Issue #2 - Feb. 2, 2010

Hilltop Views S t .

E d w a r d ’ s

U n i v e r s i t y

Wednesday, February3, 2010

Volume 27 | Issue 2

8 Entertainment: A tour of Austin’s

9

best milkshakes.

Features: Tournées Film Festival comes to St. Edward’s.

hilltopviewsonline.com

Super 11Sports: Bowl XLIV, Colts vs. Saints, kicks off Feb. 7.

Campus Ministry organizes Haitian relief Jake Hartwell

As the dust settles from the earthquake in Haiti, Campus Ministry has been busy planning event, raising funds and discussing what St. Edward’s University can do to help.

“I believe that it’s our duty as people to come together and help each other in desperate times of need,” Annette Balderas, a senior and secretary of Bilingual Education Student Organization, said. “We welcome any other organizations who would like to get involved, [as well as] any individuals.”

Since the earthquake hit Haiti on Jan. 12, St. Edward’s

has raised approximately $4,200 in aid for the country from collections at Sunday masses, sporting events and student organization events.

However, this is only the first step, Assistant Director of Campus Ministry Liza Manjarrez said.

The next step is a weeklong, campus-wide “Hilltoppers Helping Haiti” event.

Though the event is still in its planning stages, Campus Ministry is aiming to reach out to more than 200 student groups, host a benefit concert and sell T-shirts.

Campus Ministry also hopes to partner with local restaurants in a “Dine-Out

Campus Ministry has been busy planning events to help victims in Haiti.

for Haiti” night, where a percentage of the participating restaurants’ profits would go

to relief efforts in Haiti.

“The Red Cross is having trouble getting supplies—ac-

Replacing Schultz to take time Katy Johnson The sudden passing of Professor Marilyn Schultz, a prominent member in the St. Edward’s University Communications Department, has left the department with an important gap, one that will take some time to fill.

Schultz, 64, died of a brief illness Jan. 10 at St. David’s South Austin Hospital, one day before the start of the spring semester.

Fr. Lou Brusatti, Dean of Humanities said that the Communication Department is reeling from Schultz’s

“I was beginning the class in a real cloud in the midst of a lot of sadness.”

-Professor Lisa Sandberg death.

“The Communication faculty is still in shock over Marilyn’s death, along with me,” Brusatti said. “It is my belief that the department will band together and continue to do the great work they have done in the past.”

Schultz was scheduled to teach several classes this se-

mester. Lisa Sandberg, who holds a Master’s degree in journalism from New York University and was a reporter for the San Antonio Express-News until 2008, was brought in to teach Schultz’s Media Standard and Practices class while Schultz was ill.

Sandberg said that even if Schultz had lived, she was

not surprised to be teaching the entire semester.

“I guess what was so different is that I wasn’t sure of what the reactions of the students would be,” Sandberg said. “I was beginning the class in a real cloud in the midst of a lot of sadness.”

Stephanie Martinez, associate professor of Communications, said Sandberg has been put in a tough spot.

“Lisa had to jump into a class where she thought the person would be back in few weeks and was told on her FACULTY | 4

Christina Villarreal

tual things—down to Haiti.

We could collect things, but we have no way of getting

them down there,” Manjarrez said. “We were on a call from the Council for Foreign Affairs, and basically what they said is their greatest need right now is for the people of Haiti to be able to get money.”

Manjarrez said the camps of internally displaced people, like the ones the Red Cross has set up to house Haitian refugees, are associated with increased violence and disease. Some people have expressed that they are reluctant to live in these camps for those reasons.

“If you’re in a place where HILLTOPPERS | 4

Offices using social media Bryce Bencivengo An increasing number of campus organizations are beginning to use social media tools to disseminate information to faculty, staff, students and even prospective students.

This is driven by the popularity of these Web sites, and the frequent use by students, faculty and staff.

Currently, Facebook has a network of more than 320 million users and 10 mil-

lion fan pages, while Twitter has grown from roughly a million users in 2008 to nearly 25 million at the beginning of 2010 in just the United States.

These Web sites have opened up new communication channels for St. Edward’s University to interact with its students, staff, faculty and alumni.

“We have been working with a variety of social meSOCIAL | 2

Page 2 | NEWS

Wednesday, February 3, 2010 | Hilltop Views

New Living Learning Communities set for Fall 2010 Haleigh Svoboda Members of the 2010 freshman class will have the option of living in one of three new Living Learning Communities.

Residence Life will be adding three new LLCs to the list of residence halls beginning in fall 2010 after the success of the social justice community and global understanding community this past year.

LLCs are sectioned residence areas where students with a common academic interest live together and take at least one class together during their freshman year.

Christy Brown, residence director of Teresa Hall, said there was a noticeable increase in student interest and Residence Life had to turn people down.

Between five and 10 students who applied to live in the LLCs this past year were denied entrance into the program due to limited space, Brown said.

“I know a couple of people who wanted to be in the

LLCs, but because of space they were turned away or waitlisted,” said Amarette Edmonson, sophomore and resident assistant of the global understanding community.

Junior Laura Sandoval, resident assistant of the social justice community, said that the increased interest in the LLCs is partially because of the recruitment of incoming freshman by students in last year’s communities.

“My freshman year, we did not have to recruit students from the next class,” Sandoval said.

The themes of the new communities will be natural science, honors, and business and leadership.

Brown said Residence Life chose these themes after making a presentation to the different schools on campus and by soliciting proposals.

The School of Natural Sciences, the School of Management and Business, and the Honors program all responded positively.

The School of Natural Sciences wanted to form a

The themes of the new communities will be natural science, honors, and business and leadership. natural science community primarily to aid the schools’ retention rates, said Richard Kopec, professor of computer science.

The natural sciences learning living community will be located in Le Mans Hall.

Barbara Filippidis, director of the Honors Program, said that the program chose to form an honors community to create a strong sense of community among students.

“It’s also an opportunity to work with them outside of the classroom,” Filippidis said.

The honors community will be located in Dujarié Hall.

The School of Management and Business chose business leadership as a living learning community theme to follow the mission of the university.

“We want to expose stu-

dents to additional leadership opportunities in the Austin community and elsewhere,” said Helene Caudill, director of New College BBA Program and associate professor.

If enough students apply for the business leadership community, which will be located in Basil Moreau Hall, the School of Management and Business is willing to create two communities.

This spring, professors, academic counselors and hall directors will plan the classes and projects the students will partake in next fall.

Brown said that they would plan some parts of the LLCs during the fall semester in order to consider the students’ interests.

“We base our speakers on what the students identify as interests,” Jen Wichman,

resident director of Dujarié Hall, said.

Students who live in the LLCs attend class, monthly dinners and service projects together.

Both the natural science and business and leadership communities require students to join at least one student life organization.

“The School of Natural Sciences is hoping to get the science students involved with the natural science organizations,” said Brown.

Residence Life has funded the two current LLCs through funds from the Teresa Hall and Dujarié Hall budgets, but academic affairs will fund the communities next year.

The School of Natural Sciences is also seeking funding for the natural science community through a grant from the National Science Foundation.

Kopec said that the School of Natural Sciences submitted the paperwork for the grant in September and that it would be another two months before they know

whether they will receive the grant.

Residence Life has yet to hire new resident assistants for the new LLCs, because the application process is ongoing.

Brown said that many factors contribute to resident assistant selection including the unique qualities of each building.

“Someone might work really well with the global understanding community but not fit into the Teresa Hall community,” Wichman said.

Current students will not be able to participate in the new LLCs because the program is only open to new freshmen.

While Brown said that an LLC for upperclassmen is not in the immediate future, she did not rule out the possibility.

“We want to get the five communities for the 20102011 school year working,” Brown said, “If they are successful, who knows.” hsvobod@stedwards.edu

Social networking popular with campus offices Continued from page 1

-dia tactics; we have Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube,” said Marcie Lasseigne, public relations associate of the Marketing Department. “We have just been giving everyone as many mediums to communicate as possible, because everyone likes to communicate differently.”

