MLK march on page 5
Al
February 2, 2009
www.theAccent.org
SGA president goes to Washington when the last train departed. At 1:30 Tuesday morning, we boarded the last subway train going the opposite way to stay warm in a 24-hour McDonalds and be at the very beginning of the subway line when trains resumed running at 4:00 a.m.. The train was ridiculous. We caught the first train out and it was already packed. You would not believe how many people were trying to catch that train at 4:10! By the time we got to the Metro Center, the transfer point to two of the other four subway lines, there was no more room in our car. People had to be forcibly pushed off the train when they kept trying to pile their way into the car. When we got to our final destination, the line to leave the subway was so long that it snaked around the entire platform twice. To show you just how many people came to the Inauguration, by the Metro authority’s figures, subways serviced over 800,000 rides during the 3 o’clock hour alone. That was about two and a half hours after the Inauguration had ended! Photo Courtesy of Brad Burnett
Student Government president Brad Burnett stands in front of the Washinton Monument. Funded by ACC and the Center for Public Policy, Brad was sent on an all expenses paid trip to Washington D.C. to witness the inauguration and keep a blog of his experiences.
Student posts blogs about the inaugural celebration of President Barack Obama
Brad Burnett Staff writer
Over the winter break, our Student Government Association president Brad Burnett had the opportunity to go on an all expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C. for the inauguration and gala. ACC and the Center for Public Policy and Political Studies funded the trip. He attended the inauguration events from the grounds of the US Capitol. While he was there, he kept an online blog tracking his experience. An edited version of that blog follows. Link to the full blog at theaccent.org. The Concert The inaugural Concert kick-off event was spectacular.
I was a few hundred yards from the stage, and while I could not see the performers very clearly from my position, there were many ‘jumbotrons’ which made up for the fact it was not easy to see what was going on on stage. The crowd was great at the concert. There was a definite sense of anticipation and joy everywhere you looked. I had never seen such a tightly packed crowd until the actual inauguration, It was pretty amazing to me that there were no fights in the crowd. Usually in such a tightly packed area, there will be disagreements that lead to fights. There was none of that. It was as if people really bought into the “We Are One” theme, and it was great
to see. The performers were equally impressive. I have to admit that I was not going to go before my roommate’s friend convinced me to do so. I really did not feel like I would enjoy the music. Surprisingly enough, my favorite performer at the concert was Garth Brooks. Country is one of my least favorite genres of music, but I have to admit that he is an incredible performer. When he started playing, everyone started jumping around and dancing. Not only were all the artists who preformed great musicians, they were all incredible entertainers. Similarly, all the speakers were dynamic and touching. I left
the concert exuberant and looking forward to the actual inauguration. Getting There Inaugural day was an experience. Three of my friends and I had been able to get tickets to the Inauguration in the silver seating area, which was the ticketed area farthest from the Capitol and there was standing-room only. We had planned to leave on the last subway train toward Washington (our apartment was located in North Bethesda, Maryland) Monday night so that we could be one of the first groups in line to get the best possible vantage to see the Inauguration. Well, we had received bad information as to
Getting Closer After a less-than-stellar job at navigating the security perimeter that had been established, we headed to the back of a line that was so long you could not see the first security checkpoint, which consisted of a marathon-style gate that spanned an entire street. Couple the extremely long line with a lack of crowd control which led to thousands of people jumping the line, and my friends and I had a poor view of the festivities for a while. There were two staging areas for the Silver ticket holders. There was one area with the best view which was directly behind the seated and standing-room only Purple and Red ticket holders. Once this first Silver area was filled, it was closed off, and a secondary area behind the Capitol Reflecting Pool began to fill. ȩȩ Inauguration continued on page 3
Jazz band lands next big gig at gala Kaitlin Neve
They have already been invited by the leading candidate for President of Costa Austin Community Rica to come play for her College’s Jazz Ensemble and there,” Young said. director for the Ensemble, Dr. “They played for one hour Tom Husak, were invited to and ten minutes, opening up Washington to perform at a the evening with a special 2009 presidential inaugural arrangement of America the gala. Beautiful,” Young said. Special Assistant to the The Jazz Ensemble was the President for External Affairs at only community college band ACC, Linda Young, was invited to be invited. They also perto serve on the committee for formed at Howard University one of the inaugural galas in on Jan. 19. DC and secured the jazz band’s The performance was invitation. broadcasted live over the “The Ensemble members internet using Technology were having rehearsals a Serving Humanity Link-Live number of nights leading up Program at www.link-live.org. to the trip and performances,” The web cast also featured live Young said. video streaming from events The event took place at in several other cites. the Corcoran Gallery of Art “The venue at the Corcoran located across from the south was so dramatic and beautiful, lawn of the White House, and and they played their hearts lasted from 7 p.m. to midnight. out. People from all over the The Jazz Ensemble was featured country and from other counalong with four other vocal tries loved the music,” Young performances. said. Staff Writer
Alma Hernandez • Photo/Web Editor
Right to Left: Mike Minnick, Steve Addamo, Duane Keith and Dave Robison, trumpet players with ACC’s Jazz Ensemble rehearse at the Northridge campus on January 15. This was their last rehearsal before heading to Washington D.C. to play an inaugurational gala at Howard University on January 19.
