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TH HE DAILY TEXAN SPORTS PAGE 7
LIFE&ARTS PAGE 12 Faces of Austin has a bone to pick
‘Smarter than the average Bear’ Friday, November 13, 2009
Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900
UT officials discuss funds for research By Lena Price Daily Texan Staff The UT System office in charge of federal relations reported Thursday that research expenditures and grant money from the federal government to the UT System are above the national average. On the second day of the November Board of Regents meeting, the board heard presentations about the state of university research funding and finalized actions proposed during Wednesday’s meeting. William Shute, vice chancellor for federal relations, said the UT System’s Washington, D.C. representatives are still actively pursuing federal money in the form of grants and earmarks on bills despite the current economic situation. “As corporate philanthropy drops along with state funding, the federal government remains a very important target for research funding,” Shute said. The regents also approved several actions proposed Wednesday related to the lease of UT lands on the Gulf Coast and the creation of a new graduate program in religious studies. The UT System is one of the
few with a permanent federal bureau in the U.S. Capitol. Shute said most organizations fly system representatives to Washington to press lawmakers for federal funds, which is a disadvantage when attempting to obtain federal money. The representatives helped UT obtain stimulus funding by pushing against a congressional proposal to prevent universities with large endowments from accessing recovery-act money. Stimulus money has been used to fund a range of projects including the Center for Defense Systems Research at UT-El Paso and nanotechnology research at a number of university campuses. Keith McDowell, vice chancellor for research and technology transfer for the UT System, said the System schools have outpaced the national average in research expenditures. Out of all the universities in the nation, McDowell said the UT System has a market share for overall research funding of almost 6 percent. In 2008, UT System research expenditures increased by 11.5 percent. The UT System had $1.9
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Maddie Crum | Daily Texan Staff
Kenneth Shine, executive vice chancellor of health affairs, listens to a presentation honoring former regent and UT alumnus Lutcher Stark.
ja wielding formidable weapons comes to mind. The stereotype isn’t far from the mark when you visit “Angry Asian Man,” a blog run by UniversiBy Nehal Patel ty of California, Berkeley alumDaily Texan Staff nus Phil Yu. When you think of an angry “The name of my blog is Asian man, the image of a nin- provocative and scary,” said
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A little night music
Jordy Wagoner | Daily Texan Staff
Gabriel Santiago and Russell Haight, UT grad students and members of the Wayne Salzmann Quintet, played on the Texas Union East Patio on Thursday evening during “Jazz on the Patio.” The event, hosted by the Student Event Center’s Music and Entertainment Committee, drew large crowds of students that filled the patio.
UT students help locals file taxes Volunteer effort assists underprivileged, allows workers to build skills By Rachel Platis Daily Texan Staff As a volunteer with Community Tax Centers earlier this year, finance junior Stratton Borchers guided one of his first customers to her seat at a tax center. The woman was elderly and legally blind, and came to the center every year to get her taxes done. As Borchers finished helping his client fill out her tax forms, the woman began to cry and thanked him “at least five times” for his services and told him that she would not be able to afford to pay someone to help her. “I can’t say that I have ever felt more proud than in that moment,” Borchers said.
For the last four years, Borchers and other students have volunteered a semester of their time with the Community Tax Centers through a class called Accounting Practicum Students in the class become IRS-certified and provide free tax assistance to individuals of low socio-economic status. As the program has grown, UT students now make up almost half of the 600 volunteers needed to run the program by Foundation Communities, a non-profit group that provides affordable housing and resources to low-income Austinites. Volunteers for the 2010 tax season will help complete 20,000 anticipated tax returns from mid-January through April 15 that will be filled out at 10 area sites in Austin, Round Rock and Bastrop, said Jackie Blair, Community Tax Center volunteer coordinator.
‘Angry Asian Man’ aims to trump stereotypes Scholarly blogger deals with cultural fallacies, ethnic misconceptions
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Yu. “It’s different from most people’s idea of what an Asian person is supposed to be. Most Asians in this country are not seen as people who are willing to rock the boat. We’re seen as meek people who just let things slide, but that’s not true at all.”
Photographer’s Name | Daily Texan Staff or Associated Press
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Aliquam vestibulum lorem eu augue interdum et tincidunt magna consectetur.
Mary Kang | Daily Texan Staff
Moderator of “Are You Angry Yet?” Jason Chang listens as Phil Yu, the Angry Asian Man blogger, and Nhi Lieu, assistant professor of AMS and CAAS have a discussion on Asian American identity at the Union Santa Rita Room on Thursday afternoon.
At a panel in the Texas Union on Thursday, Yu and Nhi Lieu, a UT American studies professor discussed AsianAmerican media representation and identity in America, as well as the influence of Yu’s blog on the Asian-American community. Yu started his blog nine years ago as a place to express his own opinions on AsianAmerican issues. “I thought I’d just have a couple of casual visitors at first,” Yu said. “Now, my blog is a place people visit to seek information and current events related to a specific community.” Austin resident Katie Mahoney said she has followed Yu’s blog for two years now because he addresses sensitive issues that other blogs do not. “He writes about race and racism without hesitation,” Mahoney said. Yu uses his blog to mobilize his readers behind specific causes, such as Asian representation in Hollywood. “I sometimes feel powerless to confront things in real life, but you can evoke action through the Internet,” Yu said. Lieu uses the blog as a model
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Kari Rosenfeld | Daily Texan Staff
Stephanie McDonald, assistant volunteer coordinator and site manager, and Melanie Curiel, outreach and education coordinator, talk about the returning volunteers outside the Community Tax Center. The refunds are expected to ago as the “brainchild” of achelp bring in over $29 million counting professors Ross Jennings and Steve Limberg. to the Austin economy. Lecturer Brian Lendecky “Accounting Practicum: Federal Taxation of Low-Income Filers” began five years TAXES continues on page 2
Library debuts collection of international artifacts By Jordan Haeger Daily Texan Staff The Fine Arts Library unveiled a collection Thursday consisting of artifacts from South American countries including Colombia and Peru, as well as pieces from Africa, Mexico and the Southwestern United States. The library received the artifacts, which are part of its newly unveiled Art and Art History Collection, from the Texas Memorial Museum, which is also located on the Forty Acres. Most of the artifacts are sculp-
tures of humans or animals or vases with the features of animals from pre-Columbian America. The exhibit also features 80 rugs from the Southwest. Curator and art history professor Steve Bourget said the pieces have slowly trickled in from the museum since 2005, and he is hoping to receive more. The library is currently only displaying 30 percent of its collection, he said. The rest is still in boxes, but Bourget said he plans to rotate the pieces on display.
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Maddie Crum | Daily Texan Staff
Alexandra Zografos browses the newly installed ancient art and architecture installation at the Fine Arts Library.
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Friday, November 13, 2009
‘Great balls of fire’
Library: Curator
reports artifacts aid with research From page 1
Mary Kang | Daily Texan Staff
Ryan Cano and Brooke Beatty play skee ball at the Austin’s Park in Pflugerville on Thursday night.
bLoG: Web activist stresses
influence of stereotypes
Yu considers himself an activist and builds on the work for teaching her class on Asian- of other activists to show how American pop culture. Her stu- racism is still alive. Lieu and Yu dents learn about race and how it said more stereotypes associatinfluences types ed with Asianof media, such as Americans have film and televiemerged, insion. Lieu studcluding the imies how cultural age of Asians He writes about race as “crazy” afgroups construct their identities and racism without ter the Virginia and how they Tech shootings hesitation.” engage in that in 2007. Arabculture while liv— Katie Mahoney Americans have ing in America. also been targetAustin resident ed, Lieu said. In terms of representation in the “It’s somemedia, Lieu said times frustrating Asian-Americans hearing about are nearly invisible. hate crimes and discrimination “Sometimes there are no sto- because you would think we ries about Asian-Americans in would be over racism in this national news for weeks at a country by now,” he said. “But time,” Lieu said. we’re not even close.”
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The Daily Texan Permanent Staff
This newspaper was written, edited and designed with pride by The Daily Texan and Texas Student Media.
Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jillian Sheridan Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Stephen Keller Associate Managing Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David R. Henry, Ana McKenzie Associate Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jeremy Burchard, Dan Treadway, David Muto, Lauren Winchester News Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sean Beherec Associate News Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pierre Bertrand, Austen Sofhauser, Blair Watler Senior Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viviana Aldous, Bobby Longoria, Rachel Platis, Lena Price Enterprise Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew Kreighbaum Enterprise Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hudson Lockett Copy Desk Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Robert Green Associate Copy Desk Chiefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cristina Herrera, Nausheen Jivani, Matt Jones Design Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Thu Vo Assistant Design Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Shatha Hussein Senior Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taylor Fausak, Lynda Gonzales, Olivia Hinton Photo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May-Ying Lam Associate Photo Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bryant Haertlein, Peter Franklin, Caleb Miller Senior Photographers . . . .Karina Jacques, Mary Kang,Tamir Kalifa, Peyton McGee, Sara Young Life&Arts Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leigh Patterson Associate Life&Arts Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brad Barry, Francisco Marin Jr. Senior Features Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Audrey Gale Campbell, Lisa HoLung, Ben Wermund Senior Entertainment Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Doty, Mary Lingwall, Robert Rich Senior DT Weekend Writer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amber Genuske Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Austin Talbert Senior Sports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Will Anderson, Wes DeVoe, Blake Hurtik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dan Hurwitz, Laken Litman, Michael Sherfield, Chris Tavarez Comics Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carolyn Calabrese Web Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Annika Erdman Associate Web Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Erik Reyna Multimedia Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Juan Elizondo Associate Multimedia Editors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kara McKenzie, Rachel Schroeder Editorial Adviser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Richard Finnell
Issue Staff
Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Jordan Haeger, Hannah Jones, Shabab Siddiqui, Nehal Patel Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maddie Crum, Kari Rosenfeld, Jordy Wagoner Life&Arts Writers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Susannah Jacob Copy Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Megan Gottlieb, Molly Nesbitt, Kelsey Crow Sports/Life&Arts Copy Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Vicky Ho Sports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Austin Ries, Ryan Betori, Jim Pagels Columnists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dave Player Page Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mustafa Saifuddin, Chris Benavides Comics Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jeremy Johnson, Michael Bowman, Alex Diamond, Ryohei Yatsu, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sammy Martinez, Monica Tseng, Emory Ferguson, Connor Shea Web Technician . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nikki Kim Volunteer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Harden Editorial Cartoonist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Murphy
Advertising
Director of Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jalah Goette Retail Advertising Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brad Corbett Account Executive/Broadcast Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carter Goss Campus/National Sales Consultant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joan Bowerman Assistant to Advertising Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C.J. Salgado Student Advertising Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kathryn Abbas Student Advertising Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ryan Ford Acct. Execs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lauren Aldana, Anupama Kulkarni, Ashley Walker, Natasha Moonka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taylor Blair, Tommy Daniels, Jordan Gentry, Meagan Gribbin, Darius Meher-Homji Classified Clerks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Teresa Lai Special Editions, Editorial Adviser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elena Watts Web Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Danny Grover Special Editions, Student Editors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kira Taniguchi Graphic Designer Interns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amanda Thomas, Lisa Hartwig Senior Graphic Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Felimon Hernandez 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 except Saturday, Sunday, federal holidays and exam periods, plus the last Saturday in July. Periodical Postage Paid at Austin, TX 78710. 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. For classified display and national classified display advertising, call 471-1865. For classified word advertising, call 471-5244. Entire contents copyright 2009 Texas Student Media.