The St. Edward’s Marketing Department has also begun using Facebook, Twitter and Flickr in hopes of connecting with students and alumni for the 125th anniversary of the university.

“Our 125th anniversary Web site will be an aggregator of all of these social me-

dias,” said Lasseigne. “You can find all of our pages very easily and link from there and post images on Flickr or videos on YouTube.”

Lasseigne also said the department began a Facebook fan page at the end of the past fall semester in hopes of reaching out to more people.

“Facebook has been the most successful, with our page now having over 1,400 fans,” said Lasseigne.

One of the key features of these outlets is the ability to connect organizations that, up to that time, may not have been able to network. The Marketing Department has also been using these mediums to increase the university’s prominence in the Austin

Hilltop Views

St. Edward’s has made a fan page on Facebook.

community.

“For Twitter, we have been following a lot of local new media [pages] to get our stories out, not the least of

which is about our 125th anniversary,” Lasseigne said.

This has allowed members of the Marketing Department to share story ideas, of-

fer sources and connect with local media outlets in ways that were previously unattainable.

Individual schools have also begun using Facebook and Twitter to connect with students and to let them know about key dates and events within their school.

“I post whenever faculty ask me to post,” said Adam Pyles, administrative coordinator for the School of Humanities. “Whether it be a Humanities event, or information about advising, I post whatever is relevant to our school’s students.”

Pyles also said he believes the ability to connect with students through Facebook has increased the awareness

students have of what is going on in their school, though he admits that he really has no way of measuring how man students use the information. One problem that each group of new media users is running into is judging the effectiveness of each of these mediums.

“It’s often difficult to tell how effective we are in communicating with our students unless we get a direct post back,” said Pyles. “I do believe we are reaching more students than we would by just e-mailing them.”

bbenciv@stedwards.edu

Hilltop Views | Wednesday, February 3, 2010

NEWS | Page 3

Notre Dame professor visits for discussion on race Jessica Skok Agustin Fuentes, a professor and anthropologist at the University of Notre Dame, explored the logic behind how race is defined today.

Fuentes, whose presentation was entitled “What Race Is and What It Is Not,” addressed a crowd of approximately 200 while visiting St. Edward’s University Jan. 28.

“Race is real, it is important, and we need to talk about it,” Fuentes said, as he explained that discussion of race is still considered to be taboo by many.

A bulk of the presentation was focused on the argument over whether race is biological or social in nature. Even today, many consider race to be a biologically-based construct. Fuentes’ presentation, however, sought to refute this assertion.

Courtesy of Notre Dame

Professor Agustin Fuentes spoke on Jan. 28.

The assumption that, for example, a white man is genetically different from a black man, can be rebuked quickly by the fact that not only do all human beings possess the exact same genes, but the variance within those genes is so relatively tiny, said Fuentes.

“A deer from North Caroli-

na and a deer from Nebraska are nearly 20 percent more genetically diverse than it is physically possible for any two humans on this planet,” said Fuentes. “Humans are stunningly alike.”

However, in terms of appearance, the fact that human beings are remarkably distinctive is indisputable, Fuentes said.

“It is almost ingrained in our subconscious to make assumptions on what someone’s ethnicity may be based on their looks,” Fuentes said.

Fuentes also said that, historically, there were three defined groups of race—black, white and Asian. Being Hispanic wasn’t considered being of a different race, but of another ethnicity. Even today, this vague method of categorizing people is common, Fuentes said.

Fuentes said assumptions

made upon our preconceived notions of these three seemingly distinct groups are often proven to be far off base.

“Skin color, for instance, is undoubtedly one of the most critical facets of race,” Fuentes said. “But one’s skin color isn’t necessarily a telling point of where exactly they can draw their lineage to—rather, it

“Race is real, it is important and we need to talk about it.”

-Professor Agustin Fuentes

only gives a hint as to its proximity to the equator.”

As humans evolved and migrated over the years, the way melanin was distributed in their skin changed in correlation to their exposure to harmful UV rays. The

Police Blotter Date

Time

Incident

Jan. 6

6:49 p.m.

Possession of drug paraphernalia

Apartments

Referred to Department of Safety

Jan. 13

9:30 a.m.

Harassment

Parking garage

Under investigation

Jan. 13

1:49 p.m.

Criminal trespass

Parking garage

Under investigation

Jan. 14

12:14 a.m.

Public intoxication

Physical Plant

Arrest made

Jan. 14

3:24 p.m.

Harassment

On-campus

Under investigation

Jan. 14

9:51 p.m.

Criminal trespass

Moody Hall parking lot

Arrest made

Jan. 16

4:04 p.m.

Credit card abuse

Hunt Hall

Under investigation

Jan. 18

5:30 p.m.

Theft

Hunt Hall

Inactive

Jan. 20

2:16 p.m.

Criminal trespass

Location

East Woods

more exposure the population withstood, Fuentes explained, the more even the layer of melanin would be; hence, the emergence of dark skin. The melanin in those with comparatively less exposure to the sun’s rays would cluster differently, making skin appear lighter.

“All humans have the exact

Resolution

Case Closed

same amount of melanin in their body; the only variance from one person to the next is the pattern in which it is clustered in their skin,” said Fuentes. “So, someone who may appear to be of African descent in terms of skin color could actually be, for instance, Asian—so long as their ancestors’ populations had evolved within a relatively close proximity to the equator.”

This fact, along with an extensive global history of people migrating, intermarrying people from those areas and migrating again makes the idea of being able to easily categorize people into three clearly defined divisions seem utterly out of the question.

Despite these facts, Fuentes doesn’t deny the impact that race has had on our society. Biologically speaking, the idea of race is seemingly obsolete. But as a social construct, it is absolutely real.

“We are a very racial society,” Fuentes said. “Biologically, we’re one race—the human race—but socially, we’re many races.”

Fuentes brought up the assumed race of President Obama as a prime example of race being socially based.

Despite Obama’s father being of African descent and his mother of European descent, when the subject of his

race comes up, Obama is, by and large, referred to as being black.

Fuentes said that this sort of social assumption is being even a fraction of African heritage, or even possessing some physical characteristics, are enough to make someone be considered black in the eyes of our society.

The reasoning behind this perplexity is debatable; however, this phenomenon is certainly rooted in society rather than biology, and it is fully subjective. Fuentes said that, in Indonesia, the direct translation for “race” is “bangsa,” and instead of categorizing people into black, white or Asian races, “bangsa” classifies people by their religion, be they Muslim, Christian or Hindu.

Race is still undeniably a worldwide dilemma, and Fuentes’ presentation aimed to help its audience understand the construct’s origins and work to resolve the issues surrounding it.

“It’s important to talk about race to understand it,” Fuentes said.

The American Anthropologist Association, an organization with which Fuentes is affiliated, has been working on a considerable project involving the same subject matter that Fuentes’ presentation covered.

The organization presented their research to the U.S. Congress in October 2009, and its findings are currently on a museum tour around the country. Although the tour will not be coming to Austin, its findings will be presented in Houston’s Health Museum in October 2011 through January 2012.

More information on the project can be found at http://understandingrace. org. jskok@stedwards.edu

Page 4 | NEWS

Wednesday, February 3, 2010 | Hilltop Views

IT scholarship awarded Tristan Hallman Two St. Edward’s University students received the first William Hartley Cahill Memorial Scholarships last week, almost a year after the passing of the former Vice President of Information Technology Bill Cahill.

On Jan. 28, junior Naema Showery and freshman Dallas Hudgens were presented as the inaugural recipients of the new annually-funded $2,500 awards in an event in the Mabee Ballroom. The scholarship is named after Cahill, who died suddenly last March at the age of 55.

Cahill designed the financial aid calculator used by prospective students on the St. Edward’s recruiting Web site.

Hudgens said she was shocked and excited to win the new scholarship. Showery could not be reached for comment.

Cahill’s family, including

Courtesy of Marketing

Bill Cahill

his son Matthew Cahill, a senior student at the university, and widow, Hazel, were on hand to present the award to Showery and Hudgens in the ceremony in the Mabee Ballroom.

“I couldn’t be happier and I think it’s a great scholarship program,” Matt Cahill said.

