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Parks, Kabir win top SG seats Strong turnout in runoff marks end of highly charged race for presidency By Audrey White Daily Texan Staff After months of preparation, campaigning and controversy, an intense silence pervaded a conference room in the Main Building on Wednesday night as about 100 students waited to hear the results of one of the most energetic and competitive Student Government elections in recent history. When Election Supervisory Board Chair Charles Maddox announced that the executive alliance of Scott Parks and Muneezeh Kabir had won, half the room erupted into cheers while the other half offered respectful applause. “Before it was announced, we kept saying ‘the next student-body president is Minator Azemi’ to
SG RESULTS continues on page 2
SG Runoff Results Scott Parks and Muneezeh Kabir won the Student Government Executive Alliance race with a 55-percent majority after a weeklong runoff against Minator Azemi and Justin Stein. Votes for Parks/Kabir
4,801
Votes for Azemi/Stein
3,853
Total votes cast
8,654
In last week’s general election, Parks/Kabir received 42 percent of the vote, while Azemi/Stein received 46 percent. Total votes cast in last week’s general election
9,247
Bobby Longoria | Daily Texan Staff
Scott Parks celebrates after being announced as Student Government’s next student-body president Wednesday. After an uncharacteristically large runoff turnout, the Parks/Kabir alliance won the president and vice-president election with a 55-percent majority.
Reporter challenges US media coverage of Iraq By Michael Moran Daily Texan Staff On Wednesday, an American journalist for Al-Jazeera criticized the American news media’s coverage of recent Iraqi elections and warned of a possible civil war in northern Iraq after the U.S. military withdraws most of its troops later this year. Josh Rushing, a UT alumnus, spoke before a crowd of about 40 in the Texas Union. Rushing recently returned from Iraq after reporting on the state of the country prior to its elections Sunday. He said that while there, he saw evidence that a civil war may soon break out in northern Iraq between Kurdish forces and the Iraqi military over control of major oil fields
in the region. “The reason the fighting hasn’t happened already is because the U.S. is there, but the thing is, everyone knows the U.S. is leaving,� he said. Tarek El-Ariss, a Middle Eastern studies professor, said he invited Rushing to give insight into the U.S. involvement in Iraq. “There is obviously great interest in the Iraqi elections for the American audience and the debate about the presence of our troops in Iraq,� El-Ariss said. “Someone who has a firsthand account can help enrich the debate about the war on terror.� Rushing criticized the American news media for portraying the elections as successful. He
said people in Iraq vote based on candidates’ religion and race rather than on policy. “There’s seemingly no protection for the minority in their system, so everyone has to vote for their own group,� Rushing said. “Any vote for someone other than your own group is seen as a vote for your future oppressor.� Rushing enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps when he was 18 years old, and in 2003, the military sent him to the Middle East to be one of its spokesmen at the start of the Iraq war. He drew controversy in 2004 after his appearance in a documentary about media
AL-JAZEERA continues on page 2
two meetings averaging about 50 attendees and a Facebook group with approximately 300 members, Texas Quidditch hopes to unite the University through spirited rivalry and capture some of the fun described in J.K. Rowling’s novels. A basic quidditch team consists of seven members: three chasers, two beaters, one keeper and a seeker. The chasers try to throw a volleyball — or quaffle, in Harry Potter lingo — past the quidditch goalie, or keeper, into one of three hoops. The beaters throw dodgeballs, or bludgers, at other players to “knock� them off their brooms. Finally, and most importantly, the seeker is responsible for catching the snitch — a flag
By Nehal Patel Daily Texan Staff The “Hold Up for Haiti� fundraising initiative on Feb. 8 raised $56,136, Student Government President Liam O’Rourke announced Wednesday during a presentation at the Main Building. In February, about 600 student volunteers stood at 30 major street intersections in Austin to “hold up� traffic and solicit donations. Volunteers also went to various malls in Austin with laptops to ask shoppers to donate online via PayPal. The initiative was a joint effort between SG, the Student Volunteer Board, Texas Round Table and the Volunteer and Service Learning Center to raise money for the victims of the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti. About $28,000 was raised, with an additional $5,000 in anonymous donations, said Reilly Milton, a marketing senior and president of Texas Round Table. The Entrepreneurs Foundation of Central Texas matched the $28,000 with another $28,000 for a total of about $56,000. “Our initial goal was $12,000, but we raised $23,000 from the hold-up alone,� Milton said The Entrepreneurs Foundation donated the collected money to the American Red Cross, Save the Children and Partners in Health. “We chose organizations that people can trust,� Milton said. “These organizations were doing the most for Haiti.� Initial Haiti relief efforts focused more on awareness, said
SPORT continues on page 5
INITIATIVE continues on page 2
Shannon Kintner | Daily Texan Staff
Josh Rushing, a correspondent for Al-Jazeera English, spoke at UT on Wednesday about the impending civil war in Iraq and the lack of exposure of international news coverage.
Popular fictional sport inspires campus group Texas Quidditch becomes first official University league, keeps books’ spirit
Shannon Kintner | Daily Texan Staff
Allison Burton practices blocking the quaffle with her broomstick, which all the players “ride� throughout the entire game.
By Gerald Rich Daily Texan Staff It’s a beautiful day in the Honors Quad, and a crowd has gathered to gawk at students holding brooms between their legs, throwing dodgeballs and chasing someone running around in a yellow jumpsuit. Quidditch has finally come to UT. Texas Quidditch, UT’s first official league based on the popular fictional sport from the Harry Potter series, got off the ground earlier in the spring with a surge of support from students. With the first
UT initiative collects large sum in Haiti relief effort
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From page 1 Berenice Medellin, sociology and social work junior and vice chair of the Student Volunteer Board. “We tabled and made people aware of how they could help [Haiti victims] through Web sites and text-messaging services asking for donations,� Medellin said. Juan Gonzalez, vice president for student affairs, said what the Haitians need most is a lifetime of care — not just a one-time commitment. With the recent earthquakes in Chile and Turkey, the Student Volunteer Board is focusing on assisting relief efforts sponsored by organizations around Austin. “Most of the organizations under the board are going to help local efforts instead of creating their own events like ‘Hold Up for Haiti,’� Medellin said. SG has not talked about relief efforts for Chile or Turkey, said SG spokeswoman Danielle Brown. “We’ve just finished with the Haiti initiative, and we’re currently in a transition period, so we don’t want to start something that we can’t do to the best of our ability,� Brown said.
Editor: Jillian Sheridan (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com Managing Editor: Ana McKenzie (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com News Office: (512) 232-2207 news@dailytexanonline.com Web Office: (512) 471-8616 online@dailytexanonline.com Sports Office: (512) 232-2210 sports@dailytexanonline.com Life & Arts Office: (512) 232-2209 dailytexan@gmail.com
Mary Kang | Daily Texan Staff
Biomedical engineering junior Hyun Woo Kim, left, and advertising senior Soonhyung Kwon, center, cook Ho Dduk, a Korean dessert similar to pancakes. The students are members of Sori-Horn, a group that plays traditional Korean music. The group sold Ho Dduks in front of Gregory Gymnasium amid a sudden downpour Wednesday afternoon in efforts to raise funds for their group.
ALďšşJAZEERA: Alumnus reflects
on threats, experiences in Iraq American involvement in the Middle East. Rushing said that after he joined Al-Jazeera, he had to hire bodyguards to protect his family and himself. “There were death threats online,� he said. “To this day, I’m still called a traitor and a turncoat.� Rushing said he hopes to establish a relationship with UT so he can come back periodically and talk about what he sees during his travels to the Middle East. Glenn Washburn, a UT alumnus, said he attended the event to learn more about Iraq than what American news outlets report. “I do think that we, as Americans, do not get a lot of good international news,� Washburn said. “To have someone who has been there and can speak with that kind of authority is very refreshing.�
From page 1 coverage of the Iraq war. He said his superior officers let him know that they did not approve of what he said in the film. After the documentary aired, he left the military to cohost the show “Fault Lines� on the Al-Jazeera English channel. Al-Jazeera is an international news organization funded by the government of Qatar. “Basically, Josh Rushing’s job as marine officer was to distribute propaganda,� UT journalism professor Robert Jensen said. “He was critically selfreflecting on the nature of that propaganda and commenting on it in that film. That obviously put him at odds with the military that hired him to distribute that propaganda.� Al-Jazeera has been accused in the past of being biased against
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SG RESULTS: Parks, Kabir finish strong From page 1 prepare ourselves because we didn’t think we would win,� SG President-elect Parks said. “But then, Charles said my name.� In last week’s general election, 9,247 students voted in the executive-alliance race. The Parks/Kabir alliance received 42 percent while Azemi and his running mate, Justin Stein, received 46 percent of the vote. These results called for a runoff because neither candidate earned the required more-than50-percent majority vote. In what both candidates called an unprecedented turnout, 8,654 students voted in the first presidential runoff since 2002. Parks and Kabir won with a 55-percent majority. “I hope this turnout means increased awareness,� Maddox said. “I hope this means the average student now knows their vote matters more than ever, that if everyone turns out and votes, it is the best thing for SG and for all parties involved. It shows a great commitment to the civic process that UT students have.� There were tears from both directions, some of joy at victory and some simply expressing the exhaustion of an extended election cycle. Parks, Kabir, Aze-
mi and Stein greeted one another with hugs and mutual congratulations. Azemi said that despite the loss, he is glad to see the direction SG and students are moving in. “It was a tough three-week race, and I’m glad the students spoke,� he said. “I’m happy with the great turnout, and I’m happy with this election cycle. This [involvement] is something SG has worked toward for a long time, and I’m glad we’ve reached this point.� Parks and Kabir said their team is ready to start working on delivering the promises they made during the campaign, which include working for lower textbook costs and creating a more inclusive SG environment. Parks’ campaign manager, Jimmy Talarico, said that after a rigorous campaign process, he believes the hard work has just begun. “Students voted for us in such large numbers because we promised them certain things, and the hard part is delivering on those promises,� Talarico said. “[Today] we’re going to start meeting to look forward.� Kabir said they plan to continue to advocate for students who have been voiceless in the student body. “It was our pipe dream to get
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students involved who had never been involved in SG and didn’t care,� Kabir said. “In the end, we had people from all over different parts of campus supporting us, and that’s what made me keep going every day. Scott and I are very good at figuring out what we can do with what we have, and we’re going to take that strategy and apply it to being in office.� Members of both campaigns said the results show a renewed interest in the SG process that they hope will carry on throughout the year. One student in a “Scott & Muneezeh� shirt shook Azemi’s hand and said she hoped he would keep doing the good work for students that he has always done. “The fact that there was suspense, the fact that you had two sides of this, that’s a big deal for SG,� Talarico said. “This election is what starts the change we want to see and the things we want to clean up.� But for tonight, the Parks/Kabir campaign is celebrating a victory that they never thought they would see. Their slogan, “Together, students can,� has taken on new meaning, Parks said. “Together, students did,� he said.
The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely. If we have made an error, let us know about it. Call (512) 232-2217 or e-mail managingeditor@dailytexanonline.com.
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Friday, March 12th speakers: Carlos Brown MD, General Surgery Ben Coopwood MD, General Surgery John P. Sabra MD, General Surgery John M. Uecker MD, General Surgery Refreshements Provided
Director of Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jalah Goette Retail Advertising Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brad Corbett Account Executive/Broadcast Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carter Goss Campus/National Sales Consultant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joan Bowerman Assistant to Advertising Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C.J. Salgado Student Advertising Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kathryn Abbas Student Advertising Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ryan Ford, Meagan Gribbin Student Account Executives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anupama Kulkarni, Ashley Walker, An Ly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cameron McClure, Daniel Ruszkiewkz, Lauren Aldana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Laci Long, Tommy Daniels Classified Clerks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Teresa Lai Special Editions, Editorial Adviser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elena Watts Web Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Danny Grover Special Editions, Student Editors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kira Taniguchi Graphic Designer Interns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amanda Thomas, Lisa Hartwig Senior Graphic Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Felimon Hernandez The Daily Texan (USPS 146-440), a student newspaper at The University of Texas at Austin, is published by Texas Student Media, 2500 Whitis Ave., Austin, TX 78705. The Daily Texan is published daily except Saturday, Sunday, federal holidays and exam periods, plus the last Saturday in July. Periodical Postage Paid at Austin, TX 78710. News contributions will be accepted by telephone (471-4591) or at the editorial office (Texas Student Media Building 2.122). For local and national display advertising, call 471-1865. For classified display and national classified display advertising, call 471-1865. For classified word advertising, call 471-5244. Entire contents copyright 2009 Texas Student Media.
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Israel maintains construction plan amid controversy
Associated Press/SITE Intelligence Group
Colleen LaRose, an American woman from Pennsylvania, was indicted Tuesday of using the Internet to recruit radical fighters and help terrorists overseas.
Woman faces terrorism charges By Maryclaire Dale The Associated Press PHILADELPHIA — Colleen LaRose spent long days caring for her boyfriend’s father in Pennsburg, a small town north of Philadelphia. But federal authorities say she developed a daring alter ego, refashioning herself as “Jihad Jane� while helping recruit and finance Muslim terrorists — and eventually moving overseas to kill an artist she perceived as an enemy to Islam. LaRose, 46, was charged Tuesday with conspiring with overseas fighters and pledging to
commit murder in the name of radical extremism. The indictment was announced hours after authorities arrested seven suspected terrorists in Ireland allegedly linked to LaRose, who has been in prison since her Oct. 15 arrest while returning to the United States. In e-mails recovered by the FBI, LaRose agreed to marry an online contact from South Asia so he could move to Europe. She also agreed to become a martyr, the indictment said. Born in Michigan, LaRose moved to Texas as a girl and had married twice by age 24. Her first
marriage came at 16, to a man twice her age in Tarrant County, Texas, public records show. There are no records or reports of any children from either union, both of which were long over by the time she met Pennsylvanian Kurt Gorman in 2005 or thereabouts. LaRose lived with Gorman and his father in Pennsburg, caring for the older man while Gorman worked at his family’s small business in another town, Gorman said this week. “She was a good-hearted person,� he said. “She pretty much stayed around the house.� But online, she grew increas-
ingly devoted to a loose band of what authorities say were violent co-conspirators from around the world. They found her after she posted a YouTube video in June 2008 saying she was “desperate to do something somehow to help� ease the suffering of Muslims, the indictment said. She eventually agreed to try to kill Swedish artist Lars Vilks, who had angered Muslims by depicting the Prophet Muhammad with the body of a dog, according to a U.S. official who wasn’t authorized to discuss details of the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.
By Karin Laub & Steven Gutkin The Associated Press RAMALLAH, West Bank — An open diplomatic row during the visit of Vice President Joe Biden has shined a spotlight on the U.S. failure to rein in Israeli settlement ambitions and deepened Palestinian suspicions that the United States is too weak to broker a deal. Biden’s handshakes and embraces gave way to one of the strongest rebukes of Israel by a senior U.S. official in years after Israel’s announcement during his visit that it plans to build 1,600 homes in disputed east Jerusalem. Israel apologized for the poor timing but is sticking to its plan to build the homes, enlarging one of the settlements that have impeded negotiations with Palestinians. The vice president on Wednesday assured Palestinians the U.S. is squarely behind their bid for statehood and urged the sides to
refrain from actions “that inflame tensions or prejudice the outcome of talks.� “It’s incumbent on both parties to build an atmosphere of support for negotiations, and not to complicate them,� Biden said, standing alongside Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Israel’s announcement was widely seen as a slap in the face to its all-important U.S. ally. It stirred significant anger among U.S. officials and widespread skepticism about whether the Obama administration would have the courage or the backing to take Israel to task as the U.S. relaunches longstalled peace negotiations. The future of those talks was called into question late Wednesday when the Arab League recommended withdrawing support for them. “This is a global message of American weakness and Israeli arrogance,� said Palestinian lawmaker Hanan Ashrawi.
