Accent Issue 9

First Copy Free

February 28, 2011

Volume 13, Issue 9

theAccent.org

Retired astronaut visits ACC pg. 4 Food for Thought: Rio Grande pg. 7

SXSW to hit Austin in March pg. 10 PTK involved in Special Olympics pg. 3

News → Facilities

Campus Life → South Austin Campus

Panel discusses gun rights on campuses

Increased rodent sightings reported at Rio Grande Nick De Cesare

Staff Writer

Dana Manickavasagam•Lead Photographer

STANDING UP FOR THEIR BELIEFS — Scott Lewis, Texas legislative director for Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, defends his beliefs as John Woods and Colin Goddard, both survivors of the Virginia Tech massacre, listen and share their opposing thoughts about concealed guns on campus. ACC held a panel discussion for students to share their thoughts and ask questions after a viewing of Goddard’s documentary Living for 32 at the South Austin Campus on Feb. 17.

Living for 32 documentary screened at South Austin Campus revisits Virginia Tech University massacre Juliette Moak Staff Writer

As the debate continues over whether or not guns should be permitted on Texas college campuses, many students and faculty attended the timely screening of Living for 32, a documentary about the Virginia Tech massacre from the perspective of Colin Goddard, who was one of the students shot during the massacre.

The film, shown on Feb. 17 at ACC’s South Austin Campus, was followed by a panel discussion featuring Goddard, John Woods, a fellow survivor and the current director of Students for Gun Free Schools at the University of Texas (UT), Scott Lewis, the Texas legislative director of Students For Concealed Carry on Campus, and Robert Dahlstrom, chief of police at UT. ACC government professor Mike Gividien brought Living For 32 to the college, after the film toured colleges and universities around the country and was shown at Sundance Film Festival.

“It’s the purpose of higher education to give people opportunities to attend events like this,” said Gividen.

“Whatever your viewpoint, it’s an important topic.”

The title of the film refers not only to the 32 victims of the Virginia Tech massacre, but also to the 32 gun-related murders which take place on a daily average in the United States.

Beginning with his recollection of the gripping events of the tragedy, the film follows Colin as he revisits the site where the killings took place, as well as the memorial erected in the honor of the students and teachers who died that day.

Living For 32 goes on to document his investigation into the loopholes and lack of accountability in the private sector of the firearm industry, revealing shocking facts not widely known among the general public.

“I wanted to make this film to educate people and to show them that from negative, there can come positive,” said Goddard.

Colin is now the assistant director of federal legislation for the Brady Campaign to prevent gun violence. He and Woods are both involved in lobbying against Texas House Bill 1167, which, if passed, would legalize concealed carry on public junior college campuses in Texas.

Student opinions were split after viewing the film.

Student Monterey Fields admitted to being very surprised at how easy it was to obtain a gun, making him even more strongly opposed to guns in schools.

“It’s a ridiculous idea,” said Fields. “I wouldn’t ever want to be around that.”

Rio Grande student Henry Henze also commented on the documentary’s message in light of the new bill.

“I’ve been a concealed carry license holder for a year and a half,” said Henze. “I don’t see anything going on at ACC or any other college that is different from my other daily activities where I can legally carry it.”

Rather than arming students, both Woods and Goddard

support an all-around approach to violent crime prevention, which deals with adhering to legal gun selling procedures as well as limiting the types of firearms available to private citizens.

They place the heaviest emphasis on practical solutions, such as requiring all sellers to perform a background check, and ensuring that all mental health records are submitted to the background check system.

Their goal is not primarily to create new gun laws, but to ensure the enforcement of laws that is already there.

“The line must be drawn at different places for different issues,” said Goddard. “There are some places where we are trying to increase standards, and some places where we’re trying to keep the standards as they are.”

In reference to HB 1167, Woods stated that “This bill is not about making students safe.

This bill is about creating a new market for firearms: college students. If more guns meant less crime, the U.S. would be the safest place in the world.”

The Environmental Health, Safety and Insurance (EHS) department held a meeting with campus officials on Feb. 1 to discuss increased rodent sightings at the Rio Grande Campus.

Student Life representatives, campus management, Purchasing and Building Maintenance personnel, and EHS met to provide each other with a clear understanding of their individual roles and responsibilities in trying to fix the problems under their control, according to Rebecca Cole, the executive director for EHS department.

According to Cole, over the past few years there has been an increase in rodent reports typically around the fall and winter season when the weather turns colder.

“This is when rodents generally begin nesting,” wrote Cole in an e-mail. “They are attracted to areas that provide them protection, a place to nest, and a ready food supply. These infestations affect not only commercial/public buildings but also homes.”

Cole is unaware of any damage that has been caused by the rodents at Rio Grande Campus (RGC).

“There is not any reported damage due to rodents,” wrote Cole. “ACC will continue its efforts through the established extermination program.”

ACC has focused on the three key areas recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for preventing and eliminating rodent infestations.

These measures include exclusion by sealing up holes to prevent entry, removing rodent food sources and nesting materials, and increased extermination to help reduce the rodent population.

The prevention and cleanup effort have cost the college approximately $4,000 since the beginning of this year, according to Cole.

The main areas of focus have been student life, student government offices and the student lounge area.

EHS is providing the affected areas an enclosed metal storage cabinet for Student Life to store sealed plastic containers for food.

ACC is also partnering with Simon’s Café for proper overnight storage of food, according to Cole.

“The key is to ensure that no food, including candy, popcorn,

etc., is kept in the area or left overnight in desk drawers,” wrote Cole. “ In addition, any rags, clothing or other materials that might be used for rodent nesting should be kept in tightly closed plastic containers.”

According to the CDC’s website, rats and mice spread over 35 diseases. These diseases can be spread to humans directly, through handling of rodents, through contact with rodent feces, urine, or saliva, or through rodent bites. Diseases carried by rodents can also be spread to humans indirectly, through ticks, mites or fleas that feed on infected rodents.

The college has been working on finding solutions to the rodent problem at RGC and has hired two pest control service companies, Worldwide and Kila-Bug, to help ward off rodents at the campus, according to Donna Caraway, an administration assistant for Facilities and Operations.

“Since the meeting, we brought in a contracted remediation vendor to clean the area and remove potential nesting materials (rags, newspapers, etc.),” said Cole.”

ACC staff then took action to seal visible openings, which was completed [Feb. 18].”

“Our current licensed exterminator recommended and implemented a thorough extermination plan. They have placed different kinds of traps in various locations in and around campus buildings,” wrote Cole.

“ACC maintenance personnel are checking the traps, and the exterminator has been visiting the campus as needed for additional service calls and doing routine checks.”

During to the closings of some offices to complete rodent control measures in February, some students and staff were not told why they were not allowed into offices located near the student lounge.

Student Government Association (SGA) President Sophia Downing said that the problem has interfered with the SGA’s activities.

According to Downing, she and other SGA officials were not allowed into their offices for three weeks and have been left in the dark as to why for most of the time.

“I’m concerned. I have class in the basement, and I am not rodent friendly,” said Downing.

“When I’m on campus, I am thinking it is safe and clean, but since the administration is not even letting SGA know that this problem exists, it is quite troubling.”

News → Education

Foreign delegates visit ACC, learn about college Hilary Shepherd

News Editor

Eight delegates from North Africa and the Near East visited ACC on Feb. 16 and 17 to explore the college’s curriculum. They focused specifically on programs such as nursing, renewable technology, and women in green jobs.

The representatives – educational administrators from Morocco, Libya, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Palestinian Territories – were selected by the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitors Leadership Program to study community colleges and vocational education in the United States.

“The concept of a community college does not exist in any other part of the world, so this is a unique

certificates and have careers that concept they’re being exposed to they can be proud of and to see the here,” said Pamela-Jean Mohamed, professions as honorable,” she said. the associate executive director During the delegation’s twoof international programs for the International Hospitality Council of day visit to Eastview, Riverside and Rio Grande Campuses, college Austin (IHCA). administrators spoke on topics “They’re looking at starting such as career and job placement community colleges in their countries to service the gap between services, transfer issues, and success initiatives, as well as the college’s students who finish high school but vocational programs. The group don’t qualify to go to a university, also took tours of the school’s as well as students who maybe need electronics and applied technology a little extra time or really have no and health sciences departments. desire to get a college degree,” she “Community college is a said. very unique system that you The hope, according to only find in the U.S.,” said Mohamed, is that their countries Stephanie Amundson, director of will adopt a community college international programs at ACC. system to offer more educational In order to provide insight into opportunities to students. the system, Amundson said the “The U.S. is trying to get the college aimed to make presentations countries to give an educational, vocational background to these See foreign delegates, pg. 3 students so that they can have

Dustyn Cope•Staff Photographer

INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP — Edward Ardizoni, Coordinator for

Workforce Continuing Education and the Business and Industry Institute at ACC, talks with international business representatives about green/sustainable energy, women in the workforce, and industry in Austin.

FORUM

page 2

Forum → Op Columns

RUN! WALK!

www.theAccent.org

Feb. 28, 2011

Forum → Editorial

RGC should be renovated

RAWK?!

JAMIE ESTRADA-CARPENTER

Don’t sit down, keep going Going into the half marathon I participated in last January, I steadily increased my running mileage to be prepared for the race.

In January, I ran the second most amount of miles I’ve ever run in one month. I ran 58.1 miles, just .1 less than October 2010.

Since then, it’s as if my motivation has been deflated and is on the floor waiting to be picked up and put in the trash.

But I have stopped short of throwing my running shoes in the trash.

I do love running. I love it when it’s hard, which is almost every single run. I love it when I’m exhausted.

