The Daily Texan
Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900
@thedailytexan
facebook.com/dailytexan
INSIDE 4 OPINiON
Study drugs have consequences. The YCT watch list has its own bias.
5 NEWS
City Council votes to finance Urban Rail.
5 NEWS
Austin economy ranks first in nation.
6 SPORTS
Haley Eckerman holds responsibility as leader on court, off court as mother.
Friday, October 12, 2012
dailytexanonline.com
David Ash much improved since he faced OU last year.
Posters featuring Bevo encourage students to read.
SPORTS PAGE 6
NEWS PAGE 5
UNIVERSITY
University Lands’ revenue decreases By Alexa Ura University Lands, operated through the UT System’s Office of Business Affairs, sold a combined $72 million in oil and gas leases during its 2012 semiannual sales. The leases come on the heels of University Lands’ most lucrative sales in history in 2011, when lease sales totaled $560 million. Jim Benson, executive director of University Lands, said total sales were less this
CAMPUS
year because less acreage was available to lease. “Of our total land mass of 2.1 million acres, 1.6 million are in production in the Permian Basin, and of that 1.4 million are under leased or currently in production,” he said. The September 2012 sale offered 49,007 acres, just a little more than an eighth of the September 2011 sale when University Lands offered 372,163 acres for lease to oil and gas companies.
LEASE continues on page 2
university lands’ oil and gas land lease profits $44,365,695,53
Sept. 26, 2012
$27,816,999.61
March 22, 2012
$310,124,021.30
Sept. 21, 2011
$249,833,843.98
March 30, 2010
$207,248,947.05
Sept. 22, 2010
$40,421,855.70
April 21, 2010 Oct. 28, 2009
$13,957,805.47
Source: University Lands summary reports
Urban Jungle
10 LIFE & ARTS
Ben Affleck’s new movie, “Argo,” reviewed.
By Andrew Messamore & Alexa Ura
understanding what is actually going on.” Stinson presented examples in which urbanization affected ecosystems, including peppered moths adapting exterior colors to match the color of tree bark chemically altered by factory emissions. He stressed the difference between acclimation and adaptation, acclimation
As the Supreme Court examines the University’s race-conscious admissions process in Fisher v. Texas, the future remains uncertain for students who don’t qualify for automatic admission. If the court sides with plaintiff Abigail Fisher and removes the use of race in admissions at UT, future in-state applicants will have no chance of being admitted unless they graduate in the top 10 percent of their high school class. This will take effect for the incoming class in 2015 unless the state intervenes. During arguments Wednesday, the Supreme Court pressured UT to justify its use of race in holistic review for admissions. State law requires public universities to provide as many in-state spots as possible to students who graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school class. Passed in 2009, Senate Bill 175 capped the number of in-state freshman admitted under the Top 10 Percent Rule at 75 percent of the
LECTURE continues on page 2
FISHER continues on page 2
Study in London
Attend an info session today from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. about the “Roots of Social and Economic Justice: an International Perspective” Maymester abroad in London, England. The event is free and located in SSW 2.116.
Fantastic Fest
Thomas Allison | Daily Texan Staff A squirrel pauses while drinking from a sprinkler head outside the SAC. The free Science Under the Stars lecture at Brackenridge Field Laboratory Thursday evening focused on urban ecosystems and their effects on human and animal interactions.
Student lecturer studies effects of urbanization on local wildlife By Tiffany Hinman
Tavola Italiana
Participate in informal conversations in Italian at the weekly Italian Club meeting, Tavola Italiana, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Cactus Cafe. The event is free and open to everyone.
Rain did not stop the Austin community from learning about the relationship between animals and humans in urban societies at October’s Science Under the Stars lecture.
Today in history
ELECTION 2012
In 1492
On Oct. 12, a sailor on board Columbus’ ship, the Pinta, sighted land, and thus a new era of European exploration and expansion was born. The 90 crew members of Columbus’ three-ship fleet ventured onto the Bahamian island that he named San Salvador (now Watling Island, and then called Guanahani by the natives), ending a voyage begun nearly 10 weeks earlier in Palos, Spain. Many countries, including Spain and Mexico, observe Oct.12 as Columbus Day.
Prospects of future admittees uncertain Fisher v. texas
TODAY
A Town Called Panic is a stop motion-animated Belgian film about a Cowboy and his best friend, the Indian, setting out on an adventure. This film is playing at the Alamo Drafthouse Ritz as part of their Fantastic Fest special. The sceening starts at 5 p.m. and general admissions is $10.
NATIONAL
Patrick Stinson, an ecology, evolution and behavior graduate student, spoke at the free lecture series at Brackenridge Field Laboratory Thursday evening to discuss how human and animal interaction is affected by urban ecosystems. Stinson’s graduate research
investigates the effects traffic noise has on the environment of cricket frogs, attempting to determine if males can acclimate to the noise or need to adapt their calls. “There is no Austin without the interaction we have with other organisms,” Stinson said. “People are raised thinking, ‘I’m not interested in biology.’ With this attitude, you are cutting yourself off from
Top 10 acts to watch VP candidates get aggressive at weekend festival By David Loewenberg
Voters got their first and only chance to see the two vice presidential candidates go head to head during Thursday night’s debate between Vice President Joe Biden and Republican challenger Rep. Paul Ryan. The two candidates sought to shed light on the differences between the two presidential tickets during the 90-minute vice presidential debate that focused on both domestic and foreign policy. With the exception of a brief comment by Biden on the tuition tax credit, higher education was not discussed during the debate. The two candidates answered questions on topics ranging from the economy and women’s health to Iraq and Afghanistan from ABC News Correspondent Martha
the Red Hot Chili Peppers, is arguably the best in a few years. A caravan of additional world-class musical acts round out the weekend-long party. Here are the top 10 acts you don’t want to miss.
Friday
Joe Biden
Paul Ryan
Vice President
GOP VP nominee
Raddatz. On the economy, Biden criticized Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s recently disclosed comment, in which he described 47 percent of Americans as “dependent upon government.” “These people are my mom and dad, the people I grew up with, my neighbors,” Biden said. “They pay more effective tax than Governor Romney pays in his federal income tax. They are elderly people who,
in fact, are living off of Social Security. They are veterans and people fighting in Afghanistan right now who are, quote, ‘not paying any tax.’” Ryan responded with his own policy plans. “We want everybody to succeed,” Ryan said. “We want to get people out of poverty, in the middle class, onto a life of self-sufficiency. We believe in opportunity
DEBATE continues on page 2
By Ricky Stein Hard to believe, but Austin City Limits Music Festival turns 11 this weekend. Over the years, we’ve seen some ups and downs — the dust bowl, the mud bowl, the propane tank fire, Ben Kweller’s mysterious bloody nose — but the good times have easily outweighed the bad. This year’s ACL lineup, featuring The Black Keys, Jack White, Neil Young and
Delta Spirit, AMD stage, 2:15 p.m. — One of the top buzz bands over the last few years, San Diego quintet Delta Spirit expanded their sound on their self-titled third album. Catch some of their kind-of-country, kind-of-beachy, kind-ofBrooklyn-y sound. Alabama Shakes, Barton Springs Stage, 5:30 p.m. — Grab a turkey leg and maybe a tallboy (if you’re willing to wait) and head over to the Barton Springs stage to catch one of the busiest and most talked about bands of 2012.
FESTIVAL continues on page 9
News
2
The Daily Texan Volume 113, Issue 43
FRAMES | FEAtuREd photo
CONTACT US Main Telephone: (512) 471-4591 Editor: Susannah Jacob (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com Managing Editor: Aleksander Chan (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com News Office: (512) 232-2207 news@dailytexanonline.com Multimedia Office: (512) 471-7835 dailytexanmultimedia@gmail.com Sports Office: (512) 232-2210 sports@dailytexanonline.com Life & Arts Office: (512) 232-2209 dailytexan@gmail.com
Zachary Strain | Daily Texan Staff Students and passersby sign their names on “The Closet Door” in support of the LGBTQ community on Speedway during National Coming Out Day. “[It’s] our way of not just promoting queer rights but making allies aware that they can come out and show their support,” said Jessica Hernandez, a member of Stand Out. The organization promotes queer issues through advocacy and activism and hosted yesterday’s event. “[There are] many ways to come out. Being an ally is an identity for a lot of people,” Ash Hall, co-director of Stand Out, said.
LEASE
Retail Advertising: (512) 471-1865 joanw@mail.utexas.edu Classified Advertising: (512) 471-5244 classifieds@dailytexanonline.com
The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely. If we have made an error, let us know about it. Call (512) 232-2217 or e-mail managingeditor@dailytexanonline.com.
COPYRIGHT Copyright 2012 Texas Student Media. All articles, photographs and graphics, both in the print and online editions, are the property of Texas Student Media and may not be reproduced or republished in part or in whole without written permission.
Correction: Because of a reporting error, an Oct. 11 column (and its headline) incorrectly said the City of Austin ordered a mural on the Union Pacific Train trestle removed. Union Pacific made the decision to paint over the mural independently.
continues from page 1 University Lands is responsible for the 2.1 million acres of land that make up the Permanent University Fund, a state endowment funded by the investment of lease sale profits and revenue from production on the land. The land is leased for multiple purposes, including oil and gas production and for surface uses. The UT System and the Texas A&M University System are beneficiaries of the PUF. The UT Investment Management Company invests sale profits and lease revenue in various industries including oil, gas and gold on behalf of the System. Returns on investment go straight into the Available University Fund, which usually makes up about 8 percent of UT’s operating budget. The UT System receives two-thirds of returns on investment while the A&M System receives one-third. The University received $205 million in returns
