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LIGHT OF DAY

How safe are SMU students?

On-campus sexual assaults, alcohol-related crimes increased

A SIDE OF NEWS

U.S. ponders release of photos

By CAROLINA BRIOSO Contributing Writer cbrioso@smu.edu

The Obama administration is debating whether to release photographs of Osama bin Laden’s body as well as video of his burial at sea. Officials are worried about inflaming bin Laden’s sympathizers by showing graphic images of the body, but they also want to shut down any belief that he is still alive. Navy SEALs have also reportedly made off with a trove of al Qaeda evidence that the CIA is now combing through for hints about the whereabouts of the presumed next in command.

An analysis of on-campus crime data from 2009 shows an increase in the number of sexual assaults and alcohol-related incidents. The analysis is part of the Light of Day project, a collaboration between The Daily Campus, the SMU Daily Mustang, journalism students statewide, the Texas Tribunee and the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. Journalism students, in conjuction with The Daily Campus

Obama to visit Ground Zero President Obama will visit the site of the Twin Towers on Thursday for the first time as president, just days after a U.S. military operation killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. According to White House officials, Obama will visit with families of the victims of the terrorist attack. Since bin Laden’s death Sunday, crowds have gathered at the site to celebrate.

Controversial levee blasted The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers blasted a levee Monday at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers to save the town of Cairo, Ill. The blast was a controversial move since it will flood more than 100,000 acres of Missouri farmland. Missouri officials tried to legally block the levee blast, but the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear their appeal Sunday night.

Mummy could be Playmate Los Angeles County coroners are working to confirm that a mummified body found in the home of former Playboy Playmate Yvette Vickers is hers. The body appeared to have been there anywhere from several months to a year. The 82-year-old Vickers also appeared in cult B-movies like “Attack of the 50 Foot Woman” and “Attack of the Giant Leeches.”

Mother statistics released The 12th annual Mothers Index by Save the Children says Norway is the best country in which to be a mom, with its low maternal and child mortality rates, high women’s life expectancy and lengthy education. Australia and Iceland placed near Norway, while the United States dragged behind at 31st. Afghanistan, with a women’s life expectancy of 45 years and one out of every 11 women dying in childbirth, came in last.

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2011

SMUDAILYCAMPUS.COM

Illustration courtesy of Elizabeth Erickson

SMU journalism students scored SMU on their compliance with the Clery Act. The full scorecard is available at smudailycampus.com.

SMU shows Clery improvement By KASSI SCHMIDT Contributing Writer kschmidt@smu.edu

During the early morning hours of April 5, 1986, Lehigh University freshman Jeanne Clery was tortured, raped, sodomized and murdered in her dormitory. Her killer, another student at the university, entered her room by walking through a series of three propped-open doors. Jeanne’s parents discovered shortly after that Lehigh University failed to inform its students of almost 40 violent crimes on the campus in the three years before their daughter’s murder. Because of this statistic and

the tragic death of their daughter, they fought to raise a greater awareness among students of crime on college campuses. This incident led to the passage of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. The federal law, now more commonly referred to as The Clery Act, took effect in 1990. It requires colleges and universities to disclose timely and annual information about campus crime and security policies. After a semester-long review of SMU’s compliance with the Clery Act, 15 SMU journalism students

in Assistant Professor Jake Batsell’s Technology Reporting class found that the campus fell short on only one of the mandatory Clery Act checkpoints, a major improvement since 2004. The research was conducted as part of the Light of Day project, a statewide collaboration with other university journalism students, The Texas Tribune and the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. Students, in conjunction with The Daily Campus and the SMU Daily Mustang, collected and analyzed 2009 crime data on and off-campus.

See CLERY on Page 8

EDUCATION

and the SMU Daily Mustang, gathered on-campus crime data and created interactive online maps to showcase high-crime areas on the SMU campus. They also gathered SMU Clery Act reports from recent years. Students found that the interactive maps and SMU’s 2009 Clery Act report illustrate a significant two-year increase in the number of forcible sexual offenses reported to police or campus officials. In 2007, there were three sexual assaults; in 2008, there were five; in 2009, there were nine. There was not one particular

See ON-CAMPUS on Page 8

Off-campus crime present around student destinations By ASHLEY WITHERS Associate News Editor awithers@smu.edu

Police lights are flashing. A search helicopter circles overhead. A corpse lies on the ground. Though this description sounds like a scene straight out of the popular television show “CSI,” some SMU students called this home for a few frantic hours in February. Dallas area crime hit close to campus on Feb. 16, when a shooting in the Burger Street drive-thru on Mockingbird Lane left two men dead and The Phoenix apartment complex became part of the investigation area. The Phoenix is a popular off-

campus housing option for SMU students because of its proximity to the school. The fatal shootings at Burger Street, which police described as drug-related, are just the most recent of violent crimes in the area. According to the crime data Mockingbird Lane sees a steady flow of theft, burglary, assault and robbery. SMU senior Dexter Hostetter, a three-year resident of The Phoenix, said that he still feels relatively safe. “I never had any problems with crime or felt like I was ever personally in danger,” Hostetter said in an email interview. “I think

See OFF-CAMPUS on Page 7

ART

Increase in Hispanics leads to dual-language schools By ELIZABETH ERICKSON Contributing Writer eerickson@smu.edu

A group of first and second grade boys stand in front of Lakewood Elementary School in Dallas, only minutes after their school day has ended. The boys are engaging in impromptu wrestling matches and one-up competitions. The group, a hearty mix of Caucasians and Hispanics, has one important thing in common: they share an elementary classroom where they’re learning two languages. Jonathan Jungerman, 7, is one of the students enrolled in a dual literacy program at Lakewood Elementary. A first grade student, Jonathan spends three-quarters of his school day in classes taught in Spanish, with the remaining classes taught in English. “Mi favorito clase es Miss Leal’s,”

Jonathan said in reference to his class taught by Mabel Leal. Recent census data shows that the Hispanic population in Texas has increased 41.8 percent since 2000. Subsequently, non-Hispanic parents are taking note of this population shift and opting to have their children instructed in both Spanish and English. Jonathan’s mother, Dabney Jungerman, is one such parent. She enrolled her son when he was two years old in the Spanish Schoolhouse, a full-time program for preschoolers. She then elected to enroll him in the dual literacy program at Lakewood when he began kindergarten. “We live in a state that has a very high Spanish speaking population, so

See SPANISH on Page 3

PROFILE

Prof. encourages students By CHRISTINE JONAS Contributing Writer cjonas@smu.edu

When writing his “little thesis” in Italy many years ago, artist and professor Barnaby Fitzgerald decided to focus his writings on tapestries. He hated tapestries, but that was the reason he chose this subject to research and write about. “I don’t like that about myself, I don’t like not liking things. So I’ll go and explore something I don’t like,” Fitzgerald said. “That’s the great thing about research, if you research something you will probably find that you love it. There is a whole world there just waiting to be opened and looked at.”

Just like the choice to study tapestries, Fitzgerald made another unlikely career decision when he found himself relocating his family—his wife and two children—to Dallas to work at SMU. Compared to the art department at SMU, Fitzgerald had more prestigious job offers, but a life-changing interview made the decision very clear to him. “When I got the interview with SMU, it was the best conversation I had in years,” Fitzgerald said. “It was very down to earth, and at the same time we discussed philosophy and scientific ideas—how they relate to painting and drawing, and how to propose ways of

See BARNABY on Page 3

Photo Courtesy of K Witta

Guerilla knitters hit a Parisian statue with a yarn bomb.