Bernat Armangue | Associated Press
Joe Biden, left, and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad visit the Nassar stone factory in Bethlehem, West Bank, on Wednesday.
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OPINION
4
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Editor in Chief: Jillian Sheridan Phone: (512) 232-2212 E-mail: editor@dailytexanonline.com Associate Editors: Jeremy Burchard David Muto Roberto Cervantes Dan Treadway Lauren Winchester
T HE DAILY T EXAN
A plan for the West Campus parking problem
VIEWPOINT
Moving forward For the first time in several years, the power at the top of Student Government has changed. The students have spoken — more than 8,600 of them, an unprecedented number for a runoff — and with 55.47 percent of the vote, Scott Parks and Muneezeh Kabir were named 2010-2011 SG president and vice president Wednesday night. The heated contest had its share of intrigue, scandal and Soviet overtones, but the editorial board is now pleased that the students aligned themselves with the executive alliance we felt could best serve the campus. With candidates Minator Azemi and Justin Stein leading after the initial vote last week, Parks and Kabir’s victory Wednesday was an unlikely but fitting culmination to a campaign that was equal parts unorthodox and well-executed. But Parks and Kabir shouldn’t spend too much time reveling in their victory, because for them, the real challenge starts now. The two campaigned on making SG more than it has been in the past — more accessible, more open and more relevant — and risk leaving the student body more disenchanted with SG than ever before if they fail. Their campaign’s efforts to mobilize first-time SG voters was admirable, but now Parks and Kabir must motivate those same students to involve themselves in important campus issues — a commitment that takes much more than 10 seconds and a UT EID. Election Supervisory Board Chairman Charles Maddox — who unfortunately found himself overworked this election cycle — said of the result, “I hope this means the average student now knows their vote matters more than ever, and that if everyone turns out and votes, that would be the best thing for SG.” While turnout for this election was impressive, still only 20 percent of the student body cast votes. Parks and Kabir must reach out not only to the voters whose candidates of choice were defeated, but particularly to those who did not feel voting was worth their time at all. Perhaps such a hotly contested election is exactly what was needed to kick-start such a mission. “The fact that there was suspense, the fact that you had two sides of campus — that’s a big deal for Student Government. This election is what starts the change we want to see and the things we want to clean up,” said Jimmy Talarico, a campaign manager for Parks and Kabir. Parks and Kabir consistently claimed that they could change the culture of SG, but change does not hinge on them alone. Part of the responsibility lies with the newly elected and re-elected representatives working in conjunction with the executive committee to pass thoughtful and purposeful legislation. But perhaps the biggest responsibility lies with the UT administrators, who hopefully will notice that students are not at all satisfied with the status quo and demand change. We’re hopeful that Azemi and Stein, who were gracious in defeat, continue to serve — as they have during their first three years on campus — as a positive influence on student affairs. It is to the benefit to students to have them involved on their behalf. And finally, we congratulate Parks and Kabir on the hard-fought and well-deserved victory. Now, get to work. — The editorial board
By Santo Brocato Daily Texan Guest Columnist University Area Partners is looking into potentially putting resident permit parking and metered parking into certain sections of West Campus. Rebekah Mata and I are the two Student Government representatives to the UAP Board. As a part of this board, our decisions are based on three principles: 1) Safety and accessibility 2) listening to and communicating students’ opinions and 3) being a good neighbor to the larger Austin community. UAP is a group of neighborhood businesses, residents, landlords, apartment managers and students who live and work in the West Campus area. In a sense, UAP is the “Homeowners Association” for our area. The group is important to students because decisions made within UAP affect UT students that live in West Campus the most. For the past few years, UAP has studied the present parking and pedestrian facilities in West Campus. The following is a summary of the current situation: Parking garages are not filled to anywhere near their capacities, on-street parking in most areas is free, sidewalks and lighting are in poor condition — with the exception of a handful of areas adjacent to newly redeveloped properties and — long-term street parking is not regulated by city, county or state law. The main cause of parking garages’ inabilities to meet their capacities is their high parking prices. Rebekah and I have repeatedly recommended to garage owners that they lower their rates, and in response, they’ve stated that lower rates do not effectively increase vehicle occupancies. Currently, rental contracts for apartments
and vehicle spots are separate. We believe that combining the two could move vehicles currently parked on the streets into garages. After months of carefully reviewing the situation, UAP is about to propose replacing the currently non-regulated parking in West Campus with resident permit and meter parking. Let me clarify that adding residential permits and meters in this area is only an idea — it is open to discussion, which I encourage. I will listen and reply to any student or neighborhood resident with constructive ideas. Again, I genuinely encourage you to contribute your insights by e-mailing us at uaprepresentatives@gmail.com. Our desire to see a safer West Campus by making much-needed lighting and sidewalk improvements drives our support for this idea. Many sidewalks, specifically on 21st Street and on 25th Street, are in dire need of repair. Pedestrians, especially those in wheelchairs, have a difficult time navigating stairs, curbs without ramp access to crosswalks and the myriad of broken concrete that make up many West Campus sidewalks. Many sections of West Campus also lack proper lighting at night. These improvements would come at a cost. In this case, parking meters would be installed to pay for the construction of new sidewalks, lighting and trees — what is referred to as “streetscape.” As SG representatives on UAP, we must balance lobbying for much-needed safety improvements with the costs these beneficial improvements may incur. We are dealing with a classic Catch-22. West campus needs better walking facilities. To construct these facilities, revenue needs to be raised. Students are being asked to help raise this revenue by paying for their parking, but parking-
GALLERY
This past September, Gov. Rick Perry, when speaking on the national recession, facetiously stated, “We’re in one?” The governor ’s question was definitively answered Monday when John O’Brien, director of the Legislative Budget Board, informed the legislative committee that Texas would face a budget shortfall of at least $11 billion next time it meets in 2011. To put that $11 billion — a figure that, to O’Brien’s admission, is a conservative estimate — in perspective, the recent 5-percent cuts that state agencies, including UT, just proposed will account for a mere $1.7 billion in savings. It looks like lawmakers are going to have to either cut state spending drastically or raise taxes — or do a little bit of both. The state constitution, which requires Texas to have a balanced budget, will make them do so. But, what if this round of cutbacks and tax adjustments is just the beginning? What if these budget shortfalls are not merely cyclical but are the new structural norm that any state in a declining economic empire must inevitably face?
Brocato is the SG external representative to University Area Partners.
THE FIRING LINE UT School of Law’s dean speaks out on a practical legal education
The recession hits Texas — and may hit hard By Calvin Sloan Daily Texan Columnist
garage owners stand to make large amounts of money as cars will have to move from free spots on the street into these structures. Without an increase in revenue, sidewalk and safety conditions will only continue to further deteriorate. The Central Austin Neighborhood Planning Action Committee is currently discussing this idea, as well. CANPAC consists of neighborhood boards from all areas bordering the UT campus. We agree with their sentiments that the side effects of UAP’s proposed plan must be adequately addressed. We need to be good neighbors and address concerns of residents in outlying areas. One of CANPAC’s proposals is to develop a separate parking plan for the entire Central Austin area. If this separate larger plan can solve our current sidewalk and lighting challenges with a smaller neighborhood impact than with UAP’s current proposed plan, we will of course be supportive. Right now, this is an idea with significant details still to be decided. Once a plan is put on paper, Rebekah and I will make every effort to let you know the pros and cons of the plan and to solicit feedback from students. Additionally, UAP and CANPAC leaders will meet with students on campus to further gather face-to-face input. We will ensure that this newspaper receives information about proposed parking plans and student forums so that you, as students, will know about these student forums well in advance. Finally, as I mentioned above, this parking plan is just an idea. As representatives of the student body, we openly welcome your feedback.
I wouldn’t venture to say that such to monetize debt. Could that scary, an idea is the elephant in the room, Third-World word, “devaluation,” because it hasn’t quite reached that play a role in America’s future in the amount of public discourse yet. How- decades to come? ever, this elephant in the hallway is In January, President Barack an idea worth entertaining, for the Obama spoke in his State of the sake of keeping an open mind about Union address about his plan to inifuture scenarios. tiate a three-year The United States budget freeze on is up against many non-security discreeconomic challengtionary spending. es. The rise of comWhile mandatopetitors like China ry programs like John O’Brien, and India, the posSocial Security, undirector of the sible replacement employment insurof the U.S. dollar ance and Medicaid Legislative Budget as the world’s rewill not be affectBoard, informed serve currency, the ed, domestic social de-industrialization programs — prothe legislative of the U.S. econograms that directly committee that my, the never-endfund scientific reing rise of the nasearch and many Texas will face a tional debt and a state social safebudget shortfall of costly case of imty nets — are desat least $11 billion perial overstretch tined for the chopare all threatening ping block. by the next time it the hegemonic role Furthermore, meets in 2011 that has paved the on Dec. 31, many way for American states will receive prosperity. a rude awakenIf recent Treasury ing when most of auctions of U.S. Obama’s stimulus debt are any indication of things to package expires. One out of every come, America is set to face a day four American children is currently of reckoning. With China and other on food stamps at a time when the foreign governments slowly backing opposite side of the age demographaway from the table, one has to won- ic, the baby boomers, are set to retire der for how long the Fed will be able in large numbers and assume all the
costly benefits that go along with doing so. It’s also relevant to note that when unemployment figures include discouraged workers, economically necessitated part-timers and the underemployed, the national rate jumps from 9.7 percent to 16.5 percent and that the official Texas unemployment rate rose from 5.6 percent in December 2008 to 8.2 percent in December 2009. Perhaps the equity markets are actually indicative of a renewed recovery, and we’re on the right path. Perhaps not. American economic dominance, when looked at from a historical perspective, has not really lasted all that long. It will be interesting to see if this current “jobless recovery” will actually bring us into another era of opulence. If it doesn’t, state services are going to be slashed not just in 2011, but also in 2013, 2015, etc., and it’s hard to imagine that the University would be spared in the process. With its large endowment, UT is certainly in a better position than most public universities across the country to handle a prolonged downturn, but, just like the state itself, would only be able to weather the storm for so long before a major adjustment in budget policy would have to take place. Sloan is a government senior.
I am writing in response to the opinion piece written by three students which appeared in The Daily Texan on March 4 under the title, “Law students need a practical education.” A little more than halfway through their first year of law school, the authors of this call for practicality have not yet confronted the law school’s extraordinary array of courses, ranging from Admiralty Law to Wind Power Law. In between are dozens upon dozens of courses of undeniable practicality in topics such as complex litigation, intellectual property, family law, innovation and entrepreneurship, tax, trusts and estates. Nor have the authors encountered our legal clinics (educational programs in which students deal with the real problems of real clients), our Advocacy Program or our clerkship and fellowship programs. We have 17 clinics ranging in areas including criminal law, environmental law, transnational worker rights, children’s rights, national security, community development, legislative lawyering, domestic violence, immigration law and Supreme Court litigation. Our Capital Punishment Clinic had four cases pending in the Supreme Court in a single recent term and won all four. More than half of UT Law’s students take at least one clinic, and their experiences are remarkably intense, rewarding and exquisitely practical. Terry Tottenham, the president-elect of the State Bar of Texas, took umbrage at The Daily Texan piece; he has taught all phases of litigation to our students for the last 20 years and is only one of 41 adjuncts presently teaching in the Advocacy Program. Hundreds of students participate in the program each year, and many more participate in various interscholastic advocacy competitions. As a result of an intense clerkship program unparalleled in American legal education, 14 percent of UT Law’s graduates clerk with judges, from the Supreme Court to Federal Courts of Appeals and District Courts to state courts and international tribunals. Many more are supported by fellowships to work with public-interest legal groups and human rights tribunals throughout the world. To be sure, all this represents just one face of UT Law. Throughout our rich curriculum and almost overwhelming array of lectures, symposia and conferences, the air is thick with law and economics, legal philosophy and legal history, taught widely and taught well. It would be a deep embarrassment if it were otherwise. Good lawyers in our time need a good deal more than familiarity with legal doctrine and traditional legal skills. And at UT Law, it is our ambition to graduate not just good lawyers but good citizens — good human beings — prepared to take on the world with its manifold problems and promise.
— Larry Sager Dean of the UT School of Law
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Opinions expressed in The Daily Texan are those of the editor 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.
E-mail your Firing Lines to firingline@dailytexanonline.com. Letters must be fewer than 300 words. The Texan reserves the right to edit for brevity, clarity and liability.
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5 UNIV
NEWS
Thursday, March 11, 2010
SPORT: Players adjust
to broomsticks, plan game against A&M From page 1
attached to the backside of a neutral-party runner. As Oliver Wood explained in the first Harry Potter book, “You catch the snitch, Harry, you win the game.” Quidditch, as described in the books, is played completely in the air as players use their brooms to fly. The real-life quidditch rules were solidified in 2007, when Middlebury College in Vermont founded the Intercollegiate Quidditch Association, or IQA for short. According to its Web site, there are currently about 200 teams around the world who have signed up. The majority of them are from the U.S., but there are also teams in Canada, Mexico, Argentina, England, Iceland, France, Israel and Australia. Among the many institutions who have signed up with the IQA, A&M joined in the fall of 2008 and went on to place seventh out of 21 at the world cup in Middlebury. “In the southwest region, there’s no real rivalry yet because most of the teams are new,” said Laura Pagels, a spokeswoman for the A&M team and “Team Gryffindor” beater. “Guess we’ll find out in the coming tournament if there’s any teams we need to keep our eye on.” A&M will be hosting a quidditch tournament on April 24. Until that time, Texas Quidditch, composed of house teams and one main traveling varsity team, plans to hold a number of intramural scrimmages and practices before competing in the tournament and, eventually, the world cup. In its last scrimmage, Hufflepuff made a comeback and won two out of three matches against Gryffindor. The seven-part Harry Potter series is set mainly at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Protagonist Harry Potter, who belongs to Gryffindor, one of four Hogwarts “houses,” is a star on the Gryffindor quidditch team. The other three houses are Hufflepuff,
Slytherin and Ravenclaw. Although members of the UT team were already sorted into houses based on a mixture of preference and a desire to have an even number of players per house, there are still spaces open for the snitch and an announcer. So far, the most difficult thing for players has been learning to play with one hand holding a broom between their legs. Since there is currently no known way to play quidditch on a flying broom, the IQA adapted the rules from Rowling’s books to accommodate for this setback. “You wouldn’t think you could get such large bruises from running with a broom, but you do,” said Cate Boyle, varsity team chaser and elementary education sophomore. “When you hold it between your legs while you’re running, it keeps knocking into them.” Another major difference from Rowling’s version is the use of three bludgers rather than two. According to the IQA rulebook, this is to “ensure that each team, with two beaters, will always be in possession of at least one bludger.” Once a player is hit, he or she has to drop the broom and any ball in possession and run around the hoops three times — the approximate amount of time it would take one of Rowling’s quidditch players to recover after being knocked off his or her broom. Despite these technical setbacks, the biggest challenge of any new team is establishing chemistry on the pitch. “For example, our Gryffindor team has close to 30 people, but only seven can play at a time,” said Alexandra Young, co-founder and humanities sophomore. “The biggest challenge is selecting those seven and having them know each other.” Young, like many other fans, began reading the series at a young age and eagerly awaited each new book at midnight bookstore parties. “I think I was in second grade,
Photos by Shannon Kintner | Daily Texan Staff
Above, keeper Cate Boyle tries but fails to block Allison Burton from scoring the quaffle through one of three hoops. Below, left to right, Allison Burton, Jacob Adlis, Christopher Morris, Alexandra Young and Maris Gonzalez comprise only a few of the members of the newly formed UT Quidditch Team, based off of the wizarding game in J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series. For more information on Texas Quidditch and how to join, visit www.utquidditch.com.
and it was my birthday,” Young said. “One of my friends had given me this book and said it was good, and I was a massive reader, I read everything. So I was like, ‘OK, sure.’ From page two, I was hooked. After that, there was no going back.” It’s a shared love of Harry Potter that has brought college-age students together to play the game they first fell in love with as children. “[Quidditch] is just so geeky and nerdy, but it’s universal,” Young said. “We’ve got people from the business school, liberal arts, natural sciences and engineering. There are players from all over the University. I don’t know how they all found out about it, but it’s just been really awesome.”