LECTURE continues from page 1
TOMORROW’S WEATHER Low
High
87
72 It’s going to be rough. That’s what makes it fun.
being a constrained behavior not passed down to offspring and adaptation being a change between generations passed down to offspring. He said in urban environments,
This issue of The Daily Texan is valued at $1.25
Permanent Staff
Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Susannah Jacob Associate Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drew Finke, Kayla Oliver, Pete Stroud Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aleksander Chan Associate Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trey Scott Digital Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hayley Fick News Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matt Stottlemyre Associate News Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Samantha Katsounas, Allie Koletcha, Jody Serrano Senior Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bobby Blanchard, David Maly, Alexa Ura Enterprise Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Audrey White Enterprise Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew Messamore, Megan Strickland Copy Desk Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kristine Reyna Associate Copy Desk Chiefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Riley Brands, Amyna Dosani, Sherry Hu, Luis San Miguel Editorial Copy Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nile Miller Design Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nicole Collins Senior Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pu Ying Huang, Omar Longoria, Jack Mitts Special Projects Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Natasha Smith Photo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lawrence Peart Associate Photo Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elisabeth Dillon, Andrew Torrey Senior Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nathan Goldsmith, Pu Ying Huang, Zachary Strain, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Fanny Trang, Marisa Vasquez Multimedia Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jorge Corona Associate Multimedia Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrea Macias Senior Videographers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oluwademilade Adejuyigbe, Thomas Allison, Shila Farahani, Lawrence Peart Life&Arts Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kelsey McKinney Associate Life&Arts Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jorge Corona, Sarah-Grace Sweeney Senior Life&Arts Writer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Helen Fernandez, Hannah Smothers, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ricky Stein, Alex Williams, Laura Wright Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christian Corona Senior Sports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lauren Giudice, Chris Hummer, Sara Beth Purdy, Rachel Thompson, Wes Maulsby Comics Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ao Meng Associate Comics Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Riki Tsuji Web Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ghayde Ghraowi Associate Web Editor, Social Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ryan Sanchez Associate Web Editors, Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Helen Fernandez, Omar Longoria Administrative Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Albert Cheng Editorial Adviser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Doug Warren
Issue Staff
Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christine Ayala, Carly Coen, Joshua Fechter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lazaro Hernandez, Tiffany Hinman, David Loewenberg, Columnist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Larisa Manescu Multimedia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thomas Allison Page Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jamie Cheng Sports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Evan Berkowtz, Jori Epstein, Jacob Martella, Rachel Wenzlaff Life&Arts Writer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Audrey White Copy Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rachel Kaser, Sarah Smith, Amy Yu Comic Artists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Desiree Avila, Anike Bhattacharya, Cody Bubenik, Aron Fernandez, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Hook,Lauren Moore, Christina Paige Sze, Lakeem Wilson Editorial Cartoonist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lauren Moore Web Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tyler Reinhart
Business and Advertising
(512) 471-1865 | advertise@texasstudentmedia.com Interim Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jalah Goette Business Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lori Hamilton Business Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amy Ramirez Advertising Adviser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CJ Salgado Broadcast & Events Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carter Goss Campus & National Sales Associate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joan Bowerman Student Advertising Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Morgan Haenchen Student Assistant Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ted Moreland Student Acct. Execs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matthew Chang, Zach Congdon, Draike Delagarza, Jake Dworkis, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ivan Meza, Trevor Nelson, Diego Palmas, Paola Reyes, Ted Sniderman Student Office Assistant/Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nick Cremona Senior Graphic Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Felimon Hernandez Junior Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jacqui Bontke, Sara Gonzales, Bailey Sullivan Special Editions/Production Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Abby Johnston Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Daniel Hublein
The Daily Texan (USPS 146-440), a student newspaper at The University of Texas at Austin, is published by Texas Student Media, 2500 Whitis Ave., Austin, TX 78705. The Daily Texan is published daily, Monday through Friday, during the regular academic year and is published once weekly during the summer semester. The Daily Texan does not publish during academic breaks, most Federal Holidays and exam periods. Periodical Postage Paid at Austin, TX 78710. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Daily Texan, P.O. Box D, Austin, TX 78713. News contributions will be accepted by telephone (471-4591), or at the editorial office (Texas Student Media Building 2.122). For local and national display advertising, call 471-1865. classified display advertising, call 471-1865. For classified word advertising, call 471-5244. Entire contents copyright 2012 Texas Student Media.
The Daily Texan Mail Subscription Rates One Semester (Fall or Spring) $60.00 Two Semesters (Fall and Spring) 120.00 Summer Session 40.00 One Year (Fall, Spring and Summer) 150.00 To charge by VISA or MasterCard, call 471-5083. Send orders and address changes to Texas Student Media', P.O. Box D, Austin, TX 78713-8904, or to TSM Building C3.200, or call 471-5083. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Daily Texan, P.O. Box D, Austin, TX 78713.
Texan Ad Deadlines
through the Available University Fund for the 2012 fiscal year operating budget — up almost $26 million from 2011. Mary Knight, associate vice president and UT budget director, said fluctuations in lease sale profits are smoothed over time because Available University Fund estimates are based on 12 previous financial quarters rather than only the previous year. “Long-term declines could have a major impact on the recurring budget and could require budget reductions across all colleges, schools and departments, including research and student scholarships,” she said. Bruce Zimmerman, CEO of the UT Investment Management Company, said the company is not looking to invest in new industries. The bulk of revenue generated from the lands is from oil production, Benson said. University Lands receives 25 percent of royalties from all oil and gas production on its leased land and produced almost $1 billion in revenue last year. He said $600 adaptation to noise is evident in the increase in volume of animal calls. While the lectures are normally presented outside, the risk of rain forced Science Under the Stars volunteers to move operations inside Brackenridge Field Laboratory. Graduate students in the
DEBATE continues from page 1
and upward mobility. That’s what we’re going to push for in a Romney administration.” The debate took a more aggressive tone than the first presidential debate. At one point, Biden called a statement Ryan made “a bunch of malarkey.” On the topic of foreign policy, Ryan criticized
million was from oil and gas. “While it’s kind of exciting to see big oil and gas lease sales, the real revenue comes from long-term production on the land,” Benson said. “Of all these new leases companies buy, the ultimate goal is to get them to drill.” The sale is a sealed bid process in which companies bid on land where they think they can hit oil. Permanent University Fund lands are primarily located in 24 counties, mostly in West Texas. Benson said many major companies have production operations on University Land tracts. “We get newcomers every year, but a lot of the same companies are consistently drilling and producing on our land in the Permian Basin for years,” he said. ConocoPhillips Company, Approach Oil & Gas Inc. and Angelle & Donohue Oil & Gas Properties Inc. are among the leaseholders. Oil was first discovered on Permanent University Fund land in 1923 in Reagan County, according to University Lands.
Friday, October 12, 2012
FISHER
continues from page 1 incoming class for UT. SB 175 also requires Texas public universities to fill any available in-state spots with automatic admits if a court strikes down the use of race in admissions. It is likely this policy change would obligate the University to admit only Top 10 program students due to demographic pressure. Around 90 percent of UT students are in-state, and a quarter of each instate incoming class is admitted through holistic review. Three-quarters of in-state students are admitted through the Top 10 program. Out-of-state and international students admitted to UT apply under a separate process, and a ruling against UT would only remove race as a factor in their applications. Gov. Rick Perry could call a 30-day special legislative session after a ruling is issued if the court decides against UT. The legislature could then create a new law allowing UT to adjust its admissions policy. Sen. Judith Zaffirini, DLaredo, former chair of the Senate Committee of Higher Education, said she expects a divided vote from the court. “We will have to work to define the role of the Legislature in college admissions,” Zaffirini said of taking action after the court makes its decision. Zaffirini said it would be unfair if UT admitted all students through the Top 10 program, because it would undermine students who standout in areas aside from academics. She said a version of the rule will likely remain in place. “It took the Legislature three sessions to change the Top 10 program to cap admissions to 75 percent of each class specifically for UT,” she said. “It was very difficult to make changes to the rule in the past because it has been highly supported.”
Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, said no action should be taken at the Legislature if the Supreme Court rules against the use of race in UT’s holistic review. “If the Supreme Court decides against its current holistic review, then the University should go back to the drawing board,” he said. “This is not something that should require legislative action.” Recently appointed as chairman of the Senate Committee on Higher Education, Seliger said he is in favor of discontinuing the Top 10 program. In 2004 Seliger unsuccessfully pushed a bill attempting to discontinue the program. “The rule puts the Legislature in a position of running admissions at universities, and I don’t think that should be allowed,” he said. “It’s clear UT wants to increase minority enrollment, and that’s a laudable goal. But the Top 10 program is not doing so.” UT records show a higher percentage of black and Hispanic students have been admitted through the Top 10 program than through race-conscious admissions every year since 2007. Of students admitted under the Top 10 program in 2011, 29 percent were Hispanic undergraduates, 6 percent were black undergraduates and 19 percent were Asian undergraduates. Of students admitted under holistic review, 14 percent were Hispanic, 5 percent were white and 17 percent were Asian. After arguments in Fisher v. Texas Wednesday, UT President William Powers Jr. said a ruling that eliminates the use of race in admissions would constrain UT’s ability to admit qualified students to the University. “What the consequences in the decision are depend on the details of the decision,” Powers said. “We will certainly work with the Legislature in whatever result comes out to find a way that works for the University.”
Section of Integrative Biology founded Science Under the Stars in 2009. Eben Gering, an ecology, evolution and behavior graduate student, has worked with Science Under the Stars since it began. Gering said the program was originally designed to give graduate students the chance to develop
public speaking skills and develop opportunities for the public to learn about the research conducted in UT’s biology program. “As graduate students we are trained how to apply for research grants and how to write scientific publications, but we receive zero training in how to tell the
public what we do in a way that the public will find understandable and interesting,” Gering said. Science Under the Stars will meet again Nov. 8 to present a lecture by Chintan Modi, a cell and molecular biology graduate student, to discuss vaccine development and fluorescence.
Obama’s response to the recent attack on the American embassy in Libya. “This Benghazi issue would be a tragedy in and of itself, but unfortunately it’s indicative of a broader problem,” Ryan said. “And that is what we are watching on our TV screens is the unraveling of the Obama foreign policy.” In turn, Biden offered his own criticism of Romney’s response. “You know, usually when
there’s a crisis, we pull together,” Biden said. “We pull together as a nation. But as I said, even before we knew what happened to the ambassador, the governor was holding a press conference. That’s not presidential leadership.” The University Democrats hosted a debate watch party at Player’s while members of the College Republicans attended a watch party at Third Base Sports Bar hosted by Austin Young Republicans.
Speaking from the watch party, Jordan Nichols, executive vice president of College Republicans, said Paul Ryan won the debate in measuring on issues and policy stances. “As far as substance, Vice President Biden offered pretty much the same thing we’ve heard for the last four years, and it’s pretty obvious where that’s gotten us,” Nichols said. Sandra Ogenche, vice president of University Democrats, said the debate will serve to remind voters of why supporting the ObamaBiden ticket is so crucial. “I think Joe Biden did a really good job of getting back to the reason for our support of the ticket,” Ogenche said. “He talked about issues that affect the middle class, that affect our veterans, that affect students, and I think that resonated with a lot of people.” With early voting already underway in several states, the most recent national polls show a neck and neck race. The second presidential debate will be held Oct. 16 at 8 p.m. at Hofstra University. college ski & board week breckenridge
Vail • Beaver Creek • Keystone • Arapahoe Basin
20 Mountains. 5 Resorts. 1 Price.
From only
plus t/s
10/12/12
Monday .............Wednesday, 12 p.m. Thursday.................Monday, 12 p.m. Tuesday.................Thursday, 12 p.m. Friday......................Tuesday, 12 p.m. Word Ads 11 a.m. Wednesday................Friday, 12 p.m. Classified (Last Business Day Prior to Publication)
www.ubski.com
1-800-ski-wild • 1-800-754-9453
Friday, October 12, 2012
World & Nation 3
NEWS BRIEFLY
American citizens rally in Islamabad, Pakistan against drone attacks in the Pakistani tribal belt. A group of American anti-war activists are in Pakistan with plans to join a march into the country’s tribal belt to protest U.S. drone strikes in the rugged Northwest territory. Their presence has energized some Pakistanis, but it also has added to concerns that Islamist militants will target the weekend event.