He added that he was grateful for everyone involved in the scholarship’s creation and funding.

Technology Area Coordinator Patrick Inglehart said that Hazel Cahill set the minimum grade point average at 3.5. The other criteria for the awards included dem-

onstrated financial need. Service in departments related to technology at the university was also preferred.

Hudgens and Showery were selected from a list of eight nominees, which was generated by Student Financial Services. The two finalists were selected based on length of service in IT, hours worked per week and written comments from supervisors.

The idea for the award came from senior Blaise Restovic. Restovic said that he came up with the idea while working as a summer intern for Media Services.

“One day, just me and my boss Patrick [Inglehart] thought it would be a good idea to have a staff-funded scholarship for IT students,” Restovic said.

The idea moved forward from there, and the scholarship will now be a yearly award at the university. thallma2@stedwards.edu

Hilltoppers help Haitians Continued from page 1

there are between three and four hundred people on their lawn, it’s a lot more difficult to get those donations to them,” Manjarrez said. “Do you take people out of this place, where they feel really safe, but you’re struggling to provide for them? Or do you send them to internally displaced people’s camps?”

Hoping to solve these infrastructural and safety problems, Campus Ministry is corresponding with the Holy Cross Congregation stationed in Haiti. All donations will go directly to Holy Cross brothers, sisters and priests currently working in the country.

To keep students dedicated to helping Haiti, Campus Ministry plans to include periodic updates in St. Ed-

ward’s Student E-News and other newsletters. E-mails from the congregation members in Haiti may be featured in a “Spotlight of Holy Cross on the Ground.” An Alternative Spring Break delegation could also be dedicated to rebuilding homes and businesses in Haiti.

“We’ve never really gotten it right in Haiti as an international community,” Manjarrez said. “From this terrible experience can come a really amazing rebirth for the country of Haiti, and we can be a part of that. Every little bit will help, so get out there and be a part of the change.”

Senior Elba Moise had family in Haiti at the time of the earthquake.

“I remember calling everyone that I knew, asking for people to help out in some way,” Moise said. “Simply

spreading the word that people need to come together for a good cause is helpful.”

Manjarrez said that devoting a week to helping Haiti is a start, but not enough on its own. She hopes that students will stay mindful of the situation even after the attention begins to fade in the media spotlight.

“We [the Holy Cross Congregation] have people who have been in Haiti since 1944, and all of our brothers [in Haiti] are Haitian except for three of them,” said Manjarrez.“They’re not going anywhere. This is their home.” jhartwe@stedwards.edu

Faculty look to fill void Continued from page 1

first day that Marilyn had passed away,” Martinez said. “It is a very difficult position for anyone to be in. I give her a lot of credit.”

Martinez added that the department has really come together to take some of the course load left behind.

Communication faculty members Kim Livingston and Natacha Martin have volunteered to take Schultz’s advisees. Assistant Professor Corinne Weisgerber and Martinez also volunteered to teach two sections of internship classes.

Professors taking on extra courses traditionally earn overload money for the higher course load. The department has asked that any overload money received from the internship class be donated to the Marilyn Schultz Memorial Fund, which was started on cam-

pus.

There have also been some concerns that graduating seniors may be affected

by Schultz’s death due to the cancellation of Advanced Broadcast. Martinez stressed that the cancelation not hurt anyone’s plans to graduate.

“One misperception is that Advanced Broadcast was canceled because of Marilyn’s death,” she said. “It was canceled before her death due to lack of enrollment.”

For the past year, the department has made a few decisions to fill Schultz’s position. For now, the department is bringing in Kate Weidaw-West from KXAN-TV to teach Broadcast Journalism in the fall 2010 semester.

Brusatti said the next steps in finding a long term replacement will be to develop a job description and

then post the position for a nation-wide search.

Brusatti said he is concerned that it may be too late in the hiring cycle for fall 2010 to get a qualified pool of candidates and said that he will need input from other Communication professors. “[There is] a need to consult with the Communication faculty to assess the [department’s] needs,” Brusatti said. “Marilyn developed her position into something more than she was hired for eight years ago.”

Martinez said that the long-term is up in the air.

“We have not even begun to think about replacing Marilyn in the long-term” Martinez said. “We know it is something we do need to do, but we are still in mourning in many ways.” kjohnso3@stedwards.edu

Hilltop Views | Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Check Out

Hilltop Views

GAMES | Page 5

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

Online

Today

Hilltop Views is offering the St. Edward’s University community a new way to find out about campus news and events. Hilltopviewsonline.com will offer the majority of what is available in the print edition and so much more. Online you will find additional stories, photos, podcasts, videos and interviews.

hilltopviewsonline.com

Answer to last issue’s Sudoku:

Page 6 | Hilltop Views Wednesday, February 3, 2010

ENTERTAINMENT

UPB’s trip to Esther’s Follies a laugh riot Matt Fraizer

Political humor, impressive magic and comical music numbers are the backbone of an Esther’s Follies performance, and that’s only the first act.

The show opened with “Esther’s News Medley,” and the audience quickly became aware that no public figure would be spared, as the cast poked fun at a range of people from Tiger Woods to Gov. Rick Perry.

In traditional “you only

laugh when it isn’t happening to you” fashion, audience members quickly glanced downward in hopes of avoiding eye contact with magician Ray Anderson, who appeared on stage with an ominous smirk. Many audience members had the chance to assist in his mind-boggling act, which included the timehonored saw-a-woman-inhalf trick as well as escaping a fiery, spiked trap.

If you are interested in being separated from your legs or being “seduced” by in-

Matt Frazier

No one’s spared during Esther’s Follies’ comedy bits.

MOVIE REVIEW

Legion abandons logic Amber Burton Movies, like armies, need a group of people working for them—a ‘legion,’ if you will.

And “Legion,” directed by Scott Stewart, is missing exactly that, as well as a smooth plot.

Centered on the concept of God sending angels to cleanse the earth of the human race, and starring Paul Bettany (“A Beautiful Mind,” “A Knight’s Tale,”) the movie looks promising.

The trailer alone shows impressive special effects, including a possessed old woman who crawls on the ceiling and a montage of remarkable angel effects. This is not surprising, since the director has done the effects for films like “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” and “Iron Man.” However the movie lacks substance.

The plot follows a group of people who are stranded in a diner in the middle of nowhere during the apocalypse.

God has lost faith in the human race, and the angel Mi-

chael (Bettany) has come to earth to try and stop God’s army of angels. The fate of the human race rests in the survival of a waitress’s baby.

The movie leaves viewers with a number of plot holes to navigate, as well as many questions about the movie’s characters. What’s so important about the baby that he can save mankind? Why do people possessed by angels turn into beings more like demons? Why in the world is the main human protagonist named Jeep?

While Bettany possesses considerable acting talent and—fans will agree—looks heavenly as the angel Mi-

chael, he cannot carry the entire movie. Even Dennis Quaid and Charles S. Dutton (“Secret Window”) get lost in the muddle of mediocre writing. It seems that every thing the movie does right gets overshadowed.

All in all, the film makes grand, cosmic gestures that hint at the good ideas behind the film’s conception. Yet its ambition falls flat in the end, lost in a wash of soap opera dialogue and confusing statements about angels that are sure to make at least some religious figures unhappy. aburton3@stedwards.edu

teresting body doubles, the front row is for you.

Notable in Anderson’s performance were his levitation skills. When one assistant lay in an inflatable pool and was lifted by streams of water, jaws dropped and applause thundered at the unexplainable feat.

The costumes needed to match the eccentric nature of the performance and did not disappoint. Hair as big as Texas and enhanced parts of the human anatomy made it difficult to turn away from

the stage. Most impressive was the fact that nearly all cast members managed to change their costumes within seconds to portray yet another character.

The show itself never seemed to lose steam, and kept everyone laughing throughout its entirety.

For anyone in search of quality entertainment, look no further than Ester’s Follies. It might be the best $20 you’ve ever spent. mfrazie2@stedwards.edu

Fans say adios to Betty Daniel Salazar Four years ago, the show “Ugly Betty” began. As a shining light for gays and Hispanics alike, the show rose from the depths of 2006.