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6 S/L
6
NEWS
Thursday, March 11, 2010
McCombs helps student entrepreneurs
Bobby Longoria | Daily Texan Staff
Rob Adams, director of the Texas Venture Labs program, speaks to students and business owners at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center on Wednesday. The program aims to help students start their own businesses by providing education and mentoring.
Austin aims for Google’s high-speed Web service By Gabrielle Cloudy Daily Texan Staff Austin residents and businesses are vying against cities across the nation for a chance to obtain Internet 100 times faster than its current speed from Web giant Google. On Feb. 10, Google announced Fiber for Communities, a project that would provide between a 50,000 and 500,000 homes with gigabit-network speed. The Big Gig Austin Initiative was created by the city to bring the project to Austin. Google’s high-speed Internet would provide a network speed of up to 1 billion bits per second. Residents can go to the Web site www.biggigaustin.org to post ideas or vote on already-posted suggestions for possible uses for the faster Internet. The city must present Google with its formal proposal by March 26. The Big Gig Austin initiative held an open forum Wednesday evening to discuss how to proceed with the project, and residents were invited to make presentations of ideas to submit to the city. The forum featured a panel of speakers, including Joe Faulk, the division manager for library information systems, and Linda Litowsky of channelAustin. Faulk talked about the libraries’ understanding of the possibilities that faster Internet might bring. “It’s important because we are a deliverer of content,” Faulk said. “If everybody had a gigabyte to their desktop, what could that content become?” However, it will take a community initiative to bring the project to Austin, said Kyle Carvell, a city of Austin spokesman. “Community support is really important in the entire process because that’s what Google evaluates,” Carvell said. “They will be heavily looking at perceived community support and demand for the project from the community and its residents. We should do everything as a community to prove that Austin would benefit from this highspeed Internet.” Austin City Council member Laura Morrison said she was excited that, if Austin is chosen, the project could help the city evolve, allowing it to be more technologically sound and providing it with more opportunities. “Remote learning, downloading, having access to high-definition movies and medical applications — lots of things could happen if you move them 100 times faster,” Morrison said. She said they are formulating a good proposal and that Austin is a great candidate for the project. “Google is interested in a city where they could put it in quickly and efficiently,” Morrison said. “We have a lot to offer in regard to that since we own our own utilities.” ChannelAustin has tried to involve the community with aired promotional videos, Constant Contact messaging and phone calls and by providing information to those who enter the building, Litowsky said. “We also will be interviewing people during this weekend’s South by Southwest Interactive, finding out why they think Austin is a great candidate,” she said. “It would be wonderful for the film mecca [to] allow for large amounts of data and video files to be transported and shared quickly.”
By Shabab Siddiqui Daily Texan Staff Entrepreneurially-minded students no longer have to wait until graduation to turn their ideas into cash-churning businesses. The McCombs School of Business announced the launch of Texas Venture Labs, a Universitywide entrepreneurship program, Wednesday afternoon. The program is designed to guide students through the entire process of starting their own business. It will combine education, mentoring and networking, among other resources, to direct students from the initial idea to the final launching stage. McCombs faculty members will serve
as mentors in the program. “Entrepreneurship has thrived here at the University in the past, but it’s just a core group of entrepreneurial faculty and students that have kept it alive,” said Rob Adams, director of the program and management lecturer at McCombs, during the announcement. “Texas Venture Labs is centralizing those resources for you.” Currently, the program will work with students only on the latter stages of the entrepreneurial process, which includes raising funds, guiding management and fostering growth of a business. By September, the program will work to incorporate earlier stages, such as generating and researching
ideas, establishing product licenses and creating business plans. Thomas Gilligan, dean of the business school, said the program will allow greater interaction between the business school and other colleges of the University, as the program is not exclusive to McCombs students. It will also enhance the entrepreneurship program at UT by giving students hands-on experiences, Gilligan said. “Students do best through experiential education,” he said. As a student’s business idea develops, students who have just graduated will fill managerial positions while current students will run day-to-day operations and receive course credit in return.
The program will work similar to a venture-capital firm without the capital part, Adams said. Daniel Nelson, a UT alumnus, cofounded Phurnace Software shortly after earning his MBA. The company, which was acquired by a larger software firm earlier this year, makes it easier to install networks in homes and offices. Nelson said the Texas Venture Labs program mirrors the process he had to go through to start his own company. “It creates the model for companies to follow,” he said. “It tells you what you need to do and how to build on it.” For more information on the program, including how to apply, visit texasventurelabs.net.
Lecturers suggest preservation solutions By Aziza Musa Daily Texan Staff A scientist, a conservationist and a policy maker each stressed the importance of an integrative approach to the preservation of various life forms in a lecture Wednesday at the UT School of Law. The lecture offered three perspectives about conservation: one about funding from Kathryn Fuller, former president and CEO of the World Wildlife Fund and a UT School of Law alumna; one about science from Christine Hawkes, UT integrative biology professor; and one about policy from Laura Huffman, state director of the Nature Conservancy. Fuller, the main speaker, is now the chairwoman of the Ford Foundation, an organization dedicated to social justice. She addressed the need to protect the world’s biodiversity, or the assortment of life forms, in light of climate change. “The sad truth is, the natural world is disappearing before our eyes,” Fuller said. “Even the expanse of Amazonian rainforests aren’t safe and could disappear within decades.” Fuller noted numerous statistics about the reduction of biological diversity, including forest, freshwater and marine life. She said deforestation is responsible for 15 to 20 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions and that Indonesia is the third-largest emitter of these types of gases. Recently, Indonesia, among more than 20 other countries, fully endorsed the Copenhagen Accord, a document created by the United Nations Climate Change Conference to reduce emission levels worldwide. While climate change has been active for decades, it is currently the largest threat to the environment, Huffman said. She said keeping freshwater clean allows
Mary Kang | Daily Texan Staff
Kathryn Fuller, former president and CEO of the World Wildlife Fund and a UT School of Law alumna, speaks about the reduction of biological diversity at the Eidman Courtroom in Jesse H. Jones Hall on Wednesday afternoon. animals and humans to live and also provides viable economics for people. The concentration should no longer be on a speciesby-species preservation but rather the conservation of the ecosystem as a whole, she said. Huffman and Fuller agreed that agencies related to ecological preservation need to raise public awareness about the benefits the natural environment can provide and how humans
can affect the environment. “When we think about the human impact on the environment, the first organisms we think about are charismatic megafauna,” Hawkes said. “These are usually big, fuzzy animals, like penguins, or beautiful, rare and big plants, such as orchids and redwood trees. However, the vast majority of things on earth are microbial, not charismatic megafauna.” Scientists are unsure of the ex-
act number of living microbes, or small organisms such as bacteria and algae, but they estimate there are about 4 million to 5 million, Hawkes said. These microbes are responsible for ecosystem functioning, and with warmer, drier climates on the horizon and the shifting of species in certain geographical regions, it is necessary to use microbial pathways to restore the environment to its natural state, she said.
Norma Fowler, a UT integrative biology professor who attended the event, said the lecture emphasized the importance of preservation, restoration and adaptation but that an integrative approach is necessary. “No single way [to conserve] is enough,” Fowler said. “We need everybody in all different approaches, from policy to government to science, [to fix the problem].”
Students look to ‘save our history’ Council commission seeks public feedback
By Shamoyita DasGupta Daily Texan Staff Students from the Coalition of Students for a Smarter State Board of Education marched from Littlefield Fountain to the Texas Education Agency on Wednesday to protest the changes the State Board of Education has proposed regarding social studies curriculum in Texas. University Democrats, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicana/o de Aztlan and the Texas Freedom Network Student Chapter formed the coalition two weeks ago. The state board began its three-day meeting Wednesday in Austin and will vote on a modified social studies curriculum for the state. The board meets every 10 years to revise and set the curriculum for public schools in Texas. In recent months, the board has considered removing significant historical figures like Cesar Chavez and Thurgood Marshall from textbooks. Because of backlash from students and elected officials, board members decided at their last meeting in January to keep these notable figures from the Civil Rights Movement in textbooks. Other controversial curriculum revisions the board proposed included re-wording “U.S. imperialism” to “U.S. expansionism”; removing Benjamin O. Davis, the first black general in the U.S. Air Force and the commander of the Tuskegee Airmen; and Betty Friedan, feminist and author of “The Feminine Mystique.” Any discussion
Affordable housing for low-income families is high priority, group says
Chris Kosho | Daily Texan Staff
Matt Kaemmerer marches in protest on University Avenue with the Coalition of Students for a Smarter State Board of Education on Wednesday. of both legal and illegal immigration and any reference to the actions taken “by people from racial, ethnic, gender and religious groups” in expanding economic opportunities and political rights in American society would also be removed. The changes would affect social studies curriculum taught to approximately 4.7 million public-school students from kindergarten to 12th grade, UDems president Melessa Rodriguez said. Representatives from each organization held a press conference to explain their goal of preventing the state board from implementing these changes in curriculum reform. Students at the rally wore T-shirts emblazoned with the words “Save our History.” “I think that what the school board is trying to do is absolutely ridiculous, highly politicized and also something that I completely dis-
agree with,” said Jenny Kutner, a freshman and member of Texas Freedom Network. “You can’t bias history. It happened, it happened a certain way, and it’s their duty as the State Board of Education to educate the students of Texas accurately.” The attempt to remove h i s t o r i c a l f i g u re s o f c o l or has been a major issue for many students and was part of the reason MEChA joined the coalition. “I feel that if children see themselves reflected in textbooks, not just in white people but also in minorities — people of color, young females — they’ll be more motivated to learn,” said Diana Gomez, an ethnic studies sophomore and member of MEChA who testified twice before the board in November about these changes. “They’ll feel more connected to the people that they’re learning about.”
By Destinee Hodge Daily Texan Staff The Community Development Commission held its annual update meeting Wednesday to kick off discussions concerning the city of Austin budget. Each year, the Austin City Council begins its budget talks with a meeting with the commission, which provides the Council with resident feedback. The commission is the only section of the Council that specifically addresses the needs of the people of Austin who live below the poverty line. “We cover everything from health, to parks to recreation,” said commission director Margaret Shaw. “But we focus especially on job creation and affordable housing.” The commission discussed the Elm Ridge Apartments on Airport Boulevard extensively because they are a major housing project in Austin. “We were able to refinance, so we can ensure that it will be available for the next 100 years,” Shaw said. Each year, the commission receives between $20-25 million from both the city and federal government that will go toward public services. This year, they received about $30 million because of the General Obligation bonds that voters elected to give the commission in 2006. “Our funding can be used for
everything from childcare to rental assistance to mediation between tenants and landlords,” Shaw said. John Limon, the chairman of the board, acts as an intermediary between the community and the board. Limon was appointed to the position in 2009. Limon said that affordable housing is a high priority because it affects not only jobs, but also the ability of citizens to contribute to society. The commission also helps to keep other housing in Austin affordable for low-income families. “We try to provide homes that are $200 to $700 per month,” Shaw said. “That might not seem like a big deal, but the Austin average is about $1,000 to $1,200.” Shaw said there were also nonprofit organizations contributing to the city’s attempt to provide affordable housing. Limon said the public can play an important role in assigning funds by attending hearings held throughout the year to address needs and concerns to representatives like him. “The public has the opportunity to come and share their needs,” Limon said. “There are appointees for each community, and then there are overheads to communicate the information.” Limon said that his position is specifically effective because he can relate to the people he is representing. “Born and raised here in Austin, I see what the needs of my community are, and that’s the only way to know,” he said.
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Sports Editor: Blake Hurtik E-mail: sports@dailytexanonline.com Phone: (512) 232-2210 www.dailytexanonline.com
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Thursday, March 11, 2010
T HE DAILY T EXAN
SIDELINE
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Ellis brings unexpected talent, drive to UT tennis By Alexandra Carreno Daily Texan Staff For many collegiate tennis players, an NCAA career is a mere stepping stone after their successes in high school and junior-level tennis. They’re usually the best of the best from their hometowns or teams, and they expect to be extraordinary at the college level, as well. But, imagine entering the collegiate tennis circuit as a little-known, unranked player after choosing to take a year off from school to pursue a professional and teaching career in tennis. That’s the situation Texas freshman Aeriel Ellis found herself in. Despite her status upon entering the UT team, the Hayward, Calif., native has created a name for herself as a top member of the Longhorns and has climbed to No. 17 in the national rankings. Ellis’ dominance in both high school and junior tennis was fueled by the composure and maturity she regularly displays on the court. Her successes led her to pursue a professional career upon graduation, but Ellis quickly realized that her heart was not in the game enough to successfully make her mark on the professional circuit. She instead spent the year teaching tennis lessons to young, eager students as well as traveling on recruitment trips to keep tennis fresh on her mind. She chose Texas over Georgia Tech and home-state UCLA. The Longhorns are thankful that she had a change of heart. Ellis has locked down the top singles spot for Texas, despite being the only freshman on the squad. “I knew that going to college was where I needed to be, and I am just so glad I made that decision,” Ellis said. “To be a part of a group of people and follow such a legacy is empowering. When I step out onto the court, any match is mine.” The fact that this is her first season in the world of collegiate tennis makes Ellis’s success impressive.
ELLIS continues on page 8
TEXAS 82
By Will Anderson Daily Texan Staff Damion James is quickly becoming a household name in Kansas City, Mo. Playing at the Sprint Center for the third time this year, he had his best game yet, scoring 28 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in an 82-75 win over Iowa State on Wednesday night in the opening round of the Big 12 tournament. “Damion James, he was terrific,” Texas coach Rick Barnes said. “What he did on the boards … He came over to me and said, ‘I’m getting them all.’” James averaged 15 points and 10.5 rebounds during the O’Reilly Auto Parts Classic in Kansas City in November but outdid that effort with one of his strongest outings this year. And thanks to James, the Longhorns will play at least one more game in Kansas City this season, as they advance to the second round of the conference tournament to face thirdseed Baylor on Thursday. Gary Johnson, promoted to starter after a career-best 25 points at Baylor on Saturday, registered a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. “No one has improved more than Gary,” Barnes said. “We wanted him to drive it [tonight], which he did.” Johnson replaced freshman J’Covan Brown, a guard with prolific scoring ability who has struggled recently. Brown played just three minutes Wednesday night and had no points. The bench came up big for Texas. Junior Matt Hill snagged three rebounds and scored three points, while sophomore guard Jai Lucas made three assists and ran the point for Texas in lieu of Brown. “I was impressed with Jai. I was impressed with the way he responded,” Barnes said.
JAMES continues on page 8
No. 9 Texas Tech 82 No. 8 Colorado 67 No. 12 Nebraska 75 No. 5 Missouri 60 No. 10 Oklahoma 67 No. 7 Oklahoma State 81 No. 11 Iowa State 75 No. 6 Texas 82
Big East Tournament No. 9 South Florida 49 No. 8 Georgetown 69 No. 5 Marquette 57 No. 13 St. John’s 55 No. 10 Seton Hall 56 No. 7 Notre Dame 68 No. 6 Louisville 66 No. 11 Cincinnati 69
C-USA Tournament No. 7 Houston 93 No. 10 East Carolina 80 No. 6 Southern Mississippi 57 No. 11 Tulane 47 No. 5 Tulsa 73 No. 12 Rice 62 No. 8 SMU 53 No. 9 Central Florida 69
Northeast Conference Final No. 2 Robert Morris 52 No. 1 Quinnipiac 50
Big Sky Final No. 4 Montana 66 No. 1 Weber State 65
NBA New York 87 San Antonio 97 New Jersey 87 Dallas 96 New Orleans 83 Oklahoma City 98
Charlie Neibergall | Associated Press
Texas center Dexter Pittman fights for a rebound over Iowa State’s Craig Bracken’s in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament. Pittman finished with 16 points and 5 rebounds in a 82-75 win.
