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TODAY Calendar Chocolate fountain at J2
Enjoy the special treat of a chocolate fountain with a various assortment of fruits and desserts for dipping. You can find it at Jester’s second floor, buffet-style dining hall during the lunch hours from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
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Feeling Better Texas freshmen Shipley, Brown likely back this week against Tigers
SPORTS PAGE 6
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Study abroad trends see race, gender disparities By Nick Hadjigeorge Daily Texan Staff
Despite abundant resources and opportunities provided for students to gain valuable cultural and educational experiences from studying abroad, many demographics remain underrepresented at the University, said Gretchen CookAnderson, director of diversity recruitment and advising of the
Institute for the International Education of Students Abroad. Cook-Anderson said underrepresented students include members of racial and ethnic minorities, economically needy students, first-generation college students, GLBT students, students with learning or physic a l dis abi lit ies, ma les and natural science majors. She s aid af f luent C aucasian females typically are the most
highly represented. Cook-Anderson and Andrew Gordon, president of education organization Diversity Abroad, said in a study abroad presentation on Tuesday that the mission of their organizations is to promote study abroad opportunities for students who have traditionally been underrepresented in the study abroad demographics. “I was one of t hes e [un-
d e r r e p r e s e nt e d ] s t u d e nt s ,” Cook-Anderson said. “Studying abroad at my university was a very unusual undertaking, and now I am working to help students learn about their opportunities.” Gordon said the four barriers getting in the way of students going abroad are fear, family, finances and faculty. He
loss of Grote’s talent and potential is the loss of someone who “was well-loved and a source of much pride” to his friends and family. “Most importantly, as a friend, he is irreplaceable,” Quigley said. “Though he worked hard and excelled in his studies, he never took for granted the importance of fun and friends. Oh, and he loved a good prank.” A funeral service will be held Thursday at St. Peter’s United Church of Christ in Kansas City, Mo., at 11 a.m. Graveside services will immediately follow at the Lee’s Summit Historical Cemetery in Lee’s Summit, Mo. Grote is survived by his parents, Beth and Daniel Grote; and his brother, Jeffrey Grote, of Lee’s Summit, Mo.; and grandparents
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The Alamo Drafthouse and Action Pack is hosting a Labyrinth sing-a-long tonight at both the Village and Lake Creek locations. The show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets go for $12.
‘Float On’ See Modest Mouse live at Stubb’s BBQ and Waller Creek Amphitheatre at 7:00 p.m. Tickets range from $75-$220.
Only a test
Anyone watching television or listening to the radio tomorrow at 1 p.m. will hear a test of the national Emergency Alert System. Don’t be alarmed. Regular programming will resume after the test. Tamir Kalifa | Daily Texan Staff
Today in history
James Spence (left) supports fellow architecture student Miguel Ortiz during a memorial ceremony for 22-year-old Adam Conrad Grote, their friend and classmate who was killed early Sunday morning in a hit-and-run, in the courtyard of the School of Architecture on Tuesday night. Grote’s family mourned at his home in Missouri while friends, students and faculty grieved, remembered and laughed in the courtyard of the School of Architecture on Tuesday night.
In 1989
Friends recall life of architecture senior killed in hit-and-run
Inside In News: The American public’s stance on nuclear weapons page 5
In Opinion: Quotes from the MyEdu controversy page 4
In Sports: Stat Guy weighs in on past running backs page 6
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Quote to note “Fashion is harsh, and there are a lot more people used to criticizing,” Liu said. “It’s something that’s subjective and not objective. There is no definitive answer for who is stylish.” — Diya Liu Fashion blogger LIFE&ARTS PAGE 10
By Megan Strickland Daily Texan Staff
Architecture senior Adam Conrad Grote, 22, died early Sunday morning after being struck by a motorist who fled the scene while Grote was on foot on Interstate Highway 35 near Riverside Drive. Grote, who was set to graduate in the spring, had spent the evening of his death sharing drinks with friends in celebration of Saturday’s football win, according to friend and architecture senior Ross Wagner. Memories of Adam’s frequent pranks, passion for camping trips and affinity for game shows were shared Tuesday night at a memorial service at Goldsmith Hall where about 40 students, faculty and friends gathered to
remember Adam. Wagner said Grote loved music, was always helpful inside and outside of the classroom and was intelligent. “He was the kid that you envied because he could study for 15 minutes and get the same grade as you, even if you studied for three days straight,” Wagner said. Grote was designated as a commended National Merit Scholar finalist before his graduation from Lee’s Summit High School in Lee’s Summit, Mo., in 2007, according to school records. Grote’s out-of-state origins did not deter his Longhorn spirit, said architecture senior and friend Meredith Quigley. “Though he was out-of-state, he bled orange more than I do as a native Texan,” Quigley
City officials plan further reduction of trash accumulation By Jillian Bliss Daily Texan Staff
Austin city officials planned to send 20 percent less waste to landfills by 2012 but have already surpassed this goal ahead of schedule. The master plan calls for an overall reduction of waste sent to landfills by 2040 and was developed in response to the United Nations Environmental Accord’s urban waste reduction plan in 2005. Through recycling and reusing materials otherwise discarded, officials involved in the Austin Zero
Waste Plan are striving to reduce trash accumulation by 90 percent during the next 29 years. City officials established a goal of 20 percent reduction of waste sent to landfills by 2012, but as of 2011, the city has already superseded its goal by 18 percent. “The way you can do it is to start moving from more of a consumption mindset in sending materials to the landfill to recycling materials and turning them into re-
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said. “He was a Longhorn fan through and through. He stayed at every football game, no matter the outcome.” Quigley said Conrad was involved in the Undergraduate Architecture Student Council and the planning of the Beaux Arts Ball, Longhorn Halloween, Parent’s Weekend activities and other service projects. She said she believes Conrad would have stayed in Texas after graduation. “He had hoped to stay and work in Texas,” Quigley said. “This was his new home. I am almost certain he would have liked to have gotten his architecture license in Texas. His future as a designer was bright and the impact he would have made upon our landscape and community would have been meaningful and lasting.” Quigley said greater than the
By Lydia Herrera Daily Texan Staff
Tuesday marked day two of volunteers fanning out across the community to survey and identify the city’s most medically vulnerable homeless as part of Austin Registry Week. Austin’s 100 Homes Campaign, led by the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, is sponsoring Registry Week, Nov. 7-9, in order to create a database identifying the most vulnerable homeless people in Austin, said Cal Streeter, who sits on ECHO’s board of directors. The information collected will be used for the 100 Homes Campaign’s commitment to providing permanent housing for 100 homeless people by July 2013, Streeter said. He said the campaign is part of a larger national effort, the 100,000 Homes Campaign, which recruits communities across the United States to join efforts in creating permanent homes for 100,000 people over the next four years. “I think about homelessness as a community problem that sits at the vortex of where a number of community problems converge [such as] affordable housing, unemployment, access to affordable health care, family violence, mental health problems and substance abuse and addictions,” Streeter said. Streeter, a social work professor, said he encourages students to be aware of volunteer opportunities and to help out whenever they can. He said the students in his Strategic Partnerships Through Collaborative Leadership graduate class took on the campaign as a class project and participated in the surveys taking place this week. Volunteers for Registry Week were required to undergo training in order to learn how to respectfully approach the homeless and their homes. Although unconventional, the campsites where they live are still their homes, and volunteers were taught to treat them as such, said social work graduate student Kayleen Hooley. “What struck me was one of the gentlemen I was interviewing has been chronically homeless for two to three years, but before that had an apartment, a job, and another was even a college graduate,” said graduate social work student Meghann Flynn. She said interviewing the homeless is a more valuable task than a head count because people are able to understand the unique situations
As the world falls down
The Berlin Wall falls as communist-controlled East Germany opens checkpoints in the barrier that had divided Germany and Berlin since 1961, allowing its citizens to travel to West Germany. This led to the reunification of East and West Germany and the end of the Cold War.