Violence escalates in South African strikes JOHANNESBURG — Striking miners killed one man by setting him on fire Thursday while another was fatally shot, apparently by police, in rekindled labor unrest in South Africa that saw police firing tear gas and rubber bullets. The violence near an Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) mine has escalated since the company dismissed 12,000 striking miners Friday. Dozens have been killed in violence in other strikes in South Africa since August. One person died Thursday in a hospital after being hit by two rubber bullets likely fired by police trying to disperse striking miners, said Gaddafi Mdoda, a leader of the striking Amplats mineworkers. Another person died of his wounds after being set alight by striking workers, North West police spokesman Brig. Thulani Ngubane said.
Fla. garage collapses, death toll rises MIAMI — Workers inched closer Thursday afternoon to pulling a fourth likely casualty from a Miami Dade College-Doral Campus parking garage collapse Wednesday as a search for answers continued over what reduced a routine construction project to piles of twisted steel and crumbled concrete. No students were in the accident area because the garage was under construction. The campus was evacuated and closed for the rest of the week. Officials said there was no visible damage to other buildings, but even a hairline fracture could compromise safety.
Circumcision ritual causes health issue NEW YORK — A group of rabbis is clashing with New York City health officials over the safety of an ancient circumcision ritual. Three rabbis and three Jewish groups asked a federal court Thursday to block enforcement of a new regulation requiring written parental consent for a rite called “metzitzah b’peh,” in Hebrew, which city health experts said can spread infection and has killed two children since 2004. During the ritual, the person performing the circumcision attempts to cleanse the wound by sucking blood from the cut and spitting it aside. The saliva contact puts the infant at increased risk of getting herpes simplex, a virus that is carried harmlessly by a large majority of adults but that can be deadly to newborns.
Chinese writer wins Nobel literature prize
BEIJING — Novelist Mo Yan, this year’s Nobel Prize winner for literature, is practiced in the art of challenging the status quo without offending those who uphold it. Mo, whose popular, sprawling, bawdy tales bring to life rural China, is the first Chinese winner of the literature prize who is not a critic of the authoritarian government. And Thursday’s announcement by the Swedish Academy brought an explosion of pride across Chinese social media. The reactions highlight the unusual position Mo holds in Chinese literature. He is a genuinely popular writer who is embraced by the Communist establishment but who also dares, within careful limits, to tackle controversial issues like forced abortion. His novel “The Garlic Ballads,” which depicts a peasant uprising and official corruption, was banned. —Compiled from Associated Press reports
Kristine Reyna, Wire Editor
B.K. Bangash Associated Press
U.S. drone attack kills Pakistani militants By Hussain Afzal Associated Press
PARACHINAR, Pakistan — U.S. drones fired four missiles at a compound of a Pakistani militant commander in a northwestern tribal region Thursday, killing 16 militants, while a pair of bombings in another part of the country killed 10 civilians and three security personnel, officials said. A government administrator in Orakzai region, Salim Khan, said 12 insurgents were also wounded in the drone attack near Biland village bordering the North Waziristan tribal region. Three Pakistani in-
telligence officials said the dead and wounded men were fighters loyal to militant commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur, who is based in North Waziristan. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to brief reporters on the record. Although U.S. authorities often target militant hideouts in the country’s North and South Waziristan tribal regions bordering Afghanistan, such strikes in other tribal regions like Orakzai are rare. The U.S. rarely discusses the unmanned drone strikes, which are part of a covert CIA program. The strikes are extremely contentious in Paki-
Photo courtesy of CDC via Associated Press This image shows the Exserohilum rostratum fungus, which is found in 10 people sickened in the current fungal meningitis outbreak. It’s a common mold found in soil and on plants.
Steroid shots faulted in meningitis outbreak By Lauran Neergaard & Mike Stobbe Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Federal health officials have tracked down 12,000 of the roughly 14,000 people who may have received contaminated steroid shots in the nation’s growing meningitis outbreak, warning Thursday that patients will need to keep watch for symptoms of the deadly infection for months. “We know that we are not out of the woods yet,” Dr. J. Todd Weber of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said as the death toll reached 14. Of the 170 people sickened in the outbreak, all but one have a rare fungal form of meningitis after receiving suspect steroid shots for back pain, the CDC said. The other case is an ankle infection discovered in Michigan; steroid shots also can be given to treat aching knees, shoulders or other joints. Fungus has been found in at least 50 vials of an injectable steroid medication made at a specialty compounding pharmacy in
Massachusetts, investigators said. Health authorities haven’t yet said how they think the medication was contaminated, but they have ruled out other suspects — other products used in administering the shots — and the focus continues to be on that pharmacy, the New England Compounding Center. Compounding pharmacies traditionally supply products that aren’t commercially available, unlike the steroid at issue in the outbreak. And Dr. Madeleine Biondolillo of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health said it appears the company violated state law governing those pharmacies, which aren’t supposed to do large-scale production like a drug manufacturer. Instead, they’re supposed to produce medication for patient-specific prescriptions, she said. “This organization chose to apparently violate the licensing requirements under which they were allowed to operate,” she told reporters Thursday. Company officials weren’t immediately available to comment Thursday.
stan, where many consider them an affront to Pakistani sovereignty. They also say the strikes kill innocent civilians, which the U.S. denies. The Pakistani government protested to the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad about Thursday’s drone strikes as well as another Wednesday in which five people were killed. “The embassy was informed that drone strikes on Pakistani territory were a clear violation of international law and Pakistan’s sovereignty. These attacks were unacceptable to Pakistan,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Washington says the strikes are an important
part of battling militants in the tribal areas, where Pakistan has been unable or unwilling to do so. The latest drone attack came hours after a bomb at a crowded market in Pakistan’s restive southwestern province of Baluchistan killed 10 people. A roadside bombing elsewhere in the troubled region killed three security officials, police said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombings, but nationalists in Baluchistan have long waged a low-level insurgency to pressure the government to increase the local share of funds from resources such as natural gas that are extracted from the province.
Islamist militants, including the al-Qaida affiliated group Lashkare-Jhangvi, also operate in Baluchistan. The market bombing Thursday took place in the town of Sibi in Baluchistan, and it also wounded 24 people, said senior police officer, Ghulam Aali Lashari. Lashari said the blast destroyed several shops in the town, about 150 kilometers (90 miles) east of Quetta, the provincial capital. Hours later, a roadside bomb struck a vehicle carrying security officers in the southwestern town of Dera Bugti. That attack killed three officers and wounded two, said police officer Shehbaz Khan.
Opinion 4
Friday, October 12, 2012
Editor-in-Chief Susannah Jacob
We asked: 24-hour PCL
Starting Sunday, the Perry-Castañeda Library will remain open 24 hours a day on weekdays. We asked students standing outside the PCL what they think about the new development, a result of Student Government’s effort, and if they plan to make use of the extended hours. “I think I’ll probably use it now because midterms are coming, and I know that it wasn’t open 24 hours until finals [before 24/5]…During the week, that’s still kind of hard because we have class during the week too so it would be hard to use if you have morning classes.” — Daphne Delgado, Spanish and nursing junior
“I think it’s awesome, but I live really far, so I don’t like walking back by myself.” — Ale Siller, biology sophomore
“I probably won’t because I go to sleep at midnight, but it’s nice for other people.” — Maria de la Garza, international relations and global studies sophomore
“I would use it because you never know when you have something that needs to be done…Having 24-hour access to Internet is a great benefit to me, so I’ll use it.” — Amber Doyle, undeclared freshman
“I don’t study at the library. I study in my room all the time.” — Adrienne Gonzales, biology sophomore
“Yeah, I’ll probably be using it, at least during finals time, because it’s more comfortable than other places I could go in the middle of the night to study.” —Alex Dodge, architectural engineering freshman
“I live off campus, but if I lived on campus or somewhere close I would use it.” — Floyd Miller, kinesiology sophomore
“I will use it because I can study any time I want to, and I won’t bother my roommate.” — Tryphosa Asamoah, undeclared freshman
GALLERY
YCT watch list claims bias, is biased By Larisa Manescu Daily Texan Columnist
Lauren Moore | Daily Texan Cartoonist
Dope your way to an A (or C)
By John Hoberman Guest Columnist
It was the students in my UT course on Pharmacology and Human Enhancements who gave me the news back in 2004. UT students were using a lot of Ritalin and Adderall to stay awake and improve their mental focus while studying. And the anecdotal evidence was compelling: Many students were convinced that these amphetamine-like stimulants would get them better grades and improve their future career opportunities. Over the past decade, these “study drugs” have become common on American campuses as a form of academic doping. Like the athletic doping about which we have heard so much in recent years, today’s “brain doping” has a long history. Benzedrine was first produced in 1932. By the end of that decade, students and truck drivers were pioneering the use of amphetamines as workplace doping drugs to stay awake. Hyped claims about the intellectual benefits of Benzedrine use appeared in scientific journals at this time. The world today presents a very different environment for drug use than that of the 1930s. Today’s younger generation was born into an “Age of Enhancements” that took off during the 1990s and is still gaining momentum. The “Viagra Era,” as I call it, began when most UT students were still in elementary school. Prozac became a famous drug when most of today’s college students were infants; today, its reputation as a personality-transforming wonder drug is long gone. These days, testosterone enhancement is being promoted on television like suntan lotion, when in fact it’s a powerful synthetic hormone. The mainstreaming of Botox and a variety of plastic surgeries must seem perfectly normal to young people. Small wonder that many 21st-century students are receptive to claims that their (illegal) off-label use of stimulants is an enhancement to which they are entitled in a fiercely
competitive world. Being born into a world of familiar enhancement procedures makes drugs seem routine. But while various enhancements have become common, they often cause problems. The long-term effects of testosterone and growth hormone “therapy” are unknown. Ten years ago, many physicians and their female patients were shocked to learn that estrogen replacement therapy was less benign than it had been assumed to be. The credulous talk one hears today about “cognitive enhancements” naïvely assumes that whichever cognitive effects are achieved will be advantageous ones. However, one problem with doping procedures in general is the likelihood of paying some kind of “physiological penalty” for attempting to enhance the human organism. According to Martha Farah, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Pennsylvania, cognitive psychologists “have found that there is a tradeoff between attentional focus and creativity.” That would seem a high price to pay if intellectual development is your goal. Psychotropic drugs can also cause strange and unexpected reactions in those who take them. For some, this is a form of entertainment. But people should not expect predictable benefits from a pill. The ultimate physiological penalty will be paid by stimulant-consuming students with cardiovascular risk factors that trigger life-threatening heart arrhythmias. For this reason, students who give or sell off-label stimulants to their friends should ask them whether their cardiologists have cleared them to take these drugs. There is a good medical reason that these private drug transactions are against the law. Study dopers may also find themselves unsure of what they can accomplish without the effect provided by the drug. As one student put it, she was more comfortable knowing that “my intellect works quite well on its own.” The available data say that most college students do not engage in
LEGALESE
UT students are using a lot of Rittalin and Adderall to stay awake and improve their “focus.” academic doping. Interestingly, there have been few audible protests against the use of study drugs. What we have heard instead has been a great deal of concerned discussion with no resolution in sight. Wesleyan University in Connecticut has banned study drugs, but the fact is that university administrators really have no idea about what to do. Like the police chiefs and military commanders who cannot prevent a certain amount of steroid use in the ranks, academic leaders are not in a position to enforce a prohibition of the doping drugs that circulate on their campuses. There is no point in my pretending to know all of the consequences of drug use. Thirty years ago, ignorant physicians were telling athletes that anabolic steroids didn’t work, and that cost them their credibility for a long time. Similarly, it would be foolish to deny that some people, and perhaps many people, have been getting some sort of quantifiable, and even useful, effects from using study drugs. We can’t blame students for being confused by the societal enhancements predicament in which they have landed. A conclusion to the epic struggle between the enhancements boom and the prohibition mentality that is still sending people to prison for possessing marijuana is nowhere in sight. What I hope is that students who practice study doping will do what students are supposed to be learning to do, which is to think hard about the important issues they encounter in life. Why have I never been interested in experimenting with doping? Because I am still exploring the brain I was born with. John Hoberman is a professor of Germanic studies at UT.
