Accent, April 5, 2010 Issue

April 5, 2010

www.theAccent.org

First issue free | Volume 12, Issue 11

Health care, Financial Aide Reform 101 The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 has many implications for students. New health care and financial aid options have opened up, and the Accent has full coverage on how the new law will affect students. See pages 5 and 6 to learn more.

Villarreal running for board place 5

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Elections start on April 12, SGA positions still missing candidates Trevor Goodchild Brandy Rodriguez Staff Writer

Michael Needham

The main braces of Villarreal’s platform include keeping tuition Staff Writer rates low, expanding the college, and increasing graduation rates.

Villarreal feels that an In 2001 Vic Villarreal saw inexpensive school draws the an advertisement in the Hill community into it.

Country News that changed his “It is an enabler. It enables life. the community to go to ACC,” The advertisement was for said Villarreal. “I truly believe positions on the planning and the best form of financial aid zoning commission in the city out there is low tuition to begin of Leander. Villarreal read the with.” description for the job and For Villarreal keeping thought he could do it. Two tuition rates low includes days after applying he was keeping all college fees low. He interviewed. explained that there is a danger As he walked into a in pretending a college is cheap conference room at city hall while miscellaneous fees have and saw four council members, increased. the planning director, and “Why double the out of the chairman of the planning pocket experience and all the and zoning board he was a bit while say our tuition is low?” overwhelmed. said Villarreal. “I don’t like that. I “I thought, oh my, what don’t want that to be a burden on have I gotten myself into?” said students, and it shouldn’t be.”

Villarreal.

Villarreal sees He got the job and in expansion as needed 2004. After his term and necessary. He was over, a council explained that a member called college should and asked him have 50 to run for a square feet spot on the for each city council. student, “My jaw and right dropped, now ACC and I was OARD has about like, ‘Wow,’” 20. said Villarreal.

RUSTEES “That He ran, means you won, and in 2007 have cramped became the mayor classrooms,” said pro tem of Leander.

Villarreal. “That means you don’t “I didn’t go to college to be have areas for students to meet a policy maker,” said Villarreal, and study.” “it just kind of happened from Villarreal supports the reading a little advertisement in current board policy which the paper, and a few years later I focuses fifty percent of its was a council member.” expansion efforts to current Now Villarreal is running for campuses, and the other fifty place five on the ACC Board of to new ones. He explained the Trustees.

“I believe that I’ll win because importance of ACC being a catalyst for new jobs through of my balance of experience college expansion.

– a high degree of experience A new campus brings about with ACC, having taught for 300 to 400 jobs directly to ACC, five years, and a high degree of and then another 600 peripheral experience with high growth entities like a city,” said Villarreal. jobs, said Villarreal. Cities like San Marcos, Bastrop, and Villarreal is no stranger to Leander want ACC to come to high offices, but he sees the them. board position as something “They’re going to fight tooth more. and nail to get a new campus, “I consider it a higher office and they are,” said Villarreal. than being Leander’s mayor pro Villarreal doesn’t want ACC tem,” said Villarreal.

Design by • Chris Scott

Courtesy of Vic Villarreal

Candidate — Vic Villarreal

wants to bring his city councilman experience to ACC’s boad of trustees.

Villarreal became Leander’s Mayor Pro Term in 2007. to miss its opportunities with suburban areas and inner Austin growth.

By setting up partnerships with business centers, Villarreal hopes to show non-transient students what they can do with a two year degree.

“If we instill a sense of value of completion I think we will have more completers,” said Villarreal.

When Raul Alvarez steps down, there will be no one left on the board with any formal municipal experience, Villarreal said.

“You’ve got to have someone who has been a city councilman in the past,” said Villarreal.

“When we sit down at the table with mayors and city council members from Austin and suburban areas, it would be a very good idea to have someone there who has been there and done that, who has been in their shoes.”

Villarreal has worn those shoes.

“I understand their issues,” said Villarreal. “I very much understand their issues.”

Editor’s Note

Candidates running for a seat on the ACC Board of Trustees can contact the Accent at editor3@austincc.edu or 2233111 for an interview.

Student Government Association is holding their 2010 elections April 12 through April 25 and currently there are still many positions in which no one is running and others in which only one person is running.

Running unopposed for President is Jorge Amador, and for Vice-President is Sophia Downing. For the Director of Communications (currently held by Downing) only Chelsey Williams is running, and only Dylan Pera has applied to be Parliamentarian.

Riverside Campus has no one running for the SGA Senator position and the situation is the

same at Eastview, Pinnacle, and the South Austin Campus.

For International Student Senator and Veteran Senator, there are no applicants as well.

There are no applicants running for Treasurer either.

For Secretary, both Rodney Hermes and Lauren Lightfoot have applied.

“Basically I think people are really swamped this semester with their school stuff.

Personally I love SGA, but have been too swamped, which is why I’m not running this semester.

But next semester I plan on participating,” Treasurer Wendy Holder said.

Anyone interested in running for office can still be written in.

A write in candidate would have to promote him or herself to get

written on the ballot.

After SGA checks to see if the candidate has the right requirements, such as a high enough GPA, the decision is made to deny or allow this person to be a candidate.

“A lot of people are graduating, and if they’re not going to be at ACC there isn’t a point in them running for next year,” said Holder.

On April 9, students will get a chance to interact with those candidates who are running for office at the Meet the Candidates event. There will be snacks and drinks provided.

Despite the dearth of candidates in this year’s election, Holder remains positive about the future of SGA: “It always has the potential to get better.”

Proposal to change add/drop dates modified, decision postponed Christopher Smith Assistant Editor

The proposal to move late registration and the add/drop period to the week before classes begin was altered at a recent Academic and Campus Affairs Council (ACAC) meeting. The new proposal would move late registration to the week before class but keep a two day add/ drop period during the first week of class. The new proposal was sent out to the employee associations and the Student Government Association (SGA) after the March 5 ACAC meeting.

After the ACAC meeting, Kathleen Christensen, vice president of Student Support and Success Systems, said that since there was still no consensus and approval of the proposal, the issue would need to be pushed back another year.

To go into effect by fall 2010, the administration would have liked to have consensus and approval of the proposal before the fall 2010 registration calendar was published, said Director of Admissions and Records, Linda Kluck.

The Publications and

Creative Services department deadline to include new information in the Fall 2010 Student Handbook and Course Catalog was March 29.

Mike Midgely, vice president, workforce education and business development, made the suggested changes at the ACAC meeting.

Midgley sent out an e-mail to the employee associations with the new wording: “ACC registration will end prior to the first class day. Add/drops for students registered prior to the first class day will be allowed during the first two days of the semester.”

Midgley said it was after listening to the SGA’s report to the board of trustees and having conversations about the proposed registration changes that he thought of moving back registration but keeping an add/ drop period.

The new wording is now being discussed by the appropriate associations and will then come back to the ACAC, but the proposal was not on the agenda for the April 2 ACAC meeting.

The SGA representative on the ACAC, Mike Reid, said the changes to the proposal seemed

like a fair compromise.

“This is a good change,” said Reid. “[The SGA] agrees with this change because the administration is meeting us half way in the add/drop issue.”

Not everybody is likes the new proposal.

“I think neither proposal is good,” said Devorah Feldman, president of the Faculty Senate and vocal opponent of the changes to the registration calendar, in an e-mail.

“I support keeping Late Registration and Add/Drop as they are now in the interest of maintaining an Open Door Policy to educational potential in line with the mission of ACC,” said Feldman in an e-mail. The faculty is still divided over the issue, and Feldman said they would continue to discuss it at Faculty Senate meetings.

The Faculty Senate, SGA, and other employee associations will be dealing with the issue in the coming months.

