The Daily Texan 10-26-11 by The Daily Texan

THE DAILY TEXAN Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION Check out which Austin Film Festival comedies make the honor roll

STAT GUY

Texas’ players aren’t setting records but they are getting better SPORTS PAGE 7

LIFE&ARTS PAGE 11

>> Breaking news, blogs and more: www.dailytexanonline.com

TODAY Calendar ‘Sparks fly’

See Taylor Swift play and sing on her Speak Now World Tour at the Frank Erwin Center from 7 to 10 p.m. Ticket prices are $25$69.50.

Communication Job & Internship Fair Dress nice and bring your resumes to talk with potential employers at DKR TexasMemorial Stadium, North End Zone - The Club (Entrance: Gates 14 & 16) from 12 to 5 p.m.

LMAO, LOL

Your day has been seriously lacking in funny comics

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COMICS PAGE 9 Wednesday, October 26, 2011

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Students raise concerns about transportation By Megan Strickland Daily Texan Staff

Despite offering parking passes at significantly lower rates than rival universities, supporting the nation’s largest university bus system and increasing the number of bicycle racks on campus, there are still many concerns about the transit and parking system by UT students. Parking and Transportation Ser-

vices and Student Government cohosted a meeting Tuesday that allowed students to question representatives about problems in the parking and transit system and suggest solutions. “Parking at the University of Texas is a little bit of a challenge,” assistant director of PTS Jeri Baker said. “We have about 15,000 parking places and about 75,000 people each day that come to campus.” Baker said PTS must price park-

ing affordably while financially sustaining the organization that does not receive funding from tax or university dollars. Often, funding comes from event parking that cause faculty and students to begrudgingly relocate their vehicles. “One of the things that I always hear about is ‘Oh man, you value the football fans more than you value the students, because

Students attend a meeting to voice concerns about parking and transit on campus Tuesday afternoon.

Danielle Villasana Daily Texan Staff

PARKING continues on PAGE 2

Pharmacy Council offers screenings to community

HUMAN PUNCHING BAG

Project Princess benefit BBQ

For $5 you can join the Texas Lonestars and Texas Iron Spikes for a meal of tacos, chips and drinks and raise money to provide prom dresses to girls who cannot afford to buy them. It will be held in Gregory Plaza from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

By Sarah White Daily Texan Staff

Fast-A-Thon

Join the Texas Muslim Students’ Association everyday from now until Nov. 2 in the Student Activity Center ballroom from 1 to 7 p.m. to sign up for the Nov. 2 event where sponsors will donate $3 to East African Famine Relief when you pledge to fast for the day.

Today in history In 2001 The USA PATRIOT act was signed into law by President George W. Bush. The USA PATRIOT act is an acronym for: Uniting (and) Strengthening America (by) Providing Appropriate Tools Required (to) Intercept (and) Obstruct Terrorism.

Inside

Tamir Kalifa| Daily Texan Staff

A local boxer and a member of the United States Marine Corps boxing team spar at the Bruce’s Boxing gym in North Austin on Tuesday night. The gym, started by Bruce Acuna 10 years ago, attracts amateur and professional fighters from all over Central Texas and often hosts the USMC Boxing team when they travel through the area.

In Opinion: City council manages to promote vigilantism page 4

In Sports:

‘‘

Longhorns’ running game on the rebound page 7

Quote to note Every time you have the best game of your life going, you mess up in some stupid way and it’s all over. And then you think, ‘next time.’ You can correct that and do it better and you’re not going to mess up. And then you think, ‘it’s over,’ and then — whoosh — you have the best game of your life again. — Nick Taseris Pinball aficionado LIFE&ARTS PAGE 12

PHARMACY continues on PAGE 2

What exactly is the benefit of the Longhorn Network?

In News: Plastic bag ban gives headaches to retailers page 5

In an attempt to educate students about the role of pharmacists in health care and to provide free medical ser vices to the University community, the College of Pharmacy provided free health screenings Tuesday, said project collaborator Sharon Rush. The screenings were put on by the Pharmac y C ouncil as part of Project Collaboration, a collaboration between pharmacy student organizations to host free screenings to lower-income areas of Austin, Rush said. “We organize different health fairs through the community, but this is our only event in which we specifically target students,” Rush said. “Normally we are in places like East Austin and other low-income areas of the city, where patients have a

By Trey Scott Daily Texan Columnist

From the onset, one of the initial motives of the Longhorn Network was to increase Texas’ national clout. At the two month-mark, it appears instead that the Texas football program has become as unknown

as ever. “The network’s taking a lot of time, much more than we anticipated,” Texas head coach Mack Brown said last week. “But it’s great stuff and I hope it gets to cable systems soon so people can start watching it.” And the longer it takes the network to get to those cable boxes, the more likely it is to lose credibility. To start, those without the net-

work — owned and operated by ESPN and available, most notably, on Grande and Verizon FiOS — will not be able to catch Texas’ first action on Saturday against Kansas, unless they have a ticket to the game. This problem was discussed ad

UT educators had impact on musician By Lydia Herrera Daily Texan Staff

Success is built by maintaining friendships and connections and finding the right niche market to cater to, said musician, producer and UT alumnus BZ Lewis. During a Tuesday lecture titled “Hope it’s cold — you’ll wear a lot of hats,” Lewis focused on the ways students can work to achieve success in the music industry as he has. The event was a part of the Music Leadership Lecture Series hosted by the Butler School of Music. Lewis, who graduated in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in music, describes his experience in the business as a convoluted series of events bringing him to where he is now. He said he recalls bumping into a man holding an armful of blank manuscript paper in college and as he helped pick it up, took it as a sign he had paper to fill and music

MUSICIAN continues on PAGE 2

BZ Lewis, musical composer, producer, engineer and UT alumus, returned to his alma mater Tuesday to speak to students about the music industry and how he got there. Lewis, class of 92’, started Studio 132 in California four years after graduating and has since become an established commercial artist, recognized guitarist and voting member for the Grammys. Tamir Kalifa Daily Texan Staff

nauseam leading up to the season, when the Longhorn Network bro a d c a s te d (we think) the season-opener against Rice. But an inability to watch two of Texas’ 12 games still isn’t the biggest problem: It has been given the good stuff — one-on-one interviews with the

Longhorns, inside access to practices, meetings with head coach Mack Brown — and, in turn, put it all on a network that few can watch. The local media has been given the second helpings, receiving one interview per week with Brown and a few crowded question-and-answer sessions with the same players over and over again. After a few weeks or

LHN continues on PAGE 8

Neighborhood ordinance may stifle new frats, co-ops By Allie Kolechta Daily Texan Staff

An ordinance being considered by Austin City Council aims to place restrictions on the creation of cooperatives and Greekstyle “group housing” in areas of North Campus. University Area Partners — the neighborhood association which controls the West Campus area — considered a proposed zoning overlay district at a meeting Tuesday afternoon. The district would create limitations on building “group housing” in the parts of UAP that lie north of Dean Keeton Street. Group housing includes fraternities, sororities and cooperative housing. The proposed district has been discussed among other neighborhood associations in the area, as well, and would affect the area that lies outside the Universi-

ty Neighborhood Overlay, where high density is desired, said Cathy Norman, a member of UAP. Much of the support for zoning overlay districts comes from single-family homeowners who don’t appreciate all that comes with living by a fraternity or co-op housing, she said. The proposed zoning overlay district would raise problems for existing Greek housing as well as for co-ops looking to purchase land north of Dean Keeton Street, Norman said. “The student body objects, for obvious reasons,” she said. “It limits the use for fraternities and sororities and group residential co-ops — other low-income options.” The zoning overlay district will eventually be voted on by the Central Austin Neighborhood Plan-

HOUSING continues on PAGE 2

NEWS

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

PHARMACY continues from PAGE 1 high risk of diabetes and usually are without health insurance.” She said that pharmacists are trained to help patients take their medications safely and to help them avoid worse conditions through preventative medication. “Our theme for Pharmacy Month has been ‘know your medicine; know your pharmacist,’” Rush said. “We are trying to educate people on what pharmacists do and what they represent.” Each health fair is hosted by a different pharmacy organization at UT, said Alley Packer, committee chair of Project Collaboration. The student volunteers from the different groups share the equipment provided by grants from UT and companies such as Target. Packer said Project Collaboration has already held health fairs targeting Hispanic and Vietnamese residents in Austin and they expect to have more

Anne Nguyen, left, gets her glucose and cholesterol levels checked by UT pharmacy student Ning Liao. The Pharmacy Council provided free screenings in order to educate students about the role of pharmacists in health care and help students take precautionary measures toward their health.

Kiersten Holmes Daily Texan Staff

throughout the fall. “We have health fairs around 10 to 12 times a semester. We have already reached about 1,000 people,” Packer said. “We

hope to have served 3,000 by the end of the semester.” In the screenings, pharmacy students checked patients’ blo o d glucos e levels, blo o d

pressure and body-mass index, Packer said. They also checked for indications and symptoms of blood diseases and diabetes. “Working with students is so

continues from PAGE 1

CENTER — The district attorney in a Texas county with a wellknown drug-trafficking route repeatedly allowed suspected drug runners and money launderers to receive light sentences — or escape criminal charges altogether — if they forfeited their cash to prosecutors. As a result, authorities collected more than $800,000 in less than a year using a practice that essentially let suspects buy their way out of allegations that, if proven, would probably have resulted in prison sentences. “They were looking out for the treasury of their county instead of doing the job of protecting society,” said R. Christopher Goldsmith, a Houston attorney who represented one of the defendants. The system engineered by Shelby County District Attorney Lynda Kaye Russell is now one focus of a federal criminal investigation that is also reviewing whether Russell and other law enforcement officials targeted black motorists for traffic stops. Interviews, court records and other documents reviewed by The Associated Press show numerous exam-

Volume 112, Number 67

CONTACT US Main Telephone: (512) 471-4591 Editor: Viviana Aldous (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com Managing Editor: Lena Price (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com News Office: (512) 232-2207 news@dailytexanonline.com Multimedia Office: (512) 471-7835 dailytexanmultimedia@gmail.com

Texas DA accused of HOUSING giving light sentences to drug traffickers By Danny Robbins The Associated Press

THE DAILY TEXAN

ples of suspects who went unpunished or got unusually light sentences after turning over tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. The money from those and other defendants increased the DA’s forfeiture account by more than two hundredfold and helped ease a tight budget. The county’s former auditor has testified that at least a portion of it was spent on campaign materials, parades, holiday decorations, food, flowers, gifts and charitable contributions. In one instance, a man accused of transporting 15 kilos of cocaine and more than $80,000 in cash got probation after forfeiting the money to the district attorney. When the Justice Department learned about the deal, federal officials regarded it as so outlandish that they took the rare step of building their own case. In another case, a woman caught with more than $620,000 stuffed into Christmas presents walked away after reaching a similar agreement. Russell, who has been district attorney in the county on the Texas-Louisiana border since 1999, did not respond to repeated requests for comment. She announced in June that she was resigning, effective at the end of the year.