Knitters go guerilla, drop yarn bombs By MEREDITH CRAWFORD Contributing Writer mcrawford@smu.edu

Whether you call it guerilla knitting, knit graffiti or yarn bombing, Dallas knitters are taking their craft to the streets. These urban artists knit pieces together to cover things in public such as stops signs, fire hydrants and light poles. One local yarn bomber does her handiwork under an anonymous name, K Witta. “I just want to make people smile and look at things differently,” Witta said. This year Witta started yarnbombing lampposts outside of the Lakewood Public Library where she meets with her knitting group,

the Knit Wits. She has knit cozies for fire hydrants and put little knit skirts on stop signs across the Lakewood area. Witta said that the response to her yarn bombing has been both positive and negative. “Some people ask, ‘Why don’t you knit for charity?’” Witta said. Witta has been knitting for 25 years. She’s received awards for her knitting and has even sold some of her pieces. “It’s a creative outlet,” Witta said. “I love the creativity and designing pieces with whimsy.” Some people don’t understand yarn bombing. Chloe Madinger, an SMU junior, spotted a piece of yarn bombing on her way home to her apartment in Lakewood.

“I don’t know what the purpose is,” Madinger said. Witta said that she followed the progress of the Austin based yarn bombing group Knitta Please, where the use of yarn as graffiti originated, and its founder Magda Sayeg. She recently heard about a yarn bombing event in Salt Lake City from a friend and was inspired to get this new form of art started in her own city. “We have to make Dallas cool,” Witta said. Magda Sayeg began the yarn bombing movement in Houston in 2005. Karen McClellan, administrative assistant for Knitta Please, said, in an email, that it began under the radar because Sayeg wasn’t

See YARN on Page 2

News

• Wednesday, May 4, 2011

The Daily Campus

YARN: Knitting turns ordinary objects into art CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

interested in getting in legal trouble. “It wasn’t for the purpose of being renegade, it just was,” McClellan said. McClellan said that the point of Knitta Please is to beautify the environment by adding color, whimsy and warmth. “We want to start conversations about public art, art v. craft, and traditional feminine craft in the public sphere,” McClellan said. She said that they have received fan mail, pictures and sightings of yarn bombing in Nepal, Sweden, Estonia, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Canada and beyond. “Yarn bombing seems to reach trans-nationally across borders, languages, politics,” McClellan said. “People respond to it from this place of both nostalgia and activism.” McClellan said that Knitta Please has received both positive and negative reactions of their work. She said that many people write to say that they are inspired by the possibilities of yarn bombing. She said they see yarn bombing as a call to action to our own world, to act upon it and to embrace it. However, some see it as a waste of yarn and that they would rather see them knit blankets for preemie babies and homeless shelters, McClellan said. “The sculptor who uses wood could be making houses for homeless

people, but this is not his job. He’s an artist,” McClellan said. Witta said that she and the Knit Wits knit over 1600 baby hats for Parkland Hospital, among other projects. However, she said that not all yarn is fit for charity. “I have a huge stash of ‘that 70s yarn’ that you wouldn’t put on a baby’s head,” Witta said. “It’s just colorful and fun.” Witta said that the positive support has been overwhelming. She said people honk and smile when they spot her doing some yarn bombing. “I’ve even gotten sidewalk chalk thank you notes beneath my yarn bombing,” Witta said. Jonathon King, a UTD graduate student and Lakewood resident, said he spotted one of her knit-covered fire hydrants in the area. “Personally I think it’s great,” King said. “People deserve a laugh or a chuckle every so often, you know?” On a recent evening, the Dallas Yarn Bomber’s held their first meeting at the Shabby Sheep Yarn Boutique where 10 people gathered to drink wine, knit and discuss the future of yarn bombing in Dallas. Like its leader, the group wants to stay as anonymous as possible as they continue to place their fuzzy creations across the city. The group consisted of nine women and one man. Jon G., an architect and urbanist,

Campus Events

Photo courtesy of BRAD BUNYEA

This mini cooper has been bombed with yarn.

came with a friend and quietly took notes throughout the meeting. “I’m just fascinated by the whole idea,” Jon said. “I don’t even know how to knit.” Ronda Van Dyke, owner of the Shabby Sheep and host for the evening, said that she plans on creating a beginner knitting class for people interested in yarn bombing. During the meeting, the group discussed the fact that many of Witta’s pieces are being removed by code enforcement. Witta said that code enforcement defined it as

littering and she thinks that they are looking for her yarn bombings around Lakewood. The group also discussed some top-secret yarn bombing plans for the very near future. K Witta said that she is excited about the response she is getting from her work and looks forward to the future of yarn bombing in urban environments like Dallas. “Let’s get knitting out of the rocking chair and onto the streets,” Witta said.

Police Reports MAY 1

WEDNESDAY May 4

THURSDAY May 5

Finals begin at 8 a.m.

Late Night Breakfast: Waffle Night at 9 p.m. in Hughes-Trigg.

Late Night Breakfast: Pancake Night at 9 p.m. in Fondren Library.

11:12 a.m. Fire Alarm: Fondren Library/South Side Exit Door/.6414 Hyer Lane. UPFD responded to an active fire alarm. It was determined it was caused by a man who walked out an alarmed exit door. He then pulled a fire pull station, thinking it would silence the door alarm. UPFD reset the pull station and fire panel and cleared with no further incident. Closed.

11:32 p.m. Criminal Mischief: Fondren Library/6414 Hyer Lane. A public safety officer reported a damaged window. Open.

Photo courtesy of K WITTA

Yarn bombers decorate a light pole in Dallas.

News

The Daily Campus

SPANISH: Texas census shows 41.8 percent increase in Hispanics CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

it makes sense for our kids to know Spanish,” Jungerman said. According to the Texas Education Code, Chapter 29 says that the state requires students who are not fluent in English to take bilingual education courses. But many schools, like Lakewood, are slowly turning their English as a second language (ESL) classes into dual literacy classes where Spanish speakers and English speakers are together learning both languages. Mabel Leal, a first grade teacher at Lakewood and one of Jonathan’s favorite teachers, instructs her first grade class in both Spanish and English. As a Hispanic, she says that she sees the dual literacy program as a huge asset to students. “I think everybody should have the right to learn two languages; not just a privileged group,” Leal said. Leal says that her experience teaching the bilingual program has been very positive. She finds it rewarding to hear the English speaking children engage with Spanish. “Listening or hearing the English speakers speak Spanish, just even if it’s one word or maybe not even speak but understand what you’re saying—that’s awesome,” Leal said. Dr. Bill Pulte is an associate professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at SMU and has coordinated the teacher certification program in bilingual education at SMU since 1975. He says that the number of districts in the state that are implementing dual literacy programs has tripled in recent years. “Here in Dallas, what other type of setting or program can you think of where an English speaking child at the age of five or six could enroll in a program for free and come out proficient in let’s say Spanish? So I think that’s the main motivation for the parents of English speaking kids,” Pulte said.

In Leal’s class at Lakewood, like most dual literacy classes in the state, there exists an equal distribution of Spanish speakers and English speakers. Some parents who speak both Spanish and English are opting for the dual literacy program in order to reinforce both languages spoken at home. Elyse Calderon is a Caucasian woman married to a Hispanic man, both of whom are bilingual with Spanish and English spoken in their home. Calderon says that reinforcement of both languages was the primary motivation for enrolling her son, Matteo, 6, in the dual literacy program at Lakewood. “We’re bilingual at the house, so it was like anything to keep that going when I’m not around. Really it’s just to keep the language alive and continue the work that we’ve already done,” Calderon said. Richard Garcia has two children enrolled in the dual literacy program at Lakewood, Richard, 8 and Samuel, 7. Both Garcia and his wife are bilingual Hispanics, but their mothers are Spanish speakers only. Garcia says that he wants his boys to be able to communicate with their grandmothers. “That’s one of the things that we [he and his wife] agreed upon that when they grow up, they’re going to be fluent in Spanish,” Garcia said. Julio Romero, a kindergarten teacher at Lakewood, says that the dual literacy program works best when the children have support at home to reinforce the dual language skills taught at school. He says that children in Texas will naturally speak English with their peers. “Kiddos, most of the time, are going to tend to speak English outside of the classroom. It’s not like they’re going to be teaching the other kids to be speaking Spanish,” Romero said. “It’s the other way around. They’re going to be learning and acquiring

