08-03-09

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TH HE DAILY TEXAN LIFE&ARTS PAGE 7

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Cupcakes galore Monday, August 3, 2009

Meet ‘the triplets’

Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900

College payment fund may go broke By Bobby Longoria Daily Texan Staff State Comptroller Susan Combs announced that the Texas Tomorrow Fund, which allowed parents to prepay their children’s tuition at a rate reflective of its current cost, is nearly broke. The fund created in 1995 under comptroller John Sharp. After his term, it was closed to enrollment in 2003. Combs announced Friday that the fund may run out of money somewhere between 2015 and 2017. Comptroller spokesman Allen Spelce said the fund still has 119,000 active contracts. He estimates the shortfall will be about $1.87 billion to $2 billion by 2030. “It’s important for people to know that if they are enrolled in [the fund] that the state is going to back the plan and their plan is good,” Spelce said. “If you are in the plan, you are in the plan.” He said the lack of funds is a result of the state legislature deregulating tuition costs in 2003, which increased tuition over the last few years. Sharp spokesman Kelly Ferow said the fund was set up under the assumption that lawmakers would continue to control college tuition rates and that the deregulation of tuition jeopardized the financial analysis. He said Combs put together a panel of outside experts to review the fund to fix any existing problems, but everyone knew the problem was deregulation. “Some of [the experts] are the owners of private for-profit businesses that offer tuition plans. They were direct competitors of [the fund],” Ferow said. “They always resented it since the moment Sharp proposed it because it is government competing with them. When government gets into something, it increases the competition and the price goes down.” Ferow said the panel shut the fund down, which resulted in no new revenue to pay the existing contracts. In order to make the fund viable again, he said a moratorium would need to be put into place and enrollment in the fund initiated.

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Austin plans Waller Creek revival

Photos by Mary Kang | Daily Texan Staff

Above, Attendees of Waller Creek Bike Ride get ready for the bike tour at the Mexican American Cultural Center Plaza on Saturday morning. Below, Jeb Boyt and Chris Riley provide information about the Waller Creek Greenbelt to the crowd that came to join the bike tour.

Flood control tunnel to aid park’s transformation to community center By Bobby Longoria Daily Texan Staff Waller Creek will soon be given a new opportunity to attract Austin citizens when a flood water control tunnel is constructed and a redevelopment plan is implemented. A bicycle tour led by the Waller Creek Citizen Advisory Committee showcased the debilitating aspects of the creek and provided an opportunity for citizens to question the plan Saturday. The city seeks to redevelop the creek into a sprawling community center with a new hike and bike trail, business attractions and neighborhood developments. Committee member Jeb Boyt said once the flood water control tunnel is built it will provide a great opportunity for the area to become a thriving community venue. “The main thing we are doing now through the [plan] that the committee is

FUND continues on page 2

UTMB reopens doors to Galveston By Erin Mulvaney Daily Texan Staff Once a world-class Level 1 trauma center, the emergency room at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston remained closed for almost a year after Hurricane Ike devastated the hospital, leaving health care in the city and surrounding areas in a vulnerable state. On Saturday morning, however, the tone in the lonely wing of Galveston’s only hospital changed as the doors were opened for the first time in 11 months. The emergency facility has not technically returned to its former Level 1 status, but is well-equipped and as fully functional as it once was, said UTMB spokeswoman Marsha Canright. “When those helicopters start coming in and the ambulances are rolling back up, we will be ready to take care of the people that live in Galveston and people offshore,” Canright said. “UTMB is back.” She said the newly opened facility is capable of doing everything that a Lev-

TOMORROW’S WEATHER

el 1 trauma center is able to do, but it may take a few months to get certification. The American College of Surgeons designates a hospital a Level 1 trauma center when it can provide care to patients with any level of injury, conducts research and offers an educational program. Since Hurricane Ike devastated the Texas Coast on September 13, 2008, UTMB laid off 3,000 employees, reduced its number of hospital beds by half and closed the trauma facility, which treated critical care patients. In order to re-open the emergency center, the facility needed a new blood bank, a pharmacy, radiology equipment, additional high-tech level equipment and more staff members. “What many people don’t understand is an emergency center is not just a room,” Canright said. “It’s not possible to rebuild all those things, and purchase new equipment in just a few months’ time.” She said after the storm, there were questions about UTMB’s financial future and

it was not certain that the medical branch would remain on the island. Kurt Salmon Associates, an Atlanta health care consulting firm, released a report in February suggesting that UTMB move from Galveston to League City, located 20 miles from the island, but the UT System Board of Regents voted in March to keep the branch on the island. “No one here is a psychic,” she said. “When you are talking about an emergency department, you have to have the best of everything available to deliver the best possible emergency care.” Canright said that before Ike, the emergency room had 590 beds with the capacity to expand, but the newly opened facility has 370. Because of a staffing shortage, UTMB outsourced to EM Care, a group of emergency physicians who will act as the emergency room physicians until UTMB has more time to hire in-house

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overseeing is to see what those surface improvements and changes are going to be like,” Boyt said. “It’s pretty clear people want improved pedestrian and bicycle connections throughout the district — the question is how are we going to do it.” Jana McCann, ROMA Austin’s associate project manager of the district plan, said rivers and waters are amazing in their ability to unite people. “[The plan] will look at both creek improvements, trail improvements, re-vegetation — kind of restoring the ecological integrity of the creek,” McCann said. “As well as how should new development respect and address the creek. What would the rules be for developing in and around this creek-side environment?” She said a plan will be finalized by 2010 and the tunnel’s construction is anticipated to begin the same year with

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Accused Spiro’s gunmen prepare defense for trial By Pierre Bertrand Daily Texan Staff Lawyers are preparing for the pending trial of two gunmen who turned themselves in for the non-life threatening shooting of eight people outside Spiro’s nightclub in May. Ken Fesler, the attorney representing brothers LeBaaron and Brandon Hutchinson, said he does not know how he intends to defend his two clients, saying the court proceedings are still in the discovery phase. In a court appearance Friday morning, Fesler requested more time to gather information regarding the May 29 incident, and Judge Wilford Flowers rescheduled the next court appearance for Sept. 16.

“I was given this case a couple weeks ago, so I don’t know [all the facts] except what was written in the paper,” Fesler said. The brothers each face eight counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and have been in Travis County jail since early June. Fesler said there are still a few more witnesses he needs to interview before he can assess the strength of his case. “There is a lot of discovery in this case,” Fesler said. “There are a lot of witnesses, and there are a lot of victim interviews. You know there are two sides to every case. Everything that everyone has been hearing is one sided.”

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ACLU expresses concern over creationism in schools Religious freedom, civil rights and curriculum discussed at conference

Karina Jacques | Daily Texan Staff

Hiram Sasser, director of litigation at Liberty Legal Institute, speaks at the ACLU meeting on Saturday.