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The Texas Memorial Museum has too many artifacts to house, so it is distributing them among the UT System. The UT Classics Department also received pieces, Bourget said. “I want to make sure these things stay within the University System,” Bourget said. “You can’t recreate these antiquities.” Bourget said the pieces are important for aiding teachers and students because many faculty teach in the fields featured in the exhibit, such as anthropology and Latin American studies. Helen Buenrostro, a mathematics and pre-nursing sophomore, was one of the students who attended the event for extra credit in art history courses. She said she chose to visit the library’s exhibit over other options for extra credit because the Mexican artifacts remind her of her heritage. “[The exhibit] is beautiful,” Buenrostro said. “I feel like it’s my own history.” She said she wanted to send pictures of the artifacts to her Mayan friends in Mexico to show them what their ancestors created. “It’s an important way for us to expand our mission of the College of Fine Arts, as well as UT and the community,” said head librarian Laura Schwartz. The College of Fine Arts’ mission is to support research, teaching and learning the fine arts, she said. “It doesn’t just have to be about books,” Schwartz said of the library.
Taxes: Students receive IRS certification From page 1 took over the class in its second year when he says he was lucky to be “in the right place in the right time.” UT’s involvement started with about 100 students, but will include about 260 students divided into three sections this spring. When students enter the class, 90 percent of them have never seen a tax return, Lendecky said. But by the end of the semester, they are certified IRS tax preparers, and will have completed 55 service hours in a tax center. “The two things you have to do is die and pay taxes,” Lendecky said. “You will have to do your tax return for the next 70 years. Not only are you helping your community by volunteering, but you’re saving thousands of tax dollars during your lifetime by being educated in tax law.” Lendecky said that his students also learn what it means to give back to the community.
“Some of my students have lived a life of luxury, and their families have been blessed,” Lendecky said. “They learn that money does not necessarily equal happiness, and their eyes are opened to a segment of society not seen on the 40 Acres.” To qualify for free tax preparation services, individuals must make $25,000 a year or less and families must make less than $50,000 a year for two to four people. The services help clients with taxable wages and benefits, nonwage and retirement income, itemized deductions, self-employment income, tax credits for working families and students and credits for child or dependent care expenses. Foundation Communities estimates that its clients would pay about $150 or more for tax services at companies such as H&R Block, said spokeswoman Keary Kinch. Kinch worked first as a volunteer before taking a job with
Foundation Communities this year. She said that in her experience, UT students are dependable and always willing to take cases. “I’ve talked to many students who had never traveled south of the river,” Kinch said. “Volunteering opens up their eyes to what it’s like in Austin to be struggling on a low income, while adding to a suite of knowledge about the tax code.” The program held a cupcake social Thursday night for prospective citizen volunteers to interact and receive more information on the tax centers. “There’s such a need for these kind of services in Austin,” Kinch said. “The more we publicize the program, the longer the lines out the door.” The IRS reported that $31 million in tax refunds went unclaimed in Austin in 2004, Blair said. “Our volunteers are impacted by clients in a very tangible way,” he said. “Talking about the
tax process is very scary for a lot of people, and it’s a big learning experience.” Blair said UT students benefit from the program as they learn about the tax process through practical application. “You can look at tax returns in a textbook all day long, but you get a different experience when you work with a family of four who’s trying to live on $20,000 a year,” Blair said. “Students often say that they had no idea about the poverty levels in Austin.” Marketing junior John Poynor took the class in the spring of 2009. He said that no matter what the situation, every client wants only to be viewed as an American taxpayer. “This experience reaffirmed how lucky I am to live in a country where I am free to make my own choices,” Poynor said. “As much as we dislike paying taxes, it is a small price to pay to enjoy the freedoms we receive in return.”
GranT: UT System uses funding for improvements From page 1 billion in research expenditures in 2008, and the national average was $1.7 billion. “This is absolutely spectacular considering what is happening across the country,” McDowell said of the faltering economy. McDowell said UT-Austin has been a forerunner in receiving grants from the U.S. Department of Energy, specifically for its Energy Frontier Research Center. The center received $15 million
in stimulus money in August. The regents unanimously passed several actions approved in committee during Wednesday’s meeting, including an action that established a religious studies graduate program at UTAustin. Several campuses in the system, including UT-Dallas and UT-El Paso, received funding from the board to implement capital improvement projects like parking garages and residence halls.
The board also appointed Regent Printice Gary to the University of Texas Investment Management Company’s Board of Directors. Gary succeeds Regent Colleen McHugh, who served on the board for three years. UTIMCO invests endowment money for the UT System, and it was the first investment management firm owned by a public university system. The firm manages about $20.89 billion in endowment money and operating funds. Three
UT regents sit on the UTIMCO Board of Directors, which ultimately answers to the full Board of Regents. The board appointed Vivien Caven, an alumna of the UT College of Education, as regental representative to UTAustin Intercollegiate Athletics Council for Women. The representatives advise the UT President and individual athletic departments about personnel and policy issues involving UT sports teams.
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U.S. takes steps to seize mosques
Series of missteps irk Perry’s reelection bid By Kelly Shannon The Associated Press AUSTIN — What should be Gov. Rick Perry’s time to shine and shore up support for an unprecedented third term has lately turned into a series of missteps and accidents that are rare for such an experienced politician. Whether they are coincidences, a show of uncharacteristic sloppiness by the Perry campaign or spin from the opposition, they seem to have given at least a temporary boost to challenger Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, whose aides note every Perry setback. Last month, Hutchison staffers videotaped the governor appearing to question whether Texas is in a recession. Perry says the quip, designed to get a laugh from a crowd of suburban Houston business leaders, was taken out of context when the Hutchison camp circulated it on YouTube. Two weeks ago, his big campaign Web announcement fell prey to a technology meltdown, and many supporters couldn’t tune in to watch; the Perry campaign says
By Adam Goldman The Associated Press NEW YORK — Federal prosecutors took steps Thursday to seize four U.S. mosques and a Fifth Avenue skyscraper owned by a nonprofit Muslim organization long suspected of being secretly controlled by the Iranian government. In what could prove to be one of the biggest counterterrorism seizures in U.S. history, prosecutors filed a civil complaint in federal court against the Alavi Foundation, seeking the forfeiture of more than $500 million in assets. The assets include bank accounts; Islamic centers consisting of schools and mosques in New York City, Maryland, California and Houston; more than 100 acres in Virginia; and a 36-story glass office tower in New York. Confiscating the properties would be a sharp blow against Iran, which has been accused by the U.S. government of bankrolling terrorism and trying to build a nuclear bomb. It is extremely rare for U.S. law enforcement authorities to seize a house of worship, a step fraught with questions about the First Amendment right to freedom of religion. The action against the Shiite Muslim mosques is sure to inflame relations between the U.S. government and American Muslims, many of whom are fearful of a backlash after last week’s Fort Hood shooting rampage, blamed on a Muslim American major. The mosques and the skyscraper will remain open while the forfeiture case works its way through court in what could be a long process. What will happen to them if the government ultimately prevails is unclear, but the government typically sells properties it has seized through forfeiture, and the proceeds are sometimes distributed to crime victims. Prosecutors said the Alavi Foun-
it was the work of a politically motivated computer hacker, and the FBI is investigating. Perry drew criticism for replacing university regents who supported Hutchison and for replacing members of a forensic science commission who were about to examine evidence that suggests Texas may have executed an innocent man on Perry’s watch. Last week in a glaring slap at Perry, the Texas Farm Bureau toured the state with Hutchison endorsing her and chiding Perry, the former agriculture commissioner, for his Trans-Texas Corridor toll road network and for failing to protect property rights. At least in public, Perry doesn’t appear to let the setbacks get him down for long. Perry has never lost an election since he first ran for the Legislature in 1984. Referring to Perry’s endorsements from business groups and social conservatives, Perry spokesman Mark Miner said “if this is a football game, 32-1 would be a blowout.”
Andrew Rogers | Associated Press
Gov. Rick Perry pokes his head out from behind a curtain after giving a speech at the 2009 East Texas Economic Development Summit in Nacogdoches on Thursday. Perry’s campaign for a third term as Texas governor has been plagued by a series of embarrassing missteps.
