Accent, April 19 , 2010 Issue

Round Rock rolls to finish

April 19, 2010

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First Copy free | Volume 12, Issue 11

Construction wraps as new campus gets ready to rock Sarah Vasquez Campus Editor

The construction time line of Austin Community College’s new Round Rock Campus is currently running tight but staying on schedule to open for the fall semester classes of August 23.

The construction crews have stayed on schedule with minimal interruptions and within the budget as they work toward finishing each of the five buildings for the Certificate of Occupancy.

The Certificate of Occupancy is a ceremonial part of the construction process when the contractor walks through the completed buildings to ensure the safety and building codes have been met before the employees and students can occupy the structure without the aid of hard hats. Once the building is determined to have met compliance, the contractor then hands the building over to ACC. Each building will receive a Certificate of Occupancy at different times as they are awarded when each building is completed.

However, ACC’s project manager Paul Mason mentions that receiving these Certificates of Occupancy doesn’t mean the Round Rock faculty and staff will be able to move into their offices just yet. Before the construction team can release the doors to the employees, all the furniture photo courtesy of Multivista Construction Documentation, Inc. and office equipment must be installed first as well as the equipment and technology Under Construction— Workers put finishing touches on the new campus. Groundbreaking of the Round Rock Campus took place needed in the various classrooms such as Feb. 2009, the campus is scheduled to open this fall. computers, refrigerators, outlets and fume serve more than 11,000 students and will an upgraded news room for ACC’s student classes for her nursing career. However she hoods. include a library, central utility plant, as well newspaper, Accent that will relocate from the feels the campus would offer more flexibility “There’s 11 million dollars worth of stuff as a three-story building for health sciences, small Rio Grande office to the Round Rock with scheduling classes. to put in the building,” said Mason. “The mathematics and science programs, an Campus. This newsroom includes a larger “Round Rock Higher Education Center biggest challenges are to work around the applied technology building for automotive work room for the student staff as well as two doesn’t offer as many classes. You would have schedules and how to accommodate to welding, and building construction programs small offices for full time staff. to go to another campus which is farther the thousands and thousands of pieces of and a general studies building which will Student Timesha Berry is anticipating the in Austin,” said Berry. “So by us having our equipment to install.” serve as the student activity center including opening of the new campus. She currently own campus, it will offer more classes so we Two buildings are scheduled to be a student commons and bookstore. resides in close proximity of the Round Rock wouldn’t have to drive.” released on July 26 followed by two more The new campus will also incorporate Higher Education Center where she takes buildings ready for moving in on August 2.

Perrine hopes to focus Richard unopposed in on future growth of ACC race for Board place 4 Michael Needham

Brynne Harder

Estrella Gutierrez • Staff Photographer

Michael Perrine — Running for Place 6

issues are also related to the maintenance and renovation of existing campuses.

Perrine would like to see campuses such as the Rio Grande campus modernized with updated amenities for students. This is something he’s seen firsthand as a student.

He’s also focused on class offerings and the effect they can have on Austin’s growth.

“Approximately three-quarters of current student enrollment is in transfer credits. That’s an important legacy, but it’s very important we continue to build that workforce. Job growth is important for all of us,” Perrine said.

For that, Perrine would work on increasing job training classes in industries such as technology and health care that attract hiring companies to Austin.

“If I’m not successful I plan to become involved in other ways such as through the Chamber of Commerce,” Perrine said. “I plan to stay…and become involved.”

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third the tuition that students pay outside the district. This motivation is currently bringing areas into ACC. “There is more of that to be There are three board of done, and I want to be helpful trustee places up for election there,” said Richard. this year, and anyone interested Richards explained that in running could have applied economics requires the to be a candidate in any of the allocation of scarce resources, three places. The places are and as property taxes begin to “At-Large,” which means they reflect the economic crash and do not represent a specific area. revenue declines, it will be his Four candidates chose to run for responsibility to suggest how to place 5, and three for place 6. maintain programs, supplies and Nobody chose to run against technology. incumbent Jeffrey Richard for “It’s when things are place 4. tougher and choices have to “It seems to me they made an observation that I could serve be made, that economic skill set background becomes more the college well,” said Richard. “I important,” said Richard. “It is am humbled and honored that I not a skill set that I am unopposed this term.” need to learn on Six years ago this board, it’s a Richard was not skill set that I running alone. He have brought said he wanted to to the board.” be on the board When because he had a Richard was vision, a purpose, OARD born, neither and a plan.

OF of his parents “The vision RUSTEES could vote was that ACC could because they were rise to become a true black. core institution in this “They were outstanding community,” said Richard. community citizens, but they Richard has seen the school couldn’t vote,” said Richard. grow over the last six years.

Content of character “I know that ACC is a high seemed to be a better tool for quality institution. It is not a differentiating people than how junior college, It is a community they looked, Richard said. He college,” said Richard. “I know that this region is in good hands. became interested in policy and politics because of the laws that I know that intelligence and separated his parents from civil rigor is extolled and celebrated rights. at each one of our campuses.”

“I realized the society I was During his next six-year growing up in was putting a lid term Richard hopes to see more on progression because of how school districts join ACC. He a person looked, and that didn’t explained that when a district joins ACC, the students pay one- make much sense to me,” said

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me become organized and more dependable because I have to stay Staff Writer on target,” Perrine explained.

In addition, Perrine believes “It’s been exciting and a great that his professional experience learning experience,” Michael in finance and time spent on Perrine said about running for different boards gives him an ACC Board of Trustees Place 6. insight into the work required in Though he has served on the district. Perrine explained that several boards, this is the first this background also gives the time he’s had to campaign. board a financial advisor, an SEC “I’m excited to have the requirement for corporate boards. opportunity to run,” Perrine said, Perrine identifies four “that speaks volumes about the issues that will play a critical community college district.” role for ACC: implications of Although this is Perrine’s first growth, faculty and employee time to run for the board, he is satisfaction, campus maintenance not new to ACC. He first started and renovation, and increasing at ACC in 1982 taking summer workforce development accounting classes for transfer programs. Together these four credit while a University of Texas areas largely relate to the growth finance student. Though the district has seen over he hasn’t been idle the years and how since graduating the district should in 1986, he was direct future bothered that he growth. never earned a “Enrollment CPA degree. has outpaced A little over growth of ACC,” OARD two years ago he Perrine said. “It’s OF started researching important that RUSTEES his options for we grow wisely continuing his without forgetting education. Looking at cost, where we come from.” classes offered and class times he The majority of Perrine’s decided to re-enroll at ACC and campaign time has been spent started taking a couple classes meeting with full time and each semester towards this goal. adjunct professors. He said “I’m on campus at least two that from speaking with them nights a week. I’ve taken classes many of the issues that affect at five out of the eight campuses. their working conditions have I have a lot of ACC in everyday become apparent. For example, life,” he said. he mentioned classrooms not Adding the extra work being equipped with visual aide to his schedule as a student, technology and adjunct faculty businessman and parent doesn’t driving between the different concern him. campuses spread across Austin “I’m certainly very busy, but I during a single day. think the process has helped me Many of these concerns grow immensely. It has helped surrounding faculty satisfaction

Estrella Gutierrez • Staff Photographer

Jeffrey Richard — Running for Place 4

Richard.

Richard said he hopes he will be remembered as an engaged board member who was prepared for the meetings, respected the staff and administration, was not afraid to ask question for clarification, make tough decisions and to celebrate as easily as critique.

“I hope I’m remembered as a thoughtful leader who respected the institution and loved it,” said Richard.

Along the way he has received advice from friends.

“A good friend of mine said I want to be remembered as a trustee that you can trust. I love that,” said Richard.

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.

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Karissa Explains

it ALL

College applications 2.0 Karissa Rodriguez Design Intern

Its been over four years since I’ve filled out a college application and I will never forget the mountain of stress and pressure I felt.

Today, colleges are making the application process even more complex by asking applicants for video clips as a supplement to their applications in addition to writing the standard 500-word essay. I think its a great idea, but there are way too many flaws in its submission process.

Tufts University, George Mason University, the College of William and Mary and St. Mary’s College of Maryland are the first colleges in the nation to officially accept supplemental videos as part of their applications for admission.

It won’t be long before this becomes a common practice among most colleges. However, what is going to stop admissions officials from favoring applicants because they made an award-worthy video over another applicant who just used a grainy cell phone camera?

Officials from all of the schools claim that they will not hold poor video quality or bad videos against students applying, but I find that really hard to believe.

The videos themselves have the potential to either make or break an applicant’s application.

Those who decide to create

one will need to be very careful to not reveal too much information about themselves that may cast them in a bad light or put off admissions officials.

One of the biggest problems with supplemental videos is the medium on which they are delivered. Applicants must submit videos via YouTube or other URL and have no constraints in developing their video other than to adhere to YouTube guidelines.

Submitting videos via YouTube or any other URL makes the college application process public. I find this disturbing because the college admissions process should remain private and unbiased.

In the future, colleges who decide to include videos in their applications will need to create a new, safer method of delivery for applicants to submit their videos because anyone is able to view and comment on videos on YouTube.

Despite its flaws, there are great benefits for both applicants and the colleges themselves.

The videos give admissions officials the opportunity to pair a name on a piece of paper with a face and personality. This makes videos a great option for students who are unable to attend a personal interview.

I think including video submissions is an innovative way to revitalize the college application process, however there are many problems that need addressed and fixed before I’m completely sold on the idea.

For

’ Devons Sake

The Dis-United States of America Devon Tincknell Life & Arts Editor

Back in 2008, when Americans were looking to the future with starry eyes thanks to Barack Obama’s hypnotic promise of “Change we can believe in,” the Russian media was spinning a different story about the new American century.

Russian professor and former KGB intelligence analyst Igor Panarin claims that by the year 2010, America will dissolve into civil war and six separate nations will emerge. Back then we all enjoyed a good laugh and assured ourselves that it could never happen, but four months into 2010, that laughter is sounding a little unsure.

The cable news networks are overflowing with stories about Congressional death threats, anti-federalist political parties, armed militias, religious extremism, and other revolutionary rhetoric.

