@thedailytexan facebook.com/dailytexan Thursday, August 4, 2011 >> Breaking news, blogs and more: dailytexanonline.com TODAY Pop Princess Sing-Along Sing along with the pop princesses of the past two decades at the Alamo Drafthouse at 10 p.m. Tickets are $12. FRIDAY Free movie under the stars Head to West Austin at 8:15 p.m. for a free outdoor screening of the 2009 movie ÒThe Blind SideÓ starring Sandra Bullock at 1010 West Lynn Street, hosted by BondÕs Television and Electronics. SATURDAY Chicago The pop rock and fusion band formed in the Windy City will perform at the Austin City Limits Live theater downtown at 8 p.m. Balcony seats start at $50. ÔThe Good ThiefÕ The Hyde Park Theatre is closing out its run of Conor McPhersonÕs ÒThe Good Thief.Ó The show starts at 8 p.m., and tickets are $19 for students. Campus watch Pay up 2100 blk. of San Jacinto Boulevard Arrested passed out pedestrian for public intoxication. Subject was unable to care for himself. He attempted to hand over a $20 bill as if to secure his release. Today in history In 1958 Billboard introduces its first Hot 100 list. Quote to note Ô ÒWeÕve been up, weÕve been down because of inexperience and youth. I have to commend the young lady from Texas. She made a bad play then comes back with a clutch hit that was basically the difference in the score tonight.Ó Ô Ñ Ken Eriksen Softball U.S. National Team head coach SPORTS PAGE 8 Rebeca Rodriguez | Daily Texan Staff Nahla, a young girl whose mother chose to not give her daughterÕs last name, drinks water at the Nueces Mosque on Wednesday evening in a crowd of women. Ramadan is an Islamic holy month where followers traditionally fast during daylight hours. RAMADAN By Victoria Pagan HEATS UP Since Ramadan began Monday, shifted back around two weeks year¥UTÕs practicing Muslim students ly. She said the two-week change has have abstained from food and water moved Ramadan into mid-summer from sunrise to sunset Ñ a challenge this year, which means dealing with when temperatures have reached 107 extreme heat and humidity. degrees twice this week. ÒIt takes a lot of energy out of Ramadan is from Aug. 1 to Sept. you, especially in this time of heat in 1 this year. Pre-pharmacy junior Pari Austin walking from class to class,Ó Wayafee said Ramadan becomes Wayafee said. ÒIt really drains you. more challenging every year be-The worst thing is not so much the cause it falls on the ninth month of the lunar Islamic calendar, which gets RAMADAN continues on PAGE 2 Allen Otto | Daily Texan Staff Members of the Nueces Mosque partake in prayer as part of Ramadan on Wednesday night. People of the Islamic faith started their month-long fast Monday in accordance with the traditions of Ramadan. Grad student school loans lose backing in budget cuts By Huma Munir Daily Texan Staff The bill to raise the debt ceiling that passed Congress this week offers mixed results for students as it pre¥serves Pell grants but cuts from sub¥sidized loans for graduate students. The stalemate in Congress end¥ed Tuesday with a bipartisan deal to raise the debt ceiling by a trillion dollars in exchange for cutting more than $2 trillion over the next 10 years in federal spending. Rep. Gene Green, D-Texas, who voted for the bill, said in an email it was a difficult decision for him. He said he was dissatisfied with several portions of the bill, particularly those that increase the cost of postgraduate education by eliminating subsidized loans. The deal reached, however, was the best they could have agreed to, Green said. ÒWhile the cuts to the forbearance of interest on government subsidized student loans for postgraduate edu¥cation is unpleasant, the alternative was to see Pell grants dramatically cut,Ó he said in the email. The bill will preserve Social Se¥curity, Medicaid, most of Medicare and Pell grants for the time being, Green said. At the last minute, the deal avert¥ed a bad credit rating for the Unit¥ed States that would have caused in¥terest rates to skyrocket and a de¥fault that would have prevented the government from paying its bills. Democrats and Republicans agreed the deal isnÕt perfect but it saved the country from a self-inflicted CUTS continues on PAGE 2 In August of 2012, new guidelines will go into effect mandating that insurance providers cover a wide variety of new sexual and reproductive services for women. However, itÕs not certain how the new policy, devised by the Department of Health and Human Services, will affect the premiums of health care providers and insurers. Photo Illustration by Andrew Edmonson Insurance requirements to raise womenÕs coverage Health and Human Services. The By Liz Farmer Daily Texan Staff nonpartisan Institute of Medicine proposed the guidelines, which go into effect August 2012. WomenÕs health advocates are This additional health insur¥ celebrating a new set of guidelines ance reform is part of the Af¥ from the Obama Administration fordable Care Act President that require insurance providers Obama signed into law March to cover a slew of sexual, repro¥23, 2010. Other items that re¥ ductive and mental health servic¥quire coverage under the act in¥ es for women. clude mammograms, colonosco- For