Opinions expressed in The Daily Texan are those of the editor, the Editorial Board or the writer of the article. They are not necessarily those of the UT administration, the Board of Regents or the Texas Student Media Board of Operating Trustees.
EDITORIAL TWITTER
Follow The Daily Texan Editorial Board on Twitter (@DTeditorial) and receive updates on our latest editorials and columns.
It’s been five years since the UT chapter of Young Conservatives of Texas last published a “professor watch list.” The compilation of the list, resurrected this year, claims to identify professors who show bias in the classroom. YCT is currently in the process of accepting submissions for the updated list. The YCT defines biased professors as those who do not allow views alternative to their own to be expressed in the classroom. The organization has the right idea: The most powerful person in the classroom is the professor. He or she possesses education, experience and ultimately command over students’ grades. However, a professor’s authority shouldn’t intimidate students and prevent them from contributing their own views. Thus, the initiative to catalogue professors’ biases in an effort to sustain a healthy dialogue between professors and students is a respectable and necessary one. But the “watch list” is inappropriate because it is being run by the wrong people. The process by which it is being created — through the agenda of a political organization — makes it untrustworthy. The fact that an inherently biased political organization considers itself the architect of a watch list to identify and eliminate bias is suspicious. This concern would be just the same if the University Democrats proposed the same project. The process adopted by YCT for evaluating professors consists of three methods: auditing classrooms, reviewing syllabus materials and surveying students. The first two activities are organized by YCT members, making the collection of information unreliable. James Lamey, a senior English major and member of YCT, denies that the watch list is a project exclusive to the organization. “YCT encourages others to conduct their own research and create their own list if they find ours to be unsatisfactory,” he said. All the same, I would argue that no political organization should be entrusted with any project that claims to present objective knowledge. Organizations are founded upon shared values and interests; although they may hon-
estly believe they are advocating for the “real” truth, their members are fundamentally biased in their viewpoints. Instead, entire classes should be put up to the task of evaluating their professors. Just as students complete general course surveys at the end of each semester, they should have the opportunity to fill out anonymous assessments dedicated specifically to evaluating professor bias in each course. Another shortcoming of the project is its intimidating name. Identifying bias should motivate professors to engage in constructive reform and evolve their teaching style to be wholesome and sensitive to all viewpoints. The label “watch list” discourages and upsets professors with its accusatory connotation. Attaching a professor’s name to a watch list invokes public shame, as opposed to giving him or her the opportunity to improve lectures. The label disenchants Sheldon Ekland-Olson, former dean of the College of Liberal Arts and provost. “This sounds like thought police,” he said. “It is offensive.” The project should look beyond merely witch hunting to uncover bias; it should strive to offer constructive suggestions to combat it. Ekland-Olson, who now teaches an undergraduate studies course called “Life and Death Decisions” that deals with controversial topics such as abortion, euthanasia, war and torture, reveals that he tries “very hard to avoid revealing [his] biases or personal opinions until the very last day of class when it is open season and all questions are permitted and answered candidly.” As a former student, I can testify to his ability to keep us curious about his own views until the last day. Why not aim at eliminating bias by offering helpful suggestions instead of making provocative allegations? Professors should acknowledge the difference between sharing their opinions on a particular topic and letting strong personal ideas dictate their teaching. Ultimately, YCT’s idea is worthy of examination, but it is the wrong start to this type of study. (Hint: study is a better word than “watch list.”) Manescu is a journalism and international relations and global studies sophomore from Ploiesti, Romania.
SUBMIT A FIRING LINE
E-mail your Firing Lines to firingline@dailytexanonline.com. Letters must be more than 100 and fewer than 300 words. The Texan reserves the right to edit all submissions for brevity, clarity and liability.
RECYCLE
Please recycle this copy of The Daily Texan. Place the paper in one of the recycling bins on campus or back in the burnt-orange newsstand where you found it.
News
Friday, October 12, 2012
5
UNIVERSITY
Libraries use mascots to promote reading READ campaign stars Bevo, Hook ‘Em, Longhorn Band By Christine Ayala Posters of Bevo and Hook ‘Em reading on the beach, in a chemistry lab and at the stadium have filled the libraries at local schools, encouraging kids to pick up a book and read. UT Libraries joined the American Library Association’s READ promotion to produce four posters of the UT mascots. They have been distributed to 655 schools in the Texas Education Agency’s Region XIII area since mid-September. UT Libraries spokesperson Travis Willmann said once the posters were distributed and the images appeared online, he began receiving positive feedback and requests for posters from teachers, librarians and UT fans. He said more than 50 teachers asked for posters during the first week of distribution. “As soon as we put it out there we got a good response through emails and Facebook,” Willmann said. “We had somebody contact us from as far away as Colorado
Springs to find out how she could get the posters.” Dixie West, a librarian at Cedar Creek Middle School in Bastrop ISD and a UT alumnna, said receiving the box of posters to find her mascot was a nice surprise. She said she emailed UT Libraries to express her appreciation. “The first one I saw was the one with the band, and I was in band at UT so it just made my day,” West said. West said the posters fit well with the middle school’s initiative encouraging its students to pursue higher education. “Each teacher has the college they went to on their door, and we have posters for universities up in halls,” West said. “We encourage higher education of any kind, so things like this are great.” Boone Elementary librarian Tina Shands said the faculty at her school also show their collegiate pride to emphasize the importance of higher education. “Even though we are an elementary school, we want them to be college-ready,” Shands
Pu Ying Huang | Daily Texan Staff Jose Quezada, 12, reads a “Naruto” graphic novel while waiting for dismissal at Cedar Creek Middle School in Bastrop on Thursday afternoon. UT Libraries has joined the READ promotion, which uses posters of UT mascot Hook ‘Em to encourage students to read more.
said. “The kids will recognize Bevo and UT, and it will definitely encourage them to read. They love them.” Willmann said the current posters are available online as free downloads, but if the
interest increases, full-size posters may be sold to reach other schools outside the region. The READ promotion, which began in 1985, frequently features celebrities and actors. Willmann said
CITY
the positive response to the mascot posters could lead to others featuring celebrities associated with the University. “We didn’t go with a celebrity. We thought the mascots would be cost-effective and
didn’t anticipate such a positive response,” Willmann said. “We have a wish list in mind of some UT alumni we would like to get in contact with. We would also like to get suggestions from students.”
STATE
Economic growth places Austin at top Dallas bar opens By Lazaro Hernandez
Austin’s current economic development has garnered national attention, placing it high on prominent lists ranking the economy, jobs and the real estate market. The city’s economic success coupled with dropping unemployment rates could mean good news for graduating students. Austin ranked second in a list of best U.S. job markets compiled by Adecco Staffing U.S., a national employment agency. The rankings are based on information from the company’s 900 national branches, as well as local unemployment rates, the number of job openings in the past six months and an overall assessment of the economic environment in each city. Forbes Magazine ranked Austin the number one h“Best Big City for Jobs” in -2012 based on Bureau of eLabor Statistics employnment data from the past g12 years, and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an ineternational professional -service firm, named Austin e , e CITY
e y e f -
the second best real estate market to watch. J. Bruce Kellison, associate director of the Bureau of Business Research at UT’s IC² Institute, said the presence of the state government and the University in Austin contributed to the city’s economic success during the economic downturn, which included good real estate and job markets. “Those two, [the state government and UT] served as anchors during the economic downturn and contributed to the city being able to keep from suffering as much as other parts of the country,” Kellison said. With several technology companies, including Apple and Samsung, recently announcing expansions in Austin, Kellison said he sees a promising economic future in the city. General Motors also announced in September it will open an IT innovation center in Austin which will create 500 new jobs. “With things like Formula 1 moving here, attracting out-of-country visitors, and the fact that there is continued growth in the technology
sector, I see the Austin economy only getting stronger from here in the next few years,” Kellison said. “Interest rates are going to stay down, so business and home ownership should recover as the national economy gets stronger.” Brian Talley, owner and real estate broker for Regent Property Group, an Austinbased real estate company, said he has seen an obvious improvement in the real estate market over the past three years. “Austin seems to have the ‘cool’ factor and high quality of life that is helping lure talent from all over the world, which has a continuous positive impact on the housing market,” Talley said. “The future looks bright for the Austin housing market so long as the global markets side-step any major issues.” Robert Vega, assistant director for the UT Liberal Arts Career Center, said the job market in Austin looks good for graduating students as more companies move into the city, but students still need to plan ahead to ensure they
‘
Austin seems to have the ‘cool’ factor and high quality of life that is helping lure talent from all over the world, which has a continuous positive impact on the housing market. — Brian Talley, Owner and real estate broker for Regent Property Group
can find a job immediately upon graduating. “Austin continues to attract new businesses that in turn increases the number of job opportunities,” Vega said. “However, we recommend that all students start post-graduation planning early to help increase their competitiveness as an eventual fulltime job candidate.”