Conservative Oklahoma politicians have called for the formation of a state militia and Austin’s own Rick Perry has “joked” publicly about secession.

The national debt, which Panarin calls a “pyramid scheme,” is at $11 trillion and still rising.

Panarin’s prediction hasn’t come to pass yet, but it no longer seems like an unthinkable Soviet pipe dream.

But hey, maybe now is the time to look on the bright side.

When the Beatles broke up, the

Fab Four all went on to release some pretty amazing solo albums (well, except for Ringo). Maybe that big frothy melting pot we call the United States is finally boiling over, ready to be spooned out into smaller servings. Based loosely off Panarin’s political redistricting, here is a sneak peek at the New United States of America.

The Republic of Mexas

Texans are quick to remind you that they used to be their own country, and Rick Perry has been vocal about the possibility of it happening again. But what was Texas before it became its own nation? That’s right, Mexico, that little country south of the border embroiled in an out of control drug war. As soon as the Fed falls, the immigrant powered land stretching from Southern California to Eastern Texas will become a blood soaked battlefield for warring cartels.

Recuerde el Álamo?

Cascadia

Powered by good vibes, organic agriculture, and a lucrative legal marijuana industry, the land that stretches from San Francisco past Seattle will be finally given its own autonomy. The Cascadia Independence Movement has been around since the Civil War, and when the central government collapses, they’ll finally have their time to shine. The fertile lands, technology hubs, and liberal-

w w w.the Accent.org

Student government in need of students

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Chris Scott• Layout Editor

Shortage of candidates threatens to leave students defenseless against new policies Staff Editorial This semester no students are running for Veteran Student Senator, International Student Senator, Round Rock Senator, South Austin Senator, Riverside Senator, Pinnacle Senator, Eastview Senator, or Treasurer. No position except Secretary even has more then one student running. This has created an unfortunate situation in which almost all of the positions will be filled by candidates who are going to win by default.

Government is the last place that any community should tolerate apathy. It is in the process of several people debating, and campaigning for the support of their constituents, that they prove how hard they are willing to work. Elections where candidates don’t have to show up to win prove nothing.

environmentalist mentality will allow Cascadia to flourish as an eco-friendly utopia, right up until it’s conquered by one of its heavily armed neighbors.

Rocky Mountain States

The states surrounding the majestic Rocky mountain range have always maintained a fiercely independent, frontier mentality.

That do-it-yourself attitude will help ease their transition from being a sparsely populated sprawl of cowboys, Mormons, and mountain men to, well, more of the same. Polygamy will be legalized; speed limits abolished; beards will grow in abundance; and folks will mostly mind their own business.

The New Old South

Though they tried it once before, this time the South will be successful in establishing their independence. A deeply religious land fraught with racial tension, the South will surprise everyone

Letter to the Editor:

by Sterling Hartman

I was at the Rio Grande Cafeteria today 4/12/10 and in walks a blind student. She ended up working herself into a corner.

I got up and asked her if I could help her and she said asked if I would help her to a table where she could study. I took her arm and walked her over to an empty table.

Not five minutes later a second blind

April 19, 2010

student comes into the cafeteria and obviously needed help. I got up and helped her to find a table and get seated.

NOT A SINGLE ACC STUDENT OFFERED TO HELP THESE BLIND LADIES. I honestly was ashamed of everyone in that cafeteria today.

The shortcomings of a student government electoral process, may not seem like a dire issue, but it really will have negative effect on the entire student body.

When students were asked if they knew what SGA does for them for this issue’s Rant and Rave, the weight of what SGA does for students at ACC escaped many of them.

In fact, the SGA has been at the front of every major proposed policy change, and regularly campaign for what students want. They worked on preventing a campus-wide ban on smoking, because it’s not what students wanted. They fought to postpone the decision to move the add/drop date because students didn’t want it. They worked to make sure that students who didn’t participate in orientation wouldn’t be dropped from all their classes without warning, because students didn’t think it

by coming together and forging a powerful new economy where all men are treated equal. That is, of course, right after the new nation’s black voter bloc defeats an initiative to give slavery another go.

Rust Belt

The fall of the American economy has affected this former industrial center harder than anywhere else. Violence, unemployment, and social unrest will be epidemic until foreign investors move in and revitalize the industrial sector by retrofitting factories to make small plastic toys for Chinese Happy Meals.

powered wars over the dwindling portion of land that still grows crops that aren’t turned into animal feed or high fructose corn syrup.

The Revised Thirteen

Made up of the original thirteen colonies, plus or minus a few line up changes, the new upper Atlantic nation will rally around its economically powerful metropolises. Taxes will then shoot through the roof in order to fund the increasingly

bitter rivalries between the nation’s various sports teams.

Eventually, the different states’ populations will become tribes, recognizable by their painted faces and team colors.

Alaskghanistan

Sarah Palin leads an extremist resistance movement against Russian invaders.

Hawaii

Sinks into the ocean thanks to global warming.

The Wastelands

Once called the Breadbasket, this region has been all but dominated by corn and soy production over the last several decades. Feudal kingdoms will form around the major cities who will fight lengthy, ethanol

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was fair.

Without a strong collection of elected student representatives willing to put in the hours needed to take on these issues, these kinds of policy debates will occur without real student input.

There is no student organization at ACC that so directly deals with the administration on behalf of students, SGA is as successful advocates for student.

Students can still write-in candidates if they choose. Some students are working on write-in campaigns, but they aren’t given the same spotlight as those that are formally running Students should make this election a bigger priority then they have in the past, because next semester, when policy changes that student are opposed to are passing without opposition, we are all going to miss having a strong, fully staffed student government.

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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, Trevor Goodchild, Anny Ibarra, Rob Cohen, Jason Witmer, Kevin Stockwell, Odin Amador Photographers Estrella Gutierrez, Brandy Rodriquez, Trevor Goodchild, Adrienne Sparks 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 19, 2010

News Briefs

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Texas textbooks rewrite history

Learn to save some green while Conservative changes to social studies curriculum attracts national attention going green at Earth Day event In celebration of Earth Day, ACC’s Center for Student Political Studies (CSPS), plans to use April 22 as an opportunity to create a fun and interactive event that will allow students to gain awareness of the ways in which their lifestyles affect the environment.

“If we want to see a better future for our environment and overall quality of life, we must first change our lifestyles,” CSPS secretary and co-founder Paul Theobald said.

“Live Green, Save Green” will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Eastview campus next Thursday. There will be vendors handing out samples of organic food, various clubs and organizations representing their causes, as well as businesses seeking out fresh interns.

Theobald hopes that the event, which will be held in an interactive “fair-like atmosphere,” will spread awareness of the environment and demonstrate the ways that students can take better care of it.

Sarah Eckhard, a noted “green” Travis County Commissioner, Ryan Rittenhouse a member of the advocacy group Public Citizen, and George Staff, department chair of the Environmental Science and Technology department at ACC, are all speaking at various times throughout the event. They’ll talk about the effects of global warming, carbon footprints, and how to make changes in our every day lives.

Carnival ah! coming to Rio Grande to celebrate the arts Carnival ah! a three-day carnival dedicated to the arts is coming to Rio Grande campus, from Tuesday, April 20, to Thursday, April 22. The event is run by the Arts and Humanities Division.

Included in the festivities will be a live action art demonstration, that will teach viewers how to “paint in the moment,” a throwback to the 60’s era art of Jackson Pollok. Also there will be a musical exploring of deaf culture in a hearing society, and the Sunset Student Dance Showcase, which will debut original student and faculty performances. The drama department will be performing several plays, including “In 2 the West”, “B-Sides from the A-list: 6 Short Plays from the Theatre of the Absurd”, and “Moby Dick: the Rock Opera”.

The student art sale will occur on Tuesday, in which students will have an opportunity to showcase and sell their art and patrons will have an opportunity to buy unique pieces at affordable prices.

Starting Monday, April 19th, and running the entire length of the festival is Cinem-ah!, a film festival that will showcase ACC faculty and student films. There will be feature films playing at the Main Stage Theater and continuous screenings of ACC student shorts throughout the day at the Cinem-ah! Tent.

Diana Leite Staff Writer

The new social studies curriculum approved by the Texas State Board of Education on March 12 has brought national attention to the board and to the educational system in Texas. Now the Texas Education Agency is giving the public a chance to comment on those changes.

A public hearing on the changes is scheduled for May 19. A committee of the board is scheduled to vote on any additional changes on May 20.

Comments can be sent to rules@ tea.state.tx.us.

The reform passed 10-5 votes along party lines, with all Republicans board members voting for it, and has stirred up controversy in Texas and across the country.

The changes on the curriculum will give a conservative twist to the textbooks in the state of Texas, the biggest buyer of textbooks in the country, some critics say. “[The textbook reform] is certainly not helping the students. This is certainly not helping the reputation of the state and it is not helping the reputation of education in the state. They are harming Texas education. […] When our students leave Texas to go for other educational opportunities or for jobs, they will have a harder time, because people

already have the perception that Texans are dumb. This reform is just making them seem really dumb,” said David Lauderback, ACC History professor.

“A lot of it is uninformed criticism”, commented Don McLeroy, member of the State Board of Education and practicing dentist.

One of the big discussions among the those who oppose the reform is if Texas students will be less educated than elsewhere in the United States or not.

Lauderback puts his trust on high school teachers.

“The teachers know that the students have to pass a number of national instruments that this type of very limited education will not prepare them for”.

On the other hand, the image that the reform is sending to the country may jeopardize the Texas high school students if they decided to pursue out-ofstate education.

“The leading intellectual scholars in American History are now writing articles in scholarly publications that create doubt that Texas students will be as attractive to Harvard and other tier one universities because Texas schools are more interested in Religious and Political perspectives than science and factual history,” ACC History professor, Andres Tijerina said.

While some criticize the newly approved curriculum, others regard it as one more conservative victory in the state

Annexation to be on the ballot of Bastrop ISD voters ACC verifies signatures on Bastrop petition Sarah Neve

Editor-in-Chief Bastrop ISD voters will definitely be making a decision on whether or not they should be annexed into the ACC taxing district this November. The Bastrop County Friends of Higher Education submitted 1750 signatures on a petition to include annexation on the Nov. 2 ballot.

