The Daily Texan 01/28/10 by The Daily Texan

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Go on, get crazy — while you can

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They came, they saw, we conquered

The Daily Texan Thursday, January 28, 2010

Candidates gear up for GOP debate By Alex Geiser Daily Texan Staff Incumbent Gov. Rick Perry, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and the dark-horse candidate Debra Medina will hit the stage Friday night in Dallas for the second and final debate before the primary election March 3. The hour-long Republican debate, sponsored by Belo news corporation, will begin at 7 p.m. and will consist of four panelists asking the candidates questions and a moderator from television station WFAA. The outcome of the March primaries and the Nov. 3 gubernatorial election could bring changes to the University because of the governor’s role in higher education. The Texas governor appoints the Board of Regents — the governing body for UT and the other eight universities and six health institutions that make up the UT System. The board, made up of nine members serving six-year terms, approves the System’s budget and sets tuition rates for the campuses. Perry appointed all nine of the current Regents. In addition to appointing the Regents, the governor works with the Legislative Budget Board to make recommendations and approve the state’s budget. The Regents determine tuition rates at the University in part by the amount of funding appropriated to the UT System from the budget. But misconceptions of the governor ’s importance to the University have held students back from voting, said Paula Poindex-

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WHAT: Republican primary debate between Gov. Rick Perry, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and former Wharton County GOP Chairwoman Debra Medina WHERE: Friday at 7 p.m. WHEN: Broadcast live from Dallas by the Belo Corporation; KVUE-TV Austin (Channel 24) ter, a UT journalism professor. “They don’t see it directly affecting them,” Poindexter said. “If college-aged students don’t pay attention to elections, politicians won’t pay attention to them. When you start paying attention to politics, it becomes as exciting as a football game.” But before anybody can get excited about politics, they first need to know the rules of the game, the key players and the big issues, Poindexter said. The three participating candidates formed their platforms around protecting state rights and decreasing property taxes, which are some of the issues that are expected to dominate Friday’s debate. Hutchison, who has concerned conservatives in the past by voting to support abortion with restrictions, focuses much of her campaign on promoting transparency in the state government. Melanie Schwartz, campus cochair of Longhorns for Kay and vice president of the College Republicans, said she trusts Hutchi-

DEBATE continues on page 5

Stephen Spillman | Associated Press

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison speaks to supporters and the press in TAC Air at Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport on Jan. 18.

Bruno Morlan | Daily Texan Staff

Leslie Cochran sits outside Cissi’s Market on South Congress Wednesday afternoon. Cochran was hospitalized in October for head trauma. When asked how he felt, Cochran responded, “With my fingers!”

Leslie only needs one more thing — a ‘Longhorn cheer outfit’ By Audrey White Daily Texan Staff Leslie Cochran, Austin’s cross-dressing, homeless icon, is still recovering from a head trauma sustained Oct. 3 that nearly killed him. However, his injuries haven’t prevented him from sporting his usual dresses and broad grin. “I am basically recovering,” Cochran said. “I’m still a little dazed at some points, but not too bad. I’ve been with friends, and I’ve had a lot of support and that makes it all easier.” The cause of Cochran’s head

neering graduate student and a member of the engineering team, said retrieving samples directly after an earthquake is the most efficient way to understand the mechanisms of ground failure.

By Chris Thomas Daily Texan Staff For only the second time in the history of the Super Bowl, advertising prices for a 30-second commercial will decrease. According to Kantar Media, an advertising analysis think tank, the asking price for a 30-second in-game television commercial fell from last year’s record price of $3 million to between $2.5 and $2.8 million this year. Ironically, a recent study by Nielsen found that 51 percent of Americans enjoy the commercials more than the game itself. UT advertising professor Wei-Na

to understand what went on.” The investigative team will work with other teams organized by the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, a nonprofit technical society that attempts to reduce the risk of earthquakes by advancing the science of earthquake engineering and advocating measures. Marjorie Greene, special projects manager for the institute, said the The best model that institute sends teams to different lowe can get is just a cations around the world after natural disasters occur to bring back lesreality.” sons for performance in strengthening buildings. Collected data push— Oscar Suncar es engineers to make changes in civil engineering building codes and practices. graduate student “Learning from earthquakes is one big endeavor,” Greene said. “I think that for the geotechnical engineers in particular, [it is] “The best model that we can get critical to collect as much data is just a reality,” Suncar said. “We as possible. The more cases they then can interpret if it came from see, the better models are creata bad engineering judgment used ed and used in the United States in constructing buildings or if the in analyzing sites before building infrastructure was well-designed HAITI continues on page 2 but the soil failed. It’s a better way

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injury is unclear because the head trauma caused memory damage. Cochran said he believes that he may have been attacked, but Debbie Russell, president of the Central Texas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said initial health reports suggested his injuries were caused by a fall. Lisa Cortinas, spokeswoman for the Austin Police Department, said there is no record of Cochran, or anyone on his behalf, filing a police report about the incident, so there has been no investigation into the case.

After treatment at both the University Medical Center at Brackenridge and the Central Texas Rehabilitation Center, where Cochran said he received “excellent care,” he returned to his old South Congress haunts at the end of October and began to re-establish normal routines. Doctors recommended that he follow a rehabilitation regimen, but he said his transportation difficulties have prevented him from returning to the center. Cochran said the support he receives from the Austin com-

munity and his street smarts are among the reasons he was able to survive. “Most homeless people don’t have the survival skills and people skills that I do,” Cochran said. “When I got hurt, I knew how to take care of myself.” Cochran is an icon in South Austin, where he frequently roams the streets in thongs or women’s clothing and engages in conversation with locals and tourists. He has

LESLIE continues on page 2

Corporations forgo Super Bowl ads

Engineering students to aid Haiti By Priscilla Pelli Daily Texan Staff Ellen Rathje, a UT civil engineering professor, and a team of university engineers will conduct detailed mapping and surveying of Haiti’s damaged areas caused by the Jan. 12 earthquake that left close to 200,000 dead. The research could help prevent structural damage and minimize injuries from future earthquakes. The seven-person team will spend a week documenting the effects of the 7.0-magnitude earthquake and developing safer engineering design procedures for future building construction. The intensity of the earthquake created “liquefaction” along the coastline, causing the soil to pull apart easily. “By being able to look at what happened there, we’re trying to help them rebuild in better ways so it won‘t happen again,” Rathje said. “It’s so critical to observe how natural soils in the field respond to these extreme events.” Oscar Suncar, a UT civil engi-

TOMORROW’S WEATHER

Lee said that the main reason for the price decrease was the economic downturn. Big companies simply do not want to pay enormous prices for such an uncertain payback. “In the current economic climate, regulars in Super Bowl advertising like PepsiCo and General Motors are hesitant to spend millions on a 30-second reminder of their availability,” Lee said. “Such an activity might be perceived as extravagant by consumers affected by the recession. By staying out of this year’s Super Bowl, said companies are protecting their image.”

The absence of large corporations leaves room for smaller companies to advertise. Lee said he expects an increase in the number of first-time Super Bowl advertisers. Advertising professor Neal Burns also attributed the price dip to the recession. “This price decrease shows us that the economic climate is making it difficult for networks like CBS to attract advertisers,” Burns said. “The flow of new companies taking advantage of the lower prices should ensure that the gross revenue experiences little change.” He commented further on a

specific advertisement — a 30-second ad by Focus on the Family promoting a ban on abortion — starring former Florida State quarterback Tim Tebow. “CBS has refused to air advertisements deemed too ‘provocative’ before,” Burns said. “The fact that they are allowing a blatantly controversial commercial like this on the air shows they are desperate.” CBS spokeswoman Robin Brendle said that there are still several spots left to sell. She was confident, however, that the total ad revenue would exceed the $213 million mark set by NBC last year.

Drought improves; restrictions remain By Deborah Briscoe Daily Texan Staff Though the Stage 2 drought was lifted from Austin in late November due to heavy rain, the city will remain at Stage 1 until further notice. According to a message from the Lower Colorado River Authority board, Lake Austin’s water level is currently 60 percent full, compared to 39 percent last summer, but the board still considers that level to be low. Residents must follow restrictions for Stage 1 droughts, including limiting yard-watering of single-family homes to twice per week on designated days, said Jill Mayfield, Austin Water Utility spokeswoman. “We are urging folks to continue preserving [water] and making that part of their lifestyle,” Mayfield said Austin is currently experiencing El Nino weather pat-

LAND continues on page 2

Boggy Creek Farm, an organic farm located in East Austin, relies on well water to grow healthy crops.

Shelley Neuman Daily Texan Staff

News

Thursday, January 28, 2010

leslie: Lottery,

The Daily Texan Volume 110, Number 137 25 cents

tips provide living for Leslie

From page 1

Managing Editor: Ana McKenzie (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com Retail Advertising: (512) 471-1865 joanw@mail.utexas.edu 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.

COPYRIGHT Copyright 2009 Texas Student Media. All articles, photographs and graphics, both in the print and online editions, are the property of Texas Student Media and may not be reproduced or republished in part or in whole without written permission.

Wednesday’s page one story about the “Fusion Center” misidentified the entity Austin Police Department Assistant Chief David Carter reports to. Carter will report on a semi-regular basis to the Austin Public Safety Commission. The Texan regrets the error.

TODAY’S WEATHER Low

STRAWBERRIES

Land: Reserved funds vital for farm life From page 1

CORRECTION

High

Shelley Neuman | Daily Texan Staff

Larry Butler, co-owner of Boggy Creek Farm, stands in front of the patch of arugla and mustard seed plants in November. The local farm lost many crops during the summer due to a lack of rain.

terns, a change in climate that causes increased rainfall in the Southern tier of the United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This could be good news for the city and should bring aboveaverage rainfall that would help fill the lakes, said Emlea Chanslor, LCRA spokeswoman. “We are being cautiously optimistic,” Chanslor said. Carol Ann Sayle is a farmer and co-owner of Boggy Creek Farm, a local farm that sells homegrown organic vegeta-

The Daily Texan Permanent Staff

This newspaper was written, edited and designed with pride by The Daily Texan and Texas Student Media.

Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jillian Sheridan Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ana McKenzie Associate Managing Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Erin Mulvaney, Sean Beherec, Erik Reyna Associate Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeremy Burchard, Dan Treadway, David Muto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lauren Winchester, Roberto Cervantes, Claire Cardona News Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blair Watler Associate News Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pierre Bertrand, Lena Price . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Claire Cardona, Viviana Aldous Senior Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gerald Rich, Audrey White, Alex Geiser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Shabab Siddiqui, Bobby Longoria, Priscilla Totiyapungprasert Copy Desk Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nausheen Jivani Associate Copy Desk Chiefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cristina Herrera, Vicky Ho, Matt Jones Design Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Olivia Hinton Senior Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shatha Hussein, Taylor Fausak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Veronica Rosalez, Mustafa Saifuddin Special Projects Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thu Vo Photo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sara Young Associate Photo Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bryant Haertlein, Peter Franklin Senior Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mary Kang,Tamir Kalifa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peyton McGee, Daniela Trujillo, Bruno Morlan Life&Arts Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ben Wermund Associate Life&Arts Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amber Genuske Senior Entertainment Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rob Rich, Frankie Marin, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Ross Harden, Lane Lynch, Kate Ergenbright Features Entertainment Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gerald Rich, Audrey Campbell, Mary Lingwall Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blake Hurtik Associate Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Sherfield Senior Sports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dan Hurwitz, Laken Litman, Austin Ries, Chris Tavarez Comics Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carolynn Calabrese Multimedia Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Juan Elizondo Associate Multimedia Editors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kara McKenzie, Rachael Schroeder Senior Videographer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blas Garcia

Issue Staff

Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Priscilla Pelli, Erin May, Deborah Briscoe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dhanya Addanki, Audria Choudhury, Joshua Michaels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Thomas, Allison Harris, Destinee Hodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Laura Kandle, Max Scholten, Jeff Heimsath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bobby Longoria, Scott Squires, Guillermo Hernandez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alessaundra Pierce, Kate Guerra, Gabriella Fontes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Caitlin Billings, Nathalie Lumang, Hollis O'Hara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nam Nguyen, Gabe Alvarez, Julia Iocavello . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brianne Klirgaard, Hannah Chung, Michael Bowman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Murphy, Marc Nestenius, Joshua Flanagan

Advertising

Director of Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jalah Goette Retail Advertising Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brad Corbett Account Executive/Broadcast Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carter Goss Campus/National Sales Consultant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joan Bowerman Assistant to Advertising Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C.J. Salgado Student Advertising Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kathryn Abbas Student Advertising Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ryan Ford, Meagan Gribbin Student Account Executives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anupama Kulkarni, Ashley Walker, An Ly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cameron McClure, Daniel Ruszkiewkz, Lauren Aldana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Laci Long, Tommy Daniels Classified Clerks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Teresa Lai Special Editions, Editorial Adviser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elena Watts Web Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Danny Grover Special Editions, Student Editors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kira Taniguchi Graphic Designer Interns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amanda Thomas, Lisa Hartwig The Daily Texan (USPS 146-440), a student newspaper at The University of Texas at Austin, is published by Texas Student Media, 2500 Whitis Ave., Austin, TX 78705. The Daily Texan is published daily except Saturday, Sunday, federal holidays and exam periods, plus the last Saturday in July. Periodical Postage Paid at Austin, TX 78710. News contributions will be accepted by telephone (471-4591) or at the editorial office (Texas Student Media Building 2.122). For local and national display advertising, call 471-1865. For classified display and national classified display advertising, call 471-1865. For classified word advertising, call 471-5244. Entire contents copyright 2009 Texas Student Media.