Denver 110 Minnesota 102 LA Clippers 97 Miami 108 Utah 115 Detroit 104
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
GAME 1: TEXAS 9, UTEP 0 GAME 2: TEXAS 6, UTEP 1
Longhorns sweep Miners using flawless baserunning Late offensive run sparks Texas to pair of victories against cross-state rival
WIN continues on page 8
Big 12 Tournament
Texas survives the Cyclones
SOFTBALL
Matt Hohner Daily Texan Staff In what appeared to be a pitchers’ duel, the Longhorn offense came to life in game one of a doubleheader sweep against UT-El Paso on Wednesday. Blaire Luna was in command of the Miners in the Longhorns’ 9-0 shutout in game one. Luna struck out nine of the first ten batters and went on to retire 15 of the 21 batters she faced with a complete game. However, the rest of the team couldn’t seem to support Luna by putting runs on the board until the bottom of the fifth inning. But, Luna knew her team would back her up sooner rather than later. “I have a lot of trust in my offense,” Luna said. “Versus Tennessee we were down, and I had a lot of trust that they were going to come back, and they did. I think something we’re good at is not giving up.” Just a little extra effort by outfielder Taylor Hoagland opened the floodgates by beating out a groundball toward the shortstop. A series of infield hits put the bases loaded for the Horns, and first baseman Lexy Bennett brought in the first run for Texas en route to a six-run inning. Bennett then put the finishing touch in the next inning by sending a three-run home run over the fence to seal the deal for the Longhorns. Texas continued to cruise to an easy 6-1 victory in game two.
IOWA STATE 75
Chris Kosho | Daily Texan Staff
Senior pitcher Erin Tresselt warms up in the bullpen during Texas’ 9-0 win over UTEP in game one of Wednesday’s doubleheader.
Horns choose to put the pressure on opposition when stealing the bases By Kate Guerra Daily Texan Staff The Texas softball seems to stroll between the 60 feet separating each base on a softball field. In 2009, the University of Alabama had the highest stolen bases per game in Division I softball, averaging 2.78 steals a game. The Longhorns aren’t up to that kind of production yet, but they still put lots of emphasis on aggressive base-running. They’ve attempted 40 steals since the beginning of the 2010 season. The Longhorns, who won the first game of a doubleheader against UT-El Paso 9-0, attempted two in the first inning alone, both resulting in successful stolen bases. That performance puts the season average
to 72.5 percent (29/40). “This group is too good to let the little things in the way,” Texas head coach Connie Clark said after the team’s 6-1 win in the second game of the twin bill. “We needed to work on some base running, and whenever we work on something in practice, this group just applies it right away.” Being aggressive on the bases is a gamble, but it’s one that the Longhorns are willing and prepared to take. The team spends around 45 minutes during each practice running bases. “I think we’re very aggressive on the bases,” Clark said. “There are so many things that have to go right when you’re trying to steal second. Catchers that are All-Americans are throwing out half the runners. You gotta have the great throw, the receiver on the back end and the catch, so we like to put
STEALS continues on page 8
Upset-minded Missouri looks to eliminate Horns By Dan Hurwitz Daily Texan Staff Despite winning only two conference games and finishing last in conference standings, Missouri’s season starts today — they are only four wins away from clinching a spot in the NCAA Tournament. It is not an exaggeration to say it will take a miracle for the Tigers to win the Big 12 Tournament, which starts for them against the fifth-seeded Longhorns. Just one week ago, the Longhorns beat Missouri by 19 points in Austin. But that means nothing anymore, as any team has a chance of ending up on top, come Sunday’s championship match. “It’s just a new season,” Texas head coach Gail Goestenkors said. “Every single possession matters.” With Missouri scouting reports fresh in the minds of the Texas players and coaches, preparations for the Tigers will not be extensive. But in Columbia, Mo., head
coach Cindy Stein and her team have some adjustments to make after scoring only 41 points against the Longhorns last week. The recent success of a zone defense the Tigers briefly saw last week will likely be seen again today. Yet, Texas put posts Cokie Reed and Ashley Gayle in at the same time in the second half against Baylor on Sunday and held the Bears without a field goal for 16 straight minutes. “We’ve worked on it some during practice, but it’s not something that we’ve used much at all during the course of the year,” Goestenkors said. “It’s probably something we’ll use mor, now that we’ve got some success with it.” With Reed and Gayle both standing at 6 foot 4 inches, the Longhorns are one of the tallest teams in the Big 12. The two combined for all eight of the team’s blocks in Sunday’s win. Other adjustments made to
TEXAS continues on page 8
Derek Stout | Daily Texan Staff
Texas post Ashley Gayle grabs a rebound over a Texas Tech defender. The Longhorns open their postseason against Missouri today.
Memphis 111 Boston 91 Charlotte 102 Philadelphia 87 Toronto 90 Sacramento 113
SPORTS BRIEFLY Nowitzki struggles as Mavericks come from behind to beat Nets Top scorer Dirk Nowitzki was struggling, and the Dallas Mavericks needed points from other sources. Jason Kidd, Caron Butler, rookie Roddy Beaubois and Shawn Marion picked up the slack. Kidd had 20 points and nine assists, hitting 5 of 8 from 3-point range, and the Mavericks recovered from a lethargic start to match the NBA’s longest winning streak this season with their 13th straight victory, 96-87 over the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday night. Butler and Beaubois each added 16 points and Marion had 14 points and 13 rebounds, helping the Mavericks equal Cleveland’s winning streak from Jan. 10-Feb. 11. Nowitzki, who’s had 16 games this season with 30 or more points and two with 40-plus, went 3 for 16 from the field and finished with 12 points. “Dirk didn’t play that well, but he’s not always going to have 20 or 30 points,” Kidd said. “So everybody stepped up. When I get the ball, I know what to do with it.” New Jersey led by as many as 18 in the first half before the Mavericks got untracked to match the third-best winning streak in franchise history, even while Nowitzki was falling 13.3 points under his season average. “My jump shot was all over the place,” Nowitzki said. “But the guys were great. We really wanted this game.” —The Associated Press
8 SPTS
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SPORTS
Thursday, March 11, 2010
WIN: Luna, Bruins dominate
MEN’S TENNIS
Horns return to winning ways By Rishi Daulat Daily Texan Staff After a disappointing doubles performance against Virginia — the No. 4 Longhorns dropped only their second doubles point of the season — UT assistant coach Ricardo Rubio was hoping to see a much better performance in the doubles. The UT players responded perfectly. UT came out firing against a very formidable opponent in No. 19 Florida State and won comfortable victories at first and third doubles to clinch the doubles point and ultimately the match, 6-1. ITA No. 19 Jean Andersen and Daniel Whitehead were the first to finish when they beat Anderson Reed and Andres Bucaro, 8-4, at third doubles. Texas’ No. 4 doubles team in the country, Dimitar Kutrovsky and Josh Zavala, were the next to finish with their 8-6 win over Vahid Mirzadeh and Connor Smith. “Everyone fought out there tonight,� Texas head coach Michael Center said. “We have discussed when we get those first sets that we need to increase our intensity and keep pushing. I looked up at the scoreboard and saw that we did a great job of that.� Texas’ hot streak didn’t end with singles, either. The Longhorns won five quick singles matches in a row, all in straightsets. No. 7 Kutrovsky officially
JAMES: Senior’s
double-double holds off ISU From page 7 In a losing effort, Marquis Gilstrap scored 17 points for Iowa State while Craig Brackins added 15. But James stole the show, recording his sixteenth double-double of the season. The senior forward had an answer every time Iowa State got close. Iowa State got within one when Gilstrap hit a pair of free throws with 8 minutes, 55 seconds left. But the Longhorns responded with 11 straight points to finally establish some breathing room. During that run, the Cyclones missed 10 straight shots and were scoreless for over four minutes. It was the turning point in a game that Iowa State came close to winning, but the favored Longhorns made just enough shots at the end to keep their post-season alive.
UTEP’s bats, striking out 22 From page 7 First baseman Shelby Savony, who leads the team in home runs, connected on a three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth. The Longhorns have shown their muscles at the plate, belting 37 total home runs. Clark suggests their strategy in pitch selection is why the balls have been heading out of McCombs Field. “Anytime you’re getting into home-run mode, you’re trying to change up your pitch selection and hit the ball out of the park,� Clark said. “When you do that, typically, good things occur.� Kim Bruins, who has struggled in her most recent outings, found her stride against UT-El Paso. The
freshman struck out seven Miner batters and allowed one run on of five hits in her fourth complete game of the season. Catcher Amy Hooks has been more than pleased with the freshmen contributions. “You really wouldn’t know they’re freshmen out there,� Hooks said. “They’re still learning, as I am with them, but further into the season, we’re going to grow together. It’s going to be a fun ride.� Hooks believes the team has exceeded early expectations, but the Longhorns are staying hungry. “We’re going to need to get stronger,� Hooks said. “We’re striving to be the best team in the nation.� The Longhorns will travel to the Dallas metroplex tonight to take on the UT-Arlington.
STEALS: Hoagland continues
Mary Kang | Daily Texan Staff
Texas’ Josh Zavala hits a forehand in his 8-6 doubles win over Florida State. Zavala and the Longhorns beat the Seminoles after returning to the court for the first time since their loss against Virginia. got back on track with his 6-2, 6-4 domination of No. 35 Jean YvesAubone. It is the senior’s secondstraight singles win over a top40 singles opponent; his last win came against the second-ranked player in the country, Michael Shabaz of Virginia. UT’s Vasko Mladenov finished his match a few moments after Kutrovsky, a 6-3, 6-1 win for the Bulgarian freshman over Reed at the sixth spot. Zavala rolled
in his match at fifth singles, a 6-0, 6-3 dismantling of Smith at fifth singles and clinching victory for Texas. Andersen, a SouthAfrican transfer, was fifth to finish and continued a solid run of form with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Bucaro at fourth singles. UT’s junior from Colorado, Kellen Damico, got the final win for the Horns when he grinded out a three-set victory over Clint Bowles, one of Damico’s former
TEXAS: Point guard’s status
still unknown for tourney From page 7 Missouri’s strategy will include the possibility of Texas’ starting point guard Ashleigh Fontenette missing the game because of an injury. With Lauren Flores out for the year and Fontenette’s status questionable in today’s match, the Longhorns’ pointguard duties will likely be split between Yvonne Anderson, Erika Arriaran and Brittainey Raven. “If Ashleigh Fontenette isn’t ready to play, that is a big concern of ours because we need that ball handling,� Goestenkors said. But not everyone is concerned. “This isn’t the first time we’ve had injuries,� Raven said. “The upperclassmen,
we’re used to playing a lot of minutes at a time.� Awaiting the winner of today’s game between Texas and Missouri is Texas A&M. Although it is tempting, the Longhorns don’t plan on looking past Missouri. “We know going into postseason that it’s one and done, so we have to play every game like it’s our last,� Raven said. But, no matter what happens with the Longhorns in the Big 12 Tournament, they know where they will be for their opening game of the NCAA Tournament. With Austin as one of the host sites for the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament, the Longhorns are guaranteed a spot to play on their home court.
MAY BREAK GETAWAYS (
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doubles partners in junior tennis, 7-5, 3-6, 1-0 (11-9). “It was a great win for us tonight,� Center said. “I feel like we are starting a new portion of our season with a pretty significant home stretch coming up, so we wanted to get off on the right foot tonight. I thought we played a good match across the board.� Next up for the Horns is a home match against No. 25 Michigan on Saturday at 4 p.m.
to safely reach second base From page 7 some pressure on the defense, and we feel it pays off for us.� For some, the constant game of cat-and-mouse is too much pressure. The technique behind knowing when to go and when to hold your place takes a lot of intelligent self-timing that comes only with experience. Freshman outfielder Taylor Hoagland is five for seven in stolen base attempts this season and is learning what it takes to be a successful base runner.
“I think you need that overall mental aspect of the game,� Hoagland said. “You have to know the situation beforehand and think about ‘what if this, what if that.’ That’s how you’re ready, and once that pitch is gone, it’s just explosive power and reaction. We all help each other out. � Getting by on a little help from their friends (and drill upon drill in practice), the Longhorns are on track to break their 2009 total of 74 stolen bases this season.
ELLIS: One-handed backhand improves From page 7 But it didn’t just sprout out of nowhere — she has always had the determination and willpower to thrive in her sport. As she grew up, being the best became her ultimate goal. “My parents played, and I really look up to my brother,� Ellis said. “He started playing, and I always felt like anything he could do I could do better, so I began playing, too.� Growing up in a family of tennis players had its advantages for a young Ellis. Her game quickly evolved thanks to playing against older opponents. She began playing tournaments at 7 years old. “The TV was always on tennis, and when tennis wasn’t going on, we were constantly talking about it,� Ellis said. “Weekends were filled with tennis tournaments. It was my life, as far as I can remember.� At Texas, Ellis hasn’t wasted any time getting into a winning stride. In October, she won the singles title at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Texas Regional Championships. “When players are very talented, sometimes their talent does the speaking for them, but for [Ellis], she is becoming a well-rounded player now,� Texas coach Patty Fendick-McCain said. “She was always mentally strong, but now she’s just being able to put it together consistently and draw upon
it every time she needs it.� Don’t let this petite California girl fool you. Her one-handed backhand, one of the most recognizable parts of her game, is a force to be reckoned with. “To be honest, when I was younger, I hated it. It is such a hard shot to hit, and no one else really used it. I kind of looked at it as a disadvantage,� Ellis said. “But, my complaints didn’t stop my dad from working with me on it, and it has paid off in the end. It still gets frustrating today, though. People say it looks like I’m not even trying, which is not true at all. But, apparently it looks pretty, which is good to hear.�
Ironically, Fendick-McCain utilizes the same tricky swing in her game, as well. The two have developed an excellent rapport. “Aeriel is really fun to work with. She tries to give her best all the time. She’s extremely talented and a smart tennis player,� Fendick-McCain said. “To work with someone who’s such a good person and so talented makes it such a pleasure to come to work every day.� Only time can tell what further successes Ellis is capable of achieving in her tennis career. “I’m only a freshman,� she said. “Anything I can accomplish is great, and honestly, I am happy with whatever happens.�
Eric Ou | Daily Texan Staff
Freshman Aeriel Ellis hits a forehand in a recent match. Ellis, who was raised in a tennis-playing family, has surprised many with her play.