By Ben Wermund Daily Texan Staff With a battle brewing over the Texas State Board of Education’s potential to emphasize the importance of the Bible and the Christian faith in American history classes, American Civil Liberties Union members are expressing deep concern. “On every single front, Texas is the least progressive state I’ve

ever lived in and the biggest issue I see here is this insidious business of slipping it into the schools where we have vulnerable minds and peer pressure to boot,” said ACLU member Russell La Claire. “I am deeply concerned about that.” The Texas affiliate of the ACLU held their annual meeting Saturday, focusing on religious freedom in Texas in light of recent changes made to the science curriculum by the board of education, as well as potential social studies changes. In March, the board voted to

allow creationist revisions of science course material, by altering language in the curriculum that indicated the “sufficiency and insufficiency” of evolutionist theories. The ACLU testified against the measure. “It’s the climate in Texas that makes us very interested in [religion],” said Dotty Griffith, the ACLU of Texas’ public education director. “We are always against any initiative of government-imposed religion. We’re all in favor of teaching about religion, but we are not in favor of proselytizing or promoting one

religion over another.” Griffith said she is sure the ACLU will also testify against the potential social studies changes. Last month, the board appointed six experts to review the social studies curriculum. Three of the appointed reviewers suggested the emphasis on Christianity. One of them, David Barton, is a former vice chair of the state Republican Party and founder of WallBuilders, a group that promotes Christianity in American histo-

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NEWS

ACLU: Texas group

focused on claimed civil rights violations day that Texas is not the only state in the U.S. concerning the union. “As I’ve been meeting people ry; another is the Rev. Peter Marshall; and the third is Daniel over the last couple days, with typDreisbach, a professor of public ical Texas pride, people have been telling me that you have the worst affairs at American University. civil liberties vioTerri Burke, lations in Texas,” ACLU Texas diHerman said. “But rector, said the you have some experts are quescompetition.” tionable. She listed a se“Our biggest Can the ACLU close ries of cases the concern, frankly, is the process up shop? Maybe put a ACLU has taken by which they nice banner across the on in states rangfrom Arkanmake these dedoor saying ‘Mission ing sas to Michigan terminations,” Accomplished.’ We and said that, even Burke said. with the election “Where do these need the ACLU to of President Baexperts come keep pushing.” rack Obama, the from? Who are ACLU still has these experts? — Susan Herman work to do. Somebody who “Can the ACLU ACLU national president has been the close up shop? co-chair of the Maybe put a nice state Republibanner across can Party is, in the door saying my opinion, not ‘Mission Accoman expert on plished,’” Herman asked as the history.” Susan Herman, the ACLU na- audience that erupted in laughter tional president, assured mem- and negative shouts. “We need bers in her keynote speech Satur- the ACLU to keep pushing.”

Monday, August 3, 2009

Worker injured in West Campus

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NEWS BRIEFLY Road work near campus should end in time for football season Austin Energy will perform an upgrade to an electrical conduit on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, which will cause lane closures ending Aug. 16. The upgrades will require lane closures on MLK between Congress Avenue and Rio Grande Street. Lane closures will include switching two-way traffic onto one side of the road, leaving one lane open on both sides of the road at all times. “The work involves upgrading underground power cables,” said

Carlos Cordova, spokesman for Austin Energy. “These particular cables feed the Drag and parts of the University, so it is very important.” The work will be performed from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm on weekdays and 7:00 am to 7:00 pm on the weekends. “We are hoping to avoid rush hour traffic in the morning and at 4:00 pm,” Cordova said. The project was originally scheduled to take place only on the weekends, but was changed in order to finish the project before UT is back in session and football season begins. “We are always looking to upgrade our facilities to insure reliability,” Cordova said. — Brittany Wisch

Tamir Kalifa | Daily Texan Staff

Officer Castillo of the Austin Police Department speaks on the telephone outside the scene of the accident at the corner of 24th and Pearl Streets. A construction worker fell on Sunday from the roof of the House of Tutors building in West Campus. At roughly 3 p.m. Sunday, emergency crews responded to the fall at the corner of 24th and Peal Streets. A team of four workers was installing a new roof on the business when the man fell. Witnesses said the man, whose identity is not being released, fell from the second story roof onto his head. The man was taken to a local hospi-

tal and his condition is unknown at this time. Robby Johnson, a construction worker who was on the roof when the man fell, said he did not know how the incident happened. Johnson said the man was working on a lower awning when he fell. “I just came in and saw him knocked out cold,” Johnson said. Police said an investigation is underway. — Pierre Bertrand

FUND: Rapid tuition increases responsible for Tomorrow’s troubles From page 1 State Sen. Juan Hinojosa, DMcAllen, said that after deregulation, tuition has increased about 250 percent and universities are not aware of the consequences. “Universities are not sensitive to the high cost of tuition and the burden that it places on families, especially middle class families,” Hinojosa said. “We are pricing middle

class families out of college.” Arturo Ballesteros, a Hinojosa spokesman, said the senator voted against deregulation in 2003 and filed a bill last year to cap tuition according to the consumer price index. But the bill did not pass. “There was also a provision in the bill which would make student fees subject to an election by the student body,” Ballesteros said. “It looked to restore some

sort of control of those fees to the students who would ultimately pay them.” He said universities were raising fees once they were no longer able to raise tuition and that students were paying the price. Hinojosa said the responsibility of the legislature is to provide universities with the necessary funds to make education affordable. He said he will continue to

push for a compromise bill. “Education is an issue of a quality of life, an educated workforce and competition in the world economy,” Hinojosa said. “[The fund] is broke. The state is not making up the difference. The difference in cost is being made up by the universities, and the way they are making up the difference is by raising tuition rates for other students.”

UTMB: Hospital reopening key for island health care From page 1 emergency room doctors. To run the facility, there must be two doctors in-house at all times. “We wanted to open as quickly as possible,” Canright said. “It would have added too much time onto our ability to reopen if we didn’t use a contract agency for physicians.” Although the staff layoffs were a huge blow to the medical branch, hirings have slowly increased. Much of the emergency room staff, in particular, were lost. The nurses, technicians, radiologists and those in the triage departments have already been

hired or rehired. She said without the emergency center, Galveston’s health care was vulnerable. The closure of the trauma center led to increased emergency room traffic at Mainland Medical Center in Texas City, Houston’s Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center and Clear Lake Regional Medical Center. “UTMB was there for the unexpected,” Canright said. “Of the 60,000 emergencies that happen in this area in a year, that many had to go to the other Level 1 trauma centers. That is a huge number to absorb.” Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas said the opening of the

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emergency center is a good sign for the recovery of the city. “As mayor, I breathe a collective sigh of relief for all Galvestonians and our city’s many visitors,” Thomas said. “Galveston will be a safer place to live in and to visit now that our completely staffed emergency room is restored.” There are massive plans to further restore the medical branch to its former glory, Canright said. Restoration plans include a new research building, a new hospital tower and a new research laboratory. There are also plans to re-establish an emergency physician residency program that had just begun before the storm hit.

