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THE DAILY TEXAN Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900
FOUR GOOD MEN
The Daily Texan will only print on Mondays and Thursdays over the summer. We will resume a regular print schedule in the fall.
Texas has yet to choose official quarterback from its contenders
THURSDAY TNA Wrestling
The IMPACT Wrestling World Tour will be at the Austin Music Hall at 7:30 p.m.
FRIDAY
Iron and Wine
The indie alternative band will perform at The Paramount Theatre at 7 p.m. The acoustic performance will support the Midwives Alliance of North America.
Carpenters union hires homeless to help protest UT contractor
SPORTS PAGE 7
>> Breaking news, blogs and more: dailytexanonline.com
WEEKEND
HECK NO
@thedailytexan
NEWS PAGE 5
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Organizations, cities prep for hurricane season Marine Science Institute plans for animal evacuation New state legislation limits liability when processing windstorm claims only one of those was for a manda“If the water floods by over By Victoria Pagan Daily Texan Staff
Researchers at the UT Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas are already preparing for hurricane season. Officials said scientists and animal rehabilitation experts are used to the impact hurricanes have on their work. Steve Lanoux, assistant director of operations at the institute, said the institute has shut down four times in the last 10 years although
tory evacuation during Hurricane Rita. He said every year he revises the institute’s evacuation plan to accommodate for changes at the institute and to the county’s evacuation plan. Lanoux said island residents can only leave the island by boarding the Texas Department of Transportation’s ferry or by using the Corpus Christi Causeway. He said this makes it a challenge to evacuate the island according to plan.
five feet, the highway is not usable and the ferry is not usable either because of the ramp angle,” Lanoux said. Lanoux said the shutdowns and evacuations of the institute interfere with instruction time and productivity. “The research staff has to put its research on hold,” Lanoux said. “We remove our seawater pumps
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By William James Gerlich Daily Texan Staff
The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association is enacting a number of reforms this summer that officials say will protect homeowners by making the organization more efficient and financially stable. Last week Gov. Rick Perry signed House Bill 3, which allows the quasi-governmental agency to limit the amount of damages homeowners
‘I’VE GOT THE MOOSIC IN ME’
Katy Perry
Pop star Katy Perry, with special guest Robyn, will perform her California Dreams Tour at the Frank Erwin Center at 8 p.m.
The Brady Brunch
Third Base on Sixth Street is featuring a brunch buffet including Bottomless Mimosas and an all you can eat buffet for $20 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
ONLINE
In 1978 “National Lampoon’s Animal House” was released, resulting in a huge box office hit.
‘‘
Quote to note
“Everybody always says when you’ve got four [quarterbacks] you’ve got none, but I think if you’ve got four good ones, you’ve got four good ones.”
LIABILITY continues on PAGE 2
By Huma Munir Daily Texan Staff
SUNDAY
Today in history
can recover to a maximum of double the costs plus court fees and limit the number of lawsuits brought against the association, saving it court and lawyer fees. Rep. Jon Smithee, R-Amarillo, authored the initial bill and said it was an important piece of legislation to pass during the special session because of the approaching hurricane
UT students have potential to be affected by debt issue
SATURDAY
Press play on two videos straight from the multimedia room. Get to know Larry Flynt and his book ‘One Nation Under Sex,’ as well as laugh at the Hand Bomb, a new comedy improv group in Austin.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Ryan Edwards | Daily Texan Staff
Parker Burton watches as Regan and Loran Johnansen play xylophones inside the hollowed torso of a cow statue titled “I’ve Got the Moosic In Me” by artist Kati Alcantara, on Wendesday. In the early morning hours 49 of these statues hit the streets of Austin. While the greatest concentration is downtown, some cows can be found as far as 51st Street. These statues are just a few of the over 5,000 cows that have been displayed and sold as part of the CowParade exhibit.
The political stalemate in Congress over raising the debt ceiling while cutting back spending could directly affect students, said UT professors who have been following the impasse in recent weeks. The government could default on its debt if the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate do not reach an agreement to raise the debt ceiling by Aug. 2. If no agreement is reached, economists predict the government will not be able to pay its bills, interest rates may skyrocket and U.S. markets would take a plunge for the worse. Michael Brandl, a senior lecturer at the McCombs School of Business, said increased interest rates would directly impact students’ borrowing power. Students will have to pay higher interest rates for student loans or when buying a car, he said. When students graduate, he said, companies will be reluctant to hire
DEBT continues on PAGE 2
International Office moves to Rio Grande temporarily By Diego Cruz Daily Texan Staff
The International Office found a new home this summer after UT leased its old location to developers looking to erect a new apartment tower. The Board of Regents signed a 60-year ground lease with Education Realty Trust, who will develop, own and manage a multifamily apartment complex at 2400 Nueces Street, said campus director of real estate Amy Wanamaker. The International Office is temporarily located at 2222 Rio Grande Street above Red Mango but will be permanently housed at the new
complex upon completion. Wanamaker said UT is demolishing Wooldridge Hall, the former home of the office and groundleasing the location to the studenthousing developer after determining this was the most profitable use of the land asset. UT leased the location so the firm would develop the property and return profit at minimal risk to UT, she said. “They have 50 years of experience in higher education student housing development, and we thought they would be a good fit for the University,” Wanamaker said.
MOVE continues on PAGE 2
Andrew Edmonson | Daily Texan Staff
City manager Marc Ott and mayor Lee Leffingwell preside over a budget meeting at City Hall on Wednesday morning. The proposed budget will raise both property taxes and the price of utilities.
Proposed city budget raises utility rates Hikes come from combo of increases in electricity, water as well as some taxes By Liz Farmer Daily Texan Staff
— Mack Brown Texas football coach
Rebeca Rodriguez | Daily Texan Staff
SPORTS PAGE 7
A construction worker helps demolish the International Office building located on 24th and Nueces streets Wednesday afternoon.
The combined utility rate and property tax increase for “typical” Austin residents this year will be approximately $22 more per month, according to the proposed city budget.
The Austin City Council reviewed the proposed budget Wednesday for the 2011-2012 fiscal year. Between this budget and the forecasted budget from April there is a $9.8 million budget gap. The projected $22 increase comes from the summation of increases in electric bills, water bills and property taxes. The major component of the projected monthly increase is based on a 12 percent increase for Austin Energy usage that City
Council has not yet voted on. Council member Kathie Tovo said there are some grim spots in the projected budget. “I think it’s difficult for the taxpayer to look at the increase for energy, but the alternative is to raise $27 million,” Tovo said. Mayor Lee Leffingwell said after this major change he expects the rate of Austin Energy fees to only increase by 2 percent annually.
BUDGET continues on PAGE 5
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NEWS
Thursday, July 28, 2011
DEBT continues from PAGE 1
The Daily Texan Volume 112, Number 17
CONTACT US Main Telephone: (512) 471-4591 Editor: Viviana Aldous (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com Managing Editor: Veronica Rosalez (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com News Office: (512) 232-2207 news@dailytexanonline.com
Courtesy of Education Realty Trust
The International Office has been temporarily moved to allow for construction of a $63.9 million project. The new complex will include 306 units and a parking garage as well as a swimming pool.
Sports Office: (512) 232-2210 sports@dailytexanonline.com
MOVE continues from PAGE 1
Life & Arts Office: (512) 232-2209 dailytexan@gmail.com Photo Office: (512) 471-8618 photo@dailytexanonline.com Comics Office: (512) 232-4386 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. I f we have made an error, let us know about it. Call (512) 232-2217 or email managingeditor@dailytexanonline.com.
With an increasing student population there is a growing need for housing, said Education Realty Trust spokeswoman Susan Jennings. Jennings said the firm was designing an apartment community that would appeal to different people, including graduate students and faculty. “[The] main priorities were to take some of the textures and colors from the existing historical architecture of the campus and repeat them in this building to make a nice transition into the neighborhood,” she said. Jennings said construction follows the guidelines of the Uni-
NEWS BRIEFLY
COPYRIGHT Copyright 2011 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 editing errors on Page 1 of Monday’s photo captions, Juan Gonzalez, the vice president for student affairs and politician Fred Karger’s names were misspelled.
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Texas Higher Education Board praises universities’ progress The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is expected to release an annual report today saying Texas universities have improved their standing among peer states since 2000 but continue to face challenges. The state agency launched the “Closing the Gaps” initiative as a blueprint for state institutions of higher education with the goal of making Texas competitive with other states by 2015, said board spokesman Dominic Chavez. The plan’s four critical goals are to increase enrollment, raise graduating rates, improve schools’ reputations and increase federal research, Chavez said. “If we’re going to build a stronger economy for decades to come, then we need a more educated workforce,” he said. After the plan launched in 2000, enrollment at public universities has increased by 486,000 students — nearing the goal of 630,000 students, according to a preliminary summary of the progress report. The number of degrees and cer-
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Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viviana Aldous Associate Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dave Player Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Veronica Rosalez Associate Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dan Hurwitz News Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Audrey White Associate News Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matt Stottlemyre Senior Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Huma Munir, Victoria Pagan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Katrina Tollin, William James Copy Desk Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reese Rackets Associate Copy Desk Chiefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kaine Korzekwa, Brenna Cleeland Design Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Simonetta Nieto Photo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mary Kang Associate Photo Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew Torrey Senior Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Allen Otto, Ryan Edwards Life&Arts Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Julie Rene Tran Associate Life&Arts Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aleksander Chan Senior Life&Arts Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alex Williams, Aaron West Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trey Scott Associate Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sameer Bhuchar Senior Sports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Christian Corona, Nick Cremona Comics Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Katheryn Carrell Video Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jacqueline Kuenstler Web Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gerald Rich Associate Web Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Abby Johnston Senior Web Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ryan Sanchez, Michelle Chu Editorial Adviser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Doug Warren Multimedia Adviser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jennifer Rubin
Issue Staff
Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rebeca Rodriguez, Andrew Edmonson Columnists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matt Daley Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alexa Hart Copy Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Benjamin Holder, Cindy Brzostowski Comic Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Andrew Craft, Victoria Elliot, Caitlin Zellers Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Will Alsdorf, Liz Farmer, Diego Cruz
Advertising
Director of Advertising & Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jalah Goette Business Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lori Hamilton Business Assitant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amy Ramirez Advertising Adviser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CJ Salgado Senior Local Sales Associate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brad Corbett Broadcast & Events Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carter Goss Campus & National Sales Associate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joan Bowerman Student Advertising Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cameron McClure Student Assistant Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Veronica Serrato Student Acct. Execs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Casey Lee, Emily Sides, Emily Zaplac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jason Tennenbaum, Paola Reyes, Sarah Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Susie Reinecke, Zach Congdon Student Office Assistant/Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rene Gonzalez Senior Graphic Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Felimon Hernandez Junior Designers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Casey Rogers, Bianca Krause Special Editions Adviser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adrienne Lee Student Special Editions Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jordan Schraeder
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 except Saturday, Sunday, federal holidays and exam periods, plus the last Saturday in July. Periodical Postage Paid at Austin, TX 78710. 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. For classified display and national classified display advertising, call 471-1865. For classified word advertising, call 471-5244. Entire contents copyright 2011 Texas Student Media.