I love it when I am sure I am going to give up and they will find me dead, stinky and smelly slightly of old GU Energy Gel. I love it even when I hate it.

However, I don’t know if my body always knows this. I think my body feels differently.

It tells me that after four months of training for a race of about 150 miles, it has had enough.

If my body only wants to run twice a week and swim at the most, that’s all it’s doing.

But that’s where I went wrong. Instead of holding strong, I succumbed to my body’s laziness.

Frankly, post race, I was tired. School started to get

really busy, work started to pick up, and next thing you know, it had been about four days since I had run.

I am sure after harder, stronger, longer periods of anything, a person can get tired.

A person may need a break. I know this not only applies to athletics but mental capabilities as well.

I just don’t know that slacking off or taking a rest is really going to help you out in the long run.

If I am frustrated and tired of the amount of effort I have to put into school, should I just give up?

I think about what I want more: for things to be easy or to get my degree and transfer?

Do I want to improve my running, or do I want to sit down because I’m tired? What if I sit down and never stand back up?

As someone who works in Student Life and is constantly around students, I often hear them talk about how hard school is. They discuss how they might just take a break and go back later. But, while I can understand that, when exactly is later? The road to later is paved with procrastination.

I implore you to re-evaluate whether or not you will actually benefit from taking it easy.

Don’t let your running shoes gather dust.

Speak up, be heard The Accent loves to hear feedback from its readers. Here are comments we’ve received about stories from our last issue.

“I am sad to find out who is inside R.B. Bbhoggawact suit. I saw him as a big purple river bat with yellow shoes, I never once wondered who was inside. For me knowing who is inside ruins the effect of R.B. Bbhoggawact. It is like if Top Gear revealed who the Stig was, I saw R.B. Bbhoggawact as a anonymous River bat.”

- Student Eric Castellano, in response to Meet the faces behind the mascot Want your comments and opinions published? Visit our website, theaccent.org, like us on Facebook.com/ AccentNewspaper and follow us on Twitter @theaccent or e-mail us a letter at editor@austincc.edu and we’ll be more than happy to publish your thoughts.

Illustration by Chris Scott • Web Editor

College needs to be more forthcoming about possible health hazards at decaying Rio Grande Campus Staff Editorial The Rio Grande Campus building is decaying and the ACC administration, board of trustees and the RGC Campus Advisory Committee need to present students, staff and faculty with actual plans immediately to renovate and address all the problems that have arose due to this decay.

The decay has revealed several possible health hazards over the past few years including, most recently, increased rodent sightings in the student lounge, Student Life and Student Government Association offices.

On Feb. 1, the ACC Environmental Health Safety and Insurance department held a meeting with RGC staff to discuss the matter and provide temporary solutions.

This is disconcerting because the college is only telling a small group of staff that there is a problem with rats at RGC. They are not informing students and the public in general.

The college leadership needs to be held more accountable when it comes to matters that could affect the health and well-being of people who attend or work at RGC. While there are reports available to be viewed on ACC’s Environmental Health Safety and Insurance (EHS) website, the department is not making a good enough effort to alert the public about potential health hazards at RGC before the reports are made.

In addition to increased rodent

sightings, within the past ten years, mercury has been found in room 221, odors have been coming from a closedoff underground tunnel that runs from the main campus to building 3000, and numerous test reports indicate possible traces of lead in drinking water according to public reports found on EHS’s website.

While all of these reports have been addressed by the college, the sheer number of possible health hazard reports at RGC have risen at an alarming rate over the past few years.

This is a major concern for those who attend and work at RGC, but the problems are not very well-known among the student body.

When water fountains were shut off at the campus last semester, fliers were posted that they were shut off because of possible lead traces found in the water.

Fliers were the wrong solution because students only became aware that there was a problem if they actually stopped and took the time to read them.

Students should have received e-mails through their student e-mail accounts, public meetings should have been held, and updates on the front page of ACC’s website would have been a better solution.

As far as finding a permanent solution to solve RGC’s decay problems, renovation is the only solution.

However, RGC was built in 1916 when it was originally Austin High School.

Because of its age, the campus is a historic building making renovation difficult due to structural challenges.

The college administration and board of trustees have been made well aware of the fact that RGC is decaying and needs

Forum → Letters

SGA President visits Washington D.C.

Sophia Downing

Guest Columnist

I must say, this year my Valentine’s Day was definitely one to remember; because on this day, I spent Valentine’s Day in Washington DC, meeting with Congress in regards to the upcoming, proposed financial aid budget cuts. Traditionally, the President of Student Government accompanies the Board of Trustee Members during the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Conference. For more information about the AACC, visit www. aacc.nche.edu.

First and foremost, I must give credit to the Board of Trustees of Austin Community College. I did not realize, until having the opportunity to work this closely with them, how much work they do in the background on our behalf. I was amazed.

In short, I would like to take this moment to publicly thank the Board of Trustees for the volunteerism and ongoing support of the student body; specifically Vice Chair Allen Kaplan, and Trustees Tim Mahoney, Nan McRaven and Dr. Victor Villarreal who attended the conference this year. I urge you

to visit the Board of Trustee page to learn more about those who serve you. Visit www. austincc.edu/board.

During the conference there were multiple opportunities to network with other community colleges, but most importantly, there was the opportunity to meet with congressional leader to plead for reconsideration for cuts such as the ones currently being proposed. At first, my thoughts were how can one small voice make a big difference? My second thought was that I am just a pre-school teacher, will they really care about what I have to say? The answer to both questions was one small voice can be heard very clearly. Not only is it what you say, it’s how you say it. Secondly, Yes, they did care about what I had to say! I spoke, they listened. They spoke, I listened. It was a two way conversation.

Monday, February 14th, we visited Congressman Conway’s office. We were unable to speak with Mr. Conway; however, his staff was there to graciously listen to our position in regards to the budget cuts that affect the Pell Grant, Perkins Grant and WIA (Workforce) Funding. We also visited the office of Lamar Smith. We spoke with his staff as well. Each Congressional Office was given a package of information about our college, in addition to listening to my personal testimony about how the WIA program and Pell funding were key to my success as a student of ACC. Tuesday, February 15th, we visited Senator John Cornyn, Congressman Michael McCaul, John Carter*, Lloyd Doggett, and Kay Bailey Hutchinson. I had the pleasure of meeting Senator Cornyn, Judge Carter* and Lloyd Doggett personally. During these sessions, we presented our case in regards to Pell, Perkins, WIA, Workstudy, and IH 35 Collaboration.

My understanding after all of these meetings were that the cuts are coming and there is little we can do about it. Everyone and everything is being cut and everyone has a ‘good reason’ why they should not be

the line item being cut. My rebuttal - the Proposed Change does not make ‘Cents’!

Education leads to more jobs and a trained, job ready work force. A trained, job ready work force leads to more tax dollars or revenue. More revenue leads to the end of the recession. Maybe I am being naive about the situation or maybe I’ve missed something. If the educational piece is cut out due to lack of funding, well the ‘buck stops there’!

During the conference portion of my trip, I attended workshops that talked about the proposed job growth and high demand jobs to come. Most if not all of these jobs require job training, certification or a degree; which one would need to go to school to obtain.

However, with the proposed cuts, how does one afford to go to school?

According to Judge Carter*, the proposed cuts to Pell would take us back to 2008 funding. Carter stated that people were able to attend college in 2008, so they would still be able to attend college if the Pell was decreased. OK, but for most institutions, tuition has increased considerably over the years, now also a concern here at ACC. Less aid, higher tuition. Sounds like students being ‘short changed’!

Student Government has prepared resolutions addressing both the state and national level regarding the proposed cuts.

We want to hear from you as well. Please email your thoughts about this to sga@ austincc.edu.

While on Capitol Hill, they heard my small voice, it’s time for them to hear yours.

Speak up now or don’t complain later. You do make a difference.

Respectfully, Sophia Downing, President, SGA *John Carter, the Representative for House District 31 was previously a Judge in the 277th District Court of Williamson County, TX.

major renovations through district-wide reports and recommendations from outside companies, but students haven’t seen them actually make a real effort to substantially repair the buildings.

2007 was the first year a master plan was created specifically for campus facilities. According to that report produced by the Barnes Gromatzky Kosarek Architects firm, the 2007 ACC District Facilities Master Plan found that RGC has deferred maintenance issues, and required renovations may require temporary relocation of some or all students from the campus.

ACC has addressed a few of the issues reported in the 2007 ACC District Facilities Master Plan. For example, better access for handicapped people was created at the campus after several complaints and requests were made by students and staff.

It’s not enough though. There needs to be a permanent solution to deal with all the possible health hazards found at RGC. Even the updated ACC District Master Plan 2025 presentation delivered by the same architect firm notes that “both buildings 1000 and 2000 need significant renovations to meet current life safety and code requirements. Both buildings require major upgrades to their building systems (HVAC, electrical, plumbing, fire protection).”

While it is inevitable that a building as old as RGC is going to experience decay, it is unacceptable that the administration has no immediate plans to permanently fix the potential health hazards that have been revealed or the fact that administration is not properly informing the student population.

Corrections for 2/14/2011 The “Professor rallies for Egyptians” story should have said that the revolt in Egypt ended during its third consecutive week instead of the fourth.

In “ASL expands beyond classroom” we incorrectly spelt ESOL professor Erika Domatti’s name.

In issue 7, the “Short iNDIES gives spotlight to filmmakers” story should have said films were shown at the Cannes Film Festival in France, not the CON Film Festival in New York City.