Organization to house 100 homeless in need of care
Garza High seniors get feel for life as UT students By Allie Kolechta Daily Texan Staff
A group of University students has taken the initiative to show underprivileged, underrepresented and unique high school students what they have the ability to do. From Monday through today, the senior class of Garza Independence High School has been shadowing UT students from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. GIHS is an alternative, self-paced high school for students who were not able to finish or fit into a traditional high school setting and is part of Austin In-
Tamir Kalifa| Daily Texan Staff
Garza Independent High School senior Emelia McKay accompanies UT junior Stephanie McCoy as part of the Garza Initiative.
dependent School District. Damilola Olatayo was an officer for the Gates Scholarship fund and decided to develop a plan to adopt Austin High School’s and create more Gates Scholars. However, Olatayo wanted to do more for Garza after being given
a tour of the high school and founded the UT Garza Initiative before becoming its executive director. “After talking to the teachers and the students, I realized this is really
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Wednesday, November 9, 2011
MENTOR continues from PAGE 1 like a family,” she said. “This is really a second-chance school. The teachers just truly and utterly care about the students. They love the kids and they love what they do.” Members of the initiative hope to provide scholarships, tutoring and guidance to students at GIHS, Olatayo said. They decided to create Shadow Week after hearing that some students had never been to a college campus, and some were born in Austin but had never been to UT, she said. “I said, this can’t be the case,” she said. “Some of the kids who never even thought about education, some of their parents have been calling saying, I don’t know what you guys did at UT, but my son and daughter wants to go to college. When I heard that, they told the principal it makes me feel as though we’re making a difference as opposed to just visiting the school every now and then.” About 57 students are visiting UT per day, and all are paired up with a UT student mentor, Olatayo said. Four teachers come along from GIHS, she said. While the school’s graduation rate is more than 90 percent, many graduates have children at home or live on their own and have to hold down a job, said Linda Webb, principal of
THE DAILY TEXAN Volume 112, Number 77
GIHS and UT alumna. GIHS is tailored to students who are in danger of dropping out, and students must have 10 high school credits to get into GIHS, she said. “These are kids who want an opportunity to go to college,” she said. “Life may have dealt them a different hand, the comprehensive school just doesn’t work for them.” More than 80 percent of Garza students are federally at economic risk, and the school was just awarded the Gold Performance Acknowledgement from the Texas Education Agency for having more kids ready for college, Webb said. “We are so excited and just thrilled that these young people are taking an interest and giving back before they even get out of college,” she said. “I think they know they’re doing something wonderful, but I do not believe that they yet understand the impact it’s having on kids who’ve been told before, ‘They’re not gonna make it,’ and to have this experience that says ‘Not only can you make it, this is what it’s going to look like when you do, is thrilling.” GIHS creates a good environment for kids who feel like they can’t excel in a traditional high school setting, said GIHS senior Matthew Krausse. It
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 Tamir Kalifa | Daily Texan Staff
Stephanie McCoy, UT junior and Garza Initiative mentor, leads Garza Independent High School senior Emelia McCay through Jester Center after having a typical campus meal at the J2 Dining Room with McCay’s fellow students and UT mentors.
creates a positive atmosphere and a lies, he said. self-paced setting for students who “Today, I went to an organic chemcould be working nights, working two istry class, and it was really cool,” he jobs or trying to support their fami- said. “I didn’t understand a lot of it
obviously. It was a second year class, but it was a great learning experience just to be able to see exactly how UT works.”
Soldier behind bomb plot faces additional charges ACCIDENT The Associated Press
the United States, two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a federal crime of violence, and two counts of possession of a destructive device in furtherance of a federal crime of violence. Abdo was indicted in August on three federal charges related to the bomb plot near the Texas Army post this summer. The maximum penalty for each of those charges — possession of an unregistered destructive device, possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition by a fugitive from justice — is 10 years in prison. He had not yet
WACO — An AWOL soldier planned to detonate bombs in a restaurant filled with Fort Hood troops and then shoot those who survived, federal authorities said in a new six-count indictment returned against him Tuesday. Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo was indicted on one count of trying to use a weapon of mass destruction, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. The other charges returned by the federal grand jury in Waco on Tuesday were attempted murder of officers or employees of
entered a plea on those charges. Prosecutors said they plan to try him first on the six new charges, which carry lengthier prison terms and are part of what is called a superseding indictment. Abdo, who remains in federal custody in Waco, was arrested in July at a Killeen motel near Fort Hood. Investigators say they found a handgun, an article titled “Make a bomb in the kitchen of your Mom” and the ingredients for an explosive device, including gunpowder, shrapnel and pressure cookers. An article with that title appears in an al-
Qaida magazine. After his arrest, he told authorities he planned to make two bombs and detonate them in a restaurant where Fort Hood soldiers eat, according to documents filed in the case. Abdo, 21, was approved as a conscientious objector this year after citing his Muslim beliefs, but that status was put on hold after he was charged with possessing child pornography. He went absent without leave from Fort Campbell, Ky., in early July. Authorities have said there is a gag order in the Texas case.
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Betty and Alfred Conrad and Elizabeth and Eugene Poelker of St. Louis, Mo. A dozen or so students plan to travel to Missouri to pay their last respects to Grote, said friend and architecture senior Melynn Mayfield. She said Grote’s absence would be felt by all who knew him. “He was one of those people that flew under the radar for some, but for those of us that were close with him, he was a cherished and unforgettable friend, and we will all profoundly miss him,” Mayfield said.
WASTE continues from PAGE 1 sources,” said Jennifer Herber, Austin Resource Recovery spokeswoman. “It’s about recycling, composting and finding other uses for these things.” Herber said the master plan includes encouraging area residents to donate unwanted yet usable household items to thrift stores or charities that may be able to find a place for them. Herber said the “reuse plan” keeps materials with virtually nothing wrong with them from taking up space in landfills. “I think our city has always been
very green-minded,” Herber said. “We have a very aggressive plan to get to zero waste, and people support that.” Many Austin residents have turned to compost systems, Herber said, in addition to recycling. Director of sustainability Jim Walker said the UT recycling program has “made leaps and bounds” during recent years, as the department placed numerous on-campus sorting and recycling bins during the past year. Walker said UT recycles half
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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, Lin Zagorski 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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nick Hadjigeorge, Lydia Herrera, Megan Strickland Sports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hank South Life&Arts Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jessica Lee Copy Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brionne Griffin, Marco Lopez, Chelsea DiSchiano Page Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Betsy Cooper, Sarah Foster Comic Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emery Ferguson, John Massingil, Betsy Cooper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Claudine Lucena, Trish Do, Tyler Suder Columnist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Samian Quazi Videographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Demi Adejuyigbe Web Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mary Schaffer, William Snyder Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tamir Khalifa, Kiersten Holms
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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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of all paper used on campus that would otherwise end up in a landfill. “We primarily recycle paper and generate more paper than the city residential program does,” Walker said. “We are constantly improving how we gather cans and plastics and glass, but we just don’t generate that
much glass.” Austin Resource Recovery director Bob Gedert said the recent decision to phase out plastic retail shopping bags will allow the city to continue to reach its 2040 goal. Gedert said despite hearing from residents who reuse the bags, the actual number of bags reused and recycled is
about 10 percent. “If you’re not reusing [a bag] it generally has a 14-minute lifespan,” Gedert said. “The zero waste plan counters that lifestyle. Zero waste demands a longevity lifestyle from products where they have a second life and more reuse or recycling opportunities.”
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TOMORROW’S WEATHER High
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Remember when I fell off my chair? That was kinda funny.
ABROAD continues from PAGE 1 said many students are fearful of language barriers and cultural differences and also face pressure from parents to stay close to home. Gordon said the financial barriers are not difficult to overcome if students learn about and seek the millions of dollars offered in scholarships and financial aid. Gordon said faculty members may potentially discourage students from studying abroad be-
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cause they tend to prefer that students research and work at the university where they also work. “It’s important to be honest with yourself and talk about the fears you have,” Gordon said. “These concerns might prevent you from going abroad, and it’s helpful to talk to someone who has actually gone abroad.” Margaret McCu llers, program coordinator of the UT S t u d y Ab r o a d O f f i c e , s a i d t h e Un i v e r s i t y h a s a n i n i tiative to expand study abroad access. “We are looking at who studi es abro a d and i d e nt i f y i ng groups that are underrepre-
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sented,” McCullers said. Heather Barclay Hamir, director of the Study Abroad Office, said UT sends around 2,300 students on study abroad programs each year. She said the national average for racial and ethnic minorities participating in study abroad programs is around 15 to 20 percent, while UT has almost 40 percent representation. She said the Unive r s it y h a s n e ar ly $ 1 m i l lion available in study abroad scholarship opportunities. “We want the makeup of students who study abroad to mirror the demographics of the campus as a whole,” Barclay Hamir said. Nursing sophomore Jose Escarcega said he is interested in studying abroad in Spain or
England and originally thought it would be hard to do so. “At first it seems challenging, but talking to the study abroad advisers makes it a lot easier,” Escarcega said. “There are also so many scholarship opportunities out there.” Curtiss Stevens, general adviser for the UT SAO, said the purpose of the diversity outreach program is to make students more connected to the opportunities that are available because of the benefits for students and the University as a whole. “G oi n g a bro a d s t re n g t h ens you academically,” Stevens said. “The numbers show it increases retention rates, which is something the University is working on.”
