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LIFE&ARTS PAGE 12
Carts give new meaning to ‘fast’ food
SPORTS PAGE 7
Big shoes to fill on Horns’ offensive line
NEWS PAGE 6
Faculty, students make State of the Union predictions
THE DAILY TEXAN Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900
Forum airs ‘fusion’ tensions
TOMORROW’S WEATHER
Rachel Taylor | Daily Texan Staff
Intelligence center draws concerns about civil liberties, profiling By Bobby Longoria Daily Texan Staff After months of speculation and criticism, Austin Police Department officials outlined the purpose of the upcoming Austin Regional Intelligence Center and answered questions during a public forum on Tuesday. The Austin Regional Intelligence Center, referred to as a
“fusion center,” will be a centralized entity led by APD that will gather criminal information from Central Texas law enforcement agencies, including the Travis County, Round Rock and Williamson County sheriff’s departments, as well as the Austin Independent School District, Georgetown, Pflugerville, San Marcos and UT police departments.
There are currently 72 fusion centers across the nation that have developed since 9/11. The centers, funded through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, allow various police forces to collaborate in emergency response activities. APD, the Travis County Sheriff’s Office and the Round Rock Police Department will
each provide a full-time data analyst, while the other agencies will provide fewer parttime analysts. Citizens at the forum concentrated their inquiries on potential racial, religious and political profiling by the fusion center. A fusion center located in Collin County
Tepid tuition forum follows raucous funding discussion Quieter, calmer meeting contrasts with energy of previous forum audience By Madeeha Khursheed Daily Texan Staff In direct contrast to Wednesday’s lively exchange, the tone of Tuesday’s second Tuition Policy Advisory Committee forum was subdued, and attendance was minimal. More than 50 students, faculty and staff attended the first forum, which ran 30 minutes past schedule to accommodate audience questions and concerns. Tuesday’s second and final forum lasted under 30 minutes, and only 20 people were in attendance. The forums sought feedback on the 3.95 percent per-year tuition increase recommended for the next two years by the committee in December. President William Powers Jr., who attended last week’s and Tuesday’s forums, will submit his recommendations to the Board of Regents by the end
Maxx Scholten | Daily Texan Staff
University President William Powers Jr. turns to hear people voice opinions about the proposed tuition increase during the second of two meetings with the Tuition Policy Advisory Committee in the Avaya Auditorium on Tuesday. of this week. The regents will vote in March. The proposed increase would also institute a $65 per-semester fee in 2010-11 to fund the Student Activity Center, which is currently under construction. The proposed
increase applies to all undergraduate and graduate programs — excluding professional schools. The fee and increase would add $241 to tuition per semester in 2010-11
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Student-aid plan could reduce debt Proposal offers incentive to take public-service, low-paying occupations
Mary Anderson asks a question at the Austin Regional Intelligence Center forum Tuesday.
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By Priscilla Pelli Daily Texan Staff With the help of a new proposal from the Obama administration, college students may incur less debt if they pursue low-paying or government jobs. The proposal, announced Monday, would minimize debt by forgiving loans sooner and decrease payments for students who intend to take low-paying or publicservice jobs after they graduate. A low-paying job is defined as one that pays an hourly wage less than two-thirds of the national average, which is about $11 per hour, according to the Center for Economic Policy and Research. Teachers, police officers, healthcare workers and government employees are considered publicservice workers. Obama’s new student-aid plan is a modification of the incomebased repayment program created by Congress in 2007. The current program mandates that borrowers with a federally subsidized loan make yearly payments totaling no more than 15 percent of their income after both taxes and personal expenses are deducted. Students under the proposed program would pay no more than 10
percent of their income per year. Loans would be forgiven after 20 years of payment for students with low-paying jobs under the proposal. But loans for those who enter public-service jobs when they graduate would be forgiven after 10 years of payment. Under current law, student debt from federally subsidized loans is forgiven after 25 years. Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of FinAid.org, a Web site that provides advice on financial aid, said the new proposal could reduce students’ monthly payments by one-third, providing meaningful financial relief for those who struggle with loan payments. “Students who graduate with debt who are using income-based repayment can rest assured they won’t be paying back loans when their kids graduate college,” Kantrowitz said. Kantrowitz said the proposal also allows students to choose more fulfilling careers rather than simply lucrative ones. “Students want careers, not just a job to pay the bills,” Kantrowitz said. “Working a public-service skill can often be more fulfilling than doing a job just to make money. If you give people a chance, with debt not standing in [their] way, you’re removing an impediment.”
OBAMA continues on page 2
SG reforms left off meeting agenda Vice President Shara Ma tables resolution that would have split her job By Audrey White Daily Texan Staff After Student Government Vice President Shara Ma did not include legislation authored by 11 representatives that could restructure SG meetings and the role of the vice president on the agenda, authors and supporters of the bill informally raised the item at Tuesday’s SG meeting. The 11 representatives proposed a bill that would call for a student-body election to create the position of speaker of the assembly. Members of the assembly, which consists of the 40 elected representatives, would select from among them a speaker, who would assume some responsibilities currently held by the vice president. The speaker would lead SG meetings and sit on the executive board — which consists of seven officers, including the president and vice president. In addition to the 11 authors, 15 representatives have also officially confirmed support for the legislation. “The position is something
Maxx Scholten | Daily Texan Staff
Student Government Vice President Shara Ma leads the first Student Government meeting of the new decade and 2010 semester in the Glenn Maloney Room of the Student Services Building on Tuesday night. new for us, but it’s not unprecedented,” said University-wide Representative Carly Castetter, a co-author of the bill. “Most large public universities and peer institutions have [two vice presidents or a speaker], and it works well for them. We need a bridge between the old and new and between the executive and the assembly.” According to the authors’ research, the University of Kan-
sas is the only university comparable to UT that operates on the single-vice-president system. The bill’s authors hope to include the proposal in the March 4 student-body general election, said Liberal Arts Representative John Lawler, a co-author of the bill. It must be introduced to the assembly at the next meeting or it will not meet subsequent
SG continues on page 2
After delays, commuter rail will be ready in March Minor problems stand in way of MetroRail’s public availability
Meredith Marceau | Daily Texan Staff
Doug Allen, the interim president and CEO of Capital Metro, is questioned on the progress of the MetroRail, scheduled to open in early March.
By Rachel Burkhart Daily Texan Staff After a series of delays, setbacks and readjustments, Capital Metro announced Tuesday that the Capital MetroRail will be ready for public use in mid- to late March. The final passenger line will cross 32 miles — from Leander to downtown Austin — and will operate on weekdays during morning and afternoon commute hours.
Doug Allen, Capital Metro’s interim CEO and president, and Elaine Timbes, the group’s executive vice president, described the remaining tasks facing Capital Metro at a media round-table discussion Tuesday morning at the transit authority’s headquarters. The transit authority still has to reprogram some of the track’s signals and crossings, repair damaged rail lines and complete a new test of the entire line. “It’s small things,” Timbes said. “We are not talking about major construction.” When the plan for the Metro-
Rail was originally endorsed in a November 2004 referendum, Capital Metro set the opening date for early 2008. The launch date was then pushed back to the summer of 2008. After more delays, the rail line’s launch was pushed back again to March 30. In mid-March, however, the opening was put on indefinite hold, due to problems with track signals and crossings, as well as incomplete construction at two stations. Allen, who replaced former president and CEO Fred Gilliam in mid-October, is determined to correct the MetroRail’s safe-
ty and mismanagement issues, which caused the series of delays in launching the passenger line. “We have to run things more as a business,” Allen said. “We have limited financial resources, and we have to manage those resources.” Capital Metro recently increased bus fares and doubled the proposed fare for the MetroRail from $1 to $2. UT students, faculty and staff as well as seniors, disability-fare cardholders and children under 6 will still be able to ride the passenger line for free.
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NEWS
BILL: Failure to schedule legislation postpones vote
THE DAILY TEXAN Volume 110, Number 136 25 cents
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deadlines for inclusion in the election, Lawler said. Members cannot debate the bill until it is formally introduced at an SG meeting. Ma said she was unsure of her feelings toward the bill but believes there is still much research to be done before anything can be put into place. She said that because of these doubts, she excluded the topic from the meeting’s agenda until members
Editor: Jillian Sheridan (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com Managing Editor: Ana McKenzie (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com News Office: (512) 232-2207 news@dailytexanonline.com
From page 1 and by $186 in 2011-12. “We came to this decision because without a tuition increase, the University would have had to cut its budget by a minimum of $17 million in 2010-11 and $14.2 million in 2011-12,� said Daniel Spikes, a committee member and Graduate Student Assembly president. “Such reductions would be necessary to simply balance the budget.� The Regents recently allotted $7 million to UT from the Available University Fund, a pool of money that collects interest from
Classified Advertising: (512) 471-5244 classified@dailytexanonline.com The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely. If we have made an error, let us know about it. Call (512) 232-2217 or e-mail managingeditor@dailytexanonline.com.
