HILLTOP VIEWS
VOLUME 36 | ISSUE 5 hilltopviewsonline.com
OCTOBER 8, 2014 St. Edward’s University
ACL fest boasts show-stoppers Lyanne Guarecuco @lyannealexia
This past weekend marked the beginning of ACL festival, a two-weekend event filled with music, art and food. The festival showcased 130 bands on eight different stages. The first weekend, which took place from Oct. 3 through Oct. 5, included artists like Outkast, Eminem, Calvin Harris and Beck. The second weekend, which takes place from October 10
through October 12, will include most of the same artists that performed this past weekend with a few additional artists such as Lorde. Lana Del Rey, Zedd, Iggy Azalea, The Head and The Heart, Skrillex and Sam Smith are among a few of the artists performing at ACL this year. The expected attendance at the festival is approximately 75,000 guests per day during each weekend. #ACLFEST | 8 Photo by Jacob Sanchez
Lower tuition increase means fewer new dollars for university Raneem Ashrawi @neemyf
Tuition will increase by 6 percent for the 2015-2016 school year.
Setting tuition
This increase, which was approved by the Board of Trustees, is 2.5 percent lower than the previous tuition in-
crease. Since St. Edward’s is a not-for-profit, the board is charged with the governance of the university. The board’s fiduciary committee manages financial affairs, such as setting tuition and approving the budget. Vice President of Financial Affairs Kim Kvaal serves as
the staff resource to the committee. As a non-voting member, Kvaal provides information to the committee, who in turn decides on a tuition increase and presents it to the board for approval. For example, Kvaal advises the committee on market forces and the university’s
needs — the primary factors in tuition pricing. “How much revenue do we need in order to deliver the programs and services that make a St. Edward’s education,” Kvaal said.
Investing for our future
Students like Katy Dirienzo, a senior psychology major, are saddened by the yearly tu-
ition increases. Dirienzo says she is taking 18 hours this semester as well as taking two CLEP tests in order to graduate early and avoid any more student debt. "Don't get me wrong,” Dirienzo said. “I think that the education we receive is definitely priceless, and I love St. Edward’s more than any-
thing, but when it comes to reality, I feel like the only way to avoid more debt is to pile up and finish early.” What’s interesting about this next year’s tuition is the reduction in percent increase. Kvaal thinks that the university always tries to increase UNIVERSITY | 3
#ACLFEST | 8
SPORTS | 6
VIEWPOINTS | 12
British singer Sam Smith brings tears to massive crowds at Austin City Limits.
Cross-country makes triumphant return next year to athletics after 7 year hiatus.
Press pass to Austin City Limits Festival is like golden ticket, according to editor.
2 NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014 | HILLTOPVIEWSONLINE.COM
Vice president of financial affairs excited about city, university Carlos Martinez @CarlosAMRD
Kim Kvaal assumed the position of Vice President of Financial Affairs for St. Edward’s University on Aug. 1. Kvaal came to St. Edward’s after nine years at the University of San Francisco (USF), where she served as the associate vice president for business and finance and taught financial accounting as an adjunct faculty member. “Being in a leadership role allows me to have influence and impact,” Kvaal said. “I’m excited about the opportunity to contribute to St. Edward’s success and its financial health.” Prior to her service at the
USF, Kvaal was the controller at Regis University in Denver, where she previously ob-
at Boulder. Kvaal is also a licensed certified public accountant in Colorado. According to Kvaal, it is the St. Edward’s “I’m excited about mission and the alignment the opportunity to between the contribute to St. mission and Edward’s success and the administration’s decisionits financial health.” making that attracted her to Vice President of Financial Affairs this position. “Since arrivKim Kvaal ing, I’ve been struck with the high caliber of tained her MBA in finance. individuals at St. Edward’s She received her undergradu- and their passion for what ate degree in economics from they do,” Kvaal said. the University of Colorado Kvaal says that getting up
to speed is the hardest part of her job. “St. Edward’s has been around a long time so there is a lot of institutional history that I’m trying to learn as well as acclimating to a different campus culture,” Kvaal said. Kvaal married her high school sweetheart, Jim, and the two will celebrate their 28th wedding anniversary this year. They have two sons: Mitch, who is 22 and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, and Matt, a freshman at Arizona State University. As far as adjusting to Austin, Kvaal feels that the city is much more similar to her and her husband’s home of Den-
Courtesy of St. Edward’s University Marketing Kim Kvaal appreciates Austin’s balanced atmosphere.
ver than San Fransisco was. “It has the sort of western, and maybe even more like
midwestern, practicality that Denver had, but it definitely has the sort of San Fransisco hip vibe,” Kvaal said of Austin. Kvaal says she has yet to join any organizations in her time at St. Edward’s here in the Austin community, but that she was involved within her church and her sons’ schools and sports leagues and hopes to become involved here in Austin as well. Kvaal enjoys hiking and camping. She and her husband experienced their first camping trip in Texas recently; although they spent it “stuck in the mud,” they are eager and hopeful for their next adventure.
Bills on sexual assault, recycling approved for initial passage Amanda Gonzalez @Amanda620DG
The St. Edward’s University Student Government Association (SGA) swore in new members at its third formal Senate meeting of the semester on Oct. 2. Freshman John Carter filled the vacant senator position and sophomore Andrea Barrera-Rodriguez was sworn in as an associate member. Senators also approved four bills for initial passage. Bill authors and sponsors are now authorized to conduct further research to revise their bills before the final vote. The “SGA Informative Bulletin Boards” bill, authored by Sens.Victoria Cavazos and sponsored by Paola Gallegos, proposes that bulletin boards be installed in residence halls to increase awareness of current SGA legislation and events. Gallegos also sponsored the
Courtesy of St. Edward’s SGA Facebook SGA swears in two new members, four new bills introduced.
“It’s On Us, Hilltoppers” bill, which was written by junior Victoria Ochoa. The bill was provisioned as a result of President Barack Obama’s recent “It’s On Us” nationwide campaign which aims to engage everyone on college campuses in prevent-
ing sexual assault. SGA plans to reach out to organizations such as Campus Ministry, Residence Life and the Health & Counseling Center to initiate campuswide discussion and awareness on sexual violence issues. “The goal is to shift the
current campus culture surrounding sexual violence to include bystander intervention and a sense of community responsibility,” Ochoa said. The “Recycling Awareness” bill, written by Sen. Jonathan Cruz and sponsored by Sen. Jacob Rogers was also introduced during the meeting. The goal of the bill is to incorporate awareness and availability of recycling resources by adding more recycling bins across campus and finding ways to make the average student more aware of current recycling locations. Sen. Kyle Thomas authored the “Hand Sanitizer in the RCC” bill, which proposes proper maintenance of hand sanitizers in the Recreation and Convocation Center and other campus buildings to ensure a healthy environment for students. SGA will host three campus events this month. The Campus Safety Walk
took place on Oct. 7 under the direction of Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Michelle Richter. Participants canvassed the campus with university police officers to determine where lightposts should be installed to increase campus safety. The SGA Public Forum will be held on Oct. 20 in the Mabee ballrooms. The forum will address the implementation of the plus/minus grading system, campus safety and the Rave Initiative. There will also be a student panel to facilitate a Title IX discussion. Information Technology representatives will further explain how to use MyHilltop at the forum as well. President Samantha Mendoza will also speak on both legislation that has been recently passed and that is in the process of passage. SGA encourages all students to attend the forum.