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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 Campus Editor....................................................................................... Natalee Blanchat Accent Adviser....................................................................................... Matthew Connolly Student Life Director.......................................................................... Cheryl Richard Student Life Communications Coordinator............................ Lori Blewett Staff Reporters Era Sundar Lead Photographers Dana Manickavasagam, Edgar Rodriguez Staff Designers Olga Race Writers Jason Witmer, Juliette Moak, Nick De Cesare, Jamie Carpenter-Estrada, Danielle Wellborn, Tyler Brackenbury, Jessica Blair, Bianca Flores, Ryan Janik, Sarah Grover Photographers Erica Bean, Rufus Barr, Saul Hernandez, Dustyn Cope, Walter Challapa, Ty Hardin, Pete Perrault Staff Artists Odin Amador, Megan McKay 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

Feb. 28, 2011

www.theAccent.org

page 3

News → People

News → Events

Clubs attend Honor society trains students Nuts and Bolts Phi Theta Kappa hosts Special Olympics practices for disabled students Hilary Shepherd

News Editor Edgar Rodriguez•Lead Photographer

WE’VE GOT YOUR PASS — Austin Wood, Student Life assistant at Rio Grande Campus (center), and Corie Arriaga (right), help student Dylan Pera find his identification card necessary to gain entrance into the Nuts and Bolts workshop.

Students participate in workshops, learn basics of how to manage student clubs, organizations Edgar Rodriguez Staff Writer

More than 40 student organizations and clubs came together to learn effective leadership and communication strategies at the Nuts and Bolts workshop on Feb. 18 at the South Austin Campus.

Held twice a year during the spring and fall semesters, the main goal of Nuts and Bolts is to target the issues clubs and organizations face. The workshop is also a requirement for an ACC club to become official.

The workshop covered topics such as how to get the word out about the students’ organizations and how to keep members loyal to the clubs.

Clubs such as Students for Environmental Outreach, the Association of Recreational Thinkers, Phi Theta Kappa honor society, Austin Community Enrichment, ACC Parkour, Austin Literature, and the Vital Exhale Student Dance Company participated.

In order to meet each of the student life coordinators from every campus, the event began with the Spring Training Icebreaker.

Afterward, Tim Swain, the Student Life assistant for

the Pinnacle Campus, read a poem to encourage the organizations, saying, “Your ability to determine what you want is going to determine your success.”

With Swain’s words ringing in their heads, organization members separated to assigned workshops.

During the workshops, members were given vital information aimed to help both veteran members and new members succeed as official college organizations.

Workshops included the World Series SAAB Board demonstration, which consisted of yarn being thrown from one student declaring a major to the next, showing how students are connected.

Another workshop, called Grand Slam Marketing and Recruiting, mixed in a telephone game and Pictionary to demonstrate the importance of communication.

Other workshops, like On Deck Event Planning, served as training modules for clubs, teaching students how to plan an event from start to finish.

Overall, club members agreed that they were able to take valuable information back to their respective campuses to help their organizations thrive.

Foreign delegates visit classrooms continued from pg. 1 visual and hands-on.

“We did a lot through multimedia and very visual presentations. We wanted to make things come alive, so watching students in a classroom working on different robotics systems or making sculptures made it more personal, and they could meet and talk with people. And that’s also part of the cultural exchange that you want a group like this to have when they come to the U.S,” said Amundson.

For the past 50 years, delegates from countries around the world have visited the U.S. through IHCA to study various aspects of American culture. Austin is often a key destination for groups studying community

colleges, according to Mohamed.

“Because ACC is the eighth largest community college in the country, it has the jobs and the legacy of programs. It also has up-and-coming programs like the women in green jobs program,” said Mohamed.

Austin was the last stop for the delegation’s two-and-a half-week journey across the country. The representatives also visited the University of Texas and Hendrickson High School in order to study the connection between ACC and four-year universities and local high schools.

“We’ve had groups like this in the past, and we hope that there are more in the future,” said Amundson. “It’s a wonderful way to bring Austin to the world and the world to Austin.”

Visit us at theaccent.org and give us your comments.

The members of Alpha Gamma Pi, ACC’s Phi Theta Kappa honor society chapter, hosted two practice sessions for Special Olympics participants at the McNeil High School track field and the Round Rock Soccer Association fields on Feb. 23 and 24.

The practices, which the chapter has been holding every Wednesday and Thursday from 5:45 p.m. to 7 p.m., involve a variety of athletic activities, and are divided between individual and team-based unified sports.

“Each time, we practice different techniques. One day we’ll practice dribbling and passing. Other days, we’ll emphasize shooting and different passing techniques.

But, of course, we always make sure to emphasize sportsmanship and respect, which we show by example,” said Alpha Gamma Pi Chair Garrett Staas.

Staas, an engineering student at ACC, introduced Special Olympics, an international competition held every two years, to the chapter in 2009.

Since then, the chapter has

participated in the competition each semester, with bowling and aquatic sports in the fall, and track, soccer, and basketball in the spring.

“The practices are leading up to the area and state competitions, which are in May. The area games incorporate nearby cities like Pflugerville and Austin. After that, if we qualify, we go to the state competition,” said Staas.

The participants – a mixture of high school and middle school students from schools within the Round Rock Independent School District – consist of both volunteers and students with disabilities.

Staas, who was involved in Special Olympics two years prior its integration into the chapter, became a certified coach for the team last year.

He said his love for soccer but inability to practice the sport due to time constraints led him to become involved in Special Olympics, which he describes as “pure joy.”

“It’s not like they’re just going out there to play and kick the ball around. They also go out there to have fun and learn new skills. You see them grow into something more. They grow into better players as well as human beings,” he said.

Staas said volunteers are always welcome, even if they aren’t involved in Phi Theta Kappa.

“If volunteers can’t handle the physical aspects of training, they can help input data, like entering awards the chapter has won and filing coach certifications,” he said.

Aside from Special Olympics, the chapter is involved in service organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and Tree Folks.

Dana Manickavasagam•Lead Photographer

FOCUSED — Brooke Crosby practices her dribbling skills

as Garrett Staas, chair of ACC’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter, gives Brian Yulo soccer pointers. Members of Phi Theta Kappa volunteer on Wednesday nights at the Round Rock Soccer Association fields to help train Special Olympic participants.

Prospective members and volunteers can visit austincc.edu/ptk for more information.

News → Board

Board prepares Master Plan 2025 Plan would increase space at all campuses by 2025 to handle expected increase in college student population

Danielle Wellborn

Staff Writer

The board of trustees met on Feb. 21 to discuss the college’s district-wide master plan that would renovate and increase space at all campuses by 2025.

By that year, the total headcount of students is expected to grow by 23,392, a number that includes potential future campuses that have not yet passed annexation elections, according to the board.

The board and campus consultants referred to a survey in which 1,000 students, professors, and campus advisory committee members from all ACC campuses were asked to determine the biggest problems at their particular campus. The overall results indicated that more space was needed at all campuses.

With the exception of the newly built Round Rock Campus and the Eastview

Campus, in which there are 59 square feet per student, the square feet per student on each campus is currently 30 or below, according to ACC’s fall 2009 snapshot report.

With the new master plan in place, an average of 50 square feet per student would be implemented at every campus.

The plan also aims to alleviate inefficiency-related issues at each campus. Results from the survey showed an immediate desire to renovate the Rio Grande Campus.

“Across all the criteria, Rio Grande came out as top priority, wanting attention first,” said Bill Mullane, executive director of facilities and construction at ACC. Aside from the undersized classrooms, computer labs, and offices at the campus, a study conducted by Barnes Gromatzky Kosarek Architects found that buildings 1000 and 2000 “need significant renovations to meet current life

safety and code requirements,” and that the buildings “require major upgrades to their building systems,” according to the Master Plan 2025 report.

According to the plan, upgrades are needed in the areas of heating, ventilation and air conditioning, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection.

“There isn’t enough space in the library or computer labs,” said Rio Grande student Chis Steifer.

Under the master plan, Rio Grande would become a fine arts campus, meaning programs offered at the campus would be primarily fine arts-related.

Other focus programs include commercial music and photography at Northridge Campus and applied technology and Latin American studies at Riverside Campus.

“Because many students commute, being able to have all classes at one campus is a lot more user friendly,” said ACC student Jill Cowie.

The board said the total cost of the master plan is still in the process of being finalized.

Though it has not yet been determined how it will be funded, ACC’s financial advisor, Jorge Rodriguez, presented the board with several bond options to choose from.

According to Mullane, the recent state budget cuts will not have a direct effect on the funding for the master plan.

“Current budget cuts in the state will not directly affect the funding ACC is looking to receive because the money will be borrowed money,” Mullane said. “It will, however, have a chance to affect the ability of ACC to pay back any debt they may incur.”

A challenge the board expects to encounter during the process will be finding enough “swing space,” or temporary replacement space, for campuses under renovation.

However, at the meeting, the board said the newly acquired property at Highland Mall will be used to hold classes and facilitate libraries and other student services during the renovations.

The next step, according to Stephen Kinslow, ACC President and CEO, will be to begin another cycle of detailed meetings with the campus advisory committees at each campus to further determine each campus’ specific needs.

In July, the board plans to adopt a revised plan that will include the funding decisions and final designs for each campus.

News → Board

Presidential finalists to be named Natalee Blanchat

Campus Editor

Selected applicants from across the nation are getting ready to head to Austin in order to be interviewed for a chance to become the next president and CEO of Austin Community College.

On Feb. 24-25, the Presidential Search Advisory Committee (PSAC) interviewed a group of semi-finalists selected by the committee and Gold Hill, a community college executive search firm.