Cap Metro receives electric rail funding By Joshua Fechter
k Capital Metro will bet gin a $5 million, three. year planning process for t an urban rail project aft ter Austin City Council t unanimously approved the funds Thursday. Austin Urban Rail, a diy vision of the city’s trans, portation department, s already has a proposal in . place for the rail system. The first phase in the pro8 posal includes a 5.5-mile, mostly north-south route that runs through downtown and makes stops at UT. The first phase of the project would cost $550 million, according to Austin Urban Rail. According to transportation department documents, half of the initial $5 million will go to planning the physical layout of the rail, $1.2 million will go to surveying the land, $1.1 million will go to an
environmental impact survey required by the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act, $205,000 will go to public outreach initiatives and $122,000 will pay administrative fees. Robert Spillar, Austin Transportation Department director, said although no official decisions have been made, the rail is tentatively planned to make three stops on campus along San Jacinto Boulevard. If the rail is completed as planned, he said it will increase access to commercial centers and medical facilities at St. David’s Medical Center and University Medical Center at Brackenridge. The first phase of the route will run from downtown to the Mueller neighborhood in North Austin. A second phase of the project will run from downtown to South Pleasant Valley Road. During the meeting, council member Chris Riley asked Spillar if planned
routes could be amended or moved. Spillar said they could be amended during the project’s public outreach initiatives, which will begin in January. The city plans to begin operating the rail in 2021, Spillar said. Will McLeod, an Austin resident and former San Antonio mayoral candidate, spoke during the meeting and said he does not support an expanded rail presence in Austin when Capital Metro operates bus lines. He said he does not believe citizens will use the rail when they have access to automobiles and bus lines and believes the funds should be used to fix roads and sidewalks. “We can’t afford to fix our streets and sidewalks,” McLeod said. “Well, here’s the money right here. It’s going towards a choo-choo train that no one wants to ride.” Capital Metro will provide
$4 million from a Federal Transit Administration grant, and the remaining $1 million will come from the Austin Transportation Department’s 20122013 budget. Capital Metro currently operates MetroRail, which runs partially along Fifth Street downtown and through East and North Austin.
check out
with Austin touch By Carly Coen
Dallas is borrowing some Austin atmosphere with 6th Street Bar, a bar designed to embody the essence of Austin’s famous Sixth Street bar district. Celia Lopez, owner of 303 Bar & Grill in Dallas, opened 6th Street Bar in the Bishop Arts District in Uptown Dallas, an area known for its urban appeal. The bar opened in early September and features two levels and three separate bars. Critics from news sources including Culture Map Austin and Eater Dallas have raised questions about the ability to bring Austin to Dallas and the bar’s right to use a name inspired by an Austin location. Chris Meakin, senior lecturer at McCombs School of Business, said there is very little room for a legal battle in the matter. 6th Street Bar is trademarked in Dallas. Since there is no other bar named 6th Street Bar in the same geographic region, using the name is legal by industry and location trademark laws. Laurie Womble, a Dallas native and general manager of Frank and Angie’s Pizzeria just off of Sixth Street, said Dallas is such a cosmopolitan area that any bar from Austin’s Sixth Street would not survive there. She said 6th Street Uptown is located in the realms of a largely middleaged demographic, attracting a different crowd than
bars in Austin. “It might be successful, but it sounds like someone in Dallas is trying to relive their youth from when they were in Austin,” Womble said. Bars on Sixth Street in Austin are divided into the categories of West Sixth and East, or “Dirty,” Sixth, Sergio Peña, manager at Bar Louie, said. He said the geographic division of bars is a testament to the diversity of partygoers on the street. Different crowds frequent various bars for the atmosphere each provides. “It’s going to be hard for this new bar to get the feel of all these different locales all in one place,” Peña said. “This is a flip-flops and jeans kind of place. Dallas is a ‘dress to impress’ city, so you can’t expect a bar in Dallas to understand the Austin feel.” The contrast between Austin and Dallas does not stop at age demographics, said advertising senior Megan Hodges. Hodges said her friends visit Austin for the experience, not necessarily the bars. The appearance and style of Sixth Street bars are movable, but the experience of being in the city is not, she said. “If people from Austin go, they will probably think it’s kind of silly, but if people who haven’t been to the real Sixth Street go, they’ll be able to think of it as a place to let loose and have a night of drunken debauchery with the excuse that they were having the Sixth Street experience,” Hodges said.
“A MUST-SEE FILM!” –Sean Hannity, FOX NEWS AYN RAND’S EPIC NOVEL OF A WORLD ON THE BRINK
ONLINE stories videos photo galleries dailytexanonline.com
EVERYTHING HAS A BREAKING POINT
WWW.ATLASSHRUGGEDMOVIE.COM
STARTS FRIDAY ONLY IN THEATERS CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES
Sports 6
Friday, October 12, 2012
Christian Corona, Sports Editor
FOOTBALL
Ash gets another shot at OU
SIDELINE MLB
Vastly improved since last year’s loss to OU, Ash shows lighter side
GIANTS
REDS
By Christian Corona CARDINALS
If football reveals character, but doesn’t build it, then what does? Is it, as a second grader, dragging your father to the track every day, determined to outrun all the fourth graders in the upcoming Honeybee Relays? Is it never missing a football practice in high school, even if it meant giving up the chance to be an all-state singer? “He has a wonderful bass voice,” Krista Ash, David’s older sister, said. “He would have been an all-stater if he would have been willing to miss a [football practice.] But he sacrificed that. He was that dedicated.” Is it maintaining the same countenance and demeanor, no matter the situation, even before a 4th-and-6 play during the waning moments of a critical game against Oklahoma State in front of a raucous Stillwater crowd — despite being the loudest member of the family, according to your older sister, who actually looks up to you? “I care about the football and I want him to be successful because he’s worked so hard,” Krista Ash said. “I’m proud of him for that. I look up to him a lot. Even though he’s my little brother, I still look up to him so much because he’s confident and fearless and driven.” Whatever the answer, one thing is certain — this year’s
NATIONALS
ORIOLES
YANKEES
TIGERS
Elisabeth Dillon | Daily Texan Staff Sophomore quarterback David Ash prepares to pass during Texas’ 48-45 loss to West Virginia last weekend. He struggled during the last year’s Red River Rivalry but has made great strides since then. Texas faces Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl on Saturday.
version of David Ash is much different than the one Oklahoma saw in last year’s Red River Rivalry. Ash completed 11 of his 20 passes for 107 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown toss to Jaxon Shipley. But he was picked off twice, fumbled twice, and was sacked four times in the 55-17 shellacking. It was not a kind introduction to the Red River Rivalry for the true freshman. “I hadn’t been beaten like that since I was a sophomore in high school,” Ash said, recalling Belton’s 35-6 loss to McNeil in 2008. “I was still very inexperienced when I played in that game. I didn’t play well at all ... Whenever you’re on offense, it’s going to
be loud. Whenever you’re on defense, it’s going to be loud. The stadium’s split in half and it’s just really cool. That’s why you play college sports.” That all seems like a distant memory now. The country’s third-most efficient passer, Ash has completed 77.5 percent of his passes, the secondmost of the country, while throwing for 1,276 yards, 11 touchdowns and one interception. “It won’t be the same David Ash that played in [the Red River Rivalry] last year,” junior guard Mason Walters said. “There’s so much maturity, so much progress and understanding the offense. He’s become so much more of a complete football player.” Last season marked the
first time Ash faced Oklahoma, but it wasn’t the first time he played football during the Red River Rivalry. While still in elementary school, Ash, along with Krista and several other members of his family, travelled to Wichita, Kan. for “gospel weekend meetings” with Church of Christ members every October. Every year, the Longhorns fans from Ash’s church would gather with the Sooners fans from Kansas to watch the Texas-Oklahoma game. “There’s not supposed to be divisions in the church but there was on that weekend,” Ash recalled. “Several men’s wives who would go to the basement because it got too loud upstairs.”
A pre-game ritual involved the kids at the camp, including Ash and his siblings, participating in a flag football game between the Longhorns faithful and those rooting for Oklahoma. Ash, of course, would play quarterback, for the Texas team. “I feel like we would win most of the time because we had all the Ash kids on the Texas team,” Krista Ash said. “He was really little, when it was just the kids, [David] would play quarterback. When it was everyone, he would do something else. He was only about 10.” As important as football is to him, Ash’s faith plays a
A’s
NFL STEELERS
TITANS
NCCAF ARIZONA STATE
ASH continues on page 8 COLORADO
VOLLEYBALL
Eckerman play fueled by family By Rachel Thompson For most high school seniors, leaving home is a time filled with jitters, excitement and the prospect of a new chapter of life in college. For Haley Eckerman, departing for college meant leaving something else behind: her young son, Cayden. As the No. 5 volleyball recruit in the nation, Eckerman left home in Waterloo,
Iowa to pursue a collegiate athletic career at Texas, keeping in touch with her tightknit family through Skype. After the birth of her son before her senior year of high school, Eckerman said thoughts of abandoning her college plans never crossed her mind. “It was just what’s the best thing to do, and it was to go to college,” Eckerman said. “My goal was to get a college degree, and I knew volleyball had to be a part of that.”
Eckerman burst onto the Texas volleyball scene as a freshman and reaped accolades early on. In her first year on the team, she became the second player in Texas history to be awarded national freshman of the year honors. She played in every match, leading the team in kills, kills per set, service aces and points. Eckerman’s mother, sister and son remained in Iowa
FAMILY continues on page 8
UTEP
TULSA
TOP TWEET Elisabeth Dillon | Daily Texan Staff Haley Eckerman hits the ball against TCU. Her family, including her young son, moved from Iowa to Austin to support her and her career.
WEEKEND PREVIEWs Texas to be pushed by Tech offense By Wes Maulsby After toppling the defending conference champions, Texas now stands second in the Big 12 standings with nine points. West Virginia leads the conference with 15 points off five straight wins to begin conference play. Now, the Longhorns face tougher opposition with Texas Tech and Kansas coming into Austin this weekend. The action starts Friday at 5:30 p.m. against Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are one of only three teams in the conference with at least 10 wins, sharing that distinction with Oklahoma State and Baylor. They are tied for fourth in the conference with a 2-2 conference record. The Jayhawks, who Texas will play Sunday at 1 p.m., also enter Friday with a 2-2 conference record. Texas Tech has yet to record a shutout in conference play and has allowed three goals in each of its two losses this season, recording a pair of 3-2 losses in Big 12 play to
Zachary Strain | Daily Texan Staff Hannah Higgins controls the ball against Oklahoma State. Texas will face strong Texas Tech offense and Kansas defense this weekend.
conference leader West Virginia and an 11-win Baylor squad. This will be the first road game for Texas Tech since its loss to West Virginia in Morgantown on Sept. 21. Kansas has a similar record to Texas Tech, with conference losses to Baylor and West Virginia. The Jayhawks’ defense was able to pressure both the Bears and the Mountaineers better than the Red Raiders, but still fell 1-0 to both. Kansas’
TEXAS
TEXAS TECH VS.