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7/28/11
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tificates awarded annually increased by 176,000. The 2015 target increase is 210,000. “Today, Texas is on a strong trajectory to meet its goals by 2015,” the report said. “However, challenges persist, particularly among Hispanics and African-Americans.” While statewide goals of enrollment and certifications were met, a more specific look indicates not as many Hispanics are enrolling and fewer AfricanAmerican males and Hispanics are graduating than expected, according to the report. The state needs to step up its efforts to improve public higher education to the point of reinventing it, said Higher Education Commissioner Raymund Paredes in a conference call Tuesday according to The Texas Tribune. Paredes said the coordinating board was considering a new plan for the initiative that would ensure Texas will be a leader in higher education by being cost efficient, innovative and offering lower-cost university degrees. — Diego Cruz
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versity Neighborhood Overlay, designed by the city to allow for dense development in the West Campus area. The $63.9 million project will include 306 units ranging from studios to four-bedrooms, a parking garage, a swimming pool, a rooftop patio and ground-level retail space, she said. Construction will begin in the next few months and continue until summer 2013, Jennings said. Wooldridge Hall was originally built in the 1880s but was so heavily rebuilt over the following 45 years that it was no longer the same building, said UT spokeswoman Rhonda Weldon. “The building didn’t have elevators. There were structural problems with the roof, and so the regents ended up making the decision to go this direction,” Weldon said.
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The International Office was located in Wooldridge since December 2004 and had been told multiple times that UT intended to move them since, said Candace Shye, an executive assistant for the office. Shye said the staff is generally positive about the move, considering the old building had rain leaks, sinking floor tiles, dripping air-conditioning units, overflowing sinks and even a six-month rat infestation. “Generally we’re all very happy that we moved over here, and I think, for the most part it was a smooth transition,” she said. Once the apartment construction is finalized in August 2013, the International Office will relocate to the office space in the first two stories of the complex, she said.
LIABILITY continues from PAGE 1 season and the shortfall the association faces. It was originally proposed during the 82nd regular session and was one of Perry’s “must pass bills.” The Atlantic hurricane season officially began June 1 and will last until Nov. 30, but the most severe storms usually come in September and later. However, hurricanes currently brewing in the gulf could hit land in coming weeks. The association struggled to recover financially after hundreds of policy holders sued after Hurricane Ike in 2008. The association distributed approximately $1.9 billion in claims and court fees to Houston and Galveston area residents. Its officials said they could not match that amount if another serious hurricane hit Texas this season. John W. Polak, the association’s new interim general manager, said he believes the agency is ready for
PREP continues from PAGE 1 [during evacuations] so researchers have to treat water and recirculate it instead of having fresh water for their experiments.” Animals in the process of rehabilitation are the most vulnerable during hurricane season and must be taken into consideration when planning for evacuation at the UT Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas, said Tony Amos, who manages the institute’s Animal Rehabilitation Keep.
them because businesses will be Hamermesh said the debt ceiling paying off high interest loans as fiasco will be less likely to impact well, he said. Brandl said many UT students compared to those at students aren’t following the debt many other schools because UT ceiling discussions, even though has a wealthier student populathey will directly impact them. tion. Still, he said, with a fragile “Student loans are going to get economy barely recovering from a more expensive,” Brandl said. recession, it is not a good time to “Credit card debt is going to be delay raising the debt ceiling. a bigger burden, and they won’t University Democrats Presihave a job.” dent Janette Martinez said if fedRepublicans and Democrats eral grants such as Pell Grants are have each proreduced, she will posed versions have to take out of a plan in the more loans durpast few weeks ing her last year to avoid the dein college. fault, but both “Incoming sides have failed freshmen will to agree on a also have to deal proposal. Repubwith this, in adlicans want to dition to financut spending by cial aid cuts by trillions of dol- — Michael Brandl, senior lecturer at the Texas Legislars before raisthe McCombs School of Business lature,” Martinez ing the debt ceilsaid. “UT will be ing, while Dema lot more exocrats are sugpensive for those gesting increaswho depend on ing taxes for the financial aid.” wealthy to avoid cutting as much Melanie Schwartz, College Respending for programs such as the publicans political director, said Social Security, Medicaid, Medi- the track the country is on right care and federal grants for stu- now is unsustainable. dents and research. “We are spending money on President Barack Obama plead- a lot of things we don’t need,” ed to both parties Monday to Schwartz said. reach a reasonable agreement She said she understands the and asked the American public to value of programs such as Medicwrite to their representatives about aid and Social Security, but Demothe urgency of the matter. As a re- crats and Republicans both admit sult, some representatives’ phone spending cuts across the board are lines and websites became over- inevitable. Government spending whelmed by an increase in traffic. has reached an astronomical levEconomics professor Daniel el, she said.
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Student loans are going to get more expensive.
another hurricane if it were to hit the coast, because the agency learned a lot after 2008. The reforms that occurred during the special session helped prepare the agency for the hurricane season and will benefit its policy holders, Polak said. “Anytime you have a significant event, like in 2008, you learn from the experience, and there are things we learned that we could do better,” Polak said. Most of the complaints from policyholders after the 2008 hurricane were that the insurers didn’t meet deadlines required by law and the organization had poor communication with its policy holders. The agency has gone through a number of changes and currently has a larger staff, a more articulated catastrophe response plan and most importantly and a better communication plan than in the past, Polak said. “People forget the typical ways you get in touch with people don’t work after a hurricane,” he said. “Home phone lines don’t work, cell phone towers are often out. As a result, we’ve established call cen-
ters so that we can do a better job with proactive communication and communication after an event.” Polak said the association is currently working their way through the new legislation, and it will take effect by the end of September. Adriana Escalante, a Plan II and international relations and global studies junior, had to evacuate her family’s house in Kemah, on Galveston Bay, for Hurricanes Rita in 2005 and Ike in 2008. Their roof was destroyed after Ike, and Escalante said it took years for everything to get back in order. Although Escalante’s family was not insured by the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association at the time of the storm, she said the reforms would not help her town much because of how devastating hurricanes can be. “It took a lot of time to for our community to recover after the hit,” Escalante said. “No matter what kind of reforms happen [with the association] it will take a very long time to build up a community again if another hurricane hits this summer.”
Amos said the keep currently houses 30 green sea turtles and many baby birds because their breeding seasons are underway. He said many of the birds will be able to fly on their own by the end of August. “Every year we try to make sure that the animals that can be released are released before a hurricane is coming,” Amos said. “We do it only if and when they are ready to go, however.” Amos’ team is ready to evacuate the animals in a boat fitted with cages and in tanks and cages that can be taken by hand if necessary. “We would probably leave some of
the big [sea turtles] in the tank,” Amos said. “Should it overflow they would probably survive. We have some permanent home birds that do not have full use of their wings so those will have to come with us.” Amos said hurricane season storms bring in most of the animals they care for — including many not indigenous to the area. “One storm brought in a white tailed tropic,” Amos said. “It’s a beautiful bird with a really long tail, and it’s the symbol of Bermuda. Another storm brought in a rare yellow nosed albatross, but unfortunately it was found dead.” Candice Mottet, who rehabilitates animals at the institute, said Hurricane Katrina washed many animals on to shore that were in need of constant care. Ike was more devastating to the island, and she took many small reptiles with her when she and other scientists evacuated before the storm. “I brought home a diamondback terrepin, a red-eared slider, an ornate box turtle and I ended up also bring with me a black cat that had been hanging around our area,” Mottet said. “I had them for approximately a week.” Mottet said it was a great experience to be able to ensure the safety of the animals she had been trying to rehabilitate. Danielle Hale, Nueces County emergency management coordinator, said the county is hosting a meeting today at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi to remind the population about hurricane season awareness since peak hurricane activity happens in September and October. She said a tropical storm is currently brewing that will be named Don if it fully develops. She said she hopes it increases the attendance at tonight’s meeting.
3 W/N
WORLD&NATION
Thursday, July 28, 2011 | THE DAILY TEXAN | Brenna Cleeland, Wire Editor | dailytexanonline.com
Romney’s campaign prepares for battle for president’s seat By Ann Sanner The Associated Press
Lee Jin-man | Associated Press
South Korean soldiers remove debris from around a wrecked vehicle after heavy rains caused a landslide in Seoul, South Korea on Wednesday. A quick blast of heavy rain sent landslides barreling through South Korea’s capital and a northern town.
Mud submerges South Korean capital By Hyung-Jin Kim & Sam Kim The Associated Press
SEOUL, South Korea — Walls of mud barreling down a hill buried 10 college students sleeping in a resort cabin and flash floods submerged the streets and subway stations in Seoul, killing at least 36 people Wednesday in South Korea’s heaviest rains this year. The students were engulfed by a landslide in Chuncheon, about 68 miles (110 kilometers) northeast of Seoul, said fire marshal Byun In-soo. A married couple and a convenience store owner also died. Witnesses interviewed on television said the landslide sounded like a massive explosion or a freight train. They described people screaming as buildings were carried away by rivers of mud. About 670 firefighters, soldiers, police and others rushed to rescue those trapped and extract the dead from the mud and wreckage in Chuncheon, where 24 others were injured and several buildings destroyed.
Yonhap news agency reported the 10 students attended Inha University in Incheon, but did not confirm they all were South Korean. The group was volunteering at a local elementary school. In southern Seoul, 16 people died when mud crashed through homes at the foot of a mountain. The National Emergency Management
way station using shovels, brooms and a wooden board in an effort to keep more rain from coming in. Yonhap reported Internet and wireless connections failed in southern Seoul due to power failures. Footage showed officials rescuing hikers stranded on mountainsides. People plodded down streets covered with knee-deep water, many
The heavy rain since Tuesday left about 620 people homeless and flooded 720 houses and about 100 vehicles throughout South Korea. Agency reported seven deaths because of flooding in a stream just south of the capital and said the toll was expected to rise as dozens of people were missing. Fast-moving mudwaters filled the streets in Seoul on Wednesday, sending residents scrambling to the roofs of their partially submerged cars. Water filled some subway stations and spewed from sewers. TV images showed people in one flooded sub-
barefoot, their pants rolled up. In Seoul’s center, cars were restricted from entering the lower part of a submerged two-level bridge. The heavy rain since Tuesday left about 620 people homeless and flooded 720 houses and about 100 vehicles throughout South Korea, the emergency management agency said. About 17 inches (440 millimeters) of rain fell on Seoul and more
than 13 inches (340 millimeters) on Chuncheon in the last two days, about 15 times more than the average two-day rainfall at this time of year, according to the state-run Korea Meteorological Administration. Weather officials said another 10 inches (254 millimeters) could fall in northern South Korea, including Seoul, through Friday. Seoul, a bustling capital of 10 million, shut down portions of two major highways stretching along each side of the main Han River because of high water, said disaster official Kim Ji-hwan. A dam located just east of Seoul was discharging 16,400 tons of water per second, said Cha Jun-ho from the Han River Flood Control Office. The dam already discharged about 1,000 tons per second days before the recent downpours. People in Seoul, where smartphones are ubiquitous, posted dozens of photos on Twitter and Facebook showing inundated streets and mud-covered cars. Many complained online that Seoul had neglected to prepare for the downpours.
