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THE DAILYY TEX EXAN

TOMORROW’S WEATHER

SPORTS PAGE 7

NEWS PAGE 6

Celebrating “nine nights” in one Monday, October 5, 2009

By Priscilla Pelli Daily Texan Staff A University alumna and two anthropology professors from Harvard and UT, respectively, won an Ig Nobel Prize on Thursday for their evolutionary explanation of why pregnant women don’t tip over.

UT anthropology professor Liza Shapiro and her two colleagues, UT graduate Katherine Whitcome and Harvard anthropology professor Daniel Lieberman, received the prize for their 2007 study. Harvard University’s Annals of Improbable Research magazine hands out the prize annually to research that “first make[s] people laugh, and then make[s] them think.” The award is not associated with the Nobel Foundation.

The three researchers tracked 19 women through their pregnancies and measured the movements of the spine. They noticed that by leaning back, pregnant women can balance the structure of the spine, which allows them to reduce pressure on the back.

The curve extends across three vertebrae, whereas in men it extends across two. Joints between a woman’s vertebrae are also larger than a man’s and able to hold more weight.

“The way that mass is distributed throughout the body is very

different during pregnancy, and women experience a change in their center of mass,” Whitcome said. “We wanted to know — how do women deal with this?”

“It started with doing an analysis of the vertebrae in men and women and noticing that women have different-shaped lower lumbar vertebrae than men,” Shapiro said. “The curvature of the lower back is more accentuated.”

A woman’s ability to carry additional weight stems from millions of years of evolution, according to the research.

“This specific feature of the spine was present in early human ancestors from over 10 million years ago, with the evolution of walking on two legs,” Shapiro said. “This is an adaptation of carrying fetus in front of you while you’re a biped.”

The research also discovered the detrimental effects that occur to the vertebrates of pregnant women when they lean back. The pressure can cause breaking of the vertebrate due to the huge force on their spine.

“Natural selection, by evolution, favored behavior and anatomy in females,” Whitcome said.

“They do things differently, and these very early adaptations within human ancestors are present today.”

Sara Young | Daily Texan Staff

A University alumna and two anthropology professors from Harvard and UT won an Ig Nobel Prize on Thursday for their research on the changes to women’s spines during pregnancy. .

“subtly deceptive tool of perversion” and that the Obama Administration would mean “the end of America as we know her.”

In the 2006 election, there was no Democratic nominee and Dunbar ran against a Libertarian, winning about 70 percent of the vote. Forum organizer John Keohane scheduled a series of meetings this year in order to provide voters with many different points of view.

www.dailytexanonline.com

Rain or Shine

Tamir Kalifa | Daily Texan Staff

Fans cheer as Ghostland Observatory take the AMD Stage Saturday night. The native Austin band co-headlined the second day of the festival with the Dave Matthews Band.

INSIDE: ACL goes on despite weather on page 12

County encourages student voting City, campus groups spread word about last day to register to vote

By Audrey White Daily Texan Staff Today is the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 3 election, but there are still several ways to register before the end of the day.

Voter registration forms are available for download at www. traviscountytax.org and at most post offices, city libraries and major retail establishments like H-E-B. All forms received with an Oct. 5 postmark will be considered valid.

Tr a v i s C o u n t y s p o k e s woman Tina Morton said this election, which focuses on constitutional amendments, including changes to the state’s tax appraisal system, veterans’ health services and university research funding, will affect every Texan, including students.

State board campaigning begins Candidates for Texas education board seat present platforms

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Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900

Evolutionary spinal study wins award

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“I didn’t want to be on the state board, and I tried twisting some people’s arms, and that didn’t work,” Keohane said. “I said ‘OK, we have to try to start this discussion.’”

Keohane said that elections should be about choice.

“We ought to have choices when it comes to Nov. 2010, so our only choice is to have both Democrat and Republican contenders,” Keohane

By Rachel Platis Daily Texan Staff Two Democratic candidates for the Texas State Board of Education, including one UT professor, discussed their platforms at a forum Saturday that was touched by controversy.

BOARD continues on page 5 UT mathematics professor Lorenzo Sadun and education policy expert Judy Jennings took questions from the audience at the event. All potential candidates for the seat were invited to attend. Republican incumbent Cynthia Dunbar and Republican Rebecca Osborne have also declared their intention to run for the position, but did not attend the forum. The 2010 primary election for the Place 10 seat will take place in March.

The Democrats spoke on what it would take to defeat Dunbar, who controversialMike Paschal | Daily Texan Staff file photo ly claimed on the Christian Worldview Network Web Mathematics professor Lorenzo Sadun is a candidate for site that public education is a District 10 of the Texas State Board of Education.

Andrew Rogers | Daily Texan Staff file photo

Donna Vu, center, an English senior, talks with friends after registering to vote, while Jeremy Yager, a Pre-Law Sophomore, holds up a registration sign up the West Mall last year.

“It’s important because they are planning to own property in the future, and there are a few items we will be voting on that impact home ownership,” Morton said. “There are issues that are of interest to anyone who plans to be here in Texas, because when

you change the Texas constitution, it’s going to stay that way until it comes before the voters again.”

Eligible voters between the ages of 18 and 26 historically have the lowest rates of voter registration and turnout.

This year, Morton said Travis

County has heightened efforts to encourage college-aged students to become politically aware, including a campaign which uses text messages to raise registration awareness.

“We’re working on another [public service announcement] with a group from [Austin Community College],” Morton said. “Our campaign to get more people registered to vote and voting is an ongoing thing. We do all sorts of voter drives at UT and other campuses.”

Student groups like University Democrats and College Republicans at Texas have been actively encouraging students and Austinites to vote.

Anna Crockett, Plan I Honors and linguistics junior and leader of voter registration for University Democrats, said the group tries to deputize its members so they can legally register others to vote. There are now about

VOTE continues on page 2

Choir show spreads violence awareness

By Priscilla Totiyapungprasert Daily Texan Staff Carolyn Mosley’s daughter Ortralla was on her way to dance practice at Reagan High School six years ago when she was murdered by her abusive boyfriend.

That devastating loss has inspired Mosley to reach out to students throughout Austin schools to educate them about domestic violence and methods of prevention.

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and Mosley’s organization, the Ortralla LuWone Mosley Foundation, is teaming up with other groups throughout Austin to promote resources and knowledge that victims and family members can use to meet the problem.

On Saturday, the Mosley Foundation teamed up with Safe Place, a local group that provides services for abuse victims, to throw the Austin Youth Choir “Blow Out” at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in East Austin.

“After what happened to my daughter, I wanted to help her friends cope with the loss, not think about me,” Mosley said.

“Some of the people here today were her best friends. It was never about me.”

At the reception after the event,

Sara Young | Daily Texan Staff

Rhonda Hickman, member of Tiffany and Divinity dance group, listens to a ceremony held in memory of domestic abuse victim Ortralla Mosley.

Safe Place provided information about the services it offers, including prevention education, counseling and support for victims at courthouses. Last year, 136 Texas women were killed by domestic violence and one in four Texas women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime, according to the Texas Council on Family Violence.

While community members wandered in and out of the church, choirs and dance groups

presented acts, and church members recited poetry throughout the day. Among the numerous dance and choir groups performing at the event was local hip hop group Public Offenders, whose members all attended Reagan High School with “Tralla,” as she was known by her classmates.

Group member Yolanda “Yoli” Zapata, Tralla’s best friend, said the group seeks to promote

ABUSE continues on page 1

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NEWS

Monday, October 5, 2009

NEWS BRIEFLY University Health Services offers flu vaccinations starting Tuesday University Health Services will provide seasonal flu shots at various locations on campus beginning Tuesday at Gregory Gym. Sherry Bell, a UHS senior program coordinator, said she expects a higher number of people seeking flu shots this year due to the swine flu scare. She emphasized that the vaccine is not for the H1N1 virus, but recommends students still receive the shot. The University offers an altered vaccine each year because the seasonal flu is never exactly the same, she said.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported in late September than no more than 1.7 million doses of the H1N1 virus vaccine will trickle into Texas by mid-October. UHS has already sent a request to the federal government to receive its share of the vaccine and expects the doses to arrive later this fall, Bell said.

Bell said one of the biggest myths that people with flu symptoms believe is that they must get their flu diagnosed as either the swine flu or seasonal flu. Symptoms for both are essentially the same and the seasonal flu vaccine does not negatively affect someone with swine flu, Bell said. — Priscilla Totiyapungprasert

Lara Haase | Daily Texan Staff

Garlands Mays, a Navy cook from 1958-1963, received help with his disability benefits from Texas Assistant Attorney General Paula Jaba and UT law students Kellie Dale and Daniel Moriarty at Texas Law Veterans Association’s free legal clinic at the Travis County Veterans Service Office on Friday.

Legal clinic offers resources to veterans

By Jim Pagels Daily Texan Staff The Texas Law Veterans Association held a free legal clinic at the Travis County Veterans Service Office Friday for low-income veterans and service members. The association provided active duty service members, National Guard reserves, veterans and their immediate families with attorneys from the Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas to answer legal questions. The Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas has provided pro bono legal services for veterans and low-income residents since 1981.

Friday was the third time the Texas Law Veterans held the clinic. Many of the group’s members are veterans or servicepeople themselves. “Texas has one of the largest veteran populations, so there are many [who need help],� said law student Tosha Mayo, volunteer coordinator of the University association. “We’ve [helped veterans] from all decades. We even had a G.I. Bill question.�

Nine veterans spent time with attorneys on a walk-in basis. Their questions touched on a variety of topics, including property ownership and child

support. Because of the private nature of many of the issues presented to lawyers at the clinic, some veterans did not wish to comment. “There are so many things [veterans] can do without realizing what’s available to them,� said Doug Lawrence, a staff attorney at Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas.

Lawrence, who volunteered Friday, said veterans also received financial advice at the clinic. “It’s always good to stop someone on a very limited income from investing money in something [that would not be profit-

able],� he said.

Lawrence said that many of the cases would mean the difference between veterans keeping or losing their jobs. “We had one veteran who is currently on a lot of medications,� he said. “The government is trying to revoke his [driver’s] license because they’ve ruled him unsafe. Without his license, though, he won’t be able to keep his job.�

The clinic also informed veterans of new legal rules that can save them money, such as recently passed legislation that could give disabled veterans exemp-

tions from paying property taxes. Any of the cases not resolved at the clinic would be reviewed

by Volunteer Legal Services to see if any further legal aid could be provided free of charge.

The Volunteer Legal Services also holds semi-weekly legal advice clinics Monday and Wednesday nights at Martin Middle School and Webb Middle School. “Our services can help veterans keep their jobs and probably save them a couple of thousand dollars,� Lawrence said. “To a lot of people, that isn’t that much, but for someone on a limited income, it’s very important.�

ABUSE: Victim’s family shares ways to protect others From page 1 domestic abuse awareness in its lyrics and on its albums.

Zapata painfully recalled the night of March 27, 2003, when Tralla told her the details of her relationship with 16-year-old Marcus McTear, recounting all the times he hit her and once smashed her head into a wall so hard it created a hole.

McTear was the football quar-

terback, and Tralla was a cheerleader and dance team leader — the high school “it� couple, Mosley said. Zapata and Mosley said no one, including themselves, suspected the violent nature of the couple’s seemingly benign threemonth relationship.

