak Dr.

SALSA DANCING AT COPA BAR & GRILL Copa offers free salsa lessons Thursdays and Fridays from 8:309:30 p.m. The lessons are good for beginners to advanced salsa dancers. And afterwards, Copa offers open dancing.

RUTA MAYA CUBAN NIGHT At Ruta Maya every Wednesday from 7:30-8:30 p.m., you can get a free salsa lesson (again with a coffee house purchase). If you want to stay for the live salsa music, there is a $7 cover.

YOGA IN THE GALLERIES On the third Thursday of every month, the Blanton Museum of Art offers free yoga in the Galleries from 6:30-7 p.m. The next one will be April 15.

SWING DANCING AT THE FED Every Thursday from 8 p.m. to midnight, the Austin Swing Syndicate hosts a dance party at the Fed on 2312 San Gabriel St. At 8:15 p.m., you can take a swing lesson or a side lesson.

SATURDAY MORNING YOGA For those willing to wake up early on a weekend, the Lululemon Athletica store on 1016 West Sixth Street offers a complimentary Hatha Flow Yoga class from 8:30-9:30 a.m.

FREE CROSSFIT There are various local CrossFit gyms that often offer free CrossFit classes at different locations. CrossFit is a physical fitness training for the advanced or beginners.

Compiled by: Melissa Martinez

Wednesday, March 24, 2010 | Hilltop Views

Teams don’t get a break Continued from page 12

three tough challenges in Las Vegas.

The first match was March 15 against Barry University, ranked second in the nation. The men got key wins in both doubles and singles but not enough to pull out the victory.

The next day, the men’s team was back in action against the defending NCAA Div. II champions, Armstrong Atlantic University. The Hilltoppers were blanked in this meeting by the Pirates, losing 9-0.

Their last test in Las Vegas was the fifth-ranked Hawaii Pacific University.

The Hilltoppers fell 6-3 in this match.

The women opened their play in Las Vegas March 15 against Fresno Pacific University, the top ranked team in NAIA. The women struggled to gain momentum against the Pirates and went down without a match victory 9-0.

For their second match, the women faced Hawaii Pacific University. The Hilltoppers could not find a win in three doubles matches. In singles, St. Edward’s number two, Audrey Tompkins, defeated Nina Mihova.

However, this was the only match victory the Hilltoppers would pick up.

Like the men, the women’s team faced Armstrong Atlantic University, who were top-ranked in Div. II. Like-

wise, the women could not win a match against Armstrong Atlantic.

The teams returned to Texas to face Northwest Missouri State. The men found a tough fight with the 26th-ranked Bearcats. Led by a victory in singles and doubles for both seniors Boris Barrios and Bret Powers, the Hilltoppers notched a 5-3 victory.

The women also found success against the Bearcats with the women only dropping one match out of the first six to capture the win before the remaining doubles matches were finished. bbenciv@stedwards.edu

SEU Sports Information

Senior Borris Barrios won in singles and doubles matches against Northwest Missouri State.

Save the environment Recycle your used Hilltop Views newspapers.

Help us preserve the earth by placing newspapers in recycling bins throughout campus.

SPORTS | Page 13

COURTSIDE CHRONICLES

March Madness living up to its name People are throwing away their brackets realizing they have thrown away their money. Upsets have become surprisingly unSports Commentary surprising.

Finally there has been madness among the days of March.

Typically the tournament is full of surprises but is dominated by the top seeds such as the University of Kansas, Duke University, University of North Carolina, University of Kentucky and the University of California, Los Angeles. This year, March Madness began with a little shock as North Carolina and UCLA did not make the NCAA tournament.

Every once in a while in March Madness, a “Cinderella Story” will appear when a lowerseeded team makes it to the Sweet Sixteen, or even Final Four, but very few have ever made a championship.

This year’s first round was no different.

There were a few major upsets. Viewers were surprised to see No. 3 Georgetown University get crushed by No. 14 Ohio University 97-83.

Longhorn fans had their brackets crushed when No. 8 the University of Texas lost in overtime in the first round to No. 9 Wake Forest University 81-80.

