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Wednesday July 21, 2010
volume 91, no. 126 www.theshorthorn.com
since 1919
Not for human consumption The K2 incense is gaining heat for providing a high comparable to marijuana — legally. pAGe 6 | SCene
Student ServiCeS
Rent-a-Text survives trial run The UTA Bookstore’s program offers an alternative to the high costs of buying. By Allie CoChrAn The Shorthorn staff
Students will have the option to save money on textbooks this fall, as the Rent-a-Text program will continue through the next school year.
enGineerinG
Hybrid to help need for green
Textbook rentals will remain a permanent option for students, UTA Bookstore director Bill Coulter said. Rent-a-Text’s cheaper alternative to buying textbooks eases student’s financial strain while increasing their acquisition of course materials, Coulter said. The Follett Corp., which partners with universities to establish campus bookstores, initiated the Rent-a-Text
program in fall 2009, said Elio DiStaola, Follett Director of Campus Relations. Introduced as a pilot program, Rent-a-text appeared in seven university bookstores, one of which was UTA, during the trial run. Among the seven participating stores, $2 million was saved by students in one semester of renting books rather than purchasing new or used books, DiStaola said.
“In the pilot we saw, when students had the option, more than 70 percent choose to rent rather than buy,” he said. Coulter said he has noticed an increase in students acquiring all of their required course textbooks and supplementary materials now that renting is an option. “People have said, ‘I will rent this book now, but I would not have pur-
linear movements
The Shorthorn: Jazzmyne Greer
Jacqueline Jensen and evgeny Lushkin, as Bacchus and Bacchante, in a whirlwind performance of Charles Gounod’s “Walpurgis Night.”
The Metropolitan Classical Ballet Company unveiled its summer repertory Saturday in Texas Hall showcasing the works of Johannes Brahms in “Brahms Waltzes,” Tchaikovsky’s “ValseScherzo,” Piazzolla’s “Café Victoria,” and Gounod’s “Walpurgis Night.” The show began at 8 p.m. with a sizeable turnout of ballet connoisseurs and family members alike. The show began with “Brahms Waltzes” and captured the audience’s attention with the dancers light yet swift move-
ments throughout the piece. By the end of the act, the audience exhibited their satisfaction with a standing ovation. As the night continued, the Company, directed by Paul Mejia and Alexander Vetrov, delivered a world premiere performance to Tchaikovsky’s “Valse-Scherzo”, followed by “Café Victoria” and “Walpurgis Night.” In a story brought to life through dance, “Walpurgis Night” tells the tale of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and vegetation. From the
Workshop tackles poster projects
The Shorthorn staff
The point of using a poster is to efficiently and effectively transmit information to an observer, said Joe Jackson, Office of Graduate Students associate dean.
spring festival to the Bacchante, the women worshippers of Bacchus, Pan and the other fauns playing in the open, the Company offers an interpretive depiction that grants them a final standing ovation from all in attendance. After the close of the show, when asked why the Metropolitan Classical Ballet Company continues to return to UTA, artistic director Paul Mejia says “we love it here. We look forward to more in the future.”
Jackson hosted a workshop on poster presentation Monday in Davis Hall. He said posters are useful across disciplines, whether for final projects or business meetings. While the workshop was part of a series for graduate students, it was open to anyone who wanted to attend. “You want to put your thought directly into their head,” Jackson said, making a
comparison to the Vulcan mindmeld technique in “Star Trek.” Jackson said the important elements of any effective poster are specificity, simple titles, plenty of “white space” between visuals and between columns of text, direct labeling instead of using arrows, asterisks or legends, and a good conclusion to the verbal presentation. “It’s a small piece of the nuposter continues on page 3
The Movin’ Mavs welcomed 32 Journey of Hope bicyclists to Arlington with a 77-8 drubbing in a friendly wheelchair basketball game, but not a single person on the court or in the crowd shed an ounce of disappointment. It was all smiles in the Maverick Activities Center on Friday night as a number of Mavericks welcomed home Mo Awadalla, the Pi Kappa Phi chapter president who raised over $5,000 in donations this spring in order to make the Journey of Hope trip, a Push America trek from San Francisco to Washington D.C. with a message of understanding for people with disabilities. “There’s so many people out there who would love to do what I’m able to do and just can’t for whatever reason,” Awadalla said. “ I’ve learned that your body can take anything, that you can do anything you want with a support group like this.” Awadalla and the Push America team rode into Arlington City Hall around 2 p.m for a Mayoral proclamation and introduction before cycling a few blocks over to the MAC to swim, shower and eat before preparing for the exhibition game. More than 2,500 miles of fatigue was hardly evident on the cyclists, but as Western Michigan graduate Blake Williams noted, “it doesn’t matter if we had a whole day off before this, we’re playing the best team in the nation. We’re going to get stomped.” Kinesiology graduate Aaron Gouge weaved in and out of the Journey of Hope defense, burning them for at least 20 of the Movin’ Mavs points, but said he loved getting to play with such a diverse group of people. “I think these guys are awesome. Riding bikes across the country is just crazy to me,” Gouge said. “Doing 100 miles a day? No way. I just love coming out to help push continues on page 3
STORY AND PHOTO BY JAzzMYNE GREER
Student ServiCeS
By AlySiA r. BrookS
Cyclists make pit stop in Arlington By SAm morton
By SArA WAdud
The instructor stressed simplicity and universal language in presentations.