They had to get signatures from five percent (1,177) of registered voters.

The ACC Office of Governmental Relations has verified 1672 petition signatures.

“The others were not valid; they just stop at some point when they are well over the required amount,” ACC Media Relations Coordinator Alexis Patterson said.

Hays CISD, Elgin ISD, McDade ISD, and San Marcos CISD are

all still in the signature gathering phase of the annexation process.

Now that the signatures have been verified, the ACC board of trustees will present a service plan to the community, outlining the services and options that would be open to them if they voted to become part of the taxing district.

“We’ve been hashing out what we expect in return for annexation,” Bastrop County Friends of Higher Education’s Tom Scott said.

ACC has committed to building a campus in Bastrop if they become part of the taxing district.

“We’re calling it the ACC Lost Pines College,” Scott Said.

Scott, a former mayor of Bastrop, believes that despite some of the opposition the idea of annexation is facing that it will be successful.

“We’re going to work hard, we aren’t going to take anything for granted…I’m confident, but we won’t allow ourselves to become over confident,” Scott said.

Bastrop is the first of the interested communities to have its petition verified, and move into the planning stages of what a Bastrop campus would look like.

According to Scott there are

meetings planned for later this month to discuss workforce training. The board is working on getting the service plan ready for Bastrop. The plan has to be available to the public, no less then one month before the public hearings begin. At these hearings ACC will meet with members of the community to discuss the annexation.

“We didn’t go into this naive, we knew some people wouldn’t look at it as cost verses benefits, and just focus on the tax,” Scott Said.

Opposition is mostly because, of the new tax annexation comes with. The board of trustees would formally expand the taxing district to include Bastrop ISD and residents would begin paying an ad valorem (property) tax. ACC’s tax rate is 0.0946 cents $100 valuation.

“I would contrast the dozen or so people that have taken the time to write in (to a local newspaper in Bastrop) that are against it, to the almost 2000 that signed the petition,” Scott said. “I’d rather go with the 2,000.”

of Texas.

“Religion is strictly necessary to the people. The necessity of public schools came with the necessity of the people to teach children to read the Bible, but of course they can read other religious books.

Nobody will force anybody to follow a certain religion,” said McLeroy.

McLeroy has been an outspoken supporter of including a conservative, Christian view in the textbook standards.

“Our country was founded on the idea of creation, on biblical principals, JudeoChristian principles and the principle of truth,” said McLeroy.

The new, more conservative books may reduce the coverage of the role of minorities in history. For example, the Texas Tribune reported that Mary Helen Berlanga, a Democrat on the Board, tried to include a list of Hispanic heroes of the Alamo, but McLeroy and other socially conservative members of the Board were able stymie Berlanga’s efforts.

“The real danger is not just that minorities are being subordinated, but that other great Americans and American principles are being subordinated to mythical, religious, and political

Photo Illustration by Hanlly Sam

imperatives that distort scholarly History” Tijerina said.

The textbook standards, reviewed every 10 years, serve as a guideline for publishers.

With the new conservative template, America will not be a “democracy” anymore, but a “constitutional republic,” the term “capitalism” will be replaced by “free-enterprise system”, and Thomas Jefferson and the reference to Enlightenment ideas are excluded from the standards.

Lauderback criticises the reform.

“The men and women on the Education Board are not distinguishing themselves.

Public education on the United States has always been a political football. Education has always been something people have battled over. For a very long time in the United States ,there have been folks that have seen education as a vehicle for social control, for promoting their own political, religious, and cultural views.”

Interested voters learn about trustee candidates at forum Michael Needham Staff Writer

Early voting for three spots on ACC’s Board of Trustees begins April 24 and with the general election on May 8, the Friends of ACC decided to get to know the candidates at their first ever Board of Trustee Candidates Forum.

Friends of ACC, an independent community organization made up of people interested in how ACC serves the community, hosted the forum on April 7 at ACC’s Highland Business Center.

Friends of ACC members John Hernandez and Hunter Ellinger were in charge of the event.

“We’ve never had an ACC only forum,” said Hernandez. “We wanted to see who was running and have it directed to an ACC audience.”

Seven of the eight candidates were able to attend the forum which was planned only 10 days before it happened.

The event opened with each candidate telling a little about themselves, and then it was opened up for questions from the audience.

Current trustee James McGuffee said he was happy to see everyone running pro ACC. He explained that in the past people would run because they were mad at ACC for reasons such as high property taxes.

Vice chair of the board Allen Kaplan said he thinks that better people are

interested in ACC because it’s in the news more.

“We’ve attracted higher caliber candidates and that’s a good thing,” said Kaplan.

President-elect of the full-time faculty senate, Jon Luckstead, came to the forum to learn about the candidate’s opinions.

“I really wanted to ask them some questions, but time was too short,” said Luckstead. “There was only time for two or three questions.”

The first question the candidates answered was about tuition increases.

Incumbent and unopposed candidate Jeffrey Richard answered first. He explained that when the economy goes down the enrollment goes up.

“There’s more demand,” said Richard.

“I do not think tuition will remain the same.”

All of the other candidates who responded took a different stance by promising not to raise tuition.

Kaplan applauded the candidates on their passionate answers. He then informed them that the winners of the election would have to vote on the school’s budget during their first board meeting. He implored them to learn about the school budget.

McGuffee urged students to vote on May 8.

“I do hope we get a student turnout,” said McGuffee. “It’s so important.”

CAMPUS NEWS April 5, 2010

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News | page 5

April 19, 2010

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page 5

Calendar of Events

Live Green, Save Green

April 22, 5:30 p.m.

Eastview Campus, Room 8500 (Multipurpose Room) The Center for Student Political Students, the Students for Environmental Outreach, Environmental Science and Technology and History Departments and the Center for Public Policy and Political Studies are bringing several student programs and representatives to students and the general public to discuss to be green without effecting your wallet as well as learn about the environmentally active resources available without our community. Travis County Commissioner Sarah Eckhardt will give a keynote speech. Event is free and refreshments will be served.

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ant n’ ave

Cypress Creek campus Student Opinions Do you know what Student Government Association (SGA) does for you?

“They organize everything that goes on campus hand in hand with Student Life.”

-Chris Reamann, environmental sciences major

“The Rio Review” Publication Celebration

April 22, 7 p.m.

Rio Grande Campus, Room TBA ACC’s Creative Writing Department are celebrating the release of the newest edition of the literary journal “The Rio Review.” This publication includes student submissions of peoms, prose, screenplays and artwork. Everyone is invited to attend this free event.

In 2 the West

April 23 2 p.m., April 24, 8 p.m.

Rio Grande Campus, Gallery Theater ACC’s Drama Department presents an Austin collaborative production “In 2 the West” directed by adjunct faculty Amparo Garcia Crow and Sidney Brammer. Cost of admission is $5 for students and $10 for the general public. All proceeds from sales will benefit the Drama and Dance Scholarship Fund.

“They are here to help the students succeed. They are here to address students’ concerns and voice student opinions.”

-Shakera Ali, nursing major

“They regulate teachers and staff agenda.”

-Tylor Morris, art major

“B-Sides from the A-List”

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 the general public. All proceeds from sales will benefit the Drama and Dance Scholarship Fund.

“I didn’t know that we had one.”

-Olivia MacDonall, psychology major

University Campus Tour

April 23, 8:30 a.m.

Texas State University and St. Edward’s University ACC students have the opportunity to tour and learn about two nearby four-year colleges on behalf of ACC. Those interested will meet at Riverside Campus to load on the bus to each campus. Students interested in attending these tours will need to submit an Emergency Contact Information and Waiver/Consent Form which can be obtained on the ACC website.

“I haven’t seen anything wrong done by the SGA, but I haven’t seen them doing anything either.”

-Jordan Dubosc, liberal arts major

Induction Ceremony for Sigma Alpha Pi

April 24, 10 a.m.

Eastview Campus. Room 8500 (Multipurpose Room) The Austin Community College Chapter of The National Society of Leadership and Success along with the Office of Student Life are inducting the newest members to Sigma Alpha Pi. The Society helps students with lectures and support groups with help in achieving their academic dreams and goals. Interested guests are encouraged to R.S.V.P. at www.austincc.edu/sl by April 19.

All interviews and photos by Diana Leite

Dia de la Familia

April 24, 11 a.m.

Riverside Campus Free entertainment and informational resources will be offered at the fourth annual Dia de la Familia. Attendees are welcome to bring families to enjoy the games, face painting, and entertainment for adults and children as well as a performance from Los Texas Wranglers.

Representatives from Admissions, Financial aid and Adult Basic Education will be on hand to pass on information for any inquiring minds.

Students win awards for work in 34th student art exhibit

College Preview Day

Anny Ibarra

April 30, 9 a.m.

Location TBA Interested high school seniors from the surrounding Austin area will have the opportunity to experience a day as an Austin Community College student with simulated classes and workshops at one of the campuses. Registration on ACC’s website is required.

Nite in the Life

April 30, 6:00 p.m.

Morris conference Center, 2525 West Anderson Lane Student Life is hosting it’s ninth annual awards show, Nite in the Life. This year with a Las Vegas theme will include a night of karaoke, dancing, a live auction and a casino which offers prizes for ACC students. Deadline to R.S.V.P. is April 23, and students are invited to bring a guest. Students can R.S.V.P. at austincc.edu/SL.

Student bands set to show off their musical chops at free ACC music showcase Rob Cohen Staff Writer

Various musical acts from Austin representing multiple campuses will perform in the first ever Austin Community College Music Showcase.

The event is free to students and general public and will take place on April 21, at 3 p.m. at the South Austin Campus Courtyard.

A diverse mix of solo artists and bands will compete for the title of best act and the opportunity to play a gig at a Student Life event during the next academic year.

More than 40 musicians registered for the showcase and out of the 21 demo CDs received, the selection committee, which consisted of two students and one member of faculty, whittled it down to the eight chosen performers of a diverse mix of blues, electronic, folk, hip hop, rock, classical, and pop acts.

