The Daily Texan 1-30-12 by The Daily Texan

THE DAILY TEXAN Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900

ON THE WEB For a closer look at the Chinese New Year celebration, watch this video:

bit.ly/dt_newyear

Austin Cake Ball cooks up latest confectionary craze LIFE&ARTS p.12 >> Breaking news, blogs and more: www.dailytexanonline.com

THE WEEK AHEAD TODAY The SEC hosts ‘Winter Wonderland’

The Student Events Center is hosting a Winter Wonderland Party complete with ice-skating, arts and crafts. The event is from 3-9 p.m. at the Gregory Gym Plaza and is free with a UT student ID.

TUESDAY UT ensemble performs at the Blanton From noon-1 p.m. on Tuesday, The Bach Cantata are performing at the Blanton Museum of Art, featuring the music of Bach’s “Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin BWV 125.” Admission is free for museum members, UT students and faculty.

WEDNESDAY Scientist Discusses Trends in Meth, Drug Use

Dr. Jane Maxwell discusses findings from her National Institute on Drug Abuse funded study on methamphetamine users and other substance abuse. The lecture will be from 12:30-1:30 p.m. at the School of Social Work (SSW) 2.132.

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State requires students to get meningitis vaccine By Reihaneh Hajibeigi Daily Texan Staff

State legislation passed in June 2011 requires all university students in Texas to provide meningitis vaccination documents to their institution by Jan. 31 or face being barred from class registration.

Meningitis is an infection that affects the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, or meninges. Because of how close to the brain and spinal chord the disease can occur, it can be potentially life threatening. Dr. Theresa Spalding, University Health Services medical director, said this preventive measure is for the pro-

tection of students. “While anybody can get the disease, it’s more common in some ages, including people in their late teens and early twenties,” Spalding said. “Densely populated environments can also increase the risk of transmission.” The meningococcal meningi-

tis vaccine is offered by UHS for $190 for students with health insurance and $133 for students without health insurance. University officials allow some students to be exempted from this requirement, including those with serious allergic reactions to the vaccine, students who have turned 30 by the

first day of the semester and students who present any religious reason. Spalding said there are risks to all vaccines, but there is no known risk of serious harm or death resulting from getting the meningococcal vaccine.

VACCINE continues on PAGE 2

Tour tells of UT’s discrimination By Samuel Liebl Daily Texan Staff

An inscription next to the Littlefield Fountain honoring the Confederacy is one example of the University’s racist legacy, Edmund Gordon, professor of African and African diaspora studies explained on an Occupy UT-sponsored tour. Gordon led about 30 students around campus in an effort to display UT’s racist heritage. Gordon led the students to Littlefield House, the South Mall, San Jacinto Dormitory, Darrel K. Royal Stadium, the Texas Cowboys Pavilion, Creekside Dormitory and Robert Lee Moore Hall. “The purpose of this tour is to point out the neo-Confederate aspects of UT’s history and geography,” said Gordon. Gordon said the University’s geography and history of racism are products of the time period when it was founded in 1883. “The University came into being during a particular time, and its initial kind of build-out and conceptualization was done at a time when racial issues were really coming to the fore,” Gordon said. “Privileged and elite white folks felt like vindicating the Confederacy and what the Confederacy stood for.”

RACISM continues on PAGE 2

Ty Hardin | Daily Texan Staff

Dr. Edmund Gordon, African and African diaspora studies professor, leads students and faculty on a tour highlighting periods of racism at UT Friday morning. Stops along the way included statues of Confederate soldiers, Littlefield Fountain and Darrel K. Royal Stadium.

Former UT student plans mayoral run

1-3 a.m. DIY or Die!

By Kayla Jonsson Daily Texan Staff

DIY or Die focuses on the UK “cassette”, an underground movement that saw the beginnings of DIY music and the newfound accessibility to making music without the expenses of the traditional studio and record label.

7-9 a.m. Songs for Old Hannah

A metapysically concocted witches’ brew of the American folk tradition and all its strange and wonderful outcroppings.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Elisabeth Dillon | Daily Texan Staff

Nicholas Lucier, who is two classes short of graduating from UT, plans to run for mayor of Austin in May.

Inspired by his experiences with courts and the law, 25 year-old Nicholas Lucier said he will run for mayor of Austin this May. Lucier however, has almost always been on the wrong side of the law in court, he said. After about seven arrests involving drug and alcohol possession since he was 18, Lucier now has too many probation fines and cannot afford to take the last two classes required to graduate from UT with a government degree. He said he is running for mayor to prevent past drug problems from ruining a person’s life, including his own.

“We are ruining lives by putting people in jail that can’t afford to pay for probation,” Lucier said. “They lose their homes trying to pay the fines, all because they put a substance in their body. My dad doesn’t even tell me what I can and can’t put in my body anymore, so the government shouldn’t be able to either.” Lucier started a satirical political party on Facebook called the Mushroom Tea Party, which supports legalization of all drugs. Lucier said because the party’s numbers have been increasing steadily, he believes he has a chance of winning a run for office. “I want to make this

MAYOR continues on PAGE 2

Student debt incites debate Cornyn talks By Liz Farmer Daily Texan Staff

WATCH TStv ON CHANNEL 15 9:00 p.m. KVR News

Which canidate is the favorite among UT students in the Republican primary? We give yppu the inside scopp on a new candy store on the Drag, and everything you need to know about West Campus living.

President Barack Obama proposed incentive-based federal aid in which more affordable colleges receive more aid. UT President William Powers Jr. said the plan is sound, but kinks need to be worked out to ensure consideration for the expense of maintaining a top research university like UT. Obama spoke about higher education reform in his State of the Union address on Jan. 24 and delved into more specific plans at the University of Michigan on Jan. 27. The president requested an increased federal aid incentive plan for colleges to keep tuition rates at a reasonable level. Part of the proposed plan includes increasing cam-

pus-based aid, which would mainly expand the Perkins Loan Program, so colleges with better contained tuition rates would receive more federal funding. “If you can’t stop tuition from going up, then the funding you get from taxpayers each year will go down,” Obama said. “We should push colleges to do better. We should hold them accountable if they don’t.” Obama said graduates in 2010 who took out loans owed an average of $24,000 and is suggesting that Congress approve low interest rates for student loan borrowers. “Student loan debt has now surpassed credit card debt for

TUITION continues on PAGE 2

national debt Editors note: Go online to dailytexanonline.com for the complete interview. By Andrew Messamore Daily Texan Staff

On Friday, Sen. John Cornyn RTexas spoke with UT law students at the LBJ School of Public Affairs about the problems posed by the public debt for the U.S. The Daily Texan sat down with Senator Cornyn to discuss how these problems could affect higher education at UT and elsewhere. Daily Texan: Why did you feel it was important to warn UT law students about the debt crisis? Sen. John Cornyn: Because stu-

Jorge Corona | Daily Texan Staff

Senator John Cornyn at the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

dents are going to have to pay the and see the sovereign debt crises bill. [The debt is] roughly $48,000 over there. The bills are stacking up per every man, woman and child in and creditors are doubting whether America right now, and all we need to do to see where this is going is to CORNYN continues on PAGE 2 look across the Atlantic at Europe

news

Monday, January 30, 2012

MAYOR continues from PAGE 1

The Daily Texan Volume 112, number 105

election interesting and bring attention to the mayoral election,” Lucier said. “The Mushroom Tea Party will definitely bring some young people into the polls.” Lucier has not raised any money for his campaign because he said money is not necessary to be mayor. “It’s going to be so funny when I win mayor with no money after these other candidates have been wasting so much time trying to gain money for their campaign,” Lucier said. Lucier said he only had to fill out a few forms to start his run for mayor, but he must still receive signatures and sponsors before his name can appear on a ballot. “It’s really out of my hands,” he said. “I’m just spreading a message and if people like it they should get out and support it.” Mayor Lee Leffingwell plans to run for re-election this year and looks forward to campaigning against a wide variety of candidates, Leffingwell’s campaign consultant, Mark Littlefield said.

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TUITION continues from PAGE 1

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the first time ever,” Obama said. “That’s inexcusable.” Obama also made appeals to double the number of work-study jobs over the next five years and create a college scorecard of financial information about colleges to be readily available to families. “We want to push more information out so consumers can make good choices, so you as consumers of higher education understand what it is that you’re getting,” Obama said. Powers said Obama’s performance-based funding model is

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The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely. I f we have made an error, let us know about it. Call (512) 232-2217 or e-mail managingeditor@dailytexanonline.com.

COPYRIGHT Copyright 2011 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.

TOMORROW’S WEATHER High

Low

You can drop stories, not sass.

VACCINE continues from PAGE 1 Many students do not see this requirement as a problem. Freshman business major Keyana Hemyari said while she doesn’t care for needles, she would rather get a shot than deal with the possible consequences of contracting something as dangerous as meningitis. “It’s really no issue,” Hemyari said. “I really hate shots but I’ve been told how dangerous meningitis can be, so I will gladly take the shot over getting the infection.” Spalding said the chance for treating and surviving meningitis with no permanent damage is rare once it is already contracted. Approximately 10 to 15 percent of people who get the meningococcal disease will die even if they get treated, and 11 to 19 percent of survivors

THE DAILY TEXAN

This newspaper was printed with pride by The Daily Texan and Texas Student Media.