Tralla told Zapata she would break up with McTear after she got off the phone with her and that they should talk afterward about the outcome. But Zapata said she

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never spoke with Tralla about the abuse after that conversation. “I thought, ‘Nah, I’ll just see her at school tomorrow,’� she said.

At 4:22 p.m. the next day, the Austin Police Department received a phone call from Reagan High School. Tralla was on her way to open the dance team practice room when she was attacked by McTear, who stabbed her multiple times with a 6-inch kitchen knife. She had been wearing shorts and a small T-shirt McTear disapproved of, Zapata said.

McTear admitted to the killing in court and was sentenced to 40 years in jail. Despite the pain he has caused her, Mosley said she has already forgiven him and plans on one day visiting him in prison. “I want to see if he’s healed from his anger,� she said. “Some people tell me to let it go and not care about him anymore, but they don’t understand I’m a mother first, and that day, I lost two children. That person who killed her -- I don’t know that person — he’s not the boy I knew who used to come over to my house.�

Mosley said McTear had not always been so violent, but the pressures of an abusive home environment could have possibly influenced him.

There are usually warning signs before the first case

of violence. Mosley often uses clothing restriction as an example of a warning sign, explaining her daughter had broken up with McTear after he ordered her to stop wearing tank-tops. “Some girls don’t know what’s happening because they think it’s cute when their boyfriend tells them to stop wearing spaghettistrap shirts,� Mosley said. “They think, ‘Oh, he’s just trying to protect me.’�

‘‘

We ask ‘Why would she stay?’ when we should be asking ‘Why did he abuse?’ Violence is a choice.� — Patty Gonzales council spokeswoman

Domestic abuse — most of which is committed against women — includes violence against intimate partners, ex-partners or other family members like children or elders. Patty Gonzales, a council spokeswoman, said one of the biggest misconceptions about domestic violence is that victims are somehow responsible for their situation.

“We ask ‘Why would she stay?’ when we should be asking ‘Why did he abuse?’� she said. “Violence is a choice.�

Gonzales said victims face several barriers to leaving a violent situation, including the threat that the violence could increase after they leave their abuser. Other concerns include custody loss of a child, homelessness and economic worries if the abuser controls the finances, she said.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline received 225,000 phone calls last year, Gonzales said. The hotline, which is open 24 hours a day, provides confidential counseling to abuse victims.

This month, the hotline partnered with Capital Metro to advertise the hotline’s number, 1-800-799-SAFE, on the outside and inside of the buses, which will feature awareness signs in English and Spanish.

Preventing domestic violence goes back to teaching children about healthy relationships, and men must get involved as well, Gonzales said. “Fathers need to educate their sons, men need to stand up to male friends who treat women disrespectfully — it’s not nosiness, it’s caring,� she said. “It’s about everyone speaking out against sexism, racism, classism and this idea that men are supposed to be a certain way, this culture of women being less than men.�

THE DAILY TEXAN Volume 110, Number 84 25 cents

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VOTE: Campus groups also advocate for student involvement

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From page 1 50 deputies in the group. They also went to the Austin City Limits Music Festival to register attendees. College Republicans has deputized about 35 of its members.

Crockett said she hopes the efforts of University Democrats and other groups will help motivate students to become more politically aware and involved.

“Voter registration is important because people always complain about the government, what they have and haven’t done, but not a lot of people do anything about it,�

Crockett said. “Voting is the easiest and simplest way.�

If you miss today’s registration deadline, it is still possible to register for future elections. Registration forms are available online throughout the year, and student groups

will continue to pursue voters through campaigns and awareness. “We had a mass voter deputization for our club on Thursday, and we distributed materials to them,� said Michael Garcia, government senior and president of College Republicans. “We are going to continue working on getting people registered to vote for the primaries in March and next year’s election.�

3 W/N

Wire Editor: Emily Chandler www.dailytexanonline.com

WORLD&NATION

3

Monday, October 5, 2009

T HE DAILY TEXAN

Nuclear watchdog to visit Iran’s site of nuclear activity

Evan Vucci | Associated Press

Senate Finance Committee member Sen. Thomas Carper, D-Del., left, talks to committee chairman Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont. on Capitol Hill in Washington. Many middle-class Americans would still struggle to pay for health insurance despite efforts by President Barack Obama.

Health care still won’t be effortless

By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar The Associated Press WA S H I N G TO N — M a n y middle-class Americans would still struggle to pay for health insurance despite efforts by President Barack Obama and the Democrats to make coverage more affordable.

The legislation advancing in Congress would require all Americans to get insurance — through an employer, a government program or by buying it themselves.

But new tax credits to help with premiums won't go far enough for everyone. Some middle-class families purchasing their own coverage through new insurance exchanges could find it out of reach.

"For some people it's going to be a heavy lift," said Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del. "We're doing our best to make sure it's not an impossible lift."

Added Sen. Olympia Snowe, RMaine: "We have no certainty as to whether or not these plans are going to be affordable." Both are on the Senate Finance Committee, which finished writing a health care bill Friday.

A new online tool from the Kai-

ser Family Foundation illustrates the predicament.

The Health Reform Subsidy Calculator provides ballpark estimates of what households of varying incomes and ages would pay under the different Democratic health care bills. The legislation is still a work in progress and the calculator only a rough guide. Nonetheless, the results are revealing.

A family of four headed by a 45-year-old making $63,000 a year is in the middle of the middle class. But that family would pay $7,110 to buy its own health insurance under the plan from the committee chairman, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont.

The family would get a tax credit of $3,970 to help pay for a policy worth $11,080. But the balance due — $7,110 — is real money. Maybe it's less than the rent, but it's probably more than a car loan payment.

Kaiser's calculator doesn't take into account co-payments and deductibles that could add hundreds of dollars, even several thousand, to a family's total medical expenses. A Congressional Budget Office analysis estimates total expens-

es could average 20 percent of income for some families by 2016.

The issue of affordability "has been lurking in the background and is nowhere near resolved yet," said Kaiser's president, Drew Altman. "It's tricky because it doesn't take a lot of people to make affordability a political problem. It just takes some very visible and understandable cases."

At the root of the concerns is the push to cut the overall cost of health care overhaul legislation.

Congress is trimming the budget for subsidies to meet Obama's target of $900 billion over 10 years — as the Baucus plan does. It means premiums will be higher than under earlier Democratic proposals.

The trade-off directly affects people who buy their own coverage. For those with job-based insurance, employers would continue to cover most of the costs.

Most of the uninsured are in households headed by someone who's self-employed or works at a business that doesn't provide coverage.

Because health insurance is so expensive, lawmakers recognize that if they're going to pass a law requiring all Amer-

icans to get coverage, government has to defray the cost. The size of those subsidies makes an enormous difference.

Under the Baucus bill, a family of four making $63,000 would have to pay 11 percent of its income for health insurance, according to Kaiser. By comparison, an earlier bill from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee with more generous subsidies required the same hypothetical family to pay about 7 percent of its income for premiums — a difference of about $2,500.

"This is not the loaves and the fishes — you can't just throw some subsidies out there and expect that will take care of everybody's needs," said Karen Pollitz, a Georgetown University professor who studies the insurance market.

The legislation provides the most generous subsidies to those at or near the poverty line, about $22,000 for a family of four. That's where the problem is concentrated because about three-fourths of the uninsured are in households making less than twice the poverty level.

By Ali Akbar Dareini The Associated Press TEHRAN, Iran — The visiting head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog set Oct. 25 as the date for his inspectors to check Iran's newly revealed uranium enrichment site and struck an upbeat note Sunday, saying Tehran's confrontation with the West is shifting gears to more cooperation and transparency.

Though the United Nations has no "concrete proof" of an ongoing nuclear weapons program, the chief of the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, said he has "concerns about Iran's future intentions."

The inspection of the site and the outcome of more nuclear talks later this month with the United States and its allies will be crucial in determining the direction of the six-year standoff over Iran's nuclear activities.

"I see that we are at a critical moment. I see that we are shifting gears from confrontation into transparency and cooperation," ElBaradei said at a news conference in Tehran with Iran's top nuclear official.

His visit followed a week of intense diplomatic activity surrounding Iran's nuclear program, set off by the revelation that Tehran had been secretly constructing a new uranium enrichment plant just north of the holy city of Qom. On Thursday, Iran and six world powers put nuclear talks back on track at a landmark session near Geneva that included the highest-level bilateral contact with the U.S. in years.

President Barack Obama's national security adviser said Sunday that Washington was also pleased with the level of cooperation from Iran.

"The fact that Iran came to the table and seemingly showed

some degree of cooperation, I think, is a good thing," James Jones said on CNN's "State of the Union" program.

"But this is not going to be an open-ended process. ... We, the world community, want to be satisfied within a short period of time," Jones added. "So it's not going to be extended discussions that we're going to have before we draw our conclusions to what their real intent is. But for now, I think things are moving in the right direction."

France's foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, also talked of a "wind of medium optimism." He said "something happened" at Thursday's talks in Switzerland and "we no longer want to talk of sanctions."

ElBaradei was in Iran to set up the U.N. inspection of the enrichment facility near Qom. The site sparked serious concern, in part because its location next to a military base and partly inside a mountain adds to suspicions that Iran's nuclear program could have a military dimension. Obama, who accuses Iran of seeking to keep the site hidden for years before notifying the IAEA about it, has said Tehran's actions "raised grave doubts" about its promise to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes only.

Iran, which insists its nuclear work is only for nonmilitary purposes like energy production and medical research, says the site's location near a military base is intended to protect it from potential aerial bombing.

"It is important for us to send our inspectors to do a comprehensive verification of that facility," El Baradei said.

"We agreed that our inspectors would come here on the 25th of October to do the inspection. I trust that Iran will be transparent with our inspectors team.”

Cuts affect nursing homes, elderly

By Dave Collins The Associated Press HARTFORD, Conn. — The nation's nursing homes are perilously close to laying off workers, cutting services — possibly even closing — because of a perfect storm wallop from the recession and deep federal and state government spending cuts, industry experts say.

A Medicare rate adjustment that cuts an estimated $16 billion in nursing home funding over the next 10 years was enacted at week's end by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services — on top of state-level cuts or flat-funding that already had the industry reeling.

And Congress is debating slashing billions more in Medicare funding as part of health care reform.

Add it all up, and the nursing home industry is headed for a crisis, industry officials say.

"We can foresee the possibility of nursing homes having to close their doors," said David Hebert, a senior vice president at the American Health Care Association. "I certainly foresee that we'll have to let staff go."

WORLD BRIEFLY Italian Premier to build new houses for mudslide victims ROME — Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi promised Sunday to build new houses for the victims of massive mudslides in Sicily that killed at least 22 people and left more than 500 homeless.

Berlusconi visited the devastated area around the eastern coastal

Bob Child | Associated Press

The Griswold Health and Rehabilitation center in Griswold, Conn. is shown. The center was sold and shut down in early 2009, leaving the area with no nursing home facility.

The funding crisis comes as the nation's baby boomers age ever closer toward needing nursing home care. The nation's 16,000 nursing homes housed 1.85 million people last year, up from 1.79 million in 2007, U.S. Census Bureau figures show.

Already this year, 24 states have cut funding for nursing home care and other health services needed by low-income people who are elcity of Messina and met with survivors who were being housed in area hotels.

He promised them the government would build new houses — complete with sheets, flowers and a week's worth of groceries — just as it did for the survivors of an April 6 earthquake in central Italy.