Based on the popular Colombian soap opera “Yo Soy, Betty La Fea” (I am Ugly Betty), “Ugly Betty” brought a new group of characters and ridiculous storylines to the already familiar plot.

Moving the storyline from the depths of Colombia to the concrete jungle of New York City gave the show its own voice.

“Ugly Betty” broke conventional boundaries for comedies and dramas alike and became an instant cult classic for a large group of American viewers.

Sadly, four years after its pilot episode, the show is coming to a screeching halt.

ABC announced Jan. 28, that the show’s fourth season would be its last.

Next to Conan’s booting from “The Tonight Show,” this is the most upsetting news in the world of television over the past month.

And on top of cancelling was proven to FOX back in Adam Lambert’s appear- 2005: Whether ratings are ance on “Good Morning low or at an all-time high, America” in November there is still a following.

2009, this is the worst thing Now a few questions reABC has done in respect to main: What will become of the gay community.

Betty and the whole Suarez “Ugly Betty” represented family? Will Betty finally the right mix of campy and find love? All we can do is noir comedy for a sitcom. watch the series finale this The only show that can April on ABC. Who knows, match this approach is the maybe a “Sex and the City” fan-favorite “Glee.” type of movie reunion is in It would be foolish to criti- the foreseeable future. cize ABC of being homophobic, since the gay-cendsalaza4@stedwards.edu tered show “Modern Family” is still running. However, when one of the most openly gay shows on TV gets the boot it does leave something to say about American culture today.

Throughout its course on the network, the show was moved from one day of the week to another, and it would also be foolish to pretend that its end was not imminent. But nobody guessed it would come this soon.

Perhaps “Ugly Betty” will become the next “Family Guy” and be revived by DVD sales. Such a rebirth Associated Press would prove to ABC what “Betty” will end in April.

Hilltop Views | Wednesday, February 3, 2010

ENTERTAINMENT | Page 7

Dear John not Notebook Caroline Wallace Holly Aker

4

Moviegoers looking to relive the heartfelt romance of 2004’s “The Notebook” will find some comfort in another film based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks.

While many fans are expecting another “Notebook,” Amanda Seyfried said that while the two bare similarities, “Dear John” is a darker, different film—the kind that isn’t released often enough.

“Dear John,” starring Channing Tatum (“G.I. Joe” and “Step Up”) and Seyfried (“Mean Girls” and “Mamma Mia”), tells the story of two young lovers who fight to stay together despite being separated by John’s deployment overseas.

“Dear John” unfolds over the course of seven years, during which the couple remains largely separated, staying in touch through a series of letters.

Tatum said he admired couples that stay together despite being separated by obstacles like time and dis-

tance.

“I can’t imagine being away from the person I love for that long,” he said. “I am seriously awed by people who do it.”

Playing the role of a soldier was not a new experience for Tatum, who also played an enlisted man in “G.I. Joe” and “Stop-Loss.” But while he has experience playing the part, he said he doesn’t pretend to know what it would be like to really live that life.

“It’s in no way, shape or form in my head that what I do makes me understand a soldier because me or anybody else that is not in the armed forces will never know what it’s like to be a soldier,” he said.

Seyfried agreed, adding her gratitude for deployed men and women.

“I really appreciate the sacrifices they’re making and also leaving their loved-ones, as well,” she said. “That’s a whole other story. Not only are you risking your life, but you’re risking what you have here in the states.”

Both recognized the chal-

lenges that come with longdistance relationships.

“When you have that much time away from somebody it’s hard to stay connected in each other’s lives, so that’s the one thing you’re really fighting,” Seyfried said.

Tatum agreed, and elaborated on the challenges.

“It’s painful, and it’s funny, the things that it does to you,” he said. “You start fighting over stupid things. All of a sudden you’re having an argument about nothing, and it’s really just that you miss the person so much.”

But Tatum does offer a message of hope.

“I absolutely think these relationships can work,” he said. “You just got to really want it. You can’t just give up on them.”

To see if love can conquer all for the young couple in the film, check out “Dear John,” in theaters Feb. 5. cwallac2@stedwards.edu haker@stedwards.edu

Wikimedia Commons

Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried star in “Dear John,” which opens Feb. 5.

Page 8 | ENTERTAINMENT

Spoon plays free Waterloo show

Wednesday, February 3, 2010 | Hilltop Views

top five

milkshakes in austin

Melissa Martinez The milkshake—a key component of the quintessential, American meal alongside burgers and fries—is part beverage, part dessert and entirely delicious. Austin’s milkshake scene is varied: from the classic, hand-blended diner shake to fancy, innovative blender concoctions. Here’s a list of the five best milkshakes south of the University of Texas.

nau’s enfield drug store: 1115 west lynn st.

Swiveling around on a barstool in the back of an almost 60-year-old drug store puts you in the ideal state of mind for the perfect chocolate milkshake, and Nau’s doesn’t disappoint. While you drink the shake—a thick blend of Blue Bell ice cream, chocolate syrup and milk mixed lovingly with an old-fashioned milkshake mixer—it’s easy to feel like Austin is a small town, and you just hopped into the neighborhood corner store. More important than the atmosphere, and equally impressive, the shake tastes just right. With a consistency you expect at a price you can afford, Nau’s milkshakes ring in at $3.50, unless you splurge for banana or pineapple ($4). And if you want a real challenge, you can go extra thick for $1.50 more. Soda Fountain and Grill hours are Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Grab a delicious burger while you’re at it.

Jonathan Schwartzbach

Spoon’s live performance was as good as the album.

Ryan Lester The people of Waterloo Records could not have made a better selection than Spoon for the inaugural outdoor installment of their in-store sessions.

On Jan. 25, Spoon, one of the biggest bands to come out of Austin, played a set that effortlessly demonstrated why they have continued to release quality work for almost 15 years.

The most satisfying thing about Spoon’s Waterloo outing was how good they sounded on stage. The band went through their set without a hitch, and the majority of the songs sounded like they do on their respective albums. Britt Daniel’s unique vocal style lost none of its luster, sounding just as raw and organic as it always has. Additionally, songs like “Don’t Make Me A Target” and “Is Love Forever?” perfectly exemplified the skill and finesse each member has with his instrument, giving each of the songs their edge.

The band’s performance was a testament to Spoon’s excellence as a group, and to hear a

band this tight at an in-store session was a real treat.

Playing in support of their latest album, the very good “Transference,” the set list consisted mostly of songs from it and 2007’s “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga.” These albums contain some of the bands best songs, such as “Don’t You Evah,” “Rhythm and Soul,” and “Written In Reverse,” all which were present.

If there is any criticism that can be levied from the overall show, it’s that the band’s earlier albums were severely under represented. Of course, when you are a band with as deep of a back catalog as Spoon, and when your last two albums are what most people know you by, choosing songs for a 45 minute set is an arduous task. Omissions were bound to occur.

In the end though, this did nothing to dampen the sheer quality of the set. You can expect nothing less from Spoon.

They are a band who thrives on doing one thing and doing it right, and that is making top-notch music while making it all seem easy. rlester@stedwards.edu

alamo drafthouse: 1120 south lamar blvd.

The Drafthouse, with multiple locations around town, gets bonus points for atmosphere. As members of a generation that grew up eating dinner in front of the television, most of us are suckers for chowing down while watching the latest feature film. The shakes here are kind of a splurge if you go vanilla, chocolate or strawberry, so I went for the Midnight Espresso Shake. At first sip, it seemed more like an iced latte, but I got sweeter on it as the movie went on.

Topped with chocolate covered espresso beans, the milkshake delivers taste alongside a caffeine kick. At a hefty $5, this may not be the place for a milkshake with a meal, but it works as a snack with a matinee.

katz’s deli & bar: 618 west sixth street If you’re looking for a milkshake to fit into the dessert part of your meal, bring a friend and grab dinner at Katz’s.