WheelChAir BASketBAll
The Shorthorn sports editor
The Shorthorn staff
hybrid continues on page 2
textbooks continues on page 3
The team participates in a friendly game against the Movin’ Mavs.
The race car will be a first at the university and have the latest technology.
Following the recent trends of becoming a more green campus, the autocross team is building a hybrid formula race car. UTA officially went green and built its first hybrid car in 1993, but it wasn’t for racing. The Formula 10 will be the first formula race car which will be converted into a hybrid car, becoming the new Hybrid 11. The H11 will be ready for the 2011 Hybrid races where it will be debuted in New Hampshire next May for its first race. Tobias Overdiek, a mechanical engineering junior, is the captain for the hybrid division for the autocross team. “It’s definitely my baby, I’ve been nurturing this project from the start,” he said. The high-performance vehicle, as Tobias calls it, will be able to go from 0 to 60 in three seconds and tops out at 90 mph. Fresh off last weekend’s 10th Annual Autocross Weekend, Bob Woods, a mechanical engineering professor, said that normally the formula cars are powered by 600 cubic centimeter engines. However, the F10 will be powered by a 250 cc engine. “It provides more challenges, and more technology is involved to go hybrid. And it goes along with sustainability,” he said. So far Texas A&M has been the only other school in Texas to have constructed a complete hybrid car, which they have been racing for the past year. The new F10 will have a motor in each front wheel, and will run on lithium ion batteries.
chased it before,’” he said. “If you are finding out you are only spending half of the purchasing price, you can afford to get all your books.” Geology sophomore Tyler Wright rented a historical geography book for $89.75 that cost $180 new and $138.75 used. “You can’t rent all your books,”
online extrAS •Fitness Firsts: a reporter’s firsthand account of the exercise classes offered at the MAC • Find out where crime is happening around campus with the interactive crime map, located under the ‘news’ tab • On-campus today, maybe in space tomorrow — find out what all those children are learning while on campus
The Shorthorn: Avery Mackey
It’s all at The ShorThorn .com
Accounting senior Leslie Chisolm, left, and the shorthorn reporter Allie Cochran throw a punch during a kickboxing class at the MAC Wednesday. Participants went through a series of various kicks, punches and other exercises during the 50-minute workout session.
Page 2
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
The ShorThorn
Calendar Calendar submissions must be made by 4 p.m. two days prior to run date. To enter your event, call 817-272-3661 or log on to www.theshorthorn.com/calendar
TodAy MFA Summer Exhibition: All day. The Gallery at UTA. For information, contact the College of Liberal Arts at 817-272-3291 national research Experience for Undergraduates Program Summer Camp: All day. Life Science Building. For information, contact Tuncay Aktosun at aktosun@uta.edu new Works: UTA Photography Faculty: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. UT Arlington Fort Worth Center Gallery. 1401 Jones Street Fort Worth, Texas 76102. For information, contact Megan Topham 817-272-5988 Story of Bottled Water (Movie): 11 a.m-1 p.m. University Center Guadalupe Room. Bring your lunch; drinks and dessert supplied. Free. Registration required. For information, contact Becky Valentich at becky@uta.edu or at 817- 272-0199 organizing your digital Pictures: 6-9 p.m. Continuing Education Building Room E200C. $115. Registration required. For information, contact Continuing Education at cedquestions@exchange.uta.edu THUrSdAy Last day to drop classes: All day MFA Summer Exhibition: All day. The Gallery at UTA. For information, contact the College of Liberal Arts at 817-272-3291 View more of the calendar at
TheShorthorn.com
PerSonavaCtion by Thea Blessener
CorreCtionS In the last issue of The Shorthorn, the article on the new law requiring transparency online incorrectly stated that professors must post their salaries online. The summary deck for the July 14 story “New law requires more course transparency,” should have said instructors’ salaries are among additional information to be shared.
news Front desk ......................... 817-272-3661 news after 5 p.m........................ 817-272-3205 Advertising ................................. 817-272-3188 Fax ............................................. 817-272-5009 UC Lower Level Box 19038, Arlington, TX 76019 Editor in Chief ......................................... Mark Bauer editor.shorthorn@uta.edu news Editor ........................................... John Harden news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu
Hybrid continued from page 1
“It will be fast or faster than formula cars,” Woods said. The team is hoping to finish the car by October to have it ready for the May 2011 hybrid races. The hybrid car races are basically a spin off from the Society of Automotive Engineers formula races. Aerospace engineering senior J.P. Merkel was excited to talk about the F10. Last Sunday, during one of the autocross races, he sustained more than a 2.2 G-turn, which measures the pull of gravity during a sharp turn. Normally, drivers will drive and continue at a 0.2 G-turn, which proves the intense speed of the F10. “Felt like a roller coaster, only in a moving car,” Merkel said about the turn. “It felt like your face was peeling, coming off.”
The four wheel drive hybrid is being built for racing advantages. The team has been designing, planning, and constructing this car for approximately a year and half. Merkel said that usually to turn a car into a hybrid; schools will take their old SAE cars and just stick an electric motor on it. But the UTA students are actually transferring an old SAE car into a legitimate green product. “The F09 is my baby and the F10 is like my middle child,” Merkel said. The H11 will also be tweaked for the Hybrid 2012 races. When asked about going green and reducing UTA’s carbon footprint, Merkel said a lot of people are moving toward this endeavor. “It’s a good thing,” he said. “A lot of auto companies are looking into hybrids.”