PATASKALA, Ohio — Forget his GOP primary opponents. Republican front-runner Mitt Romney is focused on a match-up against President Barack Obama. “The president when he was a candidate said that he was going to take China to the mat,” the former Massachusetts governor said Wednesday at a manufacturing plant. “Well, I’m afraid most of us thought he meant the wrestling mat. But instead he and we have been taken to the door mat.” Romney’s take on Obama’s economic record in a general election battleground shined a light on his strategy as he leads the Republican field in polls and money five months before primary voting is to begin: ignore swipes from his GOP rivals, criticize the Democratic president on the economy, and campaign in important presidential swing states seemingly as often as states that vote early in the GOP primary. It’s a sharp contrast to Romney’s approach four years ago when he ran for the Republican nomination as a virtual unknown and tried to — unsuccessfully — beat the 2008 leader of the GOP pack John McCain. This year, it’s Romney who leads the Republican Party that typical-
ly nominates the candidate who ran — and lost — once before. His standing has afforded him the luxury of watching as GOP rivals like Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty try to emerge as the alternative choice of primary voters. Not that Romney will publicly acknowledge that he’s focused on November 2012 and Obama; doing so would enflame Republicans in Iowa, New Hampshire and other early voting states and create an aura of inevitability that has destroyed other frontrunners before him, like Hillary Rodham Clinton during the Democratic primary in 2008. Perhaps mindful of all that, Romney said Wednesday — in a state that isn’t slated to hold its GOP primary until May — that: “I’ve got to win the primaries first. That’s job one. Then comes job two, which is winning the general.” His strategy, to be sure, could change if new — and potentially more exciting — players join the race. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has scheduled a visit to Iowa in September, a hint she’s more seriously weighing a campaign. And advisers to Texas Gov. Rick Perry are laying the groundwork should he decide to become a presidential contender. For now, at least, Romney’s acting like the front-runner.
Jay LaPrete | Associated Press
Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, center, speaks during his tour of Screen Machine Industries with owner Doug Cohen, left, Wednesday, in Pataskala, Ohio.
NEWS BRIEFLY
ank,” Amos hey would some per-Paralyzed lion in Brazil dies, o not haveresulting in top internet news those will
SAO PAULO — Ariel, a paralyzed male lion whose fight to e seasonwalk again became the focus of he animalsan Internet fundraising campaign many notand captured wide media attention in Brazil, died Wednesday, his n a whiteowner said. It’s a beau- The Facebook page created by ng tail, andBorges was “liked” by more than a. Another62,500 people. The lion’s death llow nosedmade headlines on Brazil’s biggest tely it wasnews portals and was a top worldwide trending item on Twitter. Veterinarian Livia Pereira who ehabilitatescared for Ariel recently had said aid Hurri-that for unknown reasons, the liny animalson’s white blood cells attacked eed of con-healthy cells because of a degenerdevastat-ative disease affecting the medultook manyla, a portion of the brain stem inen she andvolved in motor functions. ed before Pereira said Ariel’s symptoms were similar to those of multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease mondbackand Guillain-Barre syndrome, an , an ornateautoimmune disorder that can also bringcause paralysis.
had been a,” MottetTropical storm forms in Gulf, roximately
predicted to make way to Texas
reat expe- MIAMI — Forecasters say Trope the safe-ical Storm Don has formed in the been tryingsouthern Gulf of Mexico and its
track over the next several days shows that it’s headed toward s Countysoutheastern Texas. coordina- The National Hurricane Cenng a meet-ter in Miami said Wednesday that ege in Cor-it doesn’t appear the storm will populationstrengthen into a hurricane. awareness Forecasters say maximum susty happenstained winds are at 40 mph (65 kph). r. She saidThe center of the storm is about 755 ly brewingmiles (1215 kilometers) east-southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas. it fully deNo coastal watches or warnings it increasesare in effect.
meeting.
3
— Compiled from Associated Press reports
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Thursday, July 28, 2011 | The Daily Texan | Viviana Aldous, Editor-in-Chief | (512) 232-2212 | editor@dailytexanonline.com
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Research isn’t sole issue Now that Harry Potter has finally defeated Voldemort, we can return to dealing with the other You-Know-Who. We’re talking, of course, about Rick O’Donnell and his funding-eaters at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. In June, more than 200 alumni and other individuals concerned with the ongoing debate over Texas higher education banded together to form the Texas Coalition for Excellence in Higher Education. Calling themselves a “powerful and diverse group of Texas business, philanthropic and community leaders,” the coalition has published several press releases, primarily in direct response to prominent criticisms of the University. For example, former UT System adviser Rick O’Donnell published a new report last week attacking faculty productivity and workload. Within hours, the coalition published a scathing retort, centered around ad hominem attacks on O’Donnell while largely glossing over the report’s findings and recommendations, saying only that the ideas “have been previously rejected through analytical and knowledgeable review.” So far it seems the coalition’s primary purpose is to do just that, to rebut the latest attack on the UT status quo. Albeit, it is a worthwhile battle in many regards. Several of the proposals offered up by the TPPF in the
form of the “seven breakthrough solutions” are misguided and short-sighted “reforms” that would have an extremely negative impact on the quality of education offered by UT. The problem, rather, is that the ongoing debate over the role of research at UT seems to be the only battle the coalition wants to fight. Rather than being advocates for improving the University, the group has been content to serve as a public relations firm, vigorously defending the University administration with a circle-the-wagons mentality. That protectionist mindset might not be such a glaring issue if the status quo were not so ghastly itself. Since 2004, when tuition was deregulated, the cost of attending UT has risen 40 percent, more than twice the rate of inflation over the same period, including constant tuition hikes both before and during the recession. And while state appropriations have remained relatively stagnant, University operating costs have continued to rise every year since the mid 1990s. Now that the budget reductions have been finalized, it is almost inevitable that the University will seek to raise tuition next year. Our University’s president has been quick to cite the fact that while state appropriations
once accounted for a large percentage of the University’s funding, they now only constitute around 14 percent of the budget. What doesn’t get mentioned is how the University’s operating costs have exploded over the same time period. Until the recent budget reduction, the state wasn’t giving us less; we were just spending more. If this coalition really is more than the University administration’s pet watchdog, then it’s time to show some teeth. The University’s president has a fully staffed public affairs office to write press releases and defend the systems and structures they have created. The administration can fight its own battles. The real question is whether this coalition is willing to stick up for students, some of whom won’t be able to afford the next round of tuition hikes and will subsequently be forced out of the University. Among the endless back-andforth over the value of research and faculty workloads, the debate has largely glossed over the most important constituency involved: the students. Whether those students should be viewed as consumers in a market-driven industry or sages thirsting for the attainment of knowledge is a matter of personal opinion and, quite frankly, irrelevant. What is relevant
is just how much tuition is going to increase by next year and how many classes and faculty will be cut. Over the past year, the ongoing debate regarding the future of Texas higher education has devolved into a dichotomous struggle between two polar ideologies. Both sides claim to have students’ best interests at heart, yet neither is acting like it. One camp seems perfectly content to continue the tuition hikes and budget expansion of the last 10 years, thereby recommitting UT to the bidding war that higher education in this country has become. Meanwhile, our “reformers” seem set on bleeding the University down to a community college. And while downgrading the quality of education offered by the University should not be an option, upgrading UT via a Harvardesque price tag is an equally unacceptable outcome. The next year promises a new set of difficulties for this University, both for its leaders and constituents. Now more than ever, students need their most vocal advocates to recognize the implications of larger tuition hikes before the die is cast. Balancing UT’s budget on the backs of students is not an acceptable outcome. — Dave Player for the editorial board.
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legaleSe 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.
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The firing line The cost of ‘free’ parking Monday’s column, “New parking fees threaten Austin growth,” misses the mark on parking meters. Anyone who has ever tried to park downtown on a Friday or Saturday night knows that free parking spaces are usually either very difficult or impossible to find. It’s basic supply and demand: Parking is a limited resource, and if the cost doesn’t reflect that scarcity, there will be shortages. Expanded meter hours will increase the turnover and availability of those slots, increasing supply. Greater availability of metered parking spaces will offer a cheaper alternative to the more expensive garages. It makes absolutely no sense that parking is free when demand is greatest, on Friday and Saturday nights, but costs money when there is less demand during the day. How will nighttime service workers cope? The same way as their coworkers that work during the day now and have to deal with metered street parking. Contrary to popular myth, you don’t have to park downtown to go downtown. Plenty of buses go to and from downtown late into the night. If you want to park for a long period of time downtown, parking will still be free at nights north of 10th Street. Austinites need to get over the idea that they are entitled to free parking wherever they want to go. There is a cost to “free” parking spaces. They take up valuable land and have to be built. Free parking simply doesn’t work in a downtown setting when there are many more people who would like to park than there are parking spaces.
— Timothy Bray UT alumnus
Where is the research? I write to express my disappointment in Monday’s article “Modification of language requirement sparks debate.” I am sorry to see The Daily Texan print a poorly researched, shallow article-cum-editorial. The heart of the problem is that the article is heavily one-sided. Where is the research on outcomes and student achievement? Last year, many languages were taught intensively, not just French, and we have proficiency scores that measure achievement on a national scale for the four languages taught in the Department of Middle Eastern Studies. Your reporter did not even bother to inquire about such results, nor about how we can measure success and failure of language study. Perhaps you could devote a future article to that topic.