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Monday, August 3, 2009

T HE DAILY TEXAN

Plastic surgery takes off in Saudi Arabia By Donna Abu-Nasr The Associated Press RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Does Islam frown on nose jobs? Chemical peels? How about breast implants? One of the clerics with the answers is Sheik Mohammed al-Nujaimi, and Saudi women flock to him for guidance about going under the knife. The results may not see much light of day in a kingdom where women cover up from head to toe, yet cosmetic surgery is booming. Religion covers every facet of life in Saudi Arabia, including plastic surgery. Al-Nujaimi draws his guidelines from the consensus that was reached three years ago when clergymen and plastic surgeons met in Riyadh to determine whether cosmetic procedures violate the Islamic tenet against tampering God’s creation. The verdict was that it’s halal (sanctioned) to augment unusually small breasts, fix features that are causing a person grief, or reverse damage from an accident. But undergoing an unsafe procedure or changing the shape of a “perfect nose� just to resemble a singer or actress is haram (forbidden). “I get calls from many, many women asking about cosmetic procedures,� said al-Nujaimi told The Associated Press in an interview. “The presentations we got from the doctors made me better equipped to give them guidance.� In recent years, plastic surgery centers with gleaming facades have sprung up on streets in Riyadh, the capital. Their frontpage newspaper ads promise laser treatments, hair implants and liposuction. From rarities only 10 years ago, the centers now number 35 and are “saturating the Saudi market,� Ahmed al-Otaibi, a Saudi skin specialist, was quoted as saying in the Al-Hayat newspaper. Al-Otaibi cited a study according to which liposuction, breast

NATION BRIEFLY Hawaii ups fines in push to protect sensitive coral colonies HONOLULU — Wrecking coral will cost you in Hawaii. A Maui tour company is paying the state nearly $400,000 for damaging more than 1,200 coral colonies when one of its boats sank at Molokini, a pristine reef and popular diving spot. Another tour operator faces penalties for wrecking coral when it illegally dropped an

Hassan Amma | Associated Press

A young woman has her face treated with lightening creams by a doctor at a clinic in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi clerics say it’s OK to have the procedures if they are safe, are done to reverse damage from an accident or to fix a body part or feature that is causing grief to a person. augmentations and nose jobs are the most popular among women, while men go for hair implants and nose jobs. Saudi women see nothing unusual about undergoing plastic surgery and then covering it up in robes and veils. Sarah, an unmarried, 28-yearold professional woman, pointed out in an interview that underneath their robes, women go in for designer clothes and trendy haircuts to be flaunted at women’s gatherings, shown to their husbands and exposed on trips abroad.

“We attend a lot of private occasions, and we also travel,� said Sarah, who declined to give her full name to protect her privacy. She said she is contemplating having 22 surgeries, including a breast lift, padding her rear and reversing her down-turned lips into a smile. She also wants the lips of Lebanese singer Haifa Wehbe, and less flare to her nostrils, though so far her plastic surgeon has refused to do the nose because he doesn’t think it needs altering. Ayman al-Sheikh, a Saudi doctor who spent almost 14 years in ing to lose it,� said Laura Thielen, chairwoman of the state Board of Land and Natural Resources, which decides how much to fine.� Hawaii is home to 84 percent of all coral under U.S. jurisdiction. About 15 percent of U.S. coral is in state waters surrounding the main Hawaiian islands from Niihau to the Big Island. Another 69 percent is in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands — a stretch of mostly uninhabited atolls President George W. Bush made a national marine monument in 2006. — The Associated Press

anchor on a Maui reef. The state plans to sue the U.S. Navy to seek compensation for coral ruined when a guided missile cruiser the length of two football fields ran aground near Pearl Harbor in February. The fines began issuing fines two years ago as part of its efforts to punish those who damage a resource critical to Hawaii’s fragile environment and tourism, the state’s No. 1 industry. “People are going to have to be more careful out here, because it if keeps getting damaged, we’re go-

Everybody counts on having safe, effective medicine for anything from the common cold to heart disease. But making sure medications are safe is a complex and careful process. At PPD, to help evaluate medications being developed – maybe like you. You must meet certain requirements to qualify, including a free medical exam and screening tests. We have research studies available in many different lengths, and you’ll find current studies listed here weekly. PPD has been conducting research studies in Austin for more than 20 years.

to find out more.

Age

Compensation

Requirements

Men and Postmenopausal or Surgically Sterile Women 18 to 50

Up to $4000

Healthy & Non-Smoking

Timeline

Tue. 11 Aug. through Sat. 15 Aug. Wed. 19 Aug. through Sat. 22 Aug. Wed. 26 Aug. through Sat. 29 Aug. Wed. 2 Sep. through Sat. 5 Sep. Outpatient visits: 16, 23, 30 Aug. & 6 Sep.

the U.S., most of them at Harvard, said demand in Saudi Arabia is in line with increased global demand. But what he sees more of in the Arab world, including Saudi Arabia, is a customers for procedures that enhance the face to the point where it no longer looks natural. The trend is being set by entertainers whose pouty lips, chiseled midriffs and enhanced breasts are seen on TV across the Arab world. Not all customers seek religious sanction, and not all surgeons abide by the clerics’ guide-

lines, so a woman is apt to pick a surgeon depending on how liberal he is. “People are overdone by design or by mistake,� al-Sheikh, 43, told the AP. “If something is done on a famous figure it becomes iconic in our world even if it doesn’t look esthetically appealing.� He said when he returned to the kingdom four years ago, patients initially came with requests for one performer’s nose or another’s cheeks, but that stopped after word spread he was a conservative who believes “every face has its own features.�

WORLD BRIEFLY Queer Israelis rally after two die in youth center shooting TEL AVIV, Israel — Reeling from the worst attack ever aimed at gay youth in Israel, members of the country’s gay community and their supporters rallied Sunday in the heart of Tel Aviv a day after a masked gunman killed two people at a center for gay youth and escaped. As protesters with rainbow flags mourned the victims and condemned the homophobic sentiment assumed to be behind the attack, police hunted for the assailant throughout a city that has long prided itself on a live-andlet-live attitude and a thriving gay community. “I fear that if the man who did this is not found, the consequences to the gay community might be far-reaching. They might live in fear,� said Arnon Hirsch, a 47-year-old lawyer who was one of several hundred people who took part in the protest near the center attacked Saturday night. Hirsch said he is openly gay and does not intend to act differently now. “I have no intention of giving in to terror,� he said. “I’m not going to hide anywhere.� Outside the center, a bouquet of flowers rested on the curb near barricades erected by police and a sign reading, “Stop Homophobia.� A masked man entered the center for gay teens in downtown Tel Aviv late Saturday night, pulled out a pistol and opened fire, according to Micky Rosenfeld, a police spokesman. The shooter then fled the scene on foot, Rosenfeld said. The dead were identified as a 26-year-old man who was a counselor at the center and a 17-yearold girl. Eleven people were wounded, four of them critically. The youth at the club “go there because it is a refuge of sorts for them,� songwriter and gay activist Rona Keinan wrote in the daily Yediot Ahronot. “The very thought that a person might enter that protected space and simply open fire at them is shocking. I just want to cry.� — The Associated Press

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OPINION

4 Monday, August 3, 2009

Editor-in-Chief: Jillian Sheridan Phone: (512) 232-2212 E-mail: editor@dailytexanonline.com Associate Editors: Jeremy Burchard Roberto Cervantes

T HE DAILY TEXAN

GALLERY

VIEWPOINT

Rx $500,000

Last June, as the health care reform debate was heating up, The New Yorker published a much-talked about feature examining the health care system in McAllen, Texas, which is located at the southernmost tip of the state. Juxtaposing the exorbitant cost of health care in McAllen with the poor quality of care that plagues the area, the magazine explored who really controls the hospitals’ purse strings. Gawande’s reporting revealed a disparity in the number of medical procedures patients undergo in McAllen hospitals compared to other Texas hospitals. A doctor in McAllen, for example, would advise a patient to get a slew of medical tests before treating the patient. In other parts of the state, that same patient with the same symptoms wouldn’t be subjected to all the exams, his reporting indicated. In a disturbing twist, The New York Times reported last week that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee collected nearly $500,000 at a March 30th reception in McAllen. The bulk of those funds came from doctors and others affiliated with a single hospital in the city — Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, a physician-owned hospital. That the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas is a Democratic stronghold in the nation and state is no surprise, and neither is the extent these physicians will go to maintain the fractured status quo. But damning inferences can be made that, after reading all the information that has surfaced this summer, the doctors who control the price tags of health care at that particular hospital do so with dollar bills in their eyes. After all, the doctors are virtual stake holders, and when the hospital turns a profit, so do the doctors. The questions surrounding physician-owned hospitals are not new and the answers are not easy. The most serious concern about this type of health care set-up has been that doctors will put their bottom lines above the welfare of their patients. Overuse of medical tests is as abusive and damaging to the credibility of the medical field and, more importantly, to the public’s health as are misdiagnoses. While reforming health care remains on the minds of Americans, lowering costs while maintaining quality has already proven to be a formidable challenge. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee must not pander to physicianowned hospitals because of the contributions of those who benefit from their abuses. Representatives shouldn’t neglect to address health care challenges because of powerful lobbying or discouraging news. — Roberto Cervantes for the editorial board

GALLERY

An entitled generation By Dave Player Daily Texan Columnist In a 2007 article in the The Dallas Observer, reporter Andrea Grimes profiled an archetype common in Dallas — the “$30,000 millionaire.” Defined as individuals living a luxurious lifestyle on a low level of personal income, Grimes describes the 30k millionaire as having a “distinctive behavioral pattern of spending more money than they make in an attempt to appear wealthy and desirable.” With an emphasis on expensive clothes, fine dining and high-profile nightlife, the lifestyle of the 30k millionaire is fixated on the image of desperate individuals trying to validate themselves through consumerism. Such individuals can be found peacocking around trendy neighborhood hot spots in leased luxury cars and designer clothes in an attempt to convey their fictitious wealth to passersby. The concept is simple: If you don’t have it, fake it. There is, of course, a flip-side to the 30k millionaire’s opulence. Most notably, it cannot be sustained. Practitioners routinely lease, rent and buy on credit in an effort to maintain their image. When their bills finally catch up to them, the offending parties are left grasping at air. In the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, Grimes wrote, the average credit score is 667, which is 25 points below the national average. But, the true issue at hand is ingrained far deeper into the national psyche than Dallas yuppies overpaying for bottle service. Without question, we live in a materialistic society. Our economy relies solely on our consumerism to fuel the capitalist machine. Some have even argued that it is our patriotic duty to consume, which in turn strengths our economy and our national security. Unfortunately, an inevitable by-product of that need to consume is a gross affliction with material wealth and status, those same primal forces that drive the 30k millionaires to live above their means. But they are not the only ones doing so. It is no secret that our economy is hurting, and has been for several quarters now. Before the crisis, banks bundled mortgages together into securities which could be traded much like any other commodity. As long as home owners made mortgage payments, the bundled securities would generate their expected revenue.

With low interest rates, loans and credit were easy to obtain for Americans looking to buy houses. However, reality eventually caught up. As some home owners began to default on their mortgages, the value of those mortgage-backed bundles began to plummet — creating a domino effect that has brought down banks and other financial institutions. While the burst of the housing bubble has rippled across the globe, many experts point to a root cause: Americans who took out loans for houses they couldn’t afford. Prospective home owners acted the way a 30k millionaire does toward a pair of designer jeans or $12 martini. Anecdotes of 30k millionaires can be especially useful to college students about to embark into the world as autonomous adults. While some of our peers already manage to support themselves while attending school (and bravo to that group), many of us do not hold down fulltime jobs. Instead, most of us are subsidized by an outside party, usually our generous parents. There are a wide variety of social pressures pushing our demographic to consume. Advertising departments target young people as one of the demographics most likely to spend liberally. Since the Baby Boomer’s came of age, younger generations continue to be inundated with messages of consumerism through television shows like MTV’s “Cribs” or musicians rapping about brand name clothing and other “swag.” Society’s view of college life as a time for relaxation before the shackles of adulthood lends itself to a carefree lifestyle often detached from fiscal responsibility. Student life around campus certainly provides amble opportunities to indulge expensive tastes. The newest crop of apartment complexes in West Campus tout themselves as luxury units, complete with granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances. And any reveler on 6th Street will tell you how quickly a round of drinks can empty a wallet. It’s easy to become accustomed to the perks of our college years. But the danger lies in forming a sense of entitlement or an addiction to consumption during our time at UT. There’s a good chance your lifestyle is going to take a hit as soon as you leave the Forty Acres. Just try not to take the economy down with you. Player is a plan II honors junior