There were also a few minor upsets that you’d expect with the tournament, but when the second round started, all brackets broke loose.

It all started when No. 10 St. Mary’s College defeated No. 2 Villanova University.

The nation was shocked to see a 10th seed beat a number two seed, which is very rare in the tournament.

Associated Press That game, however, was pushed out of the highlight reel by an even bigger upset.

When No. 9 University of Northern Iowa came out against No. 1 Kansas, UNI took the lead and never looked back. Kansas fought back but came up short 67-69.

While that was the highlight of the second round, there were many other great upsets, with four games being decided by four points or less. Two upsets were blowouts: No. 11 Washington University beat No. 3 New Mexico State University 82-64, and No. 12 Cornell University rolled over No. 4 Wisconsin University 87-69.

Amidst all the upsets and unrest, three No. 1 seeds remain with Syracuse University being the favorite. Only one of last year’s Final Four teams remains: No. 5 Michigan State University, which just squeaked by No. 4 the University of Maryland with a last-second shot.

With the Sweet Sixteen to start soon, there is only one thing that can be expected—nothing. Duke and Kentucky are strong teams that will face underdogs Purdue University and Cornell respectively, looking to stir things up.

All these upsets in the tournament bring the question of the NCAA’s possible expansion of March Madness from 64 teams to 96. With the size increase, there would be less room for upsets, and UNI most likely would not have had the chance to upset Kansas like they did.

The field of 64 allows for an intimacy to create upsets that a field of 96 would not.

Overall, college basketball offers excitement that is lost in most other sports. The speed and intensity of the game is only matched by the cooperation seen within the teams and between other teams.

Nowhere else is there such possibility for upset and chaos, and the best part is that there are still four more rounds of action to go. If the top teams can’t hold on, this year will be an underdog’s fight for the championship.

Nolan Green

ngreen2@stedwards.edu

The Hilltop Views’ column, ‘Courtside Chronicles,’ appears every other week in the sports section and is written by Hilltop Views contributor Nolan Green.

VIEWPOINTS

Page 14 | Hilltop Views Wednesday, March 24, 2010

OUR VIEW

Health reform bill benefits Hilltoppers This Sunday, the United States House of Representatives passed H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, by a vote of 219-212. Not a single republican voted for the bill and many conservative democrats rejected the bill, 39 voted against it.

The issue of health care reform has been a subject of considerable controversy for nearly a year now. While republicans lament the likely increases in tax and costs, liberal democrats consider the bill’s passing a victory in the interest of basic human rights. The Republican National Committee claimed in a recent statement

that the bill will “increase families’ health care costs, increase the deficit, increase taxes on small businesses and the middle class, and cut Medicare.”

Whether those statements are true will not be known for sometime.

What we know now is the immediate affect it will have on increasing students ability to procure health insurance.

Whether liberal or conservative, St. Edward students should be aware of how this new bill will affect them and ultimately benefit them once they graduate from college.

As college students, we will soon face the task of

Whether liberal or conservative, St. Edward’s student should be aware of how this new bill will affect them... purchasing our own health insurance. For many graduates, this will be a daunting task, given the current state of the economy and the difficulty of obtaining an entry-level position after graduating with a bachelor’s degree. The bill will allow graduates more time to accrue the funds necessary to afford health insurance.

Prior to the bill, most in-

surance companies dropped dependents when they finished college or reached the age of 19, policies that varied from state to state.

Within the first year of enactment, the bill will create a national policy that allows young adults to stay on their parents’ insurance plan until the age of 26. This will give young graduates several years after college to

establish their careers before they have to worry about purchasing health insurance.

Another benefit of the bill is the creation of health insurance exchanges.

Government agencies and non-profit organizations will be called to administer American Health Benefit Exchanges and Small Business Help Option Exchanges, wherein individuals and small businesses up to 100 people will have the opportunity to purchase health insurance. In Austin, a city full of small grassroots businesses and non-profits, where many St. Edward’s students are employed after graduating, this is an incred-

ibly significant provision.

Additionally, within the first year of the bill’s enactment, insurance companies will be prohibited from dropping people from coverage when they become ill. The bill will eliminate limits on lifelong coverage and restricts annual limits as well. This benefits not only St. Edward’s students, but also their families. In short, it benefits everyone.