all new and renewed poli¥pies, blood pressure checks and cies, insurance providers will be childhood immunizations. required to waive co-pays for con-It is unclear how the changes traception, womenÕs health visits, will affect insurance premiums or domestic violence counseling, sex¥health care providers and pharma¥ ually transmitted disease screen¥cies, such as the University Health ing and support for breast-feeding equipment because of guidelines adopted by the Department of WOMEN continues on PAGE 2 Austin hospital put on chopping block Hospital visitors walk by the entrance to the Austin WomenÕs Hospital on Wednesday evening. By Will Alsdorf Daily Texan Staff Because of increasing operat¥ing costs and decreased state fund¥ing, the University of Texas Medi¥cal Branch at Galveston may cease operating the Austin WomenÕs Hos¥pital located at University Medi¥cal Center Brackenridge, a UTMB spokesman said. Legislative budget cuts reduced UTMBÕs budget by $114 million over the next two years. Spokesman Raul Reyes said the health system is responding by reducing its bud¥get by 6.1 percent for the 2012 fis¥cal year. ÒWe are being more prudent in the way that we manage our costs and are implementing measures to ensure financial success,Ó Reyes said in a statement. ÒIt is projected that UTMB will sustain a $1.5 million loss on the Austin WomenÕs Hospi¥tal contract for fiscal year 2011. We have to mitigate those losses.Ó Reyes said one cause for the pro¥jected loss is a lower-than-expected number of patients. ÒWe staff based on the assump¥tion that there will be a certain level of patients coming in the door, and we donÕt have that level,Ó Reyes said. Central Health, formerly known as Travis County Healthcare, owns University Medical Center Brack¥enridge. In 1995, it leased the hospi¥tal to the Seton Healthcare Family, a Catholic health care system. After Seton could no longer pro¥vide contraceptive and steriliza¥tion services because of the Cath¥olic ChurchÕs Ethical and Reli¥gious Directives, the health depart¥ment took back the fifth floor of the Brackenridge building in 2002 to open a Òhospital within a hospi¥talÓ that could provide those ser¥vices Seton could not, according to Catholic Health East, a Catholic health system. According to the UT System, in 2003 the city of Austin and UTMB reached an agreement for UTMB to run the Austin WomenÕs Hospital on the fifth floor of University Med¥ical Center Brackenridge. If UTMB does decide to with¥draw from the hospital, there are currently no plans for Seton to take over the fifth floor for its own uses, said Seton spokeswoman Adrienne Lallo. Reyes said no decision regard¥ing UTMBÕs withdrawal has actual¥ly been made. ÒWeÕre considering our op¥tions,Ó Reyes said. ÒWe just want to make sure we do the financially responsible thing for UTMB and Texas taxpayers.Ó Andrew Edmonson | Daily Texan Staff CONTACT US 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 dailytexan@gmail.com Photo office: (512) 471-8618 photo@dailytexanonline.com comics office: (512) 232-4386 retail Advertising: (512) 471-1865 joanw@mail.utexas.edu classified Advertising: (512) 471-5244 classifieds@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 email managingeditor@dailytexanonline.com. COPYRIGHT Copyright 2011 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. TOMORROWÕS WEATHER High Low 107 78 ItÕs almost pay day, yÕall! RAMADAN continues from PAGE 1 hunger. ItÕs the thirst thatÕs difficult.Ó Wayafee said only the able and healthy fast during Ramadan. She said young children, the elderly, women who are pregnant, breast¥feeding or menstruating and those with health problems do not fast or fast only as much as they can. Engineering junior Rakin Maz¥id said the summerÕs high temper¥atures make breaking the daily fast at sundown that much more en¥joyable. She said the promise of a collective meal with friends and family in the evening allows her to get through her day. ÒThe hunger bounces off, but the thirst is what you feel,Ó Maz¥id said. ÒYou really enjoy going through it all at the end of the day. ItÕs one of the months that every Muslim looks forward to.Ó Arabic language and literature senior Mason Merrill said the high heat of August makes fasting even more meaningful because the word Ramadan makes reference to scorched earth. ÒYouÕre using the heat of fasting to burn away sin,Ó Merrill said. Plan II senior Isbah Raja said she stays indoors as much as pos¥sible to stay hydrated while fast¥ing. She said when the summer heat cannot be avoided, she takes many naps throughout the day to replenish her energy. Raja said Ramadan is an espe¥cially important time because it brings together all Muslims and gives them a sense of community. It is a sacred time to get rid of bad habits, learn patience and let go of worldly items, she added. ÒPolitics and social issues aside, this is a sacred time for prayer,Ó Raja said. ÒWhatÕs interesting is re¥gions overseas that have turmoil very often call a cease-fire during this month.