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THE DAILY TEXAN Thursday, April 9, 2009

Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900

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Gambling debate comes to Texas

Emily Kinsolving | Daily Texan Staff

As Juan Cruz, Antonio Macias and his son Antony read through programs, jockeys prepare for the next race at Manor Downs on Sunday afternoon. Recently proposed legislation may allow horse- and dog-race tracks like Manor Downs to use slot machines.

House bill calls for construction of resort casinos, slots in metropolitan areas By Erin Mulvaney Daily Texan Staff The odds may be in favor of legalized gambling in Texas. Lawmakers and gambling advocates dealt out plans to build resort casinos and allow casinos at race tracks and on American Indian lands in Texas at the House Licensing & Administrative Procedures Committee hearing Wednesday. The controversial discussion drew a large crowd. One bill would allow the creation of resort-style casinos in metropolitan areas. Sheldon Adelson, chairman and chief executive of the Las Vegas Sands Corp., told the committee that destination resorts are the best opportunities for casino building. He said Texas is a prime attraction spot and that his company

“The beer and alcohol business fails if you don’t have alcoholics. The casino industry fails if there are no pathological gamblers supporting it.” — Stephen Reeves, Christian Life Commission attorney would be interested in purchasing casino licenses in Texas if the bill passed. Don Hoyte, an economic consultant for the Texas Gaming Association, presented research showing that if resort casinos were legalized, they could ultimately generate $3.3 billion annually in state and local tax revenue by 2015. The 12 states with legalized gambling pulled in $5.8 billion in combined taxes last year, according to the American Gaming Association, which represents casinos.

House committee approves concealed carry on campus By Amy Bingham Daily Texan Staff The House Committee on Public Safety approved a bill Wednesday that would allow concealed-handgun-license holders to carry guns onto college campuses. The bill, authored by state Rep. Joe Driver, R-Garland, passed the committee by a 5-to3 vote. It has 77 co-sponsors, which makes its passage likely when it is debated on the House floor. A similar bill has already passed in the Texas Senate. “Crime happens on campus, and I’m very passionate about people’s right to defend themselves,” said Daniel Crocker, the Texas director of Students

for Concealed Carry on Campus. “The invisible line between on-campus and off-campus doesn’t have barbed wire and metal detectors.” Crocker said he is cautiously optimistic that the bill will pass. UT’s Student Government, Senate of College Councils and Graduate Student Assembly have passed resolutions against the bill. Graduate student John Woods was an undergraduate at Virginia Tech during the 2007 shooting. He authored the SG resolution supporting the current ban of concealed weapons on-campus. “The Second Amendment

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Opponents of the bills say Texas may be breaking into the casino industry at a bad time for gambling. Nationwide, industry revenue is declining. As least two major casinos, worth $33.5 billion, have shut down in Las Vegas. Nevada Gaming Control Board analyst Frank Streshley said gambling industry revenues are down 9.7 percent since 2008 — the biggest decline in 50 years. The second-largest decline was seen in 2001, when gambling revenues fell 1.3 percent.

“Visitation is down from both visitors to the state and people that live in the state, and it is down substantially,” Streshley said. Christian Life Commission attorney Stephen Reeves said his organization opposes the expansion of gambling in Texas. People throw their money away and become addicted to gambling, he said. He said the goal of the slot machine is no secret: to get people to play longer, faster and more intensely. “A lot more people are paying for the win than are getting the win,” Reeves said. State Rep. Edmund Kuempel, chairman of the committee, said he disagreed with Reeves’ claim. “You can’t save everybody from themselves,” Kuempel said. “Some people drink beer; some

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Bill would create UT school, set reading list

By Mohini Madgavkar Daily Texan Staff A House bill to turn a program at UT into an independent school has drawn criticism from faculty members. State Rep. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, introduced a bill to create the School of Ethics, Western Civilization and American Traditions at UT during the House’s Higher Education Committee meeting Wednesday. Students in the school would be required to take 18 hours of Western civilization studies, including courses covering ancient philosophy and literature, the Bible and Renaissance and Enlightenment classics. These courses would count for 18 hours of the traditional core curriculum requirement, and students would then have to complete an additional 18 hours of coursework in Western civilization. Kolkhorst said the $5 million project would resemble the existing UT Center for the Study of Core Texts and Ideas, in which students study history, literature, philosophy and religion through the “great books” philosophy that classics, not curriculum, should guide students. Unlike the center, which has no set canon of study, the new school would establish a core of important texts that would focus exclusively on Western traditions and American ideals. Eli Cox, a business professor who teaches in the center, said he was surprised the Legislature was

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Andrew Rogers | Daily Texan Staff

Dan Branch, chairman of the Higher Education Committee, listens during a hearing at the Capitol on Wednesday during which testimony on the creation of a new UT school was heard.

Workers rally for benefits on union’s lobby day

Andrew Rogers | Daily Texan Staff

Larry Gomez, an Adult Protective Services employee, holds a banner during the Texas State Employees Union lobby day at the Capitol on Wednesday morning. Demonstrators marched from Waterloo Park to the Capitol chanting and carrying signs.

By Andrew Martinez Daily Texan Staff Thousands of state workers gathered on the south steps of the Capitol on Wednesday to rally for increased benefits and pay. At the Texas State Employees Union lobby day, marchers chanted and held signs as they waited to talk to legislators about their grievances. UT graduate students attended the event to fight for better benefits. “As state employees, we fall into an odd category,” said graduate student Andrew Jones. “We’re not looking for a huge pay raise. We’re just asking for something to stay with the price of living.” The union is made up of 11,635 state workers in 53 state agencies and 24 university locations, as well as workers in local and

county government and several private sector companies, according to its Web site. Jones said that graduate-student pay increases have been overlooked for years and that the system for awarding research fellowships needs to be revamped. “Fellowships give you time to do research and work, but a lot of students don’t take the fellowship because it offers no health care,” Jones said. Jones said graduate students find themselves in a double bind because the University asks them to perform research without benefits. “It’s important for us to be here because we do a lot of work for the University,” Jones said.

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GUN: Opposition organizes protest

Thursday, April 9, 2009

THE DAILY TEXAN

Standing up to the man

Volume 109, Number 123 25 cents

From page 1A

position to the bill. “Right now students are sort of does give the right to bear arms, whispering that they don’t want but when we’re talking about guns guns on campus, but they are not on campus possibly harming stu- being visible enough,� Woods said. dents, that’s a public-safety issue, “If we get a lot of students walking not a rights issue,� Woods said. out, then the Legislature will see Woods said he is planning a that the students — the people that student protest on campus and will be most affected — are against at the Capitol on April 16 in op- having guns on campus.�

CONTACT US Main Telephone: (512) 471-4591 Retail Advertising: (512) 471-1865 joanw@mail.utexas.edu Classified Advertising: (512) 471-5244 classified@dailytexanonline.com

MARCH: Grad students push for benefits ognize that, regardless of sexual orientation, the faculty members Graduate student Irene Gar- who are affected by UT’s lack za said she attended the march of domestic-partner benefits are to lobby for same-sex domestic- still employees. partner benefits. “They pay taxes and provide a “This is a real personal issue public service,� Garza said. “It’s for me,� Garza said. “We’ve lost like they’re relegating them to faculty because of this issue.� second-class citizenship with a Garza said UT does not rec- policy like this.�

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.

From page 1A

COPYRIGHT Sara Young | Daily Texan Staff

A woman walks past Victory Grill, one of the oldest blues venues in East Austin. General manager Eva Lindsey has fought to keep the landmark from disappearing into recent development on E. 11th Street.

BILL: Faculty considers establishing school a threat to center’s autonomy From page 1A so involved in academic affairs. “The Legislature having a hand in academic decisions like this is troubling to me,� Cox said. The bill would establish the program as an independent school with its own dean, budget and corps of professors. Thomas and Lorraine Pangle, who lead the center, testified against the bill. “A center is a good idea,� said Thomas Pangle, a government professor. “A school is not.� Thomas Pangle said the school’s creation would remove the exist-

ing center’s autonomy and limit the pool of professors from which the new school would be able to draw, as it would no longer be able to select faculty from any discipline to teach courses. Kolkhorst said that in the age of Bernie Madoff, Enron and the economic collapse, a school of ethics is more important than ever. “We have to study Western civilization to understand Western civilization,� Kolkhorst said. “If we don’t have ethics and study where we come from, we certainly cannot bridge or foresee the future of where we’re going.� Until Monday, Pangle said,

neither he nor his wife had been consulted about the project. “Many of these people who testified have no idea what’s going on,� he said. “The bill requires a prescribed six-course sequence with no room for things like modern political philosophy or texts on Eastern thought.� Lorraine Pangle, an associate government professor, criticized establishing a prescribed canon of important literature. “What constitutes great books is more and more open to be contested about and argued over,� she said. “A canon is just a closed set: ‘These are the great books.’ It’s refreshing to have that as an open question.� Several faculty members from around the country testified in favor of the bill, including William Allen, formerly of Michigan State University, and Thomas Lindsay, president of Shimer College, a great-books college located in Chicago.

Only one former UT faculty member, Don Davis — a professor emeritus in the School of Information — testified in favor of the bill. Lindsay said he and several others who testified in favor of the bill did so at the behest of philosophy professor Robert Koons, former leader of the center. Lorraine Pangle said Koons was fired from his position more than a year ago but remains on the faculty. “Rob Koons did a great job of starting the project,� Thomas Pangle said. “He was less successful at winning allies.� The center was formerly known as the Program in Western Civilizations and American Institutions, but its name was changed in an effort to clarify its purpose and expunge controversy over its allegedly conservative ideology. In 2008, The New York Times characterized the center as “mostly financed by conservative organizations and donors, run by con-

servative professors.� Koons, a self-described Republican, denied those allegations at the time and said the center was devoted to ethics, not partisan ideology. “The name ‘Western Civilizations and American [Traditions]’ sounds really right-wing, like there’s an axe to grind,� Thomas Pangle said. “We’re really focusing our efforts on clarity and mending fences.� Kolkhorst’s chief of staff Chris Steinbach said he had consulted with Koons on the bill when it was drawn up several years ago, at which point Koons was still the center’s director. Steinbach said that while he had spoken to Koons sporadically over the phone and by e-mail before and after Koons was fired from the center, their interaction had not been extensive and he was not aware of the circumstances of Koons’ departure. Additional reporting by Natalie Ziskind

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This newspaper was printed with pride by The Daily Texan press crew members, who will be laid off in May.

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Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leah Finnegan Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vikram Swaruup Associate Managing Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stephen Keller, Gabrielle MuĂąoz Associate Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Audrey Campbell, Josh Haney, Abhinav Kumar, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jillian Sheridan, Abby Terrell, Mary Tuma News Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lauren Winchester Associate News Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sean Beherec, Katie Flores, Lee Ann Holman Senior Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viviana Aldous, Pierre Bertrand, Amy Bingham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mohini Madgavkar, Erin Mulvaney, Avi Selk Copy Desk Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Muto Associate Copy Desk Chiefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Green, Austin Litzler, Vikkey Packard Design Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Janie Shaw Senior Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marissa Edwards, Shatha Hussein, Lindsey Morgan, Emily Watkins Photo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Peter Franklin Associate Photo Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kim Espinosa, May-Ying Lam Senior Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paul Chouy, Bryant Haertlein, Emily Kinsolving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew Rogers, Jordan Smothermon Life&Arts Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ana McKenzie Associate Life&Arts Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andy O'Connor, Leigh Patterson, Raquel Villarreal Senior Life&Arts Writers . . . . . . . . . . . Roxanna Asgarian, Mary Lingwall, Rachel Meador, Robert Rich, JJ Velasquez Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .David R. Henry Associate Sports Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anup Shah, Colby White Senior Sports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Will Anderson, Blake Hurtik, Laken Litman, Austin Talbert Comics Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carolynn Calabrese Web Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Erik Reyna Multimedia Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Priscilla Villarreal Associate Multimedia Editors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jenny Baxter, Juan Elizondo Editorial Adviser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Richard A. Finnell

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CASINO: Austin

home to illegal poker scene From page 1A

people do dope, but we can’t stop them.� Reeves said there is a difference between taxing a vice that already exists and legalizing something in order to tax it. “The beer and alcohol business fails if you don’t have alcoholics,� he said. “The casino industry fails if there are no pathological gamblers supporting it.� Several bills called for installation of video slot machines at horse- and dog-race tracks, which owners say will make Texas’ tracks more competitive with those in other states. Stuart Slagle, race secretary for Manor Downs, a horse and dog track in Austin, said the business supports the initiatives to bring video slot machines to Texas. He said the installation of the video slot machines is an additional source of revenue that will help in the short-term but that it is not something to depend on in the long run. “From the business perspective, everyone else has done it, and we need to do it too,� Slagle said. Slagle said that even though revenue is down between 10 and 20 percent, bringing slot machines to the tracks would transfer money to the state. “Depending on how big or small the pie is, all the [video slot tables] are being served to other states,� he said. In Austin, legal gambling already exists in the form of horse and dog tracks, but there is also an illegal underground poker scene. A 29-year-old Austin resident said he participates in organized poker games and tournaments about twice a week in the Austin area, including Round Rock and Pflugerville. He said certain people open their homes and convert their living rooms into casino-like spaces, complete with professional card dealers, “hot� cocktail waitresses and a certain amount of security. “There is a game in Austin that is known as the ‘big highroller game,’� he said. “That’s where you will regularly see four- or five-thousand dollar pots in the hand.� He said the poker operation is underground in the sense that it is not building Web sites and distributing flyers but is not a seedy business. “The people are good, good people,� he said. “Good fun and hot cocktail waitresses.� He said he supports legalizing gambling and would visit casinos if they were built. “I don’t see gambling to be different than other things the government allows,� he said. “Drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes are legal, even though they can be hazardous, but for some reason we don’t open casinos.�

Wire Editor: Lindsey Estes www.dailytexanonline.com

WORLD&NATION

3A

Thursday, April 9, 2009

T HE DAILY T EXAN

WORLD BRIEFLY

NATION BRIEFLY

Funerals begin for earthquake victims throughout central Italy

Obama says US will participate in weapon discussions with Iran

L’AQUILA, Italy — Bells tolled in hilltowns across central Italy on Wednesday as the first funerals got under way for victims of the country’s devastating earthquake. The Vatican granted a dispensation to allow a funeral Mass for most of the 272 dead could be celebrated on Good Friday. As more bodies were pulled from the rubble, some of the 28,000 homeless spent another day lining up for food and water at some of the 20 tent camps that have sprouted up around this quake-devastated city. Rescue efforts continued for the 15 people still missing, but officials began discussing rebuilding the stricken region and reopening schools. They stressed it would take a month or two to have a clear idea of the extent of the damage.