He noted that the first such houses were given over to L'Aquila quake victims five months after the quake struck.

derly or disabled, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonprofit research firm based in Washington, D.C. Some facilities are now closed because of money problems — including four in Connecticut — and others have laid off workers because of what industry officials say are inadequate Medicaid reimbursement rates. Medicare cuts are troubling, they say, because "I think we can do that easily here," he told a briefing in Messina.

Rivers of mud tore down the mountainside and flooded parts of Messina and surrounding towns on Thursday night and Friday morning, killing 22 people and leaving another 40 still unaccounted for.

Berlusconi said the devastation was caused by an "exceptional" deluge that dumped more than 9 inches (25 centimeters) of rain in a few hours.

the higher Medicare reimbursements have been used to compensate for the lower Medicaid rates.

In Griswold, Conn., the community's only nursing home shut down earlier this year because of rising costs and an inability to pay for $4.9 million in needed renovations for the 90-bed facility.

"A 92-year-old woman was screaming and crying as she was loaded into the ambulance, saying 'This is my home,'" Griswold First Selectman Philip Anthony said. His 88-year-old mother was a resident of the same home at the time.

Anthony sought and found a new facility for his mother, but she died of pneumonia before the Griswold Health and Rehabilitation Center closed in the spring.

"To be hit with a sudden and deliberate closure like this, it just drained the heart right out of you," Anthony said.

Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell and state lawmakers gave no Medicaid rate increases to homes.

Chernoff said many of Connecticut’s 240 or so nursing homes have been reducing workers’ hours to deal with money problems.

Officials have acknowledged that deforestation and unregulated development — a widespread practice in Sicily and other parts of southern Italy — had weakened the soil and contributed to the disaster.

Berlusconi didn't refer explicitly to the problem of illegal construction, which is prevalent with the Sicilian Mafia. But he said the devastation had been foreseen by the government.

— The Associated Press

Vahid Salemi | Associated Press

Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, attends a joint press conference with the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization.

NATION BRIEFLY Towboat hits bridge, shuts down part of Mississippi River GREENVILLE, Miss. — The Coast Guard says it closed 10 miles of the Mississippi River for three hours after a towboat hit a bridge and six barges broke free.

Petty Officer Casey J. Ranel says in a news release that all six barges were recovered, no one was hurt and no pollution was reported.

The section is open.

The Coast Guard didn't say whether the Old Greenville Bridge about halfway between Little Rock, Ark., and Jackson was damaged or how many barges the vessel C.B. Ford had in tow at 5:20 a.m. Sunday, when it hit the bridge.

Speeding car crashes into rig killing passengers and driver PHILADELPHIA — State police in Philadelphia say a car has gone out of control and has slid under a tractor-trailer on a major highway, killing four people.

Police say the car was speeding and changing lanes while heading south on Interstate 95, one of the nation’s longest highways.

They say it was in a left lane just north of the center of the city early Sunday when the driver turned the steering wheel to the right before losing control and hitting the rig.

All four people in the car died at

the scene. One of them was ejected.

The rig’s driver was uninjured.

The crash temporarily closed parts of the southbound lanes of I-95, which connects 15 states from Florida to Maine. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

First swine flu vaccinations shipped, more to come WASHINGTON — The longawaited first vaccinations against swine flu — the squirt-in-the-nose kind — begin early next week in parts of the country, and states are urging people to be patient until more arrives.

Just a trickle of vaccine, 600,000 doses of the nasal spray FluMist, will be divided among 21 states and four large cities by Tuesday, with more small shipments to more states later in the week.

“We’re moving this out as quickly as we can,” said Oregon’s public health director, Dr. Mel Kohn, who hopes shipments arrive in time to begin some vaccinations on Monday. “This doesn’t do any good sitting in a warehouse.”

Most states are aiming their first small batches at health care workers, hoping to keep them well enough to be on the job as cases of swine flu — what doctors prefer to call the 2009 H1N1 strain — are rapidly increasing nationwide.

In Chicago, firefighters will share first doses with hospitals, to get some emergency responders protected, too.

Compiled by Associated Press reports

OPINION

4 Monday, October 5, 2009

T HE DAILY TEXAN

HORNS UP, HORNS DOWN

Editor in Chief: Jillian Sheridan Phone: (512) 232-2212 E-mail: editor@dailytexanonline.com Associate Editors: Jeremy Burchard David Muto Dan Treadway Lauren Winchester

GALLERY

Standing up for construction worker safety City Council has passed a resolution that will vastly improve the safety conditions for construction workers in Austin. According to a study released by the Workers Defense Project, in collaboration with the University, Texas is the deadliest state in the country for construction workers. This summer alone, seven construction workers died in Austin, with three of those deaths occurring in West Campus. Most troubling was the fact that all of these deaths were avoidable according to Emily Timm, a policy advocate for the WDP. The resolution will provide tremendous strides in local policy by hiring construction safety inspectors, granting construction workers rest breaks and rewarding companies that follow safe practices. We support the important work done by the Workers Defense Project in bringing this topic to the forefront and making it possible for this resolution to be written and unanimously passed. In an emerging city such as Austin, it is crucial that those responsible for building our infrastructure have safe working conditions. We’re hopeful other cities in Texas will follow Austin’s lead on this critical issue.

Frivolous flights Amid strict budget cuts and downsizing, UT System officials haven’t felt the need to cut back on seemingly excessive costs, such as use of the UT System’s private plane. The plane, which the system purchased last year as an upgrade from the previous System plane, is reserved by state and UT System personnel for official state business, which apparently includes several football games, donor events, a country club reception and even a rodeo. The UT athletics department has also used the plane for recruitment purposes, though athletics department spokesman Nick Voinis says it sets aside money and pays for the trips with the independent athletic budget.

Ordinarily, the use of a private plane by administration officials for seemingly unimportant events isn’t that big of a deal. But as the UT System suffers budget cuts and departments all around UT-Austin are being told to strap themselves for cash, circumstances aren’t ordinary, and faculty, staff and students want to see officials practice what they preach.

Hawker Beechcraft, the manufacture of the System’s nine-seater King Air 350, estimates the plane costs $1,088.21 per hour to operate, not including costs to land and take off from larger airports. Trips to locations like Houston for a rodeo and Lubbock for a football game end up costing more than twice regular airfare costs, resulting in wasted money that could have potentially saved UT System jobs. In many cases, using the private plane is an unnecessary and insulting luxury. Instead of exercising frugality and opting to travel commercially, some UT System officials take advantage of their “official state business” privilege in order to travel a bit easier — and cost the System in the process.

Ig Nobel research Last week, anthropology professor Liza Shapiro and two fellow researchers were awarded an Ig Nobel Prize for investigating why pregnant women do not tip over. The prize, awarded annually by the Harvard-based science humor magazine Annals of Improbable Research, is meant to “honor achievements that make people laugh, and then make them think.”

According to the researchers, pregnant women owe their sense of balance to their lower back. The researchers found that women’s lumbar curves evolved to extend across three vertebrae, whereas men’s lumbar curves only extend across two.

The odd but interesting study was conducted in 2007 and published in Nature magazine, which has called the Ig Nobel Prizes “the highlight of the scientific calendar.”

It may not be a “real” Nobel prize, but we agree with Shapiro: It’s the next best thing.

GALLERY

The world has consumption

By Emily Grubert Daily Texan Columnist It’s usually a latent infection, only coming out in about 10 percent of those who are infected. When it is active, it kills half its victims.

The treatment is difficult and multistaged. If treatment is halted early or interrupted, the disease tends to morph into something stronger, something that requires other, more complicated treatment.

Huge numbers of people have been infected. Those with weak systems are most vulnerable, and during the 19th century, it became very fashionable.

It is a wasting disease that very often attacks those who engage in substance abuse.

I’m talking, of course, about consumption — or tuberculosis. But I could just as easily be referring to material consumption.

As with TB, material consumption isn’t necessarily going to hurt us as long as it’s well-managed — it’s only when it progresses to the wasting disease stage that things get kind of rough.

There are a lot of ways to waste, many of which are hardly noticed and require very little effort to correct: like leaving lights on in bright areas during the day or leaving water running in the kitchen sink while we talk to someone. Then there are things that are both wasteful and harmful, like burning ourselves in the shower — wasting water, wasting energy to move the water, wasting energy to heat the water and wasting energy to treat the water.

TB tends to triumph over those with weakened systems, and this seems true

of material consumption, as well. While we can manage the by-products of our material use with some effort, when those systems are not in place, we become extremely vulnerable.

Consider trash: It’s a by-product of consumption. As long as we have garbage services, we’re good — but you may have seen The New York Times update on Egypt a few weeks ago that highlighted the country’s total breakdown in waste disposal because of the swine culling earlier this year. All the pigs were killed as a misguided preemptive response to H1N1, so pig farmers aren’t picking up trash to feed the pigs anymore, leading to huge trash heaps that are going uncorrected.

In a less obvious case of system breakdown, Austin comes to mind.

The city has instituted single stream recycling, which is great if it works. The idea is that people put all recyclables into one bin, and someone will take care of it, returning the trash to the production stream and cutting back on the by-products of our consumption.

The problem is that the costs of bringing all those recyclables to a place where they can be managed (not Austin) is very high, leading many to question the sustainability of the system.

UT adds yet another layer to this — from what I’m told, all recycling on campus is student-initiated, funded by student groups and usually collected and transported by student volunteers.

This means the system is weak.

Recycling bins are not co-located with all trash cans, we can’t recycle glass on campus and the bins don’t get emptied unless one of our fellow students voluntarily chooses to take out the cam-

pus’ trash instead of doing a problem set or something.

Given these challenges, the fact that the program exists is impressive, but UT’s recycling program is like trying to treat TB in a poor, rural area where infected patients have to walk 90 miles each way to get a shot. It’s a good start, but the system will break down sometimes, and greater institutional support would help a lot.

Consumption is a manageable infection. By setting up institutions to handle the by-products of societal consumption, we can ensure that it will not progress to the murderous disease stage.

But as global populations expand and we strive to bring a high standard of living to all, it will be very important to recognize that preemptive treatment is absolutely necessary. Organizations that can implement that treatment are key.

We’ve done a reasonably good job with TB in some areas and utterly failed elsewhere. I mean, UT had already existed for almost a decade the last time an American body was exhumed, mutilated and partially eaten due to tuberculosis-related vampirism fears: Google it — Mercy Brown, Rhode Island, 1892.

And UT was established in 1883. Rhode Island has come a ways with TB treatment since then.

Especially for us young adults, as we enter society’s working and planning realms, we need to consider how we’re going to handle a more modern conception of consumption, a latent infection that can turn into a wasting disease.

Grubert is an energy and earth resources graduate student

Undergraduate manual labor

By Stuart Sevier Daily Texan Columnist

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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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Undergraduate research is a scam.

The University’s ever-increasing cry for undergraduates to wander into labs across campus is the central piece of a national conspiracy. Academics across the country have formed a plan (in secret, mind you, so shhhhh) to replenish decreasing National Science Foundation funding with a workforce of undergraduates. Well ... maybe.

Think about it. Someone has to debug the code, clean the cages and screw the screws, and it certainly shouldn’t be the professors. It makes sense that undergraduates should do these sorts of things. The problem is, these positions are not being sold honestly.

One of the most repeated reasons to conduct “research” as an undergraduate is that you can get your hands dirty.

And being trapped inside all day gives talk of dirt a certain allure.