THE DAILY TEXAN

ning Area Commission, a committee made up of two members of Student Government and representatives from neighborhood associations located in areas with heavy student populations. The zoning overlay district was proposed without input or compromise from the student renters who make up the majority of the CANPAC area, said John Lawler, SG liberal arts representative and CANPAC member. If a zoning overlay district is implemented by CANPAC, it

would negatively affect affordable housing by encouraging developers to build multi-family apartment complexes for density instead of less expensive group housing like cooperatives, he said. “What we’re basically doing is incentivizing one style of development, which is the less-affordable, newer, nicer apartmentstyle building,” he said. “We’re putting a burden on affordable housing which creates a sense of unease within the market.” Cooperative housing is generally a better housing system than apartment complexes for student living, said community member Mac McKaskle. Af-

much fun,” Packer said. “Students are very inquisitive; they ask us all about pharmacy, the body mass index and the other numbers that we give them.” fordable housing is a necessity in college neighborhoods, he said. Noise and other issues that single-family homeowners may have with group housing come with living in a college neighborhood, McKaskle said. “If you’re living in a major city next to a major university, wake up,” he said. “You’re going to be next to college students. If you have a problem with your neighbors having a deck that’s loud, go knock on their door. When we were in college and we were too loud, that’s what they did. And we were a lot noisier and louder in the ’70s than kids nowadays.”

Sports Office: (512) 232-2210 sports@dailytexanonline.com Life & Arts Office: (512) 232-2209 dailytexan@gmail.com Photo Office: (512) 471-8618 photo@dailytexanonline.com Comics Office: (512) 232-4386 dailytexancomics@gmail.com Retail Advertising: (512) 471-1865 joanw@mail.utexas.edu Classified Advertising: (512) 471-5244 classifieds@dailytexanonline.com

The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely. I f we have made an error, let us know about it. Call (512) 232-2217 or e-mail managingeditor@dailytexanonline.com.

PARKING continues from PAGE 1 you kick us out of our spots for games,’” Baker said. “I want you to understand the money we generate when we have events on campus help us keep costs down for you.” Baker said the cost of parking at UT is also substantially lower than at other universities. “The current price of a C permit is $120 per year,” Baker said. “At A&M they pay $275 for the exact same parking permit. At Oklahoma it’s $195 per year, and at Texas Tech they sell a nine-month permit for $142.” Alternative transportation manager Blanca Juarez said UT also plans to increase the number of bicycle racks on campus this year, increase the Zipcar

rental program PTS offers and continue to provide shuttle services via bus both daily in Austin and on weekends to Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. This alternative transport system was what graduate architecture student and bicyclist Kathryn Bedford said she was personally concerned about. “I understand that a lot of what you need to provide has to do with cars and parking, but I’m wondering if more emphasis can be put on alternative means of transportation, like biking or frankly anything else,” Bedford said. Baker said an adver tising campaign promoting bicycling and safe motorist-pedestrian-bicycle interaction would be released early in 2012 to raise awareness about alternative transport. PTS director Bobby Stone said

he is often told bicyclists’ interaction with pedestrians and motorists is a headache. "We hear bicyclists are a menace to this campus,” Stone said. “We often have to fight with people on campus who say bicyclists are the problem. Bicyclists aren’t the problem.” Stone said he thinks educating the public on bicycle interaction is the real issue. “We believe that we can mix cars, pedestrians and bicycles in a manner that’s safe and effective for all of us, but it takes a cooperative effort,” Stone said. As students brought up a nu m b e r of ot h e r c on cerns, Stone encouraged students to engage PTS in a dialogue to help find solutions to parking and transport issues. “It’s a challenge, and we get all different kinds of perspectives,” Stone said. “It takes all of us.”

Copyright 2011 Texas Student Media. All articles, photographs and graphics, both in the print and online editions, are the property of Texas Student Media and may not be reproduced or republished in part or in whole without written permission.

TOMORROW’S WEATHER Low

High

Who is this child?

FOR THE RECORD Correction: Because of a reporting error, Monday’s page one story about the Horns Give: Bastrop event should have said Buffington Homes donated to the cause, not Huffington Homes.

This newspaper was printed with pride by The Daily Texan and Texas Student Media.

Permanent Staff

Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viviana Aldous Associate Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Matthew Daley, Shabab Siddiqui Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lena Price Associate Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sydney Fitzgerald News Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matthew Stottlemyre Associate News Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Victoria Pagan, Colton Pence, Huma Munir Senior Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jillian Bliss, Liz Farmer, Allie Kolechta Copy Desk Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Austin Myers Associate Copy Desk Chiefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elyana Barrera, Ashley Morgan, Klarissa Fitzpatrick Design Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alexa Hart Senior Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Nuncio, Chris Benavides, Bobby Blanchard Photo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew Torrey Associate Photo Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ryan Edwards, Shannon Kintner Senior Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thomas Allison, Mary Kang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lawrence Peart, Fanny Trang, Danielle Villasana Video Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rafael Borges Associate Video Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jackie Kuenstler Senior Videographer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ashley Dillard Senior Video Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ben Smith Life&Arts Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aleksander Chan Associate Life&Arts Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Katie Stroh Senior Life&Arts Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ali Breland, Benjamin Smith, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Julie Rene Tran, Aaron West, Alex Williams Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trey Scott Associate Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Austin Laymance Senior Sports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nick Cremona, Christian Corona, Lauren Giudice, Chris Hummer Comics Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Victoria Elliot Web Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gerald Rich Associate Web Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ryan Sanchez Editorial Adviser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Doug Warren

Issue Staff

Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lydia Herrera, Megan Strickland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sarah White, Andrew Messamore Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kiersten Holms, Tamir Kalifa Sports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hank South, Peter Sblendario, Garrett Callahan Life&Arts Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jessica Lee, Sarah-Grace Sweeney Copy Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chelsea DiSchiano, Brionne Griffin, Marco Lopez Page Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Betsy Cooper, Sarah White Comic Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Betsy Cooper, Claudine Lucena, Trish Do, Tyler Suder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rory Harman, John Massingil, Emery Ferguson Videographers/Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Demi Adejuyigbe Web Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kayla Moses, William Snyder

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Director of Advertising & Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jalah Goette Business Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lori Hamilton Business Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amy Ramirez Advertising Adviser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CJ Salgado Senior Local Sales Associate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brad Corbett Broadcast & Events Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carter Goss Campus & National Sales Associate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joan Bowerman Student Advertising Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ryan Ford Student Assistant Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Veronica Serrato Student Acct. Execs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Casey Lee, Adrian Lloyd, Morgan Haenchen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paola Reyes, Fredis Benitez, Hwanjong Cho . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Zach Congdon, Cameron McClure, Edward Moreland Student Office Assistant/Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rene Gonzalez Student Marketing Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jason Tennenbaum Student Buys of Texas Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lindsey Hollingsworth Senior Graphic Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Felimon Hernandez Junior Designers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Casey Rogers, Bianca Krause, Aaron Rodriquez Special Editions Adviser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adrienne Lee Student Special Editions Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jordan Schraeder The Daily Texan (USPS 146-440), a student newspaper at The University of Texas at Austin, is published by Texas Student Media, 2500 Whitis Ave., Austin, TX 78705. The Daily Texan is published daily, Monday through Friday, during the regular academic year and is published twice weekly during the summer semester. The Daily Texan does not publish during academic breaks and most Federal Holidays. and exam periods. Periodical Postage Paid at Austin, TX 78710. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Daily Texan, P.O. Box D, Austin, TX 78713. News contributions will be accepted by telephone (471-4591), or at the editorial office (Texas Student Media Building 2.122). For local and national display advertising, call 471-1865. classified display advertising, call 471-1865. For classified word advertising, call 471-5244. Entire contents copyright 2011 Texas Student Media.

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10/26/11

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MUSICIAN continues from PAGE 1

guitar program at UT. “If he didn’t do that, I don’t know if I would’ve done music here,” Lewis said. “[Holzman] had a massive impact. I had other theory teachers and music related classes, but to write. Lewis said he credits his con- your principle instrument teacher tinuance in music to his profes- is just the rock that you constantly sor Adam Holzman for creating a are seeing the whole time.” Now a five-time Emmy award winner for various works of music, Lewis said he currently works producing bands of all genres, owns Assigned Garage Parking Available! a music studio in Oakland, CaTHE CASTILIAN RESIDENCE HALL across the street from UT lif., creates music for television and 2323 San Antonio St. 478-9811 (ask for Heather) film and does work for big name www.thecastilian.com

GOT PARKING?

companies such as Google. “I like having varied stuff happening,” Lewis said. “If I had to do one thing all the time, I think it’d sort of drive me nuts.” Left to his own devices, Lewis said he creates heavy industrial music that appears to be “Nine Inch Nails meets Crystal Method and has Rob Zombie as their bastard child.” “[Aside from that] I also do intelligent, poppy, folky music for jobs where I take an idea and turn it into a tangible sonic reality,” Lewis said.

As parting advice for students and musicians, Lewis cautions students to be wary of contracts and to make sure currently recorded music sounds professional. He told students not to overcomplicate their music and to be good people to get along with. Lewis gives good insight into showing that musicians can capitalize off their work, said business senior Benson Thottiyil. “If a knucklehead like myself can fake my way through this stuff, then hopefully they can, too,” Lewis said.

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WORLD&NATION

Wednesday, October 26, 2011 | THE DAILY TEXAN | Austin Myers, Wire Editor | dailytexanonline.com

NEWS BRIEFLY

Texas Gov. Rick Perry gazes off into the distance at the ISO Poly Films plant in South Carolina on Tuesday.