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration said Wednesday it will participate directly in group talks with Iran over its suspected nuclear program, another significant shift from President George W. Bush’s policy toward a nation he labeled part of an axis of evil. The State Department said the United States would be at the table “from now on” when senior diplomats from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany meet with Iranian officials to discuss the nuclear issue. The Bush administration had generally shunned such meetings, although it attended one last year. “We believe that pursuing very careful engagement on a range of issues that affect our interests and the interests of the world with Iran makes sense,” Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told reporters. “There is nothing more important than trying to convince Iran to cease its efforts to obtain a nuclear weapon.” State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the decision was conveyed to representatives of Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia by the third-ranking U.S. diplomat William Burns at a Wednesday meeting in London. That group announced earlier that it would invite Iran to attend a new session aimed at breaking a deadlock in the talks. “If Iran accepts, we hope this will be the occasion to seriously engage Iran on how to break the logjam of recent years and work in a cooperative manner to resolve the outstanding international concerns about its nuclear program,” Wood said.

American journalist in Iran accused of spying for US

TEHRAN, Iran — An American journalist jailed for more than two months in Iran has been charged with spying for the U.S., a judge said Wednesday, dashing hopes of a quick release days after her parents arrived in the country seeking her freedom. Roxana Saberi, who grew up in Fargo, North Dakota, and is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Iran, has lived in Iran for six years. She has reported from there for several news organizations, including National Public Radio and the British Broadcasting Corp. An investigative judge involved in the case told state TV that Saberi was passing classified information to U.S. intelligence services. “Under the cover of a journalist, she visited government buildings, established contacts with some of the employees, gathered classified information and sent it to the U.S. intelligence services,” said the judge, who under security rules was identified only by his surname, Heidarifard.

Castro tells Congress members he wants to rebuild relationship

HAVANA — A “very healthy, very energetic” Fidel Castro asked visiting Congressional Black Caucus members what Cuba could do to help President Barack Obama improve bilateral relations during his first meeting with U.S. officials since falling ill in 2006. Caucus leader Rep. Barbara Lee, a Democrat from California, said the ailing former Cuban president talked for nearly two hours with her and two other delegation members on Tuesday in a meeting seen as signaling Cuba’s willingness to discuss better relations with the U.S. California Democratic Rep. Laura Richardson, who also met Fidel with Illinois Democratic Rep. Bobby Rush, said Castro “looked directly into our eyes” and asked how Cuba could help Obama in his efforts to change the course of U.S. foreign policy. Compiled from Associated Press reports

Charles Krupa | Associated Press

Massachusetts Maritime Academy President and Adm. Richard Gurnon and Professor Capt. Joseph Murphy talk with reporters about two of their former students, who were on board a ship that was hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia.

Somali pirates hijack US vessel By Katharine Houreld The Associated Press NAIROBI, Kenya — The American crew of a hijacked U.S.-flagged ship retook control of the vessel from Somali pirates Wednesday, but the captain was still being held hostage in a lifeboat hundreds of miles off the Horn of Africa, crew members said. Ship operator Maersk Lines Limited confirmed that the crew had taken back the 17,000-ton Maersk Alabama and were unharmed but the captain was being held by pirates away from the cargo ship. The second-in-command, Capt. Shane Murphy of Seekonk, Massachusetts, called his wife at 10 a.m EDT and told her that pirates had taken over the ship, which was carrying food aid for Africa, before dawn local time. Murphy said that he was now in charge because pirates had taken away the captain, his wife Serena Murphy, 31, told The Associated Press from her front doorstep. The vessel had 20 U.S. nationals onboard before the hijacking, Maersk said. Andrea Phillips, the wife of Capt. Richard Phillips of Un-

derhill, Vermont, said her husband had sailed in the waters off Somalia “for quite some time” and a hijacking was perhaps “inevitable.” Colin Wright, who identified himself as a third mate aboard the ship, told the AP by phone that, “Somalian pirates have one of our crew members in our lifeboat and we are trying to recover that crew member.” The U.S. Navy said that the ship was hijacked early Wednesday about 280 miles southeast of Eyl, a town in the northern Puntland region of Somalia. U.S. Navy spokesman Lt. Nathan Christensen said the closest U.S. ship at the time of the hijacking was 345 miles away. The Navy established a command center in Norfolk, Virginia to relay information between the company and government officials and Navy field operations in the region. They were in constant communication throughout the evening, said Senate Commerce Committee spokeswoman Jena Longo. U.S. officials said an American Navy destroyer, the USS Bainbridge, was headed for

the scene along with at least six other vessels. The Bainbridge was among several U.S. ships, including the cruiser U.S.S. Gettysburg, patrolling in the region, but were several hours away when the Maersk Alabama was seized. The Bainbridge is a guided-missile destroyer carrying Tomahawk cruise missiles, torpedoes and two MH60 Knighthawk helicopters armed with Hellfire missiles. It was not clear what the military crews would do when they got to the scene. Options could include negotiation, backed by force. It was the sixth vessel seized within a week, a rise that analysts attribute to a new strategy by Somali pirates operating far from the warships patrolling the busiest shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden. Cmdr. Jane Campbell, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Navy’s Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, said that it was the first pirate attack “involving U.S. nationals and a U.S.-flagged vessel in recent memory.” She did not give an exact timeframe. The ship was carrying emergency food relief to Mombasa, Kenya when it was hijacked,

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the Copenhagen-based container shipping group A.P. Moller-Maersk said. Capt. Joseph Murphy, a professor at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, said his son was a 2001 graduate who recently talked to a class about the dangers of piracy. Somali pirates are trained fighters who frequently dress in military fatigues and use speedboats equipped with satellite phones and GPS equipment. They are typically armed with automatic weapons, anti-tank rocket launchers and various types of grenades. Far out to sea, their speedboats operate from larger mother ships. Since January, pirates have staged 66 attacks, and they are still holding 14 ships and 260 crew members as hostages, according to the International Maritime Bureau, a watchdog group based in Kuala Lumpur. Roger Middleton, a piracy expert at the London-based think tank Chatham House, said the anti-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden have pushed the pirates into the Indian Ocean — a much vaster area where backup is no longer quickly in reach.

Search continues for suspects in murder of 8-year-old girl TRACY, Calif. — Police have served more than 15 search warrants in their attempt to hunt down the killer of an 8-year-old girl and stuffed her body in a suitcase, but say they “don’t want to rush to judgment” and so far have no suspects in the case. Sgt. Tony Sheneman said everyone has been cooperative, but he declined to give many details about who was questioned and why, and what was seized during searches of a local church and mobile home park. Sandra Cantu was last seen alive March 27, when she was caught on a surveillance video skipping down a street near her home at Orchard Estates Mobile Home Park. A massive search ended Monday when her body was discovered stuffed in a suitcase that was dumped into a pond only a few miles from her home. There has been an outpouring of grief from the community and residents have set up a makeshift memorial outside the complex with balloons, stuffed animals, cards and flowers. Passers-by have paused to pray, cry and drop off items. Compiled from Associated Press reports

OPINION

4A Thursday, April 9, 2009

Editor in Chief: Leah Finnegan Phone: (512) 232-2212 E-mail: editor@dailytexanonline.com Associate Editors: Audrey Campbell Josh Haney Abhinav Kumar Jillian Sheridan Abby Terrell Mary Tuma

T HE DAILY T EXAN

VIEWPOINT

GALLERY

Rewarding losers

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could earn A’s on tests we didn’t take or become fit and healthy without ever having to eat a salad or step inside a gym? Or, in the case of 12 Longhorn assistant coaches and staff members, be awarded a hefty bonus for a championship game that was never played? UT President William Powers recently gave Athletic Director DeLoss Dodds permission to distribute a total of $44,000 in bonus checks to the Longhorn support staff. These bonuses are normally given when the football team wins a conference title, but the Longhorns missed out on playing the conference championship game this year. At the end of the 2008 season, the Longhorns, the Sooners and the Texas Tech Red Raiders were tied for first place — each with an 11-1 record, and each with a loss to one of the other finalists. Though the teams were all on equal footing, the Big 12 South Division chose to rely on the rankings of the BCS to select their representative. The announcement that the Oklahoma Sooners would advance to the national title game was met with much outcry. The Sooners ended up losing to Florida. President Powers has said that he feels granting the bonuses to the coaches is the right decision. Though we all took the loss of our well-earned chance to compete in the championship hard, it feels as though granting unearned bonuses is even more difficult to swallow. The 12 Longhorn staff members receiving the bonuses are currently earning salaries between $150,000 and $425,000. This is eerily reminscent of the February controversy involving former UT System Regent Robert Rowling. Rowling was chastised by the Senate Finance Committee, which disapproved of his deci-

sion to award UTIMCO personnel bonuses totaling $3 million, even though the company’s earnings had fallen 23 percent. Despite the company’s performance and the state of the economy, Rowling claimed that he could not break his deal to award the bonuses. The committee felt otherwise. Rowling resigned on the spot. Our University, like the state of Texas, values tradition and loyalty. But there comes a point at which loyalty overrides reason and tradition becomes stubborness. The bonuses may have been promised to the coaches, but in the context of the current economic climate, the condoned endowment of that money by University is insulting to cash-strapped faculty and students. Though the athletic department is a separate entity from the University, it is disheartening to know that hardworking faculty and staff are rarely, if ever, given the same financial incentives as the football coaches. In a University climate where staff members are facing layoffs due to budget shortfalls, these bonuses come across as insensitive and grossly unfair. We are not asking the University for compensation for that last good grade we didn’t earn. But we think UT’s administration could benefit from a healthy dose of perspective in regards to our bloated sports program. It appears that perspective is far too much to ask. Last night, it was announced that several Longhorn assistant coaches will receive raises of 3 to 9 percent this year. These most recent raises should not go without mentioning the University-wide salary freeze for high-ranking campus officials Powers announced in February. — Audrey Campbell for the editorial board

The real Juarez By Ana McKenzie Daily Texan Staff A month and a half ago I decided to go to Ciudad Juarez during the last weekend of spring break to report on the drug war for this newspaper. I made the decision out of frustration and, honestly, arrogance. Not a single one of the dozens of newspapers I read or television reports and photos I saw mentioned or illustrated what the average, innocent bystander in the city thought. Instead, all I saw were dozens of photos of nameless corpses strewn on the street surrounded by makeshift barricades created by soldiers. So many reports compared the violence in Juarez, which claimed more than 1,800 lives last year, to conflicts in the Middle East that it almost became a cliche. I decided, with all my confidence as a budding newspaper journalist, to go where no one was going and talk to people who had never been talked to. My bravado was encouraged by the concerns of others. I’ll show them, I thought, as my mother made me promise to wear a cap to cover my lessthan-local appearances. My bright red hair and tall stature would surely mark me as an outsider. But that cap became my cape, my shield, and as a Texan photographer and I crossed the Zaragoza Bridge into Juarez on March 20. We were meeting Rocio Contreras, the sister of a UT student I had never met, in a parking lot literally yards from the bridge, but all I wanted to do was turn my car around and go back to safety in El Paso. My breath was short, and my stomach ached from nerves. Everyone on the street was a predator, I thought, as we waited for Rocio to arrive. I could not have been more surprised as I watched her pull into a parking space in front of us. She wasn’t downtrodden. She didn’t cover her hair or her arms with clothes out of fear. She smiled. She laughed. I felt a real sense of security as we traveled through

the city with Rocio that Friday and then with Denise Thompson, the best friend of UT journalism senior Jazmine Ulloa, on Saturday. The city appeared normal, almost beautiful, as they took us to various tourist and local destinations. But that comfort could dissipate in seconds. Any clean-cut stranger in ostrich boots and a cowboy hat (typical cartel garb) who passed among the crowd of regular citizens paralyzed me with fear. Lovely scenes of children laughing and street vendors conversing were tainted by passing trucks full of machine gun-wielding soldiers. A quaint row of buildings would suddenly be interrupted a scorched nightclub or restaurant. Emergency lights that flashed in residential neighborhoods didn’t belong to an emergency response or police vehicle, but to federal troops who were searching cars. Juarez does look completely different at night, a time when most of the violence mentioned in those newspaper articles happens. Tinted SUVs and burly thugs in black suits do replace pedestrians and citizens in some areas. This is the time when citizens know that they should not venture from the safety (safety being the operative word) of their homes. We’re told that Juarez is in a state of chaos, craddled by a government that is on the brink of self-destruction. Heads roll daily as criminals who control the streets kidnap and kill innocent bystanders, including journalists and tourists. Americans are told not to venture into Juarez, or even Mexico, because they will certainly be robbed, or worse. Media reports herald the stories of violence and corruption, but not of the people. People on the street illustrated a sort of composed bravery as they nonchalantly described scenes of violence they have, sadly, grown accustomed to. Rocio, Denise and their families and friends possessed a warmth and humility that made nothing we requested feel like an imposition. They prove that life does exist in Juarez, and it goes on. McKenzie is a journalism senior and editor of the Texan’s Life&Arts section.

