SPORTS PAGE 7 FOUR GOOD MEN Texas has yet to choose official @thedailytexan facebook.com/dailytexan Thursday, July 28, 2011 >> Breaking news, blogs and more: dailytexanonline.com THURSDAY TNA Wrestling The IMPACT Wrestling World Tour will be at the Austin Music Hall at 7:30 p.m. FRIDAY Iron and Wine The indie alternative band will perform at The Paramount Theatre at 7 p.m. The acoustic performance will support the Midwives Alliance of North America. SATURDAY Katy Perry Pop star Katy Perry, with special guest Robyn, will perform her California Dreams Tour at the Frank Erwin Center at 8 p.m. SUNDAY The Brady Brunch Third Base on Sixth Street is featuring a brunch buffet including Bottomless Mimosas and an all you can eat buffet for $20 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. ONLINE Press play on two videos straight from the multimedia room. Get to know Larry Flynt and his book ÔOne Nation Under Sex,Õ as well as laugh at the Hand Bomb, a new comedy improv group in Austin. Today in history In 1978 ÒNational LampoonÕs Animal HouseÓ was released, resulting in a huge box office hit. Quote to note ÒEverybody always says when youÕve got four [quarterbacks] youÕve got none, but I think if youÕve got four good ones, youÕve got four good ones.Ó ÔÔ Ñ Mack Brown Texas football coach SPORTS PAGE 7 Organizations, cities prep for hurricane season Marine Science Institute plans for animal evacuation By Victoria Pagan Daily Texan Staff Researchers at the UT Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas are already preparing for hurricane season. Officials said scientists and animal rehabilitation experts are used to the impact hurricanes have on their work. Steve Lanoux, assistant director of operations at the institute, said the institute has shut down four times in the last 10 years although only one of those was for a manda¥tory evacuation during Hurricane Rita. He said every year he revises the instituteÕs evacuation plan to ac¥commodate for changes at the in¥stitute and to the countyÕs evacua¥tion plan. Lanoux said island residents can only leave the island by boarding the Texas Department of Transpor¥tationÕs ferry or by using the Cor¥pus Christi Causeway. He said this makes it a challenge to evacuate the island according to plan. ÒIf the water floods by over five feet, the highway is not us¥able and the ferry is not usable either because of the ramp an¥gle,Ó Lanoux said. Lanoux said the shutdowns and evacuations of the institute interfere with instruction time and productivity. ÒThe research staff has to put its research on hold,Ó Lanoux said. ÒWe remove our seawater pumps PREP continues on PAGE 2 New state legislation limits liability when processing windstorm claims By William James Gerlich Daily Texan Staff The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association is enacting a number of reforms this summer that officials say will protect homeowners by making the organization more efficient and financially stable. Last week Gov. Rick Perry signed House Bill 3, which allows the qua¥si-governmental agency to limit the amount of damages homeowners Ryan Edwards | Daily Texan Staff Parker Burton watches as Regan and Loran Johnansen play xylophones inside the hollowed torso of a cow statue titled ÒIÕve Got the Moosic In MeÓ by artist Kati Alcantara, on Wendesday. In the early morning hours 49 of these statues hit the streets of Austin. While the greatest concentration is downtown, some cows can be found as far as 51st Street. These statues are just a few of the over 5,000 cows that have been displayed and sold as part of the CowParade exhibit. International Office moves to Rio Grande temporarily By Diego Cruz Daily Texan Staff The International Office found a new home this summer after UT leased its old location to develop¥ers looking to erect a new apart¥ment tower. The Board of Regents signed a 60-year ground lease with Edu¥cation Realty Trust, who will de¥velop, own and manage a multi¥family apartment complex at 2400 Nueces Street, said campus direc¥tor of real estate Amy Wanamaker. The International Office is tempo¥rarily located at 2222 Rio Grande Street above Red Mango but will be permanently housed at the new Rebeca Rodriguez | Daily Texan Staff A construction worker helps demolish the International Office building located on 24th and Nueces streets Wednesday afternoon. complex upon completion. Wanamaker said UT is demol¥ishing Wooldridge Hall, the for¥mer home of the office and ground¥leasing the location to the student¥housing developer after determin¥ing this was the most profitable use of the land asset. UT leased the location so the firm would develop the property and re¥turn profit at minimal risk to UT, she said. ÒThey have 50 years of experience in higher education student housing development, and we thought they would be a good fit for the Universi¥ty,Ó Wanamaker said. MOVE continues on PAGE 2 can recover to a maximum of double the costs plus court fees and limit the number of lawsuits brought against the association, saving it court and lawyer fees. Rep. Jon Smithee, R-Amarillo, au¥thored the initial bill and said it was an important piece of legislation to pass during the special session be¥cause of the approaching hurricane LIABILITY continues on PAGE 2 UT students have potential to be affected by debt issue By Huma Munir Daily Texan Staff The political stalemate in Con¥gress over raising the debt ceiling while cutting back spending could directly affect students, said UT professors who have been following the impasse in recent weeks. The government could default on its debt if the U.S. House of Repre¥sentatives and the Senate do not reach an agreement to raise the debt ceiling by Aug. 2. If no agreement is reached, economists predict the government will not be able to pay its bills, interest rates may skyrock¥et and U.S. markets would take a plunge for the worse. Michael Brandl, a senior lectur¥er at the McCombs School of Busi¥ness, said increased interest rates would directly impact studentsÕ bor¥rowing power. Students will have to pay higher interest rates for student loans or when buying a car, he said. When students graduate, he said, companies will be reluctant to hire DEBT continues on PAGE 2 Andrew Edmonson | Daily Texan Staff City manager Marc Ott and mayor Lee Leffingwell preside over a budget meeting at City Hall on Wednesday morning. The proposed budget will raise both property taxes and the price of utilities. Proposed city budget raises utility rates Hikes come from combo of increases in electricity, water as well as some taxes By Liz Farmer Daily Texan Staff The combined utility rate and property tax increase for Òtyp¥icalÓ Austin residents this year will be approximately $22 more per month, according to the pro¥posed city budget. The Austin City Council re¥viewed the proposed budget Wednesday for the 2011-2012 fis¥cal year. Between this budget and the forecasted budget from April there is a $9.8 million budget gap. The projected $22 increase comes from the summation of increas¥es in electric bills, water bills and property taxes. The major component of the projected monthly increase is based on a 12 percent increase for Austin Energy usage that City Council has not yet voted on. Council member Kathie Tovo said there are some grim spots in the projected budget. ÒI think itÕs difficult for the tax¥payer to look at the increase for energy, but the alternative is to raise $27 million,Ó Tovo said. Mayor Lee Leffingwell said after this major change he expects the rate of Austin Energy fees to only increase by 2 percent annually. BUDGET continues on PAGE 5 Main Telephone: (512) 471-4591 Editor: Viviana Aldous (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com Managing Editor: Veronica Rosalez (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com News Office: (512) 232-2207 news@dailytexanonline.com Sports Office: (512) 232-2210 sports@dailytexanonline.com Life & Arts Office: (512) 232-2209 paying off high interest loans as CONTACT US versity Neighborhood Overlay, The International Office was lo¥designed by the city to allow for cated in Wooldridge since Decem- MOVE dense development in the West ber 2004 and had been told mul-Campus area. tiple times that UT intended to continues from PAGE 1 The $63.9 million project will move them since, said Candace include 306 units ranging from Shye, an executive assistant for DEBT continues from PAGE 1 them because businesses will be Hamermesh said the debt ceiling fiasco will be less likely to impact well, he said. Brandl said many UT students compared to those at students arenÕt following the debt many other schools because UT ceiling discussions, even though has a wealthier student popula¥ they will directly impact them. tion. Still, he said, with a fragile ÒStudent loans are going to get economy barely recovering from a more expensive,Ó Brandl said. recession, it is not a good time to ÒCredit card debt is going to be delay raising the debt ceiling. a bigger burden, and they wonÕt University Democrats Presi¥have a job.Ó dent Janette Martinez said if fed- Republicans and Democrats eral grants such as Pell Grants are have each pro¥ reduced, she will posed versions have to take out of a plan in the more loans dur¥past few weeks ing her last year to avoid the de-in college. fault, but both ÒIncoming Student loans are sides have failed freshmen will to agree on a going to get more also have to deal proposal.Repub-with this, in ad¥licans want to expensive. dition to finan¥cut spending by cial aid cuts by Ò trillions of dol-Ñ Michael Brandl, senior lecturer at the Texas Legis¥lars before rais-the McCombs School of Business lature,Ó Martinez ing the debt ceil-said. ÒUT will be ing, while Dem-lot a more ex- With an increasing student dailytexan@gmail.com Ò pensive for those who depend on ocrats are sug¥ studios to four-bedrooms, a park-the office. population there is a growing gesting increas- Photo Office: need for housing, said Educa-ing garage, a swimming pool, a Shye said the staff is general¥ing taxes for the financial aid.