January 31, 2010
First copy free
theAccent.org
Volume 13, Issue 7
Discover the best weird Learn about ACC emergency plans pg. 3 places to visit in Austin Pg. 9 Who are ACC Students? Find Out pg. 4 News → Education
Initial higher education state budget features deep cuts for community colleges, financial aid programs slashed
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board seeks to base community college funding on Momentum Point system Karissa Rodriguez Editor-in-Chief
Hilary Shepherd News Editor
Hilary Shepherd News Editor
Student success rates at Texas community colleges will determine how much state funding colleges will receive under a new plan proposed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). The Board is recommending to the state Legislature to partially base public, two-year colleges’ state funding on Momentum Points (or milestones) of student progression toward completion of a certificate or degree, or upon transfer to a four-year institution. Currently, state funding for community colleges is based on enrollment numbers from 12th class day data. “The current system bases funding solely on creating enrollments; there are no incentives in the current funding system for community colleges to find ways to improve the academic performance and completion rates of their students,” said THECB Higher Education Commissioner Raymund Paredes. “I believe very strongly that if we create incentives for community colleges to graduate more students, have more students complete certificates and to have more students transfer to fouryear institutions, they will become much more aggressive about helping students succeed.” If the Texas Legislature approves the THECB’s proposal, 10 percent of higher education funding from the state would be allocated and dispersed based on the school’s Momentum Points. Momentum Points include the number of students who complete developmental math and English courses, first-year math and English courses, the first 15 and 30 hours of course credit, as well as the number of students who graduate or transfer. THECB’s funding formula has been met with some criticism from some community college advocates. “When you tie dollars to grades and to outcomes, we’re concerned that that puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the instructor and on the institution to guarantee student success,” said Richard Moore, Texas Community College Teacher Association executive director. “And of course the challenge with that is when you start paying for grades, it can be very difficult to maintain standards, especially in the difficult financial environment that we’re in right now,” explained Moore referring to the budget cuts proposal to higher education agencies. But higher standards are exactly what Paredes and THECB want to create for community colleges. “We’d have more advising and more blended courses that increase reading outcomes. Institutions would redesign courses, and we would do things like combine reading and writing into a single developmental education course that would decrease the number of courses that students have to take in order to finish developmental education,” said Paredes. Colleges that don’t adequately meet Momentum Points would end up receiving less funding. “If community colleges or any institution of higher education doesn’t do all it can to help students succeed, then I think it’s probably appropriate that they get lower levels of funding than those who are working very hard at meeting this requirement for institutions in Texas,” said Paredes. The state Legislature is considering THECB’s new funding formula during this year’s session and will vote on a decision later this year. “If this legislation passes in this session, then institutions would have a full academic year to evaluate their student support programs and their academic support programs to make sure that they’re doing as much as they can to promote student success,” said Paredes. “So when the 2012 academic year begins, they should have the programs in place that will put them in the best position to secure not a smaller share of state funding, but a larger share of state funding.”
The Texas Legislative Budget Board released an initial draft of the 2012-2013 state budget on Jan. 18. The 140 day legislative session, that will last until May, must deal with the state’s current multibilliondollar deficit, projected to be as high as $27 billion. Because of the financial woes threatening Texas, both the House and Senate have called for drastic cuts in all sectors of government, from health and human services to criminal justice. Hit especially hard will be public and higher education – specifically, public, two-year colleges that depend highly on state funding. The House proposal plans to slash financial aid programs by $431 million, while the Senate’s proposal includes a $381 million cut. Under the proposals of both chambers, the number of Texas Grant recipients in 2013 would drop from 86,830 to 27,135, according to the Legislative Budget Board. “With people like me, who are the first in their family to attend college, anything helps. Financial aid programs make such a difference. To take that away from us is like taking away that chance of bettering ourselves, our families and our communities,” said Marcos Larios, Riverside student government association senator. The House proposal plans to close down four community colleges – Brazosport College, Frank Phillips College, Odessa College and Ranger College – as part of the plan to cut $145 million in state funding for all two-year colleges in Texas. “I think this will damage the path that Texas is on,” said Linda Young, ACC special assistant to the president for external affairs. “We really don’t understand how you can say that you value economic growth and a strong business sector if you devalue education. It can’t equate. It’s a foolish approach, and it can’t be positive. You just can’t come out with the right outcomes if you say, ‘Well, sure, everybody can be educated as long as they can afford it. Oh, but we’re cutting financial aid, too.’ It makes no sense. I’m amazed that they chose to make
this significant of a cut. It just seems a little unfair.” Currently, the state budget is $187.5 billion, with $88.5 billion in general (non-allocated) revenue. The House’s proposal for the upcoming biennium calls for a budget of $156.4 billion – a $31.1 billion difference, or a 16.6% decline – and general revenue at $79.3 billion – a $9.2 billion decrease or a 10.4% drop. The Senate, however, proposes a slightly larger budget of $158.7 billion, or a $28.8 billion decrease from the current budget. Both chambers won’t seek new revenue enhancers, such as raising taxes or using money set aside in the state’s $9.2 billion Rainy Day Fund, an emergency reserve to be used in times of economic shortfall, in order to balance out the proposed budget. Because of the severity of the budget cuts, ACC may have to resort to increases in tuition and less expenditures on technology and capitol spending in order to stay afloat in a period of booming enrollment. “There’s almost certainly going to be a tuition increase, but we have no idea how much,” said Ben Ferrell, executive vice president of finance and administration. “We’ve done things in our budget to scale it back so that when this day came, it wouldn’t shock the college and cause us to resort to radical measures. It’s a pretty hefty chunk, but we aren’t really surprised at how big it is. Still, it’s sort of the extreme of what we were expecting,” he said. Despite the major cuts in funding, the college is determined to prevent faculty layoffs and keep studentsupport services in place. “We don’t want to cut faculty or student support, because that’s where it hurts first,” said Young. “There are ways that the administration will work very hard to make sure the students aren’t affected. That’s very important.” Following the House and the Senate proposals, Governor Rick Perry will unveil his own budget plan during the first week of February.
“
It’s just fascinating how far they’d go to save a pretty penny.
State community college funding in billions of dollars The Texas Legislature is in charge of appropriating general revenue funds to public community colleges. Formula appropriations for community colleges has increased 27 percent since the 2000 to 2001 biennium and has increased each biennium except for the 2004 to 2005 biennium when Texas was coping with a $10 billion shortfall. Currently, for the 2012 to 2013 biennium, the Legislature has predicted that the state has up to an estimated $27 billion shortfall, indicating even deeper cuts than 2004-2005.
”
-Mary Grice, Rant & Rave, page 5
2.0 1.5 1.0
1.45
1.57
1.50
1.61
1.70
1.84
2000-01
2002-03
2004-05
2006-07
2008-09
2010-11
0.5
TRACKING FUNDING — The graph
to the right reflects the amount of appropriating general revenue funded to community colleges over the past ten years from the Texas Legislature.
0.0
? 2012-13
Source: Texas Association of Community Colleges
FORUM
page 2
Opinions → Columns
www.theAccent.org
Jan. 31, 2011
Opinions → Editorial
RUN! Proposed funding plan will WALK!