LEGALESE

SUBMIT A COLUMN

SUBMIT A FIRING LINE

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

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Illustration by Pavel Nitchovski

The right to junk food

a new study is released. The high calorie count and little to no nutritional value of the ubiquitous If only we had listened to the ingredient would seem to make it cries of Morgan Spurlock. an easy target. But if you’ve ever In his documentary “Super taken the Pepsi challenge with Size Me,” Spurlock demonstrated one soda sweetened with corn how unhealthy eating at McDonsyrup and the other with Splenald’s is. When fatty foods constida, the difference is apparent. tute a large portion of your diet, Perhaps the government you get larger. Americans haven’t should start monitoring our meat listened to Spurlock’s gospel, and consumption, too. Did you know since “Super Size Me” came out that those charred, black, overin 2004, the country has only gotcooked pieces you inevitably get ten fatter — children in particfrom grilling red meat lead to a ular. Just this week, a study re20 percent risk in colorectal canleased by Ohio State University cer? Let’s ban well-cooked steaks! showed that one in five AmeriI’d love to have a couple of state can 4-year-olds is obese. senators watch me while I grill. Here in Texas, some DemoAmerica’s The healthy-eating lobby is crats in the Legislature believe it fickle at best, and its agenda iginalienable rights: is their duty to follow the precnores individual rights with the life, liberty and edent set by liberal paradisexcuse of having our best interes such as California and New the pursuit of ests in mind. Over time, new disYork City and ban trans fats from coveries are made — things we flabbiness. restaurants. They should call it thought were healthy turn out to the Trans Texas Morator...ium. be terrible for us and vice versa. A catchy name like that might Take eggs, for example. It used to make Gov. Rick Perry less likely Of course, the big government be thought that the innocent egg to veto it. health brigade is quick to point was a cholesterol-choked death The real message from our out how the trans fat ban doesn’t trap. But now, eggs are touted as overzealous legislators, though, impact much because there are is that they believe trans fat is so healthier alternatives to the objec- an ideal protein source. During unhealthy that it should not be tionable oil. If the thought of the the development of our knowlsold in public. The bill, authored government regulating which edge of the healthiness of eggs, by state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, food products are allowable sim- the government never placed asD-El Paso, and Rep. Carol Alva- ply because there is something inine regulations on our eating rado, D-Houston, would man- better for you on the market fails habits — nor should it now. It is date a phasing out of trans fat in to scare you, imagine a scenario a matter best left in the hands of all Texas restaurants by Septem- of black market Baconators go- citizens. Infringing upon the liberties ber 2011 because as Shapleigh ing for $20 apiece. It would be of all citizens in order to create a puts it, “You see 200-pound fifth- mayhem. graders, you know we’ve got to Also, these paternalistic poli- trans fat-free utopia is the wrong do something about it.” cies are arbitrarily set, with count- way to go about it. Choosing When I see 200-pound fifth- less other equally unhealthy sub- healthy eating is exactly that: a graders, my first thought isn’t, stances available. The health risks choice. “What can the government do of high-fructose corn syrup apHarris is a government senior. to stop this?” but rather, “Where pear to be getting worse each time By Colin Harris Daily Texan Guest Columnist

are their parents?” Someone had to pay for the Happy Meals, and although it is unfortunate that parents choose all too often to feed their children foods loaded with trans fats, ultimately this is the responsibility of individuals, not the government. I could have sworn this country, and Texas in particular, were established on the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of flabbiness (er — happiness). Citizens shouldn’t have some bureaucrat telling them what they can and cannot eat on the basis of nutrition.

A diamond by any other name By Alisha Brophy Daily Texan Columnist When I was 6, my father converted our dirt driveway to pebbles, and my rock obsession was born. I would spend hours walking the driveway, saving the prettiest stones from tires and treads. My father realized that he needed to find a way to slow the looting of rocks before he was back to a muddy drive, so he bought me a rock tumbler. The tiny barrel would spin, for weeks, until I had just a handful of polished pebbles. Years later, my father found an even better solution. Instead of letting me pilfer his property, he would take me to a garnet quarry and let me steal stones from someone else. There I was, eyes down, looking for a glint of red while he kept an eye out for security. But, when he took me to a Herkimer diamond mine for the first time, mere garnets could no longer satisfy me. Herkimer diamonds are actually double-terminated quartz crystals. Real diamonds come out of the ground, bulbous and cloudy. It isn’t until someone cuts and polishes the incongruent chunk that the “bling” you see in a mall’s display case becomes visible. When you pull a Herkimer diamond from the ground, you hold a translucent stone already cut and polished by Mother Earth. Diamonds are mined all over the world, but true Herkimer crystals are only found in one county, in the heart of upstate New York. There, they litter the plow fields and cause the highway to sparkle in the afternoon. By my calculations, that would make these crystals rarer than a real diamond. As an adult, I moved 2,000 miles away from the pebbled driveway of my youth and the glittering roads of Herkimer. When engagement was inevitable, I made it clear to my significant other that I would not wear a diamond ring. I didn’t want the dimensions of a rock to represent the size of my husband’s bank account. It also meant that the size

of the aforementioned bank account wouldn’t diminish. He loved the idea. My biggest concern was avoiding an African “blood diamond.” To me, it was an unacceptable irony that machetes had cut off hands for a stone that would adorn another’s hand a continent away. Though the civil wars radiating from the mines had ended, the abuses in an industry based on the trumped up “need” for diamonds was still unacceptable. Plus, these problems were mirrored in the gold mining industry. Even the blood-free mines concerned me. I knew that 250 tons of mined ore produce a single 1-carat diamond and an average wedding band’s gold results in 20 tons of mine waste. I crunched the numbers, contemplating my left hand’s impact on the Earth. To avoid the stain left by the two industries, my fiance and I felt we could stay clean by digging into the muddy pits of Herkimer County. We flew back to the East Coast and rented shovels and pickaxes. When I was finally presented with an offer of marriage, the ring that slipped over my finger was a large crystal gem, unearthed by the very hand it adorned. I thought that I had done everything right. I wore an unblemished crystal on my calloused finger. It was a stone that I actually bloodied my own hands for — I should’ve realized then that my blood diamond was taking on new meaning. My conflictfree stone did not equate to a conflict-free relationship. My wedding never took place. The Herkimer band is now buried somewhere in my garage waiting, once again, to be excavated. Someday I will have a more permanent ring on my finger. I will have a ring that has no history of strife. It will have an antique gold setting and hopefully, a polished pebble. Brophy is a screenwriting graduate student.

5A

NEWS

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Prof combines techniques for reducing fear, anxiety

Karina Jacques | Daily Texan Staff

Kenyon Farrow, a policy institute fellow at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, addresses the biological argument for homosexuality on Wednesday in the Main Building. He said the argument is exclusionary and slows progress in the gay rights movement.

Scope of ‘born gay’ claim debated

By Samantha Deavin Daily Texan Staff As the issue of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights gains momentum and attention in political and legal circles, the biological argument that one is “born gay� has come into question. Kenyon Farrow, a policy institute fellow at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, said when he spoke at UT as part of the Campus Progress’ Queer Tour on Wednesday that the biological argument is problematic. “Sexuality can feel inherent to you without it being biological and genetic,� Farrow said. “No queer benefits from the biological argument, even if political campaigns are won.� The “born gay� argument for equality bases the gay communi-

ty’s claims for equal rights on the authority of biology — one is born that way and therefore should be recognized as a minority and protected from discrimination. Farrow, however, said this argument is problematic because it precludes the possibility that homosexuality can be a choice and that it excludes bisexuals and transgender individuals from the conversation. “By staying away from the issues of bisexuals and queers, the biological argument only leads us in one direction,� Farrow said. “The issue gets reduced to the idea that gay men have more genetic traits like women, and gay women have more genetic traits like men.� Ryan Yezak — a radio-television-film senior and co-founder

and vice president of UT’s first gay fraternity, Delta Lambda Phi — defended the biological argument. He said he didn’t know he was gay until he came to college. Yezak believes he came out so late because of a lack of understanding. “It wasn’t that I didn’t know I was gay all my life, it’s just that I didn’t know it was an option,� he said. “I think the way we work right now in our country is that being gay isn’t spoken about enough and people don’t know what being gay is. It’s hard to know what you are if you don’t know what it is.� Ixchel Rosal, director of UT’s Gender and Sexuality Center, said she is not dismissive of the biological argument but that she believes arguing over the cause of homosexuality is reductive.

“Focusing on the root causes of homophobia is much more important than focusing on the roots of homosexuality,� Rosal said. “In terms of liberation and civil rights and creating change, we have to improve education and awareness of the issues.� Rosal said sexuality should be understood in the same way as religion. “People are not born Christian or Jewish, but we don’t stand for discrimination between the two,� she said. Farrow reiterated this idea, concluding his address by asserting that there are different ways to think of sexuality beyond the biological argument. “It is a deeply personal choice worthy of political protection,� he said.

NEWS BRIEFLY

Hurricane Conference on Wednesday afternoon at the Austin Convention Center. The annual weeklong event helps local, state and federal officials to better coordinate future hurricane response procedures with meteorologists and emergency responders. “I’m encouraged because [this conference] will give us a better understanding of the challenges we face and yield valuable improvements to our strategy,� Perry

said. “[Texas’ system] worked just fine and illustrated the strength of our approach.� Perry said Texas’ hurricane response philosophy is simple: “A storm can’t hurt people that aren’t there.� He attributed what he called the state’s successful handling of Hurricane Ike to the prudence of those who initially reacted to the storm and to contributions from the private sector. Representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agen-

cy also attended the conference. Agency spokeswoman Mary Margaret Walker said it uses these conferences to develop policies and procedures that will help minimize the damage done by future hurricanes. “Based on what is needed at the local level, we do whatever is needed so we can respond faster,� Walker said. “Every time there is an event, everybody learns something new.� — Andrew Martinez

At conference, governor praises state’s response to hurricanes

Gov. Rick Perry applauded the success of Texas’ hurricane response system, calling it an example to the rest of the world of how to “get the job done.� Perry spoke to a delegation of 1,400 hurricane analysts and emergency responders at the National

