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THE DAILY TEXAN Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900
The Daily Texan will only print on Mondays and Thursdays over the summer. We will resume a regular print schedule in the fall.
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OUT OF THE WOODWORK
‘Footloose’ kicks off its Sunday shoes for the on-stage remake of the film
Children venture to The Blanton for a family-centric summer camp
LIFE&ARTS PAGE 10 @thedailytexan
Watch the video at bit.ly/UTwood Monday, July 25, 2011
facebook.com/dailytexan
Modification of language requirement sparks debate
THE WEEK AHEAD It’s goodbye to A&M
The Daily Texan and Texas A&M’s The Battalion are competing to get the most Facebook followers by Aug. 1. Like us on Facebook and show your Texan pride! Check back here each Monday for updates of the results.
By Huma Munir Daily Texan Staff
A $3 million budget cut is forcing the College of Liberal Arts to offer more intensive foreign language courses, leaving some students and department chairs concerned about the measure’s effectiveness and students in other colleges worried about potential foreign language requirement reforms. Foreign language requirements vary between majors and within departments, but the typical program prior to the 2010-11 academic year required two five-hour courses and two three-hour courses. Departments began to transition to a more intensive program last year in order to reduce costs. Beginning in the fall, the Department of French and Italian will only allow six-hour classes, condensing four semesters of work into two. The Department of Middle Eastern Studies has been offering intensive Arabic courses for years, said department chair Kristen Brustad. Arabic is serving as a model for other languages moving toward intensive learning, she said. “It’s more effective for any language, not just Arabic,” Brustad said. “Intensive language teaching is really focused on having students spend more time in class during the week.” Daniela Bini, French and Italian department chair, said the Department of Middle Eastern Studies has smaller classrooms and students who are much more motivated to learn
DAILY TEXAN
BATTALION
MONDAY Austin Employment Group Meeting
The Shepherd of The Hills Lutheran Church is hosting a free career-building workshop to help polish resumes and give job seeker’s tips on interviewing and how to start your career.
TUESDAY Cupcake Tasting Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop is hosting “Dessert for Dinner” an eight-course cupcake tasting at the Volstead Lounge at 6 p.m.
WEDNESDAY Owl City at ACL Live Owl City will be joined by Unwed Sailor and Mat Kearney at 7 p.m. for “Austin City Limits Live” at the Moody Theater.
THURSDAY Unplugged at the Grove
Presented by 93.3 KGSR, will present Alpha Rev under the stars on Shady Grove’s treeshaded patio at 8 p.m.
DT Blogs Aaron West ventures once more into the breach this week with another entry in The Garage Sale Review at bit.ly/dtculture
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Quote to note “If you’re not going to offend anyone, you don’t need protection from the First Amendment.”
— Larry Flynt, Author LIFE&ARTS PAGE 10
Courtesy of Gary Johnson, Gred Karger, and Jon Huntsman Jr.
THE DARK HORSES Lesser-known GOP candidates flaunt moderate platforms for 2012 race By William James Gerlich Daily Texan Staff
U.S. Rep. Michele Bachman, R-Minn., and former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney have monopolized the media’s attention with controversial ideologies, but some of the 12 GOP contenders have more moderate tendencies that would appeal to the mainstream if they could get the public to pay attention.
