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THE DAILY TEXAN DT WEEKEND

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Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900

Institute grades UT on green policies By Melissa Pan Daily Texan Staff Students are not the only ones getting graded these days. Some universities, including UT, are being graded on their sustainable policies. The Sustainable Endowments Institute, a nonprofit organization that tries to improve sustainable practices, issued the College Sustainability Report Card, which assesses 323 universities on how they invest their endowments. Out of the total number of schools that participated in the study, 300, including UT, have the nation’s highest endowments. UT received a grade of B-. The institute defines “endowment” as a large sum of money that a university has accumulated over the years. According to the nonprofit’s spokeswoman Cameron Bruns, UT Austin has an endowment of more than $16 billion. “Our job is to make sure students and alumni have access to this information so that they can go to their administrations and make changes if they want to,” Bruns said. The report card, which can be accessed online at www.greenreportcard.org, grades universities

Low

High

Beware of conference opening games

It’s terror time Thursday, October 8, 2009

TOMORROW’S WEATHER

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www.dailytexanonline.com

Time to make the bread

Shelley Neuman | Daily Texan Staff

Richard Rodriguez measures out ingredients to make dough in the Texas French Bread kitchen.

INSIDE: Texas French Bread focuses on sustainability on page 12

GRADE continues on page 2

Youth groups rally for sex education

Derek Stout | Daily Texan Staff

Paul Bonin-Rodriguez listens to a a lecture given by sociology professor Tetyana Pudrovska on Wednesday. She attempted to answer “Why is cancer more depressing for men than women among white older adults?”

Sociologist tackles biological issue with aid of psychology By Alex Geiser Daily Texan Staff A man’s desire to have complete control of his life may lead to greater depression in those with cancer. Tetyana Pudrovska, a researcher and assistant sociology professor at UT, said men and women handle chronic illness differently, resulting in varying psychological responses. “Among people without cancer, women are more depressed than men,” Pudrovska said. She is the principal investigator for the study. “It is really amazing that among people with cancer, men are more depressed than women.” Pudrovska’s conclusion uses data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, a long-term study that first looked at a group of more than 10,000 people who had just graduated from Wisconsin high schools in 1957. The majority of the participants are white, so the study results do not extend to other races. The study looked at the physical and psychological characteristics of the participants first in 1957 and then in 1975, 1993 and 2004. Pudrovska’s research

looked only at the 1957 and 1993 results. About 400 people out of the original 1957 group had been diagnosed with cancer by 1993. Pudrovska then paired off individuals who were physically and psychologically similar — one who had cancer and one who did not — and compared their levels of depression. The psychological and clinical methods of evaluating the depression level of cancer patients did not render any results, which she says is an outcome of the insufficient methodological approach. She saw this as an opportunity to confront the issue from a sociological perspective, addressing the social and cultural factors in a person’s life along with medical history. “Sociologists typically do not tackle this question,” Pudrovska said. “The only factor that explained men’s high levels of depression was masculine beliefs.” She attributes this partially to the time period in which the participants surveyed were raised. In the ‘50s and ‘60s, gender roles in the home and division of labor were clearly demarcated — the men often took on the role of the provider, she said.

“These men are not used to dependency and lack of control brought on by cancer,” Pudrovska said. “When they are confronted with cancer, they cannot live up to these masculine beliefs.” To test her hypothesis, Pudrovska created a series of statements gauging the participants’ perceptions of masculinity and had the men and women fill it out. These results were in line with her previous research, lending support to the masculinity theory. Nursing junior Erica Plummer was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer when she was 17. After undergoing six months of chemotherapy and surgery on her neck to remove a tumor, Plummer, now cancer-free, actively volunteers for CanCare, an organization where cancer survivors are referred to patients going through chemotherapy. “Men try to keep their emotions inside and act kind of tough about it, when women are more expressive and they will tell you when they don’t feel good,” she said, explaining the differences she has seen in the patients she works with.

CANCER continues on page 2

By Perez James Daily Texan Staff The Texas Freedom Network Student Chapter collaborated with the Texas Youth Leadership Council, Voices for Choice and Advocates for Youth to host a rally Wednesday to raise support for comprehensive sex education in Texas schools. The organizations answered questions about sex education, passed out condoms and collected petition signatures from students walking through the West Mall rally area. Throughout the day, the groups worked together toward their goal of 500 signatures on each of their two different petitions. One of the petitions calls for comprehensive sex education in Texas schools. The other was in support of the REAL Act, a bill introduced in the state legislature in 2007 to create funding for comprehensive sex education.

Shelley Neuman | Daily Texan Staff

The Texas Freedom Network Student Chapter and the Texas Youth Leadership Council hosted a rally in support of comprehensive sex education in Texas schools at the West Mall on Wednesday. According to the Texas Free- vides information about ways to dom Network, comprehensive protect oneself from pregnancy sex education is a fact-based structured curriculum that proACTIVIST continues on page 2

No review set for faculty Brack Tract plan

Jesus Montelongo | Daily Texan Staff

Domini Maddox, a fourth year biochemistry major, plays with her son at the Brackenridge Tract apartments in early September. By Lena Price Daily Texan Staff No date has been set for the UT System Board of Regents Special Advisory Committee on the Brackenridge Tract to review the UT faculty’s alternate plan presented at last month’s Faculty Advisory Council meeting. David Hillis, a UT integrative biology professor, worked with a five-person faculty committee over the summer to develop the plan and met with UT Presi-

dent William Powers Jr. at a Faculty Council Executive Committee meeting Monday to assess the progress. He said the board is moving at an appropriate pace. “I was concerned earlier that things were moving too fast,” Hillis said. ”But it appears that the board has slowed down and taken all of the plans into consideration.” Over the summer, New Yorkbased architecture firm Cooper, Robertson & Partners, LLP sub-

mitted two plans to develop the 345-acre piece of land donated to UT in 1910 by Col. George Brackenridge. The Tract, which sits on Lady Bird Lake off Mopac Boulevard, contains graduate student apartments, the Lions Municipal golf course and UT’s biological sciences field lab. Both of the Cooper, Robertson plans would convert the land into a high-density residential and commercial area. Hillis and the faculty committee were not satisfied with the Cooper, Robertson suggestions and developed an alternate plan which would expand UT classroom space and eventually build a public science outreach center. UT System spokesman Matt Flores said there is no timetable for the committee to review the faculty plan, and the meeting will take place after the committee receives the final master plan from Cooper, Robertson. The committee is made up of regents Printice Gary, Janiece Longoria and Eugene Powell. “The panel, from time to time, will be inviting comment from the external community and, therefore, is expected to conduct

FACULTY continues on page 2

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NEWS

Thursday, October 8, 2009

GRADE: Sustainability rating

leaves room for improvement From page 1

Shelley Neuman | Daily Texan Staff

Judy Foldes, government and finance senior and a member of the Texas Freedom Network, talks to students in the West Mall about signing a petition for more comprehensive sex education classes in Texas.

ACTIVIST: Sex ed. is a public health issue From page 1

and sexually transmitted diseases. A comprehensive curriculum would include information about sexuality, sexually transmitted diseases, contraception and preventive health care. The organization hopes that students with access to comprehensive sex education will be able to evaluate what their parents, friends and the media tell

them and recognize myths and misinformation about sex. “Abstinence is a failed policy, and it’s time for our representatives to stop playing politics as usual and step up to the plate and handle the situation at hand,� said Garrett Mize, government senior and director of the network’s student chapter. “Young people are demanding to know about comprehensive sexuality education.�

Roll over

Texas receives more federal funding for abstinence-only programs than any other state in the country, according to a report by the network. Texas also has the fifth-highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation. “Fighting for young people — their rights to be informed about their body and health — is of importance,� said government freshman Mackenzie Massey.

CANCER: Illness can disrupt self-perception of masculinity From page 1

Shelley Neuman | Daily Texan Staff

Todd Watkins and his dog, Choncho “Count Chocolab,� watch Dajarr McGuiness skate on the ramps behind Find-N-Grind Skateshop on Wednesday evening.

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Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vidushi Shrimali, Jordan Haeger, Israel Perez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Molly Triece, Shabab Siddiqui Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Daniela Trujillo, Eric Ou, Lauren Gerson Life & Arts Writers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Molly Wahlberg, Layne Lynch Sports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rishi Daulat Copy Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Megan Jones,Michael Moran, Vicky Ho, Kelsey Crow Comics Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rachel Weiss, Gabe Alvarez, Jermaine Affonso, Michael Cormier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ryan Hailey, Nam Nguyen, Katie Smith, Amelia Giller Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mustafa Saifuddin, Lindsey Estes, Chris Benavides Web Technician . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jonathan Damrich Wire Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beth Waldman Columnists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anna Russo, Daniel Earnest Videographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Debbie Finley

The organizations plan to take the petitions to the state legislature to show support for comprehensive sexuality education. “Using condoms, birth control, etc. are ways of protecting yourself, but we are still promoting abstinence,“ said Plan II freshman Jenny Kutner. “On the other hand, there still should be other methods. It’s a public health concern, and we need to take control of the situation.�

Plummer said despite the depression she experienced, talking openly about her pain and fears helped. Jordan Deathe, a 24-year-old lymphoma survivor, said he was depressed in part because of the cancer treatment he received but also because of life in general. “When I was going through it, as others have said, you put on this little show of denial and to not go crazy, you almost have to,� he said. “It’s not something you are prepared to deal with.� As a result of his treatment, Deathe became sterile. “I lost the ability to have children, but I don’t feel emasculated by that,� he said. He went to a sperm bank before treatment to prepare for this side effect. Deathe suffered from a depression after treatment that came with the overwhelming task of getting his life back together. “Physical symptoms are so obvious that the psychological

symptoms can easily be overlooked,� Deathe said. “The psychological effects are very real.� Susan Heinzelman, director of the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, said Pudrovska’s research has produced interesting results that she can relate to. Following the death of her father from cancer, Heinzelman’s mother talked about how depressed he was toward the end of his life. Heinzelman said men hide behind masks shielding their depression because of the social perception of masculinity — hegemonic masculinity. “If men suffer as they do by having to abide by the rules of hegemonic masculinity, who also suffers? The women,� she said. Pudrovska’s study is under review by a major sociological journal, and Pudrovska has submitted a grant proposal to the National Cancer Institute to expand the study of gender differences.