Ó (512) 471-8618 tion Realty Trust spokeswoman rooftop patio and ground-level re-ly positive about the move, con¥wealthy to avoid cutting as much Melanie Schwartz, College Re¥ photo@dailytexanonline.com Susan Jennings. tail space, she said. sidering the old building had rain spending for programs such as the publicans political director, said Jennings said the firm was de-Construction will begin in the leaks, sinking floor tiles, dripping Comics Office: Social Security, Medicaid, Medi-the track the country is on right care and federal grants for stu-now is unsustainable. signing an apartment community next few months and continue un-air-conditioning units, overflow¥ (512) 232-4386 that would appeal to different peo-til summer 2013, Jennings said. ing sinks and even a six-month dents and research. ÒWe are spending money on ple, including graduate students Wooldridge Hall was original-rat infestation. Retail Advertising: President Barack Obama plead-a lot of things we donÕt need,Ó ÒGenerally weÕre all very hap¥ and faculty. ly built in the 1880s but was so (512) 471-1865 ed to both parties Monday to Schwartz said. Ò[The] main priorities were to heavily rebuilt over the following py that we moved over here, and joanw@mail.utexas.edu reach a reasonable agreement She said she understands the take some of the textures and col-45 years that it was no longer the I think, for the most part it was a and asked the American public to value of programs such as Medic- Classified Advertising: ors from the existing historical ar-same building, said UT spokes-smooth transition,Ó she said. write to their representatives about aid and Social Security, but Demo¥ (512) 471-5244 chitecture of the campus and re-woman Rhonda Weldon. Once the apartment construc¥ classifieds@dailytexanonline.com peat them in this building to make ÒThe building didnÕt have eleva-tion is finalized in August 2013, a nice transition into the neigh-tors. There were structural prob-the International Office will re¥ locate to the office space in the borhood,Ó she said. lems with the roof, and so the re- The Texan strives to present all information Jennings said construction fol-gents ended up making the decision first two stories of the complex, Economics professor Daniel el, she said. lows the guidelines of the Uni-to go this direction,Ó Weldon said. she said. WORLD&NATION 3 Thursday, July 28, 2011 | THE DAILY TEXAN | Brenna Cleeland, Wire Editor | dailytexanonline.com By Hyung-Jin Kim & Sam Kim The Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea Ñ Walls of mud barreling down a hill bur¥ied 10 college students sleeping in a resort cabin and flash floods sub¥merged the streets and subway sta¥tions in Seoul, killing at least 36 peo¥ple Wednesday in South KoreaÕs heaviest rains this year. The students were engulfed by a landslide in Chuncheon, about 68 miles (110 kilometers) northeast of Seoul, said fire marshal Byun In-soo. A married couple and a convenience store owner also died. Witnesses interviewed on televi¥sion said the landslide sounded like a massive explosion or a freight train. They described people screaming as buildings were carried away by riv¥ers of mud. About 670 firefighters, soldiers, police and others rushed to res¥cue those trapped and extract the dead from the mud and wreck¥age in Chuncheon, where 24 oth¥ers were injured and several build¥ings destroyed. Yonhap news agency reported the 10 students attended Inha University in Incheon, but did not confirm they all were South Korean. The group was volunteering at a local elemen¥tary school. In southern Seoul, 16 people died when mud crashed through homes at the foot of a mountain. The Na¥tional Emergency Management way station using shovels, brooms and a wooden board in an effort to keep more rain from coming in. Yonhap reported Internet and wire¥less connections failed in southern Seoul due to power failures. Footage showed officials rescu¥ing hikers stranded on mountain¥sides. People plodded down streets covered with knee-deep water, many The heavy rain since Tuesday left about 620 people homeless and flooded 720 houses and about 100 vehicles throughout South Korea. Agency reported seven deaths be¥cause of flooding in a stream just south of the capital and said the toll was expected to rise as dozens of people were missing. Fast-moving mudwaters filled the streets in Seoul on Wednesday, send¥ing residents scrambling to the roofs of their partially submerged cars. Water filled some subway stations and spewed from sewers. TV images showed people in one flooded sub¥barefoot, their pants rolled up. In SeoulÕs center, cars were restrict¥ed from entering the lower part of a submerged two-level bridge. The heavy rain since Tuesday left about 620 people homeless and flooded 720 houses and about 100 vehicles throughout South Korea, the emergency management agen¥cy said. About 17 inches (440 millime¥ters) of rain fell on Seoul and more than 13 inches (340 millimeters) on Chuncheon in the last two days, about 15 times more than the aver¥age two-day rainfall at this time of year, according to the state-run Ko¥rea Meteorological Administration. Weather officials said another 10 inches (254 millimeters) could fall in northern South Korea, including Seoul, through Friday. Seoul, a bustling capital of 10 million, shut down portions of two major highways stretching along each side of the main Han River be¥cause of high water, said disaster of¥ficial Kim Ji-hwan. A dam located just east of Seoul was discharging 16,400 tons of wa¥ter per second, said Cha Jun-ho from the Han River Flood Control Office. The dam already discharged about 1,000 tons per second days before the recent downpours. People in Seoul, where smart¥phones are ubiquitous, post¥ed dozens of photos on Twitter and Facebook showing inundat¥ed streets and mud-covered cars. Many complained online that Seoul had neglected to prepare for the downpours. RomneyÕs campaign prepares for battle for presidentÕs seat By Ann Sanner The Associated Press PATASKALA, Ohio Ñ Forget his GOP primary opponents. Republi¥can front-runner Mitt Romney is fo¥cused on a match-up against Presi¥dent Barack Obama. ÒThe president when he was a candidate said that he was go¥ing to take China to the mat,Ó the former Massachusetts governor said Wednesday at a manufactur¥ing plant. ÒWell, IÕm afraid most of us thought he meant the wrestling mat. But instead he and we have been taken to the door mat.Ó RomneyÕs take on ObamaÕs eco¥nomic record in a general election battleground shined a light on his strategy as he leads the Republican field in polls and money five months before primary voting is to begin: ignore swipes from his GOP rivals, criticize the Democratic president on the economy, and campaign in important presidential swing states seemingly as often as states that vote early in the GOP primary. ItÕs a sharp contrast to RomneyÕs approach four years ago when he ran for the Republican nomination as a virtual unknown and tried to Ñ un¥successfully Ñ beat the 2008 leader of the GOP pack John McCain. This year, itÕs Romney who leads the Republican Party that typical¥ly nominates the candidate who ran Ñ and lost Ñ once before. His stand¥ing has afforded him the luxury of watching as GOP rivals like Minne¥sota Rep. Michele Bachmann and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlen¥ty try to emerge as the alternative choice of primary voters. Not that Romney will publicly ac¥knowledge that heÕs focused on No¥vember 2012 and Obama; doing so would enflame Republicans in Iowa, New Hampshire and other early vot¥ing states and create an aura of inevi¥tability that has destroyed other front¥runners before him, like Hillary Rod¥ham Clinton during the Democratic primary in 2008. Perhaps mindful of all that, Rom¥ney said Wednesday Ñ in a state that isnÕt slated to hold its GOP primary until May Ñ that: ÒIÕve got to win the primaries first. ThatÕs job one. Then comes job two, which is winning the general.Ó His strategy, to be sure, could change if new Ñ and potential¥ly more exciting Ñ players join the race. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Pa¥lin has scheduled a visit to Iowa in September, a hint sheÕs more serious¥ly weighing a campaign. And advis¥ers to Texas Gov. Rick Perry are lay¥ing the groundwork should he decide to become a presidential contender. For now, at least, RomneyÕs acting like the front-runner. Jay LaPrete | Associated Press Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, center, speaks during his tour of Screen Machine Industries with owner Doug Cohen, left, Wednesday, in Pataskala, Ohio. NEWS BRIEFLY s d -Paralyzed lion in Brazil dies, eresulting in top internet news l SAO PAULO Ñ Ariel, a par¥alyzed male lion whose fight to n walk again became the focus of s an Internet fundraising campaign t and captured wide media atten¥tion in Brazil, died Wednesday, his teowner said. u-The Facebook page created by dBorges was ÒlikedÓ by more than 62,500 people. The lionÕs death r made headlines on BrazilÕs biggest d news portals and was a top world¥ s wide trending item on Twitter. Veterinarian Livia Pereira who s cared for Ariel recently had said i¥ that for unknown reasons, the li¥sonÕs white blood cells attacked n-healthy cells because of a degener¥t-ative disease affecting the medul¥ y la, a portion of the brain stem in¥volved in motor functions. d Pereira said ArielÕs symptoms e were similar to those of multi¥ple sclerosis, ParkinsonÕs disease k and Guillain-Barre syndrome, an e autoimmune disorder that can g cause paralysis. n tTropical storm forms in Gulf, ypredicted to make way to Texas e- MIAMI Ñ Forecasters say Trop¥ical Storm Don has formed in the e¥ southern Gulf of Mexico and its g track over the next several days shows that itÕs headed toward y southeastern Texas. - The National Hurricane Cen¥ et¥ ter in Miami said Wednesday that -it doesnÕt appear the storm will nstrengthen into a hurricane. s Forecasters say maximum sus¥ s tained winds are at 40 mph (65 kph). The center of the storm is about 755 d miles (1215 kilometers) east-south¥ g east of Corpus Christi, Texas. e- Luxury Residences combined with retail and restaurants Voted UTmost Apartment complex Spring 2010 Now pre-leasiNg for fall 2011!! Call now to reserve your home: 512.450.1500 www.triangleaustin.com 4600 W. Guadalupe Interior Features ¥ Granite countertops with tile backsplash ¥ Stained concrete and wood floors ¥ Internet included ¥ Black appliance package ¥ Washer/dryer included in all residences ¥ 10-12Õ ceilings ¥ Spacious walk-in closets Residence amenities ¥ Walking distance to shopping and dining ¥ 24-hour fitness facility ¥ Free multi-level parking garage ¥ 3 relaxing pools and hot tub ¥ Clubroom with pool table and flat screen TVs ¥ Wi-Fi access in common areas. ¥ UT shuttle stop with Capital Metro Park Ôn Ride facility No coastal watches or warnings s Mention this ad and receive are in effect. Ñ Compiled from Associated Press 1/2 off your admin fee! reports 4 OpiniOn Thursday, July 28, 2011 | The Daily Texan | Viviana Aldous, Editor-in-Chief | (512) 232-2212 | editor@dailytexanonline.com viewpoinT Research isnÕt sole issue Now that Harry Potter has finally defeated Voldemort, we can return to dealing with the other You-Know-Who. WeÕre talking, of course, about Rick OÕDonnell and his funding-eaters at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. In June, more than 200 alumni and other in¥dividuals concerned with the ongoing debate over Texas higher education banded together to form the Texas Coalition for Excellence in Higher Education. Calling themselves a Òpow¥erful and diverse group of Texas business, philanthropic and community leaders,Ó the coalition has published several press releases, primarily in direct response to prominent criticisms of the University. For example, for¥mer UT System adviser Rick OÕDonnell pub¥lished a new report last week attacking faculty productivity and workload. Within hours, the coalition published a scathing retort, centered around ad hominem attacks on OÕDonnell while largely glossing over the reportÕs findings and recommendations, saying only that the ideas Òhave been previously rejected through analytical and knowledgeable review.