Reid said he was willing to give the proposal a try.

“Lets move it back one week and see what happens,” said Reid. “If it doesn’t work we can always put it back the way it was.”

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April 5, 2010

Health care divides nation Staff Editorial

Uninformed Rant

After a year of partisan posturing, stonewalling, and grandiose rhetoric, the health care reform bill was signed into law on March 30. This is a stunning victory for President Barack Obama and for the countless Americans, many of whom are students, who will be safeguarded from financial ruin because of unplanned medical expenses.

America was the only industrially developed nation not providing some form of universal health care to it citizens. In our county, a broken leg can cost over $10,000, the cost of prescription medicine skyrockets without insurance, and over half of the people who file for bankruptcy do so because of a medical expense.

Claiming that our health care system is anything but broken and therefore not voting to pass a bill to fix it is shameful.

The GOP and the Tea Party Patriots have been throwing around the word socialism like they just learned it. In no uncertain terms, this bill will not turn America in to a socialist country.

This is just the conservative buzz word of choice for anything they disagree with, and is in no way founded in reality.

We can all agree that Mexico, Canada, Germany, and virtually all of Europe are not socialist, and they all have universal healthcare.

There is also a lot of fanfare about whether or not this bill will use government money to subsidize abortions. A big reason this bill passed was because Obama agreed to issue an executive order clarifying the language on abortion to make it clear that the government money will not paying for them.

Republicans can yell “baby killer” in the middle of other people’s speeches all they want, this bill helps save children’s lives.

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center have estimated that lack of insurance leads to the death of around 1,000 hospitalized children a year.

The study did not include children without insurance who die outside of a hospital, which means the number of childhood deaths due to lack of health insurance is most likely even higher.

The bottom line is that despite the temper tantrum the GOP and their slightly less stable Tea Party counterparts are throwing, this bill will help insure the almost 50 million men, women, and children who didn’t have any health coverage.

It is not an act of socialism, but of an act of social responsibility, and Americans should be proud that our country has finally crossed this barrier.

On March 20, a cabal of anti-American saboteurs, known as Democrats, passed an insidious bill designed to destroy the American way of life. As many of you have learned from the commie liberal news media, black President Barack Obama has signed into law the freedom hating, tax raising, baby punching travesty Democrats have the nerve to call “health care reform.” Left with no other option, it is up to the few remaining patriots in this country to do what our founding forefathers (except for Thomas Jefferson, that God hating hippy!) would have done if they were still alive: Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!!!

Now I’m not saying that we should be shooting Democrats or vandalizing their offices (but I’m also not not saying that if you catch my drift), but us patriotic Americans have got to take a stand and do something before these big government, fat cat bureaucrats start putting us into death camps for mandatory lobotomies. Don’t believe that could ever happen? Just look at the bill (and read between the lines): Forced sterilization, post-birth abortions, flouridation of our water supplies, death panels, gay marriage, and taxes, taxes, taxes. It’s all there if you look real close and sort of squint your eyes a bit.

Ever since that Kenyan born tax lover was elected President, the left wing talking heads have been all over the airwaves whining and complaining about how if we don’t take care of health care now, the problem will only get worse. What problem? Whenever someone in my family gets hurt in a way duct tape can’t fix, we just go to the good ole fashioned emergency room. The doctor sews you up and then you stop answering your phone so the bill collectors can’t find you. That’s health care the American way!

But no sir, that system just wasn’t good enough for the tax and spend liberals.

These greedy, big government fascists won’t be happy until they’ve sucked the last drop of freedom out of Lady Liberty’s sweet teat. As if taxing my income and property weren’t enough (and for what I ask? Roads!?!) now these pinko-parasites are going to tax my God given right to tan! They won’t be happy until every single American is as pasty and pale as their godless Soviet heroes.

The one upshot of this terrorist attack on the American people is that it has brought us real Americans together, united by our patriotic duty. We’re putting our boot down and saying, “No!” to improved quality of life, more affordable health care, and better access for uninsured Americans.

Chris Scott• Layout Editor I urge all of you to take a stand and fight this injustice any way you can. Write a barely intelligible, apoplectic rant to your local congressman, put a bumper sticker on your car, punch a Democrat in the back of the head, and, most importantly, don’t forget to vote Palin-Beck in 2012.

Letter to the Editor: response to editorial, open letter on Add/Drop schedule

David Lydic

ACC Professor I believe that ending the add/ drop period before classes begin may be a good idea. Comments by faculty member Devorah Feldman and the staff of The

Accent in [Issue 2, Feb. 15 and Issue 1, Feb. 1 respectively] suggest that this would violate the college’s open door policy.

Of course it doesn’t. We still welcome everyone and relish the diversity. Other comments suggest that limiting students’ ability to add classes after the first day violates students’ academic rights. Of course it doesn’t. An institution has a right—even a responsibility—to establish policies for the greater good of students. Altering the registration time is no more a violation of students’ rights than is a teacher’s strict attendance policy. Some students don’t care for it but many of us enforce the policy because we think it works.

The proposal for ending adds/drops before a semester begins arises from a larger Student Success Initiative begun

Karissa Explains Karissa Rodriguez Design Intern

I have attended both online and classroom courses for the past few years and have come to the conclusion that the classes that integrate both Blackboard, an online course management system, and in-class lectures have proven to be the most beneficial courses I have enrolled in.

Many universities and colleges have even begun intergrating mobile learning, using smart phones as educational tools to connect to school information, into their curriculum. I am glad that ACC is currently looking to do the same because it is a beneficial educational tool students need.

ACC is “currently in the process of setting up and testing a tool that will let the Blackboard iPhone application connect to ACC,”

it ALL

Associate Vice President of Information Technology Stan Gun said in an e-mail. “We want to offer this feature, but we also want to make sure that we can implement it in a way that protects the privacy and security of students’ information.”

The new Blackboard mobile app is set to launch later this year and will allow students to connect to their classes on the go, according to Blackboard’s Web site. Students will be able to check grades and assignments, add comments to discussion boards, e-mail instructors and classmates and post comments to blogs on thier mobile devices.

I think ACC should develop their own custom application since we live in such a tech savvy city rather than using only the Blackboard application to provide students with a mobile learning experience,

last fall to address what are clearly problems at this and other community colleges.

Perhaps the most obvious problems are student retention and pass rates. Not allowing students to add classes after the semester has begun is not a magic solution. Do late arrivals stay in and pass the class? Of course. Do on-time registrants always stay in and pass? Of course not. But like many teachers, I find the pattern fairly predictable. The saying among teachers “last in, first out” largely holds true.

During recent discussions on the issue of moving adds/ drops, thirteen studies were offered for consideration.

Eleven of them showed some degree of positive correlation in the performance of students who registered on time. That is, those who registered on-time

were more likely to remain in class and to have higher GPA’s than students who entered class late. Correlation is not causation, but if many studies show such a positive correlation, the strength of association is telling us something. If we change no other variable except than to limit students’ ability to add classes after the semester has begun and if this somehow creates an environment where students are more likely to be retained and make better grades, why would we dismiss the possibility?

Level changes in math, English for Speakers of Other Languages, and developmental courses would continue, as would changes necessitated by documentable college error.

As the recent commentators have stated, there are many reasons why students might

add a class late. Some are valid; some are less so. This new proposal of limiting adds after classes have begun is aimed at helping the greater number of students. Clearly it is an attempt to change behavior, to force students to be as careful as they can as early as they can in choosing classes. I think it might work.