— Kristen Brustad Chair, Department of Middle Eastern Studies
Paper or canvas? By Matt Daley Daily Texan Columnist
Plastic may no longer be an option. Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell, along with City Council members Chris Riley and Mike Martinez, introduced a resolution Monday that would eventually lead to a ban on plastic shopping bags in most Austin stores. In doing so, Austin would join a growing number of environmentally-conscious cities and countries that have chosen to banish the wasteful plastic scourge. This is not the first time Leffingwell has supported banning plastic bags. In 2008, when he served as a member of City Council, Leffingwell proposed banning plastic shopping bags. His efforts did not lead to a ban then, however. A group of six large retail stores pledged to voluntarily reduce bag use at their stores instead. The reduction amounted to about a 20-percent decline in use over the past two years, according to Leffingwell. The agreed target was 50 percent. According to the Austin American-Statesman, the mayor cited the program’s general ineffectiveness and its small size (it involved only the original six retailers who proposed it) as reasons for revisiting the idea of a city-wide ban. The mayor also cited a January 2011 report from the city’s Solid Waste Services Department, which estimated that Austin’s plastic bag habit — some 263 million bags used annually — costs the city more than $850,000 per year in landfill maintenance and roadside cleanup. The city council will consider the new resolution at its Aug. 4 meeting. If adopted, the resolution would direct city employees, along with local retailers, to create an implementation plan. The mayor has said that a ban would be imposed gradually and would likely allow for some exceptions to be made. Small stores, for instance, might be exempt. However, he was careful to say that the ban must be widely applicable to be effective. A number of U.S. cities have banned the plastic bag in stores. In 2007, San Francisco was the first to do so. Portland is the most recent member of the club, which has grown to include Brownsville, Palo Alto and Los Angeles County. Internationally, banning them is more popular. Mexico City banned plastic bags in 2009; the Chinese government has severely restricted their use; and Italy banished them entirely in January. Plastic bags can persist in the environment for decades. They do not degrade readily; they merely break into smaller pieces. They pile up in mountains and in landfills, pollute rivers, swirl
endlessly in oceans and endanger wildlife. But while managing plastic bags after they have been used and discarded certainly creates environmental problems, it is by some accounts a smaller problem than the consequences of making the bags initially. Plastic bags are made from oil and natural gas, and the environmental cost of producing them is severe. They waste nonrenewable resources that could be used for more productive purposes. The Chinese government estimates that its restrictions save some 37 million barrels of oil per year from being used to make plastic bags. According to Salon, an online magazine, only 2 percent of plastic bags are successfully recycled in the United States. Many are thrown away and sent to landfills, but even bags sent to recycling centers pose problems. Because they are so thin, the bags are difficult to process and often clog machines, requiring them to be removed by hand. Businesses favor them, of course, because they are cheap, costing 1 to 2 cents per bag, compared to paper bags’ 4- to 6-cent price tag. And manufacturers claim that making them is less damaging than making paper bags. Paper bags require that trees be ground up, and because they are heavier than plastic ones, paper bags require more fuel to transport to retailers. But that argument fails to account for the higher recycling rate for paper bags, many of which are now made from recycled materials to begin with. Moreover, trees, if properly managed, are a renewable resource, unlike oil and natural gas. And paper bags are not the only alternative. During the voluntary reduction program, the Texas Retailers Association, a group that opposes the mayor’s proposed ban, estimates that the participating stores sold more than 900,000 reusable canvas bags to customers. These bags, also often made from recycled materials, can be used over and over again. Getting customers to use them has been the primary issue. Eliminating plastic bags, or charging for them, may be an incentive customers will respond to. Plastic bags serve their purpose quite well, and they epitomize convenience. But the piles of discarded bags and small bits of plastic floating in our rivers and oceans are slowly assembling into a permanent monument to the consequences of our collective laziness. According to the Austin American-Statesman, Leffingwell said, “It won’t take much for Austinites to understand that plastic is no longer an option.” He is right, and Austin should kick this wasteful habit. Daley is a biology and government senior.
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Thursday, July 28, 2011
City Council to vote on water treatment, downtown parking
BUDGET continues from PAGE 1 “It’s kind of an attention-getting rate increase,” Leffingwell said. “This is because we haven’t had a rate increase since 1994, and this is basically catch up.” A new fixed water sustainability fee is the other large component to the projected $22 increase for customers and homeowners who use an average amount of electricity per month. It also affects commercial customers, including Samsung Austin Semiconductor. The chip manufacturing company, which is undergoing a $3.6 billion expansion, will have a hefty water bill with the new fee. Of the general fund, 65 percent is allocated to public safety, with the Austin Police Department receiving the largest increase at $16.5 million, according to the proposed budget. “For me, public safety as a city is our number one priority,” Leffingwell said. The funds would allow APD to maintain its ratio of two officers per 1,000 residents by adding 49 new officers. Property tax is expected to increase by almost $3 per month for a home with a median value of about $182,228. Personal property values are expected to increase by 30 percent, and land values are projected to increase by 20 percent. Commercial and multi-unit residential property values are also projected to rise but significantly less. The property value of single family residents is projected to decrease by 0.4 percent. City Manager Marc Ott, who started working with the city in 2008 and created the projected budget, said he is comfortable with it. “My entire tenure here has been about trying to manage through the economic downturn,” Ott said.
Resolution could require some construction workers to undergo safety training By Katrina Tollin Daily Texan Staff
Photo Illustration by Rebeca Rodriguez | Daily Texan Staff
City officials are debating whether to ban plastic shopping bags in order to make Austin environmentally safer.
Austin may ban plastic shopping bags By Syeda Hasan Daily Texan Staff
Plastic may not be an option for Austin shoppers much longer. City officials are deliberating on the best way to implement a ban on plastic shopping bags to lessen negative environmental impacts, Mayor Lee Leffingwell announced Monday. Plastic bags cost the city roughly $850 thousand a year to clean up and dispose of, Leffingwell said in a press release. He said the proposed ban on the bags will be further discussed and voted on at the Aug. 4 City Council meeting. “Single-use plastic bags are both harmful to the environment and costly to our local economy,” Leffingwell said. “They create litter in our rivers and streams. They’re harmful to wildlife and because bags are not biodegradable, they are around forever.” Leffingwell’s spokesman Matt Curtis said city officials have at-
NEWS BRIEFLY Interim director position filled at University Health Services
Associate director of University Health Services Jamie Shutter will begin leading UHS as interim director starting in September. She is taking over for UHS director Jeanne Carpenter, who announced her retirement earlier this month. “Jamie has always prioritized the needs of students in every decision she makes,” Carpenter said. “She is an excellent choice for interim director, and our students will be in good hands with Jamie leading the organization.” Shutter’s accomplishments as associate director include starting the UT Wellness Network, overseeing
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the redesign of the UHS website, and developing and increasing the visibility of the Center for Students in Recovery, Carpenter said. Shutter was one of two people recognized by the University as 2011 Outstanding Supervisors, said Chris Brownson, associate vice president for student affairs, who appointed Shutter. “Jamie has a wealth of knowledge and experience in college health. She has a passion for working with students and has been a campus leader for promoting student wellness,” Brownson said. “She is open, fair and makes decisions based on what is in the best interest of students.” — Will Alsdorf
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tempted to reduce the use of disposable plastic bags in previous years by designing a voluntary program for retailers to limit the number of plastic bags they use, but the plan only reduced usage by 20 percent. “Currently our community uses about 263 million plastic bags each year,” Curtis said. “The best thing to do for the environment and the economy is to look at ways to have a severe reduction of their usage.” Curtis said the mayor’s team has asked City Manager Marc Ott to create a plan that will gradually reduce and eliminate the use of plastic bags. The best alternative for shoppers is to invest in reusable bags, he said. “Plastic bags are bad for our community, and it is time to do something about it,” Curtis said. “This has been done in other communities, and it has worked. Austin is one of the most intelligent cities in the United States, so
I think if this can work elsewhere it can work in Austin.” He said while there are methods for recycling plastic bags, many still end up in landfills and are harmful because they do not decompose naturally. “They cause more problems than anything,” Curtis said. “We do expect one thing out of this ban, and that is a drastic and hopefully complete reduction of plastic bags going into our local environment.” English senior Thomas White said he feels more people would make the switch to reusable shopping bags if they did not have the option of using plastic bags. “I understand they can have negative environmental impacts, and I’d be willing to work around not using plastic bags,” White said. “We all still have to buy groceries and carry them somehow, and I think the Austin community especially would be willing to work around the ban.”
The Austin City Council will hear more than 130 agenda items today during its first regular meeting after a month-long summer break. In addition to routine business, the council will vote on several resolutions sponsored by individual council members. These resolutions include extending safety requirements for construction workers, reconsidering the time line for expanding on-street parking meter hours downtown and potentially delaying construction on Water Treatment Plant No. 4 that is already underway. A passing vote on the water treatment plant proposal would give the Council time to collect information about the financial impact of a possible delay in the project’s completion. The city has already spent $123 million on the project, which will cost a total of $508 million. “This resolution doesn’t change direction or postpone anything, but it gives the council time to decide if they want to change direction,” said Heidi Gerbracht, policy director for council member Bill Spelman, the main sponsor of the resolution. “This is sort of a placeholder for us to hold off.” In the budget released Wednesday by City Manager Marc Ott, the city faces a $9.8 million budget shortfall for 2012. Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole
said she has concerns about financial penalties if the city fails to meet requirements associated with the city’s debts. “My primary concern is the impact on the city’s debt. We face the potential of increasing our interest if we break a deal,” Cole said. “It is a big deal to go back on [a deal] as a city because we borrow so much money.” Another resolution would delay the planned start date for expansion of downtown parking hours until 2012. “The idea of extending the parking hours came from city staff as a solution to our downtown parking problem,” said Matt Curtis, spokesman for Mayor Lee Leffingwell. “This is a solution to cars that may pull up early in the evening and stay in one spot to the next day because they have no incentive to move. They have a free spot.” Curtis said extending the hours would generate revenue that will be used for improving the downtown area and will encourage alternative transportation. Another resolution on the agenda for today’s meeting would expand safety training requirements for construction workers on city property. Currently third-party contractors are not required to do the 10-hour safety training city contractors are required to take. “We would like to see as many workers [as possible] in the city given the basic safety training that they need to keep them safe on the job,” said Emily Timm, a policy analyst for The Worker’s Defense Project, a workers’ rights group.
Carpenters union protests UT contractor A group representing an Austin-based carpenters union has been at the West Mall every weekday morning since July 19 protesting against what they say are unfair labor practices by a contractor working at UT. “We’re just trying to alert the public to an issue not facing just Austin but the country,” said Craig Wright, an organizer for the Texas Carpenters & Millwrights Regional Council. Carpenters Local Union 1266 member Gerald Boese has been protesting and said he has been working as a carpenter since 1966. A local contractor working on Bellmont Hall was being unfair to taxpayers and employees by not withholding federal taxes intended for Social Security, Boese said. The contractor, 4MC Enterprises Incorporated, did not return requests for comment. “The University of Texas should look into employers like these contractors to make sure they are treating workers fairly and paying into Social Security,” Boese said. Many of the people protesting are not members of the carpenters union and are paid $10 an hour to protest, Wright said. “The carpenters union feels it’s
Rebeca Rodriguez | Daily Texan Staff
Texas Carpenters Union formed a rally in front of the UT campus July 20. This organization, and many others, are hiring homeless people as temporary workers in order to protest their needs. fair to pay people to [protest],” Boese said. “It helps them out. It gives them a job for a couple of hours.”