RAWK?!
hurt community colleges
JAMIE ESTRADA-CARPENTER
Don’t make excuses. Just keep running. The other day, I put on a sports bra, a long-sleeve shirt, a short-sleeve shirt, a thin jacket and a thick jacket. Then, I put on my beanie, zipped up my jacket, put up my hoodie and put on my gloves. No, I wasn’t going to Antarctica. I was simply going for a run in 36 degree weather. But it might as well be Antarctica for all I care. Yes, maybe it’s not that cold. But ask yourself, would you be going for a run in that weather? Would you even be going on a run? Nine months ago, I decided I was going to begin running, and I have run every week since then. I would say my speed is best described as the poky little puppy. Only, I’m not as cute as a puppy. I’m a grown woman. I decided to start running for no real reason other than weight loss. Fast forward nine months, and I have not lost any weight. Such is life, or my life at any rate. However, I have competed in three 5k races, one 5k relay, one four-mile race, a 10k race, and most recently, a 10-mile race. At the end of the month, I will be running my first half
marathon very slowly. Stay tuned to next month’s column to see if I survive. To be honest, I don’t so much run as I do “rawk”. That is to say, I do running/ walking intervals which I highly recommended to newbies such as myself. Olympian Jeff Galloway is a huge proponent of this method and has numerous suggestions on this method as does John “The Penguin” Bingham. I know a lot of people want to be fast, and it’s not that I don’t want to be fast, but my main motivation is to finish. Is it so important that I, in particular, am running? Probably not. But is it important that I am running in this gawdawful cold? Without a doubt. More than my fear of not being able to run is my fear of the cold. But, I suit up and get out there, dragging my feet the whole way. And if it’s not cold, there are other obstacles to running, such as lacking time, being tired, not feeling well, work commitments, and so on. Don’t let the cold stop you, whether it’s money, time, energy or lack of faith in your abilities, there will always be something.
Opinions →SGA Letter
SGA reflects on past, future student events
POINTS EQUAL MONEY — The Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board wants to link 10 percent of community colleges’ state funding with student achievement, or “Momentum Points.”
Legislature should not change funding formula for community Staff Editorial
Jason Hayden 2010-2011 SGA Senate Chair, NRG Senator and Historian
Students encouraged to run in upcoming SGA election Greetings fellow Riverbats, Well, here we are off to a bright start in a new semester. Student Government Association certainly hopes that everyone’s classes are going well. Last semester, SGA brought many things forward for our fellow students. We hosted Movember and Frostbite. Officers volunteered during the Constitution Debates, as well. 21 SGA members attended Project Build A Park in November. We worked with Student Life during Welcome Week to help students during the first week of school, and we were there to answer questions at the end of new student orientations. Some members went to Dallas for leadership training and development, giving us skills to serve our fellow students even better. With the add/drop, Dream Act, and Environmental Safety Resolutions we passed, along with our participation in shared governance, we worked to protect the rights of students at ACC. SGA assisted with QEP surveys, to help make ACC a better school. This semester we will continue to work hard for the benefit of all the students at
ACC. Members from SGA will be at Community College Day at the capital on Feb. 2, representing the concerns of ACC students. The first of four Board Forums this semester will be on Feb. 9th at the Round Rock Campus. Come meet board members. There are upcoming Yack and Sacks with Dr. Kinslow that we encourage students to attended. The elections for the next administration will begin soon, as well. Currently we are working to make this the best election we have ever had. If you are interested in being a member of the next administration, we invite and encourage you to come experience SGA now. We have open Senator positions, and have volunteer opportunities as well. This is the best time to get involved, with so much going on. Please, if you have any comments, or concerns, check out our bulletin boards on campus. The Senators’ contact information is available on them, or email us: SGA@ austincc.edu On behalf of the Student Government Association, Best Wishes to all, Jason Haydon
More information available at www.austincc.edu/sga
Higher Education Commissioner Raymund Paredes of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) has been working on trying to improve graduation and transfer rates at Texas universities and community colleges over the past few years through the Texas Legislature. Paredes has great goals in mind, but the methodology behind how plans to achieve them is irresponsible and detrimental to the function of community colleges serving as a gateway for underprivileged, non-traditional and other students who most likely would not attend four-year universities. Last year, Paredes and THECB proposed that the Texas Legislature link higher education funding to enrollment at the end of the semester rather than using data from the 12th class day. His idea was shot down, thankfully. During this year’s Legislative session, THECB has proposed an outcomes-based
formula funding method for universities and community colleges that will actually hurt community colleges by reducing the amount of state funding they will recieve. THECB recommended to the Texas Legislative Budget Board (LBB) in late 2010 that the Legislature require colleges to compete for 10 percent of their state funding by achieving educational milestones or “Momentum Points.” There are four Momentum Points created by THECB: the number of students who completed developmental math and English courses, first year math and English courses, and the number graduating or transferring, and earning a certificate or associate degree. According to THECB’s formula funding plan, colleges that have more students achieve those milestones will earn more state funding. Austin Community College already has their own initiative in place to boost graduation rates. It’s called the Student Success Initiative (SSI), and it was created to enhance learning and success for all students regardless of age, gender,
ethnicity, race or socioeconomic status, according to its website. SSI has several goals to improve student success that include all of THECB’s Momentum Points and more. For example, SSI goals also include increasing success equity across all racial, ethnic, gender and income groups. As well as enhancing student learning and completion of attempted courses with a ‘C’ or better. ACC is doing a great job in taking the initiative to boost their own student success rates, and the college does not need the Legislature to take away any more funding than they already plan to. Paredes and the THECB have a noble goal. Boosting graduation and transfer rates is a common goal that college administrators and the THECB share. But right now, as higher education entities in Texas face massive budget cuts proposed by the LBB, it is not the right time to force colleges to spend more money on creating new school initiatives and programs to meet THECB’s goals.
Speak up, be heard The Accent loves to hear feedback from its readers. Here are a few comments we’ve received about our last editorial, “Pick on mascot, not students”: “I just lost a lot of respect for John Kelso. I’m a part-time student and trying desperately to graduate then go to UT. It has taken me years to do this, but I’m almost there. I went to the Texas Culinary Academy first and have been working as a full time pastry chef since then. In order to pay off bills (and pay off culinary school), I have to keep a job, but I still want to continue my education. ACC has done that for me by giving me a wonderful education, sending me to London, and introducing me to some of the greatest people I have ever met. Between school and my regular baking job, I also have taken part-time jobs with the school. I will admit at one time I thought community college was just a way to cheaply pay for an education, but ACC is more than that. There will always be students just trying to get by, but most of us are there to make something of ourselves and help our community. Austin Community College has done so much for me and I will defend MY school and MY silly mascot from snobbish people like Mr. Kelso.” -Stefanie “Let’s stand up for ourselves. We work hard. We study hard. And we care about ACC. Thanks.” -Anonymous Want your comments and opinions published? Leave a comment on our website theaccent.org, like us on Facebook.com/ AccentNewspaper and follow us on Twitter @theaccent or better yet, e-mail us a letter at editor@austincc.edu or accent@austincc. edu, and we’ll be more than happy to publish your thoughts.