Permanent Staff

Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viviana Aldous Associate Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matthew Daley, Shabab Siddiqui, Susannah Jacob, Samantha Katsounas Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Audrey White Associate Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aleksander Chan News Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jillian Bliss Associate News Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Victoria Pagan, Colton Pence, Nick Hadjigeorge Senior Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kayla Jonsson, Sarah White, Liz Farmer, Jody Serrano Enterprise Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matt Stottlemyre, Huma Munir, Megan Strickland Copy Desk Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elyana Barrera Associate Copy Desk Chiefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alexandra Feuerman, Arleen Lopez, Klarissa Fitzpatrick Wire Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Austin Myers Design Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Benavides Senior Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nicole Collins, Bobby Blanchard, Betsy Cooper Special Projects Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Simonetta Nieto Multimedia Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ryan Edwards Multimedia Associate Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jackie Kuenstler, Lawrence Peart, Fanny Trang Senior Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Thomas Allison, Elizabeth Dillon, Shannon Kintner, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rebeca Rodriguez, Zachary Strain Senior Videographers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Demi Adejuyigbe, David Castaneda, Jorge Corona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ashley Dillard, Andrea Macias-Jimenez Life&Arts Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Katie Stroh Associate Life&Arts Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christopher Nguyen Senior Life&Arts Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jessica Lee, Anju Mehta, Eli Watson, Alex Williams Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sameer Bhuchar Associate Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Christian Corona Senior Sports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nick Cremona, Austin Laymance, Lauren Giudice, Chris Hummer Comics Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ao Meng Associate Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Victoria Grace Elliot Web Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ryan Sanchez Senior Web Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William Snyder, Stefanie Schultz Associate Web Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hayley Fick Editorial Adviser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Doug Warren

Issue Staff

Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Leffler, Samuel Liebl, Syvlia Butanda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tracy Frydberg, Christina Noriega, Reihaneh Hajibeigi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Riki Tsuji, Nick Gregg, Anne Le Tomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ben Parker, Wes Haynie, Jessica Duong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Numa Dhamani, Dae Hyun Jin, Brittany Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Starr, ChinLin Pan, Andreina Velasquez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michaela Holt, Simon Qumsiyeh, Bicente Gutierrez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paige Herriman, Sara Brenner, Sharla Biefeld

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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, Monday through Friday, during the regular academic year and is published twice weekly during the summer semester. The Daily Texan does not publish during academic breaks and most Federal Holidays. and exam periods. Periodical Postage Paid at Austin, TX 78710. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Daily Texan, P.O. Box D, Austin, TX 78713. 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. classified display advertising, call 471-1865. For classified word advertising, call 471-5244. Entire contents copyright 2011 Texas Student Media.

By Andrew Messamore Daily Texan Staff

Elisabeth Dillon | Daily Texan staff

Mayoral candidate Nicholas Lucier, right, eats lunch with his friend Zander Lampkin last Thursday. Lucier created a political party on Facebook that supports the legalization of drugs to attract young voters.

“Anything anyone can do to improve voter turnout is a good thing no matter who wins or loses,” Littlefield said. “We want young people to get involved, so this is perfect.”

Student Government President Natalie Butler, said she does not know much about Lucier and the policies he supports, but she is always happy to see young people get

involved with politics. “The more young people involved in political conversations, the better,” Butler said. “Everyone benefits from having young people engaged.”

sound and includes approaches implemented at UT. He said the model’s success would depend on the implementation and the measurements used to determine how much funding to allocate to various colleges. Powers said the model should include multiple, carefully chosen measurements. “If the only metric used is tuition for distributing resources, then across the nation the Perkins loans would go to community colleges,” Powers said. Powers said the University responded to the $92 million in state cuts with a dramatically lower tuition proposal than most of the University’s peer institutions. Powers submitted a recommendation on Dec. 15 to increase tuition by the larg-

est amount allowed by the UT System. He said he does not know how much of an increase the recommendation would have been without the System directives, but it would have been modest. “We would have still been very concerned with cost,” Powers said. Powers said it is important to keep in mind that it is not just about cost, but about the value of the education. “We want as low of cost, as high of quality education,” Powers said. Beverly Moreno, communications sciences and disorders senior, said the incentives program to give more federal aid to cheaper colleges sounds nice on paper, but it is not as simple as it is presented. “I can’t say let’s punish our

schools that hike up prices,” Moreno said. “I know there are a lot of details out there that result in higher tuition cost.” Moreno said as a student with a work-study job, Obama’s focus on increasing work-study impressed her. “I think that’s a great thing to be able to work and put yourself through college,” Moreno said. She said anything the federal government can do to lessen the necessity of student loans is a good thing, especially given the dismal job market. “Loans are necessary, but it’d be nice to have more of a guarantee that we’re going to be able to pay those back and not regret it,” Moreno said.

will lose fingers, toes, arms or legs. People with meningitis are also at risk of permanent nervous system problems including seizures, diminished cognitive abilities and hearing loss. Newly admitted students to UT are not required to submit documentation as part of their admission process, but non-compliance will prevent students from registering for classes, according to University Health Services website. Because students living on campus were required to show proper documentation of their immunizations before moving in at the start of the term, they will not be affected by the Jan. 31 deadline. Laurie Mackey, administrative services director with the Division of Housing and Food Services, said all students will need to comply with this state-mandated law. “If they do not have their vaccine and are not allowed to attend school, they may no longer live on campus,” Mackey said. SKI SPRING BREAK 2012! breckenridge

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CORNYN continues from PAGE 1 these governments can actually pay their debt. Obviously, this is creating a lot of turmoil there, a recession right now and it could very well spill into the United States. DT: How would the debt crisis affect the quality and availability of higher education in the U.S. if left unsolved? Sen. Cornyn: It’s going to reduce the amount of money that we can spend on anything, including education. [The debt is a result] of a lot of things the federal government does, for example, the expansion of Medicaid availability from 100 percent of poverty to 133 percent of poverty. That’s a shared state/federal bill and what it does is put $27 billion of unfunded liabilities on the state government, crowding out other priorities such as education. DT: Does decreasing federal spending to resolve the debt mean that the federal government will have to find new ways to support public education? Sen. Cornyn: I think budgeting is all about priorities. Clearly education is a priority. Most of it is funded at the state level, about 90 percent for K-12, and as you know a lot of students have to borrow money to fund their education. The President talked about that at his State of the Union. The problem is that education funding should be a priority, but there are

a lot of things we are spending money on now that could be spent on education and other priorities. DT: Is there a role that the government needs to take to ensure that education remains inclusive? Especially in a state like Texas, which has a quickly growing population? Sen. Cornyn: I would say we need to do a better job in reaching out to everybody in making sure that education is available to all. We have challenges, the drop out rate and things like that, but we can create a great system of community colleges that teach skills that are necessary for jobs that exist, but for which there’s not a quality, trained workforce. This needs to remain at the top of our list of priorities. DT: What advice do you have for students preparing for jobs in an economy projected to have notably lower growth outcomes than the previous generation? Sen. Cornyn: Well I would say don’t accumulate any more debt. Unfortunately, the federal government took over all student loans in 2010, and this summer will start charging 6.8 percent on those loans. The cost of those loans is actually much lower, and the government is using the cost from those loans to fund other programs, like the health care bill. It doesn’t seem quite fair that students should have to bear that additional cost. I would say look for opportunities to complete your formal education in a shorter rather than a longer period of time.

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Power was restored to downtown by 8:15 a.m. Sunday after a cascading transformer failure caused Sixth Street and the surrounding area to lose power for 12 hours Saturday night. The blackout started when underground power lines overloaded after a transformer near 10th Street and Congress Avenue failed and a transformer near Ninth Street and Congress Avenue caught on fire, according to a statement by Austin Energy. An area from Congress Avenue to Red River Street and 12th Street to 5th Street was affected by about 8:30 p.m., and grew larger by 11:30 p.m. By 2:00 a.m. All of the businesses on Sixth Street had lost power and people were filling the streets, said co-owner of B. D. Riley’s Irish Pub Steve Basile. “Two a.m. looked like a zombie apocalypse, a lot of people going out into the streets, and there was just not another light to be seen,” Basile said. “The outage was very spotty. When it started, the north side of Sixth between Brazos and San Jacinto was completely affected, and by midnight, it was dark everywhere. It clearly rolled like a wave and spread farther along.” Basile said the people at his pub did not panic when the power went out, and “chilled and had another round” while using their cell phones as flashlights to light tables and order drinks. “The band lost power because their amps went out, but the singer knew how to play fiddle, so they played a few songs acoustically and people stayed,” Basile said. Kimberly Beckham, general manager at the Alamo Drafthouse Ritz, said theatre-goers were determined to make the best of the blackout. “We were at the tail-end of our Master Pancake show when the power went out,” Beckham said. “They are local guys that play movies and then lampoon them for your enjoyment, and what was actually very cool is that they decided to act out the rest of the movie with the help of audience members who lit the stage with their cell phones. Fortunately, we were really prepared. I just hope that everyone else on Sixth Street was safe.”

RACISM continues from PAGE 1

The South Mall contains numerous references to the Old South, Gordon said, including statues of Confederate leaders that flank the west side of the lawn. “The truth becomes revealed when you spread the branches,” he said. Amy Rattananinad, anthropology senior and Occupy UT member, said Occupy UT organized the event to raise awareness about UT’s history and to promote racial equality. English graduate student and Occupy UT member Trevor Hoag, said Occupy UT’s larger goal includes putting an end to racism and racial inequality. “The Occupy movement as a whole began at its instantiation as a movement for economic justice,” Hoag said. “But questions of economic justice and racial justice are intertwined.” Hoag said UT’s ever increasing tuition prevents people from many middle and lower-class families from attending the University. “Who are those families? Well, they’re disproportionately people of color,” said Hoag. “By creating financial barriers, you’re creating race barriers.” Rattananinad, who helped organize the event, said she wants the symbols of the Confederacy remaining on campus to be removed. “We definitely don’t want to keep glorifying racists on campus,” she said. However, Gordon said he found it important to preserve and study these images and symbols rather than getting rid of them. “I am one who is not for erasing those things,” he said. “We need to leave the history intact in its embodied form,” he said. “To deny the past and its importance to the present is to deny the truth.”

World&NatioN

Monday, January 30, 2012 | The Daily Texan | Austin Myers, Wire Editor | dailytexanonline.com

Goals for universities proposed by Obama test some presidents

NEWS BRIEFLY Chavez will nationalize banks that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t support agriculture CARACAS, Venezuela â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez warned private banks on Sunday that he will consider nationalizing any that refuse to finance agricultural projects promoted by his government. Banks are required by law i n Ve ne z u el a to prov i d e at least 10 percent of their lendi n g t o f i n a n c e g ov e r n m e nt development projects. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The private banks that do not comply with the constitution and their duty, well, I do not have any problem nationalizing them,â&#x20AC;? Chavez said during his weekly radio and television program. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We must ensure the constitution and laws are complied with!â&#x20AC;? Chavez charged that the rules arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t being followed by some of Venezuelaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest private banks â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Banesco, Banco Mercantil and Banco Provincial, which is controlled by Spainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria. Chavez singled out the president of Banesco, Juan Carlos Escotet, ordering him to lend more to Venezuelaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cash-strapped farmers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you cannot do it, give me your bank,â&#x20AC;? Chavez said, prompt i ng appl aus e f rom a crowd of government officials and supporters. A bill approved last year by Chavezâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s allies in the National Assembly describes banking as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;public serviceâ&#x20AC;? and gives the government the authority to declare banks to be of â&#x20AC;&#x153;public utility,â&#x20AC;? which paves the way for state nationalizations.

