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Weekend

THE DAILY TEXAN DT WEEKEND

DIVAS

LIFE&ARTS PAGE 12

DJ divas converge on Austin

djs get their spin on

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Austin’s finest dining

Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900

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Graduate students kick off semester By Viviana Aldous Daily Texan Staff Graduate students hoping to increase their voice both on and off campus attended the first Graduate Student Assembly meeting of the semester Wednesday evening. The meeting familiarized new representatives with the purpose and procedures of GSA. “As the Graduate Student Assembly — obviously we all have our own special niches — we advocate for graduate students, and that’s the ultimate goal,” said GSA President Daniel Spikes. Spikes briefly mentioned GSA’s goals for the year, but the graduate assembly must approve them before they become official. “We want to capitalize on some of the momentum that was created last year, such as increasing involvement of graduate students in student governance and raising awareness of services available to graduate students,” Spikes said. GSA hopes to address a variety of issues related to graduate-student funding, particularly in light of plans to cut the size of graduate-student enrollment and reallocate funding from graduate-student seminars to undergraduate education. “We want to attract more graduate students,” Spikes said about general graduate-student funding.

GSA continues on page 5

Tara Haelle | Daily Texan Staff

William Liechty, a chemical engineering graduate student, introduces himself at the first GSA meeting.

Peyton McGee | Daily Texan Staff

Lt. Scott Hembree and John McKinney of Austin Fire Department Station 2 drain foam out of the water tank of a fire engine on Wednesday.

Firefighters balk at cell phone rules By Bobby Longoria Daily Texan Staff Austin firefighters are concerned their FirstAmendment rights may be compromised by an Austin Fire Department code of conduct that limits the contents of any electronic communication between firefighters and anyone outside the department. Firefighters will no longer be allowed to share information or send images from cell phones, Personal Digital Assistants or social networking sites under an amendment to the department’s code of conduct that takes effect Aug. 11. The code has been effective since Aug. 28, 2008, and it seeks to “define the platform of the acceptable set of behavior within the organization. Its main objective is to further promote a higher standard of practice within the organization,” according to the code. The addendum, which refers to Twitter, Facebook and MySpace, states, “any written, auditory, and/or visual messages ... are the sole property of [the Austin Fire Department].” The new

clause is part of an older regulation that took effect roughly 30 years ago, said AFD Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr. The new policy as a whole states that an AFD employee “shall not criticize or ridicule the department, its policies, its officers or other members by speech, writing, or other expression” when the criticism is slanderous and interferes with AFD discipline and damages the reputation or efficiency of another member. “The explanation was that the [criticism rule] has been there forever. That may be the case, but it still seems to be far-reaching and we think [it] may be crossing the line on First Amendment, and we think the language should be revised,” said Stephen Truesdell, president of the Austin Firefighters Association, the firefighter’s union. Truesdell said the procedure is composed of rules so outdated that they are referred to as “muttonchops” and that the department has recently begun to consolidate old “largely ignored” rules, regulations and guidelines to publish them online.

UT researcher links economics, health By Rebecca Goldstein Daily Texan Staff Students who eat small and frequent portions of food throughout the day may be on their way to better health, suggests a study conducted by economics professor Daniel Hamermesh. According to Hamermesh’s recent research, eating several small meals throughout the day while completing another task can contribute to better health. Hamermesh dubs this activity “grazing,” which can range from eating a cookie while reading the newspaper to eating popcorn while watching television. Hamermesh’s findings show that people normally eat three meals a day, spending approximately 2 1/2 hours eating. People given the opportunity to spread these meals throughout the day while also completing another task are more likely to have a low body mass index, an indicator of good health. A high BMI signals obesity. Study results also show that people with higher wage rates grazed more frequently and had better health. People with a higher socioeconomic status tend to work jobs where time is valuable and grazing is necessary. As a result, workers from the upper middle class and above spend more time working and grazing. Results of the study were based on an economic model, which predicted that higher wages lead to an increase in grazing. “The real novelty here is no one has had huge amounts of data before, and nobody has thought about how people’s wages affect eating ac-

Derek Stout | Daily Texan Staff

Professor Dan Hamermesh explains his theory about snacking and its effects on weight. counts,” Hamermesh said. The study shows that a worker who earns $75,000 per year spends five more minutes eating than someone who earns $25,000 per year. For students, Hamermesh suggests attempting to limit portions and to eat little bits frequently. Hamermesh often studies ideas from various fields from an economist’s perspective. In the past, he has researched the application of la-

bor economics to beauty, sleep and suicide. “The best papers are the ones that people look at and say, ‘Gee, I have never thought of that before.’ That is the best compliment,” he said. Nutrition professor Nomeli Nunez said he believes there are compounding factors based on this study that may give a wrong impression. What matters more than when or how you eat is what you eat, he says.

Nunez said more important factors include not overeating, eating small, healthy meals, exercising and remaining aware of the health effects of obesity. But for those of lower socioeconomic status, eating small meals throughout the day is not feasible. People who earn higher wages have more opportunities to buy healthier food, join exercise gyms and buy exercise equipment, he said.

“Now, you are resurrecting this old, archaic set of rules and [are putting] them in this modern format — what does this mean? Does this mean [AFD is] going to start enforcing these rules now that [they] modernized them?” he said. Firefighters understand that disclosure of information regarding an ongoing investigation may endanger it, he said, and that criticism should be delivered through a union because of the hierarchical nature of AFD — which, if undermined, can lead to problems in emergency situations. “I don’t feel — as written — [the rule is] legal,” said union lawyer Craig Deats. “It is overbroad because it can be interpreted to prohibit protective speech. I have been ensured that is not [AFD’s] intent, and we have been exploring ways to try and make the language clearer.” He said that if firefighters feel the need to criticize the chief in matters of public interest that they should do so. “That is a safety issue, and the public has a right

RIGHTS continues on page 5

Flower admirers of all ages turn up for First Bloom By Shabab Siddiqui Daily Texan Staff As the Missouri violet, Fall Aster and Sage Tropicals embellished the entryway to the Boys & Girls Club of East Austin on Wednesday afternoon, the age gap between flower admirers didn’t seem to matter. Representatives from 16 national-park agencies teamed with 10- to 12-year-olds from the club to plant a garden and to wrap up the National Park Foundation’s third-annual First Bloom program at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. “We had parents that came to pick up their kids, and then turn right around when they saw how hard they were working,” said Kelly Ledford, education outreach coordinator at the wildflower center. “The kids learned and had a great time.” The First Bloom program pairs national park agencies throughout the country with young urban student organizations in their respective areas. The partners are educated about plants native to the area, and from September to the following summer, the student organizations frequent the national park and assist with replanting and cultivating the native wildlife. The Boys & Girls Club of East Austin is paired with the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historic Park, one of the two Texan parks to partake in this year’s program. “[The Boys & Girls Club of East Austin] is a model of what we want from our other national park agencies and their student partners,” said Matt Ferris, program director for youth engagement at the National Park Foundation. “Later on in the year, these fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders are going to go to the LBJ National Park and apply what they learned.” A total of 26 national parks and their student partners are enrolled in this year’s program, with the first 10 groups having their session in mid-August. The

FLOWERS continues on page 2

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NEWS

THE DAILY TEXAN Volume 110, Number 63 25 cents

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Campus freebies

Law allows police to take blood from drunken drivers

CONTACT US Main Telephone: (512) 471-4591 Editor: Jillian Sheridan (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com

By Mustafa Saifuddin Daily Texan Staff A state law that took effect Tuesday allows police to draw blood from suspected drunk drivers in some situations without a warrant. Police officers are now allowed to take blood samples without consent almost immediately after arresting a person for driving under the influence of alcohol if the driver has a history of offenses or if a serious injury or child passenger is involved. Police say the new law will not necessarily affect this “No Refusal� Labor Day weekend. Just 30 minutes after the law went into effect, 35-year-old Son Do was arrested in Austin after he crashed into a pole with an 11-year-old child in the car. Critics of the new law claim that it violates the Fifth Amendment’s protection against selfincrimination. The new law is intended to address the lack of evidence that often results from drunk driving cases in which Breathalyzer or blood sample tests are delayed by the process of obtaining warrants. Beginning last Halloween, the police department has run “No Refusal� weekends on holidays and during celebrations such as Super Bowl Sunday, when peaks in drunken driving are expected. “No Refusal� weekends before Tuesday required police officers to always obtain a warrant before drawing blood. Austin Police Department Cpl. Scott Perry recalls as many as 30 arrests on a single night during past “No Refusal� weekends but remains optimistic

Managing Editor: Stephen Keller (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com News Office: (512) 232-2207 news@dailytexanonline.com Sports Office: (512) 232-2210 sports@dailytexanonline.com Photo Office: (512) 471-8618 photo@dailytexanonline.com Retail Advertising: (512) 471-1865 joanw@mail.utexas.edu Classified Advertising: (512) 471-5244 classified@dailytexanonline.com The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely. If we have made an error, let us know about it. Call (512) 232-2217 or e-mail managingeditor@dailytexanonline.com.

COPYRIGHT Copyright 2009 Texas Student Media. All articles, photographs and graphics, both in the print and online editions, are the property of Texas Student Media and may not be reproduced or republished in part or in whole without written permission.

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Tara Haelle | Daily Texan Staff

Jourdan Sheehan, a biology sophomore, doesn’t have an account at Bank of America, but she played their Plinko game on Guadalupe Street on Wednesday to win a free USB flash drive.

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about their efforts to minimize drunken driving incidences. “Our expectation is that no one will drink and drive. But if anybody is caught drunk, they will be arrested,� Perry said. APD expedites the warrant process on “No Refusal� weekends by obtaining a warrant and conducting tests within as little as an hour after an arrest. “Drunk driving is a continuing problem and a growing problem,� Perry said. “The purpose of ‘No Refusal’ weekend is to obtain as much evidence as possible so that when we go to court the jury can make a decision.� Drivers should have numerous reminders not to drive while intoxicated as the Texas Department of Transportation launches its annual “Drink, Drive, Go to Jail� campaign. This year’s campaign, titled “Choose Your Ride,� features a hybrid between a police car and a taxi cab and asks people to choose one or the other if they have been drinking. The actual vehicles will be parked in entertainment districts throughout the state along with internet banners, posters featuring cab phone numbers, billboards and even window clings that look like parking tickets. “Our approach was to remind people at every stage,� said Program Director Tracie Mendez. “We’re not telling people not to drink. We just hope that people choose a safe ride and do not get behind the wheel if they have been drinking.�

FLOWERS: Program hopes to

connect children with nature From page 1 training takes place at the wildflower center. Ferris said the center’s facilities help accommodate the broad spectrum of native plants. “[The center’s] Web site is one of the best native plant resources in the country,� he said. “It really helps in our goals of increasing knowledge in these areas.� The program was started in 2007 as a tribute to Lady Bird Johnson in hopes of connecting children with their natural resources. Ferris said there is a focus to engage under-served audiences to national parks, thus the partnership with the Boys & Girls Club. “We want kids to learn about native plants, conservation and stewardship,� he said. “We hope that they can grow with an understanding of their resources. It also gets them outside and active.�

Keri Powers, a park guide at Ft. Smith National Historic Site in Arkansas, said that youth involvement is important because gardening is becoming a dying art. “It’s something that enhances children’s interests and skills,� she said. “By getting them involved in something like planting, they are automatically given a sense of belonging and commitment.� Ambrianna Mallow, a member of the Boys & Girls Club of East Austin, said gardening is something she used to do with her grandma. Now, she plans on much more than that. “I learned that plants need certain things and that they need to receive them in a certain way,� said Mallow, a fifth-grader at Oak Springs Elementary School. “At first, I didn’t think it was going to be fun. Then, I had too much fun.�

THE DAILY TEXAN Permanent Staff

This newspaper was written, edited and designed with pride by The Daily Texan and Texas Student Media.

Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jillian Sheridan Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Stephen Keller Associate Managing Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .David R. Henry, Ana McKenzie Associate Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jeremy Burchard, Dan Treadway David Muto, Lauren Winchester News Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sean Beherec Associate News Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pierre Bertrand, Austen Sofhauser Senior Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viviana Aldous, Bobby Longoria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rachel Platis, Lena Price Enterprise Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew Kreighbaum Enterprise Reporter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hudson Lockett Copy Desk Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Green Associate Copy Desk Chiefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cristina Herrera, Nausheen Jivani, Matt Jones Design Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Thu Vo Assistant Design Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Shatha Hussein Senior Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taylor Fausak, Lynda Gonzales, Olivia Hinton Photo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May-Ying Lam Associate Photo Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bryant Haertlein, Peter Franklin Senior Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mary Kang,Tamir Kalifa, Caleb Miller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Peyton McGee, Sara Young Life&Arts Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leigh Patterson Associate Life&Arts Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brad Barry, Francisco Marin Jr. Senior Features Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Audrey Gale Campbell, Lisa Holung, Ben Wermund Senior Entertainment Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Doty, Mary Lingwall, Robert Rich Senior DT Weekend Writer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amber Genuske Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Austin Talbert Senior Sports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Will Anderson, Wes DeVoe, Blake Hurtik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dan Hurwitz, Laken Litman, Michael Sherfield, Chris Tavarez Comics Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carolyn Calabrese Web Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Annika Erdman Associate Web Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Erik Reyna Multimedia Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Juan Elizondo Associate Multimedia Editors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kara McKenzie, Rachel Schroeder Senior Videographer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dane Hurt Editorial Adviser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Richard Finnell

Volunteers

FREE

sports clinic for college women

LEARN TO ROW!

Join the UT Athletics Rowing Coaches at any of the following free clinics: sat.

aug.22

9-11 am

mon.

aug.24

5-7 pm

tue.

aug.25

5-7 pm

sat.

aug.29

9-11 am

sat.

sept.5

9-11 am

No experience necessary! For more information, email caroline.king@athletics.utexas.edu or call 512.232.2490

Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Derek Stout, Tara Haelle, Risa Puzalan, Amanda Hicks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sameer Bhuchai, Rachel Weiss, Connor Shea, Nick Baccan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alex Diamond, Michael Murphy, Monica Tseng . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Stephanie Powling, Emily Chandler, Carolyn Webb, Gerald Rich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sarah Alba, Rachel Colson, Layne Lynch, Alexa Hart, Mia Avramescu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nehal Patel, Beth Waldman, Katrina Munez, Rebecca Goldstein, Jim Pagels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mustafa Saifuddin, Doyinmola Oyeniyi, Shabab Siddianl

Advertising

Director of Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jalah Goette Retail Advertising Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brad Corbett Account Executive/Broadcast Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carter Goss Campus/National Sales Consultant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joan Bowerman Assistant to Advertising Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C.J. Salgado Student Advertising Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kathryn Abbas Student Advertising Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ryan Ford Acct. Execs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lauren Aldana, Anupama Kulkarni, Ashley Walker, Natasha Moonka Taylor Blair, Tommy Daniels, Jordan Gentry, Meagan Gribbin, Jen Miller Classified Clerks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Teresa Lai Special Editions, Editorial Adviser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elena Watts Web Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Danny Grover Special Editions, Student Editors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kira Taniguchi Graphic Designer Interns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Amanda Thomas Senior Graphic Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Felimon Hernandez

The Daily Texan (USPS 146-440), a student newspaper at The University of Texas at Austin, is published by Texas Student Media, 2500 Whitis Ave., Austin, TX 78705. The Daily Texan is published daily except Saturday, Sunday, federal holidays and exam periods, plus the last Saturday in July. Periodical Postage Paid at Austin, TX 78710. News contributions will be accepted by telephone (471-4591) or at the editorial office (Texas Student Media Building 2.122). For local and national display advertising, call 471-1865. For classified display and national classified display advertising, call 471-1865. For classified word advertising, call 471-5244. Entire contents copyright 2009 Texas Student Media.

The Daily Texan Mail Subscription Rates One Semester (Fall or Spring) $60.00 Two Semesters (Fall and Spring) 120.00 Summer Session 40.00 One Year (Fall, Spring and Summer) 150.00 To charge by VISA or MasterCard, call 471-5083. Send orders and address changes to Texas Student Media, P.O. Box D, Austin, TX 78713-8904, or to TSM Building C3.200, or call 471-5083. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Daily Texan, P.O. Box D, Austin, TX 78713.

Texan Ad Deadlines

09/02/09

Monday .............Wednesday, 12 p.m. Thursday.................Monday, 12 p.m. Tuesday.................Thursday, 12 p.m. Friday......................Tuesday, 12 p.m. Classified Word Ads 10 a.m. Wednesday................Friday, 12 p.m. (Last Business Day Prior to Publication)

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WORLD&NATION

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T HE DAILY TEXAN

NATION BRIEFLY

Stranger accused of slapping crying 2-year-old at Wal-Mart

Woman wires money abroad thanks to fraud on Facebook

STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. — Police say a 61-year-old man annoyed with a crying 2-year-old girl at a Wal-Mart slapped the child several times after warning the toddler’s mother to keep her quiet. Authorities say the girl and her mother were shopping Monday when the toddler began crying. The police report says Stephens approached the mother and said, “If you don’t shut that baby up, I will shut her up for you.” A police report says after the stranger hit the girl at least four times, he said: “See, I told you I would shut her up.” Roger Stephens of Stone Mountain is charged with felony cruelty to children. It was unclear if he had an attorney and a telephone call to his home Wednesday was unanswered. Authorities say after Stephens slapped the girl, she began screaming.

ST. LOUIS — Police say a Missouri woman was tricked into wiring about $4,000 to an account in England after receiving messages from a friend on Facebook asking for help. Cape Girardeau Police Sgt. Jason Selzer said Wednesday that a woman told his department last week that she had been tricked into sending the money by Western Union after hearing her friend and her friend’s husband were being detained in London and needed money to leave. The friend, Grace Parry, told the Southeast Missourian newspaper that someone took over her Facebook account and posed as her. She has since suspended the account. Facebook, based in Palo Alto, Calif., said Internet scams like this aren’t uncommon.

L.M. Otero | Associated Press

A firefighter sets a backfire to counter a fire threatening houses in the La Cresenta section of Glendale, Calif. on Tuesday. Fighting fire with fire is just one of the strategies employed against the wildland blaze on the edge of dense suburbs.

Feds neglected controlled burns By Michael R. Blood The Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Federal authorities failed to follow through on plans earlier this year to burn away highly flammable brush in a forest on the edge of Los Angeles to avoid the very kind of wildfire now raging there, The Associated Press has learned. The U.S. Forest Service said that months before the huge blaze erupted, it obtained permits to burn away the undergrowth on more than 1,700 acres of the Angeles National Forest. But just 193 acres had been cleared by the time the fire broke out, the agency said. The agency defended its efforts, saying weather, wind and environmental rules tightly limit how often these “prescribed burns” can be conducted. Also, Forest Service resource officer Steve Bear said crews using machinery and hand tools managed to trim 5,000 acres in the forest this year before the money ran out. Could more have been done to clear tinder-dry hillsides and canyons? “We don’t necessarily disagree with that,” Bear said. “We weren’t able to complete what we wanted to do.” Some critics suggested that protests from environmentalists contributed to the disaster, which came after the brush was allowed to build up for as much as 40 years. “This brush was ready to ex-

plode,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, whose district overlaps the forest. “The environmentalists have gone to the extreme to prevent controlled burns, and as a result, we have this catastrophe today.” Prescribed burns are intended to protect homes and lives by eliminating fuel that can cause explosive wildfires. The wildfire that has blackened 140,000 acres — or nearly 219 square miles — in the forest over the past week has been fed by the kind of tinder-dry vegetation that prescribed burns are designed to safely devour. The blaze has destroyed more than five dozen homes, killed two firefighters and forced thousands of people to flee. Firefighters reported modest progress Wednesday as investigators said the blaze was human-caused, though it was not clear exactly how the fire started or whether it was accidental or arson. Figures from the California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District suggested even less was protectively burned. The agency said it granted seven permits sought by the Forest Service to conduct prescribed burns on 2,748 acres in the forest this year. The agency reviews such requests to ensure air quality in the often-smoggy Los Angeles area will not be worsened by smoke from intentional fires. But records show only 12.8 acres burned. Four of the permits, totaling

1,257 acres, were granted in areas involved in the wildfire, according to the air quality agency. But the Forest Service disputed those figures. Bear said the plan was to burn 1,748 acres, and 193 were cleared. Government firefighters set thousands of blazes each year to reduce the wildfire risk in overgrown forests and grasslands around the nation. Prescribed burns can also improve overall forest health and increase forage for wildlife. Obtaining the necessary permits is a complicated process, and such efforts often draw protests from environmentalists. Calls to the Sierra Club for comment were not immediately returned. Setting pre-emptive fires can be especially risky near heavily populated urban areas like Los Angeles because of the danger of flames burning out of control. Last month, a 90-acre prescribed burn near Foresta, on the edge of Yosemite National Park, jumped fire lines and consumed more than 7 square miles in the park. On Tuesday, Angeles National Forest Supervisor Jody Noiron defended his employees’ efforts to reduce the fire risk. “The Angeles Forest has been pretty aggressive about implementing fuels-reduction projects with the funds we are given,” she said. Los Angeles fire Capt. Steve Ruda said that pre-emptive fires were used more frequently in the region in the 1980s. But a grow-

ing backcountry population and increasingly complicated environmental rules have made them less frequent. Conducting a prescribed burn requires a detailed study of wind, terrain, temperature and humidity and reviews by a host of government entities, including airquality regulators. Max Moritz, co-director of the Center for Fire Research and Outreach at the University of California at Berkeley, said there is wide discussion about the need to do more prescribed burns to reduce the fire hazard. But “you have this difficult needle you have to thread to find the right place, the right conditions, to pull it off,” Moritz said. Ultimately, he said, the answer is to stop building in fire-prone areas instead of spending huge sums on firefighting. Steve Brink, a vice president with the California Forestry Association, an industry group, said as many as 8 million acres of national forest in California are overgrown and at risk of wildfire. He said that too few days provide the conditions necessary for larger, prescribed burns and that the Forest Service needs to speed up programs to thin forests, largely by machine. “Special interest groups that don’t want them to do it have appeals and litigation through the courts to stall or stop any project they wish. Consequently, the Forest Service is not able to put a dent in the problem,” Brink said.