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bles and fruit. Last summer, “We lost a lot of crops, but the farm lost 400 bell pep- we made it through,” she per plants and said. most of its other Had they crops due to the not saved record-breaking money from heat and lack of past harThat’s how life is. rain. Because the Everything is good for v e s t s , t h e farm gets its wafarm would ter from a well a while, then you hit a not have had and not from the the financbad bump.” city, rain is an abes to contin— Carol Ann Sayle ue planting solute necessity for healthy crops. co-owner of Boggy for the next Without rain to season, Sayle Creek Farm s a i d . F a r m wash away the sodium buildup ers have to at the roots, the save money crop may bloom, but there when they have a good year will be no fruit, Sayle said. to ensure a full crop during a

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bad season, she said. “We just keep planting — that’s our motto,” she said. “We can’t forecast the weather, so we just keep planting, hoping for the best.” Sayle said that following the harsh summer, Boggy Creek Farm was happy to see some success for a few months because of additional rain in the fall. She said that the winter came too soon and that the cold and lack of sunshine were deadly to the plants. “That’s how life is,” Sayle said. “Everything is good for a while, then you hit a bad bump. But soon, things will be back up.”

Haiti: Soil testing could

help prevent quake damage From page 1 construction happens.” Russell Green, a professor at Virginia Technical Institute and another member of the team, said that Haiti’s poorly designed infrastructure will make it difficult to collect data. “The best situation you can have is when you have a First World country where buildings are built to modern building codes with monitors, so when you have an earthquake, you know the intensity of shaking, and you can physically see how the soil or buildings responded,” Green said. “In a case like Haiti, buildings are poorly designed and constructed. We are only able to look at soil conditions.” Green also said that while the

trip will be difficult, it will be beneficial for the advancement of science and research in the field of geotechnical engineering. “From a personal standpoint, by just observing, it gives a real appreciation for the work we are doing,” Green said. “It does impact society. It goes beyond just benefiting the nation but being very important for advancement in the field.” The team’s investigation will begin Saturday and will end the following weekend. “Knowing that our investigation is part of the University and knowing that we are going to conduct research that could help avoid this disaster in the future is certainly something to be proud of,” Suncar said.

campus watch

ber reported receiving several unwanted and annoying e-mail Engineering Teaching Center, 204 messages from another UT staff East Dean Keeton member. Reported on 01/25/10 Theft: A very patriotic red, AT 9:42 am. white and blue Trek 6700 bicycle was stolen while it was “secured” with a chain lock to the Sleepy ride bicycle racks located on the south San Antonio Garage, 2420 San side of the building. Loss value: Antonio $300.00. Occurred on 01/26/10 Criminal Trespass Warning: between 9:30 PM and 3:15 PM. A non-UT subject was reported as sleeping in one of the elevators. The elevator in question Bleacher bust appeared to be working properly. Gregory Gymnasium, 2101 The subject was awakened and Speedway issued a written criminal trespass Theft: A brown leather bi-fold warning citation. Occurred on wallet containing various identi- 01/26/10 at 11:20 PM. fication cards, a credit card a debit card, two gift cards, a CPR certification card, a residential key Causing a scene and $35 in cash was stolen when Union Building, #4 West Mall it was left on the bleachers locatCriminal Trespass / Assist Outed in the basketball annex while side Agency: A non-UT subject the owner participated in a bas- was reported as causing a disturketball PE class. Loss value: bance in the Showroom. The sub$50.00. Occurred on 01/26/10 ject was found to have previousbetween 9:30 AM and 10:45 AM. ly been issued a written criminal trespass warning citation. The subject was also found to have an outstanding outside agency arE-mail annoyance rest warrant for human waste viMain Building, #1 South Mall Harassment: A UT staff mem- olation. Occurred on 01/27/10 at 1:29 AM.

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gained notoriety through his own Wikipedia page, his own line of dress-up magnets and several failed attempts to become the city’s mayor. “He’s very polite, and he always has a story to tell,” said Catherine Lauderback, a bartender at Cissi’s Wine Bar, a South Congress bar that Cochran frequents. “Everyone in Austin knows Leslie.” Russell said she hopes that the Austin community will extend the same respect and concern they showed Cochran during his trauma to the homeless community as a whole. She said that although Cochran is a passionate advocate for the homeless, his voice and resources are limited. “Leslie’s done a lot, and he’s said a lot, but I don’t see that it’s made a dent in people’s minds,” Russell said. “They still look at him as if he’s sort of a comedic relief in that population, and I don’t think they look past him to see the reasons people become homeless. It’s a much bigger issue that’s going to take some leadership from our [city] council and from politicians to look at putting money towards resources.” Cochran said that he does not believe he will ever stop being homeless. He said that he is able to survive on tips, occasional scratch-off card winnings and revenue from a series of novelty products such as the magnets and that his most important resource is his passion for Austin, where he has lived for 14 years. “People in Austin are so good, and I’ve gotten so much support since I got out [of the hospital], and people have told me how happy they are that I’m still around,” Cochran said. “There’s only one thing I really need, and that’s one of those Longhorn cheer outfits.”

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Text-message tizzy

University Police Building, 2201 Robert Dedman Harassment: A UT student reported she received 22 unwanted and annoying text messages from an unknown subject(s) between 12:45 PM and 1:38 PM. Reported on 01/26/10 at 3:20 PM. Compiled by UTPD Officer Darrell Halstead

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World&Nation

Thursday, January 28, 2010

T he Daily T exan

Concerned drivers express worries over Toyota recall

By Dan Strumpf The Associated Press NEW YORK — Toyota dealers across the country were swamped with calls Wednesday from concerned drivers but had few answers a day after the company announced it would stop selling and building eight models because of faulty gas pedals. Toyota insisted the problem — sudden, uncontrolled acceleration — was “rare and infrequent” and said dealers should deal with customers “on a case-by-case basis.” But drivers of Toyotas and those who share the road with them were left with uncertainty. In an unprecedented move, the company said late Tuesday it would halt sales for the eight models — which make up more than half of Toyota’s U.S. sales volume — to fix the gas pedals. Last week, Toyota issued a recall for the same eight models, affect-

ing 2.3 million vehicles. A private firm said it had identified 275 crashes and 18 deaths because of sudden, uncontrollable acceleration in Toyotas since 1999. Toyota has said the problem appears to be related to the buildup of condensation on sliding surfaces in the accelerator system that help drivers push down or release the gas pedal. The gas pedal mechanism can wear down, causing the accelerator to become harder to press, slower to spring back or stuck. The recall and sales are another blow to battered automakers, and a bruise for the image of Toyota, which spent decades building its image as a maker of safe, reliable cars and cultivated a fiercely loyal customer base made up largely of baby boomers. Toyota had little to say about how common the problem is.

Matt Kryger | Associated Press

Workers at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing plant in Princeton, Ind. inspect a Toyota Tundra truck as it comes off the final inspection line on April 25, 2005.

Reynaldo Brito | Associated Press

Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, center right, walks with Dominican Republican President Leonel Fernandez as Zelaya arrives to the San Isidro air base on the outskirts of Santo Domingo on Wednesday.

Honduran leader leaves for exile By Alexandra Olson & Juan Carlos Llorca The Associated Press TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Former Honduran President Manuel Zelaya left his refuge in a Brazilian Embassy and flew into exile Wednesday, ending months of turmoil and his thwarted quest to be restored to power after a June 28 coup that drew international condemnation. The leftist leader drove past soldiers guarding the diplomatic compound in long caravan and headed for the airport accompanied by President Porfirio Lobo, said Hilda Cruz, an assistant of Zelaya’s wife.

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Before boarding the plane to leave Honduras, Zelaya shouted: “We’ll be back! We’ll be back!” Thousands of his supporters gathered outside Toncontin airport yelled “Mel, our friend, the people are with you!” as his plane took off. Zelaya arrived in the Dominican Republic a few hours later as a private citizen under a deal signed by Lobo and that Caribbean country’s President Leonel Fernandez, who flew to Honduras to accompany the former president. After landing in Santo Domingo, Zelaya thanked all those who supported his unsuccess-

ful seven-month struggle to be reinstated. “It was an effort that failed, but it was an effort that left us lessons to be learned,” Zelaya said. “Violence will always lead to bad decisions, weapons are not the road to democracy.” He expressed concern about alleged persecution of his allies, but noted an amnesty approved by the Honduran congress Tuesday for acts carried out in months leading up to coup “will be of some use in the process of national reconciliation.” And he urged Lobo to do more to bring about “reconciliation, the rule of law and an

end to persecution.” He gave no further details of his plans, saying it would be “premature to formulate hypotheses about the future.” Zelaya, who was ousted in a dispute over changing the Honduran Constitution, insisted he was still president up until the moment his four-year constitutional term officially ended Wednesday. He left with his wife, two children and an aide after four months holed up in the embassy. Zelaya remains under investigation for embezzlement in connection with $1.5 million in government funds.

Opinion

Thursday, January 28, 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

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Student leaders fail to be accountable

THE FIRING LINE Tuition not Texas’ priority In Tuesday’s Overview, the Editorial Board praised President Obama’s attempt to help college students with their student loans while chastising the state Legislature for not “adequately financing public institutions.” Maybe the Board has forgotten, but the state Legislature is responsible for prioritizing and providing for the needs of the state, not students. Students often wrongly look at legislators as the problem in higher education and demand action, but the state Legislature freed itself of providing previous levels of funding after the university systems were allowed to deregulate tuition. It should never be forgotten that more funding for higher education means higher taxes, and in this economy, more taxes may not be such a good idea. What’s more, higher education does not equally benefit society, and thus a higher burden of paying should fall on the students choosing to benefit from an education. To complain about the tuition that we choose to pay at this university is absurd. At private universities in this very state, the tuition rate can be seven times the amount we pay now. Meanwhile, at other public universities across our nation, the tuition is twice the price we pay. By choosing to come to this university we chose to pay tuition and, compared to others, it’s not that bad of a deal.

— Justin G. May Government junior

A few friendly fact-checks for the Perry Campaign/YCT I was not shocked to see that Young Conservatives of Texas endorsed Gov. Rick Perry for re-election. However, I was rather shocked when I read Perry spokesman Mark Miner’s statement regarding YCT’s endorsement. Miner claimed that Perry is the most conservative candidate in the race, has a record of cutting taxes, balanc-

ing budgets, improving education and creating jobs. While my Debra Medina-supporting friends laugh about the “most conservative candidate” claim, I humbly present a quick fact-check regarding the governor’s “record.” Between 2003 and 2009, taxes increased by $1.59 billion. This tax increase is the largest increase under any governor in the past 30 years. He championed a huge tax on businesses, doubled the state debt, and increased spending by 50 percent. In addition to the fact that the Governor supported and lobbied for the bailout he is now so quick to criticize, Perry used $12 billion in onetime stimulus dollars to balance the state budget (rather than cut spending). Additionally, citing a balanced budget as a personal achievement is giving him too much credit. The Texas Constitution requires the state budget to be balanced, so let’s not let the governor pat himself on the back too much – he didn’t do the number crunching, he simply signed off on it. It appears that Perry is under the impression that appointing campaign donors as regents at Texas universities is somehow a method of “improving education.” While the cash in his campaign account must be nice, such heavy-handed meddling displays a disturbing willingness to place reelection efforts over the integrity of higher education at state universities. For a governor who is so keen on slamming “big government” and espousing anti-Washington rhetoric, it is natural that the Perry campaign does not want you to know that thousands of jobs created under Perry were, you guessed it — government jobs. The size of government in Texas increased by 10 percent under Perry. YCT is free to endorse whomever it wants in the Republican primary. However, it should do us all the courtesy of citing better reasons for this endorsement. Using recycled (and disproven) campaign rhetoric to support the front-running incumbent candidate is a disservice to fellow conservative Texans.