The recent staff editorial of The Accent claims that since “studies prove that black and Hispanic students are not having such an easy time [that] in the name of success, we can barricade these ‘at risk’ students so they don’t drag down the rest of us.” This is an absurd and offensive analogy. In the same editorial, when the newspaper staff states that changing the add/drop period is a “brutal dismissal of the students who, in the past, have found hope,”

the writers are engaging in overwrought language serving to elevate tone and undermine reason. I suggest that we continue to discuss this issue carefully and with level heads.

Finally, the staff “demand[s]” the college “provide students with resources instead of restraints.”

This college currently provides myriad resources that I feel students could take better advantage of. I might suggest that one resource is designing processes— perhaps including limiting the ability to add courses after classes have begun—to help maximize the chance of success for a greater number of students.

Editor’s NoteThis letter was abridged for print by the writer.

The full letter is available at theaccent.org.

Mobile Learning is the way of the future Mobile learning is rapidly becoming popular at higher education institutions around Texas including Texas A&M University. Students there are able to connect to their campus via the TAMUmobile application that provides students with a collection of applications that gives students university information such as news, a calendar of events, maps and a school directory.

ACC should develop a similar app because of the size and scale of our college.

With over 41,000 students and multiple campuses, a custom mobile app would allow students to stay more connected to the college as a whole and not just at individual campuses.

Abilene Christian University is a school that has set the bar high when it comes to integrating mobile learning into classrooms. Two years ago, the school gave 650 incoming freshman either iPhones or iPod touches to study how having smart phones with constant access to classroom information affects student learning through their

ConnectEd program.

Research conducted during year one of the ConnectEd program found students had more contact with their professors, increased academic performance and engagement, and an improved sense of community, according to ACU Mobile Learning Research.

Unfortunatley, but understandably, ACC isn’t able to provide our large student body with a similar experience because, while ACU’s research is groundbreaking, it has a small population of about five thousand students that allows them to feasibly provide students with iPhones or iPod touches.

Despite that, ACU’s experiment has provided valuable research into how beneficial mobile learning can be.

Mobile learning is the way of the future, and I am happy that ACC is taking steps to integrate mobile learning into our curriculum because the college needs to create an environment that mirrors the real world that we live in.

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Editor-in-Chief..................................................................................................................... Sarah Neve Assistant Editor................................................................................................... Christopher A. Smith Photo Editor.................................................................................................................... Teodora Erbes Layout Editor.........................................................................................................................Chris Scott Design Intern............................................................................................................Karissa Rodriguez Life & Arts Editor ......................................................................................................Devon Tincknell Campus Editor................................................................................................................ Sarah Vasquez Web Editor...........................................................................................................................Hanlly Sam Accent Adviser........................................................................................................ Matthew Connolly Accent Coordinator.......................................................................................................... Lori Blewett Student Life Director................................................................................................... Cheryl Richard Writers Michael Needham, Diana Leite, Brynne Harder, Olivia Watson, Trevor Goodchildt, Anny Ibarra, Paul Theobald, Rob Cohen, Jason Haydon Photographers Estrella Gutierrez, Brandy Rodriguez ACC President Dr. Steve Kinslow Board of Trustees Nan McRaven– Chair; Dr. James McGuffee—Secretary, Dr. Barbara P. Mink, Allen Kaplan, 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 Austin American-Statesman. 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

April 5, 2010

News Briefs

Library survey polls students on their technology usage The Library Services started an online survey called “How Do You Use Technology?” on March 22 and will close for data collection on April 16.

The objective of the survey is to “have an idea of how technologically savvy ACC students are, what are the popular on-line resources and electronic equipments they use, and then decide which resources the library will use or develop in order to attend the students,” said Adrian Erb, ACC e-Resources Librarian.

The survey focuses on questions related to smart phone use, how many text messages students send per day and which social networks, like Facebook and Myspace, students use the most.

“Students text all the time. We want to know if they would like to use text messages as a library resource,” said Erb. The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to be completed and is anonymous. However students must enter their personal data if they wish to participate on the draw of three $120 prizes.

To participate on the drawing the student must finish the survey at library.austincc.edu/survey/Spring2010/ and be currently enrolled at ACC. “We did some research about technology use in the past, but this time we wish to expand it. We want to know how many students use iPhones, Blackberries or Android phones, if they would use a Library application on their phones. Every student that takes the survey will be help to build the library of the future,” said Erb. Erb urges students to participate.

Accent, Life4u, Rio Review bring home publication awards Accent’s staff recently came home with 31 awards at this year’s Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA) state convention.

Seventeen students made the trip to Kerrville where they attended workshops and competed in on-site competitions with 47 different Texas colleges. The Accent team won five on-site contests and 26 mailed entries contests. The contests featured categories in various journalism mediums: Newspaper, Online and Magazine.

“The publications staff is incredibly proud to have done so well in these professionally judged journalism competitions. It reinforces the hard work and very long hours that everyone puts in to producing quality student media for the ACC community,” Accent Editor-in-Chief Sarah Neve said.

ACC’s Creative Writing Department’s literary magazine, The Rio Review, also received an honorable mention for Literary Magazine, Overall Quality. For a complete list of winners, please head to tinyurl.com/accenttipa.

Bob Livingston brings musical diversity to ACC with free show

“The Cosmic Cowboy” Bob Livingston will be performing a free show at 12:30 p.m. on April 8 on the outside deck on Rio Grande campus. This event is sponsored by the ACC’s Honors program and is hosted by English Professor Joe O’Connell’s “Texas Writers” class.

Livingston earned his nickname “The Cosmic Cowboy” after observing music within the diverse cultures and countries such as Pakistan, African and India. He also formed a multi-cultural group between Texas and India musicians called Cowboys and Indians.

This non-profit organization provides entertaining educational workshops and performances to Texas schools and theaters to encourage children’s interaction and participation.

Livingston will also be a guest lecturer to the “Texas Writers” class, which is part of the Honors Program.

To be a part of the ACC’s Honors program, a student must meet one of the academic requirements such as a Cumulative college GPA of 3.25 or higher and have completed nine hours of college coursework. For more information, visit austincc.edu/honors.

Automotive Technology Dept. set to open in San Marcos Austin Community College’s Automotive Technology Department will now be offering courses in San Marcos. To welcome this new development, ACC along with the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a Ribbon Cutting and Dedication ceremony from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 8 at ACC’s San Marcos Goodnight Center in San Marcos. A light luncheon and tours of the facilities will follow the ceremony.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Web site, automotive technology is currently one of the nation’s fastest growing industries with the shortage of professional auto technicians who meet the constant demand to adapt to the current technology and repair techniques. ACC offers many degree and certificate options for this program to fulfill this need.

The ribbon cutting and dedication event is free and open to the public. However, interested attendees are encouraged to RSVP at rsvp@austincc.edu or contact Sherry Priddy at (512) 353-2019.

www.theAccent.org

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Transit now on track Anny Ibarra Staff Position

The Capital MetroRail system in Austin is ready and running.

MetroRail service started March 22 after several delays due to safety tests and measurements in the past year.

The MetroRail began its first week offering free rides to passengers.

The MetroRail’s route runs for about 32 miles, has nine stops and its service is currently available from 5:25 a.m. to 9:25 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. to 7:42 p.m. on week days.

“Austin is a worldclass city, but traffic congestion threatens our quality of life: it has negative environmental, health and economic consequences. MetroRail is part of our region’s Brandy Rodriquez • Staff Photographer solution to protect our quality of life. It’s been DOWNTOWN — Community residents get off the newly opened Downtown MetroRail station on at least five years in the Wednesday March 31, 2010. making, and it’s a great day on each train. In addition, the cashier’s office on any campus in Austin to see MetroRail trains one zone is $2, an all zone onetrain has free wireless internet and students must be registered carrying passengers to work and way trip is $3. There are also service that riders can use while in at least one class and present daily passes, five-day passes and school,” Capital Metro Board commuting. an ACC ID or a valid Texas ID monthly passes available. Passes Chairman Mike Martinez said.