“Senators like me and all the others want to have students’ input on what the students want us to do, so we can do what the students actually want us to do,” Sen. Michael Haywood said. SGA will also hold an Election Showcase on Oct. 29 in Jones Auditorium. Texas politicians representing the four major political parties will share the attributes of their candidates and give reasons why students should vote for them. Student questions will be facilitated by political science Professor Brian Smith. Deputized members of SGA, like Director of External Affairs Jacqueline Schicker, recently registered 110 students to vote in the upcoming November elections. “The SGA Senators are doing a tremendous job taking their initiatives and seeing them through,” Chief of Staff Michael Cimino said.
NEWS 3
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014 | HILLTOPVIEWSONLINE.COM
University seeks to bolster endowment with new campaign Continued from page 1 tuition by the lowest amount possible. “I would say that the university recognized continuing to raise tuition at 8.5 percent was not viable any longer because of market forces, because of our students’ ability to pay, and so set a tuition rate increase that was lesser than in previous years,” Kvaal said. Some students, like junior theater major Trey Stoker, are optimistic about the lower increase rate. "My view is simply that tuition rises every year, and compared to previous years this percentile increase is actually down, and that a large amount of colleges do this and it shouldn't be a cause for outrage,” Stoker said. This lower increase rate creates an interesting situation for the university next year, as there will be less new dollars coming in. For this reason, the administration is undertaking a process entitled “investing for our future,” in which they look at opportunities for real-
location of existing dollars. “Maybe we are doing something that, because of technology, we can do more efficiently; or maybe we are doing something that a long time ago made sense, but maybe it’s not as important as it used to be, and maybe this new thing is more important than this existing thing that we’ve always done and so we’ll trade off,” Kvaal said.
Rising cost of education
Tuition increases almost feel inevitable, as evidenced from the last decade. According to Kvaal, this is because the cost of delivering an education continues to increase. The university wants to pay competitive salaries to its faculty and staff. The cost of heating and cooling buildings increases as energy prices increase. The cost of insurance increases. “On the cost side, you have every cost going up because of the economy, and so they’re driving the price up as well,” Kvaal said.
The driving force
strategic plan. “All of the decision making is help up against the strategic plan, and then the mission statement is the underpinning of the strategic plan.” Kvaal said. Although much has changed since the strategic plan was unveiled in fall 2015, the goals were written broadly enough so that there’s room for plan to grow and change as time passes.
Financial aid
St. Edward’s has also increased its budget for financial aid for the coming year. Financial aid is funded from a number of sources: state funds, federal funds, the university’s endowment, donations specifically for scholarship and unfunded aid. Tuition dollars, which go toward unfunded aid, are by far the largest source of funding for financial aid, according the Kvaal. “It’s sometimes called the discount,’ Kvaal said of the unfunded aid.
Raising the endowment
In 2013, St. Edward’s endowment was $82,658,955, according to U.S. News and World Report. Right now, St. Edward’s is considered a tuitiondependent university. However, the Office of Development is currently running a campaign focused on the endowment. If the endowment is raised significantly, then there is more money available to support scholarships, likely minimizing the yearly tuition increases. “The larger your endowment, the less pressure their is on tuition,” Kvaal said. Infographic by Amaranda Hernandez Prioritizing the budget is driven primarily by the 2015
Tuition has almost doubled since 2010, and it continues to rise.
Interfaith dialogue compares Buddhist, Christian ideals James Stukes @Stukeyy
Geshe Thupten Phelgye, a Tibetan Buddhist monk of 41 years, came to St. Edward’s University to speak at “The Cross and the Lotus: Christian-Buddhist Dialogue,” an event hosted by Campus Ministry and the Health & Counseling Center. Phelgye was born in 1956. After graduating high school, he attended Sera Jey Monastic University in South India and became a Tibetan Buddhist monk. After 18 years of studying and living, he earned his Geshe degree, the largest lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. In 2001, Geshe was elected to the Tibetan Parliament in Exile (TPiE). During his 10 years in the TPiE, Phelgye worked with the Sulha Peace Project, which seeks to reunite Jews, Muslims and Christians in the Middle East. The monk has traveled the world to promote peace and social justice. He has spoken to over 100 colleges and universities across North America and Asia. During the event, Phlegye and Director of Campus Ministry Father Peter Walsh spoke about their different religious experiences. Both Phelgye and Walsh spoke about spiritual and cultural diversity, mixed with a little humor, in front of a diverse crowd of students and faculty. When asked about the essence of their religious traditions, Phelgye expressed the importance of compassion, wisdom and learning. “The purpose of learning is
to benefit,” Phelgye said. “It is unconditional to all.” Similarly, Walsh expressed the importance of grace and God’s unconditional love for all. “Teaching about God’s unconditional love inspired me to be who I am today,” Walsh said. They also shared their views on respective religious symbolism. Walsh spoke on the evolution of the Christian symbol, the cross. “The cross went from symbolizing violence and suffering to symbolizing faith,” Walsh said. Phelgye explained the importance of the rose as a symbol of Buddhist faith. “A rose comes from the dirt, but grows to be pure and natural,” Phelgye said. When asked about the meaning of suffering and happiness, the two religious leaders had opposing views.
death and birth is happiness. To Phelgye, knowing, learning and obtaining wisdom will not lead you to purpose. However, he believes anger, hatred and ignorance will lead down a negative path of repercussions. “By not knowing what is right or wrong causes consequences,” Phelgye said. “Wisdom is light, and ignorance is darkness.” This was the case for Phelgye growing up in Kham, a Tibetan province in China, where he experienced the Chinese army invade his village. His family tried to flee to India but was captured by the Chinese army and put in a concentration camp for two years. He ran away from home at the age of 13 to join the army, but eventually his mother fooled the Chinese authority and snuck out with her children. “To grow up in so much hatred and anger was the most suffering to me personally,” Phelgye said. “It was probably the most difficult time in my living.” When asked about their robes, Phelgye and Walsh agreed on the symbolism of darker colors as humility, which can reGeshe Thupten Phelgye sult in humbleness. On what makes each truly happy, “Happiness is looking at Phelgye said that his usefulGod and God looking at us,” ness is what brings him joy. Walsh said. “Sin is sufferAs for Walsh, he answered ing. Suffering happens to us that being at the dinner taregularly, deepening passion ble is when he experiences towards others.” true happiness. On the other hand, Phel“I love being at the table gye viewed happiness as too, I mean look at me,” suffering because it comes Phelgye said as he rubbed from liberation. He believes his stomach, inciting laughthe liberation of the cycle of ter from the audience.
“The purpose of learning is to benefit. It is unconditional to all.”
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014 | HILLTOPVIEWSONLINE.COM
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POLICE BLOTTER Date
Time
Incident
Location
Resolution
10/5
10:51 a.m.
Injury
Non-residential, on campus
Closed report taken
10/3
8:11 p.m.
Minor vehicle accident
Non-residential, on campus
Closed report taken
10/2
9:03 a.m.
Fire
Residential, on campus
Closed report taken
10/2
9:56 a.m.
Parked in handicap
Non-residential, on campus
Closed report taken
10/1
8:02 p.m.