Compiled from Associated Press reports

California community college on lockdown The Associated Press SAN BRUNO, Calif. — A campus shooting has a Northern California college on lockdown as police search for a suspect who wounded a student. The bleeding student came into the learning center at Skyline Community College in San Bruno about 1 p.m., said Leslie Shelton, director of the center. “We were alerted there was an active shooter,” Shelton said. The student had been shot in the buttocks, said Barbara Christensen, San Mateo Community College District director of community and government relations. The student was taken to the health center as staff called 911.

SWAT officers were searching buildings as the campus was evacuated, The Skyline View, the school newspaper, said on its Web site. Police cordoned off the school parking lot with yellow tape, closed buildings and checked cars while searching for the shooter. The school sent text messages to students, telling them to seek shelter and canceled all evening classes. Christensen, who has worked for the district for 32 years, said she cannot remember any other shootings on campus. The community college has about 10,000 students. San Bruno police did not immediately return a call for comment. A San Bruno police officer looks at a scene where a shooting took place in a parking lot at Skyline College on Wednesday in San Bruno, Calif. California’s Skyline College campus is on lockdown as police search for a suspect who shot and wounded a student.

Jeff Chiu Associated Press

US soldiers stand by as Iraqi troops kill 11 Iranian exiles

Courtesy of the People’s Mujahedeen Organization of Iran

Iraqi police clash with protesters opposition group’s camp northeast of Baghdad, Iraq.

By Kim Gamel The Associated Press BAGHDAD — The women formed a human chain while the men chanted, confronting Iraqi troops moving into their compound. Gunfire rang out, and the soldiers waded in with batons, wooden bats and automatic weapons. By the end, officials said, 11 Iranian exiles were dead — shot, beaten or run over by military vehicles. Throughout the confrontation, American soldiers who once protected the Iranian opposition group stood by. According to U.S officials, they had no legal authority to intervene. One video taken by the exiles even shows soldiers get into a white SUV and roll up their windows as the bloodied men plead for help. The deadly melee at Camp Ashraf, the base of the People’s Mujahedeen Organization of Iran, provides a glaring example of what can go wrong as the U.S. military scales back and the Shiite-led Iraqi government flexes its muscles. The U.S. military guarded the camp since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 under an agreement that made its 3,400 residents “protected persons” under the Geneva Conventions. The military stopped observing the agreement after a new security accord with

the Baghdad government took effect in January, U.S. Embassy spokesman Philip Frayne said. Responsibility for the camp then passed to the Iraqi government, which promised not to use force against the group. A small contingent of U.S. military police still monitors the camp, but the military said they were under orders not to intervene in the July 28 confrontation. “We could not become decisively engaged with a situation that really is up to the sovereign Iraqi government to settle in a peaceful manner as they have assured us that they would do,” a senior U.S. military official said Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. “Even in a situation that allowed engagement, we didn’t have nearly the amount of forces present to jump in the middle of this fray,” he said. Iraqi officials said they were trying to establish a police station at the camp. And there are numerous other issues on which the Iraqi government could go its own way — like the fate of anti-al-Qaida Sunni militias, which are strongly supported by the U.S. but now seem to get less backing from Iraq’s Shiite leaders, or the multiple disputes between Baghdad and the Kurdish north, which the U.S. has sought to mollify.

“These kinds of things are only going to happen more often and in other places, and the U.S. has to decide what are we going to do about it,” said Army Reserve Col. Gary Morsch, who was stationed at Camp Ashraf and maintains close ties with the exiles there. The bloodshed brought rare criticism by Washington of the U.S.-trained Iraqi security forces. But U.S. officials tried to balance it with the larger policy goal of handing over greater responsibility to the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki while U.S. forces reduce their presence. “Iraq was trying to extend its sovereignty to Camp Ashraf. We understood what they were trying to do. They did not do it well,” State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters in Washington two weeks after the raid. Camp Ashraf and the presence of the Iranian exile group have long been a source of friction between Washington and Baghdad. For years, Iraq’s Shiite-led government has wanted to remove the group, because of its past ties to Saddam. Iran, a close Shiite ally of Baghdad, has also been pressing for the expulsion of the group, which seeks the overthrow of Tehran’s clerical rulers. The Iraqi treatment of the exiles could also be an indicator that Iran’s influence in Baghdad is growing as Washington’s

wanes, though Iraqi officials staunchly deny the raid was at Tehran’s behest. “If you want to know how independent the government of Iraq is from the Islamic Republic of Iran, watch what happens to the people of Ashraf,” said Raymond Tanter, president of the Washington-based Iran Policy Group and a member of the National Security Council in the Reagan administration. Baghdad “wanted to establish its independence from the United States and possibly was motivated to show that independence by cracking down on Ashraf,” he said, pointing out the raid coincided with a Baghdad visit by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates. The People’s Mujahedeen is deeply controversial. Critics call it a cult with an ideology mixing Marxism, secularism, an obsession with martyrdom and near adoration of its leaders. The U.S. considers it a terrorist organization, albeit one that has provided the Americans with intelligence on Iran. The European Union removed it from its terror list this year. The group — also known by its Farsi name the Mujahedeen-eKhalq — is the militant wing of the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran. It carried out a series of bloody bombings and assassinations in Iran in the 1980s, though it says it renounced violence in 2001.

OPINION

4 Thursday, September 3, 2009

Editor in Chief: Jillian Sheridan Phone: (512) 232-2212 E-mail: editor@dailytexanonline.com Associate Editors: Jeremy Burchard David Muto Dan Treadway Lauren Winchester

T HE DAILY TEXAN

GALLERY

VIEWPOINT

UT must handle the budget with care

In today’s economic climate, budget squeezes at UT are not surprising. Officials confirmed Friday the University will be ending its premier merit-based scholarship program because of budgetary strains. And on Wednesday, details surfaced about the College of Liberal Arts’ plans to reallocate $5 million to restructuring faculty positions and graduate and undergraduate academics as part of President William Powers’ long-term initiative to prioritize recruitment of top faculty and graduate students. An internal memo sent to liberal arts department chairs on Aug. 20 detailed the restructuring plan, which includes a push to reduce non-tenure-track faculty positions, cut graduate student enrollment and redirect language-department funding that would benefit upper-division language courses. The aims of the initiative are admirable, but its implications for liberal arts students and faculty are alarming. The memo requests a 20- to 33-percent budget cut for such non-tenured faculty as assistant instructors, lecturers and graduate assistants and proposes increasing class sizes to compensate for the losses. In lean times, the need to reduce faculty is understandable, but we hope the University keeps careful watch over classes in which the addition of students may compromise the learning environment. In the same vein, we hope that graduate students do not suffer under a newly structured system that, according to the memo, will admit fewer graduate students and reduce the number of graduate seminars offered. While the redistribution will be used to attract top academic recruits and offer higher stipends to prospective graduate students, much of the funding will not be absorbed but rather redistributed to benefit undergraduate programs, according to the memo. We hope this does not signal a tendency on the University’s part to favor its undergraduate academics over its graduate programs, which are just as crucial to the University’s academic reputation. Under the proposed changes, the College of Liberal Arts will also work to redirect funding from lower-division to upper-division language courses to foster “innovative language instruction.” The memo details a strategy in which the college will push students with a background in a language to take placement exams before registering for language classes — thus reducing the number of introductory courses that the college would be required to offer — and raising the difficulty level of lower-division classes. While pragmatic, this move will discourage those with a background in one foreign language from pursuing another — instead settling for credit earned by a placement exam. We hope the College of Liberal Arts enacts measured compromise in implementing these cuts, as other colleges are likely to follow suit under Powers’ school-wide initiative. We recognize that cutting the budget is a long, labored process, but a final result should strike a balance that weighs graduate and undergraduate concerns, as well as departmental needs, without shortchanging some more than others. — David Muto for the editorial board

Student voices opinion By You Daily Texan Columnist Have something to say? Say it in print to the entire campus. The Daily Texan Editorial Board is currently accepting applications for columnists and editorial cartoonists. We’re looking for talented writers and artists to provide as much diversity of opinion as possible. Anyone and everyone is encouraged to apply. Writing for the Texan is a great way to get your voice heard. Our columnists’ and reporters’ work reaches more than 20,000 people every day and is often syndicated nationwide. The Texan is also a vehicle for prompting debate on campus. If you want to challenge and inspire your friends and classmates, write for this page. Every issue of the Texan is a historical document archived at the Cent e r f o r A m e r i c a n H i s t o r y. B a r a c k

Obama may not be a frequent reader, but a copy of the Texan runs across UT President William Powers’ desk each day, and the opinions on this page have great potential to affect University policy. Texan staff members frequently receive feedback from local and state officials and even see policies they advocate implemented. In such instances, the power of writing for the Texan becomes real, motivating our staffers to provide the best public service possible. If you are interested in writing for The Daily Texan, please come to the Texan office on the second floor of Walter Webb Hall at 2500 Guadalupe to complete an application form and sign up for an interview. If you have any additional questions please contact the editor, Jillian Sheridan, at (512) 232-2212 or editor@dailytexanonline.com. You can be a Daily Texan columnist or cartoonist

GALLERY

Eliminating National Merit was the right choice igible for need-based aid, according to the University’s financial aid Web site. UT’s Web site for incoming freshman makes no such guarantees. Many of the people upset that UT is cancelling its The outcry against this decision also ignores the National Merit Scholarship program focus on the Na- narrow nature of academic success National Merit tional Merit program at the University of Oklaho- Scholarships recognize. The Chicago Tribune points ma. OU is an appropriate choice at the start of foot- out that although later phases of the process include ball season, sure to incite anger among all of us who an essay and application, the initial selection is based have screamed “OU Sucks!” during the fight song. solely upon PSAT scores. The University of CaliforBut though OU is a good choice for a football ri- nia’s Academic Council and Board of Admissions and valry, comparing our academic programs to theirs Relations with Schools issued a resolution pointing is like declaring Baylor the team we need to beat out that the use of PSAT scores to eliminate 97 perthis season. cent of test-takers is inconsistent with Look at the rankings. In US News the principle that test scores should and World Report’s 2010 standings, always be considered in conjunction Texas is ranked as the 47th-best uniwith other factors and that major deversity overall. Oklahoma is ranked cisions should never be based upon The schools 102nd. Many of our preprofessionsmall differences in test scores. If the at the top of al programs were featured on top 10 University doesn’t currently endorse lists: for example, Engineering (ninth) this standard, it should. the rankings, and Business (sixth). Oklahoma is not UC’s resolution also points out that however flawed featured on any of these lists. the policy of using the PSAT exacerthey are, are The schools at the top of the rankbates disparities between underprivings, however flawed they are, are ileged students whose test scores the ones Texas the ones Texas should be competing typically lag behind those of their should be with and comparing itself to. That’s wealthier peers. exactly what the University is atFinally, those who argue that cancompeting tempting to do by ending this proceling this program signals that the with. gram. As The Daily Texan pointed current administration is not dediout, Harvard does not provide Nacated to attracting top students are tional Merit scholarships. Nor do wrong. The University still has hunthe University of California, Berkley, dreds of merit-based scholarship Yale, The University of Michigan or The University programs to attract top students that test well. The of Virginia. Kevin Hegarty, the University’s CFO, put Austin-American Statesmen notes that the Univerit best when he told the Texan that National Merit sity will award more than $60 million in aid that Scholarships are “more prevalent in emerging insti- is wholly or largely merit-based, even after ending tutions than in institutions that have already attained this program. a certain stature.” The choice to end the National Merit Scholarship And the one area in which Texas and other state program should be applauded. It brings UT closer schools have the most trouble competing with top pri- to competing with top universities for truly top stuvate schools is need-based scholarships. Rice covers dents and further from the pool of mid-tier colleges 100 percent of need without loans for families whose desperate to attract Merit scholars. income is $80,000 or less and caps loans at $10,000 Counts is a plan II honors and history senior for the four undergraduate years for all students elBy Rebecca Counts Daily Texan Columnist

Don’t avoid the West Mall By Douglas Luippold Daily Texan Columnist

LEGALESE

RECYCLE!