English more rapidly.” Kristen Font enrolled her three daughters in the Spanish Schoolhouse for their preschool years to expose them to a second language from the earliest age possible. “If you don’t have any Spanish in your home, you can’t provide that for them. I put them in so they could be fully immersed in it,” she said. But Font says that she doesn’t see many children using Spanish outside of school unless another person is actively conversing with them. She says that other parents she knows hire Spanish-speaking nannies as a way to expose their young children to the language. Jungerman says that she sees one benefit of children learning a second language is an increase in academic test scores. “If it was up to me, I would have every public school have dual literacy because there’s no downside,” Jungerman said. Jungerman says that she sees society changing and thinks that people who don’t know a second language are less likely to venture out and live in another country. She plans on introducing her son Jonathan to a third language in a few years and is considering one of the Asian languages. Pulte affirms that the benefits of dual literacy programs go beyond the individual child’s growth and development and extends into society. “In the dual language program, kids will help each other. It creates a climate of cooperation that extends across the language boundaries and it really extends across cultural differences. And perhaps that bodes well for our society in the future where it’s going to be more and more important for members of different ethnic groups to cooperate and collaborate,” Pulte said.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011 •

BARNABY: Artist draws on life experiences in classroom CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

operating in the classroom that would really teach people things.” Fitzgerald operates his classroom in a different way than other professors, allowing him to fit in well at SMU initially and still today. He challenges his students in a way that they would not expect and pushes them to grow without them realizing it. “I’m not going to sound like a lot of art teachers because I think that if you ask people to be individualistic and you ask them to be themselves, you are saying they are sheep and so they have to be taught to be themselves,” Fitzgerald said. “Where as I think they already are themselves, and that comes out much more clearly and definitely when you ask a group of people to do the same thing.” As a working artist and a professor, Fitzgerald has used his life experiences as a student and a teacher to procure growth from his interactions with his colleagues and students. “I feel like the different institutions within different settings each provide a unique experience for the student or artist,” one of Fitzgerald’s current students said. “Having these circumstances to call upon while teaching allows Barnaby to pass some of that special knowledge on with great facility.” Since 1984, Fitzgerald has been a professor of drawing and painting at SMU, but his journey started many years and throughout many countries before that. Soon after he was born in New York City in 1953, his family moved to Italy. Around the age of 12, his family moved back to the United States to Cambridge, Mass. “My English didn’t exist. I learned [it] very quickly. It was very traumatic and America was incredibly violent for me,” Fitzgerald said. “I just could not believe my classroom—everyday there was fighting in the streets and people beating each other up. It was a total trauma.”

Photo courtesy of CHRISTINE JONAS

Professor Barnaby Fitzgerald, who has been teaching at SMU since 1984, stands with one of his recent paintings.

Because of this troubled adjustment, after a year and a half, his parents sent him to a boarding school in Ireland for six years. From there Fitzgerald went to school in Italy and received his associates degree in printmaking. He then returned to Massachusetts, this time Boston, where he attended the School of The Museum of Fine Arts in 1974. Then he went to Boston University and graduated two years later with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting. In 1981, he enrolled in the Yale University

School of Art program after working as a landscape painter in Italy for five years. He has been a student his whole life and continues to learn everyday. Sharing his experiences and knowledge is something that everyone can appreciate. “We are all creatures of our experiences,” Mary Vernon, a professor who has been a colleague of Fitzgerald’s for almost 24 years said. “Barnaby Fitzgerald makes all of his cosmopolitan ones available to all of us.”

Style

• Wednesday, May 4, 2011

The Daily Campus

FASHION INDUSTRY

Dallas, fashion capital of South, rises again By SHELBY FOSTER Contributing Writer slfoster@smu.edu

Fashion royalty flocks to New York, London, Milan and Paris for a taste of the trends every spring and fall at fashion week. And—at one time—they came to Dallas, too, in the form of Fashion at the Park(FATP). Fashion at the Park began in March 2007 at NorthPark Center with eight shows in five days. The entire city was a buzz with the news of Dallas’ first fashion week. This year’s fashion week, however, was geared toward the consumer rather than elite editors and buyers of New York City. FATP worked exclusively with retailers located inside NorthPark’s white brick walls to launch a brand new marketing plan. The clothes shown at each event were in-season and pulled directly from the stores, allowing consumers to see the show, and then immediately go buy what they just saw on the runway. According to NorthPark’s website, FATP was an “exclusive opportunity to view the latest fashion and shop the shows.” This concept is foreign to all the other fashion weeks as they have always focused on the next season’s trends. Publications all over the city boasted that this event was going to put Dallas on the fashion map and capture the sartorial nation’s attention. But, the glamour and the flashbulbs faded away as quickly as they had begun. In March 26, 2008, Fashion at the Park was in its hayday. The line-up was several times more impressive than the previous season’s—including Barneys New York, Custo Barcelona, Oscar de la Renta, Giorgio Armani,

bebe, Diesel, Nordstrom, CH Carolina Herrera, Intermix, Miss Sixty, Macy’s, Dillard’s and Neiman Marcus. I was 17 years old and one of 120 interns recruited to help make this unprecedented four-day production happen. My duties were split between hauling clothes from the pre-production area (a vacant retail space) and scanning tickets at the door. On the first night, I couldn’t scan the tickets fast enough as showgoers bombarded the tents to see the Barneys New York show. Creative director Simon Doonan was set to make an appearance after the show, drawing three times the crowd. Members of Dallas’ social elite — and anyone else willing to fork over the $100 price tag for a ticket—filled every stark white chair in the main tent. Night after night, people shuffled into the mall to see the shows and the clothes, to see and be seen. A few short months later, in October, Fashion at the Park’s fall season began. But this time, the consumer’s enthusiasm for spending last month’s paycheck on beautiful clothes was out the window. The nation was experiencing a grave downfall in the economy, and luxuriating in trivial pastimes like shopping was no longer an option for many American families. Fashion was then replaced by necessities: food water, schooling and shelter. In 2008, U.S. apparel production was down 41 percent from the previous year, according to the American Apparel and Footwear Association. The malls told the same story— sales signs plastered the windows, racks left untouched, and not a single customer was in sight.

The ominous warnings from the media had sent the average shopper into a financial crisis tizzy. Fashionistas had morphed into “recessionistas,” doing everything they could to shop on a budget. It wasn’t about how much you paid, but how much you saved. The fashion industry was left in the dust.

“

The Dallas Flea has supported several fashion entities over the years and sometimes even helped launch them into the public eye.

”

—Brittany Edwards

Founder, The Dallas Flea

For the ill-fated fall 2008 season, Fashion at the Park coordinators decided to extend the events to span a full seven-day week. Due to the lack of sales, tickets dropped in price from $100 to $50, and then dropped even lower to $25. Except for the two shows featuring designers Roberto Cavalli and Marc Bouwer, empty chairs were abundant. As an intern, I had to scour the mall shamelessly, offering free tickets to anyone that was remotely interested in coming to a fashion show, just to fill seats. Empty seats at a runway show is a major faux pas, one that the press can ruthlessly capture on their Nikons for all to see. People would normally be begging for seats, begging to get a glimpse of the glamour, but not this time. Fast forward to the spring, and there were no great white tents. There were no photographers, no press. There were no racks of clothing being hauled away by interns. There was no red carpet or featured designers. There was no more Fashion at the Park. It, too, had fallen victim to the economic meltdown. It is now 2011, and all financial systems have, for the most part, regained their footing. A collective sigh of relief abounds across the nation—Wall Street is no longer on its knees, and consumers are finally starting to shop again. But yet, the tents have not returned to the great southern city. NorthPark now functions exclusively as a shopping mall, nothing near the grandiose style center it was transformed into every spring and fall. NorthPark may be quiet — but local designers and fashion-minded Dallasites are not. Since the recession and the