— Melanie Schwartz, Longhorns for Kay Bailey Hutchison Coalition

I keep waiting for things to change — probably because people keep telling me that change is coming. As editor of this paper, I have been in contact with UT’s leaders throughout the year. I have sat down with President William Powers Jr. and with student leaders, including Student Government President Liam O’Rourke, Graduate Student Assembly President Daniel Spikes and Senate of College Councils President Lauren Ratliff. I don’t claim to be an expert on them personally, but I’ve gained a little insight into their professional selves. On many levels, I find myself commiserating with them: countless e-mails to read and respond to — check; campaign promises to uphold — check; endless meetings to attend — check; high expectations to meet in a very public office — check. But there is one thing we just can’t see eye-to-eye on — that often touted, but seldom followed, cliche of transparency in government. I have learned to expect evasiveness from the administration. Powers’ nebulous responses to questions about gender equity, domestic partner benefits and the allocation of the elusive faculty raises did not shock me. When Chief Fi-

nancial Officer Kevin Hagerty turned our reporter away from the Tuition Policy Advisory Committee meetings, I was not surprised. After all, the image and work of the University is the administration’s business. It does not represent students and has not agreed to be accountable to students. I assumed that if elected student representatives had access to information that was relevant to students on this campus, they would be doing everything in their power to communicate it to us. If they held the keys to a series of meetings with a significant impact on our tuition, surely the doors would be unlocked. As it turns out, I was being naive. On Sunday, the editorial board sat down with the student members of TPAC: O’Rourke, Spikes, Ratliff and SG representative-at-large Celilia Lopez. Every single one of them told us that if they could make TPAC accessible to students, they would not do it. In fact, they admitted that they had a role in keeping the meetings closed. Why? First, they told us that they were afraid of provoking student input that would affect their final decision. Excuse me, I think that is the point. As representatives, they should be inviting student input, not shutting it out. Then

“You are not Quentin Tarantino.” I’ve heard that in at least one lecture from every film professor on campus. It’s a valid concession — a quick glance at my driver’s license reveals my name is, indeed, not Quentin Tarantino. Nor do I write brilliant, pop-infused dialogue or direct scenes with impressive bravado and gnawing tension. (Well, at least not now.) Of course, there are always some who don’t heed the professors’ warning, and I’m forced to endure screenings of “edgy” stories with “clever” dialogue reminiscent of a film that rhymes with “Mulp Schmiction.” Film students have been aping Tarantino’s style since the early ‘90s, but there’s a newer Tarantino trend festering in the local film scene that’s a bit more disconcerting — the blind “appreciation” of anything and everything obscure and independent. There are tons of great independent films, probably more than studio ones, but that does not mean every bizarre foreign film or recovered grindhouse flick is a work of genius.

Even for films outside the Hollywood spectrum, it’s necessary to have a barometer for quality. Consider the age-old question: How can you know good if there is no evil? Well, how can you acknowledge a good film without admitting there are bad ones? Most fledgling filmmakers are quick to give their two cents on a poor studio effort but are reluctant to discuss the latest imported J-horror flick. It’s not just Tarantino’s style they can’t lock down, it’s his perspective. Read an interview or attend one of his local QT Fests (a collection of screenings from his private collection at the Alamo Drafthouse), and you’ll hear why he loves these quirky films, whether it’s for an unconventional protagonist or an innovative twist on the mainstream formula. Tarantino knows how to extract good elements from bad movies, but that doesn’t make the films any better. Can you learn from them? If Tarantino’s work is proof, then the obvious answer is yes. But the local film scene is increasingly promoting indiscriminate appreciation of these films without proper context, and student filmmakers are eating it up.

problems in pubic. By Tuesday night’s meeting, they were over it. “It was just a misunderstanding,” they told each other. “We can produce beautiful work together, if we just respect each other. Maybe we will talk about it next week.” Debate over relevant legislation may have reached the SG listserve, but it did not reach the public forum. I am disappointed by the leadership that has resorted to closed-door meetings to avoid accountability and by the selfdescribed reformers who have not stood up to speak their minds in the public forum. Debate is productive. Transparency breeds involvement. Secrecy quashes the very purpose of a representative government and is an insult to the students who SG so proudly claims to represent. Maybe next year, UT will have a Student Government that takes its purported mission seriously. As campaigning begins, I, for one, will be asking each candidate to give me his or her definition of transparency. Any candidate who cannot commit to running SG in accordance with existing freedom of information laws should not seek the endorsement of The Texan. — Jillian Sheridan for the editorial board

Head high, horns up By Marc Nestenius Daily Texan Columnist While watching the basketball team self-destruct this month, students probably realized something — January has been the unluckiest month this new decade. Don’t believe me? It is impossible to counter. Two Texas teams lost valiantly in two national championships, and the basketball team is no longer undefeated. How much more heartrending can it get? The Dallas Cowboys lost. To some, like myself, that loss felt like another Cabo that just needed a scapegoat. Argh, Jessica Simpson. Can there be any positivity? Does every cloud really have a burnt-orange lining? Well, sports-wise at least, January has been good to us in the sense that this much sobbing has burned off all the calories consumed during the holidays. “Sob? Me?” you may ask. Yes, we all know how you felt on Jan. 7 after all your friends from A&M, OU and Tech, especially, sent you lovely text messages. It is nothing to be ashamed of. Just take a look around West Campus on any night. You will find that Prozac pong is the new game of choice. People just

do not want to think about what has happened lately. Maybe it is the shot-down hopes. Maybe it is the extremely high expectations we have of our superhuman athletes. Maybe it is the shock of Tiger Woods’ affairs. The recent melancholy reveals that Texas fans are outright obsessed. No, that is not the right word. Cultish! No, that one is reserved for another school. Loyal? Yes, loyal. Texas fans are some of the most devout in the nation. That is the reason we have such high hopes. We have put complete faith and little doubt in our superior academics, eccentric culture and homely hospitality. This smugness naturally spreads to our athletic programs. We have the best all-around athletic school in the country. We know that. Any school that beats us cannot compete with us in any other sport. We also know that. That is why coaches and players openly support those in other departments. That is why whenever we are in elevators, we feel the urge to scream “Texas Fight!” This is what it means to be a supporter of some of the most astounding sports people in the country. And this is also why the very few defeats here and there are felt the hardest. But something surprising has happened. Instead of feeling blue, students

A matter of perspective By Joshua Flanagan Daily Texan Columnist

they told us that the information discussed was complex. Maybe students wouldn’t understand. Finally, they told us they simply didn’t want to be held accountable for their input. They did not want students to know which ideas they advocated for. I understand that the TPAC members felt the weight of their decision. Their recommendation on tuition could wound students’ pocketbooks or result in campus job cuts. But I cannot accept their bunker mentality. To the students’ credit, they were willing to discuss their final decision with students. To my amazement, they stood by the committee’s decision to exclude students in the first place. Then, Monday night, SG representatives ran into the Texan office. The legislation they were working on was not going to be debated at the upcoming meeting. The legislation, which would check the power of the executive branch, had been found unworthy by ... the executive branch. The representatives were up in arms, ready to resort to the press. This was the culmination of a semester of unsatisfied whisperings and off-the-record complaints from SG. Now, they were ready to speak up, to air SG’s

Easily the worst offender is Austin-based review Web site aintitcool.com. Peruse the review archives and you’ll find “Awesome,” “Incredible” and “On par with [insert classic movie here]” slapped onto countless undeserving genre films. For instance, throwaway indies like 2005’s “Feast” (a bargain bin monster movie that’s apparently “f@#king awesome”) are lumped in with high caliber films like Tarantino’s own “Inglourious Basterds,” which is nonsense. Curiously, the site also faces continued scrutiny for reports of studio “schmoozery” and questionable journalistic integrity (how else does one receive a glowing write-up for 1998’s “Godzilla?”), which further brings into question the legitimacy of their reviews. The aintitcool.com mentality has even bled into the beloved Alamo Drafthouse, which regularly houses fun screenings, such as Terror Tuesday or Weird Wednesday series, in proper tongue-incheek context. Every September, aintitcool.com and the Drafthouse team up for Fantastic Fest, a genre mishmash serving up some of the strangest worldwide cinema available.

Whether it’s worth attending is debatable, but if you do, be prepared to watch fellow filmmakers foam at the mouth in fervent idol worship over “professional” filmmakers who, frankly, aren’t worth the time. I attended last year’s screening of “Survival of the Dead,” and as the audience whooped and applauded at the misfired jokes and uninspired kills, I felt like the little boy in “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” The Emperor is naked, and this movie sucks. It boils down to this: As filmmakers, how can we make great films if we idolize the bad ones? We need a clear, quality perspective to be successful at what we do. Yes, film tastes are subjective, and we all have our guilty pleasures (for the record, mine is John Leguizamo’s “The Pest”), but you don’t have to subscribe to this “everything is great” mentality. In this instance, it’s okay to be like Tarantino if that means you critique cinema with a discriminating eye. Appreciate the good elements in a bad film, if they exist — just don’t call the film “f@#king awesome.” Flanagan is a radio, television and film junior.

are visibly optimistic. Instead of being let down, they are content. Not just content — appreciatory. Thankful to the athletes and staff for the sheer pride they have provided the University. Whereas one would expect a school ranked second in three sports that suffered three significant losses to immediately hire on-campus depression counselors, nothing of the sort has happened. The Texas fan focuses more on the heated motivation of the volleyball team after its first loss to Iowa State and the future of Destinee Hooker in South Korea. Also, only a true Texas fan would talk mostly about the four great years under McCoy,and the promising talent in Gilbert. And if you think the basketball team is down and out, try telling that to Dexter Pittman’s face. They are going to come back more determined than ever to reach the Final Four. This is why Texas athletes and fans should be proud of themselves in every respect — from football to baseball season. So here’s to you, Longhorn. Head high, horns up. And if you still need consolation, just remember, OU still sucks. Marc Nestenius is a mechanical engineering freshman.

GALLERY

legalese 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.

FIRING LINES 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.

News

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Debate: Taxes may be hot-button issue

Gender-gap levels out for college enrollment rates

From page 1 son to work with University officials to ensure that the needs of the students will be met. “She wants to make sure that the people making these decisions about tuition and how the University is run are listening to the students, not the governor,” Schwartz said. “I would trust Sen. Hutchison to make sure that the people at the University have my best interests at heart.” Medina, who was invited to the Belo debate after reaching 12 percent in a Rasmussen poll, has focused her campaign platform on strengthening Texas’ autonomy and independence. In the arena of education, she promotes competition and local control of Texas schools. Similar to Perry, Medina does not promote the use of additional federal funding for educational purposes because it would pose a threat to state autonomy. Tyler Rosen, co-president of Students for Medina, said Medina represents the will of the people and is the only legitimate conservative choice. “I think she will really protect individual rights of the students,” Rosen said. “Her focus is on getting the government out of the lives of the people, and that benefits everybody.” Unlike Medina, both Perry and Hutchison have signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, an oath to oppose any and all federal and state tax increases. But Medina’s appeal to farright conservatives could result in her taking votes away from Perry and bringing in a new crowd of people, said Gromer Jeffers Jr., a Dallas Morning News political columnist. Jeffers said Friday’s debate may cement Medina’s following and possibly push Perry and Hutchison into a run-off election. Perry, whose record reflects his fiscal conservatism and his concern for state rights, declined federal Race to the Top

l l f 0

Bruno Morlan | Daily Texan file photo

Gov. Rick Perry will participate in a Republican debate Friday against U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Debra Medina in Dallas. funding for education earlier this month. The Race to the Top fund, a $4 billion program announced by President Barack Obama, was offered to states to advance education reform. Perry chose not to accept funding, as he saw it interfered with the state’s vision for public education. Longhorn Students for Perry did not return calls from The Daily Texan by press time. Cal Jillson, political science professor at Southern Methodist University, said Hutchison and Medina would have also likely declined the money to ensure Texas’ autonomy. “Perry, back in the fall, turned down additional unemployment funds because Texas would have had to change the system to be slightly more generous,” Jillson said. “Texas is about independence and autonomy. Texas always declines money.” Another common thread among the candidates is their promotion of a decrease in property tax. In Texas, property taxes are distributed to cities

and local governments to fund schools, hospitals, roads and other programs. Cutting the property tax would decrease such funds. Terrell Blodgett, professor emeritus in the LBJ School of Public Affairs, said if the property tax is decreased substantially, it could cause institutions like UT to receive less money from the state, and a tuition hike would likely follow. He said this would subsequently make it harder for some people to pursue higher education. “If we don’t put some more money into education, both public and higher, we’re going to wake up and have a very ill-educated society that’s not equipped to handle this century or the next,” Blodgett said. Medina’s campaign includes eliminating property tax altogether and replacing it with a broader-based sales tax. In other words, Medina wants to expand the range of goods and services on which Texans are taxed. Max Sherman, professor

emeritus and former dean of the LBJ School, said decreasing property tax would not have an immediate effect on the state budget but that increasing the sales tax would quickly increase the amount of money coming into the state. “Any time you add more money, it’s a good thing,” Sherman said. “It is not a matter of the revenue. It’s a matter of fairness of the tax that causes an issue.” The sales tax increase Medina proposed is a regressive tax, which has caused concern with some voters. With regressive taxes, the tax rate decreases as the amount being taxed increases. “It puts a heavier burden on poor people than it does on rich people,” Sherman said. Friday’s nationally televised debate will air on Belo-owned news stations: KHOU in Houston; KENS in San Antonio; KVUE in Austin; and TXCN, Texas Cable News. It will also be streamed live from all Belooperated Web sites.