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across several categories that include food and recycling, climate change and energy and student involvement. This is the fourth year that the report card has been issued to UT. The organization, in its fourth year of operations, sent surveys in nine categories to UT administrators in June 2009. Most of the questions in the surveys required “Yes� or “No� answers. The points in each category were tallied up and assigned a letter grade based on thresholds. The letter grades were averaged to come up with the overall grade. The administration category earned a B; the climate change and energy, a C; green building, a B; student involvement, transportation and endowment transparency, A’s; investment priorities, a C; and shareholder engagement, an F. The food and recycling category at UT earned a B. “It’s hard to know what’s going on behind the scenes, so this report card gives more of a peek into the operations side,� said Meagan Jones, an environmental specialist for the Division of Housing and Food Services. “For prospective students, we know that sustainability is one of the top five reasons why students would want to go to a university.� According to Jones, the Division of Housing and Food Services plans to put a composting program into action within the school year and will also have a written sustainable food policy. Also, residential dining halls will

host their first low-carbon footprint dinner Nov. 10. “We’re moving in the right direction, so that gives me a lot of hope for getting an A the next couple of years,� Jones said. According to Bruns, the institute sent surveys to student leaders for the first time this year. UT earned an A for student involvement. “I’m actually kind of disappointed about the University grade,� said government and communications studies senior Drucilla Tigner, co-director of the Campus Environmental Center. “We have a very unusual university that has its own power plant, which is as energy efficient as a power plant can be.� UT received a C for climate change and energy. The survey’s contents were not open to the public, according to the Green Report Card Web site. The Campus Environmental Center organizes “Do It in the Dark,� an annual competition between residence halls to reduce energy use during one month. The student organization plans to expand the competition to include Greek houses and co-ops in the future. “It’s a cliche to say, but if we can’t improve our immediate surroundings, it’s hard to change the whole world,� Tigner said. Universities that received an Aon the Green Report Card include Stanford, Harvard and Yale. The University of Texas at Dallas received a C-, Texas A&M University a B-, the University of Oklahoma a C and Texas Tech University a D+.

FACULTY: Graduate housing is key From page 1 some of its meetings publicly,� Flores said. “Study by and input from UT Austin, especially with regard to the student housing and the field lab, will also be part of the process.� The immediate emphasis will be placed on developing a solution for graduate student housing. “[Powers] expects a modular development, starting with a solution for the graduate student housing and then decisions

made on the rest of the Tract over several years,� Hillis said. “He agrees that our committee’s proposals should be part of those considerations.� Hillis said everyone on the faulty committee agrees that graduate student housing should be a priority. “Once we solve that, then we can move forward with some of the other plans,� Hillis said. Flores said that Board Chairman James Huffines expects the process might continue into the next decade.

THE DAILY TEXAN Volume 110, Number 87 25 cents

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WORLD&NATION

Wire Editor: Jacque Rauschuber www.dailytexanonline.com

3

Thursday, October 8, 2009

T HE DAILY TEXAN

Russians rally for justice in activist, journalist slayings

Hatem Moussa | Associated Press

A group of teachers and protestors at a demonstration Wednesday hurl shoes at a large poster of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas a severe insult targeting Abbas’ decision to suspend action on a U.N. report about Gaza war crimes. The Arabic writing on the poster reads: “To the trash heap of history, you traitor, Mahmoud Abbas.�

Palenstinians rise against Abbas By Karin Laub The Associated Press RAMALLAH, West Bank — In five turbulent years in office, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has never faced as much outrage as over his decision to suspend efforts to get Israeli officials put on trial for war crimes in Gaza. On Wednesday, Gaza professors threw shoes at his defaced image and West Bank commentators called for his resignation, the latest signs Abbas may have miscalculated in bowing to what Palestinian officials say was intense U.S. pressure. Abbas is unlikely to be forced out of office because he enjoys strong Western support and has ruled the West Bank without challenge since his Islamic militant Hamas rivals drove him out of Gaza in 2007. However, the scandal could cause lasting harm to the 74-yearold Palestinian leader’s standing with voters and his ability to negotiate with Israel. In the short term, the U.S. is pushing for a quick resumption of Mideast peace talks, but gaps

remain wide on what it takes to get back to the table. A weakened Abbas may not be in a position to make concessions when President Barack Obama’s special Mideast envoy, George Mitchell, returns to the region this week. “This is the worst position that Abbas has found himself in since he was elected president,� said Hani al-Masri, a West Bank commentator. At the center of the uproar is a 575-page U.N. report about Israel’s three-week war in Gaza last winter, which alleges that both Israel and Hamas committed war crimes, something both sides deny. Last week, Abbas withdrew Palestinian support for a vote in the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva to have the report sent to the U.N. General Assembly for possible action — the first of many steps toward possibly establishing war crimes tribunals. With the Palestinians out of the picture, the council set the report aside for six months. Abbas made the decision under heavy U.S. pressure, Palestinian and Israeli officials have

said. U.S. officials told Palestinian leaders that a war crimes debate would complicate efforts to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, according to participants in the meetings. The anger over Abbas’ decision was intense because many Palestinians felt he chose not to pursue a rare opportunity to win justice for Gaza’s war victims, said Mustafa Barghouti, an independent Palestinian legislator. “Finally, there was a moment, in front of the international community, to hold Israel accountable,� Barghouti said. “What he (Abbas) did, or his government did, it’s now perceived that they gave Israel the leeway to escape from that.� Nearly 1,400 Palestinians were killed in the war, including hundreds of civilians, along with 13 Israelis. Israel launched the war to end years of Hamas rocket fire on Israeli border towns. Abbas has been away for most of the crisis, visiting Jordan, Yemen and Italy, and is only to return to the West Bank later this week. His aides initially defended the decision, saying a deferral

did not mean the report was being buried, only that Palestinian diplomats needed more time to win international support for it. However, Yasser Abed Rabbo, a senior Abbas adviser, said Wednesday that the Palestinian leadership had erred, the first such acknowledgment after six days of escalating protests. “What happened is a mistake, but [it] can be repaired,� Abed Rabbo, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization, told the Voice of Palestine radio in a taped statement. “We have the courage to admit there was a mistake.� In New York, the U.N. Security Council was to meet Wednesday to discuss a letter from Libya, the only Arab member on the 15-nation panel, seeking an emergency meeting on the report, which was written by South African Judge Richard Goldstone. “What happened is a crime against the Palestinian people, a crime against the war’s victims. It is a decision that can only be called a betrayal of the blood of the martyrs,� Nunu said.

WORLD BRIEFLY

iban fighters on the Afghan border. Although the U.S.-backed government of President Asif Ali Zardari has the final say on whether to accept the money, the unusual public criticism threatens to force its hand and undermine military cooperation with the Americans just as the Pakistani army prepares for what could be its most important offensive against extremists since the U.S.led anti-terror campaign began ex-

actly eight years ago. Any breakdown in intelligence sharing and other types of cooperation would hurt the American fight against a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan. U.S. and NATO commanders say the war there cannot be won unless Islamabad does more to tackle extremists on its side of the border. In Washington, President Barack Obama met with his national security team for a strategy ses-

sion on Afghanistan after signaling that he was not considering a troop withdrawal. The session came amid new polls showing waning support for the war in the United States. The military’s criticism of the bill came in a brief written statement that said senior commanders “expressed serious concern regarding clauses impacting on national security.� — Associated Press

Pakistani military rejects US aid, complicating al-Qaida strategy ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s powerful military on Wednesday rejected U.S. attempts to link billions of dollars in foreign aid to increased monitoring of its anti-terror efforts, complicating American attempts to strike al-Qaida and Tal-

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Hundreds of people rallied in downtown Moscow on Wednesday to mark the third anniversary of the killing of journalist Anna Politkovskaya and to call on authorities to find and punish the killers of journalists and human rights activists in Russia.