To find out more about The MetroRail is divided into are on sale at MetroRail stations, or driver’s license to receive one. schedules, routes, stations and The MetroRail has online and at the HEB stores. two zones, and trip prices vary plan their own trips online visit accommodations for people ACC students can use depending on if the trip crosses capmetro.org/MetroRail or call with disabilities and elderly as their Green Passes to ride the the zone boundary between 512-474-1200. well as limited space for up to MetroRail for free. These passes Kramer and Howard Station. four bicycles per compartment are available by request at The fair for a one-way trip in

Mascot Madness, the votes are in Paul Theobald Staff Writer

There is a new mascot for ACC, but students won’t know what it is until later this month.

As of Friday, April 2, voting for the Mascot, which was open to both students and members of the Austin community, officially closed. The four final ideas were Starblazers, Blazers, River Bats, and Bbhoggawacts.

As of April 1, 3,500 votes had been cast, 78% of which came from students, according to Brette Lea, the executive director for the ACC District’s Public Information and College Marketing department.

Legal, disclaimer, and trademark checks are going to be made by ACC marketing and legal departments before the winner of the ACC Mascot Search Contest is announced.

The Mascot Search Committee consists of Lea, Avy Gonzalez, president of ACC’s Center for Student Political Studies, eleven members of the faculty and staff and one other student.

According to the mascot search web site, the committee’s goal is for the mascot to become a “symbol of ACC’s pride, tradition and character.”

In September 2009, phase one of the mascot search began

with suggestion submissions being accepted and the first appearance of the pink bunny anti-mascot. The Committee received nearly 1000 suggestions, and the pink bunny toured ACC campuses with a “Don’t let it be me” sign.

Phase two of the plan consisted of research and elimination. The committee shortened the stack of suggestions by removing any already in use in Texas sports. One suggestion, the Watusi, a breed of cattle known for their massive horns, was removed from Sarah Vasquez • Campus Editor the list of possible mascots because of its similarity to VOTE, QUICK — KC Caliz, communications coordinator in the other long horned mascots.

Public Information and Marketing Department, helps student This elimination process Zachary Vaughn to vote for a mascot at Riverside Campus on brought the number of Wednesday March 31, 2010. possibilities down to 20.

Phase three consisted of nine “Dr. Kinlsow looked at the focus groups: three current ACC committee’s top six mascot Editor’s Notestudent focus groups, one alumni choices. He was presented group, one future students group, with the research used by the Paul Theobald is a one faculty, one staff, and two committee to base its decisions member of a Facebook community groups, and a total of on and approved the top four group called 10,000+ for 65 participants. These members committee selections,” Lea said the ACC Bbhoggawacts. of the focus groups were given in an e-mail.

The Accent supports twenty possible Mascots and “I was surprised that a school no particular mascot and asked to come away with their like ACC with over 40,000 divulges this information favored ten. Of all these top students didn’t have a mascot,” in the interest of being ten submissions from the focus Gonzalez said. “I want ACC to open and honest with our groups, the search committee build a well-established, collegereaders. took the top ten combined, and going culture, and a Mascot then narrowed the selections to seemed like a great way to do the final six. that.”

April 5, 2010

www.theAccent.org

News | page 5

Health care reform 101

Controversial health care bill to affect students Karissa Rodriguez Design Intern

Last time 23-year-old psychology major Keegan Frick was sick, she avoided going to the doctor because she doesn’t have health insurance.

In the end, Frick waited so long to seek help that she developed pneumonia and needed to go to the emergency room. She fully recovered but is still trying to pay off nearly $1,000 in medical bills.

“I don’t have health insurance because I work as a waitress, so I can’t get it through my employer,” Frick said. “I am also not able to use my parent’s insurance because she cannot afford the premium costs to add me.”

Students like Frick will benefit from the new Patient Protection and Affordable

Care Act that was signed into law as part of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (H.R. 4872) by President Barack Obama on March 23.

How it affects students “The most immediate effect for students will be that they can stay insured under their parents’ insurance until they are 26 years old,” Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, said.

Doggett voted yes on the bill and represents District 25 in which part of the ACC District is located.

According to the bill, H.R. 4872, this measure will take effect six months from now in Oct. Currently, young adults residing in Texas have been eligible to remain on their parent’s insurance up to their 25th birthday, according to

Texas House Bill 1446.

Students who are not eligible for their parents’ insurance will be able to sign up for insurance through staterun health care “exchanges” starting in 2014.

Exchanges will provide the uninsured with an insurance marketplace where they can choose from different levels of insurance coverage, according to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Those who are insured through employers or have private insurance are welcome to sign up for an insurance plan from the exchange if they choose to.

Subsidies will be available in the form of tax credits for individuals making up to four times the federal poverty level, which is $43,320 for a single person, according to an Associated Press report.

The credits will vary based on income and premiums costs.

Another option that will be available to the uninsured is the choice to enroll in Medicaid, a U.S. health insurance program that provides care to qualifying people who cannot pay for their own medical expenses.

Starting in 2014, anyone with an income below 133 percent of the poverty level — or about $29,327 in 2009 for a family of four — will be eligible for a rejuvenated Medicaid program, according to the New York Times.

Controversy behind the bill Democrats and Republicans have been at odds over this bill because of a specific mandate that makes it mandatory for all U.S. citizens to have some form of health insurance.

The mandate is stated in H.R. 4872. Attorney Generals

*

Guide to Health Care Changes Austin Community College students vary in age. According to 12th Day data from Fall 2009, students 18-30 years old made up 69.84 percent of enrollment. 22.52 percent of students were 31 years or older. No matter what your age, the Healthcare Reform Bill affects you.

This chart will help guide you to make an informed decision concerning your health care options.

Congress the power to enact the Individual Responsibility Policy.”

from 14 states, including Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, R-Texas, are suing the federal government over the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, according to the New York Times.

A March 23 press release from Abbott’s office explains that “the new law infringes upon Americans’ constitutionally protected individual liberties; encroaches upon the states’ constitutionally guaranteed sovereignty; forces states to spend billions of additional dollars on entitlement programs; imposes an unconstitutional tax; and violates the Tenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.”

The Democratic Policy Committee has rebutted that the mandate is constitutional because “Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution Grants

Health care responsibilities Due to the passing of the health care reform bill, average students like Frick may receive additional help when it comes to paying for costly medical bills.

In the future however, students will need to determine how they will pay for their health insurance they choose to enroll in as it will be mandatory in 2014.

Students and all who are uninsured will initially pay a penalty for not having insurance. The penalty will be phased in, starting at $95 or one percent of income in 2014, whichever is higher, and rising to $695 or 2.5 percent of income in 2016, according to the New York Times.

If you keep your current plan...

Many provisions have been enacted to reform the current health insurance market. Key changes include the following:

Private or employee insurance

• Health insurance companies may not impose any preexisting condition exclusion. - H.R. 3590, Subtitle C, Subpart I, Section 2704 • Health insurance also may not establish rules for eligibility of any individual to enroll under the terms of the plan or coverage based on any health status-related factors in relation to the individual or dependent of the individual. - H.R. 3950, Subtitle C, Subpart I, Section 2705

Medicare

• Those enrolled will not lose benefits, they will expand to allow Medicare to pay for annual check ups. Those enrolled in Medicare Advantage may face paying higher premiums or lose some benefits. -

Do you have insurance?