Ó So far it seems the coalitionÕs primary purpose is to do just that, to rebut the lat¥est attack on the UT status quo. Albeit, it is a worthwhile battle in many regards. Several of the proposals offered up by the TPPF in the legaleSe 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 administra¥tion, the Board of Regents or the Texas Student Media Board of Operating Trustees. reCyCle Please recycle this copy of The Daily Texan. Place the pa¥per in one of the recycling bins on campus or back in the burnt-orange newsstand where you found it. SUBMiT a firing line Email your Firing Lines to firingline@dailytexanonline.com. Letters must be more than 100 and fewer than 300 words. The Texan reserves the right to edit all submissions for brev¥ity, clarity and liability. eDiTorial TwiTTer Follow The Daily Texan Editorial Board on Twitter (@ DTeditorial) and receive updates on our latest editorials and columns. The firing line The cost of ÔfreeÕ parking MondayÕs column, ÒNew parking fees threaten Austin growth,Ó misses the mark on parking meters. Anyone who has ever tried to park downtown on a Friday or Saturday night knows that free parking spaces are usually either very difficult or impossible to find. ItÕs basic supply and demand: Parking is a limited resource, and if the cost doesnÕt reflect that scarcity, there will be shortages. Expanded meter hours will increase the turnover and availability of those slots, increasing supply. Greater availability of metered parking spaces will offer a cheaper alterna¥tive to the more expensive garages. It makes absolutely no sense that parking is free when demand is greatest, on Friday and Saturday nights, but costs money when there is less demand during the day. How will nighttime service workers cope? The same way as their coworkers that work during the day now and have to deal with metered street parking. Contrary to popular myth, you donÕt have to park downtown to go downtown. Plenty of buses go to and from downtown late into the night. If you want to park for a long period of time downtown, park¥ing will still be free at nights north of 10th Street. Austinites need to get over the idea that they are entitled to free parking wherever they want to go. There is a cost to ÒfreeÓ parking spaces. They take up valuable land and have to be built. Free parking simply doesnÕt work in a downtown setting when there are many more people who would like to park than there are parking spaces. Ñ Timothy Bray UT alumnus Where is the research? I write to express my disappointment in MondayÕs article ÒModification of language requirement sparks debate.Ó I am sorry to see The Daily Texan print a poorly researched, shallow article-cum-editorial. The heart of the problem is that the article is heavily one-sided. Where is the research on outcomes and student achievement? Last year, many languages were taught intensively, not just French, and we have proficiency scores that measure achievement on a national scale for the four languages taught in the Department of Middle Eastern Studies. Your reporter did not even bother to inquire about such results, nor about how we can measure success and failure of language study. Perhaps you could devote a future article to that topic. Ñ Kristen Brustad Chair, Department of Middle Eastern Studies form of the Òseven breakthrough solutionsÓ are misguided and short-sighted ÒreformsÓ that would have an extremely negative impact on the quality of education offered by UT. The problem, rather, is that the ongoing de¥bate over the role of research at UT seems to be the only battle the coalition wants to fight. Rather than being advocates for improving the University, the group has been content to serve as a public relations firm, vigorously de¥fending the University administration with a circle-the-wagons mentality. That protectionist mindset might not be such a glaring issue if the status quo were not so ghastly itself. Since 2004, when tuition was deregulated, the cost of attending UT has risen 40 percent, more than twice the rate of inflation over the same period, including constant tuition hikes both before and during the recession. And while state appropriations have re¥mained relatively stagnant, University oper¥ating costs have continued to rise every year since the mid 1990s. Now that the budget re¥ductions have been finalized, it is almost in¥evitable that the University will seek to raise tuition next year. Our UniversityÕs president has been quick to cite the fact that while state appropriations once accounted for a large percentage of the UniversityÕs funding, they now only constitute around 14 percent of the budget. What doesnÕt get mentioned is how the UniversityÕs operat¥ing costs have exploded over the same time period. Until the recent budget reduction, the state wasnÕt giving us less; we were just spending more. If this coalition really is more than the University administrationÕs pet watchdog, then itÕs time to show some teeth. The Uni¥versityÕs president has a fully staffed public affairs office to write press releases and de¥fend the systems and structures they have created. The administration can fight its own battles. The real question is whether this coalition is willing to stick up for students, some of whom wonÕt be able to afford the next round of tuition hikes and will subsequently be forced out of the University. Among the endless back-and¥forth over the value of research and faculty workloads, the debate has largely glossed over the most important constituency involved: the students. Whether those students should be viewed as consumers in a market-driven industry or sages thirsting for the attainment of knowledge is a matter of personal opinion and, quite frankly, irrelevant. What is relevant is just how much tuition is going to increase by next year and how many classes and faculty will be cut. Over the past year, the ongoing debate re¥garding the future of Texas higher education has devolved into a dichotomous struggle be¥tween two polar ideologies. Both sides claim to have studentsÕ best interests at heart, yet neither is acting like it. One camp seems per¥fectly content to continue the tuition hikes and budget expansion of the last 10 years, thereby recommitting UT to the bidding war that higher education in this country has be¥come. Meanwhile, our ÒreformersÓ seem set on bleeding the University down to a com¥munity college. And while downgrading the quality of education offered by the University should not be an option, upgrading UT via a Harvardesque price tag is an equally unac¥ceptable outcome. The next year promises a new set of diffi¥culties for this University, both for its lead¥ers and constituents. Now more than ever, students need their most vocal advocates to recognize the implications of larger tuition hikes before the die is cast. Balancing UTÕs budget on the backs of students is not an acceptable outcome. Ñ Dave Player for the editorial board. gallery Paper or canvas? By Matt Daley Daily Texan Columnist Plastic may no longer be an option. Austin Mayor Lee Lef¥fingwell, along with City Council members Chris Riley and Mike Martinez, introduced a resolution Monday that would eventually lead to a ban on plastic shopping bags in most Aus¥tin stores. In doing so, Austin would join a growing number of environmentally-conscious cities and countries that have cho¥sen to banish the wasteful plastic scourge. This is not the first time Leffingwell has supported banning plastic bags. In 2008, when he served as a member of City Council, Leffingwell proposed banning plastic shopping bags. His efforts did not lead to a ban then, however. A group of six large retail stores pledged to voluntarily reduce bag use at their stores instead. The reduction amounted to about a 20-percent decline in use over the past two years, according to Leffingwell. The agreed target was 50 percent. According to the Austin Amer¥ican-Statesman, the mayor cited the programÕs general inef¥fectiveness and its small size (it involved only the original six retailers who proposed it) as reasons for revisiting the idea of a city-wide ban. The mayor also cited a January 2011 report from the cityÕs Solid Waste Services Department, which estimated that Aus¥tinÕs plastic bag habit Ñ some 263 million bags used annually Ñ costs the city more than $850,000 per year in landfill mainte¥nance and roadside cleanup. The city council will consider the new resolution at its Aug. 4 meeting. If adopted, the resolution would direct city employ¥ees, along with local retailers, to create an implementation plan. The mayor has said that a ban would be imposed gradually and would likely allow for some exceptions to be made. Small stores, for instance, might be exempt. However, he was careful to say that the ban must be widely applicable to be effective. A number of U.S. cities have banned the plastic bag in stores. In 2007, San Francisco was the first to do so. Portland is the most recent member of the club, which has grown to include Brownsville, Palo Alto and Los Angeles County. Internationally, banning them is more popular. Mexico City banned plastic bags in 2009; the Chinese government has severely restricted their use; and Italy banished them entirely in January. Plastic bags can persist in the environment for decades. They do not degrade readily; they merely break into smaller pieces. They pile up in mountains and in landfills, pollute rivers, swirl endlessly in oceans and endanger wildlife. But while managing plastic bags after they have been used and discarded certainly creates environmental problems, it is by some accounts a small¥er problem than the consequences of making the bags initially. Plastic bags are made from oil and natural gas, and the envi¥ronmental cost of producing them is severe. They waste non¥renewable resources that could be used for more productive purposes. The Chinese government estimates that its restric¥tions save some 37 million barrels of oil per year from being used to make plastic bags. According to Salon, an online magazine, only 2 percent of plastic bags are successfully recycled in the United States. Many are thrown away and sent to landfills, but even bags sent to recy¥cling centers pose problems. Because they are so thin, the bags are difficult to process and often clog machines, requiring them to be removed by hand. Businesses favor them, of course, because they are cheap, costing 1 to 2 cents per bag, compared to paper bagsÕ 4- to 6-cent price tag. And manufacturers claim that making them is less damaging than making paper bags. Paper bags require that trees be ground up, and because they are heavier than plastic ones, paper bags require more fuel to transport to retailers. But that argument fails to account for the higher recycling rate for paper bags, many of which are now made from recycled materials to begin with. Moreover, trees, if properly managed, are a renewable resource, unlike oil and natural gas. And paper bags are not the only alternative. During the vol¥untary reduction program, the Texas Retailers Association, a group that opposes the mayorÕs proposed ban, estimates that the participating stores sold more than 900,000 reusable canvas bags to customers. These bags, also often made from recycled materials, can be used over and over again. Getting customers to use them has been the primary issue. Eliminating plastic bags, or charging for them, may be an incentive customers will respond to. Plastic bags serve their purpose quite well, and they epito¥mize convenience. But the piles of discarded bags and small bits of plastic floating in our rivers and oceans are slowly assem¥bling into a permanent monument to the consequences of our collective laziness. According to the Austin American-Statesman, Leffingwell said, ÒIt wonÕt take much for Austinites to understand that plas¥tic is no longer an option.