Mariano Diaz-Miranda, the director for Latin American Studies Center, serves on the committee as a faculty representative.

“I think this is the best balance of a presidential advisory committee that I’ve seen so far,” said Diaz-Miranda,

who has been with the college for over 23 years.

The PSAC, which was appointed by the board of trustees, is comprised of 25 members including four board of trustee members, seven faculty and staff members, two student leaders, 10 community and business leaders, and two public and higher education representatives.

According to Diaz-Miranda, the selection process for the new president is extremely open because PSAC is required to keep public information on the ACC website including the updates that are taking place as well as a timeline for each stage of the advisory committee.

“The only part we cannot talk about is the actual applicant process because selecting a president at that level takes a lot of caution and should be

extremely quiet,” said Diaz.

Once the finalists are approved, a press conference will be held so that students, faculty members, and the surrounding Austin community will be able to speak with the contestants and ask them questions.

Samantha Davis, the distance learning student senator for Student Government Association (SGA) serves on the committee as a student appointed representative. She thinks that there is a good cross section of people who are involved in the committee, and that most of the people on the committee are trying to keep their minds open when it came to choosing applicants for the interview process.

Davis said that she envisions the future president of Austin Community College as someone

who focuses primarily on students’ wants and needs.

“Above all, I hope to find a servant leader, someone who wants to serve the college. It depends on who rises to the top and meets that profile,” said Davis. “The kind of person I want for the new president is (someone who will) help everyone be the best that they can be. Ideally, the person would be equally concerned with the people in the bottom just as much as the people in the higher realms of the organization.”

The board will hold a special meeting on Feb. 28 to select the finalists. Qualifications for the new president include senior administrative experience at or above the level of a vice president in a community college setting, community college teaching experience, and an earned doctorate.

CAMPUS LIFE Arts → Perform-

Page 4

www.theAccent.org

Feb. 28, 2010

Campus Life → Riverside

College hosts Mexican-American reading

UT professor speaks about book, Mexican-American workers during World War II Hilary Shepherd

News Editor

Dr. Emilio Zamora, University of Texas history professor and award-winning author, spoke on his newest book, Claiming Rights and Righting Wrongs in Texas: Mexican Workers and Job Politics during World War II, at ACC’s Riverside Campus on Friday, Feb. 18.

Hosted by ACC and the Tejano Genealogy Society of Austin, the event attracted students and other community members interested in Mexican-American history.

Zamora’s book, published in 2009, explores the role of Mexican American workers in Texas during World War II. During the event, Zamora read passages from his book, touching on its three main parts: the labor market of the U.S. during WWII, the role

of the state in reinforcing inequality, and the emergence of the League of United Latin American Citizens.

A seasoned expert on Mexican-American history, Zamora began writing the book after reading an article written by author Carlos Castaneda.

Castaneda’s article, published in 1947, argued that Mexican Americans made great strides during the Second World War, but not nearly as quickly as everyone else.

“In other words,” said Zamora, “they could claim that they had made use of employment opportunities during the war and recovered from the depression like everybody else, but they didn’t move up as fast as everybody else. They continued to be concentrated in agriculture, and they had a difficult time getting into the high-wage jobs, and the employment and

earnings gap remained.”

“Consequently, what you had during the Second World War were unprecedented experiences of upward mobility and the persistence of inequality, which is our dilemma now.”

Zamora pointed to high school and college graduation rates of Mexican Americans to demonstrate the dilemma, arguing that, while there are record numbers of graduates, there are also large numbers of students dropping out.

“There are a lot of reasons why people don’t register the same upward mobility rates, partly because opportunities are not equal, and because people come in without the skills. Some people come with the skills but don’t have the credentials. They may be teachers and dentists over there, but when they come over here, they have to work as maids and construction workers.”

For some students, the issues Zamora discussed during his reading were surprising.

“It’s interesting to see that the same issues from the past 50 or 60 years are still here

today and are maybe even getting worse,” said Andrea Vanore, a social work major at ACC. “I think our political climate has become so convoluted that these issues are hidden from the general public,” said Rita Barb, another social work student.

Aside from writing and teaching, Zamora serves on the board of the Hispanic History of Texas Project and the City of Austin’s Mexican American Cultural Center.

Zamora said his involvement in social causes as well as his work is what inspires him.

“What drives me is that spirit of mutualism and democratization. It inspires me to look and see if I can substantiate the tradition, and that’s what leads me, then, to go and study these efforts to improve the conditions of Mexicans during the Second World War.” Currently, Zamora is working on his next project, editing and translating the diary of José de la Luz Sáenz, a civil rights leader from Texas during World War I. He plans to complete it by the beginning of June.

Campus Life → Eastview

Edgar Rodriguez•Lead Photographer

HISTORY GURU — UT history professor Dr. Emilio Zamora smiles as he signs one of his books for an aspiring professor.

The Latino/Latin American Studies Center of ACC in conjunction with the Tejano Genealogy Society of Austin presented a book signing and lecture by Dr. Zamora.

Campus Life → Round Rock

Retired astronaut visits college Round Rock held

Dana Manickavasagam•Lead Photographer

ENCOURAGING THE FUTURE — Astronaut Guy S.

Bluford Jr. signs autographs for students as Marilyn Lee Taylor, Rio Grande campus manager looks on. Bluford was invited as a guest speaker to help celebrate Black History Month at the Eastview Campus on Wednesday Feb. 23.

First African-American to fly in outer space speaks to students, says to “aim high” Era Sundar Staff Reporter

Guion S. Bluford, the first African-American to fly in space, addressed the packed multipurpose room at ACC’s Eastview Campus on Wednesday, Feb. 24 in celebration of Black History month.

Bluford ascended the stage

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amid cheers and a standing ovation from the more than 300 people in attendance. His lecture and large-screen slide presentation explored space travel, and life aboard the international space station.

The event was attended by students from Lyndon Baines Johnson and Ronald Reagan high schools, elementary school students from the Texas

Empowerment Academy, and ACC students, faculty and staff.

The soft spoken, gray-haired Bluford, who holds a doctorate in aerospace engineering, peered through his glasses at the attentive fourth and fifth graders seated directly in front of him. Laughter erupted as he told those potential, future astronauts that if they “couldn’t hold it for six months” while working aboard the international space station, “there is a little potty there.”

The room grew quiet and eyes widened as Bluford explained the intricacies of space flight, including how the shuttle has to catch up to the international space station, which is traveling “at 18,000 miles per hour,” in order to dock.

Bluford, 69, said that he is often asked if he wanted to be an astronaut when he was a kid.

Bluford answered, “No, they didn’t exist then.”

He was, however, interested in planes and wanted to become an aerospace engineer.

At the end of his presentation, Bluford answered questions from the audience and received two more standing ovations. He donned the red i am acc T-shirt presented by Marilyn Taylor, Rio Grande’s campus manager, then posed for pictures and signed autographs.

The retired U.S. Air Force colonel is a decorated Vietnam War veteran, and has logged over 688 hours in space,

over four shuttle missions, between 1983 and 1992. Two missions took place aboard the Challenger, and two aboard Discovery.

ACC film major Adriana Cantu said, “Since middle school they told me I can do whatever I wanted, but today, I saw it and felt it. He is the evidence.”

Bluford was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in 1997, and into the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2010.

These accomplishments were made possible, in part, by a decision he made in high school. When a counselor told him to learn a trade because he was not college material, Bluford just “blew it off,” he said.

Bluford mentioned that he did not always get the best grades, but worked hard.

“Aim high,” he told the audience. “If you can dream it, if you can work hard for it, you can achieve it. The only one keeping you from your goals is you.”

The event was sponsored

by The African-American Cultural Center, Austin Space Aces, Men of Distinction, the Rio Grande campus manager’s office, Student Life, Student Success, the Austin Area Chapter of the Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education(TABPHE), as well as ACC Public Information and College Marketing.

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South Austin Campus students were asked, “What characteristics would you like to see in our new ACC president once President Stephen Kinslow retires this summer?”

Becky Johnson Physical Therapy Assistant

Rolando Salazar Medical Lab Technician

Jesus Guerrero Computer Lab Staff

“I would like to see someone who is really interested in technology in education, pushing the boundaries [of technology] and really focuses on how technology has changed the education system and the way students learn.”

“I really don’t know our current president, Stephen Kinslow, so I honestly hope our new president is more noticeable than our present one. Confidence and wit would also be great.”

“Some characteristics I would like to see in him is the ability to run ACC efficiently, and effectively for students, especially with the budget deficits that we are facing.

I hope one of his goals is to make sure that our funding is being used appropriately.

All interviews and photos by Sarah Grover

first Club Fair, Health Fest

Edgar Rodriguez•Lead Photographer

COME ONE COME ALL — With Freebirds and a masseuse at the ready, students gathered to partake in Round Rock’s Club Fest and Health Fest. The event had a lot of activities for students to partake in.

Students encouraged to create, start clubs at campus Era Sundar Staff Reporter

The Student Life office sponsored the first Club Fest and Health Awareness Fair held at the Round Rock Campus on Feb. 16.

Several students attended, but no clubs showed up even though three are registered at Round Rock. Both events are held annually at each of ACC’s eight campuses.

Student Life decorated the student commons area and provided refreshments and raffle prizes. A pair of Roadmaster mountain bikes, two soccer balls, and a five game combo set were among the items raffled.

Martina Gonzales, who graduated from the continuing education massage therapy program at ACC, gave students free five-minute massages and representatives from the ACC Transfer Academy were on hand to provide information on transferring to a four-year university.