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Volume 2, Issue 1
Obama proposes funding for students Karissa Rodriguez Staff Writer President Barack Obama’s website says that “community colleges are a vital component of our higher education system.” The President’s campaign proposals provide a general blueprint for community colleges’ role in Obama’s future plans. Obama’s education proposals range from making more money available to students through financial aid to making community colleges free for most students. The President wants to make college affordable to all Americans by proposing a new tax credit called the American Opportunity Tax Credit. The tax credit would consolidate the existing Hope and Lifetime Learning tax credits, the college tuition deduction, and cover $4,000 of college costs and be fully refundable, according to the American Association of Community Colleges. As proposed, the plan would make community college tuition completely free for most students. However, recipients of the credit would be required to conduct 100 hours of community service each year. Last year, ACC helped students receive over $53 million in financial aid, scholarships, grants, work-study, and loans, according to ACC’s financial aid website. ACC will be able to provide more financial assistance if Obama’s proposal for boosting the maximum Pell Grant is approved. Although he doesn’t provide specifics as to how high, instead, Obama pledges to readjust the maximum award every year to take account of the inflationary costs of college tuition, according to the American Association of Community Colleges. The President also plans to create a Community College Partnership Program that would assist ACC monetarily. Through the program community colleges will receive grants for conducting analyses of the types of skills and technical education that are in high demand from students and local industries, implementing new associate degree programs that cater to emerging industry and technical career demands, and rewarding those institutions that graduate more students and increase their numbers of transfer students to four-year institutions, the AACC states. Obama also plans to streamline the applications for the financial aid process. The plan will eliminate the current federal financial aid application, FAFSA, families will simply apply by checking a box on their tax form, authorizing their tax information to be used, eliminating the need for a separate application. Obama said “without community colleges, millions of people would not be able to access the education and skills they need to further education or succeed in the workplace.”
Forum
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R edress of Grievances
Student Loans Jamie Carpenter Campus Editor
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Anny Ibarra • Staff Artist
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More and more employers are using social networking sites, looking up potential employee’s profiles, and determining if they want to interview or hire them based on what they post online. This practice of pre-employment vetting needs to stop and be made illegal. It’s absurd to know that while you still may have a stellar resume and several references claiming that you are a great employee or student, posted pictures that shed a not so professional light on you may land your application into the trash bin instead of landing you a call back for a interview. Instead of judging you on your application and resume, employers are judging your social life. Is it unreasonable to ask an employer to ignore what they’ve seen on your online profile? No, because your social life outside of the workplace is none of their business, and employers may be violating several laws. If an employer decides to not hire someone based on information found on the Internet, they could be accused
Our View
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Columnist
In a disappointing end to months of debate, it is decided that the Daily Texan’s on-site printing press is officially going up for sale. The decision came after the Texas Student Media Board of Operating Trustees voted that now was the best time to start the process of trying to find a buyer. The Accent is also printed there and will have to find another printing press. The printing for the Daily Texan and The Travesty will have to be outsourced as well, they will most likely use the Austin American-Statesman’s press. The director of Texas Student Media, Kathy Huting said that due to the state of the newspaper industry, it will be difficult to find a timely buyer. This is the nice way of saying that buying a printing press right now would be like insuring a terminally ill patient that’s gasping for air. That is to say, it’s the right thing to do, but no one will. It is a loss to journalism students at the University, and a missed opportunity for those here at ACC that hope to transfer. UT has one of the best schools of journalism in the country. The fact that the board is not doing everything it can to preserve the long standing tradition of the best possible training in journalism is disappointing. The Daily Texan, The Travesty, The Accent, and any other paper printed on that printing press will endure. We will all find new printing presses. However, this decision has sparked commentary on the broader issue of the condition of print journalism as a whole. The closing of the printing press can be looked at as the beginnings of a move away from traditional printed papers. As in all things, media goes through phases. Any long-term choices that hinders the education of future journalists based on the current trend of online news could truly hurt the future of media. Bloggers provide a great service. Some break stories quickly and make the news easier to access for readers online. The reality, however, is that the heart of real journalism is rooted in newspapers, and even if all students of journalism eventually end up working strictly online, they will be better, more thorough reporters, for having spent time with a traditional
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Karissa Rodriguez
of violating discrimination laws, for instance, by not hiring people of a certain race or sexual orientation. Other laws employers could be violating are privacy laws and the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which regulates how background searches are conducted. It is difficult to prove that an employer is violating the law by using your profile as a vetting tool though, so stopping them from using this practice is nearly impossible. If employers will not stop pre-screening applicants with social networking sites, they should at least allow you to defend yourself instead of automatically ruling you out because they saw something they didn’t like posted on your online profile. Yes, an applicant could avoid these potential issues by ensuring that their profile settings are made private. Perhaps that is a precaution that Internet users need to be more diligent in considering, but a social networking site is assumed to be a place to make friends and meet people, whether or not that has to do with the workplace. The bottom line is your social life, offline and online, should be private from employers. It’s a shame that many employers see online profiles as an opportunity for weeding out potential employees. My advice for students who are seeking jobs: create two profiles, one private and one public, professional profile.
stop the presses
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ACC has spoiled me. The organizations are great, and I’ve somehow managed to schedule my classes on the same campus three semesters in a row. The truth is that my fondness for this place is because I can afford to attend it. The economy is down the drain. You can hardly turn on a TV, read the paper, or listen to the radio without hearing that. While most industries are taking huge losses, enrollment at community colleges is on the rise. According to Business Week’s article “Community Colleges get Squeezed” published earlier this year, “the rapid growth in enrollment in community colleges nationwide will only be exacerbated by the current economic crisis.” In fact, more than half of all college students in Texas go to community college. I am happy to be at ACC getting a good education and saving money, but it’s a sad reality that if I want to continue my education it’s going to cost a lot more than the $900 a semester that I’m used to. I’m not the only one. Even with financial aid, students are turned off from big
universities. It’s not worth it for all of them to graduate with a four year degree only to have a ton of debt to pay back with no guarantee of finding a good job outside of college. Unfortunately, these days, students are competing with recently laid off job-seekers with years of experience. I think it is great that the community colleges are seeing a boost in enrollment. They are a great opportunity, but the elephant in the room is that once students finish their time here, they can’t afford to go further, and an associate’s degree is just not as competitive as a bachelor’s in a many jobs. While risky credit might have caused the failing economy in the first place, students still might want to consider taking a chance with loans to continue their education. It’s scary to take on debt in such hard times, but scarier to face the job market without as much education as one can get. It’s hard to get into a career field that you enjoy without the education needed for that field. Running up debt for a house you can’t afford or maxing out your credit card is not the kind of debt that you want to have. Consider going for a four year degree if you can. It’s one of the few credit gambles that‘s really worth it.