Ó Raja said many UT students gather for late night snacks at 24-hour restaurants to eat before the sun comes up. She said these gatherings are a fun way to cele¥brate Ramadan collectively during a time when many students are away from their families. Middle eastern studies senior Yajaira Fraga is experiencing Ra¥madan for the first time this year. Although she is not Muslim, she said she wanted to understand a practice that is important to many of her friends. ÒItÕs something you have to real¥ly just submerge yourself in,Ó Fra¥ga said. ÒAll of my friends have been very supportive of pushing me along.Ó Fraga said the hardest part of practicing Ramadan is keeping up with the five daily prayers Mus¥lims practice. ÒI go in there and I try to keep up with their moves, but they go too fast for me,Ó Fraga said. ÒI will learn them by the end of the month, although I donÕt know the language.Ó Ñ Additional reporting by Huma Munir CUTS continues from PAGE 1 financial crisis. A powerful new Joint Select Committee formed Tuesday will make recommenda¥tions to reduce the U.S. deficit by cutting back on more public pro¥grams, Green said in the email. Director of Student Financial Services Tom Melecki said under¥graduate education will not be af¥fected as much as graduate ed¥ucation. Currently, the govern¥ment pays interest on subsidized loans for graduate students until six months after they graduate, he said. Congress eliminated subsi¥dized loans for graduate students, which means they will have to rely on unsubsidized loans and pay the interest as it starts accruing from the moment they take out the loan, Melecki said. Ò[Eliminating subsidized loans for graduate students] is expected to yield savings of $21 billion over the next several years for the coun¥try as a whole,Ó he said. ÒSeventeen billion of that savings will be used to preserve the Pell grants [and] $4.6 billion will go to reducing the federal deficit.Ó ident Cassandra Wright said even though cutting back on education is a big sacrifice, the decision to re¥duce spending was inevitable. For the past three years, the club ad¥vocated cuts to federal spending, she said. With a Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives since last year, Wright said the or¥ganization and its leaders were ex¥cited about spending cuts that will allow the country to reduce its $14 trillion debt. ÒIn general, we are just glad that cuts will be made as much as possi¥ble,Ó she said. Ray Perryman, who runs an eco¥nomic analysis firm in Waco, said in an email the impact of the deal will not be immediately clear on education and research. Still, he said, it will be very important for the education community to ef¥fectively communicate the value of education and research to the new Joint Select Committee. ÒThere will be a lot of areas tar¥geted for potential cuts. Education¥al support and research grants will WOMEN continues from PAGE 1 Center, that may rely on co-pays as a source of funding. Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services, said in a press re¥lease the new guidelines will help women get the preventative health benefits they need. Texas Feminists President Jenny Kutner, a Plan II and womenÕs and gender studies senior, said the act provides relief after a state legisla¥tive session that reduced access to womenÕs health with a bill requir¥ing women to undergo sonograms and hear a description of the fetus before they can get an abortion. ÒI think [these guidelines are] necessary especially in the cur¥rent political climate around re¥productive health,Ó Kutner said. ÒIt currently seems like a war on women.Ó Alumna Anna Sallack was in the Catholic sorority Mu Epsilon The¥ta and said the Catholic ChurchÕs stance on contraception is difficult to summarize, but she believes it is wrong to use contraception to pre¥vent new life. She also said she is disappointed thereÕs not emphasis on multiple prevention methods including abstinence. ÒI would be more pleased with it if there was a pro-life versus pro¥choice aspect to it,Ó Sallack said. Out-of-pocket co-pays for con¥traception can run from $25 to $35, according to Sarah Wheat, in¥terim Co-CEO for Planned Parent¥hood of the Texas Capital Region. ÒI think itÕs incredibly posi¥tive news for womenÕs health,Ó Wheat said. Wheat said women have his¥torically paid 65 percent more for health care out-of-pocket than men because pregnancy planning is not covered by insurance. ÒFor decades, contraception has been treated as something outside the health care system,Ó Wheat said. ÒSo with these guidelines, contraception and womenÕs health are being mainstreamed.Ó LeAnn Gutierrez, assistant di¥rector for University Health Ser¥vices, said the lowered costs are good because accessibility to wom¥enÕs health services has been re¥duced because of decreases in state funding over the past few years. World&NatioN 3 Thursday, August 4, 2011 | The Daily Texan | Brenna Cleeland, Wire Editor | dailytexanonline.com Jurors complete first day in Katrina shooting trial By Michael Kunzelman The Associated Press NEW ORLEANS Ñ Jurors de¥liberated for several hours Wednes¥day without deciding the fate of five current or former police offi¥cers charged in deadly shootings on a New Orleans bridge in the chaotic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Deliberations are scheduled to resume Thursday. U.S. District Judge Kurt Engelhardt read in¥structions about the 25-count in¥dictment before the jury began de¥liberating Wednesday after weeks of testimony and several hours of closing arguments. Prosecutors contend the officers shot unarmed people without justi¥fication and without warning, kill¥ing two and wounding four others Sept. 5, 2005, then embarked on a cover-up involving made-up wit¥nesses, falsified reports and a plant¥ed gun. Defense attorneys countered that the officers were returning fire on the cityÕs Danziger Bridge and rea¥sonably believed their lives were in danger as they rushed to respond to another officerÕs distress call less than a week after Katrina. Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore Carter said in closing arguments that police had no justification for shoot¥ing unarmed, defenseless people. ÒIt was unreasonable for these of¥ficers to fire even one shot, let alone dozens,Ó he told jurors. All told, jurors heard five weeks of testimony by roughly 60 witnesses in the Justice DepartmentÕs case against former officer Robert Faulcon, Sgts. Robert Gisevius and Kenneth Bow¥en, Officer Anthony Villavaso and retired Sgt. Arthur Kaufman. Faulcon, Gisevius, Bowen and Villavaso are charged with civil rights violations in the fatal shoot¥ing of 17-year-old James Brissette on the east side of the bridge. Faul¥con also is charged with gunning down 40-year-old Ronald Madi¥son, a mentally disabled man, on the west side. All four of those officers also are charged with taking part in the al¥leged cover-up. Kaufman, who in¥vestigated the shootings, is charged only in the alleged cover-up. If the officers are convicted in the shootings, jurors must decide if the deaths Òinvolve circumstances con¥stituting murder,Ó which would car¥ry stiffer prison sentences. Ill Mubarak goes on trial, provokes revolutionaries NEWS BRIEFLY Officials dismiss complaint surrounding PalinÕs TV series ANCHORAGE, Alaska Ñ Alaska officials have dismissed an ethics complaint filed against former Gov. Sarah Palin that al¥leged she violated state law be¥cause the TLC docu-series ÒSarah PalinÕs AlaskaÓ took advantage of a state film production program she signed into law. Malia Litman of Dallas filed the complaint. She also alleged Palin benefited from the production of the eight-partseries in violation of a two-year moratorium that bars for¥mer officials from being compen¥sated for assisting others in state dealings. Documents show producers of the reality program received nearly $1.2 million in tax produc¥tion credits. The complaint dismissal says thereÕs no basis for the grievance. Woman finishes state bar exam undeterred by going into labor CHICAGO Ñ A pregnant sub¥urban Chicago woman was so de¥termined to finish the Illinois bar exam that she completed the test even after going into labor. The Chicago Tribune reports 29-year-old Elana Nightingale Dawson had started the final por¥tion of the exam last week when the woman went into labor. The exam must be finished to be valid. After finishing, she walked to a downtown Chicago hospital. The womanÕs son, Wilson, was deliv¥ered about two hours later. SheÕll find out in October if she passed the bar. Ñ Compiled from Associated Press reports By Hamza Hendawi The Associated Press CAIRO Ñ From a bed in¥side the defendantsÕ cage, an ash¥en-faced Hosni Mubarak showed a glimmer of his old defiance. EgyptÕs former president wagged his finger in the air and denied all charges against him Wednesday as he went on trial for alleged corrup¥suffered under his rule. The father of a slain protester, among those sweltering in the heat outside the courtroom on the third day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, was ecstatic. ÒThe biggest achievement of this revolution is that all these crooks and scum are in a cage,Ó said Mo¥hammed Mustafa El-Aqqad. ÒWeÕre here to tell Hosni, ÔHap¥cautionary tale for other autocrat¥ic leaders who have long acted as if they alone were fit to rule. People watching the spectacle across the region proclaimed it a watershed. ÒThis is the beginning of de¥mocracy in the Arab world,Ó de¥clared Rabha Idris, an engineer from Libya. ÒThis is a new era,Ó enthused Zainab Hassan, a 22-year-old uni¥ a real world job to jump-start a real world career TEXASSTUDENTMEDIA tion and complicity in the deaths of protesters who helped drive him from power. The spectacle, watched live on state television by millions of Egyp¥tians, calmed the fury of those who py Ramadan. Congratulations on your new cage.ÕÓ With Arab Spring revolts sweep¥ing the Middle East, the sight of Mubarak during WednesdayÕs hearing could serve as a powerful versity student from Bahrain, a tiny Gulf Arab nation whose Mus¥lim Shiite majority is demanding equality with the Sunni minority. ÒThe people now believe they can be free from dictatorship.