Those who criticize the passing of H.R. 3962 should stop to think about all of the ways this bill will make their lives and the lives of those they care about easier.

Campus dining hall hours limited over spring break Caroline Wallace If you stayed on campus during spring break, there was probably at least one occasion where you found yourself tugging on a locked door at Hunt Hall Café.

When the door didn’t budge, you probably stopped to read the sign taped to it, and noticed some news that was less than accommodating to your empty stomach.

During spring break, the dining hall closed at 4 p.m. every weekday, was closed completely on March 21, and did not reopen again until 4:30 p.m. March 22. South Congress Market, Outtakes and the Huddle were closed for the duration of the break.

Even when Hunt Hall Cafe was open, options were extremely limited, especially for vegetarians and those with other dietary restrictions.

St. Edward’s University residents who remained on

It is not fair for residents to have to spend their own money elsewhere on nearly a week’s worth of meals campus were left without dining options every night at dinner time and for nearly all meals during the last weekend of the break.

Hunt Hall Café may be a cafeteria, but it isn’t Luby’s.

Being forced to eat dinner before 4 p.m. not only gives new meaning to the term early bird special, but is impractical for the general population and college students alike.

From the disappointed, annoyed residents leaving the empty dining hall to countless aggravated Facebook statuses, negative sentiments about the lack of hours were reflected everywhere on campus.

During one unsuccessful trip to the dining hall Sunday morning, I was joined by no less than six other angry students who had arrived expecting to be fed.

Limited options and hours are understandable with fewer students on campus during break, but limiting them to this extent was not only a severe inconvenience, but a financial burden to remaining residents.

Unlike Christmas vacation, where students are prohibited from staying on campus, residents are freely permitted to stay during spring break, and as such, should be accommodated.

Christna Villarreal

Hunt Hall Café was the only location on campus open during spring break.

While many students choose to stay at St. Edward’s over spring break to enjoy Austin festivities like South

by Southwest, other residents, especially out-of-state and international students, have to remain here because it not logistically or financially feasible for them to return home for the week.

Other students have jobs

and other activities that they must remain in Austin for.

If you live on campus, you are required to purchase a meal plan.

It is not fair for residents to have to spend their own money elsewhere on nearly a week’s worth of meals, when they have hundreds of dollars sitting on a meal plan that they cannot touch, and

a food service provider that doesn’t care to cater to them.

In the future, food service options should be tailored to accommodate residents rather than cutting costs for Bon Appétit’s convenience. cwallac2@stedwards.edu

Hilltop Views | Wednesday, March 24, 2010

VIEWPOINTS | Page 15

Atheist club chooses shock value over good sense Jen Obenhaus An atheist group offered students pornography in exchange for Bibles earlier this month. Atheist Agenda, a group created by students and teachers who are atheist and agnostic, held their fifth annual “Smut for Smut” campaign at University of Texas at San Antonio on March 1-3.

All students older than the age of 18 were asked to surrender their Bibles, Qur’ans, Books of Mormon, Torahs and anything else pertaining to God for a “fair exchange” in pornographic material. The group claims that pornography is no worse than what’s written in religious-based

texts, thus the campaign’s name, “Smut for Smut.”

We all have rights to believe what we choose, so long as it’s within legal and ethical parameters. Atheists are as deserving of this right as anyone.

However, this campaign is led by an organization that is allegedly seeking to promote a positive social environment and sponsor events and dialogue on matters of faith, science and reason. The student demonstrators belonging to Atheist Agenda appear to have a contradicting agenda with their Bible-for-pornography swap.

This blatantly spiteful event appears to be more about the degradation of other people’s

free thoughts and principles than it is about publicizing their own. Atheist Agenda seems to have chosen the route of shock value and

If these students and demonstrators were true proponents of atheism—or any cause, for that matter— would they need a contemp-

This blatantly spiteful event appears to be more about the degradation of other people’s free thoughts and values...

mockery, as opposed to the promotion of atheistic and agnostic principles of atheism, which—it would seem—would be the best rhetorical choice for engaging people in dialogue.

tuous gimmick like the “Smut for Smut” campaign to bring awareness to their cause?