Accent • February 2, 2009
Staff Editorial
Sarah Neve Editor-in-Chief • David Rodriguez Assistant Editor Jamie Carpenter Campus Editor • Alma Hernandez Photo/Web Editor Jana Lelek Layout Editor • Chris Scott Layout Intern
print paper. Blogs have a quick turnover that can eliminate in-depth reporting and extensive fact checking. The desire for traditional journalism is not gone. As the state of the nation changes, and more and more history changing events take place, more Americans will take an interest in news, and the Americans effected most by current affairs tend to be the ones who don’t wake up first thing in the morning and spend two hours cruising the web for headlines in their pajamas. They are the ones who wake up early, and work long hours, and maybe can’t afford a computer. Journalism is changing. I would have hoped that, for the sake of the students, the Texas Student Media Board would have held off on selling the press until the newspaper staff had a chance to figure out what they were going to do. It’s not exactly a seller’s market, they will have to take a bargain basement offer on the printing press that the Staff of the Daily Texan and other papers obviously wanted to keep
using. Americans still need tangible journalism that is based out of their communities, and small businesses still have a need for a place to advertise locally. All student press organizations and the colleges that support them should teach the skills needed for new media, but there should be a conscious decision to preserve traditional journalism training, complete with a real relationship with the printing press. The kind of journalism that is researched, written, and tossed haphazardly online by one person, sitting alone in their house, in under half of an hour, pales in comparison to the skills learned working with a conventional staff. It is during traditional training that reporters develop a true need to serve their community, and a respect for the well crafted journalism that can save lives and change history. It is looking more and more like this is the kind we need.
Obama = Socialism
Rob Palladino Columnist
An old friend called me from London on Nov. 5 last year and said “what a fantastic day for America; we can all like them again now Obama won.” He asked me what I thought and I asked him if he remembered the socialist UK government of Jim Callaghan. There was a pause for the thought, a tired sigh and all of a sudden the conversation made a left-turn, if you’ll pardon the pun. Callaghan was a disaster for the UK in many ways. In the early 1970s Britain was the most financially backward, badly governed socialist state since East Germany. It was the Britain of run-away unions strangling the country with demand after demand, the garbage filled streets that housed hoards of breeding rats, the three-day week, and power outages that stopped the populous dead in its tracks after 7 p.m. (although candle manufacturers made a killing, so I’m sure those days bring back dewy-eyed memories for some.) In the coming months we’ll all have many words to write about Obama as he tries to come to grips with a failed/ failing US economy (using a pork-laden “Stimulus” package), the oncoming disaster that will be Universal Healthcare and the lovely jokesters from Hamas and their paymasters in Iran doing their
level best to obliterate Israel. Plus, you have the bare-faced lie that is man-made global warming, and it all adds up to nothing but storm clouds, bum deals – mainly for us taxpayers - and laughing terroristsupporting nuclear powers. Obama is being viewed, although I have no idea why, as some sort of savior figure for America and the rest of the world. There must be something in the water, because it is quite plainly, a joke. America has voted in the most left-leaning President in US history and he will take this country in a socialist direction never previously thought possible and it’s not going to be pretty. Like any incoming president he has inherited some of the problems left by the outgoing commander-in-chief, but I have a sneaking feeling that Obama will be the creator of his own problems (that ultimately become our problems) and within six months will pretty much own everything that’s been going on he will have created. All who voted for this man have been bawling for universal health care, and they will probably get it. Let me say this once, just so you understand: Universal Healthcare doesn’t work, never has, never will. The National Health Service has been tottering on the brink of disaster almost since its inception in 1948. By the 1980s it was in free-fall. Doctors were working 80-90 hours-a-week, nurses were looking for jobs in the private sector and, hospitals were cold, dank, badly light hellholes that invited death rather than fought it and it’s not much better now, despite what Michael Moore so blatantly lied about in his propaganda piece “Sicko.” I spoke to a bunch of friends and
relatives who saw that movie, and they said it was a “lie.” “The NHS is still in shambles”, said one, “you still have to wait months, sometimes years, for a surgical procedure and when you eventually get to the hospital, your doctor will make a call on whether you deserve it, based on whether you’re young enough.” This is the kind of third world attitude Obama will bring to what is a healthcare system that is the envy of the world. I have had a few “procedures” and within days, sometimes weeks, everything is taken care of and I can get on with my life. Now, I’m not saying that people without health insurance should not get care, they should. What I am saying
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is that this system is better, because of what it is than how Obama wants it to be. Universal health care will cause far more damage than it will create good. Take it from someone who knows. Another thing that greatly disturbed me is the way that Obama became president.
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Read more of Rob’s thoughts on the election, journalism, and what Obama will mean for the U.S. @
TheAccent.org
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OFFICE OF STUDENT LIFE RGC, 1212 Rio Grande St., Room 101.1 Austin TX 78701 Editor-in-Chief.........................................................................................................Sarah Neve Assistant Editor............................................................................................... David Rodriguez Photo/Web Editor...........................................................................................Alma Hernandez Layout Editor..............................................................................................................Jana Lelek Layout Intern............................................................................................................Chris Scott Campus Editor................................................................................................. Jamie Carpenter Copy Editor............................................................................................... Julie Gorkowski-Day Accent Adviser............................................................................................. Matthew Connolly Accent Coordinator................................................................................................Lori Blewett Student Life Director......................................................................................... Cheryl Richard Writers Trevor W. Goodchild, Shawn Hinojosa, Adam Oliphant, Karissa Rodriguez, Sarah Vasquez, Shane Yount, Brad Burnett, Kaitlin Neve, Rob Palladino, Matt Thompson, Lindsay Preston Photographers Teodora Erbes, Sarah Vasquez, Kevin Forester Artists Karen Kuhn, Anny Ibarra ACC President Dr. Steve Kinslow Board of Trustees Ms. Nan McRaven– Chair; Ms. Veronica Rivera—Vice Chair; Dr. James McGuffee—Secretary, Dr. Barbara P. Mink, Allen Kaplan, Mr. Jeffrey Richard, John-Michael Cortez, Tim Mahoney, Raul Alvarez All rights reserved. All content is the property of Accent and may not be reproduced, published or retransmitted in any form without written permission from the Office of Student Life. Accent is the student newspaper of Austin Community College and is printed by the Texas Student Publications. Accent is published biweekly. ACC students may submit articles for publication in Accent to RGC’s Office of Student Life Room 101.1; e-mail articles to accent@austincc.edu or fax submissions to 223‑3086. ACC does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, political affiliation or disability. Accent offers ACC’s faculty, staff, students and surrounding community a complete source of information about student life. Accent welcomes your input, as well as information about errors. If you notice any information that warrants a correction please e-mail accent@austincc.edu. Individual views, columns, letters to the editor and other opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the views of Accent.