vanishing of Fashion at the Park, Dallas has maintained its strong sartorial attitude sans a sanctioned fashion week. In fact, the fashion industry has come back with an even stronger, more personal voice. It’s no longer about national brands being flaunted in front of wealthy ticketholders; it’s about design, craftsmanship, creative expression, and homegrown talent. In 2009, Brittany Edwards launched The Dallas Flea, an indoor marketplace that exclusively showcased purebred Texas talent. An average of 70 to 75 vendors come from across the state to peddle their artwork, food, furniture and, of course, clothing. “The Dallas Flea has supported several fashion entities over the years and sometimes even helped launch them into the public eye,” Edwards said. Amber Perely, Amber Venz, Abi Ferrin and Mari Hildago are just a few of the designers who utilized The Dallas Flea to make themselves known. “Between our [web] site, media coverage, and huge crowds at the show,” Edwards said, “these talents really get a lot of exposure that would be hard to drum up on their own.” Designers are also looking to one particular non-profit organization for support and publicity. Heidi Dillon founded The Fashionistas as an outlet for emerging designers to gain promotion, notoriety and attention from the Dallas fashion scene. Their slogan reads, “Fashion. You love it. Admit it. It matters.” Dillon and her team put on several events throughout the year to accomplish what designers simply can’t do by themselves. “Nobody can do everything,” Dillon said. “They have to produce and design their collection. They have to worry about so many different things. So we have all these ways in which to get their name out there.” Twice a year, The Fashionistas host glamorous runway shows for designers they deem worthy of the press and attention. They have previously showcased Nha Khanh, Shirin Askari, and most recently, Indian designer Prashe. They have also raked in numerous fashion industry insiders for their Fashion Talk lecture series, including the Vogue contributor Hamish Bowles and local fashion production guru and formal model Jan Strimple. “These events are so beneficial because it gives students interested in fashion the opportunity to be in an intimate setting with these people and really network and learn from them,” Dillon said. Even SMU has recently come into its own as a potential player in the industry. SMU’s Retail Club hosts a fashion show every spring, relying

solely on student models, student producers, student public relations, student photographers and even student disc jockeys. In previous years, the club has left all of the major event planning and coordination to Barneys New York in NorthPark. But this year, the club chose a more innovative route. The show was held on-campus in Meadows Museum, and featured not the national brands found on the racks of Barneys, but local designers instead. And, as an added attraction, they hosted a panel of native industry professionals for a Q&A panel before the show began. “We knew that it wasn’t just about putting on a fashion show,” fashion show chairman Rebecca Marin said. “Members of the Retail Club wanted to learn from and be inspired by what the fashion industry has to offer. What better way than by giving them the opportunity to learn from professionals and experience the beautiful products of local talent?” One of the “local talents” who showed her clothes in the Retail Club Fashion Show was Brianna Kavon, who was an unknown designer until just recently. She launched her line this past February with a fashion show that coincided with Super Bowl weekend. As The Fashionistas’ Heidi Dillon mentioned, putting on a runway show is no easy feat. “I spent a year just with the collection, so planning the event was very interesting,” Kavon said. “I realized I was a designer, not an event planner. Doing that taught me a lot about every aspect of the business.” Producing a well-done show is difficult, but not impossible without a fashion week, as Kavon clearly proved.

“

We can’t sit around and wait on Dallas to become New York. We have to come together and make something happen.

”

—Brianna Kavon Dallas Designer

Amber Venz, who cut her teeth as a jewelry designer in Dallas, and whose pieces were featured at The Dallas Flea, attributes an early start and strong connections to her brand’s success. “I paid my dues in the Dallas fashion world starting from the time I graduated from high school, so once I was ready to launch a line, my contacts and relationships were in place,” Venz said. “My network is incredibly strong locally.”

Another one of Venz’s make-orbreak factors is close ties with the major players of the industry. “If you don’t have press, editors, and buyers coming into your network, it is hard to make contact with their world,” she said. Designing isn’t the only creative medium that has sprouted since the demise of Fashion at the Park. Many more fashion-minded Dallas residents, including Amber Venz, have turned to blogging. Her blog, VENZedits. com, features a wide range of photos, interviews, videos, and a “Girl of the Month,” all related to fashion and relevant to the Dallas area. “It allows readers and customers to understand my personality and perspective—giving them a greater emotional tie to my brand,” Venz said. The gained exposure isn’t a bad thing either. “It gives me a reason to have a 15-minute conversation with Ken Downing, to meet Proenza Schouler, to be on the set of the Foley & Corinna fall fashion shoot and to have lunch with the Glamourai,” she said. Other famous Dallas bloggers include SMU student Krystal Schlegel (krystalschlegel.blogspot.com), style prodigy Jane Aldridge (seasofshoes. com), handbag fiend Tina Craig (bagsnob.com) and the campus-based site SMUStyle.com. While Dallas may not have been successful with its own fashion week, the industry is still thriving, generating new content, and gaining attention from outside metropolises. The design future is not dim in the South. “I want Dallas to have more national and global attention in regard to fashion. But that’s up to us,” Kavon said. “We can’t sit around and wait on Dallas to become New York. We have to come together and make something happen.” According to Dillon, this can only happen if the local designers stay local. “My hope is that our young designers stay here and continue to work here,” Dillon said. “And that other designers would see Dallas as an attractive place to be.” As social media becomes a bigger and bigger part of the fashion world, it’s flourishing in Dallas as well. Venz believes that Dallas’ real strengths lay in the media and the press. “We have Sea of Shoes, who has the attention of the world; we have [boutiques] 4510 and VOD who dictate who is the new who; we have Stanley Korshak and Neiman Marcus who make or break designers—we may be small but we are strong,” she said. More importantly than anything else at the moment, we still have money, which is what drives the industry. Designers need Dallas.”

Arts & Entertainment

The Daily Campus

SUMMER PREVIEW MOVIES BY CHASE WADE As a less than stellar season of spring movies run their course, theaters across the country are gearing up for what looks to be one of the most promising summers in recent cinematic history. With what seems to be the perfect blend of blockbuster smashes and charming smaller films, records are surely to be broken when fall comes our way. Perhaps the biggest name being thrown around the summer stage is none other than the last installment of the uber successful “Harry Potter” series. Titled “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,” the film concludes the iconic series as good versus evil finally square off when Harry gets his chance to face Lord Voldemort. Opening July 15, the film is expected to have a magical effect on the box office. Not to be outdone, the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise releases its fourth installment on May 20. Hoping to be the first smash-success of the summer season, “Pirates” follows the famous Captain Jack Sparrow, played iconically by Johnny Depp, as he desperately searches for the fountain of youth. If wands and swords aren’t your thing, then perhaps the comedic styles of “The Hangover Part II,”

is a better fit. Capitalizing off the unexpected success of the franchise’s first movie, “The Hangover Part II,” follows its characters to Thailand as another one of the gang is set be married. While this film may have garnered some negative press after pulling its trailer from many different movie theaters, “The Hangover Part II” should have no problem raking in the dough. Two other big-named sequels are set to release this summer as well: “Kung Fu Panda 2” and “Cars 2” both hope to repeat the successes of their original films, despite the hiatus that occurred between their first installments. Just like any other summer, super-hero themed movies are in abundance this season. Long awaited films like “X-Men: First Class,” “Captain America” and “The Green Lantern” are all set to release this summer, while “Transformers 3” and “Thor” look to make their marks as well. With each film garnering its fair share of buzz, it would be a surprise to see even one of these films become a flop. Justin Timberlake, who seems to be doing everything these days, plays the male lead in two seperate movies this summer. Alongside Cameron Diaz, Timberlake stars in “Bad Teacher,” a film that follows Diaz’ character as she struggles with the road bumps of teaching. Opposite Mila Kunis, Timberlake plays a laidback friend in the romantic comedy “Friends with Benefits.” While his return to music may be in jeopardy, his reign in movies is far from being over. Hoping to lure in the ladies, three films involving weddings are set to release as well. “Bridesmaids,” “Jumping the Broom” and

A&E

“Something Borrowed” all involve ‘the big day.’ While “Bridesmaids” may be for those looking to get a laugh out of a wedding, “Jumping the Broom” focuses more on the family aspect of a wedding. Starring Kate Hudson, “Something Borrowed” is the actress first film after announcing her pregnancy to the public. Two beloved children books, “Winnie the Pooh” and “Mr. Popper’s Penguins,” are set to open this summer as well. While “Winnie the Pooh” is no stranger to the big screen, Jim Carrey’s “Penguins” is being freshly adapted. The film follows the story of a man who finds himself in charge of a pack of penguins. Having worked with animals in his famous role as “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” Carrey should be a natural on screen. Obviously, there is a plethora of movies to be released soon, all of which have promised to make major moves during the summer season. While the schedule may be a little daunting, moviegoers should rest easy knowing that this year’s selection of films, even though abundant, is the best Hollywood can offer.

