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Tuesday, October 20, 2015
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UNIVERSITY
CAMPUS
Sustainability office releases survey
Campus carry faces increasing opposition
By Nashwa Bawab @nashwabawab
The Office of Sustainability released a survey to students, faculty and staff on Monday to gather input on the first-ever UT Sustainability Master Plan. The survey asks students to choose their highest priority among topics such as fresh and local food availability on campus, bike and pedestrian
accessibility on campus and classroom education on sustainability concepts and renewable energy. The Sustainability Master Plan will use public input to establish sustainability-related goals and policies within a proposal that will be implemented over the next 15 years according to director of sustainability Jim Walker. These goals and policies will include plans on how
to accommodate growth on campus, engage in academics and research as well as bring into effect UT community ideas for sustainability on campus. “During the first round of the Plan process a couple weeks ago, we gathered feedback on the values that should guide the Plan as well as ‘big ideas’ and priorities people imagined for campus,” Walker said in an email. “We don’t
really have a ‘plan’ for the Plan going in - we really are interested in what students, staff and faculty think is important for sustainability at UT Austin.” The working group for the Sustainability Master Plan has had four public forums, where they discussed sustainability at UT and brainstormed the planning process for creating the sustainability plan, according to Garrett Saw-
yer, a women’s and gender studies graduate student who attended one of the forums and also took the survey. Sawyer said he thinks the group who created the survey did a good job implementing key points brought up in the public forums but does not know if the average student will care about some questions in the survey.
Brushwood’s career in magic began with a simple card trick that a friend taught him before he left for college. When his friend wouldn’t share how it was done, Brushwood became determined to learn the
MAGICIAN page 8
CARRY page 2
SURVEY page 2
Magician reveals secrets behind tricks By Katie Walsh @katiehwalsh_atx
Matt Robertson | Daily Texan Staff
UT alumnus Brian Brushwood performs his signature fire eating trick in his practice space near Dripping Springs. Brushwood is an entertainer, magician and the creator of the YouTube channel and book series “Scam School.”
about the abject terror of stepping outside your comfort zone.” His YouTube series “Scam School,” which has gained over 1.3 million subscribers since its 2008 premiere, teaches street cons and bar tricks that anyone can try at home.
CAMPUS
Brushwood said most of the tricks he teaches are reinvented versions of stunts he found in 100-year-old magic books. The familiar adage “a magician never reveals his tricks” has never sat well with Brushwood. Instead, he said, anyone willing to
sit through his explanation on “Scam School” is worthy of knowing the secrets behind his tricks. “To me, if you love an art, you want more people doing it,” Brushwood said. “The more people we have doing magic, the better magic does as an art.”
@kahlelo
The Department of Spanish and Portuguese released a statement, backed by the signatures of 70 UT students, voicing their opinion on campus carry. Jossianna Arroyo, interim chair of the department, wrote on behalf of the group asserting their firm disapproval of campus carry. “We strongly believe that concealed guns should not be allowed in any building, or on the perimeters of the campus of The University of Texas, Austin,” Arroyo said in the statement. Arroyo said the group feels the idea that allowing students to carry guns will make classrooms safer is incorrect. “As an intellectual community, we simply reject the premise that guns will make our classrooms, offices and social spaces safer,” Arroyo said. “As a racially, culturally, ethnically and sexually diverse department, we are aware of the social-power dynamics behind gun culture and the potentially disruptive and dangerous state of affairs the law allowing concealed weapons in campus buildings will bring to our courses, pedagogies, freedom of speech and finally, our security and lives.” UT alumnus Patrick Lawrence said he agrees that a college campus is not the place to allow guns to be carried. “A line has to be drawn, and that line is here,” Lawrence said. “Academic and educational facilities require a sense of safety and trust. People shouldn’t have to be thinking about
CAMPUS
UT alumnus Brian Brushwood closes his eyes, leans his head back and lowers a flaming metal skewer down his throat. A few seconds later, he pulls it out, ready for his next trick. Brushwood is an entertainer known for his “punk-ro ck-blo o d-andguts magic show” in which viewers watch him eat fire, hammer nails into his nose, read minds and stick skewers through his tongue. “Some of [my stunts] are totally real, and some are totally fake,” Brushwood said. “But my favorite part is that middle ground when you’re not really sure what’s what. I want people constantly guessing what’s real.” Until 2014, Brushwood toured colleges across the country with his magic show and has since settled down in Austin, producing three podcasts, running a YouTube series and occasionally performing live. Last month he starred in “Dance Showdown,” a YouTube spinoff of “Dancing With The Stars.” “I did it because it terrified me,” Brushwood said. “There is something great
By Kahlil Said
ALUMNI
Vacant security post Alumnus pursues wheelchair rugby dream raises student concern By Blanche Schaefer
By Claire Allbright @claireallbright
Reymundo Padron, night operations manager and UT employee since 2005, was let go Oct. 6 for unknown reasons. Following Padron’s release, Devin Guthrie, psychology junior and president of the Quad Resident Hall Council, created a Facebook event to provide a platform “for people to both contact Rey, offering their condolences and support, and express their dissatisfaction or opinions on the situation.” Mylon Kirksy, director of resident life in the Department of Housing and Food
@schaefer_bb
Service, refused to comment on the details of Padron’s unemployment. Guthrie said his understanding is that Padron’s unemployment came at the end of a six-month probationary period after being promoted from night desk supervisor. “It was done without warning and without any backup plan,” Guthrie said. “It created a lot of chaos within night staff.” Guthrie said he believes DHFS is still struggling without a night operations manager. “Having weaker overhead supervision creates
UT alumnus Jeff Butler faced a decision not many 25-year-olds have to make. Like most recent graduates, he wanted to pursue a career. But he also had the opportunity to pursue his lifelong dream: competing for Team USA in wheelchair rugby at the 2016 Rio Paralympics. “I’ve done a lot of soulsearching the past year — do I pursue this Paralympic thing and potentially delay some of my career goals?” Butler said. “But I’m pretty confident and comfortable with the choice I’ve made to go after the Paralympics
SECURITY page 2
PARALYMPICS page 5
Courtesy of Kelly Gumbert
UT alumnus Jeff Butler has found a home competing for the U.S. wheelchair rugby team. Butler and Team USA hope to compete at the Rio Paralympics next year.
NEWS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFE&ARTS
ONLINE
Kepler CEO talks Rwanda higher education. PAGE 3
Bathroom carry is more than a silly argument. PAGE 4
Women’s golf finishes second round in 7th at home. PAGE 6
Zambian author explores diverse cultures. PAGE 3
Systemic media bias endangers American politics. PAGE 4
Peter Jinkins looks to finish college career strong. PAGE 6
UT horticulturalist shares love for botany. PAGE 8 Students Against Cruelty to Animals hosts scary movie. PAGE 8
Check out music writer Chris Duncan’s weekly recommendations for two albums at dailytexanonline.com
REASON TO PARTY
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