November 22, 2010 theAccent.org
First Copy Free Volume 13, Issue 5
Green Pass program renewed pg. 3 Comic Con Descends on Austin pg. 10 Peruvian fine dining on campus pg. 4 News → Events
Holy
Riverbat
New mascot makes first apperance at Northridge campus Sarah Vasquez
Life & Arts Editor
Everyone who attended the Riverbat Rally on Nov. 18 got the first look at the new mascot. R. B. Bbhoggawact, the purple bat with a green tuft of hair, made his grand entrance out of a Camaro wearing an ACC Riverbats shirt. The crowd cheered as he danced his way to the stage at the Northridge campus. It’s been over a year since the search for a mascot started. After the long process of gathering suggestions, coming up with a name, and designing a costume, ACC finally has a mascot. “This is a dream come true. We worked really hard. We put in endless hours, and to finally see it come to where we are today is very exciting,” said Avy Gonzalez, mascot search committee chair. Following the reveal, Student Life team members introduced the new Riverbat dance, the “R. B. Step” and encouraged students to join in. Tim Swain, SL assistant at Cypress Creek, helped come up with the dance. “It definitely feels great to know that we can be a part of history in the making here at ACC. I think the greatest reward is knowing that we’re doing something that really uplifts the campus and it gives back to the campus in such a way that it just makes people feel what it means to be a part of ACC,” said Swain. There is also a Student Life original song, recorded and mixed at ACC’s commercial music management recording studio, that goes with the dance by the same name. “We wanted something to encapsulate what it means to be an ACC student, and we wanted to do it in such a way that it really captures the hearts of not only the students, but the faculty and staff members here,” said Swain. Merchandise with the Riverbat logo, including shirts, hats, coffee mugs, and water bottles, is already available at ACC bookstores. “When you purchase a T-shirt or any Riverbat merchandise, it goes to ACC scholarships so it’s a win win,” said Brett Lea, executive director of Karissa Rodriguez • Photo/Web Editor public information and college marketing. Video and images from the event, including Student Life doing the “R. B. BAT-TASTIC ENTRANCE — Riverbat mascot R. B. Bbhoggawact makes his grand entrance after emerging from a police Step” are available on the Accent website, theaccent.org. escorted Camaro at the Riverbat Rally. The rally, held Nov. 18 at Northridge Campus, was the Riverbat’s first public appearance.
Arts → Literature
Writing stories that honor sacrifices made by women Writer Julia Alvarez speaks as part of ACC’s Big Read
ACC heads EAST
Art faculty, students show off their artwork at ninth annual East Austin Studio Tour Hilary Shepherd
Staff Reporter
Michael Needham Campus Editor
If this was written in the Dominican Republic during the time of President Rafael Trujillo, his government would have forced this article to praise his name. Instead, the focus will be on Julia Alvarez, who escaped the Trujillo regime with her family when she was a child. Alvarez grew up knowing that not everyone got away. Others stayed and paid the ultimate price as they stood up against Trujillo’s corruption. The Mirabal sisters did just that. “They were the ones that were the mirror image of my family,” said Alvarez. “I always felt very curious about them and how they got brave enough to do this.” What they did was give their lives for their country. On Nov 25, 1960, three of the sisters were beaten to death. Before that they had been imprisoned several times. All this happened because they refused to stay silent about the dictatorship they despised. Alvarez was intrigued by their story and wanted to write it. She decided to make the book historical fiction. Partway through the process she became worried she might offend the family of the Mirabal sisters. “In the middle of writing it I got a little scared that they would disapprove,” said Alvarez. “I tried to create
Arts → Visual Arts
For the second year in a row, students and faculty members from ACC’s art department presented their work – a mixture of ceramics, drawings, paintings, sculptures, and prints – at the ninth annual East Austin Studio Tour (EAST). The free event, which was launched in 2003, displays the artwork of more than 300 Austin artists and takes place at approximately 150 studios around the city. Over the course of two weekends, art patrons can witness live
demonstrations, mix and mingle with artists, and purchase pieces that pique their interests. 32 pieces from ACC’s art department were featured at Graphic Glass Studios, also known as Pine Street Station, on east Fifth Street. “Last year, we exhibited our study abroad students from Costa Rica and Italy, as well as our Steamroller Madness pieces,” said Julie Isaacson, art studios and exhibitions specialist and coordinator of ACC’s involvement with EAST. “This year, for a change, we selected certain
See EAST, pg. 9
Adrienne Sparks • Staff Photographer
BIG READER — Author Julia Alvarez tells audience
members at ACC’s Big Read event on Nov. 17 about her first experiences with reading. Alvarez’s novel “In the Time of Butterflies” was chosen to be the headlining book for this year’s Big Read program. characters that would be believable with the flaws of human beings. I thought they wouldn’t be happy about that. I thought about making it all fiction and actually they were the ones that asked me to keep their names as the Mirabal sisters so that their memory would not die, and people would know them. They actually convinced me that they would really welcome the story.” Alvarez published their story as, “In the Time of the Butterflies,” in 1994. Since then the book has won many
awards. Recently, it was chosen from a list of books prepared by the National Endowment for the the Arts (NEA) to be to be the headlining book for ACC’s Big Read 2010. Alvarez was very pleased to have the book picked. “It’s tremendously gratifying to have this book chosen,” said Alvarez. “It’s really wonderful to feel like the book has not died with the years, but is still being read.” Alvarez explained that she is still close with the family of the
See Author, pg. 5
Andrew Pagan • Lead Photographer
PIECE OF WORK — Local artist Janette Dorsey paints a mural outside of Graphic Glass
Studios on Nov. 15 during the East Austin Studio Tour. Dorsey said she was painting a mural of a treasure box that contains the heavens as her contribution to the annual studio tour.