Opinions expressed in The Daily Texan are those of the editor, the Editorial Board or the writer of the article. They are not necessarily those of the UT administration, the Board of Regents or the Texas Student Media Board of Operating Trustees. All Texan editorials are written by The Daily Texan’s Editorial Board.

Please place this copy of The Daily Texan in a friendly recycling bin or back in the burnt-orange stand where you found it.

SUBMIT A FIRING LINE

Please e-mail your Firing Lines to firingline@dailytexanonline.com. The Daily Texan reserves the right to edit all letters for brevity, clarity and liability.

TRYOUTS The Texan is conducting tryouts for entry-level positions in all departments. Jobs available include news reporter, photographer, columnist, entertainment or sports writer, features writer, copy editor, designer and cartoonist. Please come to the Texan office on the second floor of Walter Webb Hall, 2500 Guadalupe Street to sign up. Send questions to editor@dailytexanonline.com.

Those who are new to UT will soon develop a set of skills. They will learn how to rationalize going downtown Thursday night despite having three midterms Friday morning, exactly what time to wake up to get from an apartment at 24th and Rio Grande Streets to a 9 A.M. class in Jester without a second to spare. They will earn a master’s degree in college football. They will also learn how to avoid tablers in the West Mall. Everyone has their favorite method. Some prefer the “sorry, I’m texting” approach and others the “this piece of paper I am reading is too engaging to be distracted from” strategy. Some people are patronizing and dismissive, while others kindly entertain the tablers. Regardless of how and why people avoid them, one thing is clear; tabling irritates people. However, despite its bothersome nature, tabling in the West Mall serves a valuable purpose. It is a visual representation of our dedicated and diverse student body. The West Mall is a daily reminder of how much UT has to offer. There is a multitude of different groups out every day. Spirits, Wranglers,

APO, University Democrats, Face AIDS and College Republicans are but a few of the organizations on the West Mall every day. There are political organizations, advocacy groups, recreational clubs and professional associations. People often criticize UT for its size, but the West Mall shows that a populous student body is not a vice. It is also a powerful recruiting tool. Admissions officers and tour guides love to brag about the University’s extracurricular groups, but the West Mall shows it. Tabling shows how dedicated UT’s students are. For those who see tabling as a mere petulance, here is a secret; the only people who hate it more than you are those doing it. They are required to spend time in between classes sitting in the West Mall, enticing people to join their groups. Setting up a table is a cumbersome procedure. Students must rent tables from the Tower and lug supplies from the top floor of the Union to the West Mall. After sitting outside sucking up to strangers for a few hours, students must put the table away and perform the exact same procedure in reverse a few hours later. The time between setting up and tear down is boring at best, though

one can expect to endure hecklers who think it is hilarious and clever to heckle and argue with groups with whom they disagree. Despite all of this, the West Mall is full nearly everyday because the students are dedicated. Their motives vary. Tabling is a requirement for leadership in some groups and a way for younger members to pay dues in others. Regardless of why, no one is forcing them to be there. People table because they care about their groups. A large student population willing to sacrifice free time and comfort for a greater cause is something that makes UT a unique and exceptional university. Ultimately, tabling is important because it is a concrete way to see the intangible qualities of the University. One can look at annual spending per student, SAT scores and faculty-to-student ratio to judge a university, but those statistics cannot paint a complete picture of UT. While discovering the intricacies of life at the University, learn how to engage, not avoid or demean tablers. At least treat them with respect, because they represent what is great about UT. Luippold is a government junior

s written, with pride and Texas a.

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5 UNIV

GSA: Students organize for

voice in campus decisions From page 1 “We also want to take care of the ones who are here.� Of the nearly 100 departments with graduate-student enrollment, 40 representatives from 35 departments attended the meeting. “We really want to bolster the image of GSA,� said GSA spokesman Darren Kelly. “That involves getting more of the graduate students really involved with GSA. We really want to improve and get a majority of our departments represented.� Sam Scarpino, an ecology, evolution and behavior department representative, said GSA presents graduate students with

5

NEWS

Thursday, September 3, 2009

the opportunity to be heard by the administration. “It’s important to be a part of student governance,� Scarpino said. “Every year, there are a number of issues that come up that need to be addressed.� Victoria Rodriguez, dean of graduate studies, and John Dalton, assistant dean of graduate studies, welcomed the assembly at the meeting. “This is a wonderful opportunity that graduate student representatives have to really echo and transmit to us the interest and desires of graduate students,� Rodriguez said. “The GSA and graduate school work very, very closely on a business level, and we also have a very close, personal relationship.�

RIGHTS: AFD to review disputed rule From page 1

to know,� Deats said. Deats said the firefighters’ union believes the chief has the right to issue a code of conduct to regulate discipline. They are seeking clarification from the chief that the speech rights are not being abridged. “[The chief] is simply attempting to address the issue of people taking photographs of crime scenes [and sending] other personal private information,� said Laurie Eiserloh, city of Austin assistant attorney. “[She] is taking it under advisement and reviewing the policy right now, but I can tell you it was never her intention to infringe upon anybody’s First Amendment rights.� Eiserloh said the goal is to make certain that the information that comes from AFD is accurate and that it doesn’t infringe upon anybody’s privacy rights or compromise a criminal investigation.

“I respect others to have different opinions — I don’t always agree with them or understand them, but I accept them,� Kerr said. “The policy had to be updated to reflect [cellphones, PDAs and social media].� She said the upheaval of instantaneous communication had to be addressed and that the policy does not infringe upon the rights of employees to act as private citizens. Kerr said there is a committee comprised of department members and legal representation whose goal is to review the policy. AFD is willing to make changes to the policy in accordance with the association’s requests, but there is no definitive timeline of when changes will be made. The review is ongoing, she said. “There is a lot going on in the organization, and it’s going to take us some time to catch up,� Kerr said. “Our focus isn’t always on the moment, but we are trying to look long range.�

Firefighter Frank Marek puts away an adapter to a truck hose at Fire Station 2 on Wednesday.

Peyton McGee Daily Texan Staff

NEWS BRIEFLY Austin to begin distributing season flu vaccine this month The Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department is giving out early seasonal flu shots. The flu shot clinics will be available throughout September instead of the usual October. “This year, we’re starting out seasonal flu shots in September because we want to have the staff ready and prepared for the H1N1 vaccine come October,� said Colleen Christian, Health Educator at the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department. The H1N1 shots will not be available until October because the vaccine is still in the production and testing stages, Christian said. Since it usually takes about 9 months to make a vaccine, it’s clear that getting the H1N1 vaccine out as soon as possible has been made a priority. The regular seasonal flu shot is available in walk-in and drive-thru clinics and will be offered on Sept. 12 at St. John Community Center, Sept. 16 at Givens Recreation Center and Sept. 19 at South Austin Neighborhood Center. The shots are free for the uninsured or under insured. Medicare recipients are asked to bring their cards, and insured people are asked to go to their health care provider or any other clinic that will accept their insurance. Infants and children 6 months to 18 years old are the targeted group for these clinics because they are at the greatest risk for contracting the flu. Other target groups are pregnant women and nursing home residents. Christian recommends that parents take their children to a walkin clinic instead of a drive-thru. — Doyinmola Oyeniyi

UT to hold annual bike auction on roof of Trinity Parking Garage Parking and Transportation Services will hold its annual bike auction today on the roof of Trinity Parking Garage. “The department has been doing this bike auction for five years,� said Sam Cortez, bike coordinator for PTS. Cortez took the position three years ago and has been in charge of the auction ever since. The bikes in the auction will be the 200 unregistered bikes that were abandoned and found on campus by PTS. University-registered bikes are generally safe from the auction. Pictures of all bikes are available on the PTS Web site. The viewing begins at 5 p.m., and the silent auction will start at 5:30 p.m. Since the starting bid is $3, all the bikes are usually sold, but if any bikes remain from this year, PTS will hold them for next year’s auction. — Doyinmola Oyeniyi

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THE DAILY TEXAN NOW ďšş SEPT. 10 We need: r /FXT 3FQPSUFST r &OUFSUBJONFOU 8SJUFST r 'FBUVSFT 8SJUFST r 1IPUPHSBQIFST r $PMVNOJTUT r 4QPSUT 8SJUFST r %FTJHOFST r $PQZ &EJUPST r 7JEFPHSBQIFST r $PNJDT "SUJTUT r 8FC 5FDIOJDJBOT Sign up in the 2nd Floor of Walter Webb Hall (WWH) on Guadalupe St. across from the Communications Plaza. Questions? E-mail us at NBOBHJOH FEJUPS!EBJMZUFYBOPOMJOF DPN

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6

STATE&LOCAL

APD Monitor to run for judgeship

Austin Police Monitor Cliff Brown announces his candidacy for District Judge on Wednesday evening during his Campaign Kickoff at The Belmont.