News
February 2, 2009 • Accent
To Be Brief Three hour Blackout scheduled
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Every campus watches the inaugural celebration
The Student Government Association will be hosting Blackout, ACC’s game night, on Friday, Feb. 13 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Rio Grande Campus student lounge. The event will have pizza, snacks, and soda. Halo, Rock Band, and Dance Dance Revolution are among the games that will be available to play on the various gaming systems that includes Xbox 360, Wii, and Play station. The event is free for all ACC students, but you must be over 17 to enter and show your ACC ID. One non-ACC guest is allowed per student.
Round Rock groundbreaking ceremony open to everyone The Round Rock Campus groundbreaking is scheduled for Thursday, February 5th from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The campus is scheduled to be open for enrollment Fall 2010. The event is open and free to the public. Parking will be made available at the Round Rock Higher Education Center. To R.S.V.P, call 223- 7595.
Teadora Erbes •Staff Photographer
Philosophy, Religion Dept. host three part lecture series at EVC The Philosophy and Religion department will be hosting a 3 part lecture series that begins Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009 at 7 p.m. at the Eastview Campus Auditorium. The first lecture will focus on Judaism and will be given by Rabbi David Komerofsky. According to the press release, students can apply to be panelists by contacting Melinda Rothouse at mrothous@austincc.edu.
Board approves renovation funds The ACC Board of Trustees approved spending $125,800 on Jan 12 to renovate the Highland Business Center Boardroom. The sound and video equipment has not been replaced for almost 20 years. The renovation, which will be done by Ford AudioVideo in Mar., will replace aging microphones with dynamic microphones that reduce ambient noise, and add three additional video cameras to better caption the proceedings of the board meetings. Six 42” flat panel monitors will also replace existing CRT TVs inside the boardroom. Presentations will be enhanced by an improved sound system and integrated projectors, which most classrooms at ACC already have.
ACC branch of Phi Theta Kappa invites new members for spring
Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society, has a local chapter at ACC for students who are interested and meet the academic requirements. The societies acceptance of members is contingent upon GPA status which varies depending on hours completed here at ACC. Students will formally be invited at the beginning of each semester if the requirements are met. Outside of academic success, Phi Theta Kappa also believes in “serving as leaders in their community” according to their press release. More information on the honor society is made available on ACC’s website.
Above: Students at NRC gathered to watch the inauguration in the lobby. More pictures of students celebrating can be found on the theaccent.org Alma Hernandez • Photo/Web Editor
Left: Student Life at Eastview poses the question to students, “What can I do to bring change today?”, as part of their inauguration viewing party on Jan. 20.
Inauguration captured in student blog ȨȨ Continued from page one
My friends and I were stuck in this secondary area up against two waist-high chain link fences. It was not long before the first of these plastic barriers fell. There were only two US Capitol police officers to look after thousands of people and about 100 yards of barricade. Once the first barricade got trampled over, four US Border Patrol agents were called in to look over the second, and last, barrier between us and the reflecting pool. The irony of US Border Patrol agents being tasked with guarding a wall was not lost on us, and they kept the crowd back for about an hour or so. When the dam finally burst and the fence was overrun, the Border Patrol could do little to hold us back and let us go.
Once this last barrier between the crowd and the open space around the reflecting pool fell, a stampede rushed down the sides of the reflecting pool to get the best spot they could. About 10 US Capitol police officers rushed to keep stop the crowd and reestablish a secondary barricade so that the situation did not get out of control and so no one would get injured. There were a few tense moments as people looked around and wondered if they would get in trouble for following the crowd into the previously restricted Reflecting Pool, but the US Capitol police were very polite and professional the entire time. They only started removing people when people tried to bypass this secondary barricade. Most importantly, no one was injured.
ACC’s Channel 19 goes all digital
Adam Oliphant Staff Writer
ACC’s Channel 19 is now only being broadcasted digitally on Time Warner Cable. The move, which happened on Jan 12 will improve sound and picture quality. Channel 19 serves ACC in a variety of ways. Some distance learning courses use the channel as a means of sending lectures to students in addition to streaming them over the Internet, and providing them in the libraries. The channel also broadcasts the ACC Board meetings, career openings at
ACC, and original programming, including ACC Cooks, a culinary show housed by ACC’s Culinary program. ACC and Time Warner Cable started announcing the switch in signal because the community depends on the program. The change was publicized by TWC before the switch using many avenues, including the Austin American Statesman, the TWC central Texas web site, and in the bills of TWC subscribers. ACC has notified the faculty of this change, and has announced the switch on its web site, and on a repeating
message on Channel 19. Roger Heaney, a spokesperson from Time Warner Cable said that one free digital cable box per household will be provided free of charge for TWC customers who subscribe to all non digital packages. The box can be picked up at any TWC customer service locations or can be mailed to subscribers by calling 512485-5555. TWC customers who subscribe to digital cable or have TV’s equipped with a QAM tuner will be unaffected by this change. The digital box will also provide premium content
including an enhanced TV programming listing, access to Movies on Demand and Pay Per View for an additional fee.