Officials testify that operations in Africa would only last for months WASHINGTON â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The U.S. military operation against the Lordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Resistance Army in Africa is a shortterm deployment, Obama administration officials insisted on Tuesday. Facing skeptical members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, officials said the roughly 100 American troops, mostly U.S. Army Special Forces, had been dispatched to central Africa as advisers to regional forces pursuing the LRA. Alexander Vershbow, the assistant secretary of Defense for international security affairs, said the guerrilla group had been reduced to about 200 core fighters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and South Sudan. Pressed by lawmakers for a timetable, Vershbow said he couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t offer any specifics, but â&#x20AC;&#x153;weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re talking months. We will review in a few months.â&#x20AC;? Long considered one of Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most brutal rebel groups, the LRA began its attacks in Uganda more than 20 years ago but has been pushing westward. Human rights groups say its atrocities have left thousands dead and have forced as many as 300,000 Africans to flee. They have charged the group with seizing children to bolster its ranks of soldiers and sometimes forcing them to become sex slaves.

Last of nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deadliest nukes disarmed to ensure our survival AMARILLO â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The last of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most powerful nuclear bombs has been taken apart in Texas. Technicians at the Pantex Plant near Amarillo removed the uranium Tuesday from the last of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest nuclear bombs, a Cold War relic known as the B53 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which was over 600 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. Complied from Associated Press reports

Miracle baby arises from quake in Turkey By Selcan Hacaoglu Suzan Fraser The Associated Press

Richard Shiro Associated Press

Perry unveils flat tax plan By Charles Babingron The Associated Press

GRAY COURT, S.C. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry proposed dramatic tax and spending changes Tuesday, saying he would let Americans choose between a 20 percent flat tax and the current system, allow private Social Security accounts and slash government spending and regulation. Perry, seeking to regain the momentum he enjoyed in late August, said his plan would significantly spur economic growth. But analysts from the left and right said he would need draconian federal budget cuts to avoid massive deficits. In a pitch to conservatives, the Texas governor said his â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cut, Balance and Growâ&#x20AC;? plan was bolder than what his Republican rivals or President Barack Obama would do. His proposal calls for gradually increasing eligibility ages for Social Security and Medicare and for amending the Constitution to require bal-

anced budgets. â&#x20AC;&#x153;America is under a crushing burden of debt, and the president simply offers larger deficits and the politics of class division,â&#x20AC;? Perry said. After weeks of calling Social Security a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ponzi scheme,â&#x20AC;? Perry proposed major changes to the programâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s funding and payouts. Benefits would not change for current and soon-to-be retirees. Eventually, however, the eligibility age would rise, and wealthier people would see reduced benefits. Younger workers could steer some of their Social Security payroll taxes to private investment accounts, an idea President George W. Bush tried and failed to enact in 2005. The heart of Perryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan would reduce or eliminate an array of taxes. He would end taxes on Social Security benefits, estates, dividends and capital gains, which would most help upper-income people. He would lower the corporate income tax rate as well as the personal income tax rate for those who choose his 20 percent flat rate.

The top marginal tax rate on individual income is now 35 percent. It was 70 percent in the 1970s. By design, Perryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan â&#x20AC;&#x153;must lose revenueâ&#x20AC;? for the government, said Kevin Hassett, director of economic policy studies at the right-of-center American Enterprise Institute. To avoid higher deficits, Hassett said, the government would have to slash spending in ways not seen since after World War II. Perry said his proposed deep cuts in tax rates and regulation would spur economic growth and thus generate significant new tax revenues. Economists have long debated the validity of such claims. If Americans were allowed to choose between the current system and a 20 percent flat tax, several analysts said, the wealthy would get a big tax cut, and lower-income people would hardly be affected. Perry acknowledged that many of his proposals are controversial. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am not naive. I know this idea will be attacked,â&#x20AC;? he said.

ERCIS, Turkey â&#x20AC;&#x201D; After 48 hours, a miracle emerged from the rubble: a 2-week-old baby girl brought out halfnaked but alive from the wreckage of an apartment building toppled by Turkeyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s devastating earthquake. Rescue workers erupted in cheers and applause Tuesday at sight of the infant â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and again hours later when her mother and grandmother were pulled out, their survival a ray of joy on an otherwise grim day. Tuesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dramatic rescue of three generations of one family was all the more remarkable because the infant, Azra Karaduman, was declared healthy after being flown to a hospital in Ankara, the Turkish capital. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bringing them out is such happiness. I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be happier if they gave me tons of money,â&#x20AC;? said rescuer Oytun Gulpinar. The death toll from Sundayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 7.2-magnitude quake climbed to at

least 459 as desperate survivors fought over aid and blocked aid shipments. A powerful aftershock ignited widespread panic that turned into a prison riot in a nearby provincial city. With thousands of quake survivors facing a third night out in the open in near-freezing temperatures, Turkey set aside its national pride and said it would accept international aid offers, even from Israel, with which it has had strained relations. Some 2,000 buildings collapsed, but the fact that the quake hit in daytime, when many people were out of their homes, averted an even worse disaster. Turkey lies in one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most active seismic zones and is crossed by numerous fault lines. In 1999, two earthquakes with a magnitude of more than 7 struck northwestern Turkey, killing about 18,000 people. Istanbul, the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest city with more than 12 million people, lies in northwestern Turkey near a major fault line, and experts say tens of thousands could be killed if a major quake struck there.

Courtesy of The Associated Press

Turkish rescuers carry Azra Karaduman, a two-week-old girl they saved from under debris of a collapsed building in Ercis, Turkey, on Tuesday.

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OPINION

Wednesday, October 26, 2011 | THE DAILY TEXAN | Viviana Aldous, Editor-in-Chief | (512) 232-2212 | editor@dailytexanonline.com

QUOTES TO NOTE Public commentary on the proposed plastic bag ban The following quotes are from Monday’s open forum during which Austinites voiced their opinions on the proposed plastic bag ban. City officials began considering the ban in April, and Austin City Council members voted in August to draft an unofficial ordinance outlining possible provisions for the ban, according to The Daily Texan.

“The decision to [have a ban] has basically been made. But we want to do everything we can to minimize the impact. We don’t want to create a hardship.” — Mayor Lee Leffingwell, who supports the ban, at the meeting, according to the Austin American-Statesman.

“You can go out any day of the week and find plastic bags flying. This past weekend on Saturday it was windy and I caught a few.” — Austin Resource Recovery director Bob Gedert on the prevalence of plastic bags, according to the Texan.

“I have questions about Big Brother deciding what I can and can’t do.” — Austinite Harold Wettig at the meeting voicing his opposition to the ban, according to the Statesman.

West Virginia to join Big 12

Study abroad programs are not a panacea By Helen Hansen Daily Texan Columnist

The intriguing results of a study conducted by the UT Study Abroad Office found that 60 percent of UT students who study abroad graduate in four years, compared to 45 percent of non-participants, according to The Daily Texan. There are some perceivable explanations for why the study abroad program produces such high graduation rates in its participants: It is a motivating experience and it prevents mid-college burnout — but they are not the only and certainly not the most influential reasons. Indeed, it is the students themselves and most importantly their socioeconomic status that make this impressive finding true. It makes sense that the graduation rate could be higher for the 2,000 UT students who study abroad each year because these are the students who are more academically motivated to begin with. The University System of Georgia conducted a highly in-depth observational study that compared 19,109 study abroad students from across its university system to a control group of 17,903 academically similar students who did not study abroad, according to USA Today. The study not only found that graduation rates were higher for the study abroad students than for

the control group but that the study abroad students’ average GPA of 3.24 was significantly higher than the control groups’ average GPA of 3.03. The study seems to show that students who choose to study abroad have higher GPAs even before they leave the country. In addition, study abroad costs money, and students with higher socioeconomic backgrounds have the means to pay for study abroad, while students from a lower socioeconomic backgrounds may not have the extra cash to spend. A study by MaryBeth Walpole, an assistant professor in the Educational Leadership Department at Rowan University, determined that low socioeconomic status students “engaged in fewer extracurricular activities, worked more, studied less and reported lower GPAs than their high SES peers.” It would be difficult for low SES students to leave their jobs for a whole semester, especially those who are putting themselves through college. Though they may receive a scholarship to pay for the study abroad program, there is no guarantee that the job will be waiting for them when they return from their overseas experience. In addition to having lower GPAs than high SES students, low SES students are also less likely to graduate, according to Autumn Backhaus in her article “Socioeconomic Status and Adjustment to

College”, published by the American Psychological Association. Already we can begin to see how the UT study abroad program may attract students who are more likely to graduate on time. Moreover, the 2008 study “Going Global: Understanding the Choice Process of the Intent to Study Abroad” by Springer Science+Business Media, LLC states that socioeconomic status “influences a student’s intent to study abroad substantially from a 31-percent predicted probability of intent for students from low SES with low pre-college capital and low first-year capital to a 85-percent predicted probability of intent for students from high SES.” While study abroad may motivate its participants to achieve higher levels of success and give them an opportunity to take a break from the routine of university life, the program itself is not solely responsible for the higher graduation rates of its participants. Students who study abroad are statistically more likely to graduate because of their backgrounds. Therefore, study abroad programs are simply a concentration of high SES students who would very likely graduate in four years regardless of whether they studied abroad. Hansen is a Plan II and public relations freshman.

The University of West Virginia has “applied and been accepted” to join the Big 12 conference, an anonymous source told The New York Times on Tuesday. The move comes after Missouri’s recent indication that it will seek to leave the Big 12 after next year and join Texas A&M in the SEC. The future of the Big 12 conference has been in doubt recently, as Missouri’s departure would have left the conference with only nine schools. Other schools being considered for membership include Brigham Young University and the University of Louisville.

“We were carefully analyzing how we stood nationally, what our options might be, as we looked at continuing instability which was driving us, really, from the Big 12 perspective.” — Missouri chancellor Brady Deaton on Missouri’s decision to leave

the Big 12. He hopes to be able to reveal Missouri’s new conference within the next several weeks, according to the Kansas City Star.

“I don’t have any dealings with that. If I had an opinion, I don’t even know who I’d call.” — West Virginia football coach Dana Holgorsen on his school’s move to the Big 12, according to ESPN.

City Council promotes vigilantism By Samian Quazi Daily Texan Columnist

LEGALESE 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.