Each performer will play two songs and a panel of judges, made up of three students and two faculty/staff members, will evaluate them on stage presence, originality, audience interaction, and overall talent.

The winner of the music showcase will be announced during the ACC Student Life’s Nite in the Life ceremony on April 30.

Drinks and snacks will be served, and student clubs have been invited to host a table during the event.

Confirmed bands performing at the ACC music showcase: Barry Whitesnake iaMHer The Window Silhouette Lady Bell Mr. Myles Everyday Destruction Noise in Action The Baker Family

Staff Writer

The best of ACC student art is on display at the Julia C. Butridge Gallery at the Dougherty Arts Center at the 34th ACC Annual Student Art Exhibit. The exhibit has been on display since April 2 and will continue until April 28.

The reception and award ceremony was held on April 14 at the Dougherty Arts Center. Awards were given for painting, printmaking, drawing, ceramics, sculpture, metals, and photography. The public was also given a chance to award their favorite piece of art through the Viewer’s Choice Award. Winners were given cash prizes between $100-$150 and gift certificates from the sponsor of this year’s exhibit.

Brent Baggett, Art Studios and Exhibitions Specialist at ACC, explained that Austin artist, Sally Webber, was this year’s guest juror.

“She is a well know artist in town,” said Baggett. “She selected the artwork in different categories. These were First, Second and Honorable mention.”

Most of the artwork that are in the exhibition at the Dougherty Arts Center are for sale. Students set the prices between $33 and $4000.

There are many works for display such as “the Great Owl”

by Eric Eastham, a vibrantly colored oil painting called “Princessa from Davo” by Jessica Rosuello, “Corporate Evil” by Sumi Jampana and many more.

ACC also, has another contest called “The Purchase Prize”. ACC will buy some of the art pieces on display to help students get some exposure for their work, and contribute financially to their artistic endeavor. This contest motivates the student selected to continue to shape his skills as artist.

“ACC buys the artwork from the student. Then it is placed around campus, the library, or at people’s offices. There are several for display around Rio Grande campus” Brent said.

Brandy Rodriquez • Staff Photographer

ART STUDENT — Leigha Whitmire admires her art “Mother

Nature, B&W Digital Photography” at the ACC Annual Student Art Exhibition, Wednesday April 14, 2010.

Brandy Rodriquez • Staff Photographer

NIGHT OWL — Made of steel, “The Great Owl” by Eric

Eastham won Honorable Mention in the Metals category.

Brandy Rodriquez • Staff Photographer

MERRY XMAS — Made with clay and acrylic, this piece by

Philip Ang is on display at the Annual Student Art Exhibition.

page 6 | Campus News

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Meet the Candidates

April 19, 2010

Voting for Student Government candidates began on April 12 and will continue to April 25.

In an effort to inform students about the candidates running for office, Accent is printing the candidates’ platforms found on the election Web page. The Accent editorial staff has not edited these pieces and has allowed the candidates to speak directly to our readers.

To vote go to austincc.edu/sga/

Jorge Amador - President As a Christian I have learned the meaning of Love, Trust, and Servitude. As a Student I have learned the meaning of Dedication and Hard work, but more importantly as part Student Government I have learned the meaning of Dignity and Integrity. From the two years I have attended ACC I have seen a picture of what this school can do for all of the students that walk through her halls, and have grown empathetic to all of our circumstances and particular stages in life. As President I see a picture of ACC in which a student could express their sensible points of view to Administrator and have their voices heard. I am also proud to say that I was both the only Student and the only Student Government Representative who voted down the uncapping of the Student Activity Fee as I felt there was a big enough burden on students, whilst at the same time fought to increase budget of programs such as Intramural Sports and C.A.B. My involvement has continued to improve the retention of Student’s Rights by serving as the Chair of the Orientation Committee, which levied the consequences of Students who did not attend Orientation and would otherwise be subsequently dropped from their respective classes. I have served as the Northridge Senator for the 09-10 Semesters and would feel honored and privileged if you extended the right to allow me to serve as your Student Government President.

Sophia Downing - Vice President I am Sophia C Downing, your Austin Community College (ACC), Student Government Association (SGA) Director of Communications (DOC) for term 2009-2010. Prior to being your DOC, you selected me as your Distant Learning Senator. Term 2010-2011 Vote Sophia Downing for SGA Vice President As current Director of Communications (DOC), I hold myself to high standards of integrity; therefore, it is my position to ensure that SGA properly represents the student body at ACC, always with the best interests of the students in mind. In addition to being the Director of Communication, I also Chair the Maslow Committee. The Maslow Committee is dedicated to developing leadership amongst students. The Committee holds several student workshops and events throughout the year. Timeline of events and activities during my term include: August 2009, ACC Mascot Search – ‘Pink Bunny’ September 2009, Choosing Your Major – Student Workshop October 2009, Leadership Workshop - SGA Fall Retreat December 2009, the Winter Bazaar – Student Event January 2010, Peru School Supply Drive – Contributed Service February 2010, Free Carnations to students, faculty and staff – Student Event February 2010, Haiti Relief Concert – Student Event (Committee Member/Volunteer) March 2010, Giveme’ the Money! – Student Workshop I arranged sponsorships and donations for SGA events from H.E.B, The Office Products Store, Higher One, Texas Financial Aid Information Center (T.F.A.I.C) and A+ Federal Credit Union and saved a substantial amount of money by securing a new vendor for our printing need. I feel as though these accomplishments are just the beginning for me. I have so much more I want to do for you within SGA. “I say what I mean and I mean what I say”. – Horton Hears A Who Vote Sophia Downing for SGA Vice President.

Rodney Hermes - Secretary

As the Secretary of your Student Government, I will absolutely strive to keep clear and concise records on the events unfolding in our Bi-Weekly legislative meetings. As a student of A.C.C. you are already an active member of the Student Government. It would be my highest priority, outside of a full-time course load, to make sure we all have access to the knowledge of events unfolding in these meetings. Any student is welcome to attend S.G.A. meetings, but many can not due to children, jobs, or scheduling. I believe you still deserve easy access to our voting records and discussions of events that impact our student body! That is why I propose working with the new Director of Communications to make our meeting notes and records readily available on the Student Government Webpage (austincc. edu/SGA) as well as Bi-weekly Facebook updates. We will bring the information to you, and as such we will be able to directly speak with campus senators to voice opinions on issues effecting your campus and tthe disctrict. My voting record shows I have looked out for the current student body. As the senator of Riverside, I worked to setup tables and polls to understand our voices on such issues as The Dream Act and changes proposed for the Add/Drop period at the beggening of each semester. With help from my fellow senator, we collected nearly 100 signatures and captured your ideas and thoughts on how long the student body feels the Add/Drop period should be. In addition, you can always expect me to vote on the side of the tenured student body. Should incoming Freshman have priority in picking out their schedule before upper-classman? I don`t think so! Should students be able to change their classes in the first week of school, after finding out their degree requires a different math class? I do think so! Vote for me and I will help keep the records straight! Thank you and regardless of who you vote for vote for someone! Best Regards, Rodney P. Hermes

Lauren Lightfoot - Secretary The Secretarial position for Student Government Association would give me, Lauren Lightfoot, an opportunity to bring forth and resolve imperative student issues at Austin Community College. As Secretary I would like to focus on three main issues: awareness to students needs, improving campus needs, and most importantly establishing a stronger relationship between SGA and the student body. One possible solution I would like to present would be organizing a weekly SGA table to provide an opportunity for students to articulate their comments, questions, and concerns. Along with this I would hope to organize a small bi-monthly handout listing all the issues that are addressed by the students directly from the student body itself. My intentions would hope these efforts would help build a closer relationship with SGA and the students. I believe that there is room for improvement with Student Government in representing the student body and I anticipate helping initiate that growth. I have the voice to be heard and the charisma to be seen and when representing my fellow collogues in committees, boards, and legislative bodies, I assure I will push as much as I can on each issue until student satisfactory is recognized. I would also like to acknowledge while obtaining this position, to coordinate all official SGA correspondence and accurate SGA records to the fullest of my capability. As a strong ACC student I feel I would be a strong candidate with absolute capabilities in providing leadership, organization and proficiency of all the essential secretarial responsibilities and duties. I’m honored to have the opportunity to run for such a respectable position and I would be even more honored to be the voice of all students of all cultures and all interests when representing the student body in SGA. Your time and consideration is greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Lauren Lightfoot

Chesley Williams - Director of Communications I would be quite well suited for the position of director of communications. I was originally in the navy as an Interior communications electrician the last electronic engineering rate standing by itself before it was merged with Electronics technician.

The knowledge of technology that I bring from this position in the navy to the real world at home depot where I managed networks and by the end of my term there did extensive programming; I have a hefty amount of knowledge to bring to the position. I am versed in most html languages and would have little to no trouble keep the SGA website in my capable hands. I would keep the website up-to-date a hopefully enjoyable to you the student populous of our great school Austin Community College. With your cooperation I will be able to give you the populous the greatest SGA website ACC has seen to date.

Dylan Pera - Parliamentarian I am a, very hardworking, full time student with nothing but time in which I can focus on student issues. I have served as a campus senator before and I know the level of commitment to time and effort involved a commitment which I will gladly make again. Some of the issues at hand include handicapped access, parking, ASL tutoring access. Whether theses issues are needed improvements to the facilities or administrative policies I will do everything that I can to give the students what they want and to justly solve all issues presented to me. My main goal is to get more students involved with SGA so their influence may directly affect the decision making process within ACC. I will bring information directly to the students so that they are aware of current and up coming issues that may affect them. This will give them the opportunity to provide direct input on these issues. I will do this through tabling, surveys, flyers, petitions and any other means at my disposal. The students need a voice that will best represent their interests and I want to be that voice. - Dylan J. S. Pera Pinnacle Campus Senator

Luisa Parodi - Cypress Creek Senator My name is Luisa Parodi and I am running as Cypress Senator. The most important thing to me is to have my voice heard. For as long as I have been involved in Student Government, I have noticed that most students have no idea we represent them, and that’s the main thing I want to change. I want for every student in my campus and all the other ones to know that they have us to listen to their thoughts and do something to show them they can always rely on us. One of the abilities that I posses is my open friendliness and my will to always smile and listen. I love to hear what everyone has to say about the school and its staff. The best part about me becoming a senator is that with my openness I can reach students more and let them see what a great organization Student Government is. This semester I teamed up with senators and helped getting signatures for the Dream Act and the Add/Drop Period petitions. We had to plan ahead of time when we were getting together and setting up a table and that is what I like the most about Student Government: The teamwork and the ability to do something for others without expecting anything in return but a thank you.