The Shorthorn: Jazzmyne Greer
The UTA Formula SAE’s latest race car will be converted into a hybrid-the F10. The car is still in the design phase, said J.P. Merkel, mechanical and aerospace engineering senior.
“It provides more challenges, and more technology is involved to go hybrid. And it goes along with sustainability.”
Sara Wadud
Bob Woods
news-editor@shorthorn.uta.edu
mechanical engineering professor
MetroPlex
Unemployment hits home “I don’t know what it will take for our government to wake up and see the truth of the economic downturn, the worst By ali aMir MuStanSir since the Great DepresThe Shorthorn senior staff sion,” Funakura said. “I’m Alumna Sonja Funakura going to continue to write recently made headlines by to politicians, the president offering $1,000 to anyone and think of other ideas to who could help her land a get inside a company for a face-to-face interpermanent job. view.” It didn’t work, Students prethe 1984 accountparing to graduing graduate said. ate and alumni Funakura said have resources on she has been on campus and onWFAA-TV, 1080 line to help find KRLD-AM radio work after college, and CNN, but has but need to be had only one interprepared to work view for a contract hard and wait for job which is still Sonja Funakura positions to open looking for appliup. cants, she said. Wendy Casper. business Funakura, who has been unemployed for more than management associate pro15 months, is only a fraction fessor, said most students of the 8.1 percent unem- at the university have been ployment rate in the Me- working while in school. troplex. According to the She said sometimes stuBureau of Labor Statistics, dents might have to stay that number has increased in that job for a while after by half a percent in the past graduation while looking for the job they want. year. Casper suggests students Funakura said she has seen story after story of oth- try to find a job that is related to their field while still ers in the same situation.
One alumna is offering $1,000 to anyone who can help her find a job.
PoliCe rePort This is a part of the daily activity log produced by the university’s Police Department. To report a criminal incident on campus, call 817-272-3381.
FridAy Theft Officers were dispatched to the University Center at 4:13 p.m. in response to a laptop theft. A student reported that someone had stolen his laptop while he was using an ATM. The case is active.
in school. “Sometimes you have to take a stepping stone job,” Casper said. “Take it for a while and find the right job for you.” Casper said students and graduates should still keep looking. She said the job market would go up and down through the next 10 years. “Though jobs are tight right now, there are still several businesses that are growing,” she said. Career Services associate director Cheri Butler said more than 100 employers are at each job fair, held in the spring and fall semesters. She said some major companies, like Lockheed Martin, L3 and Raytheon, consider the university as their prime recruiting location. Butler said several large accounting firms and government organizations recruit from the university using the on-campus recruiting program, called Hire-A-Maverick. She said students and alumni have access to the system. Butler said companies post open positions, which
students can browse and considered a placement,” then submit a resume. After Butler said. As for Funakura, she is a selection process, some people are contacted to sign going to go back to the traup for an interview on the ditional methods of finding Hire-A-Maverick website. a job. “I wish the idea would Students sign up for a time slot and are interviewed on have created more interest, because so many other campus, she said. Butler said going unemployed are watching through Hire-A-Maverick my situation and hoping if gives students an advantage it works for me it will for over posting on larger ca- them,” she said. “Sadly it is not.” reer websites. “Here you know they are here to hire a UTA Student,” ali aMir MuStanSir Butler said. news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu Butler said she doesn’t know what percentage of UTA graduates find work after graduauneMPloyMent in north texaS tion. She said (in PerCent) it’s difficult to gauge because dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington approximateMay 2009 April 2010 March 2010 May 2010 ly 70 percent 7.6 8.3 8.2 8.1 of the student body works dallas-Plano-irving (metropolitan division) May 2009 April 2010 March 2010 May 2010 at least part7.6 8.3 8.2 8.1 time. “If a stuFort Worth-Arlington (metropolitan division) dent is workMay 2009 April 2010 March 2010 May 2010 ing part-time 7.5 8.3 8.2 8.1 and gets a promotion post graduaSource: United States Bureau of Labor Statistics tion, it is not
Criminal Mischief Officers were dispatched to the University Center at 7:54 p.m. A non-student reported that a suspect jumped over the information desk counter and damaged it. The case was cleared.
SUndAy dWi, drunk driving A nonstudent was arrested for driving under the influence at 1:16 a.m. near the 1200 block of Sunset Street and was taken to the Arlington jail.
SATUrdAy disturbance A loud noise disturbance in the Central Library was reported at 3:30 p.m. A citation was issued to a student for creating the disturbance at the location.
MondAy Suspicious Circumstances A staff member reported that a subject who was not on the Action Lease at Centennial Court apartments located on 717 Mitchell St. gained entry into
an apartment at 1:10 a.m. and caused disturbance. He was issued a criminal trespass warning. Criminal Mischief At 3 p.m. someone filed a report that a gate arm located at the north mall entrance of the interior part of the campus, was damaged by an unknown person. The case is active.