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LIFE&ARTS
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Thrift stores offer unique items for home decor rabbit hole. In the entrance, a classic straw hat with a black-ribbon brim is used as a table lamp alongside a mid-century red chair. An abstract Italian painting of women with color-blotched cloaks hangs on another wall above a buffet with a bowl of cork screws, corks and two tall, empty bottles. The bookshelf houses a picture of Schmalbach’s grandmother sunbathing, two brass duck-head bookends and what looks to be hundreds upon hundreds of books. By using mustard yellow and acid green as her color pallet, Schmalbach has perfected the art of home decorating. Schmalbach, an urban planning graduate student, cites an early exposure to art by her parents as
Editor’s Note: This is the second in a three-part series highlighting UT students’ creatively designed apartments, dorms and houses. By Layne Lynch Daily Texan Staff Furious cleaning, organizing and redecorating often lead people to fill their cars with boxes of outdated clothing, displaced household items and even the occasional sofa — all in a mission to unload their belongings onto local thrift shops. One student is particularly appreciative of these people. Heidi Schmalbach’s home is painted blue and features a darkblue door, an unusual motif but not out of the ordinary for Austin. But stepping through the front door is like falling down the
the reason for her interest in interi- hand stores. or design — one of many areas of “I enjoy hunting for the treasure aesthetic art she loves. among the trash,� she said. “Give Even though me a pile of junk, Schmalbach and let me search. works at AnthroIf you want somepologie, she isn’t thing and you look getting most of hard enough, you her home decor will find it.� I enjoy hunting for at the store. On For students trythe treasure among the contrary, she ing to decorate their the trash.� uses her spare residences, Schmaltime to browse bach suggests us— Heidi Schmalbach ing items such as a through local Urban planning vintage containers, thrift shops. She has decograduate student old wine boxes and rated her home canisters that can using items serve a dual purfound mostly in pose — as decorathrift shops and tion and as storage said that 99 percent of what any- for books and other necessities. one needs can be found in secondUnderstanding that some peo-
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ple can feel overwhelmed by the process of decorating, Schmalbach said to find an anchor piece such as a bold couch or table and build from there, but to remember that what makes a home a home is the details. To create a nostalgic, comforting home environment, Schmalbach uses pictures of her grandparents in their youth; more than 30 paintings and prints from local artists, famous artists and friends; and antique lamps and other knickknacks she has acquired throughout her life. She also advises people to look at storeroom displays at Anthropologie and IKEA, designer blogs and designer books to find inspiration for decorating. Schmalbach uses the Web sites design-
spongeonline.com, apartementtherapy.com and decor8blog.com. One day, she hopes to be featured on these sites. Schmalbach said not to buy too many things from Anthropologie and IKEA for decor, howevON THE WEB: er, because See more photos your home of Schmalbach’s could lose home its nov@dailytexan elty and online.com originality. “I think that using your own creativity and taking a piece of fabric or furniture and painting over it, covering it or making something completely new out of it is all the more creative,� she said.
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Photos by Shannon Kintner | Daily Texan Staff
Above, Heidi Schmalbach searched through thrift stores in Austin and other cities to create the vintage-inspired and homey feel of her home’s dining area. Right, The matching color of the pillow and the painted living-room wall, in addition to the accenting paint and vintage fabric, bring the room together. Schmalbach suggests viewing storeroom displays at IKEA or Anthropologie for inspiration.
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ON THE WEB: Check out interviews with Sleigh Bells and the Young Mammals @ dailytexanonline.com
Fan takes indie music to Mexico
By Mary Lingwall Daily Texan Staff Todd Patrick has become a household name in the indie scene in New York City. Patrick’s weekly free “Showpaper” list of indie, DIY, all-ages and free shows is a hub for indie fans throughout the thriving city, but this UT alum and Dallas native hasn’t forgotten about his Texas roots. For the past five years, Patrick’s grassroots promotional company, “Todd P,” has curated and promoted a series of free shows and parties at Ms. Bea’s on East Sixth Street and at a series of other houses throughout Austin. This year, Patrick plans on expanding his DIY enthusiasm across the border with the first MtyMx festival — which he hopes will become an annual event — in Monterrey, Mexico during the last weekend of South by Southwest, March 2022. He has collaborated with Yo Garage to put the event together. Patrick has had a love/hate relationship with SXSW. With his fervor for all-ages shows featuring cutting-edge indie rock, the corporately funded entity of SXSW has
been increasingly antagonistic toward his provisions of free music. “SXSW has already tried to mess with us,” Patrick said. “But luckily, we already have all of our permits, and there is nothing much they can do. But I wouldn’t put much past those guys because they have the ear of the city government. [And] honestly, the people who built SXSW built it up from nothing, and I can respect that. But with that said, I don’t particularly care for the kind of show that they put on.” Underfunded and underage music fans are largely ignored by official SXSW events, since an allaccess platinum badge can cost up to $1,225 and the film badge, the cheapest of all the badges, can cost up to $475. Patrick said that discrepancy loses sight of what makes rock ‘n’ roll great. “Rock music is one of the only art forms left that goes from the bottom up, and that’s why it’s important that people aren’t excluded from it,” he said. But the people excluded from music events such as SXSW aren’t just underage Americans. For
many Mexican artists, U.S. travel restrictions keep them from touring the U.S., thereby interfering with the bands’ chances of playing with similar American artists or garnering any attention from a potential U.S. fan base. While the goals of the MtyMx festival are focused on providing cutting-edge indie music to a Monterrey audience, Patrick’s promotional activity has highlighted another meaningful objective: to debunk the myth that Mexico is a dangerous place. “I’ve spent a lot of time in Mexico, and let me tell you, all of [the stereotypes] that the media gives Americans about Mexico is just fear-mongering, and I aim to prove all of it wrong,” Patrick said. “Do I expect huge amounts of people to follow me along? No. And I don’t really care. What will really prove my point is not if a bunch of smart people understand me and come with me, though that would be great. But what’ll really prove the point is when they see in pictures 2,000 hipsters who happen to speak Spanish. That, in itself, negates the caricature that we have
WHAT: MtyMx All Ages Festival of Arts and Music WHERE: Monterrey, Mexico WHEN: March 20-22 WEB: toddpnyc.com/mtymx TICKETS: $30 for a 3-day pass.
of Mexico as some Third World, Stone Age society.” Suspicions may surround Patrick’s timing of his MtyMx festival and his open dissatisfaction with the current state of SXSW. But in reality, the festival’s timing was more about the logistics of getting a solid group of indie bands down to Mexico via buses in a timely manner. Austin just happens to be a great launching point. “There are a lot of people who don’t particularly like SXSW and the way it’s operated,” Patrick said. “But, MtyMx is by no means meant to be that alternative on any level. I would never say that. It is much smaller and much more homegrown.”
COMPANY: Co-founder’s enthusiasm keeps spirits up From page 12 “This says so much of his sense of humor, his lightness when dealing with nervousness,” Kelly said of the videos, which were a way of practicing a speech for a tech conference. “This video shows that he is a determined guy. He will practice things over and over.” Born in New Delhi to doctors — his father a gastroenterologist, his mother a pathologist — Bansal moved to England and then to New York, where his parents still reside. He attended Columbia University for his undergraduate education and moved to Austin five years ago to attend graduate school at UT. Between spurts of quick conver-
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LIFE&ARTS
Thursday, March 11, 2010
sation, he sips his Earl Grey tea, his father’s drink of choice, with cream. Every other hand movement is a tug at his dark, shaggy hair, either out of habit or stress. Bansal said he is hedging his bets balancing a physics doctoral degree and working with an innovative start-up company, but his Ph.D. adviser and physics professor, Mike Marder, sees imaginative potential. “What UT-Austin does, at its best, is to attract some of the most creative minds in the world to Austin and turn them loose in fields [ranging] from music to information technology. Dhruv is a great example of that sort of creative spirit,” Marder says. “He is pursuing fundamental knowledge and working as an entrepreneur at the same
time. He also is a terrific communicator, has a fine sense of humor and likes bringing people together to work on problems.” After a long conversation full of technological jargon, Bansal moves on to talking about his quirks and interests, including his Burning Man-style house known as “The Pink Palace,” where famous Austinites like Janis Joplin have lived and which won Austin Chronicle’s award for best house. He also comments on obsessive hand washing, playing squash, playing jazz piano and his girlfriend Shruti Saran, whom he gushes about in a way that seems true and not annoying. “Can you write this down? I will get so many brownie points,” he said, adding in a breathy voice and
trailing off. “If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be able to ... [laughs]” As the interview comes to a close, there is a brief downpour of rain and Bansal notices that his sinuses immediately clear up. This somehow reminds him of an additional quirk, or “disability” as he calls it — constant yet unconscious whistling and singing. Maybe this “disability” is just another side effect of his hectic and quirky life, maybe not. Either way, Bansal has fervor for every task he completes and every word he says, a characteristic he recognizes in himself. “I sing badly, very badly,” he said. “But I guess I sing enthusiastically, which I suppose is the only way to sing. Right?”
TITUS: New Jersey group
gears up for national tour From page 12 With each contextual flourish and every lyrical catharsis of Stickles’ vocal arrangements, Titus Andronicus remains grounded in a fast and tight rhythm section that maintains and strengthens the album’s punk spirit. Even when the lyrical aesthetics begin to incorporate typically non-punk tones of Americana, the foundational punk spirit is never hard to find. “We mustn’t get too attached to any one particular thing as far as the [musical genres] that we like,” Stickles said. “And that [sound] came about a lot, because since we made that first record, I really fell in love with the band The Spider Bags — the greatest band in the world ... Because Spider Bags are very punk themselves, but they’re never afraid to try and indulge their love of prettiness or sensitivity or anything like that ... They have definitely brought us to a hilltop, so to speak.” And from this hilltop, Stickles screams. The emotional rawness of his voice and the self-deprecating, dark humor of his lyrics lends
an unmistakably distinct sound to Titus Andronicus. But The Monitor also explores a more carefree side of Stickles’ musings, as evidenced in “Theme Song from Cheers,” with its main aesthetic being screaming drunks. In short, the variation on The Monitor is a refreshingly mature step in Titus’ evolution as a band. “I kind of just feel that it is best to just follow the muse, wherever it may lead,” Stickles said. “And just try and keep it real. As Daniel Johnston once said, ‘It’s better off my chest than out of my mind.’” Early critical acclaim for Titus’ The Monitor coupled with a recent snowballing of popular interest — the band recently sold out the Bowery Ballroom in Brooklyn, New York — have set this XL recording artist up for an eventful SXSW stint here in Austin and, potentially, an even more eventful national tour in the following weeks. “Even though [the attention feels] great, there is still a lot of work to be done. This is a big country,” Stickles said. “So, maybe I can tell you at the end of this tour how many civilians we actually got in touch with.”
BSS: Side projects keep band busy From page 12 Social Scene album has been released, at least in name — did it take long to record because everybody had so many other things going on? BC: In the grand scheme of things, it was just because we toured for the self-titled [album] until the end of 2006, and Kevin was well on the way with the Spirit If record. And then, I had just started recording. In the fall of ’08, we were touring for my record, as well. Lots of rehearsing and recording. So, actually, five years seems like a short time in the grand scheme, especially with An-
drew [Whiteman] with his band Apostle of Hustle and Charles [Spearin] with [his album] The Happiness Project. DT: Yeah, and I heard a rumor that Amy Millan [of Stars], Leslie [of Feist] and Emily Haines [of Metric] all recorded a track together, which is kind of unexpected, seeing as how they’re former bandmates. BC: Well, we all kind of started together in Broken Social Scene, and it’s always been ground-zero as far as how we all got together. We are the band where everyone had everything together. I think we just wanted to include everyone again, like old times.
ON THE WEB: Read the complete interviews with Titus Andronicus and Broken Social Scene @ dailytexanonline.com
12 LIFE
LIFE& &ARTS
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Thursday, March 11, 2010
Life&Arts Editor: Ben Wermund E-mail: dailytexan@gmail.com Phone: (512) 232-2209 www.dailytexanonline.com
T HE DAILY T EXAN
Data experts monkey around Courtesy of Norman Wong
Broken Social Scene has had 24 members in various lineups since its inception, giving way to many solo projects, including Metric and Feist.
Band’s members come in and out; style stays same
Touring, collaborations are on list of things to do for Broken Social Scene
By Francisco Marin Daily Texan Staff It has been nearly five years since the Toronto supergroup Broken Social Scene has released an album — in name, at least. Between 2005’s self-titled album and the present, they’ve released two semi-solo albums focusing on two band members, Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. They’ve also scored four separate films, chief among them, 2006’s “Half Nelson.” But mostly, they’ve toured — a lot. Fortunately for diehard Broken Social Scene fans, the group’s fourth studio album, Forgiveness Rock Record, will be released May 4, and the first track on the album is available as a free download on the band’s Web site. And, there have been many more side projects and solo work released by bandmates. It’s important to keep in mind that 24 members constitute the band’s past and present lineup, and many of them have gone on to lead successful projects including Metric, Feist, Do Make Say Think and Stars.
WHAT: Broken Social Scene WHERE/WHEN: Stubb’s BBQ: Thursday, March 18 at 12:45 a.m. The Parish: Friday, March 19 at midnight WRISTBAND?: Yes, for both. In preparation for the band’s SXSW appearances next week, The Daily Texan spoke with founding Broken Social Scene member and indie-rock veteran Brendan Canning about the band’s upcoming tour and collaborations. The Daily Texan: Hi Brendan, how are you today? Brendan Canning: Yeah, I’m good. You? DT: Good. Where are you speaking from? BC: I am in Toronto at the moment. Rehearsing, becoming a rock ‘n’ roll machine. DT: Ah, your hometown. Touring’s going to start up again really soon, isn’t it? BC: We’re starting this Friday, actually, in Florida. DT: It’s interesting that it’s been nearly five years since a Broken
BSS continues on page 11
Titus Andronicus continues to grow with ‘punk spirit’ Latest release employs voice-overs, quotations to contextualize content By Mary Lingwall Daily Texan Staff Donning the name of Shakespeare’s least popular and most critically controversial work, Titus Andronicus is a band that lives out its name in ways almost beyond irony. Born almost five years ago from the hearts and minds of two college freshmen, the band’s aesthetic has matured without losing passion. The band, which hails from Glenrock, N.J., is finally garnering some of the critical acclaim that its ruthless touring and emotionally intense musical content deserves. From Pitchfork to Rolling Stone magazine, critics across the country are psyched about Titus Andronicus’ sophomore LP, The Monitor, which was released Tuesday. And yet, national cache is still in the works for Titus Andronicus. The Monitor — a concept album centered on spoken-word overtures of Civil War-era quotes — is a technically tighter version of the band’s debut LP, The Airing of Grievances. However, the group’s rawness and punk spirit is still in full force. The Monitor retains the rebellious and
WHAT: Pitchfork Showcase with Here We Go Magic, The Very Best WHERE: The Scoot Inn WHEN: Saturday, March 20 at 7 p.m. WRISTBAND: No, free; RSVP only, ages 21+. existential spirit of Grievances with lines such as, “I’m at the end of my rope, and I feel like swinging”; “You’ll always be a loser”; and the album’s conceptual refrain, “The enemy is everywhere.” With a concept as intense as the Civil War and album collaborators ranging from Ponytail to the Vivian Girls and a litany of literary and historical allusions, The Monitor has all the ingredients to become stymied by over-intellectualism. But the product refrains from any cliches. “We’re just trying to contextualize things a bit [with the historical voice-overs] to try to hammer the point home that the stuff that we’re trying to sing about isn’t unique to our own time and that people from the [Civil War] were going through the same things,” said Patrick Stickles, frontman for Titus Andronicus. “We’re trying to establish a crossgenerational dialogue of sorts.”
TITUS continues on page 11
Courtesy of Titus Andronicus
Titus Andronicus’ latest LP, The Monitor, attempts to set up a crossgenerational American dialogue from the Civil War to the present.