Occupy Oakland takes City Hall, police arrest 400 by midnight Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s note: Figures released later by Oakland police place the number arrested closer to 400. OAKLAND, Calif. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Oakland police say they arrested a total of about 150 people Saturday as protesters spent a portion of the day trying to get into a vacant convention center, and later broke into City Hall and tried to occupy a YMCA. Police spokesman Jeff Thomason says most of the arrests came around 8 p.m. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s when police took about 100 protesters into custody as they marched t h r o u g h t h e c i t y â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s d o w n town, wit h s ome enter ing a YMCA building. Ab o u t 2 0 d e m o n s t r a t o r s were arrested earlier in the afternoon, after police say they threw rocks, bottles and other objects at officers and tore down fencing. Police say three officers were injured. Officers used tear gas and â&#x20AC;&#x153;f lashâ&#x20AC;? grenades on the protesters after they refused to leave.

Compiled from Associated Press reports

â&#x2122;˛

By Kimberly Hefling The Associated Press

Vahid Salemi | Associated Press

At Imam Khomeini airport in Tehran, Iran, demonstrators held posters and photos of assassinated scientist Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, killed in an explosion last month, awaiting delegates from the International Atomic Energy Organization.

Nuclear inspectors head to Iran By Ali Akbar Dareini The Associated Press

TEHRAN, Iran â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Iranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foreign minister expressed optimism Sunday that a visit by U.N. inspectors to Iranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nuclear facilities would produce an understanding, despite world concerns that Iran is trying to build nuclear weapons. The three-day inspection tour by the International Atomic Energy Agency team comes during spiking tension. The West is imposing new sanctions to try to force Iran to slow or halt its nuclear program, and Iran is threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil passage, in retaliation. Visiting Ethiopia, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi appeared to be trying to defuse the crisis. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are very optimistic about the mission and the outcomeâ&#x20AC;? of the IAEA mission, Salehi was quoted as saying by Iranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s semiofficial Mehr news agency. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always tried to put transparency as a principle in our co-

operation with IAEA,â&#x20AC;? Salehi said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;During this visit, the delegation has questions and the necessary answers will be given.â&#x20AC;? The findings from the visit could greatly influence the direction and urgency of U.S.-led efforts to rein in Iranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to enrich uranium â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which Washington and allies fear could eventually produce weaponsgrade material. Iran has declined to abandon its enrichment labs, but claims it seeks to fuel reactors only for energy and medical research. The team is likely to visit an underground enrichment site near the holy city of Qom, 80 miles south of Tehran, which is carved into a mountain as protection from possible airstrikes. Earlier this month, Iran said it had begun enrichment work at the site, which is far smaller than the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main uranium labs but is reported to have more advanced equipment. The U.N. nuclear agency delegation includes two senior weapons experts â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Jacques Baute of France and Neville Whiting of South Af-

rica â&#x20AC;&#x201D; suggesting that Iran may be prepared to address some issues related to the allegations that it seeks nuclear warheads. In unusually blunt comments ahead of his arrival, the IAEAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Deputy Director General Herman Nackaerts â&#x20AC;&#x201D; who is in charge of the agencyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Iran file â&#x20AC;&#x201D; said he wants Tehran to â&#x20AC;&#x153;engage us on all concerns.â&#x20AC;? Iran has refused to discuss the alleged weapons experiments for three years, saying they are based on â&#x20AC;&#x153;fabricated documentsâ&#x20AC;? provided by a â&#x20AC;&#x153;few arrogant countriesâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a phrase authorities in Iran often use to refer to the United States and its allies. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking forward to the start of a dialogue,â&#x20AC;? Nackaerts told reporters at Vienna airport. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A dialogue that is overdue since very long.â&#x20AC;? In a sign of the tensions that surround Iranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disputed nuclear program, a dozen Iranian hard-liners carrying photos of slain nuclear expert Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan were waiting at Tehranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Imam Khomeini airport early Sunday.

WASHINGTON â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Fuzzy math, Illinois State Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s president called it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Political theater of the worst sort,â&#x20AC;? said the University of Washingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head. President Barack Obamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new plan to force colleges and universities to contain tuition or face losing federal dollars is raising alarm among education leaders who worry about the threat of government overreach. Particularly sharp words came from the presidents of public universities; theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re already frustrated by increasing state budget cuts. The reality, said Illinois Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Al Bowman, is that simple changes cannot easily overcome deficits at many public schools. He said he was happy to hear Obama, in a speech Friday at the University of Michigan, urge state-level support of public universities. But, Bowman said, given the decreases in state aid, tying federal support to tuition prices is a product of fuzzy math. Illinois has lowered public support for higher education by about one-third over the past decade when adjusted for inflation. Illinois State, with 21,000 students, has raised tuition almost 47 percent since 2007, from $6,150 a year for an in-state undergraduate student to $9,030. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most people, including the president, assume if universities were simply more efficient they would be able to operate with much smaller state subsidies, and I believe there

President Barack Obama speaks at the University of Michiganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Al Glick Field House on Friday in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Figures show a recovering labor market By Christopher Rugaber The Associated Press

WASHINGTON â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Businesses are growing more confident in the economy, investing in more equipment and laying off fewer workers. Government figures on manufacturing and unemployment claims released Thursday raised hopes on the eve of a report on how much the economy grew in the October-December quarter. Still, 2011 ended up as the worst year on record for newhome sales, a reminder that the economy has a long way to go. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Business optimism seems to be picking up, which is critical to the growth and com-

petitiveness of the U.S. economy over the long haul,â&#x20AC;? said Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial. That growth was evident after construction giant Caterpillar said its fourth-quarter profit jumped 60 percent. The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest maker of construction and mining equipment also issued 2012 guidance above Wall Street predictions. Factories are busier in large part because businesses are ordering more communication equipment, industrial machinery and autos. Economists pay close attention to demand for such core capital goods, which are considered a good proxy for business investment plans.

are certainly efficiency gains that can be realized,â&#x20AC;? Bowman said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But they pale in comparison to the loss in state support.â&#x20AC;? Bowman said the undergraduate experience can be made cheaper, but there are trade-offs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You could hire mostly parttime, adjunct faculty. You could teach in much larger lecture halls, but the things that would allow you achieve the greatest levels of efficiency would dilute the product and would make it something I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be willing to be part of,â&#x20AC;? he said. At Washington, President Mike Young said Obama showed he did not understand how the budgets of public universities work. Young said the total cost to educate college students in his state, which is paid for by both tuition and state government dollars, has gone down because of efficiencies on campus. While universities are tightening costs, the state is cutting their subsidies and authorizing tuition increases to make up for the loss. Obamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan would need approval by Congress, a hard s e l l i n a n at m o s p h e re of partisan gridlock. In his State of the Union address Tuesday, Obama described meeting with university presidents who explained how some schools curtailed costs through technology and redesigning courses to help students finish more quickly. He said more schools need to take such steps.

The increase offered some reassurance about the status of the recovery. On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve cited the decline while warning that the economy remains vulnerable. Af te r s e e i ng t he gove r n mentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s report, some economists said those concerns may have been premature. Companies are also laying off fewer workers, which has some economists optimistic about job growth in January. Weekly applications rose last week to a seasonally adjusted 377,000. But that followed a week in which they fell to near a four-year low. And the longer-term trend is pointing to a healthier job market.

Haraz N. Ghanbari Associated Press

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Monday, January 30, 2012 | The Daily Texan | Viviana Aldous, Editor-in-Chief | (512) 232-2212 | editor@dailytexanonline.com

Quotes to note From UT President William Powers Jr.’s response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address to the proposed electric rate changes, the following quotes are among the best from the last few days.

“If we are going to take any kind of money, certainly tax dollars, with an idea that we’re actually trying to accomplish some things with that, we’d better pay attention to: are we actually accomplishing those things?” — UT President William Powers Jr. in response to President Barack Obama’s

State of the Union address, according to The Texas Tribune. In it, Obama said if higher education institutions do not stop increasing tuition, they will see a decrease in federal funding.

“At the end of the day, what we hope is that long overdue justice will be served for the Baker family, which is ultimately what we were trying to accomplish.” — Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo in response to allegations that the Austin Police Department altered a report for use as a ‘prop’ while conducting an interrogation about a 1988 killing.

“[The] board leadership decided we ought to look at our rule-making authority and see if we can’t tighten up some of those requirements a little more.” — Dominic Chavez, external relations director of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, about a rule change regarding in-state tuition for undocumented students, according to KVUE. The alteration would remind undocumented students yearly of their obligation to seek legal status and would require schools to keep affidavits on file.

“I’m very hopeful we’ll see some significant adjustments in the proposal that’s currently on the table to make sure that nobody is paying a disproportionate share of the burden.” — Austin City Council member Chris Riley on the proposed electric rate

changes by Austin Energy, according to KXAN.

“If there’s a location to look at as we discuss how to do things differently — how do we make cars smarter, safer, better for [the] environment — Austin wants to be on the leading edge of those discussions.” — Adrianna Cruz, vice president of global corporate recruitment for the Aus-

tin Chamber of Commerce, according to Forbes. The city is encouraging companies to invest in advanced automotive technologies, which contributes to its slowly increasing role in the automotive industry.

“The strategic vision can best be developed and directed by a local governing board,” — Robert Berdahl, interim president of the University of Oregon and former

UT president, according to The Oregonian. Berdahl was appointed to the position after Richard Lariviere, a former UT dean, was fired by the board in December. One of the reasons for Lariviere’s ousting was his insistence on creating a separate board for the University of Oregon, an issue that Berdahl is now pursuing.

Write for The Daily Texan By You Daily Texan Columnist Have something to say? Say it in print — and to the entire campus. The Daily Texan Editorial Board is currently accepting applications for columnists and cartoonists. We’re looking for talented writers and artists to provide as much diversity of opinion as possible. Anyone and everyone is encouraged to apply. Writing for the Texan is a great way to get your voice heard. Our columnists’ and reporters’ work is often syndicated nationwide, and every issue of the Texan is a historical document archived at the Center for American History. Barack Obama may not be a frequent reader, but a copy of the Texan runs across UT President William Powers Jr.’s desk

each day, and the opinions on this page have great potential to affect University policy. It’s no rare occurrence for Texan staff members to receive feedback from local or state officials, or to be contacted by a reader whose life was changed by an article. In such instances, the power of writing for the Texan becomes real, motivating our staffers to provide the best public service possible. If interested, please come to the Texan office at 25th and Whitis streets to complete an application form and sign up for an interview time. If you have any additional questions, please contact Viviana Aldous at (512) 232-2212 or editor@dailytexanonline.com.

