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THE DAILY TEXAN Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900
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‘Wild at heart’
The Harry Ransom Center is celebrating the opening of its Tennessee Williams exhibit Friday evening at 6 p.m. The event is free for Ransom Center members and $20 for nonmembers.
‘We are the people’
Zach Scott Theatre is hosting performance of ‘Red Hot Patriot,’ a play about acclaimed Austin writer Molly Ivins, at 8 p.m Friday night. Student tickets are $15.
SPORTS PAGE 8
LIFE&ARTS PAGE 9
LIFE&ARTS PAGE 6
FRIDAY
Sophomore diver gains success, looks toward Olympic opportunities
Instrumental electronic artist Baths discusses his new tour, favorite sandwich
Tea gives coffee some competition in the world of caffeinated drinks
WEEKEND
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RIDING THE CHILLWAVE @thedailytexan
Friday, February 4, 2011
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ON the LEGE
Legislators push for guns on campus By Melissa Ayala Daily Texan Staff
Higher education campuses in Texas have been designated gun-free zones for 15 years, but lawmakers will try again to change that this legislative session. Since the start of the 82nd Texas Legislature last month, Rep. Joe Driver, R-Garland, Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, and
Rep. David Simpson, R-Longview, have each filed bills to allow carrying licensed concealed handguns on campus. UT Division of Housing and Food Services follows institutional rules that ban all weapons and facsimiles on all areas of campus, subject to a third-degree felony. “If the legislation was to pass, DHFS would consult and work with legal counsel and University Admin-
istrators to make any changes to our current policy,” said Associate Director for Residence Life Hemlata Jhaveri, in a statement. University Operations spokeswoman Rhonda Weldon said the UT Police Department will not begin any campus planning until there is a final outcome on the bill. “If this legislation passed, it would make things a little more complicated,” Weldon said. “It’s always easi-
er to regulate something that is not a law versus something that is. It’s easier for officers to monitor if someone is breaking the law than having to check who has a license to carry on campus and who doesn’t.” Driver also filed a campus concealed carry bill during the 81st Legislative Session, in 2009, with 75 co-sponsors. The bill
GUNS continues on PAGE 2
INSIDE: The editors weigh in on the concealed carry debate on page 4
SATURDAY Black History Month
Special guest Barbara Conrad is appearing at a free concert Saturday night celebrating black musicians and composers. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Butler School of Music’s Bates Recital Hall.
‘Indoorsy’
Electronic musician Baths is playing at Mohawk Saturday night with supporting acts Braids and Star Slinger. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the venue. Doors open at 8 p.m.
SUNDAY Super Bowl
Alamo Drafthouse Downtown is hosting a ‘pigskin party’ at 5:30 p.m. Admission is free, but seats can be reserved by purchasing a $5 food and beverage voucher online.
Today in history In 2004 Mark Zuckberger creates Facebook in his Harvard dorm room.
Campus watch
Andrew Torrey | Daily Texan Staff
The Texas Dragon/Lion Dance Team performs at the opening of the celebration of the lunar new year in The Union Ballroom. Lunar new years are given names of animals, this year being the year of the Rabbit.
of Year the
Rabbit
By Jody Serrano
Moving on out
Communications Building A, 2504-A Whitis Ave UT Police Officers observed a known offender sitting at a computer terminal located inside the 3rd floor lobby. The known offender observed the officers and quickly began to log off the computer as well as packing up his belongings. The officers noted the subject had a container with alcohol inside next to the computer he was working at. The officers took the subject into custody for Criminal Trespass and transported him to Central Booking after verifying he was not there for official business. In addition to the law enforcement action taken, the subject was issued another Criminal Trespass Warning
A
tenacious New Year despite the frigid temperatures, students from all cultures celebrated the Lunar New Year with traditional Asian foods, music, and décor in the Texas Union Ballroom Thursday night. When the guests arrived, the hosts of the celebration passed out red money envelopes. The envelopes resembled the ones adults give the children in Asia, usually accompanied by money. The envelopes at UT contained raffle and voting tickets for karaoke. At the beginning of the celebration, the lights dimmed to prepare the stage for the traditional lion dance, where members from the local Asian community dance around energetically one behind the other, all while sporting a traditional lion costume. Organized by the Asian American Culture Committee and the Chinese Student Association, the event attracted 10 organizations and more
RABBIT continues on PAGE 2
Austin records unusual freeze, meteorologists expect snow By Jody Serrano Daily Texan Staff
This week’s biting cold and frozen precipitation are quite unusual for Central Texas, said meteorologists. The temperatures in the low 20s made Thursday the coldest Feb. 3 on record, according to My Fox Austin. A week that started with sunny weather quickly turned — and stayed — freezing. The sub-32 degree temperatures will continue until at least noon today, according to the National Weather Service. The service also forecasted a 70-percent chance of snow, likely about one inch. Troy Kimmel, senior Geology lecturer and local KEYE weatherman, said the current weather was unusual for the Austin region. “Most of the time you get cold air freezing on the ground, but not freezing all the way up to get to snow,” Kimmel said. “Snow itself is not that unusual. We normally see snowflakes every few years, just not on the ground.” Kimmel said the matter of university closure depended on the early morning weather. “Every situation is different,” he said. “This is not a decision made by the University in a vacuum, it’s a decision made by the whole community.” Kimmel said he doubted that Travis, Harrison and Williamson counties would get above an inch or two of snow, expecting the areas to the east to get the heavier snow, possibly 2-3 inches. Steve Smart, meteorologist for the National Weather Service, agreed. “We advise residents not to travel if it’s not necessary. The snow event is going to occur in the overnight hours when it’s dark and we’re going to lose some visibility,” Smart said. “If you have to travel, slow down, and allow extra time to reach your destination.” At press time, the University had not confirmed whether campus would close today. Thursday evening, University officials sent an e-mail that said they would announce a decision by 6 a.m. Friday. Frozen streets and Wednesday’s rolling power blackouts have forced closures at campuses across the state, including the University of Texas at Arlington, Texas State University and the University of Texas Pan-American. Because there was no snow previously in Central Texas, and because UT operates its own power plant and did not
SNOW continues on PAGE 2
Tier one universities to increase in Texas By Allie Kolechta Daily Texan Staff
A state like Texas should have more tier one universities, higher standards in terms of student performance and a more efficient higher education system to properly educate its growing population, said Dan Branch, R-Dallas, who spoke at UT on Thursday. Branch, former chairman of the House Committee on Higher Education, said the 82nd Legislature will face an unprecedented budget crunch this session, which could impact higher education.
The 82nd session will increase the number of tier one universities in Texas, he said. The University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, Rice University and the University of Houston are the states’ only tier one universities, while the state of California has nine and the state of New York has seven. While no standard definition of a tier one school exists, common qualities among these schools mostly include a focus on influential research among its faculty, world-class institutions and multi-billion dollar endowment funds.
Improving performance at schools like Texas Tech University, the University of North Texas and the University of Houston to include them in the tier one ranks is a goal, Branch said. “We have got to do a better job of presenting to people that universities are job manufacturing machines,” he said. “This university is a brilliant place of human capital with knowledge and technology just spinning off of it. I think pretty soon we’re going to be competing with China and India, other states and countries, and
Bicente Gutierrez | Daily Texan Staff
Dan Branch, former Texas Committee of Higher Education chairman, EDUCATION continues on PAGE 2 discusses the issues facing higher education this legislative session.
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