According to a WFAA-Dallas report from December, the union has a history of hiring homeless
individuals to protest. — Will Alsdorf
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Thursday, July 28, 2011
Perry claims dread about debt ceiling is overblown By April Castro The Associated Press
Patrick Dove | Associated Press
Warren Jeffs, leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is placed in a Tom Green County Sheriff’s Department car after a suppression hearing Wednesday, in San Angelo, Texas. A judge on Wednesday dealt a blow to the defense of polygamist religious leader Warren Jeffs, refusing to suppress evidence police seized during a 2008 raid on his sect’s West Texas compound.
Judge approves evidence in polygamist’s case By Will Weissert The Associated Press
SAN ANGELO — A judge on Wednesday dealt a blow to the defense of polygamist religious leader Warren Jeffs, refusing to suppress evidence police seized during a 2008 raid on his sect’s West Texas compound.
District Judge Barbara Walther’s decision means a small mountain of documents — including marriage and birth records — can be presented to the jury during Jeffs’ trial. It also means opening statements in the case are set for Thursday morning, after one more suppression hearing. This time, Jeffs’ attorneys are
asking that evidence seized during the 2006 traffic stop in Nevada when Jeffs was arrested also be suppressed. Walther said she would hear arguments on that for about an hour, then told both sides to be ready with opening statements. Jeffs, head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, faces two counts of
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sexual assault of a child. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of up to 119 years to life in prison. The April 2008 raid on the FLDS ranch outside of tiny Eldorado, Texas, made headlines nationwide. Walther signed the search warrant that prompted it. The raid was based on a call to a domestic abuse shelter that
turned out to be a hoax, however. Jeffs’ attorneys had argued that police had suspicions information provided by the caller was spurious, and yet didn’t mention them to Walther to ensure she’d approve the warrant. After about an hour hearing, an additional 30 minutes of deliberating, Walther turned down the defense request.
HOUSTON — Predictions of gloom and doom gripping the economy if the federal debt ceiling is not extended are overblown, Gov. Rick Perry said Wednesday, even as stocks plunged on fears that gridlocked congressional leaders would allow the U.S. to default on its debts. “They’re not going to shut down the collection of fees and taxes, I’m thinking,� Perry said, responding to a question after a ceremonial bill signing. “There is still going to be revenues flowing in. I think this threat that somehow or another the world’s going to come to an end and the threat of we’re not going to be able to pay our bills is a bit of a stretch.� Political gridlock has so far halted legislation to stave off Tuesday’s deadline to raise the nation’s debt ceiling. Investors anxious about the stalemate swept across Wall Street on Wednesday and drove the Dow Jones industrial average down almost 200 points. On Wednesday, Perry called the gridlock political theater; a day earlier he called President Barack Obama’s speech addressing the situation condescending. The Texas governor is moving closer to jumping in the race for the White House. While he said he supports the so-called cut, cap and balance approach, Perry did not say if he supported the plan proposed by House Speaker John Boehner. “I’m frustrated along with the rest of Americans, but the fact of the matter is ... we’ve spent too much money, we’ve gotten our house in bad shape and we need to stop spending.�
Athlete who posed as student receives three in years prison By Betsy Blaney The Associated Press
LUBBOCK — A former star athlete who posed as a teenager to play high school basketball in West Texas was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison after reaching a plea deal, a prosecutor said. Guerdwich Montimere, 23, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault and three counts of tampering with government records, said Ector County District Attorney Bobby Bland. Officials say the naturalized U.S. citizen from Haiti had graduated from high school in Florida, where he also played basketball, years before he moved to Odessa and presented himself as a ninth-grader named Jerry Joseph. Montimere was 21 and 22 when he played one season at Odessa Permian High, the same rabidly competitive school that inspired the book and movie “Friday Night Lights� about high school football. Montimere helped lead the Panthers to the 2010 state playoffs, but the team had to forfeit after his story unraveled. Montimere was indicted last year on six felony charges, including sexual assault and tampering with government records. His trial was to begin next week in Odessa, and he had faced up to 20 years in prison if convicted on the original counts. The indictment accused him of identity theft. The sexual assault counts accused him of having sex with a 15-year-old girl. Messages were left with a spokesman for Montimere’s attorney Wednesday as well as with his mother, Manikisse Montimere. Suspicions were raised about Joseph after coaches from Florida at a post-season amateur basketball tournament in Arkansas said they recognized him as Montimere, a 2007 graduate of a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., high school. Because he was living with Odessa basketball coach Danny Wright and not a parent or guardian, Montimere had to apply to the University Interscholastic League in Aus-
Heather Leiphart | Associated Press
Guerdwich Montimere, 23, who posed as a high school student in 2010, leaves the courthouse in Odessa, Texas, on Wednesday. He pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault and three counts of tampering with government records, said Ector County District Attorney Bobby Bland.
tin to play high school basketball. A waiver was granted and he was the star of the team. Wright, who still calls Montimere by the name Jerry, said he was livid once he learned Joseph wasn’t who he said he was. “I was blindsided,� Wright said. “I never saw it coming. I just thought he was a big kid.� Montimere was named the District 2-5A Newcomer of the Year, an honor that was stripped when his deception was exposed. The Panthers also forfeited their 16 wins, although Wright said the “team would have been good with or without Jerry.� Bland noted Montimere will have to register as a sex offender. “To me, this is justice considering what he did here. This will protect other towns from him doing what he did here,� Bland said. He also said the victim had wanted a plea deal. “The victim’s been through a lot because of the high profile nature of this case,� he said. “And I wanted to save her from going through the ordeal of a trial.� After the Arkansas tournament,
Permian officials had begun receiving anonymous phone calls and emails saying Joseph was really Montimere. Odessa school officials looked into the situation, and Joseph was initially cleared by immigration authorities and allowed to return to the school. But the investigation continued, and officials eventually confirmed Montimere’s identity. School officials said Montimere confessed after he was confronted with the new evidence. In spite of everything, Montimere still had the support of some Permian teachers, who had planned to be in the courtroom for his trial. Liz Faught, a substitute at Permian who had Montimere as a student several times, said he was always well-behaved and polite. Although she said she felt a “bit duped� when the truth surfaced, she never lost her compassion for him. “I know he was doing all of it for himself to be better off,� she said. “And that’s fine. We all do that. ... I cannot say one bad thing about this kid.�
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Thursday, July 28, 2011 | THE DAILY TEXAN | Trey Scott, Sports Editor | (512) 232-2210 | sports@dailytexanonline.com
2011 LONGHORN FOOTBALL PREVIEW
WANTED: Texas quarterback Head coach still searching for a starting signal caller who can handle pressure
SIDELINE MLB ASTROS
CARDNIALS
By Sameer Bhuchar Daily Texan Staff
The same school that produced recent college greats such as Colt McCoy and Vince Young is currently without a quarterback to continue the tradition. Texas coach Mack Brown made it very clear at the Big 12 Media Days that the starting job is still up for grabs between four options that have yet to separate themselves from one another — Garrett Gilbert, Case McCoy, Connor Wood and David Ash. “Everybody always says when you’ve got four [quarterbacks] you’ve got none, but I think if you’ve got four good ones, you’ve got four good ones,” Brown said. “The field is still wide open, and we want our starter to earn his role.” He said that the heated competition for one of college football’s most coveted roles may not be decided until the Longhorns’ matchup against Rice on Sept. 3. “If [the quarterbacks] don’t separate, then we’ll go into the Rice game trying to figure out how we’re going to play them to see who is going to separate in front of 101,000 people,” Brown said. “Y’all would love that.” Brown’s hush-hush approach to solving this issue raises flags that this year’s batch of competitors may not present the capabilities of a leader. Senior running back Fos-
TWINS
RANGERS
GIANTS
PHILLIES
Derek Stout | Daily Texan file photo
Junior quarterback Garrett Gilbert aims down field against Rice in last year’s season opener. Gilbert started all 12 games last year in Texas’ first losing season since 1997. Texas coach Mack Brown has repeatedly said the starting quarterback role is still open.
whitt Whittaker said that whichever player can rally the team around him will get the job. “One of the quarterbacks needs to step up in times of adversity,” Whittaker said. “He doesn’t necessarily have to be vocal, but he needs
to be able to make plays — a presence in the huddle.” Brown echoed those statements, saying that he wanted “somebody that could get Texas’ swagger back.” Junior Gilbert was last year’s starter and was expected to have a
break out year after a gutsy performance in the 2010 National Championship game. Gilbert started the 2010 campaign 4-2 but faltered later in the season when the team went 1-5. He completed 59 percent of his throws for 2,744 yards with just 10
touchdowns and 17 interceptions. The turnovers were among Brown’s biggest concerns, and he said that whoever is under center this year will need to reverse that trend.
QUARTERBACK continues on PAGE 9
Staff sparking team with enthusiasm ers, the hires are relatable and motivating. “[Diaz] is very confident in what he does and naturally that bleeds over to us,” senior safety It may be Mack Brown’s 14th season as Tex- Blake Gideon said. “He believes in his schemes, as’ head coach, but a majority of his and he’s made it work everywhere he’s staff has barely been on the 40 Acres been. He’s given us a lot of freedom as for more than a few months. Nonefar as the older guys go, and he’s realtheless, the players have warmed up ly trusted us to learn the defense on to the newbies fast. our own, so it is really exciting workWith the departure of longtime ofing with him.” fensive coordinator Greg Davis, coachAlthough all the players showered in-waiting Will Muschamp and three their former coordinators with praise, other Texas coaches, the senior linebacker Emmanuel Acho sees Longhorns did what they do best — tremendous potential in transitioning they didn’t rebuild, they reloaded. TexManny Diaz into Diaz’s scheme. as hired a bevy of young coordinators Defensive coordinator “Both Diaz and Muschamp are both and coaches on both sides of equally great coaches, but I’m excited the ball hoping to inject some new to play under Diaz’s scheme. I think life into a team that had become stagthe sky is the limit for us under this nant in it’s on-field approach. new system.” “We brought in a pretty young staff, Although the players didn’t reveal too and we have guys that are 30 or 31 years much about the logistics of the new sysold, who are just passionate about the tem, many think Diaz’s approach will refootball game,” senior running back semble the “Desert Swarm” defense used Foswhitt Whittaker said. “You can see by Arizona in the early ‘90s. The scheme the energy that they bring is affectis characterized by a greater emphasis of ing everybody from coach Brown to Bryan Harsin on-the-ball defense and hard-nosed purthe players.” Co-offensive suit tactics making it very hard for ofThat reinvention included two key coordinator fenses to read and exploit. hires — former Boise State offensive Also injecting some muscle into the coordinator Bryan Harsin and forprogram is the new action-figure-like strength and mer Mississippi State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz. Brown considers them future head coaches and wanted their fresh perspective. To the playCOACHES continues on PAGE 9 By Sameer Bhuchar Daily Texan Staff
Derek Stout | Daily Texan file photo
Senior running back Foswhitt Whittaker makes a cut against a Texas Tech defender. Whittaker is expected to start in week one against Rice.