Theft
Non-residential, on campus
Active
9/28
Unknown
Burglary of habitation
Apartment Building 3
Active
9/28
6:07 p.m.
Poss. of drug paraphenalia
3DUNLQJ *DUDJH WK ÀRRU
Arrest by citation
9/28
4:00 p.m.
Harrassment
John Brooks Williams North
Active
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014 | HILLTOPVIEWSONLINE.COM
games
GAMES 5
look for the answers to both games in next week’s issue!
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PAPAKATA PAPA-KATA // COOK ISLAND MAORI
to have one leg shorter than the other
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6 SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014 | HILLTOPVIEWSONLINE.COM
Campus cross-country comeback causes cheer Jacob Rogers @jacob_rogers01
Cross-country will be making a return to St. Edward’s University after a seven-year hiatus. Men’s and women’s teams will be offered as a NCAA sport in fall 2015. Crosscountry was once a varsity sport at St. Edward’s, but was discontinued because of financial reasons after the 2008 season. “Basically it was discontinued because we just weren’t able to support and sustain it in the manner that we wanted to,” Director of Athletics Debbie Taylor said. “And now the university is in a position that we can.” The teams will compete in the Heartland Conference as a Division II school, like all other sports. The team will compete in a minimum of five meets, according to the Athletic Department’s website. The university plans to have each team consist of 15 runners, and they’ve already started looking. The admissions office has started to get the word out to recruits.
While the team has nearly a year to assemble, Taylor’s goal is to hire a coach in the next few months. She wants to recruit someone who is a good mission fit for St. Edward’s. “We can’t wait until next fall to hire a coach…and we
for the cross-country team to come back,” junior Chris Jackson said. “I couldn’t be happier and I will definitely be looking to join for my senior year.” President of the Outdoor Adventure Club Omar Martinez called the news fantastic. “This is extremely “This is extremely exciting and a step forward for exciting and a St. Edward’s athletics. I only wish this was an opstep forward tion coming out of my senior year of high school,” for St. Edward’s Martinez said. athletics.” There will only be one other school in the conOmar Martinez, Outdoor ference that won’t have a Adventure Club president cross-country team, according to Taylor. On Sept. 24 the univerhope to have somebody hired sity announced new money and on-campus no later than would decrease by $1.8 January to start next semes- million. Planning for more ter,” Taylor said. meals, equipment and travel This addition of a varsity were factors considered by cross-country team comes as Taylor when budgeting. exciting news to students and “I don’t think we’ll have avid runners. to cut back anywhere, be“I think it’s very exciting. St. cause we are making all the Edward’s has a great athletic money we have with all our program and has had phe- other sports. We are getting nomenal cross-country teams the new dollars to run crossin the past. It’s long overdue country,” she said.
Courtesy of SEU Athletics The NCAA cross-country team was discontinued in 2008 after running into financial problems.
Women’s tennis gaining more experience against top teams Rachael Hyde @rachael_hyde
The women’s tennis team has had a busy yet promising season, participating in three different tournaments. With three new recruits, two freshmen and one transfer student, the eight member squad has been showcasing their new talent. “I think that we have a lot of potential this year because we have a lot of depth,” Head Coach Kendall Brooks said. “All of our players, one through eight, can be competitive at any level.” At the Solinco Houston Open in September, the Hilltoppers had their potential on full display. The women were highly competitive with all Division I schools and won some big matches, several in doubles, which proved that the team’s diligence was paying off. Most notably, the doubles team of Brooke Hughes and Sasha Khadzhyan teamed up against Stephen F. Austin, defeating them 8-5. Unfortunately, Hughes and Khadzhyan fell short of their goal to repeat as regional champions, but Khadzhyan did make it through to the quarterfinals of singles play. “This tournament in Houston was a big opportunity for our whole team to play against some really high-level opponents,” Hughes said. “I think as a whole, we were very happy with the way we represented ourselves among such high level schools and were able to pull off some big wins.” Last week, the Women’s team advanced four players into the Round of 16 of
Courtesy of SEU Athletics The fall season is over after competing in three touraments.
singles play and one doubles team to the quarterfinals at the 2014 ITA South Central Regional Championships at the Midwestern State Tennis Center. The four, Khadzhyan, Hughes, Ivana Zecevic and Rafaela Haegele, all won
and Kruseman from St. Mary’s. On the third and final day, Haegele and Zecevic fell short during the consolation doubles championship, losing 8-4 against Tarleton State’s Luiza Adas and Erica Richarme following three straight victories in the bracket. “This tournament Although this is the end of the fall in Houston was a season, the experibig opportunity for ence gained will used as preparation our whole team to for the future. play against some “The conferreally high-level ence tournament is a way into the opponents.” NCAA tournament and what we Brooke Hughes, junior really shoot for as a team,” Hughes said. Now, looking two matches on the first day. ahead to the spring season, The second day proved to be Brooks only has optimism more difficult, with all single for the team ahead. players eliminated, leaving “I know my players better only Khadzhyan to make it and I know more of what through the quarterfinals. they need individually,” In doubles action, Brooks said. “As a group, I Khadzhyan and Hughes am pushing them harder. won their quarterfinal Our hard work is paying off, match 8-3, but lost in the and we can only look ahead semifinals versus Denton for the spring season.”
SPORTS 7
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014 | HILLTOPVIEWSONLINE.COM
Women’s club soccer focused on beating top teams Julian Chicoine @julianchicoine
The St. Edward’s University women’s club soccer team continues to improve from year’s past, and is now matching this growth with quality opponents. This season, the women face tougher competition as they move into a new conference, with the majority of teams coming from Division I schools. However, they have passed one of their first tests with flying colors, defeating a talented Texas A&M – Kingsville squad 1-0. Along with the new season and new conference, the team is also welcoming many new faces. This year’s squad
Courtesy of Facebook The team hopes to play top tier competition in future.
includes 12 underclassmen, many of them freshman. Despite the win against
Texas A&M – Kingsville, the young team is still developing chemistry, as they also have two losses to start the season. “We are still learning how to play together,” Club President Danielle Rivera said. “Our main goal is to create a sense of community.” This sense of community not only includes activities on the field, but off of it as well. “We all go to Group X classes and even to Cabo Bob’s after practice together sometimes,” Caitlin Laughlin said. “We are all genuinely friends.” However, it is not all fun and games. The team remains highly focused on the future, believing they
can compete against top tier competition and win the majority of their games. “We want to be able to beat our main rivals, Texas State,” lub Treasurer Cassidy Emmitte said. “But in order to do that, we have to be fit and be able to play well as a team.” The main goal for this year’s team is to win games, but it is also to build connections and develop cohesion. “We want to build long lasting friendships, so that we can stay engaged as a team on and off the field,” Rivera said. Part of this engagement on the field includes creating positive energy and staying loose. “We do the ‘Give ‘em Hill’
chants at halftime to get our team pumped up,” Lauren Zambrano said. “It also helps us stay loose and ready to play.” Despite having such a young team, though, leadership positions are not exclusive to the upperclassmen. Junior Mckenna Dunn may be one of the veteran voices on the team, but this has not stopped some of the younger members from stepping up. “Freshman Michelle Chambers and sophomore Megan Birdsell have been some of our strongest players so far,” Rivera said. The women look to continue to grow and overcome the learning curve in their next game, against the University of Texas on Thursday.