Info found throughout H.R. 3950

Medicaid

• Adults enrolled can keep their current benefits until 2014 and children until 2019. Eligible adults and children will be able to sign up for the revised Medicaid and Medicare benefits that will be available in the future. - H.R. Bill, Title II, Subtitle A

NO

*

YES

Health care exchanges

A lot of unknowns when it comes to how the government plans to implement the health care exchange on 2014, however here is a breakdown of what we do know:

Do you want insurance?

Are you insured through your employer or have private insurance?

NO

YES NO

YES

Starting in 2014, most Americans will be required to buy health insurance or pay a penalty.

- H.R. 3950, Subtitle F, Part I, Sec. 1504

Are you 26 years old or younger?

Do you want to keep your current plan?

Health insurance exchanges will have four levels of benefits to choose from.

Each plan will cover essential health benefits, plus four tiers of coverage. Some essential benefits include emergency service, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, prescription drugs, lab services and pediatric care.

• The BRONZE Plan will offer the essentials: minimum cost-sharing protections that will cover 60 percent of the full value of the benefits.

• The SILVER Plan offers the essentials, plus more: cost-sharing protections that will cover 70 percent of the full value of the benefits.

• The GOLD Plan offers the essentials, plus more: cost-sharing protections that will cover 80 percent of the full value of the benefits .

• The PLATINUM Plan offers the essentials, plus more: cost-sharing protections that will cover 90 percent of the full value of the benefits.

Source: H.R. 3950, Part IV - State

YES You can stay on your parents choice of insurance.

NO

- H.R. 3950, Title I, Subtitle A, Subpart II, Sec. 2714

You will qualify for Medicaid if your household income is below 133 percent of the poverty level starting in 2014.

- H.R. 3950, Title II, Subtitle A, Sec. 2001

NO NO

If you are enrolled in either Medicaid or Medicare, you can keep your current benefits, but changes to the programs will be made.

YES You can buy coverage through new health care exchanges starting in 2014.

- H.R. 3950

*

*

You can keep your current plan, however, changes to your coverage may occur.

Source: H.R. 3950, the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act Design by • Chris Scott, Karissa Rodriguez

Flexibility to Establish Alternative Programs

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R

ant n’ ave

Northridge Campus Student and Staff Opinions What do you think about the federal student loan that passed with the health care legislation?

“That will probably save the middleman a lot of money, but the question is ‘will the government lose money?’”

-Tyler Simpson, undecided major

“It’s a bad idea. The government is taking seven billion from the banking system and profiting from it. The banks will start firing people and increasing loan rates to compensate for the loss.”

-Brandon Pray, business major

“I’m glad the the bill passed, something had to be done. Now that the bill passed, it’s time for the government to think about fixing the economy.”

-Yassiel Caballero, molecular and cellular biology major

“Maybe the government is getting too involved. If it is beneficial to students, than it is a good thing, but it seems that the government has a lot of bigger problems to solve.”

-Tyler Hodges, undecided major

“Maybe the government really needs to do something to put education back on the right track.”

-Leah Sotton, sociology major

“The government should not be as involved, because that means more taxes for me.”

-Mahali Brown, biology major

“I think it’s great if students are going to pay less for education.”

-Troy Moyer, criminal justice major

All photos by Diana Leite

News | April 5, 2010

Student Aid act signals big changes for student loans Brynne Harder Staff Writer

The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) is already changing the way students pays for higher education. It was included in Public law no. 111-148 which is probably best known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett held a press conference on Rio Grande campus on Tuesday, Mar. 30 regarding these changes.

“It’s been greatly overshadowed by health care naturally, but for many students this has more direct immediate effect,” Doggett said.

Originally, these two bills were going throug h Congress separately. However, when the Senate Democrats lost their filibuster proof majority, the two bills became one in order to send them through The Budget Reconciliation Process.

Under the act, the federal government will stop subsidizing student loans made through private lenders. Instead colleges will have to process loans through the Federal Direct Loan Program.

In part, this change is supposed to save $68 billion dollars, increase the Pell grant limits, provide $2.5 billion to Texas colleges and $2 billion to community colleges.

“For several decades we really had financial foolishness here where big banks received billions of dollars in tax payer dollars and subsidies, but the government provided all the finances and continued to bear all the risk.

The middleman in all this got away with a significant amount of profits,” Doggett said.

Other provisions include simplifying the application process. Doggett said that this is being accomplished by shortening the application process and letting people bypass some of the financial information because this information is already known by the government. He added that there is still work going on between the various bureaucracies.

Karissa Rodriguez • Design Intern

PHOTO CUTLINE — House Representative Lloyd Doggett,

R-Austin, celebrate SAFRA at the Rio Grande campus March 30 with Board of Trustees Secretary Barbara Mink (left) and local student representative from area colleges, including ACC SGA President Josh Bacak (far right).

“I definitely think it’s a good thing,” ACC student Giovanni Sanchez said. “I had a situation where I had a lender fall out on me, and I had to go through a bunch of steps to get it resolved.”

Not everyone has been in favor of the bill.

“It seems like something that was tacked on because it would have been unpopular,” ACC student Cody Smith said.

Despite any opposition, parts of the act are already going in to effect. Officially, colleges have to use the Federal Direct Loan Program by July 1. However, ACC has gotten an early start. The school officially switched to direct lending on April 1, but according to Velda Jackson, ACC Student Loan Coordinator, the college started 3 to 4 months.

The financial aid office has been working to notify students by sending out letters to current aid recipients and through the website, but many are still uninformed of these changes.

“I think Spring Break and everything may have delayed the process, but in the next day or two they will know because that’s how the summer process is going to

happen this year,” said Jackson.

Current numbers provided by the financial aid process show an overall increase in student financial aid. In 2008-2009, over 13,000 students were awarded financial aid. That has already risen to over 18,000 students for the 2009-2010 year. However, the current year’s numbers only go through Feb. 26 since the year hasn’t ended yet.

Over $32 million has already been distributed to students through the Pell Grant, up from $18 million last year.

“The system is going to bog down. The key is [students] need to apply as early as possible,” Jason Briseno, Rio Grande Financial Aid Campus Supervisor, said in response to these increases.

In order to apply for financial aid, students will need to fill out the FAFSA. They will also need to complete entrance loan counseling and sign a new Master Promissory Note.

Links to these steps and additional information are available at austincc.edu/support/ financialaid. Students can also go into any of the financial aid offices open at each campus.

CAMPUS NEWS April 5, 2010

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Garage sale raises scholarship funds Rob Cohen Staff Writer

The Austin Community College Chapter of Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education (TACHE) hosted the fifth Annual TACHE Garage Sale and Silent Auction, featuring a wide range of generously donated items on April 1 at the Eastview Campus.

The Silent Auction ran concurrently.

Attendees rummaged through the donated merchandise as a DJ provided a shopping soundtrack that played throughout the event. Items sold at the event included household items such as kitchen ware and bedding as well as toys, books and gently used clothes.

All proceeds from the sale and auction went towards a scholarship fund for ACC students.

TACHE collected gentely used donations during the month of March in preperation for this event.

TACHE is a non-profit statewide organization of

professionals in higher education whose goals include educational advocacy, networking, recruitment and retention, and cultural promotion of Chicanos/ Latinos. ACC TACHE members are involved in various activities to support these goals, including fundraising for ACC student scholarships, helping to organize ACC educational programs and supporting increased representation of Chicano/Latino faculty, staff, and administration.

The ACC Foundation and ACC TACHE worked collaboratively this year to award scholarships for the 2010-2011 academic year through the ACC Foundation. For more information on scholarship opportuinities go to www3.austincc.edu/it/ scholarship/getstart.php.