Freebirds World Burrito restaurant served burrito samples at their table and General Manager Gina Lundsford expressed interest in becoming a campus vendor.

“Club Fest is an opportunity for already established clubs to do recruiting or for students to find out information about how to start a club,” said Dot

Dearinger, the interim Round Rock Student Life coordinator.

This year no clubs participated in recruiting.

Dearinger said it may take a few semesters to get clubs going since the campus is relatively new.

Amber Cervantes, a nursing major and member of the Student Activity Advisory Board (SAAB) said although there was good student turnout, more students need to get involved by joining clubs or starting some of their own.

“We have all kinds of resources that students can use [for clubs],” Cervantes said.

“Students can use the conference room, the kitchen, the hot dog machine, posters for advertising and button makers.”

Students seeking to start a club can fill out paperwork with Student Life and contact the Campus Activity Funding Board which has money for T-shirts, club trips and other activities.

Amanda Castilleja, also a SAAB member, said that only a faculty advisor, president, secretary and treasurer are needed to form a club.

The clubs that are currently registered on the Round Rock Campus include the Silver Star Children’s Literacy Club, the Veterans Club, and the Gamers Club.

Students interested in starting an ACC student club can find more information at accstudentlife.info.

Feb. 28, 2011

www.theAccent.org

Campus Life | Page 5

Learned What I’ve

Tracy Bach

Sarah Vasquez

Assistant Editor

Photo courtesy of Ming Gong Photography

Tracy Bach has traveled around the world visiting places such as Switzerland, Spain, Germany and Costa Rica. Her family created a website called Kai Ohana to document their voyages of a circumnavigation while sailing on a boat of the same name.

To create the website and to prepare for the trip, she took classes at Austin Community College in 2004 and 2005 focusing on classes in design, multimedia, and languages.

“I took a variety of classes, which were taken for the purpose of using them toward this business plan I was working on with my family,” said Bach. “So I was taking things like digital publishing, TV field production, photography, things that focus on media, marketing, and those sort of things.”

Currently, the Bach family is not on the Kai Ohana boat due to the economy. However, they are trying to get funding for a new website as an offshoot of Kai Ohana called the Kai Ohana Volunteer Voyages.

Volunteers in Kai Ohana Volunteer Voyages would stay off-shore for a week to provide funds and labor to the island of Île à Vache, Haiti. The organization is partnering with Hope for Haiti, a non-profit organization based in Maryland.

“We wanted to help a community that we visited and that really struck a chord with everyone in our family, because the Haitian people have so very little and they got so much joy for barely having anything. We wanted to try to help make their quality of life a little better, so we started the Volunteer Voyages project,” said Bach.

Bach has been traveling because of her upbringing.

“When [my parents] were raising us, they believed it was very important to have an expanded knowledge of different cultures around the world because it leads to greater understanding and compassion for humans. So my whole life as I was growing up, we traveled a lot,” said Bach.

By the time she was a sophomore, Bach had traveled to Canada, Costa Rica and Mexico.

Because of all this traveling and being homeschooled until the 6th grade, her view of the world was different than many students her age.

“I was not as impressionable as most of my high school peers, because I had spent a lot of time traveling to different parts of the world. I just had a different perspective on the world,” said Bach. “I think that probably had a big effect on my early life.”

She enrolled at Austin Community College in 2003 and 2004 to take advantage of the Early College Start program. Through this program, high school students can take two college courses per semester before they graduate.

“I loved the early start program because for me, the work pace for high school was usually a little slow, because I just memorize things really fast. I tended to get bored in class, and being able to take the more advance classes was really a big deal for me. It kept me more interested,” said Bach.

After she graduated from high school, she then studied in France at École Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs de Strasbourg, an art school specializing in art, communication, and design.

Upon returning home in 2004, Bach and her family started the Kai Ohana project.

Bach is also an accomplished artist. Having created art as soon as she learned “crayons were not for eating,” as stated on her website, Bach has had commissions for her work since she was in high school.

“I’ve been doing freelance art since I was 11 or 12, and realized that my stuff was good enough that I could actually sell it,” said Bach. “[Sophomore] year was my biggest project. I actually was commissioned to do a mural on South Congress for Factory People.”

Bach is currently living in San Diego, Calif. with her grandparents and is working as a freelance artist and web designer. Even though her family is not aboard the Kai Ohana, they still have plans to continue their voyage.

“When the economy picks up again, we hope to continue sailing,” she said.

SPORTS

page 6

News → sports

Student wins Golden Gloves tournament

www.theAccent.org

Feb. 28, 2010

News → sports

Students hit the courts, play intramural sports Tyler Brackenbury Staff Writer

With the spring semester in full stride, students were ready to get on the court and away from campus to show off their skills outside of the

classroom. With more than ten different programs to choose from, the Intramural Sports and Recreation program is offering a wide variety of sports for every athlete.

Laser tag, dodgeball,

bowling and roller skating are among recreational events that Student Life offer, as well as sport leagues for the avid basketball, volleyball or soccer athlete ready to get on the playing field.

Students interested in the program can contact Intramurals Coordinator Tracy Partin at (512) 2239REC (9732) or tpartin@ austincc.edu for more information.

Walter Challapa•Staff Photographer

WINNER — Bringing home the honor of Best Novice in the 141 pound category, ACC sports science major Isaac Rodriguez poses with his prize that he won as a part of the 2011 Golden Gloves competition held Friday, Feb. 18 at the Travis County Expo Center.

Boxing tournament winner to compete in statewide championship next month Walter Challapa Staff Writer

ACC student Isaac Rodriguez won the 2011 Austin Regional Golden Gloves novice boxing tournament held on Feb. 18 at the Travis County Expo Banquet Hall.

Born in Austin, the 23-year-old student trains at Fit Boxing Gym and dreams of becoming an Olympic boxer.

He plans to graduate from the University of Texas at Austin in 2013. Rodriguez said his father has been his inspiration since childhood.

In addition to boxing, Rodriguez is studying nutrition and sports science at ACC and wants to help improve nutritional goals in our country.

“Some people eat too much cheap food, and they are not aware of the consequences,” said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez kept his boxing talent secret from his classmates and faculty at ACC until after he beat his opponent in the Golden Glove finals.

“I was quiet about this in school, and I did not want to make comments about my preference for boxing. It will

not bother me from now on if anybody wants to talk to me regarding this activity,” said Rodriguez.

Sarah Rodriguez, no relation, was part of the protocol and awards ceremony.

She said she considered Rodriguez as the best fighter during the finals night.

Although they have never spoken before, she has seen him several times at the gym, and likes his boxing style.

“It is tough,” said Isaac Rodriguez about his daily life after the awards ceremony.

He now has to budget his time carefully between his classes, training at a gym, and his part time job at Best Buy. The Golden Glove tournament consisted of 15 final fights with sub-novice, novice and open divisions.

Rodriguez was awarded a prize as the best novice and won a medal and a jacket.

Rodriguez and other winners of the Golden Gloves tournament now have the opportunity to represent the city of Austin next month at the state championship in Forth Worth, where they will vie for the national championship and Olympic trials.

Saul Hernandez•Staff Photographer

YOU’VE BEEN SERVED — Alli Markham serves it up for the “Net Results” women’s intramural volleyball team. It was close in the beginning but Serves You Right was too much and pulled away with the win 25-8.

Saul Hernandez•Staff Photographer

BRING IT — Rachel Lusk (center) with team “Serves You Right” came down hard on team Net Results. Lusk, a Health major, showed her hops with a nice spike. With the final score of 25-8, Net Results was served a blow that would take time to recover from.

Serves You Right sweeps Spikers Women’s volleyball teams Serves You Right and Spikers faced off at the Virginia Brown Recreation Center on Feb. 17 as one of many games hosted by the Student Life Intramural Sports and Recreation program.

After a short warm-up game, the ladies were ready for a full three game

series. A back and forth first game was decided at 25-18 in favor of Serves You Right.

After a short intermission, game two got underway.

Serves You Right stayed hot, pulling ahead early and staying ahead. Winning 25-16, Serves You Right left with a clean

sweep.

After another short break, the ladies played a more scrimmage games just for fun.

Women’s volleyball is scheduled to meet on Thursday evenings starting at 6 p.m. at the Virginia Brown Recreation Center.

Men’s teams compete at scrimmage The men’s intramural basketball program met up Feb. 17 at the Virginia Brown Recreation Center for an evening of basketball games hosted by Student Life’s Intramural Sports and Recreation program.

At 45 minutes a piece, each team had limited time to impose their will on the opposing teams.

With five games scheduled, there were over 50 basketball players who showed up ready to play including Bullets Captain Jessie Frias, who had an impressive night shooting the ball.

In the next few weeks teams will continue to scrimmage until a double-elimination tournament is held at the Virginia Brown Recreation Center on April 9.

Teams have until March 3 to sign up any additional players they wish to add.

UP IN THE AIR — Trent Nash

aims for a slam dunk during an ACC intramurals basketball game at the Virginia Brown Recreation Center on Feb. 17.

Pete Perreault•Staff Photographer

LIFE & ARTS Feb. 28, 2010

www.theAccent.org

Page 7

Arts → Music

Fortnight Forecast Hula Dancing Course Feb. 28, 7:30 p.m.

Butler Community School

Student creates one-man band Taylor Bartholomew writes, plays all instruments as Mt. Olivet in addition to joining, playing bass for Courrier Sarah Vasquez

Assistant Editor

Taylor Bartholomew started his solo project Mt. Olivet a year-and-a-half ago as an outlet for experimenting with various synth sounds.

“I basically have been sitting in my studio just making weird sounds for a year or so.