View an interactive map at
TheShorthorn.com design Editor .................................... Lorraine Frajkor design-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu Copy desk Chief ............................... Johnathan Silver copydesk-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu Scene Editor ......................................... Andrew Plock features-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu opinion Editor........................................... Mark Bauer opinion-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu Photo Editor ..................................... Andrew Buckley photo-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu
online Editor .......................................... Scott Snider online-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu Webmaster ....................................... Troy Buchwalter webmaster.shorthorn@uta.edu Student Ad Manager ................................... Mike Love admanager@shorthorn.uta.edu Marketing Manager ............................... Ron Williams marketing@shorthorn.uta.edu Production Manager............................ Robert Harper
FIRST COPy FREE ADDITIONAL COPIES 25 CENTS THE UNIVERSITy OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON 91ST yEAR, © The ShorThorn 2010 All rights reserved. All content is the property of The Shorthorn and may not be reproduced, published or retransmitted in any form without written permission from UTA Student Publications. The Shorthorn is the student newspaper of the
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July 21, 2010
Page 3
The ShorThorn
Poster continued from page 1
merous workshops we offer to help grad students,� said Michael Saenz, Graduate School retention and completion specialist. “We have a few undergrads come because they want to know what it’s like. Anyone’s welcome.� Public administration graduate student Yolanda Prince said the workshop taught her how to organize a poster effectively and attract observers. She said this information would be useful to her not only in school but in other organizations she is a part. “I would suggest to anyone that they sign up for these grad workshops,� Prince said. “You get more out of it than in an online class or a regular classroom setting.� In the workshop, Jackson covered everything from the basic structure of a good poster to the fine details of design and how to prepare a presentation. He said when presenting a poster, you should have a 3 to 5 minute verbal overview prepared. The overview should be compre-
The Shorthorn: Brian Dsouza
Psychology senior and Pi Kappa Phi chapter president Mohammed “Mo� Awadalla, center, is greeted by Pi Kappa Phi members in front of the Maverick Activity Center on Friday. Awadalla is a part of Push America’s Journey of Hope, a cross-country bicycle trek that raises awareness for people with disabilities. The teams start from San Francisco, CA and Seattle, WA and will end in Washington, D.C.
Push continued from page 1
raise awareness.� Despite being down 44-0 at halftime, the Journey of Hope team’s strategy of replacing all six (Not a typo, the Movin’ Mavs allowed them to play with an extra player) of its players every five minutes continued with the optimism a team of humanitarians would have. As the clock ticked down to the 17:28 mark of the 2nd half, the crowd roared as a Journey of Hope player banked one off the left side of the backboard and in for the teams’ first two points of the night. The Movin’ Mavs simply smiled, as if they had been quietly rooting for the Journey of Hope to get on the scoreboard. It was a friendly game that combined people with disabilities along with advocates for acceptance, who many had readily admitted to have
never played a game of wheelchair basketball in their lives. “One thing they always say, other than being impressed by their athleticism, is that they’re just like us,� head coach Doug Garner said. “They come out, they laugh, they tell dirty jokes and all that, they just do it in a chair.� And while Awadalla wasn’t one of the four Journey of Hope players to score a basket that night, his footprint on this campaign will be a bit more lasting than the exhibition game. “It’s the summer of a lifetime,� he said. And when asked to send a message to any student interested in joining the cause, his message was simple. “Do it, even if you’re just thinking about it, do it. You will not regret it. And I’m not just saying that to get people to do it, this trip fills up by itself without any promotion. I just know I’ll never forget this.�
hensible to someone outside that area of interest. Stick to the main point or points, and involve the observer by offering to guide them through the poster with conversation. Do not simply read the poster aloud. You want to engage the observer in dialogue. Also, wear colors that complement the poster’s color scheme. “An effective poster is testimony to your ability to resist temptation,� Jackson said, advising that a poster is not like an academic paper, and it is better to keep language short and simple. It’s a time to become more of a minimalist, he said. Jackson said it is important to know the details of your subject in case they are asked of you, but don’t waste the observer’s time by just throwing them out there. He said a good conclusion answers the question, “What is the point of this poster? Why should anyone care?� “You’re limited only by your creativity with the subject matter,� Jackson said. alysia R. BRooks news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu
PosteR Design Details: • •
Plan the design of the poster before making it to save time and effort Keep plenty of “white space� between visuals and between columns of text Keep columns of text aligned with each other All text and visuals should be clear to the observer from 3-5 feet away Keep all text horizontal so it’s easier to read Outline columns or boxes of text with color to draw the eye Use attention-getting colors, but try not to overwhelm the observer’s eyes Don’t forget to put your name somewhere on the poster Know the requirements of your class, business or discipline when planning the poster and stick to those conventions. Some require specific style or citation.
• • • • • • •
sam moRton
Source: Joe Jackson, Office of Graduate Students associate dean
sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu
Textbooks continued from page 1
Wright said. “I would if I could though.� Rent-a-Text operates under the premise that rented books will remain on course syllabi throughout multiple semesters. Loose-leaf texts, workbooks and study guides are not available for rent, DiStaola said. These texts are considered consumable editions, meaning they are written in, nullifying their reusability, he said. Books of certain disciplines also aren’t compatible with the renting principle, as their material constantly changes quickly each semester like technology and medicine. Instructors can refer to the list when choosing their course materials or request the addition of books to the list, DiStaola said. The collaboration of students, faculty and campus bookstores is an important component of Renta-Text’s achievement of its goals, he said. “Students must take advantage of the rent program, faculty must utilize and contribute to the list of rentable texts, and bookstores must offer the program to produce a successful Rent-a-Text program,� DiStaola said. Follett hopes to see Rent-a-Text available to numerous students in the U.S. and Canada, he said. allie CoChRan news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu
RegisteR to Rent online UTA students can register for Rent-a-Text online at: http://rental.bkstr.com/TextRentalWeb/logon.orca.