SUBMIT A FIRING LINE Email your Firing Lines to firingline@dailytexanonline.com. Letters must be more than 100 and fewer than 300 words. The Texan reserves the right to edit all submissions for brevity, clarity and liability.

RECYCLE Please recycle this copy of The Daily Texan. Place the paper in one of the recycling bins on campus or back in the burnt-orange newsstand where you found it.

EDITORIAL TWITTER Follow The Daily Texan Editorial Board on Twitter (@DTeditorial) and receive updates on our latest editorials and columns.

Austin City Council granted preliminary approval Thursday to a measure targeted against disabled parking violators. The council plans to allow members of the public to photograph and report cars illegally parked in disabled spots using a smartphone application. UT students and Austinites in general should note this serious infringement of civil liberties. This measure will inevitably lead to gross abuses and promote vigilantism among city residents. Motorists illegally parking in disabled spots has become a chronic problem for the city: KVUE reports that 2,115 citations were issued last year to violators, which fails to count those who didn’t get caught. According to Community Impact Newspaper, a Travis County study also found that “65 percent of handicapped placards were being used by people that were not assigned them.” Mayor Lee Leffingwell and council members Chris Riley and Mike Martinez proposed a radical solution to curb disabled parking abuse: Using a smartphone, Austinites would be able to take photos of the offending cars that would immediately be forwarded to the city. Similar to the red-light cameras, the vehicle’s registered owner can look forward to a ticket in the mail. Handicapped motorists are undeniably justified by feeling exasperated when they seek a coveted parking spot downtown, only to find a spot designated for them illegally occupied by a non-qualifying driver. By parking in nonhandicapped spots as their fallback option, these motorists are at a greater risk of being hurt by an unaware motorist on the road. Yet the concept of civilians — instead of uniformed and credentialed security officers — carrying out the brunt of law enforcement only opens up a Pandora’s Box of vigilantism. I can hardly imagine a city resident not feeling the least bit peeved if he looked out the window and thought he saw someone taking multiple photographs of his car. If the council needed a clearer way to breed distrust among Austinites, I can’t think of one. And a parking lot altercation in which someone’s iPhone gets smashed, if not worse, isn’t inconceivable. The measure also implicitly discriminates among wage-earners by giving an additional tool to dispense civic justice in the hands of those who can afford it.

Poorer Austinites — including me — who lack the financial wherewithal to buy a smartphone along with the added Internet bills to “snap and send” alleged violators to the city are at an unfair disadvantage. I anticipate that most of these application’s citations will come from better-off neighborhoods and crowded parts of downtown. Handicapped spots in less well-to-do communities, on the other hand, will gain no benefit. I perused the application’s “How It Works” website to better understand what an individual could do. A person who wants to report an illegally parked vehicle needs to take photos of the offending vehicle’s license plate, the front windshield and both the vehicle and the disabled parking sign, according to the website of the application, Parking Mobility. Parking Mobility itself would immediately plug in additional information and forward the necessary information to the city. To sweeten the deal, Parking Mobility would allow the city to send 20 percent of the fine to the photographer’s charity of choice. Some of the charities listed as examples on Parking Mobility’s site are nonprofit giants such as United Way and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. There is no harm in benefiting charities, but I wonder whether this will stoke zeal in these nonprofits and their most ardent supporters to go after any and all purported parking violators at the drop of a hat. Concerned citizens who spot an offending vehicle already have a wide venue of legal mechanisms to curb offenses. They could write the license plate number down and report it via phone to the Austin Police Department. Once inside the building, they could pull over a security officer and have that officer inspect in person the validity of that vehicle’s parking. In any case, professional law enforcement authorities are paid to do their jobs, and any efforts to encroach on their scope of practice is dangerous for us all. In an era of Photoshop and shrewd photography techniques, this measure will inevitably lead to abuse and misuse. Improper and deceptive angling of a camera, for instance, can fool many into believing a properly parked car happened to illegally be in a handicap area. Let’s leave the issuance of citations to the police instead of letting technology get the best of our personal wisdom. The council has less than 90 days to bring the measure for a final vote, according to KXAN, and it should reject it outright. Quazi is a nursing graduate student.

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NEWS 5

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Austinites disapprove of proposed bag ban By Megan Strickland Daily Texan Staff

An ordinance currently being drafted by the city of Austin that would ban plastic bags, if passed, will undermine recycling efforts made by local retailers and is disapproved of by 72 percent of Austinites, representatives of the Texas Retailers Association said Tuesday. The association and the Progressive Bag Affiliates of the American Chemistry Council held a press conference stating both organizationsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; intentions to use the results of a recent poll of Austin voters conducted in September as a source for input to the bag ban policy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are concerned this will undermine the progress we have made, undermine the infrastructure we have developed over the past several years between retailers and their partners to promote recycling,â&#x20AC;? said TRA president and CEO Ronnie Volkening. Imposing a ban on plastic bags would make the recycling system retailers have worked the past few years to build useless, Volkening said. In an 18-month pilot project initiated in 2008, five of Austinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest retailers began offering reusable bags to their customers and recycling services, he

said. During that time, the number of plastic bags customers used at these retailers dropped by 20 percent and the number of bags being recycled increased by 74 percent, he said. Over 907,000 reusable grocery bags were sold during this time, Volkening said. The program has grown to include 12 retailers statewide, he said. Mike Meroney, TRA spokesman, said the majority of participants that took place in the survey said that plastic bags were often reused before they made it into rubbish or recycling bins. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ninety percent of respondents said that plastic bags are not singleuse bags, they are multi-use bags,â&#x20AC;? Meroney said. Multi-use does not necessarily indicate the bags will be recycled, the survey said. One-third of consumers reported that they never returned plastic bags to a recycling site, while 35 percent said that they always do, Meroney said. The plastic bags that end up as waste donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always make it to the trash can either, said Matt Curtis, spokesman for Mayor Lee Leffingwell. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The reason we want to have a ban is because we have about 260 million bags in our community as litter and in our waterstream,â&#x20AC;? Curtis said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It

GPS aids wildfire evacuees By Nick Hadjigeorge Daily Texan Staff

Kiersten Holms | Daily Texan Staff

Ronnie Volkening, CEO of the Texas Retailers Association, talks to the Austin City Council members about a possible plastic bag ban.

costs just under $1 million per year to clean up plastic bags in the city.â&#x20AC;? Curtis said that while many alternatives have been discussed, none have proven as effective as eliminating bags altogether. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an easy solution: get rid of them,â&#x20AC;? Curtis said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cost us money anymore. They wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t litter anymore.â&#x20AC;? A 2011 survey conducted by Littlefield Consulting revealed more than 58 percent of voting Austinites polled supported the plastic bag ban, Curtis said. Biology senior Genevieve Allen said she recently moved to Austin from Washington, D.C., where a plastic bag ban was in place, and believes the ban will work. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It took a little while for people to get used to using the bags and having to pay 5 or 10 cents, but I think that

maybe they started it like a year or two ago. By now itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s habit that people just bring their own reusable bags,â&#x20AC;? Allen said. Biology senior Lily Mei said she does not support the ban because she often reuses plastic bags for different purposes before she finally uses them as trash bags. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As long as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not dirty on the inside, I keep using it till it ends up as a trash bag,â&#x20AC;? Mei said. Natasha Hastings, a worker for the UT MD Anderson Blood Bank said she also disapproves of the ban, though she often shops with reusable bags. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I use my reusable bags at home as much as possible, because I believe in saving the earth,â&#x20AC;? Hastings said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But I have a enough plastic bags to reuse for lots of different stuff at home, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really handy.â&#x20AC;?

A statewide evacuation coordination system developed by a UT professor using the latest technology was recently recognized by the International Association of Emergency Managers for its use during the Bastrop wildfires. Gordon Wells, research associate at the UT Center for Space Research, designed the system in 2006 in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in order to improve the coordination and tracking of hurricane evacuees. During Katrina and Rita, the state experienced problems with losing track of the buses used to transport evacuees to alternative shelters after the main shelters became full, Wells said. The new system, called the Emergency Tracking Network, is designed to solve this problem by monitoring residents at every step of their evacuation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Emergency Tracking Network ensures that the locations of evacuees are continuously monitored from the time of their enrollment at transportation hubs along the coast through their sheltering and return home,â&#x20AC;? Wells said. The system achieves its accuracy by using GPS tracking and radiofrequency identification wristbands to locate and identify evacuees across a network accessible to the Texas State Guard and local coun-

ty authorities. The RFID wristbands allow evacuees, pets and equipment to be easily scanned and enrolled into the statewide system. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The system is designed to monitor the movement of up to 140,000 evacuees,â&#x20AC;? Wells said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The exact location of an evacuee can be determined instantly even when traveling on an ambulance or bus.â&#x20AC;? According to the Cockrell School of Engineering press release, the Emergency Tracking Network uses the Texas Advanced Computing Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s servers and databases to store the information of evacuees. During the recent Bastrop wildfires that destroyed over 1,000 homes, the Emergency Tracking Network was used to facilitate the evacuation of residents to emergency shelters. Blake Clampffer, assistant emergency management coordinator for Bastrop county, said tracking the evacuees is an important part of the process and emphasized the role of his department in letting people know about the need to evacuate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our sheriffs, deputies and firefighters went door-to-door and street-to-street announcing the evacuation,â&#x20AC;? Clampffer said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We also sent out National Weather Service alerts and used Facebook and Twitter to alert people.â&#x20AC;? Clampffer said his department facilitated the evacuation of 5,000 people within several hours of sending out the alerts.