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U.S. Marshals post a copy of the federal government’s complaint on the door of the Razi school in the Queens borough of New York on Thursday. Federal prosecutors took steps to seize four U.S. mosques and a Fifth Avenue skyscraper owned by a nonprofit Muslim organization long suspected of being secretly controlled by the Iranian government. dation managed the office tower on behalf of the Iranian government and, working with a front company known as Assa Corp., illegally funneled millions in rental income to Iran’s state-owned Bank Melli. Bank Melli has been accused by a U.S. Treasury official of providing support for Iran’s nuclear program, and it is illegal in the United States to do business with the bank. There were no raids Thursday as part of the forfeiture action. The government is simply required to post notices of the civil complaint on the property. Parents lined up in their cars to pick up their children at the schools within the Islamic Education Center of Greater Houston and the Islamic Education Center in Rockville, Md. No notices of the
forfeiture action were posted at either place as of late Thursday. At the Islamic Institute of New York, a mosque and school in Queens, two U.S. marshals came to the door and rang the bell repeatedly. The marshals taped a forfeiture notice to the window and left a large document sitting on the ground. After they left, a group of men came out of the building and took the document. The fourth Islamic center marked for seizure is in Carmichael, Calif. The skyscraper known as the Piaget building was erected in the 1970s under the shah of Iran, who was overthrown in 1979. The tenants include law and investment firms and other businesses. The sleek, modern building, last valued at $570 million to $650 mil-
lion in 2007, has served as an important source of income for the foundation over the past 36 years. The most recent tax records show the foundation earned $4.5 million from rents in 2007. Rents collected from the building help fund the centers and other ventures, such as sending educational literature to imprisoned Muslims in the U.S. The foundation has also invested in dozens of mosques around the country and supported Iranian academics at prominent universities. Legal scholars said they know of only a few cases in U.S. history in which law enforcement authorities have seized a house of worship. Marc Stern, a religious-liberty expert with the American Jewish Congress, called such cases extremely rare.
OPINION
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Friday, November 13, 2009
Editor in Chief: Jillian Sheridan Phone: (512) 232-2212 E-mail: editor@dailytexanonline.com Associate Editors: Jeremy Burchard David Muto Dan Treadway Lauren Winchester
T HE DAILY TEXAN
Misdirection
GALLERY
VIEWPOINT
Perry imagines a problem
Did you know President Barack Obama hates Texas, and he’s hell-bent on making America socialist? If not, allow Gov. Rick Perry to lay it out for you: Obama wants to punish Texas for being a bastion of conservatism by setting illegal immigrants free in Presidio, Texas. That’s what Perry told a Midland County Republican women’s group at a luncheon on Wednesday. “[Federal authorities are] taking those individuals — these are 20 to 60-year-old Mexican males who have been captured illegally in the United States — to the middle of that bridge and turning them loose and saying ‘so long.’” Perry waves for emphasis. Someone snaps a picture for posterity. He continues: “92 per day. In two months, you will have doubled the population of Presidio, Texas. This is a city that does not have the social services, does not have the law enforcement, does not have the ability in any form or fashion to handle that kind of influx of people. And I say that about Presidio because you know what’s going to happen. They’re faced with the Chihuahuan Desert or Texas; they’re turning around and going back into Texas. Do the math on that. In a year ... we’re talking 28,000-plus people they’re going to turn lose on our border. This is an administration that I see punishing the state.” Thousands upon thousands of illegal immigrants invading Texas. Sounds like a disaster, right? Obama must really hate us. Perry’s solution? “I say it’s time to make tea parties twice as big as what they were!” Applause all around. But it turns out Perry had it wrong. The Alien Transfer and Exit Program, to which he was referring, does not dump aliens from Arizona in Texas. Rather, the program buses illegal immigrants through the Texas town and into Mexico. The U.S. Border Patrol created the program so that when illegal immigrants who were smuggled into Arizona are returned to Mexico by U.S. officials, they wouldn’t be near their original point of entry. Ergo, the point is to make it harder for illegal aliens to return to the United States. You would think that’s a policy Perry could get behind. Alas, it is just too easy to blame the Obama administration and manufacture a reason why Texans should hate our liberal president. Just in case this defamation wasn’t enough, Perry decided to take another jab at the president, one that would make it very clear to Midlanders that Obama is not to be trusted: He called the administration socialist. Perry added, “And we all don’t need to be afraid to say that, because that’s what it is.” No, that’s not what it is. You may not like the Obama administration’s policies, and you may oppose the health care bill recently passed by the House, but that doesn’t make it socialism. Instead of using the luncheon to air legitimate grievances he has against the new health care plan, Perry resorted to trite insults. Texas conservatives who want policy changes in Washington should hope for a governor who will discuss real problems and offer real solutions — not a governor who will demonize the opposition. — Lauren Winchester for the editorial board
LEGALESE Opinions expressed in The Daily Texan are those of the editor 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.
THE FIRING LINE Texas State encourages thought It’s ironic that in Wednesday’s article, “Professors dispute employment value of college degrees,” Dan Hamermesh would accuse Richard Vedder of being the same type of “right winger” who is likely to use racist logic. Hamermesh uses the same broad-stroked generalizations that have perpetuated negative stereotypes for generations. For Hamermesh to imply that Texas State University and Austin Community College don’t encourage thought in their students is about as ignorant a statement as I have read in print — and during the Bush administration I read the paper every day. Not only does Texas State have a bright and eager student body, but our university community boasts of a distinguished list of alumni. Last year, I was the editor in chief of The University Star, Texas State’s campus newspaper. I would always make sure to strike broad generalizations from the paper on the rare occasion a writer would put one in his or her story. I can only hope this was a rare lapse in judgment from The Daily Texan’s editors and not their idea of legitimate journalism. I invite Hamermesh to come to Texas State and actually engage with the students, faculty and staff of Texas State. He will find smart people who are friendly, welcoming and lacking in undeserved pretentiousness.
— Scott Thomas Texas State University journalism senior
Texas State encourages thought II I am writing in response to the article “Professors dispute employment value of college degrees,” printed on Wednesday. After reading the article, which was sent to me by a former colleague, I was puzzled as to why Dan Hamermesh’s quote questioning Texas State’s and Austin Community College’s ability to train their graduates to think was placed at the end of the story. It seems irrelevant to the entire article in my opinion. As a former editor at Texas State’s school paper, The University Star, I know that college papers are somewhat of a learning lab for aspiring journalists, and mistakes
By Dave Player Daily Texan Columnist
rible people. On the upside, the increased fossil fuels you will use will support freedom fighters such as Hamas and al-Qaida who are dedicated to bringing down the evil country that has the most Ph.D.s per capita. If you are a farmer, particularly in dry areas of Texas, do not use drip irrigation on your fields. This method of irrigation that saves thousands of gallons of water per year was developed in Israel. If you go to a hospital, you are going to have to take many special precautions to ensure that you are not aiding Israel. If you have a gastrointestinal disease, make sure that the doctors do not use a “pill cam” to diagnose you, as these were developed in Israel. If you are going to be screened for breast cancer, make sure you request a method that uses plenty of radiation. The radiation-free scanning method was developed in Israel, and exposure to radiation is a small price to pay to take down the Jewish state. If you are involved in any human rights issues on campus, boycotting Israel will be very difficult. Israel has the best women’s rights record in the Middle East and is the only country in the region in which gay marriages are recognized. Also, Israel is the only country in the region that offers asylum to Darfur refugees. So there you have it. You are now armed with all the necessary information to destroy the country that has given us Bar Refaeli, Natalie Portman and voicemail. Good luck!
As synonymous with the college experience as lounging on the quad or late-night keg parties, a good political protest is a staple of any university. Young people, full of energy and enthusiasm, have a natural propensity to make signs, yell chants and generally be outraged. UT is blessed with a politically active student body ready to lend its voice to any worthy cause. Next Thursday two student organizations, StandOut and Burnt Orange Benefits, are co-hosting a rally at the Texas Union patio with the aim of lobbying the University to extend domestic partner benefits to gay and lesbian faculty and staff. Currently only the married spouses of University employees are eligible for such benefits, which include health care. On Facebook pages advertising the event, the groups call current University policies “unacceptable” and “backwards.” The groups argue that the lack of such benefits for the partners of gay and lesbian professors is a detriment to the University, and that the quality of education suffers under a policy that hampers recruitment and retention of gay and lesbian professors. While there is no data to back up these claims, proponents of the movement cite anecdotal accounts of professors leaving the school. The event descriptions state that the rally is targeted at President William Powers and the UT System Board of Regents to convince them to reverse current policies. Such a rally would be a prime example of student activism, if the reasoning behind it were sound. But the cause isn’t likely to see success unless the activists change the scope and focus of their movement. Namely, because there’s nothing that Powers or the Board of Regents can do about the issue. In 2005, the state of Texas amended its constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. As such, the state does not recognize same-sex relationships, including the types of domestic partnerships to be highlighted in next Thursday’s protest. Since UT is a public university, health care is controlled by the state government. The University’s hands are essentially tied. If proponents of domestic partner benefits truly want to see a reform of current policies, they should direct their protests at a body that could truly bring about such change: the Texas Legislature. The Legislature has the power to overturn the measures passed in 2005 and recognize same-sex unions. Such a shift would be a complete about-face for the Legislature, which has been Republican-controlled for the last several election cycles. But, even then, an overturn of state law may not be enough. On Nov. 3 voters in the state of Maine passed a referendum to overturn a new state law that legalized gay marriage in the state. The referendum was brought about after opponents of gay marriage petitioned and gathered enough signatures to merit a statewide popular vote on the issue. If gay marriage cannot even pass in Maine, then there is no chance that similar legislation would stand up to Texas’ historically conservative voters today. Students and faculty, regardless of their views, have every right to protest. But if those protests are not aimed at achievable objectives, then they are in vain. UT is unlikely to see domestic partner benefits until drastic changes are made on a statewide level. While the extension of benefits for same-sex couples might indirectly improve the quality of education offered by the University, there are much broader social implications involved. An effective campaign for those benefits must address the gay and lesbian equality movement, not just focus on the immediate benefits for students. If you’re going to campaign for equality, say so.