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about opinion Mark Bauer, editor opinion-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu Opinion is published each Wednesday. Page 4
OPInIOn The ShorThorn
remember The Shorthorn invites students, university employees and alumni to submit guest columns to the Opinion page. Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Editorial/our viEw
Forward-thinking The university community should be proud that UTA leads the way in budget and transparency When Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Texas House Speaker Joe Straus asked state agencies to make plans to reduce their budgets, the university took it in stride. Then, when the state again asked for those same state agencies to make additional budget cuts, the university collectively winced, but then went into action. And last year when state legislators unanimously passed House Bill 2504, which goes into effect this fall and requires more transparency for course information, the university merely has to make a few tweaks rather than a complete overhaul. Throughout the last year, the administration has proven that it’s forward join tHE discussion thinking by already operating a conserComment at our website: vative budget, as www.TheShorthorn.com well as providing Friend us on Facebook: more than adequate www.facebook.com/shorthorn course information Watch us on YouTube: and professor prowww.YouTube.com/utashorthorn files online. Follow us on Twitter: “Our intent is @UTAShorthorn to be responsive to the directive from state leadership to reduce operating costs. However, we will do this without compromising the momentum we have gained in recent years. UT Arlington is on an aggressive trajectory to become a major national research university during the next decade, and we will not take any actions that could undermine those plans,” President James Spaniolo said in a Feb. 5 message in response to the budget cut mandates. If the university truly wants to become a nationally recognized university within the next 10 years, it’s on the right track. The community needs to hop on board and trust in this shared vision. We would caution not to follow blindly, but the current administration’s track record shows that it is at least capable of making the hard decisions, even if the outcomes are to be determined. It’s easy to judge from the sidelines and point out missteps or flaws in any decision-making process, but the university should be praised for not faltering during tumultuous times. We may be Mavericks, independent in thinking — but if we can agree on one thing, maybe it’s that there’s no better time to be a Maverick.
We’ve got our priorities mixed up We’re wasting our knowledge on Bieber fever and vampire angst.
J
ustin Bieber. Why did I start my column with the 16-year-old pop star’s name? Simple. He’s the hottest item in the world right now, and if my goal is to have the most read column in the history of column writing, I need to fit in as many hot keywords as possible. Justin Bieber is the hottest, ergo, it lends itself to the front of my list. Twilight. See how this works? Really, I could probably just write a column pitching Bieber as the tweenage heartthrob Edward Cullen and be done with it. But that’s not my vibe. I’m writing for a college crowd, one that prides itself on educational reading habits and stuff. And for the most part, college folk aren’t interested in 16 year olds with trademark hair-flips or vampires who have more angst than, well, any other teenager, werewolf or shape shifter. The Texas Rangers are getting hot again. I guess I could throw them in here, too. And who’s this LeBron James cat I keep seeing on SportsCenter? Then there’s this oil crisis in the Gulf that people are talking about. Or are they? BP, the British-based oil company responsible for the spill, recently capped the well and stopped it from gushing oil into the ocean for the first time in three months. The cap could hold tight until the relief well is drilled sometime around mid-August. But the oil cap didn’t get as much play as I thought it would. After three months, people sort of lost interest and started paying more attention to Lindsay Lohan and how she cried in court. The judge sentenced her to roughly three months in jail for probation violation. But since it’s such a long sentence, we’ll most likely lose interest in that before too long anyway. The internet, Facebook and Twitter have made us the most informed — or at the very least, capable of being the most informed — generation in history. We’re also the first generation that can play video games with our children. And win. But what good is such an accolade if we don’t do anything with the infor-
Since 1919
mation we acquire? Maybe being so connected is actually part of the problem. Unplug the computer. Turn off the phone. Be alone for a while. A lot of people poke fun at the Double Rainbow Guy, but his reaction, while a little creepy, is also a little endearing — people still find the little things in life to be excited over. Right? Pfft. Whatever. Soon, Justin Bieber will do another hair-flip, Twilight will release another movie, and Lindsay Lohan will be out of jail. And when it happens, people will be around to retweet it.
mark bauEr bauer is a journalism senior and the shorthorn editor in chief. join the discussion by commenting at theshorthorn.com.
To add or not to add
— The Shorthorn editorial board
discombobulation by Houston Hardaway
The Shorthorn: Thea Blesener
S
Should we accept Mom’s friend request?
o, your mom has finally decided to join the rest of the social world and create a Facebook profile. Great. You politely show her the basics, like how to search for and add others as friends. Then you check your account and realize Mom wants to be your Facebook friend. Super. I’m sure many of you have found yourself in a dilemma like this. Like many of you, I questioned what type of conflict would arise if I added my mother as a Facebook friend. Assuming that my mother wasn’t that into the whole social networking thing, I didn’t think of it much. But the more I showed her the ins and outs of the Facebook world, she became Sherlock Holmes, investigating every little picture she deemed inappropriate. She criticized my harsh language in my status updates, where I should be able to freely express myself.