I recorded an entire record and listened to it. I just threw it out the window,” said Bartholomew.

“It was basically a big experiment. In the end, I listened to the songs. I liked some of the songs, but it’s not what I want to put out there.”

And during that learning process, Bartholomew took classes at Austin Community College from the Commercial Music Management department and started a new album with a defined sound he feels is a better representation of Mt. Olivet.

“Recently, maybe in October, I’ve been working on my new record Vanity of Vanities. I’m about halfway done recording it. I’m really excited about it. It’s a lot more like me, and it’s a lot more about the songs,” said Bartholomew.

The thing that helped him evolve into his new direction

was changing the order of recording. Rather than using digital instruments on a laptop, Bartholomew decided to think outside of the computer and focus more on bringing his solo music to a live show setting.

“As a result of that, my song writing suffered a lot. A lot of the lyrics were diluted by the limitations of the writing like that. That was a huge reason why I threw away this record,” said Batholomew. “Also, because I had to use a laptop live and it drives me nuts.”

He pulls influences from all types of genres, including the industrial Nine Inch Nails and singer-songwriter St. Vincent.

“I take a lot of different weird influences. It comes out in the music a lot,” said Bartholomew. “I also listen to a lot of blues and jazz like Billie Holiday. Some of my favorite music is movie scores from the ‘70s... A lot of it’s intense, but if you can handle it, you’d probably like it.”

The musician also recently became the bass player for Courrier, an alternative rock band. Compared to Mt. Olivet, this is a drastic change from his industrial tunes. He’ll also be working in a band with three other people.

“It’s weird. It’s as different as it can get because with Mt.

The American playwright who wrote A Streetcar Named Desire will now have an exhibit to display manuscripts, correspondence, and photographs to show the creative process of his past work.

Salsa Dancing Lessons March 1, 9 p.m.

Speakeasy

For those wanting to learn how to salsa dance, here’s the chance. These free lessons with a dance instructor take place with a live Salsa DJ. Block Party

March 3, 9:30 p.m.

The New Movement Theater

Anything goes at this open mix night in East Austin. Make sure to arrive early to get good seats!

The Walkmen March 4, 7 p.m.

Stubbs Bar-B-Q

For music lovers, this American indie band has been known to give some amazing shows.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to see them live.

Pete Perreault•Staff Photographer

ON HIS OWN — Taylor Bartholomew, a commercial music management major, poses outside Austin Java after his interview. Bartholomew goes by the name Mt. Olivet for his industrial solo project.

Arts → Food

Food for thought: Rio Grande Jessica Blair

Students who are in a hurry to grab a bite to eat and don’t want to waste time sitting down at a restaurant should go here.

St Though the bakery is known for cakes and pastries, lunch is also served here.

The bakery’s specialty is the homemade pizza and wraps that are made fresh. The turkey wraps are great, made with lettuce, tomatoes, and choice of either turkey or ham, wrapped in a flour tortilla.

Customers are greeted with great service and happy faces. The food is take out only as there is really nowhere to sit to enjoy the food.

One drawback is that the supply of baked goods are made according to previous sales. Sometimes they run out of food early.

Sentelli’s Bakery

Staff Writer

814 W 12th

Figuring out what to eat between classes is an important decision for any college student.

All campuses have some form of a Simon’s Café. However, stepping away from the campus provides other choices to fill those tummies. Accent will feature several restaurants around different campuses. In this issue, we feature Rio Grande.

Becoming Tennessee Williams March 1, 10 a.m.

Harry Ransom Center

Olivet, it’s me, and if I mess up, it’s on me. I’m in charge of everything. With Courrier, it’s like I can just relax and play the bass, just be the bass player, just have fun, and put on a good show. It’s good. It’s two really awesome healthy outlets for me to just go out and be in two different places at once,” said Bartholomew.

Courrier is more established than Mt. Olivet, as the band worked with the Grammywinning producer Adam Hawkins on their debut album A Violent Flame which was released before Bartholomew joined the band.

With the band booking more shows and promoting the album, Mt. Olivet and ACC might take a backseat for awhile.

“We will see if I go back to school a full semester next semester because Courrier is talking about doing some tour so we’ll see if that happens,” said Bartholomew.

“Mt. Olivet is going to suffer a little bit because of Courrier but that’s OK. It’s not like I’m organizing four guys’ lives around that other band. It’s just me. So when I’m at home, it’s like can still do it. There’s not really a way to stop me.”

College Sound is a recurring feature. If you’re an ACC student and a musician, please contact Sarah Vasquez, Assistant Editor at editor2@austincc.edu.

Those who want to experience a little Hawaiian culture without the travel can learn the hula. Besides, how cool would it be for someone to say they could dance the hula?

$

Diana Walker: Photojournalist

On display until March 5 Dolph Briscoe Museum

An exhibit in dedication to Diana Walker, a presidential photographer most famous for photographs of President Reagan, Bush and Clinton. Don’t miss the chance to see these beautiful and rare photographs of former presidents.

Free Cooking Lessons Sundays, 11 a.m.

Williams-Sonoma, Arboretum

Learn how to make simple and healthy meals, and it doesn’t hurt to get free food too.

Austin Kite Festival March 6, 10 a.m.

Zilker Park

For lovers of kites and colors, this outdoor festival will satisfy. This annual festival is a spring tradition that takes place in Zilker Park, so bring those kites and don’t miss out.

St. Patrick’s Day Festival March 17, 2 p.m.

Cover 3

Wear green to avoid getting pinched and enjoy the music and celebration of St. Patrick’s Day without the hassle of going downtown.

Saul Hernandez•Staff Photographer

Painting and Drawing

The Tavern

$ Scale:

The Tavern is a great place to find good country-style food.

The specialty is chicken fried 922 W 12th St chicken. It’s a chicken breast deep fried in batter smothered in country gravy, with garlic potatoes, and a choice of a side such as broccoli, mac and cheese, or onion rings.

If students are just looking for a place with great desserts, then this is the place as well. One of the special desserts is the turtle chocolate cake. It’s a fudge cake with toffee-flavored ice cream between layers of cake with chocolate sauce everywhere on the plate, and served with a serving of vanilla ice cream.

This is also a great place to watch those favorite sports team on big screen TVs. The service is great, fast, and efficient, even when there is a big game going on. There is a second floor that leads to a balcony where people can go out to catch a nice breeze.

The great atmosphere of this sports bar allows students to relax and have a great time.

$ = 15 dollars and under an entree

Every Monday, 7 p.m.

Austin Figurative Gallery

Have a passion for drawing? A live model for painting and drawing sessions is available, but participants must bring their own supplies.

Girlie Night: Clueless

March 23, 7 p.m.

Alamo Drafthouse Village

Rufus Barr•Staff Photographer

$$ = 15 to 20 dollars an entree

$$$ = 20 to 25 dollars an entree

Alamo Drafthouse is known for their quirky events, and this signature series is no exception.

Grab girlfriends and watch the ‘90s film that influenced fashion trends and girl talk.

page 8 | Life & Arts

www.theAccent.org

Arts → Music

Bands rehearse at Arthouse Rehearsal at the Astoria provides bands with practice space open to public

Feb. 28, 2011 Arts → Music

Shapes Have Fangs releases album

Bianca Flores

Staff Writer

Walking through huge glass doors at the Arthouse at the Jones Center, visitors step into modern looking room with a simple desk and a staircase to the right.

Up the stairs, visitors will see a stage with audience seating made from scaffolding, small water bottles hanging from the ceiling and a band rehearsing.

The band and the structure are all part of the current art installation at the Arthouse.

Grand Hudson, an English artist, is hosting his first installation Rehearsal at The Astoria in the United States at the Arthouse. Rehearsal at the Astoria is monumental sculpture inspired by London’s music venue, the Astoria Theatre.

The Astoria music venue was first open in 1929 and demolished in 2009. Many musicians such as Madonna, U2, and The White Stripes, performed in the London establishment and now Austin

Photo courtesy of Devaki Knowles Erica Bean•Staff Photographer

SYMBIOTIC — Band Polydactyl Hemingway practices in Arthouse at the Jones Center in downtown Austin on Feb. 18, taking advantage of the museum’s construction space.

bands are given the chance to vicariously live a part of music history.

Arthouse and Hudson seek 150 musicians and bands from different genres to perform during the timeline. Local bands such as Polydactyl Hemingway, Stereo is A Lie, Candi and the Strangers, English Teeth, and Mother Falcon, have recently rehearsed at Rehearsal at the Astoria and more artists, such as The Boxing Lesson and The Nouns, have recently been added to the rehearsal schedule.

“The Rehearsals at the Astoria has quite a legacy and we are honored to be a part of it,” said Jaylinn Davidson,

keyboardist from The Boxing Lesson. “We actually have a chance to set up facing each other like we do at home and rehearse for whoever happens to be listening.”

The thing that makes Rehearsal at the Astoria so unique as a show performed at a venue is that it is seriously rehearsal only.

It’s used only for two to three hours for the public, all music genres are accepted, basic instruments are available, and it’s all for the sake of arts.

“I love this concept. I love that the institution of art and the institution of music meld together in this setting. In my

opinion, the inspiration for whatever your brand of art is comes from the same place.

At the Astoria, they are able to meet, shake hands, and play hide-and-go-seek except with instruments and scaffolding,” said Davidson.

For more info and a rehearsal schedule for Rehearsal at the Astoria visit arthousetexas. org. Bands are still able to apply for rehearsal time.

Artist, bands to attend STAPLE!