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Wednesday, November 9, 2011 | THE DAILY TEXAN | Ashley Morgan, Wire Editor | dailytexanonline.com
3
Gender segregation increases in Israel Italy premier resigns after being pressured by investors, reforms
By Amy Teibel The Associated Press
Posters depicting women have become rare in the streets of Israel’s capital. In some areas women have been shunted onto separate sidewalks, and buses and health clinics have been gender-segregated. The military has considered reassigning some female combat soldiers because religious men don’t want to serve with them. This is the new reality in parts of 21st-century Israel, where ultra-Orthodox rabbis are trying to contain the encroachment of secular values on their cloistered society through a fierce backlash against the mixing of the sexes in public. On the surface, Israel’s gender equality seems strong, with the late Golda Meir as a former prime minister, Tzipi Livni as the current opposition leader and its women soldiers famed around the world. Reality is not so shiny. The World Economic Forum recently released an unfavorable image of women’s earning power in Israel, and in 2009, the last year for which data are available, Israeli women earned twothirds what men did. The newly enforced separation is felt most strongly in Jerusalem, where ultra-Orthodox Jews are growing in numbers and strength. The phenomenon is starting to be seen elsewhere, though in the Tel Aviv region, Israel’s largest metropolis, secular Jews are the vast majority, and life there resembles most Western cities. Still, secular Jews there and elsewhere in Israel worry that their lifestyles could be targeted, too, because the ultra-Orthodox population, while still relatively small, is growing significantly. Their high birthrate of about seven children per family is forecast to send their proportion of the population, now estimated at 9 percent, to 15 percent by 2025. “The stronger the ultra-Orthodox and religious community grows, the greater its attempt to impose its norms,” said Hannah Kehat, the founder of the religious women’s forum Kolech. Their norms, she said, are “segregation of women and discrimination against them.” Ultra-Orthodox Jews around the world have long frowned upon the mixing of the sexes in their communities, but the attempt to apply this prohibition in public spaces is relatively new in Israel. Israel’s ultra-Orthodox began testing gender segregation years ago
By Victor L. Simpson The Associated Press
Sebastian Scheiner | Associated Press
An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man is reflected on a bus window in Jerusalem on Monday. Images of women have vanished from the streets of Israel’s capital. Buses and health clinics have been gender-segregated, and the military has considered reassigning female combat soldiers.
when ultra-Orthodox men started ordering women on certain bus lines to sit at the back of buses traveling through their neighborhoods. The practice, also adopted in some ultra-Orthodox communities in the United States, was successfully challenged in Israel’s Supreme Court, and Kehat says women have been filing far fewer complaints about their treatment on buses. The vast majority of Israeli bus lines have never been segregated. But buses weren’t the last stop on the gender-segregation ride. Some supermarkets in ultra-Orthodox communities, once content to urge women patrons to dress modestly with long-sleeved blouses and long skirts, have now assigned separate hours for men and women — another practice seen in ultra-Orthodox communities in the U.S. Some health clinics have separate entrances and waiting rooms for men and women. Meni Shwartz-Gera, an ultra-Orthodox journalist, says strict observance of modesty is a pillar of ultra-Orthodox Judaism and is being “wickedly” misrepresented as demeaning to women. People who dislike it can choose different options like supermarkets without special hours for men and women, he said. “The purpose is not to denigrate women,” he said. Israel’s Supreme Court disagrees. Last month, the court ordered the
dismantling of barriers erected in Jerusalem’s ultra-Orthodox Mea Shearim neighborhood meant to keep women and men from walking on the same sidewalk during a religious ceremony that drew tens of thousands to the enclave’s narrow streets. Gender segregation “began with buses, continued with supermarkets and reached the streets,” Chief Justice Dorit Beinisch was quoted as saying during the court hearing. “It’s not going away, just the opposite.” The Jerusalem city councilwoman who brought the case before the court, herself a religious Jew, was fired by secular Mayor Nir Barkat. Barkat, who rose to power vowing to scale back the growing influence of an ultra-Orthodox population that accounts for one-third of the city’s 750,000 people, said he dismissed Rachel Azaria because she sued the city, not because she faced off against the ultra-Orthodox. For years, advertisers have been covering up female models on billboards in Jerusalem and other communities with large ultra-Orthodox populations. Ultra-Orthodox have defaced such ads and vendors faced ultra-Orthodox boycotts of companies whose mores they deplore. Recently, the voluntary censorship has gone beyond the scantily clad: Women are either totally absent from billboards, or, as with one clothing company’s ads, only hinted at by a photo of a back, an arm and
a purse. Over the summer, Jerusalem inaugurated a long-awaited light rail with a major outdoor advertising campaign. The rail line is touted as a marvel of 21st-century technology, but there are no women’s faces on any of the billboards affixed to its sides. Advertisers acknowledge ultraOrthodox pressure. A private radio station went so far as to ban broadcast of songs by female vocalists and interviews with women. Ohad Gibli, deputy director of marketing for the Canaan advertising agency, confirmed Monday that his company advised a transplant organization to drop pictures of women in their campaigns in Jerusalem and the ultra-Orthodox town of Bnei Brak for fear of a violent backlash. “We have learned that an ad campaign in Jerusalem and Bnei Brak that includes pictures of women will remain up for hours at best, and in other cases, will lead to the vandalization and torching of buses,” he told Army Radio. Barkat told reporters recently that “It’s illegal to forbid” advertising women. But “in Jerusalem, you’ve got to use common sense if you want to advertise something. It’s a special city, it’s a holy city with sensitivities for Muslims, for Christians, for ultra-Orthodox.”
Haitian group seeks UN aid after cholera outbreak By Trenton Daniel The Associated Press
“
Ramon Espinosa Associated Press
inadvertently brought to Haiti by a U.N. battalion from Nepal, where cholera is endemic. A local contractor failed to properly sanitize the waste of a U.N. base, and the bacteria leaked into a tributary of one of Haiti’s biggest rivers, according to a study by a U.N.-appointed panel. The disease spread throughout Haiti because of poor sanitation, and the country now has the highest cholera infection rate in the world. There had been no documented
cases of the disease prior to its arrival, and medical workers say the disease is likely to become endemic. Cholera is caused by a bacteria found in contaminated water or food, and can kill people within hours through dehydration. It is easily treatable if caught in time. The Institute filed the petition on Thursday with the Office of the Secretary General in New York and with the claims unit for the mission in Port-au-Prince, said Brian Concannon, an attorney who is director of the Institute. Concannon said he hoped the U.N. mission would set up a tribunal to evaluate the claims. He also said he hoped the U.N. force would create a lifesaving program that would provide sanitation, potable water and medical treatment. He also said he wants a public apology. “We’re obviously hoping that
“
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — A human rights group said Tuesday it has filed claims with the United Nations seeking damages on behalf of more than 5,000 Haitian cholera victims and their families. The claims filed by the Bostonbased Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti argue that the U.N. and its peacekeeping force are liable for hundreds of millions of dollars for failing to adequately screen peacekeeping soldiers. They cite a range of studies that indicate the infected soldiers caused the outbreak when untreated waste from a U.N. base was dumped into a tributary of Haiti’s most important river. “The sickness, death and ongoing harm from cholera suffered by Haiti’s citizens are a product of the U.N.’s multiple failures,” the complaint reads. “These failures constitute negligence, gross negligence, recklessness and deliberate indifference for the lives of Haitians.” Cholera has sickened nearly 500,000 people and killed more than 6,500 others since it surfaced in Haiti in October 2010, according to the Haitian Health Ministry. Evidence suggests that the disease was
A girl receives treatment for cholera symptoms at a Doctors Without Borders cholera clinic in Portau-Prince, Haiti, Oct. 19. Dr. Paul Farmer said that cholera has sickened more than 450,000 people in a nation of 10 million.