Anny Ibarra • Staff Artist
The Inauguration of Barack Obama From the Reflecting Pool, we watched the Inauguration. Trees partially screened both the stage and there were unwisely placed jumbotrons, but at least we were closer. The atmosphere was much like the one I had experienced at the ‘We Are One’ concert, although I must admit that Mr. Obama’s recitation of the Oath of Office was a bit anti-climatic. It might be because I could not see it very well, I could not hear it well due to everyone around me screaming their heads off, my overblown expectations of what it would be like, the fact that I had not slept in over 36 hours, or that the oath is very short; but I was felt with a feeling of, “That’s it?” I guess that is just as well since the Founding Fathers hated pomp and wanted to differentiate the President from the royal trappings of a King. For me, the most exciting and emotionally gratifying part of the whole program was the Inaugural Address. Mr. Obama is a very dynamic speaker and I could listen to him all day. What struck me most, however, was not his delivery; it was his words. He speaks to the heart of every American, whether Republican, Democrat, or Independent. He also speaks to the world and I think he served both the American people and the world very well with his first speech as President of the United States. Getting Out The dispersal of the crowd was as big a spectacle as the actual inauguration was. Traffic into DC was closed for the Inauguration, and there were
people everywhere. It seemed like a science fiction movie to see such a mass exodus of people walking down a paved highway, and the subways were just as crazy. The subway station closest to where we were had a line over a block-and-ahalf long and compromising of half of the street, just to get into the station! Seeing the massive crowds, we took refuge in the Longworth House Office Building where one of my friends, Congressman Rep. John Hall of New York, was having a small meet-theCongressman social for about an hour. From there we had to walk about six or seven blocks to one of the three or four working Metro stations within 3 miles of the Capitol. All told, I spent over 16 hours at the Inauguration from the time I left my apartment at 1 am to when I got back at 5:30 pm. Once I got to my apartment I had to turn around and throw on my tuxedo so that I could go to the LINK America Gala where ACC’s Jazz Ensemble was featured. You have to hear them play if you ever had a chance. ACC’s ensemble was the best musical act there! It was great meeting some of the band members and most of all, hearing them play. My trip to DC was amazing and something I will never forget. I met many great people and say many incredible things. I think it will take a few years to fully appreciate and digest everything I witnessed this past week-and-a-half. I hope I was able to share at least a little bit of it with you. Hopefully you will check back in a day or two when I am able to get all of the pictures my friends and I took posted.
RGC parking lot opening on time with more spaces Matt Thompson Staff Writer
It’s a bird, it’s plane, no it’s a crane! Construction of the new ACC Rio Grande parking garage is projected to be completed by Fall of 2009.
Kevin Forester • Staff Photographer
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no it’s a crane! Construction of the new ACC Rio Grande parking garage is projected to be completed by Fall of 2009.
The parking garage at the Rio Grande campus is currently on target for its completion date of Aug. 2009. The garage, located on the corner of 12th and Shoal Creek, was approved for another level in late Oct. of last year, making the planned structure seven stories. The additional story will provide 90 more parking spaces, putting the structure at a total of 543 spaces. Project Manager Pamela Collier notes, “a parking study in 2004 indicates the Rio Grande campus is deficient by nearly 1,200 parking spaces and maximizing the parking is extremely critical at this
campus.” The City of Austin approved the seven levels and provided the development permit on Oct. 31. The construction is running on schedule and remains under the 75 foot height limit. The retail level on the ground floor is an appropriate amount of square footage, as suggested by neighbors, and is on budget. Right now, as many have noticed, is the loudest time during construction as big machinery is now on site and concrete has begun to be poured. More information, along with photos, on the development of the project can be found on the official ACC web site. Chris Scott • Layout Intern
Campus News
February 2, 2009 • Accent
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ACC honors MLK Day with march, awards Eastview campus hosts Youth Legacy Awards Jamie Carpenter Campus Editor
This year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Legacy Awards were held at Eastview campus for the first time. In the past, the ceremony took place in several locations, including St. Edwards University and Huston-Tillotson University. The Legacy Awards took place on Sunday, Jan. 16 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Huston- Tillotson’s Jazz Ensemble Band, which played a varied set of songs including “Girl from Ipanema,” and “These are a Few of My Favorite Things” provided entertainment for the reception. Dr. Joni Jones, director of the Warfield Center for African-American Studies at the University of Texas, emceed the Awards Ceremony. Dr. Kathleen Christensen, Vice President of Student Support and Success Systems of ACC, said “higher education is worth the struggle. It has the best rate of return. Once you have it, it does not depreciate. According to the College Board Statistics, those who have their G.E.D. earn about $31,000 a year, their associates about $39,000 a year and their Bachelors, generally, $56,000 a year.” Aside from the monetary incentives, she also said “there is nothing more satisfying than personal accomplishment.” Dr. Jones informed the audience that this ceremony honoring MLK has been around for the last 16 years, and that despite Dr. King’s recognition for his commitment to African-Americans, he also had a “strong commitment to everyone with his principles.” Along with his involvement with the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. King was also a strong anti-war advocate and supporter for environmental concerns. Sydney Barber, a tenth grader from McCallum High School, provided entertainment midway through the ceremony by performing one of Mozart’s pieces. Before handing the mike over to Dr. Richard Reddick,
the guest speaker for the night, Dr. Jones, said that “too often we hear stories of youth in Austin that are not uplifting.” However, she said that this was not the case for the nominees up for the scholarship awards whose determination, drive, and focus were “something that some adults never acquire.” Dr. Richard Reddick, assistant professor at the University of Texas, is “a proud graduate of Johnston High School.” In his speech, he focused heavily on the positive influence mentoring has on youth, noting that Jan is National Mentoring Month. He mentioned his own mentor at Harvard, Benjamin Mays, who went to school at Moorehouse with Martin Luther King Jr. He also mentioned that the first role Michelle Obama had with Barack Obama was as his mentor when he first came into their law firm. There were 73 nominees for the 13 different scholarship awards including such categories as Best Athlete (male and female), Beating the Odds, and Academic Excellence and Community Service. R.J. Vaughn, a junior at Hendrickson High School who won the Youth Humanitarian Award said, “I was actually pretty humbled.” After the students received the awards, a closing message was read from the office of Lloyd Doggett. “If all Martin Luther King had done was dream, we wouldn’t show up. When MLK rallied the nation for civil rights, he fought not just for them. When we embrace the dream, we renew his commitment to the dream.” Loretta Edelen, Director of Community Outreach for ACC said, “I hope that participants will observe the use of their taxpaying dollars at work in the community at our Eastview Campus and hopefully inspire them to strive for achieving higher education. I also hope that they will be inspired by the actions of our youth, motivated to reach their highest goals, and reminded that good work is recognized and rewarded.”