Freed is a Middle Eastern Studies and journalism junior
Player is a Plan II junior
Boycotting Israel? Do it right. By Ben Freed Daily Texan Guest Columnist The wall erected by the Palestinian Solidarity Committee on the West Mall calls for UT students to boycott Israel. We at Texans for Israel would like to help interested students boycott Israel properly. First, you need to get rid of your laptop. The Intel chip that allows it to run was developed in Israel. If you are really bent on taking down the awful war machine that happens to have the most museums per capita in the world, you must power down immediately. If you happen to have a PC, make sure it does not run a Windows operating system, because the three most recent were developed by Microsoft Israel. If you are forced to use your computer, make sure you do not use AOL Instant Messenger, Gmail chat or any other instant-messaging system. The patents for these systems were developed in Israel, and we wouldn’t want to support that under any circumstances. Next to go should be your cell phone. The first cell phones were developed in Israel, and it would be a tragedy if we made this a boycott of convenience. If we are really committed to bringing down the nation that produces more scientific papers per capita than any other country, we can’t be brought down by our imperialistic cell phones. If you are concerned about the environment, boycotting Israel could be difficult. Many solar power plants use technology that was invented by Israelis, and many of them were even installed by these ter-
are inevitable. So lesson learned: It’s probably not a good idea to include quotes that stereotype and insult an entire group, especially when the quote adds nothing relevant to the story and frankly sounds like it was taken out of context by staff writer Jordan Haeger. I graduated with a journalism degree from Texas State in May 2008 and had no trouble getting a job in my desired field after graduation. I am now a reporter for the Galveston County Daily News. A friend of mine who graduated magna cum laude in May 2007 with a Spanish degree after three years at UT could not find a job utilizing his degree. To my knowledge, he is still serving coffee at Starbucks. I have no doubt that his UT professors trained him to think, but I doubt he has reached the median salary that UT graduates are earning today, as Hamermesh predicted in the story. Who knows why Hamermesh said what he said, since no explanation was given in the story. It sounds like he really has no clue about what goes on in Texas State’s lecture halls and classrooms.
— Hayley Kappes Texas State alumna
SG serves itself, not students In his Nov. 12 firing line, John Woods claims that I showed “a striking disregard for the complexity of the voting process.” This claim is laughable. Woods himself is guilty of that disregard. First, having worked in a legislative office in Austin, I am very aware of what goes on behind the scenes as representatives try to decide how to vote. With the many requirements of their office, their time is a valuable commodity. Many groups vie for the attention of legislators, so unless you’re a lobbyist or constituent, your voice is severely diminished in their eyes, because they are not responsible to you. Second, health care reform has been at the forefront of the public forum for more than five months. During this time there has been a massive public debate from Congress to town halls engaging groups ranging from average citizens to advocacy groups representing millions. During this strenuous debate, congressmen have heard from just about everyone, which places tremendous pressure on them. Do they listen to their party leadership, lobbyists or constituents? Which side will make or break their political career?
You can be sure that between the tea parties and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s hard line stance, they weren’t thinking, “Well, at least I know how UT Student Government feels about the situation.” If Woods thinks that this was an effective use of UT resources, it’s clear who misunderstands the complexity of voting. Finally, let’s analyze the true matter at hand. His firing line says that SG is “sending a signal that students care about the issue.” The issue Woods is referring to is national health care reform, which has had this country on edge for months. So rather than trying to tackle the many issues that face our students on the individual, local and state level every day, SG instead decides to lobby for a health care reform bill that could have unknown effects on the entire student body. While Woods may have received the health care he wanted so badly for himself, I mean graduate students, he did so by trying to push a bill with no regard to the hazard this could cause students and their families. Unless Student Government read every page of H.R. 3962 and determined that all of the students had more to gain than lose under its provisions, then those who voted in favor are guilty of breaking the trust that less than 10 percent of the school placed in the representatives when they were elected to represent our best interests. Student Government could be doing great things for our students here on campus, but as long as SG members serve themselves at the expense of serving others, they will never be able to fully realize their leadership potential.
— Justin G. May Government sophomore
SG relies on student involvement In response to the recent commentary on Student Government here at UT, I agree that SG often does take on issues that go beyond the scope of the direct student body at the University. That is because we, as students ourselves, are passionate about things that exist outside the University. I also urge you to look at the various resolutions we do pass in order to help the student body directly: textbook cost, tuition reform, sustainability projects on the campus, transportation and parking issues. I also invite any concerned student to communicate with SG and your representatives. We are active in many
areas, but we cannot see everything that is going on around campus. SG relies on interested students who care about any issues that are important to them to come forward and express that interest and change something they see needs to be changed. At a fundamental level, SG exists to be the voice for the student body to the powers that be. I, for one, hope the assembly remembers that and tries to get back to its base.
— Jake Lewis College of Fine Arts representative
SG’s big problem The tussle that has fomented in the Firing Lines this week over Student Government’s involvement in the national health care debate speaks to a more widespread problem with SG as a whole. It seems to me that SG makes more headlines in The Daily Texan in its efforts to advocate for liberal policy items, rather than helping the campus at large. From health care reform to the DREAM Act to voter ID, some members of SG have perverted the organization’s role and its relationship to the University. We have a half-dozen, if not more, student-led political organizations on campus that encompass every ideology. These groups lobby legislators on behalf of liberal students, conservative students, socialist students and libertarian students. More importantly, these groups provide better avenues than SG for students who want to advocate for their beliefs. I hesitate to demonize SG as a whole, because one need only peruse this session’s resolutions to realize that there are dedicated members of Student Government who truly want to make campus life better and easier for all students. Unfamiliar with the parliamentary procedure of SG legislation, I can only encourage the leadership of the body to more heavily scrutinize proposed resolutions before they are voted on, and try and make sure they are germane to the day-to-day lives of students. If members of SG really want to increase the abysmal turnout in elections, focusing on making the UT campus better might be a good start, rather than having their influence and limited political capital hijacked by one or two overzealous liberal activists moonlighting as the voice of the students.
— Colin Harris government senior
5 UNIV
5
News
Friday, November 13, 2009
NEWS BRIEFLY LBJ library to hold dedication for third stage of renovations The University will hold a dedication ceremony tomorrow to celebrate the completion of three stages of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum four-stage renovation project. The updated LBJ Library plaza has a granite surface, repaired fountains and a LBJ Memorial Garden featuring native Texas plants. The auditorium has also been renovated, and the elevators and restrooms have been replaced. The flowers in the Memorial Garden were chosen in coordination with the Wildflower Center, said Robert Meckel of the Office of Public Affairs. The renovations have cost $34.25 million so far. The fourth stage will add new classrooms, seminar rooms and a graduate student office and lounge space. The project will be completed in December and cost $19.2 million, bringing the total cost of the renovations to $53.67 million. The former president’s daughters Lynda Johnson Robb and Luci Baines Johnson will attend the event. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Tx., and Larry E. Temple, president of the LBJ Foundation, will be among the speakers. The event is free and open to the public. — Jordan Haeger
Marketing association honors mentors dedicated to diversity The American Marketing Association has named a new multicultural mentoring award in honor of UT communication professor Jerome D. Williams. The Williams-Qualls-Spratlen Multicultural Mentoring Award of Excellence honors those who have dedicated their lives and careers to mentoring and focusing on diversity in marketing and advertising. The award is also named for William Qualls of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Thaddeus H. Spratlen of the University of Washington. “Besides being a leading marketing academic, he’s really taken an active role in his students lives and career development.” said AMA Programs Director Jason Oleniczak. “That is the kind of person we were looking for.” The $5,000 award will be given annually to mentors of multicultural graduate students and junior faculty in marketing. — J.H.
Jordy Wagoner | Daily Texan Staff
Writers Bill Minutaglio and W. Michael Smith speak to state Rep. Elliott Naishtat during a book signing at Scholtz Garten on Thursday night for their recently released biography of Molly Ivins. CBS news and “60 Minutes” correspondent Morley Safer made a surprise appearance at the event.
Austin remembers outspoken journalist Trailblazing firebrand’s former colleagues team to host book signing By Nehal Patel Daily Texan Staff Former Texas Observer co-editor Molly Ivins was famous in Texas for her controversial writing style and liberal opinions. “She was one of the funniest and [most] thoughtful women I’ve ever met,” said “60 Minutes” correspondent Morley Safer. “She was a great reporter, and we were good friends.” Ivins died of breast cancer in
January of 2007, but her legacy was chronicled by W. Michael Smith and UT journalism professor Bill Minutaglio in the re[Molly Ivins] was one cently published “Molly Ivins: of the funniest and A Rebel Life.” The biography’s thoughtful women publication was celebrated with a book signing Thursday eveI’ve ever met.” ning at the Scholz Garten, one — Morley Safer of Ivin’s favorite restaurants. The book signing was host“60 Minutes” ed by the Texas Observer, the correspondent American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. “Ivins always had a differ- morous yet true,” said Dottie ent slant on Texas politics, and Hall, a part-time lecturer in the whatever she wrote was hu- UT College of Education.
‘‘
“Most people don’t know how generous she was,” said Smith. “And she was fearless. Her ability to take on anything was empowering. While I was in college working with her, I felt like I could change the world through journalism.” Ivins also wrote for The New York Times and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “[Molly] was a colorful and charismatic American figure who had a great deal of influence on public affairs,” Minutaglio said. “People say everything is bigger in Texas, and she was truly larger than life.”
Austin business encourages residents to recycle old furs
Here for a trim?
Kari Rosenfeld | Daily Texan Staff
Pete Gitan relaxes during some down time at his barber shop in Hyde Park. Gitan, owner of Gitan’s barber shop, has been cutting hair for more than 50 years and takes pride in the simplicity of his shop.
RECYCLE your copy of The Daily Texan
Minutaglio’s other works include biographies of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice and Alberto Gonzalez. Smith and Minutaglio began working on Ivins’ biography 18 months ago. “We decided to write about Molly because she was one of the most important journalists in American history,” said Minutaglio. “She opened the doors for many other journalists, especially women.” Smith worked with Ivins for six years as a researcher and helped Ivins write her columns for the Texas Observer.