Education for immigrants employees pay in-state tuition. The total cost to educate these students, according to the Comptroller ’s Office, was $11.2 Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott recently million. Education was the largest of every catereleased an opinion stating that Texas may be in gory measured as a cost from illegal immigrants violation of federal immigration statues for al- by the Comptroller. lowing illegal immigrants to access resident tuWhile the Comptroller’s report found that the ition rates, according to the Attorney General’s overall impact of illegal immigration was boon Web site. to the Texas economy, it did not address the benThe opinion cited the Illegal Immigration Re- efits to the state from educating illegal immiform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, grants. As college-educated workers, these stuwhich prevents states from granting “post sec- dents have undoubtably improved their earnondary education benefit[s]” to someone who ing potentials. This translates into more spendis not lawfully present in the ing and, therefore, more tax dolU.S. unless they provide the lars for the state. same benefit to residents of One objection that arises from other states. Abbot pointed out this interpretation is the questhat the key terms in immigration of whether, even as restion law — such as “post secidents for the requisite numondary education benefit” — ber of years, illegal immigrants Planning for have never been defined. No pay in enough to justify giving administrative guidelines exthem discounted tuition. States a future where ist, and the only judicial deare unable to collect income taxthe success of cision on this question comes es from illegal workers who do from a University of Calinot report income. But Texas immigrants — fornia case that is currently relies heavily on consumption legal or illegal — pending review by that state’s taxes and is therefore likely to supreme court. capture tax revenue from workis intimately tied Abbot’s decision, however, ers who do not report income. to the success of did not comment on the desirThe final issue, of course, is ability of the resident-tuition politics. In a June 9 article in The Texas is a better policy for illegal immigrants, Economist, it was predicted that who receive resident tuition even without immigration, Hispolicy. because the resident (and his panics would become the largor her family) has been helpest demographic group in Texing pay for the Texas educaas by 2034. Punishing illegal imtion system through taxation migrants for “taking white peofor the requisite number of ple’s jobs” will cease to be poyears. Leaving aside xenopholitically feasible as more of the bic arguments, this is clearly an issue of cost to electorate are recent immigrants themselves. the state. Planning for a future where the success of imA 2006 report by the Texas Comptroller’s Of- migrants — legal or illegal — is intimately tied to fice sheds some light on this question. In fall the success of Texas is a better policy. 2004, 3,792 students that were classified as The Texas Legislature should not deny resident non-citizens were receiving resident tuition tuition to non-citizen residents of Texas, even if rates at state institutions for higher learning. those residents originally immigrated illegally. It Of course, not all of these students were in the makes better sense to cultivate a population of country illegally. educated, skilled workers than to deny the best A number of statutes exist that allow for- and brightest of our illegal immigrant population eign students to fulfill the residency require- an opportunity to lift themselves from poverty. ments for in-state tuition. For example, the chilCounts is a plan II honors, history and business honors senior dren of ambassadors and diplomats and their By Rebecca Counts Daily Texan Columnist

THE FIRING LINE

LEGALESE

Daniel Earnest’s firing line, “A problem with pro-choice” in response to Mary Lingwall’s column “Who is choosing pro-life?” is a perfect example of the kind of utterly useless vitriol coming from the conservative movement. It has no other purpose than to caricature and demonize liberals. Earnest doesn’t come with an argument or even any “corrections.” Instead, he comes with ad homonyms and red herrings. On that note, here’s a couple tips and suggestions for him: Don’t follow up an ad homonym depicting your adversary as ignorant with a paragraph about Sarah Palin. That just doesn’t work, and it makes you look like an idiot. Rhetorical Question: All of the Founding Fathers were slave owners and clearly racists. Does that mean we should burn the Constitution? Try to avoid red herrings designed for no other purpose but vilification. Attempting to co-opt the term “feminist” (a lens that is heavily influenced by relativism and subjectivity) is absolutely hilarious. Not surprisingly, I heard Sarah Palin trying to refer to herself as one the other day. Classic conservative “thinker.” Finally, after reading your past Texan columns, having you refer to Lingwall as “radical” couldn’t be more ironic. That is to say, conservatism — in its current form of “birthers,” creation “science” and the like — seem to have a penchant for wanting to be something they’re not (e.g. “feminist,” fiscally responsible, truthful and victims) and claim not to be what they are (radical).

— Kenneth Wills UT Alum

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. All Texan editorials are written by the Editorial Board, which is listed in the top right corner of this page.

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By M Daily T

h care

5A CLASS

Gin and tonic and red roses

WALLER: Redevelopment

plan may affect business From page 1 completion in 2014. Austin City Council member Chris Riley said the creek will connect the University community to the East Riverside neighborhood and will provide an easy means of travel on UT football game days. “Wouldn’t it be cool if you could just hop on your bike and easily come ride up Waller Creek right to campus?� Riley said. “Do we really want those students to get on [Interstate Highway 35] everyday as they go to class or if there are students who would rather get some exercise on their way in — why not make that opportunity available?�

As part of the redevelopment, improvements will be made along Red River and Sabine streets to better accommodate bikers. Greg Anderson, UT urban studies graduate, volunteers for a quarterly Waller Creek cleanup. He said he has no car, lives downtown and said the less commuting citizens have to do, the better. “The more densely we can build downtown, the less farms we have to pave over, the less forests we have to raise for our own sustainable urban growth,� Anderson said. “You give people more paths just for bikes and you are definitely going to have a better turnout, a more biking community.�

Evolution of Waller Creek

Impact on business

Waller Creek has evolved with Austin since the city was first laid out in 1839. In 1883, UT opened and the creek served as its eastern border. Until the second half of the 20th century, the creek was bordered by neighborhoods, but it has always been susceptible to flood waters because it lies in a 100-year floodplain. When the UT Board of Regents decided to bulldoze areas of the creek to expand Darrell K RoyalTexas Memorial Stadium, students chained themselves to trees in protest during the Waller Creek riot in 1969. The creek’s trail was constructed as part of Austin’s bicentennial gift to the nation in 1976. City Council approved the creation of the Waller Creek Tunnel Project in June 1998, in an effort to redistribute flood waters from Waterloo Park to Lady Bird Lake in an underground tunnel bypassing the urban area above. But evolving development plans and lack of funding delayed the tunnel’s creation. A tax increment financing zone was approved in June 2007, which would redistribute tax revenue to fund the creation of the tunnel. This led to the creation of the Waller Creek Citizen Advisory Committee in May 2007. A notice to proceed with the tunnel’s design was issued in October 2007, and most recently in February 2009 the city authorized the ROMA Design Group to begin the Waller Creek District Master Plan, which will work to identify a community vision for the area. day, month day, 2008

Austin resident Oliver Franklin, who was a student at UT during the creek’s 1976 redevelopment, said he is concerned about the impact that redevelopment has had and may continue to have on the city. “I have always been worried that the bigger Austin gets, the lower the aggregate awareness of Austin history,� Franklin said. “The more people that come in, the less people per capita that know anything about what made Austin, Austin.� A common question raised by bikers on the Waller Creek tour was how the redevelopment may affect the existing music venues along the creek. Mohawk owner James Moody said leases expire in 2014, around the time the redevelopment will be finished. This will raise property values and thus, will raise rents as well. He said the city needs to be aware of Austin’s character and needs to put in place parameters to ensure the survival of local businesses. “The music district was there and has been there so it’s the neighborhood,� Moody said. “It’s not like music is moving into this project — music is already there.� Riley said it is not the redevelopment’s intention to drive business out. Rather, he said the music scene downtown is an essential aspect of Austin that must be maintained. “If you can just solve [the creek’s decay] and make it a lively appearing place you will have a whole new audience for those venues,� Riley said.