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lary Rodham Clinton released a statement late Wednesday, saying: “The failure to bring to justice the killers of these journalists undermines efforts to strengthen the rule of law, improve government accountability, and combat corruption.� Some of Russia’s most prominent human rights activists and opposition leaders took part in the Moscow rally, which began with a minute of silence at 4:03 p.m., the time Politkovskaya was shot in her apartment building three years ago. The demonstration, in typical fashion, was heavily policed. City Hall had forbidden a gathering of more than 350 people. Many held photographs of Politkovskaya — who also wrote books critical of the Kremlin and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin — and bouquets of roses, which they later placed outside her apartment building in central Moscow. Dozens more joined them in paying their respects to the slain journalist. Flowers were taped to the building’s wall and placed against a large color poster of Politkovskaya. A smaller poster read: “The smart, honest and brave cannot survive in Russia.� A policeman jotted down the slogans on a scrap of paper. Neither President Dmitry Medvedev nor Putin, who was president when Politkovskaya was killed, commented Wednesday about her death.

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By David Nowak The Associated Press MOSCOW — Hundreds of people urged Russian authorities to find and punish the killers of journalists and human rights activists in Russia, rallying Wednesday to mark the third anniversary of the killing of Anna Politkovskaya. “The authorities are incapable of solving such crimes,� said Mikhail Kasyanov, a former prime minister and now a leader of the opposition. “Even the most honest investigator cannot solve the crime because the government won’t let him.� Politkovskaya, an internationally known journalist, was a harsh critic of the Kremlin and exposed widespread human-rights abuses and corruption in Chechnya. Prosecutors have said little about who might have ordered the contract-style killing of her on Oct. 7, 2006, while the suspected gunman is believed to be hiding abroad. Three men accused of playing minor roles in the killing remain under investigation. Since Politkovskaya’s death, at least seven journalists and human rights activists have been killed in Russia, including one who wrote for the same newspaper, Novaya Gazeta. “There is a political will not to solve the murders,� Dmitry Muratov, the newspaper’s editor, told the crowd that had gathered in a Moscow park. U.S. Secretary of State Hil-

UNIVERSITY HEALTH SERVICES

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OPINION

4 Thursday, October 8, 2009

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

T HE DAILY TEXAN

GALLERY

VIEWPOINT

The value of elite professors — The editorial board

THE FIRING LINE Undergraduate research is not a scam The Liberal Arts Undergraduate Chapter for Research (LAUNCH) takes issue with the inappropriate and inflammatory tone of Stuart Sevier’s “Undergraduate manual labor” column in Monday’s Daily Texan. The officers and members of this student organization, as well as the administrators and faculty that work with us, strive to provide undergraduate liberal arts students with valuable and instructive research opportunities. Rather than seeking to exploit and deceive, as the author of the editorial suggests, we offer a service to undergraduates by connecting them with professional researchers in need of assistants. In so doing, we hope above all to provide our fellow Longhorns with unique, once-ina-lifetime experiences. Every day, graduate students and professors in all the colleges and departments here at UT examine fascinating and complex issues. Their work expands the limits of human knowledge, sharpening our understanding of the world and giving us new ways to approach the many challenges facing modern societies. Nearly as impressively, these talented people are willing to include undergraduates in their work. How

many people in our country will ever be so fortunate as to work directly with a professional mentor in such an important capacity? How many people ever get to make such a valuable contribution to the world? Sadly, not many. But fortunately for us Longhorns, the opportunity is there for the taking. Those are the facts as the members of LAUNCH see them, and as such it is incorrect and irresponsible to present undergraduate research as “a scam.” To further illustrate this point, consider the following: The students who do the real, behind-the-scenes leg-work in organizations like LAUNCH and its counterpart in the College of Natural Sciences, SURGe (which was explicitly mentioned in the editorial), are not faculty members or professional researchers. We are ourselves undergraduates, many of whom have worked on research projects here at UT. We receive no “manual labor” in exchange for the hours of work we put toward promoting undergraduate research; we get no cut in the so-called “national conspiracy” of academics. Why, then, do we do what we do? The answer is simple: We have had tremendous experiences with undergraduate research, and we want everyone to have the same opportunity.

— Trevor Templeton LAUNCH president

By Douglas Luippold Daily Texan Columnist To track UT’s press coverage, I created a Google News Alert for the phrase “the University of Texas at Austin.” As a result, every evening I am e-mailed a compilation of news stories that contain the name of our University. For the past month there has been one recurring item: “New Book Reveals Why Women Have Sex.” This spicy tag refers to “Why Women Have Sex,” a recently released book by two UT psychology professors, Cindy Meston and David Buss. Naturally, something with such a provocative title and subject has received a considerable amount of media attention. The book has been covered in The New York Times, foreign newspapers and even on “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.” Nearly every mention of the book includes some version of the phrase “researchers at the University of Texas at Austin.” This type of exposure is invaluable for UT, serving as an example of how elite researchers benefit the University and its students and why they should remain a budget priority. UT is currently undergoing some of the most dramatic budget alterations in recent years. Poor investment returns because of the economy and the UT System Board of Regents’ reluctance to raise tuition have resulted in a flat budget for the coming years. Faced with these circumstances, the UT administration has controversially decided to make retaining and recruiting top faculty a priority at the expense of University staff and graduate students. The impact of this strategy is already visible. The Cockrell School of Engineering recently laid off 13 staff members, and the McCombs School of Business plans to lay off 5 percent of its staff. These layoffs are intended to increase funds that will go toward raises for current faculty members and attract sought-after professors. This decision is unpopular among students and understandably so. The average undergraduate interacts with graduate student teaching assistants and lecturers much more than with the leading academics UT is trying to re-

cruit. Students are taught directly in lab sessions and office hours and often get to know the staff and grad students personally. Comparatively, it is rare for most undergraduates to take a course with a rock-star researcher, and when it does happen, it’s likely with several hundred other students. With the administration’s budget strategy, the actual pedagogical quality of the University will likely suffer temporarily. But students should not be so quick to reject this strategy. As the publicity surrounding “Why Women Have Sex” demonstrates, prominent professors can do wonders for a school’s academic and public reputation. Every time a person reads “Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin” or “A study conducted at the University of Texas,” the value of the UT brand improves. This leads to an increased venerability of Longhorns, as the more renowned an institution is, the more marketable its graduates become. Additionally, elite professors will attract brighter students and grant money to UT, both of which could create jobs and increase its overall quality in the long term. UT, and all Texas colleges, are in a rare position to gain a competitive advantage among American public universities. The California system, the perennial standardbearer for public higher education, is locked in a budget crisis, and most comparable systems are not faring much better. Despite the current budgeting at UT, Texas colleges have weathered the economy remarkably well. Between that and the $425 million that will be injected into the system if the Proposition 4 bond passes in November, our public colleges have an opportunity to gain more national prominence than ever before. With this in mind, it is important to analyze the quality of college holistically. Staff and graduate students are vital to the academic experience and should be protected, but the impact that leading researchers and professors can have on a college is inestimable. Luippold is a government and journalism junior.

GALLERY

Officially prejudiced By Ashley Shew Daily Texan Columnist

SUBMIT A FIRING LINE

RECYCLE!

E-mail your Firing Lines to firingline@dailytexanonline.com. The Texan reserves the right to edit for brevity, clarity and liability.

Please recycle this copy of The Daily Texan by placing it in a recycling bin or back in the burnt-orange stand where you found it.

LEGALESE

SUBMIT A COLUMN

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.

Have someting to say? Say it in print, and to the entire campus community. The Daily Texan Editorial Board welcomes submissions for guest columns. Columns must be between 500 and 700 words. Send columns to editor@dailytexanonline.com. The Texan reserves the right to edit all columns for clarity, brevity and liability.

In classroom debates, I often find myself in the middle of a heated discussion that starts like this: “If you come to my country, you better learn to speak English.” I counter that as a nation of immigrants, the U.S. should encourage the use of all languages, with none designated as superior to any other. This usually has the effect of poking a big, mean, unilingual bull with the hot cattle prod of tolerance. Most of these “official English” debates stem from a discussion about the marketability of being bilingual in the workforce. It makes people angry that speaking only English means they could be passed up for a job in favor of a bilingual second-generation immigrant. From the average person’s viewpoint, the argument for making English the “official” U.S. language doesn’t seem to extend from a need “to defend English’s historic role as America’s common, unifying language,” as the English Language Advocate’s Web site claims. The “official English” movement supports a resolution, House Resolution 997, that would make English the official language of all U.S. government actions. The resolution has 128 sponsors to date. Advocates actively campaign for states to adopt an official language and boast that 30 states have already implemented “official English” legislation.