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legalese Opinions expressed in The Daily Texan are those of the editor, the Editorial Board or the writer of the article. They are not necessarily those of the UT administration, the Board of Regents or the Texas Student Media Board of Operating Trustees.

stephanie eisner | Daily Texan Staff

Give credit where credit is due By Rui shi Daily Texan Guest Columnist

Massachusetts Institute of Technology is hoping to legitimize and further transform online learning. The school finds itself at the forefront of the open educational resources movement. With its many online course notes, lecture videos and other educational materials, MIT recently launched another online learning initiative called MITx. The goal of MITx is to extend the reach of higher education and provide students with a means of earning credentials to supplement their studies. Online courses have earned a reputation for being “lite” versions of their classroom counterparts and are therefore regarded as easier. It is a widely accepted fact, for instance, that if a student needs an easy A for a core class, he or she would do well to take it online. MIT hopes to change this culture. MITx is not an easier version of MIT but instead carries the MIT pedigree to an online medium where non-residential learners will receive the best possible experience. MITx builds upon MIT’s decade old OpenCourseWare, which now includes nearly 2,100 courses. The idea of MITx is to allow students to supplement their current coursework in a way that is both easy to scale and ac-

cessible. For example, an engineering student will be able to take the knowledge he or she learns in an electronics class and apply it to an online lab. MITx will be a free program. However, those who wish to get credit from MIT will need to take an exam that will cost money. The ultimate goal of MITx and other online learning programs is to create high-quality, affordable, accessible education for future generations. The Internet revolution has allowed an online learning community to develop. Contributions from MIT and other institutions of higher education will spearhead the movement to create an online consortium. An improved online teaching environment modeled after MITx would bring many benefits to UT. A bona fide, undiluted online program would extend UT’s global reach. Unlike traditional classes, online courses are unrestricted by physical parameters such as classroom size or student-to-professor ratio. Anyone with a computer and the motivation will be able to complete UT coursework. The creation of such an online program can be easily achieved by recording lectures and scanning lecture notes. These materials can be uploaded online for anyone to access. UT could also improve online courses by making them more interactive. The

University could retool its lectures and coursework to be responsive to students’ academic progress. For example, homework grading software could analyze a student’s missed questions and provide suggestions for improvement. An online course could also crowdsource the grading process. Qualified moderators could be certified to comment on students’ work in real time. This would further personalize the course and tailor it to the needs of the student. A UTx-type program could also better prepare incoming freshman for the rigors of a university-level education. Rather than taking an AP test, a graduating high school senior could take a freshman class early to get a better understanding of what it takes to succeed at the undergraduate level. Moreover, the interest generated by MITx and MIT’s OpenCourseWare shows that online programs present an opportunity to create revenue. Depending on their size and quality, future online programs at UT could help generate much-needed money. In its current state, online education is seen as an inferior manifestation of a real course. However, if done well, online education could become the preferred medium for future generations of students. Shi is an electrical and computer engineering junior.

NEWS

Monday, January 30, 2012

Government study reveals rise French soldiers’ attitudes influence past, current culture in prescription drug abuse

Oberlin College assistant professor Elizabeth Murphy delivers a talk about French WWI soldiers at Mezes Hall Friday afternoon. The potential UT faculty member discussed the culture that evolved from trench warfare and how it represented integral parts of French identity.

By Tracy Frydberg Daily Texan Staff

By David Leffler Daily Texan Staff

A recent U.S. government study has revealed a decrease in the use of marijuana and cocaine, in every generation since the 1960s, along with a large increase in the abuse of prescription medication by young people. Richard Miech, professor at the University of Colorado at Denver, presented the statistics and analysis of his study in a lecture titled “Trends in Illegal Drug Use Over the Past 25 Years: A Cohort or Period Process?” Miech said his statistics were based on a survey of over 700,000 Americans between the ages of 15 and 64. “The results regarding marijuana and cocaine were what was expected. Marijuana and cocaine use has decreased dramatically over the past several decades,” Miech said. “Although roughly 20 percent of Americans between 20 and 24 have smoked marijuana in the past year, overall drug use has declined generation by generation since the baby boomers.” However, Miech said, a problem that is beginning to reveal itself in today’s youth is the abuse of prescription medication. Miech said the usage of prescription drugs in a non-medical way has become the second-most common type of drug use among young people and has increased over the past two and a half decades. Miech said prescription medications are the leading cause of drug use overdose mortality. “It’s pretty scary. The chances of young people using prescription drugs non-medically has increased four-fold over the last 25 years,” Miech said “It’s a whole new beast.” Junior business major Andrew Bowen said he has been exposed to this emerging problem. “Xanax, Oxycontin, Vicodin, I hear of people doing it all the time,” Bowen said. “They’re even more open about abusing medication than with marijuana use.”

Bowen said he believes people abuse prescription medication because they think it is safer. “They think there’s no danger to it because it’s legal in some context,” Bowen said. Professional private practice counselor James Banks said he has worked with people with medication abuse problems. “[Some people] will reach for a substance to try to alleviate their pain,” Banks said. “But oftentimes, that makes their depression much more intense.” Banks said the best way to approach prescription medication abuse is from a psychological point of view. “There are healthier options to getting out unwanted feelings,” Banks said. “Drinking and consuming prescribed medication is a very dangerous combination. A lot of times people don’t realize how harmful that can be. When you do that, you’re playing with fire.” Banks said he believes the best way to combat this is to let people know there are counseling resources available. “Reaching out for help is a strength, not a weakness. It’s not a bad thing — it’s a smart thing,” Banks said. “Taking care of your psyche is just as important as taking care of your body.” Banks said doctors must be wear y of these issues when prescribing medication. “Hopefully, doctors will begin gathering more information on people’s social history and family background,” Banks said. “That way they can avoid prescribing medication in instances when there may be better options.” Banks said prescription medications are not going away, so people must become better informed about the dangers of abusing them. “As a parent, the number one thing is to educate your child,” Banks said. “It’s challenging growing up, but there are people and resources available that can help.”

Many French soldiers during World War I possessed the concept of Le Système D, which is understood as coping, managing, making do or muddling through situations, Elizabeth Murphy said. Murphy, assistant professor of French at Oberlin College and potential faculty member for UT’s French and Italian department, discussed the experience of French soldiers in the trenches during a talk on Friday. Rather than analyzing French cultural trends and history through academic and literary sources, Murphy used soldier narratives for the majority of her research. French tactics during World War I mainly involved trench warfare, and Murphy said the French soldier had a very distinct attitude towards his service. The typical French soldier was an agile opportunist and could adapt to contingencies, Murphy said. “The French soldiers’ wit and resourcefulness motivated them to stay alive and express their intellectual freedom and dignity,” she said. The concept of Le Système D, or “just getting by,” was portrayed throughout French culture both literally and figuratively during the early 1900s, Murphy said. In popular culture depictions, the French soldiers’ trials in the trenches were seen humourously as opposed to heroic, Murphy said. “[In popular culture] characters were represented literally as getting oneself out of shit,” Murphy said. “Shit was seen falling from the sky.” The image of young Frenchmen in the war was at times portrayed negatively, Murphy said. She described the great lengths soldiers went to in order to avoid army service, such as a draftee who refused to cut his hair and chose to go to jail rather than be drafted. Also in popular culture, soldiers were

Zen Ren Daily Texan Staff

shown as poaching and stealing during their time in the army. World War I was a fight for “Frenchiness,” which created a new identity for the country moving into the 20th century, Murphy said. French linguistics graduate student Stephanie Russo said she appreciated the level of humor Murphy brought to the otherwise grim

subject of trench warfare. “The French soldier’s resistance showed the human spirit of the French,” Russo said. “They did what they could with what they had. They weren’t trying to be the best.” French linguistics professor Barbara Bullock said that the trait of “getting by” is not only found in French soldiers.

“French university students embrace this concept,” Bullock said. “They try not to go to class, do homework or put in any effort, and they are very proud of it.” Bullock said it might not only be the French who embrace the art of “getting by.” “This concept might sound familiar to University of Texas students as well,” she said.

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Monday, January 30, 2012

The Project unites alumni, students in community service By Sylvia Butanda Daily Texan Staff

Danielle Villasana | Daily Texan Staff

Gabriel Brennan, left, blocks out the noise of the propeller while his stepfather Winston Larison runs his airplane’s motor in their front yard. An aircraft mechanic at Galveston’s Lonestar Flight Museum, Winston built the airplane in a year from wood and aluminum and plans to fly it locally.

UT students, professors evaluate Haitian soil behavior Two years ago, a national team of engineers, including UT civil engineering professor Ellen Rathje and civil engineering graduate student Oscar Suncar, traveled to Haiti in a reconnaissance mission after the Jan. 12, 7.0 magnitude earthquake. The Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance Association sent the group of engineers and scientists to map damage and collect data on soil behavior during the earthquake. Suncar said the research team’s information could facilitate the reconstruction of Haiti’s infrastructure. “We used remote sensing and satellite images that are taken at the mo-

ment of the earthquake,” Suncar said. “We try to identify wherever we think the soil may have [collapsed]. We evaluate what kind of soil it was and we run some tests to measure the consistency.” The research team also informed Haitian authorities on how to prepare for future earthquakes and how to implement good regulations and building codes. Suncar said the magnitude of the disaster resulted from a combination of poor soil conditions and a lack of strong regulatory building codes. “The soil was very soft and relatively, geologically new,” Suncar said. “Most of the construction was made on top of these deposits in Port-auPrince including the national palace.” Due to great poverty and poor reg-

ulation, infrastructure in Haiti was poorly made previous to the earthquake, Suncar said. “People construct however they can,” Suncar said. “We saw a lot of the steel reinforcement was very old that could not withstand the earthquake.” However, two years after the earthquake and the research mission, Suncar said there are still many problems with the infrastructure in Haiti. “There is still a lot of rubble,” Suncar said. “I would hope to see a reconstruction plan so that Haiti can go from the position they are in right now, to a country that can grow by itself.” Wendy Womack, sophomore radio-television-film major and secretary of the Lespwa Means Hope Texas Chapter traveled to Port-au-Prince

in March 2010, and said the buildings in were still destroyed. “They need people who will go down and help it be rebuilt,” Womack said. Civil engineering senior Amber McCullough said she hopes to be part of the reconstruction of Haiti in the future. “These are the projects that as a civil engineer I hope to one day donate my efforts, talents and knowledge to,” McCullough said. However, she said she acknowledges the huge task ahead for civil engineers. “If the rebuilding does actually take place, this could be a monumental project for engineers because of the limitations such as resources, and will take efforts of pro bono workers,” McCullough said.