TSM EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING Friday November 13, 2009 2pm The University of Texas Texas Union Eastwoods Room #2.102
Visitors Welcome We encourage any community member who has any kind of temporary or permanent disability to contact Texas Student Media beforehand so that appropriate accommodations can be made. Anyone is welcome to attend.
By Hannah Jones Daily Texan Staff Buffalo Exchange will begin its Coats for Cubs collection drive for the Humane Society of the United States this Saturday — encouraging customers to donate their fur apparel for use as bedding for injured and orphaned wildlife. Michelle Livingston, Buffalo Exchange marketing director, said the store held its first Coats for Cubs drive after a customer in Tuscon suggested the store participate in the event. The Humane Society has operated Coats for Cubs for more than 10 years, she said. “Buffalo Exchange hopes to collect about 900 to 1,000 used furs in the upcoming drive, which will run until Earth Day,
Apr. 22, 2010,” Livingston said. Livingston said they collected 40 used furs in Austin last year, and she hopes they can match that number this year. Buffalo Exchange, which has 42 corporate and franchise retail stores in 14 states, sends the furs to the Humane Society of the United States, not the Austin chapter of the Humane Society. Naomi Elliott, an expert buyer at the Buffalo Exhange on Guadalupe Street, said that Austin is a good place for an event like this because of the large number of Austinites interested in the vegan movement. “Whenever people bring in furs with rips or tears to sell to the store, we always recommend they donate them,” Elliott
said. “It’s not a huge promotional deal right now, and not a lot of people know about it.” Buffalo Exchange shopper Maria Castro, a student at Texas State University, said an event like this is for those leading a compassionate lifestyle. “It reflects the way we treat the unfortunate of our society.” Castro said. “I would not want to make a profit.” The Humane Society and Buffalo Exchange are working together to promote the Truth in Fur Labeling Act of 2009. If the act passes, it can require all garments made with animal fur to clearly state so on the label, which will help consumers make more informed decisions, according to a statement on the Humane Society’s Web site.
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SportS
Sports Editor: Austin Talbert E-mail: sports@dailytexanonline.com Phone: (512) 232-2210 www.dailytexanonline.com
7
Friday, November 13, 2009
T he Daily Texan
Texas prepares for shorthanded Bears
SIDELINE WeekeND PreVIeWs FootBALL
SATURDAY: No. 3 Texas (9-0) at Baylor (4-5)
WHERE: Waco WHEN: 11 a.m. ON AIR: FSN
MeN’s BAsketBALL
SUNDAY: UC-Irvine (0-0) at No. 3 Texas (0-0)
WHERE: Frank Erwin Center WHEN: 1 p.m. ON AIR: ESPNU
WoMeN’s BAsketBALL
TODAY: UTSA (0-0)
at No. 12 Texas (0-0) WHERE: Frank Erwin Center WHEN: 7 p.m.
MeN’s Cross CouNtry
SATURDAY: South Central Regional Championships
WHERE: Waco WHEN: All day
WoMeN’s Cross CouNtry
SATURDAY: NCAA Regionals WHERE: Waco WHEN: All day
NBA Tamir Kalifa | Daily Texan file photo
Running back Cody Johnson takes a handoff from Colt McCoy in his first start of the season against UCF. Johnson ran for 44 yards and two touchdowns in the 35-3 win.
With starter out, Baylor may have found its new quarterback in Nick Florence By Michael Sherfield Daily Texan Staff These aren’t your father’s Bears. They’re probably not your older brother’s, either. Come to think of it, they might not even be head coach Art Briles’. There’s so little left of the Baylor team from the one that started the season with so much promise, that they’re hard to recognize. Most of that potential snapped with Robert Griffin’s early season ACL tear. The expectations and the offense that would
carry the team dissolved instantly. But in its place, the Bears have discovered something new. On the arm of freshman quarterback Nick Florence, Baylor (4-5) broke out of its slump and its four-game losing streak against Missouri. Florence threw for three touchdowns and 427 in a 40-32 win over the Tigers, completing 74 percent of his passes and running for a score. It’s an entirely different challenge from the one Texas (9-0)
MEn’S BASkETBALL
A third receiver, Lanear Sampson, had 85 yards and another touchdown. Many of those yards came from the 18 tackles Missouri missed, which allowed Baylor to make big play after big play, outscoring the Tigers 24-5 in the second half. “Kendall Wright and David Gettis stretch the field,” said defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. “One missed tackle, and they’ll make you pay for it. We have to have our eyes in the right places and tackle in space.”
coach Rick Barnes believes that this tournament, along with last weekend’s scrimmages against Gonzaga and Davidson, gives the players a chance to show what they can do. “Up to this point, we’ve had a lot of different guys at different times show us what they can do. It’s just a matter of the consistency of putting it together,” Barnes said. “When you have the numbers that we have, the hardest part is that you don’t break flow when you start using your substitutions.” This Longhorn team is deeper than it has been in years,
OPENER continues on page 8
WoMEn’S CRoSS CoUnTRy
NCAA Football
No. 24 South Florida 0 Rutgers 31
NFL Chicago 6 San Francisco 10
NCAA Basketball James Madison 44 Ohio State 72
Oklahoma State to host Red Raiders By Austin Ries Daily Texan Staff It will be a battle between two gun-wielding, hat-wearing mascots Saturday in Stillwater as Texas Tech takes on No. 19 Oklahoma State in a clash of two Big 12 offensive powerhouses. And while neither team realistically has a shot at the division title, expect some fireworks between two of the nation’s topranked offenses, who have a combined 784 points in their last 13 meetings. “You’ve got to know that you need one more point than they do at the end of the game, and you’ve got to do whatever it takes to get Caleb Miller | Daily Texan file photo there,” said Oklahoma State co-offensive coordinator Gunter Brew- Linebacker Brian Duncan and defensive back Trent Wilkerson before er. “That may be more points than the Red Raiders’ 34-24 loss to Texas in September. normal because of their propensiAnd while both teams are Cowboys have climbed to No. ty to put the ball in the end zone. We’ve had some great shootouts, known for their offensive attacks, 35 nationally in total defense, albut they’ve improved defensively, their defenses have gained na- lowing only 331 yards per game, and we’ve improved defensively.” tional attention this season. The and the Red Raiders held Kansas’
Trip to NCAA Nationals WoMEn’S BASkETBALL on the line for the Horns Longhorns remain focused with Connecticut on deck
By Ryan Betori Daily Texan Staff The Longhorns have had a good run this season, and if all goes according to plan this weekend, the team won’t be retiring their running spikes anytime soon. The team hopes to extend its season as it travels to Waco on Saturday to compete in the postseason 6K NCAA South Central Regional. The meet will determine whether or not the Longhorns compete in the 2009 NCAA Nationals, a feat which the team has not accomplished since 2003. “It’s been our goal all season to make it to the NCAA Championships,” said head coach Stephen Sisson. ”That chance is finally here and now.” This sense of immediacy has only been heightened as the team looks to bounce back from its eighth-place showing at the Big 12 Championships two weeks ago, a finish which Sisson describes as “deeply disappointing.”
Phoenix 102 LA Lakers 121
nCAA FooTBALL
Longhorns tip off the season with UC-Irvine By Laken Litman Daily Texan Staff The Longhorns start their journey to the Final Four this Sunday as they tip off at 1 p.m. against UC-Irvine at the Frank Erwin Center. Texas’ first three games of the season are a part of the 2009 O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic. There are a total of 12 schools participating in this season-opening tournament, and the Longhorns will face Western Carolina and Iowa next week to finish out their bracket. Though the schedule starts a bit soft for a team who earned a preseason rank of No. 3, head
faced from the Bears and Griffin last year. “It does not look like the Robert Griffin offense,” said Texas head coach Mack Brown. “It was good for us for Baylor to come from behind and score 40. It got our kids’ attention. They can fly.” Wide receivers Kendall Wright and David Gettis might have looked like they had wings against the Missouri secondary. Both had more than 100 yards receiving, combining for 18 catches, 259 yards and two scores.
Cleveland 111 Miami 104
Despite this stumble, the team has recorded one of the most impressive seasons in recent memory, tallying three first-place finishes. But these accolades will seem like little more than a consolation prize if the team produces a poor showing Saturday. “At the end of the day, our team will be judged on how they do at this meet,” Sisson said. “This season won’t be a successful campaign if we don’t make it to nationals.” Such high expectations will be difficult to meet, considering the selective nature of the postseason. Only the top two teams from each of the country’s nine regions qualify, as well as 13 at-large bids. But, Sisson feels it is unlikely that such a bid will come from the South Central region. Even in light of these trying odds, the team likes its chances. “I believe we’re ready. All we have to do is eliminate the
GOAL continues on page 8
By Dan Hurwitz Daily Texan Staff Ever since the Longhorns’ schedule came out months ago, one game was circled on everyone’s calendar — Nov. 17 versus Connecticut. The Huskies are the defending national champions and were unanimously voted as the top team in the preseason polls. But before the Longhorns make their way down Interstate Highway 35 to play Connecticut at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, they will welcome a team from the Alamo City to play in the season opener at the Frank Erwin Center. UTSA comes into Austin on Friday hoping to upset the Longhorns in front of their home crowd. “We’ve been preparing for both of these teams awhile now during practice, and we certainly won’t overlook them,” said head coach Gail Goestenkors.
The Roadrunners are coming off their second consecutive Southland Conference championship and almost became the first 15 seed to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after falling to Baylor in overtime to end its year. While UTSA lost most of its key players from last season, the Longhorns, who are 32-3 in home openers, have plenty of familiar faces returning despite only having ten players on the team. One of the biggest strengths of the team is its depth. ”There is no spot where we really lack,” said junior Kathleen Nash. “We have both posts and guards who are capable of doing a lot on the court.” The Longhorns plan on being a fast-paced team this season and feel that having only ten players should not hurt them.