Ryan Janik Staff Writer

The seventh annual STAPLE! Independent Media Expo will take place on March 5 and 6 at the Marchesa Hall and Theater and will feature comic artists, special guests, and a live marching band.

STAPLE! is a conference featuring over 150 exhibitors ranging from independent comic artists to people selling

student student

their own crafts, T-shirts, and original art.

Chris Nicholas, founder and lead organizer, is the man running the show.

“It’s a much bigger show this year. I’m excited about this year’s guest speakers… and the marching band should really be fun,” said Nicholas.

This is the first year that the expo has expanded to two days. The expo is the only one of its kind offered to independent artists in the Southwest United States.

“The artists have been asking for it for a long time... and this way, people from across the country will be coming in, since it’s more than just a single day,” said Nicholas.

At the show, there will be an animation panel with local animators, celebrity panels, and a Q&A session

with James O’Barr, the creator of The Crow original comic book series. There will also be a screening of Comic Book Literacy, a documentary that explores how comic-reading promotes literacy for the young and those learning English as a second-language.

On Saturday, The Best Best Best Friends, a marching band, will be playing New Orleansstyle brass music and even a few video game covers.

“It’s great because you get to meet the artists first-hand, and when you buy a comic, you buy it from them and support them directly,” said Nicholas. “Making your own comics is typically thankless, expensive, and tough to make a living at,” said Nicholas.

“There’s only one distributor around, and it’s nearly impossible to get your comic in the catalogue.

Austin-based quartet prepares to release Dinner in the Dark to the masses Odin Amador

Staff Writer

Arts → Comics

Independent Media Expo to take place in Austin, feature comic artists, celebrity panels

ROCK ‘N’ ROLL — Shapes Have Fangs members Skyler McGlothlin and Josh Willis perform at Emo’s during Free Week.

Shapes Have Fangs will release their new album Dinner in the Dark on March 8.

STAPLE! helps these people survive doing their art.”

Beyond just meeting with the artists, there is an array of activities for those who attend.

The Friday before the show, there will be a pre-party at Austin Books and Comics for exhibitors and attendees alike with free beer.

“I think the pre-party is a cool idea because it will be a nice casual atmosphere for regular people and the artists to get to know each other and get connected,” said Nicholas.

There will also be a live art show on Saturday night at Club Deville, where attendees will paint or create art that will then be sold to benefit KOOP Radio.

Wrapping up the expo on Sunday night at Club Deville, there will be a Comedy Showcase featuring The New Movement comedy troupe.

Loitering in front of their recording studio, Laguna Studio, in an East Austin suburb, the members of Shapes Have Fangs look like they’re ready to go on stage right now.

Their moody, restless demeanor suggests life is just a series of agonizingly long interludes between recording sessions and shows. Or maybe, after honing their craft for six years, they’re just anxious for their debut album to be heard by as many virgin ears as possible.

An audio cassette of their debut album Dinner in the Dark has been available since October in local record stores, and everyone else can enjoy this bare-knuckles rock ‘n’ roll experience in digital form on March 8. They will host an album release show on March 10 at the Mohawk.

The songs defy easy classification. They’re a raucous blend of garage, punk, and rhythm and blues.

Each member (brothers Skyler and Evan McGlothlin, Dustin Coffey and Josh Willis) brings their own style and musical interests to bear, and the result, in a word, rocks.

“I think we get into trouble because of our sound,” said Coffey. “Labels want to be able to call us garage, but it’s not like we all sit around listening to the Nuggets.”

However, finding their current sound wasn’t easy.

“We’ve probably performed 40 or 50 original songs as a

band,” said Willis. “We could have had a greatest hits album out by now.”

It took years of performing together and experimenting in the studio before they felt ready to commit to an album.

Dinner in the Dark has a distinctly live sound with distorted vocals and vivid spatial effects that transport listeners to a dingy roadhouse show.

This is due in large part to the efforts of recording engineer Gian Ortiz, who helped the band realize their vision in the studio.

Skyler McGlothlin credits Ortiz with taking Dinner in the Dark to the next level.

“Gian is probably the biggest reason we have that live recording feel,” said Skyler McGlothlin.

When it comes to recording methodology, lo-fi is a religion to Shapes Have Fangs.

“We record on tape before bringing audio over to the computer,” said Skyler McGlothin. “It works especially well with certain instruments like bass and drums.”

As to whether hosting other acts in their recording studio has influenced how Shapes Have Fangs sounds, the band says it works both ways.

“Artists will hear our music, and that helps them decide if we’ll work well together,” said Coffey. “It’s a collaboration.”

It’s also helped Shapes Have Fangs to have a record label backing them.

“Reverberation Appreciation Society has been great about pushing us to perform and tour,” said Coffey.

Bright Eyes - The People’s Key

A departure from their folk background, they create a new electronic tempo, but rest assured, it is still undoubtedly brilliant.

Adele - 21

An album of stunning originality, Adele’s lyrics confess a story of a broken heart but give inspiring wisdom to bring it back to life.

The Rat Pack - The Very Best of The Rat Pack

The harmonious sounds of ‘60s jazz flourish through this album.

This is a delightful sound to start the day.

Radiohead - The King of Limbs

The stealthy drop of this album was a pleasant surprise. This album is upbeat, warm, and melodic with instrumentals that will blow listeners away.

Feb. 28, 2011

www.theAccent.org

Arts → Performing Arts

Life & Arts | Page 9

Arts → Games and Tech

Play conjures up laughs Spring break game break Jason Witmer

Staff Writer

Spring break is around the corner, and students may choose to travel, visit, and/or study during their break, but not everyone can afford to. For those willing to spend their break at home, there is a great alternative to keep students occupied: video games.

While browsing through game collections like a hungry child peering into the fridge for something tasty, many students may have no idea what to play. Below is a guide to help everyone decide what to play during the break, including some veteran, newbie, and classic games.

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64, Wii Virtual Console) Sure, it might be about 13 years old, but this game has stood the test of time as one of the best (if not THE best) game of all time. The one detail that put this game over the top, other than its amazing new features in an otherwise flat world, is that you must constantly change from a child to an adult and manipulate time travel to solve the puzzles, kill the monsters, and save the princess. Why spend spring break kicking butt online on your “Future-Box 720” when gamers can bust out the Nintendo 64 and replay this classic? Gamers who don’t have a Nintendo 64 lying around their attic, this adventure game is available on the Wii Virtual Console for download.

Courtesy of Nintendo, Inc

Grand Theft Auto IV (Xbox 360, Playstation 3)

Ty Hardin•Staff Photographer

DANGEROUS— Things escalate quickly as Ariel (Greg Griffin, right) convinces Sasha (Danielle McClinton, left) to set fire to an apartment using her magic powers.

Drama department hosts comedic fantasy play Rough Magic directed by professor Sarah Grover Staff Writer

Rough Magic, a play written

by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, premiered at the Rio Grande Campus on Feb. 25-27 and will run again on March 4-6 in the Main Stage Theatre, Room 201.

According to David Yeakle, the director of the play who is also beginning his twelfth year as a drama professor, Rough Magic is a sexy, action-adventure, comedic fantasy.

Produced while AguirreSacasa was attending drama school at Yale, Rough Magic uses pieces of The Tempest by William Shakespeare as a guide for the play. Many characters from the Shakespeare play also make an appearance.

In the play, Melanie, a young

Manhattan resident has magical powers. Her powers help her to conjure fictional characters into real life. Thus explaining how the Shakespearean characters come into her life. “[The play] is like a comic book-type battle between powerful, magical foes,” said Yeakle. “It’s like a comic book come to life.”

More than half of the 14 actors who make an appearance in the play are currently ACC students, while others are from the surrounding Austin community.

Brady James, a second year history major, plays the part of Chet, an 18-year-old lifeguard who is friends with Melanie’s sister.

James, who hasn’t performed in a play in over for four years, is excited about performing in the

play even though Rough Magic differs from his typical acting style, improvisation.

James enjoyed working on this play because it gave him the chance to play a more comedic role. “[With improvisation], you think of the joke, you say the joke, and people respond to the joke usually within a five second time span. But with this play we have been rehearsing for almost a month, giving us the chance to work with the same types of jokes,” said James. “I think the play is going to be really funny.”

Yeakle is hopeful that hundreds of people will come out to see the show.

“There’s no telling how many people will attend each night,” said Yeakle. “We only have six performances, so we are hoping to pack the house.”

Courtesy of Rockstar Games

The Grand Theft Auto series is one of the best-selling series of all time, and for good reason. In this installment, gamers play as Niko Bellic, but they don’t play these games for their stories. The open-world aspect of this game is what really draws in players. With the ability to shoot anyone, drive anywhere, and run from the cops all at the same time, this game is definitely something to spend some hours on during this break.

(Gamers can play online with friends, too!)

Final Fantasy VII - (Playstation, Playstation Network) The role-playing game redefined a genre and broke every record in the book. This 1997 gem is highly regarded as the best RPG of all time. Gamers play as Cloud alongside a party of friends. Together the characters fight to defeat Shinra, the mega corporation that is draining the planet of its natural resources. This game’s unique combat system and amazing storyline will keep players glued to the controller for dozens of hours. Gamers who have already played it should go back and see if they can pick up those ultimate weapons they never managed to find.

Courtesy of Square Enix

Rockband - (Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Wii) This is the music game to end all music games. Call buds over, grab the pizza, guitar, microphone, keyboard, and get jamming! This type of game is newer, but it is one multiplayer experience that never gets old. Gamers equip themselves and friends with plastic instruments ranging from a drum set to bass guitars, and rock out to old legends, or even some new groups who are making their own history.