By Jim Pagels Daily Texan Staff After 20 years of working in the court system, Austin Police Monitor Cliff Brown announced his candidacy for District Judge of the 147th District Court last night at a welcome reception at The Belmont restaurant and bar. Numerous judicial candidates positions were in attendance, including John Lipscombe and Olga Seelig, who are running for County Court-at-Law #3, and Brandy Mueller, who is running for County Court-at-Law #6. After being introduced by Austin Mayor Pro Tem Mike Martinez and former University of Texas football coach Fred Akers, Brown addressed the crowd. “I bring a balanced perspec-

Derek Stout Daily Texan Staff

City Council set to debate proposed property tax hike By Beth Waldman Daily Texan Staff Austin residents may see an increase in their taxes following a proposed 5.5 percent increase to property taxes in anticipation of the start of the city’s new fiscal year. Public hearings concerning the proposed tax increase will begin Sept. 14. Council members will discuss the probability of the tax-rate changes and answer questions from the public. All council members voted in favor of considering the tax increase proposal. The proposal suggests that the city increase total property tax revenues by 5.5 percent from the preceding tax year. To achieve this goal, property tax rates will increase by about $0.03 per $100 of taxable property. Currently, the amount of taxes paid on the average home in Aus-

Thursday, September 3, 2009

tin is approximately $1,097 annually. If the new property tax takes effect, the average amount of taxes imposed would jump to about $1,567. Property taxes are not set by the state. The tax rates are imposed by school districts, city and local governments. The agenda for the Sept. 14 meeting is to conduct the budget adoption readings for the upcoming fiscal year, including the tax increase proposal. Members will cast their votes for or against the proposal at the Sept. 24 City Council meeting. “We’re only in the discussion period right now of what our proposed property tax will be,” said Matt Curtis, spokesman for Mayor Lee Leffingwell. “There’s a lot of research to be done and conversations to be had before the property tax rate is voted on.”

tive as the only candidate who has served as a defense attorney as well as a prosecutor,” Brown said. Brown graduated from Adelphi University in Garden City, N.Y. and received his Juris Doctorate from George Washington University National Law Center in Washington, D.C. After briefly working in New York City, Brown came to Texas, where he has spent the past 17 years working for Travis County. There are seven felony district courts in Travis County. Following 20 years of service in the 147th Criminal District Court, Judge Wilford Flowers announced last month that he will not seek reelection in March. “I’m interested in other things at age 60,” said Flowers, who

was in attendance Wednesday night. Flowers said the next district judge will have to deal with an “increased number of cases” in the criminal district courts as the population of Travis County grows. District courts are responsible for hearing most felony cases such as murder, sexual assault, aggravated robbery, kidnapping and some narcotics cases. The defendants in these cases can receive sentences anywhere from probation periods to the death penalty. Brown said he will try to continue the legacy of Flowers, Travis County’s first black district judge. “He’s one of the finest judges I’ve ever seen,” Brown said. He cited Flowers’ “consistency and courage of conviction” as prece-

dents he would like to continue, he said. Brown has received support from several members of the local community and has generated $10,250 in campaign contributions, according to his first campaign finance filing. One attendee was Debbie Russell, President of the Central Texas Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, who said, “too many other people are running for judge who rely only on party backing.” Brown said he hopes to gather the support of local residents by going door to door and also plans to meet with every group in the city. “Flowers leaves very big shoes to fill, but also a big blueprint,” Brown said.

A bird’s-eye view

Peyton McGee | Daily Texan Staff

Two students walk by a pile of rubbage in West Campus on Wednesday.

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Thursday, September 3, 2009

T HE DAILY TEXAN

NCAA FOOTBALL

Trio of Big 12 defenders look to shine during ‘09 season By Austin Ries Daily Texan Staff Sure, everyone has heard the cliché that defense wins championships, but defense will probably not be the reason for the dense sea of orange at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium this Saturday. Big 12 fans want to see double-digit yard runs, ankle-breaking jukes and deep touchdown passes before they consider the game a success. In the history of the Heisman Trophy, the only defensive player to ever take home the award was Charles Woodson in 1997 from the University of Michigan, although he was also an occasional wide receiver. So in a conference bursting with talented quarterbacks and offenses, it is important to look at

the players on the opposing side same type of steps I took to get — players who terrorize offensive where I’m at, I see for him.” Kindle arrived at Texas as a coordinators all week at practice linebacker and did not move to and quarterbacks on Saturday. defensive end until last season, after defensive coordinator Will Sergio Kindle Muschamp saw that Kindle’s Leading the nation with 47 speed and quickness would comsacks last season, the Texas plete the Longhorns’ pass rush. Longhorns’ dynamic team of With 10 sacks last season, first-round NFL draft pick Brian Kindle’s greatest challenge in Orakpo and junior Sergio Kindle 2009 will be whether or not used to break from the huddle he can continue his success with a uniform statement: “I’ll without Orakpo on the other meet you at the quarterback.” side. Texas does have talentNow, without Orakpo, Kin- ed freshmen recruits like Alex dle opted to return for his senior Okafor, who could potentialseason to hopefully duplicate ly have a lot of success, but his friend’s success last year as it will be challenging without one of the paramount defensive Orakpo’s leadership. “He can surpass me,” Orakpo ends in the nation. “It can happen to you,” Or- said. “That’s why I’m expecting akpo said he told Kindle. “The big things out of him.”

Ndamukong Suh At the end of 2007, Nebraska Cornhusker fans were afraid that defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh lacked the ability to step up his game after returning from a medical redshirt. With second-team All-Big 12 honors, 76 tackles, seven and a half sacks and two interceptions returned for touchdowns, it looks like the critics were dead wrong. The product of his Cameroonian father and Jamaican mother, Suh has already been named the Big 12 Conference preseason defensive player of the year and is predicted to be in the top five at Nebraska for career tackles for loss.

DEFENSE continues on page 8

Peter Franklin | Daily Texan file photo

Oklahoma defensive lineman Gerald McCoy, right, turned down the NFL for one more chance to win a national title. McCoy will lead the Sooners’ defense that hopes to put an end to Oklahoma’s bowl game blunders.

NCAA GOLF

Yogi ready for return trip home

Holland ready to lead Texas in senior year

Texas volleyball visits Hawaii to play three top-ranked teams By Jordan Godwin Daily Texan Staff Everything is bigger in Texas, except for Sydney Yogi. When Yogi came to Texas as a highly recruited defensive specialist out of Hawaii, she was listed at 5-foot-3 inches, but after Texas’ measuring stick, she’s now listed at 5-foot-2 inches. At first glance, Yogi doesn’t fit in with her towering teammates. Eight of 12 players are more than 6 feet tall, and freshman defensive specialist Cristina Arenas is the only other player under 5 feet 9 inches. Yogi, a sophomore, will be the biggest player with knowledge of the area this weekend as Texas volleyball plays in her home state at the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Classic. “It’s best playing in front of my family and friends at home,” Yogi said. “It’s also cool to show the team how to live like a local Hawaiian and not like a tourist.” When the Longhorns landed at the Oahu Airport on Monday, Yogi’s family and members of the Hawaiian volleyball booster club greeted them. “We’ll have to do a lot of study hall, but we’re definitely going to make some time to spend out on the beaches,” said coach Jerritt Elliott. “It’s important for us to see the culture and what they have to offer.” Acting as the team’s tour guide, Yogi said there’s one experience she wants to enjoy in her homecoming. “Win,” Yogi said. “Coach Elliott has really stressed that this is a business trip, and we’re not going there mainly for pleasure.” Texas is ranked No. 2, but it will have to overcome a trio of good teams to maintain its status. Over four days, the Longhorns will face No. 10 California, No. 4 Hawaii and No. 19 St. Louis. “It’s going to be Final Four, Elite Eight-caliber matches in a hostile environment, and that’s why we scheduled it,” Elliott said. “It’s great, and I want to see where we’re at. I want to see us pushed and see how we’re going to play emotionally.” Texas will play in Honolulu near Yogi’s alma mater, Punahou School, a college preparatory school that Sports Illustrated ranked as the No. 1 high-school athletics program in the country last year. Yogi has said her elite schooling prepared her for life at Texas, and she enjoys going home any chance she gets. “This trip is for volleyball, and it’s not like I’m pulling a free trip out of them,” Yogi said. “It’s a different mindset because I’m not going home to relax. It’s not like, ‘Oh, we’re going to Hawaii for vacation.’” When Yogi pronounces her home state’s

Team heads to Japan for next week’s Topy Cup Tournament

tle rock and rap music before each tournament. Despite his lighthearted approach to the sport, Holland has lofty goals for himself and By Sameer Bhuchar for the team this year, goals Daily Texan Staff that simply cannot be reached Charlie Holland is a lot without intense practice and of things: a passionate Tex- focus. After finishing 26th in as golfer, a loyal son, a re- last year’s national championspectable role model. He is ships, Holland says he wants not, however, an internation- the Longhorns to make a 180 al food connoisseur. degree turnaround by winning “I’m looking forward to go- the national title this year. ing to Japan for our next tour“I really want this team nament,” he said. “I heard to take nationals this year,” the food is terrible, though. he said. “Personally, I know I’ll probably there is a lot I just be eating can do better. rice for an enThe last two tire week.” years were And while a struggle. I Holland may went through not be excited a swing about the food, change and We can really set the h a d a n a w he knows that next week’s ful year. But pace for the season To p y C u p I put in a lot [in Japan] if we do To u r n a m e n t of work this well there.” in Tanagura, summer, and Japan will be things look a — Charlie Holland lot better.” an important stepping stone Texas golfer Perhaps for the Longthe word awhorn golf team ful is an exagto start their geration, beyear off on a cause despite positive note. his perceived “We can realp o o r p l a y, ly set the pace Holland was for the season an All-Big 12 if we do well there,” he said. golfer in 2008, a quarterfinal“It should be fun.” ist at the U.S. Amateur ChamFun, as Holland reiterated pionship last August and a many times, is the approach 2008 Golf Coaches Associathat he has applied to golf tion of America Third Team his whole life. Since the age All-American. of 11, when he picked up But coach John Fields behis first set of clubs, Hol- lieves that it is this harsh perland said the reason he fell sonal criticism that has helped in love with golf is because Holland improve his game of how peaceful and enjoy- even more, just in time for this able it is. year’s season. “I used to watch my dad on “Obviously, I’m really exthe driving range, and I just cited that he had such a great fell in love with it,” he said. U.S. Amateur Champion“It seemed so relaxed and ship this year,” Fields said. fun. And after that, I started “He went from the quarterfiplaying competitively when I nals last year to the semifinals was 12.” this time around. Texas athHe even takes a page out of letes know how to come back. Michael Phelps’ playbook and GOLF continues on page 8 pumps himself up with a lit-

‘‘

Peter Franklin | Daily Texan file photo

The 5-foot-2 inch Sydney Yogi stands next to the 6-foot-4 inch Destinee Hooker at a volleyball game last year. Despite her size, Yogi hopes to bring more to the team as the Longhorns prepare for their opening matches in Hawaii. name, she gets funny looks. Most mainland Americans still pronounce the newest state, “ha-WAH-ee,” heavily emphasizing the middle syllable. Some Texans even stretch it to, “ha-WAH-ya,” but when Yogi pronounces it, “hawa-EE,” with a heavy accent on the last syllable, her teammates try to correct her. “There’s a lot of things I say wrong, apparently,” Yogi said with a smile. “It’s nor-

mal for me because I lived there.” Despite playing on a team where the average height is more than 6 feet, Yogi is returning to her hometown with a bigger stature than she had as a freshman bench player. “Hopefully, we’ll get some down time on the side to go enjoy the beach or see the sights,” Yogi said. “But we have to take care of business.”