We’re obviously hoping that the U.N. will step up and do the right thing
— Brain Concannon, Director of Institue for Justice and Democracy
the U.N. will step up and do the right thing,” he said by telephone. If that doesn’t happen, the group plans to file the claims in a Haitian court, he said. The petitioners include families who saw breadwinners die from cholera, and the institute said some families spent their life savings and went into debt to pay for funerals. The Institute is also seeking a minimum of $100,000 for each bereaved family and $50,000 for each cholera survivor. U.N. spokeswoman Sylvie Van Den Wildenberg said she was aware that a group was planning to file the complaint but couldn’t confirm that a claim presented to her was the same one officially received by the United Nations. “In any case, the petition, when it is received, should be transferred to the legal office and headquarters,” Van Den Wildenberg said.
Silvio Berlusconi survived sex scandals and corruption trials. Tawdry accounts of sexy “bunga bunga” parties turned him into an international laughing stock. Prosecutors pursued him over a mind-boggling array of suspected improprieties. Every time he seemed finished, the perma-tanned premier managed to miraculously bounce back. But he just couldn’t beat the markets. Berlusconi announced Tuesday he would resign after parliament passes economic reforms demanded by the European Union. He acted in the face of a relentless investor attack on Italy’s government bonds and crumbling support in parliament, almost certainly ending a political career in which he achieved the feat of becoming his nation’s longest-serving premier. The media baron dominated Italian politics for nearly two decades. He served as premier three times over the past 17 years — a charismatic if polarizing figure who sold Italians a dream of prosperity with his own personal story of transformation from cruiseship crooner to Italy’s richest man. He also owns AC Milan, one of Italy’s famous soccer clubs. But in his last years in power, he became almost a grotesque caricature of the charming billionaire who cast a spell over his nation. The hair transplants and plastic surgery became all too obvious. His reputation as a seducer gave way to allegations of trysts with prostitutes and underage girls. He embarrassed Italy with jaw-dropping gaffes at international summits. Accusations grew that he was in politics not for Italy’s sake but for his own — to boost his business interests and change laws to shield himself from prosecution. As pressure for his resignation grew, he remained defiant, labeling opponents “communists” to be kept at bay and prosecutors as “terrorists” defying the will of the people who elected him. Even as his allies were defecting, he anointed himself Italy’s savior at the close of the Group of 20 summit in Cannes, France, last week. “I feel a duty to continue these things,” he said. “This is a great duty and sacrifice for me. Here, at the Cannes summit, I looked around, and I don’t see anyone in Italy who is up to representing our country. I asked myself, who could represent Italy if I weren’t there?” But he had only so many political lives. The magnetic smile, the confident wisecracking, the perennial optimism were no longer reassuring. When Italy became the new focus of the eurozone debt crisis, the financial markets delivered their verdict: Berlusconi himself was the problem. He lacked the political clout to quickly pass the needed measures to boost growth and cut debt. To use a metaphor from his beloved sport of soccer, it was game over. But ousting Berlusconi wasn’t easy. “He’s not the retiring type. It’s very much a personal trait. He really thinks he’s the best in the world,” said James Walston, a professor of political science at Rome’s American University. The ultimate fear that clinched political change was that Italy would not be able to pay for its enormous $2.6 trillion debt. That is too expensive for Europe to handle and could trigger a default that would break up the 17-nation eurozone and drag down the global economy. Berlusconi had used television and his own wealth to build a political career. He boasted of his riches and kept a lavish lifestyle that included partying with young women. “I’m no saint,” he said defiantly after his wife of almost 20 years announced she was seeking a divorce in 2009. But the scandals picked up steam. First a self-described call girl said she went to bed with Berlusconi on the night that Barack Obama was elected U.S. president. Then came embarrassing criminal charges that he had sex with an underage Moroccan girl nicknamed
Ruby Rubacuori (“Rudy the HeartStealer”) and used his office to cover it up. The trial is in progress. While he repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, the 75-year-old Berlusconi was becoming increasingly reclusive in public as he sought to defend himself in three trials and several other criminal investigations. The trials — the sex case, tax fraud and corruption — will continue, but once out of office, he will lose the ability to delay hearings as he has been doing, citing conflicts with official business. Berlusconi had the power to inspire both fierce loyalty and equally fierce opposition. To his admirers, the conservative leader was a capable statesman who sought to make Italy rich and powerful. To his critics, he was a populist whose immense media and political power made him a threat to democracy. That was perhaps never more apparent than when Berlusconi was attacked by an unstable man during a political rally in Milan in 2009. The attacker threw a souvenir statuette of Milan’s cathedral at the premier’s face, leaving him with a fractured nose, two broken teeth and lip cuts. Images of Berlusconi’s bloody, shocked face drew sympathy and solidarity even among critics, but his attacker also generated a storm of praise on Facebook and YouTube. Berlusconi often boasted of his success with women. He entertained friends and world leaders alike at his villas on the Emerald Coast of Sardinia. Berlusconi reveled in straying from political etiquette. He once famously sported a bandana when receiving British Prime Minister Tony Blair in Sardinia. (The reason, it turned out later, was to conceal a recent hair transplant.) He posed for an international summit’s family photo making an Italian gesture — which can be offensive or superstitious depending on the circumstances — in which the index and pinkie fingers are pointed like horns. And he caused an international outcry in 2003 when he compared a German EU parliament lawmaker to a Nazi camp guard. Berlusconi became rich after breaking the state monopoly on television in the late 1970s. Twenty-five years later, his Mediaset network was a cash cow thanks to game shows, scantily clad girls and imported U.S. sitcoms in deals that were the source of some of his criminal prosecutions. Together with the state network that he effectively controlled as premier, he held 90 percent of Italy’s TV market. When the “Clean Hands” corruption scandals broke in the 1990s, wiping out the entire political establishment, he founded his own party in 1994 and named it after a soccer cheer: Forza Italia. He was elected premier three months later by Italians seeking a break from the past. That government was short-lived after his Northern League ally pulled out later that year. But he was re-elected two more times: in 2001, when his government served out an entire 5-year term, and again in 2008. Summing up his appeal, he said: “Most Italians in their hearts would like to be like me and see themselves in me and in how I behave.” But that appeal, according to all opinion polls, began to wane when the economy failed to grow, unemployment began creeping up and job prospects for young people disappeared. At the same time, he was devoting much of his political capital to protect his own interests. Even as the debt crisis worsened, he pushed legislation to limit publication of wiretaps before trial, citing himself as a victim, and tried to include a measure in an austerity package that would have allowed his family investment company to dodge a heavy fine. Berlusconi’s departure leaves major questions about the future of his party. It has been weakened by prominent defections and he himself had repeatedly said he would not seek re-election. His hand-picked successor, his former justice minister Angelino Alfano, lacks Berlusconi’s dynamism.
4
OPINION
Wednesday, November 9, 2011 | THE DAILY TEXAN | Viviana Aldous, Editor-in-Chief | (512) 232-2212 | editor@dailytexanonline.com
QUOTES TO NOTE From the controversy surrounding the UT System’s investment in MyEdu to registration woes, the following quotes are among the best from the last few days.
“We don’t have enough faculty — that’s the bottom line.” — Hillary Hart, senior lecturer in the department of civil engineering, on
one of the main reasons why students struggle to register for classes they need, according to The Daily Texan.
“Information, especially in the technical fields, becomes obsolete, but inspiration lasts a lifetime.” — Brent Iverson, professor and chairman of the Department of Chemis-
try, according to an op-ed in the Austin American-Statesman. Iverson, a recipient of the 2011 Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Awards and one of the most highly-rated professors on campus, calls to question the pressures to separate teaching and researching at universities.
“[The UT System’s deal with MyEdu] is one of the best examples I’ve ever seen of successful rent-seeking in the public sector (although laypeople might use a less felicitous term than rentseeking). This blog needs a contest for the most outrageous example of this behavior, and this is my entry into that contest.” — Economics professor Daniel Hamermesh in an entry to the popular
Freakonomics blog, of which he is a frequent contributor. Rent seeking is when private companies seek a chunk of the economic pie without adding any value by manipulating political outcomes. Hamermesh cites the connection between MyEdu’s senior vice president John Cunningham and his father William Cunningham, former UT president and UT System chancellor and current business professor, as well as MyEdu CEO Michael Crosno’s ties to Gov. Rick Perry, as justification for labeling the ordeal as rent seeking.
“We are not a company ‘loaded’ with ‘Perry backers’ nor have I ever served on a Perry finance committee, as has been alleged. My passion is education and I have no involvement with politics of any kind. In fact, our company is loaded with people for whom education is a passion, and it is unfair to all of us who spend endless hours working to help students to misrepresent who we are as part of some larger political agenda.” — MyEdu CEO Michael Crosno in an op-ed to the Austin AmericanStatesman. Crosno comes to the defense of his company, which is the recipient of a much-maligned $10 million investment from the UT System. Crosno said the first meetings between the company and the system was “prompted by students” and assured that students control “how they share the information.”