UNS AD IRNE FOR ONL

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NEWS

Monday, August 3, 2009

on l y

Mary Kang | Daily Texan Staff

Tobatha Wilson, dressed up as Mithra from Final Fantasy XI, and marketing graduate Juan Portillo, dressed up as Katamari Prince, wait as the winner of the costume contest is being announced at Game Over Videogames on Friday afternoon.

TRIAL: Neighbors say Spiro’s was a magnet for crime From page 1 The attorney said he knew his clients were not tested for any trace of firearm gunpowder residue, and the handguns used in the shooting were not found. He also said there is no video surveillance around the night club that can confirm the brothers’ presence. The owners of Spiro’s have since closed their doors, voluntarily relinquishing their lease and alcohol license due to mounting public disapproval 1 shortly after the incident. Neighbors said the night club had been a source of trouble and a hub of crime in the area.

According to police reports, there were more police responses to the club itself than there were to entire city blocks just next to the club. “We had over 140 calls, at least, at the time we booked them,� said Senior Police Officer Veneza Aguinaga, Austin Police Department spokeswoman. From January 2008 to June 30 2009, police responded to 519 calls at Spiro’s club. For the entire 800 block of Red River Street, which includes Stubbs Barbeque, police registered 439 calls. Laurence Nuwash, an assistant manager who used to work at Spiro’s when it closed, said he

CLASSIFIEDS

does not believe the club caused anymore problems than others in the area. “I’ve worked there for seven years and personally never had any issues there,� Nuwash said, who now works for a computer company. “The people who do cause problems, we do eject them from the club into the street where we have no control over them.� Nuwash said simply being on the street sometimes causes fights to erupt. “APD is not always there, so the fights mostly happen on the streets, so when there is a fight they blame it on Spiro’s,� he said. The night of May 29, Nuwash

CLASSIFIEDS THE DAILY TEXAN

said the Hutchinson brothers missed their 10:00 p.m. performance and demanded they be put on stage at 2:00 a.m. An argument ensued with the club’s promoter and the brothers left peacefully. He said they came back moments later and shot eight people. For some in the downtown community, the closing and refurbishment of the club is welcome. “I am reluctant to comment due to knee-jerk reactions from ignorant court of public opinion,� said Bill Corsello, the general manager of Emo’s, a neighboring establishment. “I’m glad they are gone and believe my staff and customers are safer.�

3B

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SPORTS

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Monday, August 3, 2009

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

T HE DAILY TEXAN

Oklahoma State looks to crack the Big 12 South Potent offensive attack paves way for Cowboys’ encouraging season

Competitive conference will be huge hurdle for Gundy to overcome

By Austin Talbert Daily Texan Staff The big three. The triplets. Quarterback, running back, wide receiver. Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin. A nightmare for opposing defenses. Oklahoma State hopes their big three — quarterback Zac Robinson, running back Kendall Hunter and receiver Dez Bryant — add up to a first place atop the big three in the Big 12 South this season. Tough Texas Tech was apart of the big three-way tie atop the Big 12 South last season, the Cowboys figure to ride their trio of offensive standouts to a strong finish this year. But somewhere in the equation to win a share of the Big 12 South title, the Cowboys must find a way to beat either Oklahoma or Texas — something they haven’t done since coach Mike Gundy took over the Oklahoma State program. The last time triplets talk took over Stillwater, Gundy was the Cowboy’s quarterback, the running back was Barry Sanders, and the receiver, Hartley Dykes, rounded out the Cowboy’s offensive triumvirate. “We’re very excited about our group of triplets,” Gundy said. Hunter may not be Sanders, but he was the Big 12’s leading rusher last season, averaging 119.6 yards a game and out rushing his nearest competitor by nearly 30 yards a game. In his short two-season career, Hunter has made his name as a quick, explosive back averaging 6.5 yards-per-carry. “It’s hard to compare anybody to Barry Sanders,” Gundy said. “Kendall Hunter is very good. It’s hard to get anybody in the country like him. But a future hall of famer is difficult to compare to.” At receiver, Dez Bryant was dominant in 2008, catching 87 passes for 1480 yards and averaging 17 yards per reception. His 19 touchdown receptions last season ranked him second in the nation. And he doesn’t limit his explosive speed to receiver, Bryant is also a special teams wiz, returning two punts for touchdowns last season while ranking third in the nation in average yards per return. “Hartley Dykes, Don’t know if I’ve ever seen anyone like him at this level,” Gundy said. “Dez Bryant is special, tremendous strength, great hands, great leaping ability. Fearless. Great competitor.” And while Gundy may not take Robinson’s favorite target over his favorite, he has zero doubt about who is the better quarterback. “The quarterback spot, I’m

By Chris Tavarez Daily Texan Columnist They have the Big 12’s best receiver. They have the conference’s leading rusher back from 2008. They lay claim to one of the nation’s best quarterbacks. And they may very well win the Big 12 this year. Yes, Oklahoma State could throw a wrench into the system and knock off both Texas and Oklahoma to take the Big 12 South, and then cruise through the conference championship game in Arlington. State’s conference schedule includes road games at Texas A&M, Baylor, Iowa State and a trip to their in-state rival’s house. Those first three games should be cake walks for an OSU team that is expected to break the top-10 in most pre-season polls. The biggest hurdle in their conference road schedule is obviously the Bedlam game against the Sooners. While it certainly will be a tough one, it won’t be impossible. And a look at the 2008 season will show why. After the OU and Missouri games, and sandwiched before the Texas Tech game, Texas had to face off against the sixthranked Cowboys in Austin. The game was a nail biter for the Horns as it came down to the final pass of the game before the Horns knew they had the victory locked up. And that was with a relatively young team at the skill positions — receiver Dez Bryant and running back Kendall Hunter were both freshmen. Add another year of experience to that team, and they should be able to take down the Sooners in Norman — something they couldn’t do with the Horns last year. Now for their home games in the Big 12, the Cowboys play host to Mizzou, Texas, Texas Tech and Colorado. Again, all should be relatively easy wins for Oklahoma State, except for Texas.