Date: Friday Time: 5:30 p.m. Location: Austin On air: LHN
stronger defense will present a different playing style to Texas Tech, which will force Texas to adjust to both styles this weekend if it wants to stay unbeaten in Big 12 play.
Swimming and diving | evan berkowitz Texas begins its season Friday at 3 p.m. at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center in the annual OrangeWhite intrasquad meet. The team will divide into two squads and compete against one another. “I am excited to see them race,” head coach Carol Capitani, who replaced Kim Brackin in April, said. “It’s been awhile of just pure training, so it will be fun to see where they are as a team and individually.” While the Longhorns look to improve on their ninthplace finish at last year’s NCAA championships, Capitani knows that under her leadership, they will take time before they are back to where they were during the late ‘80s — NCAA champions. “Hopefully we can improve on where we were last year,” Capitani said. “I’m not just being humble. This year is about building the bricks for success.” The team will be returning eight of the 10 individuals who had top-16 performances in the championship meet: Bethany Adams, Kelsey Amundsen, Kelsey LeNeave, Ellen Lobb, Lily Moldenhauer,
Nathan Thornhill @NathanThornhill
“$20 says it stops raining by the time practice starts... Augie controls the weather.”
SPORTS BRIEFLY Texas picked fourth by Big 12 coaches Laura Soger Senior
Date: Friday Time: 3 p.m. Location: Austin
Laura Sogar, Samantha Tucker and Diana Wilcox. Their first official meet will come next weekend at the SMU Classic in Dallas, and Sogar is looking forward to getting the season started. “There is incredible talent on this team and the motivation factor and the hard work that’s being put in is second to none,” Sogar said. “We are really excited for this year. We want to prove ourselves to everyone.”
With basketball season just a month away, the Big 12 coaches have selected Kansas as the unanimous favorite to repeat as champions following an appearance in the national championship game last season. The Jayhawks received nine first place votes, with Baylor receiving the final vote. Coaches could not vote for their own team. The Bears were picked seconed with Oklahoma State and Texas following at third and fourth respectively. Conference newcomers West Virginia and TCU were picked to finish in the bottom half of the conference, with TCU being a unanimous selection to finish last in the Big 12 this season. — Wes Maulsby
Comics
Friday, October 12, 2012
7
Cody Bubenik
Desiree Avila
daily Texan Comics
color fridays
anik Bhattacharya
SUDOKUFORYOU
SUD OKU FOR YOU
t
4
6 9 4 9 4 2 7 2 6 1 2 7 9 4 1 6 3 5 3 7 9 3 1 8 8 2 7 5 8
46 Member of a loving trio 47 On the way out? 50 Azadi Stadium setting 51 “Great” 18th-century ruler 54 Sure to be won 55 Lana Turner’s “Mr. Imperium” co-star, 1951 56 Bebé’s nourishment 57 #1 hit song that asks “Are you somewhere up above?” 58 Ruins Down 1 Thrown
16 New York City has six 17 Onetime 25-Down rival
18 Potential result of fear 19 Info about touchdowns 20 Many man caves
21 Detective work
22 On the decline? 24 Quarters
26 Sing in court 30 Statement resulting in hand-raising
36 Minimal conflict
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE
I N S E C T
E G O T S P L I S A E N E S S A
2
3
4
5
1 2 4 7 3 6 5 8 9
V A P R O S U R T S U E S N O K T P O A H S R I P S E T H A S K Y
E L I T E A E R O
9 5 7 2 8 1 3 6 4
8 3 6 9 5 4 7 2 1
3 1 2 8 7 9 6 4 5
4 6 8 1 2 5 9 7 3
7 9 5 6 4 3 2 1 8
6
G R I E A Z Z A J A R Y A R A A P E S S O S H U B E N A D A B B E G O E S O N D R S A E E M S T I
E A M S B B I E O I N T N T X A I B A R M E S A A K M A D P A D A N A R C N T E
M I N T S
e.g. 4 Learns by doing 5 Informal states? 6 Bait fish for pike angling 7 Unbending 8 Fish caught in pots 9 Skosh 10 They get booted 11 Options for reduced fare 12 In ___ heat 13 Mimic Mae West 14 Simon of opera 20 William of “My Three Sons” 23 Dish garnished with crushed peanuts 24 Getting a charge out of 25 Speed Six maker 27 Winner of seven French Opens 28 What some counters count 29 Out 30 “___ see” 31 Genealogy word 32 Refuel, in a way 33 Like Elvis Costello, but not Elvis Presley: Abbr.
8
9
10
24
25
11
12
13
14
33
34
35
43
44
45
18
19
20
22
23 26
30
7
No. 0907
16
17
15 Pillbox relative
B E L L A
5 4 1 3 6 2 8 9 7
Lauren Moore
15
6 Option for reduced fare
E D E S N T
6 8 9 5 1 7 4 3 2
Arrr matey. This scurrvy beast is today’s answerrrrrr. Crop it out, or it’ll be the the fishes for ya!
1
1 “The Black Stallion” hero and others
C T I R V A I D L E U N I O N
2 7 3 4 9 8 1 5 6
7 1 5 4 9 3 8 2 6 The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 8 2 36205Eighth 7 Avenue, 6 9 New 4 York, 1 N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 6 9 4 1 For 8 Friday, 2 3October 5 7 12, 2012 3 4 9 2 6 5 7 1 8 2 7 8 9 4 1 5 6 3 Edited 1 5 6 8 3 7 2 9 4 by Will Shortz 37 First 2 1990s Senate 9 6 7 3 5 4 1 8 2 commandment? majority leader 4 8boy,2say 7 and1family 9 6 3 5 38 Bowery 3 Like a joule and 39 Bluff 5 3 1 6 a2 8 4 7 9 watt-second, 42 Fortuitously
Across
A H A B
Today’s solution will appear here tomorrow
6
31
32
40
41
27
28
21
29
36 37 38 39
42
46 51
47 52
48
49
53
50 54
55
56
57
58
Puzzle by Martin Ashwood-Smith
34 Command level: Abbr. 35 Like some sgts. 39 Jeweler’s creation 40 Elicit eyepopping 41 She went to Haiti, in a Cole Porter song
43 Player of TV detective Spenser 44 Auxiliary memory for fast retrieval 45 Pants parts 47 “Time’s up” sound
48 Dix et un 49 Fire 52 Org. whose seal has a flower 53 Currency unit taken out of circulation in 1953 54 Pay extension?
Raise your spirits with lower prices C I N E
W O O L
For answers, call 1-900-285-5656, $1.49 a minute; or, with a credit card, 1-800-814-5554. Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sunday crosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS. AT&T users: Text NYTX to 386 to download puzzles, or visit nytimes.com/mobilexword for more information. Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 2,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). Share tips: nytimes.com/wordplay. Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/learning/xwords.
WHERE TEXAS DOES Selection.
send questions, comments marriage proposals and death threats to
dailytexancomics@gmail.com WINES · SPIRITS · FINER FOODS
(512) 366-8260 · specsonline.com
CHEERS TO SAVINGS!®
it’s true
we open ALL emails
sports
8
Friday, October 12, 2012
ASH continues from page 6
WEEKEND PREVIEWs woMEN’s cross country | jori epstein Traveling to the state perhaps best known for its races, the Longhorns won’t be saddling horses this weekend in Kentucky. Instead, they’ll be on foot for Saturday’s NCAA Pre-Nationals Cross Country Meet as the squad looks to triumph over 38 competing teams at the E.P. “Tom” Sawyer Park where the University of Louisville will host the 6K race. Longhorns seniors Laleh Mojtabaeezamani and Anne Jones will compete in the “Red” seeded race alongside juniors Marielle Hall, Sara Sutherland, Megan Siebert, Jessica Harper and Brittany Marches. Underclassmen participants will travel as
“Black” unseeded racers this weekend, though sophomore Connor Ward and redshirt freshman Marissa Pekarek will compete unattached at the 5K Annual Cross Country Invitational in Cedar Park hosted by Concordia University. Races span the length of the morning, opening with the Concordia invitational at 8 a.m., the “Red” race at 8:15 a.m. and “Black” at 9:30 a.m. Kentucky races are held on the same course that team members hope to return to for the 2012 NCAA Cross Country Championships. Last season, the Longhorns finished fifth at Pre-Nationals following
three team victories. Currently enjoying a two-meet winning streak, the team hopes this weekend brings its third. “This part of the season after a hard workload like we’ve been doing and with the weather [at the Grand Prix meet], all of those things are callousing effects,” assistant coach Stephen Sisson said after the last meet. “What we’re really looking for is how well they can handle it.” The Longhorns aim to withstand all callousing effects to enter victorious at the Big 12 Cross Country Championships in Austin Oct. 27.
Marielle Hall Junior NCAA PRE-NATIONALS CROSS COUNTRY MEET
Date: Saturday Time: 8 a.m. Location: Louisville, Ky.
mEN’s cross country | Rachel wenzlaff Fifth place was good, but not good enough for the Texas cross-country team. In the Greater Louisville Classic held Sept. 29, in which Texas received a fifth place finish, the then No. 6-ranked Texas was surpassed by the then No. 8-ranked Iona. This weekend however, Texas is determined to perform to the standard that was set by their initial No. 6 position. The Wisconsin Adidas Invitational will be held Friday at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course. The race includes two separate races, the Championship Race, beginning at 12 p.m., and the ‘B’
FAMILY
continues from page 6 during her freshman year and traveled to games when they could. This summer, the family relocated to Austin. “It’s just nice to come home and have a meal with my mom and just be comfortable and know everything is
Race, beginning at 2 p.m. Running in the Championship race are senior Rory Tunningley, who led the Longhorns in the Louisville Classic, and sophomore Craig Lutz. Also making their first season appearances are senior Kyle Merber, junior Ryan Dohner and sophomore Mark Pinales. Lutz, who up until the Louisville Classic, led the team in every meet since his start with the Longhorns, was disappointed in his performance two weeks ago and plans to improve his run Friday. “The Louisville meet was a very selfish situation for me. [Assistant going good,” Eckerman said. Her mother, who never missed a high school match, remains a faithful supporter, attending every home game. Cayden, 2, comes along to watch his mom play. “I’m home every night,” Eckerman said. “Except when we travel.” These days, the sophomore outside hitter continues to reign on the court. She
coach John Hayes] said it was the poorest mental performance he’s seen me produce. Coming into Wisconsin this week I feel like just getting things under control will make all the difference,” Lutz said. Additionally, freshman David Anamosa, senior CJ Jessett, junior John McNamara, junior Kevin Rayes, sophomore Kyle Thompson and freshman Shaun Van der Walt will attempt to keep a winning tradition alive for the third year in a row in Cedar Park at the Annual Cross Country Invitational hosted by Concordia University at 8:45 a.m. Saturday. was awarded Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week earlier this season after scoring a team-high 16.5 points against Oklahoma. This week, she earned the honor again after tallying a team-high 13 kills against TCU. She ranks first in the league in points and overall contests in conferenceonly matches and also heads the league in kills in overall matches. Eckerman now holds
Rory Tunningley Senior WISCONSIN ADIDAS INVATATIONAL
Date: Friday Time: 12:45 p.m. Location: Madison, Wis.
