Intramurals keep students on their toes, pg 5
Teodora Erbes • Staff Photograher
November 3, 2008
inside
www.theAccent.org
Volume 1, Issue 4
Students encouraged to “Speak Out!” Diversity Outreach Conference engages students in political discussion Martin Acosta Staff Writer
LC on page
8
see page
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Training, job opportunities abound in new Video Game Design program on page
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“SPEAK OUT!,” Austin Community College’s second annual Diversity Outreach Student Conference, capitalized on the high level of civic participation due to the upcoming presidential election. The event was organized by the ACC Office of Student Life and hosted at the Eastview Campus on Fri., Oct. 24. “We wanted to speak about the issues, about politics and diversity,” said John Jacobs, Student Life assistant and Conference coordinator. There were various ACC students as well as student organizations who represented the diversity discussed in the conference. It was attended by members from Student Government Association (SGA), Sigma Alpha Pi, MOD Squad, Campus Crusade for Christ, ASL Friends United, Active ’08, and Latino American Student Organization. The conference consisted of two “Speak Out” sessions where the attendees selected one of four mini-sessions. Each discussed a specific topic: sexism, leadership, ACC’s role in the education of immigrants, and the Odense Tekniske Gymnasium students from Denmark, also known as the “World’s Happiest Nation.” Students compared the Danish free education system to the one in the United States. The two-week visit to Texas landed them in Houston with
David Saenz • Staff Photographer
Lulu Flores, legislative coordinator for the Mexican-American Bar Association and National Women’s Political Caucus president, was the keynote speaker at Eastview’s Diversity Outreach Conference Friday, Oct. 24.
a stop in Austin. The experience at the Diversity Conference was described by Emil from Denmark as “very American” and “different, but in a good way.” The speakers at the minisessions all represented the diversity promoted at the event. Ronnie McDonald, a Bastrop County Judge and Texas A&M’s first African-
American Yell Leader, called leadership “the ability to take a person from one level to the next” in his session. McDonald caught his audience’s attention by discussing the “constant battles” he went through as he worked his way to become the Aggies’ first black Yell Leader and the first African-American county judge for Bastrop County. “His session inspired me to
step out of the box whenever we need to reinforce some things,” said Joyce Anderson, financial aid employee for the Grant Dept., of McDonald’s speech. Crestina Chavez, News 8 Austin Evening News anchor, spoke about women in politics and the media. “We have such a stronger voice than we did 30 years ago,” said Chavez concerning
women’s ability to express themselves in the workforce and in society. “The media does an excellent job of dehumanizing women in so many ways,” Chavez pointed out about the stereotypical perceptions incorporated by the media. “Community colleges, especially ACC, should be very happy to have these students ȩȩ conference continued on page 8
Grassroots tour stops in Austin, promotes social justice
Lunch with Matt Dowd
Jenessa Hernandez
Sarah Neve
The Grassroots Media Justice Tour held several presentations and workshops at MonkeyWrench Books, an alternative bookstore for the politically minded, on Oct. 20. The topics discussed were freedom, liberty, and political issues. The Tour is a movement sponsored by independent media outlets such as $pread Magazine, Final Call Newspaper, and San Jose Mercury News reporter Davey D. The tour sought to raise the public’s awareness, including college students’ voice, on issues of social justice. One focus of discussion was the case of the Jena Six, in which a group of black teens were heavily discriminated against in Jena, Louisiana. “I thought it was a great injustice, and I believed those families needed help. That’s what motivated me to write the story,” said Jesse Muhammad, a journalist for Final Call News Publishing. Austin Community College student, Trevor W. Goodchild, also known as Gnostic Prophet, was featured free-styling hip hop as the first act. “I like to link my music to social justice, and look forward
Just short of 250 people, a mix of ACC students, and top names in Texas politics and education, attended the Center for Public Policy and Political Studies (CPPPS) fundraising event on Oct. 16. The event titled “Mission: Possible” was headlined by ABC analyst and well known political consultant Matthew Dowd. The Student Government Association, Sigma Alpha Pi, Men of Distinction, The Campus Activities Funding Board, and the Accent made up the 35 students that attended the event. “It opened up a window that normally wouldn’t be there... I know at our table, students got to talk with representative Mark Strama,” said Quevarra Moten, who organized Student Life involvement at the event. Dowd has worked on political campaigns for Pres. Bush and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Dowd has taught classes at the University of Texas, and is most famous for his very public split with the Bush administration in 2006. Dowd is openly supporting Sen. Barack Obama in this election. The former Bush campaign
Staff Writer
Campus Editor
David Saenz • Staff Photographer
Jesse Muhammad, a journalist for The Final Call speaks at MonkeyWrench Books on Oct. 20.
to seeing more people my age being active in affecting public change like Davey D does for hip-hop,” said Goodchild, a Geology major. Other topics discussed were copyright laws affecting independent news stories, and tips on how to maintain ownership of original work. “We gain credibility by using our primary sources and
our own publications. That’s how we start to gain the trust of the community and build a network of truth,” Davey D said. The first speaker after Goodchild was Jordan Flaherty, who is the co-editor of Left Turn Magazine and involved in rebuilding New Orleans. Flaherty was one of the
speakers that emphasized the power college students have over publishing their own stories through outlets such as YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, and blogging. As Davey D said, “Having freedom is more important than the money that takes away your control.”
Photo courtesy of Scott Newton
strategist said that the “legacy of the bush administration will be missed opportunity.” Dowd spoke to the crowd about why national and local politics are trending democratic, and about the unique experience of living in a time when citizens did not trust their government, or their media. “We live in the shadow of the University of Texas and three other four-year colleges who are established. We are a 35 year-old community college. It didn’t hurt to show that ACC has the capacity to put on this kind of event. We have bright students. It’s good for people to see that they aren’t all majoring in auto mechanics,” CPPPS director Peck Young said. The fundraiser brought in roughly $50,000, and the center is still waiting on more donations. The money will help support the center’s several projects, and fund the non-profit organization.