Interestingly, Texas is not one of those states. House Bill 2205, sponsored by Rep. Bill Zedler, R-Arlington, proposed making English the official language of Texas in 2007. The bill never made it out of committee. Perhaps the projected Hispanic population of more than 10 million by 2011 will keep the subject from coming up next session. Mauro E. Mujica, the CEO and chairman of U.S. English, is, in fact, a Chilean immigrant. He and other representatives of the movement stress that making English official will help assimilate immigrants, rather than allowing them to operate within their own language. In fact, the group Pro-English has an entire page of information under the link “Tired of ‘Press 1 for English?’” The group touts many benefits of English-only legislation. They include savings on court translator fees, assimilating immigrants and creating common ground for the communication of medical and legal information. But a list of projects by the group Pro-English shatters the facade of compassion. Pro-English sponsors attempt to ban ESL learning in schools, proposes to do away with bilingual voting ballots and supports measures to make English the only language used in the workplace. The organization showed its true colors with the following statement: “Official English also has a symbolic meaning, which is very important. It sends a message to all those who want to participate as citizens in this

great nation, that there are responsibilities as well as benefits for being here. And one of those responsibilities is learning to speak the language of our country — English.” The “official English” movement is just a way for natural-born Americans to laud their citizenship over immigrants. The symbolic meaning of making English official is not one of community, but of tyranny. The true “language of our country” is not the language of the imperial English colonists, but of the Native Americans. In passing laws that officiate English, we quickly forget the long history of English oppression. The movement also completely ignores America’s long history of advertising itself as a “melting pot,” a nation of immigrants. The Statue of Liberty does not read, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled English-speaking masses. “ Immigrants would, of course, be wise to learn English. But they should be afforded the option of learning at their own pace and not be disenfranchised for lack of mastery. We; as natural-born English-speaking citizens, could opt to meet newcomers half way. We have the means to learn a new language, and it wouldn’t hurt us to learn a few phrases to facilitate communication. I hope the discussion can turn to “If you come to my country, te voy a ayudar a aprender inglés.” Shew is a psychology junior.

5 UNIV

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UNIVERSITY

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Study: faculty retention lower at low-ranked schools By Vidushi Shrimali Daily Texan Staff A study under review by the University Council for Educational Administration found a link between low-ranking schools and low principal retention rates. Ed Fuller, a council research associate, and Michelle Young, executive director of the council, conducted the study to research the working conditions of educational leaders. In the past, low retention rates were a top issue for the federal government. Educational policies such as “No Child Left Behind,� however, shifted the focus away from leadership posi-

tions to teacher quality and student performance, often forgetting the connection between the three, Young said. “People have always been concerned with teacher quality, but, in the past, there wasn’t a lot of focus on leaders’ roles. You would think they would go hand in hand,� she said. The study, which used data from all public schools in Texas to evaluate overall retention rates, revealed that 70 percent of new high-school principals leave within five years, and more than 20 percent of those who work in low-achieving or high-poverty districts leave after one year.

Fuller and Young are conducting a follow-up study to explain why some districts have lower retention rates than others. Trends show that suburban, wealthy, mostly Caucasian school districts have the highest retention rates, while rural districts have midrange retention rates. Urban districts with lower levels of English proficiency have the lowest retention rates with the highest turnover, Young said. Principal Donna Houser of Anderson High School said that while low retention is a problem for school success, she doesn’t believe that low retention rates

apply to Austin specifically. “The results of AISD don’t support that — look at some of the high schools here in low socioeconomic areas with high retention rates,� Houser said. Houser blames the low overall retention rates on the pressure of the job. “It is one of the hardest jobs in education; if the school is lowperforming, then the principal is often reassigned,� Houser said. “There is no one person responsible for a child’s failure, but you can’t fire an entire team, so you fire the coach.� Fuller said Houser represents the wealthier side of the school

district, where retention rates are high. But, he said, this only portrays one third of AISD. The majority of the schools are from low socioeconomic standing and have extremely high turnover rates. “Austin lost more than half of its middle and high school principals last year,� Fuller said. “For six years, AISD has had high turnover rates and fail[ed] to address the problem.� The study showed that some of the principals who leave schools go to new ones, take associate principal positions or go back to teach, but a number disappear from the system altogether. “We want to know where they

go — to a different state, or do they just take a different job?� Young said. “What factors in the principals’ working environment impact their decisions to leave or stay?� Regardless of the reasons of low retention rates across the board, Young and Fuller are convinced the rates do need to rise in order to raise student and school success. “These are the kids who most need a stable group of adults who care for them,� Fuller said. “This is the case we are trying to make. If you want your children to be successful, you can’t hire a new principal every year.�

Recreation of solar system’s logistics opens students’ eyes Elise Nacca, Carlos Rendon, Carson Chavana and Haowei Wang play part in the human model of the solar system in an effort to celebrate the history of astronomy and science.

By Perez James Daily Texan Staff To help celebrate the International Year of Astronomy, a human model of our solar system was displayed Wednesday on the Robert Lee Moore Hall plaza. Astronomy postdoctoral fellow Kurtis Williams organized the display, which is part of a larger global effort to promote public interest in astronomy. While standing outside of RLM plaza, people observed and had the opportunity to act as planets to demonstrate how the solar system rotates. “The main thing is giving people an understanding of where we are coming from. By having people engage, they also gain knowledge of the rotation of the solar system,� Williams said. In Williams’ experiment, he demonstrated how the planets rotate on their axes and explained why some planets rotate quickly and others slowly. The time that it takes for a planet to rotate once on its axis is its rotation period. For most planets in our

Jesus Montelongo Daily Texan Staff

Students meet with local activists

By Melissa Pan Daily Texan Staff Social work graduate students gathered in Utopia Theater on Wednesday to listen to a presentation by members of People Organized in Defense of Earth and her Resources, an activist group based in East Austin. A documentary on Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers’ movement in the 1960s, “Chicano! The Struggle in the Fields,� was screened before the group’s presentation. The on-campus group Social Justice Action Coalition invited PODER to speak to students in the School of Social Work after the film screening. “We want to link research and actually going into the community,� said PODER director Susana Almanza. Erika Gonzalez, co-director of PODER, speaks on Wednesday afternoon about the organization’s latest efforts in redefining environmental and social justice issues.

A group of Chicano and Chicana East Austin residents formed PODER in 1991 to address issues of environmental social justice. The terms “Chicano� and “Chicana� refer to U.S. residents of Mexican descent. Almanza said that in the 1990s, the environmental movement focused on the nature aspect and not the effect on humans. “You can’t separate nature and humanity because they are interwoven and interlocked,� she said. PODER’s efforts helped relocate a 52-acre Tank Farm run by six oil companies in 1993. PODER also successfully worked to relocate the Browning Ferris Industries recycling center from a small Austin community in 1997. The landfill from the recycled material created such a bad rodent problem that the Austin Health

and Human Services Department distributed rat poison to residents, Almanza said. Laurel Bieschke, a social work graduate student, attended the film screening and discussion. She moved to Austin from Indiana two months ago. “East Austin seems to be highly gentrified,� Bieschke said. “It seems like the people there are being displaced.� Almanza said about 90 percent of industrial zoning takes place in East Austin, which also has a high number of Hispanic and AfricanAmerican residents. “We’re not in the farm fields anymore, but we’re in the fields of our community,� Almanza said. “We’re still struggling for living wages, decent employment, quality education, housing and health care. We still have a long way to go.�

solar system, the rotation period is close to the length of its day. During the event, Williams gave spectators the opportunity to experience the rotation of planets in the solar system. As the experiment continued, many people had the chance to engage and watch as Williams conducted his analysis of the solar system. “It was an eye-opening experience, but it also gave me a greater understanding by acting as a planet,� said undeclared liberal arts sophomore Carson Chavana. “It’s different than reading. Acting gives you the chance to experience things and how they actually work.� Astronomy graduate student Chris Linder said the human model was valuable to let some students visualize how the solar system works. “I think its great to bring awareness to a lot of people who don’t realize how stuff moves,� Linder said. “You see all the pretty pictures, but you never get the chance to see things [how they] really are.�

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Derek Stout Daily Texan Staff

6 S/L

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Thursday, October 8, 2009

EXPOSURE

E-mail: photo@dailytexanonline.com Phone: (512) 471-8618 www.dailytexanonline.com

T HE DAILY TEXAN

Visitors of the Casanova festival in Duchov, Czech Republic walk through an aisle of vendors. Duchov, a small town located in Bohemia, was home to Venetian author Giacomo Casanova in his dying years.

Directions

This summer, I spent six weeks in Prague, Czech Republic, a city which has struggled to find its identity through decades of control by Nazi Germany and the Communist Party. Prague gained independence in 1989, and has since become a center for tourism, attracting people from around the world to its historic architecture, modern culture and lively art scene. Throughout my time in Prague, I became fascinated by the city’s constant energy. A seemingly chaotic scene of tourists and locals somehow created a fluid pattern of movement as they navigated the city’s landscape. Travelers weaved through crowds, and gathered onto trams resisting interaction. Each person seemed to follow a predetermined path, with a distinct direction of travel. In the busy city of Prague, individuals move about as passengers isolated in a complex social scene. — Sara Young

Above, pedestrians in Prague cross paths at a busy bus stop. Top right, a man looks through his phone at a bus stop in South Prague. Bottom right, a young boy waits to participate in the annual Roma parade in Prague.

by Sara Young

Left, a woman waits for a city tram north of downtown Prague. Center, a curious child passes a stranger in Litomerice, Czech Republic. Right, three pedestrians pass each other on Karlovo Namesti Street near a bus stop. Daily transportation rarely involves interaction between strangers.

7 SPTS

SPORTS

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

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Thursday, October 8, 2009

T HE DAILY TEXAN

First contests prove difficult

VOLLEYBALL

Longhorns make strong case to be nation’s new No. 1 By Chris Tavarez Daily Texan Columnist

Chris Soliz | Daily Texan file photo

Former Longhorn Limas Sweed is tackled by a Kansas State defender in the 2007 contest against the Wildcats in Austin. In what was Texas’ conference opener, the Longhorns mustered only 21 points in a blowout loss which saw Colt McCoy leave with a concussion.