I love helping out people and I know I will be the best for this position, because I want to keep doing these projects with all the other senators.

Jason Haydon - Northridge Senator My Fellow Students, My name is Jason Haydon and I am a student at Northridge Campus. I am running to be one of the senators from Northridge. We are lucky to have such nice facilities in which to pursue our education, with well qualified faculty and staff. In the coming year, if elected, I will, to the best of my ability, help to make ACC more sustainable. There are many ways that this can be done, and should be done, because future generations are depending on us to stand and do something now, before it is too late. I will work towards making sure that students have rights at ACC. That as students ACC does not do things that encumber our access to education, and that open door policies truly mean open door, I will hold regular office hours on campus, and will be active in campus activities. I will be available to listen to the concerns of the students at Northridge. There are some proposed changes that may be coming, and I promise that I will be an active voice for my fellow students on these changes, which could have a drastic impact on all of us in our pursuit of a good education. As we grow and learn together, I will stand beside my fellow students, I will attend the SGA meetings, and afterwards will hold on campus meetings for all interested students, be it 1 or 1,000. I will make honest and timely reports to the student body of Northridge campus of all events, and news learned of at SGA meetings. I commit myself to these honorable duties, if elected. For it is an honor to serve and to be the representative of such an impressive and diverse body of minds seeking to further their education.

Rita Mathis - Rio Grande Senator

My name is Rita Mathis. I am a psychology major with aspirations of becoming a neuropsychologist, which I will apply to the traumatic brain injury (TBI) sector of the health care field. I have overcome both mental and physical obstacles due to a TBI that I incurred in 2007. I approached the succeeding rehabilitation process with optimism and fortitude. My experience instilled me with a diligent work ethic that I could implement within student government. As a Rio Grande Campus Senator, I would stay attuned to policies that would either positively or negatively affect the student body, and make that information readily accessible to my fellow classmates. I myself am easily accessible, so I would encourage anyone to approach me in the halls to address a particular concern were I to be elected. I have an innate curiosity for the well being of others. During my stay at a rehabilitation center, I was often recognized for my compassion for others. This feature transcends to my concern for the success and education of other students. I wish to be involved in helping my peers get the most out of their college experience. I feel the Student Government Association (SGA) would be the best outlet in which I can achieve that goal. SGA would provide me with an opportunity to develop my leadership skills. I am already secure in my own capability to enhance my life, and I feel it would be a good challenge to have the chance to do the same for Austin Community College.

Sarah Whatley - Rio Grande Senator Making a change is very important to me and being involved with the Student Government Association would be a privilege. If I am given the position of being your Senator, I will represent you, as you are a very valuable asset to the Austin Community College society. There are a few issues, although not limited to, that I would like to address during my term as Senator for the Rio Grande Campus. These include more accessible parking for students, green living, possibilities for a “dead week” prior to finals, and providing leadership opportunities. Although, if there is anything that you would like to address in accordance with the school, I encourage you to let me know and I will do my best to accommodate your needs. The most prominent project I wish to launch is a campaign to amend a City Ordinance involving the parking problems at ACC. But I will emphasize that this issue is not the fault of ACC. The garage is great, but it’s not enough and it is time to address the city. I wish to bring us, as a community of students, together to influence Austin City Council in the act of permitting students to park at meters in a certain vicinity of ACC campus for free during school hours. During high school I was a member of the Student Government during my junior and senior year. In this particular government we had the privileges of make decisions of the school’s inner workings, and be a voice in changing policy. I had the opportunity of working a democracy at a young age, and will be sure to continue this ground as your senator. I hope you will consider my qualifications and concern, and I wish to inspire you as a body of people to take part in making a difference in this world, not only tangibly, but internally as well.

April 19, 2010

www.theAccent.org

Blanca Gonzalez - Minority Student Senator

Samantha Davis - Distance Learning Senator

My name is Samantha Davis. I’m a student at Austin Community College majoring in Child Development. I’m the founder and President of the Early Child Development Club, and Silver member of Phi Theta Kappa. I desire to run for the Distant Learning Senator seat of Austin Community College Student Government Association, Eastview Campus. Some coursework in my degree plan are only available as Distant Learning (DL), while other coursework is available as either DL or campus classes. I have successfully completed three (3) distant learning courses and will have to take at least two (2) additional distant learning courses in order to complete my degree plan. Distant Learning is not for everyone; I struggled at first, however, I learned to discipline myself and found distant learning as a wonderful way to balance work, school, and family obligations. During one distant learning course, I faced non-course related challenges and I felt I had nowhere to turn to voice my concerns so I withdrew from the course. While taking other DL courses, I often felt disconnected from the colleges’ student body. As Distant Learning Senator, I hope to connect with Distant Learning students in a meaningful way, being available to them so they will know that they have a representative they can depend on to help them find answers, solutions, and support. My goal will be to inform the students of campus events and activities, above all, to help the distant learning students feel connected to the student body.

Campus News | page 7

My name is Blanca Gonzalez and I am running for a second term as Minority Senator. The first term I worked on the DREAM Act Resolutions. I would like to thank all the students for their signatures, thanks for supporting the minority students at ACC who may now be able to qualify for the benefits from the DREAM ACT! WE GOT 1,500 SIGNATURES IN 4 DAYS! My goal is to have the official Resolution signed by the ACC Board of Trustees. This is the best way to take care of our minority students at ACC. This Dream Act may be the stepping stone for them to be able to work in this country after their graduation and at the same time we open the door for the students in other states to be able to start college and then be able to transfer to a University like us because THE KEY TO STOP THE CRIME IS HIGH EDUCATION. We need to build our society and communities with professionals. When students graduate with honors they will bring it back to our Texas communities with all the knowledge they learned in our schools, colleges and Universities. If you want to finish this goal with me and start a new goal then I AM the person you need to vote for! I look forward to seeing you all on Friday, April 9 at the MEET THE CANDIDATES event.

Anna Aleman - Students with Disabilities Senator Hi my name is Anna Aleman, and I would like to run for the position of Senator for Students with Disabilities. From my own experience of being a differently abled individual, I have realized where most people of all kinds are coming from especially those who are differently abled. Secondly, I am currently the Senator for Students with Disabilities. During this term, I have been an advocate for the Dream Act and pushing to keep Add and Drop grace period. In my term I would really like to address the issue of campus accessibility. As you know, RGC accessibility could use improvements, as well as other campuses. I’m always willing and plan to work with my constituents with this and any other issue that needs to be addressed. Based on the qualifications that I have obtained I feel that I would be more than capable of meeting the goals that I have set for ACC Students.

April Busby - Non-Traditional Student Senator Hello, Austin Community College, I am April Busby and I am your current Non-Traditional Student Senator. Let me start out by saying, that I am the very definition of non-traditional student. I have not been in a school setting since 1997. When I first started at ACC I was overwhelmed because I thought to myself, “Where can I find other students like me?” Well, SGA answered that question for me. As your senator, I will work on getting more money allocated for child care. Many of our NTS are single parents and the monies are not available for child care. I will also work on developing a NonTraditional Student Network (NTSN), and a book share program.

We all know how expensive those can be!

Students write, act Into the West 1980s hit play inspires modern student monologues Diana Leite Staff Writer

In 2 the West is a series of student written monologues put together into a play by directors Amparo Garcia Crow and Sidney Brammer, adjunct faculty in the Creative Writing Department. The play will make its debut on April 23 at 2 p.m. at the Rio Grande Campus Gallery Theater, with a second presentation on April 24 at 8 p.m.

The monologues were written by several ACC students, as a project on a creative writing class with the same name taught by Crow.

“All the pieces are very thoughtful, and it shows in the quality of the students’ work.

They have taken it seriously. It means something to them,” said Sunny Davis, guest director of four monologues and actor in one.

The idea for the project came from the 1980 hit “In the West,” the successful play by, locally based Big State

Productions, where both Crow and Brammer worked.

The company, in order to avoid expenses with royalties, decided to create an original theater experiment, in which all the members of the company would be writers, directors and performers in one monologue.

“We decided that those pieces would be an artistic response to Richard Avedon’s photo essays ‘In the American West’,” said Brammer. “In the West” was a big hit, “it was performed all over the state.”

It made to the Kennedy Center, in Washington D.C.; there was a movie made; it got reviewed in Variety, and it run for 10 years” remembered Brammer.

“20 years later, we ended up back in Austin, and we decided that we would do that workshop here again, only for our students” said Brammer.

The “2” in “In 2 the West” is not just a colloquialism intended to make the name of the creative writing class and play seam cooler. Rather, it is a reference to the 1980 hit, meant to remember that both projects have the same objective. “We wanted to do the theatrical equivalent to a photograph, and a monologue is like a snapshot of a character; a little glimpse into the soul of a person,” explained Brammer.

“Back in the beginning of

March, Sidney and Amparo invited actors to come to the writing class and read some of the things that the students had written. Then they matched the right actors with the right pieces”, said Peg Patrone, a guest actress who performs on the monologue “Hair Cut.” The actress interprets a very religious old lady that finds herself in a complicated situation. She thinks her granddaughter Lily is a “Lesbian” - whispers Patrone in her monologue - and tries to convince her granddaughter to find a “fine young man” and grow her hair back. Patrone’s character is something like a sweet grandma nobody wants to upset, but that seams almost psychopathic at moments.

The comic appeal of her act has everything to do with the normality of the situation.