Forum
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R edress of Grievances Jamie Carpenter
While I understand that the presidential election is like the Olympics of politics, it is not rational, logical, or productive as a member of society to not inform yourself on local issues. Like it or not, the political process continues day in and day out without the glitz and glimmer of Tina Fey impersonations or debates. I strongly believe that people are interested primarily in presidential elections because it’s exciting and highly publicized. While we regularly see John McCain and Barack Obama on everything from Newsweek to Fox, most people would not be able to identify local politicians. Therefore, we should take the initiative to inform ourselves on local matters. Information is pretty easy to come by if you only take the time to look. Earlier this month, the Austin Chronicle printed its endorsements of candidates and propositions for the upcoming election. If you are looking for perhaps a less biased approach on the candidates and what they stand for, refer non-partisan organizations like the League of Women Voters. On a national level, we as citizens are affected by the presidency, but on a local level, there is no trickle down effect as we wait for policies to become effective here in Austin. Our lives are what we make it, so let’s get informed.
Columnist
In Jan. of this year, I attended the Williamson County Democratic Primary Convention. At the convention, there was much excitement over the upcoming presidential election. Speech after speech was primarily focused on the national candidates running for office with little regard given to local elections. So, when a candidate gave a speech on the importance of local officials, my interest was sincere. He reminded the audience that it is not the president of the United States that will be involved on the particular amount of taxes you pay on your house, provide you with sewer services, or help enforce many of the laws. While obviously the issues on a national scale are important, they are not as immediately felt as local issues. A great example of this having directly affected Austin Community College students this summer was the vote on whether or not to allow Round Rock students to be considered in-district students. As a student who lives in Round Rock, I was greatly interested in this issue due to the big difference in the cost of tuition for in-district and outof-district students. Yet, I have to admit, when I think about voting and elections, I only think about the presidential election.
Student
Opinion Issues, not pop culture
Matthew Thompson Staff Writer
As Nov. 4 creeps closer, we are casting votes that will change the course of the United States forever, and our candidates seem to be doing stand-up comedy. At this point, when the campaigns should be engulfed in issues, they are participating in a popularity contest. There where the constant impersonations of Sarah Palin on SNL, and hotel resorts that now offer McCain or Obama luxury packages, and good luck walking down the drag without seeing a handful of people in Obama shirts from Urban Outfitters. Look beyond the many influences of pop culture and relentless liberal or conservative agendas of networks, such as MSNBC or Fox News, this election.
Come Nov. 4, take a step back and forget about appearances, who your best friend is voting for, candidate apparel, or the McCain/Palin ‘08 sticker on your neighbors ‘08 Dodge Ram, and concentrate on the issues. What route do you want this country to take when tackling our economic problems and foreign policy? Do you want a progressive or regressive tax? Should our government have an influence on our morals, or is that up to individuals? In politics there is really no perfect answer, but it is up to voters to decide which candidate’s ideology is better suited for the current state of this country. Don’t let Urban Outfitters, Tina Fey, or Bill O’ Reilly decide for you.
Anny Ibarra • Staff Artist
Karen Kuhn • Staff Artist
Local Politics
Legislature shouldn’t waste time on voter ID non-issue
Our View Staff Editorial
Elizabeth Carson Editor-in-Chief • David Rodriguez Assistant Editor Sarah Neve Campus Editor • Alma Hernandez Photo/Web Editor • Jana Lelek Layout Editor
In the upcoming legislative session, Texas Republicans are fired-up to push for tougher laws on voter identification, charged by the Supreme Court’s April ruling that Indiana laws stating that voters must present a valid, governmentissued photo ID at the voting booth was constitutional. Never mind that almost no cases of voter fraud in Texas, or Indiana for that matter, could have been prevented by voters showing an ID. Last session, voter identification legislation was a divisive partisan nightmare. Democratic senators were running in to vote just as their names were called in order to block stricter legislation, while Republicans huffed about the sanctity of voting and how to protect it.
Almost all of the cases of voter fraud in the past have been the result of misleading absentee ballots, and have nothing to do with identity theft or wrongful voting. Democrats feel that the stricter laws would make voting more difficult for voters who are likely not to have a government ID. Low income voters, legal immigrants, and, specifically, widowed older women who don’t drive would all have a harder time casting their vote. They are all demographics that would likely vote Democratic. Republicans, on the other hand, feel that it is important to ensure that only people who are supposed to vote in our elections can, even at the cost of making
voting harder for some groups of eligible voters. In a society where so few take part in the political process, it seems unnecessary to hinder voting without cause. Voting is a right and a privilege that American citizens should partake in more often and in greater numbers, and ensuring that the voting process is accurate is a necessary and worthy goal for lawmakers. However, tightening restrictions on voter identification will not solve any problems, but it will make minorities, and the elderly feel discriminated against, and will cause legislators to spend yet another session bickering about non-issues, when they should be working on solving actual issues.
l e tt e r s t o th e e dit o r No Confidence {Oct. 20}
Dear Editor, If the issue of torture of prisoners most concerns [student columnist Jonathan Sack], then perhaps you are better off voting for a third party candidate. While torture is an important issue, there are more pressing problems that need to be addressed first. Obama has spoken about ending the war in Iraq and turning over control to the Iraqi government. He has not spoken about ending the war in Afghanistan. Let’s not get the two wars confused. As a former soldier, I understand the importance of continuing operations in Afghanistan. It has not been stabilized nearly as much as Iraq has, and Iraq is not even very stable. While the Iraqi government continues to argue with each other, and tries to keep any legislation from being passed that would let us withdraw troops and let them take over, there are still foreign operatives coming over the border to Iraq to kill American soldiers and innocent Iraqi citizens. The best way to take care of the situation in Iraq is to slowly withdraw troops, only leaving trainers to teach the Iraqi soldiers. Not nearly enough has been done in Afghanistan, which should have remained our focus until it was completely stabilized.