By Amber Genuske Daily Texan Staff When Dhruv Bansal arrives at Epoch on North Loop, he is sick with a cold. His hair is messy, and he is wearing a gray, hooded Assumption College sweatshirt paired with loose jeans. He immediately and enthusiastically offers me half of his oatmeal raisin cookie, presenting one last chance before he pokes and consequently claims it with his germy fingers. This seemingly juvenile act of cookieprodding is part of Bansal’s humor, a side far removed from his status as a physics doctoral student at UT and co-founder of the online data library, InfoChimps.org, which will be featured at the Data Cluster Meetup on Sunday during South by Southwest Interactive. Bansal met fellow physicist and InfoChimps co-founder Flip Kromer through an adviser at UT. He was turned on to Kromer’s idea for a site where people could share, organize, buy and sell large amounts of data about “anything and everything.” Business entrepreneur Joseph Kelly joined the project soon afterward, and Bansal said things started to gain momentum from there. A rough prototype of the site was launched about two years ago with an alpha version debuting at a tech conference in San Diego in September. Though InfoChimps is not yet at the level of operation they would like it to reach, Bansal said the passion to create it is there. “We would love to take out of business [the closed intellectual property data sites] and replace them with a more distributed mechanism in which data is being posted by individuals who are closest to it, who care the most about it,” Bansal said, wiping the exhaustion from his eyes with the back of his hand. “Much like the quality of Wikipedia, that comes from the obsessiveness of nerdy people, I would love to bring that same level of detail to InfoChimps, to the world of data.” Do a quick search on YouTube for “Dhruv explains InfoChimps,” and a handful of videos appear with Bansal making the same pitch in various scenarios. In “Dhruv explains InfoChimps to himself in the bathroom,” he feigns surprise when he
Amanda Martin | Daily Texan Staff
Left to right: Joseph Kelly, Carl Knutson, physics doctorate student Dhruv Bansal, Flip Kromer and Jacob Perkins are the brains behind InfoChimps.org, a site that allows users to share, organize, purchase and sell large amounts of data. finds a camera filming him as he steps out of the shower. He begins to explain the ease of InfoChimps while brushing his teeth and primping before he puts on the gloves and mask of a chimpanzee suit — the mascot of a site “so simple to operate, even a chimpanzee could do it.”
COMPANY continues on page 11
Author chronicles Austin film history By Kate Ergenbright Daily Texan Staff In “Chainsaws, Slackers, and Spy Kids: 30 Years of Filmmaking in Austin, Texas,” Alison Macor, a former film critic, chronicles the evolution of the Austin film scene, from “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” to “Spy Kids.” The UT graduate — who has a doctorate in radio-television-film — sat down with The Daily Texan to talk about her new book, interviews and the future of the Austin film scene. The Daily Texan: Where did you get the idea for “Chainsaws, Alison Macor Slackers, and Spy Kids”? Courtesy of Alison Macor Alison Macor: Initially, I had an idea to work on a biography of Thelma Schoonmaker, MarWHAT: “Chainsaws, Slackers, tin Scorsese’s longtime editor. I’d and Spy Kids” reading and done a lot of research and had book signing contacted her to see if she’d parWHERE: Day Stage Cafe ticipate, and she came back and said she was doing her own auWHEN: Saturday at 3:30 p.m. tobiography. At that time, I was still covering the film scene for WRISTBAND?: Yes. the Statesman and sort of had noticed a few things going on. “Spy Kids” had just come out DT: Do you ever think that and was doing really well, and Austin could become the next “Slacker” was having its 10th Hollywood? anniversary, and it felt like AusAM: No, I don’t think it tin was at an interesting place. I will. I think it will keep a lowondered: What’s the history of cal feel. It’s not because I don’t this place? think the filmmakers are caDT: You conducted a lot of in- pable of making a film that terviews for “Chainsaws, Slack- would attract that much aters, and Spy Kids.” Were these tention or that much box office people hard to get in con[revenue]. I just see a tentact with? sion in Austin of kind AM: A lot of the of wanting to be on ON THE WEB: local people were the verge but nevRead the complete just really helpful. er really wantinterview with With the filmmaking to cross over. Alison Macor ers, I had to work I’m not quite sure @dailytexan around their schedwhat keeps that online.com tension going, but ules for sure. The I’ve felt that working people who were hard here as a film reviewer or were, like, Matthew McConaughey. That took a year and going to SXSW every year. It’s a half to get, and I never did get just a sense that it’s probably to talk to Willie Nelson. I went not going to change. I could through all channels — his man- be wrong, but my sense is that ager, his publicist, his brother-in- it will always be a place that law, his best friend. Somebody stays on the verge and may said to me, “Willie is Willie. He’ll not hit the big time in a way that some people want it to. do it, or he won’t do it.”
WHAT: Data Cluster Meetup WHERE: Opal Divine’s WHEN: Sunday at 6 p.m. WRISTBAND?: No, free; RSVP required at datacluster.infochimps.org.
Festival provides gamers with industry interaction By Allistair Pinsof Daily Texan Staff South by Southwest Interactive’s keynote speakers may not be performing at your local record store for free. But SXSW has enough free, open-to-all alternatives to keep geeks happy and give any curious bystander a temporary safe haven from the chaos SXSW’s musicians and fans bring to the city’s streets. Whether you are hoping to land an internship at a local start-up or want design advice from the people who make the games you’ll be addicted to this year, this is an excellent opportunity and a novelty worth seeking out.
ScreenBurn at SXSW Arcade While the name may be a bit misleading, as there are few — if any — arcade cabinets present, SXSW Arcade is an open-toall event that lets attendees mingle with game designers and, if they’re lucky, see what they’ve been up to. Harmonix (Rock Band) and Twisted Pixel (‘Splosion Man) are among the most notable studios present, but the event offers more for those who are interested in the industry behind the games and the possibility of becoming part of it.
AMODA Digital Showcase AMODA’s Digital Showcase includes a blend of international electronic performers, visual artists, established performers and debuts, interactive exhibits and a laptop battle where local electronic musicians go to war exchanging “bleep-bloops” rather than lyrical beat-downs. You may not be drawn to this event by name recognition of the lineup, but AMODA seeks to put on an eclectic event that will seamlessly blend the music and interactive aspects of SXSW for a crowd of drunken partygoers. Here’s the bad news: $8 entry.
Open-to-all alternatives at SXSW Interactive WHAT: ScreenBurn at SXSW Arcade WHERE: Austin Convention Center, first floor WHEN: Friday, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday - Sunday 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. WHAT: AMODA Digital Showcase WHERE: Club de Ville WHEN: Sunday, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. WHAT: Diggnation Live Show (with The Walkmen) WHERE: Stubb’s BBQ, outside WHEN: Sunday at 7 p.m.
Diggnation Live Show (w/ The Walkmen) Alex Albrecht and Digg.com founder Kevin Rose met a packed, uproarious audience when they took their drunken, geeky Wayne’s Worldesque show to SXSW last year (episode 194 on diggnation.com). They’re hoping to spill a couple more beers while inciting a nerd debate between audience members again Saturday. Stubb’s voice-mail calendar says it’s a SXSW Interactive badge-only event, but there is enough evidence to make me believe that others will have a chance to attend. There is little information about the event on the show’s or the venue’s Web site, and it’s not directly associated with SXSW — not to mention that last year’s show was free and open to all. So, keep an eye on the Web site as the date draws near.
INSIDE: Check out the interior design story on page 9
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dt Weekend March 11, 2010
SXSW It’s finally here here Its finally
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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editor’s note
Getting ready for South by Southwest can be a frustrating and overwhelming process, but with proper preparation, come festival time, all your incessant Facebook event checkups, RSVPing and late nights searching for the suddenly elusive Fader Fort party list will have been worthwhile. We humbly offer our guidance. We’ve previewed some (but not nearly all) concerts throughout the festival, and most of the acts are playing at least one free, unofficial show. As students, most of us are working on a next-to-nothing budget, and SXSW is one of the only times you can consume more than your fair share of great food, booze and music for free. We’re taking it to the next level with a comprehensive map of free-food vendors and hot-spot venues to hit up in between freebooze binges. Follow us on twitter (@DTWeekend) for up-
dates throughout each day of the festival on where to be, where not to be and where to find the party people (aka us). We’ll have writers slathered all over the festival, from wristbandexclusive shows to no-cost venues, and we’ll even have someone reporting directly from the highly coveted Fader Fort every day. Don’t be dismayed if you can’t afford a wristband, miss the RSVP deadline or, even more embarrassingly, forget your fake ID when you go to pick up your well-deserved party wristbands. As long as you do some minimal coordination with a few friends, you’re guaranteed to have a great time. Happy spring break. We’re halfway there. Love,
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Piano man parties hard
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Austin hip-hop acts combine forces
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Join in the delirious fun of GIVERS Musical powehouses collaborate as broken bells
10 Sarah Jaffe brings heart to SXSW Fri–Sun: (5:15) 10:10 Mon–Thur: 10:10
11 Pop-rock band shows Austin some love 12 Singer-songwriter Meiko talks fame
Fri: (4:00) 7:00, 9:50 Sat–Sun: (1:00, 4:00) 7:00, 9:50 Mon–Thur: 7:00, 9:50
13 JBM earns fans at first sight and listen
14 Quirky Tally Hall’s harmonies delight
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15 Catch them if you can: top five SXSW films Healthy Vegetarian Cuisine with a Delicious Oriental Flair
16 Thax Douglas lives the good life
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Rachel Meador Jessica Billeaud Shatha Hussein Giulio Yaquinto Lauren Gerson David Muto Tori Daughtrey Melanie Gasmen Joe Holloway Mark Lopez Layne Lynch Han Park Michele Pierini Marla Segura Caitlin Wittlif Giulio Yaquinto Bobby Longoria Scott Squires Derek Stout
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SXSW: Tips for surviving and thriving RAGE ON MINIMUM WAGE A column by Han Park & Marla Segura Are you prepared to take on South by Southwest? Are you really in it to win it? If you really want to take full advantage of this time in Austin, when the city is catering to droves of international hipsters, you must come ready. There is no time for rest, and utility is key. You have the resources, but it’s the warrior mentality and the proper gear that separate the seasoned veterans from the inebriated partygoers who drunkenly decide to walk home to get a change of pants because they pissed themselves and end up passing out on the Capitol lawn. These things happen, so you
must come correct. To do SXSW right, all you need is the knowledge. If you’re on Facebook (face it, your mom friended you months ago), then you’re halfway there. It’s easy-peazy. Get on Google and type in “SXSW 2010.� Use your resources to your advantage. Hell, we’ll even help you out a little. Step across the campus and hit up the Urban Outfitters day shows. You’re already on your way! Let’s focus on flexibility this week, and make sure to keep an eye out on every flyer and maintain a sense of adventure, because those rumors floating around all week always start out with a little bit of truth. Getting around Austin during SXSW isn’t that big of a chore. Look at it from the DIY level: If there’s an opportunity, take it. That cab is never going to stop for your drunk ass after last call (they got to make their
money, too), so don’t plan on getting a cab every night. You could always walk, but that PI charge isn’t going to look pretty when your friends buy up all the Busteds in Austin. Instead, cash in on your favors! You know you got that friend who drew the short straw at work for spring break and she owes you. Take a chance and you might get lucky. Otherwise, walk, bike, bus, etc. — it’s all the same. We’re just not going to take a chance on biking back after a 12-hour drinking stint. Just saying. So this brings us to your itinerary for the week. Basically, make a group effort to get out on the street and stay on top of the buzz. If you’re the only one interested in catching that Japanese transvestite who plays with a backing band made up of two sets of Danish
Festival Essentials 1. Some cash because you don’t want to hassle with a tab anywhere 2. A backpack to hold everything you may need 3. A few articles of spare clothing (e.g., a jacket in case it gets cold or an extra T-shirt in case you rage so hard you exhaust your original shirt with pit stains, aka pitties) 4. A reusable water bottle to keep hydrated 5. An extra article of swagger for the afterparty (you’re standing next to hundreds of other people who have been on Lookbook for weeks preparing for this) 6. Shades 7. Your ID 8. Sunscreen 9. A bite to eat, especially if you’re low on cash 10. A friend with an iPhone (innovation!)
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March 12-20 2. PureVolume House (504 Trinity St.) will host one of the rare free food events that will last all week long. Free tacos from Taco Bell will be served for the entirety of the festival. RSVP at http://sxswfreenoms. tumblr.com. Saturday 3. From 6 p.m. until 3 a.m., Shangri-La (1016 E. Sixth St.) will be serving free beer and barbecue. RSVP at http://sxswfreenoms.tumblr.com.
Sunday 4. Free breakfasts are a rarity during SXSW. Luckily, a free brunch will be served starting at 10 a.m. at the Adobe Day Stage (500 E. Cesar Chavez St.). RSVP to the Facebook event. 5. For the nighttime, stop at the “Late Night with Cheezburger” event to eat as many burgers as you can at Cedar Door (201 Brazos St.) from 10 p.m. until 1 a.m. The first 250 arrivals will receive a drink ticket for a margarita. RSVP at http://sxswfreenoms.tumblr.com. Monday 6. From 4 p.m. until 9 p.m., Kung Fu Saloon (510 Rio Grande St.) will serve free beer and hot dogs provided by Man CONTINUES ON PAGE 5
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More free grub spots Bites Dog. RSVP at http://sxswfreenoms.tumblr.com.
Party at noon. RSVP at http:// sxswfreenoms.tumblr.com.
Tuesday, March 17 7. Stop by Peckerhead’s (402 E. Sixth St.) from 1 p.m. until 8 p.m. to pick up some local Sweet Leaf Tea and everpopular late-night tacos from Taco Cabana. RSVP at http:// sxswfreenoms.tumblr.com.
11.For those who have grown tired of pizza, beer and tacos, Meteor Records, (419 Colorado St.) will have sushi from Austin’s popular Kenichi. RSVP is required — e-mail assist@luckmedia.com.
Wednesday, March 18 8. Stop by the “Covert Curiosity� and “Sonic Itch Music’s Eastside Get Down� Party at The Independent (501 Studios) from noon to 6 p.m. to pick up some free Salvation Pizza and Lone Star Beer. RSVP at http:// sxswfreenoms.tumblr.com. 9. French music artists, including Uffie, will be at the “France Rocks Austin Party� from noon until 6 p.m. at Klub Krucial (614 E. Sixth St.). You can pick up free food, champagne and beer. RSVP at http:// sxswfreenoms.tumblr.com. Thursday, March 19 10. The Parish (214-C E. Sixth St.) will be serving free Mexican food while hosting The SXSW Music Stimulus
Friday, March 20 12. Soho Lounge (217 E. Sixth St.) will be serving free cocktails and a variety of vegetarian options from noon until 5:30 p.m. RSVP is required — e-mail RSVP@ mpressrecords.com. 13. Free ice cream and juice from The Daily Juice will be served at the Galaxy Room’s (508 E. Sixth St.) The Brooklyn Vegan and M for Montreal’s Official SXSW Daytime Party, which will last from noon until 6 p.m. RSVP at http://sxswfreenoms.tumblr.com. Ice Cream Man will be serving free ice cream throughout the week. No location has been specified, so just keep your eyes peeled. RSVP at http://sxswfreenoms.tumblr.com. — Layne Lynch
RAGE: Festival street smarts FROM PAGE 3 twins (that sounds awesome), then consider your options. You could split with your group and go alone, planning to meet them up later, putting up the rest of the night to the fates and cell phone networks hoping that there isn’t a blackout in the area because several thousand people are texting at the same time. Or you could just skip that show and go with your group to the next party, potentially missing the best show of the entire festival. The best possible advice we have to offer you is to stay flexible and keep your options open. We’re all hitting up SXSW for the same reasons — aka booze, bands and booty — so rigidly going by your itinerary will definitely lead to some problems. The free parties aren’t secret by any means, and you’re essentially competing with everyone else for entry. Side note: Keep track of where you RSVP’d, because you want to avoid causing a scene while your friends
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are hoisting you into some tiny window because you don’t want to risk not being on the list. There’s too many things going on to be able to do everything, so don’t sweat it. Just keep this in mind: If you’re having fun, no matter where you are during SXSW, you’re doing it right. Trust us, South Padre is sleezy, and hanging with Goofy at Disney World is fun. But SXSW reigns supreme if you’re in Texas. It’s spring break and you’re in college! Look forward to letting go of your inhibitions for a week while still being able to wake up in your own bed (no shame). Maybe a few emergency phone calls will have
to be made when you wake up in a stupor and get on the wrong bus and have to give your friend directions how to find you based on building colors and street signs because you’re in that haze between drunk and hungover. Our collaborative past SXSW experiences are somewhat hard to recount, but our best advice is to just go with the flow. Roll with the punches, even if that means checking your humility at the door. Yes, you’re going to have to choose between some shows you really want to see and some parties you know you have to go to, but it’s going to be great either way. Just follow the music.