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RRC, 4400 College Park Drive, Room 2107 Round Rock, TX 78665 Editor-in-Chief....................................................................................... Karissa Rodriguez Assistant Editor..................................................................................... Sarah Vasquez Photo Editor........................................................................................... Joey Gidseg Web Editor............................................................................................... Chris Scott Layout Editor.......................................................................................... Elizabeth Brown News Editor ............................................................................................ Hilary Shepherd Life & Arts Editor ................................................................................. Sarah Vasquez Campus Editor....................................................................................... Natalee Blanchat Accent Adviser....................................................................................... Matthew Connolly Student Life Director.......................................................................... Cheryl Richard Student Life Communications Coordinator............................ Lori Blewett Lead Photographers Dana Manickavasagam, Edgar Rodriguez Writers Jamie Estrada-Carpenter, Austin Nicholas, Odin Amador, Jeffrey Matthews, Jessica Blair, Bianca Flores, Jason Witmer Staff Photographers Dustyn Cope, Adrienne Sparks ACC President Dr. Stephen B. Kinslow Board of Trustees Dr. Barbara P. Mink—Chair; Allen H. Kaplan—Vice Chair; John Michael V. Cortez—Secretary, Tim Mahoney, Nan McRaven, Jeffrey Richard, Dr. Victor H. P. Villarreal, Guadalupe Q. Sosa, Dr. James W. McGufee 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 Austin American-Statesman. Accent is published biweekly. ACC students may submit articles for publication in Accent to RRC’s Student Publication Office, Room 2107; e-mail articles to accent@austincc.edu or fax submissions to 223-0904. 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
page 3
News Briefs
ACC students invited to meet representatives at capitol ACC student leaders are attending the 63rd biannual Texas Community College Day event at the Texas State Capitol on Feb. 2. Student leaders from several clubs and organizations were selected to attend the event after filling out a form online and explaining how they represent ACC as a student leader. At the event, students will have the opportunity to ask state legislators questions they have concerning the roles that local and federal governments play in their education and how that might impact their educational future. Subjects brought up at the last Texas Community College Day held on Feb. 4, 2009 ranged from budget cuts and under funding to tuition increases as well as student financial aid. For student leaders, Texas Community College Day serves as an opportunity to get involved in government policies, according to John Jacobs, the Student Life Coordinator at Rio Grande Campus. “I think its very important right now with the possible cuts in regards to community colleges. It’s important for students as a whole to be there to let legislators know how important community colleges are to four-year colleges and to the overall economy,” said Jacobs.
www.theAccent.org
Jan. 31, 2011
News → Campus and Safety
ACC looks to enhance emergency services
Board approves Capital Metro bus service at Cypress Creek The Cypress Creek Campus will now have Capitol Metro transit bus service. The college’s board of trustees approved the agreement, which covers one year of service from Capitol Metro, on Monday, Jan. 24. The cost will be $19,224.97, and will be paid for through the college’s $1-per-credit-hour sustainability fee. “The stop will create access to the Capitol Metro system from Cypress Creek Campus through Route 214 (Northwest Flex), providing service from Lago Vista and Jonestown to the campus in Cedar Park,” stated an ACC press release. ACC students and faculty will benefit from the college’s Green Pass program, which was implemented in 2010, by riding for no additional cost. Service will operate Monday through Friday each week from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. during peak hours, two buses will run at 45-60 minute intervals, from Lago Vista and Jonestown to ACC Cypress Creek and Lakeline Station. In February, Capitol Metro’s board of directors will formally vote.
News → Education
ACC to offer high school students degrees at no cost Dana Manickavasagam Staff Writer
Two Austin area high school, Reagan High School and Lyndon B. Johnson High School, will soon offer their students the opportunity to earn their associate degrees at the same time they are earning their high school diplomas, thank to an interlocal agreement between Austin Community College and the Austin Independent School District (AISD). The program, called Early College High School (ECHS), is a way to help students bridge the gap between high school and college. The program provides classes taught by teachers who are certified at both high school and collegiate levels. A primary goal of ECHS is to help students who are currently not well represented in higher education, such as low-income families and minorities, by easing their transition into higher-level classes.
“The challenge will be to make them aware of it,” said Katherine Anthony, the public information officer for AISD. According to Anthony, after the ACC board approves the agreement, implementation of the program and recruitment will begin in February. ACC will be responsible for ensuring that the dual credit courses are delivered as a way to meet the necessary guidelines for credit. AISD, must assure that classes are available to the students in a timely manner. Upon graduation, students will have received their associate degree, or have completed between 30 to 60 college hours, both tuition free. The program will be funded by school districts and grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Texas Education Agency. Setting up ECHS began in January and AISD expects to have full implementation of the program available to students starting in 2011-2012 school year.
Saul Hernandez•Staff Photographer
OVER AND OUT — Officer David Govett of the ACC police department regularly oversees the parking lots at Round Rock Campus. The officers are a visible presence as the face of safety to the students on campus. “ACC Campus Police are the primary response group in emergency situations and may work in a cooperative manner with appropriate local emergency responders to mitigate the situation,” according to ACC Emergency Management Coordinator Kristine Elderkin.
University of Texas shooting prompts college to increase student, employee awareness of emergency services through training, improved communications efforts Karissa Rodriguez
.Editor-in-Chief
It’s been about four months since University of Texas student Colton Tooley opened fire on the university’s campus on Sept. 28, 2010, but the events of that day are still fresh on the mind of one Austin Community College student. “I was about to leave my philosophy class and head to the library when I heard about the shooting,” said ACC and UT student Maria Gonzalez. “I never thought anything like that could happen where I go to school, but it did and now its always in the back of my mind whether I’m taking classes at UT or at ACC.” Gonzalez heard about the shooting through a text message alert sent to students and staff by the university. “That text message could have possibly saved my life,” said Gonzalez. “[Tooley] may not have killed anyone except himself, but that might not have been the case, so I’m relieved that UT has a system like that set up.” At ACC, the college has set up several emergency notification systems including emergency message boards set up in classrooms and public
areas as well as electronic communications. “We also have the capability to send mass e-mail, text and phone communications,” said ACC Emergency Management Coordinator Kristine Elderkin in an e-mail. “We know texting played a very key role in UT’s communications the day the gunman was on campus. It’s an easy way for students, faculty, and staff to get urgent information, but we can’t send texts unless you sign up,” said Elderkin. Students and staff can sign up for the service through ACC’s Online Services by updating their current emergency contact information and selecting to opt in into the college’s emergency text message alerts. “I didn’t know ACC had text message alerts,” said accounting major Travis Smith. “I think ACC could do a better job letting students know that its available because it’s definitely a service I want to sign up for.” Smith was one of several students interviewed who were unaware of the college’s emergency text messaging service that was launched Dec. 2009. The college is addressing this issue and plans to
improve efforts to students and employees about the text message services. “We are planning additional outreach efforts to reach more students and employees,” said Elderkin. “In addition, we are working on improvements to the sign up process and considering making text message sign up required.” Despite numerous students reporting they had no knowledge of the emergency text message alerts, several other students said they heard about it through their professors. “I’ve been going to ACC for three semesters now, taking classes at different campuses, this is the first semester that I’ve had professors inform students of what ACC’s emergency plans are during the first day of class,” said biology major Michelle Nguyen. It is not a requirement for ACC faculty to review emergency procedures, but Elderkin believes that everyone at ACC plays a role when it comes to keeping ACC campuses safe. She has conducted a professional development class to inform ACC employees about emergency procedures. “While it was not a mandatory session, it proved
extremely valuable, and additional sessions will be scheduled on a periodic basis,” said Elderkin. “We will also reach out to train our students.” In addition to training employees and students, ACC police conduct their own emergency training sessions. “ACC campus police go through extensive training and participated in campus emergency team trainings held on all campuses in 2010. Joint training allows campus police and emergency teams to interact as a team,” Elderkin said. In addition to conducting training sessions earlier this school year, ACC has reviewed its emergency procedures and policies following the UT shooting. “ACC strives to continuously improve its emergency procedures and processes,” Elderkin said. “Our goal is to be as prepared as we can possibly be for these types of events. Whenever such incidents occur elsewhere, we use the opportunity to review our procedures and policies and ensure we are adequately prepared. We are always evaluating ways to enhance our emergency response systems.”