Club basketball looks to expand in second season Caitlin Laughlin @cnlaughlin
With only one year under its belt, the St. Edward’s University women’s club basketball team has proven itself to be a noteworthy group on campus. The team has grown beyond what many would have expected from a club only in their second season. One of the most notable successes of the team thus far is their move into league play. Last year, the women only played exhibition games against other teams that were up-and-coming. Club President Lizzy Ademski attributes the move into league play to interest generated as a result of pickup games in the gym. “(The girls and I) from the team last year are always in the gym in the evenings playing pickup games,” Ademski said. “So when girls see us
Cola fundraiser where we will be selling Coke products in bulk for discounted prices, and a portion of all of our sales Coca-Cola gives back to us.” This fundraising will come in handy as the team is in a league that is based out “We are playing of San Antonio, in travel competitively in a resulting expenses. new league, and Finances aside, for a team that was we have a new only playing exhibition games last coach, Maddie year, the women Wheeler.” are excited to finally play in league Club Officer Nicole Bray games. “We are playing competitively in a already started on. new league, and we have a “We already shag balls new coach, Maddie Wheelfor NCAA soccer games,” er,” Club Officer Nicole Bray Ademski said. “But we are said. “She played for the St. going to start selling wrap- Edward’s NCAA team and ping paper in the winter and now we are lucky enough to we also are doing a Coca- have her coaching us.”
SPORTS CALENDAR Weekly sport events for: Wed. 10/8 - Sun. 10/12
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL Wed. 10/8 | 7:00 p.m. vs. Texas A&M- Commerce @ Commerce, Texas
MEN’S TENNIS Thurs. 10/9 | All Day ITA Small College National Championships @ Sumpter, S.C.
MEN’S TENNIS Fri. 10/10 | All Day ITA Small College National Championships @ Sumpter, S.C.
WOMEN’S SOCCER Sat. 10/11 | 12 p.m. vs. Newman University @ Austin
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
playing, it is an opportunity for us to tell them about the club.” An increase in players, however, also means an increase in fundraising techniques, which the team has
Sat. 10/11 | 1:00 p.m. vs. Texas A&M- Kingsville @ Austin
MEN’S SOCCER Sat. 10/11 | 2:30 p.m. vs. Newman University @ Austin
MEN’S TENNIS
Courtesy of Facebook The club basketball team’s first home game is on Oct. 25.
Under leadership of their new coach, the team’s practices are more organized and they are learning more skills than they had with their previous coach. Both Ademski and Bray believe that having Wheeler as a coach has been a driving force behind their success in recruiting more players, and developing a strong team
that will be able to compete against more experienced teams. While the women have already begun practicing, their first game is not until midOctober. “Our first game is at Victoria College on Oct. 15,” Ademski said. “But our first home game is Oct. 25 at 1:00 p.m.”
Sat. 10/11 | All Day ITA Small College National Championships @ Sumpter, S.C.
MEN’S TENNIS Sun. 10/12 | All Day ITA Small College National Championships @ Sumpter, S.C.
WOMEN’S SOCCER Sun. 10/12 | 12 p.m. vs. Rogers State University @ Austin
8 #ACLFEST
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014 | HILLTOPVIEWSONLINE.COM
#ACLFEST 9
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014 | HILLTOPVIEWSONLINE.COM
I-G-G-Y reminds crowd ‘who that’
ACL TIPS Bring an empty reusable water bottle. You can fill it at stations.
AUSTIN CITY LIMITS
Download the free ACL app. Park at city hall or take the bus. It’s $10 a day. Then walk over to Republic Square Park and take the shuttle.
Weekend One
If you have a Samsung phone, they’ll give you a fresh battery if you run out. Charge your devices. Stick to a point and shoot camera or phone. Be early. Go to the artist or band you want to see early to get a good spot.
Photo by Jacob Sanchez Australian rapper Iggy Azalea performs her hit songs to a massive audience, owning the stage as a diva.
Jacob Sanchez @_jacob_sanchez
When Iggy Azalea graced the RetailMeNot stage at Austin City Limits it was clear that she owned it and the audience. Azalea is a complete diva on stage. Azalea started off her performance with the song “F--- Love.” While walking on to the stage she extended her middle finger to the audience who did it right back. The audience for the Austra-
lian rapper was massive with it stretching into the crowd at the near by Samsung Galaxy stage. Surprisingly, Azalea performed at one of the smaller stages at ACL despite the numerous hits she has had this year. For those that just want to hear Iggy perform “Fancy,” you will have to wait until the end of her routine as it is her final song. The wait is totally worth seeing Azalea ask the audience “Who that, who that?”
She also performed her latest hit “Black Widow,” but it lacked Rita Ora’s vocals. Another hit that Azalea performed was Ariana Grande’s “Problem.” Weaved throughout Azalea’s set list were songs from her album “The New Classic” and previous mixtapes. If you plan to watch Azalea get there early, find a spot and just stay there. Watch Azalea perform Saturday on the RetailMeNot stage at 5:30 p.m.
Outkast wows, exceeds expectations Breakout singer dazzles Jacob Sanchez @_jacob_sanchez
Singer Sam Smith certainly brought some to tears while performing many of his heartbreaking songs at weekend one of Austin City Limits. With a band and backup singers accompanying the Brit, Smith had the crowd mesmerized from the moment he started to sing. Smith did not need any fancy lights or tricks; he just needed to sing. There was a sea of people watching Smith perform. It seemed like nearly everyone in attendance at ACL was there to watch or at the very least hear Smith belt "Stay With Me" and "I'm Not the Only One."
His backup singers and dancers were so good and charismatic that the audience gave them a round of applause. Smith was one of the most gracious and humble performers at ACL. After every song he would stop and tell the audience “thank you” in his amazing British accent. Sometime after Smith stepped off the Miller Lite stage, he announced via Instagram that his stop in Houston had been cancelled due to a case of tonsillitis. Don't fret if you could not make it to ACL this past weekend to watch Smith; he will hopefully perform next weekend if his health improves. Catch Smith croon Friday at 5:15 p.m. on the Miller Lite stage.
Jacob Sanchez @_jacob_sanchez
Probably one of the most anticipated groups attending Austin City Limits is the Grammy winning duo Outkast. Expectations for them were extremely high since the announcement that they would be one of the festival’s headliners; they exceeded those expectations. Performing at ACL marked Outkast’s return to the dirty South. Andre 3000 and Big Boi are extremely dynamic as a duo. Andre brings the funk, and Big Boi provides the gritty street rap. This is
Photo by Jacob Sanchez British singer Sam Smith croons to the crowd, thanking them after each song.
evident from their performance. Performing 20 songs for nearly two hours, Andre 3000 and Big Boi satisfied the crowd with a mix of old and new school songs. However, there’s one question you’re probably asking yourself as you read: “Did they perform ‘Hey Ya?’” Of course they did, and despite the song’s age, the audience enjoyed it as if it had just been released. Outkast performing “Hey Ya” live is even more electrifying than listening to it on the radio. Outkast’s catalog of songs contains countless hits, and if you name a song, they performed it.
Experiencing Outkast live is not just about their music; it’s about their huge personalities and unpredictable antics between songs. At one point, Andre 3000 teased the spotlight operator about his job. He asked the operator if he had fallen asleep and to blink once as a sign to tell him if he was alright. There were other moments where Andre 3000 and Big Boi teased, talked and told the audience what to do, but far too many must be experienced live. Watching Outkast perform live is an experience that cannot be missed. Watch them on Friday at 8:15 p.m. on the Honda stage.