Actor John Malkovich plays loose with the fourth wall in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Infernal Comedyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Hall, combining opera and theater to tell the life of celebrated Austrian writer and convicted serial killer Actor and director John Malk- Jack Unterweger, who killed himovich surprised audiences Tues- self in 1994 after being arrested in day night by waltzing through the Miami and fleeing from an earlier aisles and mocking his accompany- killing spree in Vienna and Los Aning orchestra, blurring the line be- geles following his pardon from a tween actor and character while life sentence four years earlier. Malkovich, who is known for commenting on subjects ranging from marriage to sexuality in his his often eccentric performances, singled out audience members by performance Tuesday. His performance of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Infer- asking them questions about their nal Comedyâ&#x20AC;? was hosted by Texas sex lives while strangling prostiPerforming Arts at the Bass Concert tutes played by famed sopranos By Andrew Messamore Daily Texan Staff

Louise Fribo and Martene Grimson during his performance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kathy Panoff [director and associate dean of Texas Performing Arts] had been thinking about bringing this piece to UT for awhile because it pairs two entirely different art forms together,â&#x20AC;? said assistant director Gene Bartholomew. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was less about having Malkovich here playing at the top of his form than about being able to perform a challenging, interesting and cutting-edge piece.â&#x20AC;? The Bass Concert Hall also

sought to bring more discussion from students about opera, holding a Q-and-A with John Malkovich earlier in the day and screening a video on the life of Jack Unterweger in the 6th Floor Loft, a room opened this year where students can come before performances to learn about theater and opera and discuss these subject with each other, said student development specialist Maggie Bang. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We would love for audience members to take something unique away from tonight,â&#x20AC;? Batholomew

said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Not just an actor at the height of his craft, but a very challenging work with two accomplished singers and a baroque orchestra.â&#x20AC;? The audience of around 1,100 was likely attracted more by the presence of a famous actor like Malkovich and not the content of the play, said Jimmy Ellerbrock, a teacher at James Bowie High School who brought his class to the performance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My students are part of [our schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s] scholars program and we see independent films, theatre, opera â&#x20AC;&#x201D; I guess you could say my

students are real theater-goers,â&#x20AC;? Ellerbrock said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The appeal tonight is Malkovich. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the look, the reason weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re here.â&#x20AC;? Others had little else than praise for the play, such as Stephanya Taylor, who is a frequenter of artistic performances and has now seen the play twice. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen a lot of shows, be it punk rock or opera, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never seen anything like this,â&#x20AC;? Taylor said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a singular and moving show, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m flat broke while paying for two performances.â&#x20AC;?

APPLICATIONS /$ !$(+& ""$-1$# %,/ 1'$ %,)),4(+& 012#$+1 -,0(1(,+ 4(1' $5 0 12#$+1 $#(

Daily Texan Managing Editor, Spring 2012 --)(" 1(,+ %,/*0 +# )(01 ,% .2 )(8 " 1(,+0 /$ 3 () !)$ (+ 1'$ %8 "$ ,% 1'$ (/$"1,/ $5 0 12#$+1 $#( ,,* '$ , /# ,% -$/ 1(+& /201$$0 4()) (+1$/3($4 --)(" +10 +# --,(+1 + &(+& #(1,/ %,/ -/(+& 1 - * ,+ ,3$*!$/ ,))$&$ ,% ,**2+(" 1(,+0 ,,*

DEADLINE Noon, Friday, November 8, 2011 )$ 0$ /$12/+ ",*-)$1$# --)(" 1(,+0 +# )) 02--,/1(+& * 1$/( )0 1, 1'$ (/$"1,/70 %8 "$ +1$/$01$# --)(" +10 /$ (+3(1$# 1, 01,- !6 +# 3(0(1 4(1' 1'$ (/$"1,/ 1, #(0"200 012#$+1 -,0(1(,+0

6 S/L

7 SPTS

SPORTS

WINNING

STARTS HERE

www.utrecsports.org

Wednesday, October 26, 2011 | THE DAILY TEXAN | Trey Scott, Sports Editor | (512) 232-2210 | sports@dailytexanonline.com

FOOTBALL

Texas running game carrying load By Austin Laymance

TEXAS RUSHING TOTALS

The Longhorns running game doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look like itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s slowing down any time soon. Texas rushed for 231 yards in its last game against Oklahoma State, the second highest total this season. Malcolm Brown, who posted career highs against OSU with 135 yards (7.1 yards per carry) and two touchdowns, should find even more room to run this week against a Kansas defense that allows 232 rushing yards per game. With the Jayhawksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; inability to stop the ground attack this season, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no surprise Texas head coach Mack Brown said the freshman tailback is ready to handle 25 carries this week. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel like Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m ready,â&#x20AC;? said Brown, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rushed for a team-high 516 yards in six games. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what coach Brown has set up for me, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to try my best to do whatever I can ... Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll roll with it.â&#x20AC;? Brownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s at his best when he touches the ball close to 20 times. Against UCLA, he had a season-high 22 carries for 110 yards. And against OSU, Brown tallied 19 attempts and was one of the few bright spots in the 38-26 loss. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We executed real good and want to make that kind of statement every game,â&#x20AC;? Brown said of the performance against OSU. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That was a game that showed we can run the ball like we want to.â&#x20AC;? Yes, Texas is back to being a run-first team. Through the halfway point of the season, the Longhorns are averaging 181.8 rushing yards per game, far better than their 2010 output (150.5). The recipe for success wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t change this week against KUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s porous defense. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We need to be a running football team that throws the ball deep,â&#x20AC;? said Mack Brown. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s who we want to be, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s who we are.â&#x20AC;? But Malcolm Brown wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be the only Texas running back

Opponent

Rushing Yards

Result

vs. Rice

248

W 34-9

vs. BYU

176

W 17-6

@ UCLA

289

W 49-20

@ Iowa State

187

W 37-14

vs. Oklahoma

153

L 55-17

vs. Oklahoma State

286

L 38-26

MALCOLM BROWN

MENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GOLF

STAT GUY

Spieth victorious, Texas takes first for third time this year By Peter Sblendorio Daily Texan Staff

Trent Lesikar | Daily Texan Staff

Freshman quaterback David Ash, right, completes a pass to Mike Davis, left. Texas quarterbacks only have five touchdown passes combined this year, far from record setting but they are getting better.

Horns arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t breaking records Everything is bigger in Texas, especially statistical troubles. With records being shattered week after week all over the country, the Longhorns continue to lurk in the shadows of the college football world, posting modest numbers. While the majority of people would tell you merely winning the game is the most important

aspect, putting up significant numbers doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hurt either. In terms of revving up the crowd, leaving an impression with recruits and swaying pollsters in the teamsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; favor, running for 200-plus yards or tossing five touchdowns per week can do leaps and bounds for a program. Taking a look around the country, there are a number of players leaving their mark on the record books, and some well on their way in it. Lets take a look at some of the players making

noise on Saturdays. Up the road a little ways in Lubbock, Texas Tech quarterback Seth Doege (pronounced DAY-gee, to settle the everlasting debate) recently set the NCAA record of highest completion percentage in one game, recording a 90.6 percent completion rating against New Mexico a month ago. Doege has already passed for 2,608 yards and 22 touchdowns paired with a mere four picks.

RECORDS continues on PAGE 8

The Texas Longhorns menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s golf team completed its third consecutive tournament victory on Tuesday, finishing 10 shots ahead of any other opponent at the Isleworth Collegiate Invitational in Orlando, Fla. The Longhorns, who backed up their No. 1 ranking by Golfweek and Golfstat polls with another strong performance, paced the 15-team field over the course of the three-day event with an overall score of 574 (-2). The victory gave Texas three consecutive tournament wins for the first time since the spring of 2002. Texas was led by freshman sensation Jordan Spieth, who claimed his first ever collegiate win by leading all individual golfers with a score of 205 (-11). This marked the second straight tournament that Spieth recorded the best score among Longhorns golfers, as he finished second overall at the Jack Nicklaus Invitational with a score of 211 (-5) earlier in the month. Right behind Spieth on the leaderboard was Texas senior Dylan Frittelli, who placed second overall by shooting a 213 (-3) for the

tournament. Frittelli, who has finished in the top 5 among individual scorers in each of the Longhornsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; five tournaments, recorded his third second place finish of the season. Junior Julio Vegas finished in a tie for sixth place with a score of 218 (+2), giving Texas three of the top seven golfers at the event. In addition, sophomore Toni Hakula a 222 (+6), and junior Cody Gribble recorded a score of 229 (+13) en route to the Longhornsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; victory. The Longhorns will have a long hiatus before their next attempt at a fourth consecutive tournament victory, as they will not compete in another tournament until Nov. 21-22 at the Western Refining Collegiate All-American in El Paso.

Jason Spieth Freshman

CLUB SOCCER

Goals, saves provide bonding experience By Garrett Callahan Daily Texan Staff

The motto of the Texas menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s club soccer team â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;&#x153;A winning traditionâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; represents the pride and goals set by the team each year. As the squad looks to build on that winning tradition and make it back to the National Tournament, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re reminded that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not just any club team. Take Juan Caudillo for example, a fourth-year student who has been starting on

the team since his freshman year and was the captain of his state champion high school team. A leader, Caudillo helps keep the team focused. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a big commitment, with practices three times a week, one or two games a weekend, and then traveling,â&#x20AC;? Caudillo said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our team is very close and gets along very well.â&#x20AC;? The menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s club team isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a varsity sport, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still a lot of traveling. However, there seems to be a relaxed atmosphere about

Join us today at 4 p.m. for a live chat previewing Saturdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s game against Kansas

KEYS TO THE GAME WORLD SERIES GAME 6 1. At least five innings from Colby Lewis - In order for the Rangers to continue their World Series roll, and win the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first ever championship, they will need a strong performance from their starting pitcher. Lewis has been the Rangers most consistent starter in October baseball, with a 2.95 ERA. If Lewis can navigate the team through five innings while allowing minimal damage, he can give the ball to the Rangers bullpen, which has been almost perfect all postseason. 2. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pitch to the Machine - Albert Pujols is the best player in the game and in Game 3 he showed why with a three-homer and six RBI performance in game three. But in the last two games the Rangers have pitched around Pujols, and the strategy has paid off. The Rangers would like to finish the deal, they need to continue to tread carefully around Pujols and take the game out of his hands.

BROWN continues on PAGE 8

By Hank South Daily Texan Columnist

SIDELINE

it. They have team dinners and spar over intense FIFA matches, a good way for the older players to bond with some of the younger guys, like freshmen Connor Clark and Nick Boardley. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All the guys have been very welcoming and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been great to get to know them,â&#x20AC;? Clark said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really cool, really down to earth and great to hang with.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153; The team bonding experiences have really helped me to get to know ever ybody,â&#x20AC;? Boardley said.

Lawrence Peart | Daily Texan Staff

The Texas club soccer team isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a varsity sport, but they still compete in numerous tournaments throughout the year.