By Viviana Aldous Daily Texan Staff A woman held up by a man in a ski mask may carry the fear of anyone donning ski masks with her throughout her life, even fearing the sight of a real skiier on the slopes. Without using hard drugs or relying on temporary fixes, a UT assistant professor aims to help such people overcome fears like these. Marie Monfils, who joined UT’s psychology department in January, found that two techniques psychologists commonly use individually to dissolve fears may prove more successful when administered together. Her findings were published last week. In her two-year study, Monfils triggered fear in rats by playing a sound and then sending a shock through the rats’ feet. Eventually the rats feared the sound even when no shock followed. One technique to extinguish the rats’ fear of the sound is to play the sound repeatedly without a shock, Monfils said. This process is called extinction. “[With extinction], you’ll progressively have a decrease in fear,� Monfils said. “The problem with this treatment is it’s usually not long lasting. The fear will typically come back at some point.� Some psychologists prescribe drugs that lower patients’ anxiety when they try to recall memories, Monfils said. When the anxiety is lowered, memories can be rewritten mentally. This process is called reconsolidation. “The memory may not come back, so that’s awesome,� Monfils said. “The main problem is that most studies that have been done have used pretty harsh drugs, and it may not work for everyone.� For two years, Monfils tried to find a way to combine both ex-

tinction and reconsolidation — a technique that has not yet been performed. “People study either extinction or reconsolidation in isolation without really integrating the two paradigms or thinking about them as something that could be looked at in combination,� she said. “Unless you have just the right timing, one of them wins out.� With current treatments, clinical psychologists examine patients’ memories that cause anxiety and evaluate whether their reactions are realistic and sensible, said David Collins, manager of the psychology department’s training clinic. Then a psychologist would likely use a process called progressive desensitization, which is similar to extinction. “If you’re afraid of insects, a psychologist would show you a picture of various insects and have you monitor how anxious you feel,� Collins said. “Down the line, as you have made a hierarchy of what you’re most afraid of, you would get used to it literally through exposure and realize it’s not the end of the world.� Monfils found that when she replayed the sound for the rats at the right time — when the memories were vulnerable — the fear did not return. Though the timing will vary from person to person, Monfils said, specific variables trigger memory vulnerability. When researchers discover what those variables are, this treatment may be deemed effective in clinical psychology, Monfils said. “There may be a bit of work required to figure out how to translate this to human therapy,� said Joseph LeDoux, professor of neural science at New York University and principal investigator of Monfils’s research. “But if it works, the payoff will be great.�

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SPORTS

B

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Sports Editor: David R. Henry E-mail: sports@dailytexanonline.com Phone: (512) 232-2210 www.dailytexanonline.com

T HE DAILY T EXAN

Bears hold off Longhorns for 3-2 victory By Lena Price Daily Texan Staff The No. 20 Longhorn softball team (3112, 7-2 Big 12) was on the verge of a storybook finish against Baylor last night (31-16, 7-3 Big 12). Texas was at bat in the bottom of the seventh: bases loaded, two outs. Freshman third baseman Nadia Taylor knocked a pop fly into the outfield, but the Baylor defense was ready. The narrow loss broke Texas’ eight-game winning streak — its longest of the season. Junior designated player Loryn Johnson got the Longhorns off to a solid start in the second inning by hitting an RBI double and running home on a single by freshman right fielder Courtney Craig. Johnson had a career-high two RBI doubles, as well as one home run and one walk late in the seventh. “It’s a lot of credit to the hitter when you walk her with the bases loaded,” Clark said. “She had such a great night and she has been tremendous,” But Baylor was able to respond to Johnson’s run and secure the lead in the next inning with a two-run homer from catcher Courtney Oberg. “They earned those runs and you have to tip your cap to them,” Clark said. “Overall, I thought our team competed exceptionally well. The game came down to the fact that Baylor had a runner on when the home run came, and we didn’t have a runner on when our home run came.” From the beginning, it was clear the game was going to be a battle between two of the top pitchers in the Big 12 conference. Sophomore Brittany Barnhill started for the Longhorns, hoping to earn her sixth consecutive Photos by Tamir Kalifa | Daily Texan Staff win, but Baylor’s freshman pitcher Whitney Above, Junior Torrey Schroeder, center, senior Kelly Malone, left, and sophomore Desiree Williams leave the field after a loss at home to Baylor. Below, Head softball coach Connie Clark talks to sophomore Brittany Barnhill during Wednesday night’s game. After a slow start to the season, Clark has been a key part of the Horns’ recent success. SOFTBALL continues on page 2B

After slow start, recent win streak helps save coach’s job By David R. Henry Daily Texan Columnist

If you took a poll at the beginning of February about which Texas coach was most likely to lose his or her job, softball coach Connie Clark would probably have been a top choice. After going 29-23-2 in 2008 and losing in the regional round for the second year in a row, Clark was probably on thin ice this season, considering women’s athletic director Chris Plonsky’s low tolerance for mediocrity. Clark’s contract runs through 2011, but Texas could very easi-

ly have nudged her into a figurehead position at Belmont as it did with former women’s swimming coach Jill Sterkel and former women’s basketball coach Jody Conradt. To make matters worse, Texas went into the 2009 season with a young team and lost last year’s top pitcher, Megan Denny, to graduation. Expectations were not high as Texas finished fourth in the Big 12 preseason coaches’ poll. This season started on a low note, probably at rock bottom, when the Longhorns fell 9-6 at home against Texas State to make their record 3-3. Reporters said Clark was defensive with questions. Fast forward a couple of months and Clark’s stock couldn’t be

higher. On Sunday, she became the only coach in Texas softball history to collect 500 wins, and the 33-11 Longhorns sit in first place in the Big 12. The team recently moved up to No. 20 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball and the USA Today Coaches’ Poll. Texas broke into the top 25 rankings on March 31 for the first time since February 2008. And as for those young players, particularly the freshmen, their futures couldn’t be brighter. Lexy Bennett and Nadia Taylor pack a solid punch on the left side of the infield, hitting .360 and .327 respectively. Fellow freshman Courtney Craig, a utility player, has also been a nice

CLARK continues on page 2B

Kansas joins Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State in 2009 Top 25 Notre Dame starts lower than usual; Utah drops after Sugar Bowl victory

Jonathan Dwyer seems to only be getting better as an all-down back, part of the reason Tech exceeded all expectations last year with its 9-4 finish. While the Hokies remain the class of the ACC, the Yellow Jackets could be their biggest challengBy Will Anderson er. If Johnson can find a successful Daily Texan Staff Yesterday the Daily Texan un- defensive combination by the time veiled the top 12 of its 2009 pre- the two squads meet Oct. 17, expect season projects for the Top 25 poll. a high-scoring and heated contest. Here are the rest.

13. Boise State Jeffrey McWhorter | Daily Texan Staff

Texas first baseman Brandon Belt dives back to first base. This weekend, Belt and the Longhorns will be just a few miles from Omaha, Neb., the site of the College World Series.

Longhorns reach midpoint of season, head to Nebraska for three-game set By Laken Litman Daily Texan Staff The Longhorns have got Omaha on their minds. As the team heads to Lincoln, Neb., for a rare Thursday-Friday-Saturday series against Nebraska, No. 9 Texas will only be 50 miles away from the fields of the College World Series. Last weekend, the Longhorns (21-8, 6-6 Big 12) had to put on their under armor and battle the 24-degree weather in Stillwater, Okla. Though the weather wasn’t a huge factor,

considering they won the series, the team will have to bundle up again this weekend in Lincoln. The series against the Cornhuskers (16-15-1, 4-8 Big 12) will mark the midpoint of the season. Right now, the Longhorns’ pitching is falling into place, with the pitchers having combined for six shutouts, higher than the season total for the Horns in each of the last three seasons. Nebraska, on the other hand, is at the bottom of the Big 12. Having been swept in a three-

THURSDAY: No. 9 Texas (21-8) at Nebraska (16-15-1) WHERE: Hawk’s Field (Lincoln, Neb.) WHEN: 6 p.m. ON AIR: 1300 The Zone game series last weekend by No. 11 Oklahoma, the Cornhuskers are in a bit of a slump. But even though Nebraska is on a six-game losing streak at the moment, Texas will not take

BASEBALL continues on page 2B

Boise State’s greatest asset will be its schedule. The biggest threat to the Broncos’ season is their opener against Oregon at home, but a win over the Ducks would leave Chris Petersen’s team in a good position to finish ’09 undefeated. Boise State’s success in recent years almost guarantees mentions in the BCS talk, although losses to any in-conference foes might drop the Broncos from the discussion. Kellen Moore deserves mention as a prolific quarterback in one of the nation’s most exciting offenses, but he will be one of the few returning playmakers this year. If history is to repeat itself, Boise State’s young players will need to emerge as the go-to players on the team.

14. Georgia Tech In his second year, head coach Paul Johnson’s run-heavy offensive scheme should continue to flourish as 2008’s ACC Player of the Year

15. Florida State With a revitalized offensive line and backfield, the Seminoles have the best shot at winning the ACC’s Atlantic Division. Florida State hopes to reestablish itself using an in-state recruiting pipeline reminiscent of the early ’90s and a renewed emphasis on defense. Recent legal and eligibility troubles of the Seminoles’ receiving corps, including junior Rod Owens’ arrest for driving under the influence over the weekend, threaten the team’s chances at an ACC title. Sophomore quarterback Christian Ponder and other players with leadership positions will need to step up and keep the team focused if they want to realize their athletic potential.

16. Georgia It’s hard to argue that the Bulldogs will be flying under the radar, but with a 13-spot drop in the national rankings last year and the loss of marquee quarterback Matthew Stafford, expecta-

tions are certainly different for the team that finished second in the SEC East in 2008. Taking on favorite Florida won’t be any easier at a neutral site, and the Bulldogs also face stiff competition early when they travel to Stillwater to face Oklahoma State. Georgia returns the SEC’s second-leading tackler, Rennie Curran, who along with a healthy Jeff Owens will lead a defense intent on making up for the loss of Stafford and running back Knowshon Moreno on the other side of the ball.

17. Texas Christian

What would it take to get the Horned Frogs back to the national championship? Defensive coordinator Dick Bumpas is trying to build the kind of consistency that pushes teams into the upper echelon of the collegiate ranks. While the Mountain West lacks the firepower of the Big Six conferences, TCU’s stalwart defense deserves applause for finishing in the top five year after year in rushing defense and scoring defense. The offense needs to play catchup, but promising young receiver Jimmy Young returns as quarterback Andy Dalton’s top target and gives the Frogs a shot at busting the BCS.

18. California

Running back Jahvid Best has

FOOTBALL continues on page 2B

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SPORTS

Thursday, April 9, 2009

FOOTBALL: Georgia falls from No. 1 2008 preseason position From page 1B the potential to be the Pac-10’s best rusher once again if he can successfully rejoin his team after missing most of spring training due to surgery in January. The passing game should also be much improved, but Cal’s defense, which carried the team last year, holding the likes of USC and Oregon to 17 and 20 points respectively, will once again be the squad’s strong point. The first contest for the Golden Bears comes Aug. 26 at Oregon. If they can win, like they did by 10 points in ’08, they’ll be in a good position to finish the season in the nation’s top 15, although the test of Southern Cal and UCLA backto-back will certainly challenge California. Should it pass with flying colors, the team might be the Pac-10’s best.

Irish’s new defensive line coach in February, bringing with him experience in the Pac-10 and Big 10, as well as a part in Washington’s 1991 national championship team. Weis is also joined by three All-Americans recruits, including linebacker Manti Te’o, considered by many to be the top-prep school linebacker in the country. The picture isn’t so clear on offense, especially at the quarterback position, but Weis knows this may be his last chance to get it right at one of the most storied programs in the country.

20. Cincinnati

The Bearcats lost nearly their entire defense at the end of last season, but with their first returning quarterback in three years, Cincinnati hopes its offense will carry the team to another Big East title. With senior Tony Pike running 19. Notre Dame the offense, expect explosive reCharlie Weis is definitely coachceiver Marshwan Gilyard to catch ing to save his job this year folat least five balls a game and the lowing a disappointing 7-6 record Bearcat offense to propel the team in 2008, the high point of which to a second-straight conference was a victory over the unranked championship. Warriors in the Hawaii Bowl. But expectations are higher in South Bench this year, and Weis can 21. Kansas In any other conference, Todd thank new faces on the coaching staff and in the locker room for Reesing could probably single that. Randy Hart was named the handedly propel the Jayhawks to

the league championship, but he’ll need a strong supporting cast in 2009 to run the gauntlet of the Big 12. A Nov. 21 game at Texas will likely be the team’s toughest challenge, but it should face easier competition in the North, which could be its ticket to the Big 12 title game come December. Look for Reesing to favor experienced receivers Dezmon Briscoe and Johnathan Wilson and put up another 30-touchdown season. If second-string linebackers like Jake Schmermer can step up into starting roles, the defense should be able to keep Kansas in long enough for Reesing to work his magic all the way to a Big 12 North title.

gether a team that lost its quarterback and two assistants in the off-season, there’s no reason Utah won’t excel again.