Their Strawberry Cheesecake Milkshake—or heart attack in a glass, as they lovingly refer to it—is as delicious as the combination of words implies. It’s one of those rare sweets that you can finish so quickly you don’t have time to think about the repercussions of your quick-drinking actions. So bring a friend to keep you honest and split the bill. Ringing in at $7.50 and featuring an entire slice of cheesecake, this is not a milkshake to be conquered alone.

24 diner: 600 north lamar blvd.

The newest 24-hour diner on the Austin scene has an entire section on their menu devoted to milkshakes. They have the basics but add some flair, including a roasted banana and brown sugar milkshake ($4.95). The bananas are roasted fresh daily, and the shake includes five scoops of ice cream in addition to the brown sugar. Despite the heavy load, it tastes deceptively light and healthy; surely the bananas are guilty for this crime. It sounds terribly unhealthy, but it is a milkshake, and you can’t ask for much more than the delicious flavor this innovative concoction provides.

p. terry’s burger stand: 404 south lamar blvd.

With possibly the only truly cheap ($1.85/$2.45) shake that maintains a delightful flavor and a traditional consistency and texture, P. Terry’s is the perfect place to go for a burger, fries and shake. The small milkshake at P. Terry’s, whether you opt for vanilla, strawberry or chocolate, doesn’t make you too full to finish off your burger and fries and leaves you satisfied. Other diners around town keep their milkshakes cheap at the expense of flavor and texture, but P. Terry’s gets everything just right.

honorable mention: amy’s ice cream: 3001 south congress ave.

I’m almost certain Amy’s Ice Cream has made every “best milkshakes in Austin” list ever compiled. However, this reviewer was sorely disappointed. I understand the appeal of make-your-own shakes, but I was not a fan of the overpriced (nearly $7, with a St. Edward’s University discount), over-blended, soupy shake that came as a result of me trying to get creative. Perhaps a little less milk and would have moved this local, deeply loved ice cream shop up the list. It belongs here, because despite the disappointing consistency, the shake’s flavor was top-notch. mmartinp@stedwards.edu

FEATURES

Fest exhibits culture Haleigh Svoboda Films can entertain, inform and sometimes even offer insight into the culture from which they came.

To facilitate understanding of modern French culture, St. Edward’s University will hold a French film festival Feb. 2 - 25.

“It is one opportunity for those studying French to hear the spoken language, and to those who aren’t, to give them a form of entertainment that gives a level of global understanding,” Tom Evans, associate vice president for Professional Education and Global Initiatives, said.

St. Edward’s is holding the Tournées Film Festival to offer insight into French culture

and language. The festival is free and open to the public and will screen “I’ve Loved You So Long,” “The Class,” “The Secret of the Grain,” “A Christmas Tale” and “Azur and Asmar.”

Evans said he hopes the films will offer students an international perspective.

Although the French faculty had a limited list of films to choose from, they wanted to choose films suitable for all ages. The quality of the films, however, also determined their choices.

“We looked at the awards they have received, and most [of the chosen films] had received awards,” Annick Penant, a French instructor in the School of Humanities, said.

“Il y a Longtemps que je t’aime” Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. in Mabee Ballroom C

“Il y a longtemps que je t’aime,” which translates to “I’ve loved you so long,” follows a woman’s difficulty rejoining her family and society after spending 15 years in prison.

“Entre les Murs”

Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. in Mabee Ballrooms A and B

“Entre les Murs” (“The Class”) is about a literature teacher who has trouble connecting with his students at a middle school in Paris.

“La Graine et le Mulet”

Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. in Mabee Ballrooms A and B In “La Graine et le Mulet” (“The Secret of the Grain”), an aging immigrant dreams about opening a successful restaurant in order to provide his family with an inheritance.

“Un Conte de Noël”

Feb. 15 at 7 p.m in Fleck Hall Room 305

“Un Conte de Noël” “(A Christmas Tale”) focuses on a family’s strained relationships during the holiday season.

“Azur et Asmar”

Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. in Mabee Ballroom C The tale of the Djinn Fairy reunites two foster brothers who were separated at a young age.

The General Consulate of France in Houston introduced St. Edward’s to the film festival, which is sponsored by the French American Cultural Exchange and the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.

These sponsors allow St. Edward’s to host the festival without paying copyright fees. Penant said these fees could have otherwise prevented St. Edward’s from hosting the festival.

Both Evans and Penant said that they would like the Tournées Film Festival to become an annual event.

For more information, contact Martha Rankin at marthar@stedwards.edu hsvobod@stedwards.edu

TV 5 Monde Students who enjoy the Tournées Film Festival and want to continue to learn about French culture may not even have to leave campus. St. Edward’s is working to bring French television station TV 5 Monde to campus televisions.

The station offers music, news and shows from different genres.

Penant said students who want to experience French culture and language should attend the film festival and watch TV 5 Monde, but that it is essential to do so in a French speaking country.

Evans said TV 5 Monde and the film festival are possible due to the university’s partnership with the Université Catholique de l’Ouest in Angers, France. “[The partnership has] opened all the doors,” Evans said.

Hilltop Views | Page 9 Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Page 10 | FEATURES

Wednesday, February 3, 2010 | Hilltop Views

St. Edward’s participates in environmental project Jennifer Schrauth St. Edward’s University students, faculty, and staff could be found on Jan. 22 coloring fake $100 bills to raise money for the FUNDRED Project.

The project was created by Operation Paydirt, an organization created in response to the high levels of lead content in American soil. According to the Operation Paydirt Web site, 86,000 properties in New Orleans alone are estimated to have unsafe levels of lead in the soil.

The FUNDRED project emerged on the St. Edward’s campus in October 2009 when Hollis Hammonds, assistant professor of Art, invited Operation Paydirt’s founder, Mel Chin, to be the

keynote speaker at the Texas Association of Schools of Art’s Art and Community Conference.

“We wanted Mel because his work is really socially conscious,” Hammond said. “He asked us to participate in this [FUNDRED Project] and we readily agreed.”

To participate in the FUNDRED Project, students draw on and color blank $100 bill templates. Every FUNDRED represents $100 in money or services that will be donated to Operation Paydirt by U.S. Congress.

Chin, along with scientists, estimated $300 million would be needed to treat the soil in New Orleans alone, Hammond said. Toxicologist/Urban Environmental

“It gets everyone together and drawing and having fun for a good cause,” Hernandez said. expert Howard Mielke and research scientist Andrew Hunt both have extensive experience in lead contamination.

St. Edward’s FUNDRED organizers set a goal of 7,000 FUNDREDs, and have collected about 1,000 so far, Hammond said.

“It’s a community service project, an environmental project, a social project, an art project—it’s all of these things,” Hammond said.

Junior Nicole Ryder has been working to spread the

word and get more people to participate in the project.

“I’ve contacted Garden District and Amy’s Ice Cream and am going to be contacting high schools and middle schools in Austin, as well as Texas universities,” Ryder said.

Ryder said students who want to participate can pick up FUNDREDs at the Scarborough-Phillips Library, Andre Hall, Student Life or the Fine Arts Building.

Senior Megan Carney said she heard about the FUN-

DRED Project from Hammond, saw posters around school and knew friends who were participating.

“I think it’s an interesting approach to raise money for a cause that’s not super generic,” Carney said.

Sophomore David Hernandez, heard about the event from a friend.

“It gets everyone together and drawing and having fun for a good cause,” Hernandez said.

“This is a project for all ages,” Hammond said. “It can be done in groups of friends, church groups, no drawing skill required.”

An armored truck will be making a journey across the country collecting FUNDREDs and will be on the

St. Edward’s campus the first week of March. Until then, it’s a race to meet the goal of 7,000 FUNDREDs. The TASA conference will be held April 8-10 and will explore the theme of Art and Community with a shared dialogue on green art, social activism, collaboration and community art.

The fee for students is $20; however, students who volunteer at the conference can get in for $5. Students interested in attending the conference should contact Hollis Hammonds at lauraah@ stedwards.edu. jschrau@stedwards.edu

Kozmetsky Center highlights immigration issues Amber Burton Not everyone wants to be in the United States.

In his documentary, “The Other Side of Immigration,” Roy Germano tackles the controversial topic of immigration from the perspective of the immigrants themselves.