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Gambino wildly ignites crowd Amanda Markoe @amarkoepolo
Childish Gambino had one of the craziest and largest crowds at the Honda Stage at Austin City Limits, even though the popular indie band, Foster the People, was playing at the same time. Childish Gambino is a popular rapper, but no one was prepared for the giant crowd that surrounded his stage. His set involved many visual effects such as fire, sparklers, smoke, and women who just sat in couches on the stage. Many people in the crowd were wondering who these women were and why they were just sitting on stage doing nothing. This caused a lot of chatter throughout the crowd, especially when the camera that connected to the big screens on the side of the stage zoomed in on them. Yet, since Gambino’s energy was so crazy, it distracted the crowd and eventually no one cared about these women. Gambino held the crowd’s attention from the very beginning when he came on stage with an extreme amount of energy. He tried to get everyone in the crowd engaged by running to each
side continuously. He even danced with and pointed at the people in the V.I.P. section of the stage. After about five minutes into the concert, Gambino actually had to take his shirt off because he got so hot from moving around (which caused a lot of screaming from fans). Gambino was so energized
ing artist, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was just naturally that hyped up.” Even if he was on something, his concert was amazing. The crowd followed along to his songs by yelling the lyrics or dancing to the beat. Gambino also kept a good job at keeping the crowd pumped up by asking questions and talking. For example, in “I honestly thought the middle of his hit he was on something, song “Sweatpants,” Gambino stopped but he’s such an the song completely amazing artist, I for about five secwouldn’t be surprised onds and asked, “Are you still with if he was just me, Austin?” This naturally that hyped caused a lot of cheering, which led up.” to more yelling and dancing when the song came back on. that he left fans trying to figACL was able to display ure out if he was hyped up how popular Gambino actubecause he was on something ally is and he helped show or if all this energy naturally people how great of a percame to him when he per- former and rapper he is. His formed. performance definitely inOne person from the crowd creased his popularity and stated, “He was just jumping left people questioning why all over the stage, it was crazy. they had never listened to And his eyes got huge when him before. he was rapping! I honestly Watch Gambino perform thought he was on some- Friday on the Honda stage at thing, but he’s such an amaz- 6:15 p.m.
Photo by Lyanne Guarecuco Six-person band The Head and The Heart satisfies the audience with their favorite songs.
Band immerses head, heart Lyanne Guarecuco @lyannealexia
It was very clear that Jonathan Russell and his bandmates weren’t from around here when he exclaimed during their Austin City Limits set that it was really hot. “That’s ‘cause you’re from Seattle!” yelled someone in the crowd behind me. That’s probably true; as an Austinite, I have to disagree and say the cool breeze this weekend did not fall under the “really hot” category. It was more under the “nice ACL weather” category. And The Head and The Heart’s performance fell under the “incredible show” category. Opening up with “Cats and Dogs,” The Head and The Heart immediately captivated their ACL crowd. Without missing a beat or a note, the band performed
crowd favorites i ncluding “Ghosts,” “Let’s Be Still” and “Lost In My Mind.” Russell, Charity Rose Thielen and Josiah Johnson alternated and combined vocals throughout the set, while Thielen also played the violin and Johnson and Russell played the guitar. The band also included drummer Tyler Williams, keyboardist Kenny Hensley and bassist Chris Zasche. Six seems like almost too many people for a single band, but it’s obvious after watching them perform that The Head and The Heart’s success is truly dependent on the collaboration of all six members, leaving no room for more or less; it takes those six to get it just right. By the time they played their second to last song, “Down In The Valley,” the crowd clapped along and sang clearly. The Head and
The Heart are an immersive band, with a committed fanbase that knows every word to every song. This is a reflection of the success of their album as a whole, and not of just of a few popular songs. The last song the band performed, “Rivers and Roads,” was the perfect ending to a great set. The Head and The Heart is one of those rare bands that somehow manages to sound even better in person than they do through headphones. Thielen’s vocals, which wrap up the song, were my favorite thing to witness during my entire weekend at ACL. And if I had to recommend one must-see show during ACL this year, The Head and The Heart would be it. Watch The Head and The Heart perform Saturday on the Samsung Galaxy stage at 4:30 p.m.
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Calvin Harris kindles surreal dance party Amanda Markoe @amarkoepolo
Calvin Harris was definitely one of the main highlights of Sunday at Austin City Limits. Even though people had to choose between Calvin Harris and Pearl Jam, Harris was one of the most anticipated performances of ACL. People waited an hour after Spoon performed on the same stage, so the size of the crowd was huge before he even started playing. When Harris finally took
the stage, he started off with a bang and a pumped up vibe that lasted the whole performance. All of Harris’ songs are catchy, and he even remixed songs that weren’t his, such as “I Don’t Care” by Icona Pop. He added faster beats to these songs to keep the crowd moving, and his technique worked. The crowd had an incredible amount of energy. Everyone jumped in unison and sang along to the songs. Harris constantly yelled “I wanna see you jump, Austin!”
but that wasn’t even necessary. Everyone was already so into it that he probably could’ve gone the whole performance without saying anything at all and people still would have had a great time. Harris’ stage also had great effects that made the show even better. Harris was positioned higher up on the stage so everyone could see him. He also had incredible light shows that were on screens all over the stage and lights that pointed at or above the crowd.
The performance also featured smoke that floated onstage when the beat dropped in his songs. Obviously, Harris was one of the main highlights at ACL. One person from the crowd exclaimed, “It was amazing. There wasn’t a dull moment and people were dancing the entire time. He was definitely my favorite person from ACL.” If you are planning on going to ACL this Sunday, don’t miss out on Harris’ great performance on the Honda stage at 8 p.m.
Major Lazer most major amazer at Zilker Photo by Jacob Sanchez Calvin Harris’s set involved an elaborate digital backdrop.
Zedd engages ears Lyanne Guarecuco @lyannealexia
Zedd, a Russian-German music producer and DJ, may not sing or play musical instruments during his set, but he does know how to drop a sick beat and get a huge crowd jumping up and down in unison with their fists in the air. This was the scene during Zedd’s set first weekend of ACL. The crowd went wild as he mixed songs like “Clarity,” “Stay the Night” and even Disclosure’s “Latch.” Zedd also makes up for the lack of singing and dancing with his vibrant set: a constantly moving, crazy visual experience which took over a digital screen covering the entire height of the stage. It didn’t feel like anything was lacking, actually. Zedd also proved that you don’t need to sing or play an
instrument to prove how musically knowledgeable you are. It takes a real musician to be able to blend beats and mix songs the way Zedd managed to do in his hour-long set. There is a constant balance, almost like he gives the audience small breaks to recharge, and then surprises by dropping an unexpected beat or a crowd-pleasing song to get everyone in the crowd riled up all over again. It’s hard to believe Zedd is only 25 by watching his skills in mixing and producing some of the catchiest beats in recent years. To watch Zedd is to literally watch art. You can’t keep your eyes off his insane setting and you can’t help but fist pump and dance. He’s fun. He’s engaging. He’s a firework. Don’t miss your chance to watch Zedd perform this Sunday on the Miller Lite stage at 7 p.m.