sis, said the higher percentage of By Erin May women enrolled is a reflection of Daily Texan Staff A gender gap in higher educa- the labor market. “For women to compete in the tion favoring women has stopped growing, according to a recently labor market, they need to have published report by the American a college education to even enter into some entry level jobs and esCouncil on Education. Nationwide, men make up 43 pecially for more competitive popercent of enrollment in high- sitions,” King said. “For most er education, a statistic that has women, work is going to be a subremained the same since about stantial part of their life.” Despite the stabilization in the 2000. gender gap, King Women became said the current the majority on economic downcollege campusturn could be es in the second sending more half of the 1970s Eliminating the gap males to school to after the women’s rights movement and getting everyone pursue higher education. and the Vietnam who wants, needs “It’s possible War. and can benefit from that we could see Economics prothe male proporfessor Daniel higher education is tion grow a little Hamermesh said the aim.” bit because of the there are multiple King theories to explain — Donna Burns recession,” said. “I’ve been why there is a traPhillips hearing anecdotditionally higher percentage of director of the Office ally, especially at women than men of Women in Higher community colleges, that [more] enrolled in college Education at ACE men over the tratoday nationwide. ditional college “There are all a g e a re g o i n g kinds of stories. back to school.” One, of course, is Hamermesh agrees that the rethat the gains for women in wages have gone up compared to men cession might change the disparin the past 25 years,” Hamermesh ity between men and women gosaid. “The benefits for going to ing to college. “This has been a male recescollege are greater than they used sion. More men than women to be.” UT’s enrollment statistics sup- have lost jobs during this recesport the evidence that gender pro- sion,” Hameresh said. “If there is portions have leveled off. The a whiplash with more men going overall male undergraduate en- to university in the future, [the rerollment at the University was cession] would be why.” Donna Burns Phillips, director about 49 percent for fall 2009 and about 49 percent for fall 2003, ac- of the Office of Women in Higher cording to the Office of Informa- Education at ACE, said stabilizing tion Management and Analysis the gender gap is not the goal. “Eliminating the gap and getWeb site. Jacqueline E. King, author of the ting everyone who wants, needs report and assistant vice president and can benefit from higher eduof ACE’s Center for Policy Analy- cation is the aim,” Phillips said.

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SPORTS

Sports Editor: Blake Hurtik E-mail: sports@dailytexanonline.com Phone: (512) 232-2210 www.dailytexanonline.com

Thursday, January 28, 2010

T HE DAILY T EXAN

SIDELINE TEXAS 95

NCAAM Notre Dame 72 No. 3 Villanova 90 Texas Tech 83 No. 5 Texas 95 Florida State 56 No. 7 Duke 70

TEXAS TECH 83

Horns bounce back against Texas Tech Texas regains its swagger with win over Raiders after consecutive losses

No. 10 BYU 72 New Mexico 76 No. 23 Vanderbilt 85 No. 14 Tennessee 76 No. 15 Temple 64 Charlotte 74 No. 19 Connecticut 66 Providence 81 No. 24 Ohio State 65 Iowa 57 Drake 51 No. 25 Northern Iowa 67

NCAAW Providence 59 No. 3 Notre Dame 84 No. 4 Nebraska 89 Texas Tech 47 No. 8 Texas A&M 53 No. 16 Baylor 61 No. 10 Xavier 88 Rhode Island 60 Seton Hall 31 No. 11 West Virginia 53 No. 12 Oklahoma 56 No. 18 Iowa State 63 No. 15 Georgetown 45 Marquette 52 NC State 60 No. 20 Virginia 73 Colorado State 51 No. 21 TCU 78

NBA Minnesota 95 Cleveland 109 LA Lakers 118 Indiana 96 Miami 103 Toronto 111 Memphis 99 Detroit 93 LA Clippers 87 New Jersey 103 Philadelphia 88 Milwaukee 91 Chicago 96 Oklahoma City 86 Denver 97 Houston 92 Atlanta 90 San Antonio 105 Utah 106 Portland 95 New Orleans 123 Golden State 110

NHL New Jersey 1 Buffalo 2 F/SO Carolina 5 NY Rangers 1 Montreal 0 Tampa Bay 3

SPORTS BRIEFLY

Peter Franklin | Daily Texan Staff

Junior Dogus Balbay dribbles away from traffic in Texas’ first home win over Texas Tech Wednesday night. Balbay had a career-high 13 points.

Mason posts season high numbers in win over in-state rivals By Laken Litman Daily Texan Staff Justin Mason and Dogus Balbay must have eaten their

Wheaties on Wednesday. The two combined for 31 points and were a large part of No. 6 Texas’ 95-83 win over Texas Tech. The two guards usually start every game but play more of an unsung-hero type of role, with a heavy presence on the defensive side of the ball and never really

FOOTBALL COMMENTARY

getting much statistical glory. But that was not the case against the Red Raiders on Wednesday night. Mason appeared to have the hot hand early in the first half when he slammed the ball down the net after chaos ensued when three other Texas players missed a

bouncing ball at the rim. He finished the first half with 13 points, going 6-8 in field goals with three rebounds in 15 minutes of play. He was extremely consistent through both halves and ended with a season-high 18 points, going 8-12 in field goals. He also tallied four re-

TEXAS continues on page 8 bounds and a season-high five assists. “It was just about letting the momentum loose and going out there to play today,” Mason said. “I found the net on a couple of open jump shots, and

MASON continues on page 8

BASEBALL

Unpopular religious beliefs left out of sports Blake Hurtik Daily Texan Columnist

You know that old, stereotyped slogan for pro-life groups that goes, “What if Jesus/[insert important person] had been aborted?” It turns out that the savior of college football, former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, had almost been in that situation. And you’ll hear and see the story firsthand come Super Bowl Sunday during a commercial produced by the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family that stars Tebow and his mother, Pam. It tells the story of how Pam, on a mission trip in the Philippines in 1987, was advised to have an abortion while pregnant with Tim after coming down with an illness. Obviously, she didn’t take her doctor’s orders, a choice for which every Gator fan is eternally grateful. The 30-second ad has caused quite the controversy. Pro-choice groups have hounded CBS, which will broadcast the game on Feb. 7, for allowing an advocacy group to buy airtime. The station has had a long stance on not allowing ads like this one but announced Tuesday that it has

changed its policy. As with anything that involves the “A-word,” people on both sides are up in arms. But it seems to me that any organization — short of neo-Nazis — willing to pony up the $2.8 million for 30 short seconds of ad space will gladly have its spot wedged between Bud Light and Doritos commercials. For those who oppose the ad, I’d say it’s time to start collecting some change of your own. But once you get past all the hubbub over the abortion issue, the most interesting aspect of the story is the new way Tebow is showing his faith. And he’s not the only one. We ran a story in this very paper during football season about how much Texas football players leaned on their Christian faith. The first words out of quarterback Colt McCoy’s mouth after any game always dealt with “giving the glory to God.” He even dabbled in a little Christian-funded advertising of his own, appearing in the “I Am Second” series with a man who plays for a team that most Longhorn fans consider synonymous with the devil — Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford. Heck, even center Chris Hall headed to Bible school in California following the season and

TEBOW continues on page 8

Andrew Rogers | Daily Texan file photo

Texas players wait by the dug out during a game last season. Both current and former Longhorns will gather for the annual alumni game on Saturday.

Alumni gather for annual game to open new season By Austin Ries Daily Texan Staff On a cloudless late afternoon at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, the air is still and silent. There are no sounds of clicking from spikes across the dugout steps, the ping of an aluminum bat or the iconic munch of sunflower seeds or popcorn — sounds synonymous with Amer-

ica’s pastime. Instead, there is only the loud pop of a catcher’s mitt echoing from right field, where former Longhorn pitcher James Russell is throwing in the bullpen with assistant coach Skip Johnson. While Russell doesn’t report to Arizona for spring training until Feb. 17, he has another game to prepare for with a group of old

teammates and lifelong friends Saturday in the Texas Alumni Game. Russell played one season with Texas in 2007, leading the team in strikeouts, innings pitched and games started. The southpaw, who currently pitches for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, can’t wait to

ALUMNI continues on page 8

CLUB SPORTS

Men’s volleyball gaining popularity due to women’s run to Final Four

Gregory Gym set to host regional round of NCAA tournament in ‘10

The University of Texas has been selected as a regional host site for the 2010 volleyball NCAA tournament. This will be Texas’ third time in five years to serve as a host site. If Texas makes its fifth straight regional appearance next season, it would be a welcome change from this past season when it had to travel to Lincoln, Neb., a de facto home match for Nebraska fans. The Longhorns beat the Cornhuskers, making it to their second consecutive Final Four appearance and losing in the championship match to Penn State, giving the Nittany Lions their third consecutive national championship. — Chris Tavarez

By Will Anderson Daily Texan Staff The swagger is back. Damion James, who has unofficially borrowed the term from the football team, led the way with 28 points and 13 boards as the sixthranked Longhorns beat Texas Tech 95-83 at home on Wednesday. “When we were going over the scouting report, the last word that was on the board was ‘swagger,’” said James, who became the new record holder for career double-doubles in the Big 12 with his 48th. “We just have to carry ourselves with swagger, and if we do that and play hard, then we are going to be great,” he said. Texas (18-2, 4-1 Big 12) answered a few of its most-pressing questions on Wednesday night. Dexter Pittman emerged from a three-week disappearance. The

big man finished with 10 points, his first time back in double digits since a Jan. 5 game at Arkansas. He added seven rebounds in 18 minutes. Guard play, which was nearly nonexistent, came storming back. After a recent backcourt drought, the team’s six guards combined for 52 points, and starter Justin Mason scored a season-high 18 points. The guards also made 15 assists and only 11 turnovers. “What they did tonight was unbelievable,” James said, referring to the performances of Mason and Dogus Balbay, who scored 13 points. “I think we looked strong today,” Balbay said. “We were moving the ball around very well.” Texas was back to form on the boards, too, as it snagged 19 more rebounds than its opponent. The team was still inept from the free-throw line, though, making just 16 of 29 of the uncontested shots. At one point in the first half,

Derek Stout | Daily Texan Staff

Members of the men’s volleyball team, a club sport that is growing in popularity, thanks in part to the women’s team’s success, practice in Gregory Gym. All skill levels are welcome on the team.

By Kate Guerra Daily Texan Staff With more traditionally masculine sports getting all the attention, attracting male interest in volleyball isn’t easy. Ironically, the success of the Longhorns’ NCAA women’s team is helping the Texas men’s club volleyball team fill its roster. “I think a lot of people who came out ... came out because they liked women’s volleyball,” said senior outside hitter Garrett Fleming. Sponsored by Rec Sports since 1986, the group competes in the Southern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association which includes six other Texas teams, LSU and the University of Arkansas. The Texas club is composed of one

higher-level team called the Orange Team and a second one called the White Team. Team president Matt Rush knows that in Texas, where varsity men’s volleyball is nonexistent, it can be hard to see past the dominant women’s teams. “Where I come from, it’s thought of as a women’s sport,” he said. “But people that really know the game, and men who play the game, they know how intense it is and how hard it is to pick up.” Coaching a sport in which players have little to no experience is one thing. Being successful with the group is another, and coaches Elbert Ortiz and Lucas Johnson are managing both. A former club volleyball player

for West Texas A&M University, Johnson was told he would have to instruct players at various skill levels, but that didn’t scare him off. “I wanted to get involved with teaching volleyball,” he said, “I feel like there needs to be more coaching. I’ve gotten a lot out of the sport, and I want to give a little back.” As it turns out, Johnson got more than he could ask for. His team had many successes over its fall season, including a first-place Silver Division win in a tournament at Texas State University in October. Though lacking the official title, the club has all the dynamics

CLUB continues on page 8

Sports

texas: Texas holds off late

surge to stay perfect at home From page 7 the Longhorns were shooting just 40 percent from the line. But as Texas coach Rick Barnes was quick to point out, his team still made more free throws than Tech attempted, and down the stretch the Red Raiders just could not match their opponents’ depth. “There is a lot of stuff that we have to clean up, especially from a defensive standpoint,” said Texas Tech coach Pat Knight. “But I cannot be upset with these kids. They gave me everything they had tonight.” John Roberson scored a teamhigh 27 points for Tech (14-6, 2-4). Mike Singletary, the Red Raiders’

leading scorer, added 20 points and six rebounds but got into foul trouble after picking up his fourth with 10 minutes left. “They cut us up and got what they wanted,” Barnes said about the Red Raiders. “We got better defensively in the second half, but again … you really have to give [Knight] a lot of credit.” Texas jumped out to an early 11-5 advantage, but Tech methodically climbed back into contention with accurate shooting and a chance 3-pointer. The Red Raiders took the lead about eight minutes in and nearly stole the first half with a late 16-10 run, but Texas scored the final three baskets to enter the break down by just five.