Fifty Texas Exes alumni chapters and the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement will team up to host The Project, a community service event aiming to renovate two Austin area neighborhoods on Feb. 25. Amory Baril, the Volunteer and Learning Center’s program coordinator and The Project’s advisor, said the Project’s collaboration with UT alumni led to the launch of Texas Exes Care About The Project. For the first time since The Project was launched, 13 years ago, Baril said the partnership expects more than 2000 volunteers to participate in the community service project. “This is a network-wide commitment to service throughout the month of February, anchored by the campus-run event,” Baril said. “We’ll have over 50 volunteers from the Austin chapter at the local event, which far exceeds our expectations from the first year of the program.” This collaboration was made possible by the staff of The Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, which houses the Volunteer and Service Learning Center, Baril said. “With DDCE’s mission being centered around community outreach and the Texas Exes having so many chapters who contribute so much to their communities, it seemed natural to unite those chapters’ service efforts around this event,” Baril said. Lydia Cleveland, social work junior and the Project’s co-chair, said Project 2012 will be working with the Dove Springs and Onion Creek Plantation community located in Southeast Austin to provide services for schools, parks, churches, two alleyways and 25 resident locations within the area. “We’ll mainly be doing beautification projects, such as landscaping,

“

We’ll have over 50 volunteers from the Austin chapter ... which far exceeds our expectations from the first year of the program.

“

UP UP AND AWAY

By Christina Noriega Daily Texan Staff

— Amory Baril, program coordinator

mulching and painting,” Cleveland said. “However, some sites are a little more complicated, so volunteers will be doing repairs as well.” Cleveland said The Project will also enlist the help of Home Depot to teach volunteers the skills needed to complete their renovations. “Thankfully, we’re also working closely with Home Depot, so they have agreed to not only donate their time to train students in charge of the volunteers but also to help out,” said Cleveland. Cleveland, who has volunteered with The Project since 2010, said it is a great opportunity for UT alumni to continue their passion for community service even after leaving campus and offers an amazing opportunity to connect young people to a community in need of support. Advertising senior Daniel Van said it means a lot that UT alumni have decided to help The Project, because it has so far only been a student based organization. “It’s great that these alumni want to give back to the community that they grew up in,” Van said. “They are going to get to work together with current students and use their past experiences to motivate those who are volunteering.”

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Monday, January 30, 2012 | THE DAILY TEXAN | Sameer Bhuchar, Sports Editor | (512) 232-2210 | sports@dailytexanonline.com*

TEXAS

SIDELINE

BAYLOR

NFL PRO BOWL NFC

Texas’ upset bid falls short in closing minutes UP NEXT

AFC

Texas (13-8, 3-5 Big 12) vs. Missouri (19-2, 6-2 Big 12) Where: Frank Erwin Center Time: 8 p.m. TV: ESPN

NBA SPURS

By Sameer Bhuchar Daily Texan Staff

WACO — Texas mounted yet another furious second-half comeback against the Baylor Bears, but came up short against the size and length of the Bears. Baylor’s Perry Jones III scored 22 and Quincy Miller added 18 in a heated 76-71 victory over the Bear’s oldest basketball rival, Texas. The Longhorns overcame another slow start in the first half to rally back against the No. 6 Bears, who jumped out to a 38-29 lead at the end of the first period. Texas guard J’Covan Brown scored a game high 32 points and dished out five assists in the loss, but given opportunities down the stretch, he and his teammates failed to convert chances into points. The Longhorns are now 0-6 in games decided by six points or less. Freshman guard Myck Kabongo, who ended with 11 points and five assists, wants to see his team play a full 40 minutes in order to pull out these close battles. “We just need to play with a sense of urgency from the start of the game,” Kabongo said. “We are usually behind at the start of the game, because we just don’t play

MAVERICKS

BULLS

HEAT

Check out more basketball photos Elisabeth Dillon | Daily Texan Staff

Clint Chapman extends to dunk the ball but is denied by a Baylor Bear. Chapman and Texas’ other post players were ineffective against Baylor’s length. The Longhorns have dropped four of their last five games.

with that urgency.” Texas head coach Rick Barnes expressed the need for consistency from his players. “I thought we played with confidence, but we’ve lost some games to some good teams,” Barnes said. “And we want to win these games,

but the fact is that in some situations you aren’t going to win it until guys understand [the importance of] everyday practice.” Part of what Barnes has preached in practice all year is the need to be in the right positions for grabbing rebounds. Texas has been one of

Guard Brown breaks slump with 30 points in loss to Bears

half — 12 points, 10 rebounds — and finished with a career-high 14 rebounds. The Longhorns had a hard time guarding the forward who towered over the smaller Texas squad. Jones was fed an alley-oop in

BAYLOR continues on PAGE 8

Longhorns lack commitment needed to succeed in Big 12 By Sameer Bhuchar Daily Texan Columnist

By Austin Laymance Daily Texan Staff

WACO — There wasn’t much for the Longhorns to take away from another road loss, except for J’Covan Brown rediscovering his shooting touch. Texas didn’t execute down the stretch, the role players offered little assistance to Brown (the Big 12’s leading scorer) and the Longhorns were outmuscled in the paint, all of which added up to a 76-71 loss to No. 6 Baylor on Saturday. Brown broke out of an 18 for 70 shooting slump and scored 32 points against the Bears. He made 11 of 22 shots, a welcome sight for the Long-

the better rebounding teams in the conference over the last five games, but was clearly outmatched against the Bears. They only grabbed 24 rebounds to Baylor’s 37. Jones was the Bear’s focal point offensively and on the glass. He had a double-double in the first

Elisabeth Dillon | Daily Texan Staff

J’Covan Brown looks to slip between two Baylor defenders. Brown’s 32 point game marks his third, thirty point game this season.

horns, who struggled to find offense during Brown’s recent three-game cold streak. Still, Brown’s second 30-point game in conference play didn’t do much to lift his spirits after UT’s fourth defeat in its last five games. “All the shots I made don’t even matter because we didn’t win,”

Brown said. Help was nowhere to be found in Waco. Myck Kabongo offered the only other effective option, adding 11 points. But the point guard played only five minutes in the first half, after being saddled early with

BROWN continues on PAGE 8

You can see it on head coach Rick Barnes’ and J’Covan Brown’s faces when they walk in for the post-game press conference. The frustration from another loss sets in and they may have private answers, but no public explanations for why this team just can’t finish. One thing is for sure — it starts with commitment. “You talk about commitment, and to me commitment is going above and beyond. It’s not doing what is expected,” Barnes said. “We just aren’t getting that from everybody.” It’s a term thrown out a lot by coaches in these things. “Commitment” is as commonplace a word for coaches to throw around

as “execute,” or “giving it 110 percent.” They are meaningless filler words, and generally add little value to the proper discourse of postgame discussion. But Barnes really meant it Saturday after UT’s 76-71 defeat at Baylor. He went as far as he could without calling individual players out. It was as honest — and stern — a plea for a fully committed squad as I had ever witnessed a coach express. “I think the biggest thing is consistency with everybody,” Barnes said. “We need everybody on our team, and we need guys where we know what we are going to get every single night. That is what we still don’t have.” “We want to win these games. But the fact is that in some situations that you aren’t going to win it until

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COMMIT continues on PAGE 8

RUGBY

Texas students try out to join Rugby team By Kristin Otto Daily Texan Staff

Bill Monat, a 19 year-old freshman, was first introduced to Texas Rugby just a few weeks ago after players on the team spotted him leaving his dorm. After attending rugby practices last week, the 6-feet1-inch, 215-pound Chicago native agreed to compete in a rugby combine like no other. Last Saturday, the Texas Rugby team, in collaboration with its training partners at RedBlack Gym, hosted a CrossFit-style combine during which Longhorn men competed in ten physically draining, mentally taxing tests. Although 30 men originally committed to participate in the combine, fewer than 20 Longhorns made an appearance at Clark Field on Saturday morning. The resignation of one competitor after only the warm-up was a clear indication that the combine had not been designed for the faint-hearted or weak-willed.

Because CrossFit is committed to conditioning every physical and psychological factor utilized during an athletic performance, the participants at the combine were faced with workouts that targeted numerous facets of their athleticism including agility, explosiveness, speed, endurance and strength. In addition, the event incorporated rugby-specific evasion and tackling drills. The first test was a two-round, tri-part challenge designated as the workout of the day — WOD, in CrossFit lingo — that was unanimously voted the toughest challenge. In groups of four, the athletes swung 53-pound kettlebell weights, starting from a slacked-arm position, over their heads 21 times. Next, they dropped to the ground and cranked out 12 push-ups. Then, they jumped to their feet and sprinted 400 meters, only to return to the starting position and repeat the process one more time. “At the beginning, we wanted to give them a taste of what CrossFit

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Freshman physics major Bill Monat tries to evade a tackle in this weekend’s rugby combine. Monat placed first in this part of the tryout which was held in hopes of finding a new Texas Rugby member.

is all about. We planned the WOD test first to weed out the ones that we knew wouldn’t make it,” RedBlack Gym trainer Travis Holley said. “Then we moved on to the sport-specific and skills test and finished with the broad athleticism [endurance] workout.” Four tests into the combine, a few

competitors began to catch the attention of the current Texas Rugby team members who were running the event. One of these standout athletes was Monat. From both defensive and offensive linebacker to running back, Monat played many football positions throughout high school but

never considered rugby. However, unlike the majority of competitive sports, Texas Rugby president Noah Villalobos is well-aware that prior involvement is not necessary for success in rugby. “Most guys start playing rugby

RUGBY continues on PAGE 8

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“I’m gonna be in this pro bowl next year”

sports

Monday, January 30, 2012

RUGBY continues from PAGE 7

when they’re freshmen in college [and] don’t have any previous experience ... At the collegiate level, [put] an [elite] athlete on the field and he will dominate.” At the end of the day, Monat finished second overall, placing first in the 20-pound medicine ball throw — with a ridiculous measurement of 28.7 feet — the kettlebell floor press as well as the rugby-specific evasion drill. Drawn to the dynamic, fast-paced nature of the sport — which he prefers over football — Monat intends to pursue the rugby team. Villalobos had various goals for the combine, including identifying elite athletes who could potentially help the 19th nationally-ranked Longhorns in their pursuit of a first place win at the USA Sevens Collegiate Rugby Championship in June,

an event invented three years ago in a response to a rapidly-growing interest in the sport. “If Bill gets his rugby skills up, he will play in the CRC,” Villalobos said. By finding Monat as well as several other promising athletes, Villalobos achieved one of his goals. However, the purpose of the combine was more than a recruiting venture. “Not enough of the population knows about rugby,” Villalobos said. “[The combine is just] another step in letting more and more people know what rugby is and what it takes.” For the first time in 88 years, rugby will be featured in the 2016 Summer Olympics. Attempts to heighten the sport’s awareness in America range from competitions at the national level — like the rugby championship — to local endeavors such as the CrossFit combine.