All photos by Alma Hernandez • Photo/Web Editor
Above: Austinites gather at the capitol as part of the 16th annual Community March celebrating the MLK holiday on January 19. The march celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy while promoting diversity and multi-culturalism in Austin.
King day march rallies at Capitol Left: Thousands march on Jan. 19 from UT to the capitol to their final destination, a cultural festival at Huston-Tillotson University to celebrate the MLK holiday. Below: CODEPINK Austin joins the march and displays their message of peace. CODE PINK Austin is a grassroots group initiated by women working to end the war in Iraq
MLK Day, Obama inspire service Trevor Goodchild Staff Writer
While many were taking a break from work on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, others, such as government major Yari Ojeda Sande, were busy volunteering on Jan. 19 for a Day of Service. President Barack Obama encouraged the nation to be active on this day to help out their communities, and he declared it a National Day of Service. President Obama pitched in by painting a wall in an emergency shelter in Washington, D.C. for homeless teens. Ojeda Sande volunteered at the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at HustonTillotson University (HT). “It is rewarding to get involved in the community. It makes me feel like I have a purpose and that I’m connected,” said Ojeda Sande. She volunteered as part of her commitment with AmeriCorps, a nonprofit that rewards tuition money for helping out in addressing critical needs of communities across the country. “I feel like you have to live what you believe, and I believe volunteering is important,” said Ojeda Sande. The participants marched
Advice game, speaker highlight conference Jamie Carpenter Campus Editor
Photo courtesy of Claudette Jenks
Rosa Toscano, a member of College for All Texans/Americorps helps a child paint what she would want to exist in a peaceful world. The peace wall painting was an activity at the MLK Day Festival hosted at Huston-Tillotson University Monday, January 19.
from the MLK statue on the UT campus to HT where they took part in the free activities such as face-painting, tie-dyeing t-shirts, cotton candy and live entertainment. “[It] was interesting to watch the different races interacting on an event like this. There were two kids in particular, one black and one white and it was nice to see them hug and interact like good friends... It was evident that times have changed,” said Ojeda Sande. The Austin Area Heritage Council, a nonprofit that is
known for uniting business and religious leaders for race dialogues, oversaw the events. Several well known speakers, such as actor James Earl Jones, U.S. Ambassador Andrew Young, and Director of the NAACP Kweisi Mfume have spoken at the event over the years. The NAACP website quotes MLK’s discovery of his method for improving the world: “It was in this Gandhi an emphasis on love and nonviolence that I discovered the method for social reform that I had been seeking.”
Sigma Alpha Pi has several leadership events this semester, including speaker Tim Duffy and the Presidential Adviser Game. “It will be off the hook,” said Student Life Coordinator Quevarra Moten. Duffy, a National Leadership Consultant, will speak to students on how to get ahead in their personal and professional lives on Feb. 6 at the Riverside Campus, at 1 p.m.. The Presidential Adviser Game is a part of America’s Next Top Leader event on Feb. 20 at 9 a.m. at the Eastview Campus. Participants will mock advise President Obama on what he should accomplish in his first 100 days and first year in office. The event is free, and information will be made available on the student life web page regarding registration. “[ACC’s Sigma Alpha Pi] is one of the largest chapters in the United States. It’s not just a conference it’s an experience,” said Moten.
Teadora Erbes • Staff Photographer
Quevarra Moten, Riverside Student Life Coordinator animated the leadership training session at Riverside campus on January 21.
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Accent • February 2, 2009
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There’s nothing new in New In Town
Lindsay Preston Staff Writer
New In Town, directed by Jonas Elmer, offers a run-ofthe-mill fish out of water story. Lucy Hill, an ambitious, callous female executive (Renee Zellweger), is confronted by the folksy wisdom of small-town Midwesterner Ted Mitchell, a still-watersrun-deep union leader (Harry Connick, Jr.), when she is transferred from Miami to Minnesota in order to oversee
the downsizing of a plant at the heart of the local economy. After some friction and culture shock felt by both parties, her heart thaws as she comes to recognize Photot courtesy of Lionsgate the significance of community within the frozen tundra, where people survive by relying on each other. The plot is nice on the surface, albeit a little tired. New In Town even introduces some populist whisperings of weighing the corporate bottom-line against the lives of those potentially devastated by it’s impact. However, the script is terrible. The characters are over the top and the plot is thoroughly predictable at every step. The film is tedious and insulting to its audience.
New In Towns one hour and a half of monotonous, schmaltzy dialogue feels more like purgatory than an entertaining romp. Naturally, the blossoming, confrontational love affair between Zellweger’s executive and Connick, Jr’s union boss is inevitable as every one comes to learn a little more about the gift of community and judgment of how the other half lives, everyone but the audience that is. If any reader is interested in finding this familiar tale within a stronger and more interesting venue, I would encourage watching any episode of Northern Exposure, the 20 minutes of your time would be far less exhausting and cheaper.
Shawn Hinojosa
always great as she recreates Wallace’s wise mother, Voletta. The closing montage honors Wallace as the man and entertainer that he was, is, and forever will be remembered as. Any fan of hip hop music will appreciate this comingof-age story of one of hip hop’s royalty, which may be a little heavy-handed near the end as Wallace makes amends with nearly everyone he wronged shortly before his murder, which is still unsolved to this day.
Notorious biopic does him justice Staff Writer
Photo Courtesy of Fox Searchlight
Jamal Woolard gives a passionate and engaging performance as Chris “BIG” Wallace in the riveting biopic, Notorious. Director George Tillman Jr. captures Wallace’s energy and stature vividly with stunning cinematography and a wonderful sound track, punctuated with a gripping scene about the first recording of Biggie’s hit, “Juicy.” Naturi Naughton slamdunks the difficult role of Lil’ Kim, and Angela Bassett is
Sarah Vasquez • Staff Photographer
JP Pfertner, lead singer of Built by Snow calls for crowd participation during their show at Club Deville on January 24.