There were seven lead changes or ties in the first five minutes of the second half. Neither team could create any momentum until Texas went on a 13-7 run to give itself a little breathing room. Then Avery Bradley hit one from long range to give his team an 11-point lead. The freshman hit another 3-pointer two minutes later to put the score at 85-73, and Tech never got closer than 10 after that. “This is a special team,” Knight said about the Longhorns. “I felt bad for them losing two in a row. People start talking, but when this season is over, that is just going to be a bump in the road for this team. They are just loaded.”

Justin Mason, who had a season-high 18 points, goes up for a layup in Texas’ 95-83 win over Texas Tech on Wednesday night.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

alumni: Horns earn preseason No. 1 From page 7 hang out with his old teammates again. “We don’t get a good chance to see most of these guys during the season, so it’s always exciting to hang out in the locker room and reminisce,” Russell said. “I’m really excited to see Kyle Russell and my good friend Joseph Krebs.” Russell played in his first alumni game last January, but he thinks this year’s will be better thanks to the extra time and preparation. And that’s not the only thing Russell thinks has improved. “I don’t think we’ll win,” Russell said, laughing. “They had a good team last year, but I think they have a little better team this year.” After a string of Omaha magic, Texas came up one game short last season to lose to LSU in the College World Series. The team hasn’t forgotten. In fact, even though the game is part of a fun day celebrating Texas baseball tradition, coach Augie

Garrido and the Horns see the game Saturday as a scrimmage and a chance to work. “It’s always fun, and we joke around, but we play serious,” said senior outfielder Kyle Lusson. “It’s a good chance to see some major-league talent and get better.” The Alumni Game is the finale of the annual Baseball Fan Appreciation Day to kick off the 2010 season. The gates open at 9 a.m., when fans can get autographs from players, take pictures with Bevo and play catch in the outfield before the alumni squad takes batting practice. “It’s just awesome to see the fans and supporters out here for this,” Lusson said. “I think everyone has a good time.” The alumni squad has a lot of familiar names for Longhorn fans. Along with major leaguers Huston Street, Drew Stubbs, Taylor Teagarden and Curtis Thigpen, more recent players like Russell, Brandon Belt and Austin Wood will suit up, as well.

Former Texas players and major leaguers Burt Hooton, Brooks Kieschnick, Greg Swindell and Jose Tolentino will coach for the alumni. “Its great to see these guys playing in the big leagues, so we can see their work ethic and what it takes to play at that level,” sophomore infielder Brandon Loy said. “It makes us that much better.” With five returning starters and a starting pitching staff that ranked second in earned runs allowed last season, Baseball America gave the Horns the No. 1 pre-season ranking. And while Texas players know it is a reflection of their hard work and success last season, they also know that, just like other Texas teams have learned, it can disappear. “We don’t worry about the rankings because anything can happen,” Loy said. “We don’t need to work harder. We just need to keep doing what we’ve been doing, and things should fall into place.”

tebow: Christianity dominates sports’ image From page 7

Peter Franklin Daily Texan Staff

mason: Balbay’s career night

helps James, Pittman open up From page 7 I was just trying to find the rim a little more. That’s the game plan every night.” Though he had more of an offensive effort, he didn’t let his defense slip. Mason protected the ball and didn’t give up a single turnover, though the Longhorns had a total of 11. Balbay played the role of the crowd-pleaser Wednesday night as the “Bal-Bay, Bal-Bay” chant rang throughout the Frank Erwin Center a couple of times. Like Mason, Balbay played more of an offensive-minded game, but his most memorable moment was a defensive block on 6-foot-1 Tex-

as Tech forward Theron Jenkins. Jenkins, who is five inches taller than Balbay, was driving for a slam dunk when Balbay came flying into register his 12th block of the season. “It happens,” Balbay said nonchalantly. “I knew he was going to try to dunk, so I just turned around and jumped and blocked it. I had to do it. No easy baskets.” Balbay scored a career-high 13 points, topping the 11 he scored at home against Texas Tech last season. He went 5-8 in field goals and had seven rebounds and six assists in 31 minutes. “This is part of our offense,” Balbay said. “[Mason] was open, and he took his shots, and when I

was open, I took my shots. It’s just how we play.” With the movement Mason and Balbay provided, seniors Damion James and the big man, Dexter Pittman, were able to get going. “Our offense gets moving when the guards can score,” Balbay said. “Dex can get the ball inside. If we keep driving and reversing the ball, we’ll be much better on offense and won’t have to force shots.” It looks as if the new game plan for this team is to get the guards going first, that way everyone else’s job will be much easier. “If they can do that every night, we’ll win every game,” James said.

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plans to become a minister. And all involved are truly genuine about their convictions. Just try to get through a conversation with Hall without him saying, “Praise the Lord.” All of this perpetuates the image that athletes, collegiate ones in particular, are pretty much all Christians. There are no stories about the atheist on the team who, instead of thanking God after a touchdown, thanks his teammates. And the only times Muslims are ever mentioned are when they change their name, like Muhammad Ali or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — both African Americans who converted to Islam. Otherwise, we view them all

as good ol’ Christian boys with crosses either dangling from their necks or tattooed on their bodies. And that’s a view that’s lagging behind society. True, all-toooften are people’s religious beliefs stereotyped by their outward appearances. Who wouldn’t assume a guy like McCoy or Tebow isn’t a Christian? But slowly, people are starting to check those assumptions at the door. We’re simply too diverse to do otherwise. Mainstream sports still don’t reflect that diversity, but that doesn’t make it right to assume all players share the same faith. So while Tebow enjoys that status and right to star in a Christian-funded commercial during the Super Bowl, his atheist, Muslim or Jewish teammates should

feel just as able. But when was the last time you heard anything from an athlete who subscribes to beliefs outside of the mainstream? Pat Tillman, the former Arizona Cardinals safety who was killed while fighting in Afghanistan, identified himself as an atheist. Austin’s own Lance Armstrong is a well-known agnostic. But other than that, there’s not much to be said for non-believers. The Christian influence is simply overpowering in American sports. I challenge you to find someone who played football growing up who didn’t participate in a team prayer before taking the field. In fact, that’s how I learned the Lord’s Prayer. Not from a church, but from a pious football coach.

club: Team shows talent despite lack of experience From page 7 of an NCAA team. The players are dependent on each other to succeed, always together and sacrifice time away from normal college activities to become better. The men practice twice a week for three hours, during which they cover strategy and conditioning. Johnson realizes an NCAA team requires more time on the court and in the workout room, but he said he prefers the club regime. “I know a lot of women who play volleyball at the NCAA level get really burned out.” John-

son said. “We have a whole different element because we’re taking guys who have never played before, so they’re learning along while they’re playing.” Johnson, who coaches the White Team, was impressed with his squad’s initial talent, considering the limited number of opportunities for men to develop their volleyball skills before entering the University. “I had never played before college,” Dassow said. “I wasn’t really good until I started playing with people better than me.” The same is true for most of the

players. Aside from a few who grew up in larger urban areas where volleyball was available through city leagues, the athletes typically learned the sport playing on sand courts or through local gyms. “A lot of these guys do come in with very sparse knowledge of the game,” Orange Team coach Ortiz said. For the players, it’s about having fun, playing some ball and representing their school. “One thing that this team tries to take pride in is that we are Texas,” Ortiz said.

News

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Walk the line

Enrollment in Chinese classes increases steadily UT sees positive rise in student interest in Asian studies courses

Bruno Morlan | Daily Texan Staff

Students walk across the pedestrian bridge on Dean Keeton on Wednesday morning. The bridge connects the engineering quad and relieves pedestrian traffic on Speedway and Dean Keeton Street. 1

Report finds grads likely to be hired in Austin C LASSIFIEDS

day, month day, 2008

By Allison Harris Daily Texan Staff Despite the nationwide economic recession, college graduE TISchance R ates have aVbetter finding E T D than EN jobs in A Austin in STUD Igraduates ! R ONaccording U O largeIZAcities, T most Y other GAN to a new ORreport. A report compiled by Beverly Kerr, vice president for research at the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, will be released in February with a comparison of Austin unemployment statistics with those from the 50 largest metropolitan areas across the country. According to a preliminary report, the Austin area ranks second behind Virginia Beach in retaining the most jobs, with a decrease of less than 1 percent, between December 2008 and December 2009. The considered jobs do not include the agriculture sector.

Of the 50 cities, Austin had the wasn’t completely unscathed by sixth-lowest unemployment rate the recession. during that time. However employment in Aus“[In] our relative position, we’re tin will suffer from the residual efgoing to still be the best-perform- fects of the recession. ing [city],” Kerr Tom Pauken, said. chairman of the Te x a s h a d Texas Workforce the highest job Commission, growth of any said the recession Small business tends will decrease the state in the nation during the to hire people locally.” chances of a colpast decade with lege graduate — Michelle Frith getting a job in an increase of more than 9 perSmall Business t h e p a r t i c u l a r cent in privatein which he Development Program field sector jobs beor she studied. tween December “What worries 1999 and Decemme is that people ber 2009. Of the will fall behind on 10 states with the largest eligible their career path,” Pauken said. working population, only Flor- “Those people who have more ida and Texas had positive job experience are more likely to be growth during that time. hired than someone just graduatBut unemployment in Austin ing from college.”

Campus

Michelle Frith, outreach and marketing coordinator of the city’s Small Business Development Program, said the high number of small businesses in Austin contributed to the city’s economic resiliency. Of the city’s small businesses, 94 percent employ fewer than 50 people, compared to 86 percent of small businesses nationally. “Because small businesses employ the most people, that’s why we did better in the downturn,” Frith said. “We have a diverse employer base.” Small businesses offer unique opportunities for recent college graduates, she said. “Small business tends to hire people locally,” Frith said. “Of course, students who have graduated may choose to start their own business as their first job, and we can help with that.”

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By Joshua Michaels Daily Texan Staff While the number of other foreign language classes in elementary and secondary schools nationwide has been decreasing, there has been a swell in interest in Chinese classes in the last 10 years. The number of Chinese classes at elementary and secondary schools nationwide increased tenfold, from 0.3 percent in 1997 to 3 percent in 2008, according to a survey from the Center for Applied Linguistics. The center reported that foreign-language instruction decreased from 31 percent to 25 percent in elementary schools and from 75 percent to 58 percent in high schools. Spanish remained the most commonly taught foreign language, while French classes dropped below 50 percent, with less than half of high schools offering it in 2008. The Texas Education Agency began offering a Chinese teaching certification in October 2007. Until the certification became available, Chinese language instructors were restricted from working in public schools. Since then, four public high schools, one middle school and two private schools in Austin have adopted an optional Chinese language class into the curriculum, according to the Chinese Language Teachers Association in Texas Web site. Kelly Long, the Chinese instructor for Anderson High School and Murchison Middle School, worked as a math teacher in Austin Independent School District for seven years before switching subjects in 2007. “In Texas, Spanish is the most popular foreign lan-

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guage, but internationally, Chinese is much more important,” Long said. “The business we do with Mexico is not comparable to the business we do with China.” Anderson High School introduced Chinese in part because of increasing parent requests, Long said. “The program at Anderson originally began because several of the parents, especially those whose work takes them abroad, wanted their kids to take Chinese at school,” she said. Anderson’s program started with 40 students and no promotion. By its second year, the program had doubled, Long said. UT has seen a positive increase in interest in both Chinese language and foreign languages as a whole. From 2006 to 2010, the number of foreign language bachelor ’s degrees increased from 2.81 percent to 3.4 percent. In fall 2009, 102 undergraduate students were registered as Asian cultures and languages majors. In 1996, seven students, including undergraduates, masters and doctoral students, were registered as Asian cultures and languages majors. Joel Brereton, chairman of the Asian Studies Department, acknowledged that in order to cope with student demand for Chinese language classes, the department intends to expand student enrollment in individual classes. Chinese language major Erin Reed said she noticed many of the students in her language classes came from other majors outside of Asian studies. “There’s always a waitlist for the language classes,” Reed said. “I know Chinese is becoming really important in my lifetime, so I thought it would be helpful.”