The idea is that getting your fingers onto a button, broom, dial or keyboard will give you some sense of what it’s like to be a professional. The idea is good: Get a little taste as an undergraduate so that you don’t spend six years in a Ph.D. program you can’t stand. But the results are questionable. The work an undergraduate does in a lab isn’t like the work of a professional. For most professors, answering e-mails and serving on committees takes so much time that when it’s all over, they have little time left to spend in the lab. If you talk to most “researchers” across campus, I think you’ll find that they rarely see their advisor in action.

The University has created a database of all the professors and their interests, “EUREKA!,” to help undergraduates hook up with researchers conducting work that they might find interesting. The EUREKA! Web site promises to help undergraduates join the “exciting community of discovery, creativity and innovation” that we have at our University. Sounds dreamy.

In the College of Natural Sciences, there are a number of programs and groups to give undergraduates a push into research. There is a student group singly devoted to creating undergraduate researchers, “SURGe” and a CNS-sponsored program that seeks to put kids to work as soon as they start school, the “Freshman Research Initiative.” It promises freshmen, “the opportunity to advance academically while doing cutting-edge, original, publishable research.” Again, sounds dreamy.

Professors play an active role too.

They don’t sit back and wait for the programs and initiatives to motivate students. They are suspiciously verbose about the importance of doing research as an undergraduate. So when does this sought after romantic period of research happen? When does one get to be a part of an “exciting community of discovery, creativity, and innovation”?

Based on what these programs and professors are telling us, you get to start groundbreaking research soon after setting up your dorm, but undergraduate research is not only time-consuming and intense, it is also often boring and a tad mundane.

It’s not easy to do real research, and you probably won’t do it during your

years as an undergraduate on the 40 Acres.

Despite the aforementioned pitfalls, those who choose to head down the undergraduate “research” path do receive a number of perks. In addition to gaining something often times overlooked during college (an education), undergraduate researchers gain a great deal of experience.

Manual labor and placing part orders doesn’t appeal to most people. It certainly doesn’t sound like becoming a part of an “exciting community.”

But undergraduate research is a positive thing. It’s just that instead of offering the promise of scientific research and glorified discovery, people pushing undergraduate research should paint a picture closer to reality.

No more of this over-hyped scientific community and groundbreaking research stuff. Sure, we have MacArthur Fellows and National Academy members, but that doesn’t mean much for undergraduates like us. Working with a good researcher doesn’t necessarily lead to a good research experience.

If you start soon enough, and are persistent, it is possible to spend your junior and senior year with your own project. If done right, or even done wrong, having a project of your own can be great. For many, it ends up being the most fulfilling part of their time as an undergraduate. If you want to do research as an undergraduate, I encourage you to dive right in, but you should know that the water just might not be as deep as you think.

Sevier is a physics senior

5 UNIV

5

STATE&LOCAL

Monday, October 5, 2009

Dallas judge turns heads by granting gay divorce Ruling cause for debate among lawyers, Young Conservatives of Texas

By Audrey White Daily Texan Staff Dallas judge Tena Callahan is causing a stir after granting a legal divorce to a gay couple married in another state Thursday.

The two men, who are referred to as J.B. and H.B. in the suit, traveled from their home state of Texas to get married in Massachusetts in 2006 and then returned to Dallas.

J.B. filed a lawsuit for a divorce in January, and Attorney General Greg Abbott quickly intervened in the district court proceedings, but Callahan, a Democrat, disregarded his filing. Callahan asserted Thursday in her response to Abbott’s intervention that the Texas Constitution’s ban on gay marriage violates the 14th amendment, which guarantees equal protection of the law and that her court does have jurisdiction to hear the suit for divorce. Later that day, Abbott filed an accelerated appeal, which takes precedence over other matters before the court, and issued a public statement against Callahan’s ruling. The couple’s divorce filing is on hold until Abbott’s appeal is reviewed.

“The laws and constitution of the state of Texas define marriage as an institution involving one man and one woman,” Abbott said in the statement. “The Office of the Attorney General will appeal the court’s ruling to defend the traditional definition of marriage that was approved by Texas voters.”

J.B.’s attorney, Pete Schulte,

could not be reached for comment but has stated in court filings that he considers the ruling the most appropriate decision based on the law. His office intends to proceed with filing the divorce documents for the couple as soon as possible.

“If a divorce is granted in the case, the court is not creating, recognizing or validating a marriage between persons of the same sex; rather, the effect of a divorce immediately ends a marriage,” Schulte said in the filing.

Nick Prelosky, government senior and executive director for the UT branch of Young Conservatives of Texas, said he believes Abbott’s appeal of the ruling is necessary to preserve the will of most Texans, noting that the amendments outlawing gay marriage in 2005 passed by a vote of 75 to 25 percent.

Throughout the case, some have noted that the state constitution does not specifically refer to divorce, so it is legal to allow divorce without legalizing gay marriage. But some see this as an attempt to get around the law.

“Generally, as limited government constitutionalists, we at YCT are on board with not extrapolating things from the written word of the constitution to fit our own political motives,” Prelosky said.

“But the reason the wording isn’t in the law to begin with is that it’s kind of obvious. You have to get married to get divorced, and that wasn’t there just to be a political loophole a couple of years down the road.”

Lizzie Gray, a chemical engineering sophomore and copresident of Hang Out, a campus LGBT organization, said she is optimistic about the op-

May-Ying Lam | Daily Texan file photo

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott smiles at an event earlier this year. Abbott filed an accelerated appeal after a Dallas judge granted a divorce to a gay couple. portunities for gay rights expansion that the ruling presents for nearly the same reason — recognizing divorce could eventually lead to recognition of gay marriages, though it may not happen directly because of this case.

She said she hopes this case will bring students’ attention to the

Facebook might be making us overly social, says study

By Viviana Aldous Daily Texan Staff As more college students rely on social media and technology, some people might assert that the youth generation is shifting toward anti-social behavior. But a UT researcher disagrees.

Associate radio-television-film professor S. Craig Watkins’ recently released book, “The Young and the Digital,” incorporates three years of research and more than 500 surveys and 300 interviews.

“This idea that we’re always connected and always in touch with each other suggested the opposite [of anti-social behavior], that we may be becoming too social in certain instances,” Watkins said. “We walked away from the research not asking the question, ‘Are we becoming less social?’ We actually asked, ‘Are we becoming too social?’”

Watkins said he observed a shift in popularity of various forms of media, including a transition from MySpace to Facebook. About 98 percent of the 550 UT students surveyed use social networking sites, and many log in at least three times per day.

Based on interviews with 375 students, the following words are associated with MySpace: crowded, trashy, creepy, uneducated, immature, predators and crazy. Meanwhile, Facebook was described as selective, clean,

‘‘

We walked away from the research not asking the question, ‘Are we becoming less social?’ We actually asked, ‘Are we becoming too social?”

— S. Craig Watkins author

trustworthy, educated, authentic, college and private.

“The shift [in technology], what I call a digital migration, [was] happening at a faster and faster speed,” Watkins said.

“More and more people would move away from older digital platforms, and I’ve been trying to understand the migration and think of implications of that. It’s just a much more dynamic and interactive environment.”

Andrew Townsell, a business honors and accounting sophomore, said he used MySpace until he got to college. Now he uses Twitter and checks his Facebook “way more than [he] should.” “[Social media sites] bring me closer to my peers, but I can see how it might be problematic in some people’s social lives,” Townsell said. “It can help make you more social. You can use them to network, and sometimes you might not even be aware of how big your circle of friends is.”

But Alice Ho, a biology and pre-dentistry senior, said she practices “self-control” and chooses not to use Facebook or Twitter.

“They’re potential distractions from my studies,” Ho said.

“I just don’t want to be one of those people who checks her Facebook all the time.”

BOARD: Forum gives candidates

opportunity to present platform From page 1 said. “We have to stir up interest.”

If Sadun is elected, he will be the only scientist on the board.

“I’m ready to argue for real science,” he said. “We need to get the standards right.”

Sadun has 28 years of experience in the classroom and has taught math and physics at several universities. He has also been a tutor and has done work in adult and religious education.

“Teaching is what I do, and I’m good at it,” Sadun said. “I know that our kids need a 21st century education to meet 21st century challenges.”

He said that the big issue for the board right now is ideology versus real, common sense teaching. “ O n s o m e i s s u e s , t h e re shouldn’t be questions,” Sadun said. “Algebra is algebra, physics is physics, and people who know what they’re doing say biology is biology.”

Sadun also advocated key

points that should be stressed in K-12 teaching.

“A key component of health information is sex education,” Sadun said. “The board has tried to severely limit access of information to contraception. Again, it’s ideology trumping the real need for students to get information.”

There is an opportunity for a well-funded and highly experienced candidate to win the 16 counties of District 10, though it won’t be easy, said Jennings, who is currently the director of assessment at Resources for Learning.

“There are 4.7 million children in Texas whose education is governed by 15 members of the State Board of Education,” Jennings said. “Half of these board members have agendas that are not related to the best interest of our children.”

She said that if elected, she would listen to teachers when it comes to setting standards and curriculum.

“In my current work, I’m in the schools constantly,” Jennings

said. “Teachers are frustrated.

Who knows better what can be taught in a day than teachers?”

The candidates disagreed about how much money they believe it will take to win the race.

So far, Sadun has raised close to $11,000 but believes it will take about $200,000 to win.

“I’m a little less optimistic about what it will take to win, and I expect that it may take at least $300,000,” Jennings said.

“I started working with professional fundraisers early because Dunbar is extremely well-funded. My main focus is getting the word out on how people can vote.”

Rebecca Bell-Metereau, a professor at Texas State, is running for the District 5 spot on the State Board of Education. She attended the talk to see what the District 10 candidates had to say.

“I saw a lot of good ideas today,” Bell-Metereau said. “I thought Lorenzo was a very strong speaker, and I liked Judy’s research about what she was advocating.”

changing dynamics of gay couples in Texas and the nation, noting that a similar case in Indiana was ruled unconstitutional earlier this year.

“A lot of similar cases have been turned down, so it’s interesting to see that a judge in Texas actually wanted to divorce this couple. I

STATE BRIEFLY Complaints mount at Texas prepaid electric firms DALLAS — Texas’ utility commissioners say they don’t know how many prepaid electric companies are in the state and refuse to disclose how many customers are served by the firms, which face rampant consumer complaints, according to a newspaper report Sunday.

The state Public Utility Commission said it doesn’t know how many operate in Texas because it doesn’t classify companies by business model. Unofficial estimates indicate the companies serve as many as 100,000 customers, The Dallas Morning News reported.

Consumer protection rules do not address the unconventional

was very surprised,” Gray said.

She said this will be an issue of discussion for Hang Out and hopes it will help mobilize discussion and activism, since it is the closest Texas has come to ruling in favor of gay marriage to date.

“I’ve already talked about it with several of my friends, both

in the queer community and not,” Gray said. “Just talking about these things is enough to get other people involved and thinking. A lot of people were surprised and had their own opinions. I don’t have too much effect on it; it’s not like I can vote, but I can ask others how they feel.”

business model that prepaid electric companies use, but Texas utility commissioners — intent on spurring competition — still licensed them.

Complaints about the companies are rampant, including concerns that poor, sick and disabled customers have found themselves without air conditioning. Some people said they were forced out of their homes or ended up skipping necessary medicine because of the bill.

The newspaper reported that some prepaid providers had inexperienced operators, convicted criminals and undercapitalized entrepreneurs. Some failed, leaving people in a lurch to find power.