Associated Press

Above, Oklahoma State’s Dez Bryant soars above a Troy State defender to snatch a reception in game last season. Below, The Cowboys’ Zac Robinson will aim to prove himself amongst the highly talented class of quarterbacks in the Big 12 Conference. not sure there’s much of a comparison. If I could go back and recruit, I’d recruit Zac Robinson, and I wouldn’t recruit Mike Gundy,” Gundy said. “His ability to make a play running the football is tremendous. His durability, much bigger and stronger.” The only thing holding the three back is the Cowboys’ much maligned defense. But Gundy is working to improve that, hiring Bill Young to take over the defense. Young, a Oklahoma State graduate, made his name coordinating defenses at Ohio State, Oklahoma and USC. “We’ve got a number of players on the offensive side of the ball that everybody’s aware of, that we’re really excited about what they’ll do this fall,” Gundy said, “Even more so on the defensive side of the ball. Our new coordinator Bill Young and our defensive players Andre Sexton and Perrish Cox and Derek Burton and Pat Lavine and those guys are excited to improve defensively and play better football.” If Oklahoma State can win at

Team name: Oklahoma State Cowboys Head coach: Mike Gundy Conference: Big 12 2008 record: 9-4

Key Players:

r Zac Robinson — Senior — QB 2008: 3,064 yards passing, 25 touchdowns passing, 166.84 rating This talented signal caller can run the option with Kendall Hunter, or find and hit the speedy Dez Bryant on the run.

No. 7

The Longhorns always manage to find a way to squeak out a win in Stillwater. In 2007, Texas came back from a 21-point fourth quarter deficit to win 3835. In 2005, Vince Young led the Horns back from a 19-point hole en route to a 47-28 win and a national championship. On the personnel side, Zac Robinson is a versatile quarterback who can chunk the ball and beat you on your feet. If the pocket ever breaks down, or the Big 12 decides to play defense and all receivers are covered, leave it to Robinson to turn in some positive yardage. And when he’s teamed up with Hunter, the duo makes a dangerous option threat. That’s the other piece of the puzzle — in a conference that is dominated through the air, State does their job to bring back the Big 12’s reputation of three yards and a cloud of dust. Hunter should be even more dominant after a full year of experience, and his presence will really open up the passing game for Robinson to air it out to the early Biletnikoff favorite, Dez Bryant. The Lufkin, Texas native racked up 87 catches for nearly 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns in his sophomore season. He provides a down-field threat that can also tear it up in the middle and will kill secondaries in the red zone in jump ball situations. But the thing that will set this team apart is its defense. Head coach Mike Gundy brought Bill Young in from Miami to be the defensive coordinator. Young, an OSU alumnus came from Miami, whose defense ranked in the top 30 last year, which will be a big upgrade from the Cowboys’ 93rd ranked defense in 2008. If Oklahoma State can stay healthy — injuries helped lead to the bowl loss to Oregon to end last season — play defense like Young can coach it, and learn from their mistakes in their breakout year in ‘08, the Cowboys will take the Big 12 South and beat their northern foes in Cowboys Stadium for their first ever Big 12 Championship.

r Kendall Hunter — Junior — RB 2008: 1555 yards rushing, 17 touchdowns, 6.5 yards-per-carry The Big 12’s best running back uses explosive speed to break open games.

Game to watch: Sept. 5 v. Georgia in Stillwater, Okla. (ABC) The word on Oklahoma State:

The triplets are good, but the question again is their defense. Will it be good enough to finally stop Oklahoma and Texas’ dominance of the Big 12 South?

home — eight of their 12 games are at T. Boone Pickens Stadium — the triplets might nab a BCS bowl berth. But in a loaded division, it won’t be as easy as 1, 2, 3.

“Unfortunately, we’re one of the few teams that can be in the top ten in most polls across the country and be third in our division,” Gundy said.

Ryan Propes | Daily Texan Staff

Hooker Big 12 Athlete of the Year Briles’ Bears wake up, climb out of Big 12 basement

Chris Kominczak | Daily Texan Staff

Destinee Hooker has rose to the occasion in volleyball and track and field, leading her team teams to a Big 12 Championship in each sport. Texas volleyball and track and field star Destinee Hooker was awarded the 2008-09 Big 12 Conference Female Athlete of the Year. Hooker is the eleventh Longhorn to receive the honor. “This is such a great blessing to be named Big 12 Athlete of the Year. It is a little bit of a shock because of the other females in the league that were also nominated and are equally deserving of the honor,” Hooker said. “I couldn’t have done this without both of my coaching staffs, my parents and my teammates.” Standing at an intimidating 6’4,

Hooker is one of the premier athletes in the country. Dominating the volleyball floor, Hooker received All-Big 12 First Team honors. She was also a finalist for Volleyball Honda Award, honoring the nation’s top volleyball player. She swept the indoor and outdoor high jump titles and has helped all three athletic programs to record top five finishes in their respective sport. The last Longhorns to receive the award were Cat Osterman and Vince Young in 2005-06. — Matt Hohner

By Michael Sherfield Daily Texan Staff For more than a decade, the Baylor Bears have been in football hibernation. With only 13 Big 12 conference wins in school history and an average finish of last place in the South division, the Bears may as well have slept through the past 13 years of conference play. But under the direction of head coach Art Briles, now with a year in Waco under his belt, Baylor is showing signs of waking from its slumber. On the scoreboard, the gains are modest. Two conference wins and a 4-8 record last year, a minor improvement from the 3-9 overall and 0-8 conference record in 2007. But beyond those Baylor-like numbers hid performances that saw the Bears play Big 12 North champion Missouri to within a field goal, while threatening to silence the tiebreaker conundrum when holding a 28-14 third quarter lead over Texas Tech in the last game of the regular season. A few blowouts amid a stacked Big 12 South and difficult non-conference schedule aside, Baylor became a respectable football team. “People are going to approach us differently on the other side, in other staff rooms and on other practice fields because they’re going to come into Baylor with a different mindset than they did a year ago,” Briles said at last week’s Big 12 Media Day. “We understand we’re going to have to rise up and be better in all facets of the game, not only physically, to deal with the charges that are going to come our way.”