Even though the war would continue until Osama Bin Laden is captured or killed, this would allow for more troops to remain in the U.S. for longer periods of time. With both wars going on, there are troops that are rotating out for their fourth or fifth tour in Iraq. At least getting out of Iraq would let the troops have time to recover before being deployed again. While on the issue of torture, let’s talk about our soldiers that have been captured by terrorists. It’s something a lot of people don’t want to hear about because of its gruesome details... I would rather keep the images repressed. Let’s just keep in mind that some soldiers that were captured were decapitated. I do not agree with torture in any form, but it is not the first thing that should be on the presidential agenda right now. Once the major issues have been covered enough to return to a time that we once experienced prior to 9/11, then we can start addressing specifics about policies that were put in place by Bush. My opinion is that Obama will be the one that can put this country back on the right track. Your opinion leads you to vote for a third party candidate. So, here is another opinion of mine, whoever does not vote cannot complain about the situation that we find ourselves in. Good luck to your candidate, whoever you vote for. -Andrew Morehouse
C o r r e c ti o n s The Accent would like to print the following corrections from previous issues: Distance Learning story Issue 2 by Karissa Rodriguez Editorial cartoons drawn by Karen Kuhn Campaign brief illustrations drawn by Anny Ibarra Photo credit for Nike runner Issue 1, pg 1 by Hanlly Sam; Chef photo Issue 3, pg 1 by Sarah Saker; Music Museum photos Issue 1, pg 7 by Esther Garcia, not Teodora Erbes; SGA trip photo Issue 3, pg 8 by Jose Aaron Hinojosa Writer Jonathan Sack’s name was spelled incorrectly in Issue 1
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OFFICE OF STUDENT LIFE RGC, 1212 Rio Grande St., Room 101.1 Austin TX 78701 Editor-in-Chief................................................................................................ Elizabeth Carson Assistant Editor............................................................................................... David Rodriguez Photo/Web Editor...........................................................................................Alma Hernandez Layout Editor..............................................................................................................Jana Lelek Campus Editor.........................................................................................................Sarah Neve Accent Adviser............................................................................................. Matthew Connolly Accent Coordinator................................................................................................Lori Blewett Student Life Director......................................................................................... Cheryl Richard Writers Martin Acosta, Jamie Carpenter, Jenessa Hernandez, Adam Oliphant, Diana Padilla, Olivia Palmer, Lindsay Preston, Karissa Rodriguez, Jonathan Sack, Matthew Thompson, Sarah Vasquez, Shane Yount Photographers Jonathan Garza, Trevor W. Goodchild, Teodora Erbes, Karissa Rodriguez, Jonathan Sack, David Saenz, Sarah Saker, Hanlly Sam Artists Karen Kuhn, Anny Ibarra ACC President Dr. Steve Kinslow Board of Trustees Ms. Nan McRaven– Chair; Ms. Veronica Rivera—Vice Chair; Dr. James McGuffee—Secretary, Dr. Barbara P. Mink, Allen Kaplan, Mr. Jeffrey Richard, John-Michael Cortez, Tim Mahoney, Raul Alvarez All rights reserved. All content is the property of Accent and may not be reproduced, published or retransmitted in any form without written permission from the Office of Student Life. Accent is the student newspaper of Austin Community College and is printed by the Texas Student Publications. Accent is published biweekly. ACC students may submit articles for publication in Accent to RGC’s Office of Student Life Room 101.1; e-mail articles to accent@austincc.edu or fax submissions to 223‑3086. ACC does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, political affiliation or disability. Accent offers ACC’s faculty, staff, students and surrounding community a complete source of information about student life. Accent welcomes your input, as well as information about errors. If you notice any information that warrants a correction please e-mail accent@austincc.edu. Individual views, columns, letters to the editor and other opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the views of Accent.
News
November 3, 2008 • Accent
To Be Brief
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Students learn more about Game Institute at open house event for public, potential students ACC might make all students Elizabeth Carson pay insurance fees in future
Student insurance coverage at Austin Community College may now be expanded to a general student fee. Currently, students in more physically active classes, like science labs, muscle conditioning, and construction are required to pay a $3.50 fee per class to cover additional insurance. ACC is considering expanding that coverage to all students at a cost of $2.50 per semester which would eliminate the individual class fee. The insurance would cover accidents that require medical treatment, as well as transportation to ACC-sponsored off campus events. At this time, ACC’s intramural sports program will not be covered by the proposed plan.
Scholarship established to support business program A new scholarship, the Earl Maxwell Endowed Scholarship, has been established by the Austin Community College Foundation to help business students at ACC. It was granted through the generosity of the accounting firm Maxwell Locke & Ritter LLP, and was created in recognition of Earl Maxwell, a Founding Leading Partner in the firm and one of the founding members on the ACC Foundation board. This year the Foundation awarded $365,000 in scholarships to 275 students. The Earl Maxwell Endowed Scholarship will help the college continue to provide scholarships and, at the same time, continue the legacy of Maxwell’s work.
HUDE class helps students succeed A class established through the Men of Distinction program at Austin Community College, HUDE-0111, was designed specifically to help African-American males develop the skills they need to succeed in college. This Human Development class is held at the Eastview Campus and is designed to help the students enrolled think about the practical application of personal development and academic success. “Class discussions and weekly assignments are designed to help each student assess his personal learning and coping styles, allowing him to focus on and strengthen his resolve to meet the demanding needs for degree completion,” states Men of Distinction Newsletter.
Editor-in-Chief
The modern world of high tech video game entertainment is about to get some fresh talent from Austin Community College’s new Video Game Design program. ACC’s Game Institute held an open house Oct. 24-25 to introduce the public, as well as potential students, to the new program. The open house also offered hands-on demonstrations of animation techniques and software, an inside look into the video game industry, and the chance to talk with instructors about what the courses offer. Mike Stevens, ACC professor of 2D animation and motion graphics, explained, “I look for [students’] strengths, and that’s what they do that semester.” Using software commonly used in the industry, like special effects program After Effects and animation program Flash, students gain real-world experience. They can pitch concepts for the class project at the beginning of the semester, and one student’s idea is chosen as a class project. With several years of fulltime work in video animation, animation work for the video game industry, and freelance work for Disney, Stevens, along with the other professors in the department, have a wealth of real-world experience.