QUICK PICKS THREE FILMS TO SEE THIS SUMMER

1. “TREE OF LIFE” 2. “CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE.”

3. “CARS 2”

THEATER BY LAUREN SMART For most theater companies, summer marks the end of a season. This can mean an opportunity to explore a more unique play or throw a festival of staged readings, but for every company it is the chance to cap off the season in a glorious crescendo. Other companies, like Shakespeare Dallas, only operate during the Summer. The months of June and July play host to some exciting theater in Dallas, with area premieres, adaptations and hit musicals stealing the stage.

NOUVEAU 47 THEATRE After a well-received staged reading, N47 will be mounting Anastasia Munoz’s adaptation of the Medieval morality play “The Summoning of Everyman.” The unique twist? There will be two directors staging the play in their own styles. This will be part of the New Works/New Voices festival that begins May 12 on the Margo Jones Stage in the Magnolia Lounge. Nouveau47.com

Wednesday, May 4, 2011 •

YOUR GUIDE TO DALLAS’ HOTTEST SEASON

of a butcher and his wife who find themselves caught up in greed and intrigue. Posey is promising a talking pig, dark curses and disembowled humans. “The Butcher” opens May 14. ochrehousetheater.com

Madrid. This production was wellreceived in its original Spanish and is an exciting venture for this burgeoning company. There is talk of using a unique take on directing this twoactor show, which will open June 9.

WATERTOWER THEATRE

LEXUS BROADWAY SERIES

The area premiere of “Shooting Star” will take the WaterTower stage May 30, starring Diana Sheehan and SMU professor James Crawford. It’s the story of college sweethearts who are reunited 25 years later when they are snowed in at the same airport. “Shooting Star” will be mounted on the main stage in Addison Theatre Center. Watertowertheatre.org

The Tony-award winning musical “Billy Elliot” will be dancing through the Winspear Opera House June 8 through July 3. This is a must-see show of the summer. Attpac.org

SECOND THOUGHT THEATRE This theater company continues its tradition of bringing new, provocative work to the Dallas stage with Christopher Shinn’s “Dying City.” The play focuses on Kelly who is dealing with her husband’s death in Iraq, when his twin brother shows up at her apartment. “Dying City” opens June 16 at the Studio Theatre stage in the Addison Theatre Center. Secondthoughttheatre.com

DALLAS THEATER CENTER

OCHRE HOUSE THEATER

DTC is collaborating with Dallas Black Dance Theatre to produce the upbeat musical, “The Wiz.” This fun take on the classic story of “The Wizard of Oz” will fill the Wyly Theatre beginning July 8. dallastheatercenter.org

Artistic Director Matthew Posey never slows down. The original, upcoming dark musical, “The Butcher,” is being described as a “gritty, light opera.” It’s the story

Broken Gears Project Theatre will be staging a newly translated production of “The Hand” by German

BROKEN GEARS

KITCHEN DOG THEATER As part of its New Works festival, KDT will be presenting the world premiere of “Ponzi” by Elaine Romero. This timely play tells the story of an heiress who takes a naïve woman under her wing for selfish reasons. “Ponzi” opens May 27. kitchendogtheater.org

SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK This Dallas tradition presents its 40th season of the Bard under the stars in the Samuell Grand Amphitheatre. The summer season consists of “As You Like It,” directed by Rene Moreno, and “Cyrano de Bergerac,” directed by Artistic Director Raphael Parry. Shows begin June 15. Shakespearedallas.org

UPTOWN PLAYERS

Uptown Players snagged the regional premiere of the hit musical “Next to Normal” about a family going through an incredibly rough patch. It takes the Kalita Humphries Stage June 10. uptownplayers.org

Opinion

• Wednesday, May 4, 2011

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EDITORIAL

With bin Laden’s death, era of fear ends By SAVANNAH STEPHENS Contributing Writer slstephens@smu.edu

It’s amazing that memories you have can still be so strong almost 10 years after they are made. After all, you don’t expect to remember a regular day in a fourth grade social studies room—yet, for all of us, that one day in September was far from ordinary. Sept. 11 was indeed the day all of us had to grow up a little bit. Sure, we still didn’t quite grasp the gravity of the situation at the time, but we fundamentally understood that life as we knew it was over for the most part. Since that day we have grown up around buzzwords like Homeland Security, Al-Qaeda, Afghanistan and Osama bin Laden. The last thing I expected Sunday night while I was sitting in Mac’s Place was to hear that the man I had grown up in absolute fear of had been killed. Naturally, when a friend got a CNN update from his phone, we were both in disbelief. How could it be that easy? After

OPINION EDITOR

About one year ago, I was approached by Jessica Huseman, the editor in chief elect of The Daily Campus. She mentioned that I should consider working for The Daily Campus as opinion editor. Initially, I dismissed her suggestions, giving it little thought. But despite my original instantaneous rejection, I could not get the idea out of my head. As a political science major, I have always been fascinated by the role of the media in political affairs, Adriana Martinez and this seemed like the opportune moment to acquire some first-hand insight into this relationship. So, I called Jessica and told her that, despite my inexperience and lack of qualifications, I was interested. Now, a year later, I could not be more thankful for the seemingly “random” experience, which has been anything but. I have had the opportunity to engage with the opinions of the SMU community in a very unique way, learn a new skills (InDesign and AP style take some work, and I am still working), and be a part of a staff that is excited, committed and always current. Despite being one of the only non-journalism majors on staff, I was welcomed and patiently taught how the production of a newspaper takes place. At first, laying out my one page took me about three hours every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Today, I rarely spend more than an hour laying it out—unless of course, I am distracted by witty political cartoons, new posts on the Quote Wall or Josh’s music. Yet, I never regret the extra moments spent in the newsroom on the third floor of Hughes-Trigg. I would like to thank each member of the staff of The Daily Campus for all that they have taught me and for all of your hard work. I have grown immensely from this experience, and I will forever be grateful for your patience in teaching me. And furthermore, this campus is indebted to you. It is rarely noted how much time and effort is devoted to providing SMU with a reliable and current news source. I have been so impressed this past year. Thank you! But most importantly, I would like to thank all of those who have submitted opinions to The Daily Campus during my tenure as opinion editor. It has been entertaining, educative, and exciting to follow your thoughts and questions. Students, professors and alumni alike have contributed throughout the year, and the knowledge I have gained from this is immeasurable. I am always fascinated by the ease with which eloquent opinions and editorials are formulated by so many intelligent and insightful members of the SMU community. And, of course, the often passionate responses that create a dialogue on my page prove that freedom of opinion and freedom of speech are protected in this country and on this campus. As a citizen of Mexico, I know very personally that this freedom has historically not always been guaranteed and still today does not exist in every country around the world. But where it does, my hypothesis that the media influences politics has been irrefutably validated this year, in and out of the newsroom. I have attentively watched the developments in the Middle East, the response to bin Laden’s death, the groundbreaking of the Bush Presidential Center, and more, not just on the traditional news sources, but also on my page. The media acts as a liaison between public figures and individuals, and the opinion page is a direct conduit by which public opinion can be gauged. In conclusion, I can say, with no doubts, that this has been a worthwhile experience. I will always cherish the memories and lessons. Adriana Martinez has served as opinion editor of The Daily Campus. She is a junior political science, public policy, French and history major and can be reached for comments or questions at adrianam@smu.edu. Opinions expressed in each unsigned editorial represent a consensus decision of the editorial board. All other columns on this page reflect the views of individual authors and not necessarily those of the editorial staff.