Associated Press

Baylor’s Robert Griffin has lifted the spirits of his teammates, fans and Bruiser the Bear. For the first time in a long time, the buzz of expectation is circling Waco and Floyd Casey Stadium. And much of that expectation rests on the shoulders of a sophomore, the explosive Robert Griffin, whose legs and arm seemed to will the Bears farther than they thought they could possibly go last season. The quarterback broke records left and right, most notably going 209 passes before

throwing his first interception in the ninth game of his career, an NCAA record, while accounting for two thirds of the Bears’ 46 touchdowns. But while there is no doubting Griffin’s play making talent, questions arise for his teammates, especially as the Bears lost the nation’s premier blocker, left tackle Jason Smith, who was selected No.2 overall in the NFL Draft. “What you have to do to fill those voids is the other guys on the offensive line — the guards, the center, our other tackle — those guys have got to be better,” Briles said. “They’ve got to rise up and take care of business, and they have to play better than what they played a year ago because when they’re leaning, No. 72 ain’t there to lean on.” Instead, the Bears might find themselves leaning on Griffin, who might have more responsibility than any other sophomore in the country. “Can one person do it alone?” Briles said. “Generally no, but they can help lead the charge. Everyone’s got to have a great supporting cast.” And with another year in the loaded Big 12 South, the depth and talent that these new Bears posses will be tested weekly against the newfound expectations of success. “It’s hard to get your foot in the door, they play hard to get in the Big 12 South,” Briles said with a laugh. “The tough part is changing atmospheres and memories. Texas and Oklahoma have good memories when you need to stop someone on 4th and 2.”

7A COMICS

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LIFE&ARTS

Monday, August 3, 2009

Cupcake Smackdown perks ears and peaks interest Glasvegas comes to Emo’s By Emily Royall Daily Texan Staff Last Saturday, Austin saw its first Cupcake Smackdown, a family and pet event held at the One2One bar that celebrated the tiny treats and locals who bake them. The event was organized by local food blogger Jennie Chen and benefitted the Wine & Food Foundation of Texas. The smackdown featured blind tasting contests of both professional and amateur cupcake creations, judged by a number of local chefs and foodies, as well as cupcake-eating contests for both humans and their pooches. More than 1,000 people attended, many more than the moderately-sized One2One bar could reasonably hold. Any original expectations of a garden party-like ambiance with individuals clad in pastel colors hold-

ing Pomeranian puppies were shed upon seeing the crowded red and black brick interior lit by neon beer signs. The procedures were a bit confusing in the dark. Over a number of twaddling heads, a woman announcer yelled out the start of inaudible events that attendees strained on tippy toes to hear. Downstairs, individual cupcakes awaiting judgment lined the bar railing, like sugary prisoners awaiting execution in a cupcake penitentiary. And precisely at the point where we all began to question the necessity of our presence, a woman entered the room, carrying a radiant white box of bejeweled pastries. “Try a cupcake?� she asked. This is what we were here for: The comforting, saturating sweetness that can only come from the

miniature delicacies. This was what the Cupcake Smackdown was all about. Soon, white boxes sprouted up everywhere and all the grievances of intrusive dogs and poor lighting vanished as many, many cupcakes were eaten. Traditional ones, cute ones, some that may even be called avant-garde tickled taste buds — my favorite flavor was green tea with tapioca bubbles. Cupcake entries were judged in four classes: amateur, storefront, catered and best overall. Each participant provided a vanilla, chocolate and “baker ’s choice� cupcake to be tasted by the five judges. Cupcakes were evaluated according to flavor, texture and aroma. Surprisingly, two out of these three winners, Amy Blodgett (Best Chocolate Overall) and

Blake Howard (Best Vanilla Overall), were from the amateur baking class. The single “catered� winner was The Cupcake Bar, a local cupcake catering company, which proudly took home the Baker ’s Choice award. Human cupcake eating contests were a marvel as well — congratulations to Chris Floyd, who proved capable of eating 13 cupcakes in 2 minutes. In the end, all the tribulations of atmosphere were worth the free cupcakes. Despite the dismal location, participants in the event seemed to possess a genuine love of cupcakes and were in high spirits. Cupcake Smackdown officials have yet to announce the date of the next showdown but if you decide to go, wear pants and get there early.

By Mark Lopez Daily Texan Staff Since its formation in 2003, Glasvegas has been combining the dark attitude of 80’s New Wave revivalists like The Jesus and Mary Chain with the types of noiserock manifestos made famous by bands like My Bloody Valentine. Though the group has only released one proper album, 2008’s Glasvegas, the Scottish band has already made a name for itself among alternative rock listeners. Thanks to the production assistance of Rich Costey — who has worked with other dark, stylish acts like Franz Ferdinand and Interpol — the album’s first two singles, “Daddy’s Gone� and “Geraldine� have received heaps of critical acclaim. The band was also awarded the 2008 Philip Hall Radar Award by NME Magazine for being the most promising new band last year. With

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WHO: Glasvegas with Ida Maria WHERE: Emo’s, outside WHEN: Doors open at 9 p.m., show starts at 10 p.m. TICKETS: $13 advance, $15 at the door this hype, the music of Glasvegas has been reaching larger audiences, culminating in a late-night appearance on “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.� This growing circle of influence includes an Austin date, so if you’re interested in seeing a band that comes with a brooding ambience and the shadowy air of decades past, now is the chance. Even if Glasvegas turns out to not be your thing, you’ll at least be inspired to go home and pull out your old Joy Division records afterward.

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Monday, August 3, 2009

LIFE&ARTS

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

T HE DAILY TEXAN

Brewed without benefit, new coffee shops graded Boulevard, is served out of a tiny trailer with outBy Leigh Patterson door picnic bench seating for its patrons. On the othDaily Texan Staff Whether it’s a sleep-deprived UT student or er hand, the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is a Los Anfast-walking downtown office employee, Austini- geles-based chain that has been in existence since the tes love coffee, a claim made evident by the pleth- ‘60s. The Austin location marks the Coffee Bean’s first ora of coffee shops — both chain and indepen- shop in Texas. Kick Butt Coffee, from its new location in the Triangle, is a locally-owned coffeehouse (with dently-owned — that line an exceptionally cheesy name) that serves cold glassnearly every street corner es of beer alongside its java offerings. in the Capitol City. Here’s the breakdown of what In the last few months, we thought of each new even more coffee houses coffee shop. have joined the ranks — notably, Austin Brevita, the Coffee Bean and Taste Tea Leaf and Kick Butt Coffee. The three repThe vani resent the range of and lla la ju options locals have er ha st the rig tte was d n h e when reaching for ting d, was f t amoun licious, w oul — out a t of s ith a their morning cup: ll da w dilut p y. ed an eetness. erfect fo Price Austin Brevita, The am-t d bla ice ond, i Grad t tast d coffee, coffee ra from its location t ed li e ke it on the ot io Spec on South Lamar h h i

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Coffee Bea n and Tea Leaf

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Or stop by Walter Webb Hall 405 W. 25th Street at Guadalupe – 2nd Floor

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