23. Iowa

The Hawkeyes were able to climb into the Top 25 last season thanks to a strong end-of-season finish and a field goal by Daniel Murray to give Iowa a one-point win over No. 3 Penn State on Nov. 8. Coming into 2009, head coach Kirk Ferentz has a huge gap to fill at running back with the departure of Shonn Green to the pros, but freshman Jewel Hampton returns as the team’s second-leading rusher behind a beefy offensive line. Without a true star on 22. Utah the defensive side, the men from It was no fluke that Utah fin- Iowa City will have to play as a ished last season undefeated and team if they want to match 2008’s embarrassed Alabama in the Sug- success. ar Bowl — the Utes have a 10-3 bowl record and are the only team from a non-BCS confer- 24. South Florida The Big East’s other question is ence ever to win two championship series bowls. The Utes’ run whether USF can stay consistent in 2008 has brought the Mountain this year. After starting 5-0 in 2008, West more recognition, but sand- the Bulls imploded in league play wiched between Texas Christian and ended up 8-5. The team’s desand Brigham Young, Utah will be tiny hinges upon quarterback Matt hard-pressed to make it three for Grothe. When he is throwing and three unless it can capture the con- running well, the team succeeds, ference title. If head coach Kyle as it did in 2006 with a 9-4 record Whittingham manages to hold to- and a bowl win. Depending on

Andrew Rogers | Daily Texan Staff

Kansas wide receiver Daymond Patterson holds the ball during a Nov. 15 game against Texas. The Longhorns will likely be a tough challenge for the Jayhawks in 2009.

quarterback after throwing 35 touchdowns last year, but BYU is also looking to junior running back Harvey Unga, fresh off his second 1,400-plus total yard season, to help move the ball. With only one returning starter on the 25. Brigham Young offensive line, a sophomore, the The only other Mountain West Cougars are likely to start the seateam with a national title to its son 1-2 with Oklahoma and Florname, the Cougars will be count- ida State in the first three weeks, ing on their experience to make a but they will probably end up at second run at the crown in 2009. 9-3 in November, with a shot at Max Hall returns as the starting their conference’s title. Grothe’s ability and the impact of Cincinnati-transplant Joe Tresey as defensive coordinator, the Bulls may just be able to challenge the Big East’s top team.

BASEBALL: Proximity to Omaha gets Longhorn players excited about remainder of season road,” right fielder Kevin Keyes said. “[Nebraska] is a very tough the easy-game mindset and play place to play.” down to Nebraska’s level. EspeAfter their road trip to Nebrascially because Lincoln has always ka, the Longhorns close out the been known as a tough place to regular season with 16 of their win on the road in all sports. last 19 games at home, including “Everybody in the Big 12 is nine of their last 12 games in Big a good team, especially on the 12 Conference play. Texas’ only

From page 1B

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road games down the stretch consist of one game in College Station and two games in Waco. The slate bodes well for the Horns, who have a 16-2 record at home. But before they can be back in the friendly confines of UFCU Dish-Falk Field, the Longhorns must take care of business

in Lincoln. “This is the turning point,”said head coach Augie Garrido. “We’re at the midway point of the race, and we’re in a good position to play all the teams that are ahead of us. But you can’t lose ground. Somewhere along the line, someone’s gonna get hot.”

He explained that because it is the middle of the season, anything can happen. Every team in the Big 12 is in a position to overtake each other, and it won’t be considered a surprising upset. This season, the Big 12 Conference is tougher than ever before. This year, the Longhorns don’t

CLARK: Coach still looking for first title for failing to win a championship with Kevin Durant and “She started addition, batting .382. D.J. Augustin. More important is the confihere at 0-0, so to Plonsky’s decision to stick dence they play with and the with Clark and reward her achieve all 500 attitude they bring. loyalty and past success has wins at Texas Sophomore Brittany Barnprobably paid off. hill has followed up a someis a measure of “Connie assumed this prowhat disappointing rookie gram from the beginning,” her loyalty and season with a solid one thus Plonsky said. “She started success.” far, particularly in conference here at 0-0, so to achieve all play. 500 wins at Texas is a measure — Chris Plonsky, She looks more and more of her loyalty and success. I women’s athletic like the three-time all-state don’t know of another coach standout she was in high who can say that. She has atdirector school and could be the next tracted players of tremendous great Texas ace, following the talent and skill to the prolikes of Christa Williams and to the women’s college world gram, and Connie is the kind Cat Osterman. series four times. of coach who goes out of her After winning eight straight “She’s always been a good way to acknowledge that the games, the Longhorns are communicator, but she has players are so important in playing with confidence. become a consistently good earning every win.” Clark has probably saved her communicator during my five However, if the team has job, and will win a whole lot seasons as a Longhorn,” said a late-season collapse or fails more than 500 games at UT. senior first baseman Desiree to advance past the regionShe may not be the icon- Williams. al round for the third-straight ic figure that some of the othOne big knock against year, then the words in this er female coaches, such as Clark is that she wasn’t able to column are null and void. Gail Goestenkors and Beverly win a championship with Cat After all, sports are still Kearney are, but she gets the Osterman, but using that log- about “What have you done job done. Clark has led Texas ic, Rick Barnes should be fired for me lately?”

From page 1B

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want to finish their season in May — they want to take it all the way. “We won the championship two years in a row, and we won the conference championship last year,” Garrido said. “But the only thing that really is noteworthy is … you gotta go to Omaha.”

SOFTBALL: Hits

from Johnson not enough From page 1B

Canion was able to hold down the Texas offense. “I think that we both pitched really well,” Barnhill said. “We are from the same area, so I know her and I’m so proud of her. I think home runs happen, hits happen and you have to let your chips fall where they may.” Canion threw eight strikeouts and only allowed seven hits. She threw three consecutive walks in the bottom of the seventh, almost allowing Texas to recover. “[Canion’s] done a great job this year, especially being as young as she is,” Johnson said. “If they’re going to walk me and put the tying run on third, I will take that every time. Nadia went up there and gave it a great atbat but sometimes things don’t go your way.”

3B

SPORTS

Thursday, April 9, 2009

CLUB SPORTS

Demanding sport requires high endurance, players say

By Jonathan Babin Daily Texan Staff Water polo team captain Hunter Henderson says people usually have misconceptions about the sport: Many view it as a sport for the rich and famous, and that’s just beginning of the erroneous ideas people have. “Most of the time people ask how we get the horses in the water,� Henderson said. “Not a lot of people know what it is in Texas. I have to tell them it is a mix of pretty much every field sport, throw in the water and then add a bit of wrestling.� For the members of Texas’ water polo club, the sport is about working out to ensure that they can meet the physical demands of the sport. “If you want to be good, you need strong hand-eye coordination and must be able to throw,� Henderson said. “You also need an intense amount of endurance.� The men’s team recently hosted the UT Invitational tournament, which allowed the athletes to see how they matched up against other high-profile teams. Texas placed fourth. “We had a couple players from Serbia,� said co-captain Justin Cotter. “It was good to see that kind of competition at our tournament. We beat the team those guys were on.� The women’s team is ranked No. 1 in the region and will host the regional tournament at the Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swim Center next weekend.

“For the physical toll it takes on the body, only hockey is above water polo.�

Bryant Haertlein | Daily Texan Staff

Members of the UT men’s club water polo team play each other during practice at the Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swim Center on Tuesday night.

— Hunter Henderson, water polo team captain

1 Texan Staff Bryant Haertlein | Daily

A member of the UT women’s club water polo team retreives a ball during practice as coach Karin Robertson watches from the end of a diving board.

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Bryant Haertlein | Daily Texan Staff

Anthropology junior Courtney Coffey tends the goal during the women’s club water polo practice.

on l y

Freshman Karina Eckmeier stressed the amount of work that the players have to put in during the season. “You have to be able to tread water, swim fast and be comfortable with physical contact,� she said. “You also have to work hard outside the pool to gain strength. With all that said, you still need to have the skills and experience necessary to have success.� The women’s team started with passing and leg strength exercises. “Water polo is one of the most demanding sports,� Eckmeier said. “It’s the most difficult to get into, but it’s also the most rewarding.� The men’s team practiced with shooting and passing drills. Though the team’s season was in the fall, members have to train in the spring to stay in shape. “I would say water polo is second behind long-distance running in terms of endurance,� Henderson said. “For the physical toll it takes on the body, only hockey is above water polo.� Both the men’s and women’s teams practice from 8 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday at the swim center.

3B

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Edited by Will Shortz Across 1 Great Bear Lake locale 7 Blacken 13 Basic pool exercise 14 Lover of Aida 15 Word of warning 16 Potent pitcherfuls 17 Out of action 19 Cold weather wear 22 ___-majesté 23 3-D camera maker 27 Coconut yield? 28 Suckling site 29 Sensitive 30 Put out 32 Rocket first tested in 1957 33 With 16-Down, annual March event

36 Title woman in a Jim Carrey movie 37 Gracious introduction? 39 Schlep 40 Ridged material 42 Certain domino number 43 “What ___?” 44 Learn a lot quickly 45 Fishing tool 46 Big job for a driller 49 It may be revealed by a tree 52 Bingeing 56 Jim Palmer and teammates 57 Fall away 58 Squinted (at) 59 Childish answer

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE C O M L O P E E L E N T A L O R IN/ OUT C L A L E A H A L B S L A Y T O N E S S A N D I S E E T O R A IN/ OUT F O R IN/ OUT

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Down 1 Ear part 2 Hydrocarbon suffix 3 Unheard of 4 Setting for much of the 33Across/16-Down 5 “Beavis and Butt-head” spinoff 6 Made like 7 Tony- and Emmy-winning actress Blythe 8 Beat by a point or two 9 What the Athabaskan word for the beginning of 33Across means 10 Friend of 24Down 11 Start of an apology 12 Cousin of -enne 14 Cultivate 16 See 33-Across 18 Like some statesmen 19 Representation of a budget, often 20 Fleet person 21 Circulation concern 24 “The School for Wives” playwright 25 Part of the Uzbekistan border 26 Choice marks?

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Puzzle by David J. Kahn

28 Actress Hagen 31 Got down 32 Dull finish? 34 Sermon subject 35 It may provide one’s sole support 36 Knock off 38 Six-Day War participant: Abbr.

49 Jump off the page 50 “___ I let fall the 41 Some windows of mine lithographs eyes”: Shak. 45 More moderate 51 Bite the dust 53 A.F.C. East 47 Eye player 48 Bayes who sang 54 Bother and co-wrote 55 ___ Metro “Shine On, (bygone car) Harvest Moon” 40 Picked up a point or two

For answers, call 1-900-285-5656, $1.49 a minute; or, with a credit card, 1-800-814-5554. Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sunday crosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS. AT&T users: Text NYTX to 386 to download puzzles, or visit nytimes.com/mobilexword for more information. Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 2,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). Share tips: nytimes.com/wordplay. Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/learning/xwords.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

5B

LIFE&ARTS

Thursday, April 9, 2009

FASHION: High costs force some

to find creative funding sources From page 6B

Elizabeth Moskowitz | Daily Texan Staff

Danielle Calodney and Lauren Conner rehearse a scene from “Alice in Wonderland.” The show, produced by Foot in the Door Theatre, opens tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the FAC basement auditorium.

ALICE: Cast, crew enthusiasm enhances play From page 6B great ability to mimic the body movements and mannerisms of a 7-year-old girl. She was so believable. Wiley’s Alice is the best adult-playing-a-kid performance I’ve ever seen. With some of the other actors, however, I was underwhelmed. The white rabbit, played by Clayton Westmeier, had the most decked-out costume, looking exactly how I envisioned Lewis Carroll’s character. From his professionally-applied makeup to the furry ears, he looked the part of a rabbit. His rabbit voice, however, was intolerable. His normal

speaking voice is deep and masculine, but the one he took on for the character was too highpitched and hard to understand. Potasznik said her theater troupe has reached out to churches and youth groups to bring in young patrons. If this is her goal, I recommend that she tone down the violence in the Duchess’ scene. The Duchess shook her fake baby so violently that I shielded my eyes, hoping this was not an example of method acting. Potasznik went into this production knowing it was an ambitious effort. “This is the first show I’ve directed,” she said. “We’re taking

on the biggest cast this company has had and the most technical work.” Overall, the acting in Potasznik’s production surpassed my expectations. It showed the enthusiasm that I often see overlooked in professional productions. I can truly say that every actor on stage and every technician appeared to be having a good time, not just going through the motions. That’s saying a lot when it’s nearing midnight on the second-to-last rehearsal before the opening. “I don’t care if it’s good or bad,” said Eric Camarillo, the play’s assistant director. “I’m