The companies, which charge customers in advance based on estimated usage, are a type of subprime provider that popped up af-

ter Texas deregulated its electricity market in 1999 and allowed customers to start choosing their providers in 2002.

Some firms charge as much as 50 percent more than traditional companies to people who lack credit or money for deposits. And quick cutoffs are a constant threat.

Prepaid operators say they offer power to people who might not be able to obtain it otherwise. Higher rates reflect the risk to the company that customers will use more electricity than they paid for, they say.

PUC Chairman Barry Smitherman said he was not aware of widespread problems with prepaid providers.

“The prepay space, in general, is a very, very small slice of the total market,” he said.

— The Associated Press

6 S/L

6

NEWS

Monday, October 5, 2009

Despite weather, water restrictions remain in place

By Priscilla Pelli Daily Texan Staff The Austin Water Utility announced Friday that Stage 2 Mandatory Watering Restrictions will remain in place for customers due to the severe drought in Central Texas, meaning Austin residents will continue to see restrictions on activities like watering lawns and washing cars.

The restrictions were made because of recommendations from the Lower Colorado River Authority, a water conservation and reclamation organization, which stated that the combined lake storage levels of Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan hit the trigger point for Stage 2 water-usage restrictions.

Jill Mayfield, a spokeswoman for Austin Water Utility, said it will take several months of rain to reach an acceptable standard before water-usage restrictions can be removed.

Kevin Buckman, spokesman for Austin Water Utility, said Central Texas received about 2 feet of rain in recent weeks, but that is not enough to declare the region drought-free.

Stage 2 restrictions were initially enacted in late August when the combined total volume of lakes had gone below 900,000 acre-feet — enough water to cover one acre in a foot of water. Stage 1 watering restrictions begin May 1 of each year, but due to the persistence of the drought, higher-level restrictions were enacted. “It’s based on outdoor water use. It has nothing to do with indoor water use. The only thing we ask is that you limit how often you can water your lawn or business,� Mayfield said.

Dean Minchillo, a water conservation specialist for the Low-

er Colorado River Authority, said dropping water levels prompted the water restrictions. “It’s one of those things where the city of Austin’s drought contingency plan says that we’re going into Stage 2 restrictions; please enact your drought contingency plan,�

Minchillo said. “It’s up to those entities to do whatever they need to do to save the water.�

The water authority has a management plan as part of the wastewater ordinance, enacted by the city, which tells Minchillo and other water conservation specialists how to operate and heighten the levels of water in the lakes. The trigger points are based on the combined total amount of water in Lake Buchanan and Lake Travis.

Stage 1 restrictions are triggered when the lakes hit below a combined storage level of 1.1 million acre-feet.

The next trigger level for Stage 2 is below 900,000 acrefeet, and the trigger level for Stage 3 is 600,000 acre-feet in both lakes combined. “Everything is just done voluntarily. We might alert our customers, but we don’t mandate anything,� Minchillo said.

The total storage conservation is close to 2 million acrefeet. The water management plan is based on overall conservation storage of both lakes. “Until the lake levels come back to that level or beyond, we will remain in Stage 2,�

Buckman said.

Other Stage 2 restrictions include limiting automatic irrigation systems to operate between the hours of midnight and 10 a.m. on designated days and requiring residential and commercial customers to follow a once-per-week outdoor watering schedule.

Bruno Morlan | Daily Texan Staff

Electrical engineering senior Kaizer Sayani is lifted by those around him as he sings along to traditional Indian music at the Navratri festival on the South Mall. This particular celebration was in honor of the deity Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.

Navratri spotlights Indian culture

By Priscilla Totiyapungprasert Daily Texan Staff Colorful scarves decorated the trees of UT’s South Mall and Northern Indian music blasted from the speakers Friday night as students mingled and danced to traditional Indian songs.

The Hindu Students Council hosted its 12th annual Navratri festival. Navratri, which means “nine nights,� celebrates female divinity in Hinduism and the triumph of good over evil. The council led students in a circle around a gold-colored statue of Lakshmi to dance garba, a type of Northern Indian folk dance.

Traditionally, the festival is divided into three sets of three days.

Each set of days is devoted to one of three supreme goddesses — Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati.

Durga represents power and courage, Lakshmi represents prosperity and wealth of spiritual values, and Saraswati represents knowledge and wisdom.

The festival gave Hindu students who were unable to return home an opportunity to celebrate their culture on campus, said council president Apoorva Murthy.

Murthy said the council also wanted to give people unfamiliar with the festival an interactive glimpse of Indian culture. “Instead of just doing a talent show where people are passively watching, we wanted something

where people feel welcomed to join in,� Murthy said.

Along with garba, the council rented out Dandiya sticks for Raas, a dance that involves partners striking their sticks together.

The council also provided catering from Udipi Cafe that included dosa, which is made from a batter of lentils and rice; pavbhaji, a curry with potato and carrots; and samosa chaat, a fried curry snack. “We want to see our children be successful and continue to follow Hindu traditions,� said Kokila Shah, adding that he was proud to see students celebrating one of India’s major festivals.

Murthy said some people have a misconception that Hinduism

is a polytheistic religion, when in actu- ON THE WEB: A stop-motion ality, there is one god who video of the appears in Hindu festival many forms. @dailytexan The three online.com goddesses celebrated that night represent three facets of Brahman, the name of the single divine entity that transcends all existence, she said. “I wasn’t sure what the festival was about, but I came here to watch,� said government junior Jeff Murchison. “Hindu dancing is always beautiful to watch.�

# !

COLLEGE STUDENTS DESERVE AN

EDUCATION NOT INDOCTRINATION

! !" ! ! " " " # ! ! ! ! & % $ ! ! & # ! !"! ! ! & "! ! ' " & "

7 SPTS

SPORTS

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

7

Monday, October 5, 2009

T HE DAILY TEXAN

VOLLEYBALL

SUNDAY

NO. 2 TEXAS 3, KANSAS STATE 0

Texas overcomes Wildcats’ offense to remain perfect

By Chris Tavarez Daily Texan Staff For a team that faced eight ranked opponents in its first nine games, it makes sense that No. 2 Texas (13-0, 6-0 Big 12) ended the first half of its season with a close match. While Texas did sweep Kansas State in three straight sets, the Wildcats (6-8, 0-4 Big 12) played Texas close by posting at least 20 points in each of the three sets.

“This group has gone through

TEXAS 2

KANSAS 1

Horns come back to stop KU

a very tedious early season; and the way they came out competing tonight was great,” said Texas head coach Jerritt Elliott. “This is the halfway mark for the whole season and I’m proud of what we have done.”

Kansas State entered the match with a losing record and without a win in conference play, and Texas made sure it would stay that way

VOLLEYBALL continues on page 8

Derek Stout | Daily Texan file photo

Ashley Engle tries to get the ball past two Baylor players earlier this season. Engle led the team with 38 assists against Kansas State on Friday.

NCAA FOOTBALL COLUMN

Caleb Miller | Daily Texan Staff

College football world revolves as Horns rest

Defender Stephanie Gibson beats a Kansas player to the ball in Sunday’s matchup. Gibson and the Longhorns held No. 19 Kansas scoreless for the final 31 minutes and Kylie Doniak capitalized on a late penalty kick to win.

Win, tie at home keep Texas in top half of conference standings

even before the concussion knocked him out.

By Austin Talbert Steven Sheffield, a rather lanky Daily Texan replacement for Potts, quickly alColumnist leviated the Raiders’ problems, leading Tech to a touchdown as time expired in the first half for Rain, rain here to stay. a 14-7 lead.

Perfect for a lazy Saturday.

New Mexico, who had lost eight Watching football on my couch, games in a row, gave Potts a headTaylor Potts sacked again. Ouch. ache, literally, in the first half, but Sheffield saved Mike Leach and his Instead of chillaxing or enjoy- Twitter-less Red Raiders from droping the music at ACL, I spent ping their third straight game. my Saturday working hard to ensure that you — who took the Number games weekend off from college footPoor, poor Houston Cougars. I ball — don’t fall too far behind.

I don’t want you cramming the almost feel bad. Almost. A week afnight before the exam, so I gra- ter they became the darling of the ciously provided my notes from college football kingdom and Case Keenum vaulted into the Heisman this weekend. spotlight, they collapsed.

Keenum had a career night in Down the Potts El Paso, slinging 76 passes for 536 The past few weeks for Tex- yards and five touchdowns, but it as Tech quarterback Taylor Potts wasn’t enough to stop the surging have been flat-out awful.

UTEP offense.

First, he became the latest vicNo, you didn’t misread. I said tim of Sergio Kindle’s tour of de- surging UTEP offense. A week afstruction in a loss to Texas. Then, ter the Miners racked up a total of he and his Red Raiders fell to 53 yards of offense against TexHouston. Saturday, he also fell. as’ defense, UTEP mined up 58 After taking two straight points and 581 yards of offense. sacks in the mouth, Potts susThe Cougars’ collapse after a tained a concussion and left huge win follows the all-too-comSaturday’s game against New mon pattern in college football.

Mexico just before halftime. Big win, big head, big letdown.

Potts had a tough half, throwing two interceptions and failFOOTBALL continues on page 8 ing to secure a lead for Tech

had composure, so I composed

By Sameer Bhuchar myself and placed it right in the Daily Texan Staff The official music scene may back of the net.”

The Texas defense played have been at Zilker Park for Austin City Limits this week- toe-to-toe with Missouri as end, but head coach Chris they were constantly swarming Petrucelli and the Longhorns to the ball and covering open (5-5-2, 2-0-2 Big 12) were cer- lanes. But the injury-laden and tainly singing a happy tune af- undermanned Texas lineup ter their successful weekend at gave up the game-tying goal in Mike A. Myers Track and Soc- the waning seconds of regulation. Missouri’s Michelle Colcer Stadium.

The Longhorns tied Mis- lins dealt the blow in the 89th souri 1-1 on Friday and beat minute of the game.

Coach Petrucelli was disapthe No. 19 Jayhawks 2-1 on Sunday to add four more pointed about the tie.

“We had the win in our points on the year. h a n d s . We On a clear w e re n ’ t s a v Friday night, vy enough to Texas took on pull it out. Our an extremeinexperience ly physical Tiger team (6- Wins are hard to come s h o w e d , ” h e 4-2, 1-0-1 Big by in this league, and said.

The game on 12). After tywe’re happy when we Friday brought ing Baylor the get them.” a lot of physiweek before, cality. Throughthe Longhorns — Chris Petrucelli out the contest, weren’t lookhead coach players were ing to simply taking hard settle. They fouls, sharing came out gunwords and playning, working ing rough — the ball into the there were a total of 30 fouls.

Tigers’ box a number of times.

“It was definitely a blood bath But the Texas attack did not click until freshman Hannah out there,” Higgins joked. “At Higgins came into the game. least no one got seriously hurt.”

Sunday’s match was equally In the 23rd minute, Higgins received a short cross from the difficult as the Longhorns took speedy midfielder Amanda on the high-powered offense of Lisberger and crushed it into Kansas (8-4-1, 0-3 Big 12).

Texas’ freshman goalkeepthe back of the net.

“I just kind of stepped off er Alexa Gaul had her hands the line,” Higgins said. “I was full the entire game. The Jayexpecting it and waited for it. hawks flew all over the pitch I just wanted to be sure that I and outshot the Longhorns 14

‘‘

Lauren Gerson | Daily Texan Staff

Teammates swarm freshman Hannah Higgins (5) to congratulate her after she scored Texas’ only goal against Missouri on Friday. to 10. Gaul made six athletic saves before finally conceding the game’s first goal in the 58th minute.