3. Solid Defense - The Rangers have won and lost games in this series on defensive plays. In Game 3, Mike Napoliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s errant throw from first allowed two runs to score and blew the game open for the Redbirds. But in Game Four, spectacular plays behind Derek Holland kept his shutout alive, and in Game 5 a key strike-em-out throw-em-out put the nail in the coffin for the Cardinals. If the Rangers get another strong game from the gloves, they will most likely be raising the trophy Wednesday evening. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Chris Hummer

SPORTS BRIEFLY West Virginia transfers to Big 12 to replace loss of Missouri The Big 12 has a replacement lined up for Missouri before it even leaves the conference. The Big East, meanwhile, is in danger of losing another school before replacing the three that already have bailed on the league. Acting quickly to make sure it maintains a 10-member lineup, the Big 12 approved bringing in West Virginia to replace Missouri when the Tigers complete their move to the Southeastern Conference, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Big 12 had not announced that the conference board of directors on Monday unanimously approved inviting West Virginia when Missouriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spot comes open. The move is another step toward stabilizing a Big 12 that seemed on the verge of collapse about a month ago when Texas and Oklahoma were pondering a move to the Pac-12. On the other side, West Virginiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pending departure from the Big East, which has lost two members and one member-to-be in the last six weeks, leaves the embattled conference facing another crisis. Because there is no timetable for Missouri to complete its expected departure from the Big 12 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and the leagueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s board of directors expressed â&#x20AC;&#x153;a strong desireâ&#x20AC;? for Missouri to stay â&#x20AC;&#x201D; there is no timetable for West Virginia to receive a formal invitation, the person said. But West Virginia will accept an invitation from the Big 12 once it is offered, the person said. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Associated Press

8 SPTS

SPORTS

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

FANTASY FOOTBALL

Murray sets Cowboy record By Chris Hummer Daily Texan Staff

MLB PLAYOFFS

Lewis looks to finish job for Rangers By R.B. Fallstrom The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s already been a productive postseason for Colby Lewis. Next up, a shot at the biggest prize yet. In Game 6 of the World Series on Wednesday night, Lewis gets the first chance to pitch the Texas Rangers to their first title. No doubt while pitching oh-so-carefully against Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be leaning on past October triumphs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Well, you definitely think when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in a kid, you want to be in this position, be on this stage,â&#x20AC;? Lewis said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think just being in the situation that we were last year throughout the playoffs gives you more of an edge, more relaxation. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for sure.â&#x20AC;? Jaime Garcia is back home where heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most comfortable, and the wild-card Cardinals are back in a familiar win-or-go-home mode, heading into a mound rematch

After Week 7 of NFL action, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s play out the old favorite â&#x20AC;&#x201D; whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hot and whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not.

Hot: 1. DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys â&#x20AC;&#x201D; When your name is mentioned with Emmitt Smith and Tony Dorsett, you know you had a great day. Murray rushed for 253 yards against the Rams on Sunday, breaking the Cowboysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; single game rushing record. Murrayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s game may have also gained him a shot at the starting job, ahead of a struggling Felix Jones. Watch that situation closely and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be afraid to pick up Murray â&#x20AC;&#x201D; he might well be the steal of the season. 2. Tim Tebow, Denver Broncos â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Well it certainly wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pretty, but for the Broncos and fantasy owners, Tebowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s week was effective. Down 15 points, he led Denver back in the fourth quarter to tie the game up with just seconds left and eventually won in overtime. While his passing numbers werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t spectacular, he still managed to put up 22 points in ESPN leagues. Tebow will never light up the scoreboard with his passing, but he looks like an effective starting quarterback for your lineup the rest of the way.

from Game 2. Three of Garciaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s four postseason starts have been at Busch Stadium and the 25-year-old lefty has a 1.93 ERA at home. He outpitched Lewis in the first matchup with seven innings of scoreless, threehit ball before the bullpen failed in a 2-1 loss. Garcia was in top form in Game 2 with seven strikeouts and one walk. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been the same for me the last two months basically, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m still going to try to do the same thing. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t change anything, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t try to do too much because this is the World Series. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kind of how I feel,â&#x20AC;? he said. Lewis beat the New York Yankees in the clinching Game 6 in the AL championship series last year. He doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind being on the road, getting nine of his 14 wins with a 3.43 ERA, and has been stingy all postseason with a 2.95 ERA. Facing Lewis in Game 2, the Cardinals were limited to one

LHN continues from PAGE 7

Brandon Wade | Associated Press

DeMarco Murray set the Cowboys single game rushing record on Sunday, 3. The New Orleans Saints of- when he went off for 253 yards and a touchdown against the Rams.

fense â&#x20AC;&#x201D; If you had a player on the Saints, you probably racked up the points thanks to their 62-point outburst against Indianapolis. Drew Brees spread the ball around beautifully and his receivers and running backs benefited.

mance did not live up to the hype. He didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even start the game â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that distinction was left to Kyle Bowler, who turned in a spectacular three-pick, 61-yard performance before he was benched at half. Palmer didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fare much better in the second half though, throwing for three picks as well. Both Raiders signal callers finished with negative point totals in fantasy, but expect Palmer to improve as he gets more familiar with the offense.

Not: 1. Oakland Raiders quarterbacks â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The trade for Carson Palmer was the talk of the NFL all of last week, but Palmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perfor-

2. Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Johnson has had a horrible year after receiving his record-setting contract extension, and that slow start didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t change on Sunday. Johnson only rushed for 18 yards on 10 attempts against a weak Houston run defense. Up until this season, Johnson was always a top-five fantasy player, now heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a borderline starter. His best chance to turn it around will come against the Colts next week, and if he canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t perform against that defense, he might just be done as a top-flight player.

Come and enjoy a good â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ol time! Enjoy free stuff from our sponsors & watch the game on a big screen tv under the tent!!

so, with such few resources, content around these parts can get pretty repetitive. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re paying us $300 million for access, so we have to give it to them,â&#x20AC;? Brown said this summer at Big 12 media days. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s logical business. You get what you pay for. But what about the public? The fans? They didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ask for a network to suck them dry â&#x20AC;&#x201D; much less for it to turn the college football landscape on its head â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and give them an ultimatum: Either you switch your cable and internet provider, or youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re stuck with the same tired and stale content from the regular media â&#x20AC;&#x201D; thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still kind of a quarterback rotation, Fozzy Whittaker is good at returning kickoffs; Blake Gideon has been around for a while.

When one media veteran on Monday said to Brown that he wished quarterbacks David Ash or Case McCoy were available for interviews during the week, Brown offered this: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not bringing them to the media luncheons because theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still young and getting settled. If you have a guy that gets settled and is really good, you can see him every Monday.â&#x20AC;? The young quarterbacks â&#x20AC;&#x201D; you know, the most important players on the team â&#x20AC;&#x201D; are off-limits for the newspaper writers. But practices are open for the network. How is that right? Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re now entering the third month of the networkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existence. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s given us the following: Mack Brown is frustrated, the

RECORDS continues from PAGE 7 Doege was the No. 18 quarterback in the 2008 class. Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore is one win away from breaking Colt McCoyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all-time wins as a starting quarterback record at 45. With Boise Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soft schedule, the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 31st-best quarterback from the 2007 class will surely surpass McCoyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mark. So why donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the Longhorns have a quarterback on his way to a 40 touchdown season, or a receiver that consistently goes over the 100yard mark each time they step on the field? Quarterbacks David Ash and Case McCoy have a combined 910 yards passing and five touchdowns between them. Baylor quar-

BROWN continues from PAGE 7 who should find success against Kansas on Saturday at Darrel K Royal-Memorial Stadium. Fozzy Whittaker has been explosive as a runner out of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wildâ&#x20AC;? formation, and very well could find the end zone for a fifth time this year on the ground. But the senior tailback said itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more important for the backfield to help out freshman quarterback David Ash. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not at our peak but weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve improved throughout this season,â&#x20AC;?

terback Robert Griffin III does half of that in one game. Not surprisingly, neither Ash nor McCoy rank in the top-100 nationally in passing. Malcolm Brownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 516 rushing yards is the 66th-best mark in the nation. Jaxon Shipley is No. 80 with 65 receiving yards a game. To be fair, the youth of the Longhorns is responsible for some low statistical numbers and, as Brown and Shipley become more experienced, they should become mainstays among the national leaders. But, for now, with the Longhorns finishing with top recruiting classes year after year, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surprising the team isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t putting up bigger numbers. said Whittaker, who has 43 carries for 220 yards in 2011. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very strong for us to take some of the pressure off the quarterbacks and run the ball efficiently.â&#x20AC;? Texas, though, expects to see eight or nine Jayhawks in the box this week to help stop the run. But can the Longhorns continue to find yards on the ground against nine-man fronts? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know,â&#x20AC;? said Brown, who is 8-0 against KU. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll start seeing that unless we start throwing it better.â&#x20AC;? Texas also needs to improve its red zone offense. In 26 trips inside the opponentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 20-yard line,

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majority of fans are left in the dark, Longhorn Network employees wish their work was visible and the local media has no new angles. Public resentment of Texas has sizzled in the past months, college football is as unstable as ever and Texas A&M is gone. The network offers an obvious monetary perk, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not like any of the revenue goes toward academia. So, if the Longhorn Network is merely pumping money back into a football program that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really need any more of it, and if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s monopolized (and hiding) all the information regarding the team, and if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tiring the coaching staff and alienating the fan base, then we have to ask ourselves the $300 million question: What, exactly, is its benefit?

TEXAS STATS Passing: David Ash â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 459 yards. Not ranked. Case McCoy â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 451 yards. Not ranked. Receiving: Mike Davis â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 69 yards per game, No. 66 in the nation. Jaxon Shipley â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 65 yards per game, No. 80 in the nation. Defensive: Emmanuel Acho â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 7.3 tackles a game, No. 89 in nation. Kick Return: Fozzy Whittaker â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 46.5 yards per return, No. 1 in nation; 2 touchodowns, No. 1 in nation

the Longhorns have scored just 12 touchdowns. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve settled for six field goals and struggled to run the ball near the goal line. If UT wants to take the next step in its brick-by-brick approach, the Longhorns will need to fix their red zone woes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everything is clobbered in there so we just need to focus in and get a quick reaction off the ball and punch it in faster,â&#x20AC;? said Brown, who has scored two of his three touchdowns in the red zone. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You see the end zone and you just want to dive in there. You have to have patience, but see it real fast. Just a bunch of madness going on in the red zone.â&#x20AC;?