PRUDENT STUDENT

Financial bloggers teach students how to manage unique set of money woes By Mia Avramescu Daily Texan Staff In the March 5 edition of the Prudent Student, I bemoaned the lack of frugal blogs tailored specifically to the college demographic. I argued that there should be more resources designed with our unique financial situation in mind. Apparently there are. Thanks to online comments posted to my column, I have found a little corner of the Internet called the College Money Network. The Web site aggregates eight finance blogs by students and recent graduates, such as BrokeAss Student and Poorer than You. Beyond this, there exists a well-established community of student-centered blogs. I spoke with the authors of two such sites, Green Panda Treehouse and Studenomics. I learned about money management and the world of student blogging. For one thing, bloggers like to stay anonymous. “I don’t want people typing my name into Google and finding my blog,” explained the creator of Studenomics, a junior at Ryerson University in Toronto, who identifies himself as M.D. “I’m not sure where I want to go with it. I’m going to make a decision in the next couple months.” The other blogger I interviewed has similar reservations, revealing herself only by her first name, Laura. They may elect not to share their full names (or the details of their incomes, as some bloggers do) with their readers, but both M.D. and Laura are enthusiastic about helping other young people make wise choices with their money. “Practicing frugality teaches discipline,” M.D. said. “Now most of us are making very little money. We tell ourselves ‘When I’m older I’ll make more and save more,’ but that’s not how it works. You need to get into the habit of saving now, even if it’s just $20 a week. Then when you’re looking for things like homes and cars, you’ll be in the practice of doing research and making the right decisions.” M.D. stressed the impor-

tance of allocating your money to whatever areas are most important to you personally. “It may suck to stay in a couple nights,” he said, “but then a couple months later you realize you have all these options.” For M.D., trips are the pay-off. The two bloggers overlapped on some key pieces of advice. Both recommend automating your savings. “Automatic transfers are easy to set up and produce such big results in the long run,” Laura said. “You can build an emergency fund by automating the deposits. If you spend 15 minutes setting it up, you won’t have to stress over it later.” They also pointed out the benefits of increasing your income by picking up side jobs

over just saving more on your current income. Of course, being young bloggers, they acknowledged the unique challenges that turn students into spendthrifts. M.D. said he thinks it’s too easy to spend money these days. “On Amazon, you type in your information once and it’s entered forever,” he said. “You log on, click ‘add to cart’ and [the purchase] comes to your doorstep.” Our generation’s tendency to overspend, he said, is exacerbated by how much we are marketed to. Laura agreed. “As a student, you get flooded with a lot of garbage from people trying to take advantage of what they perceive as financial naivete,” she said.

having a blast, and I think everyone else is.” As the evening came to a close, Potasznik gathered her actors and crew in a circle. “Today was so much better than the last few days,” she said with a laugh. “The makeup wasn’t good, but it’ll be better.” After dismissing the actors, she stood quietly for a minute in the theater space, perhaps savoring her final stage production at UT. Then she returned to her role as director, picking up the remaining props and straightening up the stage. As they say, anything goes in Wonderland.

the creativity of students. He said the more time students can dedicate to their work, the better off they are. Before the Co-op helped financially support the program, the students had to raise money for the fashion show. Nicols said she remembers how difficult it was for the students to raise funds, commit time to designing and be able to afford quality fabric. “They spend so much time cutting the patterns and working on the design construction ... that if they are unable to spend the right amount of money to get the appropriate fabric, it really weakens their look academically,” she said. Even with the fabric awards, the students have to pay for the bulk of their supplies. The cost of textiles ranges drastically depending on the material. A 4 ply silk crepe can cost

up to $40 per yard, and an intricate dress could take multiple yards to create. A synthetic could substitute for $10 a yard, but the difference would be noticeable. In addition to textiles, the garments require buttons, zippers, thread and several other details. Some students have jobs and apply for other scholarships that support their costly major. Others, like textiles and apparel senior Megan Tovar, receive funding from a more familiar source. Tovar said her parents were able to pay for her expenses, which amounted to around $1,200 for her entire collection. In an industry all about aesthetics, the budding designers cannot scrimp on quality. “I get inspiration from the fabric,” said Jason Hamilton, a textile and apparel senior. “I didn’t want to be inspired by the fabric and it be too expensive and not get it. It is an expensive [major] to go into to … but it is well worth it.” Alison Pitzer works on a design project amid cylinders of fabric that students can use for their creations. Students pay for the bulk of these expensive fabrics and other supplies, often getting jobs, applying for additional scholarships or relying on their parents to fund their expensive major. Elizabeth Moskowitz Daily Texan Staff

LIFE&ARTS

B

Thursday, April 9, 2009

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

T HE DAILY T EXAN

Fashion ventures come at a cost Textile seniors invest $1,000 on average in pricey fabrics to create quality garments By Amber Genuske Daily Texan Staff Fabric quality can make the difference between an ill-fitting suit and a couture gown. Imagine how silk imported from India feels on your skin, floats on your body and shimmers in the light. Now imagine the whopping price tag that comes with it. Because of the high cost of quality fabrics, textiles and apparel seniors at UT spent $1,000 on average per person this semester creating a bridal or evening gown and a collection of three garments, and the final piece is due today. For the aspiring designers, it is a small investment, because their grades, degrees and future careers depend on the caliber of these pieces. “It was worth spending the money on quality fabrics,� said textiles and apparel senior Amelia Hausser. “This collection will be the basis of my portfolio and hopefully will get me a job.� The program also hosts an endof-the-year fashion show. Last year’s brought in 5,000 people. Eve Nicols, a senior lecturer in the program, said the students aim to make a professional production that appropriately presents the design work. But the production can be a financial strain, she said. To help curb the costs, The University Co-op has donated an undisclosed amount to the program each year since 2001. While the majority of the money is used for the show, each of the seniors receives a scholarship to buy fabric. George Mitchell, the president and chief executive of the Co-op, said it donates millions of dollars each year to various organizations and that he enjoys fostering

FASHION continues on page 5B

Elizabeth Moskowitz | Daily Texan Staff

Textiles and apparel senior Amelia Hausser cuts fabric for a dress she is creating. The fabrics involved in making quality garments can run as high as $40 per yard.

Rehearsal shows ‘Alice’ offers bad sets, mixed acting By Emily Macrander Daily Texan Staff When Alyssa Potasznik was a high school freshman, her theater department put on a one-act production of “Alice in Wonderland.� It was that production, Potasznik said, that hooked her on theater. Eight years later, Potasznik is directing her final theatrical production at UT, “Alice in Wonderland,� put on by the Liberal Arts Honors theater group Foot in the Door. Two days ago, I had the chance to sit in a dress rehearsal of the production in a basement auditorium of the Flawn Academic Center. As I walked in, I spotted a few sprigs of plastic leaves on the floor and rolled my eyes. “Flash and Trash,� I thought. This term describes a theater production’s attempt to make up for low funding by using cheap props like fake trees. They’re cheesy and take away from any production. I’d rather no trees. My expectations for the quality of the play were low at best. Actors were running around in various states of undress. The Duchess was wearing an ’80s prom gown, the men had more makeup than the women, and the entire room was in a state of frantic disarray. Overwhelmed, I simply stood at the entrance, uncertain of how to enter their disordered theater world. One of the actors recognized me and led me by the hand to Potasznik, a history and English senior. She

WHAT: “Alice in Wonderland� WHERE: FAC 21 WHEN: Today, Friday, Saturday, April 17, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. TICKETS: $5 the door

was busy giving direction but paused long enough to make introductions. “Hey Alyssa!� The shout came from somewhere in the back of the room. The light technician needed to know on when to cue the blackout. Alone again in the chaos, I took a seat, looking around the auditorium. The space left a lot to be desired, mostly because it was just a glorified classroom. In fact, I would be in the same place in fewer than 12 hours for my morning English class. A lack of curtains around the stage forced the actors to hide behind a green sheet of fabric tacked to the ceiling when they were not performing. And the aforementioned plastic sprigs, attached to unrealistic foam trees, reminded me eerily of the set pieces I used in my high school’s production of “Alice.� As the dress rehearsal began, I wondered if the acting would be equally lame. Alice’s heavily applied stage makeup made her look more like a call girl than a little girl. Her thick black eyeliner and rouge left me totally unprepared for theatre and dance junior Samantha Wiley’s

ALICE continues on page 5B

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DT WEEKEND April , 

The 21+ Issue

Editor’s Note

5 3

 Simple Sisters BY ANDREA COWAN AND CHELSEA SHANNON

Whiskey cocktails made for cheap 4 The humbling art of sushi BY AMIRA JENSEN

Sushi cooking class leaves you with a challenge and a full stomach 5 Beer Me

8

BY MANDY SPIVEY

A guide to Austin microbrews 8 Zoot suits a college budget and a gourmet’s palate BY JACQUELYN NEWELL

Remodeled and renewed restaurant boasts a menu likely to please both connoisseurs and conventional palates  9 Boozin’ beats BY BEN COX

Just the right soundtrack to sip to

I had my first beer when I was 8 years old. Well, that’s an embellishment — I had maybe four sips of my uncle’s Budweiser when he wasn’t looking at a family barbecue, and I remember the sense of power that came with holding that can of frosty cold alcohol. The danger and fetish associated with holding a beer, endowed with mystery then unknown to me, had me on my toes. My heart was racing, and in between sips, I winced maniacally at the aftertaste. “Why would anybody subject themselves to this,” my precocious mind pondered. I turn 21 on Friday. Everybody who knows this keeps giving me knowing glances in the office or on the street, as if to say, “I know where this guy’s going.” My parents have been cautious in our conversations lately, and they calmly suggested I go home for my birthday so we can make the requisite visit to Chili’s (arguably the nicest restaurant in my hometown). But I’m more inclined to be a safe ride for my friends, sloshed and singing in the backseat of my car, than to drink. Lately, I make it a habit to take a Nalgene bottle full of iced chai tea to parties, and while that may seem tragically lame, it makes for a good conversation piece if the person I’m talking to is inebriated enough. “Oh, how’s that Natty Light treating you? This stuff’s even better, check it out. Yeah, it’s good, right? If you drink enough of it, you start to hallucinate. I see lots of galaxies right now.” Other times, drinking is inarguably fitting for the occasion. In past summers, my friends and I would camp out on an isolated stretch of beach on South Padre Island, sipping rum and soda under the stars with a fire at our feet. It wouldn’t have felt the same with just a Coke or a Perrier mineral water. We knew we were escaping the baseness of common reality for a night — one hand holding a 40, the other hand shielding our eyes from the bright blush of a setting sun over the water. Anything else would have felt wrong. There is a Latin phrase, “In Vino Veritas,” which roughly translates to “in wine there is truth.” I tried to explain this once to a drunk blonde at a party earlier this semester when she told me her true feelings for her ex-boyfriend, but she just kept repeating, “You’re funny, you’re [burp] funny.” It wasn’t inarticulate so much as it was smelly. I have no idea what will happen at midnight tonight. All I can hope for is some vestige of my dignity and self-worth when I wake up, but I do know that Homer Simpson said it best: To alcohol: the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems,

 10 ‘Observe and Report’ violently funny BY FRANCISCO MARIN

“Observe and Report” intertwines the often detached realms of reality and comedy  11 Nosaj Thing brings L.A. jams to Austin BY VALERIE LAI

DJ and producer to release full-length album 12 Austin band teeters on the brink of success

EDITOR ART DIRECTOR PHOTO EDITOR COPY EDITORS WRITERS

BY JACOB PAYNE

Brink of Disaster stays true to metal roots

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Cover photo by Caleb Miller - dtweekend@dailytexanonline.com

 512.232.2209

  www.dtweekend.com

Francisco Marin Brandon Gamm Caleb Miller Rachel Greene David Muto Andrea Cowan Ben Cox Jacob Payne Amira Jensen Valerie Lai Jacquelyn Newell Chelsea Shannon Mandy Spivey Jackie Gilles Ryan Propes Maxx Scholten

www.dailytexanonline.com

The 21+ Issue

 3

Simple Sisters

Whiskey cocktails made for cheap

������� ���� ��� �� ��������� ����� ��, we think there’s a difference between an alcoholic and enjoying a good drink every once in a while. (Joke!) The fact remains: There is a difference between “jungle juice” served out of a cooler and an enjoyable cocktail. We understand, you drink to get drunk. You get drunk because you’re in college. You’re in college, therefore you have no money. You have no money, so you settle with Gilbey’s or McCormick’s. We’re no strangers to the burn of pure, unadulterated ethanol, either. But there’s a better way. This article is going to teach you how to transform the cheapest of cheap bottles of whiskey into the tolerable cocktails that they could be. All of the following recipes abide by our standard for what drink recipes should be: cheap, easy, delicious and effective, with no gag reflex involved. Wishing you sweet drinks and happy hangovers, The Simple Sisters — ������ ����� � ������� �������

Mint julep Summer is almost upon us, and being the southern girls we are, this makes us thirsty for mint juleps. Luckily, these refreshing treats are ridiculously simple to make. 3 SPRIGS FRESH MINT LEAVES (FIND THESE IN THE VEGGIE SECTION OF H-E-B) 1 TSP WATER 1 TSP SUGAR 2 OZ WHISKEY

and the sugar. (Muddling is a fancy way of saying “mash it up.”) You can use the back of a spoon, a small meat pounder or, again with the fanciness, a pestle. You basically just want to break down the mint leaves with the grains of sugar to release their flavor. Fill your glass with crushed ice, pour the bourbon on top and top it off with that third mint sprig. Ah!

sweet-and-sour mix, but it’s cheaper and tastier to make your own. The most popular whiskey sours in Austin are popular because they aren’t made of pure, yellow syrup. Making your own is simple, and you can make a big batch to last throughout the weekend.

Homemade whiskey sour It’s easy to go to H-E-B and pick up

See, it’s easy enough. Now all that’s left to do is mix it up and enjoy.