The play is part of the second annual Carnival ah!

GRANDMA'S DRAMA —

Concerned grandmother, played by Peg Patrone, speaks with her lesbian granddaughter in ‘Haircut’ during rehearsals for the In 2 The West theater show on Tuesday April 13.

South Austin

Riverside It’s Riverside Campus versus South Austin Campus, and the heat might be too much to handle. The winner steps into the ring with Northridge to battle for ultimate glory.

Those of you keeping score at home may have noticed that the South Austin Campus slipped into the second round without competing in the first. Yes, there are an odd number of campuses so, South Austin Campus got a freebee pass during the first round. Once again we’re going to hear what the students think about their campuses.

Classroom Size:

Lamecia Cannon, a registered nursing major, said that she thinks the classrooms are just right.

“They are a nice size,” said Cannon.

“You get to know the other people in the class because it’s not too big.”

June Lee, a pre-nursing major, also said that the class sizes are perfect.

“It’s not that big – it’s not that small – it’s just good,” Lee said.

Sonia Cardenas, a teaching major, disagreed.

“The classrooms are small and dark and you’re too close to everyone,” said Cardenas.

Alma Hernandez

Parking Capacity:

Scott Macias, a psychology major, likes the parking at Riverside.

“You have different areas of parking, so if you can’t find parking in one you can look in another,” said Macias. “I always find parking.”

Everyone else didn’t like the parking situation.

“It’s like a bad mood here, and maybe it’s because it takes twenty minutes to park,” said Cardenas.

“Parking is awful,” said Vertiz. “You have to come early in the morning to find parking.”

Why RVS?

For Macias, a hamburger from Riverside’s Simon Café is one great thing about Riverside.

“I’ve had burgers at other Simon Cafes and thought they’d be the same, but no, the burgers here are amazing,” said Macias.

Vertiz likes the teachers in the learning lab.

Why not RVS?

Adrienne Sparks • Staff Photographer

Macias said he wishes it was easier to navigate the campus.

“The way the buildings are numbered, it’s hard to find your way from A to B to C,” said Macias. “I don’t see maps readily available.”

On top of that he has had problems with the golf course being so close.

“My car has actually been hit by a golf ball before,” said Macias.

Cannon said there should be more events on the campus so that the students can interact with each other more.

“The students aren’t that friendly, and they don’t try to make friends,” said Cannon.

Lee said that the library is a little small to meet the needs of the students.

VS

Other than that the students acted somewhat offended when I asked them what they disliked about the campus. It was like I was asking them what they disliked about their church.

Well, this is about as close as they come, but South Austin Campus totally leveled the competition anyway. They are on to the Only and Last Match of the Final Two. Good job!

Michael Needham Staff Writer

Classroom Size:

Lisa Tyre, a psychology major, said that the classes start out with a little less than 30 students, and diminish as the semester goes on.

Katie Hopkins, a nursing major, said that she likes the size of her classes.

Karissa Rodriguez “You don’t feel crowded, and you can get your questions answered, but there’s not too few that you wonder what happened,” said Hopkins.

Guillermo Castelan, an entrepreneurship major, said that he has never counted the students in his classes before, but that the number would be small.

“It’s easier to pay attention, and you can get closer to the teacher,” said Castelan.

Parking Capacity

Everyone had great things to say about the parking at South Austin Campus. This might be because the parking garage is nearly as big as the campus itself.

Pitts has never had a problem finding a parking spot.

Marienma Valencia, a social work major, likes how close the parking is to the campus. She also finds spots readily available.

“I haven’t had a problem finding a spot here. This campus is probably the easiest,” said Valencia.

Why SAC?

Tyre said that she enjoys the park between the school and the parking garage. She also likes how roomy the campus is.

Pitts said he likes how there are always computers available on campus.

Valencia is a fan of the library.

“I like the way its set up with a lot of little private areas where you can study,” said Valencia.

Why not SAC?

Castelan has a problem with the students from the high school next to the campus.

“All those kids come over here. I just see them walk through, and you can tell which student is which. They act immature,” said Castelan.

r e n n Wi

LIFE & ARTS Page 8

www.theAccent.org

April 19, 2010

Swamp Thing feasts on crawfish Brandy Rodriquez Staff Writer

CLOSING PERFORMANCE

— Takeshi Shimmura, guitar, and Andrew Baham, trumpet, from Big Sam’s Funky Nation end the night with a bang as the closing performers at the festival.

BRAZILIAN DANCE — A

samba dancer from the Acadêmicos da Ópera wows the crowd as she performs an off-stage routine for festival attendees. Acadêmicos da Ópera is a local group of more than 50 drummers and dancers who specialize in music and dance styles from Brazil.

DELICIOUS FEAST — Crawfish cook, James Neutze, shows the crawfish before feeding tons of hungry mouths at the Louisiana Swamp Thing and Crawfish Festival.

All photos by Brandy Rodriquez • Staff Photographer

Take a stroll down Bourbon Street, enjoy the smells of Cajun cooking, groove to the sounds of Zydeco, and enjoy a burlesque show filled with beautiful dancing women without ever leaving Austin.

The Louisiana Swamp Thing and Crawfish Festival is a Cajunthemed event bringing the best of Louisiana’s culture, food, music, and fun to Austin.

On April 9th, the festival was held at the corner of 4th and Guadalupe, but the sounds of Zydeco, Funk, Brass and Blues could be heard for blocks. The festival featured on-stage bands such as Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Beausoleil Avec Michael Doucet, and Sunpie Barnes, and the Louisiana Sunspots.

Off-stage acts wowed the crowds as well, including Acadêmicos da Ópera, a drum line with dancers performing precision routines. Afterwards, 10 contestants circled a table with two pans of crawfish in front of them as they raced to see who could eat the most in one minute. It was a disgusting sight but fun to watch as

everyone cheered them on. The festival really got started when the Jigglewatts Burlesque came on stage. Three lovely ladies performed a very eccentric, yet seductive, “PG-13” show. They showed off their flashy outfits or lack thereof, danced sexily, and drove the crowd wild.

The main attraction, of course, was the food prepared

by Louisiana’s and Texas’s finest seafood chefs, who made delicious entrees, such as alligator on a stick, boudin, Cajun turkey legs, and of course, crawfish. Every person who came and supported the festival was given a free bowl of crawfish that drew many guests back for seconds, thirds, and, in some cases, fourths.

The crawfish line wrapped around the lot, but to take your mind off the wait, there were booths that held clothing, henna tattoos, hats, and a whole lot of other knick-knacks for people to enjoy. “Man, I hope the crawfish isn’t gone when we get there,” could be heard up and down the line. Fortunately, the Louisiana Swamp Thing and Crawfish Festival had 5,000 pounds of crawfish, just enough to feed all the hungry mouths that came swarming in.

AUM unimpressive due to disappointing DJs Karissa Rodriguez Design Intern

Austin has been home to a thriving electronic music scene for over a decade, but it has remained under the radar ever since Austin’s only electronic dance station went bust about 10 years ago.

That’s all changing thanks to a flock of startup electronic music promotional companies that have opened within the past few years.

Austin EDM Underground in conjunction with Electric Avenue ATX signed up over 40 local DJs to perform at AUMfest (Austin Underground Music festival) to showcase house and trance music on April 10 and 11.

AUMfest was held at a 90-acre

ranch in south Austin, and DJs were supposed to perform for 36 hours straight, but rain on the 11th forced the festival to shut down early that afternoon.

When it wasn’t raining, attendees were able to set up tents and camp overnight at the ranch while DJs performed on three different stages and local artists and vendors sold merchandise, food and non-alcoholic drinks to the crowd.

AUMfest drew a mediumsized crowd throughout the weekend. Unfortunately, the majority of the sets were mediocre, but a handful of DJs stood out like Christian Barbuto and the wellknown Andrew Parsons, who has opened for internationally known DJs in the past.

DJs who underperformed had sets that included poor song choices, using a crossfader to switch tracks instead of actually mixing tracks, or simply an overall lack of good timing.

Overall, the festival was a success due to its atmosphere.

The spacious ranch was the perfect setting for an outdoor music festival because of its seclusion, and Bassmaxx provided an incredible sound system.

The next event Austin EDM Underground has organized is Moonlight Origins which will take place on the Lamar pedestrian bridge on April 30 at 10:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. the next day and is a free event.

Karissa Rodriguez • Design Intern

Mix Mastering — A Dj provides music for festival attendees to enjoy and dance to. Steena used her laptop and DJ equipment to mix house music songs.

Everyone’s a winner in Austin We Are The Lottery League

Sarah Vasquez • Campus Editor

Sarah Vasquez • Campus Editor

Luck of the draw — “We Are the Lottery League” participant Eric Green and host Mike Wiebe help participant Chris Pfeiffer decipher his new bandmate’s name scribbled on the slip of paper.

DRUG SEX — Drummer Eric Green performs with his straightedge band for the final show for the We Are The Lottery League.

Johnny Sarkis and Mike Wiebe’s We Are The Lottery League gives local musicians 24 hours to mix and match their members into all new bands with unusual names and interesting results Sarah Vasquez Campus Editor

“That’s the whole game,” Erick Sanger said, a participant of the first Austin We Are The Lottery League. “Lottery league is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”

Six drummers and 18 musicians arrived at Red 7 on April 9. Each drummer randomly picked names out of a brown hat in order to

form bands that would be performing on stage within 24 hours.

After the names were drawn, the new acquaintances took promo photos and brainstormed names such as Vacation Bible School, Black Mike and the Make a Holes, Boner Patrol, So Long, Judas, Drug Sex, Afrobocop and the Tjöõrd Bjöõrglars.

Deriving the idea from previous lotteries held in Denton, TX and Cleveland, OH, the Austin based league was developed by Red 7’s office

manager, Johnny Sarkis, with the help of Riverboat Gamblers’ vocalist Mike Wiebe, who had previously participated in a lottery in Denton.

“It was such a good idea,” said Wiebe. “It always seemed like well, it’s almost a no brainer to do it in Austin at some point considering how many awesome musicians there are in town.”