Due to the political and economic climate, President Barack Obama,” Levinson said. “Unpoliticians that are not already famous are less der the current economic crisis, newspapers likely to make the news because of cutand television stations have had to cut the ON THE WEB: backs many media outlets are facing, rookie, so unless they are a very rich Pick your favorite resulting in a focus on Bachmann media outlet, they cannot afford to folof the lesser-known and Romney, said UT law professor low all of these candidates.” GOP presidential Sanford Levinson. The Daily Texan takes a look candidates in a poll facebook.com/ “In earlier days, a young rookie reat three Republican presidential dailytexan porter would cover a less-known presiRACE continues on PAGE 2 dential candidate, like the initial coverage of
Student Affairs VP tenders resignation to return to teaching By Syeda Hasan Daily Texan Staff
Gonzalez said many campus facilities are primarily focused on fostering academic success, but it Vice President for Student Affairs is important to provide services Juan Gonzalez has announced he that benefit other aspects of stuwill step down as an administrator dent life. He said he is proud the and return to teaching at the Uni- Student Activity Center now exists versity in January so he can work to better accommodate students. closely with more students. “The Texas Union was much too Gonzalez said he aimed to supsmall to serve all the needs of our port students and organizations and students,” he said. “Students needprovide them with resources to host ed another living room for themevents on campus. He has worked selves, a place to rest, hang out in student affairs for 21 years at and have their own events. The five universities, including six years resources at the Student Activity at UT. Center were planned “A big part of stuby students to meet dent affairs is to make their needs, and it also students’ aspirations, provides them with an dreams and goals come opportunity to learn to life,” Gonzalez said. to run these facilities.” “Administrators beGonzalez said he come much better staff will remain active in members if we listen to the UT communiour students intensely ty when he returns to because we always can lecturing in the ColJuan Gonsalez improve our programs lege of Education. and services.” Vice President for “I want to improve As an administraStudent Affairs t h e profe s s i on by tor, Gonzalez said he training young profesworked with students to brainstorm ideas for programs that would im- sionals,” he said. “I’m invested in prove campus life such as bringing perfection, and I want to expand distinguished speakers to the Uni- my reach of influence.” P r e s i d e n t Wi l l i a m Po w versity and creating new resources ers Jr. said in a press release that like the Student Activity Center. “When I was going to graduate Gonzalez’s initiatives have imschool, I desperately needed hous- proved the college experience for ing assistance, financial aid assis- UT students. “His service as vice president has tance and academic tutorials,” Gonzalez said. “A large portion of my been marked by a steadfast comsuccess is directly attributable to mitment to putting our students the programs I discovered through first, and I am delighted he will restudent affairs. I’m passionate about main in the Longhorn family, sharproviding those same resources to ing his wisdom and expertise with our students,” Powers said. students at the University.”
FOREIGN continues on PAGE 2
Solar panels to aid UT energy research By Allison Harris & Liz Fry Daily Texan Staff
Construction on the first large solar panel installation on the main UT campus began Friday. Crews began putting up a support system for the installation on top of Manor Garage on Robert Dedman Drive. Webber Energy Group, a UT mechanical engineering research team, will study the output of three different types of solar panels from three different manufacturers under the
same conditions. The metal supports on the roof of Manor Garage should be completed by the end of this week, said Lawrence Littleton, a contractor for Webber Energy Group. UT sustainability director Jim Walker said the solar panels should be fully installed before the first football game this season. Walker said the project will have a small impact on the University’s power production but could lead UT researchers to future innovation.
“The fuel for solar is free, so over generations, this shift from fossil fuels to solar and wind is inevitable,” Walker said. “We need continued research and development so that it becomes more efficient and more cost-effective to do it.” Research on the new solar panels will show how they respond to different temperatures, partial dirtiness and aging, said Fred Beach, a post-doctoral fel-
SOLAR continues on PAGE 2
Campus to offer gender-neutral toilets By Victoria Pagan Daily Texan Staff
Photo Illustration by Allen Otto | Daily Texan Staff
Gender-neutral bathrooms may be included in new campus buildings to meet certain special needs.
The choice between using a men’s or women’s restroom isn’t conscious for most, but an effort to provide genderneutral, one-stall bathrooms in all campus buildings will help meet the needs of people with disabilities, parents and people with non-normative gender identities, a UT official said. Linda Millstone, the associate vice president for the Office of Institutional Equity and Workforce Diversity, is leading the effort to ensure each campus building has at least one gender-neutral restroom for every five floors. Millstone said she went to the Building Advisory Committee with the idea to include gender-neutral restrooms in the blueprints of all new campus buildings, and they agreed. She said Pat Clubb, vice president for University Operations, agreed to fund the installation of gender-neutral restrooms in all existing campus buildings as well. “Most buildings already have one or two single-stall restrooms, so it has been as easy as taking down the male or female sign and installing a lock on the door,” Millstone said. Millstone said gender-neutral restrooms benefit a number of differ-
TOILETS continues on PAGE 2