Gaul said it was the play of Texas’ back line that helped her out in the end.

“Their forwards are the biggest threat on the field, but our defense did a really good job stopping them,” she said.

The Longhorns countered a few minutes later when forward Becca Rivera whipped a shot past Kansas goalkeeper Julie Hanley. The shot was actually intended to be a cross to Lisberger, but Hanley deflected the hard, low cross into the net.

Texas was not done yet. In the 78th minute, Texas was award-

ed a penalty kick after Hannah Higgins was fouled in the box.

Kylie Doniak scored the penalty kick, which ended up being the difference in the game.

Petrucelli was proud of the performance his team put on.

“Today, we really gutted it out,” Petrucelli said after Sunday’s win. “We fought really hard to win the game. We fought really hard on Friday night, too, and we were a minute from winning that as well.

Wins are hard to come by in this league, and we’re happy when we get them.”

Next week, the Texas soccer team will take on Loyola-Chicago at Mike A. Myers Track and Soccer Stadium at 7 p.m.

Friday’s game TEXAS 1

MISSOURI 1

NFL

Texans rebound with 23-point win in Houston

John A. Bowersmith | Associated Press

Steven Sheffield replaced Texas Tech quarterback Taylor Potts when Potts went out with a concussion during Tech’s win over New Mexico.

By Kristie Rieken The Associated Press HOUSTON — For the first time this season, the Houston Texans weren’t left to answer questions about their horrible run defense and inability to stop big plays.

Instead, the defense got to celebrate its best performance since 2004 as the Texans beat the struggling Oakland Raiders 29-6 on Sunday. The 165 yards Houston allowed was the second fewest in team history and the fewest since giving up 126 in a win over Jacksonville almost five years ago.

“Everybody was having fun,” said defensive end Antonio Smith. “When you’re having fun, you have confidence in what you do. You don’t second-guess. You don’t pull up when you can [go full speed] and that’s when you make big plays.”

Steve Slaton scored two touchdowns and Jacoby Jones returned a kickoff for a score to help out in the win.

The Texans (2-2) finally found their running game and figured out a way to shut down someone else’s as Houston’s NFL-worst

ONLINE: Video of 3-on-3 basketball tournament @dailytexanonline.com

defense held the Raiders (1-3) to 45 yards rushing. The Texans were allowing 205 yards rushing entering the game.

Houston also forced three turnovers and got its first safety in almost seven years.

The Texans got the win despite struggling with some illnesses. They had the NFL’s first confirmed case of swine flu earlier this week in tight end Anthony Hill.

Houston had some other players get sick Saturday night and Sunday morning, but did not confirm any other cases of swine flu.

Safety Eugene Wilson sat out with an illness and running back Chris Brown was available but not feeling well and didn’t play.

Linebacker Xavier Adibi was also ill but played on special teams.

“Eugene got very sick last night, it continued through this morning, so there was no way he could play,” coach Gary Kubiak said. “We’re monitoring the situation. It’s something that’s hit us in the past four days and we just have to work through it.”

NFL continues on page 8

8 SPTS

8

SPORTS

VOLLEYBALL: Offense notches 49 kills From page 7

Monday, October 5, 2009

FOOTBALL: Weis lucks out, Dogs out of luck From page 7

with three double-digit kills and two double-doubles.

“I thought we competed very well tonight,” Elliott said. “I thought we did some really good things defensively. I thought our energy was really good, and efficiency-wise, our passing was better than it has been.”

Most of that efficient passing came courtesy of senior setter Ashley Engle. Engle posted a kill/assist double-double and led all players with 38 assists — the rest of the Texas offense combined for 10 assists.

The rest of the offense for the Longhorns came from junior outside hitter Juliann Faucette and senior outside hitter Destinee Hooker, who had 12 and 15 kills, respectively.

“She has a really good rhythm going with our setters, and she is making much better adjustments,” Elliott said of Faucette.

“We are really proud of the way she is working and developing.

She is a big part of this team, and we are very pleased where she is confidence-wise right now.”

Texas also balanced its offensive effort with a good showing defensively, where it continued to show improvement.

The Longhorns posted five team blocks and 39 total digs, 14 of which came from Faucette.

“We have gotten better the last two matches in terms of our defensive touches, our side-out

Last-minute luck of the Irish

Unnecessary officiating

All the last-minute heroics for Notre Dame can’t be good for Charlie Weis’ poor heart. Notre Dame’s last four games have been decided in overtime or in the final minute of the game, the last three of which have been Irish wins, which is slowly cooling off Weis’ seat.

Jimmy Clausen, who will soon be labeled “this generation’s Joe Montana” (you just wait), once again salvaged a win for the Irish, putting together a late-game touchdown drive to take the lead and then out-dueling Washington’s Jake Locker in overtime.

But don’t be confused, the exciting finishes of the last four Irish games are simply distracting us from the fact that this Notre Dame

Georgia receiver A.J. Green is really good. He is so good, perfect coverage from a stingy LSU defense isn’t good enough to keep him from changing the game.

But his leaping, posterizing touchdown grab over cornerback Chris Hawkins was apparently too awesome for the SEC officials, who flagged Green for celebrating with his teammates for what might have been the game-winning touchdown.

Instead, the 15-yard personal foul, combined with another penalty and a nice return from LSU speedster Trindon Holliday, gave the Tigers the ball inside Geogia’s 40-yard line.

From there LSU rolled into the

SPORTS BRIEFLY

the White Sox 5-3 on Sunday, will play at 4 p.m. Tuesday with the division title and a postseason date with the New York Yankees going to the winner.

Twins force decisive playoff against Detroit set for tonight Peter Franklin | Daily Texan file photo

Texas’ Jennifer Doris watches a trio of Baylor players attempt to block a Texas shot. Doris had two kills on Friday. game and getting more people Texas plays Oklahoma in Greginvolved,” Elliott said. “We got ory Gymnasium on Saturday. great production from everybody, “We are going to give them and it was a tough balance for three days off so they can have a Kansas State to stop. chance to get rested,” Elliott said.

team is just not that great.

MINNEAPOLIS — Hang on to those Homer Hankies: The Metrodome isn’t ready to close for baseball just yet.

Jason Kubel got those noted white towels waving with a pair of three-run homers and Minnesota beat Kansas City 13-4 Sunday, putting the Twins into a one-game playoff with the Detroit Tigers for the AL Central title.

The Twins and Tigers, who beat

Potts released from hospital after first-half concussion LUBBOCK — Texas Tech quarterback Taylor Potts has been released from a Lubbock hospital after being injured Saturday following two sacks by New Mexico before halftime.

Covenant Medical Center spokeswoman Michelle Stephens told The Associated Press that Potts was re-

end zone, where they were also flagged for excessive celebration — which was too little, too late for the Bulldogs.

Smiling Sam I am still not sure why injured Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford was sporting a huge grin as the clock ticked down in Miami’s 21-20 win over the Sooners.

My hypothesis behind Bradford’s smile: He had a bet with Landry Jones and knew that with the loss, Jones’ hideous mustache would be destroyed. Just the thought that Jones and his mustache might soon be back on the bench is enough to make Sooner fans smile.

Once Bradford gets back behind the Sooner’s offensive line, which was dominated by the Canes’ up front, I bet the smile disappears. leased Sunday but couldn’t disclose what he was treated for.

The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reported Sunday that Potts had a concussion. The newspaper also reported that cornerback Nathan Stone was admitted to the hospital and “was being examined for a possible spinal injury he suffered making a tackle on a third-quarter kickoff.”

Stephens said Stone is in stable condition.

The Red Raiders defeated New Mexico 48-28. Backup Steven Sheffield, playing in only his second game, threw for 238 yards and three touchdowns.

— The Associated Press

Three Longhorns make it to round of 16 at tournament Ellis, Corovic will play Tuesday in singles; team also qualifies in doubles

By Alexandra Carreno Daily Texan Staff As competition started this weekend at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American Championships, the Longhorns looked poised and confident throughout the pre-qualifying matches in Los Angeles, California.

Seven Longhorns made the trip to Los Angeles, with four

TX/OU

making their tournament debut on Saturday. Freshman Aeriel Ellis and junior Caroline Larsson were victorious in both of their matches. Ellis defeated Pepperdine’s Anamika Bhargava 6-1, 6-3 in the round of 64, and continued her winning ways in the next round with a victory against Kirsten Flower of Ohio State, 5-7, 7-5, 7-5.

Meanwhile, Larsson breezed through her match against Fresno State’s Laura Pola, with a 6-2, 6-4 victory, and later added a victory against Suzie Matzenauer of Cal Poly, 3-7, 7-6 (5), 6-2 but

WEEKEND

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lost to Baylor ’s Nina Secerbegovic on Sunday.

Unfortunately, after both Maggie Mello and Krista Damico garnered individual wins in the first round of the day, each suffered defeats in the second round, with Mello falling to UC-Irvine’s Stephanie Hammel, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, and Damico losing to Allie Will of Florida, 6-0, 6-3.

“In the qualifying draw, and the pre-qualifying draw, there are many nationally ranked players,” said head coach Patty FendickMcCain. “They are very good players.”

Senior Vanja Corovic, ranked 65th in the national preseason singles rankings this season, is slated to play Sophie Grabinski of North Carolina in the first round of singles qualifying beginning this week at the Riveria Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. She will also pair up with fellow senior Stephanie Paul Chouy | Daily Texan file photo Davison in the doubles qualifying draw against Florida, the Texas’ Caroline Larsson connects on a forehand shot while playing against Texas A&M’s Morgan Frank on March 7. Larsson was knocked out of the ITA tournament Sunday with a singles loss.

No. 2 seed in the tournament.

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Offense lineman Eric Winston said Wilson was so sick he “could barely walk.”

When asked if the illnesses were more cases of swine flu, Kubiak said: “I don’t want to speculate on any of that ... but it was kind of scary this morning, to be honest with you.”

The Raiders continued to struggle, with JaMarcus Russell completing 12 of 33 passes for 128 yards and Darren McFadden finishing with six carries for minus-3 yards rushing.

“We could not run the football, and that really disrupted our offense,” said Raiders coach Tom Cable. “We are really killing ourselves — we’re shooting ourselves in the foot all over the place.”

Slaton’s first score came on a 32-yard run in the second quarter that pushed Houston’s lead to 13-3. It was the Texans’ first rushing score this season.

Slaton finished with 65 yards rushing and Ryan Moats added 56.

Slaton scored again on an 18yard catch-and-run that made it 20-3 later in the second quarter.

That score was set up by a career-long 44-yard reception by Owen Daniels.

Oakland’s first turnover came when DeMeco Ryans stripped the ball from Michael Bush and it was recovered by Antonio Smith in the third quarter. The Texans couldn’t capitalize.

9 CLASS

9

NEWS

Monday, October 5, 2009

Economy leaves negative impact on student employment Just over half of youths aged 16 to 24 have jobs, lowest number since 1948

By Jim Pagels Daily Texan Staff University students looking for a part-time job may have to be patient.

Research from the House Education and Labor Committee shows that the current decline in the economy has made already-low youth employment conditions even worse.

According to the study, the current crisis is hitting American youths the hardest of any group of workers and will have a lasting impact. Today’s youth will likely be the first generation to fare economically worse than their parents, according to the study.