Ó He is right, and Austin should kick this wasteful habit. Daley is a biology and government senior. BUDGET City Council to vote continues from PAGE 1 on water treatment, ÒItÕs kind of an attention-get¥ting rate increase,Ó Leffingwell said. ÒThis is because we havenÕt had a rate increase since 1994, downtown parking and this is basically catch up.Ó A new fixed water sustainabil¥ity fee is the other large compo¥said she has concerns about fi- Resolution could require nent to the projected $22 increase nancial penalties if the city fails some construction workers for customers and homeowners to meet requirements associated who use an average amount of to undergo safety training with the cityÕs debts. electricity per month. It also af¥ ÒMy primary concern is the fects commercial customers, in¥ impact on the cityÕs debt. We face By Katrina Tollin Daily Texan Staff the potential of increasing our conductor. The chip manufactur¥ cluding Samsung Austin Semi¥ interest if we break a deal,Ó Cole ing company, which is undergo- The Austin City Council will said. ÒIt is a big deal to go back on ing a $3.6 billion expansion, will hear more than 130 agenda items [a deal] as a city because we bor¥have a hefty water bill with the today during its first regular row so much money.Ó new fee. meeting after a month-long sum-Another resolution would de-Of the general fund, 65 percent mer break. lay the planned start date for ex¥is allocated to public safety, with In addition to routine business, pansion of downtown parking the Austin Police Department the council will vote on several hours until 2012. receiving the largest increase at resolutions sponsored by individ-ÒThe idea of extending the $16.5 million, according to the ual council members. These res-parking hours came from city proposed budget. olutions include extending safe-staff as a solution to our down¥ÒFor me, public safety as a city ty requirements for construction town parking problem,Ó said Matt is our number one priority,Ó Leff¥ workers, reconsidering the time Curtis, spokesman for Mayor Lee ingwell said. By Syeda Hasan tempted to reduce the use of dis-I think if this can work elsewhere line for expanding on-street park-Leffingwell. ÒThis is a solution The funds would allow APD to ing meter hours downtown and to cars that may pull up early in maintain its ratio of two officers Daily Texan Staff posable plastic bags in previous it can work in Austin.Ó years by designing a voluntary He said while there are meth¥ potentially delaying construction the evening and stay in one spot per 1,000 residents by adding 49 on Water Treatment Plant No. 4 to the next day because they have new officers. Plastic may not be an option for program for retailers to limit the ods for recycling plastic bags, that is already underway. no incentive to move. They have Property tax is expected to in-Austin shoppers much longer. number of plastic bags they use, many still end up in landfills and City officials are deliberating on but the plan only reduced usage by are harmful because they do not A passing vote on the water a free spot.Ó crease by almost $3 per month treatment plant proposal would Curtis said extending the hours for a home with a median value the best way to implement a ban 20 percent. decompose naturally. on plastic shopping bags to less-ÒCurrently our communi-ÒThey cause more problems give the Council time to collect would generate revenue that will of about $182,228. en negative environmental im-ty uses about 263 million plastic than anything,Ó Curtis said. ÒWe information about the financial be used for improving the down-Personal property values are pacts, Mayor Lee Leffingwell bags each year,Ó Curtis said. ÒThe do expect one thing out of this impact of a possible delay in the town area and will encourage al¥expected to increase by 30 per¥ announced Monday. best thing to do for the environ-ban, and that is a drastic and projectÕs completion. The city has ternative transportation. cent, and land values are pro- Plastic bags cost the city rough-ment and the economy is to look hopefully complete reduction already spent $123 million on the Another resolution on the jected to increase by 20 percent. ly $850 thousand a year to clean at ways to have a severe reduction of plastic bags going into our project, which will cost a total of agenda for todayÕs meeting would Commercial and multi-unit res¥ $508 million. expand safety training require¥idential property values are also up and dispose of, Leffingwell said of their usage.Ó local environment.Ó in a press release. He said the pro-Curtis said the mayorÕs team English senior Thomas White ÒThis resolution doesnÕt change ments for construction work¥projected to rise but significant¥ posed ban on the bags will be fur-has asked City Manager Marc Ott said he feels more people would direction or postpone anything, ers on city property. Currently ly less. The property value of sin¥ ther discussed and voted on at the to create a plan that will gradual-make the switch to reusable shop¥ but it gives the council time to de-third-party contractors are not gle family residents is projected to Aug. 4 City Council meeting. ly reduce and eliminate the use of ping bags if they did not have the cide if they want to change direc-required to do the 10-hour safe¥decrease by 0.4 percent. tion,Ó said Heidi Gerbracht, pol-ty training city contractors are re-City Manager Marc Ott, who ÒSingle-use plastic bags are both plastic bags. The best alternative option of using plastic bags. harmful to the environment and for shoppers is to invest in reus-ÒI understand they can have icy director for council member quired to take. started working with the city in costly to our local economy,Ó Lef-able bags, he said. negative environmental impacts, Bill Spelman, the main sponsor ÒWe would like to see as many 2008 and created the project¥ fingwell said. ÒThey create litter ÒPlastic bags are bad for our and IÕd be willing to work around of the resolution. ÒThis is sort of workers [as possible] in the city ed budget, said he is comfortable in our rivers and streams. TheyÕre community, and it is time to do not using plastic bags,Ó White a placeholder for us to hold off.Ó given the basic safety training with it. In the budget released Wednes-that they need to keep them safe ÒMy entire tenure here has been harmful to wildlife and because something about it,Ó Curtis said. said. ÒWe all still have to buy gro¥ bags are not biodegradable, they ÒThis has been done in other ceries and carry them somehow, day by City Manager Marc Ott, on the job,Ó said Emily Timm, about trying to manage through the city faces a $9.8 million bud-a policy analyst for The Work¥the economic downturn,Ó Ott are around forever.Ó communities, and it has worked. and I think the Austin communi¥ get shortfall for 2012. erÕs Defense Project, a workersÕ said. LeffingwellÕs spokesman Matt Austin is one of the most intelli-ty especially would be willing to Curtis said city officials have at-gent cities in the United States, so work around the ban.Ó Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole rights group. NEWS BRIEFLY Interim director position filled at University Health Services Associate director of University Health Services Jamie Shutter will begin leading UHS as interim di¥rector starting in September. She is taking over for UHS di¥rector Jeanne Carpenter, who an¥nounced her retirement earlier this month. ÒJamie has always prioritized the needs of students in every de¥cision she makes,Ó Carpenter said. ÒShe is an excellent choice for in¥terim director, and our students will be in good hands with Jamie leading the organization.Ó ShutterÕs accomplishments as as¥sociate director include starting the UT Wellness Network, overseeing the redesign of the UHS website, and developing and increasing the visibility of the Center for Students in Recovery, Carpenter said. Shutter was one of two peo¥ple recognized by the University as 2011 Outstanding Supervisors, said Chris Brownson, associate vice president for student affairs, who appointed Shutter. ÒJamie has a wealth of knowl¥edge and experience in college health. She has a passion for work¥ing with students and has been a campus leader for promoting stu¥dent wellness,Ó Brownson said. ÒShe is open, fair and makes deci¥sions based on what is in the best interest of students.Ó Ñ Will Alsdorf ¥ RECYCLE your copy of The Daily Texan Carpenters union protests UT contractor A group representing an Aus¥tin-based carpenters union has been at the West Mall every week¥day morning since July 19 protest¥ing against what they say are un¥fair labor practices by a contractor working at UT. ÒWeÕre just trying to alert the public to an issue not facing just Austin but the country,Ó said Craig Wright, an organizer for the Texas Carpenters & Millwrights Region¥al Council. Carpenters Local Union 1266 member Gerald Boese has been protesting and said he has been working as a carpenter since 1966. A local contractor working on Bell¥mont Hall was being unfair to tax¥payers and employees by not with¥holding federal taxes intended for Social Security, Boese said. The contractor, 4MC Enterprises Incor¥porated, did not return requests for comment. ÒThe University of Texas should look into employers like these contractors to make sure they are treating workers fairly and paying into Social Security,Ó Boese said. Many of the people protesting are not members of the carpenters union and are paid $10 an hour to fair to pay people to [protest],Ó Bo¥protest, Wright said. ese said. ÒIt helps them out. It gives ÒThe carpenters union feels itÕs them a job for a couple of hours.Ó According to a WFAA-Dallas report from December, the union has a history of hiring homeless individuals to protest. Ñ Will Alsdorf Judge approves evidence in polygamistÕs case Perry claims dread about debt ceiling is overblown By April Castro The Associated Press HOUSTON Ñ Predictions of gloom and doom gripping the economy if the federal debt ceil¥ing is not extended are overblown, Gov. Rick Perry said Wednesday, even as stocks plunged on fears that gridlocked congressional leaders would allow the U.S. to default on its debts. ÒTheyÕre not going to shut down the collection of fees and taxes, IÕm thinking,Ó Perry said, respond¥ing to a question after a ceremoni¥al bill signing. ÒThere is still going to be revenues flowing in. I think this threat that somehow or anoth¥er the worldÕs going to come to an end and the threat of weÕre not go¥ing to be able to pay our bills is a bit of a stretch.