Estrella Gutierrez • Staff Photographer

EVERYTHING'S VALUABLE — Various objects collected throughout March by the ACC Chapter of The Texas Association of Chicanos

in Higher Education are awaiting purchase at their fifth annual sale and auction at Riverside Campus April 1, 2010.

Calendar of Events For those interested in submitting campus events for our Accent calendar, please e-mail the information to editor3@austincc.edu for consideration.

Career Information Fair April 5, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.,

Cypress Creek Campus Student Lounge

April 6, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.,

Eastview Campus, Multi-purpose Hall, Room 8500

April 7, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.,

South Austin campus, Multipurpose Room, Room 1130

Students have the opportunity to meet with various Austin area employers about the current opportunities within the workforce.

Businesses such as Gold’s Gym, Round Rock Express and Metro Transit will be among the many employers who will be attending.

Refreshments will also be served.

Automotive Technology Dedication and Ribbon Cutting April 8, 11 a.m., ACC San Marcos Goodnight Center, 1331 State Hwy. 123 Room 133, San Marcos

ACC and the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce invite people to welcome the new Automotive Technology Program now being offered at the San Marcos Goodnight Center. Refreshments and tours of the facility will follow the ceremony. The event is open to the public. However, interested attendees are encouraged to RVSP at rsvp@austincc.edu or contact Sherry Priddy at (512) 353-2019.

Bob Livingston Concert April 8, 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m., Rio Grande Campus, Outdoor Deck

ACC Honors Program is providing a free outdoor show with “The Cosmic Cowboy” Bob Livingston. Livingston is considered one of the most experienced and recorded musicians in Texas music as he has toured for 42 years without stopping. Livingston will also be a guest lecturer for English Professor’s Joe O’Connell’s “Texas Writers” class.

Student Literary Gathering April 12, 7 p.m., Austin Java

The monthly Literary Gathering is organized by ACC’s Creative Writing Department. Students and the public are invited to share anything from poems to non-fiction to song writing.

Mental Health and Wellness Fair April 13, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., Rio Grande Campus, Front lawn of Main Building Rio Grande Student Services presents information to bring awareness of the resources and tools from the local community about mental health and wellness.

ACC Student Art Exhibit, Reception and Awards Ceremony Exhibit: April 3-28 Dougherty Arts Center Reception: April 14, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m., Dougherty Arts Center

Michael Needham Staff Writer

The Philosophy of Karl Marx Philosophy Lecture Series April 15, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m., Eastview Campus, Room 8500

Another part of a reoccurring series sponsored by the ACC’s Austin Philosophy Forum. This event is free and open to the public.

“B-Sides from the A-List” April 16-17, 8 p.m., April 18, 2 p.m., April 23, 8 p.m., April 24, 2 p. m., Rio Grande Campus. Mainstage Theater

ACC’s Drama Department presents these faculty directed one act plays by Beckett, Ionesco, Albee and Pinter. Cost of admission is $5 for students and $10 for general audience. All proceeds from sales will benefit the Drama and Dance Scholarship Fund.

Carnival ah!

April 16 - 24, Rio Grande Campus

The second season of ACC’s Arts and Humanities Festival free public events of live music, drama, dance, and performance arts.

For a complete schedule of events, please visit www.austincc.edu/ carnival.

Northridge

Eastview Classroom Size: Chenetra Houston, a nursing major, has always been pleased with the size of her classes.

Parking Capacity: Estela Alma Hernandez Hernandes, an accounting technician major, is not a fan of Eastview parking.

“There’s never any parking,” said Hernandes. “I don’t like parking up the street and not being able to see my car.”

Edith Peralta, a registered nurse major, has had a different experience with parking.

“I’ve got a parking permit,” said Peralta. “Most of the time I find parking.”

Why EVC: Houston likes finding directions on the walls of each building at Eastview. She usually has to ask people for directions at other campuses.

Nicholas Jones, a math major, chooses Eastview because of its Men of Distinction (MOD) program. The program works on the recruitment and retention of African American males, Jones said.

He feels that the program has been very successful.

Houston and Peralta go to Eastview for the nursing program.

Hernandes said that the turnouts for the events are always very strong at Eastview.

“It’s kind of like a family here,” said Hernandes.

Why Not EVC: For the most part, students didn’t have much bad to say about Eastview, but ACC student Krystal Shepard did have a few issues.

“The lounge is always crowded and loud,” said Shepard. “The learning lab is really small.”

To make sure the situation at Eastview was unique, I flashed my reporter’s notebook in front of a a campus officer at Northridge and he didn’t even bat an eye. Northridge loses no points for harassing the media, but maybe I lose a couple points for taunting the police.

The ACC student exhibit, now running in its 34th year, presents creations in various mediums: drawings, sculpture, paintings, prints, photography and ceramics. The Student Art Reception and Awards Ceremony will be held on April 14. This event is free and open to the public.

We’ve narrowed things down a bit and are now in what I like call the final two sets of two. This week we’ll pit the first two winners against each other: Eastview Campus versus Northridge Campus. Both campuses will start with a clean slate, and this time students have the chance to speak for or against the campuses. Let’s get to it!

Eastview was almost eliminated before it got a chance to compete. When I had just begun conducting my interviews at Eastview I was picked up by the campus police as a solicitor. After explaining I was from the school paper I was escorted to the Student Life office for clearance. It was vacant. The officer told me that I’d have to put my story on hold.

Fortunately Student Life Coordinator John Jacobs showed up right then. The officer explained the situation and Jacobs said he’d take it from there. He asked me how many more interviews I needed, and was kind enough to round up some people for me – all of whom had the kindest things to say about Student Life.

VS

The students really seemed to like both their campuses, but in the end the Northridge students seemed to edge out Eastview in each of the categories. This can be seen in how they were more willing to point out its flaws. They admitted that it wasn’t perfect, but they still loved going there. In a race this tight I guess that’s enough to win it.

Congrats Northridge, you’re off to the final round!

Classroom Size: Laura Powell, a communications major, has always had small classes.

Bruce Buescher, a high school student taking college credit at Northridge, is pleased with the class sizes.

“They’re not too big Alma Hernandez or awkwardly small,” said Buescher.

Student Bianca Flores loves the small classes.

“I think it’s perfect because the teachers have more time to actually talk to you,” said Flores.

Matt Johnston, a commercial music management major, likes how the small classes allow students to be close to the professor.

Parking Capacity: Powell lives closer to the Rio Grande campus but goes to Northridge because the parking is better.

Buescher has had a little bit of trouble with parking.

“If I leave myself ten to fifteen minutes, it’s not so bad,” Buescher said.

Johnston said that he hears a lot of people complaining about parking near the beginning of the semester.

Why NRG: Powell is a big fan of the teachers and the new landscaping.

Marissa Wilson, a biology major, thinks the campus is very open and pretty.

Johnston also approves of the scenery.

“I like having a lot of trees around, and a lot less buildings,” said Johnston.

Flores enjoys how the music majors will often gather together in circles outside the buildings and play songs.

Why Not NRG: Gabriel Torres, a business management major, didn’t want to say that the girls were ugly at Northridge, but he had heard his friends say that they were prettier elsewhere.

Wilson thinks that the cafeteria is kind of small.

“Whenever the weather isn’t good, it’s always packed,” said Wilson.

Flores was not a fan of the inescapable secondhand smoke.

“Everywhere you turn there is someone smoking, and then it makes you smell like smoke, and I don’t like it,” said Flores.

r e n n i W

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E E R F H C E SPE ES ZON Cypress Creek

April 5, 2010

All campuses now o Free Speech Zonesffer

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Building 1000

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Design by • Chris Scott, Hanlly Sam

LIFE & ARTS April 5, 2010

www.theAccent.org

page 9

Improv makes it up on the spot Devon Tincknell Life & Arts Editor

It’s every actor’s worst nightmare: You’re on stage, in front of the audience, in the middle of a scene, and suddenly you can’t remember your lines. You stammer and try to remember but fear and anxiety overwhelm you and keep your mind blank. Then you look down and realize you’re naked.

