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Thursday, September 12, 2013
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CAMPUS
Powers talks funding, technology By Jacob Kerr @jacobrkerr
President William Powers Jr. listed funding and technology integration as two of the biggest challenges the University will face in the coming years in his annual State of the University Address on Wednesday. Though Powers emphasized UT’s status as a “world university,” he said the University will have to overcome budgetary issues and continue to implement technology
into its teaching to remain so. Although the Texas Legislature increased UT’s funding by $25 million this year, Powers said the University is still trying to offset a $92 million decrease in state funding from the previous two years. “The bottom line is that we continue to operate on a very thin budget,” Powers said. Student Government President Horacio Villarreal said UT has to balance staying competitive among top universities with affordability. “The fact that we are a
public school [makes it] tougher because a lot of [funding] is coming from tax dollars,” Villarreal said. After identifying the faculty as one of the reasons for the University’s success, Powers said the University will risk losing its quality faculty if it does not consistently increase salaries. In July, Powers informed UT faculty and staff there would be no centrally funded salary increases at the University for
POWERS page 2
WORLD
UT students, faculty torn over Syrian controversy By Alberto Long @albertolong
Victor DePaulo / Daily Texan Staff
President William Powers Jr. delivers the State of the University Address at the B. Iden Payne Theatre on Wednesday.
WORLD
Students connect to Syrian conflict
Mouna Hashem Akil, Shiyam Galyon and Nadia Husayni / Photos by Zachary Strain / Daily Texan Staff
President Barack Obama has called for Congress to delay its vote on his request for permission to make a limited strike against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria in response to the regime’s use of chemical weapons on civilians. The conflict hits close to home for three UT students — one Syrian immigrant and two Syrian-Americans — who have focused their attention on humanitarian relief and activism efforts in response to the conflict. Read about Watan and local activists / Page 3
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CAMPUS
For a small community of Syrian students at UT, the Syrian civil war is more than just a heated political debate. On Monday, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem told reporters in Moscow that Syria will consider placing its chemical weapons under international control. They would do so in hopes of averting a U.S. military intervention prompted by an alleged poison gas attack that killed thousands of Syrians last month. According to the University’s Office of Information Management and Analysis, 207 former Syrian students were enrolled at UT in 2012. Lana Baumgartner, a Middle Eastern languages and culture junior who has family in Damascus and Homs, said the issue is deeply personal and said she feels allegiance to both countries. “People don’t realize they’re asking me whether I think the country my grandma lives in should bomb the country my other grandma lives in,” Baumgartner said. “It’s weird and I don’t know what to think. What’s going to happen if we bomb Syria? Who will be affected? What will we do next? We know so little, it’s hard to pick a side.” Lama Nassif, a Syrian foreign language education graduate student, said the consequences of an American strike on Syria cannot be controlled or predicted because of the complex situation her country finds itself in. “There is no side [in Syria]
SYRIA page 3
CAMPUS
Students seek great deals at bike auction Professor’s experience inspires his teaching
By Anna Daugherty @daughertyanna
Students had a chance to snag bikes for sweet deals Wednesday evening at the ningth annual BikeUT bicycle auction. The auction takes more than 200 bicycles impounded throughout the year and sells them for prices starting as low as $3. Sam Cortez, bicycle coordinator for Parking and Transportation Services, said between 150 and 200 bikes end up being impounded every year. Most of the bikes come from the summer break when students leave their bikes behind, sometimes on purpose. “Some students leave them out there, unlocked, for us to take, because they don’t want them anymore,” Cortez said. If a bicycle is found abandoned or
By Amanda Voeller @amandaliz94
AUCTION page 2
Austin focal points, such as Barton Springs, Livestrong and Dell Computer, would not be what they are today without Lee Walker’s leadership. Walker, a senior research fellow at UT, helped lead civic projects such as Save Our Springs in the early 1990s and a project in the early 2000s to prevent the state from constructing a conventional strip mall instead of developing what is now Triangle Park. Walker also is a co-founder of Livestrong and was the president of Dell Computer for four years. “Those kinds of quixotic ventures really appeal to me,” Walker said. “I love things that have no chance.” Though Walker said he valued his work with the
Charlie Pearce / Daily Texan Staff
Theater and rhetoric junior Danya Gorel shops around at the BikeUT annual auction Wednesday afternoon. The auction included more than 200 bikes starting at $3 each.
improperly parked, it may be impounded. Cortez said if the bicycle is registered, Parking and Transportation Services will contact the owner before
taking it. “However, only about 50 percent of bikes on campus are registered,” Cortez said. Parking and Transportation Services hopes to raise
this number through advertising initiatives. If a bicycle is impounded, the owner has 90 days to
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ONLINE
3,000 American flags line South Mall for 9/11. ONLINE
Texas’ congressional delegation’s views on Syria. PAGE 4
Texas football must adjust to new defensive chief. PAGE 6
Bitch Beer blog breaks gender stereotypes. PAGE 8
Express lanes and bicycle facilities coming to MoPac. ONLINE
Point-Counterpoint on Syria intervention. PAGE 4
Amy Neal finding stride for Texas volleyball. PAGE 6
Science Scene explores 9/11 conspiracies. PAGE 8
Check out our video illustrating the Science Scene in Life&Arts about 9/11 conspiracy theories. dailytexanonline.com
diverse array of projects, he also views his experiences as a useful foundation from which he can teach. Walker will teach two classes in the spring semester: Pathways to Civic Engagement, a class for Plan II students, and Civic Viewpoints, which will be open to all students. “[The] class I teach is at the intersection of entrepreneurship and justice and place,” Walker said. “It’s just important to get out into the field and see what’s going on.” Walker’s students go on field trips to meet members of the Austin community who are working to improve citizens’ lives. “I think that’s the beautiful part of civic engagement, that over time you have the opportunity to develop
WALKER
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