DEPTH continues on page 8
fifth-ranked offense nationally to only 258 yards with four turnovers in a 35-21 win two weeks ago in Lubbock. The Cowboys also lead the nation in fewest sacks allowed with .44 sacks per game and are tied for the national lead in fewest tackles for losses allowed with 3.22 per game. The Red Raiders are looking for their first win in Stillwater since 2001. That year was also the last time the Red Raiders have won in the state of Oklahoma, dropping its last four games on the road against the Sooners. The Red Raiders dominated then-No. 8 OSU last season at home 56-20. This year is different for the Red Raiders (6-3, 3-2) who have at times been inconsistent. They aren’t the Cinderella team of last season, but they only need one more win to become bowl-eligible for the 16th
COWBOYS continues on page 8
Sophomore Ashleigh Fontenette drives to the basket in last year’s home game against Baylor.
Paul Chouy Daily Texan file photo
8 SPTS
8
SportS
Friday, November 13, 2009
Cowboys: Team leads Big 12
MEn’S CroSS CounTry
Football not the only rushing despite missing starter team heading to Waco From page 7
Longhorns set to run 10 kilometers rather than the eight they are used to By Jim Pagels Daily Texan Staff Compared to how far the Longhorns run at each meet, their season runs much shorter. Having only competed in four NCAA events this year, the crosscountry team heads to the South Central Regional Championships this Saturday in Waco. The top two teams at regionals advance to the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Ind. later this month. “As early as February, everyone on this team has had one thing in mind: Get this team to nationals,” said senior Habben Berhane. Berhane is one of only three seniors on the cross-country roster, and the only one who actively competes in sanctioned crosscountry events.
“It’s nice to have an older guy on the team who’s been around and can show you how it works,” said sophomore Rory Tunningley, who barely edged out Berhane for best UT time at the Big 12 Championships two weeks ago. Tunningley hopes that the team can punch its tickets for Indiana during Berhane’s final season. “We definitely want to make sure we go to nationals, if not just for him,” Tunningley, the former Texas high school champion, said. “The last time [Berhane] went was his sophomore year, and I know he wants to go back.” Berhane, who has battled injuries throughout his career, is extremely eager to be in the best shape this weekend. “After I had surgery, I started training the week right afterwards,” he said. “I probably did some things I shouldn’t have, but I really wanted to get back [in form].”
The rest of team has also been training constantly over the past two weeks in preparation for the meet Saturday. While most of the team’s previous meets this year have consisted of eight-kilometer distances, the regional championship course is 10. “The difference between 8K and 10K is the world,” Berhane said. “A lot of guys coming in were used to running 6Ks and hitting a wall during the last two kilometers. Now they have to face two more after that.” Assistant coach John Hayes didn’t think the extra distance would be much of a factor for the Longhorns. “Our training has been geared towards the 10K runs all year,” Hayes said. On the same day that the UT football team destroyed Oklahoma State — Oct. 31 — the Big 12 cross-country championships were dominated by the Cowboys.
baylor: Receivers catch the eyes of Texas From page 7 But don’t expect the Texas secondary to back down when it faces its most talented receiving corps so far this season. The Longhorns play a lot of man coverage, leaving their corners with the task of shutting down receivers without much help. “We’re going to play the way we play. We’ll be cognizant sometimes of getting some people over the top, but that’s why you recruit big corners,” Muschamp said. “The way we play, you can’t have little guys out there. Our players had great respect for Gettis and Wright walking off the field [last year]. They know they’ve got some playmakers. They’re going to challenge us down the field.” With Aaron Williams, Curtis Brown and Chykie Brown, Texas starts three cornerbacks that are 6-foot or taller, a big asset when facing Baylor’s rangy wide outs.
In the whole Texas secondary, only safety Earl Thomas and backup nickel back Deon Beasley are shorter than 6 feet. But this revamped Baylor offense has certainly caught Texas’ attention.
‘‘
We know what’s at stake.” — Earl Thomas safety
“[Florence] kind of had a day like Colt had. He completed a lot of great passes,” Thomas said. “They’ve got two great receivers who can make runs after the catch. If you make one mental mistake, it’s a touchdown. We can lose the
game. The secondary is a big part of the defense. Games can be decided on what we do.” And despite the early 11 a.m. start and low-key matchup, the Longhorns are confident in their ability to avoid the dreaded letdown. “We know what’s at stake,” Thomas said. For the Longhorns, a national championship berth is on the line every time they step on the field. But after starting slow and even trailing in the second quarter against Central Florida last week, Texas can’t afford another slow start against an offense that has found its identity. “We’re not going to let that happen,” said safety Blake Gideon. “The only people who can beat us right now are ourselves. We’re preparing like we’re playing for a national championship every week because in reality, we are.”
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straight season. And if they can pull off the upset, they could move ahead of the Cowboys for a better postseason bowl appearance. The Cowboys are averaging 408.1 yards per game offensively even without receiver Dez Bryant and running back Kendall Hunter. Quarterback Zac Robinson has thrown for 1,832 yards and 14 touchdowns with seven interceptions, four of which were against Texas two weeks ago.
In their 34-8 win at Iowa State, the Cowboys racked up 473 yards of total offense highlighted by running back Keith Toston’s 207 yards on 25 carries. The Cowboys lead the Big 12 in rushing, averaging 196 yards per game despite missing their best tailback in Hunter. “We’re going to run our offense,” said head coach Mike Gundy. “We’re going to run our plays and use the play pass and throw the ball down field and use the quarterback as a runner.”
Key matchups in this game will be the Red Raiders’ offense against the Cowboys’ defense. Even with three different starting quarterbacks for Tech, its offense ranks second in the nation, averaging 400 passing yards a game. And in a series in which the home team has won the past seven years, Boone Pickens Stadium needs to be electric from kickoff to give the Cowboys an edge and spoil the Red Raiders’ hopes for an upset.
opeNer: Starting lineup still a mystery From page 7 with at least two players able to come in at each position. When Barnes decides to make a substitution, it is expected that whoever comes onto the court will have fresh legs and elevate the level of play. “When they go into a game, I expect our bench guys to go in and bring it at a different level,” he said. “Say we are working the post a certain way, and we make a sub for Dexter [Pittman]. If the guy [who] goes into the game doesn’t do the job, I’m going to use somebody else. So who we play and how many minutes they play is based off their understanding that they have got to keep it moving when they go in there.” Instead of participating in exhibition games this preseason, Barnes opted for two scrimmages last weekend against Gonzaga and Davidson, who are two legitimate NCAA Tournament contenders. “We benefit from those scrimmages a great deal,” Barnes said. “[The coaches] create situations. We are able to do whatever we want. Like we can put two minutes on the clock and have a team up two or down two. We did that quite a bit. We just do a lot of different things to accommodate each team’s style of play to get better. We had segments of that and segments where we play our game and they play theirs.” Though Barnes has not announced his official starting lineup, he said every player should be ready for Sunday. “I just think they better be
Jordan Smothermon | Daily Texan file photo
Senior Dexter Pittman delivers a shot over the head of Texas A&M’s Chinemelu Elonu in the Aggies’ 81-66 win last year in College Station. ready to play, and I mean all of them,” he said. “I’m not looking for one guy to be able to do it. It is all about getting better everyday. It is still early, but it is our first game, so we have got to make it count. I want to see us emphasize the things we have worked on up until this point.”
depth: Longhorns hope to take
care of the ball, avoid late slump From page 7 “It should be hard for teams to keep up with our pace,” Nash said. The Longhorns enter the season emphasizing ball security as turnovers and rebounding were a big a problem for last season’s squad. “We want to maintain our aggressiveness but have some poise under pressure situations, which we just didn’t see last year,” Goestenkors said. The Longhorns had the thirdmost turnovers in the Big 12 last
year, averaging 16.9 a game. “Our main focus has been to take care of the ball,” said freshman Cokie Reed. Texas is also trying to avoid a midseason collapse such as last year’s, in which the team won its first 11 games but went 10-12 for the remainder of the season. “Last year, we started the season really well, and then we dipped and lost our confidence,” Goestenkors said. “Every team goes through tough times, but we have to stay strong through those tough times.”
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Even if Barnes decides to go with veteran starters Sunday, it won’t be long before the Longhorn community becomes acquainted with the freshmen, especially guards Avery Bradley and J’Covan Brown, who are predicted to receive much of the limelight this year.
Goal: Successful
event needed to reach NCAA’s From page 7
emotional aspect of it and go out there and execute like we’ve been taught,” said senior Betzy Jimenez, who led the Longhorns at the Big 12 Championships with her top-20 finish. In addition to its preparation, the team feels confident because it’s running on familiar territory. The Waco course will be much more straightforward than the hilly terrain and rain difficulties Texas had to overcome at the Big 12 meet. Although the course shouldn’t present any unexpected troubles, the Longhorns will have a different type of hurdle to clear. Senior Lauren Salisbury, one of the team’s top runners, will be nursing an injury as she competes Saturday. Though Sisson still expects Salisbury to perform well, this setback means the other runners will have to pick up the pace. This task will fall to seniors Asia Myrland and Allison Mendez, the aforementioned Jimenez, sophomores Mia Behm and Ginny Simon and freshman Melissa Mahoney. Although only the top five finishers will count toward the team’s score, the Longhorns are depending on a solid performance from all seven runners in the event. Once the gun is fired and the first strides are taken Saturday, an off day will translate into an early off-season for the Longhorns. And, after all the work they’ve put in, the team is looking to enjoy this race of a season as long as they can. “We’re excited. I feel like we’re in a really good place,” Sisson said. For the Longhorns, nothing could be better than earning a spot at the NCAA Nationals. Now, it’s just time to earn it.