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COMMIT continues from PAGE 7 guys understand every day the importance of practice. You aren’t just going to change habits in a game. It’s practice habits that you just have to develop. It’s just not a game-day thing. I’ve never seen a guy put on a game-face or just ‘flip-the-switch’ on game-day.” Poor practice habits? There is something gone awry behind closed doors of the Texas practice facility, and it sounds like it’s a matter of buying into the program. Barnes has rewarded players for minutes on the floor this season that haven’t contributed much to the stat box, but have stepped up and fundamentally performed all the less glamorous parts of the game. Julien Lewis had six points, six rebounds and four steals against Baylor, but he played 35 minutes, the most after Brown. Lewis only averages eight points a game, but he’s seen his playing time increase over the last three contests against top Big 12 squads. “We got a couple of guys doing it and it won’t show up in the statistics, but we’ve still got to have everybody,” Barnes said. Brown is frustrated too, and he should be. He scored 32 points, only

Texas guard Julien Lewis tries to drive past a Baylor defender. Lewis played the second most minutes in the game by doing all the little things right.

Elisabeth Dillon Daily texan staff

10 points shy of the entire team’s output together in the second half. He has shot the ball almost 22 times a contest over the last five, and though he can spark fire when he wants to, Brown can’t be called upon to shoulder the bulk of the scoring burden that often. On average, he’s only made about eight of those 22 shots a contest. But because he is one of those guys that buy into, not only the Texas program, but the game of basketball in general, Brown’s frustrations manifest themselves as a personal failure. Commitment and consistency are not two things you think of a major

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the first quarter. “Perry’s a lot more aggressive,” Baylor head coach Scott Drew said. “He is healthy and able to practice hard. He is back to being what he’s been.” A lt houg h t he y were outmatched, Texas had chances to pull this victory out.

“Any time you have a rivalry game, it’s not over until it’s over,” Drew said. With less than a minute to play, the Longhorns were only down 7368. In that time, the Bears turned the ball over twice and committed potentially costly fouls. However,

Texas athletic program lacking. With the amount of money the athletics department rakes in and with the recruiting staff it has in place, bringing the best players to the 40 Acres should be a cinch. That isn’t to say there won’t be down years, but hearing Barnes say things like “more effort” and “consistency” this deep into the season is alarming. He’ll refuse to answer any questions in the post-game that have to do with the youth of the Texas team. “It’s not a factor anymore,” he said Saturday, and has echoed this answer on a number of occasions when the

topic is brought up. At one point in the year, it was still kosher for Barnes to attribute the team’s inefficiencies to age, but he has been too good a coach at Texas to admit that something like a young squad is unraveling his overall work of the last 14 seasons. He also has a team that has proven that even in its most tumultuous games, it can hang with most experienced power houses. Now, all he knows is that he doesn’t know what he’s getting from his players every night. And this lack of dedication from certain players is hurting a potentially brilliant team.

Texas went 3-6 from the stripe in the last minute, and couldn’t convert on layups to the hole. Down by three points with seven seconds left, Brown shot a contested 3-pointer that sailed left and ended his team’s chance. The shot was a rare miss on the

day that Brown broke out of a shooting slump. He was 11 of 22 from the field, and carried his streaky teammates on offense yet again. Brown is averaging 19 points a game, tops in the conference. Saturday marked the third time he has scored 30 or more points in his career.

second in the conference with 50 assists in eight Big 12 games. “Pressey orchestrates the whole game,” Barnes said. “He makes the game real easy for those other guys. They’re a really good offensive team.” First-year head coach Frank Haith has taken the loads of talent he inherited from Mike Anderson and shaped the Tigers into one of the nation’s most explosive teams. Haith worked as an assistant under Barnes from 2001-04 before leaving for Miami. He turned around the Hurricane’s program and is on the fast track to elevating Mizzou to elite status. That’s no surprise to Barnes, who said he attributes Mizzou’s success this season to his former pupil. “All of it,” he said. “I love Frank. Missouri did good getting him and they better do everything they can to keep him. He’s got a great future

ahead of him.” Haith was well known for recruiting LaMarcus Aldridge during his time at UT. Now, he’s got another talented forward on his squad in Ricardo Ratliffe. The junior leads the nation in shooting percentage and scored 21 against Texas a few weeks ago. “He’s as hard to guard as anybody,” Barnes said. “If you give him angles down there and he does a tremendous job of getting to the rim.” The Longhorns have struggled to defend the paint in recent weeks and will need a better effort from their bigs for Texas to pull off an upset. Of course, a stronger first half would go a long way in fixing the Longhorns’ woes. Texas is 0-6 in games decided by six points or less, and poor starts have doomed UT against quality opponents like the Tigers.

BROWN continues from PAGE 7 two fouls. “I let my team down by not being on the court,” Kabongo said. “I need to be a little smarter about my fouls.” The Longhorns (13-8, 3-5 Big 12) still haven’t found a way to combine a great night from the bench with one of Brown’s offensive explosions. “It’s frustrating,” Brown said. “Guys have to come and play every night.” Head coach Rick Barnes has been

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pleading for consistent play from his entire team for weeks. It didn’t happen in Waco and there aren’t many signs that point to Texas figuring it out soon. For a Texas team in desperate need of consistency from everyone, the Longhorns need not look further than tonight’s opponent for an example of where balanced play can take a program. No. 2 Missouri makes its final trip to the Frank Erwin Center tonight as a conference opponent. The Tigers (19-2, 6-2) are second in the Big 12 in scoring with 75 points per game, and have four players who average at least 11 points per game. That list doesn’t include starting point guard Phil Pressey, who burned Texas for 10 assists and no turnovers during Mizzou’s 84-73 win over UT on Jan. 14. The freshman chips in nearly 10 points per game (9.7 average) and is

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SPORTS 9

Monday, January 30, 2012

WEEKEND RECAPS

ON THE WEB: Check out the rest of this weekend’s recaps @dailytexanonline.com

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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Horns beat Wildcats in clash of top programs

Barncastle hits game winner, downs slipping Longhorns By Stefan Scrafield Daily Texan Staff

The No. 21 Texas Tech Lady Raiders (15-5, 3-5 Big 12) ended a fivegame losing streak with a dramatic, 75-71, victory over the Longhorns l(13-7, 3-5 Big 12) in Lubbock on Sateurday afternoon. e After senior Ashleigh Fontensette’s free throws made it 71-70 and ggave Texas just its second lead of the kgame with only 48 seconds left on the aclock, Texas Tech’s Jordan Barncasstle took matters into her own hands. gOn the very next possession, Barn.castle came up with a huge offensive

rebound and turned it into a threepoint play to give the Lady Raiders the lead for good. “I’m really proud of Jordan [Barncastle] and the team,” said Texas Tech head coach Kristy Curry. “She was just really aggressive. For [Barncastle] to do what she did on the boards, which I’m always on her about, says a whole bunch. It was just a great effort from her today.” Texas guard Chassidy Fussell, who had a team-high 19 points, had a chance to take the lead from the corner but her three-point attempt hit the side of the backboard with just nine seconds left, sealing the victory

By Lexy Gonzalez Daily Texan Staff

for the Lady Raiders. The Lady Raiders jumped out to a quick 15-point lead with just over eight minutes to go in the first half and were able to control the tempo the rest of the way. Texas plays Kansas State at the Frank Erwin Center on Wednesday.

BASEBALL g

The No. 4 Longhorns improved to 5-1 in dual meets with a 128115 win over the No. 9 Arizona Wildcats on Saturday in Tucson. Texas had consistent swims across the board, with two freshmen earning their first collegiate victories. Kelsey LeNeave finished on top in both the 1000 and 500 distance freestyle events. Teammate Kaitlin Pawlowicz clocked in right behind her, with two second place finishes. Freshmen continued to shock the pool as Gretchen Jaques raced to a top finish in the 200 IM. The Longhorns were able to snag the top three spots in the event, with

exceptional swims followed by Leah Gingrich and Skylar Smith. Senior Karlee Bispo provided strong finishes for Texas, with wins in both the 200 and 100 freestyle events. She remains unbeaten in the 200 freestyle and was the only swimmer to clock in a time under 50.00 in the 100 free. Ging r ich and Paw low icz claimed the top two finishes in the 200 butterfly, while Laura

MEN’S TENNIS

Clemens’ return to mound draws huge ovation Strong doubles propels Texas to 4-0 victory, spot in tourney

By Christian Corona Daily Texan Staff

Only half an inning had been played before the fans at Disch-Falk Field rose in a standing ovation. It had been nearly 30 years since Roger Clemens took to the mound in a Longhorns uniform but the two-time All-American and seventime Cy Young Award winner toed the rubber in his vintage Texas jersey again Saturday. Clemens, who went 25-7 in two seasons for the day, month day, 2008

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Longhorns and helped them capture the 1983 College World Series title, retired Texas in the first inning while fanning the first two batters he faced. “It’s pretty cool to get a chance to face [Clemens]. It’s the chance of a lifetime,” sophomore outfielder Mark Payton said, who flew out to center field against Clemens to end the top of the first. “He threw [Cohl Walla and Taylor Stell] two good sliders late in the at-bat and that’s why

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In the singles matches, freshman Lloyd Glasspool, playing in the number four position, scored a quick 6-3, 6-1 victory over Francisco Zambon to put Texas ahead 2-0. Earning the final point for Texas was Whitehead, ranked No. 112, who scored a straight set win over Escobar, a USTA/ITA Regional champ ranked No. 23. Texas sealed its spot in the ITA National Team Indoor Championships at Charlottesville, Va. on Feb. 17-20.