Editor-in-chiEf Mark Bauer E-mail editor.shorthorn@uta.edu
cabrEra moorE moore is a criminal justice/criminology senior and the shorthorn copy editor. join the discussion by commenting at theshorthorn.com. She also meddles in my adult life. If she reads that I’ve just been out partying with friends, she will harshly criticize me for going out too often. So, because mother knows best, I was forced to delete certain pictures and watch my potty mouth, just to keep peace with her. I’m sure some would choose not to add their mothers at all. But remember, then she might complain that you have
The Shorthorn is the official student newspaper of the University of Texas at Arlington and is published four times weekly during fall and spring semesters, and weekly during the summer sessions. Unsigned editorials are the opinion of thE Shorthorn Editorial Board and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of individual student writers or editors, Shorthorn advisers
something to hide. She also might be a little hurt that you won’t share this part of your life with her. The solution to this problem is to go ahead and add Mom. She will be happy that you’ve accepted her among your list of social world friends. Beforehand, however, lay the groundwork. Simply explain in a loving and kind way that you are an adult. As long as there aren’t naked pictures floating around the net, she has nothing to worry about. If she doesn’t like what she sees on your page there are ways to block her from seeing your status updates. Or you could simply suggest to Mom that she maintains the right to delete you from being Facebook friends. Ultimately, this should not put a strain on the relationship you two share. After all, it’s just Facebook. You will forever be her child, and a social networking site can’t change that.
or university administration. lEttErS should be limited to 300 words. They may be edited for space, spelling, grammar and malicious or libelous statements. Letters must be the original work of the writer and must be signed. For identification purposes, letters also must include the writer’s full name, address and telephone number, although the address and telephone number
will not be published. Students should include their classification, major and their student ID number, which is for identification purposes. The student ID number will not be published. Signed columns and letters to the editor reflect the opinion of the writer and serve as an open forum for the expression of facts or opinions of interest to The Shorthorn’s readers.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Page 5
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Dear Parents/Friends of JMA:
The purpose of this letter is to inform you that the 2009-2010 accreditation status of the JEAN MASSIEU ACADEMY is Accredited-Probation. Under state law, the accreditation statuses that may be assigned to districts include Accredited, Accredited-Warned, Accredited-Probation, and Not Accredited-Revoked. A status of Accredited-Probation means that a district exhibits deficiencies in performance that, if not addressed, will lead to revocation of the district’s accreditation status. The JEAN MASSIEU ACADEMY has been assigned an Accredited-Probation status due to the ratings assigned to the district in the state’s ACADEMIC ACCOUNTABILITY RATING SYSTEM AND/OR FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY RATING SYSTEM. Specifically, the JEAN MASSIEU ACADEMY was assigned ratings in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 of Academically Unacceptable and in 2009 the Financial Accountability rating of Substandard Achievement. The district is taking the following steps to address the areas of identified deficiency: (1) Has applied for and been accepted under Alternative Education Accountability, which allows an adjusted accountability rating, (2) Has increased individual tutoring for TAKS test-takers (3) Has increased the Highly Qualified percentage of staff on campus (4) Has implemented C-Scope, a TAKS-aligned curriculum (5) Has taken action to raise funds through various activities adopted by the Board of Trustees
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MERCHANDISE
Assignment of Accreditation Status to the JEAN MASSIEU ACADEMY.
Subject:
Under law, if the current accreditation concerns for the district are not addressed, the district may be assigned an accreditation status of Not Accredited-Revoked. A Not AccreditedRevoked status means that that TEA no longer recognizes the district as a Texas public school. Districts with an accreditation status below Accredited also may be subject to additional accreditation sanctions as referenced in statute and rule. For more information regarding the assignment of accreditation statuses to school districts, you may access the TEA website at http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/accredstatus/. This website will provide you with background information as well as links to the Texas Education Code and current commissioner’s rules related to accreditation. If you have additional questions regarding the assignment of an Accredited-Probation status to the JEAN MASSIEU ACADEMY or if you would like additional information about the district’s ongoing improvement efforts, please contact: Katherine E. Johnson, Superintendent/Principal
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Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 grid contains the digits 1 through 9 with no repeats. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box. By Dan Naddor
7/21/10
Solution Solutions, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com
Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved
1
Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved
5 Delt neighbor 6 GI entertainers 7 Co. that has sponsored many soaps 8 Not 19-Across 9 __ shot 10 Guitarist Paul 11 The Little Mermaid 12 Ninny 13 Matches audio to video, say 15 Aggressive sort 18 He preceded and followed O’Brien 22 March VIP 23 Attracted 24 “Holy Toledo!” 25 Energy 26 Mil. truants 27 Ivory units? 31 The purple one is New Hampshire’s state flower 33 Fire preceder? 35 “Encore!” 36 Good __: repaired 37 USMC rank 39 Drop shot, in tennis
7/22/10
DOWN 1 German cry 2 ___ few rounds 3 Item in a fried side with catfish 4 “The Sopranos” chef Bucco
Instructions:
(c)2010 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
A: The direct answer to your quesA: Do you have reason to believe that tion is to just not think of the girl’s parents aren’t on the possibility. If someone top of this situation? Bewho is far from his or her cause if not, my advice to spouse for a long period of you -- and to any grandtime -- a deployed soldier parent -- would be to keep or a student or someone quiet. The use of birth conwho is working in a fortrol should be something eign land -- begins to think that is discussed between about the spouse cheating, the parents and the child. that’s going to make him Having you interfere could or her miserable. It won’t only complicate matters. Dr. Ruth have anything to do with But having said that, let me Send your the facts, unless there are answer the second part of questions to clear signs of cheating. So your question by saying no, it’s best to just not allow Dr. Ruth Westheimer teaching about birth control such thoughts to dwell in c/o King Features does not imply permission, your brain. When they crop Syndicate as long as the lessons are up, push them out. And, of 235 E. 45th St., accompanied by the mescourse, try to maintain as New York, NY sage that such permission close communication with 10017 is not being given. That’s your spouse as possible. why it’s better to give such There are no guarantees lessons before a child is in in such situations, and sometimes a relationship. And maybe your grandthe danger to a relationship increases daughter has been taught what she when the two get back together, be- needs to know. Parents are often loath cause they might not get along as well to admit that their child has reached an as they thought they would. But since age when sex might be a possibility, allowing feelings of jealousy to over- and that’s a mistake. But since all chilcome you won’t help anything, the dren are going to have to learn about best thing is to not give in to any such birth control at one time or another, doubts and do all you can to maintain giving that lesson to a 15-year-old who your faith in the relationship. is dating is quite appropriate, as long as whoever is giving the lesson makes Q: As the grandmother of a 15-year- it very clear that the lesson is not being old (my son’s daughter) who is in a accompanied by a permission slip.