nine career conference awards from her two years at Texas. “Haley is a phenomenal player and she has a lot of special tools,” head coach Jerritt Elliott said of Eckerman. “She’s really started to increase her range as an attacker. Her overall game continues to improve and it’s nice to see.” Tremendous personal accomplishments aside, Eckerman said her focus still rests
huge role in his life. After Texas’ bye week earlier this year, he called watching his brother, Ian, getting baptized “the greatest thing” that would happen to him this season. As emotionless and singularly focused as Ash seems on the football field, he couldn’t help but shed a tear when Ian, the youngest of six siblings, told his brothers and sisters he wanted to get baptized. “It was a really big moment,” Krista Ash said. “We had all been praying about it. He was a little bit older than the rest of us when we were baptized. Whenever he came forward, all four of us kids were sitting on the same bench and we started crying because we were so happy.” And as quiet as Ash comes across when talking to reporters, he’s not always that way. “I think it’s really funny people reading how everyone thinks he’s so quiet,” Krista Ash said. “David’s pretty boisterous. But I guess we’re all like that. We’re quiet around people that we don’t really know. But when we get together, we’re pretty crazy and goofy.” Ash displays a completely different demeanor on the gridiron. Legendary Longhorns quarterbacks of the past like Vince Young and Colt McCoy were on team goals. “It’s getting to that Big 12 championship, just working as a team and doing the right things to continue to get better,” Eckerman said. Despite attending college far from home, Eckerman said her teammates have provided tremendous support, aiding her development as a player. “I didn’t imagine all of this as a senior,” she said. “My
‘‘
Even though he’s my little brother, I still look up to him so much because he’s confident and fearless and driven.
— Krista Ash, David Ash’s older sister
animated before, during and after games. But not Ash. “My dad kind of taught us to be that way,” Krista Ash said. “It’s just kind of a focus thing, not spending energy on anything else. And it’s also not bringing any attention to yourself. My dad never let us make a big deal about it if we did something in sports. We always had to keep it to ourselves and encourage our teammates.” Ash is still outrunning people, just not fourth graders. He’s still singing, just not competitively, although he does belt out a Josh Turner song every now and then. And he still has the same stonefaced, calm look on his face when he straps his helmet on. But he’s far from the same player he was at the Cotton Bowl a year ago.
teammates are just a big support. I just feel like it’s my family away from home.” And when it comes to her role as a mother, Eckerman said she hopes to instill the same values she’s carried with her as a player and a person in her son. “I just want him to be good at whatever he wants to do,” Eckerman said. “Just to go for his goals.”
Friday, October 12, 2012
MOVIE REVIEW | ‘SINISTER’
Life & Arts
‘Sinister’ predictable, still scary
9
FESTIVAL continues from page 1 The Athens, Ala. southern soul revivalists released their debut album Boys & Girls in April to widespread acclaim. Since then, they’ve been touring to sold-out concert halls across the globe. Soul Rebels Brass Band, Zilker Stage, 6 p.m. — It’s always frustrating when two bands you want to see are booked for the same time slot; fortunately the Zilker stage is just a stone’s throw away from the Barton Springs stage. After catching the Alabama Shakes, head over to see New Orleans’ Soul Rebels Brass Band. Fusing elements of funk, jazz, soul, hip-hop and drumline, the band is a classic example of why the Big Easy remains one of the world’s greatest music cities.
By Alex Williams Found footage is a genre that’s always been problematic, and this year, the idea of casting your camera as a character in a narrative has extended beyond horror to comedies (“Project X”) and even superhero films (“Chronicle”). “Sinister” takes a more interesting approach, playing out the implications of what happens when you’re the one who finds said footage, and it makes for a Halloween treat — a rare horror film that manages to actually scare. Ethan Hawke plays Ellison, a true-crime writer struggling to keep himself from being defined as a onehit wonder. In pursuit of his next great true story, he moves his family across the country to the home where another family was killed. When Ellison finds a box of film reels in the attic, he uncovers a series of murders similar to the ones he’s investigating, all committed by a shadowy white figure nicknamed Mr. Boogie.
ARGO
continues from page 9 tightrope with grace. When he dives into the situation in Iran, “Argo” is just as entertaining. Affleck stages the grand takeover of the American embassy fantastically, cutting between staged recre-
LOCAL
continues from page 10
convincing people to take us seriously.” Goldstein agrees, and offers advice to local bands to use ACL as a networking opportunity, rather than cower in fear from the continually growing event. “I hope that all of the musicians use the opportunity to their advantage,” Goldstein said. “There are also plenty of Austinites who don’t attend the ACL festival, but they still want to hear music. So if you’re a musician, book gigs and network even if you didn’t get the invite to the ACL Festival. The music business is extremely competitive and always will be.” Goldstein views ACL as a crucial part of modern-day Austin culture, especially to the younger generations. She continues to have a positive and memorable ex-
♲
Director Scott Derrickson’s last major excursion into the horror genre was “The Exorcism of Emily Rose,” a courtroom drama masquerading as an “Exorcist” riff, and that film nailed its creepier scenes while fumbling the dramatics. “Sinister” is much more concerned with terrifying its audience than that film was, and does so much more effectively while still remaining interesting in quieter scenes. The film is full of exhilarating jump scares, and while many of them have been revealed in the film’s overindulgent trailer, lots of “Sinister’s” most harrowing images have been saved for the paying crowds. “Sinister” is the screenwriting debut for local film blogger C. Robert Cargill, who cowrote with Derrickson, and the collaboration proves to be fruitful. Films about writers always tend to have their creators’ habits and quirks in them, and “Sinister” does a great job capturing how difficult it can be to simply put pen to paper. Even more than that, it navigates some very dark material with finesse, crafting compelling characters ations and legitimate archival footage to harrowing effect. Once Mendez goes to Iran to rescue the diplomats, the film takes on some remarkable tension, especially in its third act. Affleck wrings some spectacularly squirmy suspense out of things as simple as waiting in an airport security line. The third act is fairly brilliant, bringing all of the film’s dispaperience at the festival Austinites have watched grow and mature from within the grassy confines of Zilker Park. “[ACL] is a place where almost every age and genre have an act they can go listen to,” Goldstein said. “One of the most fun adventures we have is finding our new favorite bands, and yes, many have been local bands.” Austin City Limits is one that includes the name of its hometown in its title. This alone speaks for the fact that ACL does have a unique focus on local bands, even if that focus is smaller than some would prefer. “It’s like an ecosystem within another ecosystem,” Hines said. “Austin has its own world of local bands, and there’s not really a tight scene in Austin. But since Austin has so many huge festivals, both ecosystems have to live together in a symbiotic type of relationship.”
RECYCLE YOUR COPY OF The Daily Texan
that it puts into genuinely terrifying situations. Hawke has the trickiest role here. Ellison is by no means likeable, and he deserves all of the pain he brings on himself by moving his family into the ill-fated house, but Hawke plays him with a beaten-not-broken charm and determination that makes it difficult to root against him. James Ransone (“The Wire”) plays a deputy that Ellison befriends, and their scenes together are refreshing, small bursts of comedic relief amidst the unrelenting darkness of the film. It’s a strong, noteworthy performance from the underrated Ransone, and his scenes with Hawke go a long way towards keeping Ellison on the right side of insufferable. “Sinister” is also one of the only major horror films of the year that’s isn’t a sequel or a remake, but that’s not to say it’s terribly original. Mr. Boogie is an interesting creation, but the film’s concept isn’t far off from that of “The Ring,” and seasoned horrorphiles will probably be able to see where the film is rate elements together for a climax that’s subdued but no less excellent for it. Affleck has also assembled a sprawling, impressive cast for his film. Actors like Christopher Denham, Kerry Bishe and the wonderfully named Scoot McNairy all impress as the American diplomats. But the film’s ensemble truly shines when Affleck depicts the CIA’s
Sinister Scott Derrickson Genre: Horror Runtime: 110 min. going early on. However, a lot of the fun in “Sinister” is letting it lead you down the dark corridors of its haunted house, and no matter how predictable the film may be, that doesn’t make it any less terrifying. New is always better with horror, and with the “Paranormal Activity” franchise starting to get a little creaky, it’s refreshing to see a well-written horror film in theaters. “Sinister” will not disappoint those looking for a few easy scares, but it’s a much smarter film than many will give it credit for. The film subtly deals with what horror film viewers have defined themselves to be, a feat that few horror movies seem able to access. In October, the lack of good horror is especially glaring, and “Sinister” is a pleasant surprise, a likeable and gripping flick that’s not for the nightmare-prone. involvement in their rescue. Kyle Chandler, Chris Messina and a passionate, fierce Bryan Cranston all show up here, turning in strong, effective performances. Affleck is arguably the star of the film, but his performance is quiet and understated, letting the actors around him stand out. It’s also worth mentioning just how well Affleck makes his film look like it
Sunday
Metric, AMD Stage, 4 p.m. — Few bands have been more successful without the benefit of a label than Brooklyn-based indie-pop four piece Metric. “Help, I’m Alive” is one of the better indiepop singles to come along in the last half-decade. It definitely has that radioready sound, but it also has a sinister edge and blowthe-speakers production reminiscent of MGMT’s Oracular Spectacular. The Roots, Bud Light Stage, 6 p.m. — Hip-hop’s greatest live band returns to the ACL stage on break from their primary gig as the house band for “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.” The best band on television (apologies to Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band) has also been one of the most prolific, releasing fourteen studio albums since 1993. Jack White, AMD Stage, 8 p.m. — What do you do when you have two can’tmiss shows happening at the same time on different stages? Good question. It’s bad enough that the folks at C3 Presents put Delta Spirit and The War on Drugs on at the same time, but double-billing
Gary Clark Jr. AMD Stage, 2:15 p.m. — In many ways, this may be the one show not to miss this weekend at ACL. Gary’s legend has simmered around Austin over the last 10 years, and later this month the supremely talented guitarist and soul singer’s majorlabel debut Blak and Blu hits shelves nationwide. The buzz is already palpable, and Gary certainly has the chops to match the ever-mounting hype. This could be one of the very last chances to say you “saw him when ...” Iggy & the Stooges Bud Light Stage 6:15 p.m. — Old and haggard as they might appear, it’s just not every day that you get a chance to see a band as legendary as the Stooges. Iggy and company were the true progenitors of punk rock, laying out a blueprint for the sound with Raw Power in the early ‘70s. Forty years later, they’re still as wild and unpredictable as when they first started. The Red Hot Chili Peppers Bud Light Stage, 8:15 p.m. — One of the most convulsion-inducing and widely-appealing bands of our time, the Red Hot Chili Peppers blasted onto the national scene in the early ‘90s and never let go. Over the years they’ve experimented and developed their sound but never lost the original fan base that made them punk-funk heroes to begin with.
was made, and set, in the ‘70s. Every detail of the production is measured to perfection, and each member of the cast is given some pretty heinous or majestic (depending on your taste) outfits and hairstyles to work with, all of which makes for an experience that feels retro, but not dated. This weekend is full of films about movies. “Sinister” is an
intelligent rumination on what we take away from horror movies, and “Seven Psychopaths” is a hilarious, self-aware look at violence in cinema. However, “Argo” is the best of the bunch: an intense but vastly entertaining story that proves once and for all that truth is stranger than fiction and that Ben Affleck is one of the best filmmakers working today.
