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Friday, January 24, 2014
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UNIVERSITY
THEATER
Business, engineering given donation
Controversial theater show recasts actors after outcry
By Jordan Rudner @jrud
When President William Powers Jr. met James Mulva in 1969 while stationed with the U.S. Navy on Bahrain Island, neither man expected
the friendship to last. Fortyfive years later, their relationship is strong, and Mulva and his wife are donating $60 million to support both the McCombs School of Business and the Cockrell School of Engineering.
On Friday, the University announced James and Miriam Mulva will donate $60 million, which will primarily go toward the new Engineering Education and Research Center and two buildings in McCombs. In 2010, the
Mulvas made a $15 million donation to fund the Liberal Arts Building, with a focus on providing resources to the University’s ROTC units. “Our family has been blessed over the years, and the University has been
important to us and to our family members,” Mulva said. “To the extent that we’re able, we’d like to support and give back to the University.” Mulva, who received his
DONATION page 3
FRAMES featured photo
Pu Ying Huang / Daily Texan Staff
Engineering graduate student Tianyang Bai waits for the Far West bus Thursday evening in freezing temperatures. Austin saw ice, sleet and snow as an Arctic cold front pushed through Texas.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
By Nicole Cobler @nicole cobler
After receiving intense backlash for the decision to stock a main-stage show with professional actors, the College of Fine Arts has recast its upcoming musical, “In the Heights,” with minority students at the University. Beyond recasting, the college also hired an entirely new creative team. In October, The Daily Texan reported that nine of the 12 lead roles in “In the Heights,” a musical which follows 12 DominicanAmerican teenagers living in New York, had been given to professional actors. At the time, the musical’s director said the decision was made because of the limited number of students of color in the department. Producer Brant Pope, chair of the department of theatre and dance, said the department has gone beyond recasting the musical — they also brought in a new creative team, including a new director, choreographer and musical director. “We brought in a new directing team because there was such a bad feeling,” Pope said. “We just wanted to start fresh.” Pope said the new team was better equipped to cast diverse actors, in part because the director and choreographer are Latino. “I think they were able to use [the] natural
HEIGHTS page 2
CAMPUS
Joynes Reading Room author shares her story as a novelist By Justin Atkinson @thedailytexan
Illustration by Stephanie Vanicek / Daily Texan Staff
Flu vaccines do not promise safety By Julia Brouillette
Novelist Ann Patchett recalled the transformation of her personal style of writing throughout the years as part of the Joynes Reading Room Literary Series on Thursday night. English professor Elizabeth McCracken introduced the author and reflected on the vibrancy of the writing in her novels. “Her fiction proves that, in a novel of ideas, the ideas don’t have to squeeze out the characters or the plots,” McCracken said. “She’s one of those writers who is just good at everything.” Patchett spoke about the fervent writing style of her youth and compared it to her experiences with romance during her 20s. “When I was in love, there was not a single thing I could do about it,” Patchett said. “It was thrilling and wind-milling and out of control, and that was also the way that
Jonathan Garza / Daily Texan Staff
Author Ann Patchett signs books after her speech at the Joynes Reading Room on Thursday evening. During her speech, Patchett gave personal examples on how to produce more consistent work in writing.
I wrote back then. I wrote stories that would come over me like a fever.” Patchett said that after she began writing professionally, she learned that ndiligence and self-accountability helped to produce more consistent work. “I got so much work done by making that deal with myself [to write every day],” Patchett said. “Hours spent
Most students think getting a flu shot means they can count on being immune, but vaccine recipients are only 60 percent less likely to need
treatment this season, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Flu vaccine effectiveness differs based on age and health status, said University Health Services nurse Charlotte Katzin
NEWS
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Karen Aston’s team must find consistency in Big 12. PAGE 5
KUTX celebrates its one year anniversary. PAGE 8
Women’s leadership program receives $50K. PAGE 3
Students should hear Holocaust survivor speak. PAGE 4
Longhorns look to upset another top-25 team. PAGE 5
Blanton tour explores secret messages in art. PAGE 8
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“Before administering shots, I don’t give students any specific percentage, or say ‘this is effective in this percentage of people,’ because that really varies,” Katzin said.
FLU page 2
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working equals work produced. I really realize now that so much of how I learn is by sitting down and committing.” Plan II senior Lillie Noe said she was surprised by Patchett’s lively demeanor and witty attitude. “She has an interesting ability of being able to spend
AUTHOR page 2 REASON TO PARTY
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