Additionally, it is ignorant to assert that what is written in religions texts is wholly “smut” and just as offensive

as pornography. Most, if not all, religious texts promote, at some level, deeper truths about humanity and nature—love, hope, kindness and the like. Understandably, the group is rejecting the talk of God in religious texts, but ignoring other messages religious texts offer seems dense.

Atheists don’t reject love, hope or goodwill; in fact, atheists, too, promote such values. Therefore, considering religious texts as being of the same degradation level as pornography sounds not only daft, but all together uninformed.

Sorry, Atheist Agenda, but you seem to have fanned the flames of intolerance and close-mindedness through

your “in-your-face-atheism” campaign and, therefore, contradicted your own message of faith, science and reason.

jobenha@stedwards.edu

Hilltop Views Facebook beneficial to students 3001 S. Congress Ave.#964, Austin, TX 78704 Phone: (512) 448-8426 Fax: (512) 233-1695 seuhilltopviews@yahoo.com www.hilltopviewsonline.com Bryce Bencivengo Claire Cella Editors-in-Chief Jen Obenhaus Tristan Hallman News Editors Proctor Anderson Rachel Winter Viewpoints Editors Holly Aker Caroline Wallace Entertainment Editors Phillip Bradshaw Amber Burton Features Editors Kayla Meyer Sports Editor Shaun Martin Head Designer Blair Haralson Alyssa Palomo Designers

Eloise Montemayor Photo Editor Daniel De Los Santos Assistant Photo Editor Sharla Kew Videographer Melissa M. Martinez Copy Chief Arianna Auber Jake Hartwell Mary Hennessy Anna Whitney Copy Editors Christy Torres Advertising Manager Jena Heath Faculty Adviser

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.

Patrick Jones Facebook. Hardly a day (or seemingly a minute) goes by without millions of people logging on and checking their profiles on the social networking Web site. While many increasingly wary people delete their profiles, such a drastic measure is not necessary. What is necessary is a reevaluation of why people our age should use Facebook.

Facebook is an incredibly powerful tool for maintaining friendships. It’s not for meeting people and starting new friendships. Nor is it for finding that one person who was your best friend in kindergarten but haven’t seen in 10 years. Facebook is a tool for strengthening existing friendships.

It’s essential for incoming freshmen. There is no better way to keep track of the dozens of new people you meet in the first month of freshman year. Facebook makes contacting these new friends easier and (sometimes) less awkward. Freshmen who

lack a profile on the site are, for better or worse, at a disadvantage when it comes to making new friends in college.

Students also benefit from Facebook because they can easily contact their friends from high school. The distance and new experiences of college can put strains on these existing relationships, but Facebook is an easy way to keep in touch with high school friends.

Admittedly, after freshman year Facebook becomes a little less relevant because there is less importance placed on making new friends. But it still has its uses.

Facebook is incredibly helpful for group projects in classes and any other time many people need to coordinate their schedules without exchanging other contact information. Facebook’s event invitations, though sometimes annoying, have virtually replaced personal word-of-mouth invitations to parties, concerts and other social events.

As we grow more accus-

tomed to Facebook, it is easy to underestimate just how much we use it. It is easy to criticize because it is so prevalent and so often misused.

Who really wants to be a fan of fist pumping, Bob Saget, or “I hate it when my mom dies?” Does it really matter if a pickle can get more fans than Nickelback? No, but it does matter if your friends are trying to publicize an event, post pictures of something they enjoyed or show

you a silly link. These actions are little but important and keep people linked together, despite any physical distance between them.

That’s what Facebook and the Internet are about: bringing friends together and sharing information. pjones4@stedwards.edu

Page 16 | PHOTO ESSAY

SXSW

South by Southwest has an ever-growing reputation for bringing some of the biggest up-and-coming musical acts from around the world to Austin. It also features rapidly growing film and interactive festivals.

SXSW ran from March 12-21.

Photos by Kath Manning, Holly Aker and Caroline Wallace

Wednesday, March 24, 2010 | Hilltop Views