Built By Snow’s MEGA Improvement from Noise Sarah Vasquez Staff Writer
On Jan. 24, 2009, Built by Snow along with friends Hollywood Gossip, The Bubbles, and The McKenzies shared the stage at Club
Deville to celebrate the release of Built by Snow’s “MEGA.” After a week of summer weather, the 40 degree night didn’t freeze the band’s, and fans’ celebratory mood. “MEGA” captivates listeners with hand clapping pop
goodness, and an homage to the original Nintendo games’ music. With the album length at twenty-two minutes, the nine songs are long enough to be fulfilling but don’t wear out their welcome. Some have compared the band to Weezer as well as the Cars, and it goes without saying that this observation is warranted. The melodic keyboard with the accompanying dance driven beats inspires even the somberest of listeners to shake some part of their body. “MEGA” is a definite improvement from their first EP “Noise,” released a year ago. The band took more time writing and recording this album with producer Alex Lyon, and the effort is evident in the final product. The musicality is tighter, and the vocals are more stable. Anyone’s inner nerd, whether their poison is Zelda or physics, will be drawn to the geeky themed lyrics and titles. In “Science of Love,” lead vocalist JP Pfertner sings, “Magnetic hearts are beating static through our veins attracting you and me while pulling us away.”
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Bolano’s 2666 most pertinent novel of the century
Photo courtesy of www.cccb.org
Chilean born novelist Roberto Bolano was recently named a finalist for a National Book Critics Circle award. “2666” was on many “Best of” lists along with Time naming it the best book of 2008.
David Rodriguez Assistant Editor
Roberto Bolano’s “2666” is arguably the greatest novel of 2008. Unfortunately, Bolano passed in 2003 due to liver failure. He was born in Santiago, Chile in 1953, and spanning his half of a century of existence, his loved ones can definitely call him a poet, revolutionary, intellectual, journalist, critic, and novelist. He is best known for his novel “The Savage Detectives,” which won him the Herralde and Romulo Gallegos prizes, but he is rapidly gaining a mystique and well deserved, but tardy acclaim for his posthumously published tome of indescribable, unforgiving, and all-consuming fear and anxiety. “2666” chronicles the more than 300 deaths of young
Star Ocean calling RPG enthusiasts Shane Yount Staff Writer
Star Ocean: Second Evolution is a Play Station Portable port (the transfer of a game to make it compatible with another system) of the 1999 Play Station title Star Ocean: The Second Story. Second Evolution takes place two decades after the events of Star Ocean: First Departure. The game is in the role playing style (RPG), and chronicles two people from separate worlds that must work together to stop a tyrannical force from destroying the universe. Unlike many RPGs, Second Evolution allows players to choose which characters to play through the game. Depending on the character chosen, certain story events will play out differently. Second Evolution features an upgraded interface, in addition to a bonus character that was not available in the
women in the border town of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico (he uses the pseudonym, Santa Teresa). Bolano meant for “2666” to be published as five different parts to be more profitable for his family, but his publishers chose to publish it in its entirety (for philosophical reasons?). This review will appear in two parts, and the work will be treated as five different novels with a common thread. The first three parts of the novel are reviewed here, and the fourth and fifth parts will be reviewed in the Feb. 16 issue. 1. The Part About The Critics Bolano begins part one by introducing four academics with a common obsession: a German novelist named Benno von Archimboldi. The quartet consists of three men and one woman. The three men are Jean-
Claude Pelletier, the French authority on Archimboldi; Piero Morini, an Italian teacher of German literature who is confined to a wheelchair; and Manuel Espinoza, a Spanish Jungerian turned Archimboldian. The woman is Liz Norton, a British academic who is slowly taken by the enigmatic author’s books. They all eventually meet at a German literature conference and progress to intricate friendships. The Part About The Critics begins quaint and very ordinary, like when you step on an old ladder and everything feels normal, but as you descend upward things get shakier and sketchier, but you must continue to see what’s over the wall. The characters are the nationalities they are for a reason, and the sex they are for a reason. This is hard to catch on to if you haven’t visited their native lands personally
and are unfamiliar with the nuances of their cultural quirks. Bolano hints inside of hints, or hints into a brick wall, and a shallow grave in a desolate desert. Bolano’s prodding of his audience is not malicious, but puzzling and fun. It is almost as if he gets lost in his own underlying themes. The academics build unmanageable relationships with one another that lead all but the handicapped Morini to pursue Archimboldi to where he reportedly was last heard of in Santa Teresa located in the northern Sonoran Desert. Bolano now introduces the main character of the five novels: the city of Santa Teresa. Bolano abruptly sneaks in the omnipresent character of a city. Santa Teresa is horribly large and unyielding, violently beautiful, and confusing, but simple in its ugliness. Bolano braves abysmal waters, not unlike what David Simon, George Pelecanos, and Richard Price did with the television show “The Wire,” by casting Baltimore as the main character and exposing its viscera. While in London, Pelletier, Espinoza, and Norton experience a purgation. Themes of painful but necessary liberation, utter sadness, and distance begin to permeate the pages. Bolano’s bittersweet execution of the quartet’s thoughts, experiences, and desperate relationships is very real, and makes the drama that much more palatable, yet upsetting. It is humorous to try to predict where Bolano is going. He may not have known either during the writing process, but you can feel the beaten road, the despair, and gangly arms of unsaid truths tapping you on the shoulder, staring at you in the eye from a distance, forcing the audience to possibly examine a lie that they have told to themselves over and over, making the lie an intrinsic part of their outer shell. With this novella of an introduction, Bolano sets the stage for “2666” with the first saturated 159 page. Part one is wonderfully constructed and coaxes more, even after the shocking, but expected conclusion. 2. The Part About Amalfitano Professor Amalfitano is