Ó Ted Jackson | Associated Press Retired New Orleans police sergeant Arthur Kaufman enters federal court Monday, July 11, in New Orleans. The largest college media agency in the nation, Texas Student Media, is looking for a few goal-driven college students to work as media sales consultants! we o¥¥er: ¥ Fun environment ¥ Competitive Commission payouts ¥ Bonus opportunities ¥ Flexible schedule ¥ Full training ¥ Located on campus Do you have what it takes? Apply today! Email your resume to: advertise@texasstudentmedia.com and call 512.471.1865 for more information 4 OpiniOn Thursday, August 4, 2011 | The Daily Texan | Viviana Aldous, Editor-in-Chief | (512) 232-2212 | editor@dailytexanonline.com viewpoinT gallery Support the DREAM Act In recent weeks, two states passed versions of the DREAM Act to help increase accessibility of higher education for undocumented immigrants. On Monday, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law the stateÕs version of the DREAM Act, creating a private scholarship fund for children of immigrants to pay for college. Moreover, last week, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law the first part of the stateÕs DREAM Act, which will allow undocumented students in California to access private financial aid. The federal Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act would reward those who have been educated in or have shown their dedication to the United States by providing legal residency to those who have lived in the country since at least age 15 and have completed college or military service for at least two years. The act would potentially allow those who already contribute to our economy and society to continue to do so. Undocumented children in Texas who at¥tend public universities currently qualify for in-state tuition rates, thanks to the 2001 passage of the Texas DREAM Act. Twelve other states face similar situ¥ations, as they, like Texas, allow illegal residents to pay in-state tuition rates. The DREAM Act makes sense economically. As it stands now, the state invests a significant amount of funding in educating young undocumented stu¥dents from K-12 and into college. However, if those students are then denied access into the workforce, the state loses out on its investment. Even amid the media attention surrounding his speculation of a run for presidency, Gov. Rick Perry has stood by his support for the statewide DREAM Act. Despite his opposition to the passage of the fed¥eral DREAM Act, PerryÕs continued support for the Texas DREAM Act is, unsurprisingly, raising ques¥tions from tea party groups and other conservatives whose support Perry would need to secure the Re¥publican nomination for president. ÒFrom my experience dealing with Iowans in all 99 counties, the immigration issue is a very sensitive issue,Ó Iowa tea party activist Gregg Cummings told The Dallas Morning News last week. ÒHeÕs going to have a tough time trying to answer.Ó Nonetheless, Perry defended his support for the Texas DREAM Act. When questioned about the act in an interview with the New Hampshire Union Leader last month, Perry responded, ÒTo punish these young Texans for their parentsÕ actions is not what America has always been about.Ó The arguments against the DREAM Act are typi¥cally unfounded and consistently fall back on the same hackneyed rhetoric and fear-mongering. The DREAM Act is not an incentive that will encour¥age illegal immigration. Rather, it is a gateway to allow a hard-working and educated segment of our population the ability to contribute to its nation. Considering the dismal rates for college graduation and degree obtainment nationwide, continuing to shut out qualified graduates is not just bad policy, itÕs nonsensical. Though it is unlikely that the federal DREAM Act will pass in the immediate future, the passage of state DREAM acts across the country and the U.S. SenateÕs hearing on the act in June, the first such hearing, indicate that the act is becoming increas¥ingly important to Americans. Without the DREAM Act, children of immigrants who came to the United States illegally are at an unfair disadvantage, and DREAM acts at both state and federal levels help to rectify that injustice by providing them equal access to the workforce and a path to citizenship. Ñ Viviana Aldous for the editorial board. Students dealt another blow gallery By Matt Daley Daily Texan Columnist Texas students, already reeling from the LegislatureÕs recent higher educa¥tion funding cuts, were hit again by the recent debt deal in Washington. Part of the debt deal just passed in Congress will change the way many students pay for graduate school. Federal Stafford loans have been an op¥tion for students unable to independently finance their educations since the passage of the Higher Education Act of 1965. These loans, which are offered in limited amounts to eligible students, have the advantage of being backed by the federal government. This means they often carry lower interest rates than what students would be offered by private lenders. Stafford loans can be either subsidized or unsubsidized. If a loan is subsidized, the government pays any interest which ac¥cumulates while a student is in school and for a period of six months after graduation. Unsubsidized loans are allowed to accu¥mulate interest that the student borrower is responsible for paying off either as it ac¥cumulates or after graduation. The Budget Control Act of 2011, the debt ceiling disaster aversion