7 4 5 2 6 8 1 9 3
one-year relationship, should I suggest birth control? Or does this imply permission?
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis ACROSS 1 Turkish title 5 Kind of appetizer platter 9 Refs throw them 14 Nobleman’s mistress 16 Artist Neiman 17 It may be drawn without thinking 19 In the know 20 Buck’s partner 21 Emergency PC key 22 Sylvester Pussycat nemesis 27 A/C unit 28 Paul’s “Exodus” role 29 MGM co-founder 30 Fridge or freezer: Abbr. 32 Pollution-policing org. 34 Fountain orders 38 Dubious diet ad promise 42 Record players 43 Response of feigned innocence 44 Spill the beans 45 Con 48 Powder parter 50 Asian occasion 51 Mentally agile 56 Network absorbed by The CW 57 Long-jawed fish 58 ICU test 59 First out of the gate, and what 17-, 22-, 38- and 51-Across all get 66 Synagogue scroll 67 First felony conviction, in some states 68 Poet’s Muse 69 Certain squad member 70 “__ off?”
8 2 9 1 5 3 4 7 6
Q: What should a deployed Army officer do to put his or her mind at ease that his or her spouse will be faithful?
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
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DR. RUTH
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40 “No kidding!” 41 Increase 46 Frat party attire 47 Dazed 49 Latin clarifier 51 Bit of term paper color 52 Enthusiastic about 53 Prefix with structure 54 Big name in air conditioning
7/21/10
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1 5 3 6 8 9 7 4 2
FAITH CHAPEL
9 3 6 3 1 4 8 4 6 6 5 4 9 2 4 5 7 8 3 5 4 4 8 1 2 9 7 3
about scene Andrew Plock, editor features-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu Page 6
Scene
online What are your thoughts on K2? Go to theshorthorn.com and comment on this story about synthetic marijuana. Wednesday, July 21, 2010
The ShorThorn
Not for human consumption Synthetic marijuana gains heat for being too much like the real thing – and legal andreW Plock The Shorthorn scene editor
about K2
Synthetic marijuana products, such as the self-labeled incense K2, are taking heat politically as a new wave of narcotics mimic the effects of traditional marijuana in a concentrated dose. city and state governments are working on, and have been, banning the substance that accounts for multiple poison control cases and has been linked to the death of a recent high school graduate. created by treating or spraying various herbs with synthetic cannabinoids — lab-created chemicals that simulate the narcotic effects of marijuana’s active ingredient THc, or tetrahydrocannabinol — K2 and similar takeoffs are gaining attention not only domestically but worldwide as well.
Developed in a lab at clemson University in South carolina in the 90s, organic chemist John W. Huffman synthesized the substances JWH-018 and JWH-073 as part of his laboratory research at clemson, which was funded by the national Institute on Drug Abuse. Huffman explained in a statement that the substances were developed to understand the relationship between the chemical structure and biological activity of substances known as cannabinoids. The synthesized products were only tested on mice and the long-term effects are still unknown. “cannabinoids include THc — the active ingredient in cannabis plants — but also other substances that interact with the cannabinoids receptors in the brain and other organs,” Huffman wrote in his statement. “These receptors don’t exist so that people can smoke marijuana and get high; they play a role in regulating appetite, nausea, mood, pain and inflammation. Huffman told the science, health and technology website, Livescience.com, that details were published in a book chapter and he thinks the first usage as a drug was somewhere in europe. “Apparently somebody picked it up, I think in europe, on the idea of doping this incense mixture with the compound and smoking it,” Huffman told LiveScience. “You can get very high on it. It’s about 10 times more active than THc.”