9 CLASS
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News
Friday, November 13, 2009
Foreign students struggle with rigid visa restrictions
“More intercultural awareness on the part of those international students as well as on the part of American host institutions is just so valuable,” said Jeff Melick, director of the English as a second language program at the House of Tutors. Melick said that in order for international students to receive student visas they must prove they will return to their home country after completing their education, they must have financial support during their time in the U.S., and they need a current passport. Visa restrictions prohibit international students from taking U.S. jobs while they are in school. After a year of full-time enrollment, international students can begin work study or an internship for a maximum of 20 hours per week. Melick said that after students complete a degree, they have the option to renew their student visas and continue their educations or apply for work visas to work domestically, which eventually leads to a green card and citizenship. Hussain Malik, House of Tutors president and CEO, came to the U.S. in 1964 and established the company in 1984. Although 9/11 resulted in a more complicated visa application process that lagged international student numbers, there has been a recent increase in international students returning to the U.S, Malik said. “[The U.S. is] a place full of life, it’s full of innovations,” Malik said. “As we see today, the world is getting flat and small and it is important that we keep our waters open to legal immigrants.”
By Bobby Longoria Daily Texan Staff As students struggle with exams and papers, international students have the added burden of establishing the status of their visas while pursuing their education in the U.S. The House of Tutors, an educational facility founded in Austin in 1980, teaches English as a second language to international students near campus. It held a seminar Thursday to guide students through the sometimes complicated process. The seminar focused on immigration law and addressed the steps immigrant students must take to renew their student visas or change them to work visas. About 40 students attended the seminar with speaker Geoffrey Connor, a former Texas secretary of state whose Austin law firm handles immigration cases. “American universities are some of the best in the world, and they encourage the brightest people in the world to come here,” Connor said. “We want that to happen because when you bring that kind of diversity from around the world and you get the brightest minds here — that spills over.” Connor said that while he was secretary of state from 2003 to 2005, he received complaints from universities about qualified international students who had their educations interrupted by visa issues. New security requirements put in place after 9/11 made it more difficult for day, international students day, month 2008 to obtain visas. But Connor said counseling from the House of Tutors and local law firms helps students to better understand the legal ins and outs of theISvisa E process.
RT ADVE TUDENT S ! YOUR NIZATION A ORG
Maddie Crum | Daily Texan Staff
Mike Sloan, an Environment Texas affiliate, discusses a decrease in pollution and the importance of focusing on affordable energy alternatives in the future.
Texas air pollution levels decline Despite improvement, environmentalists fear for state’s air quality
bon emissions. But he said the and New York have cut carbon state is also building several emissions by 5 percent, while coal power plants, which will increasing their gross state wipe out the clean energy gains product by 65 percent, accordof wind power. ing to the report. By Shabab Siddiqui According to the report, Texas “So protecting the environDaily Texan Staff is one of only 17 states to boast ment and helping our econo1 Texas’ air pollution has de- a percentage drop in emissions. my are not exclusive,” Metzger creased by 2 percent since Texas produces more total said. “We can do both by in2004, according to a report released by EnvironmentLASSIFIEDS Texas on Thursday. The study, titled “Too Much Pollution,” was conducted jointly by the Texas-based enThe University of Texas traditionally has been a vironmental advocacy group, leader in research in petroleum, but we should be and national research centers Frontier Group and Environa leader in clean energy sources too.” ment America Research & Policy Center. — Luke Metzger, Luke Metzger, director of director of Environment Texas Environment Texas, said that while the figures mark the first time Texas has reduced its emissions, the state still has a long road toward a cleaner emissions than second-ranked vesting in smart energy choicenergy future. “The bad news is that Tex- California and third-ranked es like wind power.” as continues to be No. 1 in Pennsylvania combined. TexMetzger said UT has investthe nation for total pollution,” as is ranked 14th in emissions ed in resources for cleaner enMetzger said. “If we were our per capita. ergy improvements, but more Metzger said the report’s can be done. own country, we would be the seventh biggest polluter in the findings shed light on the fact “The University of Texas trathat economies can still grow ditionally has been a leader in entire world.” Metzger cited a boost in wind while cutting down on pol- research in petroleum, but we energy investment as a major lution. Since 1997, Connecti- should be a leader in clean encause in the reduction of car- cut, Delaware, Massachusetts ergy sources too,” he said.
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Sean Walgren speaks to international students while attorneys William Demond and Megan Hassan discuss a question from the audience.
Luke Bellsnyder, executive director of the advocacy group Texas Association of Manufacturers, said he also feels the state is moving in the right direction, but not because of public policy reform. “What we see here in Texas is giving businesses incentives and allowing them to create their own ways of reducing emissions,” Bellsnyder said. “Rather than forcing arbitrary emission reductions which stymies business, let’s do it in a partnership.” Bellsnyder said some of the figures regarding the state’s high emission productions are misleading, citing the state’s large population and the disproportionate number of petrochemical industries located throughout Texas relative to other states. He said the job of higher-education institutions is to find a way to strike a balance between government and business. “I think that it’s important for students to do cost benefit analysis, like they would do for anything else,” Bellsnyder said. “[Students] need to be finding ways to weigh the cost of cleaning the air and the impact of creating new jobs.”
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Venture capitalist invests in nonprofit news outlet By Susannah Jacob Daily Texan Staff While John Thornton refers to The Texas Tribune primarily as “The Tribune,” many of his colleagues affectionately refer to it as “The Trib.” Who started it? “That’s a good question,” Thornton said. “I don’t actually know. I think we’re just lazy, but I like the sound of it.” Thornton, a successful Austin venture capitalist and former McKinsey & Company consultant, has assumed a new title: chairman and co-founder of the recently established Austinbased media operation. Thornton provided the infant news organization with $1 million of his own money. Launched Nov. 3, The Texas Tribune describes itself on its Web site as “a nonprofit, nonpartisan public media organization” that aims to cover “public policy, politics, government and other matters of statewide concern.” The media organization will collaborate with UT on two fronts. It will sponsor the University’s research, conducted by the Texas Politics project team, for five polls related to upcoming elections and Texans’ views on key state and national issues. It has also initiated a strategic partnership with the Cen-
ter for Politics and Governance at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, which will eventually result in a lecture series and student internships. As part of his new role at the news outlet, Thornton and his wife, Julie, both of whom have contributed significant sums to Democratic candidates in the past, intend to opt out of the political-contribution business in a show of commitment to the Web site’s pledge to nonpartisanship. “One of the reasons I did this is because I have every confidence we can do more good supporting an instrument of civic discourse than we did contributing to politics,” Thornton said. And, though he believes the media organization’s chief should buttress other newspapers’ coverage of statewide politics, he has no intentions of becoming the next William Randolph Hearst, the founder of one of the nation’s most powerful newspaper chains who used his perch to influence worldwide events, as characterized in the film “Citizen Kane.” “I’m not interested in taking over the world,” Thornton said. “We don’t have aspirations for anywhere but Texas. It would be absolutely thrilling if we developed a model that could be em-
ulated, but that would be something for somebody else to do.” On its site, The Texas Tribune refers to itself as a “noble experiment.” Thornton laughed at that language and clarified its meaning. “I didn’t realize we professed our own nobility on the Web site. Let me put it this way: I think it’s a worthwhile experiment,” he said. “In fact, I think it’s more than an experiment because we’re going to succeed ... We’re trying to provide a supplement to the marketbased provision of journalism. I’ll leave it to everyone else to figure out if it’s noble.” The news outlet’s total budget for 2010 is $1.6 million, with roughly two-thirds of that amount designated for reporters’ salaries, travel and “that kind of thing,” Thornton said. One year from now, the Web site will ask contributors and underwriters for a second round of donations. “It’s up to the reader to judge whether our editorial product is worth supporting,” Thornton said. “But it’s up to us to show to them we’re developing a financial model that’s sustainable and, therefore, worthy of their support.” One of the primary reasons The Texas Tribune is based in Austin, other than its proximity to the state
Comic artists to speak on campus By Carolynn Calabrese Daily Texan Staff A recent study by marketing analyst Simba Information revealed that one in 10 book-buying adults also purchases comics. This means at least 10 percent of book-buying adults owe a giant “thank you” to both Robert Crumb and Art Spiegelman. These two artists established their fame by creating raw, groundbreaking and, above all, honest comics for an adult audience, forever changing the way we interpret the medium. Tonight, the pair will speak on campus at Bass Concert Hall. Spiegelman is best known for his critically acclaimed work “Maus: A Survivor ’s Tale,” a personal, intergenerational account of the repercussions of the Holocaust on survivors and their families and the first graphic novel to win a Pulitzer Prize. Spiegelman also advocates comics whenever possible, teaching courses on the subject at various universities and serv-
ing on the advisory board of the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, Vt. Crumb’s notoriety centers on his role in practically fathering the underground comics movement of the ‘60s. “Fritz the Cat” and “Mr. Natural” are two of his most renowned works, but he is also known for a variety of assorted comics and album covers. With Terry Zwigoff ’s acclaimed documentary, “Crumb,” centering around his life, Crumb’s works have stirred controversy among fans and critics alike. His comics, which have been called brutally honest, racist and sexist, have in many ways polarized his audience. “Genesis,” Crumb’s most recent project, is a graphic novel adaptation of the Biblical story of the creation of the world. By avoiding caped heroes and continuing to tell the sort of everyday, personal stories which strike close to home and make even the most animalistic of their characters seem perfectly
Courtesy of Art Spiegelman
human, Crumb and Spiegelman have generated interest and respect for the comics medium. The pair gives new comics readers a chance to see the diversity and depth of this artistic literary form. In addition to Crumb and Spiegelman, Sam Hurt, the creator of “Eyebeam” and a UT alumnus and former cartoonist for The Daily Texan, will speak at the event and deliver a preperformance lecture.