Ó Political gridlock has so far halt¥ed legislation to stave off TuesdayÕs deadline to raise the nationÕs debt ceiling. Investors anxious about the stalemate swept across Wall Street on Wednesday and drove the Dow Jones industrial average down al¥most 200 points. On Wednesday, Perry called the gridlock political theater; a day earlier he called President Barack ObamaÕs speech addressing the sit¥uation condescending. The Texas governor is moving closer to jumping in the race for the White House. While he said he supports the so-called cut, cap and balance ap¥proach, Perry did not say if he sup¥ported the plan proposed by House Speaker John Boehner. ÒIÕm frustrated along with the rest of Americans, but the fact of the matter is ... weÕve spent too much money, weÕve gotten our house in bad shape and we need to stop spending.Ó By Will Weissert The Associated Press SAN ANGELO Ñ A judge on Wednesday dealt a blow to the de¥fense of polygamist religious lead¥er Warren Jeffs, refusing to sup¥press evidence police seized dur¥ing a 2008 raid on his sectÕs West Texas compound. District Judge Barbara WaltherÕs decision means a small mountain of documents Ñ including mar¥riage and birth records Ñ can be presented to the jury during Jef¥fsÕ trial. It also means opening state¥ments in the case are set for Thurs¥day morning, after one more sup¥pression hearing. This time, JeffsÕ attorneys are asking that evidence seized dur¥ing the 2006 traffic stop in Ne¥vada when Jeffs was arrest¥ed also be suppressed. Walther said she would hear arguments on that for about an hour, then told both sides to be ready with opening statements. Jeffs, head of the Fundamental¥ist Church of Jesus Christ of Lat¥ter Day Saints, faces two counts of sexual assault of a child. If con¥victed, he faces a maximum sen¥tence of up to 119 years to life in prison. The April 2008 raid on the FLDS ranch outside of tiny Eldorado, Texas, made headlines nationwide. Walther signed the search warrant that prompted it. The raid was based on a call to a domestic abuse shelter that turned out to be a hoax, howev¥er. JeffsÕ attorneys had argued that police had suspicions information provided by the caller was spuri¥ous, and yet didnÕt mention them to Walther to ensure sheÕd approve the warrant. After about an hour hearing, an additional 30 minutes of deliber¥ating, Walther turned down the defense request. Age Compensation Requirements Timeline Men and Women 18 to 45 Call For Compensation Healthy & Non-Smoking BMI between 20 and 30 Wed. 27 Jul. through Sun. 31 Jul. Wed. 10 Aug. through Sun. 14 Aug. Wed. 24 Aug. through Sun. 28 Aug. Wed. 7 Sep. through Sun. 11 Sep. Outpatient Visit: 13 Sep. Men and Women 18 to 55 Up to $2400 Healthy & Non-Smoking BMI between 18 and 32 Fri. 5 Aug. through Mon. 8 Aug. Fri. 12 Aug. through Mon. 15 Aug. Fri. 19 Aug. through Mon. 22 Aug. Men and Women 18 to 55 Up to $1500 Healthy & Non-Smoking BMI between 18 and 30 Weigh at least 121 lbs. Thu. 11 Aug. through Mon. 15 Aug. Men and Women 18 to 55 Up to $1200 Healthy & Non-Smoking BMI between 19 and 35 Wed. 17 Aug. through Sun. 21 Aug. Outpatient Visit: 25 Aug. Athlete who posed as student receives three in years prison By Betsy Blaney The Associated Press LUBBOCK Ñ A former star athlete who posed as a teenager to play high school basketball in West Texas was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison after reaching a plea deal, a prosecutor said. Guerdwich Montimere, 23, pleaded guilty to two counts of sex¥ual assault and three counts of tam¥pering with government records, said Ector County District Attor¥ney Bobby Bland. Officials say the naturalized U.S. citizen from Haiti had graduated from high school in Florida, where he also played basketball, years be¥fore he moved to Odessa and pre¥sented himself as a ninth-grader named Jerry Joseph. Montimere was 21 and 22 when he played one season at Odessa Permian High, the same rabidly competitive school that inspired the book and movie ÒFriday Night LightsÓ about high school football. Montimere helped lead the Panthers to the 2010 state playoffs, but the team had to forfeit after his story unraveled. Montimere was indicted last year on six felony charges, includ¥ing sexual assault and tampering with government records. His trial was to begin next week in Odessa, and he had faced up to 20 years in prison if convicted on the original counts. The indictment accused him of identity theft. The sexual assault counts accused him of hav¥ing sex with a 15-year-old girl. Messages were left with a spokesman for MontimereÕs attor¥ney Wednesday as well as with his mother, Manikisse Montimere. Suspicions were raised about Jo¥seph after coaches from Florida at a post-season amateur basketball tournament in Arkansas said they recognized him as Montimere, a 2007 graduate of a Fort Lauder¥dale, Fla., high school. Because he was living with Odes¥sa basketball coach Danny Wright and not a parent or guardian, Mon¥timere had to apply to the Univer¥sity Interscholastic League in Aus-tin to play high school basketball. A waiver was granted and he was the star of the team. Wright, who still calls Montim¥ere by the name Jerry, said he was livid once he learned Joseph wasnÕt who he said he was. ÒI was blindsided,Ó Wright said. ÒI never saw it coming. I just thought he was a big kid.Ó Montimere was named the Dis¥trict 2-5A Newcomer of the Year, an honor that was stripped when his deception was exposed. The Panthers also forfeited their 16 wins, although Wright said the Òteam would have been good with or without Jerry.Ó Bland noted Montimere will have to register as a sex offender. ÒTo me, this is justice consider¥ing what he did here. This will pro¥tect other towns from him doing what he did here,Ó Bland said. He also said the victim had want¥ed a plea deal. ÒThe victimÕs been through a lot because of the high profile nature of this case,Ó he said. ÒAnd I wanted to save her from going through the ordeal of a trial.Ó After the Arkansas tournament, Permian officials had begun re¥ceiving anonymous phone calls and emails saying Joseph was real¥ly Montimere. Odessa school offi¥cials looked into the situation, and Joseph was initially cleared by im¥migration authorities and allowed to return to the school. But the investigation continued, and officials eventually confirmed MontimereÕs identity. School of¥ficials said Montimere confessed after he was confronted with the new evidence. In spite of everything, Mon¥timere still had the support of some Permian teachers, who had planned to be in the courtroom for his trial. Liz Faught, a substitute at Perm¥ian who had Montimere as a stu¥dent several times, said he was al¥ways well-behaved and polite. Al¥though she said she felt a Òbit dupedÓ when the truth surfaced, she never lost her compassion for him. ÒI know he was doing all of it for himself to be better off,Ó she said. ÒAnd thatÕs fine. We all do that. ... I cannot say one bad thing about this kid.Ó SPORTS 7 Thursday, July 28, 2011 | THE DAILY TEXAN | Trey Scott, Sports Editor | (512) 232 2210 | sports@dailytexanonline.com 2011 LONGHORN FOOTBALL PREVIEW WANTED: Texas quarterback Head coach still searching for a starting signal caller who can handle pressure By Sameer Bhuchar Daily Texan Staff The same school that produced recent college greats such as Colt McCoy and Vince Young is cur¥rently without a quarterback to continue the tradition. Texas coach Mack Brown made it very clear at the Big 12 Media Days that the starting job is still up for grabs between four options that have yet to separate themselves from one another Ñ Garrett Gil¥bert, Case McCoy, Connor Wood and David Ash. ÒEverybody always says when youÕve got four [quarterbacks] youÕve got none, but I think if youÕve got four good ones, youÕve got four good ones,Ó Brown said. ÒThe field is still wide open, and we want our starter to earn his role.Ó He said that the heated compe¥tition for one of college footballÕs most coveted roles may not be de¥cided until the LonghornsÕ match¥up against Rice on Sept. 3. ÒIf [the quarterbacks] donÕt sepa¥rate, then weÕll go into the Rice game trying to figure out how weÕre going to play them to see who is going to separate in front of 101,000 people,Ó Brown said. ÒYÕall would love that.Ó BrownÕs hush-hush approach to solving this issue raises flags that this yearÕs batch of competitors may not present the capabilities of a leader. Senior running back Fos- Derek Stout | Daily Texan file photo Junior quarterback Garrett Gilbert aims down field against Rice in last yearÕs season opener. Gilbert started all 12 games last year in TexasÕ first losing season since 1997. Texas coach Mack Brown has repeatedly said the starting quarterback role is still open. break out year after a gutsy perfor¥mance in the 2010 National Cham¥pionship game. Gilbert started the 2010 campaign 4-2 but faltered lat¥er in the season when the team went 1-5. He completed 59 percent of his throws for 2,744 yards with just 10 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. The turnovers were among BrownÕs biggest concerns, and he said that whoever is under center this year will need to reverse that trend. QUARTERBACK continues on PAGE 9 SIDELINE MLB SPORTS BRIEFLY Senior quarterback Keenum earns C-USA preseason honors IRVING, Texas Ñ Houston se¥nior quarterback Case Keenum was named Conference USAÕs preseason offensive player of the year after missing most of 2010 with a knee injury. Keenum was awarded a sixth year of eligibility after tearing his ACL during the CougarsÕ third game of the season against UCLA. He was C-USAÕs Most Valuable Player in 2009 after throwing for 5,671 yards. His 14,448 yards of total of¥fense, 13,586 passing yards, 107 touchdown passes and 1,118 completions all rank in the NCAAÕs career top 10. Marshall senior defensive end Vinny Curry was named the pre¥season defensive player of the year, while Tulsa senior return specialist Damaris Johnson was named preseason special teams player of the year. The awards were chosen by C-USAÕs 12 head coaches. Houston Texans re-sign backup, former Heisman winner Leinart HOUSTON Ñ The Houston Texans have agreed to terms with backup quarterback Matt Leinart. Houston signed Leinart to a one-year deal in September 2010, but the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner didnÕt take a snap during the season and the Texans draft¥ed North Carolina quarterback T.J. Yates in the fifth round. Yates worked with incumbent start¥er Matt Schaub and backup Dan Orlovsky during the lockout. A person with knowledge of LeinartÕs decision confirmed the deal Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the move. The Houston Chronicle and KRIV-TV first reported Lei¥nartÕs deal. ÒI am excited to be a Texan,Ó Leinart said via Twitter. ÒUlti¥mately, I had to do what was best for me at this point. People can question the decision, but it was the right one for me. I love the organization, coaching staff and my teammates. Excited to get back to Reliant tomorrow and get back to work.Ó Leinart was the 10th over¥all pick in 2006 by Arizona. He broke his collarbone in the fifth game of the 2007 season, Kurt Warner took over and Leinart watched from the sideline most of the next 2 1/2 seasons. Ñ Compiled from Associated Press reports whitt Whittaker said that whichev¥er player can rally the team around him will get the job. ÒOne of the quarterbacks needs to step up in times of adversity,Ó Whittaker said. ÒHe doesnÕt neces¥sarily have to be vocal, but he needs to be able to make plays Ñ a pres¥ence in the huddle.