Studies by the Economic Policy Institute have shown that the consequences of lower youth employment rates mean that they will have fewer career opportunities, lower wages and a decrease in economic productivity in the future.

While the number of 16-to 24-year-olds employed in the U.S. increased from 17.7 million to 19.3 million over the summer, only 51.4 percent of American youths were employed in July, the lowest documented

July rate since the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics began recording youth employment statistics in 1948. “I looked for a job back in [my hometown] and didn’t have any luck there,� said Philip Lee, an electrical engineering freshman. “When I came to Austin, I was hoping things would be different, but nobody seems to be hiring.�

The federal economic stimulus package, which passed in February, will provide an additional $1.2 billion in funding over the next two years to aid youth job programs.

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, which provides over $10 billion to American community colleges for student employment programs.

The UT financial aid office is using some federal government funds to help students find jobs on campus, but employment opportunities are not likely to increase by a significant amount this year, said Tom Melecki, the Director of Student Financial Services. “We got a little bit larger— but not very much— allocation from the federal government for the college work-study proSara Young | Daily Texan Staff gram, but there won’t be a very large increase in the number of 21-year-old Abigail Perry prepares a food order at Ruby’s BBQ on Sunday evening. Perry, an employee of one year, is an exception to the high unemployment rates for persons aged 16-24. jobs available,� Melecki said.

Dismissals delay arson case review

All Dolled Up

By Lena Price Daily Texan Staff The Texas Forensic Science Commission has yet to set a new day, month day, 2008 LASSIFIEDS date to review the findings of a report released last month by arson expert Craig Beyler investigating the science used to convict Corsicana resident Cameron Todd WillE S I ingham of arson.

T R ADVE TUDENT The commission was set to reS ! view the report and interview YOUR NIZATION Beyler about his findings last FriORGA day, but Texas Gov. Rick Perry removed chairman Samuel Bassett and two other members of the board 48 hours before the scheduled meeting.

Beyler’s report investigated the forensic science used to convict Willingham of murdering his three daughters by burning them in a house fire in 1991. Willingham was executed in 2004. The report found that the investigators in the Willingham case “had poor understandings of fire science.�

Sara Young | Daily Texan Staff Bassett, former commission Annelise Hemenway watches her mother Kristie receive a makeover at Dillard’s in the Hill Country Galleria chair and Austin attorney, said he Sunday afternoon. was disappointed in his dismiss1

C

Campus

CORKBOARD

al and that of his colleagues Alan Levy and Aliece Watts because it resulted in the review’s delay. “I had hoped, and I do hope still, that [the report] will have a positive effect on future arson cases in Texas,�

Bassett said. “There are a lot of cases of arson where the same science is used. The exposure of this case makes everyone ensure that a better job will be done in the future.�

The meeting was meant to give the members of the commission an opportunity to ask Beyler follow-up questions and review the report as a group. Each commission member had already looked over the report. The meeting was also supposed to allow the commission to interview experts who disagreed with Beyler’s findings.

The commission would then have compiled its own report, sent it to the governor’s office and the state legislature and made it available for future arson investigators to evaluate. “Under my leadership, there was never going to be a statement that someone was innocent or someone

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was executed wrongfully,� Bassett said. “The purpose of the commission was to determine if any of the forensic science used in the trial was negligent or misconducted in the way it was presented and the way it was analyzed. And that’s an important distinction.�

Perry said in an interview with The Dallas Morning News last month that there was “clear and compelling, overwhelming evidence that [Willingham] was in fact the murderer of his children.�

Jay Koehler, a former UT professor and forensic science expert, said that any errors made in the investigation of the Willingham case should not be suppressed.

He said arson experts are notoriously unscientific and that the findings in the case should be reviewed to improve the quality of future arson investigations. “I think it is within the governor’s authority,� Bassett said. “My term did expire Sept. 1, so there was no illegal decision made. It’s more of a policy question and a political question.�

ADVERTISING TERMS There are no refunds or credits. In the event of errors made in advertisement, notice must be given by 10 am the first day of publication, as the publishers are responsible for only ONE incorrect insertion. In consideration of The Daily Texan’s acceptance of advertising copy for publication, the agency and the advertiser will indemnify and save harmless, Texas Student Media and its officers, employees and agents against all loss, liability, damage and expense of whatsoever nature arising out of the copying, printing or publishing of its advertisement including without limitation reasonable attorney’s fees resulting from claims of suits for libel, violation of right of privacy, plagiarism and copyright and trademark infringement. All ad copy must be approved by the newspaper which reserves the right to request changes, reject or properly classify an ad. The advertiser, and not the newspaper, is responsible for the truthful content of the ad. Advertising is also subject to credit approval.

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LIFE&ARTS

Monday, October 5, 2009

ACL: Newly planted

grass may fade, but music still remains From page 12 the festival grounds, but it soon stopped. The fact that the weather changed made it all the more confusing when it seemed like the bands had not done the same.

Grizzly Bear often sounds like rehashed versions of the same song over and over. The group’s live performance was almost identical to that.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, ACL newcomers and New Orleans-based outfit Mute Math put on a fantastic show to the delight of the large crowd gathered. Full of synthesizers, dance rock beats and enough keytar to blow your socks off, the set was incredibly energetic and a great showcase for a band that deserves the recognition. Of course, they played “Spotlight,� a song included on the soundtrack for the “Twilight� movie, and when the opening notes of the song began, the crowd freaked.

After Citizen Cope entertained audiences with the song everybody knows from that Pontiac commercial, The Decemberists took the stage a few feet away.

Not surprisingly, the band reprised their performance from this year ’s SXSW music festival and played its new album, The Hazards of Love, in its entirety. It would have been nice to hear some older cuts from the band, but they played the album well, and adrenaline in the crowd was high. Everyone erupted in cheers after convincing the only person in the crowd holding an umbrella to put it away.

Elsewhere, Levon Helm proved that he’s still got some chops on the drums, even if the entirety of his band’s set sounded like The Band’s B-sides.

The famed split happened again for the headliners when

the jam-band fans headed to see Dave Matthews Band and the dance fans and anyone flying high on weed went to see Ghostland Observatory. Matthews handled his stuff with ease, but a fantastic light show at Ghostland brought back memories of Pink Floyd mingled with MGMT. An even bigger delight, members of the Longhorn Band helped the group close their set, putting an epic end to an epic show.

Sunday If Day 1 of the ACL was about the gorgeous weather and Day 2 was about the rain, then Day 3 was without question about the mud. A victim of Saturday’s nearconstant rain showers, the lawn of Zilker Park, which was gorgeous and lush only two days before, turned into a muddy wasteland.

Eighty percent of the grass wasn’t even visible under the muck, and what could be seen was matted down under the brown goo. Save for a few spots that were blocked off for the soundboard at each particular stage, the multimillion dollar renovations C3 put into the grass were destroyed.

Once again, taking in the music under the environmental conditions was interesting. Where the rain gave the sets a different, sometimes better feel on Saturday, Sunday’s oppressive humidity and mud did the complete opposite.

Jesse Woods performed his laid back, old-school folk tunes for the very few people at the festival early, but the humidity already had sweat dripping from everyone.

The Dodos performed its songs admirably, but the gooey mess under everyone’s feet didn’t do much for the enjoyment factor.

Elsewhere, Here We Go Magic started up and sounded almost

Mary Kang | Daily Texan Staff

Karen Lee Orzolek of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival on Friday evening at Zilker Park. like a continuation of the Dodos’ set, simply on the other side of the park.

Clutch looked out of place playing its particular brand of stoner rock, although if the weather suited any band’s music, it was probably theirs. The fact that the entire band looks like the out-of-shape 50-yearold dudes you’d get drunk and watch a football game with didn’t do much for their aesthetic.

That’s not to say the day was totally lost, as the end of the festival boasted some pretty fantastic performances from the likes of Ben Harper, The Dead Weather and Dan Auerbach. But the true feel of the festival was swamped and overshadowed by an increasingly degenerative weather pattern.

Up until now, the most remembered ACL has always been the dust bowl, but it looks like 2009’s incarnation may top it.

Despite the whining and complaining from the core group

Crowd floods theater to see absurd thriller ‘Zombieland’

By David Germain The Associated Press LOS ANGELES — The undead were alive and well at movie theaters as Woody Harrelson’s horror comedy “Zombieland� opened on top with $25 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Yet the general box office was less lively as a flurry of new wide releases did solid to hohum business. Overall Hollywood revenues came in at $113.4 million, down 4 percent from the same weekend last year.

Sony scored a one-two punch with “Zombieland� and the animated family tale “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs,� which took in $16.7 million, slipping to second-place after two weekends at No. 1. The movie raised its domestic total to $82.4 million after three weekends.

Mixing gory action with laughs, “Zombieland� teams Harrelson with Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin and Emma Stone as a band of humans fighting le-

gions of undead — and taking a road trip to a supposedly zombie-free amusement park. “What really clicked was the humor of it,� said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. “Truly, there were points in this movie that were so funny, I thought I was going to throw up.

I’m serious. It really is a blast.�

Taking a big bite of the family audience with $12.5 million was a double-feature reissue of Disney’s “Toy Story� and “Toy Story 2� in 3-D, which came in at No. 3. Playing for a limited twoweek run, the double-feature sets the stage for the release of “Toy Story 3� in 3-D next year.

The Warner Bros. comedy “The Invention of Lying,� with Ricky Gervais and Jennifer Garner, had a soft opening of $7.4 million, finishing at No. 4. Taking place in an alternate reality where everyone tells the truth, the movie stars codirector and co-writer Gervais, who plays a man that discovers how to profit by fibbing.

Fox Searchlight’s roller-derby

over the weekend after his arrest Friday at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. Investigators believe he recorded ESPN reporter Erin Andrews by aiming a cell phone camera through an altered peephole in the door of her hotel room.

A judge was expected to decide Monday whether Barrett should be returned to California as a federal prisoner or free on bail. He faces charges in Los Angeles of interstate stalking and could face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.

An FBI affidavit said Barrett requested and stayed in a room near Andrews at a Tennessee hotel where seven videos were likely taken. Barrett is accused of posting the videos online and trying to sell them to celebrity Web site TMZ.com. “I don’t think he’s even had a traffic ticket,� said his lawyer, Rick Beuke, who said he has

tale “Whip It� — featuring Ellen Page, Juliette Lewis and Drew Barrymore, who also directed — made a weak debut at No. 6 with $4.85 million. The movie casts “Juno� star Page as a beautypageant queen who shifts gears to become a roller-derby star.

Female crowds accounted for 70 percent of the audience for “Whip It,� according to Fox Searchlight parent 20th Century Fox. Critics gave the movie high marks, so the studio is hoping it has a longer shelf life than its opening weekend indicates. “Like the story, the movie’s an underdog, and we think audiences are going to continue to discover it,� said Fox distribution executive Chris Aronson.

Tied for sixth-place with $4.85 million was Michael Moore’s “Capitalism: A Love Story,� which expanded nationwide after a week in limited release.

The Overture Films documentary, Moore’s exploration of the roots of the economic meltdown, raised its total to $5.3 million.

known Barrett for a decade. “He’s as regular a guy as you’ll ever meet — a great friend,� Beuke added. “I must have calls from 30 people wanting to know what they could do to help.�

Several TV networks and newspapers had aired clips or printed screen grabs from the videos of Andrews in July. The 31-yearold has covered hockey, college football, college basketball and Major League Baseball for ESPN since 2004 and was named “sexiest sportscaster� by Playboy magazine in 2008 and 2009.