While that scenario might be an actor’s biggest fear, it’s what defines the show for an improviser. Well, except for the being naked part. Improvisation, commonly referred to as improv, is the art of winging it, making up the dialogue, the scene, the song, or whatever it might be on the fly. Improvisers take to the stage with no idea of what the show will be like. They might have a loose format, or pull suggestions from the audience, but nothing is written down or memorized. Everything that happens is created live in the moment as the audience watches.

Though ad libbing and improvisation have always been a part of theater, improv comedy has taken on a life of its own and exploded in the last few decades. The legendary Second City improv theatre in Chicago launched the careers of such comedy greats as Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, Tina Fey, Steve Carrell, Mike Meyers, Stephen Colbert, and many many more.

In the late nineties, the British improv show Whose Line Is It Anyways? made it’s American debut with host Drew Carrey and introduced improv to mainstream audiences. Though the classic improv strongholds are based in L.A., Toronto, and Chicago, Austin boasts a fertile, and rapidly expanding, improv scene of its own.

Since 1999, the Hideout Theatre has been a central hub for Austin’s spontaneous comedy scene, hosting classes and weekly performances. Last spring Jessica Arjet, Roy Janik, and Kareem Badr, improvisers who perform regularly at the Hideout, bought the theater from its old management and infused it with an even greater dedication

to promoting improv in all its shapes and forms. The Hideout now offers classes for all levels of performers, with introductory Level 1 classes starting each month, as well as putting on a full slate of improv shows each weekend.

Though it might seem scary for the uninitiated, the advantages of learning improv are numerous. Veteran improviser and Hideout instructor Andy Crouch says, “Most people are looking to loosen up their lives a little bit, have a little more fun and explore something that is both frightening and intriguing.”

People get into improv for a million reasons, whether they want to perform on stage, be better at public speaking, or simply polish up their English.

When asked where people with an interest in improv should start, Crouch says, “I think the first show you see is Maestro at the Hideout.” Though it does take place at the theater where Crouch is employed, he recommends Maestro for many reasons. Not only is it the longest running improv show in Austin, Maestro features a rotating who’s who of local improvisers from the city’s many different theaters (see sidebar for more details) playing together in a game format some what similar to Whose Line Is It Anyways?. Since the scenes are made up on the spot, often with bizarre restrictions, Maestro goes places that neither the audience, or the performers, ever see coming. A typical show could feature a performer having a Shakespearean dialogue with himself one minute, then move to a blind date involving demonic possession the next.

Whether you want to get in on the action or watch from the sidelines, Austin’s improv scene is definitely something that needs to be seen to be believed. Shows happen every weekend and new classes start up all the time. Though that actor’s nightmare might seem like a fate worse than death for the stage frightened, learning improv does have one obvious advantage: You’ll never be at a loss for words.

Fusebox Festival brings unusual theater to Austin Trevor Goodchild Staff Writer

The word “theater” brings to mind something along the lines of overacted Shakespeare or a high school play for most people, but Austin’s Fusebox Festival is far more adventurous than that. Exploring the cutting edge, Fusebox is the type of experimental theater that expands the definition of what art and performance is.

Founded by Ron Berry in 2003, Fusebox has grown to include visual arts, dance, film, nontraditional theater, and even some music. From April 21 to May 1, Fusebox’s stages will host an eclectic variety of performances from over 450 individual artists and around forty performance groups, including Austin’s own Rude Mechanicals (see Accent’s interview with Rude Mechanicals on the next page).

Berry says he founded the Fusebox festival out of a desire to start a dialogue among local, national and international artists for their contemporary work and to inspire new ideas for theater. The festival also helps artists connect with each other and serves as a launching pad for future endeavors spawned through these connections.

Many of the shows and performances are fairly far removed from what is traditionally called “theater,” and involve strange concepts and audience participation.

One of the those shows is Blender Love. It involves a live seance to channel the memories of broken appliances brought in by audience members.

Another is WeeTube by Theater Replacement where the performers watch a YouTube video and then perform the

comments for the video in different settings.

Rubber Rep will perform a person’s life told through only the physical sensations that person has experienced. The person whose life is told can be anyone the group interviews and selects during the Fusebox Festival.

Even the more straightforward pieces are astoundingly unusual and experimental. The press release for This From Cloudland by Kristen Kosmas with Physical Plant describes it as: “Thirty-five hundred feet directly below the world’s only known micronation, two young lovers are holding themselves hostage while someone falls off a high wire and someone else has their head stuck in the mouth of a bear.”

Berry’s favorite experimental theater moment at the festival was a piece for two people called Etiquette. A person would sign up for a thirty-minute slot, sit at a coffee shop with another person and be told what to say through headphones as they talk to the other person. It let the volunteer be the audience as well as part of the performance.

“It really struck me as a meaningful altering experience that’s the sort of the promise of a new performance; it offers unexpected exciting experiences. It changed the way I looked at this person and thought about them,” Berry said.

Hardly “normal” and definitely entertaining, the Fusebox Festival 2010 promises to deliver excitement and a new way to look at the world.

Wristbands are on sale now through the Fusebox website and performances will be held at over 10 unique Austin venues.

LEVEL 4 — Josh Becker (left photo), Chris Mann and Vasilis Liaskovitis (right photo) perform improvisation scenes, and exercises at their Level 4 Improv Class organized for Austin community members at the Hideout Theater March 23, 2010.

Austin Improv In the world of Austin improv, the Hideout is just one of many venues that offer classes and events.

For resources on improv performances, classes and events, visit the links below: Austinimprov.com Hideouttheatre.com Coldtownetheater.com Newmovementtheater.com Gnaptheater.org Theinstitutiontheater.com

ON A BENCH — Frank Geck and Jon Hearn have a normal conversation on a bench, an exercise at their improv class at the Hideout Theater March 23, 2010.

All photos by Brandy Rodriquez • Staff Photographer

Phantom of the Opera phantastic on final tour Jason Haydon Staff Writer

The current and, sadly, final tour of Phantom of the Opera that ran in Austin from March 17 to April 4 served as a magnificent curtain call for this long running show. From the opening scene, which is not truncated like it has been in the past, Bass Concert Hall seemed to be charged with energy.

The staging and costuming is exquisite. Everything with this cast is right on cue and watching the chandelier rise from the floor to its location on the ceiling; you could feel that the audience was in for a real treat.

Trista Moldovan as Christine is wonderfully cast. Unlike Emily Rossum in the 2004 movie version, Moldovan is not only able to sing in the original range that the music was written, but does so artfully. Her acting skills are superb, and during the song “Past the Point of No Return,” she seems genuinely surprised to find that the Phantom has taken over the role of Don Juan.

The visual effects do a wonderful job of drawing the audience in. The pyrotechnics used were startling to many in the audience who were not expecting them. Gasps from the crowd, and an actual scream or two could be heard.

The ensemble is well done, and the supporting cast all give great effort in their roles. Nancy Hess gives a good performance as Madame Giry, the Phatom’s contact in the Paris opera house and the instructor of the girls in the ballet. Though she seems somewhat disconnected during the scene when she explains the Phantom’s story to Raoul, the weak, and thankfully brief, scene only serves as a slight departure from an otherwise quality performance.