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Life&Arts

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Rockin’ for relief

ARTIST: Former Longhorn

inspired by women in sports

In this image released by Hope for Haiti Now, Bono, left, and Rihanna perform at the “Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief” on Jan. 22 in London.

From page 12 school, and I’m curious about the human body, and with the human body comes our sex and then comes gender.” “Spectator Sport” explores the relationship between sports, gender and the human form, culminating in a thought-provoking experience for viewers. The work is inspired by sportswriter Michael Sokolove’s controversial book “Warrior Girls.” The book argues that since female bodies are biologically different than male bodies, women must train differently to prevent the current “injury epidemic” in the world of women’s sports. “[‘Warrior Girls’] got me interested in women’s sports and feminism in general,” Walker said. “I think it just seemed like a natural investigation with what I was already doing.” “Spectator Sport” is Walker’s first solo museum project and her largest to date. Dur-

ing her creative process, Walker found that she adopted a different approach to her largescale installation than to her smaller works. “I’ve never built a model before. I talk about the idea of model-building a lot with my students, and I think it’s an important concept to many people’s work, but I’ve never had to do it because my work has never been large enough,” Walker said. “But with ‘Spectator Sport,’ since it was such a large space, I built a model and worked from it for six months.” “Spectator Sport,” like many of Walker’s other artistic ventures, is constructed primarily of fabric and found objects, such as discarded boxing gloves, hand weights and crutches. She said one of her favorite places to search for cheap material is Goodwill’s Blue Hanger Outlet, where every item is $1.25. “It’s really disgusting, like the end of the line before you

go to the landfill,” Walker said. Walker, an avid traveler, finds the Austin art community to be a nurturing environment for the creative process and also receives help from friends in the community to collect the material for her work. “I feel like what’s unique is the camaraderie in this community,” she said. “When people know your work, they start to collect for you and for other artists in town.” Although Walker may gather materials from the community at times, her finished product comes purely out of her own artistic ingenuity. “[Walker] has created a work of art that is simultaneously anthropomorphic and abstract, masculine and feminine, competitive and inert, attractive and repulsive, beautiful and bizarre,” Mellard said. “Spectator Sport” will be on display at the Austin Museum of Art until Sunday.

DATE: Gamers fight trolls, find romance Additionally, the game can seem extremely confusing is the potential of being stuck to first-time players. Knowwith a bad date. While playing when to roll an eight-siders can always leave at any ed die versus a five-sided die point in the game, doing so to add up the power of an atis frowned upon, since it al- tack can seem arbitrary. Peoters the remaining players’ ple who have a strong phobia strategies. of math might want to con-

From page 12

sider another date. Even with the half-orc barbarian’s massive strength points, one bad roll of the die had Esmerelda’s whirling attack miss the snakes. Instead, she sliced her hand, marking her exit from the game and, sadly, the date.

radio: New station takes a turn for the worse

MJ Kim Associated Press

From page 12

NEW YORK — The all-star Hope for Haiti Now album has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, making it the first digital-only album to hit the top spot. Nielsen SoundScan said Wednesday that the compilation CD of performances from last week’s charity telethon sold 171,000 units over the

weekend. The CD features performances by U2, Beyoncé and Madonna, among others. More than 80 million people tuned in for Friday’s telethon, which organizers have said raised $66 million. The event, which also streamed

live online, featured appearances by former President Bill Clinton, Muhammad Ali, Brad Pitt and other stars who encouraged donations for Haiti, hit by a devastating earthquake on Jan. 12. On the Net: http://www.hopeforhaitinow.org — The Associated Press

Talking Heads and Fleetwood Mac. If someone wanted to hear late-’90s, early-’00s buzz ballads, they would have to turn the dial. The station’s deejays became local celebrities as they hosted the city’s annual music award ceremony and played

various free shows around town. They became recognizable in voice, appearance and musical taste. Now, 93.3 listeners must endure hours of some of the worst music to come out of the last three decades — from A Flock of Seagulls to Cracker to Snow Patrol — just to catch a glimpse of the real

Radio Austin. Facebook pages populated with outraged longtime listeners attest to the city’s loss. A wall post on one, aptly titled “KGSR — Don’t Flip Formats on my Radio Austin,” sums things up perfectly. “Flock of Seagulls?” it reads. “F*€k that! We want Flaco Jimenez!”

APPLICATIONS

Apply This Semester

Student Body At-Large, Place 4

You could be Editor of the most recognized student newspaper in the USA….

are being accepted for the following student positions with Texas Student Media Board of Operating Trustees

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

Application forms and a list of qualiﬁcations are available in the Ofﬁce of the Director, William Randolph Hearst Building (HSM), 2500 Whitis Ave., Room 3.304. http://www.utexas.edu/tsm/ 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 Please return completed applications and all supporting materials to the Director’s Ofﬁce. Interested applicants are invited to stop by and visit with the Director to discuss student positions.

Do you live, eat, breathe newspaper journalism? Have experience at The Daily Texan in at least two areas? Enjoy administration and management? Have a secret or not-so-secret desire to save the world?

Well then, you may want to apply for Texan editor Applications and a list of qualifications may be picked up from the Office of the Director, HSM 3.304 Deadline for applications and all supporting materials: Noon, Tuesday, February 2, 2010 Applicants will be certified by the TSM Board of Operating Trustees on Friday, February 5, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. LBJ Room, CMA 5.160

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Life&Arts

Life&Arts Editor: Ben Wermund E-mail: lifeandarts@dailytexanonline.com Phone: (512) 232-2209 www.dailytexanonline.com

T he Daily T exan

Gaming couples quest for love

Photos by Kari Rosenfield | Daily Texan Staff

Above, Andy Finnel moves a piece while fellow Dungeons & Dragons teammate Harmony Medley watches. Medley was introduced to Dungeons & Dragons by her boyfriend and dungeon master, James Howard. Below, Jim Collins points to a potential move while Rebecca Mayfield looks on. Sunday’s meet up was Mayfield’s first time to play Dungeons and Dragons.

UT alum featured in contemporary museum series

By Kate Ergenbright Daily Texan Staff In creating her latest work of art, UT alumna Jade Walker has compiled discarded pieces of trash, battered sports equipment and used medical paraphernalia to explore the relationship between gender, sports and pain. Walker has managed to create a jarring yet beautiful experience for viewers. Walker’s latest work, “Spectator Sport,” is a large-scale installation and the inaugural piece for the Austin Museum of Art’s new project space and New Works series, which showcases contemporary art from local artists. “The Austin Museum of Art chose Jade Walker to kick off our New Works series because we thought she was ready for the challenge of a large installation,” said Andrea Mellard, assistant curator at the Austin Museum of Art. “[She] set the bar high.” Walker, who’s had her work displayed at Domy Books, Women & Their Work and various other regional galleries, is also the direc-

tor of the Creative Research Lab, a small, off-campus art gallery in East Austin that showcases student and faculty work from the Department of Art & Art History. “We’ve been able to do some really rad programming for the community, but also a little more cutting-edge stuff because we’re not dealing with so many things that you deal with on campus,” said Walker, who for the past three years has taught a 3-D Foundations course for the Department of Art and will also be directing its Visual Arts Center upon completion. “The downside is that there aren’t as many students that can come through that space.” Much of Walker’s work explores gender and the blurred lines between masculinity and femininity as a central theme. “I’m always interested in gender, and I’m always trying to decide if that’s what my work is about or that’s just an interest of mine,” Walker said. “I studied gender in graduate

ARTIST continues on page 11

Players escape to world of Dungeons & Dragons for unique date By Layne Lynch & Gerald Rich Daily Texan Staff A fellowship of fighters, rogues and druids crowded into a dimly lit temple in a cultist village. Glowing pillars illuminated pools of water covering the floor. Suddenly, flaming snakes and a massive Naga — half-man, half-snake — slithered out, leaving behind a trail of flames as it arched its back and spit flames. Crowded around a large sheet of graph paper, Dungeons & Dragons players intensely debated their next moves at BattleForge Games, a gaming center on West Anderson Lane that hosts role-playing gatherings like these. Dreadnought the Goliath fighter and Esmerelda the halforc barbarian, two other members of the party battling the snakes’ constricting tails, were one of many couples playing the game that were also on a date. “You should start out with a whirling attack,” advised Harmony Medley, a Level 6 elven druid who plays the game with her boyfriend, the quest’s dungeon master. “That way, you won’t hit any of us.” She then quickly transformed her druid into a cat in preparation for the battle. Medley met her boyfriend, James Howard, through a mu-

tual friend and fell in love with him while playing D&D. Medley learned how to play from Howard, who mastered the game while he was serving in the military overseas. It’s up to Howard to narrate the story and play as many enemies the characters may face — presently, Howard was moving the Naga into position to fire a barrage of arrows at the adventuring party. Unlike other board games, role-playing in “Dungeon & Dragons” involves players creating characters with their own distinct strengths and weaknesses, where numerous dice are used to determine the suc-

cess or failure of any action. There are several alternative fantasy-themed games similar to D&D, ranging from some involving vampires and zombies to others based on “Star Wars” and “Lord of the Rings.” The beauty of these games is the bonding time the players share and the words of encouragement not unlike the kind found in everyday human relationships like Medley and Howard’s. Dreadnought and Esmerelda, on their first D&D date, were learning this firsthand. Throughout the game, players must maneuver their way through encounters to accom-

plish their ultimate goal of finishing the group’s quest. Encounters can range from rescuing villages to meeting firesnake-worshiping cultists and pillaging dank dungeons. In doing so, players begin to see the level of patience and understanding their significant other can offer, and they often rely on each other for help. Esmerelda looked around the temple, confused about what to do next, as players kindly advised her to charge forward at one of the flaming snakes. Dreadnought left her alone to bash his shield against a large, encroaching snake. Something to keep in mind on a date like this is that it should be both relaxing and noncompetitive. The date is about embracing free thought and imagination to its fullest extent. Being able to do this with your significant other represents a level of trust and comfort you share with your partner. Couples should realize, however, that only after a serious time investment in the game will anyone decide to bow out when facing fiery dragons or tricky minions. Another concern with the time commitment — games can last up to seven hours —

DATE continues on page 11

Derek Stout | Daily Texan Staff

Jade Walker, director of the Creative Research Lab and instructor in the Art Department, is currently displaying her largest installation to date, “Spectator Sport,” at the Austin Museum of Art.

Listeners bid farewell Apple enters new territory with introduction of iPad to former Radio Austin

radio dials were permanently set By Ben Wermund to 107.1, KGSR’s old station numDaily Texan Columnist At 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, the ber. It was all I heard, and looking Smashing Pumpkins’ “1979” back, I’m thankful for that. But at played over the airwaves of 93.3 the end of 2009, with the frequency KGSR, Radio Austin — a 1995 hit switch to 93.3 — supposedly only aimed at broadening the station’s by a Chicago band. At 1:32 p.m., Stevie Ray listening range — and the exit of Vaughan’s rendition of “Voodoo the station’s content manager and Chile” took over. It was one of only on-air host Jody Denberg, KGSR changed. three songs by an I was raised Austin artist the on Texas music station had played — from progressince 5:00 a.m. The sive country icons other two were Now, 93.3 listeners like Townes Van “S.R.V.,” by Eric Zandt, Guy Clark Johnson and Jimmust endure hours and Steve Earle to mie Vaughan, and of some of the worst more current lo“Metal and Steel,” music to come out of cal acts like Spoon, by Bob Schneider. The rest of the the last three decades Alejandro Escovedo, Eliza Gilkyson songs played in — from A Flock of and Guy Forsyth the eight-and-ahalf hour span Seagulls to Cracker to — that sounded, were comprised Snow Patrol — just felt and often was important. Local mainly of the likes to catch a glimpse of and regional artists of Dido, Sarah McLachlan, Bare- the real Radio Austin. made up the foundation of a KGSR naked Ladies, that earned its RaDave Matthews dio Austin title. Band and Natalie The station Imbruglia — an adult contemporary lineup so sep- wasn’t exclusively Texan, but what arated from anything here or now I wasn’t local or regional generalwould have thought I was listening ly skewed toward quality. Texas artists resided alongside indie upto Mix 94.7 circa seventh grade. I grew up in Leander, a small and-comers and musical giants town north of Austin’s city limits like Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, but within the reaches of its radio RADIO continues on page 11 airwaves. Both my parents’ cars’

By Gerald Rich Daily Texan Staff Wednesday marked the muchanticipated announcement of the iPad, Apple Inc.’s first foray into tablet computers. “[It’s] so much more intimate than a laptop and so much more capable than a smart phone,” said Apple CEO Steve Jobs during his presentation Wednesday. Coming in at roughly 1 1/2 pounds and a half-inch thick with a 10-inch screen, the iPad could revolutionize portable computing with its surprisingly low price tag of $499 for the lowest-end model — much lower than the originally speculated $1,000. Although it does not come with a disk drive like some tablets, there will be fully capable Wi-Fi and 3G versions — to be released in March and April, respectively. The iPad will also include the same basic capabilities of an iPhone, such as multitouch technology to surf the Web, view photos and listen to music, and the ability to download and use almost 140,000 of its applications. What is yet to be known, though, is whether we will see tons of students hunched over their iPads on the 40 Acres bus. “I’ve had the iPhone ever since it first came out,” said Keagan LeBlanc, a radio-television-film junior and Information Technology Services help-desk employee. “But one of its biggest problems

Marcio Jose Sanchez | Associated Press

The Apple iPad is examined after its unveiling at the Moscone Center in San Francisco on Wednesday. is that things are hard to see on the screen.” Apple hopes that the iPad will be able to better utilize many of the games available on its app store in addition to selling full books through its iBook app. Print media groups like the New York Times Company, Condé Nast and HarperCollins are already designing applications for the iPad. “It’s not meant to replace computers, though,” LeBlanc said.