News → Education
Annexation lawsuit may halt Austin Nicholas
Staff Writer
In the midst of a lawsuit between a Kyle resident and ACC, a judge has ruled that the plaintiff, Ray Wolbrecht, must pay $3 million in bonds in order to keep the lawsuit going, according to the Hays Free Press. Because of Wolbrecht’s continuation in the case, the college has requested that he cover the bond in order to pay for “any damages or increased costs to ACC and its taxpayers caused by his continued participating in the case, which would have the effect of delaying further the issuance of debt needed to construct the Hays Campus,” ACC attorney Coppy Caputo, told the Hays Free Press. On Dec. 10, Wolbrecht filed a lawsuit against ACC relating to their terms of annexation in Hays County, arguing that the college was unclear about the property tax rate voters would face. Last November, residents from Hays County voted in favor of allowing Hays Consolidated
Independent School District to be annexed into ACC’s taxing district. The annexation would raise the property tax in the district to about 9.5 cents per $100 of property valuation. Wolbrecht is seeking to have the election voided because the college failed to publish the maximum allowed tax rate of $1.00 per $100 of property valuation in their service plan, according to Wolbrecht and his attorney, Mark Cusack. The lawsuit, which could cost ACC millions of dollars, has had repercussions on the funding for ACC expansions. “ACC planned to use Build America Bonds federally-subsidized loans for governmental entities – which is a program that expired Dec. 31,” said Caputo. “Bonds must be approved prior to issuance by the attorney general’s office, and bonds for Hays Campus could not be approved while a lawsuit was pending.” According to Caputo, ACC was unaware of the lawsuit until December 13, three days after it was filed.
“As a result, there was insufficient time to resolve the lawsuit, have bonds approved by the attorney general, and close on the bonds before the program ended.” If the court rules in favor of the college, ACC and the Public Facility Corporation will continue as planned to finance the Hays Campus using taxexempt bonds. “ACC is disappointed that the lawsuit will have repercussions on the community and taxpayers in the form of higher borrowing costs, and a possibly scaledback first phase of campus construction. But we are committed to defending the will of the voters of Hays CISD and to bringing them all the programs and services laid out in the Hays CISD service plan,” said Caputo. Currently, ACC has contracted 96 acres of land in the Plum Creek business district of Kyle. The college plans to open the campus in August 2013.
page 4 | News
www.theAccent.org
Jan. 31, 2011
? C C A s i o h W
lled at Austin Community Approximately 44,100 students were enro a 6% increase from College during the Fall 2010 semester, 9. 0,595 total in Fall 2009. Additionally, students enrolled 35 breakdown of who ACC credit hours last semester. The following is a it hours during the Fall students are and how they utilized those cred
2010 semester
Student Population per campus
ents ud St
PIN 3,753
RRC 5,034 EVC SAC 4,274 4,071
RGC 8,842
NRG 10,219
Distance Learning 9,319
RVS 7,576
CYP 5,647
19,607 male students were enrolled compared to
26.1% 73.9%
24,493
de
n ts
female students
tu
Pa r t - T
im
e
S
Student Race/Ethnicity Breakdown 52.68% White
44.5%
25.15% Hispanic
4.90% Asian
The top five courses by enrollment in Fall 2010 were: •English - 11,802 •Developmental Mathematics - 9,109 •History - 8,586 •Government - 7,663 •Mathematics - 7,639
1.51% Non-resident Alien
8.48% Black
.08%
Hawaiian Pacific Islander
The bottom five courses by enrollment in Fall 2010 were: •Air Force Studies - 10 •Land Surveying Technology - 16 •Military Science - 17 •Drama - 29 •Marketing - 31
.97% American
10,204
Associate of Science Associate of Arts in Teaching
1,878
14,480 Certificates
7,149 Other
2,051 Source: Austin Community College Fall 2010 Fact Book
ACCʼs graduate rate is currently 3%, and itʼs transfer rate to four-year colleges is 40%.
7,312 51+ 18 an dU n
3,894
The average age of an ACC student is
26.07
8,318
19 to 2 1
Associate of Applied Science
36
0 -5
r de
8,338
1,295 5,229
11,261
5
Associate of Arts
The top three majors during Fall 2010 by enrollment were: 1. Nursing 2. General Studies in Liberal Arts 3. Business Administration
31 -3 5
Degrees & Programs:
Indian/Alaskan Native
30 to
were two or more races
5.61% Other/Unknown
2
.62% Students indicated they
22 to 24
Of the 44,100 students who attended ACC last semester, 32,581 were part-time, and 11,519 were full-time.
FullTim e
ACCʼs growth has risen at a faster rate (9.6%) than that of The University of Texas at Austin (0.4%) and Texas State University (5.8%).
55.5%
6,791
Graphic by Elizabeth Brown, Layout Editor
CAMPUS LIFE Jan. 31, 2011
www.theAccent.org
News → Facilities
Solar energy powers
Sarah Vasquez
Assistant Editor
Eastview Campus and Northridge Campus are now part of ACC’s plan to reduce its carbon footprint. The “ACC Energy Project” will bring in enough electricity through solar panels on these two campuses for nearly 50 homes per year. This could save the college about $44,000 each year and makes it the largest array of solar panels in Austin. ACC celebrated the installation of the solar panel systems on Dec. 9, 2010 at Eastview Campus. The project was funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 which is also known as the Recovery Act. The stimulus awarded the school with $1.6 million to construct the solar
panels on the roofs of Eastview and Northridge. An additional $400,000 matching funds came from ACC. There are eight campuses in the ACC district, but not all of them could be funded for this project. “We evaluated all campuses and evaluated location, orientation of the building and the condition of the building and roof,” said Andrew Kim, director of environmental stewardship at ACC. “It turns out that Eastview and Northridge were the best candidates at the time.” The recently-opened Round Rock campus was not available for this project when the application was processed. However, ACC has reapplied for the same grant again. “We applied for a second round grant, but haven’t heard anything yet,” said Kim.
Edgar Rodriguez•Staff Photographer
POWER UP — Solar panels cover the roof on the Eastview Campus. The installation was part of the “ACC Energy Project.”
Page 5
News → Education
Programs unite vets Natalee Blanchat
Campus Editor
ACC is providing a series of events in order to give veterans who are looking for a chance for support, understanding, educational awareness and possible leadership opportunities. One event is a relatively new community-sponsored peer to peer support group that meets every Monday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Cypress Creek Campus in building 2000. The group started meeting in November of last year. According to event facilitator Mitch Fuller, a veteran who served in Iraq from 2004 to 2005, the goal is to give veterans the opportunity to come together and talk about their previous experiences while serving in the military. “I am very passionate about ensuring that veterans get all the help they need. The best people to help veterans are veterans. I want to identify the need for a peer to peer group so that veterans can talk about specific issues including family issues to post traumatic stress disorder, or if there is still some anger, resentment, or any guilt that we all bring back,” said Fuller. Fuller hopes to eventually start a veterans organization on every ACC campus, that way the outreach group can cater to the
3,300 veterans who are currently enrolled at Austin Community College, according to Vanessa Garza, ACC’s financial aid technology supervisor. Through the college, Fuller would like student veterans to start volunteering for training courses so that they can become facilitators for the organizations. “As veterans we have an obligation to be leaders on campuses,” he said. Their first official meeting for the spring semester, titled Veterans Day, met on Jan. 24. Conversations included topics such as women in combat, convoy operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and touched on stories about fallen soldiers and friends who were shot down in the line of duty. One Marine, Sergeant Michael Mansfield, who finished serving his active duty in December 2010, drew a map of Afghanistan highlighting the different base camps located there. Mansfield plans on taking classes at ACC this semester for the first time since serving in the Marine Corps. He wants to eventually transfer to a fouryear university and obtain a bachelor’s degree in business. “Veterans are the most underpaid and unappreciated Americans who work in this country,” said Mansfield. “We do the most work and
Photos by Dana Manickavasagam•Staff Photographer
NEW FRIENDS — Nicky Haywood, administrative assistant, and Pat Libby, an Air Force veteran pose for a picture at the Veteran’s Round-Up. Pat Libby currently attends ACC and is studying art and history. put ourselves in harm’s way every single day. Groups like this bring us together and show us that we are there for each other.” The peer to peer facilitated support group isn’t the only event catering to veterans that’s getting ACC recognition. According to Louella Tate, the Dean of Student Services for Round Rock Campus, approximately one hundred students showed up at the campus to attend the ACC sponsored event Veteran Round-Up, held on Jan. 25. “We wanted the students to know about the available services that will better ensure their chances for success,” said Tate.