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Piano man parties hard
Andrew W.K. talks music and marriage
By Michele Pierini As your brain interprets the name Andrew W.K., it likely associates a couple of other words with it: party and hard. In June, W.K. and his band will tour the country for the first time in six years in support of his new album, which drops March 23. The release actually includes two different compilations: One, Close Calls with Brick Walls, was previously only sold in Asia, and the other, Mother of Mankind, consists of rare and previously unreleased recordings. Both are clearly Andrew W.K. with his signature piano-driven heavy power ballads, but the process behind making the music was significantly different. “This album was the first time that I opened up my process to recording in different ways than I had in the past,� W.K. said. “The whole idea was going against my old ways of working and going against
my old instincts and trying to challenge myself and doing the opposite of what I would have done in the past.� But W.K., who likes to generate the fun about as much as he likes participating in the fun, just wanted to make some more songs that are fun to listen to. In 2008, not only did he marry performer Cherie Lily, but he also founded Santos Party House, a dance hall and club, located between Tribeca and Chinatown in New York City. “[Getting married] was amazing. It was the most exciting day of my life so far,� W.K. said. “It was real, real life-changing.� Before W.K. was the man that we know him as today, he was a high school senior applying to college. He was accepted by the Chicago Institute of Art and was excited to attend. “I realized that I just worked so hard to get out of high school that now I had time to do the things I really wanted to do:
what: ANDREW W.K. where: BUFFALO BILLIARD’S when: WEDNESDAY AT MIDNIGHT
Photo courtesy of Andrew W.K. Obviously a character on and off stage, Andrew W.K. has played the piano for most of his life. His long-awaited album drops March 23.
pursue my work in performing and entertainment,� he said. W.K.’s was introduced to music at an early age. His mother encouraged him and his younger brother, Jake, to challenge themselves. He took his first piano lesson at the age of
4 1/2, and he continued for 10 years, studying piano through high school and experimenting on his own. W.K.’s profession has provided him with access to various areas of artistic expression. “It allows you to do all the
other things — not just play songs — but there’s performance, you get to work with visual elements, visual design, graphic design, clothing design,� he said. “And then of course you get to record, and play music, work on videos, anything that you ever want to do.� W.K. said he finds contentment in sharing his art with the public. “The thing I love about entertainment is that you’re reaching out to the whole world,� W.K. said. Though he enjoys art as a medium, W.K. said he views artwork hanging in galleries that reaches a small audience as limiting. “I want the artwork that I do to be alive,� he said.
PPD conducts medically supervised research studies to help evaluate new investigational medications. PPD has been conducting research studies in Austin for more than 20 years. Right now, PPD is looking for healthy and non-smoking women ages 18 to 40 to participate in a medical research study. The study will require the participants to have a BMI between 19 and 30 and weigh between 110 and 220 lbs. The study will require 2 weekends in our overnight research facility and multiple brief outpatient visits. Study participants will receive up to $4000 upon study completion.
PPD 462-0492
ppdi.com
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Austin hip-hop acts combine forces Soulful to political, showcase has it all By Giulio Yaquinto When the topic of Texas hip-hop arises, it’s easy to focus on Dallas or Houston and forget about Austin. Rap-A-Lot Records and rapper Scarface put Houston’s name on the map 20 years ago, and recently Dallas has been making news with a steady string of club bangers. Austin, on the other hand — despite the amount of talent here — seems to have been passed over. Enter The League of Extraordinary Gz, a hip-hop super group formed by local acts Southbound, Dred Skott, C.O.D, and producer Matt Schad that who will be performing Wednesday at La Zona Rosa’s Texas hip-hop show. Individually, everyone brings different elements to the table, and it’s this diversity that makes The League so exciting. The second you try and pigeonhole them into a singular category, they offer you something totally different. If anyone in Austin deserves to finally be recognized, it’s these guys. Southbound, composed of twin brothers Sandman and Lowkey, has been wrecking Austin for a while. The first time I saw them at the Same
what: BEST IN TEXAS HIPHOP SHOWCASE where: LA ZONA ROSA when: MARCH 17 AT 8 P.M.
Photo by Bobby Longoria Austin DJ Matt Schad will be performing with his group The League of Extraordinary Gz at La Zona Rosa on Wednesday as part of the SXSW: Best in Texas Showcase.
Struggle Blue Theater Party in 2007, I was amazed. I’d never heard of these guys before, and the level of lyricism they brought was unreal. I was a fan after the first song. Dred Skott, on the other
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hand, has a more soulful sound permeated by socio-politcal awareness. Rapper Esbe Da 6th St. Bully has ferocious flow that I can only compare to some of the material from Goodie Mob’s 1995 release Soul
Food, while producer/rapper Reggie often uses a warm singing voice on hooks to keep the tracks sounding smooth. Even outside of Texas, there aren’t very many groups that can compete with their diversity.
Then there’s C.O.D. It’s probably easy to write these guys off as street dudes, but you’d be making a huge mistake.The first time I saw them perform was at an otherwise forgettable Killer Mike show in 2008 at The Parish. They brought so much energy and presence to the stage that I had more fun watching their set than Killer Mike. Lastly is producer Schad. Several sentences simply aren’t enough to do this guy’s music justice. Every time I hear one his beat CDs, it’s as if someone is throwing me into a magical place where early ’90s hip-hop still reigns supreme. His ear for samples is ridiculous, and his beats will make you press replay again and again. So do yourself a favor: Go to the show. Along with some of Texas’ other best hip-hop acts, The League will be out in force, wrecking shop. Be one of those people who years from now will say, “I saw the group that put Austin on the hip-hop map in their early days�.
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Emerging indie-pop band gives it all
Join in the delirious fun of GIVERS
By Jessica Billeaud These days, bands come and go quicker than you can remember their names, often dropping off the scene before their sound can fully come into fruition. But then there are those bands that make an indelible impression — bands whose infectious energy elevates a performance to something somewhat magical. What’s even more impressive is when said band only has one year under its hip belt. GIVERS, hailing from Southwest Louisiana, have made a significant splash in the music industry since their recent debut. Their dynamic mix of sounds and structure left a wake of enthusiasm by newcomers and critics alike during their fall tour with Dirty Projectors. Bright-eyed and bushytailed, these five skilled instrumentalists pour ecstatic energy into their live performances, creating a feel-good vibe that can turn even the most stoic of crowds into giddy, dancing fools. Simply put, GIVERS creates smiles that can’t be wiped off, especially when all five chant “up, up, up!” in a frenzy of heavy guitar riffs, ball-busting percussion and electronic goodies. “This is the dream team I’ve always wanted,” Tif Lamson, the glittered yet down-toearth lead singer and backup percussionist, said before the band’s show at Emo’s last month. “Your dreams are never too big.”
what: GIVERS where: GALAXY ROOM when: MARCH 17 AT 12:30 P.M. where: EMO’S ANNEX when: MARCH 18 AT 5 P.M. where: SIDE BAR when: MARCH 19 AT 1:30 P.M. where: THE CONTINENTAL CLUB when: MARCH 19 AT 4 P.M. where: BEAUTY BAR when: MARCH 19 AT 12:15 A.M.
Photo by Scott Squires GIVERS drummer Kirby Campbell rocks hard with guitarist Taylor Guarisco and bassist Josh LeBlanc at Emo’s in late February.
Each song off their self-titled EP is like a musical journey for the ear. GIVERS is skilled at melding together calypso, afro-pop, hard rock and even Zydeco elements, all polished with a smooth, indie-pop feel. Their sound airs perfectly on the side of whimsy with the harmony of guitarist Taylor Guarisco’s youthful voice and Lamson’s gritty, playful vocals. Their surprise elements are tenfold, as Lamson will pound on a cowbell and then switch to a ukulele as bassist Josh LeBlanc suddenly whips out a
trumpet. Backed by keyboardist William Henderson and lively percussionist Kirby Campbell, the departure from your regular indie band is held in the art of how they mix their sounds, each song bringing to mind a unique painting of perfectly blended colors. Music is certainly brighter and bolder with GIVERS, as evidenced by the bouncing bodies in the audience. GIVERS’ edge can be traced to the roots of the band’s culture, having grown up in the
rich atmosphere of Cajun music. “The jovial, celebratory sort of approach is translated in Zydeco music as pure dance. And it’s an awesome thing when bands can mix that with more — I guess you could say — art music,” Guarisco says. “Mixing the listening experience with the full celebratory dance experience.” But despite being one of South by Southwest’s buzz bands, GIVERS remains humble, even surprised, by the warm welcome they’ve received by fans. As for what it’s
like for such a young band that seems to be riding waves of success that will only get bigger, Guarisco offers an analogy that hints at what to expect from each of the band’s five performances during SXSW. “It’s kind of like having a really crazy dream, and you’re telling different people every night. You’re really excited to tell them this dream, and everybody responds differently,” he says, giggling throughout his explanation. “Some people get really serious, and they’re like ‘whoa,’ and they’re analyzing it. And then some people just look at you like ‘yeah!’ and laugh and say, ‘That dream is funny.’ And some people are like, ‘Um, that’s really weird.’” No matter how you’ll react to this crazy dream of GIVERS, their heads are certainly not in the clouds but rather grounded solidly in rich new music. You should hear this fun, colorful dream before it explodes.
Musical powerhouses collaborate as Broken Bells By Mark Lopez While it may suffice to say that the birth of creative genius has stemmed from renowned producer Brian Burton, aka Danger Mouse, and singer/guitarist James Mercer of The Shins, it might also seem contrived to assume that their sounds have molded to befit a brain child of cosmic musical wonder.
But Burton and Mercer have created something so extremely melodic that touches on so many psychedelic and formative styles that any listener could find something worthy. The pet name for this duo’s project is Broken Bells. Yes, I thought that was ironic, too. The band is reminiscent of Beck while also homing in
some of the sounds that made The Shins a household name, meaning that this creative team has taken its inspiration from not only other psychedelic influences, but from each other. Burton, who has worked with a diverse group of musicians, including Beck, Gorillaz, MF DOOM and The Black Keys, met Mercer in 2004. Realizing
they both shared similar musical tastes, the pair started to converse and record in secret, until they finally announced that their secret meetings had spawned a new single, “The High Road.” Their debut album, aptly titled Broken Bells, is available on their MySpace page. They definitely play on spacial qualities, using percussion and
what: BROKEN BELLS where: STUBB’S when: MARCH 17 AT 11 P.M. where: LUSTRE PEARL BAR when: MARCH 19 AT 11:15 P .M.
piano to drive the vocals and production to a place where even outer space has trouble reaching them.
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Soulful songstress tours the world, yet calls Texas home Sarah Jaffe brings heart to SXSW By Caitlin Wittlif Denton native Sarah Jaffe is on the move. She just finished a tour of Europe opening for fellow Denton indies Midlake and is now on tour opening for Norah Jones. Her debut full-length album, Suburban Nature, will drop digitally on April 6 and hits stores May 18, and she intends to continue touring through the year in support of it. Despite all the traveling, Jaffe is still happy to call Texas home. “For me it’s a good point. I can move around and come back and always feel welcome,� Jaffe says of Denton. “I’ve thought about living other places, but at this point I’m totally comfortable where I am and completely inspired by the people there and the music scene. For now, Denton is home.� In Denton and all over the world, Jaffe is earning fans with songs that are at times
heartbreaking and at others smirk-worthy tongue-incheek. All feature the singer/ songwriter’s rich, raw, powerful voice, punching through to the heart of the matter. Jaffe’s biggest goal with Suburban Nature was to unblock her brain. “I have a hard time writing if things aren’t really progressing,� she says. “It was like I couldn’t really mentally move on.� Jaffe says she’s thankful to be performing with such well-established acts, such as Jones and Midlake. “They both draw [large] crowds that are really respectful, that actually know the lyrics and listen to the instrumentation, and so it’s been really good in that way,� she says. “Being out on the road with Norah right now and playing these hauntingly gorgeous theatres was really amazing — very historical, gorgeous places.�
$ $ $ $ $ $
Live On The Line
what: SARAH JAFFE where: RED EYED FLY when: MARCH 18 AT 3 P.M. where: ST. DAVID’S HISTORIC SOCIETY when: MARCH 18 AT 6 P.M. where: THE PALM DOOR when: MARCH 20 AT 1 P.M. where: J. BLACK’S when: MARCH 20 AT 2 P.M.
As for SXSW, Jaffe lives by an “in the moment� mantra. So what is her goal for the fest? “I think mainly — this may sound dumb — but probably just to have fun. You know at the day parties, and kind of the chaos of SXSW, you’ve got to keep lighthearted about it. There’s just so much going on, there can’t be one goal. I’m just gonna go and play with my band and do what I love the most, which is play music.�
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Photo courtesy of Sarah Jaffe Vocalist Sarah Jaffe is one of the many soulful songstresses gracing SXSW showcases. The Denton native is currently on tour with Norah Jones.
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Pop-rock band shows Austin some love Fanfarlo talks music, sunshine By Caitlin Wittlif Fanfarlo seems to be the indie-band-that-could as of late, both because of their ability to sign with a Warner affiliate, Canvasback, while maintaining control of their art and connection with fans, and also because of their van trouble. As they toured around the world, the group’s members posted pictures of their rotted white wagon with flat tires and a murderous trailer that tried to drag them to their doom on icy roads. Despite treacherous weather, the band has persevered, garnering press, praise and comparisons to that modestly successful group you might have heard of, Arcade Fire. The band’s orchestral ar-
rangements, ambitious poprock opuses and sweet, warbled vocals find inspiration all over the place, though according to bassist Justin Finch, not all of these influences can necessarily be picked out just by listening to the band. “Simon [Balthazar, lead singer] was listening to a lot of Belle and Sebastian, a lot of Sufjan Stevens and Neutral Milk Hotel, stuff like that — old Modest Mouse,� Finch says. “And that really did creep into our sound at the time. ... Now we’re listening to a lot more new wave. Talking Heads, a lot of ESG. The guitar style of bands like the Dirty Projectors really blow our minds, you know? We shed a member as well — we created some space and Simon decided to pick up
what: FANFARLO where: GALAXY ROOM when: MARCH 17 AT 10 P.M. where: THE ALE HOUSE when: MARCH 19 AT MIDNIGHT
an electric guitar for our new songs.� The band is often asked about its literary influences as well, which Finch says are indeed present — but no more than with any other band. “When the band got together, we were all kind of reading a lot of philosophy; we were all kind of reading a lot of old literature and stuff like that,� Finch says. “We read a whole lot less than we used to — the road’s too distracting. There’s always a lot of pretty things going by the window — I mean
Photo courtesy of Eva Vermandel Indie band Fanfarlo is stoked to be at SXSW, looking forward to TexMex, Americana and Texas sunshine.
scenery, of course!� Finch is emphatic about his adoration of touring, though he also admits that it can make a person weary. “I was
never really well-traveled when I grew up, and all of a sudden I’ve just seen amazCONTINUES ON PAGE 14
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Singer/songwriter Meiko talks fame Los Angelesbased singer/ songwriter Meiko is another buzz artist at SXSW, known for her unique blend of indie pop and folk rock.
what: MEIKO where: THE PARISH when: MARCH 18 AT 10:30
When Meiko was 18 years old, she ventured with her sister, fashion designer Kelly Nishimoto, and her sister’s boyfriend to L.A. There she worked as a smoothie maker at Gold’s Gym and became the first waitress at Hollywood’s Hotel Cafe, a small music venue. “I got to work and watch amazing bands at the same time,” she said. The Hotel Cafe has grown into one of Hollywood’s hot spots for talent. Before she started playing there herself, she said, her favorite act was Australian songstress Sia. She also saw artists such as Katy Perry play before their popularity blew up. Meiko said the hardest part about starting up was overcoming her shyness on stage. “Whether I sold a million records or even won a Grammy, the greatest accomplishment is talking to people and not feeling like they hate me,” she said. “I’m really comfortable now, and I love that feeling.” Her career went into hyper mode in 2008. When playing SXSW for the second time, she caught the ear of Luke Wood of Interscope Records, who helped her nab a deal with MySpace Records. After she re-released her self-titled album, she said, the “higher-up people” started caring, and her fan based started growing.