Recent seasons show conference openers can be nightmare games college football, this was just the beginning of an array of upsets seen on the college football landscape in 2007. No. 3 Oklahoma came into the game looking for a nice tune-up before the big game against Texas the following week. The psychics were wrong when they envisioned the Buffaloes being a cakewalk for the Sooners. Colorado freshman quarterback Cody Hawkins threw for 220 yards and two touchdowns as the Buffaloes Colorado Buffaloes vs. No. 3 battled back from a 24-7 deficit late in the third quarter to Oklahoma Sooners, 2007 upset Oklahoma 27-24 on a last In the crazy year that was second field goal. By Wes DeVoe Daily Texan Staff Despite the early season battle between the Longhorns and Red Raiders on Sept. 19, the official kickoff of Big 12 conference play starts this weekend, and underdogs are licking their chops for a chance at an upset. Here is a look at conference openers in recent years that have caused high-profiled teams dreaming of a national championship to have nightmares.

The Longhorns were outscored in each of the last three quarters in what turned out to be the first Just like the Sooners, the of two consecutive losses for the Longhorns were looking for- men in burnt orange. ward to a soft opponent before the big rivalry game in Dallas. No. 21 Iowa State Cyclones vs. It was a cloudy, wet afternoon in Austin where sloppy play No. 19 Nebraska Cornhuskers, became the theme of the day 2002 for Texas. It wasn’t necessarily a game A concussed Colt McCoy from hell for the Cornhuskthrew only one touchdown ers, but it was the beginning of compared to four interceptions, the end of Nebraska’s dynasty. while now-Tampa Bay BuccaIn previous seasons, Nebraska neer quarterback Josh Freeman had been ranked in the Top 10 led the way for the hungry Wildnationally and was a contender cats. Kansas State scored three touchdowns on special teams, and another on an interception. CONFERENCE continues on page 8

I’d like to bring something to your attention. While all of you are are sitting around fretting over how Alabama is closing the gap in the polls on Texas and is getting more first-place votes than your beloved Longhorns, you’re missing the most egregious error — the fact that the Texas volleyball team is still ranked second in the nation. Texas currently sits at No. 2 in both the American Volleyball Coaches Association and the Volleyball Magazine polls behind Penn State. The Volleyball Magazine poll has Texas inching ever so close to taking over that number-one spot, with the Longhorns only 11 points behind. But my big beef comes with the AVCA poll. The coaches’ poll has a total of 60 first-place votes to hand out, of which nine go to Texas, three go to Washington,

and the other 48 are given to the Nittany Lions. Now, I understand that Penn State is a two-time defending champion, but you can’t keep looking at the past — that’s what preseason polls are for, and just like in football, they are completely bogus in volleyball, too. Granted, Penn State makes a valid argument for its No. 1 ranking. After all, the Nittany Lions have only lost one set the entire season. But take a look at their schedule: They have played two teams — Illinois and St. Louis — that are currently ranked, or were even ranked in the preseason. Their only other opponents are the local junior high teams, and maybe they have a pretty name from one of the BCS conferences, like Pittsburgh or Alabama. The problem with that is that there is no Big Six in volleyball. Heck, those teams aren’t even ranked. Mid-majors like Hawaii, Long Beach State and St. Louis are just as big of factors as the

RANK continues on page 8

No. 7 Texas Longhorns vs. Kansas State Wildcats, 2007

Derek Stout | Daily Texan file photo

Longhorns Destinee Hooker, back, and Jennifer Doris, front center, have helped Texas gain ground on No. 1 Penn State in recent polls.

ALLDECADE

Offensive linemen block out competition for spots on All-Decade Team Longhorn greats have epitomized what front seven means to Texas

Ben Sklar | Daily Texan file photo

Former Longhorn and now Houston Texan offensive lineman Kasey Studdard, left, played a big role in protecting Vince Young on the way to a national title.

out the help of the following centers, guards and tackles? All of the following are in the NFL, and all five of the current starting offensive linemen are capable of joining these former By Dan Hurwitz Longhorns in the pros within Daily Texan Staff Since Mack Brown’s first day the next two years. at Texas, he has had an abundance of big guys to protect his Derrick Dockery quarterbacks. The University of Dockery was capable of playTexas has consistently had one ing anywhere on the line and of the best offensive lines in the was kept busy opening holes Big 12 and the nation over the for Cedric Benson and giving past decade. Simms plenty of time to hit his Usually the most overlooked receivers. Dockery was named part of a football team, the of- an All-American and First Team fensive line is arguably the big- All-Big 12 in 2002. gest unit of a football team — literally. Who knows how Chris Mike Williams Williams, who played alongSimms, Vince Young and Colt McCoy would have fared with- side Dockery for two years in

NCAA FOOTBALL

Austin, is again playing with him for the Washington Redskins. He started every game in 2000 and 2001, in which he only allowed two sacks leading his way to being an All-American and the No. 4 overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft.

al championship in 2005, a year when the offense had the nation’s best scoring offense and second best rushing offense.

Jonathan Scott

Scott was one of the best tackles in college football during his time on the 40 Acres. Multiple Justin Blalock All-American and Big 12 honBlalock set a Texas record of ors rank him among one of the 51 consecutive starts during his top offensive linemen to suit up career from 2003 to 2006. His for Texas. awards and accomplishments range from three straight years on the First Team All-Big 12 to Tony Hills, Lyle Sendlein, an All-American in 2006, when Kasey Studdard he was also a finalist for the All three were a part of the Outland Trophy and Lombardi same offensive line as Blalock Award. Blalock was a big reathat brought a national title son why Vince Young and Jamaal Charles were able to do what they did and win a nationDECADE continues on page 8

NFL

Cowboys’ Bryant ruled ineligible for rest of ‘09 49ers’ Crabtree signs By Jeff Latzke The Associated Press STILLWATER, Okla. — AllAmerica wide receiver Dez Bryant has been ruled ineligible by Oklahoma State for the remainder of the season. The university announced Wednesday that Bryant “failed to openly disclose to the NCAA the full details of his interaction with a former NFL player not affiliated with OSU.” Oklahoma State (3-1) said it had already asked the NCAA to reinstate Bryant for the violation of bylaw 10.1(d), which prohibits players from knowingly providing false information to the NCAA regarding a possible rules violation. “I made a mistake by not being entirely truthful when meeting with the NCAA,” Bryant said in a statement. “I sincerely regret my mistake and apologize to my teammates, coaches, OSU fans and the NCAA.” A top NFL prospect, Bryant

caught 87 passes for 1,480 yards and 19 touchdowns last season while also scoring twice on punt returns. He’s the only one of last year’s three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award that is still in school. This season, Bryant leads the team with 17 catches for 323 yards and four touchdowns. He left Oklahoma State’s 41-24 win against Rice after taking a hard hit and sat out a 56-6 win against Grambling State two weeks ago. The Cowboys were off last week and open conference play Saturday morning at Texas A&M (3-1). “We are certainly disappointed, but we are moving forward as we would with any challenge during the season,” coach Mike Gundy said in a statement. Oklahoma State said the situation “does not involve anyone associated with the OSU football or athletic department staffs, any emBrody Schmidt | Associated Press ployee of the university, alumni, donors, or any third-party affiliat- Oklahoma State’s Dez Bryant was declared ineligible by the NCAA Wednesday after lying about a meeting with Deion Sanders in May. ed with OSU.”

contract, ending holdout After missing four games, San Francisco receiver ‘very humble’

By Janie McCauley The Associated Press SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Michael Crabtree is confident he can play a big role for the San Francisco 49ers as a rookie even though he’s months behind. He will get his chances in an offense that could really use him. Crabtree signed a six-year contract early Wednesday after a drawn-out negotiation process that had some wondering whether the star wide receiver would ever show up this season. “It’s a lot of relief off my shoulders,” Crabtree said when formally introduced at team headquarters.

While specific terms of the deal, which was completed around 2 a.m. Wednesday, were not disclosed, Crabtree will receive nearly $17 million in guaranteed money, according to a person familiar with the contract. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the details weren’t made public. Crabtree headed out Wednesday for his first practice as the 49ers prepare for Sunday’s home game against Atlanta. “Everybody came to a reachable agreement and it happened,” Crabtree said, sporting a red No. 15 practice jersey and charcoal gray sweats. “I’m just glad I’m past that part. I’m very humble right now, man, it’s a very humbling experience. Just getting a chance to sit back and better myself as a person, as

CONTRACT continues on page 8

8 SPTS

8

SPORTS

Thursday, October 8, 2009

CONFERENCE: Opening games a concern

RANK: Schedule enough

to jump Nittany Lions From page 7 schools like Penn State, Texas and Nebraska. But a glance at Texas’ schedule would reveal that the Longhorns have played eight ranked opponents, most of whom were on the road, and come out unscathed, 8-0. The Longhorns haven’t even lost a set at home, and of the five total sets they

SPORTS BRIEFLY Third match proves too much for newly constructed tandem

Chris Soliz | Daiily Texan file photo

Dejected Longhorns Lamaar Houston and Aaron Lewis couldn’t do much to help the Longhorn offense in the team’s first loss of the season in 2007. Kansas State’s special teams proved to be the big difference on a rainy afternoon at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

From page 7 for the national title, year in and year out. But heading into the Big 12 conference opener against Iowa State, Nebraska had already dropped 12 spots from No. 7 to No. 19 in the polls, and the Cyclones were ready to administer a storm up in Ames, Iowa. Running back Seneca Wallace ran for 270 yards and scored three touchdowns for Iowa State.

ing with none other than Oklahoma for the No. 2 and No. 3 spots in the country. After starting the year off at No. 3, the Longhorns pulled off four consecutive blowouts and were propelled past the Sooners into the No. 2 position, heading into their Big 12 opener at home against Oklahoma State. No. 2 Texas Longhorns vs. The Cowboys rallied from a Oklahoma State Cowboys, 2002 14-point second half deficit and Texas came into the game joust- had a chance to tie the game after Five Husker turnovers resulted in 17 points for the Cyclones as they ran all over Nebraska 3614. It was Iowa State’s first win over Nebraska since 1992 and the Huskers’ first conference opener loss since 1974.