SUBMISSION POLICY What good is freedom of speech if you’re not going to use it? Would you like to see your opinion published in The Daily Campus? Is there something happening on campus or in the world you really want to say something about? Then The Daily Campus is looking for you! E-mail your columns and letters to dcoped@ smudailycampus.com or to the commentary editor. Letters should not exceed 200 words in length and columns should be 500-700 words.

Submissions must be in either text format (.txt) or rich text format (.rtf). For verification, letters and columns must include the author’s name, signature, major or department, e-mail address and telephone number. The Daily Campus will not print anonymous letters. A photograph will be required to publish columns. The editor reserves the right to edit for length, spelling, grammar and style.

all, this man had basically proven to be immortal since I was eight. And then it hit me; our childhood is actually over. Yes, this comes as an odd thing to realize at 10:30 p.m. at Mac’s Place, but think about it. We have grown up with the likes of Harry Potter, Lizzie McGuire and the “Toy Story” trilogy. Sure, these are all fictional characters, but for all the good and happy stories our generation has seen, it has always been somewhat overshadowed by the fuzzy picture that embodied evil in our minds. Bin Laden is someone who killed innocent people for his personal gain and didn’t show sorrow for what he had done or created. He is our generation’s Hitler of sorts, and now he too is gone. The accounts on Facebook were overwhelmingly celebratory and bordering on actual hatred, naturally. After all, with bin Laden’s demise, that dark chapter in all of our lives can now end and more closure is finally allowed. The enormous loss we had that fateful September day

can now have that formerly missing piece of closure, the belief that, “we got the guy,” has poured out over social media since the announcement was made. This does not mean that the War on Terror is over, anyone who has seen an episode of “Law and Order” or “Num3ers” can tell you that a terrorist organization is resilient, but the figurehead is gone. And we can collectively celebrate in that remarkable milestone. This marks the passing of a historical figure, albeit a figure that was about as evil as you could get. While the ramifications of these actions have yet to be seen, something all of us have grown up with can now be put to bed. Osama bin Laden can no longer hurt the innocent. This is something that is worth waiting for for over 10 years. Savannah Stephens is a first year communications studies and history double major. She can be reached for comments or questions at slstephens@ smu.edu.

Bin Laden’s death incites questions about value of life CONTRIBUTOR

Opinion editor has one final word

The Daily Campus

With the recent unexpected events, a lot of emotions and opinions have come about on the subject of whether or not Shana Ray bin Laden’s death was justifiable. Recognizing the fact that he deserved to be punished for his evil doings, did he deserve to die? Without sounding like I am completely disregarding all that bin Laden did to this country and all the lives he took, as a Christian, I am not sure we have a right to take his life. Do we really have the authority to decide who lives or dies, or should we just leave these decisions up to God? Are we better people because of our retaliation, or does the saying two wrongs don’t make a right apply in this situation? Should our actions be

looked at as any better than his? Although he was not innocent, he too was a human being and was given the right to life. Is it only if there are thousands or millions affected that we think twice before pulling the trigger? When do we value the lives of others? Is it only when they don’t cross our paths or do things according to the rules we set? I do believe that action needed to be taken against him, and in no way am I sad that he is dead; however, I feel that it is wrong for us to celebrate like it is a holiday. We took a life, and maybe I am alone in this, but I am nervous for what is to come. This is a serious issue with a serious aftermath to follow, and we should not view it so lightly. Bin Laden has to bear his cross and so will we. What he did to our nation will never be forgotten by any American and how we act during this monumental time in history will also be forever noted.

We should not hide our relief or happiness for the moment of peace we have now, but it is only right to refrain from rejoicing over the fact that we murdered him. Life is the most precious thing a person has, so who are we to put a price on it and decide when it is no longer worth anything. I know I am not alone when I say there were others measures that could have been taken in order to render justice, while serving him what he deserves. According to Ghandi, an eye for an eye makes the world blind, so let’s not follow down the path of unrighteousness by forgetting what God has taught us. We should forgive others as he has forgiven us. Shana Ray is a sophomore commnications studies major. She can be reached for comments or questions at sray@smu.edu.

Breaking news: Parr signs off MANAGING EDITOR

Breaking News, I walked into my last class of college Tuesday. The class was Intro to New Testament and we ended Joshua Parr the semester covering the Book of Revelation. It seems fitting that this would be the subject to complete my education, because it is, indeed, the end of all (college) things for me. I’ve enjoyed my time here at SMU. But I have to keep telling myself that this time was always temporary, no matter how permanent I would like it

to be. College was just a stepping stone to bigger things. However, I will miss it greatly. If I were to leave the SMU community a piece of advice, it would be to soak up every last sweet drop of this experience. This year I have found myself growing disappointed in underclassmen that blow off campus traditions. If I could, I would ask for another four years on this campus, another Homecoming, just one more Sing Song performance, one more game of ultimate Frisbee on the main quad. I attended SMU from 2007 to 2011. These are the book ends, the beginning and the end, the alpha and omega of my college career. The “books” in between include stories from my first year living

in Smith Hall, my time in Beta Upsilon Chi Christian Fraternity, relationships that meant the most, the break ups that hurt the most, my three years as a resident assistant and dealing with crazy first-years, dancing in Mustang Mavericks and of course, working for The Daily Campus. My time working with this staff has been an experience I will never forget. This is Joshua Parr, signing off. Good luck to you all. Joshua Parr has served as managing editor, online editor and layout editor of The Daily Campus. He is a senior journalism major and can be reached for comments or questions at jrparr@smu.edu.

EditorIn-Chief gives final farewell EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Similar to almost everything I write, I delayed writing this “goodbye” as much as possible. Meredith Shamburger wrote her Taylor Adams “goodbye” last week and set the bar too high for the rest of us to even attempt at meeting her standard. Intimidation aside, the time has come for me to say goodbye to this workplace that has been my home for the last couple of years. I joined The Daily Campus staff as a writer (because Professor Carolyn Barta insisted I do so) almost three years ago, and I now lead an amazing group that will continue this paper’s legacy. When I joined the editorial staff, the editor in chief was Nicole Jacobsen, whom I remember as the one laying out the front page many nights and coming up with the headline, “A shot of Padron.” As I went through this semester as EIC, my favorite aspect was working with the people in the newsroom, and I realized a lot of my skills for leading a staff came from working with Nicole. I learned my fundamentals in my journalism classes in Umphrey Lee (mostly rooms 285 and 288). Tony Pederson instilled the ethics every journalist should have; Barta drilled AP into my brain (a skill I brag about often); Karen Thomas inspired me to write features both when I worked with her in class and when I read her work in The Dallas Morning News; Mark Vamos is my go-to person for how to write food reviews, he’s also the reason I refrain from using dashes—and Jake Batsell has been a significant help in the on-going job hunt, I don’t know how I would do it without him. But it was in my time with The DC that I was able to practice and further develop all that I learned in the journalism department. I thank every staff member of every team I worked with here to help make me realize that journalism is what I am meant to do. It’s because of Meredith Shamburger that I tried to be the “campus watch dog” when I was news editor. It’s because of Jessica Huseman that I ended up applying for editor in chief. I learned the potential that a great photo can bring to a page from Michael Danser. Sarah Kramer and Ashley Withers proved to be a great news team, one that made me able to finally let go of the news desk when I took EIC. And Josh Parr, a shaggy-haired boy when I met him in Professor Knock’s history class, has been a close work partner of mine through my time here, pushing me to do the best I could in this paper. As many still don’t know, The Daily Mustang is merging with The Daily Campus, and the newly appointed staff members have quite a lot on their plates with figuring out the new dynamic. I have no doubt it will be more difficult than hoped, but I also know the new team will not forget that the sole purpose of this paper is to bring the campus news to the students, and they will do so in ways better than before. As readers peruse this last edition of The Daily Campus for the spring of 2011, I hope they look at more than the Sudoku puzzle. Effort goes into each page by each staff member that cannot even be describe. I’ve stayed up late, worrying about a controversial story going to print the next day; writing stories for the paper has taken priority over school work before; I’ve done the layout of one page multiple times in one night because stories kept changing; people have cried to me, others have yelled at me. I have a feeling many of my favorite college memories are going to be from this newsroom. So to all the seniors, I wish you well in all of your endeavors, whether the plan involves grad school, a job, or still looking for a job. And to all others, keep beating the standards set by the seniors, and, of course, pony up. Taylor Adams has served as editorin-chief, news editor, associate news editor and staff writer of The Daily Campus. She is a senior journalism major and can be reached for comments or questions at tadams@smu.edu.