Amanda Markoe @amarkoepolo
Although Major Lazer was on one of the smaller stages at Austin City Limits, the performance attracted a great crowd. Part of this is because rapper Eminem was playing at 8:30 p.m. on a stage near them, so everyone heading over to see him had to pass Major Lazer’s stage and most likely got hooked by their beat and lights. Major Lazer never even played a full song, but the constant switching from song to song with different beats and lyrics is what dragged
people in and kept the crowd going. One person from the crowd exclaimed, “I was waiting in line for water by their stage and everyone in line was dancing to the beat. I was actually on my way to see another band, but I passed Major Lazer’s stage and I was hooked. Their lights were awesome and the beat was incredible, it made me want to dance to them all night.” Major Lazer also kept the crowd pumped up by counting down for the crowd to jump with them and at one point he even told everyone in the crowd to take off their shirts. The entire crowd
didn’t take their shirts off, but when they asked everyone to jump, the entire crowd moved in unison. The lights added an extra effect to the show, changing colors every few seconds that moved with the beat. It wasn’t so fast to the point where it feels like someone could easily have a seizure; the lights just moved with the beat at a pace that was perfect at the moment. Major Lazer also used songs that were not by them, so people could sing and dance along, even if they were not necessarily fans of Major Lazer. For example, they used the songs “I Like to Move It”
to “Drop It Like It’s Hot.” This helped people sing along to their set, even if they had no idea who Major Lazer actually was. This helped Major Lazer gather a larger crowd and attract more fans. All in all, Major Lazer had a great performance. Their amazing light show and crazy beats attracted new fans, which led to them having a larger crowd. If you’re going to weekend two of ACL, definitely check out Major Lazer so you can have a great time singing and dancing to new music that rocks. Watch Major Lazer perform Saturday on the RetailMeNot stage at 7:30 p.m.
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@hvviewpoints OUR VIEW Supreme Court’s same-sex decision not enough Every week the editorial board reflects on a current issue in Our View. The position taken does not reflect the opinions of everyone on the Hilltop Views staff. On Monday, the United States Supreme Court decided not to review any same-sex marriage cases on its docket. Lower courts in eleven states have already rejected same-sex marriage bans. The Supreme Court rejection could gain legalization of same-sex marriage in 30 states and the District of Columbia. In 2013, the Supreme Court rebuffed a section of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that originally
placed the responsibility of the recognition of same-sex marriage on the federal government. After this Supreme Court ruling, the White House held the obligation of deciding the extent to which the ruling should apply. To many, especially those living in Austin, the Supreme Court’s recent decision is not just; it is a consolation prize. While the action of the Supreme Court is beneficial to the 30 states that will potentially recognize same-sex marriage, the court should make it a national right. By refusing to review the cases on its docket, the Supreme Court copped-out, avoiding the controversy. It simply
handed its duty over to the states.
ponents will move out. Some people claim the U.S.
“While the action of the Supreme Court is beneficial to the 30 states that will potentially recognize same-sex marriage, the court should make it a national right.”
This ruling could potentially result in a mass migration in both the LGBT and cissexual communities, as people who support a state’s choice will move in, and op-
is growing to be a colorblind society. Obama has talked of initiatives to empower women. In both of these cases of persecuted peoples, the U.S. is searching for na-
tional equality. Yet, same-sex marriage isn’t even being reviewed. Those in favor of equality and justice might think that protesters of same-sex marriage are those surly 90-yearold men who wear trousers, chew tobacco and carry a hunting rifle in their pickups. However, a Gallup poll found that the American public supports same-sex marriage by a sparse majority. This is surprising seeing as support for same-sex marriage more than doubled between 1996 and 2014. In 2014, 55 percent of the American public support same-sex marriage, according
to Gallup. Same-sex marriage needs to be reviewed and deemed legal, but maybe that isn’t the problem at hand. If people are living in a world where love is gendered, the Supreme Court isn’t the biggest issue. Americans are obsessed with gender and sexuality, often categorizing people into certain stereotypes once they learn of their sexual preferences or gender. If American culture didn’t place so much emphasis on these classifications, maybe same-sex marriage wouldn’t be such a big controversy; we could then focus on other significant issues in our society like homelessness and wealth disparity.
Golden ticket: Austin City Limits press pass gives total access Lyanne Guarecuco @lyannealexia
I almost felt guilty telling anyone I had a press pass for ACL. But after I put on my green and blue wristband, I couldn’t stop staring at it. It felt like a golden ticket. ACL is one of the biggest events of the year in Austin, and here I was, not only getting in for free, but actually getting to cover it as part of the press. How could I not humblebrag? This is my recap of an interesting weekend as a member of the press during ACL 2014.
Day One
My car didn’t start that morning, so I was delayed, and I finally made it out to Zilker at around 3 p.m. I got
there on my own and walked into the press lounge, only to be greeted by a lot of people who looked older, more professional and had bigger camera lenses than the one on my beginner DSLR. Initially, I was intimidated. But there was that green and blue band on my arm with the word “MEDIA’ printed on it. And I got over it.
Day Two
As soon as I got to the press lounge that afternoon, I noticed a little lady sitting by the tree doing henna tattoos. That is where I met Nisha Agrawal, a lovely henna artist who has been doing henna art for decades and runs a henna business called Henna Arts in Austin. I sat down and watched her finish designing tattoos on the girls hand.
Photo by Jacob Sanchez The ACL heat, noise and crowds can take its toll on patrons.
She moved on to work on my left hand, and as I was sitting patiently trying not to move, it hit me that the blonde girl with sunglasses was Charity Rose Thielen, the singer and
violinist for one of my favorite bands, The Head and The Heart. You better believe it took all my willpower not to fangirl. Somehow, I ended up in a
photo with Nisha and Thielen, an awesome reminder of a crazy coincidence. I got to see The Head and The Heart shortly after that, where Thielen and the rest of the band killed it. Feeling fatigued, I headed back to the press lounge to grab a free water can, when I saw him. Juanes! As soon as he said goodbye to a fan, I swooped in. I blabbered something about my parents being huge fans and how my dad would go crazy if I sent him a photo of the two of us. Juanes laughed and obliged, and we took a quick selfie. And that is how I took a quick selfie with Juanes himself. I stuck around for the beginning of Eminem’s set, but
I was drained from a long day at the festival. I headed home.
Day 3
By the third day, the press tent was less lively, and I’m thinking everyone else was as drained as I was. Three days out in the sun walking around from stage to stage wear a person down. So that was my press experience at ACL. It’s as cool as it sounds: there’s free music, free food, free everything. There are better chances you’ll get to see someone famous. There are people around you doing the same thing, who are going to go home and write stories and reviews much like yours, and as a college student striving to pursue this professionally one day, I am just very grateful to have been “in” this weekend.