Ó Brown echoed those statements, saying that he wanted Òsomebody that could get TexasÕ swagger back.Ó Junior Gilbert was last yearÕs starter and was expected to have a Derek Stout | Daily Texan file photo Senior running back Foswhitt Whittaker makes a cut against a Texas Tech defender. Whittaker is expected to start in week one against Rice. Revamped run game focused on production to relieve quarterbacks Staff sparking team with enthusiasm By Sameer Bhuchar ers, the hires are relatable and motivating. Daily Texan Staff Ò[Diaz] is very confident in what he does and naturally that bleeds over to us,Ó senior safety It may be Mack BrownÕs 14th season as Tex- Blake Gideon said. ÒHe believes in his schemes, asÕ head coach, but a majority of his staff has barely been on the 40 Acres for more than a few months. None¥theless, the players have warmed up to the newbies fast. With the departure of longtime of¥fensive coordinator Greg Davis, coach¥in-waiting Will Muschamp and three other Texas coaches, the Longhorns did what they do best Ñ they didnÕt rebuild, they reloaded. Tex-Manny Diaz as hired a bevy of young coordinators Defensive coordinator and coaches on both sides of the ball hoping to inject some new life into a team that had become stag¥nant in itÕs on-field approach. ÒWe brought in a pretty young staff, and we have guys that are 30 or 31 years old, who are just passionate about the football game,Ó senior running back Foswhitt Whittaker said. ÒYou can see the energy that they bring is affect¥ing everybody from coach Brown to Bryan Harsin the players.Ó Co-offensive That reinvention included two key coordinator hires Ñ former Boise State offensive and heÕs made it work everywhere heÕs been. HeÕs given us a lot of freedom as far as the older guys go, and heÕs real¥ly trusted us to learn the defense on our own, so it is really exciting work¥ing with him.Ó Although all the players showered their former coordinators with praise, senior linebacker Emmanuel Acho sees tremendous potential in transitioning into DiazÕs scheme. ÒBoth Diaz and Muschamp are both equally great coaches, but IÕm excited to play under DiazÕs scheme. I think the sky is the limit for us under this new system.Ó Although the players didnÕt reveal too much about the logistics of the new sys¥tem, many think DiazÕs approach will re¥semble the ÒDesert SwarmÓ defense used by Arizona in the early Ô90s. The scheme is characterized by a greater emphasis of on-the-ball defense and hard-nosed pur¥suit tactics making it very hard for of¥fenses to read and exploit. Also injecting some muscle into the coordinator Bryan Harsin and for¥program is the new action-figure-like strength and mer Mississippi State defensive coordinator Man¥ny Diaz. Brown considers them future head coach¥es and wanted their fresh perspective. To the play-COACHES continues on PAGE 9 Horns flash air of arrogance at Media Days By Trey Scott Daily Texan Staff While so many people choose to blame last seasonÕs offensive disas¥ter on quarterback Garrett Gilbert, it would be unfair to do so with¥out remembering that he had little to no ground game relief. In 12 games, Texas averaged about 150 rushing yards per game. For the Longhorns to get back to a bowl, that number needs to rise by 50. Even the best of quarterbacks need some help. Gilbert should get that from a group of complimentary backs: Fozzy Whittaker, Cody Johnson, Traylon Shead, Jeremy Hills and D.J. Monroe. Forgetting somebody? Oh yes, that Malcolm Brown fellow. Whittaker, the fifth-year se¥nior, looks like the starting tail¥back entering the Sept. 3 opener against Rice. But given his inju¥ry-riddled past Ñ he has missed some amount of time in each of his three seasons Ñ heÕll need to split a lot of carries to preserve his health, and thatÕs where Mal¥colm Brown (if Texas fans have their way) comes in. The fresh¥man from Cibolo Steele High School enters Austin with soar¥ing expectations not seen since Cedric BensonÕs first year one de¥cade ago. Whether or not heÕll be able to accomplish what he did in high school Ñ 6,663 career rush¥ing yards and 86 touchdowns Ñ remains to be seen, although head coach Mack Brown did his best to slow down the hype machine a bit at Big 12 Media Days, saying Òhe had a good high school career, but we wonÕt know how good he is until he puts the pads on.Ó Whittaker has been helping Mal¥colm Brown get adjusted to the feel of college life and has even made him feel more comfortable in a uniform. When he got to campus, he asked Whittaker if jersey num¥ber 28 (the number he wore at Ci¥bolo Steele) was available. ÒI told him I had worn it the past few seasons, but that I might be able to give it to him,Ó Whittak¥er said. The switch made sense for both sides, as Whittaker will wear num¥ber 2 this season, which is what he wore in high school at Pearland. ÒChanging numbers works for him, and it works for me,Ó he said. RUN GAME continues on PAGE 9 By Nick Cremona Daily Texan Columnist Not many schools can ink a deal for their own sports network a year after a 5-7 football season. Then again, not many schools do anything like Texas. Take the Big 12 Media Days for exam¥ple. While players and coaches from Missouri, Baylor, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M joined the media for lunch inside the Westin Galleria in Dallas, one group of players was absent. The LonghornsÕ four player representatives instead ate Chinese takeout far from the crowd a floor above them. An isolated lunch is one thing, but when the Longhorns showed up fifteen minutes late to the player interview sessions, everyone took notice. ÒIÕve been around it enough to notice that dif¥ferent guys have different personalities, and if thatÕs what they want to do, then let them do it,Ó said Baylor linebacker Elliot Coffey. ÒYou canÕt let it bother you. If thatÕs what they do then hats off to them, but thatÕs not what we do.Ó For years the entire Texas football pro¥gram has been under fire for what some re¥fer to as a Òsense of entitlement.Ó Whether it is playing on the dates it wants or seeming¥ly getting every call to go their way, some feel the Longhorns receive preferential treatment. On one hand, the Longhorns treatment and ENTITLEMENT continues on PAGE 9 Matt Strasen | Associated Press Texas players answer questions from reporters at the Big 12 Media Days. Longhorn personnel updates Baylor star poised to make Bears conference contenders By Trey Scott Daily Texan Staff Quarterback No news on any transfers, although there have been some rumors floating around out there. Backfield -Fozzy Whittaker says he is 100 percent healthy after a stinger rendered him inef¥fective for most of last season. ÒThose are frustrating because thereÕs nothing you can really do to stop them from happening,Ó he said. ÒBut I feel good now.Ó -Head coach Mack Brown said that the verdict is out on the two incoming backs, Malcolm Brown and fullback Joe Bergeron, until the pads are on. -Cody Johnson will be the fullback. Wide Receiver -Malcolm Williams is probably going Position: DE and freshman Desmond Jackson are coming on gradually though. Taylor Bi¥ble wasnÕt mentioned in the conversa¥tion. Bible came into Texas last year as a highly regarded recruit but has had problems trimming some of his weight (a reported 6-foot-3-inch, 310 pounds) and lacks the stamina to stay on the field for more than a down or two. Linebacker -Keenan Robinson will be TexasÕ mid¥dle linebacker this year, and Emmanuel Acho and Jordan Hicks will man the out¥side spots. It was previously thought that Acho would man the middle (he start¥ed seven games there last season). But, according to Acho, new defensive coor¥dinator Manny Diaz thought it be best to plug Robinson in the middle after re¥viewing tape of the two players. -Acho says that Hicks is coming along strong. ÒJordan is finally healthy, and he can be one of the better outside linebackers in the conference,Ó he said. -Demarco Cobbs has caught the eye of players and coaches after an offseason position change from safety to lineback¥er. Acho even went as far to call him Òthe fastest linebacker in the nation.Ó Cornerback Sophomores Carrington Byndom and Adrian Phillips will start at corner, with true freshman Quandre Diggs and soph¥omore A.J. White serving as the backups. Safety With senior Blake Gideon entrenched as one of the two starters at safety, itÕs a battle between incumbent Christian Scott and Kenny Vaccaro for the other spot. So far, Vaccaro is leading that race (in fact, all of the defensive players list¥ed Vaccaro as THE defensive standout of the summer). to make the move from wideout to H-back, a tight end-like position in Bryan HarsinÕs offense. ÒHeÕs strong enough to block and quick enough to flex out,Ó Mack Brown said. Tight End -Some good news for Texas fans. Blaine Irby is at full health, as is D.J. Grant. Those two will join Dominique Jones and Barrett Matthews in the tight end rotation. ÒYou play two in Bryan HarsinÕs of¥fense, so you really need four,Ó Mack Brown said. -Trey Graham is still injured after a nasty knee tear during last yearÕs fall camp. Offensive line -Offensive tackle Luke Poehlmann, who missed almost all of last season with a knee injury, is healthy and look¥ing good. -Mason Walters is the one men¥tioned when we asked the guys about standouts along the offensive line. -Freshman Sedrick Flowers will stay on the offensive side of the trenches, according to Mack Brown. It was ru¥mored as a possibility that Flowers, who played both ways in high school, could be moved to defensive tackle. Defensive line -Jackson Jeffcoat is fully healthy af¥ter being hampered last season with a high ankle sprain and will join Alex Okafor as the bookends along the de¥fensive line. -As far as the tackle situation goes, the players say that somebody needs to step up and take hold of the No. 2 defensive tackle spot (Kheeston Ran¥dall is firmly entrenched as the No. 1 guy). Calvin Howell, Ashton Dorsey ÔAbsolutely amazingÕ Griffin placed on award watch lists by national media, coaches By Nick Cremona Daily Texan Staff Robert Griffin is a one-of¥a-kind athlete and the Baylor Bears are doing everything they can to spread the word. Among the pamphlets and guides made available to the press at the Big 12 Media Days sat a stack of notepads with GriffinÕs face em¥blazoned on the front. On the reverse side were quotes from the nationÕs top college coach¥es and leading analysts praising GriffinÕs ability. ÒAbsolutely amazing,Ó said Texas head coach Mack Brown. ÒExtremely gifted,Ó Auburn head coach Gene Chizik wrote. And the catchiest of them all Ñ ÒThe Baylor Blur,Ó from the Winston-Salem Journal. HeÕs even got his own web¥site, created by the Bears ath¥letic program. The site, BU¥RG3.com, is still under con¥struction, but all signs point to the site being dedicated to his Heisman campaign. The praise is justified. Grif¥fin holds the Big 12 career re¥cord for lowest interception per¥centage, at 1.4. He also helped Baylor to their first bowl game since 1994, and heÕs not stopping there. Early Heisman watches have Griffin among the candi¥dates for the 2011 season. How¥ever, Griffin isnÕt buying into the talk just yet. ÒIÕve always said that the Heis¥man is a team award,Ó Griffin said. ÒIf the team is doing well and everyone is playing togeth¥er thatÕs when you can start talk¥ing about it.