“Whose is the face in the mask,” sings Christine. In this case, the answer is Tim Martin Gleason. A long time Phantom veteran, he played the part of Raoul in Vegas and on Broadway when Phantom of the Opera became the longest running Broadway show in history. For the final US tour, he was cast in the titular role of the Phantom.

He plays his part passionately, but not overdone as is many times the case. He touches the emotions of the audience, because he makes you feel his pain.

The strange, sad tale of the Phantom of the Opera was first told as Le Fantôme de l’Opéra by Gaston Leroux, a French novel that never became successful in the author’s lifetime. In 1925, it was made into a movie starring Lon Chaney. The film enjoyed moderate success, but eventually faded back into obscurity until 1986, when Andrew Lloyd Webber resurrected the tale for his newest musical production.

The Phantom of the Opera was first produced on October 9, 1986 at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London, and went on to win every major British theatre award including the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards.

The New York production, which opened on January 26, 1988, swept all of the 1998 American theater awards, winning seven Tony Awards (including Best Musical), seven Drama Desk Awards and three Outer Critics Circle Awards. The original London cast recording, which was the first cast album in British musical history to enter the charts at number one, has since gone both gold and platinum in Britain and the United States, selling over two million copies. It’s also the only musical that ever had a theater built specifically for it to be staged in. It was also the only musical to date to have three

Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

tours running concurrently in the U.S. But all good things must come to an end. Webber has decided it’s time for “Phantom of the Opera” to end its run for the foreseeable future.

A sequel to Phantom of the Opera opened on March 9 at the Adelphi Theater in London. “Love Never Dies” is a continuation of the story, following Christine and Raoul to New York, where she is to perform at Coney Island on the

opening day of a park called Phantasm, and which unknown to them at first, is run by the Phantom. The music is darker, but just as well written. The double cast album is a good listen, but as a sequel, it does what sequels often do, and doesn’t live up to the expectations placed by the predecessor.

So, for better or for worse, in Texas now, and in the entire country come October, the Phantom’s lyrics sadly ring true: “It’s over now the music of the

page 10 | Life and Arts

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April 5, 2010

Austin Theatre vs Theater

Olivia Watson Staff Writer

Experimental Rude Mechanicals Rude Mechanicals is a local theater company that produces mostly new, experimental works. Created by six friends and UT graduates, it has been around since 1995 and has received over 150 local and national awards and nominations. The company is hotter than ever right now and gaining popularity nationwide. Two of the six artistic directors, Madge Darlington and Kirk Lynn spoke about the inner workings of Rude Mechs.

Q: How did the Rude Mechanical’s company begin?

Madge Darlington: A lot of us met in 1993 through a summer program the University of Texas offered. Some left and tried to do theater in New York, but realized it was difficult to keep up with expensive rental space and to move set pieces through the subway system. Those of us back in Austin were making theater everywhere—in bank lobby’s, basements, anywhere we were allowed. By 1995 we came together and decided to create our own company in Austin.

Q: Why is modern theater so important to Rude Mech’s?

Kirk Lynn: In every time period a contemporary piece is important because it speaks to the issues of the time. Modern theater is not more important now than it has ever been, but we think it is a great time to use new techniques and old references in scripts when performing.

We can present a literature collage and a culture of sampling in a way that would not have made sense long ago but that can work now.

Q: How does Rude Mechs go about choosing which shows to produce?

KL: Since we make all original works, we basically decide which show to work on. We have six artistic directors who do everything on a consensus. Generally, about once a year the artistic directors will get out of town for a weekend and stay in a cabin or elsewhere and discuss what, at that time, we feel is speaking to us. We’ll talk about movies we like, music we are digging, books we’ve read to what’s the best political story we’ve heard. From these conversations, we start to agree on a set of ideas and build on that. For instance, a piece beginning with the idea of Helen Keller grew into a science fiction story. From that idea we researched Thomas Edison where we got to Nikola Tesla. The play ended up being a science fiction piece about Nikola Tesla. It doesn’t necessarily end up where we start, but everyone agrees by the end.

Q: The company’s latest piece is called The Method Gun, tell us a little about that.

KL: It tells the story of a theater company who is completing their nine-year long rehearsal process for A Streetcar Named Desire. There is also a tiger in the show, that is very important.

Q: A real tiger?

KL: We wish! The tiger may think he’s real, but no, it’s an actor. The tiger runs through and mentions how he thinks all shows would be better if a tiger were in them. For example, he talks about how Death of a Salesman would be more exciting if a tiger were in the show.

Q: Any advice for students trying to break into professional theater?

MD: Don’t wait around to be cast, don’t wait around for someone else’s idea, grab the people around you and start making theater. Don’t be afraid to find people willing to mentor and help you. Stop and take time to set your intentions and set goals and dreams.

KL: Also, write your own scripts, make up your own material. Ask people for set pieces’, just get the experience no matter what. The greatest lesson I’ve ever learning in life, love, sex, money and everything else is to ask for what you want. If you start telling people, “this is what I want,” you’d be surprised how many people will give you what you want. And if they can’t give it to you, they will probably give you something else that can get you there.

Traditional

Palindrome Theater Company Palindrome Theater Company is fresh on the Austin theater scene and focuses on reinventing traditional productions. Created in summer 2009, the company has one successful production under its belt and many more on the way. Co-creator and recent St. Edward’s graduate, Nigel O’Hearn shared information on his company and the importance of classical theater.

Q: When did your production company start?

Nigel O’Hearn: My friend and co-creator, Kate Eminger and I decided to start the company in June of 2009 after graduating from St. Edwards. We had worked together throughout college and had similar visions and wanted to continue to grow the theater industry in Austin.

Q: Why does Palindrome focus on classical theater?

NO: We want to set the foundation for modern works. We want to take traditional works down from their pedestal and interact with them because a lot of older plays are rich with history and almost pure genius. We feel that because they can still be applied to life today, that that really means something. You have to know where you’re coming from to know where you’re going and how you want to get there. We are interested in producing new works, but first want to inform and familiarize the most people possible with theaters’ foundation, we need that anchor for people to grasp onto it and see something important in it today.

Q: Why is traditional theater so important today?

NO: At one time all traditional work was new and different from any era that it came immediately before. Shakespeare and the Elizabethans were reacting to the structure of the Greeks and of the passion plays they saw. Responding to that the neo-classics came about, and responding to the neo-classics came Shakespeare. All of these works that seem tired or antiquated are still very fresh and exciting plays that have sustained such an amount of time because they don’t speak to that time period. They speak to something very human that can speak to any time period.

Q: How do you go about in casting for your shows?

NO: We have open castings, and we have returning actors. We know a lot of actors that we have relationships with and like working with, but we are open to new actors.

Q: How do you choose which shows to produce?

NO: We choose plays that fit in with our mission, plays that can feasibly fit in with our budget and rehearsal space, and plays that speak to us at that time.

Q: How long is the entire production period, from choosing a play to show time?

NO: It depends, but our first show was chosen in mid November, then we casted, raised funding and produced the show by January. Basically, anywhere from three months to indefinitely can be entire production time.

Q: What is the next production we can see Palindrome produce?

NO: Melancholy Play, which we are thinking will go up by the end of May. Shortly after that we’ll begin a new show that I’ve written called The Ghost that we’d like to have running by late July or early August.

Q: What advice do you give to students wanted to be a part of Austin theater?

NO: As a student it is important to be well read and know the scripts and kind of theater you want to be involved in. There is a limitless variety of theater, so it is good to know what kind of theater really speaks to you and sets you on fire. Also, it’s so easy to make connections and lend a hand in this town. People will remember your face so it’s good to make yourself available for any work. For example, be open to cutting wood or setting up chairs. Know who you want to work with and actively try to do so. Work from the base up.