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Nokia releases perfect video, but only succeeds selling cats Max Lillard @Maxirailius
Nokia recently released a viral marketing video for one of their latest version of their Windows hone titled, “Catz using Lumia 930.” Mia Mullakery, winner of the SMW Creative Contest, directed and released this minuteand-a-half excruciatingly adorable video of a faux cat family. The parent-cats (complete with clothing) text in catspeak and film their children with the Lumia 930, while their kittens basically do adorable kitten things — like make a mess out of dinner — silly kittens! Garnering over 200,000 views it’s no doubt the ad is popular. But honestly, is this an effective marketing video for the Lumia 930 or just plain old catsplotation and fan service for cat lovers? Owning a Lumia 920 (and a cat named Skittles), lines began to blur while I watched this video. Do I upgrade my phone or
do I upgrade to a new kitten? The intense kitten imagery and portrayed family become the real stars here as they overshadow the Lumia 930. Unfortunately, most audiences don’t even pay attention to the phone being displayed. I watched this video in a room full of at least 20 people. When it was done, almost everyone coo’d and awe’d, remarking how they now want a kitten; however, nobody commented on how this new Lumia phone might be competition for the iPhone 6 or how clear and crisp the video footage looked. In short, everyone only noticed the cats. Poor Nokia: the Lumia is a dependable and a mostly non-frustrating product. Weirdly, Mullakery’s video doesn’t do much to set the phone apart from other smart-phones. Texting, recording, sending stuff to friends — these are all things most phones of this caliber can already do. Why purchase the Lumia 930 when the iPhone 6 cre-
ates almost foolproof security by making a fingerprint the password to access the phone? This doesn’t make the video a total failure, but it’s frustrating to see such a great concept nudge the product out of the frame. Cats, like the ever famous keyboard cat, make up a large portion of comical memes and viral videos; while Mullakery’s video is novel and laden with kitten-pathos, it flat lines when the advertisement steps in to convince audiences to purchase the Lumia 930. If only the video was longer, maybe Mullakery could have broadcasted some of the new features the Lumina 930 obviously contains — like wireless charging. Adorable associations with cats, even if they are portrayed texting and pawing away at the phone, don’t make the product stand out. They do however make one think of forcing their cat to wear sweaters or other articles of clothing. So, in a way, at least they sold something.
Courtesy of Microsoft The Nokia Lumia 930 marketing campaign was a video of a family of cats using the phone.
Marijuana laws are not dope, Philadelphia weeds them out Amar Gupta @amarasgupta
Philadelphia is now the largest city in the U.S. to ban arrests on small amounts of marijuana possession. The bill calls for a mere $25 fine for those who are caught with less than 30 grams and the offense doesn’t go on record. So it’s basically a parking ticket type punishment, but for having pot. That’s not so bad. Though it doesn’t seem like the war on drugs will be over any time soon, the war on weed may be nearing its end. So far, 23 states have enacted laws to legalize medical marijuana, and other legislation similar to what Philadelphia lawmakers are pushing call for lighter punishments on marijuana use and possession. Several states have been flirting with the idea of loosening marijuana laws; especially since Colorado made headlines for their decision to all-out legalize marijuana. And it makes sense, too. Colorado made $12.6 million in taxes and fees after only five months of legalization. In addition, the overall crime rate in Denver (which is where a majority of Colorado’s pot dealers are) went down by about 10 percent, though this shouldn’t be seen as a direct result of legalization just yet. New York may very well be the next state to legalize recreational marijuana use, and it could be as early as 2015. Texas state Sen. Liz Krueger (D) recently confirmed in an interview with The Huffington Post that
she would reintroduce the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act in January, which is when the next legislative session begins. The New York Times also heavily advocated for legalization at a national level, arguing that the “social costs” for the current prohibition laws are extremely damaging. The turning of otherwise law-abiding citizens into petty criminals and throwing them into a faulty judicial system is not ideal. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what’s happening now in states that haven’t made any progress on their marijuana laws. It’s time to fight prohibition once again; far too many people are unfairly punished for use and possession of a substance that is far less dangerous than alcohol. In addition, far too many crime syndicates have flourished because of prohibition. Creating a system to
Courtesy of Gina Ferazzi So far, 23 states have legalized medical marijuana.
According to a national survey by Pew Research Center earlier this year, 75 percent of Americans believe that the sale and use of marijuana will eventually be legal nationwide. Even President Barack Obama has weighed in on the debate, supporting both Colorado and Washington in their legalization efforts. In Obama’s interview with The New “It’s time to fight Yorker, he said, prohibition once again; “It’s important far to many people are for it to go forward because unfairly punished for it’s important for society not use and possession to have a situof a substance far ation in which less dangerous than a large portion of people have alcohol.” at one time or another broken the law and only a select few get punished.” manufacture, sell and marWith that being said, I’ll ket marijuana on a national go ahead and reiterate this level may not come easily, once more: America, it’s but it can definitely be done. time to repeal prohibition And it should. again.
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Tinder app might ignite love, but more likely to bring hookups Rosemond Crown @rosemondcrown
It’s 6 p.m. and sophomore Jackie Vergara is frantically moving around her dorm room, stilettos in one hand and flats in another. She’s desperately trying to figure out which shoes would perfectly match the sexy red dress that she bought for her date with Luis, a guy she met on Tinder. It seems like today all of our social lives are documented in the vast abyss of the Internet. With the advent of social media, we have become so dependent on these forums to make business partnerships, friendships and, most recently, romantic relationships. One of the social media giants in the dating arena is Tinder. On college campuses all around the nation, young people are busy swiping left
Photo by Laura D’Eramo Founder Sean Rad said Tinder has matched nearly 1 billion.
or right, in hopes of finding love…or lust. They’re having deep conversations with people and potentially going
out on meaningful dates that lead to strong, committed relationships. I kid. The outcome is usu-
ally a meaningless one night hook-up, but people connect through Tinder nonetheless. Now, I am not at all saying that it is impossible to find love on Tinder, but it shouldn’t be a goal. If Tinder-users’ sole purpose is to find love, they will find disappointment instead. But if users just sign on with the intent to simply have fun, then love might find them; if it doesn’t, then there are no disappointments. So, Tinder is essentially another Hot or Not, OkCupid! or Badoo. The goal is to find someone attractive. Users download the app from the app store and have to automatically link it to their Facebook. Then they are prompted to select up to five photos from their Facebook page. Users can adjust the settings to indicate the gender and age group they are attracted
to. After that, users are ready to Tinder! On one’s mobile devices, when an image pops up of a male or female, users have the option to either swipe left or right. Swiping right indicates that interest in the person; swiping left indicates the opposite. If the other person also swipes right, then the user receives an over-zealous instant message from Tinder saying: it’s a match. They are then prompted to privately message the person through the app. Users can simply flirt or plan to meet up, but should be careful! Safety is definitely a huge concern when it comes to meeting people on apps like this. “I was so nervous and so worried. I was just thinking, what if this dude is a total creeper?” Vergara said in retrospect. “I even got my
friends to download an app to find me in case I went missing. Yea I know, yet another app.” The true intention of the creators of Tinder, Justin Mateen, Sean Rad, Jonathan Badeen and Christopher Gulczynsk, is still a bit unclear. But what is an undisputable fact is that most college students use Tinder as a hookup site rather than a dating site. This is what Tinder is typically known for. This is not to say there haven’t been successful romantic relationships formed within the swipes of Tinder, but the chances of that happening are very rare. Generally, Tinder seems to be a recipe for creepy encounters and stories that should never be recounted. But, for all guys and gals who are hoping to find love on Tinder, good luck.