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On Sunday, Texas defeated the Texas Tech Red Raiders 4-0. In the match to decide the doubles point, junior Daniel Whitehead and sophomore David Holiner kept it interesting for the fans. The Longhorns got down, but held serve 4-7 and immediately broke the Tech duo of Gonzalo Escobar and Vitor Manzini to make the By Lauren Jette score 6-7. Both teams held serve Daily Texan Staff to push the match to a tiebreaker. The Longhorns beat a confer- After getting behind 1-3 in the tieence foe and went undefeated over break, Texas came back and took the weekend to earn a spot in the in- the set and the doubles point, with a 7-4 win in the tiebreak. door championships in February.

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I wanted to jump out on his fastball. He’s got good movement.” Clemens was one of nine alumni pitchers to throw scoreless innings Saturday afternoon, as the alumni team he and former Longhorns star Brooks Kieschnick coached, took down the current Texas baseball squad, 2-0. The offense came from an unlikely source, as recently traded 1 San Diego Padres closer Huston Street sparked a two-run eighth-inning rally.

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Sogar won the 200 breaststroke. Sogar won the event by almost two seconds, making it her fifth win out of seven races this year. Now back on track, the Longhorns hope to clench a final dual meet victory before the Big 12 Championships. The Texas women will face Southern Methodist University on Sat., Feb. 4 in Dallas.

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life&arts 11

Monday, January 30, 2012

Novel fails to leave impression

Sick teens struggle to discover answers

Book Review

By Robert Starr Daily Texan Staff

A woman finds herself falling down a staircase after somebody brutally pushes her. An expert in body language finds a new student who seems to know almost as much about the skill as he does, if not more. Another man finds himself making a huge gamble that, if successful, would make him and his wife wealthier than they could have ever possibly dreamed. These stories seem unrelated, but readers beginning â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Face Thiefâ&#x20AC;? by Eli Gottlieb know that somehow they will come together before the end. And come together they do, though by the time that occurs, most readers will have long figured out how. Unfortunately, the characters arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t interesting enough to overcome the sheer predictability of the narrative. Gottlieb uses most of his words to explore what the characters are thinking, and they are ultimately more interesting for who and what they are than how they think. The concept of a body language expert is intriguing, but the particular one in this book isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. Despite all of this, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Face Thiefâ&#x20AC;? is never dull and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something about it that demands just one more chapter before bed. Gottliebâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good enough writer to grab the reader and make them wonder what will happen next, even after the endingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been figured out. Additionally, the bookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s structure, broken into three chapter sets â&#x20AC;&#x201D; one for each story line â&#x20AC;&#x201D; adds suspense because right when the reader becomes involved in what will happen to one character, the narrative jumps to a different one. If Gottlieb isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t an expert of plotting, he at least knows how to structure the book to exploit the ability he does have.

CAKE

continues from PAGE 12 However, Holy Cacao boasts â&#x20AC;&#x153;significant double-digit growth,â&#x20AC;? according to Spillyards, and appeals to the easy-going, trailer-loving Austinite whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just looking for â&#x20AC;&#x153;something to nosh on.â&#x20AC;?

The Face Thief Eli Gottileb

Genre: thriller Pages: 224 For Fans of: Dean Koontz, Greg iles

Still, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a feeling of rigidity to the whole book, as if Gottlieb is too stuck in the outline of the story to have some fun with it. Every beat is deliberately set up so that it can pay off later. There are few moments where characters get to just be themselves and interact with each other without it being overly expository. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Face Thiefâ&#x20AC;? defies classification into a particular genre, but perhaps fits nicely into a thriller in terms of feel, if not the specific cornerstones of what one expects. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a quick read and ideal for a long flight as it moves along quickly and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t demand much in terms of thought. It also happens to be almost instantly forgettable. As far as airport fiction goes, it does its job effectively, although one senses that Gottlieb is still finding his footing as a writer and hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t reached his full potential yet. So which cake ball approach will ultimately win out and survive the looming burst of the oversaturated industry? Depending on if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for seasoned and mature sweets or modest trailer park cakes, there may be enough room for all of the best cake ball purveyors. Because, as Haga wisely observes, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Who doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t love cake?â&#x20AC;?

By ChinLin Pan Daily Texan Staff

Young adult author and YouTube star John Green has done it again. Like his previous award-winning novels for teens, including â&#x20AC;&#x153;Looking For Alaskaâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Paper Towns,â&#x20AC;? Greenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest novel, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Fault in Our Stars,â&#x20AC;? pulls at heartstrings with his signature blend of humor, poignancy and heartbreak. Narrator Hazel is a 16 year-old girl who miraculously survives thyroid cancer. Although her tumor shrank due to an experimental cure, Hazel must carry an oxygen tank with her for the rest of her life. One day, Hazel arrives at the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cancer Kidâ&#x20AC;? support group she grudgingly attends and meets Augustus â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gusâ&#x20AC;? Waters, a 17 year-old with a prosthetic leg lost to cancer. Instant chemistry sparks between the two. The intelligent, sarcastic teens bond over films, their cancerous lives and Hazelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite novel, â&#x20AC;&#x153;An Imperial Affliction,â&#x20AC;? the fictional novel within Greenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s novel by reclusive DutchAmerican author Peter Van Houten. Hazel connects deeply with the novel, which is about a girl with cancer, like herself. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hazelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatest desire to know more about the charactersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; fates, since the novel ended with the

MUSIC continues from PAGE 12 saxophone ensemble. He sings with Ransom Notes, a pop a cappella group, and UT has given him the opportunity to work with a variety of great composers such as Yevgeniy Sharlat, Donald Grantham, Dan Welcher, and Bruce Pennycook. Nicholâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s saxophone professor, Harvey Pittel, has only positive things to say about his student. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a star saxophone performer as well as a great young composer which is really rare,â&#x20AC;? Pittel said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He works very hard when I give him assignments to learn each week, he practices. I mean, he really works.â&#x20AC;? And work he does. Nichols has found that it takes him awhile to

FASHION continues from PAGE 12

Book Review The Fault In Our Stars John Green

Genre: Young adult Pages: 336 For those who like: Maureen Johnson, scott Westernfeld character succumbing to cancer. Shortly after, Gus offers to take her to Amsterdam to visit Peter Van Houten through a charitable foundation similar to the real-life Make-AWish Foundation. During the journey, Hazel realizes that her cancer proves a barrier to her romantic relationship with Gus. She has dormant cancer, which can reappear at any time and Gus is in remission. Hazel also struggles to lessen the potential tragedy of her death for her loved ones throughout the novel. Although the plot of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Fault in Our Stars,â&#x20AC;? the title of which is an allusion to Shakespeareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Julius Caesar,â&#x20AC;? is elegantly witty and tearjerking, the pace lags in earlier chapters. It takes time for Hazel and Gus to go

to Amsterdam and get their answers from Peter Van Houten, which propels the novel into its sweetly tragic final act. Green provides iconic quirky humor in his razor-sharp and brutally honest characters and their compelling banter. Hazel and Gusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relationship is a sweetly crafted slow burn, based on romantic gestures and meaningful conversations about fearing oblivion and acknowledging existentialism. Readers will easily feel close to Hazel and Gus every step of the way, cheering them on and hoping for the best. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to see why John Green remains one of the most beloved, celebrated authors of the modern young adult genre.

even begin to write music. It all begins with inspiration. Inspired by anything from poetry he reads to the mood he is in, Nichols works hard to convey his feelings in a musical form. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Many an all-nighter has been pulled sitting in front of my piano,â&#x20AC;? Nichols said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I usually start off with a broad sense of what Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m trying to say, and then I just go from there.â&#x20AC;? The hard work will show at Nicholsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; senior recital. Along with composing the music, Nichols will also be choosing who plays the pieces. The half hour recital will consist of a set of eight piano preludes, a song cycle for a baritone singer, piano, and tenor saxophone, as well as a three movement Latin inspired piece. Music performance senior Andy Wilds has played with Nichols in

Tex Sax and is excited to hear Nicholsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; compositions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Walter is always cool to play with because you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to worry about him doing anything wrong,â&#x20AC;? Wilds said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t heard the music he has written yet, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be great.â&#x20AC;? This recital certainly allows Nichols to leave UT with a bang. But what becomes of a composition student after he graduates? Pittel has high hopes for Nicholsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; future. He believes Nichols would prosper in the academic field as a composition or saxophone professor. He also believes Nichols could end up scoring major Hollywood movies. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In Walterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s case when he came to UT he was great, and heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still great,â&#x20AC;? Pittel said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always been good. If I could draw a halo, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d draw one.â&#x20AC;?

Another bold dresser on campus is fourth year design student Harrison Koiwai, who can be spotted on campus strutting edgy, studded pieces and colorful blue hair. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something you have to do. If somethingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interesting, you have to put it on,â&#x20AC;? Kowai said of his unique sense of style. Koiwai also added that most people are often too worried about what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re wearing to ever pay attention to whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on your body, â&#x20AC;&#x153;so you might as well wear whatever you want.â&#x20AC;? While weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve all hesitated to try on new looks and gather the courage to sport head turning pieces at some point, advice from our fashion savvy peers motivates us to rethink walking past that pair of leather combat boots on display, or placing the fedora back on the mannequin. As Kaidon put it, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to wear eye-catching items all at once. Instead, a gradual process of mixing and matching sometimes works best if it allows you to stay true to yourself. The next time youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re out shopping and something a little out of your style comfort zone intrigues you, try it on. And if you like it enough, feel free to showcase it in public confidently, while the rest of us admire and take notes.