News

The Daily Campus

Wednesday, May 4, 2011 •

OFF-CAMPUS: Decrease in overall Dallas crime CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

that there were many pros and cons to living there. The central location right next to Mockingbird Station allows for easy transportation but also opens up the surrounding streets to some potentially dangerous activity.” SMU journalism students have compiled 2009 crime data for Dallas and Univeristy Park in conjunction with The Daily Campus and the SMU

Daily Mustang for the Light of Day Project. The Light of Day Project is a collaboration between statewide journalism students, The Texas Tribune and the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. The students have created an interactive map for readers to take a closer look at individual crimes, which is available online at smudailycampus.com. Students found that the overall

crime rate in Dallas has declined over the past decade. According to the Dallas Police Department’s 2010 crime summary, overall crime in the city is down 10.2 percent from 2009. This is the seventh consecutive year of overall crime reduction. The crime summary also indicates a 48 percent reduction in violent crime over the past nine years. The compiled data also shows that

another popular area for students to live off-campus, Amesbury Park located near University Boulevard and Greenville Avenue, is also susceptible to crime, although most incidents in this area are theft or burglary related. Several assaults have also taken place in the area. An SMU student was robbed at gunpoint in December in the parking lot of the apartment complex. SMU

ENTERTAINMENT

Local music scene makes a comeback By CARL SULLIVAN Contributing Writer csullivan@smu.edu

About six years ago in an age of digital downloads and online pirating, the music industry took a turn for the worse. Concert sales were down, no one bought music and big name musicians began to struggle to make the money they thought they had rightfully earned. Few people, however, though about how this affected music on a more local level and in fact, local music began disappearing altogether. In Dallas this musical blow was even worse. Deep Ellum, one of Dallas’s premiere local music hotspots, almost disappeared overnight due to gang violence and a depleting economy. However, years later with programs like iTunes becoming more popular, and the country coming out of a depression, music has begun to rise up again. Local music however seems to still be struggling

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on the surface, but an underground revolution is underway and local music in Dallas may soon be making a comeback. Mike McDonald has been trying to make it in the music industry for the past few years and just recently signed with a local record label. He started off in several bands but became well known for his creation of psychedelic beats and mash-ups in w-i-Z-a-r-d. McDonald talks about how hard it was getting gigs at first. “When I started playing in town about four years ago, Deep Ellum was history, so I stuck to Lower Greenville,” he said, “It was a great place to make a few bucks playing covers but the audience could care less about original music.” Most of his frustration came from the lack of venues that could expose local music. While Dallas was a city of musicians, there were few places that offered a friendly environment for people to come out and listen.

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Finally, McDonald found a venue called Tree’s and things began to change. McDonald said, “Thankfully, with the rebirth of Deep Ellum and venues like Trees, local acts now have some great venues where they can get their foot in the door.” Venues, however, are not local music’s biggest problem. The lack of an audience seems to be where Dallas has its downfall. In a recent survey, over 60 SMU students said that the main issue with local music in Dallas was that there was an abundance of musicians, but a lack of a solid audience at most venues. Local musician Sal Bautista said, “part of the problem is many people only want to go hear bigger acts. Big bands such as Arcade Fire can sell out in minutes in Dallas, however local musicians are left scraping around trying to get people to come to their gigs.” He also pointed out that relatively few local Dallas musicians have ever made it to be really big, an issue he

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attributes to venues closing very frequently in Dallas. “Venues in Dallas never get a chance to become well known, they are there one day and gone the next, so audiences never get a chance to figure out where the best local music is,” Bautista said. Deep Ellum is making a comeback after years of restructuring. Smaller local venues are being built in Uptown and West Village. More artists are beginning to pursue music in Dallas and around the world. Stevie Rae Farrell has been trying to make her name in music recently and is full of positive energy. “I feel that there is never a lack of music anywhere, but there is a lack of awareness,” Farrell said. “People simply don’t know about all the talent that’s living right here in Dallas. I think it’s more about spreading the word and getting local music heard and noticed.”

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05/03/11

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ACROSS 1 Some graphic works 8 It often involves x’s 15 Of words 16 One doing a lot of riding 17 “Don’t tell a soul!” 19 Phishing targets: Abbr. 20 Handbill 21 Nothing special 22 Wroclaw’s region 24 Refillable candy 25 Equilibrium 29 34-Down degree 31 Spout nonsense 38 Carl’s sweetheart, in “Up” 39 Double-slash container 40 Deteriorate slowly 41 Moonlight, say 44 Black and __: two-beer drink 45 Pugilism venues 46 “The Island of the Day Before” author 49 Event with a queen 53 Entre __ 55 Tanager homes 56 Impatient sounds 60 Instantly ... or how this puzzle’s other three longest answers came about? 63 Cape user 64 Ex claim 65 Suffering terribly 66 “Listen to Your Heart” pop duo DOWN 1 Horned game 2 “Cheers” actor Roger 3 Paddy animals 4 Inside information 5 Here, in Haiti 6 Cajun entrée 7 __ in the conversation

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of her attackers have been convicted and given life sentences. One has pleaded guilty and is still awaiting his sentence. Although The Daily Campus does not usually name sexual assault victims, Korra decided to go public with her identity and granted The Dallas Morning News permission to tell her story in April 2011. Although surrounded by Dallas, the immediate area around SMU, University Park, does not fall in line with the occasionally violent trends found in the greater Dallas area. Most of the crime in University Park is residence theft or burglary related. “I would say that the City of University Park is a safe place to live,” University Park Police Chief Gary Adams said. “Your own results show that our biggest crime problem is theft. We have few crimes against individuals here.”

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Sudoku

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issued an off-campus crime alert for the incident. “This was really scary to hear about, and since then I have been careful not to go outside by myself late at night,” sophomore Kellie Teague said. “But I do still feel safe living in this apartment complex. I do take precautions like making sure my car and the door to my apartment are always locked.” According to the 2009 data, East Dallas is one of the most crime filled areas of the city. A large number of these offenses are petty theft, but numerous cases of sexual assault, rape and murder have also been reported. Monika Korra, a member of the SMU track team, was sexually assaulted in this area back in 2009. Korra was leaving a party in East Dallas when she was grabbed and forced into a vehicle at gunpoint. Two

By Julian Lim

8 Range along the Ring of Fire 9 Wolf’s activity 10 Lux. neighbor 11 Breyers alternative 12 It barely gets beyond the infield 13 Conserve, in a way 14 __ con pollo 18 Science educator Bill 22 Display of links 23 Really 25 Worry 26 “The Handmaid’s __”: Atwood novel 27 __ puttanesca: with a spicy tomato sauce 28 Avoid 30 Mezzo Marilyn 32 Capek play 33 Refinable rock 34 Like z: Abbr. 35 When two hands meet? 36 Author Buchanan 37 Dates

5/3/11 Monday’s Puzzle Solved

42 With no end in sight 43 His co-pilot was a Wookiee 46 As a friend, in Marseilles 47 Trig function 48 “__ sight!” 50 Elbridge __, governor famous for redistricting 51 Peruvian pronoun

52 How some stocks are sold 54 Woolly rug 56 Far from titillating 57 Recorded on film 58 Key figure in epistemology 59 Eyelid nuisance 61 Japanese capital of yore 62 Quandary

Can’t wait until tomorrow for Crossword solutions? For solutions to our Crossword puzzles now, checkout our website at www.smudailycampus.com.