Ó Humbling words coming from a player that many around the league have accused of Òtrash¥talkingÓ on the field. Bears head coach Art Briles sees GriffinÕs behavior on the field in a differ¥ent light. ÒRobert is a confident athlete with reality to back up what heÕs saying on the field,Ó Briles said. If anyone knows Griffin as a player, itÕs Briles. While the head The arrival of Griffin has revived a fledgling fooball program in Baylor, and in 2010 he and the Bears had made a full recovery. Their appearance in the Texas Bowl served as a reminder that one player can indeed turn an entire team around. coach at Houston in 2007, Briles recruited Griffin to come play for the Cougars. Griffin initially committed to Houston, but after Briles landed the head coaching job at Baylor, Griffin made the switch as well. From that point on, the face of Baylor football was changed. Griffin immediately became the centerpiece of the entire Bay¥lor athletic program. He was the crowning achievement for a school that has had trou¥ble bringing in top talent from around the state. In came the 6-foot-3-inch, 215 pound Grif¥fin, and he brought more than speed and a high football IQ to the program. The signing of Griffin opened the door for oth¥er blue chip players to come to Waco as well. GriffinÕs first year with the Bears was more than the team could have ever asked for. He started 11 of 12 games, record¥ed 13 of 23 passes for 241 yards in an upset win over Texas A&M and also won the Big 12 Fresh¥man of the Year award. His quick start with the team couldnÕt stop the Bears from going 4-8 in 2008, and three games into the 2009 season, things came to a crashing halt when Griffin tore his ACL. He sat out the remain¥der of the season and was grant¥ed a medical redshirt since he had not played for more than 30 percent of the season. Grif¥fin was able to make it back on the field in 2010 but even Briles admits he wasnÕt at full strength then. ÒWe saw a little hesitation last year,Ó Briles said. The arrival of Griffin has re¥vived a fledgling football pro¥gram in Baylor, and in 2010 he and the Bears had made a full recovery. Their appearance in the Texas Bowl served as a re¥minder that one player can in¥deed turn an entire program around. The Bears did lose to Il¥linois 38-14, however, it is that loss that has served as fuel for offseason preparation. Griffin made it clear that simply mak¥ing it to a bowl game isnÕt going to cut it this season. ÒWeÕre not just content with sitting at the table, we want des¥sert,Ó Griffin said. ENTITLEMENT continues from PAGE 7 quaterbacks competing for the starting job. Ò like 2010. TexasÕ confidence has The fact that the Texas players made them one of the most suc- QUARTERBACK continues from PAGE 7 regard themselves as better than cessful college football programs their Big 12 counterparts is far as Brown and the Longhorns, ever, but it takes more than just too obvious to go unmentioned. but even Oklahoma head coach an attitude to win games. You subsequent actions could be jus¥tified by their prolonged success within the Big 12 Conference. Texas has won three Big 12 titles and brought in millions worth of revenue from participating in numerous BCS bowls. But this feeling that as a team they march to the beat of their own drum has been echoed by many throughout the conference. Maybe it comes with the terri¥tory. Texas is a large school with an extremely successful athletic history, but that doesnÕt give its players the right to act like they are better than everyone else. For Oklahoma State safety Markelle Martin, the attitude of the Texas program helped in his decision on where to play college football. ÒIt means more to me to come to a smaller school like OSU and beat those big programs like Tex¥as or Oklahoma rather than the who even shooed off a would-be reporter that approached Brown in the hallway. One would think that other high profile coaches and players would act the same It means more to me to come to a smaller school like OSU Ò and beat those big programs like Texas or Oklahoma rather than the other way around. Ñ Markelle Martin, Oklahoma State safety didnÕt even have to be there Mon¥day, but itÕs tough to imagine any of the Longhorns showing up for anything that wasnÕt mandatory. With the growth of college football as a whole, smaller schools are starting to bring in the same talent that a large pro¥gram like Texas has for years. These teams with less resourc¥es and access to the nationÕs top players are getting better, and itÕs partly because of the im¥age Texas is projecting. Young players want to play for a suc¥cessful program, but they donÕt want to be associated with ar¥rogance and complacency. ÒHow We PlayÓ is the new ta¥gline adopted by the Big 12 for the 2011 season, and perhaps this is just how Texas Òplays.Ó Whatever the case, there wonÕt be much room for arrogance from Texas if it has another year Gilbert is widely speculated to re-of the four options,Ó and Wood has a 3rd down and in the red zone and on tain his role given his pro-poten-great deal of arm strength. 4th downs,Ó Brown said. ÒWe want to tial arm and the inexperience of the But despite the individual put quarterbacks under tremendous other three options, but Ash, Wood strengths of each, the race will be pressure and make them prove that and McCoy have all made names for settled by who can understand the they can keep the ball moving and themselves in one way or another. new offensive schemes the best and make the tough plays.Ó McCoy played exceptionally well most importantly, handle the pres-If the coaches canÕt find the man in the spring football game complet-sure of being TexasÕ leader. to handle the pressure of TexasÕ judg¥ing 9-of-11 passes for 124 yards and ÒOne of the things [the offensive mental eyes soon enough, Brown al¥a touchdown, but some scouts noted coordinators] and I have talked about ready has a backup career planned. hisfootworkneededimprovement. alotisthatwearegoingtohavealot ÒIÕll probably be a truck Whittaker believes Ash is Òthe fastest more live competition this year on driver then.Ó COACHES continues from PAGE 7 conditioning coach, Bennie Wylie. tween the coaches has done won-makes the players get along as well. It Wylie works out with the team ders for building cohesion among helps build team camaraderie.Ó three times a day with a superhe-the players. Mack Brown didnÕt need to rein¥ro-like mentality, which senior line-ÒAll the coaches are fun to be vent the wheel after last seasonÕs per¥backer Keenan Robinson said push-around. They joke a lot, theyÕre cool formance; he just needed to spruce es him to train even harder. and they get along,Ó Robinson said. the existing ones up. And so far the ÒYou donÕt want to be embar-ÒThatÕs always good for a coaching players feel as if the suped-up ad¥rassed by your coaches in the weight staff, especially when you get guys to-ditions will have the monster truck room,Ó Robinson said. Robinson gether in such a short period of time. that is Texas football revved up and added that he felt the chemistry be-And when they get along that just running smooth in 2011. Mack Brown and company re-Bob Stoops could be seen shar-can count on the other nine mained under the close watch ing a casual drink with members teams in the conference proving of the media relations personnel, of the media Monday. Stoops that on the field. RUN GAME continues from PAGE 7 Johnson swapped numbers as get acclimated to big-time col-es were never anything more than well this offseason, going from lege football after coming from limited. Monroe lacks the size to 31 to 11, but he made a bigger tiny Cayuga High School. Hills be an every-down back or even in change too, switching from tail-is the younger brother of for-contention for a spot in the reg¥back to fullback. The 5-foot-mer Longhorn and current ular rotations but could thrive 11-inch, 250 pound bruis-Steeler offensive lineman Tony in special packages to utilize his er shouldnÕt have any prob-Hills, and Shead, like Malcolm speed: sweeps, screens and bub¥lems with run or pass blocking, Brown, enjoyed a historic high ble passes. and heÕll still be used in goal school career, setting the state Six guys who expect the ball line situations. record for career yardage. might sound like a crowd, but ÒCody will do what we ask him There is also the curious case of the Longhorns need all the help to,Ó Mack Brown said. ÒWeÕre not D.J. Monroe, last yearÕs fan favor-they can get in order to get back worried about that.Ó ite and a lightning rod of (former to running the ball. Shead and Hills provide offensive-coordinator) Greg Da-ÒOur running game has been depth at tailback. Both redshirt-vis resentment. In limited touch-inconsistent since Jamaal Charles ed last season Ñ Hills in or-es, Monroe did special things left,Ó Mack Brown said. ÒWe have der to preserve two more years with the football. But thatÕs what to get back to running it well and of eligibility and Shead to help irritated fans so much: his touch-being a more physical team.Ó Movie RevieW | Cowboys & aliens Western crosses sci-fi in ÔCowboys & AliensÕ By Alex Williams In this publicity Daily Texan Staff image released by Universal If one thing defines cinema in Pictures, 2011, itÕs alien movies. From ÒSu- Harrison Ford per 8Ó and ÒBattle: Los AngelesÓ to is shown in lighter fare such as ÒPaul,Ó itÕs been a scene from difficult to hit a multiplex without "Cowboys & Aliens." seeing some sort of interplanetary entertainment option. ÒCowboys & AliensÓ is the last big blockbuster of summer, and itÕs not even the only alien movie opening this week¥end, but its fresh twist on the genre makes it an entertaining ride. Even though the filmÕs ad cam¥paign touts it as blending sci-fi and Western elements, it starts off as a mystery. Jake (Daniel Craig) wakes up in the desert with a bi¥zarre bracelet attached to his wrist and no memory of how it (or he) got there. He rides into the nearest town and quickly bumps up against Percy Dolarhyde (Paul Dano), un¥aware that PercyÕs father (Harri¥son Ford) is a powerful cattle bar¥on whose very name inspires fear in the local townspeople. Courtesy of Universal Pictures The filmÕs first act is by far its best, staged with all the tropes of a traditional Western. Director Jon others Ñ all of them vital parts of id, even if the character work isnÕt. Favreau nails the pace, letting an whatÕs made the movie work so far. Craig is a hero through and through, ÒCowboys and AliensÓ intense slow burn guide the open-Once the cowboys go track-instilling his character with a confi- Jon Favreau ing scenes. He showcases beauti-ing down the aliens who have kid-dence that carries him even when ful, sprawling landscapes and dusty napped their townspeople, the film he has no memories whatsoever. Genre: Sci-Fi Western gunfights with a flair that would slowly catches up with its forward The filmÕs only real character is Sam SINGER continues from PAGE 12 Madison Square Garden. It was the Jingle Ball in 2009 and we were play¥ing with a bunch of these huge pop stars Ñ Justin Beiber, Taylor Swift, John Mayer and all these other art¥ists. We were able to play a song, one song, and it was just a magical experience. I have been able to see places all over the world. Once we had a day off in Beijing and we were able to climb the Great Wall of Chi¥na, so that was another moment of sort of Òpinch me, is this actually my real life?