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run on four hits with one extrabase hit in 6 1-3 innings. Manager Ron Washington expects to see the same pitcher again, and is confident thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be zero stage fright. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He totally believes in what heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trying to do out there,â&#x20AC;? Washington said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He never gets away from what he does best. Colby never doubts what heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capable of doing, and I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what makes him apart from some guys at this stage.â&#x20AC;?

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26, 2011

COMICS 9XX

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10 LIFE&ARTS

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Americans brace themselves for holiday budget cuts By Christopher S. Rugaber & Anne Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;innocenzio The Associated Press

NEW YORK â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Americans say they feel worse about the economy than they have since the depths of the Great Recession. And itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bad time for a bad mood because households are starting to make their holiday budgets. It might not be all doom and gloom, though. Sometimes what people say about the economy and how they behave are two different things. Consumer confidence fell in October to the lowest since March 2009, reflecting the big hit that the stock market took this summer and frustration with an economic recovery that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really feel like one. The Conference Board, a private research group, said its index of consumer sentiment came in at 39.8, down about six points from September and seven shy of what economists were expecting. The reading is still well above where the index stood two and a half years ago, at 26.9. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not even within shouting distance of 90, what it takes to signal that the economy is on solid footing. Economists watch consumer confidence closely because consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. economic activity. The index measures how shoppers feel about business conditions, the job market and the next six months. It came exactly two months before Christmas, with retailers preparing for the holiday shopping season, their busiest. Almost twice as many people now expect a pay cut over the next six months as expect a raise. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If people think their income is declining, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not going to be inclined to spend,â&#x20AC;? said Jacob Oubina, an economist at RBC Capital Markets. Economists point out that consumer confidence is not as simple as a single number, though. The feelings people express about the economy do not always track how they actually spend money.In Septem-

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

ber, for example, despite feeling bad about the economy, people increased their spending on retail goods by the most since March. More people bought new cars, a purchase people typically make when they are confident in their finances. The percentage of Americans who plan to buy a major appliance in the next six months, such as a television or washing machine, rose to 46 percent, up from 41 percent. Exactly half plan to take a vacation in the next six months, up from 47 percent. Marc Rosenberg, CEO of SkyBluePink Concepts, a toy marketing company, said he looks for broader trends in the monthly consumer confidence numbers but doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pay attention to the monthly changes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think it is nice background music,â&#x20AC;? he said. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still not a very happy tune. Jessica Jarmon was laid off from her job in social work in March. For the past three months, she has worked a temp job in the same industry, but that ended last week. She has a job interview Wednesday morning, but she said itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to tell whether the economy is getting better or not. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You hear about one company creating 16,000 jobs, and then you hear about another company laying off 10,000 jobs. Maybe, at best, we are just breaking even,â&#x20AC;? said Jarmon, who lives in Philadelphia. Mark Vitner, senior U.S. economist at Wells Fargo, said he will probably trim his forecast for holiday revenue in the retail industry based on Tuesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s figure. Vitner said the persistent gloomy headlines about the economy may lead people to say they feel worse about things than their own situations would suggest. They might have a good job and stable finances, for example, but still report feeling sour. But the decline in confidence is â&#x20AC;&#x153;too significant to get away from it,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Consumers are losing hope that strong growth is around the corner.â&#x20AC;?

John Smith | Daily Texan Staff / Associated Press

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You hear about one company creating 16,000 jobs, and then you hear about another company laying off 10,000 jobs. Maybe, at best, we are just breaking even.

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11 ENT

LIFE&ARTS 11

Wedndesday, October 26, 2011

Austin Film Festival Reviews By Alex Williams

Alan Deutsch

Jim Field Smith

Butter

Jeff Who Lives at Home

Genre: Comedy Grade: B

Genre: Comedy Grade: A

Genre: Comedy Grade: B+

Austin High

Former UT students Kirk Johnson and Will Elliott wrote the screenplay for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Austin High,â&#x20AC;? and their love of Austin is clear in each and every scene of the film. The city is practically a living, breathing character, with its various hot spots showcased throughout the film and its characters motivated by a desire to keep the city as traditionally non-traditional as possible. Wh i l e t h e f i l m m a ke rsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; love for Austin gives â&#x20AC;&#x153;Austin Highâ&#x20AC;? an easy charm and likability, the filmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stor y suffers from the same shagginess â&#x20AC;&#x153;Austin Highâ&#x20AC;? worships in its setting. Set in a high school staffed by potsmoking teachers, janitors, students and even principal Samuel Wilson (Michael S. Wilson), things seem prett y i d e a l u nt i l t h e ar r iv al of Vice Principal Lambert (Melinda Y. Cohen), a domineering tyrant. Most of the filmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s problems lie in Lambertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s char-

acter, who is barely more than a humanized S&M fet ish and w hos e i nsub ord i nate b ehav i or c e r t ai n ly wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fly, even in a school as laid-back as the one portrayed in the film. The fact that Lambert orders her boss around and even conducts unauthorized drug searches against his will reeks of contrivance for the sake of convenience, and hurts the filmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s early moments simply because of how little sense it makes. However, things get more and more compelling as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Austin Highâ&#x20AC;? proceeds, and by the end, it becomes a pretty touching comedy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Austin Highâ&#x20AC;? is a film custom-made for the Austin Film Festival, a shaggy-dog stoner comedy with strong performances and plenty of unabashedly hilarious jokes. While it may suffer from a few weak story beats, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the kind of charming, heartfelt film that is absolutely delightful to stumble upon at festivals like this one.

Jim Field Smithâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s razor-sharp satire â&#x20AC;&#x153;Butterâ&#x20AC;? was the opening night film at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Austin Film Festival, and proves to be one of the smartest, most heartwarming comedies of the year. Jennifer Garner stars as Laura Pickler, dutiful wife to 15-time State Champion butter sculpter Bob (Ty Burrell). When Bob is asked to step down, Laura steps in to keep the Pickler family in control, but finds a challenge in Destiny (Yara Shahidi), a young African-American girl whose new foster parents encourage her interest in entering the competition. The real strength in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Butterâ&#x20AC;? lies in the character details, from the many

Photo courtesy of the Weinstein Company

Andrew Disney

Genre: Comedy Grade: B+ liot finds himself embroiled in a murder case that strongly resembles a play Sonny wrote back in high school. Andrew Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stylish film combines deeply meta hijinks with the hard-boiled suburbia of modern noir â&#x20AC;&#x153;Brick,â&#x20AC;? and mixes imagery and themes from genres ranging from the romantic comedy to the Western. The collection of influences never seems unfocused or badly mixed, and the filmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cast performs admirably. Oka is a bit underused, but Dohring is certainly a

ways Laura emasculates her husband to the hilariously offensive lines stripper Brooke (Olivia Wilde) manages to spout off to the quiet, sweet connection Destiny makes with foster father Ethan (Rob Corddry). The film juggles big laughs with bigger heart, much of it coming from Shahidiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wonderful, emotional performance. Garner is completely hilarious as the harsh Laura, but Shahidi steals the entire film out from under her with ease. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to imagine â&#x20AC;&#x153;Butterâ&#x20AC;? flying under the radar when it gets a limited release late this winter, but the film is a warm, offbeat comedy thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more than worth the effort it may take to see it. Jennifer Garner stars as buttercarving competitor Laura Pickler in the new comedy â&#x20AC;&#x153;Butter.â&#x20AC;?

Searching for Sonny

The main appeal to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Searching for Sonnyâ&#x20AC;? is most certainly its cast, cribbed together with notable supporting actors from some of TVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best dramas, past and present. Jason Dohring (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Veronica Marsâ&#x20AC;?) stars as Elliot, a 28-year-old disappointment who attends a 10year high school reunion in order to apologize to best friend Sonny (Masi Oka, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heroesâ&#x20AC;?) for an ill-advised murder attempt borne from a desire to win back ex-girlfriend Eden (Minka Kelly, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Friday Night Lightsâ&#x20AC;?). Once he arrives home, El-

Jay & Mark Duplass

sight for sore eyes, having essentially disappeared from the screen since â&#x20AC;&#x153;Veronica Marsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? cancellation and proving that he hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t gotten any less intense or charming in his downtime. Meanwhile, Minka Kelly plays a great femme fatale and Clarke Peters (â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Wireâ&#x20AC;?) does some very strong voice-over work as the narrator. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Searching for Sonnyâ&#x20AC;? makes great use of its cast, location and has a smart, twisty script that manages to find an original, funny way for the characters to comment on the action as it unfolds.

â&#x2122;˛

The Duplass brothers started off with 2005â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ultra-mumblecore â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Puffy Chairâ&#x20AC;? and have slowly progressed into more commercial fare, starting with last summerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cyrus.â&#x20AC;? With â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jeff Who Lives at Home,â&#x20AC;? the brothers have made their most crowd-pleasing feature yet. The titular character, played by Jason Segel, is introduced to the audience through a hilarious opening monologue about his passion for the M. Night Shamalayan alien film â&#x20AC;&#x153;Signs,â&#x20AC;? and Segal gives even the most depressing dialogue some comedic heft as we get to know Jeff and his pathetic existence. When Jeff â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mother (Susan Sarandon) sends him to Home Depot to get wood glue, Jeff stumbles

into a series of events that puts him on a collision course with his brother Pat (Ed Helms), whose relationship issues with wife Linda (Judy Greer) become clearer as the film goes on, and ultimately with destiny itself. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jeff Who Lives at Homeâ&#x20AC;? plays out like a warmer, softer episode of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Curb Your Enthusiasm,â&#x20AC;? which delights in putting its characters in a variety of deeply awkward situations playing out across several story threads before tying them all together in an often elegant final sequence. The film succeeds here greatly, slowly bringing its characters together for an ending thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unexpectedly dramatic but wholly earned, making for a satisfying, moving experience and the Duplass brothersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; best film yet. Jason Segel (left) and Ed Helms (right) star in The Duplass brothersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; most successful film yet, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jeff Who Lives At Home.â&#x20AC;? Photo courtesy of Hillary Brown

R E C YC L E YOUR COPY OF THE DAILY TEXAN

Photo courtesy of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Searching for Sonnyâ&#x20AC;?

In â&#x20AC;&#x153;Searching for Sonny,â&#x20AC;? Elliot (Jason Dohring, center) gets caught up in a murder case after attending his 10-year high school reunion.