At the first Kozmetsky Center event of the semester, Germano screened his film in Jones Auditorium and held a question-and-answer session about the documentary.

Germano created the film during the process of his research for his doctorate in government. The film grew out of his desire to share information and try to make a difference.

“The level of inequality in Mexico is out of this world,” Germano said. “You have an interesting situation here in Texas because you have a long history of migration.”

Germano said most Americans view Mexican migrants as people who want to come to live in the United States

permanently.

However, many of the people he interviewed spoke of migration to America as a temporary situation—a means to an end—and a way to provide for their families.

One migrant can make $70-80 for a day’s work in the United States, versus $13 per day in Mexico. Many of the migrants come from rural towns where agriculture and other industries can no longer support the economic demand. In some of these towns, over half of the population has migrated to the United States at some time or another.

In the film, Germano says, “To understand Mexican immigration, we must understand towns like these.”

Many of the people interviewed in the documentary are former migrants or people whose family members are currently in the United States trying to earn money to support them.

“Really a lot of these people just want to go home and be with their families,” Germano

said. “But they don’t want to go home empty handed.”

One woman in the film, Carolina had six children in the United States and her husband had also migrated several times.

“I haven’t seen my daughter in seven years,” she said.

Carolina once received a phone call from her daughter, who said she was afraid to come home because it was so dangerous.

Smugglers tend to require $2,000-$3,000 to take someone to the United States, even after migrants have walked up to eight days through the desert to arrive at the border.

Many migrants wish a temporary work program existed that would allow them to spend six months working in the United States and six months living in Mexico, but such a program would require cooperation between the governments of both countries.

“I want this film to help people realize that we can get past [language barriers and misunderstandings],” Ger-

Associated Press

Carlos De Oses, from Santa Fe, N.M., with Somos Un Pueblo Unido, leads chants outside the New Mexico State Capitol during an immigration reform rally led by Somos Un Pueblo Unido Jan. 20 in Santa Fe.

mano said.

Viewing the film influenced some students to raise questions about immigration.

“Why could [the U.S. government] not just spend the money [it’s] spending on the border fence on the very issues this film talks about?” asked Freshman Rian Lowe.

“It’s possible,” Germano said, “but there has to be a political will.”

One student asked Germano what he would do if someone at the White House

saw his film.

“I’m working on it,” Germano said.“If I had the chance to sit down with Obama and Congress, I would love it. We need to work on a way to cooperate with the Mexican government on this issue.”

The film hasn’t yet made it to DVD, but Germano travels around the country and holds screenings. More information about the film and Roy Germano can be found at http://www.theothersideofimmigration.com.

Film news can also be found on Facebook on “The Other Side of Immigration” fan page.

“I’m encouraging people to write their Congress workers,” Germano said in parting. “There’s so much value to information and understanding the shoes people are walking in. Deep down we are all just human beings trying to get by.”

aburton3@stedwards.edu

SPORTS

Hilltop Views | Page 11 Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Formerly unbeaten Saints and Colts to meet in Miami Emily Blasdell

Five years after New Orleans was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, leaving the New Orleans Saints without a stadium and with an uncertain future, the team will be attending its first Super Bowl.

Super Bowl XLIV will be held on Feb. 7 in Miami’s Sun Life Stadium. The New Orleans Saints will be taking on the Indianapolis Colts.

The New Orleans Saints entered the National Football Conference playoffs with a 13-3 regular season record. After beating the Arizona Cardinals 45-14 in the divisional playoffs, it all came down to the NFC championship game against the Minnesota Vikings.

After a 40-yard field goal

by Saints’ kicker Garrett Hartley, the game ended in overtime. The Saints won 31-28.

The Indianapolis Colts ended their regular season in the American Football Conference with a 14-2 re-

cord. By beating the Baltimore Ravens 20-3, the Colts landed themselves a spot in the AFC Championship against the New York Jets.

At the end of the first half, the Colts trailed by five but came back, scoring 17 points in the second half and winning the game 30-17.

More than half of Indianapolis’ points were scored by quarterback Peyton Manning’s three touchdown throws. The Colts are going to the Super Bowl for the second time in four years and for the fourth time in franchise history. The Colts’ last Super Bowl appearance was in 2007, when they beat the Chicago Bears.

As for this year’s halftime show, legendary rock band The Who will be performing. According to an interview by Billboard with The Who’s Pete Townshend, the halftime performance “will feature a ‘compact medley’ of their signature classic-rock anthems.”

The Who consists of original guitarist and principal

Associated Press

The New Orleans Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees is bringing his team to their first ever Super Bowl appearance.

Places in Austin to watch Super Bowl XLIV

Associated Press

THE TAVERN Though the location is a bit small, the atmosphere will have any sports fan screaming his or her lungs out, and you can get one of the best burgers in town.

THIRD BASE Associated Press

The Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback Peyton Manning is going for his second Super Bowl win in four seasons.

songwriter Pete Townshend and founding member and singer Roger Daltrey. Townshend and Dalrey also have solo careers apart from The Who. Like the halftime show, commercials are another beloved part of the Super Bowl.

CNNMoney.com provides a preview of this year’s ads that will be played during the Super Bowl broadcast.

Anheuser-Busch, the maker of Budweiser, will have the most commercial time this year during the Super Bowl, with a total of five minutes of advertising.

Frito-Lay took a new approach this year by creating a contest for consumers to create and submit their own commercials. The winning ad will air during the Super Bowl.

Also, Dr. Pepper will be making its first Super Bowl appearance this year with its “Calling Dr. Love” ads featuring Gene Simmons.

One commercial that has already gained some attention is an ad for Focus on the Family. This Christian and

anti-abortion group says its controversial ad is about the “issue of life” and will feature Heisman Trophy winner and former Florida Gator quarterback Tim Tebow and his mother.

CBS has recently come under fire for allowing the anti-abortion commercial to air, while recently rejecting a controversial advertisement from a gay dating site called ManCrunch.

The advertisement took a humorous route in featuring two men touching hands and kissing.

The New York Times reported that ManCruch’s advertisement was rejected because CBS deemed it inappropriate for prime time.

Other companies that paid up to $3 million to advertise during one of America’s most watched television programs include Volkswagen, Denny’s and Boost Mobile.

The Super Bowl will air on CBS at 6 p.m. Eastern and 5 p.m. Central. eblasde@stedwards.edu

Forty HD TV’s surround you at this open location. Get there early if you want to watch here though, as tables are expected to fill quickly.

PLUCKER’S WING BAR With wings that have been a long time favorite of St. Edward’s students and a television in every direction, every seat is the perfect seat. There’s even one in the men’s bathroom mirror.

CHAMPION’S SPORTS BAR Super Bowl Sunday means one thing at Champion’s: All Day Happy Hour. You are guaranteed to be well-fed and entertained by the 24 HD plasma TVs at your disposal.

AUSSIE’S GRILL AND BEACH BAR This bar is the closest to campus and entices customers on their Web site with a single picture of their cheeseburger. Here, you will be able to watch the game on 14 different HD TV screens.

LOGAN’S ON 6TH In traditional sports bar fashion, the numerous 61-inch TVs here make sure you don’t miss a moment of the big game. Reviewers say it has one of “the nicest atmospheres” in Austin.

CROWN AND ANCHOR PUB If the weather heats up, Crown and Anchor Pub has beautiful outdoor seating that students and adults can enjoy while watching the big game.

BUFFALO BILLIARDS The non-sports fans will appreciate this place, which offers pool, foosball and even shuffle board, and there is a recreation room for those who actually want to watch the game.

SHAKESPEARE’S PUB Shakespeare’s is the place to go for the best pub atmosphere. With drink specials and many plasma screen TVs, everyone can watch and yell together.

SHOAL CREEK SALOON Instead of burgers, this saloon presents seafood options for all to enjoy. But don’t come with a Colts jersey; this place is owned by Saints fans.

Compiled by: Matthew Frazier

Wednesday, February 3, 2010 | Hilltop Views

Page 12 | SPORTS

COURTSIDE CHRONICLES

Super Bowl: It’s all about the advertising The Colts and the Saints will suit up for one of the most exciting events of the year: the Super Bowl.