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.
EDITORIAL TWITTER Follow The Daily Texan Editorial Board on Twitter (@DTeditorial) and receive updates on our latest editorials and columns.
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Inflate grades in STEM programs By Samian Quazi Daily Texan Columnist
As our nation remains mired in a chronic shortage of qualified science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) graduates, the United States will inevitably fall behind rising powers such as India and China in these fields. Increased funding for middle school science fairs to foster adolescent interest in science won’t address the skills shortage. Neither will focusing on the gender gap. University programs in STEM fields will have to be fundamentally restructured, as their grading policies have only led to rampant attrition among these majors. On Nov. 4, The New York Times reported that roughly 40 percent of science and engineering majors either switch out to another major or fail to complete any degree, and the figure rises to 60 percent when pre-medical students are factored in. The Times also reports that it is “twice the combined attrition rate of all other majors.” As STEM fields are some of the most rigorous in any university, a high attrition rate is expected. Yet institutional factors, such as depressed grades, needlessly exacerbate the number of students who call it quits. Lower average GPAs in STEM fields can often shut out students’ hopes for future professional or graduate education. And when even many employers detail minimum GPAs on online job postings, students have a strong incentive to jump ship to an easier major to rack up more As.
Unlike graduates of the humanities and social scientists, for instance, STEM majors can rely on market forces in their favor. As the U.S. unemployment rate remains stuck above 9 percent, tens of thousands of critical positions in STEM-related areas remain unfilled because of a skills shortage. Hiring managers are generally loath to fill these positions with applicants that lack even some of the requisite technical skills, leaving the slots open for months or even years. And the chasm between the masses seeking work and the number of STEM jobs will only continue to widen. According to U.S. News and World Report, “Occupations in these fields are expected to grow by 17 percent by 2018, nearly double the rate of growth in non-STEM occupations.” It’s unlikely and unrealistic that many STEM employers would voluntarily incur revenue losses for on-the-job training programs to adequately train an English or art history graduate into a technical position. Nor will STEM programs lighten their rigorous workloads on students. Although it’s politically incorrect and unpopular among faculty, STEM programs need to ease up on grading if they want to retain students. Detractors will stubbornly insist inflating grades will produce legions of mediocre B.S.-degree-carrying graduates unprepared for gainful employment in the jobs they seek. They will ask questions like, “Would you want to drive over a bridge designed and engineered by a C student?” But the employers themselves must ultimately be responsible for the quality of
their staff. In other words, competent business management can assist struggling STEM employees and will naturally promote the brightest among their labor pool for the most critical projects. The market itself in STEM fields will reorganize employees by their skill levels. If a given engineer never uses partial derivatives or arcane equations in his or her career, they presumably would have found research and design courses to be far more worthwhile in their undergraduate careers. The theoretical basis for most STEM majors is vast — and justifiably so. But young adults are rational decision-makers and understand that their GPA can either be a gateway or a padlock to future employment. When students invest so much time studying for a program they eventually feel is trying to weed them out, many will transfer to an easier major solely to prop up their flagging GPA. It’s not that these students are lazy or unmotivated; they see diminished returns for increased efforts and are demoralized. By not adjusting their grading policies, STEM programs ultimately hurt themselves as well the future of the American economy. The tragedy is that thousands of otherwise-qualified and talented students will continue to bail out of these programs because the GPA remains the bottom line for many jobs after graduation. It is time for a public discussion on whether STEM programs have been too frugal in doling out good grades for Herculean workloads. Quazi is a nursing graduate student.
THE FIRING LINE Discrimination column treads too much on political grounds I was severely displeased after reading the column about discrimination in Texas, “Discrimination and Texas’ brand and prattle,” that ran on Nov. 7. I completely agree with columnist Zoya Waliany with the idea that racism and discrimination need to end here in Texas and that Keller’s video is a disgrace. But when it comes to her political statements in the article, I believe she has gone too far. UT may be a liberal institution not in favor of Republican candidates, but to use Herman Cain’s idea of “loyalty testing” as a way to prove that racism is rampant here in Texas is preposterous. Cain may be stuck in his own ways of mistrust toward the Arab and Muslim people, but he is one person and does not represent a large portion of American society. Her premise that one person is equivalent to millions of Americans and their ideas is blowing a stance way out of proportion. Also, Waliany tries to prove that “Texas has proven itself to be the prejudiced simpleton of the South.” Once again she uses a political stance to prove her point. Her quote, “From the legacy of questionable politicians cum president [and potential president]...” is a blatant jab at conservative politics and one that has no factor into proving her point. Waliany has completely lost sight of her original pretense of racism and discrimination toward Arab and Muslim people and shifted into a political battle. To add to the jabs at conservatives in her article, Waliany combines conservatism and racism in the same paragraph, which can be seen as coupling conservative ideas with racism. This tactic is not only incredibly dense but also truly offensive to the conservative audience. Waliany stereotypes conservative ideas in her column and fails to prove her point. In the end, even in an editorial piece, this is hypocritical and offensive.
John Bregger Geography senior
UNIV P5
NEWS 5
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Benjamin Valentino, associate professor of government at Dartmouth, discusses the effectiveness, moral issues associated with, and consequences of using nuclear weapons. Valentino showed the effects of the public’s opinion on the use of nuclear weapons.
Kiersten Holms Daily Texan Staff
Study says Americans approve use of nuclear weapons By Megan Strickland Daily Texan Staff
The American public is not likely to oppose public officials’ judgement in utilizing nuclear weapons according to research conducted by professors at Dartmouth and Stanford universities. Benjamin Valentino, an associate government professor at Dartmouth, spoke Thursday about research on public opinion of nuclear weapons conducted in collaboration with Daryl Press and Scott Sagan at the fall speaker series hosted by the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law. “If we find ourselves in some situation where people think nuclear weapons are deemed more effective in the future, it’s unlikely that public opinion will hold our leaders back from using them,� Valentino said. The research was conducted through surveys which gave people two scenarios to decipher, Valentino said. In one scenario people were given a news article detailing the advantages and disadvantages of destroy-
ing a rural weapons lab controlled by a terrorist organization before the event occurred. The researchers kept all the scenarios the same while only varying key factors such as casualty rate and military effectiveness, Valentino said. “When nuclear weapons and conventional weapons are equal, only about 20 percent are in favor of using nuclear weapons,� Valentino said. “When nuclear weapons were deemed twice as effective as conventional weapons, a full 77 percent supported [utilizing the nuclear option],� Valentino said. In this scenario “a majority of individuals approved of using nuclear weapons even when it killed 25,000 people compared to 500 people [with the non-nuclear option],� Valentino said. In the second scenario, people were asked to read an article where an executive decision was made to utilize nuclear weapons to destroy a terrorist weapons cache in Syria without knowing the comparable cost-benefits of a non-nuclear option, Valentino said. The casualty levels and ef-
HOME continues from PAGE 1 of why they’re homeless and what can be done to prevent an increase in the number of homeless people in the future. “I think that everyone deserves some help when they’re down, and to be living on the streets and not have a home to call your own isn’t right,� said Flynn. “I treat these people as though they could be my father or brother. We’re all just here to be happy, to love and
u eB Th
ys
live a good life.� The homeless population is not one most are eager to work with, Flynn said. She said sharing her experiences with her peers is what’s valuable because they can learn a lot about how to work on the streets and talk with the homeless in order to see what life is like from a different perspective. “When you lose touch with the people that you’re serving, you
fectiveness of both options were kept equal, he said. “When people read this retrospective story, they approved of it just as much as when we used conventional weapons,� Valentino said. Public affairs graduate student Carmen Gaddis said she was surprised by these results. “I thought this particular speech was really fascinating and horrifying at the same time,� Gaddis said. “I was particularly struck by how weak the taboo motivating deterrent was.� Rather than the moral or ethical implications, as Valentino expected, opinions toward shying away from nuclear weapons were driven by the desire to not encourage use of nuclear weapons against the United States. “When people are asked to pick, the vast majority of people who say that they don’t want to use nuclear weapons say it’s because they don’t want to set a precedent,� Valentino said. Those surveyed via Internet in seven experiments contain-
lose touch with what works best for them,� Flynn said. Streeter said he hopes a successful 100 Homes Campaign in Austin will help create viable long-term solutions to issues that raise concern in the community. “What kind of society do we want to live in?� Streeter asked. “Do we want to live in a society where it’s OK for people to live and die on the streets?�
ing 18 groups of 150 people were selected from six million individuals in an Internet survey provider’s database to provide an accurate representation of the U.S. population, Valentino said. In addition to the two scenarios, the researchers also measured the disgust of the American people in three varying situations to see if nuclear weapons usage was taboo.