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sentatives expressed a shared concern that the vice president straddled both legislative and executive responsibilities, making it difficult to fully link the representatives to the executive board. Graduate Student Representative John Woods, a co-author of the bill, said that because many representatives support the legislation, Tuesday’s meeting was an appropriate time to broaden the discussion to the assembly as a whole.
the UT System endowment. Lauren Ratliff, a committee member and Senate of College Councils president, said this is a one-time allotment and will not significantly affect the budget. On Jan. 15, Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Texas Speaker of the House Joe Straus notified state agencies — including public higher-education institutions — that they may have to cut their budgets by 5 percent beginning in 2011. The letter asks them to submit a prioritized plan of potential cuts by Feb. 15. Committee members said 5
percent of the budget amounts to about $29 million. After the committee presented its recommendations to attendees, two students asked questions about the budget. “I’m willing to understand how the tuition increase is justified by [the committee],� said Matt Portillo, a music and rhetoric and writing junior. “I realize there is a trade-off between quality and affordable education, and I came here because I was just curious about how the money is spent by the University.�
PLAN: Professor disputes effectiveness iel Hamermesh said the new proposal is only a temporary fix Two-thirds of all college grad- and not an efficient way to subuates who take out loans to pay sidize college education. for college incur an average debt “There are two questions reof about $23,000, according to ally,� Hamermesh said. “First the White House. of all, will this cause college stuUT economics professor Dan- dents looking for jobs to alter their behavior and be more likely to take a job that is lowerpaying, which is this proposal’s main purpose? I would be terribly surprised if it took an effect in that way. I don’t imagine college students sacrificing taking a high-paying job just to save a few bucks on their loan.�
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TODAY’S WEATHER
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could further discuss the details of how it would affect the SG constitution as a whole. “This bill is for a constitutional amendment, and our constitution is an arching document that affects the entire system,� Ma said. “The legislation needs to be a lot more fleshed out. What they have currently and the way they are presenting it is not the best way. When it’s finished, I may be able to support it.� The legislation was developed after Lawler and other repre-
“I’m frustrated because this had enough sponsors to pass the assembly, but it was held back another week,� Woods said. “We just want students to be able to vote on it. It’s been held to a much higher standard than any other piece of legislation.� Woods also said the new position would be an opportunity for representatives from smaller colleges and graduate schools to become involved in the leadership of the executive board. Fine Arts Representative Jake
POLICY: Increases help balance budget
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Jacob Santolaya, a biology and pre-med senior, said he thinks the proposal is a great way to provide opportunities to college graduates who cannot find jobs. “With the economy as it is right now, most people who graduate will not be able to find work in their particular fields right away,� Santolaya said. “This proposal is a safety net.� Obama plans to announce the proposal, which still needs the approval of Congress, during his State of the Union address tonight at 8 p.m.
campus watch Window thief strikes COMAL STREET CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER, 2205 Comal
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Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Priscilla Pelli, Medeeha Khursheed, Ayesha Dadabhoy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rachel Burkhart, Nehal Patel, Maxx Scholten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Meredith Marceau, Derek Stout, Rachel Taylor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Will Anderson, Carlo Castillo, John Meller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Allistair Pinsof, Emily Grubert, Calvin Sloan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gabe Alvarez, Edgar Vega, Rachel Weiss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Connor Shea, Kathryn Menefee, Katie Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ryohei Yatsu, Victoria Elliott
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A back-breaking theft JESTER CENTER ACADEMIC, 201 E. 21st St.
Theft: An orange-colored drawstring backpack containing pink Burglary: An unknown subject ear-buds and a leather Fossil walpried the window screen from a let containing a Texas Driver’s Lifirst floor exterior window. The subject opened the window and cense and three credit cards was made entry into the building. Af- stolen when it was left inside a ter walking around the building first floor restaurant. Loss value: and rummaging through a desk $30.00. Occurred between 1-24-10 drawer, the subject stole an emp- at 8:30 PM and 1-25-10 at noon. ty money bag and made his departure. A possible suspect was Keep moving along described as a white male wear- SAN ANTONIO GARAGE, 2420 ing a blue sweatshirt with two letters on the front of the shirt, blue San Antonio jeans, hiking boots, a baseball cap Assist Outside Agency: Four and carrying a flashlight. Loss val- non-UT subjects were reported ue: $10.00. Repair cost: $40.00. Oc- as loitering by the southeast staircurred between 1-22-10 at 6:00 PM well of the parking garage. The and 1-25-10 at 7:00 AM. four subjects were identified. One of the four subjects was found to have an outstanding outside agenLock it or lose it cy arrest warrant for speeding. OcPERRY CASTANEDA LIBRARY, curred on 1-25-10 at 6:08 PM.
101 E. 21st St.
Theft: A red Cannondale Super V4000 DH bicycle was stolen while it was “secured� with a cable lock to a bicycle rack located on the north side of the library. The bicycle had several high-end after-market features making it all the more valuable. Loss value: $3,000.00. Occurred on 1-25-10 between 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM.
Outstanding Student and Cactus Goodfellow Awards THE DAILY TEXAN
Lewis said the new position is superfluous. “They’re creating an office they already have,� Lewis said. “The legislation seems to make the vice president a figurehead and create a new person to serve as a communicator. No one on this assembly could say Shara doesn’t do that.� The legislation may reach the assembly floor for debate next Tuesday pending committee discussion and a final ruling from Ma.
The Cactus Yearbook is soliciting nominations for their Outstanding Student and Cactus Goodfellow Awards. For your convenience, we have placed the nomination forms on the Cactus web page: http://www.cactusyearbook.com All rules and instuctions are included, so all you have to do is either print the nomination form from our web page or pick up one at the William Randolph Hearst Building (HSM), 25th and Whitis Ave., Room 3.304. The deadline for nominations is February 26th, so send us your applications today. Please call 471-1084 for more information. Recognizing extraordinary UT students for over 75 years.
A serious lock-up SIMKINS HALL DORMITORY, 2501 San Jacinto Theft: A black- and silver-colored Giant Cypress hybrid bicycle was stolen while it was “secured� with a cable lock to the bicycle racks located on the east side of the dormitory. Loss value: $410.00. Occurred between 1-2210 at noon and 1-25-10 at 2:30 PM. Compiled by UTPD Officer Darrell Halstead
NEWS BRIEFLY Perry will not attend meetings with newspaper boards AUSTIN, Texas — Republican Gov. Rick Perry has decided not to seek endorsements from Texas newspapers before the March 2 GOP primary. Perry spokesman Mark Miner said Monday that Perry won’t attend newspaper editorial board meetings, adding that there are better uses of the governor’s time. At a Lubbock campaign stop Monday, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said she’ll seek newspaper endorsements. In her words, “I think it’s very important that we offer ourselves.� She added her belief that “it’s a little arrogant on the governor’s part to just say he’s not going to talk about his record. I mean what is he afraid of.� Miner, responding to Hutchison’s remark, said the governor has a record that “he’s proud to talk about every day as he travels the state.� Perry, Hutchison and Debra Medina are vying for the GOP gubernatorial nomination. The Austin American-Statesman first reported Perry’s decision, noting that many Republicans believe GOP voters are distrustful of newspaper editorial boards. — The Associated Press
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French parliament panel speaks out for public veil ban
Gerald Herbert | Associated Press
A Haitian walks past a burning corpse in the street in the aftermath of the massive Jan. 12 earthquake in Port-au-Prince on Monday. Some Haitians have been burning bodies to eliminate the stench.
Desperate need for tents in Haiti By Ben Fox & Jonathan M. Katz The Associated Press PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The dusty soccer field lined with spacious tents is an oasis for earthquake survivors among Haiti’s homeless sheltering by the hundreds of thousands in squalid camps. Competition for the canvas homes has boiled into arguments and machete fights, a sign of the desperation felt by the hundreds of thousands of people without homes struggling for shelter in this wrecked city. Haiti’s president has asked the world for 200,000 tents and says he will sleep in one himself.
Fenela Jacobs, 39, lives in a 13-by-13-foot abode provided by the Britain-based Islamic Relief Worldwide. She says the group offered her two tents for 21 survivors but she ended up putting everyone in one tent after people threatened to burn both down if she didn’t give a tent up. Still, she says living in the 6-foot-high khaki home with a paisley interior is better than the makeshift shelters crafted from bed sheets propped on wooden sticks where her family was living before. “It’s a lot more comfortable,” Jacobs said, though she added
it gets really hot inside the tent in Cazo, a Port-au-Prince neighborhood hidden in the hills behind the international airport. Tents are in desperately short supply following the 7.0-magnitude quake on Jan. 12 that killed at least 150,000 people. The global agency supplying tents said it already had 10,000 stored in Haiti and at least 30,000 more would be arriving. But that “is unlikely to address the extensive shelter needs,” the International Organization for Migration stressed. The organization had estimated 100,000 family-sized tents were needed. But the
U.N. says up to 1 million people require shelter, and President Rene Preval issued an urgent appeal Monday calling for 200,000 tents and urging that the aircraft carrying them be given urgent landing priority at Port-au-Prince airport. In solidarity with earthquake victims, Preval plans to move into a tent home on the manicured lawn of his collapsed National Palace in downtown Portau-Prince, Tourism Minister Patrick Delatour told The Associated Press. “It is a decision that the president has made himself,” Delatour said.
By Elaine Ganley The Associated Press PARIS — A parliamentary panel that wants Muslim women to stop veiling their faces recommended Tuesday that France ban such garb in public facilities, including hospitals and mass transit, and a leading panel member said he foresees such an interdiction by the end of 2010. The nearly 200-page report contains a panoply of measures intended to dissuade women from wearing all-enveloping veils in France. It also recommends refusing residence cards and citizenship to anyone with visible signs of a “radical religious practice.” However, there is no call to outlaw such garments — worn by a tiny minority of Muslims — in private areas and in the street. A full ban was the major issue that divided the 32-member, multiparty panel which ultimately heed-
ed warnings that a full ban risked being deemed unconstitutional and could even cause trouble in a country where Islam is the second-largest religion. The report, which culminates six months of hearings, was formally presented to the president of the National Assembly, the lower house, Bernard Accoyer, and made public. Conservative lawmaker Eric Raoult, the panel’s No. 2 member, said later that he foresaw a limited ban in the public sector “before the end of the year.” “We need maybe six months or a little more to explain what we want,” he told The Associated Press, adding that “by the end of 2010” there could be such an interdiction. Accoyer was more vague but told a news conference that “we can certainly find solutions in a brief time.”
Christophe Ena | Associated Press
Faiza Silmi, a 32-year-old Moroccan , is seen in Le Mesnil-Saint-Denis, on Jan. 12. Silmi has taken her plight to the European Court of Human Rights. Her fate could be decided before the case is heard if France passes a law forbidding such dress, which appears increasingly likely.