Sports Commentary And there are many fans who plan to watch the game, but they are far outnumbered by the people who plan to watch the commercial breaks than the game itself.

All across the nation, people plan parties, buy enormous amounts of food and certain game day beverages, slip into their oversized LaZ Boy and prepare for a day full of entertainment, but not football.

I, myself, am to blame.

Neither the Saints nor the Colts are anywhere near my ideal pick for Super Bowl XLIV, even if this is the first time in over a decade that the number one seeds are meeting in the Super Bowl.

And no matter how much each team deserved to make it to the big game, I’m honestly not that interested.

So I have no choice but to follow millions of others across the country in watching what is most likely going to be a mediocre game and to enjoy what the sponsors bring to the event—commercials.

Billions of dollars are spent on a 30second commercial during the Super Bowl.

Billions, which could be spent much more responsibly, are wasted on a company’s halfminute of glory.

I plan on being bombarded with beer commercials and, between those, advertisements for cars that I can’t even come close to affording. And, oh yeah, did I mention beer commercials?

Although your beer commercials are quite hilarious, most of the people who actually understand the highly innuendo-filled advertisements are people under the age of 21.

While I’m sure there will be plenty of pro-Haiti help that will come out of this year’s Super Bowl, the real point of the game itself is lost.

How many people can remember the last four Super Bowl winners?

Not me.

Very few people can remember the winners.

Now, how many people can remember the funniest commercials from a few years ago?

I certainly do. Even farther back than a few years. I remember that “Wazzzzuuuuup?!?!?” commercial in 2000 and before that the “Doo be, doo be doo” one with the penguins.

But last year’s MVP? Not a clue.

The Super Bowl has turned into a comedy club for couch surfers and lackluster fans whose teams didn’t make it.

Nowhere else will you find this much sponsorship money: not the World Series, not the Final Four, not even the Olympics.

The solution?

Just enjoy the billion-dollar commercials that make up the Super Bowl, because they are not going away anytime soon.

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.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010 | Hilltop Views

SPORTS | Page 13

SPORTS COMMENTARY

Gossip culture driving Tiger Woods scandal to fore Jake Hartwell Heroes have been around since the recorded beginnings of history. From Gilgamesh to Tiger Woods, they exemplified the values of their societies and the most desired qualities of the citizens.

The problem is Gilgamesh never had droves of paparazzi, publications and Web sites watching and reporting his every move. Gilgamesh built walls and slew demons generally free from inquiries into his private life, but those days are over. The development of modern society has rendered the hero impossible.

Now we have Woods’ scandal. Almost everyone knows that Woods has had more women than major championship wins.

The National Enquirer broke the story; it traveled

around the globe in less than a day and was generally accepted as fact by Thanksgiving morning.

Endorsement deals are the remnants of a long history of hero-worship. Woods made his fortune by exemplifying everything companies want to project in their image.

Precision, agility, consistency—these qualities could be immediately associated with a product in the minds of the consumers by slapping Woods’ face on it.

Those companies don’t want to project moral failure, which was inevitably ascribed to Woods’ recent activity. As soon as Woods became a symbol of immorality and faithlessness, he lost the endorsements.

Of course disappointed consumers around the world would later discover, to their

dismay, that Nike golf clubs aren’t enough to make you a “player”—in more respects than one.

The hero-based endorsement concept was plausible until the 21st century. Most of us remember the circumstances of Mark McGwire’s retirement, by which he narrowly escaped the oncoming public relations scourge regarding his steroid use.

McGwire’s steroid use was almost unquestionable, but during his career the Internet was still in its fledgling stages. It wasn’t yet commonplace for people to track every minute of celebrities’ lives. The birth of the gossip Web site and the establishment of our generation as one that derives its meaning by being a contemptible peeping-tom did not crown rampant celebritystalking as convention until

this century.

If you fast-forward to Barry Bonds’ retirement in 2007, the changes become obvious. Bonds committed the same offense as McGwire, but when he retired, everyone knew he was a fraud.

His record is forever stained because people had the technological means and societal reinforcement to investigate every aspect of his life.

The speed and ease with which the Woods story broke clearly shows that we have the technology and demand to spy on stars every minute of the day. Where there is no mystery, and nothing but truth, the hero cannot exist. Traditionally, it was the duty of the poet to describe the hero, and the hero was revered because the poet reported the better half, excluding the seamy details of

Associated Press

Tiger Woods has recently taken an indefinite leave from golf after allegations of infidelity.

the character’s shortcomings.

Now the poet has been usurped by the paparazzi.

Devoid of spirit and ethics, he or she reports every detail and is happy to indulge in society’s new fascination with

discovering the failures of its prominent figures. We have truth, but at what cost? Our heroes are dead, slain not by the sword but by the pen. jhartwe@stedwards.edu

VIEWPOINTS

Page 14 | Hilltop Views Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Editorial

UT plans to close legendary Cactus Cafe The University of Texas has announced that, after more than 25 years as one Austin’s most beloved musical landmarks, the Cactus Cafe is closing its doors.

The closing of the Cactus Cafe is part of a series of cuts that UT officials announced Friday, according to the Austin American-Statesmen.

Although the university’s overall budget has increased 2.8 percent since Sept. 1, state officials including Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst urged state agencies to reduce their bud-

gets by Feb. 15.

In accordance with the state-wide reductions, UT plans to cut 5 percent from the state-funded portion of its two-year budget.

The Cactus Cafe, as well as the university’s informal class program, were deemed expendable because they are primarily used by non-students. University officials intend to use their budget to better benefit students enrolled full-time in regular classes.

But that neglects the fact that both the Cactus Cafe

Though UT is saying money in its budget by closing the venue, they are arguably losing something priceless. and UT’s informal classes have been heavily attended

by Austin residents for nearly three decades.

The Cactus Cafe is prized by locals because of its unique setting (the venue seats roughly 150 people), which is ideal for intimate acoustic performances.

The nationally-recognized venue is located on the bottom floor of the Texas Union Building on the main drag of Guadalupe Street. Since it opened in Feb. 1979, it has been host to renowned musical artists such as Lucinda Williams, Lyle Lovett, Ani DiFranco and Townes Van

Zandt, among many others.

It has also been a jumpingoff place for many successful music careers.

Tuesday night, UT’s budget was the subject at a universitywide town hall meeting which was open to the public. The closing of the Cactus Cafe was expected to be discussed and heavily debated.

The news of UT’s decision came as a shock to the music community since the Cactus Cafe is an iconic and defining part of Austin’s music scene.

Though UT is saving money in its budget by closing the

venue, they are arguably losing something priceless.

In shutting down the Cactus Cafe, the university is doing away with one of the great treasures of Austin’s music history in a city that prides itself on its musical heritage.

Certainly something not as beloved nor as defining as the Cactus Cafe could be sacrificed in order to meet the university’s budget cut.

Jobs unveils iPad; many skeptical Landscaping far too costly Ryan Lester

Somewhere in America, someone probably had the thought, “Gee, that iPhone is mighty nice, but it would be really great if it was eight times bigger, did the same things my phone is capable of doing without the whole making phone calls thing and could set me back at least another $500.”

That same person probably fell out of his chair when Apple announced the release of the iPad Jan. 27. The iPad is the company’s newest gadget that took every bit of that fleeting thought bubble to heart.

Touted as Apple’s answer to both the netbook and Amazon’s Kindle, the awkwardly named iPad features a 9.7-inch touch screen, and like almost all Apple products, it is an aesthetic wonder.

Then again, if you have seen an iPhone, you can basically imagine what the iPad looks like.

In terms of software, the iPad runs the same operat-

Associated Press

Steve Jobs showing off the iPad on Jan. 27

ing system as the iPhone. It supports almost every single application that can be found on the phone, and many have been tweaked to take advantage of the iPad’s bigger display.