Hanlly Sam • Staff Photographer
Students Stephen Drainer (left), a video game design major, and Brian Poche attend the Game Institute’s open house held on Oct. 24-25. The open house offers tours and demonstrations for prospective students.
Kalani Streicher, Game Design professor, lived and worked in California for 18 years before moving to Austin this past Aug. to begin working for ACC. By teaching and still working for his own company, Streicher believes he brings both instruction and the real-world experience students need to his classes. Students in the Video Game Design program have all been enthusiastic about playing the games, learning,
Cluboween, an event put on by Student Life at the Rio Grande Campus on Oct. 30 from 12-2 p.m., combined the fun of Halloween with a chance to learn about the various clubs at Austin Community College. The clubs represented at the event were Experimental Student Performance Lab (ESPL), L’Alliance Francais, Sigma Alpha Pi, ASL Friends United, Psychology Club, Chaju Chinese Club, Alpha Omega Club, Phi Theta Kappa, and the Mac User Group, as well as the Student Government Association (SGA).
All the booths offered candy, food, and treats while giving students information on their club. “We just want to talk to students and get to know students,” said ESPL president Ashley Monical. Like others, the group is new this semester and hopes to get the word out to students. SGA gave students a chance to decorate a mini pumpkin, ESPL students were dressed as superheroes, and ASL Friends United offered hand-reading. Cluboween culminated in a costume contest with Sarah Cryar winning first for her elaborate fairy costume, and Addie Broussard’s carefully crafted abominable snowman costume won second.
Karissa Rodriguez Staff Writer
Alma Hernandez • Photo Editor
Editor-in-Chief
since he was a freshman in high school, had been actively looking for a school with a good program. He looked at various undergrad programs online, e-mailed professors at different schools, and attended sessions at a Houston school before settling on ACC. He said he’s very happy with the program and is leaning toward using the art aspect in his future career. ȩȩ open continued on page 8
Pipeline Texas helps students find jobs
Cluboween teaches students about clubs Elizabeth Carson
analyzing, and iterating, according to Streicher. Video Game Design major Stephen Draina agreed that his enthusiasm has only increased since starting the new program this year. Projects, like designing a rifle, run about four to five weeks. “I really like all of my classes,” said Brian Poche, who is a first year student straight out of high school. Poche, who said he wanted to work in video game design
Ian Steel whispers to Sarah Cryar during the Cluboween festivities. Sarah Cryar won first place in the costume contest.
Health Sciences students seeking employment with local health care providers upon graduating will have a head start thanks to the recently launched pilot program, Pipeline Texas. The pilot program is a web-based recruiting tool that launched on Oct.17 by Skillpoint Alliance, a local nonprofit group aimed at workforce development, a press release by the company stated. The program is funded by a $175,000 grant from the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation, according to Skillpoint Alliance. Pipeline Texas will link college students with local health care employers like
Seton Family of Hospitals and St. David’s Healthcare, who are the first to participate in the pilot. Students interested in the program are able to sign up at pipelinetx.com where they will be able to explore and plan their career opportunities. The website will enable students to create profiles, take skills assessment tests, and search and apply for jobs. Employers and schools will also be able to create profiles and contact students through digital postcards. Pipeline Texas was developed by Futures, Inc., a company based in North Carolina, which aims to “bring all the pieces of the employment puzzle together into a dynamic digital talent ecosphere through the program,” the company stated.
Campus News
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Annual Latino Connection event
Campus Briefs
Video Game program offers seminars to interested students First Wednesday, a collection of free seminars put on by ACC Video Game Development at the Highland Business Center presents Getting Games Done - 10 Lifehacking Tips for Producers on Nov. 5. The event will allow students to learn from and network with industry professionals. This month’s speaker is Rodney Gibbs, an executive studio director of Amaze Entertainment. Gibbs is a well-known individual in the game development community and serves on the advisory board for the game development center.
New installment plans make tuition easier to pay ACC has changed the installment plan procedures to make paying for classes more affordable. Instead of putting down half of the tuition cost and paying the other half in two more payments, students can now spread their payments out over four payment deadlines. Once registered, students can request an installment plan at the cashier’s office, and set up the deadlines. Spring registration will begin on Nov.10 for current and former students, and Nov. 17 for new students.
Karissa Rodriguez • Staff Photographer
Student Aurora Villalpando representing SGA at the Latino Connection speaks with different departments. The Latino Connection offers assistance with financial aid, degree planning, and college transfers.
Students learn about universities, get involved with ACC Olivia Palmer Staff Writer
Walking past the multipurpose room (8500) in the Eastview Campus on Oct. 22, students may have wondered what all the festive food, music, and booths were for. The Student Success Office hosted the third annual Latino Connection. The Latino Connection featured many booths displaying information on universities, scholarships, tutorials, and student groups. There was also Latino music, food, and flags.
The event targeted current and prospective Hispanic students, as well as alumni, in an effort to create a Hispanic support network throughout the campuses. “One-third of our Latino population drops each semester simply because they do not feel involved,” explained Dr. Richard R. Armenta, associate vice president of the Student Success Office. Armenta explained that the Student Success Office’s goal is “to allow students to meet with people who can answer their questions, and get them to
embrace the opportunities that higher education provides.” The event featured an inspirational speech from 2008 Teacher of the Year, Eric Cruz. Cruz, a ninth grade English teacher, spoke of the rising opportunities for Latinos everywhere. He also acknowledged the many difficulties that Latinos face daily. Despite these obstacles, Cruz urged Latinos to push harder, earn their degrees, and make a positive difference in the world. Latino Connection featured other support groups
for students such as financial aid information sessions and meetings for the Transfer Academy. The Student Success Office also held a raffle every 30 minutes, which was effective in keeping the crowd present for the entire event. Many door prizes were raffled off including one-hour massages, flowers, jewelry, and coffee makers. The main prize, a semester worth of free books, was not raffled off until the end of the event.