OPINION
4
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Editor in Chief: Jillian Sheridan Phone: (512) 232-2212 E-mail: editor@dailytexanonline.com Associate Editors: Jeremy Burchard David Muto Roberto Cervantes Dan Treadway Lauren Winchester
T HE DAILY T EXAN
GALLERY
VIEWPOINT
Palin v. Cheney: A war of endorsements While George W. Bush has remained silent on the Republican gubernatorial primary in Texas, some of his most trusted loyalists have wasted no time picking sides. The GOP heavyweights abound for Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison’s bid for governor: George H. W. Bush, Barbara Bush, former Secretary of State James A. Baker, Phil Gramm and even Dick Cheney. Most, if not all, fit the old-school mold of the traditionally conservative Republican — those who, save for Cheney, were not so keen on the Republican Party that swept George W. Bush into office. Polls have shown that, for most voters, endorsements usually do not make a significant difference in deciding who to vote for. But sometimes, endorsements by once-powerful leaders of yesteryear can bring to light narratives that have been under our noses this entire time. This seems to be the case in this election season. It is no surprise that the elder, more experienced GOP hands chose to back a Washington mainstay like Hutchison. After all, she has represented Texas for more than a decade in an environment their breed of Republican knows all too well. Now, Hutchison is trying hard to make her conservative D.C. credentials translate in Texas. They do not seem to be going over very well, as die-hard Texas conservatives are a rather hard bunch to please. Take, for example, the intense blowback the senator received after her waffling answer to an abortion question in the first gubernatorial debate. It is clear Hutchison agrees with the underlying principle of Roe v. Wade (the constitutional right to abort a pregnancy before viability) and has routinely supported some “reasonable,” as she puts it, restrictions on abortions, including parental notification and banning partial-birth abortion. She displayed an understanding of the technicalities of abortion policy — principally the real implications of flippantly overturning Roe v. Wade, which Perry hopes will happen. It was red meat for Perry’s pro-life brigade. In Washington, nobody would seriously consider doubting Hutchison’s reliable pro-life record. But as she campaigns in Texas, Perry supporters are on the offensive, hoping voters will believe that she is a firebreathing liberal. The same effect took hold in November, when Hutchison announced that she regretted her vote to pass former President Bush’s initial $700 billion bailout package because of the way the money was distributed after the fact. That regret might be a response to the state’s GOP outrage at the bailout, a mea culpa of sorts. Whatever her motive, this did not go over well, as evidenced at the gubernatorial debate earlier this month. The Perry campaign, which called the senator “Kay Bailout,” had long tried to tie her to Washington’s massive spending crisis, and they now had her on the record admitting to a mistake the Perry campaign knew would play exceptionally well with their base. Perry’s most enthusiastic support for his re-election bid comes from none other than former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who is scheduled to campaign for the governor in Houston on Feb. 7. We suspect Perry’s establishment-bucking tea-party crowd is thrilled to welcome Palin, who will undoubtedly bring her celebrity and hokey conservatism — not to mention throngs of reporters. Not once after the 2008 presidential campaign concluded did Palin, who quit her governor’s post a year in, ever do an interview with a credible news organization that did not carry her water, and rarely has Perry been public with any tough decisions he has had to make on behalf of the state. Palin and Perry are carbon copies of each other, lightning-rod Republicans who can draw crowds and attention yet largely buffer their conservative bona fides by avoiding the difficult act of governance, unlike their older brethren. While we do not look favorably on the tendency of politicians who hold national office to arrive in Washington only to betray their constituents’ trust, we recognize that the paths to power that Perry and Hutchison have blazed thus far offer a stark difference between rhetoric and reality.
Change my units, not my climate By Emily Grubert Daily Texan Columnist
Taxes and units of measurement are particularly pesky aspects of climatechange science and policy. Their inertia is legendary — the United States gasoline tax has stubbornly remained nominally fixed since 1993, and units of measurement such as horsepower sit on the conversion tables like they’re about to carve the Thanksgiving turkey. As it relates to global warming pollution, tax inertia is a much-anticipated problem. Many expect that global warming pollution will be regulated by either a cap-and-trade system, which determines the amount of pollution allowed, or by a tax system, which puts a price on each unit of pollution. Economically, either strategy gives the same end result in a perfect world. The cap, or the amount of allowed pollution, can be adjusted to get to an acceptable cost of compliance. The tax can be adjusted to get to an acceptable amount of pollution. But here’s the rub: Privately, a lot of people realize that it would be pretty hard to get a tax in place, and it would be even harder to change it. So it will probably be too low in the beginning so it can get passed, and then it will stay low and grab beers with the gas tax while it’s in the neighborhood. That’s inertia for you. A second point, and one that I think has received far less attention than it deserves, is the problem associated with
the way that we measure global warming pollution. Even the fact that I’m calling it “global warming pollution” instead of “carbon” is a pretty big step — and it comes back to the persistence of units. Persistence. That’s a big piece of why it’s a bit problematic to measure global warming pollution in units of carbon dioxide equivalent with a 100-year atmospheric lifetime. Different kinds of global warming pollution spend different amounts of time in the atmosphere doing their radiative forcing thing, or different atmospheric persistence. You may have heard that water vapor is the most effective greenhouse gas we deal with. True. But its atmospheric lifetime is measured in days, not years or centuries. The units we’ve chosen make it difficult to see that some policy actions would have greater immediate effect, or greater long-term effect, based on atmospheric persistence. Let’s think about methane (the main component of natural gas) and black carbon (soot from trucks, cookstoves and other combustion). Both have shorter atmospheric lifetimes than the 100 years expressed in their global warming potential numbers, so on a short time scale, getting rid of these will do more than getting rid of a unit of CO2 that persists in the atmosphere for 100 years. On the other hand, consider many of the industrial gases that have incredibly high global warming potentials on a 100year scale. Quite a few of those have lifetimes of thousands of years, so they’re still problems in thousands of years when CO2 is long gone. To complicate the matter further, even
CO2’s atmospheric lifetime is variable. And atmospheric lifetime is pretty vague — there are differences in radiative forcing effects for emissions in the troposphere (the lower atmosphere) versus the stratosphere (the slightly higher atmosphere), and even for emissions at different points within these subatmospheric layers. Yikes. We’ve spent a lot of time talking about whether climate change is happening, whether it’s threatening and what kinds of policies we could use to respond. Those debates have been, and continue to be, long, complicated and bitter. When we talk about needing quick action to prevent ourselves from getting to a point at which effects become essentially irreversible, my feeling is that we need to pay a lot more attention to the difference between a ton of carbon dioxide equivalent and... a ton of carbon dioxide equivalent. Short-lived components like methane and soot are potentially easier to get out of the emissions stream than carbon dioxide. Losing methane often means you’re leaking a valuable fuel, and soot is a health hazard for reasons beyond climate change. Knowing what policies we can use to regulate global warming pollution is vital to a successful program. But so is knowing what we’re regulating. It might be time to start pushing on our units and getting a better sense of which emissions are having which effects over which time period so that we can use diversity for our benefit. Grubert is an energy and earth resources graduate student.
— Roberto Cervantes for the editorial board
The U.S.’s guilt for Haiti’s suffering By Calvin Sloan Daily Texan Columnist The earthquake that recently struck Haiti sent shockwaves not just through the capital city of Port-au-Prince, but throughout the world. Catastrophic images from the disaster have inspired many global citizens to take action. For America, the disaster has revealed the best, and the worst, of what our country has to offer. Here on campus, the UT community has embraced this opportunity to help those in need. Among other campus clubs and organizations, the Student Affairs Committee of the Liberal Arts Council has been tabling to gain funds for the Red Cross relief effort. When I asked members of the committee why they felt motivated to do so, they exhibited the compassion that UT students and Americans as a whole are capable of. Hang Dogie, an economics and business management sophomore, said he felt it was his responsibility to “be doing something to give back to the world rather than just [him]self.” Undoubtedly, the countless American medical professionals who decided to abandon their
LEGALESE
work to help out on the ground hold a similar philosophy. Such selflessness can go a long way in making a difference. However, despite the valiant attempts of individual Americans to help Haiti, the past and present actions that the U.S. has perpetrated against the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere reveal a much different story. Leveraged with debt and suppressed by the gun, Haiti and its history follow a standard Third World archetype. Since Haiti declared its independence from the French in 1804, the U.S. and other Western powers have, in the words of American Studies Professor Shirley E. Thompson, intervened “more or less actively in Haiti’s internal affairs, access to trade, etc. right on up until today.” President Barack Obama’s selection of former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to support a White House fundraising effort for Haiti should not be taken lightly. In 1991, the Front for the Advancement and Progress of Haiti, led by war criminal Emmanuel Constant, executed a coup d’etat and removed the first democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, from office. According to Amnesty International and Constant himself, he was un-
Opinions expressed in The Daily Texan are not necessarily those of the UT administration, the Board of Regents or the Texas Student Media Board of Operating Trustees.
der the orders and payroll of the CIA at the time. Clinton restored Aristide to power in 1994, but only after the Haitian president agreed to fully adopt an International Monetary Fund and World Bank structural adjustment program. Economic leveraging is a lethal imperial tool, and Haiti was not an exception to the rule. The privatization and Milton Friedman free-market magic that followed was predictably a state disaster and a profit bonanza for the West. In 2004, Louis-Jodel Chamblain, who was second in command to Constant during the 1991 coup, led a force armed with American-made M16s into Haiti, causing the re-elected President Aristide to resign. Some investigative journalists suspect U.S. involvement (for more info, visit democracynow.org). Given this historical context, extreme Haitian poverty — which led to poor infrastructure and collapsible buildings — was not inevitable, but rather was instituted by imperial powers like the U.S. Unfortunately, much of the mainstream media failed to contextualize the crisis with these facts and instead chose to provide sensational, entertainmentbased “news.” Most disappointing of all has
FIRING LINES
been the U.S. government’s response to the crisis. The U.S. showed up relatively late and brought a machine gun instead of a water bottle. One can’t help but wonder if a hidden agenda is at play. A revolution could severely damage the current corporate agenda, and a natural disaster, unless “controlled” by force, could potentially provide the social unrest for such a movement. Haiti potentially holds rich offshore oil reserves and already has proven deposits of bauxite, copper, calcium, carbonate, gold and marble. Haiti, along with other impoverished countries of the Western Hemisphere such as Honduras, has a low wage rate that maintains the country as a cheap labor reserve for factory work. It is up to the American citizenry to exhibit its moral capacity with regard to Haiti’s fate through protest and activism. But given the presence of 20,000 foreign troops composed mostly of Americans, Canadians, and French — all of whom have benefited from prior deregulation of the Haitian economy — in place for reconstruction, it appears that this battle will be nearly impossible to win. Sloan is a government senior.