CHECKING IN — Student veterans fill out cards to receive information on opportunities for veterans.
News → Facilities
Elgin, Hays to be newest campuses Karissa Rodriguez
Editor-in-Chief
Two new campuses are scheduled to open in 2013 in Elgin and Hays County. Elgin residents are invited to attend an event from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Feb. 1 at the Elgin Center to register for classes that will begin Feb. 14. “It’s exciting to have the opportunity to take ACC classes at the Elgin Center without paying an arm and a leg,” said 22-year-old Elgin resident Tracy Munn. Munn plans to enroll in Spanish classes at the center. A pending lawsuit in Hays County has affected the construction of the Hays Campus, but plans to build Elgin Campus are on schedule, and ACC expects to break ground on the campus later this year. “ACC purchased approximately 98 acres for this campus to allow for future expansion. The first phase of construction will provide approximately 60,000 gross square feet of space,” said ACC
Williamson County
spokesperson Alexis Patterson. The first phase of Elgin Campus is designed to accommodate approximately 1,500 students. “ACC will spend approximately $27.8 million to build and equip the campus. This excludes the cost of the land, but includes permits, fees, furnishings, et cetera,” said Patterson. “The ACC Public Facility Corporation has sold bonds to pay for the land and the construction,” Patterson said. “The bonds will be repaid over the next 25 years from lease payments paid by ACC to the PFC.” Despite the setbacks to the construction of the Hays campus, residents in the area are looking forward to its future opening. “Kyle has really grown in the past ten years. We used to have to drive to Austin to do our shopping and other things,” said 32-yearold student Ruben Aguilar. “It’s nice knowing that Kyle and Hays County residents will not have to drive to Austin to get a good education.”
Travis County
Blanco County
Hays County ACC Service Areas ACC Taxing Districts Existing ACC Campuses New ACC Campuses
Bastrop County
Caldwell County
* Artist renderings for each campus are concept only. The actual campuses have not yet been designed. Images courtesy of ACC.
NEW BEGINNINGS — Austin Community College plans to break ground on two new campuses this year in Hays County and Elgin. The Board of Trustees recently officially named them Hays and Elgin Campuses at a meeting on Dec. 14, 2010. ACC expects to open both campuses in fall 2013.
r
&r
Rio Grande students were asked:“How do you feel about the possibility of ACC needing to increase tuition, thinning its instructor ranks and/or scaling back programs and services in response to decreased state funding being provided to the college due to the Texas Legislative budget shortfall this year?”
Nick De Cesare, Social Work
Mary Grice, Dance/French minor
Henry Fernandez, Engineering
“I’m not exactly thrilled about it. With a $25 billion shortfall and a state of 25 million people, it could be solved simply by actually imposing a state income tax. But no, rich people will get angry that they can’t fill up their Hummers for one more trip to Golf Galaxy or another month’s membership at the country club. As a result, us students, many of whom do not make all that much money, will have to shoulder the burden through tuition increases or cuts in other areas that may reduce the quality of our education.”
“Well, I completely disagree. I think that it would be a selfish thing for Texas to do. Instead of thinking about their students and wanting to create a more productive and fascinating future, they just want to focus on right now and the money. If they’re not going to put it into education, then where are they going to put it? On another MetroRail? It’s just fascinating how far they’d go to save a pretty penny.”
“I’m O.K. with the raise in tuition as long as they don’t thin out the instructors. We do have more students, and we’ll need more professors and services. You can’t just get rid of services while the student population is increasing. It just doesn’t make sense, paying more and getting less. It’s counterproductive. Like I said, I don’t mind paying more, but you can’t get rid of services that students need and count on to be there.” All interviews and photos by Dustyn Cope
page 6 | Campus Life
www.theAccent.org
Jan. 31, 2011
Campus Life → Rio Grande
New class teaches green business
Course offered at Rio Grande Campus focus on green business practices, resources, environmental management Odin Amador
Staff Writer
Adjunct Professor Dan Dewberry means business green business. He’s teaching a business management elective course at ACC’s Rio Grande Campus, Sustainable/Green Business (BMGT 1371). Having taught environmental science for twelve years, Dewberry is excited about teaching something more accessible. Dewberry hoped “this is the course which will transition that knowledge and science into actual business practice” for ACC students. The course’s “Green to Gold” by Daniel Esty and Andrew Winston examines different ways in which prominent companies such as WalMart and General Electric have adopted green business
practices. Students taking BMGT 1371 will have the option of surveying local Austin businesses and evaluating their eco-friendliness. In the past, students have surveyed the Whole Foods flagship store in downtown and Black Star Co-Op Pub & Brewery in North Austin. “Green business is the next trend that will differentiate businesses and make them successful,” said Dewberry, a University of Texas graduate with an undergraduate degree in chemistry and an MBA focused on environmental management and resource economics.“Technology had its effect on business, and this is the new facet that companies are going to focus on to differentiate themselves from their competition and weather tough economic times.”
ACC’s efforts to be greener are demonstrated by the very building in which BMGT 1371 is taught. Rio Grande’s Building 3000, across the street from the main campus, is an example of sustainable architecture; instead of tearing down Austin High’s old gymnasium, the original structure was re-purposed into an office building. Students taking BMGT 1371 are not instructed in the nitty-gritty of environmental science and focus instead on the economic aspects of being green. For example, instead of writing a research paper on the greenhouse effect, students can study how Dell is working to lower their carbon emissions and how those efforts translate into a profit. A fledgling course in its third semester, BMGT 1371 is attracting students who are enthusiastic about green
Dustyn Cope•Staff Photographer
GREEN BUSINESS — Adjunct Professor Dan Dewberry reviews notes with students of the new Sustainable/Green Business class at Austin Community College’s Rio Grande Campus. business’s possibilities. Jason Shaw is co-chair of the Renewable Energy Student Association (RESA), a student organization at ACC which, according to RESA’s website, “connects students, organizations,
educators and business in the renewable energy field.” He took the opportunity to give a presentation on the first day of class, emphasizing the networking benefits of joining RESA. Dewberry had this to say
about the future of green business; “Regardless of your major, we all end up working at businesses. Regardless of political ideologies and ideas, businesses have to make a profit. This is a way to save money and maximize that profit.”
Campus Life → People
Student Life welcomes students with an Aloha Dustyn Cope Staff Writer
First year and returning students were invited to enjoy Welcome Week events hosted by Student Life during the first week of classes. Each campus hosted individual parties where Student Life offices provided different activities and games. At the events, students ate free food, enjoyed hula dance performances, played video games, and had the opportunity to win an IPod. Additionally, students were able to meet fellow students and become familiar with Student Life offices. Student Life offices are a place where students can
receive help to find their way around campus while also providing them with a place to hang out, pass the time until their next class, play video games, and study. Student Life also helps students get connected and reach their goals through various clubs, organizations and events around the different campuses. Northridge Campus Student Life Coordinator Quevarra Moten, wants students to become aware of the open accessibility Student Life offers in regards to their services. “I hope students understand that student life is a classroom without walls and we are here to help them develop as a student,” said Moten.