DECADE: Big

men fight for spots in the trenches From page 7 back to Austin for the first time in 35 years. The three of them were also all First Team All-Big 12 at least once during their careers. Despite suffering injuries throughout his Longhorn days, Hills was one of the toughest guys to ever suit up for Texas. Sendlein touched the ball every time Vince Young did. In 2005, these three, in addition to Blalock and Scott, helped the offense gain 512 yards per game, a program record.

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a late touchdown with 33 seconds left. But Texas’ second ranked defense in the NCAA stopped the Cowboys’ two-point conversion attempt to salvage the victory 1715. It was the 31st time in the last 34 years that Texas won its conference opener, but it definitely came with more work than previously expected heading into the Red River Rivalry game, an eventual loss for the Longhorns.

The newly formed Texas doubles tandem of Vasko Mladenov and Ed Corrie won its first two matches but couldn’t get the crucial third win that would have qualified the duo for the main draw of the ITA All-American Championships. The duo opened its qualifying with an 8-6 win over North Carolina State’s David Thomson and Jaime Pulgar. Just a few hours later, the Longhorns defeated UC Irvine’s Sam Gould and Zac Tsai, 8-6. One win away from clinching a spot in the main draw, Corrie and Mladenov fell in the round of 16 to rival Oklahoma’s Andrei Daescu and Ionut Beleleu in a match where the Horns struggled to hold serve. Winning the match would have given the Horns two doubles teams in the prestigious tournament, ITA No. 13 Josh Zavala and Dimitar Kutrovsky already have a spot in the main draw. ITA No. 46 Corrie and ITA No. 6 Dimitar Kutrovsky are also participating in the singles tournament and will play their first matches either Thursday or Friday. — Rishi Daulet

have lost, four of them came at least two time zones away. This team has clearly tested itself and, up to this halfway point in the season, proven that it deserves to be No. 1. But, since the teams get to battle it out on the court in a postseason tournament, unlike football, none of the rankings really matter, right? I guess we’ll find out who the true No. 1 is after the tournament.

Cornhuskers and Tigers meet in Big 12 showdown tonight After decades of Nebraska dominance, the Tigers have flipped the script in this Big 12 North Division rivalry. They have beaten the Huskers two straight years (combined 9323) and four of the past six times. Missouri, coming off a bye week, is trying for its first three-peat against Nebraska since 1969 and its fourth consecutive 5-0 start. Nebraska, also coming off a bye week, has three wins over Sun Belt Conference teams along with a 1615, last-second road loss to Virginia Tech. — The Associated Press

Players to watch in both team’s conference opener Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert vs. Nebraska defense. The sophomore leads the Big 12 in passing efficiency (fourth in the nation) with 11 TD throws and no interceptions. Nebraska leads the country in scoring defense, allowing just 7 points a game with a slate that has included overmatched Florida Atlantic, Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette. — The Associated Press

CONTRACT: Only unsigned draft

pick left finally takes the money From page 7 a player, as a teammate. ... I feel like going through that it made me look at the world in a different way, look at my teammates a different way. Hopefully it will work out for the best.� The agreement was first reported by ESPN.com. Coach Mike Singletary called it a “fair deal for both parties involved.� The former Texas Tech star was the only draft pick who hadn’t signed — and even rapper MC Hammer got involved to finally make it happen. Crabtree could provide the game-breaking receiving threat the 49ers have been lacking, assuming he can quickly learn the offense after missing all of training camp. The 10th pick overall, he also sat out offseason minicamps and organized team activities while recovering from a foot injury, but was a regular presence at the team’s training facility. Before Wednesday, Singletary had spoken to Crabtree just once since breaking offseason workouts in June. Crabtree and his agent, Eugene Parker, met with three top 49ers officials Tuesday to work through his contract impasse. Crabtree balked at a long-standing offer of approximately five years and $20 million, with a reported $16 million guaranteed. Instead, he sought money comparable to what higher draft picks received. “We came out of the gate and put a solid offer on the table,� 49ers general manager Scot McCloughan said, still unsure what Crabtree’s side didn’t like about it. “I’m curious to find out because it goes against the norm. Very seldom do you see this.� Oakland Raiders receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the No. 7 choice, signed a five-year contract that will guarantee him at least $23.5 million. Jaguars top pick Eugene Monroe, taken eighth overall, signed a five-year, $25 million contract that includes $19 million guaranteed. Crabtree shook hands throughout the locker room to greet his teammates. “We accept Crabtree no matter what,� tight end Vernon Davis said. “I think his play will speak for itself.� Singletary acknowledged last month the 49ers discussed changing their offer to Crabtree, and team president Jed York said in mid-September the team hoped for a face-to-face meeting with Crabtree. The 49ers received

Paul Sakuma | Associated Press

Michael Crabtree practices at a 49er mini camp shortly after the draft. He finally signed a contract on Wednesday for roughly $20 million. a call Sunday that Crabtree and figuring out ways to get him on Parker were en route to the area. the field.� That meeting finally happened The 49ers needed to sign CrabTuesday. tree by Nov. 17 for him to remain Crabtree and Parker were eligible to play this season. There joined by York, vice president of would have been a seven-week football operations Paraag Mar- window before the 2010 draft to athe and McCloughan. Hammer, trade Crabtree if he did not sign. a friend of Parker and client DeIn August, a report surfaced ion Sanders, also participated. from Crabtree’s cousin and adSingletary found out the deal viser that Crabtree was prepared was done when he woke up to sit out the season, re-enter the Wednesday morning. draft in 2010 and wait for a hefty “This is a great day for the paycheck. Crabtree wouldn’t ad49ers,� he said. “It showed the dress that aside from saying: “I’m commitment in place in having Michael Crabtree. Whatever I say Crabtree here. Obviously Michael is what I say.� missed a lot of time, a lot of valu“I know there’s been a lot of able time, and has a lot of work to things said back and forth,� Sincatch up.� gletary said. “I’ve always said Crabtree’s contract can be void- from day one, until I’ve heard ed after five years with two solid something from Michael, all the seasons. It’s unclear when Crab- other stuff doesn’t mean anytree will be ready after missing so thing to me. I’m very excited to much time, but San Francisco has have Mike Crabtree be part of a bye next week. It’s conceivable this time. In my mind he has been he could make his debut in a lim- since the day of the draft. Today ited role Oct. 25 at Houston. really makes it official.� “It’s going to be a process,� said Crabtree caught 97 passes for Singletary, whose team leads the 1,165 yards and scored 19 touchNFC West and at 3-1 is off to its downs last year, his sophomore best start since 2002. “Hopefully season at Texas Tech. He finished after the bye, Mike will be ready his college career with 231 reto go. Certainly it’s going to start ceptions for 3,127 yards and 41 small, a small role here and there, touchdowns.

9 CLASS

9

NEWS

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Leffingwell joins protest against landfill expansion

According to their Web site, kins. Perkins said the expansion Waste Management, Inc. is the was incompatible with the area leading provider of comprehensive because of the toxic material still waste management and environ- stored in the landfill and the high mental services in North America. residential growth nearby. Along with Leffingwell, Gerry The proposal also includes exAcuĂąa, City of Austin Solid Waste panding the current size of the Advisory Commission chairman, landfill by 71.11 acres for a total and Robin Schneider, director of area of 359.71 acres, or about half of the Texas Campaign for the Envi- a square mile. ronment, also took In Waste Manpart in the protest. agement, Inc.’s “Lee has been closing argument an ally for a very for their proposlong time, and al, the company he’s been instates that their It was a political volved with the decision to the point application for s t ru g g l e s i n c e expansion meets of being scary...â€? when he was on “all applicable the environmenstatutory and reg— Melanie McAfee ulatory requiretal board, back activist m e n t s â€? c r e a t when there were thousands of odor ed to “safeguard complaints and the health, welother problems,â€? fare, and physical said activist Melproperty of the anie McAfee, who has been a people and the environment.â€? member of the neighborhood coMost of the waste collected in the alition for the past 10 years. landfill comes from about 30 counMcAfee said the commission- ties outside of Travis County that ers have always seemed to support lack the infrastructure to store their the industry. She described the rela- waste, Perkins said. tionship between the landfill comAfter reviewing the proposal, pany and city residents as a con- the commissioners voted to delay stant power struggle. Despite at- the vote by at least 90 days to allow tempts to move toward zero waste Waste Management, Inc. to make in Austin, waste companies still corrections to the operating hours need waste to continue their busi- the company listed. This is the only ness, she said. change the commission asked the The landfill, located off Highway company to make in their proposal. 290 and Giles Road in East Austin, “The proceedings were a originally began as a place to store mockery,â€? McAfee said. “It was hazardous, industrial waste, not a political decision to the point municipal waste, said Austin Zero of being scary, a complete disWaste Alliance secretary Birdie Per- missal of the public.â€?