E-mail your Firing Lines to firingline@dailytexanonline.com. Letters must be more than 100 and fewer than 300 words. The Texan reserves the right to edit all submissions for brevity, clarity and liability.
THE FIRING LINE Open letter to SG reps I want to start by commending the hard work on AB 13, which would allow the SG Assembly to elect its own chair (a speaker, in lieu of the vice president.) I was skeptical when Liberal Arts Representative John Lawler first approached me with the idea, but he came to me last week with indepth research, good arguments and a long list of sponsors. I find it frustrating, however, that this bill was not on last night’s agenda. It was submitted to Administrative Director Katina Rajunov on time and with the sponsorship of more than twothirds of the assembly. While Vice President Shara Ma has the authority to modify the agenda, this power was given with an eye to allowing flexibility for and not for excluding pieces of legislation with broad support. It is irresponsible for the executive to hold back legislation that directly
GALLERY
addresses the role of that branch in the assembly. This matter has served to convince me that the chair of the assembly should be directly accountable to the members and that the bill in question is even more important than I realized when I agreed to sponsor it.
— John Woods Graduate School representative, UT Student Government
Capitol security the real issue The sub-headline for Monday’s article, “Shooting puts focus on security,” read “Concealedweapons law questioned after incident outside Capitol.” That sub-head‘s use is an example of irresponsible journalism. What was brought into question was Capitol security. The person involved in the shooting did not have a concealed-handgun license and did not violate any part of that law or bring it into question.
— David D Haun Alum
5 UNIV
Paint it black
Masks, hand hygiene curb spread of flu, study shows
By Nehal Patel Daily Texan Staff The use of face masks and proper hand sanitization may reduce the spread of the H1N1 flu epidemic, according to a new study released last week from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. The study involved 1,437 students living in university residence halls during the 2006-07 influenza season. The students were randomly assigned to three groups — face mask use, face mask use with hand hygiene or a control group — for six weeks. The study found a 35-percent to 51-percent reduction in influenzalike illnesses in the face mask with hand hygiene group compared to the control group. “There has been some evidence that face masks can reduce the potential for the flu to spread because they basically keep large droplets floating in the air from being inhaled,� said Dennis Nolan, assistant director of UT’s Office of Environmental Health and Safety. “But they aren’t as effective as respirators because face masks don’t form a tight seal around your mouth and nose.� Most respirators, such as the N95 respirator, are designed to be affixed tightly to the wearer’s face and filter out very small particles that can be breathed in by the user, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Web site. There is limited data, however, about the effectiveness of either face masks or respirators in preventing the transmission of the influenza virus. “I tend to get sick a lot and I normally don’t get better for a while, so there’s a high chance I might actually wear a mask if there were a lot of swine flu cases in Jester,� said business freshman and Jester resident Ronak Shah. Although face masks or respirators are not readily available on campus, they can be purchased from most pharmacies and convenience stores, Nolan said. “When [the UHS] was seeing large numbers of flu cases last fall, we asked patients who were coughing to use face masks, which was consistent with practices in the community,� said Sherry Bell, UHS senior program coordinator. Randall Porter, associate director for UT’s Division of Housing and Food Service, said the group has been disinfecting all bathrooms and public areas twice a day in response to the H1N1 flu cases on campus.
Key student organization endorses Gov. Perry re-election Young Conservatives say GOP frontrunner best fits their platform By Rachel Burkhart Daily Texan Staff In the upcoming primary election, Young Conservatives of Texas will support Gov. Rick Perry in his bid to stay in office. The decision came after a statewide meeting of the various chapters of the nonpartisan organization in Dallas on Jan. 16. The group’s endorsements for the primary elections were announced in a public statement by the group’s senior vice chairwoman, Laura Elizabeth Morales, on Monday. “Overall he was the most conservative candidate,� Morales said. “He can definitely lead us
to victory in November.� Mark Miner, spokesman for Texans for Rick Perry, said he was pleased to have the group’s endorsement. “It’s clearly recognized that Gov. Perry is the only true conservative in this race that has a record of cutting taxes, balancing budgets, improving education and creating jobs,� Miner said. YCT also pledged support for several Travis County candidates, including Brian Russell in his bid to replace Cynthia Dunbar as a member of the State Board of Education, and Holly Turner and Pat McGuinness, who are both campaigning to unseat incumbent representatives Valinda Bolton and Mark Strama. Before final endorsements were made during their Jan.
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Timeline Thu. 11 Feb. through Mon. 15 Feb. Thu. 18 Feb. through Mon. 22 Feb. Thu. 25 Feb. through Mon. 1 Mar. Thu. 4 Mar. through Mon. 8 Mar. Thu. 11 Mar. through Mon. 15 Mar. Outpatient Visit: 17 Mar.
16 meeting, local YCT chapters interviewed candidates in their respective districts. YCT members said they endorsed the most conservative and the most promising candidates. The Travis County candidates were selected by the UT-Austin YCT chapter, said Tony McDonald, vice chairman of legislative affairs for the group. “Many of [the primary races] were uncontroversial for the most part,� said Dustin Matocha, chairman of the UT-Austin chapter. “Obviously the governor’s race was the one we had a good discussion about. It really came down to whether or not
to endorse Perry.� The UT-Austin chapter then shared their suggestions and opinions with other YCT chapters at the statewide meeting. More endorsements will be made before the primary elections in March and as more information on the candidates becomes available. University Democrats will begin a similar process this week, said group spokesman Michael Hurta. He said the organization would announce its endorsements in conjunction with Central Austin Democrats on Feb. 6., adding that many candidates will attend the group’s meeting
tonight in order to solicit its endorsement. In the meantime, YCT will be organizing support for its candidates by canvassing residential areas, making phone calls, blogging and Tweeting, Morales said. New media is an especially important way to reach out to voters in a state as large as Texas, she said. “We’re going to do everything to our fullest extent to support these candidates,� Matocha said. The voter registration deadline is Monday. Early voting will begin March 2, and the general election will take place Nov. 3.
APPLICATIONS ( !$ &* %( * %""%-!$ )*+ $* &%)!*!%$) -!* . ) *+ $* ! % ( % & ( *!$ (+)* )
Student Body At-Large, Place 4
College of Communication, Places 2 & 3 Terms of office: June 1, 2010 – May 31, 2012
Student Body At-Large, Place 6 (unexpired term) Terms of offce: March 2, 2010 – May 31, 2011
&&"! *!%$ %(#) $ "!)* % '+ "!1 *!%$) ( , !" " !$ * 1 % * !( *%( !""! # $ %"& ()* +!" !$ !*!) , %%# **& --- +* . ) + *)# The TSM Board of Operating Trustees will interview applicants at 2:00 p.m. on February 5th in the LBJ Room # 5.160 of the CMA Building.
DEADLINE: NOON, FEBRUARY 2, 2010 " ) ( *+($ %#&" * &&"! *!%$) $ "" )+&&%(*!$ # * (! ") *% * !( *%(0) 1 $* ( )* &&"! $*) ( !$,!* *% )*%& / $ ,!)!* -!* * !( *%( *% !) +)) )*+ $* &%)!*!%$)
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010
A family affair
State of the Union speech may elicit varied responses
Daniela Trujillo | Daily Texan Staff
Steven Nguyen, 5, looks out the door of his family’s restaurant Tuesday evening. Pho Thai Son serves Vietnamese cuisine and is located on the south end of the Drag.
Center aspires to ‘think global’ at conference By Nehal Patel Daily Texan Staff UT’s Global Leadership Center will host the annual Act Local – Think Global conference Feb. 3 and 4 at the Union. The conference consists of workshops, discussion panels, cultural performances and an organization fair that promote international volunteerism and educating the public on global problems. “There are a host of reasons why people don’t get involved in international issues, and [the conference] is a way of dealing
with those reasons,� said Whitney Bosworth, a government senior and director of Act Local – Think Global. “We have panels designed to get students interested in those issues, and we have workshops designed to give students the skills they need to get involved.� The first day of the conference consists of six panels: refugee relief in the developing world, global energy and development, poverty and politics in Latin America, studying abroad, international human trafficking and interning abroad.
Each panel consists of two faculty members, one professional and one student, Bosworth said. The intern and study-abroad panels consist of four students who have participated in these programs. “At the conference, students get a chance to hear about some of the worst international problems and immediately find out ways they can make a difference, whether it’s big or small,� said government junior Samantha Shaw, co-chairwoman of the planning committee for the conference.
The second day will feature workshops and an organization fair where UT and non-UT organizations, departments and individuals will talk to students about opportunities to study abroad, volunteer and intern around the world. During the study-abroad workshop, student representatives will talk about how such programs can be affordable. UT Libraries will also teach students how to find international resources for class projects and papers, Bosworth said. The Career Exploration Center and Liberal Arts Career Services will hold workshops about the resources they have available for students, said Lauren Payne, an international business and government senior and workshop coordinator for the conference. “We want students to know about and use the career services centers on campus because they already paid for them in tuition fees,� Payne said. “It’s important students start early in trying to find internships, learning how to network and writing resumes, especially in a down economy.� There will also be cultural performances by GinDaiko, a Japanese drumming ensemble, and Nritya Sangam Indian Dance Troupe. Last year, approximately 600 people attended the conference, with 500 to 700 people attending in past years, Bosworth said. The conference is sponsored by Student Government, the Senate of College Councils, the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service, the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies and the College of Liberal Arts.