Photo couretsy of Meiko
“That was the year I was able to quit waitressing,” she said. That same year, she toured with Mat Kearney, performed in the Hotel Cafe tour, graced Conan O’Brien’s “Late Night” stage and was featured on primetime shows, like “Grey’s Anatomy,” which she called “the biggest, awesomest thing that ever happened.” 2009 may have been busier. She played shows with Eric Hutchinson and headlined her own tour. And the 28-year-old songstress opened 2,000- to 5,000-seat venues for Jewel’s solo tour. The majority of her songs have a distinct sadness to them, such as the givingup-on-love ballad “Said and Done” and the appropriately titled “Saddest Song in the
World.” But Meiko said she has changed as a person during the span of her career and is now happier. “I didn’t try to make [my music] sound a certain way,” she said. “I was struggling with everything, but now I’m optimistic.” Meiko said she’ll be sure to include happy songs on her SXSW set list, along with some new material. “I’ve been writing a zillion songs with a zillion different people,” she said. She said that after SXSW she will spend about three months recording her newest album with the goal of releasing it by the end of the year. Thankfully, Meiko’s first performance is on a Wednesday. If it was a day before, the “Lost”
fanatic would have to catch a replay online. Her favorite character is Sawyer, the southern outlaw played by Josh Holloway, also a Georgia native. Meiko said that before “Lost” was on air, she met Holloway at a barbecue in L.A, thought he was cute and talked to him about his auditions. When she found out Holloway had made it onto the show, she tuned in and “got sucked in.” As for choosing her childhood nickname for her artist name, Meiko, who is a quarter Japanese, said her sister gave her the name at camp and it just stuck. “It just seemed like the natural thing to do,” she said. “And it sounded cool to me when I was a kid.”
ILLUSTRATION BY Joe Holloway and Curt Darden
By Melanie Gasmen Meiko’s words mirror her songs almost perfectly. Her momentary thoughts spill without strain, her tone is softened around the edges and a slight southern twang laces it all together. Her downto-earth demeanor radiates, even via phone, and by the sound of it, she’s more than ready to jump into the South by Southwest scene for the fourth time in her career. The indie pop/folk rock singer/songwriter has five shows lined up, rather than the one or two shows she originally planned. “The whole point [of SXSW] is to play shows, not hang out with friends and get drunk,” she said jokingly, with a tone hinting that she may have done the latter in previous years. Now based in Los Angeles, Meiko was born and raised in Roberta, Ga., population 808. A self-proclaimed “good girl,” she grew up listening to her father play his classic Gibson guitar while she pretended to strum along. When she was 13 years old, he taught her how to play. “It was a little bond [my dad and I] had,” she said. “Every night we would play the guitar and try to write a song.” Meiko cites Mariah Carey — whose songs she would listen to and sing for hours — as her vocal coach. And since her small town had few recreational options, Meiko used songwriting as an outlet and would “stay home like a big dork and just practice.”
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JBM earns fans at first sight and listen By Caitlin Wittlif Jesse Marchant is the kind of person who can make friends wherever he goes. He’s caring enough to ask about how you’re doing, even if the response takes up precious minutes from his breathless touring schedule. Accordingly, as JBM, Marchant is the kind of musician who captures fans wherever he goes. He plays in an intimate, straightforward manner for the real music lovers in the audience. Without missing a beat, he picks out a pretty tune on the guitar he wears like an extension of himself, and by the time he sings his first lilting words, the crowd finds itself enraptured. Marchant was born a musician in Canada and took classical guitar lessons at a young age, though he didn’t pursue life as a career musician for some time. Now, Marchant lives in New York when he’s not on tour with indie-music staples like St. Vincent, Elvis Perkins in Dearland and Sondre Lerche. In fact, he just embarked on a tour with Rogue Wave, randomly catching their attention after just one fateful performance. With all of this touring, you’d imagine it would wear a person down, but Marchant seems unfazed. “You know, I think you have your days where you get really tired or not in the mood to play because you may be feeling le-
what: JBM where: ST. DAVID’S BETHEL HALL when: MARCH 17 AT9 P.M.
thargic or whatever, but all in all I think it’s fun,� Marchant says. “The camaraderie of it is nice — being around other people, meeting new people. On this tour, so far the highlights have been getting to know these new people in this band and that energy, the newness of it.� The constant touring has caused South by Southwest to blend into Marchant’s hectic schedule. “It just feels like another show that I’m playing,� he says. “I know once I get there it’ll be different.� Though this will be Marchant’s debut at the festival, he has toured Austin before and understands the importance of transportation. “I don’t have a car this time, so I’m going to have to figure out what’s going on with that,� Marchant says. Though Marchant’s music is distinctly, delicately meticulous, the man himself seems most at ease when he lets the world steer him where it will. Whether it’s planning a tour schedule or trying to organize the chaos of SXSW, Marchant is letting the universe take control. “I’m kinda just gonna roll with it. I’m not good at making plans; I just let what happens, happen.�
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Photo courtesy of JBM New York-based artist Jesse Marchant, aka JBM, has toured with indie staples like St. Vincent and Rogue Wave and will be hitting SXSW to spread his soothing music.
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Quirky Tally Hall’s harmonies delight By Melanie Gasmen Straight from Ann Arbor, Mich., Tally Hall obviously knows how to dress to impress. During shows and appearances, bandmates Rob Cantor, Ross Federman, Joe Hawley, Andrew Horowitz and Zubin Sedghi sport matching dress shirts and their own specific colored tie, signifying their individuality. The University of Michigan alumni channel a sort of Beatles-meets-Nintendo vibe, a slight geekiness that easily attracts listeners. On their site, they call themselves a “wonky rock-and-roll band.” Still, their music is so multifaceted that they technically have included different genres within their own album. Their sound is incredibly eclectic, like a carnival for your ears. From fake English accents to monk-like chants to suburban raps like “hop in your mom’s car, back up the Windstar” to simple piano and guitar accompaniments, Tally Hall knows how to produce good, witty music. Though the friends formed the band back in 2002 during their time at college, I first
what: TALLY HALL where: EMO’S JR. when: MARCH 18 AT 12:15 A.M.
heard Tally Hall in 2006. I’m not sure if I first heard their pop-rock “Two Wuv” song, lyrically dedicated to the Olsen twins, or if I saw their ridiculous, Caribbean-tuned “Banana Man” music video, which instantly became a YouTube viral. After a two-year album dry spell, they’ve come armed and ready to South by Southwest — where they’ll make their third appearance — with new material. Following a 2009 tour with Rooney, they’re putting the finishing touches to their newest album, which they worked on with producer Tony Hoffer (Beck and Depeche Mode), titled Good & Evil, set to release this year. Their newest leaked songs, like “The Trap” and “What About You,” have more of a folk-rock slant to them. But they will still probably showcase songs from Marvin’s Marvelous Museum, their rereleased debut album from Atlantic Records.
FANFARLO: Excited for SXSW, Tex-Mex FROM PAGE 11 ing things, like breathtakingly amazing things,” Finch says. Still, Fanfarlo are incredibly thankful for the interest they’ve received. And Finch is especially excited about South by Southwest. “God, I love South by Southwest. It’s just incredible,” he says. “We love it because, for starters, right now we’re just desperate for the sun. It’s such an awesome atmosphere down on Sixth Street, and there are so many bands to watch.” Apart from a few performances, the band has exciting plans for SXSW. “We’re making a movie with a guy. He’s a sort of video artist,
and it’s gonna be a very, very sort of abstract documentary, if you like. It’s not gonna be entirely real; it’s gonna be quite fictional. It’s gonna be weird. I’m not sure what to expect from it, but it’s gonna be fun.” And how does the group feel about Austin? “It’s one of my favorite cities in America, possibly, for me personally, my favorite city in America,” Finch says. “I’m really into Americana, that sort of music — Tex-Mex and stuff. It’s got all the best things about some place like New York minus the shit things. It’s got the open space and the weather. It’s got the best of everything if you ask me.”
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Catch them if you can: Top 5 SXSW films By Tori Daughtrey
‘Kick-Ass,’ March 12
Paramount, 7 p.m., 106 minutes A top pick, this pathetically action-packed comedy will have you wiggling in your seat with laughter. A young teenager picks up a mask and dubs himself Kick-Ass. He decides to save the world, despite his complete lack of experience beyond the stack of comic books resting in his bedroom.
‘Bejing Taxi,’ March 15
G-Tech, 2:30 p.m., 78 minutes See the transformation of urban China through the eyes of several Beijing taxi drivers: one a veteran driver, one a mother, one a young optimist. With preparation for the 2008 Olympics dominating the backdrop, questions challenging tradition and capitalism in rapidly changing China are encountered and answered by those who know the city best.
‘The Myth of an American Sleepover,’
March 17
G-Tech, 9:30 p.m. 97 minutes Relive your adolescent youth by accompanying Maggie, Rob, Claudia and Scott as they stretch the last days of summer into memories that will last forever. Witness nostalgic days of first loves and parties that inevitably lead to a self-realization only found in suburban summers.
‘The Erectionman,’ March 18
Alamo Lamar 3, 10:15 p.m., 52 minutes Boldly armed with humor and an ever changing American social norm, this film documents “How one little pill changed the course of sexual evolution.”
‘Trash Day,’ March 20
Alamo Lamar 3, 1:15, 3 minutes Love lingers in the unlikeliest of places — including in garbage. Watch as a young woman tries to seduce her garbage man by placing gifts in her trash. Based on a popular craigslist ad in Colorado.
THAX: Amplifying music, engaging audiences with original poetry FROM PAGE 16 tribution to the music scene there. He’s written more than 2,500 band poems. He has performed for audiences of fewer than 10 and crowds thousands deep. He has written about musicians as obscure as Cavashawn and as famous as Andrew Bird and Dirty Projectors. Before he performs, Thax politely approaches a group he appreciates and asks if he can read the piece he’s written for them before they take the stage. Most oblige. Thax isn’t starstruck. “We’ve been introduced with the usual sort of announcement, but having an introduction from Thax was always much more understated and awesome,” says Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s Robbie Guertin. Thax has read for the indie-rock band several times, including its Lollapalooza main stage show in 2007. “The crowd hushed and was totally rapt while he
read,” adds Sean Greenhalgh of Clap Your Hands. “It was such an interesting juxtaposition of oral and literary tradition in a venue normally associated with dancing, booze and stagediving.” As Thax’s popularity grew, so did his disenchantment with his hometown. He says the only time he received media attention was when he did something the public disliked, including the time he moved to New York City for a few months. Or the time a friend hacked Thax’s Facebook page to report his death. “I was just a character,” he says. “I never got attention for my work.” Aware of Thax’s growing discontent in Chicago, some friends recommended Austin as a good fit for the poet. He came here in October to perform his very first gig, the Austin City Limits Music Festival, in the Live Music Capitol of the World — and never looked back.
“There are so many more great bands, and everyone knows each other,” Thax says. “Everything I thought I would miss about Chicago has been replaced by something better.” He wakes up around noon everyday, goes to the library to listen to music and adds his latest masterpiece to his MySpace library. Thax recognizes how close he is to homelessness. But he also thinks his role in the music world offers more satisfaction than a reliable paycheck and a mattress. “I’ve had jobs, and there’s not that great of a difference,” Thax says. “You spend so much of your money decompressing from your crappy job.” For now, Thax is content. His confidence is growing, as is his popularity. “I’m shy, but when I’m reading, there’s a sense that I belong,” Thax says. “It’s ironic, but I really am living the good life. I’m poor, but what I do satisfies me to the core.”
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Thax Douglas lives the good life Famed underground poet calls Austin home By Rachel Meador Thax Douglas sits to the side of the abandoned outdoor stage at Mohawk on a recent Thursday night. Silent, stoic and a little hunched over, he is absorbed in writing in his notebook. His shy demeanor effectively disguises a beloved rock poet. “This is my favorite place in Austin,” Thax says. “It always has such great vibes.” Thax has shared the stage with some of today’s most popular musicians, like Animal Collective and The Flaming Lips, and there’s a documentary about him on YouTube. He’s got an everexpanding Wikipedia page of accomplishments and a nationwide fan base. He is unemployed and doesn’t charge for his creations. At Mohawk, Thax introduces himself to local pop-rock group, Ideal Soul Mart, striking a brief but enthusiastic partnership with the ON THE WEB: band he’s listened Read the full to a few story and see more photos times on @dailytexanonline.com YouTube. With their permission, he gets to work. Seated away from the crowd, he is entranced as he works, unaware of the people staring curiously. After about two minutes, he is satisfied with his creation and makes his way to the stage. “Hello people,” Thax says in his monotone performance timbre. “The excitement is about to begin.” Expressions in the crowd range from pessimistic confusion to reverence. “Ideal Soul Mart,” Thax begins. It is the title of his poem about a band he met only 10 minutes ago. “An assortment of different eggs, not only different from one another, but different species, fills an egg carton sampler with a crazy quilt of species.” The distaste on some viewers’ faces melts into smiles. The band is almost giddy.
Photo by Derek Stout Thax Douglas reads a short poem he wrote to introduce garage band The Sons of Hercules at Hole in the Wall in late February. He has made a name for himself by reading his poetry to introduce bands both famous and unknown.
Thax is in the zone now, carrying a captive audience to the end of the poem. Once unsure about Thax’s role, the audience now embraces his presence as Ideal Soul Mart plays its first song. “We got started off with some poetry,” says Ideal Soul Mart’s lead vocalist, Clay. “Courtesy of Thax. We welcome it with open arms,” Clay says as people cheer. Some turn around to get a look at the poet, now standing in the middle of the crowd. A stranger reaches out to shake his hand. “I guess that’s part of why I do this,” he says. “I don’t want to creep someone out, so I don’t start conversations. People see me read, and it breaks the ice.” After the set, he hitches a ride to the Birdhouse, an in-
viting old home on East Cesar Chavez Street that has been transformed into an exhibition gallery for independent artists. His longtime friend, Kevin Foot, operates the studio where he helps Thax lead his modest existence. “He’s one of the most wellspoken, witty and articulate people I know,” Foot says. He’s seen Thax perform over 100 times in Chicago, Thax’s hometown. “If you close your eyes and open your mind he can really paint a spot on picture,” Foot says. Thax expertly dodges the new installation in the gallery as he makes his way to his room. Before settling down onto his blanket on the hardwood floor where he sleeps, he pops a CD on loan from the library into his one earthly
possession: his “cheesy” Walkman. He can’t remember being happier. “When I hear music, I get an image,” Thax says. “No, not even an image — an electrical charge in my head from hearing the band that I translate into words.” His poetry is disjointed yet universal, descriptive yet obscure. Each poem is constructed in 10 minutes or less, some in less than a minute. Thax carries a few professionally bound copies of a compilation of his rock poetry titled “The Good Life.” He sells the books for $20 a pop, which is all he needs to cover his incidental expenses. “When you make the decision to be a poet, you vow to a life of poverty, if necessary,” Thax says. His approach to poetry is
what: THAX INTRODUCES BAMORHEA where: CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH when: MARCH 17 AT 7 P.M.
systematic and effective. The poem takes on the name of the band that inspires the piece. Each subsequent poem for the band earns a digit appended to the title: for example, Spoon #4. Thax does not edit his work. “The poem is a living creature,” Thax says. “It’s like with Dolly the sheep. They learned about cloning from her, but they couldn’t go in and fix her problems. They just have to use what they learn for the next time.” Thax became a celebrity in Chicago for his unique conCONTINUES ON PAGE 15