One of the six bands, Drug Sex allowed me to follow them through their entire experience leading up to the final show.

Drug Sex consisted of

drummer Eric Green formally of Riverboat Gamblers, saxophonist Darin Girndt from The Dugat Project, bassist Clay Fain from Ideal Soul Mart, and vocalist and guitarist David DiDonato from Rat King.

By 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Fain, Green and DiDonato had already gathered at their North Loop practice space and written the basic structure of their set.

“I showed up fashionably late, and all the songs were written with vocals,” said Girndt.

After writing and practicing

the set throughout the day, the bands regrouped at Red 7 that night to randomly select the lineup order. When Sarkis had me draw a name, he asked if I was drawing the fourth band or the headliner. I chose headliner and was amused when I discovered the headliner would be Drug Sex. Every band mainly performed punk inspired sets with very little disaster.

Some vocalists performed with written lyrics on hand while others needed a quick reminder of the melodies from

their bandmates. However, the quality of songs and performances exceeded the crowd’s expectations.

“Everybody came out prepared,” said Green. “I expected so many more train wrecks.”

Talks about upcoming lottery leagues have already been thrown around including a lottery where bands would receive longer time to write and practice.

“We’re definitely gonna do it again,” said Sarkis.

April 19, 2010

www.theAccent.org

Life & Arts | page 9

Comics from Austin to Atlantis Odin Amador Staff Writer

Austin’s Staple! Con is an exciting look at the indie comic world. When I attended in March, by far the highest point of my Staple! experience was discovering the art of Boston transplant Paul Maybury, a local comic artist who’s worked with Image Comics (the publisher that brought you Spawn) on awardwinning comic anthologies like Popgun and Comic Book Tattoo, and the graphic novel Aqua Leung, the result of a twoyear collaboration with writer Mark Smith (The Amazing Joy Buzzards).

Aqua Leung is the story of a young boy named Aqua who discovers he’s destined to become the Octopus King and rule Atlantis, and conquer the surface world, too. Think Anakin Skywalker becoming Darth Vader, except it’s underwater and it doesn’t suck.

Maybury’s style, which has been steadily evolving since he started self-publishing indie comics in 1999 and then began inking with a brush in 2006 while drawing Aqua Leung, is characterized by a loose, kinetic line, vivid textures, and urban/ manga influences.

He also has a history as a painter. He worked as a muralist for Boston Mayor Thomas Menino for many years, helping revitalize the city’s rough Roxbury neighborhood, so color is a vivid component of his work as well.

During a recent phone interview with the artist I mentioned that today, April 9, marks the two-year anniversary of Aqua Leung’s publication (at least, according to Amazon).

“Yeah, you’re right,” he said. “It’s crazy to think that all that time’s gone by.”

A lot has changed for the artist since then. Before Aqua Leung, his first graphic novel, he was a Whole Food Market’s resident chalkboard artist by day and an indie comic creator by night.

Getting a book under his belt took him to the next level. “I think once you put out a book like that people associate your name with a certain piece of work,” he reflected.

“Then you become a business, and you learn about the business pretty quickly. This whole comic book business isn’t laid out any particular way, it’s sort of the Wild West. There was a huge learning process.”

Some of the lessons weren’t easy. Maybury had a falling out with Mark Smith toward the end of working together on Aqua. It negatively affected some of his ties to the industry.

“It’s never that you have a falling out with one person; you have a falling out with a chain of people. And sometimes those people are people you need to know.”

Mark Smith was already involved with Image before he worked with Maybury, and had established a working relationship with Image founding father and comics legend Erik Larsen (Savage Dragon).

“I went through a long time of staying out of things, reading, and figuring out what it is I want to do with myself,” remembered

Maybury. In addition to doing commissions and smaller projects, right now he’s focusing on developing his own creations.

Party Bear, an urban comingof-age story set in the Boston from Maybury’s childhood, is hosted online by the New York webcomic collective, ACT-IVATE. “[My old neighborhood] has changed a lot now,” he said, “I always tell people if you watch that movie Lean on Me with Morgan Freeman, that’s what my school looked like.”

Another Maybury brainchild, the story of a charmingly pugnacious, chicken-nuggetdevouring stuffed toy named Maxy J Millionaire, can be found on the webcomics platform Zuda. Maybury hopes to get both Party Bear and Adventures of Maxy J Millionaire published.

He’s using Maxy J’s transition from webcomic to print as an opportunity to revamp the story.

“It’s going to be all ages, but it’s never going to be something that’s just stripped down for children. I used Pee-wee’s Big Adventure as my model for how far I could push it.”

For now, he’s purposefully avoiding the superhero genre in favor of more personal subject matter. “I try to maintain the same fun I had as a kid when I would draw comic books about cats fighting giant snakes or something silly,” he explained, “I try to bring those characters back into my work so it still feels fun while I’m drawing it.”

I asked Maybury, who’s said online that he’s vegetarian, if he would ever eat chicken nuggets if Maxy J became famous and got his own happy meal. “Actually, I eat meat now,” he confessed, “I’ve broken down. It’s McDonald’s, you know?”

Maybury is also working with actress Charlyne Yi (Knocked Up, Paper Heart) on a comic for Oni Press, a post-apocalyptic story about a girl who has to save the world from Satan.

It’s currently in the scripting stage. “I e-mailed her the other night because I’d just watched Paper Heart for the first time...

It’s probably going to be a little bit before it comes out, but it’s still going to happen.”

He’s also hoping to collaborate with Yi on a webcomic. “She’s great. She has that funny, playful style of writing that is an asset in a lot of modern comics, where things are very serious. When I think indie comics, I think of somebody’s terrible years as a teenager. I’d like to see more fun stuff instead.”

Although Maybury enjoys the flexibility of the webcomic format and appreciates the possibilities of digital media, he’s still apprehensive about a future where it could replace print. “I’m still gonna be the last holdout,” he said. “We had a few people approach us about doing Aqua Leung for, like, iPhone, and I really don’t feel like you can produce some books in a digital format like that because there’s something to be said for turning the page. The act of turning the page is part of the storytelling.

It’s a different kind of storytelling and it has a place, but I think something pretty fundamental with comics will probably be lost.

But, then again, some people won’t care because they’ll have

Illustration courtesy of Paul Maybury

FANTASY THREESOME — An illustration by Austin-based comics artist Paul Maybury appears in Josh Tierney’s webcomic Spera.

Princesses Pira and Lono are depicted with their fire spirit, Yonder. Paul Maybury has lived in Austin since 2007, when he relocated from Boston with his fiancee Cassandra Pasley. grown up with that.”

Printed comics are also easier to trade and swap. “I have an intern, Ricky, and he’s been bringing me King City and all these really cool comics that I just wouldn’t have picked up on my own, like Umbrella Academy.

I never would’ve read that, but he handed it to me and I loved it.

So while there’s applications like Longbox that’ll do that for you, it’s not the same as it sitting on my table.”

Since he moved here from Boston with Aqua editor and

recent fiancee Cassandra Pasley in 2007, Maybury has become comfortable in Austin’s comic scene. He says the stores are better, most notably Austin Books & Comics on Lamar & 51st. The community is small but enthusiastic. “There’s an Austin creators group that meets up over at Flightpath,” a coffee house down the street from Austin Books on Duval & 51st. “I pop in every now and then, but there’s really a hand-full of people that are actually working in comics

versus aspiring creators. There’s actually a bigger scene in Dallas-Fort Worth, with Kristian Donaldson (Supermarket) and a bunch of other creators.”

Nevertheless, he says, “Austin’s growing really fast, and there’s no reason there shouldn’t be a bigger scene for creators. We’ll just start snatching them up from Portland.” The Portland area is where Dark Horse Comics, publisher of Sin City and Hellboy, hails from.

I tell Maybury how much I enjoyed Staple! and it’s high

concentration of talent. The event was headlined by Guy Davis, a personal friend of Maybury’s who draws the Hellboy spinoff B.P.R.D. “I suppose it’s like a much smaller version now of MoCCA [Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art] in New York. We’ll see how long it stays that small.” He tells me that Wizard World is hosting the first Austin Comic Con at the Austin Convention Center this November. “We’ll see how that changes the landscape here.”

The Name of the Game

A beginner’s guide to gaming in groups Jason Witmer Staff Writer

The term “LAN party” may seem vague to most casual gamers, but the initiated know it as an awesome opportunity to meet new people, stay up all night, and frag your friends.

LAN stands for “Local Area Network”, which means that you are connected to others on the network in your house/ apartment/domicile. A LAN party is where several people (ranging from 2 – 11,000) bring over their video game consoles (PC, Xbox360 etc), along with televisions/monitors, and all link up to the local internet and play with each other on their own “rig.”

Imagine being in the same room with six friends playing Halo 3 and not having to try to squint at the little 1/4th of the TV you would get if you were all sharing a system. I’ve thrown

dozens of LAN parties, and I’m going to take this opportunity to try and teach you the basics so you too can throw one for your friends.

Step 1: Find the Venue

This step is easy enough.

The venue is usually the host’s house/apartment. But, if some restrictions apply (such as bad internet or a nagging mom), alternate locations will have to suffice. Just remember what there has to be: Good stable internet connection, tons of power outlets, a lot of space (tables, TV holders etc), and a refrigerator (the holy grail of the LAN party). Be sure loud noises won’t be a problem with the neighbors, it’s a good idea to play music throughout the night.

Step 2: Find the equipment

Find out who you’d like to invite, and PLAN AHEAD. As

a host, the minimum you need (other than the go-to list) is a router and a hub/switch with easy access so others can plug in.

Find out what people are bringing (Xbox, Playstations, computers) and try to correlate which games they should bring. People should try to obtain the same games so everyone can enjoy their time at your LAN party 100% of the time.

Have tables or TV stands ready and easily placed away from each other for optimal comfort (be sure to have chairs). A go-to list for your guests to bring: Television/ monitor, game system, games, controllers/mouse/keyboard, surge protector, ethernet cable, and money for snacks. Don’t try to do the whole thing on WiFi unless everyone has laptops.

Otherwise it’s just a big pain in the ass.