ronment trickles down and affects funding for the University,� he said. University student support of Obama during his first year in office seemed to reflect the nation’s divided opinions. Since he took office, Obama’s national approval rating has fallen from 74 percent to 56 percent. University Democrats member Grace Zhang said the president will need more than a year to combat some of his toughest issues. “The first year in office is often the hardest,� said Zhang, a government and eastern studies sophomore. “Change does take time and Barack Obama has done a remarkable job of incorporating bipartisan support while maintaining a solid Democratic base.� Geoffrey Geiger, a history senior and treasurer for College Republicans at Texas, disagrees with some policy decisions Obama has made this year. “The president’s job is the toughest job in the world, so we must not be quick to judge him too early,� Geiger said. “But I believe that certain policy ideas and proposals he has made are harmful to the overall economic wellbeing of this nation.� Obama has not brought enough change since entering office, said physics graduate student and Libertarian Longhorns member Daniel Krawisz. “I believe that Obama’s administration nearly advances the policies of the Bush administration with only a change in rhetoric,� Krawisz said. “Examples of that include bailouts to failing businesses, continuing a war with no end in sight and attempting to socialize the economy.�
By Ayesha Dadabhoy Daily Texan Staff Expectations are high as President Barack Obama prepares to make his first State of the Union Address, and some UT faculty members and students predict that the economy, job market and the president’s lack of bipartisan support will be the focus of his speech. “[Obama] came into office with such a history-making aura around him.� said Bill Minutaglio, clinical professor of journalism and author of the biographies of President George W. Bush and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. “Now, forces on the left and the right are placing equally intense demands on him.� Obama will use tonight’s platform to discuss controversial agenda items including health care legislation, immigration reform, national security and bettering partisan relationships. Tonight’s address will also be important to rebuild the fervor and support that mounted during his campaign, especially after Republican Scott Brown won the historically Democratic Massachusetts Senate seat formerly held by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy. “[The topics of discussion are] transmitted pretty clearly: the economy and the upcoming budget and freezing some of the discretionary aspects of the budget,� said James Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project and UT government professor. “I believe the economy will be front and center.� Henson suggests University students focus on Obama’s remarks about the national budget, as most universities are affected by cuts and spending. “The overall budget envi-
RAIL: City’s commuter line
to carry passengers, freight From page 1
brakes on the project in March when it identified numerous programming malfunctions in signals and crossings as well as flaws in several stretches of rail. Correcting these faults and retesting the system cost Capital Metro an additional $530,000, Allen said. Construction of the MetroRail has already cost $105 million. Pre-existing freight obligations are also part of the reason why MetroRail will be unable to offer weekend service, at least in the short term. Allen and Timbes said they hope the MetroRail will be able to cater to special events and weekend travelers within the first year of operation — but that will require more track and equipment.
Due to the delays, Capital Metro terminated its contract with Veolia Transportation and placed Herzog Transit Services in charge of MetroRail operations and rail maintenance. “We simply have to ensure that the contract is being enforced,� Timbes said. “It’s very easy to become complacent with contractors. And it’s our responsibility to stay on top of them.� T h e M e t ro R a i l w i l l b e unique in that passengers and freight will stay on the same track. Because it will carry freight, MetroRail falls under the regulation of the Federal Railroad Administration. The administration’s Hazard Analysis Risk Assessment put the
FUSION: Colleges ‘hotbeds’ for extremism From page 1
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north of Dallas, called on officers to surveil the activities of local Muslim civil rights groups and anti-war protests. A fusion center in Virginia labeled the state’s colleges and universities as hotbeds for radicalization. “When we are not transparent we cannot gain trust. If we can’t gain trust than we are not keeping you safe,� said APD Assistant Chief David Carter. “We are not going to stand something up that doesn’t benefit you as a community, because we know what our mission is and our mission is to keep you safe.� East Austin resident Gabe Bigger asked what kind of citizen oversight would be present over analysts who receive in-
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formation of suspected crimes. Carter said the executive board of the center, of which he is the chairman, will provide oversight of the center’s day to day activities. A privacy council comprised of community representatives such as the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, will work with the executive board to address issues involving information analysis. Carter will report on a semi-regular basis to the Department of Public Safety’s Public Safety Commission about the center’s activities. Austin resident Jeff Bowden asked what information contained in the center would be available to the public. Carter said the center will abide by the Freedom of Information Act, which requires all information of a
federal agency to be formally requested in writing. But information related to an open criminal investigation will not be available because disclosure may compromise the investigation. If a tip or lead is found to be baseless, it will be removed from the database after two years. If information is verified by a criminal investigation, it will be removed after five years. An agreement that outlines conditions each participating agency must meet, including abiding by the privacy policy, the operating guidelines and the Freedom of Information Act, will be introduced to City Council in mid-March, Carter said. He said he expects the fusion center to be operational sometime in April.
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Sports Editor: Blake Hurtik E-mail: sports@dailytexanonline.com Phone: (512) 232-2210 www.dailytexanonline.com
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T HE DAILY T EXAN
SIDELINE
GOING PRO
Offensive Line
Texas’s O-Line has some heavy shoes to fill next season
NCAA Men’s Top 25 No. 21 Clemson 69 Boston College 75 No. 5 Michigan State 57 Michigan 56 No. 13 Kansas State 76 Baylor 74 No. 9 West Virginia 62 DePaul 46
Despite all the criticism, senior offensive linemen will be missed in the fall
No. 1 Kentucky 62 South Carolina 68
SPORTS BRIEFLY Texas finalizes its football schedule for next two years The Texas football team had its fair share of critics this season who said the Longhorns benefited from a non-conference schedule full of cupcakes, but that trend is starting to change. The team announced a pair of new dates to be added to its 2011 and 2012 seasons, one against the same team that plagued Oklahoma this season at Cowboys Stadium — BYU. The Longhorns will host the Cougars, who are one of the top teams from a nonautomatic BCS bid conference, on Sept. 10, 2011. They also announced a home game against UTEP on Sept. 8, 2012. The Longhorns last met BYU for a home-and-home series in 1987 and 1988, both of which the Cougars won. Texas also confirmed that the Texas A&M game will remain on Thanksgiving for at least the next two years. The game moved back to the holiday in 2008. — Blake Hurtik
Sara Young | Daily Texan Staff
Senior forward Damion James, center, celebrates during a game earlier this season. James leads the Longhorns in scoring and rebounding, and hopes to get Texas back on track with a win tonight.
Horns tired of losing
By Will Anderson Daily Texan Staff In a historic year of firsts, the sixth-ranked Longhorns face a brand-new challenge when Texas Tech comes to town Wednesday — rebounding from a losing streak. Texas (17-2, 3-1 Big 12) dropped its first two games of the season back-to-back, first at Kansas State on Jan. 18 and then at Connecticut over the weekend. The Longhorns lost the two games by an average of 12 points. At UConn, the Horns actually led at the break but were outscored by 22 points in the second half.
UT vs. Texas Tech
“The biggest thing, honestly, they’ve got to understand what goes into losing,” said Texas coach Rick Barnes, explaining how his team let the game slip away. “We did things that you can’t do — turnovers and things like that,” Barnes said. “And then you allow the momentum to shift. Those are the things that go into losing.” Turnovers were a common theme in both defeats, as the Horns lost the ball 18 and 19 times, respectively, in those two losses. “We played hard all year, but we didn’t do some things on the
reason Texas would lose to Alabama in the national championship, especially after the fourand-a-half-sack performance by Nebraska’s defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. By Chris Tavarez But on college football’s bigDaily Texan Staff The offensive line was much gest stage, the men in the trenchmaligned over the past two years. es held Terrence Cody and the AlaFor most of Texas’ run to the ti- bama defensive front in check and tle game, everyone called it out as allowed only one sack, thanks in one of the weak links of the team large part to seniors Adam Ulatosbecause of its inability to block ki, Chris Hall and Charlie Tanner. For as much criticism as the well enough to help establish a three drew, they’ll be hard to run game. After the Big 12 Championship Game, it was seen as the SENIORS continues on page 8
offensive end the other day at Connecticut,” Barnes said. Free throws compounded the Longhorns’ troubles — they’ve made just 18 of 38 in their past two outings. “Mental toughness has something to do with that,” Barnes said. “They’ve got to trust what they’re doing.” Aside from All-Big 12 forward and Player of the Year candidate Damion James, the rest of the team’s frontcourt has struggled recently. Future pro Dexter Pittman hasn’t scored more than six points since Jan. 5, and
HORNS continues on page 8
THE DAILY TEXAN
Bryant Haertlein | Daily Texan Staff
Charlie Tanner (52), Chris Hall (71) and Adam Ulatoski (74) graduated from UT last fall, leaving a hefty gap in the Longhorns O-Line.
PRESENTS
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Texas Tech Spotlight
DELIVERY
Mike Singletary, Forward No, not the Mike Singletary who was the fierce former Chicago Bears’ linebacker and now coaches the San Francisco 49ers. The Red Raiders’ Singletary, no relation, has emerged as Texas Tech’s leading scorer (15.4 points per game) and has been on fire as of late, scoring 23 and 24 points respectively in Tech’s last two wins over Iowa State and Oklahoma. Singletary, a 6-foot-6-inch junior forward, has been motivated by a disappointing scoreless performance in Tech’s Jan. 16 loss to No. 2 Kansas. — Blake Hurtik
Texas Spotlight Dogus Balbay, Guard Most of the blame for Texas’s two losses has been put on seniors Damion James and Dexter Pittman for their lack of production, but one of the most underrated aspects of Texas’s success — and failure — is the part of Dogus Balbay. t In Texas’s loss to UConn, Balbay went to the bench with 8:39 left in the game with foul trouble, and UConn went on a 19-8 run. t Balbay has just four steals over his last four games compared to an earlier four-game stretch with 11 steals. t Balbay also needs to protect the ball better. He had seven turnovers total in Texas’s two losses. — Chris Tavarez
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After a pair of back-to-back disappointing losses to two highly ranked teams at Kansas State and Connecticut, a Big 12 home game against usually harmless Texas Tech appears to be the perfect situation for the reeling Longhorns — but not so fast. While the Horns have been sinking, the Red Raiders have built some momentum with consecutive wins over Iowa State and an impressive 7565 win over Oklahoma.
Will Dexter go ‘beast mode’ or ‘least mode’? Texas’ formerly dominating center has all but disappeared in the past five games with just 25 points over the span of the games. Can the 6-foot10-inch, 290-pound Pittman take advantage of Tech’s weak post presence? The Red Raiders don’t have a player who can match the physicality of Pittman — that is, when he’s on his game.