In the survey, 4.07 percent of respondents said they were disgusted by the usage of nuclear weapons at Hiroshima and Nagaski, while 39.93 percent said they would be disgusted if they found out their neighbors were eating dogs. Public affairs graduate student Izzah Akram said she was surprised by this but could see why the usage of nuclear weapons would be less
shocking to the public. “I guess because of my personal beliefs — I’m very anti-nuclear weapon — it was surprising for me, but I guess you can rationalize it,� said Akram. “In the case of finding that your neighbor is eating a dog, it’s immediately in front of your eyes. It affects your daily life in a greater way than your government nuking some sort of foreign enemy.�
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Wednesday, November 9, 2011 | THE DAILY TEXAN | Trey Scott, Sports Editor | (512) 232-2210 | sports@dailytexanonline.com
VOLLEYBALL
TEXAS SERVES UP ACES
SIDELINE
BY THE NUMBERS
3 The number of tackles Albert Haynesworth had with the Patriots in six games this season before being cut on Tuesday. So much for turning his career around in New England, huh?
67 Trent Lesikar | Daily Texan File Photo
Texas sophomore Sarah Palmer performs a jump serve. A jump serve is risky, but it’s extremely effective if done correctly. By Chris Hummer Daily Texan Staff
Bounce, bounce, bounce. Ball steady, arm back, solid contact, over the net, then — hopefully — an ace. This is the sequence of events that goes through the mind of every server in volleyball while they go through their routine right before and through the serve. Well, this isn’t completely true; every server has a unique routine that allows her to feel completely comfortable before she attempts to put the ball over the net. “Whatever is comfortable with you is what you will go with. There is nothing specific that anyone has to do with their routine,” said senior Amber Roberson. For Roberson, the routine is rather simple. She just bounces the ball on the court until she is comfortable enough to let it go.
“I bounce the ball a lot. I bounce and count in my head, but the repetition of your routine is important,” she said. However, the serve is not such a simple animal that it can just be defined in routines or in the amount of times you bounce the ball. It has a huge impact on the game. “It is the first attack that we can put on to the other team, serving a good ball or placing it on a certain player that is not a good passer can throw the other team out of system and work in our advantage when we play defense,” said sophomore Sarah Palmer. “Because it is easier for us to work around a bad pass.” The service game sets the tone for every possession on the court. A good serve to the correct spot puts even the best of defense on its heels, while a bad serve to the wrong location makes it much easier for your opponent to return and gain con-
Junior Sha’Dare McNeal follows through on her float serve in which she hits the ball with little to no spin to make the flight path of the serve unpredictable. Many Texas players use this form of the serve to effectively place the ball over the net.
trol of the point because your defense will be in the wrong location on the court to deal with the opponent’s ball movement. “The game is basically a serve and pass game. You have to start with a pass/serve,” Roberson said. “Usually, Coach will call us a zone because for setters, it’s harder to set the ball over their shoulders, so as long as we serve the ball to the number he calls it helps a lot.” For the Texas players, there are many different techniques to get the ball to said point, in the different forms of the serve. There is the float serve, where the ball is hit with no spin to make the path of the serve unpredictable. Then there is the topspin serve, where the ball is tossed high and hit near the wrist to create a high speed serve with spin. Perhaps most famously is the jump
FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK
Bergeron’s day stacks up with greats
Freshmen Brown, Shipley feeling better after injuries
By Hank South Daily Texan Columnist
Texas running back Joe Bergeron’s 191-yard, threetouchdown performance certainly solidified his place in the Longhorns’ offensive rotation, as evidenced by him being named a co-starter at tailback alongside Fozzy Whittaker for the Missouri game this Saturday. It’s not often that backup run-
New York Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson split time with Basil Mitchell in the ’97 and ’98 seasons posting respectable numbers. When Tomlinson got his chance to start a game in 1999, he rushed for a singlegame NCAA record 406 yards versus UTEP. Tomlinson carried the ball 43 times and registered six touchdowns in his recordbreaking performance. In 2001, Auburn running back Carnell “Cadillac” Wil-
BERGERON continues on PAGE 7
By Christian Corona Daily Texan Staff
Texas was without its leading rusher and its receiver, Malcolm Brown and Jaxon Shipley, last weekend but still managed to blow out Texas Tech and amass a season-high 595 yards, 439 on the ground. Brown is suffering from turf toe, and when he’s not practicing, he will wear a protective boot on his foot. Shipley, whose knee was injured in the Longhorns’ 43-0 over Kansas two weeks ago, did not dress this past week but is rehabbing and improving. “Some people will probably panic when they see [Brown] in a boot, but that’s just normal,” said head coach Mack Brown. “[Shipley] was much better yesterday ... I talked to Jaxon last night, and he said, ‘I’m feeling so much better.’ So hopefully he will.”
Wild formation could have been used years ago in Horns offense
Elisabeth Dillon | Daily Texan Staff
Texas true freshman Joe Bergeron’s 191-yard, three-touchdown performance on Saturday, was one of the best games by a Texas backup or for that matter any backup in NCAA history.
When the Wildcat formation was made popular by the Miami Dolphins with Ronnie Brown and former Longhorns legend Ricky Williams, it seemed unstoppable. Now, one would be hard-pressed to find a team implementing the look, especially with teams throwing more and more. But Bryan Harsin has made it work this season, although Mack Brown believed it could have been
3 Number of days the Longhorn Network will be offering free content on its website this weekend. It’s looking like not being carried by Time Warner is starting to hurt.
Trent Lesikar Daily Texan File Photo
SERVE continues on PAGE 7
STAT GUY
ning backs get to showcase their talent — even when they do, the game is usually already decided. But with Malcolm Brown sidelined for the Texas Tech game with turf toe, Bergeron got an opportunity, put the Texas offense on his back and turned in a game for the ages. How does that performance stack up against past second-string running backs in college football? Let’s take a look at — what else? — the stats. Former TCU and current
The age at which boxing legend Joe Frazier passed away at on Monday. Frazier was best know for his epic title fights with Muhammad Ali in the ’70s.
used with a quarterback-turned-receiver as recent as last season. “John Chiles would have been perfect for it,” said Brown. “Fozzy’s really good at it. He can’t throw, which has been rather evident. But you’ve got a 10.2, 10.3 100-meter sprinter going across his face and those linebackers get so distracted by the speed of Marquise [Goodwin] and D.J. [Monroe] that they get softer.”
Veteran tailbacks helping Brown, Bergeron along Malcolm Brown and Joe Bergeron have made running for 100 yards look easy, combining for 446 rushing yards the last two games and that’s with Brown sidelined with turf toe last week. But they might owe some of their success to Fozzy Whittaker, who has been instructing them in practice and leading them to congratulate offensive linemen after they score, according to head coach Mack Brown. “I feel that those two will continue to play off each other in the years to come,” Whittaker said. “When Malcolm was on top, I was making sure he stayed grounded and making sure Joe stayed hungry. Now that Joe’s on top, I’m making sure he still stays humble, and Malcolm continues to stay hungry.”