“It’s for use on the go.” Despite the ability of users to respond to e-mails and view and write documents with iWork — Apple’s answer to Microsoft Office — everything is stored on a flash drive. That means you’ll have to sync it up like an iPod or iPhone for storage. And while LeBlanc remains enthusiastic about the iPad’s larger, crisper screen and its familiar interface, its design might be a problem for some.

“I’m worried that the screen will crack,” said Kathryn Pendleton, a biochemistry junior and computer enthusiast. “My high school had tablet computers. I never used one, but I just remember that they cracked easily.” Pendleton was skeptical about using the on-screen keyboard. “That means I constantly have to hunch over if I want to see what I write,” she said. “I guess it could work, but I’d have to see it used first.”

dt Weekend January 28, 2010

E V HA

FUN ) n a c l l i t s u (whil e yo

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS

EDITOR Rachel Meador ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jessica Billeaud COVER ARTIST Giulio Yaquinto DESIGN DIRECTOR Shatha Hussein PHOTO EDITOR Lauren Gerson

4 music

food & drink 4

Good eats and drinks at The Good Knight by BRENNAN LAWLER

Rage on Minimum Wage by HAN PARK & MARLA SEGURA

COPY EDITOR Nausheen Jivani

WRITERS Brennan Lawler Han Park Marla Segura Janna Rock Mark Lopez Joe Holloway

Catch the Blues by MARK LOPEZ

10 Grungy Fun at Emo’s by JOE HOLLOWAY

characters

arts

More than a cab ride by JESSICA BILLEAUD

12 Dancers give ‘More’ by JANNA ROCK

PHOTOGRAPHERS Derek Stout Aaron Polinard I-Hwa Cheng

editor’s note When my good friend Frankie passed the DT Weekend torch off to me, he offered minimal advice then flashed me his big, beautiful trademark grin. “There’s really not much I can tell you,” Frankie said. “It will all just come together in the end.” Despite my best efforts to prove him wrong and put myself ahead of schedule, Frankie was right. After one month of planning with my homegirlturned-associate editor Jessica, two weeks of recruiting writers and finding cool events to tell y’all about, it has all come down to the last minute. So this is my message to you, wonderful students: Enjoy your weekend to the maximum. Get out of your apartment despite the impending arctic blast and floss in your best winter swag. Put your pride aside and succumb to dirty Sixth Street ($5 liquor pitchers at Shakespeare’s on Thursday and $.25 drinks at Pure on Sunday should do you just fine) and strike up a conversation with your cab driver on the way home. Do what you do, and do it to the max, because after this weekend, academic responsibilities will seriously hinder your playtime. It will work out in the end. All good things do. Love,

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RECCOMENDATIONS 3

this week’s recommendations

by Rachel Meador and Jessica Billeaud

Fiery Furnaces

Thursday, 8 p.m. The Parish Another indie band hailing from Brooklyn, this brother-sister duo embodies everything their name denotes, making themselves fierier and odder than most. Weaving in synth-pop and experimental rock, they are known to catch fans

off guard with their live performances. Plus, you’ll be in for a treat with opening act Drug Rug’s eerie, poppy tunes. And who doesn’t love weird pop music and drama?

but Missions brings some darker disco undertones. The Austin-based group walks a fine line between the chill and the danceable.

Missions

Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m. Cap City Comedy Club Dark comedy genius Kevin Nealon descends upon

Friday, 10 p.m. The Mohawk These days electronic tracks are a dime a dozen,

Kevin Nealon

Austin for two nights, dropping dirty jokes and F-bombs. He may not have his bong in hand, like his loveable Weeds character Doug, but you never know…he may be stoned.

The Greyhounds Saturday, 8 p.m. Momo’s

If you love a good fusion of blues, jazz and funk, then look no further than The Greyhounds. This local act has been a regular on the groove scene and live performances are their forte – whether it’s instinctive head bobbing, casual foot tapping or full on ass shaking, you can’t help but move to their funky jams.

Com·mit·ment

An agreement or pledge to do something in the future. South Texas College of Law is committed to preparing students to practice law or apply their legal education strategically in their chosen professions. Sixty full-time professors and 40 adjunct professors bring professional experience and scholarly expertise into the classroom where they are dedicated to teaching and mentoring students. We offer the finest facility, located in the heart of downtown Houston, a state-of-the-art library, 30 student organizations, flexible course options, a friendly responsive administration and staff, and efficient systems and processes commited to your legal education. Full and part-time applications for Fall, 2010 and full-time applications for Spring, 2011 are now being accepted. For information regarding enrollment call the Office of Admissions 713.646.1810 or visit the website at www.stcl.edu.

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4 FOOD & DRINK

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ake a step through the heavy wooden door at The Good Knight, 1300 E. 6th St., and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll feel like youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re taking a step back in time. The small bar is reminiscent of Prohibition-era speakeasies with its dark wood interior and secluded seating arrangements. Bar manager Billy Hankey likens the atmosphere to the ambience after a good house partyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a place for just a few drinks more and a great conversation with friends. The meals are reasonably priced, between $6 and $16, and showcase the talents of chefs Christopher Concannon and Lisa Newmeyer beautifully. The small menu offers a surprising large selection of hearty American dishes, comfort-chic, featuring a hearty veal and pork meatloaf with bacon ($12), and a chicken pot pie that is always in demand ($10.50).

The pork belly confit ($12) is a rich and filling dish for the more adventurous visitorâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;pan-fried slices of slowcooked pork that melt in your mouth. For vegetarians, The Good Knight offers the savory and unique cheese and nut roast ($12), a smoky dish with crimini mushroom, walnut, cashew and gruyĂ¨re terrine and a smoked tomato sauce. Vintage cocktails like the Beeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Knees ($7), a tasty ginbased treat with flavors of lemon and honey, compliment the food and the feel of the bar perfectly. You also canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go wrong with the June Rose ($10), which is named after Hankeyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grandmother, featuring an intriguing mixture of Henrdickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cucumberinfused gin, basil and grape. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not a gin drinker, another Hankey-original, and the signature cocktail of the bar, The Good Knight ($8), is

not for the weak at heart. The cocktail is a bold combination of rye whiskey, Paulaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lemon liquor and sweet vermouth. The Good Knight also offers an extensive wine list and has six rotating beers on tap. Join The Good Knight for happy hour, 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and all day Sunday, for a $5 glass of the house wine, $1 off any draft beer and half-off selected appetizers, like the Southern classic fried tomatoes. The Good Knight serves up an eating experience all its own. The place delivers a great atmosphere, good drinks and superbly prepared food without relying on gimmicks or shortcuts. Whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for a new place to eat a good meal, or looking for a place to meet up with an old friend for drinks, swing by The Good Knightâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be glad you did. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; BRENNAN LAWLER

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FOOD & DRINK 5

Rage on Minimum Wage A COLUMN BY HAN PARK & MARLA SEGURA

ambino’s is dead. In its place is The Rooftop. Perhaps booze will be more successful than another sandwich place on the Drag. The Rooftop just opened its doors, stirring the curiosity of returning students on their daily commutes. Although it doesn’t offer daily or happy hour specials quite yet, it’s not a deal-breaker, since The

Rooftop is best at night. As the name suggests, the bar offers a cozy rooftop patio featuring a full bar, plenty of seats and a view of the University and West Campus area. As for the regular crowd, the Rooftop obviously appeals to a West Campus crowd thanks to its proximity to the area, and the bar definitely plays this up. I mean, it’s right by FIJI, so expect

the worst. The speakers play radio hits all night, the cocktails are colorful and super tasty, and there’s never a long wait to get a drink. Best of all, the sleek interior completes the modern atmosphere of the bar. Re-

ally, my biggest problem with the place is that they don’t carry Lone Star. My opinion stands that every bar in Texas should carry Long Star for one reason: Lone Star is good to drink. Overall, despite the lack

of happy hour specials and a sparse, yet to-be-expanded, bar menu, the Rooftop is a fun place for a drink. It’s not really my crowd, and the lack of Lone Star is a detractor, but the coziness of the patio brings the bar crowd.

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6 CHARACTERS

More than a cab ride PHOTO BY DEREK STOUT Austin cab driver Carl Swanson takes time to do what he does best, tell stories, at Pease Park Tuesday afternoon.

mid the yellow cars weaving throughout Austin, there is one cab whose light shines a bit brighter than the rest. Whether you’re desperately flailing your arms in the air after a drunken night downtown or anxiously awaiting your ride to the airport, when you slide open the door of the van, you’re greeted by a cheerfully mellow, “Hey there, how’ve you been?” Depending on your mood and willingness to chat, this cab ride could change your life, or at least your day. But don’t let Carl Swanson’s occupation fool you—the 55-year-old has had more experiences than you could fit in a thick novel. As his longtime friend Anthony Gray puts it, “He’s done so much in life … you really can’t make this shit up.” Carl’s life is like a slowly, unintentionally formed mound of life lesson after life lesson that defines his own guidelines for living—philosophies that seem so simple, but are hard to come by in our pessimistic world. “This is the deal: Life is what you make of the moment,” he says, his words entangling with Buffalo Springfield’s “For What it’s Worth” that’s playing at Joe’s bar, where I find Carl perched in a red leather booth in the corner. The song perfectly suits Carl’s old hippy, relaxed vibe, and this statement is just one of many philosophies peppered throughout his stories. He takes a heaping bite of meatloaf, briefly closing his eyes as a look of satisfaction washes over his face, which prompts another life lesson: “You know, the two things that trans-

port people to a better place, when they don’t try to control it, is music and good food.” With a nod of his head, he adds, “For a minute, you get to look at that person as that person really is, and they’re just happy and relaxed and they’re diggin’ the music. Same with good food, that first bite, and you can see it, they’re thinking about the food and nothing else, and they’re just happy. It’s just like all the bullshit’s stripped off.” Carl deeply values that kind of honesty and realness in people – his kind, hazel eyes make such lasting contact when he speaks that his intuition and sincerity is palpable. Carl, product of “two drunken, sarcastic people,” comes by his sardonic frankness honestly, and is visibly comfortable in his sun-worn skin. He raises his eyebrows and says, “You know what side of the bread the butter’s on with me.” Todd Price is just one of the many Austinites who has come to love Carl and his quirkiness. Two years ago, the 24-year-old was in a tight spot; he just finished filming his final project when he realized he left his car on the other side of Austin. He would be late to work, again. With a tripod strapped on his back and two large cameras hanging from his neck, Todd labored down Barton Springs Road in the scorching summer sun, pushing his bike in obvious desperation. Suddenly, a cab pulled over. Carl poked his head out of the window, shouting, “Hey, man, looks like you need some help.” Todd was relieved and astonished. With the sliding of the van’s door, the two began a

friendship. “He was just frickin’ hilarious. I was having an awful day, and he saved me,” says Todd, who instantly became one of Carl’s regular customers. Todd passed Carl’s card around among friends, saving it for those he knew would click with Carl. Referrals and regular customers make up over 80 percent of Carl’s business – he rarely needs to take calls from Yellow Cab. While Carl’s life would not be deemed “normal” by most standards, with its fair share of ups and downs, he is truly candid about it all, regretting nothing. He grew up in a small town in Connecticut and dropped out of high school at 17 to join the Army. From there, his life looks like a map a child scribbled all over; Carl likes to move around, packing up when one opportunity dries up, all the while thinking about his next possible destination and business venture. It’s a life that evolved from a lesson he learned early on: “You can either just react to what’s going on, or you can control what’s going on around you.” For now, Carl’s current gig suits him fine – he loves being a cabbie because he gets to drive around town and listen to music. And talk. “What more could you want?” he asks, with a chuckle. And so he tells his stories, many of which I’ve heard during rides downtown (in the front seat, where his usual customers prefer to sit). Once he was at the climax of a really good one, and so we drove around the block a few times so he could finish it – he didn’t charge me. Carl seamlessly weaves in detail af-

ter minute detail while telling his stories, to an extent that makes me wonder if some are slightly enhanced, but I’ve heard some stories several times and the details never change. His acute memory is an effect of his syndrome; Carl was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome several years ago. The autism spectrum disorder typically causes difficulties in social interaction and some physical and linguistic clumsiness, but it is unique from autism in that it preserves linguistic and cognitive development. For most, it’s not easily recognizable, especially not so in Carl. He doesn’t do well in big social scenes; nerves lead him to prefer to simply observe people, because, “that’s where the good shit’s at.” Fumbling his words at times, he swears the syndrome makes him a bad conversationalist, blaming Asperger’s for his eagerness to dive into stories. But again, don’t be fooled. Of his mental library of stories, one is particularly telling: As a music junkie, Carl spent plenty of time soaking up Austin’s music scene when he moved here in the late ‘90s. When he noticed there were no late-night food places in the Warehouse District, Carl again saw opportunity. Mustard’s Last Stand was the first food trailer in the area, behind Antone’s and for the next eight years, Carl enjoyed the people-watching just as much as serving his hearty hot dogs (just mustard, ketchup and relish). As he always does, Carl put his unique spin on the hotdog stand, CONTINUES ON PAGE 8