NCAA FOOTBALL

Boise State, Oregon highlight beginning of the best season of the year By Austin Talbert Daily Texan Columnist It’s the most wonderful time of the year. No, it isn’t quite Christmas again, but for me, today is the beginning of the best season of the year. Forget winter, it is way too cold. And while the freshness of spring is beautiful to some, and the calmness of fall to others, I’ll take football season. Give me Saturdays of game after game in the parking lot before the game of the week — whichever one is happening inside Darrell K Royal-Texas Me-

morial Stadium. It is hard to find anything better than a cold drink, some warm barbecue fresh off the pit and a fiercely competitive game of washers with three buddies. And this is just the appetizer. In a few hours, you and 100,000 of your closest friends will be enjoying one of the nation’s top teams. Tonight, we finally get that first taste of the game we love so much. First, Steve Spurrier’s sheepish grin will welcome us back. In the nightcap, the smurfturf up in Boise will be an oddly familiar reminder of the personality of the sport we love. Tonight is the bag of pretzels, the warm-up we need to prevent us from bloating our stomachs. Saturday, we’ll get to gorge on the smorgasbord, and I am hun-

gry and willing to overeat. And as great as the summer has been, the return of college football ushers in the return of this campus’ soul. I can only watch ESPN Classic so much before my itch for college football becomes insatiable. Luckily, the itch gets scratched tonight. So get out of class, fire up the grill, ice down some drinks and plop down on the couch. The reading for Friday’s class can wait. I promise you won’t have a pop quiz. And stay up late, because Oregon’s trip to Boise could very well be the best game of opening weekend. And I would hate for you to miss it just because of that 8 a.m. class on Friday. You’ve been waiting since January. Enjoy it, because for all that

is wrong with it — cough, cough, BCS rankings and the lack of a playoff system, cough — college football season is still the most wonderful time of the year.

Tonight South Carolina over NC State Steve Spurrier knows his Gamecocks have to show up this year. He gets an early start on keeping his job by dropping the Wolfpack. Boise State over Oregon The Ducks may be a darkhorse candidate for the PAC 10 title, but the Broncos and the feared blue turf will be too much.

Rogelio V. Solis | Associated Press

Steve Spurrier’s South Carolina Gamecocks hope to turn some heads in the season opener tonight against the Wolfpack in North Carolina.

ON THE WEB: First “Let’s Talk Sports” video of the fall @dailytexanonline.com

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SPORTS

GOLF: Longhorns maintain high hopes From page 7

Michelle Connolly | Daily Texan file photo

Texas senior golfer Charlie Holland hopes to lead the Longhorns to a national championship after two relatively disappointing seasons.

I think the tough experiences he had last year happened because of the high pressure and personal expectations. The fun in the game kind of went out of the window. This summer, he had time to reflect on that and has come up with an equation to have a lot more fun on the course.� It is with this renewed sense of focus and motivation that Holland looks to the future. He is ready to tackle the immediate tasks ahead as a golfer and as a team leader. “I just want to take it one day at a time, and I want to win and win big,� he said. “It is also important for me to be a role model to the younger guys on the team. I definitely want to make sure the younger guys have a good experience. I have to teach them to stay relaxed and have a good time.� It is clear that his desire is to strip the game of all complexities and bring golf back to the basics: a gentleman’s sport rooted in camaraderie, diligent work and most importantly, fun. “We all know Charlie plays golf because he enjoys it and he loves it,� Fields said. “He’s keeping his perspective there right now, and we are really excited for him.�

DEFENSE: Big 12 players look to show teeth Gerald McCoy

From page 7 An expected first-round pick in next year ’s NFL Draft, Suh possesses admirable height and weight attributes, but it is his agility and athletic ability at 6 feet 4 inches and 300 pounds that makes him unique and valuable. Suh’s 76 tackles last season ranked as the highest total by a defensive lineman since 1992, and he was the first lineman to lead the Huskers in tackles in 35 years. With versatile strengths, Suh will be a dominant force in the Big 12.

Before the season has even started, Gerald McCoy is already receiving praise. In its ninth season, Kirk Herbstreit’s “Herbie Awards� honored McCoy from Oklahoma as the top defensive tackle in the nation. Now, he just has to live up to it. Deciding to return for his senior season like Sam Bradford and others, McCoy will undoubtedly be the leader of the Sooner defense this season as they attempt to end their five-year BCS bowl losing streak. “We’ve got to finish,� Mc-

Coy said. “We’ve won three Big 12 championships in a row, but we haven’t won the big one. We haven’t won that bowl game or finished off right.� The Sooners return their entire defense, which averaged three sacks a game in 2008. Last season, McCoy led all defensive linemen with 30 tackles and is at the top of the preseason watch list for many defensive awards. But if you ask McCoy, it is all breaking news to him. “What watch list?� McCoy said. “I’m not worried about [any] of that. I’m just trying to get better.�

GO HORNS!

Thursday, September 3, 2009

NFL

Favre to sit out final dress rehearsal before opener Childress, Vikings to use alternate quarterbacks in final preseason game By Jon Krawczynski The Associated Press EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Brett Favre’s non-traditional arrival in Minnesota is not stopping Vikings coach Brad Childress from taking a traditional approach to the team’s preseason finale against Dallas. The 39-year-old quarterback will not play against the Cowboys on Friday night. “I don’t see the upside,� Childress said on Wednesday. Most teams rest their marquee starters in the final game of the preseason to avoid the risk of injury with the regular season a week away. What makes this situation unique, however, is Favre’s recent arrival in Minnesota. It’s been a whirlwind for Favre ever since he arrived to a hero’s welcome just 16 days ago. A helicopter followed him from a Twin Cities airport to the team’s headquarters in Eden Prairie, where more than 100 fans swarmed Childress’s SUV as it pulled into the parking lot. Three days later, Favre was in uniform and looking every bit as rusty as could be expected. He went 1 for 4 for 4 yards in two series against the Kansas City Chiefs but looked much more comfortable on Monday night in Houston. Favre completed 13 of 18 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown while playing into the third quarter of a 17-10 win at Houston. “I thought he made a nice jump from Week 1 to Week 2 and showed he’s got a good under-

standing of what we’re doing,� Childress said. Favre ran a similar offense for 16 seasons in Green Bay and has had no trouble getting up to speed with the Vikings’ playbook. The biggest thing he has to work on is chemistry with his receivers, learning their tendencies and how each one puts his own variation on the routes that are run. The biggest strides were shown on Minnesota’s final drive of the first half against the Texans. Favre completed the final six passes of the drive, moving the Vikings 74 yards in nine plays, including a 28-yard touchdown pass to Chester Taylor. “I think we can be productive, but we’ve got to get it together pretty quickly,� Favre said after the game Monday night. The Vikings open the regular season on Sept. 13 at Cleveland. So Favre and the rest of his of-

fensive starters will have an entire week of practice to fine-tune things before the football starts for real. “We’re at a pretty good spot right now, but he’s only been here two weeks,� receiver Sidney Rice said. “We still have a lot of things we can work on together. We’re going to continue to work on those things together.� Favre still has not played a game with top receiver Bernard Berrian, who missed the last two games with a hamstring injury. He is spending extra time looking at practice tape and has stayed late at practice on occasion to throw to his receivers as they try to find the timing needed to keep the chains moving. “I feel like we’re definitely jelling,� said running back Adrian Peterson, who had a 75-yard touchdown run on the first play from the scrimmage against Houston. “I feel like we’re there, but there’s always room to improve. “We’ve still got some polishing. Just shine it up and buff it up a little bit, and I think we’ll be OK.� For now, Favre and most of the rest of the starters will have to apply the final coat of wax in practice. Childress isn’t willing to risk a major injury, and he knows firsthand that can happen. Childress was an assistant in Philadelphia in 2001 when head coach Andy Reid decided to play his starters at the beginning of the exhibition finale against the New York Jets. Childress said that center Bubba Miller broke his leg on the last play of the opening drive. “Just that one more play, that one more series,� Childress said. “It’s hard enough to lose them on regular football Sundays.�

contribute to our organization on and off the field. “We have completed our assessment and due diligence and at this time we will not be pursuing the services of Adam Jones.� Jones’ attorney, Worrick Robinson, told The Associated Press on Tuesday he had been in “consistent negotiations� with a CFL team, but wouldn’t say which one. Jones is a former first-round draft pick of the Tennessee Titans who has twice been suspended by the NFL for off-field incidents — including for the entire 2007 season — and was released in February by the Dallas Cowboys. Before coming to Dallas, Jones

was arrested six times and involved in 12 instances requiring police intervention after Tennessee drafted him in 2005. He was suspended by commissioner Roger Goodell for the 2007 season before he got in trouble again. The cornerback’s time with the Cowboys was cut short by six games for another behaviorrelated suspension, an off-field scuffle with a member of the security detail provided by the team. Jones, who turns 26 at the end of this month, also drew interest from the UFL, the new four-team league scheduled to begin play in October. — The Associated Press

Andy King | Associated Press

Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre will sit out the final preseason game for the Vikings despite only two games of work under center.

SPORTS BRIEFLY Canadian League team not interested in “Pacman� Jones WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Adam “Pacman� Jones won’t be playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers after all. The CFL team announced Wednesday it has ended its pursuit of the controversial ex-NFL cornerback, one day after multiple reports said Jones would play for the team. “It is unfortunate that this situation became public; however, our position has remained consistent,� Blue Bombers coach Mike Kelly said in a statement. “We will pursue athletes that we believe will

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Thursday, September 3, 2009

Expo offers career information, contacts, advice Some companies that have been involved in past years, including Texas Workforce, noticed the rise in turnout. “I began with 400 bags [to give away] and now, I only have about

By Katrina Munez Daily Texan Staff The Multi-Ethnic Chamber Alliance hosted the Third Annual Multicultural Career Expo on Wednesday at the Norris Convention Center in North Austin, hoping to match up employers with minority workers. The event was the third of such expos organized by the alliance, comprised of the Austin Asian American Chamber of Commerce, Capital City African American Chamber of Commerce and Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. This year ’s expo drew larger crowds, with about 500 local job-seekers speaking with recruiters from almost 60 potential employers. “It was a very diverse mix, so it brought in a lot of people from the community,� said Erica Estetter, executive director of the AsianAmerican group. “Our chamber tried to do a good job of promoting in different newspapers so we could make sure to reach out.�

‘‘

[The career expo] is not just for minorities, it’s for everybody.� — James Price, participant

20 left,� said Robert Pena Jr., business service consultant for Texas Workforce. “This has been the best one so far, lots of people making lots of good contacts and getting good information.� The day included a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring Mayor Lee Leffingwell, the career fair and

classes focusing on improving interview skills, resume development and job-hunting techniques. “I enjoyed the classes — they were very descriptive and helpful,� said James Price, who has attended all of the chamber alliance’s three career expos. “They really break it down for you and make it easy.� Some first-timers also found the expo to be helpful in finding a bit of security. “I came here trying to find a job, even though I already have a full-time job,� said Austin resident Hermelinda Vargas. “I’m trying to keep my options open, because anything can happen, especially with the way things are now.� The chamber alliance is already making plans for a fourth career expo and expects to improve and expand the event for next year, Estetter said. “[The career expo] is not just for minorities, it’s for everybody,� Price said. “Minority is just a laPeyton McGee | Daily Texan Staff bel. This is for everyone, because Mary Garcia and Michael Badovinac talk at the Third Annual Multicultural Career Expo on Wednesday. everyone needs employment.�

Company hosts contest promoting convenient condom By Nehal Patel Daily Texan Staff Taking it all off sometimes brings rewards — and condoms. The makers of Sensis Condoms with QuikStrips are offering the chance to win $5,000 and a year’s supply of Sensis condoms to the best video interpretation of the word “strip.� Contestants can submit their videos to www.SensisCondoms.com until Oct. 15. The creators of 10 of the 15 most popular videos will win a year’s supply of condoms, while the grand prize winner day, month day, 2008

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will receive an additional $5,000. “We’re looking for a video that conveys the use of the product, but more importantly, the message of safety,� said R. Beau Thompson, president of Grove Medical and inventor of QuikStrip technology. “We haven’t seen a submitted video that conveys this yet, but we’re hoping someone will come up with something better than we can imagine.� Videos can portray any of the multiple meanings of the word “strip� as long as they do not contain vulgar or profane language,

nudity or pornographic content. “The contest seems like a creative and fun way to get the company’s message across, but I don’t think I would participate,� said chemical engineering sophomore Vera Lee. “But I would watch other people’s videos.� QuikStrip condoms have two disposable polyethylene strips that are used to apply the condom correctly and help prevent tears. “I came up with the design after having a rough night,� Thompson said. “I had to lean out of a

window and use the light from a streetlight to see the condom, and I thought there had to be a better way to do this.� Guli Fager, healthy sexuality education coordinator at University Health Services, said people don’t need new types of condoms but need to be shown how to properly use a condom for the first time. “Putting on a condom is not 1 hard,� she said. “It’s pretty straightforward, like putting on a seat belt. Someone shows it to you once, and then you get it. We demonstrate

CLASSIFIEDS

correct condom use in all of our workshops, so students who find themselves needing to use a condom know what to do.� Having multiple condoms is also important in case something happens to the first. “The problem with condom use is that a lot of times, people only have one condom, and if they put that one on incorrectly, they’re in trouble,� Fager said. “They usually might end up having sex without a condom at all, or they’ll decide to use the one they put on wrong,

CLASSIFIEDS THE DAILY TEXAN

and it can end up breaking. But if you have a whole box and you put one on wrong, it’s OK because you have more. But most people don’t carry a whole box of condoms with them in their wallet or purse.� The UHS offers three free condoms a day to students to encourage safer sexual practices for those who choose to have sex. “The bottom line is that teenagers, college students and even senior citizens should be using condoms and using them correctly,� Thompson said.

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ADVERTISING TERMS There are no refunds or credits. In the event of errors made in advertisement, notice must be given by 10 am the first day of publication, as the publishers are responsible for only ONE incorrect insertion. In consideration of The Daily Texan’s acceptance of advertising copy for publication, the agency and the advertiser will indemnify and save harmless, Texas Student Media and its officers, employees and agents against all loss, liability, damage and expense of whatsoever nature arising out of the copying, printing or publishing of its advertisement including without limitation reasonable attorney’s fees resulting from claims of suits for libel, violation of right of privacy, plagiarism and copyright and trademark infringement. All ad copy must be approved by the newspaper which reserves the right to request changes, reject or properly classify an ad. The advertiser, and not the newspaper, is responsible for the truthful content of the ad. Advertising is also subject to credit approval.

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STUDENT CONDOS FOR SALE! 1 block north of UT! New construction, 2/bed-2.5/ bath plus study/optional 3rd bedroom, Hardwood floors, granite countertops, ceramic tile, crown molding, and stainless appliances. Big balcony with view of UT football stadium. Move-in now, Spring 2010, Summer 2010, or Fall 2010 semester. 1150 sq. ft. $329,500$349,500. www.speedwaycondosphase2.com Call 512-467-9852 for a showing!

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of Chatham, passed away peacefully on August 11th at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital, Darby, Pa. Memorial visitation will be held on Sunday, September 13th from 1pm to 3pm followed by a Service at 3 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in her memory be made to the AAUW Madison Branch Mature Women’s Grant, P. O. Box 935, Madison, NJ 07940-0935. For further information or to send a message of condolence, please go to www.bradleyfuneralhomes.com.

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Born in Savonburg, Kansas to the late James and Stella Welch, Margaret was raised primarily in Texas. She attended the University of Texas, earning her bachelors degree in 1944. In 1948 she moved to New Jersey. She lived in Summit, Convent Station and Madison, before settling in Chatham in 1975. Margaret taught elementary school for the Madison public school system for nearly 30 years, spending most of her career teaching 1st grade at the Central Avenue School. She earned her Masters degree in education from Kean College in 1979. She was an active member of the NJEA, The Thursday Morning Club and the AAUW for many years. She enjoyed reading and gardening, but above all, her passion was teaching. Surviving are her children Susan Naylor, Charles Cranmer and his wife Sabine and Thomas Cranmer and his wife Miwa; her grandchildren Robert, Catherine and Elizabeth Naylor, Lucy, Thomas, June and James Cranmer; her sister-in-law Frances Welch and her niece Geraldine Stackhouse.

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APPOINTMENT SETTERS Apex Security call center. Schedule T/Th 2-5 & Sun 2-6. $10/hr + bonuses. Call Jesse @ 512468-4911.

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800 General Help Wanted APPOINTMENT SETNO LATE TERS NEEDED NIGHTS OR Outbound call center in SUNDAYS! west campus. No sales involved. Casual environment. Evening hours. $8-12/hr. Call Steve @ 512-867-6767

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NEW OVERSTOCK mattress sets $169 to $288, 5-pc dinettes $199 to $225, bedroom furniture, bunk beds. 512-2070902 surplusaustin.com

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SELL LONGHORNS MERCHANDISE On Campus! Earn pay and commission selling Longhorns handbags, memo boards and more. Email resume to andy@ tessuta.com

TWO STYLES OF WASHER GAMES

will train. Create form documents, assist clients, obtain state records, carry legal documents downtown, fax, file, proof. Afternoons, casual dress. PT $11. Car required. Apply online, LawyersAidService.com

for parks, beaches and lawns. $24.99. See pictures and order now at www.jcgamesonline. com; 682-203-7295

820 Accounting-Bookkeeping

BUSINESS

ACCOUNTING 930 Business Opportunities TRAINEE ENTREPREWalk to UT. Bookkeeping NEURS & tasks, tax-related projects, clerical. Type 30 LEADERS words/min. Accounting experience or classes a plus. Flex hours, $11 PT, $12-$12.50 FT. LawyersAidService.com Apply now!!

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needed for reputable, growing company. Great opportunity for income while in school and beyond. Please contact us for more information at JLdistribution19@gmail. com

REMEMBER!

you saw it in the Texan

10 COMICS

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Thursday, September 3, 2009

11 ENT

11

LIFE&ARTS

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Discover some comic relief within graphic novels

“The Unwritten�

“Blackest Night� One of this fall’s biggest comic book events is DC Comics’ “Blackest Night,� which is full of classic comic book action as well as deeper meditative themes of life and death. This limited series begins with protagonist Hal Jordan — our favorite intergalactic peacekeeper Green Lantern — and other heroes as they remember lost friends on the fictionalized memorial day for fallen superheroes. When an escalating war of other Lanterns interrupts the commemoration, writer Geoff Johns literally raises previously dead comrades and friends from the grave via the new Black Lantern. Although zombies may seem trite, the raw emotions of living superheroes confronting dead friends is heart-wrenching.

For a more philosophical read, check out Mike Carey and Peter Gross’s new, non-superhero comic book, “The Unwritten.� The book presents character Tommy Taylor as reality but becomes more like fiction when fans of his father ’s boy-wizard “Tom Taylor� books uncover falsified records of Tommy’s existence. Things become even more complicated when rumors spread that Tommy is somehow the real-life version of the fictional Tom. Carey has openly stated that his series revolves around the idea that reality is based on stories. From Carey’s perspective, everything from gossip to history is some form of a story; facts are just the names and dates. How this will tie into the series, though, is still unwritten.

By Gerald Rich Daily Texan Staff The school year has just begun, yet somehow, the coursework is already piling up. The joy once derived from reading novels has turned into the lament of required reading. Fear not: There is salvation in the form of comic books. Rather then checking Facebook, comics are cheap, quick reads that can break up the monotony and stress of coursework. Although many may consider such literature juvenile, graphic novel and comic book-based movies like “Watchmen,� “The Dark Knight� and “300� have all been box office hits. Here are four very different and recently released series that any reader can pick up:

“Detective Comics� Those who are more artistically inclined should delve into DC Comics’ “Detective Comics.� With the death of Batman, Gotham City fell into anarchy. In response, various members of the bat family attempted to curb the escalating violence and crime. Starting with issue #854, Greg Rucka and artist JH Wiliams III dive into one of the longest-running comic book series in America. Williams’ art could be described as Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis� after it has somehow fallen down Alice in Wonderland’s rabbit hole, as evidenced by the art deco lines separating frames highlighted by vibrant splashes of color. Interested readers owe it to themselves to at least Google his work.

UNIVERSITY BRIEFLY OLIVIA: High-class dining, not just for the elite Famous ‘noodle’ installation ends tenure at the University

Returning students, faculty and staff may notice a much-loved landmark missing this semester outside the Blanton Museum of Art: the yellow-noodled art piece, “Penetrable.â€? The art installation where many students explored and played now exists only as a barren square of gravel with several small, red construction flags. “The piece brought a lot of life, but it was only a very generous offer,â€? said Ursula Davila-Villa, interim curator of Latin American Art at the Blanton. The structure was disassembled last Monday and shipped back to the Patricia Phelps de Cisneros Collection in New York. Installed in 2007, the piece was created by JesĂşs Rafael Soto and is a part of the Cisneros Collection. “Penetrableâ€? formed part the Blanton exhibit “The Geometry of Hope,â€? featuring the art of South American Geometric Abstraction from the 1930s up into the 1970s. After the exhibit closed, UT received an extended loan for “Penetrableâ€? and continued to display it for another two years. “Pieces typically need to rest for conservation purposes after an extended loan,â€? Davila-Villa added. “We had it for much longer than planned.â€? The piece will remain in New York until the Cisneros Collection decides where to send it next. As for the empty space where “Penetrableâ€? once stood, representatives from the Blanton say they are in the early stages of strategic re-planning for both the inside and outside exhibits at the museum. This coincides with the appointment of a new director of the Blanton earlier this summer, Ned Rifkin. Although some students have expressed concern over the loss of the piece, it is a very natural process for museums. “I hope the experience of literally penetrating through the art carries through intellectually to other works,â€? Davila-Villa said. Fans of “Penetrableâ€? can watch a fast-motion version of its installation on the Blanton’s YouTube channel. — Gerald Rich

TRY OUT FOR

THE DAILY TEXAN NOW ďšş SEPT. 10 We are currently hiring in all departments. Sign up in the 2nd Floor of Walter Webb Hall (WWH) on Guadalupe St. across from the Communications Plaza. Questions? E-mail us at managing editor@dailytexanonline.com

From page 12

Austin locals into Olivia and turn them on to what the restaurant is open a restaurant,� he said. “It doing, he said. took three years of hard work to And despite the high-class inopen Olivia.� gredients the restaurant uses in His goal for now is to get more its dishes, Holmes says he doesn’t

cook for the elite. His biggest influence isn’t a French cooking instructor or one of the many famous chefs he has worked with. “[It’s] my mother,� he said. “She is my biggest critic.�

“Kick-Ass� Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez and “300� fans take note — “Kick-Ass� features a satisfactory amount of violence and blood. Despite the fact that only six issues are available, Mark Millar’s new comic book has already been made into a movie, set to release in 2010. “Kick-Ass� features Dave Lizewski, an average New York teenager whose comic books inspire him to become a real superhero. There are no radioactive spiders, gamma rays or mutant genes that separate him from the reader — just Dave’s very real and painful first attempts at heroism. Without giving too much plot away, those purely interested in the Tarantino-style violence will be pleased by later issues featuring other vigilantes.