Coffee shop’s friendly staff near Rio Grande wins Best of Austin award in Chronicle Sarah Neve
Campus Editor Emerald City Press, located on Lamar and Ninth Street near the Rio Grande Campus, won a prestigious Best of Austin award in the Chronicle and was the critics’ pick for most Ridiculously Friendly Staff. The coffee joint opened last March after converting an old drive-thru photo lab into a drive-thru for coffee, news, and fresh flowers. Emerald City serves coffee and other beverages, a homemade, low-fat, organic soft serve ice cream, and food from several local businesses including Sweetish Hills Bakery, Upper Crust Bakery, Taco Deli Tacos, and Ken’s Doughnuts. Patrons will receive a 10 percent discount for driving hybrid cars, or reusing cups.
Registration might start earlier to avoid last year’s problems Austin Community College’s Admission and Registration Committee is considering moving registration for the Fall 2009 semester to June 1, or possibly as early as May 1, when Spring classes are still in session. In the past, registration has begun in mid-July. ACC is considering this change to improve the registration process, which was particularly hard on some students this semester. The change would be paired with longer payment deadlines and a more spread-out payment plan. ACC’s Student Government Association has adopted a resolution to have registration start May 15 for students with 60 or more credits.
God of wine comes to ACC, students perform “Bacchae” “Bacchae,” a Greek tragedy, will be performed by the Drama Department in November. The play is about, “women caught up in a ritual madness, who take to the hills in a frenzy of intoxication, sex, and ultimately, violence, in worship of the god of wine, Dionysus,” according to the press release. Opening weekend is Nov.14-16, and the play will run again Nov. 21-23. They are performing on the Main Stage Theater at the Rio Grande Campus. Admission is $6, and weekend performances will start at 8 p.m. The Sunday matinee is at 2 p.m. The Department warns that this play is not for children, and may contain nudity.
SGA adopts a campus stop
Jonathan Garza • Staff Photographer
Patrons line up outside of Emerald City Press for friendly service and a cup of coffee. You can find Emerald City at the corner of Lamar and 9th street.
Jonathan Sack • Staff Photographer
Student government adopted this bus stop in front of Northridge.
Jonathan Sack Staff Writer
The Austin Community College Student Government Association members voted in an October 3 meeting to register with Capital Metro’s Adopt-a-Stop program, and announced in the October 17th meeting that SGA had adopted the bus stop in front of Northridge Campus. Bus-lines 142, 174 and the 1M service this adopted stop. The Adopt-a-Stop program allows local businesses, organizations, individuals, and families to participate in cleaning and landscaping of local area bus stops. Student Government members will be cleaning the stop in-between
the scheduled Capital Metro cleanings. This will be one of forty stops that have been adopted in Austin. There are upwards of 3000 bus stops available. “Its about giving a sense of ownership to the neighborhoods, we have never regulated what stops people can adopt.” Alissa Schram, community involvement specialist, said. Capital Metro will be placing a sign at the bus stop located at the main entrance to Northridge Campus on Stonehollow Dr. to indicate that it has been adopted by Austin Community College Student Government Association.
Campus News
November 3, 2008 • Accent
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Boards meet with students at Rio Grande
Intramurals in full swing
Teodora Erbes • Staff Photographer
Trevor Goodchild • Staff Photographer
Students come together to voice their opinions and concerns at the board forum held at Rio Grande campus on Oct. 21.
Adam Oliphant and Jonathan Sack Staff Writers
The Rio Grande Board forum was held on Oct. 21 in the Student Lounge. Austin Community College’s Board of Trustees member Allen Kaplan along with other college representatives were available to answer students’ questions and hear their concerns. Most of the conversation centered around improving the facilities at the Rio Grande campus, particularly the inadequate parking and lack of hot water in the bathrooms. The Rio Grande parking garage, scheduled to be
completed by January 2009, will provide more parking places but will not solve Rio Grande’s parking problem. Some faculty and staff bathrooms, particularly the facility in the campus manager’s office, have hot water, but they are inaccessible to students. “It’s unsanitary not having hot water in bathrooms,” said April Seaborne, a Student Life Assistant Campus Coordinator. Other District-wide issues that were brought up included: improving Capital Metro bus service to ACC campuses, and expanding gym and physical education facilities. Concerns over
handicapped accessibility on certain campuses were also addressed. “All campuses are ADA compliant,” yet students and faculty often must take “circuitous routes” to get around campus, said Kaplan. He added that they “are legal, but not what I would consider accessible.” Kaplan closed the forum by saying, “You are blessed to be at the best community college in the country,” adding that “we have the numbers to prove it. Student G.P.A.’s are on average 0.3 to 0.5 higher than other transfer students to UT and Texas State.”
The Ballers, blue, beat the Balloholics, gold, 40 to 33 in ACC Intramurals on October 22nd.