BIG 12 continues on PAGE 7
Sports Briefly NBA players reject most recent offer: ignore Stern’s warning The NBA players rejected yet another proposal from the owners on Tuesday. The offers were said to between 49 and 51 percent. This is despite David Stern’s recent ultimatum that if the most recent offer wasn’t accepted by Wednesday, the deals would only get worse from there for the players. “The current offer on the table from the NBA is one that we cannot accept,” said players’ association president Derek Fisher. Instead of accepting the deal the players are now asking for another meeting with the owners before Wednesday’s deadline. It is expected that if a 50-50 split of basketball income comes up in negotiations, it will be accepted this time. — Chris Hummer
Join us today at 5 p.m. for a live chat previewing Saturday’s game against Missouri bit.ly/dt_chat
SPTS/CLASS P7
SPORTS 7
Wednesday, November 9, 2011 COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Paterno’s job could be in jeopardy By Genaro C. Armas The Associated Press
Support for keeping Joe Paterno in his job coaching Penn State football is eroding among the board of trustees, threatening to end the 84-year-old coach’s career amid a child sex abuse scandal involving a former assistant and one-time heir apparent. A person familiar with the trustees’ discussions and who used the term “eroding� said it was unclear what the consequences for Paterno will be and that a decision could be rendered before the board meets on Friday. Penn State President Graham Spanier also has lost support among the Board of Trustees, the person said but, again, how much was unclear. Paterno’s son, Scott, said his father hasn’t spoken with Penn State officials or trustees about stepping down. Addressing reporters outside his father’s house, he said Joe Paterno plans to not only coach in Saturday’s game against Nebraska but for the long haul. “No one has asked Joe to resign,� Scott Paterno told The Associated Press in a text message. Penn State administrators canceled Paterno’s
weekly news conference during which he was expected to field questions about the sex abuse scandal involving former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. The former defensive coordinator of Paterno’s two national championship teams in the 1980s was arrested Saturday on charges of sexually abusing eight boys over 15 years. His lawyer said Sandusky is innocent. Scott Paterno said the decision to cancel was made by Spanier’s office and that his father was disappointed. “I know you guys have a lot of questions. I was hoping I could answer them today. We’ll try to do it as soon as we can,� Joe Paterno said to a group of reporters as he got into his car. About a dozen students stood nearby, chanting, “We love you, Joe.� A second person familiar with the board’s discussions, said it was focused on the horrific aspects of the charges against Sandusky; two Penn State officials have also been charged in the scandal, accused of failing to notify authorities when told Sandusky had assaulted a boy in a shower used by the football team. Matt Rourke | Associated Press Trustee David Joyner said he was unaware if any Penn State football coach Joe Paterno leaves campus while reporters ask him about the accusations surroundings a scandal. decision had been made on Paterno’s future.
SERVE continues from PAGE 6
BERGERON continues from PAGE 6 BIG 12 continues from PAGE 6
serve, where the player tosses the ball high and makes a timed run and jump at it, creating a high velocity serve with a lot of spin. This is the most devastating serve when performed correctly but also a high-risk option. Palmer is one player on the Texas roster that employs a jump serve in her repertoire. It is the most aggressive form of the service game, and when done well, it creates lots
liams entered the season as the No. 3 option on the depth chart. Similar to Bergeron, Williams got a chance to start the eighth game of the season against Arkansas. Williams carried the ball 19 times for 177 yards and one touchdown. Cadillac went on to becoming one of the most prolific running backs in Auburn history, rushing for 3,831 yards and 45 touchdowns. In 2005, Arkansas running back Darren McFadden entered his freshman season third on the roster behind senior De’Arrius Howard and sophomore Peyton Hillis. After McFadden carried the ball 31 times for 190 yards versus Georgia, he never relinquished the starting role at Arkansas. McFadden finished his career with 4,590 yards, secondmost in SEC conference history
“
“
all, serving is all the same. You always have to have the right contact and place it on the right spot on the court.� No matter which way the players chose to get the ball over the net, there are two keys that constitute a good serve. “The number one most important factor to a serve is velocity and being able to hit the spots you want
The number one most important factor to a serve is velocity and being able to hit the spots you want to. — Jerritt Elliott Head coach
of problems for the defense, but it is difficult to perfect. This is shown in Palmer’s numbers with the serve. She has the teams’ second-lowest serving percentage at .844 but also is second on the team in service aces with 17, on only 192 attempts. “It is a bit harder. It has a lot to do with the timing of the ball and the toss and the speed approach into the ball,� Palmer said. “But over-
to,� said head coach Jerritt Elliott. When those two things are done consistently, Texas is hard to beat because when the ball is placed in the proper place and the defense is scrambling, Texas size at the net takes over, and they win games. The Longhorns will look to utilize the serve effectively tonight in Lubbock against Texas Tech and win their ninth in a row.
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Blackout at Brown’s house When Mack Brown got home Saturday after his team trounced Texas Tech, one would think he’d be happy. Instead, the longtime Longhorns head coach was frustrated not because he was disappointed in his team’s performance but because he couldn’t get his television to turn on. “Thank God we won because my TVs weren’t working,� said Brown. “There’s one little TV in a guest bedroom, so Sally [Brown’s wife] and I were in there flipping back and forth between Oklahoma State-Kansas State and LSU-Alabama. If we’d have lost like last year, I would have been in the tank. I’d be in an institution somewhere.�
CLASSIFIEDS
Elisabeth Dillon | Daily Texan Staff
Texas freshman Jaxon Shipley was injured two weeks ago against Kansas, but Coach Mack Brown says he is feeling better this week.
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Texas’ last three defensive coordinators — Gene Chizik, Will Muschamp and Manny Diaz — have all come from the SEC, where defenses dominate, like in LSU’s 9-6 victory over Alabama on Saturday. On the other hand, the Big 12 showcases offensive juggernauts, such as Oklahoma State and Kansas State, who combined for 97 points in their shoot-out last week. “It’s much easier to be a defensive coordinator in [the SEC],� Brown said. “You can get beat in the 50s in the [Big 12] every week. We’ve scored 43 and 52 two weeks in a row. We had opportunities against Kansas to score more. But we’re going to have to score in the 40s to
probably win in the end.�
Just how good has true freshman Joe Bergeron been recently? Take a look.
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Which conference harder to coach in? Big 12 or SEC?
HOT STREAK
Despite limited carries for the better part of the season — he didn’t even touch the ball against BYU or Oklahoma State — Bergeron is almost halfway to the 1,000-yard mark, with 414 rushing yards. If you average his yardage totals against Kansas and Texas Tech (136 and 191, respectively) and then multiply that 1 number by four — the number of games left for Texas — and add it to his season total, then it’s conceivable that Bergeron could finish the year a few yards over 1,000: 1,068.
VS.
day, month day, 2008
(Herschel Walker, 5,259 yards). Also in 2005, Texas running back Jamaal Charles got his first career start in the Longhorns third game versus Rice. Charles rushed for 189 yards and three touchdowns in Texas’ 51-10 victory. Charles ended his career as the fourth-leading rusher in school history with 3,328 yards. And recently, in 2009, Virginia Tech’s Ryan Williams took over for an injured Darren Evans and posted sensational numbers: 1,655 yards and 21 touchdowns. B ergeron’s performance against the Red Raiders on Saturday is similar to many great college running backs first performances. With Malcolm Brown still hobbling, Bergeron has a great opportunity to solidify himself as the go-to-guy the rest of the season.
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LIFE&ARTS
Wednesday, November 9, 2011 | THE DAILY TEXAN | Aleksander Chan, Life&Arts Editor | (512) 232-2209 | dailytexan@gmail.com
Engineering student takes on runway Liu to compete in fashion show for internship with Marie Claire magazine By Jessica Lee Daily Texan Staff
Diya Liu is not afraid to mix a striped shirt with polka dotted shorts. The UT biochemistry and chemical engineering senior has a daring fashion sense that she documents on her blog, In Her Stilettos. Now she will be showing off her sense of style by hosting a fashion show at the Mohawk next week. Liu is competing against four other college students across the nation in the Marie Claire Front Row College Challenge to win a summer internship at Marie Claire magazine. After learning she had been selected to compete in the competition, Liu was flown to New York by Marie Claire in August to style and produce the upcoming show. She worked on everything from model casting to menu selection. “ The New York experience was surreal,” Liu said. “It was basically well over a couple of internships worth of experience compressed into two days. I got to meet so many people that are usually inaccessible.” Models will be strutting down the runway wearing looks from LOFT as well as sporting Rimmel makeup. A few of Liu’s fellow members of University Fashion Group will also be helping out with the show. Liu has taught herself the ins and outs of the blogosphere. Upon creating In Her Stilettos,
Liu came to the realization that a blog is much more than snapping a few fashion photos and posting them online. “To be a good fashion blogger, you have to be not just stylish, but you have to be a good photographer, a good website designer, a good PR person, a good writer,” Liu said. “It’s not as glamorous as everyone thinks it is.” Though she lacks a formal education in fashion that her competitors — representing the University of Alabama, the University of Delaware and Penn State — can boast, Liu believes it is the self-taught knowledge of the business side of fashion that won her this opportunity. But Liu does not plan to make the fashion world the home of her work stilettos anytime soon. After graduation, she plans to attend law school with the hopes of working in intellectual property law, which deals with copyrights, patents and other creations of the mind. Liu is no stranger to copyright infringement. All the photos she uses on her blog are legally her own, but she regularly finds other Web users using the pictures without proper attribution. She advises those seeking to start a blog of their own to do it in the hopes of getting famous. “You have to be passionate about it,” Liu said. “At the end of the day, the amount of work I put into the website and how much I get paid for it — it’s probably minimum wage.” And she also has to face criticism from some of her readers. It is easy to be anonymous on the Internet, and Liu has developed a thick skin when it comes to reading mean comments.