One of these applications is iBooks. As with the Kindle, you can download the e-books online from Apple’s bookstore and read them directly on the device, which organizes your books on a nice digital bookshelf. Of course, this will never replace the tactile feel of a real book,

and your chances of getting eye strain from reading James Joyce are a lot higher from a backlit screen than they are on a slightly yellowed piece of paper. You also never have to charge a book.

The iPad can also run iWork. This means you can write entire essays on the touch keyboard if your fingers and patience are up to the task, making the iPad somewhat practical. But without the benefits of Mac OS—and a hard drive that maxes out at 64GB—the

iPad is no replacement for a laptop.

One of the biggest selling points is that the iPad will have both Wi-Fi and 3G capabilities. Of course, for 3G you have to shell out an extra $130 compared to the WiFi only model and pay $30 per month for an unlimited data plan. Since many of the iPad adopters will also own an iPhone, this is AT&T’s dream come true.

The most basic model starts at $500, with a 64GB, 3G enabled model topping out at $829. For that price, you would be better off paying the extra $170 for a MacBook. It does everything the iPad does, but with the added benefit of actually being a computer.

Undoubtedly, iPads will sell like hotcakes. But with limited functionality and a lack of features that differentiate the iPad from the iPhone or a laptop, you would do better to save your money. rlester@stedwards.edu

Megan Ganey The other day as I was walking to my apartment on campus, I noticed a familiar landscaper with a leaf blower. The two or three leaves scurried around the sidewalk until they found their rightful place in the grass, and at that moment I wondered is this truly necessary?

St. Edward’s University has a beautiful campus. I know this. The number one response when I tell someone I go here is something along the lines of “That sure is a beautiful campus, truly amazing.” I appreciate walking to classes and enjoying the great view.

What I don’t appreciate is the constant whir of an edge trimmer right outside of my window, waking me up, to make sure that every single blade of grass is in place and standing straight and pretty.

Landscaping is essential, albeit in moderation. Is it necessary that every acorn be raked? I am sure the squirrels can empathize with this; it must cause them mass confusion. The high priority of landscaping on campus is apparent with the constant John Deere traffic on campus walkways.

There must be a hedgetrimming emergency everyday or a stray acorn or leaf that needs immediate attention because these vehicles slow down for no one. Maybe they should invest in some lights and sirens, just so people will be warned and move to the right side of the lane.

St. Edward’s has a wonderful campus, no doubt.

However, I think I could sacrifice a rough edge or a stray leaf for a few extra dollars in financial aid. mganey@stedwards.edu

Hilltop Views | Wednesday, February 3, 2010

VIEWPOINTS | Page 15

Campus bookstore shakes down students for cash Jake Hartwell Sometimes I go to GameStop to sell back used video games. They will pay as much as $15 for recent ones. The next day, they put my games back on the shelf, priced at twice the price they gave me.

This is normal profit. This is forgivable.

However, obese, ridiculous profits only belong in the most questionable areas of global finances. They are usually accompanied by pyramid schemes and shareholder fraud. They certainly do not belong in university bookstores.

Recently, I tried to sell back one of my books at the university bookstore. It was a

wonderful book called “German Essays on History. “ The book was in almost flawless condition with a strong binding, and the hardcover had a texture that made you just want to hold it. It cost me around $50. I was disappointed to part with it, but my financial status allowed nothing else.

That was until I got to the counter, where I was offered $3. The joy at being able to keep my book was marred by my irritation at such an insult. I knew it would be back on the shelf at $30 tomorrow, the same used charge for it as last semester.

A 1,000 percent profit is unjustifiable. I spent as much on books this semes-

Hilltop Views 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 Anna Whitney Jake Hartwell Mary Hennessy 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.

I spent as much on books this semester as some would spend on a decent used car. ter as some would spend on a decent used car. At least, I would have spent that much if I had not employed other means.

When a company fails you, it is your duty as a patriot and capitalist to help that company realize the error of its ways.

Thus I feel that I should do whatever is possible—within the law—to reduce the bookstore’s profits and help my fellow students. Hopefully, the bookstore will return to reasonable methods of conducting business after losing a considerable percentage of their consumer base, so I will provide you with methods

for doing so.

The Internet is indispensable. Make an effort to find your textbooks online, used and in older editions. You can save anywhere from 20 to 80 percent—usually closer to 80.

For most of us, previous editions are completely fine.

Brand new editions are a scam. Publishers print new editions, which only have a few pages and some technical errors changed, and sell them new for the full price. New editions are not essential to your education.

If you are majoring in the Natural Sciences or some other fast-paced field, the

changes in new editions are crucial. I have pity on your debt-ridden soul; if it’s any consolation, you will probably have a higher salary than the rest of us.

Some textbooks cannot be found online, shipping can be unreliable, and some distributors take weeks to ship books. In these instances, I suggest that you buy from the bookstore and share with a classmate.

Sharing books with a classmate has several benefits.

You save an immediate 50 percent by splitting the costs.

It also forces you to plan your studying ahead of time to accommodate your colleague—always a good thing.

On top of that, you will get to know your colleague better and perhaps make a new friend.

Using the Internet, buying earlier editions, and sharing books can drastically reduce

the money you spend on textbooks. This is better for you and everyone because every purchase is a vote.

Each time you succumb to a company’s ridiculous fees, you are essentially saying, “Please continue to make destitute paupers of my fellow consumers and me. We don’t mind. We were only going to use the money for foolish things like food and clothes anyway.”

If every purchase is a vote for a company, you shouldn’t vote for companies with faulty business practices; and if you must, at least cut your vote in half by sharing books.

You, using the methods above, can send a message.

Together we can coerce the bookstore into accommodating its customers. jhartwe@stedwards.edu

Obama should focus on economy Christopher Duke Following last week’s electoral “thumping,” President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats need to refocus.

After months of misdirecting their attention towards a now most likely defunct health care bill, voters sent a clear message: Stop out-ofcontrol government spending and focus on jobs.

Obama began with high hopes and now faces a grim reality. According to a recent Rasmussen poll, his recent approval rating is at a record low (43 percent strongly disapprove compared to 25 percent that strongly approve).

Obama can turn around his doldrums by coming out strong on the economy. He needs to speak plainly and extend his hand to Republicans, and together they need to address the issues facing

all Americans: out of control spending, jobs and economic recovery.

After a year of bailouts, it’s time to rollback the Troubled Asset Relief Program. The much-criticized program continues to have little accountability, jeopardizes taxpayers and exacerbates the “too big to fail” mentality.

TARP continues to be a revolving door as banks repay loans while others receive more. Obama has correctly tapped into the populist demand for financial institutions to return taxpayer dollars swiftly.

However, his proposed “bank tax” is punitive and fails to address the complexity underpinning the crisis.

Obama’s tax will jeopardize balance sheets and discourage future lending. Instead, Congress needs an exit strategy with TARP. Banks that can repay need to do so, and

quickly. Banks that cannot repay should be forced to file for bankruptcy.

Additionally, the government needs to liquidate its ownership of General Motors to shield taxpayer liabilities.

With much talk of Stimulus 2.0, voters are growing increasingly skeptical of out-of-control government spending.

Only 21 percent believe that an additional stimulus spending will be effective. After a year of stimulus spending, unemployment has risen from 8 to 10 percent, and much of the stimulus has been criticized for “creating or saving” non-existent jobs.

Furthermore, 62 percent of voters favor tax cuts over increased government spending, citing in a poll that “taxpayers, not bureaucrats, are the best judges of how to spend their own money.”

Obama should end the ineffective stimulus and enact an across-the-board tax cut.

Unleashing the power of the free enterprise system will undoubtedly be more effective than any government jobs program.

As households and businesses receive more of their own hard-earned money, they will begin to purchase more, hire more and invest more.

Obama rode into Washington because many voters trusted him to deliver a sound economy, not resurrect the old Left; he would do best to align as a centrist, heed voters and focus on restoring economic prosperity. cduke2@stedwards.edu

Page 16 | PHOTO ESSAY

Austin

Farmers’ Market

Photos by Dyan Cannon

Dyan Cannon explored the Austin Farmers’ Market at Fourth Street and Guadalupe. Every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the market offers unique items like natural soap and organic food.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010 | Hilltop Views