Joey Gidseg•Photo Editor
▲ ALOHA — Onlookers were welcomed to the
Northridge Campus lounge on Tuesday, Jan. 18 by Tropical Productions dancers Uluwehi Ochoa and Director Keito St.James.
Edgar Rodriguez•Staff Photographer
▲ MIX MASTER — Anthony Miles of Dub Academy spins tracks as part of Welcome Week. Pinnacle Campus invited a representative of Dub Academy to give students a lesson in mixing.
Edgar Rodriguez•Staff Photographer
▲ STUDY BREAK — Uluwehi Ochoa spreads smiles while a student studies. As part of the welcome week, Hula dancers were invited to various campuses.
Joey Gidseg•Photo Editor
▲ LUCKY SPIN— Jason Lovell looks on as Jonathan Schultz spins the prize wheel in the Student Life lounge at the Northridge Campus during Welcome Week. Prizes included tops and Chick-fil-A coupons. Adrienne Sparks•Staff Photographer
▲QUICK SNACK — Student Life Assistant Austin Wood
consults with a new student regarding classes. The Student Life group at Rio Grande Campus offered free breakfast and lunch as well as live music and performers to welcome students (new and old) back to school.
Joey Gidseg•Photo Editor
▲ BACK TO SCHOOL — (From left to right) Students
Kehley Richardson, David Rhoades and Nicole Bogatz gather outside of Northridge Campus on the first day of the spring semester.
More information available at www.austincc.edu/sga
Jan. 31, 2011
www.theAccent.org
Amber Elliott transitioned from a young girl growing up in Houston to
becoming a woman living Manhattan, working for Vogue magazine. After a year of taking classes at Texas A&M, Elliott transferred to ACC so she could start studying journalism, and wound up writing for the Accent newspaper. After ACC, Elliott went on to get her bachelor’s degree in journalism at Texas State University. From there her determination to succeed inspired her to travel 1,787 miles to pursue her dream job in New York City where she is today.
Campus Life | Page 7
Learned What I’ve
Amber Elliott Natalee Blanchat Campus Editor
I chose to start taking classes at ACC because I felt like they had the biggest selection of courses. I lived off of Guadalupe Street which was really close to UT Campus. I liked that ACC was really easy to get to. The Dillo was only a 20 minute bus ride, or if I chose to drive my car it was only fifteen blocks away. A lot of people went there, and it had a good feel to it. While attending ACC I started writing for the Accent newspaper. I would always read it waiting for the bus, in class. It was something that I saw people with all the time. At the time I was waiting for space in a journalism class to open up, and I needed a journalism outlet, so I looked up the Accent, e-mailed the adviser, and said that I was a journalism major and that I wanted to keep writing. The adviser emailed me back and was really responsive and welcoming. My career at The Accent started from there. The most exciting story I had ever done while being a staff writer for the Accent was interviewing the director of the critically acclaimed movie “Babel,” Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. I volunteered to do the story because it was my first high profile interview. After seeing the screening I thought it very similar to the movie “Crash” because of its reoccurring scenes. When I asked the director if he got the idea from similar movies such as “Dantes Peak” and “21 Grams,” Inarritu’ wound up infuriated with me for even suggesting that his theme wasn’t unique. His PR person called the adviser to the Accent outraged because I had insulted him, and it wound up making the story bigger than it was supposed to be. It was huge and exciting, and kind of funny. After the Accent, I interned at Brilliant magazine, a Texas lifestyle and luxury magazine published here in Austin for about a year until I became an assistant editor. Within a week of becoming an assistant editor, the editor of Brilliant left, and I moved up taking her role as acting editor. I went from being an intern to an editor within a matter of four days. During my time at Brilliant magazine my number one interest was fashion. I got to go to Los Angeles for Fashion Week as an intern and then New York Fashion Week in February 2010, a month before the magazine closed. I learned that if you want to be in fashion or you really want to attack the magazine world, you have to be in New York. Being there a month before I lost my job really solidified that idea. Since then I had written for a newspaper,and I had been the editor at a magazine in Texas. I figured if I wanted to take my career any further the next step was to move to New York. One of my girlfriends who is the special events coordinator at Vanity Fair told me about a job opening, so I packed my bags and flew to New York for the interview. The job ended up going to someone already working in the department, but I learned that if I wanted to keep interviewing at any more magazines, I would have to live there. I sold everything I owned and moved to New York. It took me one day to find a job in New York. Before I left I spent a week applying for jobs, sending out thirty e-mails a day. One of the places I e-mailed, Conde Nast Traveler, asked to do an interview. I moved to New York on a Monday in August 2010, had the interview with the accessories editor for Traveler, Tiffany Gifford, on Tuesday. It turns out we grew up in the same neighborhood in Houston, had several mutual friends in common, and coincidentally she likes to hire girls from Texas. After the interview I went out to Times Square to write her a thank you note.I hand delivered the note and got an e-mail later that day saying she wanted to give me the job. I switched over to Vogue in January. I’m still not working full time, but I mean its Vogue. Anyone who wants to work in the fashion industry wants to work at Vogue. I just never thought I would be working there so soon. They could have given me any position and I would’ve said yes. Currently I am assisting Vogue Fashion Assistant, Sarah Slutsky. I help her do things that need to be done in the fashion editorial. It’s a broad position which is good for me because there are so many more positions in the fashion industry here in New York than in Texas. Its strange going from a writer to an editor to this miscellaneous role, but its helping me decide want I want to do. The accent gave me my first writing clips which is huge because that’s directly how I got the internship at Brilliant Magazine. When I was submitting my resume they were only selecting people who had news clips. Without being at the Accent and ACC, I might never have gotten my first internship at Brilliant which ended up leading me to where I am at today. Photo courtesy of Kim Trejo, Vogue Magazine
LIFE & ARTS Page 8
Fortnight Forecast
SXSW presents: Tiny Furniture Feb. 1, 7:00 p.m. Alamo Drafthouse Ritz Winner of SXSW’s Best Narrative Feature Prize, this film is somewhat of a prodigal son-like parable about returning to the place that one once called home.
www.theAccent.org
Jan. 31, 2011
Arts → Music
College Sound: 3D Friends defines Skins
Lewis Black Feb. 3, 8:00 p.m. Paramount Theater A hilariously crude comedian that is guaranteed to make you laugh with his dark satirical humor.
Cage The Elephant • Thank You, Happy Birthday
A loud, fun album with tons of energy as well as having an indie flavor mixed with a ‘90s influences with a modern twist.
Talib Kweli • Gutter Rainbows A great songwriter that makes an album with a gritty New York feel. A genuine hip-hop album to support.
Charles Bradley • No Time For Dreaming
Space Film Feb. 3, 7:00 p.m. Austin Museum of Art Downtown Community Room Check out this documentary with NASA’s amazing Apollo footage paired with Brain Eno’s soundtrack.
A soulful album that sounds like it was touched by Marvin Gaye himself. Each track feels like a cut from the golden era of music.
Gang Of Four • Content A fun album that starts out fast, cools down, but doesn’t lose interest to keep the flow going.
Carnaval Braseleiro Feb. 5, 9:00 p.m. Palmer Events Center A festival centered around music, dance, and Brazilian culture. Bring your costume! Skrillex Feb. 5, 9:00 p.m. Republic Live Hard-hitting, uptempo, grimey, dubstep, trance/ dance music from this DJ. Attendance requires fist-pumping, yelling, and having a kick-ass time. Hold onto your wigs, ladies and gentlemen. Mac Miller Feb 11, 8:00 p.m. Venue 222 Pittsburgh rapper Mac Miller has a unique style that always gets the club hopping. Head out to Ace’s Lounge for a night of enjoyment. Dancing With the Delta’s Feb. 11, 8:00 p.m. Red Oak Ballroom Lots of dancing and lessons on how to do the Chicago two-step as well as the Dallas Swing. Who doesn’t want to learn how to do that? Willie Nelson Feb. 13, 8:00 p.m. Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater A strong contributor to Austin music culture, Willie Nelson is one not to miss. Strap on your cowboy boots, braid your hair, and hold onto your cowboy hat tight because it’s gonna be one hell of a honky-tonkin’ time. Gladys Knight Feb. 18, 8:00 p.m. Paramount Theater R&B at it’s finest. Come see this artist if a powerful singing voice and soothing melodies is something you dig.
