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Thursday March 31, 2011
Volume 92, No. 97 www.theshorthorn.com
Since 1919
Dressing on a Dime
Mavs Lose to No. 5 A&M
Pulse showcases spring styles for the thrifty fashionista.
The baseball team lets another top-10 team get away SPORTS | PAGE 6 from them in a 7-4 loss.
PULSE | SECTION B
FACILITIES
Classroom to get futuristic remodel University Hall Room 108 to reflect future of education at UTA, provost says. BY J.C. DERRICK The Shorthorn senior staff
UTA is about to take a step into the future. This summer, one or two class-
rooms will be remodeled to reflect the future of education at UTA, Provost Donald Bobbitt said. “I can see the day, and it’s going to be very soon, when there will be no computer classrooms on campus,” Bobbitt said. At the end of the spring semester, an $800,000 renovation will begin in University Hall Room 108, giving
the multi-discipline classroom a total overhaul. The project will include new lighting, ceiling tiles, carpet, seating and audio-visual equipment, but Bobbitt said this is not a simple classroom improvement. He said the project is aimed to facilitate 21st-century learning. “Students now have smartphones
ONLINE What do you think about the new design of the classroom? Let us know at theshorthorn.com.
and laptops,” he said. “For those who don’t have them, it’s easy for us to purchase a console that could hold 30 or 50 laptops. The professor swipes a
From Pakistan to India to the Maverick Activities Center, spectators gather to watch the Cricket World Cup
card and those laptops are charged up and ready for class use.” Room 108 has 311 regular folding seats, with two handicap desks at the back and additional room for folding chairs. When the renovation is complete, it will have fewer seats because of the priority of tables, chairs and ROOM continues on page 4
ADMINISTRATION
Adviser: think before dropping Dropping class counts as not completing it, affects financial aid eligibility, official says. BY KEVIN CROUCH The Shorthorn staff
The Shorthorn: Sandy Kurtzman
AP Photo/Anjum Naveed
Pakistan cricket fans in gloomy moods during the last of the Pakistani-India cricket match, Wednesday in Islamabad, Pakistan. Pakistan lost against India in the semifinal match of the ICC Cricket World Cup in Mohali, India.
Mechanical engineering senior Humdan Bakhshi yells for Pakistan to win at a cricket watch party at the Maverick Activities Center Wednesday. Bakhshi attended the party with his Delta Epsilon Psi fraternity brothers.
AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool
Indians celebrate after their team won the ICC World Cup cricket semifinal match against Pakistan, in Mumbai, India, Wednesday. India upstaged archrival Pakistan by 29 runs in the so-called match to progress to the final against Sri Lanka.
‘The mother of all matches’ BY BIANCA MONTES AND VALLARI GUPTE
CRICKET FACTS The Facts • There are two teams • 11 players in each team • Two batsmen from the same team are positioned at opposite ends of the cricket pitch. A bowler from the opposing team throws a cricket ball across the pitch to a batsman who hits the ball as far as possible. • The team scores when a batsman successfully scores a run. If a fielder catches the ball before the batsmen change position, the batsman out of position is declared out.
The Shorthorn staff
Silence fell over the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali, India, during the final moments of the 2011 Cricket World Cup semi-finals. India and Pakistan faced-off in what students called, “the mother of all matches.” The silence also spread over UTA by the time the sun rose Wednesday morning. More than 300 students gathered in Maverick Activities Center Room 133 to watch a live stream of the World Cup, said Jaser Akuly, business senior and Pakistan Student Association organizer. A few friendly rivalries began when he and the Indian Student Association president painted their country’s flags on their
DROP continues on page 3
ONLINE
CRICKET TERMINOLOGY
For video of the watch party, which began at 3 a.m. Wednesday, visit theshorthorn.com.
Cricket Bat – A three-foot-long bat with a narrow handle Cricket Ball – Weighs around five ounces, is made of cork and is covered with leather Cricket Pitch – 22-yard hard, flat land strip Batsmen – The one who holds the cricket bat Bowler – Delivers the ball to the batsmen Fielders – Defend the ball from going out of boundary Runs – A run is completed when a batsman hits a ball and runs to the other end of the cricket pitch
faces, Akuly said. In spite of the discord, he said all the attendees came together as one. Students camped out in the room from 3 a.m. to noon to watch the game. Business sophomore Anushree Sharma said she had never watched a cricket game before, but this one was special. “Pakistan has never lost a match in Mohali and India has never lost a semifinal,” she said. CRICKET continues on page 4
The deadline to drop a class is Friday and students are weighing their options. Students are meeting with advisers to discuss dropping classes ahead of the deadline. According to the University College website, dropping a course will not affect students’ GPA, and a grade of ‘W’ will be given for the class. Texas Senate Bill 1231, effective Fall 2007, puts a limit on dropped classes for undergraduate students, only allowing six in the entire academic career. Undeclared freshman Blake Bankford said he’s dropping a course to keep his GPA up, and thinks students should consult their
ARLINGTON
City council fights for education Approved resolutions ask Texas lawmakers to reconsider budget cuts to local schools. BY ALI AMIR MUSTANSIR The Shorthorn senior staff
METROPLEX
Truck accident causes people to change routes The pickup was going the wrong way when it crashed into a tanker. BY SARAH LUTZ The Shorthorn staff
Criminal justice junior Anabel Blankenship has a two-hour window to drive to and from Fort Worth to pick up her children each day, but after
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a head-on collision ignited a tanker truck on Interstate 30 Monday morning, she, like many other Metroplex residents, has readjusted her schedule. “Now, my sister and I trade days,” she said. “But my sister can’t pick up my kids all the time, and they are my kids.” Blankenship will have to continue dealing with the traffic on I-30 for another four to five months accord-
ing to Val Lopez, Texas Department of Transportation public information officer. The explosion happened west of Beach Street, near I-35, when a pickup traveling the wrong direction collided with a tanker, causing significant damage to the I-30 bridge. The bridge, which crosses a creek, needs I-30 continues on page 3
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Site of Monday’s accident I-30
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INTERSTATE 30 ACCIDENT Traffic on I-30 will continue for four to five months after an accident Monday.
Arlington City Council approved two resolutions in opposition to education budget cuts Tuesday night. The resolutions ask the Texas Legislature to keep state revenue for Arlington Independent School District and the university stable. Mayor Robert Cluck said House Bill 1 could reduce university funding by about $37 million, and AISD funding by $18 to $45 million, in the 2012-2013 biennium. Cluck said cutting education would be bad for the city because it would reduce class size and inhibit teachers from having more one-onCOUNCIL continues on page 4