News

• Wednesday, May 4, 2011

The Daily Campus

CLERY: SMU more concerned with safety than reputation CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

In 2004, when six SMU students were involved in the same project, they found that the school failed to issue crime alerts and adequately inform students of at least four sexual assault and rape cases on the campus over three years. The Daily Campus reported in 2008 that between the years of 2005 and 2006 there was a 333 percent increase in the amount of women who reported being raped on campus. The article reported SMU officials “never told the student body, parents or faculty members that women were reporting an average of one sexual assault a month on campus in 2006.” It wasn’t until the mandatory annual crime report required by The Clery Act came out in 2007 that students were informed of the assaults. Seven years after the first Light of Day project, SMU has significantly increased its compliance with the Clery Act and has even held seminars on campus to ensure officials understand the importance of the regulations. Complying with the act involves a lot more than just posting crime statistics online. It

requires the development of policy statements, gathering information from campus sources, producing and disseminating extensive reports and issuing timely or emergency notifications. SMU must comply with all the requirements of the Clery Act including: • maintaining a daily crime log that is timely and easily accessible for public viewing (must include nature of the crime, date, time, location and disposition of the crime) • an annual statistics report including three calendar years of crimes, liquor law violations and illegal weapons violations • expanded reporting of hate crimes including larceny, theft, assault, intimidation and vandalism • timely reports and emergency notifications • procedures that encourage pastoral and professional mental health counselors to refer persons they are counseling to report crimes on a voluntary, confidential basis for inclusion in the

annual crime statistics policies regarding campus sexual assault, programs to prevent sex offenses and procedures to follow when a sex offense occurs This year, students found that officials failed to mention the university’s policy of whistleblowers or anti-retaliation protections that were added to the legislation in 2008. When informed of this deficiency, SMU police detective Linda Perez said that she was unaware of the additional policy and “will be adding a paragraph to the section of the Annual Security Report, Reporting Crime, to adequately handle this important subject matter.” Students also discovered that not all timely reports issued by SMU contained a detailed description of the suspect or information that would help protect themselves. Perez said that many times, crimes like sexual assaults that occur on campus are committed by acquaintances. In those cases, they already know who the perpetrator is and who to look for. This year the police department began combining the reports from all three SMU •

campuses. Instead of issuing separate reports for each individual campus in Dallas, Plano and Taos, Perez said a committee advised her to combine them for the “best practice” of The Clery Act. “We want all the students to be aware and notified of all the crimes on all the campuses,” Perez said. The Clery Act regulation is enforced and monitored by the U.S. Department of Education. According to the legislation, all public and private institutions of postsecondary education participating in federal student aid programs are required to comply. “The goal of our safety and security related regulations is to provide students and their families with accurate, complete and timely information about safety on campus,” Sara Gast, public affairs specialist for the Department of Education said. “We want students to be safe.” Perez said the police department works hard to ensure that SMU students are provided accurate and up-to-date information about crime on campus.

“I think a lot of students come here and think, ‘SMU’s in a nice area. There’s no crime here,’” Perez said. “But there is crime on campus. We live in this area adjacent to the city of Dallas and that’s a pretty high rate of crime all around the area so it’s only common sense that some of that would spill over to the SMU campus.” Although SMU has never been charged with not complying with the Clery Act, failure to do so can result in fines up to $27,500 by the U.S. Department of Education. “We have worked to make compliance as easy as possible,” Gast said. “Our goal is for students to be informed and aware of security on their campus, not to fine institutions.” Detective Perez said above all, her job on campus is to make sure students are safe. And when it comes to reporting crime statistics for the Clery Act, she would rather be safe than sorry. “I’m not worried so much about the reputation of SMU itself as I am about the safety of the communities,” she said. “I think it’s good information and will help kids to know why we do some of things we do on campus.”

ON-CAMPUS: Students feel safe, yet crimes increase CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

area on campus that saw more sexual assaults, according to an analysis of the crime map that journalism students created. Karen Click, director of the SMU Women’s Center, said the higher numbers could reflect greater awareness on campus about sexual assault. Click can see a positive trend: either students are becoming more comfortable reporting these traumatic experiences, or SMU is making its resources more widely accessible and better advertised among the general student population. “It is our belief that when we have a climate that is supportive of sexual assault victims and providing of resources, we see people come forward to share their story,” Click wrote in an email interview. “Once someone has been sexually assaulted there are dozens of scenarios for whom they may or may not choose to share that story. The number of sexual assaults that are formally reported, we know, is always going to be lower than the actual number of assaults experienced.”

SMU police detective Linda Perez said sexual offenses are underreported. “We want to let students know that it’s OK to come forward,” Perez said. Junior Javier Abonzo said he’d “like to think that SMU is full of decent people,” when asked how he felt about the increase in the number of reported rapes. “That’s something that’s definitely a violation of someone’s ethical bounds. It shouldn’t happen.” Abonzo said he’s only heard one person come out about sexual assault this semester, but he doesn’t really keep up with it. Senior Sarah Behrens said she does hear about “roofies or rapes on campus,” but she also feels like “sometimes it’s just a student who just got themselves in a bad situation.” Senior Zi Yang said she never notices crimes unless she sees a crime alert flyer posted by SMU. Yang said she did participate in the Women’s Center’s “Take Back the Night” event, but added that unless students “go out there and actually participate, you don’t really notice it.” Sexual offenses were not the only fluctuation spotted in the analysis. Students also found an

increase in alcohol-related crimes. In the year 2007, 115 incidents were reported while the incidents dropped to 100 in 2008. But in 2009, liquor-related violations jumped 47 percent to 147. The on-campus crime map that was created shows high alcohol-related crime areas near Boaz Hall, McElvaney Hall and fraternity row. S. Daniel Carter, director of public policy for the Pennsylvania-based nonprofit Security on Campus Inc., said the spike could stem from a change in the enforcement approach or that the increased number of incidents may have called for that level of response. Perez, the SMU detective, said the increase in alcohol incidents in 2009 is not especially alarming because alcohol use on campus constantly fluctuates – it goes up, then it goes down. “The good thing is that people tend to explore more with alcohol than drugs. Alcohol is legal at age 21,” Perez said. “Drugs are never legal.” Abonzo said the only times he feels unsafe

on campus “would be on weekends when people start drinking and walking down the Boulevard to get to their houses.” “I don’t want to get into a situation with a drunk person,” he said. “Obviously that would be bad.” First year and Boaz resident Harry Freeman was not concerned by the high rate of alcoholrelated crimes near his residence halls. “I think it’s college,” he said. “I think there’s going to be [alcohol-related] crimes at every single college. For kids in the age group, of say 16 to 17 to the age of 21, there’s going to be a lot of minor in possessions, minor intoxication, public intoxication.” Sophomore Panos Papnikolopoulos said many of the areas involving a high rate of alcohol-related crimes stem from younger freshmen who aren’t 21 and walk around campus. “I mean, alcohol is everywhere,” he said. “But I really just think it’s kids who are being dumb and not getting rides or hiding from the cops.” The data collected from the SMU police logs

also reflect ample fire activity. Fire alarms were reported on the SMU police and fire logs 80 times on campus in 2009—roughly once every four days. The on-campus crime map shows a concentrated amount of fire alarms near the Perkins School of Theology. Many dorms and Greek houses also experienced fire alarm activity. Steve Mace, community information officer for the University Park Fire Department, explained that the city has a Direct Alarm Monitoring system, where the alarm sounds directly to the dispatcher and allows police to get on the case immediately. Police are required to make calls and ask whether it is a fire or simply a false alarm. “It’s the nature of public safety,” Mace said. “When we hear the alarm ring, we head over to the emergency. Burning popcorn in the dormitory population is a part of student life, and our services are a part of safety.” Additional reporting was done by Meredith Shamburger.

You are invited

to join the students of SMU at the following events ✴ Family Weekend September 16-18, 2011 Homecoming November 5, 2011 Celebration of Lights December 4, 2011

Presented by Student Foundation