1 TSP SUGAR (USING SIMPLE SUGAR OR SIMPLE SYRUP MAKES IT EASIER TO MIX)

1 1/2 OZ WHISKEY

ICE

In the bottom of a glass, muddle two of the mint sprigs, the water

1 1/2 TBSP FRESH LEMON JUICE

Mixed drinks for mixed minds

�� ��� ������ �� � ��������� when she was younger. Back in her day, she didn’t mix many unusual drinks. In fact, it was strange if someone ordered a Brandy Alexander (brandy, half-and-half, nutmeg and crème de cacao). She mixed all her drinks by hand and without a database of drink recipes or machine mixers. Mixed drinks and cocktails have definitely evolved since then, and finding a unique drink is as easy as doing a little Internet sleuthing. You could order a cranberry vodka at a club like the rest of the crowd, or you can have a little fun crafting your own cocktails at home on the cheap. For those who like to experiment with exceptional drinks, I now offer you a variety of fun recipes for different tastes. — ����� �����      ’          Pink Pantie Dropper (via Booze Happy Juice (via Anna’s 254 (created in Rosebud, Texas) Mixer) Hangout) 1 OZ MALIBU RUM 12 OZ MOUNTAIN DEW

1 1/2 SHOTS GIN OR VODKA

1 OZ VODKA

1 SHOT OF 80 - PROOF VODKA

1 SHOT WHITE TEQUILA

1 OZ CRANBERRY JUICE

1 PIXIE STIX OF DESIRED FLAVOR

8 OZ PINK LEMONADE

Stir the Pixie Stix and Mountain Dew together. Drop a shot in the concoction and sip slowly.   - Life in Hell (via Bar Brews) 1 SHOT TEQUILA

1/2 SCOOP OF VANILLA ICE CREAM

Put all ingredients into a blender and mix until smooth. Rim a glass with sugar and pour in.     Ramos Fizz (via Booze Mixer)

1 OZ BIG BLUE SODA

Shake all ingredients together and pour over ice.  ’   Shootin’ Chicken (via Booze Mixer) 1 SHOT VODKA

1/3 OZ TABASCO SAUCE

1 1/2 OZ GIN

1 DASH EVERCLEAR

2 TBSP CREAM

DASH OF SALT

1 JALAPEÑO PEPPER

1/2 OZ FRESH LEMON JUICE

DASH OF PEPPER

1 FRESH EGG WHITE

DASH OF WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE

Layer tequila and then Tabasco in a large shot glass. Drop in a slice of jalapeno pepper and slowly top off with Everclear. Light on fire and drink as a shot (blowing out the flame first). Eat the jalapeno and have a glass of water ready.

1/4 OZ CLUB SODA 1 TBSP POWDERED SUGAR 3-4 DROPS ORANGE FLOWER WATER 1/2 OZ FRESH LIME JUICE

Shake all ingredients together except club soda. Pour in glass. Top off with club soda to taste.

1 OZ CHICKEN BOUILLON

(OPTIONAL) Stir vodka and bouillon together and pour into a double shot glass. Top each off with a sprinkle of salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce and drink as a shot.

The 21+ Issue

4 

PHOTO BY JACKIE GILLES

The humbling art of sushi

�� ���’�� �� ���� of a humbling experience, look no further than your local Central Market’s Sushi 101 cooking class.

The three-hour class, offered once a month, teaches basic sushi knowledge and history along with the skills needed to

make your own seafood confections. It piqued my interest because I enjoy eating sushi and am always amazed by the

artistry that’s displayed behind the sushi bar. Upstairs in the Central Market cooking school are four tables for six, prepped with a rolling mat, cutting board and a white apron at each seat. To the left are self-serve refreshments. I took a seat next to strangers and prepared to become a sushi master. Sushi chef Tim Thomas, owner of Origami Japanese Restaurant in Round Rock, dazzled the full audience with his good humor and sushi know-how. He introduced the class to tips on basic sushi-making supplies and how to pick out fresh fish at a market. Meanwhile, chefs and volunteers passed out delicious appetizers and poured wine into our glasses. I listened to chef Thomas while chowing down on fresh tuna and avocado on a tostada shell, then a seafood medley mixed in a mayonnaise-based sauce and placed in a halved avocado. One word: mmmm. “Sushi is ever-evolving,” Thomas said. “A lot of people think it’s strictly this ancient Japanese tradition. Not so.” Thomas’s passion for seafood and teaching put the class at ease as most of the students, in-

cluding myself, quickly learned that we disgrace the artform. After washing their hands, the volunteers passed out bowls of rice for the tables and plates of fresh ingredients for a Samurai roll. Two televisions and a mirror above the chef ’s prep table offered many ways to see the action up-front as Thomas demonstrated how to make a roll of tempura-battered shrimp, avocado and unagi, or eel. First we doused our hands in our own little water bowls and grabbed a handful of rice. As I worked my portion into a ball, I quickly realized that I hadn’t wet my hands enough, and soon I was wearing a rice mitt. After washing my hands again, I was able to make a fat, uneven roll. As we continued with class, Thomas walked around, surveying our workmanship and offering helpful tips. He also talked about proper sushi etiquette, such as how rubbing chopsticks is considered rude by suggesting the restaurant has inferior products. He also recommended eating at the bar in a sushi restaurant, for those patrons get the best service. Fresh plates of ingredients continued to be passed out for four more rolls. Though all of mine turned out looking like mess-terpieces, I stayed in good spirits as we all commiserated in our apprentice attempts. The two glasses of wine helped, too. By the end, I was stuffed with self-made sushi and even had a to-go box to take home and enjoy the next day, along with a newfound knowledge on the craft of this Japanese cuisine. “I really like sushi, and I’ve made sushi that I’m not happy with,” said Tony Salvaggio, a fellow attendee. “I learned better technique and [gained] more knowledge on what to look for and how to order when I go to a restaurant.” Though my plans of becoming a sushi master in one night failed, the class has inspired me to try it at home. The class is a bit pricey for the average college student but is a great learning experience for those who have a passion for sushi and Japanese culture in general. — ����� ������

Central Market Sushi 101 class 4001 N. Lamar Blvd. May 3, 6:30-9:30 p.m. $70

The 21+ Issue

 5

Beer me: Mandy’s guide to Austin microbrews �����, �����, ����, ����. All of these small steps that add up to a witch’s brew, a master craft that can bring strangers together and friends even closer. So what is it about Austin that seems to draw in these beer lovers, especially the ones determined to bring multicultural taste and appreciation? Well, if Austin is as unique as its breweries, Austin’s microbrews boast some of the best fermented creations with enough soul to refill your stein a hundred times over. So get ready kids, this city has you covered.

Live Oak

There are beers, and there are tiny art forms you can drink. Live Oak Brewing Company, nestled safely on the east side of town, has been running and carefully brewing old-worldstyle German and Czech Republic beer for years. The owners, Chip McElroy and Brian Peters, are purveyors of such a rare and revered type of antique brew that it is hard not to appreciate the dedication that goes into bringing Germany to Texas. “We like to brew beers that we love,” McElroy said, referring to the glassful of fermented livelihood that can turn a simple social beer drinker into an insatiable aficionado. Live Oak harbors a variety of beers — from the Pilz-a, a classic brew from the Czech Republic

that juggles the delicate relationship between hops and malt, to the seasonal Liberation Ale. “We’re more like old-world chemists,” McElroy said. An Austin favorite and served at such places as the Alamo Drafthouse, Clementine, The Gingerman and Flying Saucer, Live Oak beers can be spotted by their signature old wood taps. Try the Big Bark Amber Lager for a smooth and friendly drink, made with German malts and hops. And like a tamed beast, it’s “all bark, no bite.”

Independence Brewing Co.

Husband and wife duo Rob and Amy Cartwright started out modestly. In 2004, with the help of each other and their dog, Rob and Amy decided to bring ingenious, easy-to-drink beers to Austin with full force. From their ambitious Austin amber ale to their Jasperilla old ale, these handcrafted individuals feel like a family of hops and variations, all as individual as Austin itself. Independence prides itself on being drinkable and easy to bring home, with multitudes of six-packs sold all over Austin. Hey, you can’t blame a true beerhead for wanting to bring the party home, and Independence has a great distribution area all over town. From the pub to the refrigerator, a bit of Austin can be brought home for any enthusiast to enjoy after class — or before.

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(512) Brewing Company

There is nothing like enjoying a handcrafted beer made from down the street. (512) Brewing Company took this homegrown creation methodology and made it its own. From the bottom up, Kevin Brand has been moving the skill of brewing back to Austin, focusing on old English and Belgian

recipes and letting Austin reap all of the benefits. Brand, a native Austinite and UT Engineering graduate, took his love for adventure and creating and funneled it into a giant fermenter, ready to be enjoyed by his home town. The relatively young brewery, which has been up and running for less than two years, has had no trouble filling orders with local area bars and pubs. To the creator, beer is

more about cultivating both sides of his personality — the creative and the logical. Since 2007, this city has held some of its more appreciated pale ales, IPAs, wits and a creative concoction called the Pecan Porter, which is made with chocolate and black malts. Oddly enough, this may even be the famed crowd pleaser of the family. Dessert, anyone? — ����� ������

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The 21+ Issue

Zoot suits a college budget and a gourmet’s palate ���� ���� ����� ����� ���, Zoot, a charming restaurant dedicated to playing up the seasonal tastes of food with its ever-changing menu, relocated to Bee Caves Road. With a menu offering plates with prices that have a more considerate approach to eating on a student budget, the new location began serving lunch during the week. I almost missed the small sign with the restaurant’s name written on it in an anorexic font, but the wide lanes of Bee Caves made it easy to make a quick U-turn. When we walked inside, we were warmly welcomed and, being the only customers, were told to choose any table we liked. The dining rooms were understated, with bright white walls accented by a few small pieces of art. Quick, attentive service and comfortable polkadotted chairs contributed to the overall relaxed and hospitable atmosphere. Normally, any restaurant that offers $95 tasting menus with wine pairings might seem a little daunting, but Zoot manages to pull it off with a completely unpretentious vibe. The server invited any and all questions and frequently checked to make sure we were enjoying our meal, doling out encouragements and friendly pats on the shoulder. The pulled-pork sandwich with creamy mustard slaw and spiced jus definitely justified its $8 price tag. But the french fries that were served on the side were unremarkable and at times too greasy. Grilled flank steak with chives was prepared to our specifications and arrived perfectly fanned into tender slices. The peppercorn demi-glace added a nice sweet and salty touch. Once again, the accompanying side was not up to par. The mashed potatoes were pureed beyond recognition and might as well have been made from instant mix. For $14, I wanted a couple more slices of flank steak and a rustic, flavorful pile of mashed potatoes. Other menu items that may pique your interest include Zoot macaroni and cheese with parmesan, sage and a poached egg ($10); rigatoni tossed in a smoked tomato sauce with spicy sausage and roasted peppers ($12); and a crab cake with tomato, butter lettuce and avocado remoulade ($12). The buttermilk panna cotta topped with citrus compote was a light and pleasant end to the meal. A thin slice of biscotti was slipped under the custard for good measure, and the juxtaposition of crunchy and creamy textures worked well. The dessert was garnished with small ruby-red grapefruit sections floating in a port reduction ($8). If you have some — OK, a lot of — extra cash and an adventurous spirit, the five-course tasting menu mentioned above is served during dinner hours for $65 without wine pairings or for $95 with wine. Just be aware that the restaurant requests the entire table to participate, and the dinner selections favor the palates of food snobs more than the average student. On the other hand, if your finances are a little limited and you’re craving some relaxation, stick to lunch or Sunday brunch. You might not meet the carbohydrate of your dreams at Zoot, but the main dish could be true love. — ��������� ������

Zoot

11715 Bee Caves Road www.zootrestaurant.com PHOTO BY CALEB MILLER

The 21+ Issue

Boozin’ beats

No form of art (except perhaps B-movies) complements alcohol as well as music. The history of popular music’s love affair with the bottle spans every genre and reaches all the way back to rock’s roots in post-war blues. I drew up a list of my favorite odes to the world’s most popular fermented beverages and tried to make it as diverse as possible. After all, anyone could write volumes on country and rap drinking songs. — ď?˘ď?Ľď?Ž ď?Łď?Żď?¸ ‘Six Pack’ Black Flag

This hardcore anthem is the ďŹ rst song that came to mind when I decided to tackle this daunting task. Accompanied by Flag’s trademark buzzsaw guitar, Henry Rollins barks his dedication to drinking’s most iconic number. Both the Dez Cadena and Rollins versions are classics, but I prefer the latter for its ďŹ nal line, in which Rollins dismisses the admonitions of his concerned friends — “What do they know about partying ... or anything else?â€? ‘What a Way to Die’

laments his wine bottle’s inability to cure his memories of an ex-lover over the instantly recognizable guitar/piano twang of early country music. ‘Drinkin’ Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee’ Sticks McGhee

Rock and blues are rife with drinking songs, so it’s ďŹ tting that this late ’40s blues song, often considered one of the ďŹ rst rock ’n’ roll songs, is dedicated to the joys of boozing with pals. While it has been covered numerous times, the original reigns supreme for its pairing of McGhee’s laid-back drawl with a classic jump blues beat.