Daniela Trujillo | Daily Texan Staff
Austin venture capitalist John Thornton works from his office on Tuesday morning. Thornton’s latest project, The Texas Tribune, is an online magazine. Capitol, is UT, Thornton said. He sees securing student readership as one of the measures of his venture’s success. “If UT students aren’t our readers, we haven’t done our job,” he said. “I’ve been around them to
know that they do care about their civic life and the civic choices that they face. If we can’t engage them, we’ve certainly done something wrong.” Beyond the two projects already launched in collaboration
with UT, Thornton said he hopes the media organization will increase its interaction with students by employing them as interns and “generally getting ourselves more integrated into the student body.”
radio: Soundtrack compensates for lackluster script From page 12 “pirate radio” ship that transmits the uncensored rock to the British people. The DJs of Radio Rock, led by token American “the Count” (Hoffman) and ship captain Quentin (Nighy), are a wild bunch whose larger-than-life statuses reflect the ship’s rowdy atmosphere. Irrelevant jokes about sex, drugs and booze are thrown around nearly constantly. There’s also a decent amount of sarcasm about the British parliament so determined to ruin them. More disturbing than the comically challenged script is the
lack of character development. The characters are briefly introduced individually, and after that, they’re rarely seen as pertinent figures to the story. This is even the case for Hoffman. Though he does have more speaking lines than anyone else in the film, the audience isn’t able to learn much more than what they’re given on-screen. The characters are initially spotlighted, mainly just to point out their own quirks, and after that, it’s difficult to gather much more information about them. The lack of character development is somewhat relieved, however, by the film’s incredible soundtrack. While the dia-
logue fails to add much to the rest of the film, you’d better believe the music accomplishes that task. With hit tracks from The Beach Boys, The Kinks, The Who, Tommy James, Cream and Jimi Hendrix that nearly run nonstop (literally, about every seven minutes), dialogue is essentially unimportant. Despite having arguably the greatest soundtrack I’ve ever heard and a cast that most filmmakers would walk the plank for, the “Pirate Radio” boat certainly won’t be sailing to any award podiums this year.
faces: Musician describes experience at ACL From page 12 until you actually experience it. I’ve marched in stadiums before, and I even marched at Texas Stadium. That was a high school football game, though, and it wasn’t even full. But coming out of the tunnel at [Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium] is an experience in itself. As you walk out, it just gets exponentially louder, and there are more and more people. The opening game of a Longhorn football season is going to be packed, no matter who we’re playing. At the Red River Rivalry game,
the band sits right in front of Bevo. Every time the cannon goes off, he stands up and looks around. We know he’s calm and he’ll be fine, but you still sit and wonder if this is the time he’s going to own us and stampede everyone to death. I used to record every game on TV in hopes of being shown on a broadcast. For the first three years, I recorded everything and never got shown. This year, I’ve stopped recording and have been shown two or three times. I did get one, though. You can view the clip at facebook.com/cline.jeremy. Along with a small group of band members, I was fortunate
enough to play during Ghostland Observatory’s set at ACL this year. It doesn’t compare to DKR, but it’s also not every day you run across 70,000-plus people screaming for you. It’s not a football game; people aren’t leaving to get snacks. It’s about the music. I’m an electrical engineering major, so that’s my career path. But I’ll always be playing and listening to music for the rest of my life, all the while whistling “The Eyes of Texas.” Cline will be featured in the Senior T during the band’s pregame performance at the Longhorns’ final home football game against Kansas.
movie Review
Splinterheads
Tired comedy offers little to care about By Robert Doty Daily Texan Staff I did not hate “Splinterheads.” I didn’t even dislike it. I just didn’t care. “Splinterheads” is a middling attempt at an indie comedy that never offends, never excites and never provokes anything from the audience. I laughed a few times and felt somewhat pleased when everything fell into place, but I never once truly cared for any of it. Justin Frost, played by Thomas Middleditch, works for his best friend’s yard maintenance business, lives with his widowed mother and seems to have no ambitions whatsoever. He’s also a sucker, getting conned by Galaxy, a sexy, blonde hustler (Rachael Taylor). Finding her later at the carnival that recently arrived in town, Justin discovers that she’s a splinterhead, or a carnie who tries to guilt you into throwing darts at balloons by way of heckling. Through a few plot contriv-
ances, Justin sees Galaxy in her skivvies, and badda-bing-baddaboom, we’ve got a love story on our hands. The only problem, aside from Justin being a doormat, is that Galaxy has a drunken, fauxhawked gorilla for a boyfriend. I won’t go into the rest of the plot — not because it would spoil the movie, but because the doormat-turned-ass-kicker is a well-worn yarn that doesn’t need explanation. But though the actual story arc bores, Justin and Galaxy develop their relationship in an interesting way — geocaching. Galaxy, in order to get some non-carnie experience, channels her days into this hybrid treasure hunt and hike. In geocaching, people hide small caches of knickknacks all over the planet and log them into an online database using GPS coordinates and possible hints. Others then find them using handheld GPS devices. Though “Splinterheads” uses this activity as more of a back-
drop than a crucial element of the story, it nonetheless gives the characters a fresh venue for falling in love and, on a less filmcentric note, sparked my interest in this form of recreation. As far as the acting goes, nearly everyone performed passably, but only skated by. Middleditch’s Frost is the quirky slacker whose “thing is that he doesn’t have a thing.” I couldn’t believe that line made not only the final cut but also the film’s trailer. Justin’s best friend Wayne (Jason Rogel) fills the role of the moronic sidekick to a T. And Galaxy’s boyfriend (Dean Winters) spends the entire film attempting to be even more vulgar than he was in the scene before. It’s the type of film that you could start halfway through and enjoy a little but never really care to see how it started. It’s not bad. It’s not good. It’s almost nothing at all.
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12 LIFE
Life&Arts
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Friday, November 13, 2009
Life&Arts Editor: Leigh Patterson E-mail: lifeandarts@dailytexanonline.com Phone: (512) 232-2209 www.dailytexanonline.com
T he Daily Texan
Trombone player marches to beat of Texas’ drum By Robert Rich Jeremy Cline is a Bone. That’s how the trombone players in UT’s marching band like to refer to themselves, but don’t let the lightheartedness fool you. These guys mean business. Brimming with musical skill and an undying love for the University of Texas, Cline forms a core part of the Showband of the Southwest. He was part of that fantastic video game halftime show at this year’s OU game. Oh, and no big deal, but he also played at the Austin City Limits Music Festival this year. In sixth grade, my school district required that I be in band, choir or orchestra. I had taken music classes in elementary school but didn’t really know much about music. My dad had been a trombone player in high school, so I was predisposed to playing it. He still has his bass trombone and
plays it from time to time. I tried out for trombone, euphonium, tuba and clarinet, just to make sure I didn’t want to play a woodwind. I hated it. I started liking band legitimately in high school when we started marching. I was a drum major for three years at Plano East Senior High School. You could go to football games, and people would be there cheering for you. It was awesome. I applied to both Michigan and UT. Both schools have great bands, and that was a big factor. I was a signature away from going to Michigan, but the traditions of the Texas band drew me to UT. Every band has an image, and the Longhorn band is certainly special. The fringe, the cowboy hats — it’s something you don’t see anywhere else in the nation. It might sound clichéd, it might sound like bragging, but it’s the truth. We’re Texas. The first time I walked onto the field for a UT football game was so surreal. It’s something you expect but can’t fully envision
Jeremy Cline, an engineering senior and member of the Longhorn Band, played his trombone on stage with Ghostland Observatory at ACL this year.
Jordy Wagoner Daily Texan Staff
FACES continues on page 11
Top indie-rock musicians unite for show at Stubb’s
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By Audrey Campbell Daily Texan Staff For anyone unfamiliar with the group, it is important to note that “Monsters of Folk” is a misnomer — the band’s sound does not fit comfortably within folk music’s traditional boundaries. Three of rock’s most prolific and distinct songwriters as well as one of the genre’s most capable producers and multi-instrumentalists began collaborating in 2004 while continuously working on outside projects with their respective bands. Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes and M. Ward have joined forces to create this indierock supergroup, which will perform tonight at Stubb’s Bar-B-Q. On paper, the band is a surefire combination of incredible talent, and anyone familiar with the individual acts would argue that these musicians lack the necessary ego to allow a projects like this to fall apart. Monsters of Folk’s self-titled debut album lives up to expectations, delivering 15 tastefully arranged tracks showcasing each member’s respective strengths and prowess. Primary authorship is transparent in a few places, with some tracks sound-
WHAT: Monsters of Folk WHERE: Stubb’s Bar-B-Q WHEN: Tonight at 7 p.m. TICKETS: $36 - $38, sold out ing like singles from a particular singer. However, throughout most of the album, the musicians’ voices and writing abilities are seamlessly blended into songs that have a truly distinct feeling and style. Each album track provides variety, combining soft acoustics, soulful lyrics and folk guitar solos. These songs would not easily fit under a My Morning Jacket, Bright Eyes or M. Ward label. Instead, they are the unique results of a collaborative catalog of work. Set lists from this tour’s earlier dates reveal that the concert Friday will likely feature a bulk of the first album’s work along with new material and selected songs from the band members’ other projects. The performance tonight will showcase more than two and a half hours of indie-rock bliss, perfect for novices looking for an introduction to some of rock’s greatest talent and seasoned veterans anxious to see some of their favorite acts share the stage for one special night.
Courtesy of Monsters of Folk
Monsters of Folk is composed of Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis, M. Ward and My Morning Jacket’s Jim James.
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By John Ross Harden Daily Texan Staff The sky is dark, the seas are rough and “Pirate Radio” writer/ director/executive producer Richard Curtis has steered the Radio Rock ship directly into a looming storm of disappointment. True to form, Curtis features a relatively large ensemble cast in the movie. But unlike his smashhit romantic comedies (“Love Actually” and “Four Weddings and a Funeral”), the all-star cast in “Pirate Radio” is not utilized to its full potential. When Philip Seymour Hoffman stars in a film, the movie usually turns into a success. Add the fact that Hoffman is backed up in this film by funnymen Nick Frost (“Shaun of the Dead”), Rhys
Darby (“The Flight of the Conchords”) and Bill Nighy (“Shaun of the Dead”), and the formula for a hilarious film is complete. This, however, is not the case with “Pirate Radio.” The humor on display in the movie is comparable to that of “Animal House,” the only difference being that the film takes place on a ship anchored off the coast of Britain during the 1960s. Eight disc jockeys, in response to the strict crackdowns and regulations put on the already scarcely played rock ‘n’ roll stations by the British government, create their own station called Radio Rock, which broadcasts from an offshore, ungoverned
RADIO continues on page 11