Will Rick Barnes switch up the lineup? The Texas coach’s use of senior Justin Mason at starting guard seems to be nothing more than a formality. Mason is averaging career lows in every major statistical category, including points (3.0 points per game) and minutes (16.3 minutes per game). Maybe it’s time Barnes pushed his loyalty aside to get either Gary Johnson or freshmen Jordan Hamilton and J’Covan Brown into the game earlier. — Blake Hurtik
8 SPTS
8
SPORTS
HORNS: Conference games heating up From page 7 for the first time all year, the Longhorns were out-rebounded against both K-State and UConn. “Every team is gonna have a downfall, and thank God it’s happening right now,� Pittman said. “I actually like when things like this happen because it keeps me driving to be better and better.� Avery Bradley replaced Pittman as Texas’ No. 2 scorer with his 15-point performance Saturday. Bradley has established himself as one of the team’s most consistent players in the past five games, averaging 16.8 points. “Avery works really, really hard. Like most freshmen, he’s been up and down a little bit,� Barnes said. “Up to this point, he’s had a pretty good freshman year.� The Red Raiders (14-5, 2-3) start-
ed the season with nine straight wins. They briefly flirted with the Top 25 and reached as high as No. 16 before falling out of the rankings for good in the seventh week of the season. Tech, which was picked to finish ninth in the Big 12 in a preseason poll, is now eighth in the league and unranked nationally. “This conference doesn’t get any easier,� said Tech coach Pat Knight about the prospect of the twogame road trip that begins in Austin. The Red Raiders play at Texas A&M on Saturday. After starting Big 12 competition with three losses, Tech has now won two in a row, including a 75-65 comeback victory over Oklahoma last week. “We really had our backs up against the wall,� Knight said. “We couldn’t get too down on [the
players], but we still had to get after them a little bit.� “It was a delicate week for us, but it ended up working out for the best,� he said. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi was a common opponent for Texas and Tech. The Red Raiders eked out a 7-point thriller back in November while the Longhorns beat the Islanders by just 6 points earlier this month. But the Horns know they face a different Tech team, one that plays an up-tempo offense and likes to push the ball when man-on-man. “They’re extremely hard to guard on-ball,� Barnes said. And he just hopes that while his team has learned what goes into losing, they still remember what went into winning. “It’s still January,� he said. “Now’s the time to keep trying to get better.�
SENIORS: Moving on to the next phase of life round. Ulatoski is still seen as one of the top offensive tackles availreplace. All three have graduated able in this year’s draft and is listand will be moving on to the next ed as the third-best tackle out of the Big 12. phases of their lives. Ulatoski’s personality and skill set have drawn comparison to TenAdam Ulatoski nessee Titans’ starter David StewUlatoski was, art. Scouts like his strength and is and likely will coachability, as well as his intellibe a flat-out wingence both on and off the field. ner. After a highAnd his quarterback isn’t the school career that only one getting hitched — Ulasaw him win 31 toski will marry his longtime girlof 32 games, including the state friend in July. championship for Southlake Caroll — Ulatoski, 24, came to Texas and started 43 games, including Chris Hall After starting at every game in his last two years as a Longhorn, when Texas went least one game at 25-2. He showed impressive dura- every position on bility after a back injury kept him the offensive line from joining the Longhorns after in 2007, this jack-ofall-trades offensive high school. “When I think of Adam, I def- lineman found his calling at ceninitely think of mental tough- ter, where he started every game ness,� Hall said. “He’s had a lot — except for two due to injury — to deal with, but he’s always for the next two years. With his collegiate career on dealt with it well and played well the gridiron behind him, Hall has through it all.� Ulatoski entered this past sea- found a higher calling. He endson as a potential first-round draft ed his career at Texas dreaming pick, according to USA Today, but of California, and he’s starting his has since dropped on pundits’ life after football the same way, andraft boards to the fifth or sixth nouncing that he would forgo a
From page 7
chance to play in the NFL to attend Bible school in Anaheim, Calif. Hall’s choice to pursue religion as a career doesn’t come as a surprise, though. He’s always stated that he wanted to go into the ministry after football was over, and even went on a pilgrimage to Israel last year.
Charlie Tanner During Tanner’s career at Texas, he continued to show improvement. As a redshirt freshman, he saw limited playing time and didn’t start a game. He started nine games as a sophomore and 10 as a junior before he became a full-time starter at left tackle this past year. Tanner is seen as a possible seventh-round pick or a potential free agent on the offensive line when it comes time for the NFL. Scouts like his athleticism and his quickness but feel he needs to bulk up to be a solid contributor. At worst, the draft pundits see him as a practice-squad player whose work ethic could help him eventually see some actual playing time.
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010
FOOTBALL
CBS responds to Tebow advocacy ad complaints By David Crary The Associated Press NEW YORK — CBS responded to complaints over a conservative group’s planned Super Bowl advertisement featuring football star Tim Tebow by saying that it had eased restrictions on advocacy ads and would consider “responsibly produced� ones for open spots in its Feb. 7 broadcast. CBS Corp. said Tuesday it had received numerous e-mails — both critical and supportive — since a coalition of women’s groups began a protest campaign Monday against the ad, which the critics say will use Tebow and his mother to convey an anti-abortion message. Funded by the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family, the 30-second ad is expected to recount the story of Pam Tebow’s pregnancy in 1987. After getting sick during a mission trip to the Philippines, she ignored a recommendation by doctors to abort her fifth child. She later gave birth to Tim, who won the 2007 Heisman Trophy and helped his Florida team win two BCS championships. CBS said Tuesday that the decision to air the Tebow ad reflected a change in its policies toward advocacy ads that has evolved over the past several years. “We have for some time moderated our approach to advocacy submissions after it became apparent that our stance did not re-
Phil Sandlin | Associated Press
Florida quarterback Tim Tebow embraces his mother, Pam, during a ceremony for graduating seniors this past season before a Florida home game. flect public sentiment or industry norms,� said spokesman Dana McClintock. “In fact, most media outlets have accepted advocacy ads for some time.� He said CBS “will continue to consider responsibly produced ads from all groups for the few remaining spots in Super Bowl XLIV.� CBS said that it has run ads in the past year or so with divergent views on topics such as the health care overhaul, climate change and energy policy. Thirty-second commercials
during the Super Bowl are selling for $2.5 million to $2.8 million. On Monday, a coalition led by the New York-based Women’s Media Center, with backing from the National Organization for Women, the Feminist Majority Foundation and other groups, urged CBS to scrap the Tebow ad. “An ad that uses sports to divide rather than to unite has no place in the biggest national sports event of the year — an event designed to bring Americans together,� said Jehmu Greene, president of the media center.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Nadal stumbles out of quarterfinal By John Pye The Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia — Andy Murray had been warned about the fireworks, the crackle and dazzling burst of color that lights the sky to mark Australia Day celebrations. So the pyrotechnics came as no surprise in the second set against defending champion Rafael Nadal. What he didn’t expect was the fizzle at the end. Nadal quit their quarterfinal while trailing 6-3, 7-6 (2), 3-0 Tuesday night, not long after he’d taken a medical timeout to treat his right knee. His concession came five games and a tiebreaker after he tripped and fell following the fireworks delay at Rod Laver Arena.
Murray was convinced he would have beaten Nadal even if the match had gone the distance. He’s also confident of overturning his last result against Cilic — a loss at the U.S. Open — and reaching his second Grand Slam final. “When the big moments came in the match, I thought I dictated what happened,� Murray said. “From my side, I played really well and deserved to be up when the match was stopped.� Nadal tweaked his knee in the 11th game of a second set that had already been interrupted for nine minutes by fire Nadal’s fall six games later sent a murmur around the stadium, but he eased concern by playing a shot by instinct as
he sat near the baseline. Murray won that point, but Nadal held serve in the game and celebrated with a flurry of wild, double-arm pumps as if he’d won a final. He didn’t show any outward signs of being hurt until calling for a medical timeout while serving at 0-1 and 15-all in the third set. He took a threeminute break while the trainer worked on his right knee. He played only 13 more points before walking to the net and shaking Murray’s hand. Nadal said he didn’t want to risk long-term damage. Knee tendinitis sidelined him for long periods last season, preventing him from defending his Wimbledon title.
9 CLASS
LIFE&ARTS
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
9
VIDEO GAME REVIEWS
‘Dark Void’ filled by ‘Mass Effect’ Dark Void (PS3/Xbox360/PC) There was a time when “Dark Void� seemed like a promising action title with enough clever twists on the “Gears of War� formula. But that was two years ago, before Capcom decided to delay the game’s release. With such lackluster graphics and clunky combat, one can only wonder where the time went. “Dark Void� has an interesting enough premise. It’s an ode to ‘30s pulp-adventure comics filled with dumb one-liners, island exploration and make-believe technology. The most apt comparison would have to be “The Rocketeer� — if only because the game fits you with a jet pack for the better part of the adventure. Don’t get too excited, though. The premise is completely ruined by lazy writing without the smallest amount of self-awareness that could make it forgivable. Within the first
ty, “Mass Effect 2� depicts humans as the bane of the universe. There is a cliched, evil insect race at the core of the game’s story, but the more intimate scenarios and character interaction are what make playing “Mass Effect 2� such a memorable experience. The number of choices you have and the consequences that you might face are staggering. Even a seemingly trivial virtual gesture like ordering a drink has unforeseen consequences. On the combat side, the game plays like “Gears of War,� which is a huge achievement itself. The game might have thinned out many of the original’s RPG elements, but “Mass Effect 2� is a much more focused, aesthetically pleasing experience.
Mass Effect 2 (Xbox360/PC)
hour, you stumble upon Nikola Tesla hanging out with some island natives. It’s the sort of tripe you would expect from a video game of three years ago. The same can be said about most of “Dark Void.� The game has three variations of itself — each equally problematic: arcade dogfights a la “Star Fox,� coverbased ground combat and vertical platforming segments. The dogfights are passable, but when you consider its similarities to Airtight Games’ “Crimson Skies� series, it feels like a regressive safe bet. The rote mechanics and flow of the ground combat would be easier to forgive if the game weren’t plagued by dull, repetitive surroundings and enemies. This leaves us with one last possible saving grace — the vertical element. It’s nothing more than a gimmick that often feels trivial and frustrating since the game does a poor job of directing you.