bill, ends subsi¥dized Stafford loans for graduate and pro¥fessional school students. After July 1, 2012, no new subsidized loans will be available for these students, further increasing the cost of post-secondary education for those students already least able to afford it. The Congressional Budget Office esti¥mates that the elimination of graduate stu¥dent loan subsidization will save $21 billion between July 2012 and 2021. Of this, $17 billion will be directed to the Pell Grant Program, which provides aid to low-in¥come students. The infusion will allow that program to remain solvent. For years, the Department of Education has borrowed against expected future fund¥ing in order to be able to give to students the maximum amount: $5,500 per year. It has been running a deficit as the cost of ed¥ucation and the number of eligible students has soared in recent years. The Congressio¥nal Budget Office estimates that $38 billion worth of Pell Grants will be awarded in the 2012-13 academic year, compared with $26 billion during the 2009-10 year. Despite the debt-deal infusion, funding for the Pell Program will still fall $1.5 billion short. The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that this remaining funding gap has caused concern among financial aid profes¥sionals that more student aid programs will soon be on the chopping block to save Pell Grants. Alternatively, they worry the pro¥gram will be restricted either in terms of award amount or eligibility. To put the estimated savings into per¥spective, the Obama administration es¥timates that the nationÕs wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will cost almost $160 billion in the next fiscal year. The continuing military operations in Libya cost around $40 million per month, according to the U.S. Depart¥ment of Defense. Added together, the na¥tionÕs active military engagements currently cost over $13 billion per month. With the exception of action in Libya, the wars are being scaled back. But continuing the wars for only the next month and a half will eliminate the savings from cutting sub¥sidized Stafford loans for graduate students. If the amount of savings to be diverted to bail out the chronically underfunded Fed¥eral Pell Grant Program is subtracted, the total amount of federal deficit reduction, about $4 billion, will be used in these con¥flicts in the next 10 days. Ten years of pain¥fully extracted savings will be negated in 10 days. The comparison to military spend¥ing may be criticized, quite reasonably, as unfair. But the comparison supports a broader point, especially considering re¥cent education cuts in Texas. Education is being wrongly marginalized in these budget debates. The lack of federal support for student fi¥nancial aid comes as yet more gloomy news to Texas students, who have seen funding for the TEXAS Grant Program and for pub¥lic higher education cut as the state govern¥ment grappled with its own budget crisis earlier this year. The TEXAS Grant program provides aid to low-income Texas students. According to The Texas Tribune, as a result of this yearÕs cuts, 43,000 students will see less aid money from the state over the next two years. The recent legislative session also saw state funding for higher education de¥crease by more than 9 percent. These cuts will likely translate into higher tuition as state universities try to make up the funding gap. Sadly, it has become a tired cliche that young people donÕt vote. Many commen¥tators cynically labeled the spike in youth turnout during the 2008 election a fluke. Unfortunately, turnout in the 2010 election largely vindicated that view. The only real way to get politicians to remember students when money is tight is if they know weÕll remember their actions at the polls. So next November, to send the message that these misplaced spending pri¥orities are unacceptable, letÕs all vote. Daley is a biology and government senior. The firing line Psychics fail to adequately demonstrate ability The Aug. 1 article about Joe Nicols and his battling stereotypes of paranormalists was a fascinating delve into a fantasy world that seems out of place at an institution of learning. Rather than run¥ning counter to the stereotype of paranormal performance artists, Nicols seems to be a paragon of this illogical system of unsup¥ported magical thinking. While many psychologists and professional magicians would readily recognize what Nicols does as either conscious fraud or unconscious self-delusion, no one would be able to show any connection with what he claims he is doing and anything that we know about how the world works. Many psychics or dowsers or whatever may be sincere in their beliefs that they have discovered some pathway to hidden knowledge, but beyond making good guesses about what will impress their clients, they have always failed controlled tests of their abilities. Ñ Steve Bratteng UT alumnus legaleSe Opinions expressed in The Daily Texan are those of the editor, the Editorial Board or the writer of the article. They are not necessari¥ly those of the UT administration, the Board of Regents or the Texas Student Media Board of Operating Trustees. eDiTorial TwiTTer