Saturday Courtesy of Summit Entertainment Ethan Hawke stars in Scott Derrickson’s “Sinister,” a horror movie that upends some of the tropes of the found footage genre.
Jack White and Neil Young is just downright criminal. Here is one of the greatest artists of our generation in the prime of his career, fresh on the heels of an excellent solo debut. Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Bud Light Stage, 8 p.m. — Neil’s the man. Seriously, one of the greatest musicians ever. Definitely the greatest Canadian ever. Expect him and his legendary garage band Crazy Horse to blow the roof off of the Bud Light stage Saturday night.
Photos courtesy of Trampled by Turtles and Asleep at the Wheel Trampled by Turtles (left) and Asleep at the Wheel (right) are two country acts that will be playing ACL this year.
COUNTRY continues from page 9
acts that are not down the middle Nashville acts,” Benson said. “Country music has so many facets.” Just ask Ryan Young, the fiddle player in Minnesota-based bluegrass band Trampled By Turtles. The band doesn’t identify with the country genre but counts Hank Williams as an influence. Members’ tastes range from fellow Minnesotan Bob Dylan to eclectic punk rock and world music. “Maybe something I heard in a group from Ghana will relate to something we’re playing and I’ll steal from it a little bit. Timmy [Saxhaug], our bass player, might bring in some sort of Motown flavor,” Young said.
He looks forward to being back in Austin and said Trampled By Turtles gained a following in Austin more quickly than most cities. The band appeals to an audience that might not normally gravitate to country and bluegrass, he said. “We get a lot of people that come up to us after a show and say ‘I don’t really like the kind of music you play or the genre you are in, but I love your band.’ And then they’ll buy all the CDs,” Young said. Previous ACL country acts include Lyle Lovett, Alison Krauss and Texas superstar Pat Green. The country and bluegrass acts at ACL tend to have elements of Americana, said Mellard, which helps them appeal to a wider audience. “There are people who are drawn for the indie elements that are at the core of ACL, and
they probably won’t know Randy Rogers,” Mellard said, but any large crowd in Texas will have its country music fans. Those fans will likely be front and center when Texas country power house Randy Rogers Band takes the stage Sunday. On a phone call from New York City, Rogers said the band members love to play stages in their home state. They’ve matured musically and exploded on the country scene since they last played ACL in 2006. The festival provides a great chance to see other musicians in action and play for a different type of audience, Rogers said. The band is a “left of center country artist,” he said. “I like the fact that our fiddle player Brady [Black] will be jammin’ his ass off at a predominately rap, pop and rock festival,” Rogers said. “I’m
Country Bands Band: Asleep At The Wheel Stage: AMD When: Friday, 12:30-1:15pm Band: Trampled By Turtles Stage: Austin Venures When: Friday, 5:00-5:45pm Band: Randy Rogers Band Stage: Austin Venures When: Sunday, 7:30-8:30pm thankful to ACL for inviting us and realizing there is a large fan base that does like their country music.” Most ACL goers enjoy a wide range of genres. Like a lot of folks, Rogers can’t wait to catch the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the main stage Sunday night right after his band’s set.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Life & Arts 10
Kelsey McKinney, Life & Arts Editor
Illustrated by Anne KT Harris
Austin bands play Zilker By Hannah Smothers The underground of starving Austin hipsters is abuzz with claims that Austin City Limits Music Festival has become a commercialized nuisance that stomps on real local talent. Matthew Hines of local band The Eastern Sea quickly dispels
these suspicious rumors. “There’s been all this conversation about how there needs to be more local bands,” Hines said. “But I don’t think there should be any more bands in ACL than there already are from the local scene. I think it would devalue the festival.” The three-day hurricane of celebrities and tank tops that takes over Zilker Park every year had a humble beginning in 2002 as a two-day festival that featured mainly up and coming local bands. Lindsey Tishgart, who worked with ACL as a PR publicist for three years, attended the inaugural festival as a
UT student. “It was more of an experiment the first year,” Tishgart said. “People who went were probably more familiar with the ACL TV show.” The festival has grown into an event that sells out in days. More than 70,000 people fill Zilker Park each day of ACL, a stark difference from the 20,000 or so reported to be in attendance each day of the first festival. Kellie Goldstein, programs directors with the Austin Music Foundation, has been a regular attendee of ACL and hasn’t missed a festival since 2003. “The first few years were
gorgeous with open fields and it had more of the ‘community of music lovers’ feel,” Goldstein said. “To my knowledge, it was not sold out the first few years. I’m not sure we’ll ever recapture those amazing moments again but I do wish the crowds were more manageable than they have been the past several years.” ACL relies on its reputation for bringing in acts like Kanye West, Coldplay and Arcade Fire to sell tickets, but local acts still break the peaceful quiet that hangs over Zilker Park every morning before the crowds pour in.
‘‘
Hines explains that if local bands view ACL as a menace or a threat, it is strictly by fault of their own attitudes.
C3 Presents, the company responsible for putting on ACL, is also the company behind Lollapalooza, the mega music festival held every year in Chicago. “At Lollapalooza, you’re not going to see a bunch of bands from Chicago just because they’re from Chicago,” Hines said. “Austin and ACL are uniquely local. They have local businesses and local bands. At least five or six every time.”
Hines explains that if local bands view ACL as a menace or a threat, it is strictly by fault of their own attitudes. “It’s your choice whether you want to take advantage of it or not,” Hines said. “I personally love being at the bottom of a good list, because you can show that list to people and say ‘Hey, look who we’re playing with.’ It’s a weapon in our arsenal of
LOCAL continues on page 9
Country music remains strong By Audrey White
Photo courtesy of Randy Rogers Band Country music favorite Randy Rogers Band is playing at ACL.
Many Texas twenty-somethings grew up on fiddle and banjo, and the Austin City Limits Music Festival has plenty to satisfy their love of twang. Country-flavored acts Asleep At The Wheel, Randy Rogers Band and Trampled By Turtles help the mostly rock and pop festival harken back to its Texas music roots, said Jason Mellard, a history lecturer
MOVIE REVIEW | ‘ARGO’
at Texas State University. “The festival is based on Austin’s close connection with country music,” said Mellard, who specializes in Texas and country music history. “That’s how Austin first got on the map of music — with progressive country in the ‘70s.” ACL owes its prestige to the television program of the same name that began in 1976 with acts like Willie Nelson and Jerry Jeff Walker to showcase the
Texas take on blues and country. The show featured Asleep At The Wheel on its second episode, and the western swing band has been an opening act at the festival every year. “It’s a great time to see a band. People are raring to hear music because they haven’t heard anything yet,” said Ray Benson, the Philadelphia native who started Asleep At The Wheel in 1969. “There are people who come every year
because to them it’s a tradition.” Benson said ACL always features country artists, but not mainstream acts like Taylor Swift. Instead, the festival showcases bands that bring something creative to country, western and bluegrass music. Asleep At The Wheel blends country, blues, Americana and more. “ACL always has country
COUNTRY continues on page 9
POP INDEX BY ALEKSANDER CHAN
HORNS UP
Art.sy. The Pandora for art enthusiasts and novices alike.
Courtesy of Warner Bros 2012 Ben Affleck as Tony Mendez, center, in “Argo,” a rescue thriller about the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis.
Affleck ridicules Hollywood in historical, political thriller By Alex Williams At this point in his career, any avid moviegoer is actually looking forward to Ben Affleck’s films. If you’d told me that 10 years ago, I would have laughed in your face. After all, Affleck was in more than his fair share of terrible movies, and it wasn’t until his 2007 directorial debut “Gone Baby Gone” that audiences were ready to take him seriously again. With “Argo,” Affleck proves that he’s got a handle on action, tension and entertaining dialogue, producing arguably his most accomplished work as a director yet. Set during the 1979 Iran
hostage crisis, “Argo” tells the story of six American embassy workers who managed to avoid capture by hiding in the Canadian ambassador’s home and the CIA’s attempts to return them to friendly soil. Tony Mendez (Affleck) is brought in to consult on the project and ends up spearheading an initiative to smuggle the diplomats out as part of a film crew for a sci-fi film that doesn’t exist. The most surprising thing about “Argo” is how funny it is. Most of the middle section of the film focuses on Mendez’s interactions with John Chambers (John Goodman) and Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin,) his contacts in Hollywood, and
Argo Ben Affleck Genre: Drama Runtime: 120 min. the guys who help him get his fake production, a “Star Wars” rip-off called “Argo,” off the ground. Arkin and Goodman get “Argo’s” best dialogue by far, and Goodman shines with his wry, beautifully timed delivery of each and every line. For a good chunk of time, “Argo” is just as much a Hollywood satire as it is political thriller, and Affleck walks that tonal
ARGO continues on page 9
Christopher Walken’s reading of “Honey Boo Boo.”“These are words?”
Ben Affleck’s “Argo.” With his new film, the actor proves himself a worthy director.
ABC’s “Nashville.” Don’t ever leave us, Connie Britton.
Adele’s James Bond theme, “Skyfall.” Masterfully produced, impeccably boring.
Lena Dunham lands a $3.5 million book deal. Why not?
“Louie” won’t be back until 2014. Being a genius can be exhuasting?
According to “Mythbusters,” Jack totally could have survived “Titanic.”
Leave “Friday Night Lights” out of this, you two.
HORNS DOWN