Photo courtesy of Keith Eddleman
SKIN DEEP — Musician Daniel Chavez Wright was awarded top honors for winning the
OurStage competition “Score Skins Music Project” with his new song “Lina Magic.” Wright was announced as the winner in December 2009.
Daniel Chavez Wright’s song chosen as theme song of MTV’s newest show Sarah Vasquez
Assistant Editor
Daniel Chavez Wright sat at his friend’s place when he first heard his song “Lina Magic” playing during the premiere of MTV’s show Skins. “I don’t have MTV at my apartment, but luckily, I had a friend that was nice enough to have me over for it,” said Chavez. “I bought a bottle of wine and that was pretty much it.” The bottle of wine was in celebration of winning the OurStage competition “Score Skins Music Project.” Wright was just another undeclared Austin Community College student trying to get his music out there when he threw his name in the ring for this competition. “I just finished writing and recording and releasing the song “Lina Magic,” and I wanted to get my name out there to more websites, more outlets on the Internet because I really didn’t have too many pages up,” said Wright, who also goes by the moniker 3D Friends. “I came across OurStage somehow and I just
set up an account, and uploaded a song. After that, it asked me if I wanted to submit for any song searches.” There were three song searches available at the time: one for Subway, another one for Keith Urban and the one for the new show MTV was remaking of the BAFTA-winning British teen show Skins. Wright chose Skins. “I’d never really heard of Skins before, but that’s the one I chose out of the three that they gave me. I never really thought about it after that,” said Wright. He was announced as the winner in December 2009. His song “Lina Magic” is a featured song that opened the first episode, and it became the official theme song which will be played at the beginning of every episode. “I’m definitely very stoked about this whole opportunity. It’s really, it’s just amazing... at first I was overwhelmed, but I think I’m starting to get more accustomed to it. I’m just really excited,” said Wright. Because of winning the competition, Wright has been busy promoting the show with interviews and photo shoots.
With all this leading up to the show premiere, he was more than ready to take it all in. “I think all of those things kind of prepared me for that moment. So whenever I actually saw it on TV, it was amazing. But like I said, I was a little more accustomed to it,” said Wright. Now that his musical debut has passed, Wright has future plans to release an album. “I definitely have an album in the works. I’m really just working on getting my name out there. (“Lina Magic”) is on MTV, and people are hearing it. There’s a lot of things that come with that. So I’m really just preparing myself for that. And, I have some stuff in the works right now,” said Wright. Wright is currently taking a break from his classes for the semester. “I actually registered for classes for this semester, but with all that is going on right now, I really don’t have the time for it,” said Wright. “I’m flying out to New York it seems like every other week. I really don’t have the time for (ACC), but it’s hard to say. It really is hard to say.”
Arts → Movies
Portman, Kutcher attempt friends with benefits scenario Comedy brings predictablity but laughs Natalee Blanchat
Campus Editor
No Strings Attached starring Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman looks like another cheesy, overdone romantic comedy with high profile actors who are only cast to draw in an audience to a movie that hardly has any plot and overall bad acting. However, it was pleasantly surprising to see that Portman and Kutcher have an onscreen chemistry that is not only believable, but that also grabs your attention and leaves you hoping that their quirky relationship will work. Portman plays Emma, a serious doctor who works long 18-hour shifts at the local hospital and is looking for a way to unwind. She’s completely committed to her job but has a harder time committing in relationships. Kutcher, on the other hand, plays Adam who is a film director for teen-pop music videos and an all around goofball who is constantly pegged as “the nice guy.” But then again, doesn’t he always play that typecasting role? Portman recently starred in a much more serious role as Nina, a workoholic ballet dancer obsessed with perfection, in the critically acclaimed thriller Black Swan. The movie No Strings Attached has a much more relaxed feel to it than the dramatic Black Swan. It might have been Portman’s chance to escape from that dark character and break out into something much more fun and abstract. The movie is filled with
Photo Courtesy of Paramount
hilarious characters such as Adam’s party-hard, potsmoking playboy dad played by Kevin Klein. Lake Bell, who also does a very convincing job playing Adam’s nerdy and somewhat eccentric co-worker Lucy, keeps you laughing and cringing at her embarrassing awkwardness through most of the movie. While No Strings Attached has a somewhat predicable plot like most romantic comedies typically do, the witty jokes made by characters of supporting roles, including an appearance by Ludacris, keeps you laughing throughout and the ending leaves you with a good-hearted spirit. The questions are will Adam hook up with Lucy? Will he have a threesome with his dad and his girlfriend? Will Emma lose Adam forever when she pushes him away, or will they realize that a relationship is ultimately better with no strings attached? I would recommend paying the nine dollars to go see this movie, especially for all the ladies who would love to see a close-up of Ashton Kutcher’s butt… just saying.
Arts → Movies
Short indies gives spotlight to filmmakers Bianca Flores
Staff Writer
Short films are one type of films featured at film festivals. However, with so many shorts showed in one batch, it’s hard for the festival attendees to remember the shorts they saw, let alone the filmmaker’s name. J.J. Castillo has created Short iNDies to give these filmmakers their deserved time. Short iNDies is like a mini film festival that happens the first Monday of the month at
the ND (which is connected to 501 studios) where short films are played followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. “The whole idea is to give short films and their filmmakers the spotlight that they sometimes don’t get in bigger film festivals,” said Castillo. Even though J.J didn’t attend film school (he dropped out of technical school after his first semester), he has used his talent to get some of his short films and music videos in Austin Film Festival, CON
Film Festival in While New York City, some and South by festivals Southwest. have tons He learned of rules to work as far as extremely hard production on a project and time and get in a film period, festival. Short “Sometimes iNDies does you’re just kind not. When Joey Giseg • Photo Editor it comes of rushed and pushed to the to short side for the bigger features and film submission, filmmakers the bigger things that are going shouldn’t fret about on,” said Castillo. production quality, how long
ago it was made, or where it was filmed. “I’d like to say that production quality and stuff has lots to do with it (and sometime it does), but there’s a lot of films that look really good that are shot really professionally but maybe the audio is horrible. Or maybe it’s perfect. It sounds and it looks professional but the content is just terrible and lame and just really unoriginal,” said Castillo. “Sometimes you just see something and it just totally f---ks your head up, and
you’re like this is completely crazy. This is going to split the audience in half, but at the same time that’s good. As long as it’s captivating and it’s entertaining, we’ll play it.” The next Short iNDies will be on Feb. 7 at The ND in 501 Studios. The cost is $3 or $5 if attendees are under 21. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the event starts at 7 p.m. Check shortindies.com to find out how to submit a short, and see the lineup, along with past short films and some past Q&As.
Jan. 31, 2011
www.theAccent.org
Keep Austin Weird:
Life & Arts | Page 9
Best places to visit around town that support city slogan
Dana Manickavasagam Lead Photographer
All it took was a phone call to a local radio station to start a phrase that Austinites would grab a hold of and turn “Keep Austin Weird” into an unofficial slogan of the city. That’s exactly what happened when Red Wassenich, an Austin Community College librarian at the Rio Grande Campus, called community radio KOOP to make a donation. When the DJ asked him why he was making the donation, he said it helps “keep Austin weird.” “I think it’s great that it became an informal slogan for the city. That makes me very happy,” said Wassenich. To help support local businesses and see what individuals in Austin are doing to help “keep Austin weird,” here are a few ideas of things to see and do in Austin.