Mary Kang | Daily Texan Staff
Biochemistry and chemical engineering senior Diya Liu is the fashion blogger behind In Her Stilettos. Liu will be hosting a fashion show at the Mohawk next Thursday in an effort to win the Marie Claire magazine summer internship.
“Fashion is harsh, and there are a lot more people used to criticizing,” Liu said. “It’s something that’s subjective and not objective. There is no definitive answer for who is stylish.” Liu describes her fashion as vintage-inspired and extremely girly. She likes to experiment with both color and texture. Liu finds herself shopping at local haunts such as Dog & Pony
and the vintage stores on South Congress Avenue. Journalism junior Olivia Watson is an avid fashion blog reader and commends Liu on her success with In Her Stilettos. “I think she has a really interesting style, and I hope she wins so everyone can see how stylish our school is.” Liu hopes to do just that. She reiterates how thankful she is
Tips to conduct successful job search By Julie Rene Tran Daily Texan Columnist
Professionals in crisp suits with BlackBerrys to their ears hurried along Wall Street, fueling that distinguished adrenaline of go-go-go, cutthroat competition and ingenuity. Blocks away, in a cramped lot across the World Trade Center memorial, a group of NYU students camp out for Occupy Wall Street, telling tourists they are protesting in hopes of entering a better workforce when they graduate. Somewhere between the angry college students and the working professionals is me — a journalism senior who, until last Tuesday, had no clear idea what was in store post-graduation. According to Bankrupting America, a project by the nonpartisan nonprofit organization Public Notice, 1.7 million college students graduated in May to approximately 50,000 job openings. And with unemployment rising more than 9 percent, this year is evidently not the best time for job hunting. My recent job search in New York held all of the fluttering emotions bubbling in our nation: confusion, distress, hope and perseverance. It’s easy to nag and complain and wait for someone to do something about the problem, but the best way out of any mess is to find the loopholes and take initiative. Back in September, after no progress in my job search, on a whim I decided to book a trip to New York. My plan was to meet with anyone who would talk to me. I wasn’t going in thinking I was going to leave with a job. I just wanted to get my name out there. For five days in October, I met with recruiters, people in the business and old friends and UT alumni, showing my portfolio, asking questions about working in the city and leaving my business card behind to narrow that gap of living in New York from dream to reality. While thankfully, I did land an amazing opportunity with a music media company, the agony of the experience still traumatizes me. To help ease the experience for those in similar shoes, below are some considerations to keep in mind while looking for your own job outside of the Lone Star state.
that the UT faculty has been so understanding with her absences from classes in preparation for the show and urges students to come out and celebrate with her. “The Marie Claire fashion editor will be there, and the whole event is being done by a professional production company based out of L.A.,” Liu said. “It should be a great experience.”
Photo illustration by Mary Kang and Ryan Edwards
Take initiative Consider booking a trip to a city you desire to work in and spending a few days to meet with recruiters for informational interviews, alumni and anyone in the business that could give insight to the field. The trip would also allow you to familiarize with the city and better decide whether you could even stand to live in it. From airfare and boarding to subways and coffee dates, the trip will be costly. Try to reduce the cost by staying with a friend who lives in the city or couchsurfing, buying groceries instead of eating out and walking shorter blocks. Spending money without any guarantee of a job is a gamble, but in putting your name and work out there, you’ll gain more than you lose. In the weeks leading up to the visit, continue applying for jobs in that city, but include also in your cover letters the dates you’ll be visiting. This can compel employers to reply back faster and it shows you are serious about their company and relocating. For any company or organizations that spark your interest, reach out to human resource or anyone who works there and ask for an informational interview.
UT has one of the largest alumni networks — use that to your advantage. Using the Texas Exes database or Facebook group, arrange coffee meet-ups with a few alumni to ask about their own job search, relocation and career. It doesn’t hurt to ask them to pass along your business card or resume either.
Be willing to leave home Obviously, finding a job locally or in state is more cost-effective and easier to manage. An interview is only a drive away. The Texas connection makes small talks easier. And chances are, you know someone who knows someone that works for that company, but Texas isn’t always as big as it seems. But while jobs are fruitful here, the cost of living in Texas is desirable and home is only a highway away, Texas does not offer as many opportunities or competitive edge for all careers, such as in media and the arts. Sometimes you need to leave in order to really appreciate what you had.
Be willing to work for free In general, with jobs limited, graduates will have to settle. This includes earning a lot less than expected, working unfavorable hours, taking an position you’re overqual-
ified for or temporary position, working outside of interest area, and/or receiving no health benefits. According to a study on recent college graduates and their struggle in the troubled economy from the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University, 46 percent of those first jobs are stepping-stones into a career. This includes taking on paid or unpaid internships, freelance, volunteer and overqualified positions. While it’s nice to get paid for doing what you love, simply getting to do what you are most passionate about may just have to suffice for the time being. This could mean working a non-college degree-required position to pay the bills. For instance, a good friend and former Texan colleague of mine busts her grind working double shifts at a restaurant so she can pay for a small bedroom in Brooklyn while she interns at an oral history project. In the same case as my friend, I will be working an additional nonmedia related job to pay for the high cost of living in New York while I pursue my dreams. It’s not going to be easy and there will be days where I’ll want to run back to Texas, but I know it’ll be worth it.
WHERE: Mohawk WHEN: November 17, 7 p.m. TICKETS: Limited Seats - RSVP to FrontRowChallengeUT@hearst. com
Detroit band uses music to tackle serious, silly issues By Ali Breland Daily Texan Staff
With 50,000 job openings for 1.7 million graduating college students, finding a job in state has become more difficult.
WHAT: Marie Claire Front Row Challenge
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. is fairly unique in that it has managed to create a dreamy pop, alternative sound, vaguely reminiscent of something that’s very west coast, despite it’s Detroit origin. It is perhaps because of its experience with America’s ailing economy that it named its most recent album It’s a Corporate World. Although the band claims not to be taking a particular advocacy with the title, it does harbor opinions on the current state of the economy and corporatism. “I don’t know if it’s our job to make political commentary,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. drummer Joshua Epstein. “Sometimes, it’s really nice to be in the middle of nowhere and see that you can get coffee and Internet at Starbucks, and sometimes, it’s really shitty because you know that the American dream is harder to attain than it used to be. Like when you’re in Iceland and you see a KFC, it’s both comforting and shitty at the same time.” The whole corporate world motif gets funny though: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. keyboardist, guitarist and vocalist Daniel Zott, is in the freecreditreport. com band from commercials. Jokes aside, they are no slouches when it comes to talking politics. They are particularly interested in the work of Slovenian Marxist philosopher Slavoj Žižek. “We don’t know if capitalism is a bad thing,” Zott said. “We just want to start the conversation.” The duality of their sentiment to-
wards capitalism reflects the overall duality Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. possess. They carry a sort of goofy, childlike front, combined with a sort of serious poise and demeanor. “[Lamberts, the venue we’re playing at], is supposed to have great macaroni and cheese,” Zott said. While the duo that make up Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. are fairly interesting, their music has certain compelling qualities as well. They sound like something that has been in indie-rock before, but it’s hard to put a finger on where exactly. It might lie in sampledriven instrumentals with folk guitars, placed atop fluid and noticeably reverbed vocals. Their conjoining of sounds can be likened to that of Foster The People if they sampled Flying Lotus beats instead of having a drummer. The heavy backbeat isn’t commonplace, either. With that, they’ve managed to achieve uniqueness within a sort of familiarity. Their ambitions are even more unique. “We’d like to play at some high school’s prom and then DJ afterwards,” said Zott, with Epstein behind him, nodding in concurrence. “We just really like DJing.” Even if Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. doesn’t blow up, they still have a place in music thanks to “Corporate America” and those Free Credit Report commercials. The commercials serve as a revenue stream in the absence of mainstream notoriety. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. is acutely aware of this fact. “Everything is being sold now, and everything is for sale.”
TONIGHT: Check out Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. @ Stubbs 10 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jrf
Joshua Epstein, left, and Daniel Zott, right, make up indie pop duo Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., performing tonight at Stubb’s.