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8 CHARACTERS FROM PAGE 6 placing a gallon jar on the cart for the money – he didn’t want to dirty his hands with dollar bills. So he told people to just throw their bills in the jar and make change if they needed. But his trust never made him come up short, he explains, adding, “I’ve always felt that if you give people the opportunity to do the right thing, then they usually do, and if they don’t, that’s not on your back.” One night, this drunk guy from Amsterdam had a problem with Carl’s level of trust – he only had $1, and so Carl gave him the hot dog anyway, simply asking him to throw a couple bucks in next time. He told Carl he just couldn’t do that – no one is that trusting. “It just really freaked me out how many people were reticent about that jar,” he says, summarizing the explicative-heavy argument that ensued with the slurring man. Carl won, sarcasm as his reliable weapon. Carl recounts, “So he came back two years later and said, ‘You don’t remember me … ’ I answered, ‘Yeah, you’re that asshole from Amsterdam.’ And he continued, ‘Well I just wanted to tell you that you changed my whole outlook on life … people have

all said that I’m just happier. And nicer. Just wanted to say thanks, man.’” Instances such as these are common in the stories of Carl’s life. People notice him, remember him and end up having an urge to befriend him. It’s a certain unexplainable spark that surrounds his enlightened view on life. “I don’t think it’s ‘pay it forward,’ I think life’s about ending up where you think you want to be – like when you’re gonna die, maybe you do end up where you want,” he says softly. “Life’s what you make of it.” And so Carl is a cab driver now, but as for his next possible venture, he’s thinking about starting a free-range chicken farm in the Hill Country. As he explains his current dream of a quiet life with some chickens in the hills, he giggles as he acknowledges how “batty” he must sound. But he just shrugs his shoulders, in that “Aw, shucks” manner that cloaks his wisdom. With no trace of arrogance in his voice, he says, “If you know who you are, then you are truly liberated,” in a matter-of-fact manner that tells me he’s one of those rare people who has long-since known exactly who he is. — JESSICA BILLEAUD

MUSIC 9

Catch the blues B

acked by a cello and guitar, Grace Rowlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s voice emanates from a deep place, containing a soulful and dynamic twinge that is not often heard on the airwaves. The Blue Hit, an Austin band, has been gaining momentum and good criticism in the last two years for its classical, yet soulful approach to music. The event that brought this threesome together was the Kerrville Folk Festival, in

which cellist David Moss said he met singer Grace Rowland as she was coming out of her shell. Already crashing on a couch with guitarist John McGee, the three came together and started writing songs. However, Rowland had a slightly more unorthodox launch into the art of writing and recording music. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was having a bad mushroom trip, and I was in the middle of nowhere with a small group of friends,â&#x20AC;? Row-

land says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I started to feel really anxious, a friend of mine said to play a song, so I did, and I started to feel a lot better. I noticed that my stress level went down, and then I started to write more music and play with bands.â&#x20AC;? From this chance meeting, the band has already played over 400 shows within the past two years, and has recorded its first full-length album, Move In, which was released in May 2009 and was built on their EP from summer 2008. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel really good about the recognition,â&#x20AC;? McGee says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the music business, you really have to pay your dues, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cool to finally see all this hard work pay off.â&#x20AC;?

FREE PARKING IN THE DOBIE GARAGE /ZZ AV]ea $ EWbV 1]ZZSUS 7 2 eee ZO\R[O`YbVSOb`Sa Q][

PHOTO BY AARON POLINARD Local groovy group, The Blue Hit, formed over an odd chance meeting. They play at Stubbâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bar-B-Q Saturday.

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The members, whose influences range from Radiohead to Sufjan Stevens, describes their sound as simple, melodic and very orchestrated. However, with a second album in the near future, the band would like to expand its sound by adding a string section and possibly drums on some of the tracks. The Blue Hitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vibe is very What: The Blue Hit Where: Stubbâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s When: Saturday, 9pm Tickets: $8

minimalist, yet cool and intelligent. The smoky, sultry feel evoked by the combination of cello, guitar and vocals will surely satisfy both the folk music lover and the blues aficionado. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; MARK LOPEZ

10 MUSIC

Grungy fun at Emo’s

Local band Full Service is ‘primed to slay’

uppose the reggaerock band 311 bumped into the indie-jam band Dispatch on the street. The two begin to date and before too long, the relationship results in the birth of a child. Now suppose that child is walking along one sunny day, growing out a nice set of dreadlocks and hum-

ming “whoa, amber is the color of your energy,” when he falls into a dark pit in which a heavy-metal band lives. The band holds him hostage for years, teaching him in the ways of “shredding” and “facemelting” before he finally escapes, a mesh of all three. This child is Austin’s very own Full Service, and the band

will be opening for the Sublime cover band Badfish and Scotty Don’t at 8 p.m. Sunday at Emo’s. “If it’s anything like the last show we had with Badfish, it’ll be bad ass,” said Full Service drummer and vocalist David Kepner, better known by his nickname Hoagman. “There was a huge crowd last time.” The show is the first that Full Service has played in Austin since early December and is part of its first tour since November. Hoagman says the band is ready to get back to playing live gigs and touring with Badfish. “Everybody loves Badfish. We’re just riding the coattails,” he said. “But it’s different here because we bring out all our Austin fans. So it’s like a double whammy. It’s the Badfish fans, then our fans come, and it’s this huge show.” Pat Downs, singer and guitarist for Badfish and Scotty Don’t, which are composed of the same people, only Scotty Don’t plays originals while Badfish covers Sublime, seemed equally excited in a phone interview. “The fun part about Austin is it’s a music town. People are always there to listen and have fun. The crowd is very receptive and is defFull Service, a local band formed upon guitar shreds and crowd surfs, team up with Badfish and Scotty Don’t Saturday night at Emo’s.

PHOTO BY I-HWA CHENG

initely there to experience the show to its fullest potential,” Downs said. “I feel like it makes us play better. I always love going back to Austin.” Full Service guitarist, vocalist and Hoagman’s brother, Bonesaw, said he’s particularly excited about the show at Emo’s because he’ll be playing on the same stage that his favorite band has played on. “The only concert I’ve ever been there to see was Mastadon. I’ll get to play on the same stage they played on,” he said. “That show’s going to be really cool because, unlike the other venues on this tour, it’s super grungy.” Downs echoed that sentiment. “The whole half-indoor, half-outdoor, cement floor, dirty stage thing is awesome,” he said. “It’s fun to be in a nice, polished up beautiful theater but it’s really nice to go back to the nitty-gritty.” Bonesaw indicated that the proximity of the fans to the stage at Emo’s might allow him to get creative with his stage diving and crowd surfing. “He just got this surfboard. I was thinking maybe we could actually crowd surf with a surfboard,” Hoagman said. “Doesn’t that make sense? It’s easier to hold somebody and you don’t hurt anybody be-

cause it’s a flat surface.” Bonesaw said he’d be up for the stunt. “The last time, I just had the board on stage” he said. “I’m going to do it. It’d be really sick to do it while shredding a solo.” In addition to crowd surfing antics, the band will also debut its cover of the Beach Boys song “Surfer Girl,” featuring full four-part harmonies. “It’s been a freaking nightmare to rehearse. It’s very confusing, all the movements. It’s sort of an old style. It’s awesome practice. It’s definitely elevated our game. This is like the apex of my harmony execution,” Hoagman said before turning to his brother. “Also I think for ‘Surfer Girl’ we should invite a girl on stage and serenade her. You’ve got to bring the surfboard out.” Full Service will also have some brand new items on sale for the first time during the tour including a live DVD and a compilation album for fans new to the band. The Austin show promises to rock. “We’re so psyched about it. We haven’t had one in a while. We feel like we haven’t been at bat in too long, and we’re ready to get back at the plate,” Hoagman said. “We’re totally primed to slay.” — JOE HOLLOWAY

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12 ARTS

Dancers give Austin ‘More’ Philly dance company digs deeper P

What: Headlong Dance Theatre Where: Center for the Performing Arts When: Friday and Saturday, 8pm Tickets: Tickets available through Danceumbrella.com or by calling 512-450-0456. Web site: www.headlong.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF HEADLONG DANCE Headlong Dance Theater are bringing their newest show to Austin via Philadelphia. The contemporary, avante garde group has a strong reputation as innovators of dance performance.

personal awareness, could possibly make of it all. “[What is] interesting to me is the reality of the body in the present, how incredibly mundane things like getting a text message and putting on deodorant are seconds away from monumental thoughts and decisions about relationships and life events,” Simonet said. “This work is defined by an amazing and complex layering of the mundane and monumental. No story wins, and the progression exists in

the way things are changing and the way things go away.” Headlong collaborated on this project with sought-after choreographer Tere O’Connor, who is an accomplished industry leader noted for his dynamic choreography and distinguished philosophic view on dance. The production of “More” drove the three artistic directors far beyond their comfort zones. Rather than beginning their collaboration immediately, as they were ac-

customed to doing, O’Connor instructed them to work independently, top secretly, even, with the same cast of dancers before bringing it all together. Can you say, “potluck?” “Tere has an emphatic thing were he wants an artist to let the images and ideas emerge from movement rather than predetermining them,” Simonet said. “This was a chance to let each artist do their own work, and it cast a sort of secret shadow onto the piece.” O’Connor’s involvement ulILLUSTRATION BY Joe Holloway and Durt Darden

hiladelphia’s Headlong Dance Theater will serve up quite the dose of experimental virtuosity at The Rollins Studio at The Long Center for the Performing Arts this weekend with its most recent work, “More.” Headlong is revered as a leader in avant-garde, collaborative and brash performance, and its newest piece upholds that reputation. The company makes an austere bound with “More,” as its creative process led to material that is “darker and stranger” than anything it has ever presented, according to codirector Andrew Simonet. At this point in his 17-year collaborative career with co-directors David Brick and Amy Smith, Simonet couldn’t be livelier. “Dance has so much to give people, I think it’s a really generous and nourishing thing. Part of the humor and lightness on our part is to make connections to bring people close to our work. To show that there’s not some secret you have to know to understand dance,” said Simonet. “This piece tries to show something that is difficult to talk about — how being in a body is both exhilarating and boring, and so many things at once.” “More” offers a unique perspective of sensibility as it meanders through the nuances of daily life and sheds light on what we humans, with our

timately presented Simonet, who made the final technical decisions, with an unusually structured piece in which sensitive “trial and error” was the only option for its resolution. “ T h e c u l m i n a t i o n wa s tough to find because you could change one thing, and it would all be different,” Simonet said. “The layering is very delicate and hard to figure out, but we eventually found it.” The company’s mission statement concludes with the aim to “dance [their] way into the blind spots and hot spots of our strange times,” and that’s what they have done. Works from Headlong’s cannon have been hailed by critics to be smart, hilarious, bright, fiendishly inventive, charming and nothing short of remarkable, among other notable testaments to this company’s lasting wit, impact and ingénue. Their work remains “broad enough for different experiences” and has the capacity to incite a range from “dead silence” to “raucous laughter and applause in the middle of the performance, sort of like the 10 pirouette moment in a ballet,” Simonet said. Andrew Simonet warns the audience not to expect “slapyour-knee funny.” However, he divulges that the company hasn’t given up the humor in “More,” which lurks in the corners and leans more toward the bizarre. This weekend’s audience should look forward to a performance “more like a David Lynch movie — but with the music of Doris Day.” — JANNA ROCK