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Life&Arts

Monday, January 30, 2012 | The Daily Texan | Katie Stroh, Life&Arts Editor | (512) 232-2209 | dailytexan@gmail.com

Author addresses questions regarding universe’s formation By Robert Starr Daily Texan Staff

Shannon Kintner | Daily Texan Staff

Cake balls, like this variety from Austin Cake Ball Kitchen & Bar at the Domain, may be a new trend that is destined to die out, but for now is a growing baking industry in Austin.

Austin Cake Ball serves diverse desserts By Brittany Smith Daily Texan Staff

Cake balls, like macaroons, cupcakes and petit fours, bring to mind images of ruffled lace tablecloths, scalloped window treatments, pink aprons, freshly cut daisies in pristine glass vases and lots and lots of sunshine — the idyllic home-style bakeshop. However at Austin Cake Ball, a locally-owned and operated company, you will not find polka dot wallpaper or lace doilies. Employees don’t wear pink, and there are no pastel-colored bows. Anywhere. This may be disappointing for those who want their entire cake ball experience coated in sugar, but Kristen Haga, a partner in the business, said the decision to shy away from a super-saccharine and hyper-feminine space was intentional. She and the founders of the business, UT alumna Stacey Bridges and Ben May, envisioned a space that outlasts ephemeral food fads and appeals to a wide consumer base, including men. Austin Cake Ball’s newest venture, a kitchen and bar that opened in December in the Domain shopping center, conveys maturity while maintaining the sense of fun that a cake ball inherently exudes. Bridges, who has a master’s degree in costume technolo-

gy, has a sharp eye for detail and sees her role in the business as “a continuation of an artistic expression ... this time with cake instead of fabric.” She applies her aesthetic sensibilities to everything from the unique overhead lighting to the color scheme of the seating. The immaculate cake ball display exhibits rows of tantalizing, gleaming pastries, each expertlyshaped and hand-decorated with almost machine-like accuracy. The half-wall that separates the dining area from the kitchen and restrooms is a mosaic of pennies, designed by Bridges herself. It is this “tactile execution,” as Haga referred to it, that makes the space appeal to both men and women alike. If you think of the typical bakeshop, “most men are afraid of it,” Haga said. Because of the unique personality of the business, Austin Cake Ball “has a lot of male clients,” according to Haga. Despite this diversity in clientele, skepticism about the viability of a business concentrated on and branded by cake balls is not unwarranted. Aren’t cake balls just another food fad bubble that will burst in the same way that the cupcake bubble has and that the frozen yogurt bubble is bound to? Does Austin Cake Ball truly have a competitive

advantage over other local dessert businesses that have specialized in cake balls? Austin Cake Ball’s flavors — vanilla bean, tiramisu, chocolate mint, red velvet and salted caramel — are not terribly original, and the cost of a dozen cake balls starts at $29, far exceeding that of its competitors. Holy Cacao, a cake ball and hot chocolate trailer, sells a dozen for $22, and Iffy’s Sweet Treats sells a dozen for $20. Furthermore, Austin Cake Ball is now straddling two distinct industries — the specialty baking industry and the restaurant and beverage industry. This strategy can be dangerous, since Austin Cake Ball runs the risk of spreading its resources too thinly and not focusing intently enough on the quality of the product (think of Blockbuster’s botched attempt to straddle the retail industry and the online movie rental industry when Netflix pioneered the online market). Another concern that John Spillyards of Holy Cacao warns against is approaching the cake ball as a highend truffle. “We love the idea of highbrow and low-brow mixed together,” Spillyards said. He cited his own locally-sourced ingredients and granite countertops paired with handmade treats with funny names (Brass Balls,

Rabbit Balls) served on an unassuming popsicle stick as evidence of his cake ball philosophy. Despite the potential roadblocks, Kristen Haga is not worried. “None of us think that cake balls will be the hottest thing 35 years from now,” Haga said. But she maintains, “Cake balls are not going away.” In true Darwinian fashion, she believes that the strongest company will survive and that Austin Cake Ball has the potential to be that company.

CaKe continues on page 11 WHAT: Austin Cake Ball WHERE: The Domain HOURS: M-Th 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., F-Sa 11 a.m. - 11 p.m., Sun noon - 7 p.m. PHOnE: 512-215-3633 WHAT: Holy Cacao WHERE: 1311 South First HOURS: Su-Th 11 a.m - 9 p.m., F-Sa 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. PHOnE: 512-851-2253

One of the most baffling philosophical questions of all time is why we’re here. Or, to put it another way, why is there anything instead of nothing at all? Why does the universe exist and if there’s something outside of the universe that caused the universe to come into being, why does that exist? From any perspective, scientific, religious or otherwise, it seems like no possible answer could be completely satisfying. If one says that things exist because of X, then we have the even more baffling question of where X could have come from. Lawrence Krauss’ new book, “A Universe From Nothing” attempts to offer something of a solution to the scientific question of how something can come out of nothing, though he doesn’t pretend to answer the philosophical one. For one thing, when Krauss says “nothing,” he doesn’t mean nothing. The nothing we understand in our universe is what exists between atoms, but even in that, as the book explains, there may be a whole lot going on. The vacuum of empty space contains a lot of energy — which high tech and state of the art experiments have verified — and even in this empty space, particles can spontaneously appear, popping into existence like a rabbit out of a magician’s hat. If this sounds counterintuitive and baffling to you, you’re not alone. Even after reading this relatively brief book, most readers aren’t going to walk away feeling like they get it. If anything, the book just gives an overview as to how far we’ve come in science: we’ve reached a point where our understanding of the way things

work probably can’t be explained on an intuitive level to our puny human brains. Still, there’s a surprisingly large amount of material here for a book about nothing. Indeed, while “A Universe From Nothing” is technically about nothing, it also happens to be about everything. It takes us from the very beginnings of the universe with the Big Bang to its ultimate end. Much of this is interesting, but an equal amount is confounding and though the words are often simple and grammatically correct, it’s tough to understand how it all relates to reality. Indeed, if reality must be this way, why must it be this way? On some level, these might seem like religious questions, but Krauss’ book, while not an assault on religion by any means, takes a firm, materialistic stance. These questions can be answered by science, though perhaps not at the moment. Having well-known atheist Richard Dawkins write the afterword (the equally well-known atheist Christopher Hitchens was originally supposed to write the foreword before his untimely death) suggests Krauss’ motivation behind his approach to writing the book. Still, it’s unlikely to unconvert anybody. Believers who accept modern science can close the book and marvel at the beautiful and incomprehensible way that a loving creator has designed our universe. And believers who won’t be convinced by anything Krauss presents here anyway — it’s more of an explanation than a defense. “A Universe From Nothing” is well written and easy to read, but it offers more of a taste of what the research shows than a clear understanding.

BOOK REviEW a Universe from Nothing: Why There is Something Rather than Nothing Lawrence Krauss

Genre: Science Pages: 224 For those who like: Brian Greene, Stephen Hawking, Lisa Randall

Fashion risks necessitate confident bearing By Andreina velasquez Daily Texan Staff

Zachary Strain | Daily Texan Staff

Walter Nichols, a senior composition major, began playing the saxophone when he was 11 years old.

Saxophone player shines with major By Jessica Lee Daily Texan Staff

We live in a society where the word “saxophone” immediately triggers you to hum the tune of George Michael’s “Careless Whisper.” Music composition senior Walter Nichols would like to prove there is more to the saxophone than that catchy song. One of the few composition students at UT, Nichols has been playing the saxophone since he was 11 years old and is currently preparing for his senior recital. The recital will showcase the music he has written throughout the three years he has

spent at UT. Acceptance into the UT composition program is difficult to gain, as students must not only submit their own original compositions, but also must excel at playing at least one instrument. The story of how Nichols got his start is a simple one. After making the decision to join the middle school band, Nichols was asked to try out the mouthpieces of different wind instruments. He did well on the saxophone, and thus it all began. “Pretty soon after that, I went ahead and started taking saxophone lessons the summer before middle

school,” Nichols said. “It came naturally, so instead of placing me in beginner band, they put me in the top band.” After graduation, Nichols attended Berklee College of Music, where he learned about jazz theory. Although he enjoyed living in Boston, Nichols was looking for a program more classically oriented. The University of Texas’ Butler School of Music offered just the program he was looking for. Nichols quickly found his place at UT. He joined Tex Sax, UT’s

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In an immeasurable sea of T-shirts and backpacks, it is impossible to pay attention to all the clothing choices we’re exposed to during the hustle and bustle of class transitions on any given day. Yet, every so often, a bold fashionista finds his or her way of transforming campus into their own personal runway, prompting other, less daring dressers to perform an inevitable double take. But who are these individuals? And better yet, what’s their secret to pulling off the looks we all drool over? The time has come to cease admiring from afar and ask the local fashion gurus themselves. As the outfit you’ve always imagined wearing some day, but hesitated to try on, is worn by a more daring dresser, a couple of thoughts may come to mind. The first is a desire to test the look yourself the next time you go out in public, while the second thought may be a bit more cynical: “I could never pull that off.” Don’t accept defeat just yet. According to apparel design senior Kaidon Ho, who wears a sleek, black Worthington jacket over a white Alexander McQueen top and dark slacks, anyone can dress boldly. His dark ensemble gives off a mysterious yet chic look when complimented by his matching Michael Kors clutch and black hat, immediately inviting awestruck glances from onlookers. The trick, in Ho’s opinion, is to “add one item at a time until you reach a style you like.” He recommends shopping for accessories like hats and vintage sunglasses to give your look a bit more edge, while expressing your personality.

Kaidon Ho, apparel and design senior, is one of many students pushing the limits on personal fashion. Many students agree that the best way to find a new style that fits you is to gradually mix and match pieces to build up fashion courage.

Shea Carley Daily Texan Staff

While Ho suggests dressing out of one’s element in order to create a more interesting signature style, he also recommends that the style extension still allows dressers to feel comfortable. Ho also finds inspiration from model Agyness Deyn, who is famous for her carefree and playful fashion sense. If you’re not ready to plunge into the world of full-blown designer looks just yet, psychology senior Mary Dang’s classic Karl Lagerfeldinspired black and white look may better suit you.

In Dang’s opinion, “less is more,” and she advises trying on a black blazers over simple light colored tops to achieve an effortless yet sophisticated look. She also adds that those experimenting with new styles should remember to wear confidence along with each outfit. As a reminder that self-assurance will conceal the slightest signs of uncertainty, Dang also recommends not worrying when sporting new trends because “your inner confidence will exude outwards.”

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