Games played at Parque Zaragoza Recreation Center Soccer schedule November 10 November 3 6:30pm 5vs1 7:30pm 4vs6 8:30pm 2vs3
6:30pm 1vs3 7:30pm 2vs4 8:30pm 5vs6
November 17 6:30 1vs6 7:30 2vs5 8:30 3vs4
Volleyball schedule November 3 November 10 6:30pm 3 vs7 7:30pm 2vs1 8:30pm 4vs5
6:30pm 6vs2 7:30pm 3vs4 8:30pm 5vs1
December 1
November 17
6:30pm 2vs6 7:30pm 4vs1 8:30pm 3vs5
6:30pm 6vs3 7:30pm 2vs4 8:30pm 7vs5
December 1
Men’s Basketball Tuesday November 11 November 4 6:30pm 6vs2 7:30pm 3vs4 8:30pm 5vs1
6:30pm 6vs3 7:30pm 2vs4 8:30pm 7vs5
November18
December 2
6:30pm 1vs3 7:30pm 4vs7 8:30pm 5vs6
6:30pm 6vs1 7:30pm 2vs7 8:30pm 3vs4
6:30pm 1vs3 7:30pm 4vs7 8:30pm 5vs6
Men’s Basketball Wednesday November 5 November 12 6:30pm 1vs3 7:30pm 2vs4 8:30pm 5vs6
6:30 1vs6 7:30 2vs5 8:30 3vs4
November 19
December 3
6:30pm 2vs6 7:30pm 4vs1 8:30pm 3vs5
6:30pm 5vs1 7:30pm 4vs6 8:30pm 2vs3
General information and Rainout number: (512) 223-9REC
Committee’s new program to help make recycling easy for students with new bins Adam Oliphant Staff Reporter
Austin Community College’s Recycling and Sustainability Committee is excited to relaunch its recycling program November 3 when hundreds of new uniform recycling bins will be on campuses. The new bins are labeled for the kind of recyclables than can be put into them. The paper and cardboard bins have slots, and the plastic and aluminum bins have circular and rectangular holes. The new bins should eliminate the confusion of what recyclables can be put into each container. “ACC is committed to being sustainable and I anticipate that this new program will inspire and educate students to recycle,” said Elysia Morrison, ACC student and Co-Chair of the Recycling and Sustainability Committee. “It is my, and many committee members’ greatest hope that students and administration realize that if they collaborate and work together, instead of doing their separate things, they’d be more successful at accomplishing their goals.” ACC’s Students for Environmental Outreach club is producing a video to inform and educate students about what can, and can’t be recycled on ACC campuses. The video will be available on YouTube for professors to show in class. Accompanying the video will be a range of marketing materials that will be posted around ACC’s campuses
Jonathan Sack • Staff Photographer
The recycling and sustainability committee meets to discuss ways to promote recycling among students on campus.
including the Grand Prize Posters of the ACC Recycling Poster Contest made by Beth “McBeth” McEachern and John Wright. The Recycling and Sustainability Committee’s efforts go beyond increasing the amount of recycling bins on campus. The committee is in the process of hiring a sustainability director and co director to run the college’s recycling program as well as ensuring that future ACC campuses are energy efficient and “green.” The committee is also funding a CO2 inventory, lead by ACC student Justin Gadd, to calculate the amount of carbon ACC campuses produce. According to Pinnacle Campus Manager Judy Van Cleve, ACC has been recycling for around ten years. “In the past, there have been sustainability movements before but they did not take
off. The difference this time is the timing; the students and administration are really behind it. But to succeed, the college needs to rethink how it handles trash and that includes what students do when they are not at ACC.” ACC’s President, Dr. Kinslow has been instrumental in the relaunch of the recycling program at ACC as well the members of the Recycling and Sustainability Committee which include Ben Ferrell, the chair of the committee, and ACC’s campus managers. Calvin Mayberry a custodian at Rio Grande said, “I’ve been here for 28 years and I’ve seen (the college push) recycling before. In five or six months things go back to the way they were before, with students throwing (aluminum) cans in the trash. I don’t know, maybe this time things will be different but the students will have to keep at it”.
Life&Arts
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Accent • November 3, 2008
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Bacchanalia benefits K-12 all the way to the collegiate level David Rodriguez Assistant Editor
Set in the picturesque Laguna Gloria, while the peacocks watched gracefully from the rooftops, Austin Museum of Art (AMOA) held its 19th annual Bacchanalia, La Dolce Vita, on Oct. 16. La Dolce Vita was a fundraiser with over 50 of Austin’s premiere restaurants who donated and served delectable victuals. Over a dozen of Texas’ local wineries, vineyards, and spirits producers offered tastes of their labors, and over 60 varietals of wine were offered and poured by Twin Liquors Fine Wine and Spirits. The Bacchanalia was kicked off by everyone participating being given an empty wineglass emblazoned with the event’s logo and a tray designed to hold the glass while sampling the fare. People wandered from booth to booth sampling various courses, desserts, and wine. The lamb chop topped with fondue from Roaring Fork was the most notable dish, and the Lavielle Ferme Cotes du Ventoux Rouge 2006 was the tastiest wine. All revelry aside, AMOA raised $75,000 to support its education and exhibition programs. AMOA offers unpaid internships for college students and as of now the museum collaborates with Austin Community College, University of Texas at Austin, and Texas State at San Marcos with a variety of art classes.
Above: ACC Student Ashley
Carter works on a painting for her Painting II class at Laguna Gloria on October 27.
AMOA offers over 300 Art School classes taught out of Laguna Gloria. ACC’s collaboration with AMOA includes such courses as Drawing, Painting, Life Drawing, and Ceramics. These courses are currently offered at RGC, PIN, NRG, FBG, and RRH. Shilpa Bakre, director of Marketing and Public Relations for AMOA said, “As an art museum, AMOA’s general goal is to educate our visitors, in both our community and beyond, in the many ways that art can impact their lives.”
All photos by Teadora Erbes • Staff Photographer
Above: Employees serve cocktails at the VIP reception before the La Dolce Vita event fundraiser at Laguna Gloria, October 16. Left: Sandra Thomas, learns acrylics painting in Filip Wade’s Magnificent Acryllics Art School class at the Austin Museum of Art at Laguna Gloria, October 27.
Sarah Vasquez • Staff Photographer
The Backyard’s final show
Austin band, Driver F, perform at The Backyard as part of the free show during their final weekend on Saturday Oct. 25.