‘‘

Peyton McGee | Daily Texan Staff

Melanie McAfee, of the Northeast Neighborhood Coalition, leads a chant protesting landfill expansion outside of the TCEQ’s Austin headquarters on Wednesday morning. By Peyton McGee & Priscilla Totiyapungprasert Daily Texan Staff The proposed expansion of the Austin Community Landfill has sparked protest by con-

cerned citizens who were joined Wednesday morning by Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell. The protestors wore face masks and held signs that read “Our quality of life stinks� as they chant-

ed and marched outside the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality headquarters. Inside, commissioners voted on a proposal to allow Waste Management Inc., a private contractor, to extend trash

collection for the landfill from 2015 to 2025. The protest was organized by environmental groups Austin Zero Waste Alliance and the Northeast Neighborhood Coalition.

Poetry draws students to campus with ravens, readings 1

By Alex Geiser

Daily Texan Staff CLASSIFIEDS A toy raven perched on the

day, month day, 2008

RTISE NT E V D E A STUD ! YOUR NIZATION ORGA

Campus

wooden frame of an easel to the right of a podium. A professor and two actors, in turn, recited the words of Edgar Allan Poe Wednesday afternoon outside the Harry Ransom Center. Every chair was taken and every bench occupied in the courtyard as faculty, friends and students — from UT and area high schools — listened intently to the words of Poe 200 years after his birth. The Ransom Center’s Poetry on the Plaza, which is held the first Wednesday of every month, aims to bring awareness to the center and its exhibitions. The event focuses on a different poet each month, usually coinciding with current exhibitions. The event is part of The Big Read, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts aimed at getting people more in-

CORKBOARD

volved in reading and the arts. American literature professor Coleman Hutchison read selected poetry at the event and said the significance of Poe’s work lies in the accessibility and the challenge. “Poe is a really extraordinary figure in American literature, and he appeals to readers of all levels,� he said. �You could read Poe one time or 1,000 times and still pull something different from it.� A few classes from Gonzalo Garza Independence High School and three junior English classes from Lyndon B. Johnson High School in Johnson City attended the event for an opportunity to study Poe and be exposed to a college campus. Nina Goodwin, a high-school American literature teacher, brought her junior-level class to the Ransom Center to see the Poe exhibit and get a feel of the UT environment. She said her classes will soon begin a unit on

Jesus Montelongo | Daily Texan Staff

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Poetry on the Plaza attendees recited the works of Edgar Allan Poe at the Harry Ransom Center on Wednesday.

Poe and that this event seemed like an appropriate segue. “I’m a poetry freak, so of course we had to come to Poetry on the Plaza,� she said. “Also, some of [the students] don’t get out of Johnson City enough.� Linguistics sophomore Kelsey Handler attended the event for the first time after finding it on the Ransom Center’s Web site. She said she is drawn to Poe’s unique approach to poetry. “There is something original about it that no one else really captured,� Handler said. The program closed with an expressive reading of “The Raven� by Austin actor Marco Perella. During the reading, the audience remained still and focused on every word of the widely recited and parodied poem. Applause erupted as he spoke the final “nevermore.� The next Poetry on the Plaza will be held Nov. 4, featuring a reading of celestial poems relating to the Other Worlds exhibit.

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LIFE&ARTS

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Making a difference

Johnston set to bare it all for erotic publication

Shelley Neuman | Daily Texan Staff

Katie Houghtlin, a Teach for America alumna, is still teaching in Austin at KIPP Austin College Prep.

ONLINE: Video profile of Katie Houghtlin @dailytexanonline.com

Rachel D’Oro The Associated Press ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Levi Johnston is going for the ultimate exposure — the 19-year-old father of Sarah Palin’s grandchild will pose nude for Playgirl, his attorney said Wednesday. To get ready for his close-up, Johnston is training three hours a day, six nights a week at an Anchorage gym with a body builder. A formal agreement hasn’t been reached with the online magazine, but the photo shoot is a “foregone conclusion,� said Johnston’s attorney, Rex Butler. Johnston fathered a son with Bristol Palin, the 18-year-old daughter of Sarah Palin, the former Republican vice presidential candidate who resigned as Alaska’s governor in July. Just after Sen. John McCain chose Palin as his running mate in August 2008, Johnston was thrust into the national spotlight when Palin abruptly announced her unwed daughter was pregnant and the couple would marry. The couple broke up after the birth of their son, Tripp, in December. The relationship between the Palins and Johnston since then has often been strained, mostly over visitation issues. Johnston also has been marketing himself for a possible modeling or acting career, spending time in New York and Los Angeles. His first TV commercial, hawking Wonderful brand pistachios, debuted this week.

MIC: Brave Austinites charm the crowds FROST: Show geared to older audience From page 12 www.thevelveetaroom.com/forum/. At the Fair Bean Coffee house in South Austin, the Happy Hour Friday Jam open mic starts at 5 p.m. Dominated by acoustic guitars and (balding) middle-aged participants, the coffee house is packed with eager musicians and appreciative listeners. Space is tight — all of the two-seater coffee tables and clean white IKEA couches in the center of the room

were taken. The crowd and musicians were noticeably considerate. There were no angsty stories of heartbreak, dismissals of the world or top-of-your-lungs musical expressions. Instead, one guitarist/vocalist prefaced his rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Meet Me in the Morning� by promising he would only sing four verses. The Fair Bean attracts all sorts. Sarah Thomsen and Zoe Murrell

— in town to network with music industry figures over ACL weekend — hailed from The United Kingdom. Serving 12 different types of coffee, the coffee house purchases the majority of its beans from fair trade sources and roasts the coffee at the store. If you’re willing to settle for a crowd more like your parents than the latest permutation of hipsters, The Fair Bean open mic is a good place to enjoy music with no strings attached.

BAND: Soon-to-be grads see themselves

From page 12 Austin premiere of the play, but its relevance in our community is questionable. This is a play about the dynamics of men in power, with the

‘his’ in history becoming dominant. The few female roles here do nothing to stir any sense of excitement as their parts are transparent and vastly secondary. This is a difficult play that seems to garner an older fan

base. You probably won’t find the average college student attending. The play definitely has some great moments, but they aren’t enough to help one come out of it feeling any sense of delight or empowerment.

GO HORNS!

in recording industry for the long haul

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party tailgate

Photo courtesy The Courrier

Courrier, a band made up of four UT seniors, releases its first EP, ‘Like the Cold of Snow in the Time of Harvest,’ on Oct. 13.

From page 12 nunciation and spelling of — Courrier has a unique and clever sound that ranges from hard rock to folk and is influenced by artists like Wilco, Death Cab for Cutie, Radiohead and Kings of Leon. “I think what’s interesting about music is that it gets to be a collaboration of all of our individ-

ENTERTAINMENT BRIEFLY ‘The Goonies’ to play at first Bike-In Cinema in Austin When our parents were in college, they went on dates to the drive-in movie theater. Years later, Austin is going to have a greener, and just as romantic, alternative — a Bike-In Cinema. “We’re promoting sustainability, getting out of the car and onto

ual influences as well as all of our collective influences,� Jones said. “We get to come together and take all these different backgrounds and influences and ideas and try to convert them into something that’s still cohesive and has an identity as a Courrier song.� After two years of juggling school, jobs and the band, Courrier members anticipate the end

of their senior years and the beginning of a fully throttled musical career. “We’re definitely pursuing it as a career and as a legitimate livelihood,� Jones said. “We’re all seniors; we’re all going to be done with school. Most people just head to the real world, but our real world is probably going to be a little different.�

a bike,� said Brian Corrie of New Belgium Brewing Company, one of the groups sponsoring the event. Today will be the first Bike-In Cinema event in Austin, though similar ones have been held in Fort Collins and Steamboat Springs, Colo. These events typically draw 400 to 500 people, a large portion of the community for one movie showing. “There will be beer and food, and we’re showing ‘The Goonies’,� said Corrie. This will surely be enough temptation to draw a large

student crowd. Viewers are encouraged to bring blankets and ride in on their bicycles. In this day and age, a Bike-In Cinema is a thoughtful way to bring the community together with something that is earth friendly and enjoyable. Also, all proceeds from beer sales at the events are donated to nonprofit organizations. The Bike-In Cinema will be held tonight at The Triangle. The movie starts at dusk. — Sarah Pressley