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12 LIFE

LIFE&ARTS

12

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Life&Arts Editor: Leigh Patterson E-mail: lifeandarts@dailytexanonline.com Phone: (512) 232-2209 www.dailytexanonline.com

T HE DAILY TEXAN

Texan brings taste of Europe home Site provides

cheap books, candy and a fuzzy feeling

Chef James Holmes ditches politics for apron, restaurant ranked in nation’s top ten by Bon Appétit By Layne Lynch Daily Texan Staff Walking into Olivia on South Lamar Boulevard, a diner might catch a glimpse of chef and owner James Holmes cooking away. Olivia, named after Holmes’ daughter, is the chef’s first restaurant. And although it hasn’t yet been open for a year, Olivia has already received notable critical acclaim — this month, it was named one of the “Top Ten Best New Restaurants in America” by Bon Appétit magazine. And though his venture has been a success, Holmes didn’t originally intend to become a full-time chef. He wanted to work in politics. “I always liked to cook, but I never considered it as a career,” he said. It wasn’t until after working in Washington, D.C. on campaigns that he realized his culinary aspirations. “I always found myself hanging out with cooks and servers while working,” he said. So, it was out of politics and off to cooking school. Holmes attended The Institute of Culinary Education in New York and went on to work with prestigious chefs such as Joseph Wrede — named one of the top 10 best new chefs by Food & Wine magazine in 2000 — and Tom Colicchio of the Bravo show “Top Chef.” Eventually, Holmes made his way to France, studying at La Panier du Marche in Strasbourg, where he learned about cooking with ingredients like tongue, kidney and brain. In France, he also learned about the art of comfort food. “French cooking is one of the oldest cooking forms in the world,” he said. “It’s classic comfort food, [but] food is taken so seriously. [It] is such a part of their lifestyle. Even street-side baguettes are expected to be perfect.” After New York and France, Holmes knew he wanted to return to Austin, where he previously had lived. “I’m a Willie Nelson man, and I knew that if I’m going to do food, I’m going to do it in Austin,” he said. After teaching at the Texas Culinary Academy’s Ventana Restaurant and cooking in the Alamo Drafthouse kitchen, where he helped revamp the cuisine of the Village and South Lamar locations, Holmes finally decided to take the big step and open his own restaurant. “I always had a bunch of things to do, but I knew when I got in the business I wanted to

OLIVIA continues on page 11

Olivia serves up exotic specialties for Austin’s adventurous gourmand By Layne Lynch Daily Texan Staff Breezing through the outside patio into the entryway of the restaurant Olivia, there is a simple little sign that reads, “Good Food.” The sign couldn’t say it any better: The food at Olivia is just good. Every detail of the restaurant, from the beautiful design of the interior and exterior to the alluring presentation of the cuisine, exudes brilliance. But, one thing must be said: this menu is not for the fainthearted or cautious and those on a budget should save it for special occasions. Quickly skimming the menu reveals pricey and rare choices like lamb’s tongue and heart, chicken livers and rabbit. But the boldness it took to try the lamb’s tongue ($12)

By Mia Avramescu Daily Texan Columnist Summer vacation is over, and you probably just shelled out more on textbooks than you would on a round-trip airplane ticket to Cancun. The last thing you want to do is spend more money on books, which is why fall is not the best time of the year to read for pleasure. But would it change your mind if you knew that your money would be used to promote world literacy? And that your books would be shipped at no cost? And possibly even a free chocolate bar? That last part sounds like overkill, but it’s exactly what engineering senior Ravi Antani found when he opened his package from Better World Books. “They left a little note that said something like, ‘Thank you for shopping with us, and here’s a chocolate bar,’” Antani said. “And profits for that candy bar went directly to the farmers who harvested the cocoa beans.”

‘‘

Profits for that candy bar went directly to the farmers who harvested the cocoa beans.”

Photos by Lara Haase | Daily Texan Staff

Above: Chef James Holmes prepares a dish in his South Lamar restaurant, Olivia. The restaurant, which is named for his daughter, has been named one of the 10 best restaurants in America by Bon Appétit magazine. Below: The linguini with clams is delicious but prices in at $23.

accompanied with Dijon pan sauce, yaupon honey and cherry-apricot mostarda paid off. It was both tender and divine. The beef carpaccio appetizer ($17) was perhaps the most artistic dish of the evening. Everything was strategically situated on the plate; it was almost too pretty to eat. The combination of beef, lemon-Dijon dressing, arugla, capers, shallots and Parmesan created a symphony of flavors. The second entrée, the linguini with clams ($23), was also delicious. Both the pasta and the sausage were house-made, and the white wine sauce completely held the seam of the dish. This entrée was reminiscent of the riffs that Chef James Holmes is known for — southern cuisine with Italian and Mediterranean flavors. The finishing touch of the evening was the duck egg crème brûlée ($8). Don’t read too much into the words duck egg. It didn’t change the famil-

iar taste; as with most crème brûlées, it was still creamy and decadent. Dining at Olivia makes clear why it has received a sea of media praise in Texas. Chef Holmes is an avid supporter of local farmers, ranchers

and artisans. He even cultivates a garden used for the restaurant, and the ketchup is homemade. Local ingredients and a refined menu and make this restaurant the perfect, rare treat.

— Ravi Antani engineering senior

As you explore BetterWorldBooks.com, you might think you are looking at a parody of a socially conscious business model — alongside the company’s main objective of supporting world literacy, they practice eco-friendly shipping with carbon offsets, and they “divert books from landfills.” The company has raised more than $7 million for its non-profit partners since 2002, which include Books for Africa, Invisible Children, the National Center for Family Literacy, Room to Read, World Fund or a local library. The self-proclaimed “Online Bookstore with a Soul” sells both new and used books at reasonable prices. Whether you’re looking for a novel, a cookbook, a travel guide or the dreaded textbook, it probably has what you’re looking for. Or, because of its high turnover rate, it will soon. “At first, one of the books I wanted wasn’t there,” Antani said. “But the next day, I searched again, and they had a couple copies.” Antani stumbled upon the bookstore while searching for the cheapest way to purchase a Moleskine notebook. Comparing prices between the store and the Barnes & Noble Web site, Moleskines are generally $2-3 less with BetterWorldBooks.com, and that’s not even accounting for the free (and carbon-neutral) shipping. The store does not always offer cheaper prices than Amazon.com or even Barnes and Noble, so if your book-buying concerns are more financial than philanthropic, shop around first. But don’t be surprised if you find yourself drawn back to the store. What won me over is the “Find it at your local library” link that appears on the pages of applicable book searches. Maybe I’m just a sucker for social initiatives and Fair Trade chocolate, but the idea of a company assisting me in locating a library book, even though that reduces my likelihood of purchasing it from them, convinced me that the store really does stick to its first core value: “Read often and help others do the same.” Maybe it’s not such a bad time for some leisure reading.

Readings at Poetry on the Plaza provide a nice segue into the semester University staff members recite poems of choice at first monthly Harry Ransom Center meeting By Alexa Hart Daily Texan Staff A cool September breeze paired with shade from the towering trees provided an appropriate setting for Wednesday’s “Farewell to Summer”-themed Poetry on the Plaza at the Harry Ransom Center. The event marked the beginning of the Center’s monthly poetry reading series and featured poems selected and recited by English department Chair Liz Cullingford, Pulitzer-Prize-winning author Lawrence Wright and mathematics professor and University Distinguished Teaching Professor Michael Starbird. The Ransom center’s humanities coordinator Greg Curtis said Poetry on the Plaza began about five years ago to showcase poetry. It has since grown to include all types of poetry with readings on the first Wednesday of every month except January, and additional events on Sept. 30 and April 21. “I’ve been coming to the readings for the last two years,” said psychology graduate student Sucharit Katyal. “I’ve been to nearly every single one. As a grad student, I’m working all day, so this gives me a chance to relax in the middle of the day.”

Guests were invited to enjoy free cookies and lemonade in front of the center while enjoying the performances of various famous works. Selected poems ranged from humorous to solemn; reflective to silly. Each reader is allowed to select which poems they will recite.

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I recognized a lot of the poems, and it was nice hearing the ones I’ve read before.” — Lexi Schooley freshman

“Without a doubt, Keats’ ‘To Autumn’ is my favorite,” Cullingford said. “Its foundation is about the end of summer. Everything is beautiful and beginning to die.” Wright followed with somber poems about troubling September events, such as the beginning of World War II and Billy Collins’ “The Names,” a poem about the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. “Collins’ was more emotional to me,” Wright said. “September 11th was something I spent a lot of time thinking about.

I remember going through the obituaries, finding someone’s life I could write about.” Starbird concluded the event with favorites such as Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” and a recitation of Lewis Carroll’s ”Jabberwocky” in both English and German. “I chose ‘Jabberwocky’ because it’s fun,” Starbird said. “It’s a nonsense poem written by a mathematician. It’s been translated into foreign languages, therefore even more nonsense words are created.” Attendees waited around the plaza afterwards, discussing the readings. “This is my first Poetry on the Plaza,” said freshman Lexi Schooley. “I recognized a lot of the poems, and it was nice hearing the ones I’ve read before. My favorite was Frost’s poem about the two roads. The first time I ever heard it, it impacted me, and I think it reflects a lot on my decision about coming to college here.” Cullingford, whose selections included classics by poets such as Keats and Dickinson, said that reciting the poems aloud enhances the experience of poetry. “Poetry is an oral medium, really, and needs to be performed,” she said. “Often, it is so much better with human voice. When you get asked to do this, and you’re as interested in poetry as I am, you can’t resist the chance to seduce the passersby.”

The Harry Ransom Center hosted this month’s Poetry on the Plaza reading, “Farewell to Summer” on Wednesday.

Tara Haelle Daily Texan Staff

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