a Philosophy professor at the University of Santa Teresa. He is introduced in the first part of “2666” as “an expert on Benno Von Archimboldi,” to the three academics in search of the elusive German novelist. Amalfitano has a teenage daughter named Rosa, who is his muse, but this word does not accurately describe the emotions and unconditional love Amalfitano has for his daughter. This part of the novel reads as a one sided conversation, that needs no rebuttals or comment. Amalfitano is confessing for the sake of confessing, and the reader gets the sense that he is going mad. Bolano digresses into Amalfitano’s lonely history, and echoes of an autobiographical sketch linger behind the visage of the Chilean Philosophy professor, who has only a daughter, and has no idea what he is doing in Santa Teresa. Amalfitano has had a bohemian existence not unlike Bolano. Amalfitano is obsessed with a geometry book, and hangs it on his clothesline in his backyard to see how long it will last in the elements. This allusion to a true Marcel Duchamp story is yet another prodding anecdote that amuses and draws the reader in, as opposed to coming off as pompous and exclusive. Amalfitano seems a nod to everything Bolano saw himself as, but larger and more complex, as fiction should be (who wants to read absolute truth in fiction or at least know it’s absolute truth until later reflection). Amalfitano is horrified of the killings surrounding his and his daughter’s existence. Bolano stunningly conveys Amalfitano’s infinite anxiety, sadness, and helplessness as a concerned father and a burned out shell of a man, overeducated and overqualified for the life he has fallen into. Bolano forces Amalfitano to be swallowed in the desert and eaten whole by a monster with no teeth, gumming away, and turning his bones to gel. Bolano pens Amalfitano’s digressions masterfully, and Bolano’s dark humor is slightly lighter throughout this section due to Amalfitano’s brooding charisma and fascination with geometry. Bolano’s vignettes leave the reader uncertain but not quite
satiated, demanding a plunge into the third part. Treated as an isolated novel, this part stands alone as exceptional and ethereal. 3. The Part About Fate Quincy Williams, pen name Oscar Fate, is an African American, New York City journalist who writes for a pseudo revolutionary Afropublication. Fate is an interesting character. He is a fringe journalist not unlike Bolano was, but very detached. Detachment and loneliness permeates all of Bolano’s male characters, and the feeling of Santa Teresa as the main character (almost with masculine attributes) is clearly evident as Fate is called there to do a boxing story because of the untimely death of the sports writer for the publication he works for. Fate comes across Amalfitano’s daughter, Rosa, and refuses to allow Santa Teresa to have its way with her. The third part is very noir, and reads like an Elmore Leonard novel with more clandestine subtleties and depth, or a Richard Price novel with less dialogue, and set in Mexico. Fate’s section of this enigmatic masterpiece shows that Bolano is not just academia and obscure philosophy. Bolano’s nods to writers most Americans have never heard of, much less history Americans have such a penchant for forgetting, regrettably, are even more below the radar in The Part About Fate. The feeling persists after the first three parts of “2666” that the novel is a five dimensional opera begging an audience but not in need of one, and a show that will continue even after the final notes are sung. Bolano is the Spanish language equivalent of Herman Melville, Cormac McCarthy, and John Steinbeck. His storytelling is magnificent, and his translation of emotion through a conversational style of writing is unnerving, and frightening. Clichés such as tour de force and sprawling masterpiece come to mind, and the novel is barely climbing inside of a violent and poetic gondola to its apex.
v ideo game re v iews original game. The graphics of Second Evolution are pretty, albeit not ground-breaking, with cute 2D sprites against lush 3D environments. The battle engine features four characters battling enemies on a 3D plane. Characters and foes are free to run around, providing a more action-oriented system than most RPGs. Innovative features, such as “item creation” and “private actions” provide an entertaining experience. “Item creation” enables characters to learn a variety of skills by utilizing the skill points they earned by gaining levels in battle. Upon learning enough skills, characters can learn specialties like cooking and alchemy. As long as a character knows a specialty and has the necessary materials, a plethora of items can be made. “Private actions” allow the player to split up in towns, and then go speak with other team members, and engage in a variety of scenarios and conversations. Depending on the responses that the player receives during these situations, emotional values between characters can change
Brawler SF1V Attacks America
Shane Yount Staff Writer
Graphic courtesy of Square Enix
accordingly. The main reason that all RPG fans should definitely give Second Evolution a try is that it is an updated port of a retro classic. The original Star Ocean: The Second Story is heralded as an epic space opera with multiple fantasy elements. The game may seem a little bit dated by current RPG standards, but Second Evolution is a blast to play. When it really comes down to it, isn’t that the most important thing?
Street Fighter IV will be hitting North American shores on both the Play Station 3 and the Xbox 360 on February 17. Street Fighter has been a favorite amongst gamers ever since the first installment, released by Capcom, hit arcades in 1987. The original SF began as a challenging and entertaining 2D brawler. Since 87’ the series has undergone multiple evolutions, some more successful than others. When SF IV arrived at arcades last year, longtime fans were blown away for a variety of reasons. The graphics are nothing short of phenomenal. Characters and environments are rendered as 3D models with polygons, which gives the fighters a special stylized effect, and a hand-drawn look. The characters still battle it out on a 2D plane, just like in the original installment. The new game-play features, such as “focus attacks” and “ultra combos,” provides
Graphic courtesy of Capcom
a highly addictive fighting system. The former, are moves that allow the player to absorb an attack, and then launch a counter attack in response. The “focus attack” technique is executed by holding the medium punch and kick buttons simultaneously. Depending on how long the buttons are held, the “focus attack” can become very powerful. “Ultra combos” are long, cinematic moves featuring lengthy combinations of attacks; as opposed to “super combos,” which can be used after hitting the opponent several times. “Ultra combos” are
able to be executed after the player incurs a specific amount of damage. SF IV offers an impressive roster of 25 characters. Old school favorites Ryu, Sagat, and Chun-Li join newcomers Abel, the amnesiac fighter, and the beautiful female spy Crimson Viper. Other characters such as Cammy, Gen, and Rose have been confirmed for the home editions of SF IV. What makes SF IV such a success is that it stays true to its 2D fighter roots while offering its audience a fresh graphical update, and multiple new features.