Pleasure Seekers

Like a female counterpart to the Black Flag track, this ’60s garage gem is an all-girl trio’s declaration of preference for the comforts of booze over boys. A young Suzi Quatro implores a prudish boyfriend to join her in the delights of intoxication. Key lyric: “Your lovin’ uctuates baby, as everybody knows, but the temperature always stays the same on an ice-cold bottle of Stroh’s!â€? ‘You’re Still On My Mind’

‘Pass the Booze’ Ernest Tubb

The Byrds’ brief forays into country may have made the music hip for the ’60s crowd, but Ernest Tubb was one of country’s longestrunning superstars. This track stands out as one of his best for the wry humor of its lyrics: Tubb plans his binges like a seasoned professional by ensuring, among other things, that the bartender take down his address, for Tubb is sure to forget at some point in the night.

Byrds

While the Byrds were neither the original performers nor composers of this country classic, the circumstances of Gram Parsons’ death — drug overdose — and his reputation as a creature of habit make this the deďŹ nitive version for accompanying excess. Parsons

‘When I’ve Been Drinking’ Champion Jack Dupree

No style of music conjures up images of dusty saloons like barrelhouse piano, and New Orleans bluesman Champion Jack Dupree delivers just that on this warning to friends and family. Jack knows

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that once he’s started, he won’t stop anytime soon, so you best take heed if you want to avoid his evil ways.

����� 9 partying as a prison you’ll never want to leave. As the Coolouts explain, it’s really for everyone’s best interest that you keep partying. As

long as you stay at the party, you’re not driving! ‘Laugh, Love, Fuck’ The Coup

‘Mighty Mighty Children, Part 2’ Baby Huey and the Babysitters

This hard-hitting slab of early ’70s funk features the 300-pound Baby Huey leading call-and-response tributes to life in the inner city. Almost any song that includes audience participation makes a perfect complement to clanking bottles and spilled toasts, but this one stands above the rest for the moment when Huey extols a particular brand of lowquality wine. “What’s the word? THUNDERBIRD!� ‘(Please Don’t Break Me Out of) Party Jail’ Coconut Coolouts

The Coconut Coolouts, a party garage-rock band in the spirit of the Kingsmen and other ’60s stalwarts, spins one of rock’s best metaphors by imagining constant

The Coup has long been one of the best political groups in rap. On its last two albums, the band has dipped into funkier grooves without diluting its radical message. Over DJ Pam the Funkstress’ synth-funk beats, frontman Boots Riley pledges allegiance to ending both social oppression and sobriety. ‘Firewater’ Crooked Lettaz

Like countless other Southern rappers, David Banner has built a career on odes to alcohol constructed over spare, repetitive beats. This track by Banner’s ďŹ rst group celebrates drinking all across America and is among the best for the utter simplicity of its chorus (“We got that ďŹ rewaterâ€? repeated endlessly) — perfect for when you’re too far gone to bother with remembering lyrics. ILLUSTRATION BY CALEB MILLER

10 

‘Observe and Report’ violently funny ����� ����� �� ���������, Seth Rogen’s newest outlet of comedic raunchiness was being heavily marketed as a “dark comedy,” which confused Rogen fanboys everywhere. Will there still be drug references and sexual innuendos in “Observe and Report,” or is this another “Punch-Drunk Love” for the Judd Apatow age? “If you see it, there’s a lot of different elements to it,” said director Jody Hill. “I guess comedy’s cool, but there’s a lot of parts that are sad, but legitimately sad. There are parts that are legitimately violent, and I think for a comedy, people sometimes need to put a little real life into it.” Detractors of the film will instantly point to the trailer, which has made the rounds on the Internet and on television, but the true humor in the film is not revealed until viewed in an appropriate context. In other words, you have to see the film to understand the hilarity behind the sparse scenes shown in the horribly made trailer. “It is unorthodox,” said producer Donald De Line. “This is different than any other comedy that really you’re used to see-

PHOTO COURTESY OF LEGENDARY PICTURES

ing come out of the studio. It’s funny as hell, but it takes you in surprising directions. And it’s definitely genre-bending.” “Observe,” which has faced criticism for its similarity

in storyline and premise to Kevin James’ “Paul Blart: Mall Cop,” centers around Ronnie Barnhardt (Rogen), who is attempting to stop a flasher from terrorizing the women of the

mall he patrols. One of those women is makeup counter girl Brandi, played by Anna Faris, whom Barnhardt is maniacally in love with. When DT Weekend asked Seth Rogen on the red carpet premiere for the film how it felt to have the best laugh in mankind, Rogen raised an eyebrow and laughed. “It’s good, but I think Eddie Murphy is going to try to kill me soon,” Rogen quickly said. “That was weird,” he said as he walked on to the next reporter. This is the first film in which Rogen’s character seems naive to himself. In Rogen’s previous works, his characters seem self-aware and intelligent, or at least cognizant. In “Observe,” his character is delusional and idiotic, but he’s still lovable and, thus, still the hero. Co-star Faris, a regular fixture in the “Scary Movie” franchise and star of “The House Bunny,” told DT Weekend that she took on the role as Barnhardt’s love interest because it was her raunchiest yet. “[I’ll act in anything] that anybody will hire me for,” Faris said with a laugh. “But no, really, it’s a thrill to work with Seth and Jody Hill, and it’s the most offensive role I’ve ever played, and that’s a fun challenge. We’ll see how my folks

will react to it.” Faris’s character, Brandi, is easily the most despicable character in the film — a slutty, druggy makeup counter girl who won’t requite Ronnie’s love. Brandi finally goes out on a date with him, but after a few too many drinks she throws up while she’s walked to her door. They proceed to have sex, and it’s ostensibly a date rape scene because Rogen’s character is having intercourse with her while her eyes are closed. When he pauses to contemplate the seriousness and legality of the situation, she pops her eyes open and yells, “Why are you stopping, motherfucker?” The audience responded with unabashed laughs. If the advanced screening is any indication of the success of the film’s release this Friday, “Observe and Report” is sure to delight Rogen critics and fanboys alike. — ��������� ����� Editor’s note: Rogen confirmed at SXSW that “Jay and Seth vs. The Apocalypse” will be made into a feature-length film, after the success of the film short of the same name garnered praise. The short, written by Rogen and frequent collaborator Evan Goldberg, stars two roommates talking about life as the last two citizens on Earth after the apocalypse.

 11

Nosaj Thing brings L.A. jams to Austin

“�’� ������ ���� � ����,” said Jason Chung, a.k.a. Nosaj Thing, referring to his use of Twitter, MySpace and a blog. “I try to use whatever I can to get in touch with other musicians and more listeners, and it’s definitely helping a lot.” The 23-year-old Los Angeles DJ and producer, who has caused quite a stir in underground hip-hop/electronica circles, said he would not be where he is today without these vehicles. In fact, MySpace served as the intermediary between Nosaj Thing and Kid Cudi, who sent Chung a message asking to use the song “Aquarium” for his own upcoming mixtape. Though Chung didn’t think much of it at the time, his friend later sent him a link to Kid Cudi’s “Man on the Moon,” in which Cudi raps over Chung’s entire track. It’s clear why Cudi would be interested in “AquarS ium.” The song demonstrates Chung’s enormous talent, relocating the listener to a dreamlike world through a delicate balance of guitar samples, vinyl scratches and whispered vocals. “Growing up listening to hiphop, it was always a dream of mine to be like The Neptunes, Timbaland or Dr. Dre,” Chung said. “To have that turn around and reach hip-hop artists on that level is just amazing to me.” Chung credits a bus driver for first exposing him to hip-hop in third grade. “This bus driver that picked us up always turned to the hip-hop station,” he said. “I was listening to that everyday, and, of course, when I came home I wanted to hear that again. I kept listening to it and became interested in deejaying because that was when all the beat junkies were on the air.” During his high school years, his vested interest in deejaying led him to practice at friends’ homes and perform at “weird venues” downtown. One day, while checking blogs and forums, he stumbled upon a rare opportunity: The first person to line up at a venue with their gear could open for Flying Lotus and Daedelus. He jumped at the chance to open up for two of LA’s most popular electronica artists and fortunately got to perform, as he was the only one in line

with gear when he arrived. A few months later, he began performing at the legendary Low End Theory club in L.A. However, Chung’s most memorable show was during South by Southwest last year, when he performed alongside The Gaslamp Killer and Flying Lotus. “That was a starting point for me,” Chung said. “I felt like we were part of a movement because we were all there playing outside of L.A. representing what we do. That was a really amazing vibe.” Chung has remixed for Daedelus, Flying Lotus, HEALTH and Blank Blue. He has also submitted a Radiohead remix (“Reckoner”) for a contest. Drift, his first, much-anticipated full-length album, is set for release June 9. Three songs have already been leaked on the Internet. “I had so many projects lying around, and I just chose the best

ones I had and put in the songs that were close to me,” Chung said. “With this record I was trying to take a more cinematic approach, so it’s not just beat-heavy stuff. I want the tracks to tell a story.” — ������� ���

Nosaj Thing

The Parish Room Saturday, 9 p.m.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NOSAJ THING

PHOTO BY RYAN PROPES

Austin band teeters on brink of success “��� ��� �� ����� �� ��� or any world of emotions and still be able to bring this full force, heavy, dirty sound,” said Tony Deaver, Brink of Disaster guitarist. “It just feels good to release in that kind of way especially when you’re on stage playing it, seeing other people feeling it as much as you were when you wrote the song.” He sat on a blue vinyl camping chair and held a green bottle of Heineken. The storage unit his band rents for a practice space had an indistinguishably dank undertone to it while numerous gnats and sweet smoke from the joint of marijuana that he and his bandmate were passing back and forth both flew through the air. Bassist Ian Abete and vocalist Aaron Ugalde were absent from the session but only because one was attending a funeral and the other had work, the only acceptable reasons to Tony, who claimed he is a nazi about practice.

Brink of Disaster stays true to metal roots

“I have quite a bit of anger issues, so it’s a perfect channel for all of that,” said drummer Joey Vera from his spot nearby on a large upside down bucket. “Keeps me safe, keeps me out of jail and that’s that.” “We were an instrumental project for a long time, for probably the first year and a half that we were together, but we were doing shows that way,” Tony added. “I guess it all started in 2006 when we started jamming together on a regular basis.” One florescent lighting strip glowed overhead to cast eerie and dream-like shadows on the space in front of Vera’s massive, red drum kit. Tony handed Vera the recorder. “You ever hear that one part of that one song that you love so much that it sends chills right up your spine, ya know what I’m sayin’? That is what I want to do to somebody else,” Tony said.

He took a long toke. “I always aim for the stars, man, know what I’m sayin’?” Tony said. “I will ride the motherfucker until the wheels fall off.” “I enjoy the loud, distorted guitars, the rhythms,” said Valerie Hopkins, Tony’s girlfriend. “I also enjoy being able to let loose and get pumped up. I wouldn’t consider myself a metal head. I feel I am very open to all different types of music. My friends talked me into going to watch Brink’s show the first night. I watched them play, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of them. The music they played was different than the norm, I liked that. You could say I was hooked.” She has been a fan of Brink of Disaster since January but has seen every one of the band’s shows since that time. She has also been dating Tony since then. “I guess you could say that I have attended more shows because I want to see Tony play,”

Valerie said. “He is an awesome guitarist. I am almost positive that I would love to hear their music with or without any kind of relationship.” “Tony has always had a very laid back, care free view on things,” said Krystal Deaver, wearing a black T-shirt with a skull and lightning bolts on it, dark blue Denim jeans and a lip ring. “Sometimes to the point where it doesn’t seem like anything really bothers him ... on the surface. You have to know him well and dig a little deeper to get to the real stuff.” Krystal and Tony lived together for 18 years in Baltimore before Tony moved away to start a life in Austin. She now works as a teacher at a high school for kids with severe emotional disabilities. “There have been times in the past where he thought practicing was more important than other people he played with, so it didn’t

work,” Krystal said. “He feels like everyone should put forth the same effort, and I think he’s finally found that in Brink.” She sat behind her desk in her classroom at just after 5 p.m., when the kids have left for the day. “This isn’t the first time that Tony has been ambitious, but it’s the first time it actually lasted so long,” Krystal said. “He has had interests that he’s pursued before but as I said, he gets bored if it doesn’t keep him challenged. And music has never gotten boring to him.” A win at their upcoming Battle of the Bands gig would grant Brink of Disaster $5,000 in studio time. “They got a lot more to work on, but I’m confident that their hard work will pay off for them,” Rangel said. — ����� �����

Brink of Disaster Saturday, 11 p.m. Red Eyed Fly

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