Follow The Daily Texan Editorial Board on Twitter (@DTeditorial) and receive updates on our latest editorials and columns. reCyCle Please recycle this copy of The Daily Texan. Place the paper in one of the recycling bins on campus or back in the burnt-orange newsstand where you found it. ADVERTISING TERMS There are no refunds or credits. In the event of errors made in advertisement, notice must be given by 10 am the Þrst day of publication, as the publishers are responsible for only ONE incorrect THE DAILY TEXAN insertion. In consideration of The Daily TexanÕs acceptance of advertising copy for publication, the agency and the advertiser will indemnify and save harmless, Texas Student Media and its ofÞcers, employees and agents against all loss, liability, damage and expense of whatsoever nature arising out of the copying, print¥ing or publishing of its advertisement including without limitation reasonable attorneyÕs 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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Perfect for Graduate animated instructors to Influential judgeÕs documents available at Benson Collection By Diego Cruz Daily Texan Staff The University has received doc¥uments donated by the family of a Mexican-American judge who was influential in shaping Texas and U.S. law. The documents donated by the late Judge Filemon VelaÕs family would be interesting for people working with border legal issues such as immigra¥tion and drug control and are freely available for consultation after years of cataloguing, said librarian for U.S. and Latino studies at The Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection, Margo Gutierrez. The collection received documents that belonged to Vela and were do¥nated by his widow Blanca Sanchez Vela in 2007, said Christian Kelleher, archivist for the rare book and manu¥script collection. Kelleher said the donation in¥cludes records of his personal life, his time as a student, his activity in his community, his life as a father and family man, the majority of his professional documentation and ac¥tivities, as well as clippings, scripts, notes, photographs and radio broad¥cast recordings. ÒJudge Vela was very influential, particularly in his community but on the region, he said. According to biographical resourc¥es in the UT online libraries, Vela re¥ceived his license to practice law in Texas in 1962 and participated in an influential 1970 case that helped es¥tablish the pursuit of due process in governmental bodies in South Texas. Vela served as judge of the 107th Judicial District Court of Cam¥eron and Willacy counties start¥ing in 1974 and was later elect¥ed as federal judge of the South¥ern Region of Texas, Brownsville Division in 1980, according to the online resources. According to his biography, as a federal judge for southern Texas, Vela oversaw more than a thousand cases related to drugs and immigra¥tion, including a controversial 1989 decision to lift travel restrictions on refugees seeking asylum in the U.S. ÒMany of the programs and in¥stitutions he created during his life¥time have and will continue to have an impact on the lives of current and future South Texas citizens,Ó ac¥cording to his biography. Throughout his professional ca¥reer, Vela remained involved in his community by supporting civic or¥ganizations and activities, mentor¥ing in youth programs and even co¥hosting a radio program popular in South Texas and northern Mex¥ico in which he answered and dis¥cussed legal questions, according to the online resources. ÒWe are delighted and honored that [VelaÕs] family made these doc¥uments available to us and to fu¥ture generations of scholars,Ó Guti¥errez said. City Council may ban plastic bag use use of plastic bags but only re- Changing dates of election, extending parking hours comprise principal issues By Diego Cruz Daily Texan Staff City Council will meet today to discuss more than 50 different issues facing Austin, including a potential ban on plastic bags, changing city council election dates and delaying implementa¥tion of a new schedule for park¥ing meters. One important item the coun¥cil will discuss is the reduction of single-use retail plastic bags within city limits, according to the meet¥ing agenda. Mayor Lee Leffingwell, who sponsored this item, said Austin residents use approximately 363 million plastic bags every year, which cost the city nearly $850,000 to dispose of annually. ÒItÕs a recommendation for a comprehensive end of plastic bags within the city,Ó Leffingwell said. City Manager Marc Ott will be directed to generate an ordinance that will provide a widespread phaseout of single-use bags in the city after discussion with retail stakeholders and concerned citi¥zens, according to supplementary information on the cityÕs website. The council enacted a sim¥ilar voluntary program in the duced the number of discarded bags by 20 to 30 percent, said An¥drew Moore, policy aide to coun¥cil member Mike Martinez who co-sponsored the item. Moore said the numbers soon returned to normal, mainly as a result of pushback from retailers. Ò[The item] will try to bring to¥gether the stakeholders, big retail¥ers, environmental