“Blade Runner� was one of those films I saw as a kid that left me with an equal amount of anticipation and trepidation of what the future might hold. It’s 2010, and we don’t have cyborgs, flying cars or dystopian vistas filled with smoke and fire — but I’m kind of OK with that. This is mostly because “Mass Effect 2� lets you explore the cyberpunk milieu proposed in the ‘80s with a graphic fidelity, atmosphere and realism previously unrealized in games. Starting where the original left off, you continue humanity’s struggle to survive in an era of galactic governments, alien bigotry and shadow corporations. While the original showed aliens doubting the human race’s sustainabili-
Grade: A+ — A. P.
Grade: C+ — Allistair Pinsof
1
CLASSIFIEDS
day, month day, 2008
Campus
RTISE NT E V D E A STUD ION! R U O T Y NIZA ORGA
ENTERTAINMENT BRIEFLY
CORKBOARD
NEW YORK — NFL conference championships were huge television draws for Fox and CBS. The overtime thriller between New Orleans and Minnesota, sending the Saints to their first Super Bowl, was seen by 57.9 million people Sunday, the Nielsen Co. said. It was the most-watched NFL conference championship since the 1982
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flavors from experience From page 12 the future he hopes to open his own restaurant. “I opened the food cart because I wanted to do my own thing using the knowledge and experience I gathered,� Gilmore said. “Every chef [I worked with] had given me something to use in my own style.� Unlike his father, Gilmore does not credit Southwestern cuisine as a mainstay of his cooking. “I eat Southwestern [food] all the time, so I don’t cook it that much,�
he said. “I would say I use more traditional French, Italian and Mediterranean flavors.� Whatever his style, Gilmore’s food has already captivated the taste buds of customers. “The food emanating from that trailer is far better than food I’ve eaten in many, many brick-andmortar restaurants,� said Michelle Cheng, a food-cart patron. “I think that’s part of what makes it so delightful — the fact that these incredible bites are coming out of such a tiny, portable space.�
FRAT: Students worry about
money, time management From page 12 lar problem with the organizations advertising on the West Mall: a lack of student involvement. With only 16 brothers — four of whom graduate at the end of this semester — the fraternity needs more members to fill leadership roles within the organization. After talking to some of the male students interested in Delta Lambda Phi, the reasons for much of the apprehension about rushing for a gay fraternity became evident. Like with other fraternities, some worry they won’t have the time to manage school, a job and an organization. Some worry about being able to afford dues. Others present a problem unique to this fraternity: How do you tell your parents you’re rushing a gay fraternity when they’re
not comfortable with you being gay? All of these reasons have kept the fraternity’s numbers small, but that does not discourage Paul Marbach, Delta Lambda Phi’s vice president. “It’s quality, not quantity, we need,� Marbach said in discussing the small turnout with other members. The evening wrapped up with a performance of Patty Griffin’s “Carry Me� by the Ransom Notes, a co-ed campus a cappella group. The title speaks to the purpose of the fraternity: to give members a place where the weight of rejection is lifted, a place where friendships can be made and a sense of family can be enjoyed. Visit sites.dlp.org/sites/utaustin/ for more information about the fraternity.
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Football excitement leads to big week for Fox, CBS
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contest. Although it wasn’t in prime-time, CBS similarly had big numbers for the AFC championship game between the New York Jets and the Indianapolis Colts. Nielsen said that game was seen by 46.9 million, the most popular AFC title tilt since the 1986 game. Unlike the playoff games a week earlier, both of Sunday’s games were competitive. The NFC contest had the added elements of a popular quarterback, Brett Favre, trying to get back to the Super Bowl and a city on its best football run ever. — The Associated Press
Gibson hopes return isn’t held ‘ransom’ by past
By Glenn Whipp The Associated Press LOS ANGELES — The last time Mel Gibson starred in a movie, he was grappling with alien invaders and a misplaced faith in the sci-fi thriller “Signs.� That was seven and a half years ago. In the intervening time, Gibson became a cultural firebrand, directing the controversial 2004 box-office hit “The Passion of the
Christ� and the violent 2006 action epic, “Apocalypto.� He also became a cultural pariah in July 2006 when, after being pulled over in Malibu for speeding and driving under the influence, Gibson made obscene, anti-Semitic remarks to the arresting officer after being handcuffed and put inside a police car. Gibson largely disappeared after the incident, but returns to
theaters Friday with a new movie, “Edge of Darkness,� a thriller about a Boston police detective seeking revenge for the murder of his 24-year-old daughter. Receiving lukewarm reviews so far, the movie is similar in tone with past blood-drenched Gibson films such the “Lethal Weapon� franchise. “It was time,� Gibson, 54, tells The Associated Press. “I felt like
CLASSIFIEDS THE DAILY TEXAN
getting back in the saddle. I felt like I was getting stale about seven or eight years ago. Stepped back, did some things I wanted to do. Did a few things I didn’t want to do...� “I think he’s done,� Levine says of Gibson’s career prospects. “He’ll work, he’ll exist, but I think he’s seared his obit for life.� Gibson defiantly rejects the notion that he’s damaged goods.
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010
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LIFE&ARTS
ROCK: Songwriter embraces acoustic sound From page 12 heroin and S&M, The Modern Lovers’ songs were about driving down the highway, awkward interactions with girls and avoiding drugs. Today, it would sound weird to hear a punk artist sing the line, “I’m in love with the USA/I’m in love with the modern world,” but Richman never said it ironically. He wasn’t jaded, and he wasn’t cynical. He did not have the rock ‘n’ roll attitude — he was simply a genuine songwriter. By the time The Modern Lovers’ self-titled debut was finally released in 1976, the band had already split. The members of the band stayed active, though. Jerry Harrison, on the keyboard, became a key member of pioneering new-wave band Talking Heads and drummer David Robinson joined The Cars. The Modern Lovers’ music itself is widely regarded as one of the more influential forces in the creation of punk, new wave, indie rock and scores of other rock genres. Richman chose to take his work in a more acoustic direction, mostly abandoning the electric sound of The Modern Lovers’ debut. Since then, he has released more than 20 albums, with various backing bands called The Modern Lovers until 1988 — when he went solo. His most recent release, 2008’s Because Her Beauty is Raw and Wild, is full of beautiful, sometimes sad songs almost exclusively featuring Richman, his acoustic guitar and Larkins. Although he remains mostly unknown to the public, he has a strong, devoted following. An hour before his Monday performance, a line stretched from the Cactus Cafe, around the corner and past the Wendy’s at the Union, easily selling out the venue. After the show, Richman stood outside the exit, smiling proudly and shaking hands with his fans. “Thanks for coming out,” said one fan. Daniela Trujillo | Daily Texan Staff “No, thank you,” Richman Stoic drummer Tommy Larkins performs with Jonathan Richman at the Cactus Cafe. Larkins and Richman said with a grin. tour frequently together for the latter’s live solo shows.
WHIP: Partygoers employ
safe approach to bondage From page 12 sage and a middle-aged man flogging his lumpy, middleaged wife, her butt red with the markings of a badminton racket laying at his feet. Lion, a “Dungeon Master” — a sort of safety monitor — was demonstrating how to properly use bullwhips, suction cups and metal claws without permanently marring a person. A lumbering, older man, Lion sat on the edge of a kingsized bed as a young, attractive girl he was using his fetish toys on yelled and writhed. My conscience was triggered by thoughts of abuse and nonconsent, but when the tail of a whip stopped beating against her back, she begged for more. She later introduced herself as a “pain slut,” and Lion explained that he wouldn’t play like that with just anyone — he and the “pain slut” apparently had a history. I crept through a different open door and saw Jade’s husband and his girlfriend, Jessica, in the middle of a rope bondage scene. Jessica was naked except for her panties and the black ropes binding her arms behind her back. Joe had his pants on — his belt, Blackberry holster and all. Apparently, I’d caught the
ENTERTAINMENT BRIEFLY ‘Avatar’ passes ‘Titanic’ in worldwide box-office record LOS ANGELES — James Cameron is king of the world again. 20th Century Fox said Tuesday that the director’s sci-fi spectacle, “Avatar,” has passed his shipwreck saga “Titanic” to become the highest-grossing film worldwide. As of Monday, “Avatar” had brought in $1.859 billion at the box office, passing the $1.843 billion worldwide record set by
very end of the scene. Jessica was kissing Joe, teary-eyed, as he held her — the afterglow. The room was silent as I slipped out. I’ve had some time to digest my thoughts of these first forays into what I had decided would be the underbelly of Austin’s sexual world. I went to the parties completely obsessed with how I would have to fight off the come-ons I expected from a group of sexcrazed deviants. What I saw were people learning skills and consensually exploring their sexuality — people who were completely open to me being there but were also more interested in their own lives. I left the January party feeling less than persuaded by Janette’s talk of servitude as the only relationship model that “suited her soul.” The polyamorous clusterfuck that Jade was entangled in seemed daunting and more trouble than it’s worth. But all of these people explicitly chose to be where they were and to do what satisfied them. They were sober, they knew who was around them and they knew who to go to for assistance. They were a community by consent, not by happenstance — and blood or no blood, it was the safest I’ve felt at a party in a long time. 1997’s “Titanic.” “Titanic” remains the highest-grossing film domestically at $600.8 million. “Avatar” has been No. 1 at the box office for six straight weeks with a domestic total of $554.9 million. It shot down “The Dark Knight” on Saturday to become the second highest-grossing film domestically. “Avatar” has also mined $1.3 billion in international ticket sales, smashing the $1.24 billion mark previously set by “Titanic.” 20th Century Fox is owned by News Corp. — The Associated Press
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LIFE&ARTS
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Life&Arts Editor: Ben Wermund E-mail: lifeandarts@dailytexanonline.com Phone: (512) 232-2209 www.dailytexanonline.com
T HE DAILY T EXAN
Gagged by society, Food cart wheels into Austin BDSM enthusiasts forge relationships HUMP DAY
