1A
TOMORROW’S WEATHER
SPORTS PAGE 1B
Low
High
Horns jump four spots in polls, gain steam in preparation for Rice
61
89
THE DAILY TEXAN Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Concealed weapons restricted at Capitol
Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900
www.dailytexanonline.com
Flying with the greatest of ease
Despite bill to allow guns on campuses, citizens cannot carry in seating galleries By Lena Price Daily Texan Staff Though members of the Texas House of Representatives and Senate may carry legally concealed handguns into the legislature, spectators watching from the seating galleries above the floors are no longer permitted to do so. Signs citing a section of the Texas Penal Code dealing with concealed handgun licenses were posted recently next to the metal detectors around the entrance to the House and Senate galleries. Though guns are currently banned from the galleries of the House and Senate, the House Committee on Public Safety recently passed a bill that would allow citizens to carry concealed handguns on college campuses. State troopers outside the galleries stop
GUNS continues on page 2A
Registration woes draw students into community college By Amy Bingham Daily Texan Staff Journalism junior Blair Spansel did not plan on dragging herself out of bed at 8 a.m. five days a week to learn Spanish. With nothing but early morning classes available at UT, Spansel decided that summer school at Austin Community College was a perfect alternative to a semester of pre-dawn “buenos dias.” UT registration for the fall 2009 semester began Monday, but Spansel said she won’t be signing up for her last Spanish class at UT. “It’s cheaper, saves money and is a little bit easier,” Spansel said. “I still learned Spanish really well, and I didn’t feel like I was lacking on anything.” Spansel is not the only student turning to ACC for more flexible schedules, lower tuition prices and smaller classes. For the first time in its history, ACC had more students enroll for the spring semester than the fall this year. Since spring 2008, ACC enrollment has jumped 13 percent, to just over 36,600 students. Enrollment usually increases by 3 to 4 percent per year, said ACC spokesperson Brette Lea. “Clearly, the economy has people investigating the best value for higher education,” Lea said. “You
Photos by Jordan Smothermon | Daily Texan Staff
Above, Sociology freshman Brittany Elder does a flip on the EuroBungy ride as Monica Meza comes down for another bounce at the Tournaments and Events Committee’s “Hey! Come Play” event Monday night. Right, Texas Sumo Game Rental’s Damon Cortijo, a ride operator, unclips a carabiner on the EuroBungy ride. History senior Karina Fuentes laughed as she was flung off a mechanical bull on the Main Mall on Monday evening. Fuentes, along with hundreds of other UT students, darted through an obstacle course, jumped on a bungee trampoline and glided through the air on a zip line at “Hey! Come Play!” The Student Events Center’s Tournaments and Games Committee hosted the free event after nearly two months of planning. “We wanted to throw it back to the old field days we had,” said Trinity Smith, student affairs administrator and committee adviser. “It’s the end of the semester. We just want the students to come out and have a good time.” The committee has never before held an
event similar to this one, said committee chair Gabriela Alcala Murga, a math senior. If committee members receive good feedback, they will host the event again next year, she said. “I didn’t expect college to put events like this on,” said biology sophomore Nathan Cao. “But I really felt like having some fun on a Monday night.” The 15-member committee also sponsors other events, including Casino Night and Family Feud. “When I heard the event was free, I was already impressed,” said philosophy senior Taylor Paris after battling a friend on the pedestal joust. “I guess we’re all just kids at heart.” — Viviana Aldous
ON THE WEB: Watch video of the event @ dailytexanonline.com
ACC continues on page 6A
Israeli journalist discusses elections’ impact By Israel Perez Daily Texan Staff An Israeli journalist explored recent changes to the U.S. and Israeli governments Monday evening at the University Teaching Center. Texans for Israel, University Democrats and College Republicans sponsored the discussion by Gil Hoffman, chief political correspondent for The Jerusalem Post. He spoke about recent elections in Israel and upcoming elections in Iran. Hoffman said the new Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces many challenges. “We can only hope he can put Israel on solid ground and deal with the international economic crisis that Israel may be hit by, but also with the constant threats
of violence that Israel faces,” Hoffman said. Netanyahu took over as prime minister last month. During his first parliamentary address, he said he would like Israel to make peace with the Arab and Muslim world, but stopped short of supporting a two-state solution, which many Palestinians are pushing for. Last Friday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other Palestinian leaders urged the American envoy to the Middle East to pressure Israel to accept the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hoffman joked that Iran’s controversial leader, Mahmoud AhMary Kang | Daily Texan Staff madinejad, has united Israelis. Gil Hoffman, chief political correspondent and analyst for The “Sometimes I say ‘thank God Jerusalem Post, talks about the complexity within Israeli society Monday night at the University Teaching Center. ISRAEL continues on page 2A
Hate-crime protection bill for homeless awaits ruling By Avi Selk Daily Texan Staff The Maryland Legislature became the first in the country to extend hate crime protection to the homeless, The Washington Post reported last week. If a nearly identical bill makes it out of a state Senate committee, Texas could become the second state to do so. The bill, introduced by state Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, would impose tougher sentences for attacks proven to have targeted a person because he or she is homeless. “Why would anybody be against adding homelessness?” asked Michael Stoops, director of the National Coalition for the Homeless.
National hate crime laws passed in the 1990s cover attacks based on prejudices such as those against race and religion. Critics have protested efforts to broaden the laws, saying they give unfair protection to select groups and punish people for their thoughts. The coalition advised West on his bill, which is being introduced for the second time after failing to pass in 2007. Stoops said lawmakers have introduced similar legislation in at least nine other states, including Maryland. “We’ve been tracking hate crimes and violence against the homeless for 10 years,” he
LAW continues on page 2A