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LIFE&ARTS

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Thursday, October 8, 2009

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

T HE DAILY TEXAN

Open-mic nights Changes to menu, not quality provide stand-up entertainment Diverse performances, multiple venues amuse audiences for cheap By Susannah Jacob Daily Texan Staff Most nights of the week, a relatively friendly audience awaits aspiring poets, stand-up comics and musicians in Austin. Those talented enough, or those who think they are talented enough, have the opportunity to wax poetically, sing and amuse, all on the same stage. With such an established openmic scene available, The Daily Texan recently set out to sample some of the venues. Every Tuesday from 6 to 9 p.m., David Bates hosts the Ruta Maya Coffee House open mic for poets at the South Congress location. The event opens with a “round robin” open mic, where walk-ons are welcome for an hour. After that, wannabe Robert Frosts and Emily Dickinsons are required to sign up for their opportunities at the mic. The house rules, posted by the stage, are as straightforward as a nursery rhyme: “One poem at a time; please be courteous; no musical instruments.” A plastic bin — the “poets’ pantry” — contains a few contributed canned goods for the homeless. “It’s not very popular, but it doubles as my carrying case for the library,” Bates said. The library, to which Bates referred, consists of a collection of poetry books, which Bates keeps available for those who haven’t brought something to read. Among the authors whose works are laid out neatly at the foot of the stage are Yusef Komunyakaa, Arthur Rimbaud, Sylvia Plath and e.e. cummings. On a recent Tuesday, roughly 20 poets — primarily male, in their 20s and angry — read over the course of the evening. Most recited poems that they had written. A title of one of the original poems, “Bitter ExGirlfriend Haiku #75” aptly described much of what was being delivered that evening. “The problem with discontent is that it’s a personal prob-

lem,” one poet said late into the evening. But despite the onstage anger, the atmosphere among the audience members at Ruta Maya remains remarkably relaxed. Many of the poets know each other by name from other local poetry open mics, and when seated, they make a supportive, participatory audience. When exiting the stage, poets slip out the side door to have a smoke and chew the fat with each other. When implored by other audience members to go up to the mic, a woman, who favored turquoise jewelry, responded, “Why the hell not?” embodying the relaxed attitude of Ruta Maya. Located at the intersection of Sixth and Red River streets, neighboring Esther’s Follies, The Velveeta Room hosts a comedy open mic every Thursday. “Thirty-three comics, from first-timers to brilliant professionals, get three to 10 minutes to make you laugh,” the club’s promotional materials promise. Starting promptly at 9:30 p.m. on a recent Thursday, the venue was about 65 percent filled. For the record, stand up is very, very difficult to pull off well. “You’re performing in front of other comedians. They don’t necessarily want you to do well,” said A.V. Austin contributor John Rabon. “That’s what makes it the hardest room in town.” On this particular Thursday, several performers were reduced to awkwardly drawn-out onstage consumption of water as they frantically considered “what to do next.” The other comedians in the audience seemed to enjoy these humiliating moments if the performer approached them with an air of self-deprecation. “My jokes about how bad I’m doing do better than the [actual] jokes,” one observed. As the Velveeta Room Web site points out, the evening is open mic and the $5 cover charge doesn’t break most bank accounts. A few of the performers were even funny. Those brave enough to try their hand at stand up should sign up online at

MIC continues on page 11

Rachel Taylor | Daily Texan Staff

Mark Gottschall watches another performer before he plays at an open mic at Fair Bean’s coffee shop.

Photos by Shelley Neuman | Daily Texan Staff

Above, Murph and Ben Willcott, the owners of Texas French Bread, stand in front of the company’s fourth store on Rio Grande, which opened in 1987 as a dessert bakery and retail cafe. Below, Texas French Bread recently made the switch to include all local products in their menu of offerings.

Texas French Bread restaurant uses local produce, ingredients By Solomon Wang Daily Texan Staff As food culture has shifted to a more convenient, industrialized market, it is difficult to find a restaurant that truly defines sustainability and cares about community. Since they began offering dinner last year, Texas French Bread has been one of the top local efforts to bring the concept of people and food together once again. The owners, brothers Ben and Murph Willcott, both UT graduates, introduced a limited dinner service in August 2008. Since then, the meals have become part of an ongoing process of embracing local food. Emphasizing the ideals of Alice Waters, the world-renowned mother of sustainability, the Willcott brothers are some of the few chefs around town that source a majority of their ingredients from local farms. Ben, the younger of the pair, takes pride in saying that 80 percent of the

ingredients are local. On criticism about local food being more expensive, Ben contested that “we should put higher value on food and be willing to pay more for healthier, fresher food.” Though traditionalists may want the same meal at Texas French Bread every time they go, this proves difficult as the seasons offer a wide array of changing produce. “Our bodies need different foods depending on the seasons,” Ben Willcott said. With the changing menu mirroring the changing selections of the market and farms, the restaurant fare is always fresh and sustainable. Currently, the no-frills menu offers coq au vin, a French-influenced, slowstewed chicken dish with wine and hearty vegetables, prepared with patience and ingredients that are found within an hour’s drive. The chicken comes from Dewberry Hills Farm in Lexing-

ton, Texas, a mere 50 miles away from Austin. At $14, this refined French stew is sure to stick to your ribs and cost you less than if you went to a haute French restaurant. “We have a vision of turning the Rio Grande location into a humble, straightforward bistro, inspired by the gastro-pubs in London that are so communitydriven,” Ben said.

With quality in mind, the Willcotts feel that they concentrate on what matters — their customers and what they serve them. The main location of Texas French Bread is located at 2900 Rio Grande St. Hours are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dinner is offered Wednesday though Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m.

UT seniors release EP, perform at La Zona Rosa By Eliana Ramirez Daily Texan Staff The Courrier boys know how to joke around. With their witty remarks and silly responses, their status as a group of UT-seniorsturned-bandmates is apparent. But despite their quirky composures, there is one thing they are serious about — their musical careers. With the iTunes release of the group’s new EP “Like the Cold of Snow in the Time of Harvest” set for Oct. 13 and the group’s EP release performance tonight at La Zona Rosa, Courrier closes one

chapter in the long and arduous singer Austin Jones. “We are in out a graphic designer.” process of recording an album. the process of picking a producCourrier first began as a band called Anderson, a name that didn’t seem to fit, according to lead guitarist Philip Edsel. “We eventually just realized We eventually just realized that we were going to that we were going to actually pursue music in earnest and actually pursue music in earnest.” take it seriously,” Edsel said. “We — Phillip Edsel, The Courrier lead guitarist looked around and saw that maybe Anderson just wasn’t the best fit for us.” Aside from the band’s unique name — which members con“We’ve been really dream- er, where to record it, where’s the stantly have to correct the proing about it for probably around money for it, writing the songs, 10 months or so now,” said lead naming the songs and picking BAND continues on page 11

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Austin Playhouse’s ‘Frost/Nixon’ production: political theater, literally Play recreates chemistry, tension between leading figures in TV interviews

By Javier Sanchez Daily Texan Staff It isn’t very often that you see a fierce portrayal of politics in the world of theater. Sure, you can find historical productions that set audiences within a specific context and force them to contend with the time period’s cultural crisis. But usually in these, the small stands in for the whole — the individual story speaks for a collective one. “Frost/Nixon,” however, drives viewers to the source of its politics as it attempts to recreate the events surrounding the interviews between David Frost and the defamed Richard Nixon. The story becomes a power play between the two men. Frost, as it seems, wants to gain notoriety in interviewing Nixon, hoping to attain a larger audience and cement his stance as a well-known celebrity. The downtrodden Nixon wants to tell his side of the story, albeit with a

few stipulations. The Austin Playhouse production is a strong one, graced with a cast of many storied actors. Hyde Park Theatre alum Ken Bradley is present as General Jack Brennan, Nixon’s right-hand man. Bradley creates an engaging character with his trademark assertiveness, a commanding quality that stems from the power of his voice, where even a whisper seems to pack a punch. Similarly, Huck Huckaby as Jim Reston, who narrates a large portion of the play, is both serious and comical as he contends with the demands of his good friend Frost. The title characters themselves are at times vastly compelling, but come with a learning curve. David Stahl does his job as the charismatic David Frost. Frost has the ability to charm the lovely Caroline Cushing and the gall to cross-examine Nixon, things Stahl does very well. But Stahl is more fascinating in the things he doesn’t say. There is a point in the play where the power dynamic between Frost and Nixon shifts to Nixon’s favor, leaving Frost bewildered, his jaw quivering

under the weight of all the things left unspoken. Michael Stuart’s Nixon is an interesting experience, probably because there will always be an inherent awkwardness present when one tries to replicate someone as prominent in American culture as Richard Nixon. Stuart’s booming voice initially feels unnatural and repelling, with a kind of somnambulistic edge. But as the play progresses, this unease dissipates as Stuart humanizes the Nixon that many people resented in his heyday. In perhaps the best scene in the play, Nixon calls Frost on the phone on the eve of their final interview. He evokes pity as he aligns himself with Frost, claiming that they both were outcasts — two driven men cut from the same cloth. Acting aside, one still must wonder why it is necessary to stage a production of “Frost/Nixon,” especially since a critically successful film adaptation just finished its Oscar run this past year. This is the

FROST continues on page 11

Courtesy of Christopher Loveless

David Stahl and Michael Stuart in Austin Playhouse’s production of “Frost/Nixon,” a theater production chronicling the interviews between David Frost and Richard Nixon.

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