into the air.” Whether it was because of a fear of blood or the discomfort of being the only one wearing any white, I left early. But when January’s party invite rolled around, I was the first to RSVP — and when Editor’s Note: This is the second I walked in the door, I knew it installment in a two-part series exwas going to be another interestploring the BDSM lifestyle. In order ing night. to ensure the privacy and safety of all As soon as I crossed the threshpersons, groups and property encounold, my eyes encountered a womtered and interviewed, all names have an wearing a silver dog collar been changed. around her neck, standing behind I’ve been to many house para man seated in an armchair. ties, and a few were RSVP only, “Her name is Slave Janette,” the but none had rules for how you man in the chair told me. could hit on other attendees. “May I speak with her?” I Actually, I’d never been to a colasked. lege party where a person had to He looked at her, and she introproposition me by saying, “Would duced herself to me. Slave Janette you like to play?”, and if I said is a middle-aged red head and a “No,” he (or she) would have to self-identified “femme dyke.” She leave me alone for the rest of the is in her 13th year of servitude night or they would be escortto the man in the chair — Mased out by a large man nicknamed ter Bob, a gay leatherman. They Lion. live together in a “leather family,” That is, until now. along with Slave Janette’s “butchMy first lodyke” boyfriend, cal BDSM group Panther. “play party” It sounded crawas an expezy. rience. TechniEven though JaJoe is my husband; I cally speaking, nette was a “slave,” BDSM is an acam collared to John, when she spoke ronym for bondmy dom.” she was anything age and discibut passive. In fact, pline, domina— Jade she is a very suction and submisBDSM participant cessful lawyer and sion and sadism business owner, and masochism. as well as a writer But more generand an gay rights ally, BDSM is an advocate. umbrella term for all things kinky “When you have tried every— from bondage to latex fetishes thing like I have, you may realto leather and back again. Curiosize — and I’m not saying most or ity lead me to a few local BDSM even many do — that you want groups, and after meeting some of something completely different the members at an informal gathfrom the norm,” Janette said. “I ering at Spiderhouse in Novemnever fit. Anything. But when I ber, I decided I was ready for the met Master Bob I felt that this is next level: the play party. what I was meant to be: his slave. Play parties are RSVP-only Not anyone’s slave, not a mat, not events where attendees can watch something to be yanked. He is the scenes, participate in scenes and deciding force in my life because I get to know other local kinksters. choose him to be. I trust him — it The rules are fairly strict (drinking isn’t a sexual servitude, it’s a way isn’t encouraged, drugs aren’t tolof life for us. We are a family.” erated and “you can’t play if you It’s not necessarily my idea of are intoxicated,” according to the family, but the sincerity of her official party guidelines that came words struck me. with the RSVP notice), but the atJade, the hostess of the previtractions are bountiful. ous party, walked up. I noticed On the cold December evening the kilted man behind her. She inof my first party, Jade, the host, retroduced him as John, her “dom.” minded her guests that while the I was confused because I had alevent was sex-positive and edgiready been introduced to Joe, her er play (whipping, sensation and husband. knife play) was acceptable, that “Joe is my husband; I am col“absolutely no aerated blood” lared to John, my dom,” Jade said. was allowed. “And this is Jessica, Joe’s girlI didn’t even have to raise my friend. And that is my lovely girlhand to ask before a man in comfriend, Sarah, who happens to be bat boots leaned over and, with a John’s wife.” chuckle, said, “That’s just a funny Before I knew it, the play part of way of saying that blood can’t get the party was in full swing. in the air.” I saw a woman receiving a mas“Yeah, it can ooze and drip,” Jade said. “But it can’t get splashed WHIP continues on page 11
By Mary Lingwall
Photos by Rachel Taylor | Daily Texan Staff
Above, Hillary Goldrick serves a New York Strip Slider Roll at the Odd Duck Farm to Trailer on Tuesday. Below, the New York Strip Slider Roll is a popular menu item at the Odd Duck Farm to Trailer.
Native chef expounds farm-to-table philosophy to trailer setting By Layne Lynch Daily Texan Staff Driving down the busy street of South Lamar Boulevard, people can catch a view of the new faces of fast food: Austin food carts. Like many other large cities in the U.S., Austin has its share of typical fast-food joints. But, with specialized food carts sprouting up all around town, consumers can choose whatever suits their fancy — tacos, cupcakes, crepes, burgers or gourmet doughnuts. Just name the type of cuisine, and there seems to be a cart already serving it. One food cart in particular stands out because of its farm-to-table concept. The Odd Duck Farm to Trailer is an establishment that embraces the use of products from local farmers and ranchers. Following the farm-to-table philosophy, Bryce Gilmore — owner and creator of Odd Duck — requires that the trailer’s menu change daily, relying on the best picks of the season. Gilmore buys his hogs from Richardson Farms in Rockdale, his ducks and rabbits from Sebastian Bonneau of Countryside Farm in Cedar Creek and picks up local produce from places like the Sunset Valley Farmers Market just outside Austin. Using all of the animal and cooking with a wood-burning grill, which he calls the oldest and most primitive way to cook food, Gilmore creates a diverse menu of items ranging from grilled pork belly to pulled duck leg or coffee-porter-braised pork to creamy polenta and a grilled romaine salad. “It’s all about not wasting anything and appreciating everything down to the organs,” Gilmore said. “If you can make it taste good, then you’re onto something.” Gilmore does all the purchasing, prepping and cooking for the trailer, which is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday starting at 5 p.m. Despite all of this culinary activity, Gilmore said he never planned on becoming a chef. “When I was growing up, I had no inten-
tions of cooking in a kitchen and being on my feet all day,” he said. “I grew up seeing my father work really hard [as a chef].” His father, Jack — a longtime chef at Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill and the current chef and owner of Jack Allen’s Kitchen — worked with him in the kitchen while he was still in high school. Aside from his uncertainty about pursuing a future in the kitchen, Gilmore knew that he had a knack for creativity. “I was always a creative person, and I liked to use my hands,” Gilmore said. “[Ultimately], cooking felt like something I could do for the rest of my life.” As an Austin native, Gilmore longed to break away and experience a new city, so he decided to try culinary school in San Francisco at the California Culinary Academy. During his years there, Gilmore was inspired by the city’s embrace of local cuisine. “San Francisco is different from West Lake Hills, and I craved that change,” Gilmore said. “The restaurants are great, and the city is even
Gay fraternity struggles to attract potential members Delta Lamba Phi faces organizational difficulty, lack of representation By Carlo Castillo Daily Texan Staff It was the first day of classes and a week before Rush Week when Ethan Tenison, pledge educator of the spring class of Delta Lambda Phi, announced, “It needs to be really gay.” He was referring to the wooden sign that would eventually advertise the fraternity’s Spring Rush. Delta Lambda Phi — established specifically for gay, bisexual and progressive men — is still in its early stages of development. The following evening, the organization hosted its first preRush social of the semester at Caffé Medici on Guadalupe Street. The turnout was small, but the potential was almost intimidating — aspiring music composers, international leaders and professors gathered on a small platform at the cafe’s entrance. Conversation moved as it does anywhere else. The first days of classes were discussed, assumptions about professors were made and, before the night ended, predictions for the semester were
dished out. On Thursday morning, Tenison propped the wooden sign among the others on the West Mall. Its colors were bright, and its message was clear: RUSH DELTA LAMBDA PHI. The first weekend of the semester came and went. Members of the organization, on their way to Monday morning classes, found the sign destroyed on the concrete among the other standing and intact signs. This message was clear — and too familiar. The day went on, and Rush Week officially started that evening in the Graduate School of Business Building. Potential pledges quietly entered the room, a little nervous and a little excited. Minutes later, the evening — entitled “Take a Bow” — commenced with “Preggers,” an episode of Fox’s show “Glee.” In the episode, Kurt Hummel, a gay character on the show, struggles with coming out to his father. The fraternity brothers are like many characters on the show. They are Kurt Hummel, searching for a place to be themselves on campus. The fraternity shares a simi-
FRAT continues on page 9
WHAT: Odd Duck Farm to Trailer WHERE: 1219 S. Lamar Boulevard WHEN: Tuesday to Friday (12 p.m. - 9 p.m.) Saturday (6 p.m. - 12 a.m.) PHONE: 512-695-6922 WEB: www.oddduckfarmtotrailer.com more dedicated to using local ingredients than Austin.” Traveling around and working in different cities, Gilmore worked in Austin’s Wink Restaurant as well as Moonshine Patio Bar and Grill; Cafe 909 in Marble Falls; Boulevard Restaurant in San Francisco; and Montagna Restaurant at the Little Nell in Aspen, Colo. Gilmore finally settled in Austin in August with plans to open his food cart, and in
COOK continues on page 9
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Rock ’n’ roll musician mesmerizes audience By John Meller Daily Texan Staff It’s been said that although only a handful of people originally bought the first Velvet Underground album, almost every one of them was inspired to start a band. Jonathan Richman was one of those people. Richman, an artist whose musical catalog stretches back to the mid-’70s, is halfway through a four-night stay in Austin. The past two nights, he has played at the Cactus Cafe on campus. He performs with a modest setup — his guitar, a microphone and Tommy Larkins on the drums. At the age of 58, there’s little to indicate this is a man whose musical influence has affected artists such as the Sex Pistols and David Bowie. That’s not to say he looks or sounds old. He still brings the same authentic enthusiasm to his music that he did as a teenager. In almost every song, he seems to gets lost in his own playing, grinning eagerly and laughing along with the audience at his own eccentric mannerisms. He plays his guitar without a pick and without a strap, frequently walking away from the mic altogether to perform a cappella. When he does, the audience is silent. His performance is captivating and undeniably real. It is impossible not to feel his
Daniela Trujillo | Daily Texan Staff
American singer, songwriter and guitarist Jonathan Richman performs at the Cactus Cafe on campus Tuesday night. Richman, the founder of The Modern Lovers, played two nights in a row. passion. While Richman was in high school, he became a huge fan of The Velvet Underground. When he graduated in 1969, he moved from Massachusetts to New York City and spent some time hanging out with the band. He soon moved back to Boston and creat-
ed his own group modeled after their sound: The Modern Lovers. The music was simple, but it hit hard. It was stylistically unlike anything produced before. It was raw, and it rocked. Some songs, such as the classic “Roadrunner” — sometimes credited as the first punk song — were composed of
only two chords, a stark contrast to the popular glam and progressive rock of the era. Even more unique, Richman’s lyrics were always wide-eyed and innocent. While The Velvet Underground was singing about
ROCK continues on page 11