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of T as ex

TEXASNT STUDDEIA ME

Film

12*

LIFE&ARTS

Austin Film Festival Reviews pg 11

Wednesday, October 26, 2011 | THE DAILY TEXAN | Aleksander Chan, Life&Arts Editor | (512) 232-2209 | dailytexan@gmail.com

Pinball wizard dives into the game’s details By Aaron West Daily Texan Staff

It’s pretty obvious that Nick Taseris is into pinball — even if his fourmonth-old high score on the Twilight Zone pinball machine at The Parlor is replaced one day, the dual pinball flipper tattoos he has on his hands won’t ever go away. “They were my first pinball tattoos. And then I got [pinballs] from The Twilight Zone machine right there,” said Taseris, pointing to his left bicep. “And I got that one [pinball bumper cap] two nights ago.” Taseris has been playing pinball for about five years, but he said his dedication to the game really took off two years ago. “The nerd side” of the game, as Teseris put it, has introduced him to a world of pinball game designers, the various games they create, the innerworkings of pinball machines and of course, playing a lot of pinball. For some, pinball is a fun arcade game at best — a quick way to go through a pocket’s worth of quarters. For Taseris, however, it’s the chase of that next high score that keeps him coming back. “Every time you have the best game of your life going, you mess up in some stupid way and it’s all over,” Taseris said. “And then you think, ‘next time.’ You can correct that and do it better and you’re not going to mess up. And then you think, ‘it’s over,’ and then — whoosh — you have the best game of your life again. The ups and downs keep it going.” These days, he visits every one of the 38 pinball machine locations in Austin at least once a week. That kind of frequency is necessary for learning each game’s rules, Taseris said, which differ from machine to machine. The game rules, which are usually found on the bottom left corner of a machine, instruct players in the objective of the different games and provide tips like how to get an extra ball. Once players get used to the rules, Taseris said that they’ll begin “knowing the shots” — an important skill to which he credits much of his pinball talent. “Just knowing allows you to be able to make the points and rack up your scores, which is the most important thing,” Taseris said. “I’ve been playing Twilight Zone for two years now, and in the last six months I’ve finally learned everything there is to know about that game — every rule, every shot, ever y inside and out piece of that game.” Pinball’s unique game play, which Taseris said is sometimes lacking in modern video games, makes pinball an appealing challenge. “If someone gets super good at Mario or whatever, they can play it the exact same way every time,” Taseris said. “But with pinball, no matter how good you are, no matter how many shots you know, how many games you know, you’re going to mess up, you’re going to lose, you’re going to drain a ball.” Taseris’ passion for the game led him to start a pinball-focused blog, pinballer.org, about three weeks ago. On the blog, he maintains an up-todate list of pinball locations in Austin and accounts for his latest pinball exploits, including updates regarding the pinball collection he hopes to start soon and also recent pinball tournament happenings. In April, he entered in The Parlor’s annual April Fool’s Day Twilight Zone tournament. Taseris ended up beating about 25 other pinball players, some of whom had been playing in the tournament since it started. Taseris, who considered himself an underdog going in, said the victory was a surprise for him. Now he plans on taking his pinball talent to more tournaments, including the Houston Arcade Expo in November. Meanwhile, Taseris practices his game on machines around town. He said he plays four or five rounds of pinball everyday and on Mondays and Tuesdays, his days off, he’ll play pinball with a friend from the early afternoon “until the bars close.” For Taseris, who said his free time mostly revolves around pinball, there’s no such thing as too much pinball. But he acknowledged that others might not agree. “Maybe people who don’t like pinball might,” Taseris said. “Or my girlfriend — she would think so.” — Additional reporting by Sara Benner

Kiersten Holms | Daily Texan Staff

Cupcake, host of the 29th Street Ballroom’s poetry slam, introduces the first poets of the night. Austin Poetry Slams draw college students as both performers and spectators, adding appeal to the art of slam poetry.

Sophomore slams into Austin poetry scene By Jessica Lee Daily Texan Staff

When Zach Caballero steps onto the stage, he hears the cheers and claps from the audience. He takes a second to breathe, and the room goes quiet. He has performed poetry across the nation from Los Angeles to Boston, yet the nerves still manage to creep in. Caballero is a poet. After tagging along with his brother to slam poetry, a competition in which poets perform their work, Caballero, who was 12 at the time, began to cultivate an interest in the craft. Then he began writing poems of his own. Slam poetry, or as Caballero refers to it, spoken word, is a form of performance art. Poets take the stage usually with their poems memorized and dramatically recite what they have written. The inflection of the voice, the movement of the

body and the words they say are all a vital part to creating the slam poetry experience During his senior year of high school, Caballero’s English teacher asked him what he was going to do with his writing. That simple question gave him the motivation to take a leap and perform his poetry. At a school talent show, Caballero took the stage and later received best dramatic performance, and he has been performing ever since. “I feel this liberation every time I go on stage,” Caballero said. “I kept saying to myself, ‘This is definitely what I need to be doing.’” By the time he entered UT as an English freshman last year, Caballero was no stranger to the stage. In an introductory meeting for an upcoming class, the professor was asking random students in the auditorium what their passion was. When asked, Caballero responded that he was interest-

ed in slam poetry. The professor asked him to perform a poem, and without hesitation, Caballero got up in front of about 300 students and performed. “I just did it,” Caballero said. “There was applause; I even made one girl cry, unintentionally of course. To this day, people come up to me and say, ‘Hey you’re that poet!’” Caballero can be found every Tuesday evening at 29th Street Ballroom performing his work at Austin Poetry Slam competitions. Because of its move to the 29th Street location, Austin Poetry Slam has seen an influx of young college students both in its audience and as performers. “It’s kind of like my church,” said public relations senior Victoria Daughtrey. “Whenever I feel uninspired or down or just that my soul needs some rejuvenating, I go to slam poetry and instantly feel inspired.” Inspiration is what Caballe-

ro hopes the audience will get from his poetry. He writes about the things that are on his mind, whether it be love, current events or his tattoo of his favorite “Great Gatsby” quote: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” “I want my poetry to matter,” Caballero said. “I want what I do to matter and I want what I say to matter because I think that if it matters to me, maybe it will matter to someone else.” According to Caballero, slam poetry is making poetry cool. At Austin Slam, there are so many people signing up to perform each Tuesday that a new system had to be developed that allows everyone a chance to perform at some point. “Poetr y, besides being an art in itself, is self-expression,” said English senior Jomar Valentin, a fellow slam poetry performer. “It shouldn’t be constrained on a page. It takes on

WHAT: Austin Poetry Slam WHERE: 29th Street Ballroom WHEN: Tuesdays, 8:30 p.m. WEB: austinslam.com TICKETS: $5

a life of its own. Every poem has a different story.” Austin Slam has become a community not just of poets, but also of poetry lovers. Each Tuesday, the ballroom is filled with a welcoming crowd of outgoing people waiting to envelop themselves in the energy and liveliness that makes poetry slam the place to be, Caballero said. “Tuesdays help me keep my sanity,” Caballero said. “I step off that stage, look back, have that sigh moment and then just leave everything on the stage.”

Improvisation company showcases Shakespeare By Sarah-Grace Sweeney Daily Texan Staff

A night spent with The Improvised Shakespeare Company is not an average night at the theater or a typical Shakespeare play. The audience may see some forbidden love or fierce sword fighting, but The Improvised Shakespeare Company is really searching for some honest laughs in a unique, brand new story. The Improvised Shakespeare Company will be at the Long Center starting Oct. 27 performing improv plays based on the language and themes of the works of William Shakespeare. The play is unnamed because it changes every time the group performs. Blaine Swen, director and founder of The Improvised Shakespeare Company, WHAT: The Improvised Shakespeare Company WHERE: The Long Center WHEN: Oct. 27-30 Oct. 27 7:30 p.m. Oct. 28 8 p.m. Oct. 29 4 p.m. & 8 p.m. Oct. 30 3 p.m. & 7 p.m. WEB: improvisedshakespeare. com, www.thelongcenter.org TICKETS: $34-$39

explained that he takes suggestions for titles from the audience and bases the entire play off those few words. “The great thing about improvisation is that everyone in the room is experiencing something together for the first time and this is something we will all share together,” Swen said. “Nobody else will get to experience this because it’s the first and last time it’s being created.” Ann Ciccolella, artistic director of local theater group Austin Shakespeare, said she has seen the improv group perform before. “A lot of people in town are interested in improv, and this is a really sophisticated version of it,” Ciccolella said. “I don’t think you have to be a Shakespeare fan or a Shakespeare lover though. Obviously if you are, it makes it all the more tasty.” The Improvised Shakespeare Company got its start in Chicago in 2005. The group has since performed off-Broadway shows and at festivals around the country, receiving awards such as the “Best Improv Group” from the Chicago Reader and a New York Nightlife Award for “Best Comedic Performance by a Group.” While Swen and the rest of the company cannot practice

Photo courtesy of The Improvised Shakespear Company

The Improvised Shakespeare Company will perform completely off-the-cuff Shakespearean plays based on audience suggestions this weekend.

their lines because everything is improvised, there is plenty they do to prepare. Swen compared the practices to those of a sports team, honing the skills it takes to be a great improvisational performer like athletes practicing skills for game day. The company practices the skill of supporting each other on stage and their Shakespearean skills with things like vocabulary quizzes. Swen said sometimes they watch Shakespearean films together or see plays together. The group also studies Shakespeare with two professors at Loyola University in Chicago. “We become more and more

versed in Shakespeare. We’re not necessarily experts, but we are certainly passionate about Shakespeare,” Swen said. “He has so much to say about the human condition, it’s just an enriching study.” Improvisational Shakespeare is an established niche within the improv world. Andy Crouch, educational director at the Hideout Theatre, has directed an improv Shakespeare show in Austin three times and has seen The Improvised Shakespeare Company perform. He said the experience of performing one of these plays is a unique and rewarding one. “It’s just such a natural fit.

Improvisation is a very young art form and Shakespeare is one of the oldest, still-acted theatrical formats that people work in. So there’s something really enjoyable about mixing the two of them,” Crouch said. Swen said that what he enjoys most about performing is what they call “truth in comedy,” and the honest laughs received from the audience in response to a good story. “We will try to play scenes honestly and not always just for laughs because when you play a scene honestly, a lot of time the laughs that come are more realistic and deeper and richer,” Swen said.