Revamped run game focused on production to relieve quarterbacks By Trey Scott Daily Texan Staff
While so many people choose to blame last season’s offensive disaster on quarterback Garrett Gilbert, it would be unfair to do so without remembering that he had little to no ground game relief. In 12 games, Texas averaged about 150 rushing yards per game. For the Longhorns to get back to a bowl, that number needs to rise by 50. Even the best of quarterbacks need some help. Gilbert should get that from a group of complimentary backs: Fozzy Whittaker, Cody Johnson, Traylon Shead, Jeremy Hills and D.J. Monroe. Forgetting somebody? Oh yes, that Malcolm Brown fellow. Whittaker, the fifth-year senior, looks like the starting tailback entering the Sept. 3 opener against Rice. But given his injury-riddled past — he has missed some amount of time in each of his three seasons — he’ll need to split a lot of carries to preserve his health, and that’s where Malcolm Brown (if Texas fans have their way) comes in. The freshman from Cibolo Steele High
School enters Austin with soaring expectations not seen since Cedric Benson’s first year one decade ago. Whether or not he’ll be able to accomplish what he did in high school — 6,663 career rushing yards and 86 touchdowns — remains to be seen, although head coach Mack Brown did his best to slow down the hype machine a bit at Big 12 Media Days, saying “he had a good high school career, but we won’t know how good he is until he puts the pads on.” Whittaker has been helping Malcolm Brown get adjusted to the feel of college life and has even made him feel more comfortable in a uniform. When he got to campus, he asked Whittaker if jersey number 28 (the number he wore at Cibolo Steele) was available. “I told him I had worn it the past few seasons, but that I might be able to give it to him,” Whittaker said. The switch made sense for both sides, as Whittaker will wear number 2 this season, which is what he wore in high school at Pearland. “Changing numbers works for him, and it works for me,” he said.
RUN GAME continues on PAGE 9
Horns flash air of arrogance at Media Days gram has been under fire for what some refer to as a “sense of entitlement.” Whether it By Nick Cremona is playing on the dates it wants or seemingDaily Texan Columnist ly getting every call to go their way, some feel the Longhorns receive preferential treatment. Not many schools can ink a deal for their own On one hand, the Longhorns treatment and sports network a year after a 5-7 football season. Then again, not many schools do anything like ENTITLEMENT continues on PAGE 9 Texas. Take the Big 12 Media Days for example. While players and coaches from Missouri, Baylor, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M joined the media for lunch inside the Westin Galleria in Dallas, one group of players was absent. The Longhorns’ four player representatives instead ate Chinese takeout far from the crowd a floor above them. An isolated lunch is one thing, but when the Longhorns showed up fifteen minutes late to the player interview sessions, everyone took notice. “I’ve been around it enough to notice that different guys have different personalities, and if that’s what they want to do, then let them do it,” said Baylor linebacker Elliot Coffey. “You can’t Matt Strasen | Associated Press let it bother you. If that’s what they do then hats off to them, but that’s not what we do.” Texas players answer questions from reporters For years the entire Texas football pro- at the Big 12 Media Days.
SPORTS BRIEFLY Senior quarterback Keenum earns C-USA preseason honors IRVING, Texas — Houston senior quarterback Case Keenum was named Conference USA’s preseason offensive player of the year after missing most of 2010 with a knee injury. Keenum was awarded a sixth year of eligibility after tearing his ACL during the Cougars’ third game of the season against UCLA. He was C-USA’s Most Valuable Player in 2009 after throwing for 5,671 yards. His 14,448 yards of total offense, 13,586 passing yards, 107 touchdown passes and 1,118 completions all rank in the NCAA’s career top 10. Marshall senior defensive end Vinny Curry was named the preseason defensive player of the year, while Tulsa senior return specialist Damaris Johnson was named preseason special teams player of the year. The awards were chosen by CUSA’s 12 head coaches.
Houston Texans re-sign backup, former Heisman winner Leinart HOUSTON — The Houston Texans have agreed to terms with backup quarterback Matt Leinart. Houston signed Leinart to a one-year deal in September 2010, but the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner didn’t take a snap during the season and the Texans drafted North Carolina quarterback T.J. Yates in the fifth round. Yates worked with incumbent starter Matt Schaub and backup Dan Orlovsky during the lockout. A person with knowledge of Leinart’s decision confirmed the deal Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the move. The Houston Chronicle and KRIV-TV first reported Leinart’s deal. “I am excited to be a Texan,” Leinart said via Twitter. “Ultimately, I had to do what was best for me at this point. People can question the decision, but it was the right one for me. I love the organization, coaching staff and my teammates. Excited to get back to Reliant tomorrow and get back to work.” Leinart was the 10th overall pick in 2006 by Arizona. He broke his collarbone in the fifth game of the 2007 season, Kurt Warner took over and Leinart watched from the sideline most of the next 2 1/2 seasons. — Compiled from Associated Press reports
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Thursday, July 28, 2011
Longhorn personnel updates By Trey Scott Daily Texan Staff
to make the move from wideout to H-back, a tight end-like position in Bryan Harsin’s offense. Quarterback “He’s strong enough to block and No news on any transfers, although quick enough to flex out,” Mack Brown there have been some rumors floating said. around out there.
Backfield -Fozzy Whittaker says he is 100 percent healthy after a stinger rendered him ineffective for most of last season. “Those are frustrating because there’s nothing you can really do to stop them from happening,” he said. “But I feel good now.” -Head coach Mack Brown said that the verdict is out on the two incoming backs, Malcolm Brown and fullback Joe Bergeron, until the pads are on. -Cody Johnson will be the fullback.
Wide Receiver -Malcolm Williams is probably going
with a knee injury, is healthy and looking good. -Mason Walters is the one mentioned when we asked the guys about standouts along the offensive line. -Freshman Sedrick Flowers will stay on the offensive side of the trenches, according to Mack Brown. It was ruTight End mored as a possibility that Flowers, -Some good news for Texas fans. who played both ways in high school, Blaine Irby is at full health, as is D.J. could be moved to defensive tackle. Grant. Those two will join Dominique Jones and Barrett Matthews in the tight Defensive line end rotation. -Jackson Jeffcoat is fully healthy af“You play two in Bryan Harsin’s ofter being hampered last season with fense, so you really need four,” Mack a high ankle sprain and will join Alex Brown said. -Trey Graham is still injured after a Okafor as the bookends along the denasty knee tear during last year’s fall fensive line. -As far as the tackle situation goes, camp. the players say that somebody needs to step up and take hold of the No. 2 Offensive line defensive tackle spot (Kheeston Ran-Offensive tackle Luke Poehlmann, dall is firmly entrenched as the No. 1 who missed almost all of last season guy). Calvin Howell, Ashton Dorsey
and freshman Desmond Jackson are coming on gradually though. Taylor Bible wasn’t mentioned in the conversation. Bible came into Texas last year as a highly regarded recruit but has had problems trimming some of his weight (a reported 6-foot-3-inch, 310 pounds) and lacks the stamina to stay on the field for more than a down or two.
one of the better outside linebackers in the conference,” he said. -Demarco Cobbs has caught the eye of players and coaches after an offseason position change from safety to linebacker. Acho even went as far to call him “the fastest linebacker in the nation.”
Cornerback
Sophomores Carrington Byndom and Adrian Phillips will start at corner, with -Keenan Robinson will be Texas’ mid- true freshman Quandre Diggs and sophdle linebacker this year, and Emmanuel omore A.J. White serving as the backups. Acho and Jordan Hicks will man the outside spots. It was previously thought that Acho would man the middle (he start- Safety ed seven games there last season). But, With senior Blake Gideon entrenched according to Acho, new defensive coor- as one of the two starters at safety, it’s dinator Manny Diaz thought it be best a battle between incumbent Christian to plug Robinson in the middle after re- Scott and Kenny Vaccaro for the other viewing tape of the two players. spot. So far, Vaccaro is leading that race -Acho says that Hicks is coming along (in fact, all of the defensive players liststrong. ed Vaccaro as THE defensive standout “Jordan is finally healthy, and he can be of the summer).
Linebacker
JORDAN HICKS
KEENAN ROBINSON
Class: Sophomore Hometown: West Chester, Ohio Position: OLB
Class: Senior Hometown: Plano, Texas Position: MLB
JACKSON JEFFCOAT
Class: Sophomore Hometown: Plano, Texas Position: DE
Baylor star poised to make Bears conference contenders ‘Absolutely amazing’ Griffin placed on award watch lists by national media, coaches By Nick Cremona Daily Texan Staff
Matt Strasen | Associated Press
Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III jokes around during NCAA college football Big 12 Media Days. Though he battled injuries, Griffin has taken the Bear’s football program from obscurity to a potential conference powerhouse in a short amount of time.
Robert Griffin is a one-ofa-kind athlete and the Baylor Bears are doing everything they can to spread the word. Among the pamphlets and guides made available to the press at the Big 12 Media Days sat a stack of notepads with Griffin’s face emblazoned on the front. On the reverse side were quotes from the nation’s top college coaches and leading analysts praising Griffin’s ability. “Absolutely amazing,” said Texas head coach Mack Brown. “Extremely gifted,” Auburn head coach Gene Chizik wrote. And the catchiest of them all — “The Baylor Blur,” from the Winston-Salem Journal. He’s even got his own website, created by the Bears athletic program. The site, BURG3.com, is still under construction, but all signs point to the site being dedicated to his Heisman campaign. The praise is justified. Griffin holds the Big 12 career record for lowest interception percentage, at 1.4. He also helped Baylor to their first bowl game since 1994, and he’s not stopping there. Early Heisman watches have Griffin among the candidates for the 2011 season. However, Griffin isn’t buying into the talk just yet. “I’ve always said that the Heisman is a team award,” Griffin said. “If the team is doing well and everyone is playing together that’s when you can start talking about it.”