Andrews was working at the Auburn-Tennessee game Saturday night in Knoxville, Tenn. Before kickoff, she posed for photos with Tennessee donors who get to stand on the sideline.

She issued a statement after the arrest thanking FBI agents and federal prosecutors for their work and said she hoped the case will eventually help others.

Karina Jacques Daily Texan Staff

GO HORNS!

" ! #

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party tailgate

Stalker’s normality shocks police

By Michael Tarm The Associated Press WESTMONT, Ill. — Neighbors said Sunday that it’s the apparent normality of the 47-year-old man who lived in a suburban Chicago town house that’s made his arrest for allegedly stalking and secretly taping ESPN reporter Erin Andrews in the nude so upsetting.

They said Michael David Barrett kept the yard in front of his two-story home neat, often played golf and enjoyed cooking on his backyard patio grill. But neighbors say Barrett kept to himself and no one on his street in Westmont, about 20 miles west of Chicago, seemed to know him well.

Dolares Shea, the head of the neighborhood association, lives across the street from Barrett. The 79-year-old woman said there’s nothing that made Barrett stand out in a community favored by retirees, doctors and lawyers.

Barrett was being held in jail

Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam sings on the Livestrong stage at ACL on Sunday.

of people you hear complaints from every year, this festival’s lineup was packed with highquality artists, and some memorable performances were entered into the history books. It was a risk for C3 to move the festival back so much later this year, and that risk appeared to pay off with Friday’s beautiful weather but came crashing down as the rain moved in and turned everything to muck. You certainly can’t fault them for trying, and if anything, everyone sure as hell has a story to tell about this year’s festival.

Oh yeah, and some band named Pearl Jam headlined everything.

Maybe you’ve heard of them before.

BEST PERFORMANCES OF WEEKEND: Dr. Dog, The Decemberists, Bon Iver BEST UP-AND-COMING BANDS: Mute Math, The Parlor Mob

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12 LIFE

12

Monday, October 5, 2009

LIFE&ARTS

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

T HE DAILY TEXAN

ACL perfects rainy day music Music fans find

hope in midst of sordid climate Surprise conditions, run-ins make festival more memorable

Karina Jacques| Daily Texan Staff

Alison Mosshart, lead singer for The Dead Weather, performs on the Livestrong stage at ACL on Sunday. The Dead Weather is the newest project of The White Stripes front man, Jack White.

Music lovers trek to Zilker Park by the thousands for annual fest

By Robert Rich Daily Texan Columnist Reviewing a music festival after it’s done is a bit like a book’s appendix, unnecessary and a waste of space. But, there are still lessons to be taken away from the festival.

Take, for example, the 2009 Austin City Limits Music Festival. The famous three-day fest is less about the quality of a particular band’s music and more about how each particular band handles the pressure of playing on an outdoor stage for a crowd that’s half fans and half drunks wandering towards the grooving beats.

Friday The first group to suffer from festival woes was Portland’s Blitzen Trapper, who played the entirety of its hour-long set backed by popping speakers and a poor sound mix. Focusing on cuts from 2008’s Furr, the group chugged along capably but lacked punch.

A brief walk away, the Austin Ventures Stage continued its tradition of hosting bands that haven’t hit it big but need to.

New Jersey quartet The Parlor Mob wowed audiences with its Wolfmother-meets-Led Zeppelin brand of retro-tinged hard rock. Veterans of Lollapalooza, the group already knows how to work a festival crowd, and they did it again, focusing on the lengthier, more epic tracks from their repertoire that brought a much-needed element of grandeur to the fest’s early acts.

The champion of the day was undoubtedly Philadelphia’s Dr. Dog. A compelling mix of folk, rock, indie, alternative and a host of other genres, the group operates in blissful obscurity, quietly producing brilliant tunes. Dr. Dog may never get the legendary status it deserves, but the group’s tight, energetic playing at ACL was something

Ray Benson, frontman of legendary band Asleep at the Wheel, talks to The Daily Texan about playing golf with Willie Nelson.

Courtesy of Asleep at the Wheel

all bands need to take note of.

The first “Which main stage should I go to?” decision was between uber-hyped Phoenix and established prog rockers Coheed and Cambria. Phoenix played its brand of infectious girl-pop well, but it’s still too early for them to play on a main stage at a rock concert.

Coheed, on the other hand, provided a fantastic set that no doubt flashed everyone back to their sophomore year of high school.

From there, Bassnectar jammed tunes with — go figure — lots of bass. John Legend disappointed the crowd by opening his performance with a song that wasn’t his, instead opting for Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song,” and The Greencards reminded folks that the BMI stage actually exists.

Welcome to the big finale!

The first supergroup in quite some time to actually work, Them Crooked Vultures, gave fans a second straight year of watching a former member of Led Zeppelin in action. When TCV finally releases an album, buy it and thank me later.

On the other side of the park, Andrew Bird offered a quirky alternative to the riff factory of Vultures, working through his tunes with amazing violin playing and even more amazing whistling. (Those are strong lips.)

Kings of Leon, the Friday night headliners, drew the frat dudes and drunk 40-somethings, and everyone else went to see the Beastie Boys’ replacements, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Kings has finally hit its peak as a rock act, and while the band’s set was great, odds are they won’t maintain the momentum.

Karen O’s antics anchored the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ set, and while her energy was admirable, anyone not already a fan of the band would not have been swayed.

Mary Kang | Daily Texan Staff

By Francisco Marin Daily Texan Columnist There’s no doubt that this year’s Austin City Limits Music Festival was an anomaly, given the festival’s history of hot weather, dust storms and general bedlam.

Day One of the festival could not have been more conducive to good times. The weather was deliciously cool as crowds arrived just in time to hear The Walkmen’s whiskey-soaked vocals echoing across the resplendent green hills of Zilker Park.

Strangely, though, the press section was where the real action was. A couple of writers interviewing Thievery Corporation for a different publication remarked that they were an intimidating duo to talk to. Though they were nice enough not to come off as pretentious or upset, the artists are completely stoic in nature and expression, which is kind of expected after listening to some of the politically charged songs off their latest album, Radio Retaliation.

Daniel Johnston took the Austin Ventures Stage, but since the man is an Austin institution, he really should have been given a main stage.

Being one of the most storied characters in music history, the stage simply wasn’t large enough to accomodate the wealth of people shouting along with the words to his songs. The pot-bellied folk musician was humble and angelic at the end of his set, giving the slightest little bow before walking off.

One of the best moments of the night came when Andrew Bird performed. The sun just set, purple and blue streaks across the sky lit up by a full moon, the crowd swooned over Andrew Bird’s virtuoso whistling and delicate, silky vocals.

Day Two — though the weather was completely wet and miserable — was one of the highlights of the festival.

A community of music lovers came together. Thousands

of people collectively thrust a middle finger at the sky and enjoyed the bands they came to see. The human spirit was at its zenith. Amid the chaos of mud, marijuana smoke and drunken debauchery, one couple wrestled in the mud, grinning at each other and kissing intermittently.

And the music was just as incredible. Neon Indian, an Austin-Brooklyn project featuring VEGA’s Alan Palomo, took the stage with Leanne Macomber of Denton’s Fight Bite as last-minute replacements for gloom rockers The Raveonettes. It was incredible to see Alan Palomo play an ACL set after seeing him grow from blog curiosity a year ago to a full-blown indie juggernaut.

And again, the press section was decidedly strange.

As the rain poured, journalists from across the globe sought shelter under canvas tents, asking who saw who, who interviewed who and what kind of camera lens you’re working with for this crap weather.

At the back of the tent sat Zach Gilford and Jesse Plemons, cast members of the “Friday Night Lights” TV series, soaked and muddy like everyone else. They smiled through it all and ate their County Line BBQ brisket plates with unabashed enthusiasm.

At the outer edges of the crowd for Ghostland Observatory, audience members took in the incredible light show. Lasers and strobes of every imaginable color shot out hundreds of feet into the misty night sky, and despite the muck of fresh grass, rainwater and clumps of mud, people danced hard and screamed along with their favorite lyrics.

As the second night of ACL fest came to a close, thousands of patrons slowly trekked the 15-minute walk to the free ACL shuttles, bodies wracked with chills and grime, pants spattered with earth and hair matted down with rain. After a hot shower and a glass of ice water, this ACL would be an infinitely memorable one.

Scott McMicken of Dr. Dog performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival on Friday at Zilker Park.

But it was a perfectly acceptable way to end Friday night, and with rain chances high for the next two days, the rest of the festival’s enjoyment factor was in serious jeopardy.

Saturday Undoubtedly the biggest performer on Saturday was the weather, which toyed with festivalgoers by giving an alternating selection of three different climates: cloudy, cool and amazing; light, sputtering rain; and near-torrential downpours.

As for the music, it gave an

almost unprecedented experience for attendees, who clearly aren’t used to such conditions at ACL. Sometimes it worked, as was the case with Bon Iver.

The group’s songs were written in a cabin in the wilderness, so listening to Justin Vernon’s tunes in an atmosphere pseudo-representative of the conditions in which they were created was fascinating.

The same could not be said for indie favorites Grizzly Bear.

As the band’s set started, a light sprinkle came down on

ACL continues on page 11

Tamir Kalifa | Daily Texan Staff

Alex Henry dances in the rain with friends during Grizzly Bear’s Saturday performance. Thousands of determined fans braved the constant rain to attend the second day of the festival.

Country musician plays at festival again MUSIC MONDAY

By Brad Barry Ray Benson is a huge figure in the Texas music scene. Besides his imposing 6-foot-7-inch frame, his band Asleep at the Wheel has been playing its brand of Western swing music in Austin since the early ‘70s. The group has won nine Grammy awards, toured extensively and recently released a critically acclaimed album with Willie Nelson. Before Asleep at the Wheel’s set at the Austin City Limits Music Festival this weekend, Benson told The Texan a little about himself.

The Daily Texan: What album have you listened to the most in the last week?

Ray Benson: This record called Take to the Sky by [Austin’s] Kat Edmonson.

DT: If you could collaborate with any musician in the world, who would it be?

RB: That’s easy, Tony Bennett.

DT: What was the best show you’ve ever played?

RB: Last year’s ACL Festival was fantastic — we’re really looking forward to this weekend, too.

DT: What was the worst show you’ve ever played?

RB: Last month we played in Branson, Missouri for a bunch of retired couples. There was just no energy at all.

DT: What is your favorite song to play live?

RB: It’s definitely “(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66.”

DT: When you were forming the band, were there any alternate band names you didn’t pick?

RB: For a while, we were going to be Ray Benson and His Laughing Cow-

boys.

DT: Where is your favorite place to eat in Austin?

RB: Either this diner-type place called Ranch 616 or Vespaio on South Congress.

DT: Do you have a day job?

RB: No, no, no!

DT: What is your favorite Web site?

RB: I guess Google? I don’t really know.

DT: What is a perfect day for you?

RB: I would wake up, watch Channel 8, cook breakfast at home, and tune in to as many morning shows as I can.

Then I’d play a round of golf with Willie Nelson, eat barbecue at any of Austin’s great barbecue spots for lunch, take a walk on the hike and bike trail, and swim in Deep Eddy. For dinner I’d cook at home, then catch a movie at Alamo Drafthouse and go on a date with [girlfriend and KEYE-TV news anchor] Michelle Valles.