Uta’s stance In 2011 UTA will undergo a smoking ban that will limit the use of all tobacco products on campus. As of now, cigarettes and similar products can be smoked as long as they are 50 feet from entrances and are completely prohibited in residence halls. Heather Snow, Office of Student conduct director, said although smokers find it’s hard to be 50 feet away from doors, K2 is technically legal as long as the product isn’t used with the paraphernalia that is associated with drug usage. “We’re not wanting to promote it,” Snow said. “We see it on the same level as any other drug.” Snow said along with any smoking violation where K2 was involved, the university would employ educational sanctions as a means to inform students about drug education. This is the same process minus the punitive sanctions an offender of smoking marijuana on campus would go through. K2 hasn’t been heard much on campus, Snow said. She hopes the usage is rivaled to Salvia —a legal hallucinatory drug – in that there are very few cases. “Two years ago we heard a lot about Salvia,” she said. “Salvia use was very limited and treated the same way as we would treat K2.”
student account
K2 Future
It wasn’t until he heard from a co-worker on probation for marijuana charges that broadcast senior Landon Vassek first found out about K2. Vassek said the employee smoked the substance as an alternative to marijuana because it didn’t show up on drug tests he had to take. “At first I didn’t believe him,” he said. “Then I looked it up online and found out it was sprayed with synthetic THc. It gets you high for sure.” Vassek said the effects simulated the feelings from marijuana but the high didn’t last as long. choosing the more natural over the chemicallycreated K2 is what would be his first choice. “I know they’re banning it because they say it’s worse for you, but you know then they should legalize pot if that’s the case,” he said. “People are only smoking K2 because pot is illegal.”
As the popularity and usage of the narcotic grows, many cities and states have begun banning the product. The city of Allen has recently banned the substance and Mansfield has limited the sale of the substance to 21 and over. These two nearby cities join eight other states and many european countries in the banning of K2 and its counterparts. As for now, the Arlington city council is on their July break and K2 has not been put on any agenda. city councilwoman Lana Wolff said she had no information on the issue, nor has any citizen inquired about the substance. Texas State Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, has recently announced that she wants Texas legislation to ban K2 when the next session begins in 2011. When Shapiro appeared on the Fox news channel she said she’s writing legislation to ban the sale, manufacturing and possession of the product.
local head shops Several head shops in the Arlington area commented only on the sale of the product by saying K2 is an incense, not for human consumption or for aromatherapy purposes only, and gave the prices for the different scented incenses. Gaurab neupane, owner of High Times Lifestyle in Arlington, said the incense gets a lot of customers in his store. Most range from young to old, typically he said from ages 18 to 65. neupane said any future ban of the product in Arlington would not hurt his business. “It doesn’t bother us. This is just any other business,” he said. “Business could slow down without K2, but that’s because it’s so hot right now.” In 2006, K2 and similar alternatives became available to customers online and continues to be a source as cities ban the substance from stores and gas stations. Much like any drug that is illegal to buy, any person in possession of K2 in banned areas like Allen face fines of up to $2,000 if caught.
what’s
playing
Scene is on the lookout for the music that dictates your life. This week we look at the songs that get you to class with a beat.
Walking Playlist sleigh bells – “crown on the Ground” “It’s got a really big thumping beat and it’s a good pace to walk to. It’s not like typical pop music, it has lauren Hardy, biology senior very sharp notes in it and has a great intonation,” biology senior Lauren Hardy said. trey songs – “already taken” “I like it because it has a slow beat. It’s nice to listen to because it gives off positive energy,” engineering junior Valon McCall said.
Valon Mccall, engineering junior
Review
center Each week, Scene gives you the reviews that are happening in the entertainment world.
‘incePtion” starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph GordonLevitt, Ellen Page Director: Christopher Nolan ranking: 7 out of 10 Dreams become reality in a new mystery thriller that messes with your mind. The film centers on a world where technology allows people to dream vividly and interact with each other in dreams that appear as clear as reality. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Cobb, a thief who enters deep states of unconsciousness in order to steal secrets and personal information. This rare ability turns him into an international fugitive and he enlists in the help of keen, wealthy and intuitive accomplices to help him get back everything he lost. Juno’s Ellen Page and Joseph Gordon-Levitt from 500 Days of Summer also star as dream travelling assailants. The movie, while intriguing and mentally engaging, leaves you feeling confused and trying to recap the entire movie in your head to make sense of it. Despite all the mind games, the explosive, captivating scenes during dream sequences make this film worth watching. Viewers who want to stay on track with the film should pay close attention to clues left throughout the movie to better understand what’s going on. Try getting the popcorn before it starts. — Alanna Quillen
to-do
list
the dixie sWim club When: 8 p.m. Friday Where: Theatre Arlington, 305 W Main St. Arlington, Texas 76010 Box Office: 817-275-7661 cost: $19 general admission. Discounts available for students, seniors and groups of 10 or more.
Health concerns As Huffman had stated, the compound is still untested on human subjects, leaving little knowledge about its long-term effects. current brands are also unregulated, which makes its chemical contents undefined. Anthony Scalzo, a toxicologist at Saint Louis University is researching the effects of the synthetic drug. Scalzo told the Associated Press teenagers are having hallucinations, severe agitation, elevated heart rates, vomiting, seizures and other reactions to the substance. The American Association of Poison control centers reported that there are 732 exposure cases involving synthetic marijuana products including K2, Spice and other brands for 2010 alone. This is up from 13 in 2009. K2 has recently been reportedly linked to the death of an Iowa teen. The Des Moines Register reports that during an apparent panic attack after smoking the substance with friends, 18-year-old David Rozga told friends he was “going to hell,” and later on that evening, committed suicide. andreW Plock features-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu
Photo Illustration: Andrew Buckley
This Friday Theatre Arlington opens its play The Dixie Swim Club with Melanie Mason, a UTA communication adjunct lecturer, playing the role of Jeri Neal McFeeley. Theatre Arlington describes the play as a poignant comedy about five Southern women, who reunite every August to recharge their relationships and renew their spirits. The show runs from July 23 to Aug. 22.