Humbling words coming from a player that many around the league have accused of “trashtalking” on the field. Bears head coach Art Briles sees Griffin’s behavior on the field in a different light. “Robert is a confident athlete with reality to back up what he’s saying on the field,” Briles said. If anyone knows Griffin as a player, it’s Briles. While the head
The arrival of Griffin has revived a fledgling fooball program in Baylor, and in 2010 he and the Bears had made a full recovery. Their appearance in the Texas Bowl served as a reminder that one player can indeed turn an entire team around. coach at Houston in 2007, Briles recruited Griffin to come play for the Cougars. Griffin initially committed to Houston, but after Briles landed the head coaching job at Baylor, Griffin made the switch as well. From that point on, the face of Baylor football was changed. Griffin immediately became the centerpiece of the entire Baylor athletic program. He was the crowning achievement for
a s cho ol that has had trouble bringing in top talent from around the state. In came the 6-foot-3-inch, 215 pound Griffin, and he brought more than speed and a high football IQ to the program. The signing of Griffin opened the door for other blue chip players to come to Waco as well. Griffin’s first year with the Bears was more than the team could have ever asked for. He started 11 of 12 games, recorded 13 of 23 passes for 241 yards in an upset win over Texas A&M and also won the Big 12 Freshman of the Year award. His quick start with the team couldn’t stop the B ears from going 4-8 in 2008, and three games into the 2009 season, things came to a crashing halt when Griffin tore his ACL. He sat out the remainder of the season and was granted a medical redshirt since he had not played for more than 30 percent of the season. Griffin was able to make it back on the field in 2010 but even Briles admits he wasn’t at full strength then. “We saw a little hesitation last year,” Briles said. The arrival of Griffin has revived a fledgling football program in Baylor, and in 2010 he and the Bears had made a full recovery. Their appearance in the Texas Bowl served as a reminder that one player can indeed turn an entire program around. The Bears did lose to Illinois 38-14, however, it is that loss that has served as fuel for offseason preparation. Griffin made it clear that simply making it to a bowl game isn’t going to cut it this season. “We’re not just content with sitting at the table, we want dessert,” Griffin said.
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Thursday, July 28, 2011
ENTITLEMENT continues from PAGE 7
Quarterback Case McCoy, center, hands the ball off to fullback Ryan Roberson in the 2011 Spring Jamboree football game. He completed 81 percent of his passes and threw one touchdown. McCoy is one of four quaterbacks competing for the starting job.
QUARTERBACK continues from PAGE 7
Gilbert is widely speculated to retain his role given his pro-potential arm and the inexperience of the other three options, but Ash, Wood and McCoy have all made names for themselves in one way or another. McCoy played exceptionally well in the spring football game completing 9-of-11 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown, but some scouts noted his footwork needed improvement. Whittaker believes Ash is “the fastest
of the four options,” and Wood has a great deal of arm strength. But despite the individual strengths of each, the race will be settled by who can understand the new offensive schemes the best and most importantly, handle the pressure of being Texas’ leader. “One of the things [the offensive coordinators] and I have talked about a lot is that we are going to have a lot more live competition this year on
COACHES continues from PAGE 7 day, month day, 2008
conditioning coach, Bennie Wylie. Wylie works out with the team three times a day with a superhero-like mentality, which senior linebacker Keenan Robinson said pushes him to train even harder. “You don’t want to be embarrassed by your coaches in the weight room,” Robinson said. Robinson added that he felt the chemistry be-
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as Brown and the Longhorns, but even Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops could be seen sharing a casual drink with members of the media Monday. Stoops
get acclimated to big-time college football after coming from tiny Cayuga High School. Hills is the younger brother of former Longhorn and current Steeler offensive lineman Tony Hills, and Shead, like Malcolm Brown, enjoyed a historic high school career, setting the state record for career yardage. There is also the curious case of D.J. Monroe, last year’s fan favorite and a lightning rod of (former offensive-coordinator) Greg Davis resentment. In limited touches, Monroe did special things with the football. But that’s what irritated fans so much: his touch-
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es were never anything more than limited. Monroe lacks the size to be an every-down back or even in contention for a spot in the regular rotations but could thrive in special packages to utilize his speed: sweeps, screens and bubble passes. Six guys who expect the ball might sound like a crowd, but the Longhorns need all the help they can get in order to get back to running the ball. “Our running game has been inconsistent since Jamaal Charles left,” Mack Brown said. “We have to get back to running it well and being a more physical team.”
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It means more to me to come to a smaller school like OSU and beat those big programs like Texas or Oklahoma rather than the other way around.
didn’t even have to be there Monday, but it’s tough to imagine any of the Longhorns showing up for anything that wasn’t mandatory. With the growth of college football as a whole, smaller schools are starting to bring in the same talent that a large program like Texas has for years. These teams with less resources and access to the nation’s top players are getting better, and it’s partly because of the image Texas is projecting. Young players want to play for a successful program, but they don’t want to be associated with arrogance and complacency. “How We Play” is the new tagline adopted by the Big 12 for the 2011 season, and perhaps this is just how Texas “plays.” Whatever the case, there won’t be much room for arrogance from Texas if it has another year like 2010. Texas’ confidence has made them one of the most successful college football programs ever, but it takes more than just an attitude to win games. You can count on the other nine teams in the conference proving that on the field.
RUN GAME continues from PAGE 7
Johnson swapped numbers as well this offseason, going from 1 31 to 11, but he made a bigger change too, switching from tailback to fullback. The 5-foot11-inch, 250 p ound br uisClassifieds er shouldn’t have any problems with run or pass blocking, and he’ll still be used in goal makes the players get along as well. It line situations. helps build team camaraderie.” “Cody will do what we ask him Mack Brown didn’t need to reinto,” Mack Brown said. “We’re not vent the wheel after last season’s perworried about that.” formance; he just needed to spruce She ad and Hi l ls prov id e the existing ones up. And so far the depth at tailback. Both redshirtplayers feel as if the suped-up aded last season — Hills in orditions will have the monster truck der to preserve two more years that is Texas football revved up and of eligibility and Shead to help running smooth in 2011.
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tween the coaches has done wonders for building cohesion among the players. “All the coaches are fun to be around. They joke a lot, they’re cool and they get along,” Robinson said. “That’s always good for a coaching staff, especially when you get guys together in such a short period of time. And when they get along that just
3rd down and in the red zone and on 4th downs,” Brown said. “We want to put quarterbacks under tremendous pressure and make them prove that they can keep the ball moving and make the tough plays.” If the coaches can’t find the man to handle the pressure of Texas’ judgmental eyes soon enough, Brown already has a backup career planned. “I’ l l prob ably b e a t r uck driver then.”
who even shooed off a would-be reporter that approached Brown in the hallway. One would think that other high profile coaches and players would act the same
“
Trent Lesikar | Daily Texan file photo
subsequent actions could be justified by their prolonged success within the Big 12 Conference. Texas has won three Big 12 titles and brought in millions worth of revenue from participating in numerous BCS bowls. But this feeling that as a team they march to the beat of their own drum has been echoed by many throughout the conference. Maybe it comes with the territory. Texas is a large school with an extremely successful athletic history, but that doesn’t give its players the right to act like they are better than everyone else. For Oklahoma State safety Markelle Martin, the attitude of the Texas program helped in his decision on where to play college football. “It means more to me to come to a smaller school like OSU and beat those big programs like Texas or Oklahoma rather than the other way around,” Martin said. The fact that the Texas players regard themselves as better than their Big 12 counterparts is far too obvious to go unmentioned. Mack Brown and company remained under the close watch of the media relations personnel,
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Thursday, July 28, 2011
Movie RevieW | Cowboys & aliens
Western crosses sci-fi in ‘Cowboys & Aliens’ By Alex Williams Daily Texan Staff
DT: Are you working on an LP right now? BD: Yeah, I am! Being on tour is a great environment for me to write. There’s a lot of creative energy floating around. I’ve already started recording some demos. Hopefully by early next year maybe we’ll be spending time in the studio or start wrapping up the full length.
Courtesy of Universal Pictures
others — all of them vital parts of id, even if the character work isn’t. what’s made the movie work so far. Craig is a hero through and through, Once the cowboys go track- instilling his character with a confiing down the aliens who have kid- dence that carries him even when napped their townspeople, the film he has no memories whatsoever. slowly catches up with its forward The film’s only real character is Sam momentum. One of the main prob- Rockwell’s Doc, whose wife is kidlems with this middle section is Har- napped in the alien attack. At this rison Ford’s character. Ford is, as al- point in his career, Rockwell can ways, simply awesome and pretty much do no wrong, gives an energized, hunand he quietly steals the ON THE WEB: gry performance that show from seasoned holds up a half-baked vets given much more Try not to get caught character. His ruthmaterial to work in the crossfire while watching this trailer less cattle baron never with, even getting the bit.ly/cowboysanquite inspires the terfilm’s most cheer-wordAliens ror in the audience as he thy moment. does in the characters, and Where the character his inevitable redemption arc is work stumbles, Favreau picks nothing short of forced. It’s as if the up the slack by keeping the film film’s five (!) credited screenwriters moving. His aliens aren’t exactly knew he had to start the film as a distinguishable from the many othgruff bastard and end it as a slight- er extraterrestrials that have graced ly less gruff town leader but decided multiplex screens this year, but to let Ford fill in the blanks. there’s a few delightfully gross deAll of the film’s acting is sol- tails that redeem them. Favreau also
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“Cowboys and Aliens” Jon Favreau
Genre: Sci-Fi Western Runtime: 118 minutes For those who like: “Searchers,” “District 9”
Grade: B knows how to make his creatures menacing, casting them as fast, brutal conquerors that never run out of ways to kill you, brought to life by near-seamless visual effects. “Cowboys & Aliens” gets a lot right. From the cowboy iconography to the thrilling action sequences, Favreau’s passion for the project is clear throughout, and that’s enough to forgive some shoddy character work and the occasional
slow stretch. Fans of Westerns will find plenty to like here, as will scifi fans, but the real treat is watching Ford truly acting again. One can only hope he continues to give such clearly enthusiastic performances, hopefully with better written scripts in the future. And Ford isn’t even the strongest part of a stacked ensemble that helps make “Cowboys & Aliens” an enjoyable close to the summer movie season.
DT: What are some inspirations behind the materials you’re writing? BD: It’s definitely going to feel like an actual progression from the Sparks EP ... just the experiences I’ve had in these couple years that I’ve been living and growing. Just some bitter questions such as what does my future look like? What do I want for myself? And also, relationship things. They are always the first things I write about.