▶ Lady Bird Lake With more than six miles of flat water, no gas-powered motorized boats allowed, and mild weather allowing for year-round rowing, Lady Bird Lake is ideal for water recreation. Rent a kayak, canoe, paddle boat, or take sculling lessons and enjoy the scenic beauty. � Slacklining
A group of enthusiasts slackline between the pillars of the Mopac Bridge at Lady Bird Lake. Slacklining consists of balancing on nylon webbing suspended between two anchor points. Slacklining is fun, has athletic benefits, and can help with finding a state of meditation.
� Yard art
The Cathedral of Junk is just one example of some of the amazing yard art that can be found around the city. Vince Hanneman’s Cathedral of Junk started with an oven as the base of one of the Cathedral’s pillars back in 1989. Twenty-two years later, it’s buried so deep it’s almost impossible to see.
▲ Trailer Food
Austin has an eclectic selection of airstream and trailer food stops. Take your pick from cupcakes at Hey Cupcake!, crepes from Flip Happy Crepes, tacos from Torchy’s, or fresh donuts from Gourdough’s just to name a few.
▶ Local businesses
Local businesses grabbed the slogan “Keep Austin Weird” as a way to inform the public that they are locally owned. A brightly-colored zebra stands above costume and vintage shop Lucy in Disguise With Diamonds.
▶ Chicken S--t Bingo
Ginny’s Little Longhorn is the home of Chicken S--t Bingo. People can purchase a ticket for every bingo starting at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. The winner is chosen when Henny or Penny, the owner’s chickens, do their business on the winning number. Arrive early for a ticket because they sell out fast.
All Photos taken by Dana Manickavasagam • Lead Photographer
page 10 | Life & Arts
www.theAccent.org
Arts → Games
Dead Space 2 haunts Sequel to horror game brings more scares, gameplay
Food for Thought - Round Rock Jessica Blair
Staff Writer
Figuring out what to eat between classes is an important decision for any college student. All campuses have a Simon’s Cafe. However, stepping away from the campus provides other choices to fill those tummies. Starting with this issue, Accent will be featuring several restaurants around the different campuses. First up is the Round Rock Campus.
El Matador
Jason Witmer
Staff Writer
Video game company giant, Electronic Arts (EA) finally released what is going to be an amazing start to a great year of video games. Dead Space 2, is the sequel to the 2008 criticallyacclaimed horror adventure game. Engineer Isaac Clarke is back with another haunting adventure. Waking from a lengthy coma in a humongous city in space known as “The Sprawl,” Clarke finds himself the sole survivor of a heinous alien infestation and is faced with a far worse abominable nightmare. Haunted with visions of his now-dead girlfriend, Clarke is once again doing everything he can to save himself and rid the city of the now-known foe: the unstoppable, hideous Necromorphs. In this thrilling sequel, Clarke is equipped with many new weapons to dismember these creatures. These will impress even the biggest weapons expert. This game is not for the weak-hearted. It’s hard to mix scariness with surprisingly good gameplay, but Dead Space 2 has done it again. There are many parts of this game where the player’s heart might skip a beat because of the scary atmosphere and necromorphs jumping out of darkness. The game uses a similar user interface as the first one: a thirdperson perspective with all the menus in a hologram emitting
Jan. 31, 2011
Courtesy of Electronic Arts
ALIEN INVASION — Video game character Isaac Clarke
drifts in “The Sprawl.” Clarke returns in the critically acclaimed horror adventure game Dead Space 2. from the suit. Once again, the controls are solid and never feel clunky (they all feel smooth and players will never have issues with them) while trying to look around and examine the entire area, or looking down at a corpse before stomping it viciously to double check that the enemy is dead. Visceral Games (the studio of EA responsible for Dead Space) outdid themselves with the audio. Chilling music haunts every darkened hallway while screams and echos of necromorphs in the distance loom. A new addition to Dead Space 2 is the multiplayer aspect which features two teams of four pitted against each other over five objective-based maps. This isn’t the run-of-the-mill deathmatch. This multiplayer permeates a new type of fear as four members of The Sprawl security team fight against fourplayer-controlled necromorphs using all new moves, weapons, and scenery to duke it out. The four different necromorphs include a member of the pack, a spitter, a lurker, and a puker. These different creatures’ abilities vary from hurling corrosive projectiles to climbing walls. While this multiplayer may
not catch on as much as other multiplayer giants (Call of Duty, Halo, etc.), it will serve its purpose for months to come as a fun addition to a almost perfectly thought out single player experience. It’s not perfect. The puzzles are well thought out, but some of the gameplay seems slightly repetitive, and hacking the systems seems confusing and just boring at times. This aspect might be better off as a cell phone mini game. Gamers who aren’t fans of horror games, (or horror anything for that matter) might find it hard to wrap their head around even trying Dead Space 2. If these people put their notions aside and try something new, they will thoroughly enjoy this game for what it is: a nicely executed adventure game with fantastic visuals, audio, and controls. Dead Space 2 is surely the game of the month. You can pick up Dead Space 2 for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, or PC in retail stores or online starting Jan. 25. To view the launch trailer for Dead Space 2, or to see some gameplay and a video review, go to theaccent.org.
113 W Main St. This a great place to find good Mexican and Tex-Mex style food. Their specialty is the chicken flautas plate that comes with three flautas, crispy torillas rolled around a filling, guacamole salad, rice and beans. This restaurant has great service. You will be seated almost when you walk through the door. The interior of the restaurant is very homey with calming colors, and very authentic Mexican decor.
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Tarka Indian Kitchen
201 University Blvd Ste 508 Tarka Indian Kitchen’s specialty is Paneer Biryanis, which is a basmastic rice stir fried with spices. It can be spiced to order (mild, medium, or hot) and served with yogurt whipped with finely-chopped vegetables and herbs. Their atmosphere is calming especially when you’ve been shopping or just got done with an extremely hard or stressful test and need a place to relax. The service is a little slow due to how many people go there, but it is well worth the wait.
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HomeField Grill
2000 S. IH 35 If you would like some American food, then stop on over to HomeField Grill. Their specialty is Build it- and They Will Come. This item is awesome to build as you get to chose your own burger, toppings, and bread, and it comes with fries and a drink. The whole place has a very western look to it. It also had a gaming room, so it is classy and fun at the same time. The service is a little poor though, but the food made up for it.
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Razzoo’s
201 University Oaks Blvd Ste 1300 If you want Cajun food, this is the place to be. Their specialty is called Cajun Fried Steak, and it comes with mashed potatoes, veggies and sausage cream to pour on the steak. The food is unexpectedly on the generous servings. The atmosphere is very unique, having a Cajun theme that makes it very authentic and relaxing. The service was fast and respectful. You are seated almost as soon as you get through the door.
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Interstate Lanes
3101 N IH 35 If you like entertainment with your meal, then stop on over to Interstate Lanes, where you can bowl and eat at the same time. Their special is Keglar burger special during lunch, and it includes fries, a game of bowling, and bowling shoes rental. This place is very family oriented. They have great customer service from the staff when getting your food to getting your bowling shoes. The staff at Interstate Lanes is always there to help.
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Scale: $ = 10 dollars and under an entree $ = 15 to 20 dollars an entree $$ = 20 to 25 dollars an entree Shelby Rae Symonds•Staff Photographer