New location with better atmosphere proposed Sarah Vasquez Staff Writer
The Backyard Amphitheater may have a hope of resuscitation. According to an Apr. 22 press release, “Direct Events has proposed a plan to the City of Bee Cave, and is working to secure their approval to develop a new Backyard in a new location that will not compromise the atmosphere of the venue.” Tim O’Connor, owner and president/CEO of Direct Events, included in the release that he was closing the venue due to the Galleria development which surrounds the Backyard. “I built the Backyard to produce events in an atmosphere that signifies Austin. When the venue opened we were in the middle of the Hill Country and it was a true experience,” said O’Connor. “The Shops at The Galleria development that now surrounds the Backyard has taken away from some of the venue’s
Map courtesy of Direct Events
The Shops at the Galleria and parking problems are identified by owner, Tim O’Connor, as two of the major reasons for it closing.
magic over the last few years,” said O’Connor. The Shops at the Galleria would not allow non-customers to park in their lots, forcing people to park farther away in an inconveniently located field. The final weekend started with a free show on Saturday, Oct. 25, showcasing a diverse line-up including The Boxing Lesson, Alpha Rev, Del Castillo, Driver F, and many others. The final show on Sunday included Grupo Fantasma, The Gourds, and other bands, with
Willie Nelson headlining. Located at 71 W and RR620, The Backyard featured as many as 400 popular acts such as Coldplay, Snoop Dogg, Bob Dylan, and Norah Jones over its tenure of 16 years. “I saw the Rapture and the Shins here,” said Paul Waclawsky, vocalist and guitarist for The Boxing Lesson. “That was my first time to come to this place and it was an awesome show. I just dreamt that I could play that stage one day. Here we are.”
Life& Arts
November 3, 2008 • Accent
entertainment movies
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revie w s books
Nostalgic Wilkins creature feature Identifications with partisan colors questioned by Columbia Professor delivers truly retro experience Lindsay Preston Staff Writer
Graphic courtesy of Magnolia Pictures
Shane Yount Staff Writer
Traditional 80’s style creature feature Splinter, the new film from Toby Wilkins that premiered at select theatres Halloween night, shakes up the influx of torture porn and classic horror film re-makes recently reaching theatres. The film is set in a solitary gas station on a deserted highway. A horrible monster virus takes over the bodies of its victims, twisting limbs to gruesome shapes and changing form as necessary to infect
even more people. The plot is laughable, but the movie’s saving grace from being total cheese is that it never takes itself too seriously. Although this is an indie film with a modest budget, the special effects are surprisingly well done. Monsters rip people apart, bodies are slammed through glass, and limbs are amputated with excruciatingly realistic detail. Perhaps the greatest factor of Splinter is the creatures themselves. The design for every creature is creepy and disturbing.
Where the movie falters is the technical department. There is a bit too much handheld camera work, especially in scenes that would have left a bigger impact if only they had been shot with a tighter focus. Splinter is a fun creature feature that delivers a thoroughly retro experience. Gore-hounds looking for a fun monster movie will certainly find a lot to like here, but horror fans wanting a lot of scares may be disappointed.
cds
Shane Yount Staff Writer
Pink stands out among pop divas because of her bold attitude and bigger than life personality. She is responsible for hits such as “Don’t Let Me Get Me”, and “Who Knew.” It should be expected that she would crank out more catchy pop tunes with her latest release, “Funhouse.” Unfortunately, the great moments on the album are few and far between. Much of “Funhouse” has already been done. That is where Pink goes wrong with her most recent release. The standard cocky pop
anthems are annoying rather than invigorating, and the ballads sound tragically out of place. Particularly sour moments include, “Mean”, an awkward borderline country rocker, “Crystal Ball”, an acoustic ballad with cringe-worthy lyrics, and “So What”, the new single with an annoying hook. As with any Pink album, there are a few fresh slices of luxurious pop goodness. “It’s All Your Fault” is a pleasantly catchy mid-tempo tune, “Ave Mary A” has a pulsating powerhouse chorus, and “Please Don’t Leave Me” is the only ballad that doesn’t feel like it was thrown on the album just for filler.
Graphic courtesy of Sony BMG
Pink’s “Funhouse” delivers pop anthems few and far between
Pink has proven with previous albums that she is a competent singer-songwriter with a powerful voice and the writing chops to back it up. It is simply too bad that Pink does not utilize either of those talents on Funhouse.
video game
Valkyria Chronicles melds three gaming genres into one entertaining package Shane Yount
Staff Writer
Sega is showing American Play Station 3 owners some love with Valkyria Chronicles, a remarkable game that melds three different genres into one neat little package. Even though the PS3 launched in 2006, it has only managed to snag a select few epic exclusive games. The games integration of multiple genres sounds like a complicated mess, but the combination of turn-based role playing game elements, wartime strategy, and firstperson shooter action is highly entertaining. Valkyria Chronicles centers on a primarily female army unit fighting against a powerful empire during an alternate World War II. The storyline isn’t the greatest, but it should be enough to keep most gamers interested. The actual game-play of Valkyria Chronicles is where it truly shines. There are basically two main areas of the game: battles, and unit organization. The battles themselves consist of command mode and action mode.
Graphic courtesy of Sega Corporation
Command mode is where players issue orders for troops to follow. They can have soldiers focus on firepower, defense, evasion, or healing. During action mode, you take control of individual characters and move them about the battlefield according to their action points (AP). Various soldier types have varying amounts of AP, so certain characters are more mobile than others. As well as moving the characters, the gamer must also manually aim and fire at targets. Attack efficiency works
similar to a rock-paper-scissors system. Certain classes are more efficient against others. For example, tanks are powerful against infantry, but vulnerable to anti-tank troops. Anti-tank troops can easily destroy tanks, but can easily be dispatched by infantry. I recommend Valkyria Chronicles simply because it is unique. PS3 owners seeking the next great exclusive game should definitely seek out Valkyria Chronicles.