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If one thing defines cinema in 2011, it’s alien movies. From “Super 8” and “Battle: Los Angeles” to lighter fare such as “Paul,” it’s been difficult to hit a multiplex without seeing some sort of interplanetary entertainment option. “Cowboys & Aliens” is the last big blockbuster of summer, and it’s not even the only alien movie opening this weekend, but its fresh twist on the genre makes it an entertaining ride. Even though the film’s ad campaign touts it as blending sci-fi and Western elements, it starts off as a mystery. Jake (Daniel Craig) wakes up in the desert with a bizarre bracelet attached to his wrist and no memory of how it (or he) got there. He rides into the nearest town and quickly bumps up against Percy Dolarhyde (Paul Dano), unaware that Percy’s father (Harrison Ford) is a powerful cattle baron whose very name inspires fear in the local townspeople. The film’s first act is by far its best, staged with all the tropes of a traditional Western. Director Jon Favreau nails the pace, letting an intense slow burn guide the opening scenes. He showcases beautiful, sprawling landscapes and dusty gunfights with a flair that would make John Ford proud. Also great is Dano, whose absolutely revolting character gets big laughs as Craig humiliates him time and time again. And then the aliens attack, and the film begins to sputter. The first alien attack scene is effective and tense, but it’s also dark to the point of being distracting. Just before the aliens attack, the screen is so dim that it’s nearly impossible to see what’s going on, something that most of the film’s nighttime scenes suffer from. The film also makes the mistake of sidelining a good chunk of the supporting cast after this attack scene, taking Dano out of the equation, as well as Keith Carradine’s intriguing sheriff and a few
In this publicity image released by Universal Pictures, Harrison Ford is shown in a scene from "Cowboys & Aliens."
SINGER continues from PAGE 12
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11 COMICS
XXday, Month XX, July 2010 Thursday,
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Thursday, July 28, 2011 | The Daily Texan | Julie Rene Tran, Life&Arts Editor | (512) 232-2209 | dailytexan@gmail.com
WEEKEND RECS In honor of the second annual National Dance Day, Ballet Austin is hosting classes for dancers of all levels, with choreography developed by “So You Think You Can Dance” and celebrity choreographers. WHAT: Ballet Austin’s National Dance Day 2011 Classes WHEN: July 30, all day (check schedule for class times) WHERE: Ballet Austin’s Butler Dance Education Center HOW MUCH: $5 minimum donation per class WEB: balletaustin.org/nationaldanceday Vintage designers and boutiques — including Black Swan Theory, Goodie Two Shoes and Dog & Pony — will be showcasing pieces along with cheap drinks and complimentary massages and hair styling. WHAT: Vintage Vibe Two trunk show WHEN: July 30, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. WHERE: Volstead Lounge HOW MUCH: Free WEB: on.fb.me/roii2H Photo Illustration by Ryan Edwards | Daily Texan Staff
Breanne Düren just released her debut EP, Sparks, and is now the opening act for Owl City’s All Things Bright and Beautiful World Tour. Düren sights the excitement of touring with Owl City as inspiration for her EP.
PoP artist
‘sParks’insPiration of
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eated in a blue armchair, tuning her guitar, pop singer-songwriter Breanne Düren doesn’t look like a celebrity, much less an opening act for Owl City’s All Things Bright and Beautiful World Tour. Her smiling eyes, Midwestern accent and buttery voice are just some of the immediate charms of her bubbly, yet down-toearth personality. While in Austin for her Wednesday night performance with Owl City at ACL Live, Breanne Düren performed two songs from her debut EP, Sparks, for The Daily Texan’s music blog series, The Basement Tapes. She shared
By Julie Rene Tran
with the Texan her thoughts on working before. I was able to travel to all these placwith Adam Young of Owl City (whom she es that I had never dreamed of ever being has toured and performed with twice), able to see in real life. Meeting a bunch being a young pop artist and the inof new people. Being able to just spirations behind her music. have the incredible experience at ON THE WEB: such a young age that it was all check online Friday Daily Texan: Can you tell really exciting, I think that exto see a video of me what’s the inspiration becitement and energy was put Breanne Düren hind Sparks? into the songs I wrote. And so @bitly/ Breanne Düren: I wrote the there’s definitely energy to it and dtvideo EP while I was on tour with Owl innocence to it. City, within the first couple years of doing that. And it was a really, really DT: So what is it like working with new experience for me. I had never toured Adam?
BD: Oh my gosh, it’s been amazing. He is so talented. He is one of the most down-toearth people I’ve ever met in my life. He’s just a great, humble, nice guy as well so it’s just a fun tour to be on. Everyone on the tour is great and we’re all really close friends and we’re just one big tour family. DT: What are some highlights of that first tour for you? BD: There had been some many incredible moments. We were able to play at
Writer, actor talk of first-time experience By Alex Williams Daily Texan Staff
Judging from the audience’s reaction to the world premiere of “Attack the Block” at this year’s South By Southwest Festival, the film is on track to become an instant classic. It even won the Audience Award, and it was arguably the biggest film of the festival. Joe Cornish made his directorial debut with the film, and John Boyega, the film’s main star, also makes his acting debut. The Daily Texan spoke with Cornish and Boyega during the pre-release publicity tour of “Attack the Block” which opens in Austin on Friday. Daily Texan: Why did you choose South By Southwest to premiere the film? Joe Cornish: We thought it was the right environment to release it. It’s a great festival with an amazing history. And we were so excited when they accepted it. It was the first sign people might like the film. It was frightening the first time we showed it to an audience. They’re a smart crowd here and opinionated. I think we were just lucky. The timing was right, and the film was finished just in time for the festival. I’d never been before, but I had always followed it and wished I could be there so it was a dream come true to be here. Then to get the response we did was incredible. DT: How did you, John, get cast in the film? John Boyega: I got a call from my agent, told me there was a film about alien invasions in South London. I went out for the audition, which was very, very long. I just got callback after callback,
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Local jazz luminaries, who were featured in the 2006 documentary “Before the Music Dies,” will bring their crowd-pleasing horns to the Elephant Room. WHAT: Ephraim Owens Quintet WHEN: July 30, 9:30 p.m. WHERE: The Elephant Room HOW MUCH: $5 WEB: elephantroom.com
The folk songstress and classicallytrained harpist returns to Austin to perform from her musically ornate new album, Have One on Me. WHAT: Joanna Newsom WHEN: July 31, 7 p.m. WHERE: Paramount Theatre HOW MUCH: $33 WEB: austintheatre.org
MOvIE REvIEW | AttAck the Block
Debut director’s flick shines among summer’s alien films “Attack the Block”
Joe Cornish
Genre: Action Runtime: 88 minutes For those who like: “Super 8,” “Gremlins”
Grade: A By Alex Williams Daily Texan Staff
Courtesy of Sony Screen Gems
From left, John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker and Luke Treadaway are shown in a scene from “Attack the Block.” The movie premiered during South By Southwest.
which is very sad. It was like torJC: We shot the movie almost ture. And then I got the phone call chronologically, so the first thing that I got the part. It’s funny, be- we shot was the mugging, which cause the audition process felt as was quite cool. John was masked. if we were going into the rehears- Then we all evolved and got to al process. We spoke about the know each other and evolved our roles as if we already got them. style as well. Joe’s like, “I want you to play MoJB: It was so weird though, just ses like...” and I’m thinking, “Have being on a set. Looking around, I got the part then?” there’s a camera and a big JC: We pretty much light with a crane, and realized he was MoJoe with his headset ON THE WEB: ses the second and his weird jacket he walked in the giving orders. Get in on the action room. It was mostJC: It was a cool by watching ly a process of findjacket. this movie trailer ing the kids around bit.ly/ him, but we didn’t DT: Did you do AttacktheBlock tell him that. We put any of your own stunt him through the mill. work? JB: I didn’t do it all. What I DT: What was filming like? did do was sometimes very scary, JB: The cold got me. It was sometimes cool. Being blown off hard to concentrate in those first a balcony was kind of scary. They scenes, hard to get comfortable. didn’t tell me it was going to be
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that bad! It was fun though. DT: Any chance of a sequel? JC: Well, I want John to play the lead in “Transformers 4.” (laughs) I would love to, and we’re full of ideas for it. But we have to wait until the Benjamin Button technology gets good enough to age down 11 actors. DT: What’s your favorite audience reaction moment in the film? JC: I have a weird thing where I don’t actually like to be in the room when the film screens, because I think I might curse it. I secretly think they’re swapping it out for a different film. If I’m in the room when it shows, I’ll see, “Oh, they’re not showing ‘Attack the Block,’ they’re showing ‘Evil Dead II,’ and that’s why everyone’s so excited.”
At the world premiere of “Attack the Block” during South By Southwest, producer (and “Shaun of the Dead” director) Edgar Wright took the stage and described the film as “Super 8 Mile.” While that’s a little broad, it’s more or less accurate. Although “Attack the Block” is better than either of those films, it blends the adventurous teens-versus-aliens feel of “Super 8” with the rough edges and hard living of “8 Mile” to create what will almost certainly be a cult classic. Moses (John Boyega) and his band of teenage thugs start the film off as villains, mugging the innocent Sam (Jodie Whittaker). However, once ferocious aliens begin attacking the area, Moses and his crew take up arms to defend their turf. “Attack the Block” moves at a blistering pace, with Moses killing his first alien in the first 10 minutes. And the film doesn’t slow down for a second thereafter. Writer and director Joe Cornish, making his debut here, stuffs the film with immensely satisfying, soonto-be-iconic moments and juggles several major story threads with ease. Also essential to the film is Steven Price’s throbbing, bassheavy score, which evokes ’80s John Carpenter and gives some of the film’s climactic sequences an immediate, nail-biting intensity.
Cornish packs the film with unknowns, save for “Shaun of the Dead” star Nick Frost, whose shaggy-haired pot dealer character lands the film’s biggest laughs. While the cast is mostly beyond reproach, Boyega completely steals the show. His Moses starts the film as a terrifying villain and ends it as a hero, and he sells every moment of his strong and silent character’s transformation. Perhaps the film’s most memorable element will be its creature design. Without giving too much away, the aliens in “Attack the Block’s” are unlike any you’ve ever seen before, creative in their simplicity and a far cry from the generic extraterrestrials that have populated this summer’s other alien films. Even better, Cornish never runs out of ways to make them threatening or to create methods of killing them. There’s no doubt “Attack the Block” was the biggest film at SXSW this year. Aside from winning the Audience Award, every screening was packed and every festival-goer was buzzing about it. If there’s any justice in the world, this Friday’s release of “Attack the Block” will be just as widely hyped. It’s a creative, exciting film, a sign of great things to come from Joe Cornish, and something that really needs to be seen on a big screen with a rowdy crowd. In a summer overflowing with alien movies, “Attack the Block” easily emerges the champion.