Video games provide new outlets for children to develop skills Cassie Cotton @cassie__cotton
The increased popularity of video games in recent years have caused a lot of questions to be raised over the effect they will have on children. It is well known that modern children spend a good portion of their time playing video games, enjoying games such as “Minecraft” and “Legend of Zelda.” These games actually benefit players in many ways. Through quest-based games, such as “Legend of Zelda,” children can develop their problem solving skills as they complete tasks. The on-screen text may also assist in teaching the child to read or bettering their reading comprehension. Com-
pleting a quest will also give the child a sense of accomplishment benefitting their self-esteem and confidence.
ity of which entails “crafting” new things for the world and “mining” for supplies. The time and patience it takes to gather these supplies teach children “Through questre s p o n s i b i l i t y based games, such and perseverance as ‘Legend of Zelda,’ as things will often get stolen children can develop or blown up by their problem solving creepers. The elaborate skills as the complete buildings cretasks.” ated in Minecraft worlds show children that Games such as Minecraft they are able to do anything require players to be cre- they can put their minds to. ative and innovative in order These games help develop to complete their “worlds.” creativity that will benefit a These “worlds,” created by child for the rest of their lives. the player, provide the setting The sharing feature on this for all game play the major- game also allows children to
share their worlds with their friends, connecting devises and games. Most video games have features similar to this, such as multi-player or ability to join games. This allows for children to spend time with friends while developing the aforementioned characteristics. Communicating with friends helps develop social skills in children and fosters a venue for healthy competition. Competition that stems from the challenge to build better, create better, and achieve more than their friends. Gaming, however, can negatively influence children’s lives as well. Their obsession with video games could keep them from
Courtesy of Taylor Mcbrideed under Creative Commons Multi-player games help children develop social skills.
going outside or joining athletic activities. Absorption in technology is
already showing its affects as the obesity rate is rising at a steady rate. This problem is treatable, however. New features on electronic devises allow parents to control how long their children can spend playing games and many game developers have released toys to reenact the game in real life. Online forum-style games are not censored and accessible by virtually everyone. The positive effects of video games do outweigh the potential risks. The problem solving skills developed through quest-based games and creativity encouraged in self-designed games will benefit a child not only in their immediate future but for the rest of their lives.
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Liberal education should offer cheating class for undergrads Zac Silverman @chillstrip
They say a liberal arts education teaches you how to think. A quality liberal arts education engages students and gives them a well-rounded way of thinking. Here at St. Edward's University, we certainly get a quality education, but there is one area that is seriously lacking in our curriculum. Of course I am talking about the art of cheating. St. Edward’s, if it is to truly prepare us for the real world, needs to offer a class on cheating. Cheating is a skill that is very frowned upon in school. Don’t plagiarize; don’t look at another person’s tests; don’t tell people what is on the exam and so on. But in the real world, do you know what this is called? Collaboration. Cheating teaches people how to work together, how to help friends in a time of need, and how to effectively use resources (including other people). It teaches students how to be discrete, who to trust, and how to identify who is the dirty little snitch. These are valuable skills every student will need to learn
in their career. Classes would include lectures on great historical cheaters such as: Bernie Madoff, Lance Armstrong and Shia Labeouf. Students would learn how to effectively steal another person’s work, lie and take advantage of people. The class would have many tests, but they wouldn’t be on anything taught in class. This way, students have to try and cheat. Using each other, smart phones, notes, anything they can in order to get ahead. But, if students are caught, then they lose points on their tests, so it is truly a test of cheating. Homework would be a series of papers and projects. Papers would include topics on how people of history have gotten caught and how to prevent it in the future. Projects could be anything: rigging games for financial gain, pyramid schemes, creating spam emails or even committing adultery. Bonus points for ruining somebody else’s life. Even more bonus points for betraying people in your group to get ahead. Cheating is necessary skill for numerous careers. Business, law, politics, drug deal-
ing, philosophy — all of these majors and more need to learn how to properly take advantage of every potential resource. Cheating teaches students how to be open-minded, to think outside the box and do what is necessary to get ahead. Think of where businesses like Enron, Facebook or the United States government would be today if they hadn’t cheated. If we really want to “take on our world,” we need to learn how to “take our world.”
Used under creative commons by Hariadhi Many students focus on grades instead of education.
Virtual reality may soon enter homes, thanks to Facebook Edmund Wideman @HV_Edmund
A little over two years ago the Oculus Rift, a promising virtual reality headset geared towards video games, announced it would be raising funds through Kickstarter, Inc. The response from the online community was massively positive. The device shattered records on Kickstarter raising over $2,437,000, almost ten times its original goal. Those who helped fund it garnered great pride as the headset became the most sought after item in every electronics showcase. About six months ago Facebook bought Oculus in its entirety, including the Rift, for $2 billion. Every gaming blog, electronic news site and message board was filled to the brim with anger about their beloved product being bought out by a non-gaming related company. Several game developers voiced their concerns. Markus "Notch" Persson, developer of the mega-hit game "Minecraft,” tweeted: "We were in talks about maybe bringing a version of
HILLTOP VIEWS Print Editor-in-Chief Jacob Sanchez Online Editor-in-Chief Lyanne Guarecuco Copy Chief Jenna Jaco
Minecraft to Oculus. I just cancelled that deal. Facebook creeps me out." The future of the Oculus Rift was in jeopardy for many as the technology seemed to be headed in a direction befitting social media. Though many continue to watch the headset grow, its time as the golden child has passed. Flash forward to today,
seat at a game, studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world or consulting with a doctor face-to-face - just by putting on goggles in your home." Even developer "Notch" Persson has reversed his negative position tweeting, "And about now I'm officially over being upset about Facebook buying Oculus," and has opted to develop Rift compatibility version of "Minecraft.” “The future of the Though the Oculus Rift was in online comjeopardy for many munity has been slower as the technology to mend their seemed to be headed broken hearts, the prospect in a direction befitting of innovation social media.” has many eager to test it for themselves. and it seems the prodigal Although similar virtual son has returned in full reality devices have tradiforce. Earlier this month, tionally failed, such as the it was announced that the virtual boy, none have had a Rift would be released next fraction of the financial and year for somewhere between consumer support of the $200 to $400, much sooner Rift. and cheaper than most peoThe acquisition of Oculus ple were expecting. has the potential to bring Facebook founder Mark virtual reality out of our Zuckerberg has expressed imaginations and into our a high level of faith. "Imag- living rooms. For that, we ine enjoying a courtside should all be very excited. 3001 S. Congress Ave. #964, Austin, TX 78704 Phone: (512) 448-8426 Fax: (512) 233-1695 hilltopviewsonline@gmail.com www.hilltopviewsonline.com
News Editors Riana Soobadoo Raneem Ashrawi
Sports Editors Jacob Rogers Reagan Roehl
Life & Arts Editors Audrey Eads Amber Hebert
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Advertising Sales Clayton Colen
Faculty Adviser Jena Heath
Hilltop Views is a weekly student newspaper published by the School of Humanities and serving the community of St. Edward’s University. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the university, whose mission is grounded in the teachings and doctrine of the Catholic Church. Letter Policy: Hilltop Views welcomes all letters to the editor. Letters may be edited for space, grammar and clarity. Letters will be published at our discretion. Anonymous letters will not be printed.
16 PHOTO ESSAY
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014 | HILLTOPVIEWSONLINE.COM
SEU at ACL Photos by Jacob Sanchez Designed by Amaranda Hernandez
Austin City Limits brings music lovers of all ages together for two exciting weekends of fun and festivities.