Courtesy of Electronic Arts

Street Fighter - (Too many systems to count!)

It doesn’t matter which one: Street Fighter 4, Super Street Fighter 2, Street Fighter X, just put one in, grab the arcade stick, and get to uppercutting! This Capcom classic has been introduced with amazing sequels time and time again, and has stood the test of time as one of the best fighting game series. Gamers wanting a new challenge, head on over to Arcade UFO (3101 Speedway), and test your skills with other ACC students.

Courtesy of Capcom

page 10 | Life & Arts

www.theAccent.org

PREVIEW

SXSW → Music

Bands to play during SXSW

Rufus Barr•Staff Photographer

NOTHING FISHY ABOUT IT — Which way for Zorch?

They may be confused on their directions, but Zorch is going to SXSW.

Bands converge in Austin to play official, unofficial shows during SXSW Conference Sarah Vasquez

Assistant Editor

South by Southwest Music seems to grow bigger every year with people from all over the world come to the city to get in on the action and the venues popping up all over the city.

“Every place that has electricity becomes a venue,” said Taylor Muse, vocalist/ keyboardist for the band Quiet Company. “It’s like if you’re anywhere near an eight mile radius of downtown, you just can’t escape the festival. It’s everywhere.”

Many bands in Austin have home field advantage getting shows during the week of SXSW and play multiple shows.

“I think we did 10 to 12 last year, and this year we’re doing 13 or so,” said Zac Traeger, keyboardist for the band Zorch.

Bands have mixed feelings about whether or not to submit an application for an official SXSW showcase. Quiet Company is returning to SXSW as an official band this year.

“Last year we got in because of cancellations. We were on the waiting list, and then I guess they got a lot of cancellations. But this year, we didn’t have to wait for that at all. We got in first round, and so that was like ‘I’m a real boy,’ you know?” said Muse.

“It’s nice to get on an official showcase because it looks good, but it’s definitely like a capitalist festival where the harder you work and the more you try to just to meet people and get your name out there, the more shows you get,” said Traeger, who’s band has been selected as an official SXSW showcasing band for the first time this year.

Feb. 28, 2011

“Not only is it a capitalist, but it’s also like it’s Darwinist - survival of all fittest. If you can’t get it together, that’s it,” said Sam Chown, drummer for Zorch.

“It’s just SXSW is another form of social media for your band. It’s just a physical form of it. Like Facebook or anything else, you have to have some kind of visibility,” said Dustin Stroud, guitarist/vocalist for Say Hello To The Angels.

Some bands don’t bother to submit an application. With the overwhelming amount of free shows and parties going on around town, there are plenty of opportunities to play.

Tactics, an instrumental post-rock band, officially formed in June 2010, so they didn’t even bother to apply for SXSW, but they have scheduled several shows during the week. “[Giant Steps Productions is] putting on a show at Plush with a bunch of Sargent House bands. That’s going to be our fourth show that we’ve ever played, and it’s going to be with Native and Touche Amore.

So I am pumped about that,” said Brett Thorne, guitarist for Tactics. “It’ll be really great to be an official band, but at the same time, ...we’re getting some pretty cool opportunities.”

No matter how a band participates in SXSW, everyone comes to the week-long festival for exposure and to experience the music.

“You can look at the negative of it and be it’s so hard to get into SXSW, ...but I look at it as it’s like an energy thing. You have so many minds converging in one place if you really kind of tap into that.

There’s really no bad that can really come of it,” said Stroud.

SXSW → Film

Wired society featured in short Natalee Blanchat

Campus Editor

Get With The Program is one of several animated short films that will be featured at this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival.

The three-minute and 30-second short was created by husband and wife duo, Jennifer Drummond-Deutrom and Mark Deutrom.

Drummond-Deutrom did the animation, editing, and storyline.

Duetrom is the co-author of the script who also created the score and produced the sound board.

Bob Sabiston, the owner of Flat Black Films, a local animation and software company, produced the film.

This animated commentary is about themes that include surveillance, the way new technology is manufactured, and how people live in a highly connected “wired society” as Deutrom puts it.

“All of the new technologies today are just appendages for people, and [the film] references that in a literal way,” said Deutrom. “People go about their daily lives not thinking that they are essentially wired into an interdependent grid of technology, including cell phone usage, web-surfing, texting, or anything else that would allow someone to be glued to a screen.”

According to Deutrom, the movie flows along smoothly.

With a storyline that can be compared to the 2010 science fiction movie Inception, the film goes by quickly and leaves the audience wanting to go back and watch it again, just to make sure they caught everything.

Deutrom is a musician by trade, currently in a new band called the County Bucks. He has been involved with playing, recording, and touring his music with different bands for over thirty years.

Although he has never written a screenplay before, he owes most of his film literacy to being a movie buff. He claims to have watched over 9,000 films.

“I’ve been a major film buff forever. I pretty much know what works in a movie and what doesn’t,” said Deutrom. “I toyed with the idea of writing screenplays before, but this is the first time I’ve actually gotten to go through the whole process of storyboarding and hashing out

Saul Hernandez•Staff Photographer

GET WITH THE PROGRAM — The musician, composer, songwriter, and producer Mark Deutrom of Austin,Texas, is one of many that will be featured at SXSW film festival this year.

Deutrom had his first professional engagement at the early age of 15. why things do what they do in a screen play. It was interesting.”

According to Deutrom, the film has done surprisingly well. So far it has been accepted into two major film festivals, including SXSW. Deutrom and his wife plan on dabbling with more animated films in the future.

“It was a really great exercise

to try to write something together. Being a musician and a producer, I’m not afraid to be fairly ruthless in the editing process which worked out for both of us,” said Deutrom.

“Hopefully, we can travel around the world with this little thing and see what happens.”

Deutrom plans on wearing his badge around the festival to

free venues, such as coffee houses and restaurants, where a badge isn’t necessary for entrance, to show off his badge with a “see, I’m a filmmaker“ type of persona.

“I’ve done stuff for South by Southwest before as a musician, but this is the first time I get to have my filmmaker badge, so I’m pretty psyched about that,” said Deutrom.

SXSW → Interactive

Gowalla to check-in at SXSW Karissa Rodriguez

Editor-in-Chief

From Facebook Places to Foursquare and to the newest location-based service (LBS) Google Hotpot, people are using mobile apps to “check-in” all over the world and update their statuses online.

Locally owned Gowalla has created a unique twist to the standard LBS application after getting their big start during SXSW in 2009.

“One of the things that we are working on here at Gowalla is the idea of discovery,” said Jonathan Caroll, the music and community manager for Gowalla. “We aren’t necessarily trying to send you out to the same place over and over.”

Over the past year, Gowalla has partnered with several universities, including the University of Texas, to offer

customized services for prospective students.

“Austin is definitely a big college town when you think about it,” said Caroll. “Different schools around the country are using Gowalla in different ways basing it on their prospective students.”

Students can use Gowalla to connect to other students or find something to do on campus when bored, according to Caroll.

Gowalla is nearing 1 million users this month and has expanded its services to include branding services for corporations like the Walt Disney Company and at special music events like Weezer concerts.

Users who visit Disney theme parks can collect digital passport stamps by visiting iconic locations like Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. Passport stamps are customized icons that Gowalla

users can earn as they discover new places.

Attending SXSW where the company first got its start is a must for Gowalla, said Caroll.

“Nobody had ever used our product,” said Caroll. “It was just really interesting experience because you all of a sudden got this petri dish of all these people that are generally good at using apps.”

During SXSW 2009, Gowalla received instant feedback from users attending the conference.

The company tested the limits of their network to determine if it could handle hundreds or thousands of users using the application at the same time.

The following year, Gowalla won the Mobile category in the 2010 SXSW Interactive awards and is currently planning for this year’s SXSW. An official party for the company will be held from 9

p.m. to midnight on March 14 at The Belmont with musical performances by Matt & Kim, as well as special guest Flosstradamus.

“We have a couple surprises that we are going to let people know happen that we are super stoked about,” said Caroll.

In addition to the official party, Gowalla CEO Josh Williams will be speaking about where location-based services are going in 2011 and beyond at 3:30 p.m. on March 14 in Salon H at the Hilton located at 500 East 4th Street.

Caroll will also be speaking in a dual panel with Texas State University professor Cindy Royal about how emerging social media platforms offer musicians unprecedented opportunities to distribute music and engage fans.

A SXSW Interactive or Platinum Badge will be required to attend all Gowalla events.

Accent editors to provide SXSW coverage online Sarah Vasquez

Assistant Editor

SXSW 2011 is almost here, and for the first time since the Accent has covered SXSW, we will be covering all three portions of the conference: music, film, and interactive.

All three editors will document their experiences with video cameras and update blogs on the Accent’s website at theaccent.org. Make sure to bookmark it now. Also, add Accent on Twitter and Facebook for short updates throughout the festival.

Editor-in-Chief Karissa Rodriguez is going to learn about the newest innovations in technology at SXSW Interactive. She’s going to liveblog the panels with Nerdist’s Chris Hardwick and SXSW Keynote Speaker Felicia Day. Assistant Editor Sarah Vasquez will stand on her feet for hours in the grungiest bars to bring back a glimpse of the newest bands people need to know about.

Campus Editor Natalee Blanchat will cover the film portion. She will stand in lines, sit in packed movie theaters to watch upcoming films and maybe, just maybe, catch a glimpse of Jake Gyllenhaal’s swoon-worthy smile in person.

Dana Manickavasagam•Lead Photographer

GEAR UP — (left to right) Sarah Vasquez, Karissa Rodriguez, and Natalee Blanchat pose in front of the Round Rock campus.