In “Red State, Blue State, Rich State, Poor State”, Colombia professor Andrew Gelman presents exhaustive statistical data illustrating demographic voting trends in the United States since the 2000 elections, and compares these trends to others in the past. This may sound rather dry, and the book is heavily graphladen, but also impressively compelling and informative. Gelman supplements his statistical analysis by providing deeper scrutiny into the interweaving economic, religious, racial, and socio-historical patterns of demographic voting, while challenging popular myths and misconceptions of “why Americans vote the way they do” (the subtitle of the book). Since the 2000 election and in our current campaign season, there has been much lip service paid to, and speculation on, America’s “culture wars.” The United States has watched, along with the international community, as America’s political dramas unfolded on television, at rallies, and debates. All the while the question loomed: What kind of American are you? By now, we all recognize the neatly divided red/blue map that offers a misleadingly simplified response to this query, just as we are all familiar with the cartoonish
Graphic courtesy of Princeton University Press
characterizations of who inhabits these states and what they value. Stereotypes of red or blue Americans have been reinforced and exploited by politicians, political pundits, and the broader media as a whole, for rhetoric or convenience. The problem is, this kind of identity politicking distorts our understanding and masks our view of the real democratic divisions and contestations in
our country today. “Red State, Blue State” is full of interesting and surprising facts. It is worth reading for anyone concerned about our current political climate. More importantly, Gelman rejects the red/blue stereotypes, and instead offers us an accurate and complex picture of what we value as communities and as a nation.
Accent • November 3, 2008
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LC3 tour kicks off in the Hill Country Conference educates Local models show off “The Hills” star Lauren Conrad’s collection
Local models participated in Lauren Conrad’s fashion show. Above : The Lulu Dress
David Saenz • Staff Photographer
Judge Ronnie McDonald leads a seminar during the diversity outreach conference on Oct. 24.
Diana Padilla
Staff Writer
On Saturday, Oct. 25, MTV’s “The Hills” star, Lauren Conrad, kicked off her four-city college fashion show tour, the Lauren Conrad Collection College tour or LC3, here in Austin. Over 200 people packed the model audition held at Pangaea for an evening of fashion and a chance to hang out with Lauren at the show’s after-party. Ten local applicants were hand-picked by Conrad through www.thequad.com’s college model search to strut their stuff on the catwalk and compete for the chance to be her special guest during L.A. Fashion Week. The tour, sponsored by Mark cosmetics and Aldo shoes, will continue on to Atlanta, and Minneapolis, and then will finish in Boston on Nov. 15.
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Above : The Tiffanie Dress Below : The Amy Dress
Hanlly Sam • Staff Photographer
enrolled,” Dr. Mariano DiazMiranda, Director of ACC’s Latino/Latin American Studies Center, said of the immigrant students that attend ACC. He spoke about the positive and lasting impact that ACC’s immigrant students have in today’s society that still strives for the American dream. Before the session ended, several members of ACC’s SGA took part in a town hall forum to discuss some of the issues students are dealing with, such as Capital Metro transportation, parking at the Pinnacle and Rio Grande Campuses, acts of vandalism on people’s vehicles, campus police, and the need for hot water in restrooms at the Rio Grande Campus. “We appreciate what ACC does, which is getting students involved,” said Petra Barraza, director of communication for SGA. “I learned about how our college works, and how we can
speak out with our student government as our voice,” said ACC student David DeLuna of the SGA town hall forum. Many hot button issues were brought up which concern students. The panel from SGA assured all those in the auditorium that any and all issues of concern would be addressed during SGA’s meetings that take place every other Friday at the Highland Business Center, and that all ACC students are welcome to attend and let their voices be heard. The conference left a lasting impression on the ACC students who experienced new perspectives from the diverse people who have adopted the role of leaders in their respective careers. “I’ve gained great political knowledge that I’ll be able to implement on the college level,” said Jack-Ryan Zapata, president of Sigma Alpha Pi Leadership Society.
Open house teaches students about industry ȨȨ continued from page 3
With no similar competition for this as continudegree program in Austin, career ing education options for students look good. courses and Along with San developed into Francisco, Seattle, an accredited and New York City, program, Austin has a large although it still game industry. works closely Austin also with continuoffers the bonus ing education. of now having VisCom a college that had animateaches the tion degrees, skills companies but has now look for. added the new Small comGame Art panies look degree, Game to local Programming degree, and Game schools Design degree. The Video Game Design Hanlly Sam • Staff Photographer degree includes VisCom and Computer when they need new employees, especially schools that Science courses. specialize. The University of Texas, while offerA section of the VisCom website will have ing film and art training and classes in game students’ cartoons on it when they are comdesign, does not have a degree program that pleted and Stevens is entering the finished specializes in games. cartoons in competitions. Job-seekers in the video game and animaStevens, who continues to work part-time tion industry may not need to leave Austin. A for Human Code and has done work for Disney, person with the right skill set can build games Nickelodeon, Sony, Simon and Schuster, and anywhere and do freeMattell, once lance or contract took a class at work. ACC and is When now a full-time Hollywood professor in acquaintance and this burgeoning child voice coach, field. Tony Gonzales, The prolooked to ACC gram went from instructor Mike two full-time Stevens for web instructors design help, Stevens to nine, and said he knew from three hundreds of skilled classes to five designers. specializations. Thirty of his ACC stuformer and curdent Brandtley rent ACC students McMinn, who volunteered their time is taking a and skills to improve double major in Gonzales’ website with Video Game cutting edge animation, Programming while at the same time and Game Art, getting the opportunity started by taking Hanlly Sam • Photo Illustration some computer to have their work seen. The Visual Communications department programming classes and hopes to take them is working closely with Radio, Television, and to the next level of game programming. He Film (RTF) department. hopes to one day get a job in an Austin firm or “We’re joining forces, and we’re working company. toward some common goals,” Stevens said. Networking is important, explained Stevens, Priscilla Wicker, Visual Communications but companies look to ACC for employees. (VisCom) department Chair, said the new “What I say is it’s what you know and who Video Game Design Program was created to you know,” said Stevens. meet the demands of the community. It started