Ó DT: Are you working on an LP right now? BD: Yeah, I am! Being on tour is a great environment for me to write. ThereÕs a lot of creative energy float¥ing around. IÕve already started re¥cording some demos. Hopefully by early next year maybe weÕll be spending time in the studio or start wrapping up the full length. DT: What are some inspirations behind the materials youÕre writing? BD: ItÕs definitely going to feel like an actual progression from the Sparks EP ... just the experiences IÕve had in these couple years that IÕve been living and growing. Just some bitter questions such as what does my future look like? What do I want for myself? And also, relation¥ship things. They are always the first things I write about. SUDOKUFORYOU 1 4 6 4 5 1 7 4 7 9 7 6 9 7 3 2 4 8 4 3 9 5 4 1 7 8 3 5 8 9 MondayÕs solution OKU YOU 12 Life&Arts Thursday, July 28, 2011 | The Daily Texan | Julie Rene Tran, Life&Arts Editor | (512) 232 2209 | dailytexan@gmail.com PoP artist ÔsParksÕof Possesses insPiration By Julie Rene Tran S eated in a blue armchair, tuning her with the Texan her thoughts on working before. I was able to travel to all these plac-BD: Oh my gosh, itÕs been amazing. He is guitar, pop singer-songwriter Bre-with Adam Young of Owl City (whom she es that I had never dreamed of ever being so talented. He is one of the most down-to¥anne DŸren doesnÕt look like a celeb-has toured and performed with twice), able to see in real life. Meeting a bunch earth people IÕve ever met in my life. HeÕs just rity, much less an opening act for Owl being a young pop artist and the in- of new people. Being able to just a great, humble, nice guy as well so itÕs just CityÕs All Things Bright and Beautiful World spirations behind her music. have the incredible experience at a fun tour to be on. Everyone on the tour is ON THE WEB: Tour. Her smiling eyes, Midwestern accent such a young age that it was all great and weÕre all really close friends and check online Friday and buttery voice are just some of the im-Daily Texan: Can you tell really exciting, I think that ex-weÕre just one big tour family. to see a video of mediate charms of her bubbly, yet down-to-me whatÕs the inspiration be¥ citement and energy was put Breanne DŸren earth personality. hind Sparks? into the songs I wrote. And so DT: What are some highlights of that @bitly/ While in Austin for her Wednesday night Breanne DŸren: I wrote the dtvideo thereÕs definitely energy to it and first tour for you? performance with Owl City at ACL Live, Bre-EP while I was on tour with Owl innocence to it. BD: There had been some many in¥anne DŸren performed two songs from her City, within the first couple years credible moments. We were able to play at debut EP, Sparks, for The Daily TexanÕs music of doing that. And it was a really, really DT: So what is it like working with blog series, The Basement Tapes. She shared new experience for me. I had never toured Adam? SINGER continues on pAGE 10 In honor of the second annual National Dance Day, Ballet Austin is hosting classes for dancers of all levels, with choreography developed by ÒSo You Think You Can DanceÓ and celebrity choreographers. WHAT: Ballet AustinÕs National Dance Day 2011 Classes WHEN: July 30, all day (check schedule for class times) WHERE: Ballet AustinÕs Butler Dance Education Center HOW MUCH: $5 minimum donation per class WEB: balletaustin.org/national¥danceday Vintage designers and boutiques Ñ including Black Swan Theory, Good¥ie Two Shoes and Dog & Pony Ñ will be showcasing pieces along with cheap drinks and complimentary massages and hair styling. WHAT: Vintage Vibe Two trunk show WHEN: July 30, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. WHERE: Volstead Lounge HOW MUCH: Free WEB: on.fb.me/roii2H Local jazz luminaries, who were fea¥tured in the 2006 documentary ÒBe¥fore the Music Dies,Ó will bring their crowd-pleasing horns to the Elephant Room. WHAT: Ephraim Owens Quintet WHEN: July 30, 9:30 p.m. WHERE: The Elephant Room HOW MUCH: $5 WEB: elephantroom.com The folk songstress and classically¥trained harpist returns to Austin to perform from her musically ornate new album, Have One on Me. WHAT: Joanna Newsom WHEN: July 31, 7 p.m. WHERE: Paramount Theatre HOW MUCH: $33 WEB: austintheatre.org MOvIE REvIEW | AttAck the Block Writer, actor talk of first-time experience Debut directorÕs flick shines By Alex Williams Daily Texan Staff Judging from the audienceÕs re¥action to the world premiere of ÒAttack the BlockÓ at this yearÕs South By Southwest Festival, the film is on track to become an in¥stant classic. It even won the Au¥dience Award, and it was arguably the biggest film of the festival. Joe Cornish made his directorial de¥but with the film, and John Boye¥ga, the filmÕs main star, also makes his acting debut. The Daily Texan spoke with Cornish and Boyega during the pre-release publicity tour of ÒAt¥tack the BlockÓ which opens in Austin on Friday. Daily Texan: Why did you choose South By Southwest to premiere the film? Joe Cornish: We thought it was the right environment to release it. ItÕs a great festival with an amaz¥ing history. And we were so excit¥ed when they accepted it. It was the first sign people might like the film. It was frightening the first time we showed it to an audience. TheyÕre a smart crowd here and opinionated. I think we were just lucky. The timing was right, and the film was finished just in time for the festival. IÕd never been be¥fore, but I had always followed it and wished I could be there so it was a dream come true to be here. Then to get the response we did was incredible. DT: How did you, John, get cast in the film? John Boyega: I got a call from my agent, told me there was a film about alien invasions in South London. I went out for the audi¥tion, which was very, very long. I just got callback after callback, which is very sad. It was like tor-JC: We shot the movie almost ture. And then I got the phone call chronologically, so the first thing that I got the part. ItÕs funny, be-we shot was the mugging, which cause the audition process felt as was quite cool. John was masked. if we were going into the rehears-Then we all evolved and got to al process. We spoke about the know each other and evolved our roles as if we already got them. style as well. JoeÕs like, ÒI want you to play Mo-JB: It was so weird though, just ses like...Ó and IÕm thinking, ÒHave being on a set. Looking around, I got the part then?Ó thereÕs a camera and a big JC: We pretty much light with a crane, and realized he was Mo-Joe with his headset ON THE WEB: ses the second and his weird jacket he walked in the Get in on the action giving orders. room. It was most-by watching JC: It was a cool ly a process of find-this movie trailer jacket. ing the kids around bit.ly/ him, but we didnÕt AttacktheBlock DT: Did you do tell him that. We put any of your own stunt him through the mill. work? JB: I didnÕt do it all. What I DT: What was filming like? did do was sometimes very scary, JB: The cold got me. It was sometimes cool. Being blown off hard to concentrate in those first a balcony was kind of scary. They scenes, hard to get comfortable. didnÕt tell me it was going to be that bad! It was fun though. DT: Any chance of a sequel? JC: Well, I want John to play the lead in ÒTransformers 4.Ó (laughs) I would love to, and weÕre full of ideas for it. But we have to wait until the Benjamin Button tech¥nology gets good enough to age down 11 actors. DT: WhatÕs your favorite au¥dience reaction moment in the film? JC: I have a weird thing where I donÕt actually like to be in the room when the film screens, be¥cause I think I might curse it. I secretly think theyÕre swapping it out for a different film. If IÕm in the room when it shows, IÕll see, ÒOh, theyÕre not showing ÔAttack the Block,Õ theyÕre showing ÔEvil Dead II,Õ and thatÕs why everyoneÕs so excited.Ó among summerÕs alien films ÒAttack the BlockÓ Joe Cornish Genre: Action Runtime: 88 minutes For those who like: ÒSuper 8,ÓÒGremlinsÓ Grade: A Steven PriceÕs throbbing, bass¥heavy score, which evokes Õ80s John Carpenter and gives some of the filmÕs climactic sequences an immediate, nail-biting intensity. Cornish packs the film with unknowns, save for ÒShaun of the DeadÓ star Nick Frost, whose shaggy-haired pot dealer charac¥ter lands the filmÕs biggest laughs. While the cast is mostly beyond reproach, Boyega completely steals the show. His Moses starts the film as a terrifying villain and ends it as a hero, and he sells every mo¥ment of his strong and silent characterÕs transformation. Perhaps the filmÕs most memora¥ble element will be its creature de¥sign. Without giving too much away, the aliens in ÒAttack the BlockÕsÓ are unlike any youÕve ever seen before, creative in their simplicity and a far cry from the generic extraterrestrials that have populated this summerÕs other alien films. Even better, Cor¥nish never runs out of ways to make them threatening or to create meth¥ods of killing them. ThereÕs no doubt ÒAttack the BlockÓ was the biggest film at SXSW this year. Aside from winning the Audience Award, every screening was packed and every festival-goer was buzzing about it. If thereÕs any justice in the world, this FridayÕs re¥lease of ÒAttack the BlockÓ will be just as widely hyped. ItÕs a creative, exciting film, a sign of great things to come from Joe Cornish, and some¥thing that really needs to be seen on a big screen with a rowdy crowd. In a summer overflowing with alien movies, ÒAttack the BlockÓ easily emerges the champion. By Alex Williams Daily Texan Staff At the world premiere of ÒAttack the BlockÓ during South By South¥west, producer (and ÒShaun of the DeadÓ director) Edgar Wright took the stage and described the film as ÒSuper 8 Mile.Ó While thatÕs a little broad, itÕs more or less accurate. Al¥though ÒAttack the BlockÓ is better than either of those films, it blends the adventurous teens-versus-aliens feel of ÒSuper 8Ó with the rough edg¥es and hard living of Ò8 MileÓ to cre¥ate what will almost certainly be a cult classic. Moses (John Boyega) and his band of teenage thugs start the film off as villains, mugging the innocent Sam (Jodie Whittaker). However, once ferocious aliens begin attacking the area, Moses and his crew take up arms to defend their turf. ÒAttack the BlockÓ moves at a blistering pace, with Moses killing his first alien in the first 10 min¥utes. And the film doesnÕt slow down for a second thereafter. Writ¥er and director Joe Cornish, mak¥ing his debut here, stuffs the film with immensely satisfying, soon¥to-be-iconic moments and juggles several major story threads with ease. Also essential to the film is