Step 3: Find the Nourishment

Staying up all night can be

pretty tiring, so be sure to supply your guests with tons of soda, energy drinks, and water. Or, you can make it BYOS (Bring Your Own Snacks). Any party food rule applies here, but generally delivered pizza is the staple of LAN parties. The greasy pepperoni seems to fuel the gamers in ways I cannot explain.

It is a magical thing.

Well, there you have it.

Three easy steps so you can start running your own LAN parties.

This is the most basic of LAN parties. Once you become at ease with the process, you can start planning bigger and better parties with tournaments, prizes etc.

Your first party will be a disaster, I guarantee it. But stick in there, once you have it to a science, you and your guests will look forward to your next LAN party even before the one they are attending is over.

LAN Party Shopping List Hardware Recommendations:

Linksys EtherFast 10/100 8-Port Workgroup Switch $29.99 -An awesome and cheap 8-port switch that will make one ethernet connection turn into 8!

Turtle Beach Ear Force X1

$49.99 - The Ear Force X1 headphones give hardcore gamers the extreme competitive edge by combining audio chat and game audio into an immersive sound experience.

Cat5 ethernet cables

Buy them online. You will sometimes save up to 90% because of retail mark-up - and don’t forget to buy them long! (25 ft and up)

Recommended PC Games:

Counter-Strike, Battlefield 2, Warcraft 3, Quake 3

Recommended Xbox 360 games:

Modern Warfare 2, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Halo 3

Recommended food: PIZZA!!!!!!!!

page 10

www.theAccent.org

April 19, 2010

Best Worst Movie digs in to Troll 2

Photo courtesy of Magic Stone Productions

A GOBLIN FEAST — Two vegetarian goblins from Nilbog sample organic produce at Whole

Foods. The two goblins were out and about in Austin all week as a promotional effort for the April 23 Austin release of the documentary Best Worst Movie.

Documentary looks at awful film’s cult following Devon Tincknell Life & Arts Editor

When you star in a bad movie, nobody gives you a star on Hollywood Boulevard. Nobody wants your autograph. But when you star in the worst movie ever made, well, that’s a different story.

That’s the story of Best Worst Movie.

When Michael Paul Stephenson was 10 years old, he starred in a low budget horror film called Troll 2. “I was imagining that I was making the next Gremlins or Labyrinth,” Stephenson said. A year after filming wrapped, Stephenson received a VHS copy of Troll 2 for Christmas and eagerly popped it into the VCR to watch with his family. Minutes into the film, his father turned to him and said, “Oh Michael, this is a terrible movie.”

“I was really embarrassed,” Stevenson said, “I was certainly

old enough to realize I had not made the next Gremlins or Labyrinth.” Troll 2 is unbelievably bad. The plot revolves around vegetarian goblins (ironically, there are no trolls in Troll 2) who turn people into plants and then eat them. The acting is awful, the special effects laughable, and eventually the movie was rated as the absolute worst film on IMDB. Stephenson moved on with his life and tried to forget about the film, but the film hadn’t forgotten about him. In January 2006, Stephenson started getting weird messages on his Myspace, asking him if he was the guy who played the little boy in Troll 2. Stephenson began communicating with his fans and was shocked to discover that Troll 2 had a cult following.

Stephenson realized there was something special going on and decided to document it. He wanted to discover why fans loved this awful film so much and what

had happened to the other people who made it.

“I didn’t want the story to be just a behind-the-scenes DVD extra,” Stephenson said, “I didn’t want it to be all butterflies and bliss. I had a feeling that some of these characters, and some of these people, weren’t living the easiest of lives and I wasn’t going to shy away from showing that.”

From small-town dentists to cantakerous Italians, Best Worst Movie explores a side of filmmaking that is rarely seen.

The documentary focuses on the lives of the people who have the dubious honor of being part of the worst movie ever made.

Best Worst Movie will be playing at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar from April 23 to April 29, with a cast attended after party at the Highball at 9:45pm Friday.

Chris Scott • Layout Editor

Annual psychedelic music festival reaches from the inner mind to Austin’s outer limits Devon Tincknell Life & Arts Editor

Austin’s unusual and unorthodox music scene is by no means a recent development. All the way back in the 1960s, Austin was expanding conciousness through music thanks to cosmic cowboys and the psychedelic sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators.

In honor of Austin’s rich, reverb soaked history, the Black Angels are once again curating their annual Austin Psych Fest. Now in its third year, the festival has moved past its humble beginings

at the Black Angels’ Red Barn, relocating itself to the Mohawk.

This year’s line up is more eclectic than ever with the common denominators being epic drones, sprawling masses of feedback and acid fried Texans.

Austin’s contributions range from the dense Americanainfused drone of Headdress to the costumed insanity of Telepathik Friend, and the inevitable two sets from festival founders the Black Angels.

Of course Austin isn’t the only city in the Lonestar State who keeps it weird.

Houston noise artists Indian Jewlery have spent the last decade making experimental

music with surprising bouts of melody under different monikers to much critical acclaim.

The real allure of this year’s Psych Fest however, is the incredible lineup of legendary acts. The three day event will feature performances from one half of the influential New York duo Silver Apples, The Raveonettes, and The Warlocks.

The three day festival goes from April 23-25. Tune in to the next issue of the Accent for full coverage and photos.

April 19, 2010

Roky revived by Okkervil River

www.theAccent.org

Life & Arts | page 11

Inside the weird world of Austin public access Community television gives a voice to the voiceless Trevor Goodchild Staff Writer

Courtesy of Orb Productions

Austin indie rockers team up with local legend/ acid casualty for his first new album in 14 years Kevin Stockwell Staff Writer

Legendary local guitarist and psychedelic rock pioneer Roky Erickson’s new album walks the line between the past and the present. With the help of Austin indie rockers Okkervil River, True Love Cast Out All Evil is a tame blend of rock ‘n’ roll tracks coming from a calm, more relaxed Roky, with some of the same accents that have always been a part of his music.

Tracks like “Forever” and the title track “True Love Cast Out All Evil” showcase an artist who has had his fair share of ups and downs but has learned from the past and is wiser

because of it. While they present a sense of hopeful yearning for the age-old idea that love will conquer all, other tracks like the appropriately named “Bring Back The Past” is more reminiscent of early rock ‘n’ roll with simple chord progression and a hook that will make anyone bob their head.

Even on some of the more forgettable tracks like “Think Of As One” and “Birds’d Crash,” Okkervil River do a great job of creating rich, full sounds behind often cryptic lyrics and even implement some of the irreverent ambience such as too much feedback and crashing background noises that longtime fans of Roky will no doubt recognize and appreciate.

Overall, the album presents a portrait of an experienced artist who hasn’t abandoned the elements and style that made his music both influential and infamous. After a long period of personal difficulty, it’s nice to see Roky get back on his feet again.

B

Roky Erikson w/ Okkervil River True Love Cast Out All Evil Anti 04/20/10

Channel surfing in Austin can quickly become a surreal experience thanks to the eclectic and unusual programming of Austin’s public access channels. Whether it is Alex Jones’s conspiracies, the Cola Sisters Cookin’ Good show or a random person in a gorilla suit running across the screen, public access is always original.

Now known as channelAustin, public access TV encompasses channels 10, 11 and 16. Shows vary in degrees from the very abstract to more focused, political, artistic and spiritual programs on air.

Sol Waters is a producer for Sacre Bleu! Live, which he describes as a multicultural variety show for experimental art, improv and bohemian culture. One of his inspirations for the show was the legendary local comedian Bill Hicks. “[Hick’s] last TV interview was done in the live studio where I started Sacre Bleu. I felt the energy of great men and women before me while I was doing my shows,” Waters said.

“Knowing that thousands can be potentially watching you it became apparent that I needed to keep the content and quality of my show high. It had become important to seek out Austin’s talent,” Waters said.

Waters is also an employee of channelAustin and notes that the channel has been a platform for Austin musicians to get exposure over the last thirtyseven years that public access programming has aired.

“I felt like part of my character and nature is to be a talent scout and this became part of my need to shine the

Trevor Goodchild • Staff Photographer

SAY CHEESE — Tyson Austin Eberly (left), producer of Tyson Tv of channelAustin, stands with Sol Waters (right), current ChannelAustin employee and former producer of Sacre Bleu! Live. light on people that deserve it.”

Sacre Bleu! Live has stopped producing new episodes, but the existing ones are still showing alongside the new programs currently being produced.

One of these is Everything In Heaven Is TV, a show produced

by Amanda Joy that combines costumes, ‘80s techno music, dancing and colorful cinematography. The show’s shotgun approach is an acid fried ode to lo-fidelity culture where anything goes, and there is never a dull moment.

Equally unusual but a tad more subtle is the Cola Sisters’ Cookin’ Good, a cooking show hosted by the wild personalities of Arcie and Shasta Cola. In addition to their more standard cooking show, the sisters have created a series of videos called “Toning for the Tribulations,” where they demonstrate useful exercises for surviving the imminent apocalypse.

A bizarre parody of traditional exercise videos, the workout involves building muscles in preparation for forced ditch digging and working on footwork that could help people dodge bullets after going AWOL from the army.

Austin is known for its music scene and so, naturally, channelAustin has plenty of music-based programming.

Aaron Mason is the producer for 512 Jams, a show that plays hip-hop music videos and features attractive women in skirts and spaghetti strap tops every Thursday. The breakdancing lessons on Tyson Tv, produced by Tyson Austin Eberly are in a similar vein “My show is about teaching and inspiring people to create through dance, specifically the art of popping, tangible, workable solutions to root sources of social problems,” said Eberly.

Tyson Tv is a combination of breakdancing culture and consciousness expansion. One episode, called “King Tutting and the Law Of Attraction,” featured a breakdancing battle between dancers Pac Man and Press Play.

There is also a part of the show for viewers to call in as well where Eberly once ended up counseling a caller through a break up with his girlfriend.

It was unexpected Tyson said, but watchers of public access TV know to expect the unexpected.

Visit theAccent.org to find videos of all the channelAustin shows mentioned in this article.