groups and ev¥eryone involved to come up with an ordinance that says we will ban these types of plastic bags and to figure out all the details,Ó he said. The council will also consid¥er approving a resolution to inves¥tigate the administrative costs of both moving city elections to No¥vember 2012 and keeping them in May, according to the agenda. A bill passed during the most recent legislative session adjust¥ed timing requirements for feder¥al primary elections and allows the city to move municipal elections to November in order to increase vot¥er turnout. Postponing city elections would conflict with the May re¥election of four council mem¥bers and require extending their terms for six months, said coun¥cil member and item sponsor Laura Morrison. However, Trav¥is County is already planning to move their elections to Novem¥ber, so it may be more beneficial to keep the two together. city manager to evaluate all our op¥tions and come back with informa¥tion on the alternatives and their feasibility and cost,Ó Morrison said. City Council will also consid¥er creating the Charter Revision Committee to gather public in¥put and provide recommenda¥tions regarding plans to switch to single-member districts and other charter amendments. ÒThere will be 15 members, three appointed by me and two ap¥pointed by council members,Ó Lef¥fingwell said. He said the committee would make recommendations on the size of districts, the construction of dis¥trict lines and amendment language after seeking input from a number of citizens and organizations. ÒIt would be a significant change in our governing struc¥ture so itÕs a very important is¥sue,Ó Morrison said. Council members will also con¥sider a resolution to delay the im¥plementation of extending parking meter hours downtown from Sept. 6 to Jan. 1. Morrison, who spon¥sored the bill, said the council may postpone making the decision, but she believes the later implementa¥tion date is necessary. ÒMy concern is that we havenÕt done an adequate job yet of really hearing all of the issues of how ex¥tending the parking meters will af¥fects folks that live and use down¥town,Ó Morrison said in a separate also as a district justice, in really for¥mulating law for the United States,Ó Kelleher said. The collection brings togeth¥er his experience as a Mexican-American legal scholar from the Rio Grande Valley, providing unique historical documentation great, low mileage, electric, large trunk, fast! (62 mph), $3000 512-699-8704 Spacious 2BR/2BA Apts. On-site laundry. FREE Cable, internet, parking. Quiet, Non-Smoking, No-Pets, 2900 Swisher. $1200/month. 512-477¥ sHuttLe $825! Vacant. One block from shuttle, Enfield / West Austin area. Pool! Open 7 days un¥condo on greenbelt close to Mopak, shopping, res¥taurants, etc. Young at heart senior with sweet lab, open minded, and Texas friendly owner. NaNNy WaNted For 10yr old girl. Must be atleast 20, US citizen, UTstudent, and have car. available for Summer or Fall move-in. Starting at $675!!! Most bills paid!!! Red Oak Apts located at 2104 San Gabriel St. Envoy Apts located at 2108 San Gabriel St. Barranca Square Apts lo¥cated at 910 W. 26th St. Office hours M-F 8:30¥ 5:00. Please visit us at www.wsgaustin.com, call 512.499.8013 or email wsgaustin@yahoo.com Quiet studiO Hide¥ wsgaustin@yahoo.com $625 aLL BiLLs paid Vacant units & pre-leas¥ing for August. 30th & Speedway! Good park¥ing! Walk to class! Sever¥al studio units (furnished or unfurnished) Pool! Clean! FREE Internet & Laundry! TexCen Realty 1/2 MiLe tO CaMpus Nice 4Beds/2Baths for $1,800/mon.5Beds/2Bath for $2,000/mon. Cel¥ling fans, Central AC/ Heat. Wash/Dryer. 3009 Cherrywood Rd. Owner Pays water & Yard Care. Pre-Leasing for August. John/512-809-1336 Large 3-2 HOuse $2100 available. Age 18+. 800¥965-6520 ext. 113 part tiMe teCHNOLOgy suppOrt We are looking for expe¥rience in troubleshoot¥ing technology issues, installing programs and printer drivers, setting IP addresses for printers, setting up a server, able to move heavy equip¥ ment, and knowledge of eQuipMeNt suppLy Sales, shipping, tech support of commercial equipment. Knowledge of wine, beer spirits production helpful. Full/Part time posi¥tions start immediately. $12+/hr, North Austin. Email resume to: stpats@ bga.com nished /Bike, Bus or walk to UT / Utilities and in¥ternet incl. $1,500 / 6-12 mth.lease. Patrick 512- FurNisHed apt 859 + utilities. Inc assign cov¥ered parking, W and D. 1 Open 7 days until dark 512-789-4433 or 512-366¥2252. Ask about Òlook & leaseÓ move in special. ut area apartMeNt Avail Now. Walk/ride to campus, 3010 Fruth. Central A/C, W/D, HW floors, off street park¥ing, lots of closet space perfect for sharing. 512¥276-5414 MS Office. The platform on campus is Windows with some Apple com¥puters/laptops. For de¥tails email: csanders@ austinisd.org gyMNastiCs COaCHes Former gymnasts and state FarM ageNtÕs OFFiCe Looking for a part time job that has flexible hours, provides meaningful work, and competitive compensa¥tion? Must be ethical and honest, have excellent communication skills. Students. 10 minutes UT shuttle. $400-475 ea. plus utilities. Share bath. Call now. 352-284-0979 rOOM FOr reNt in NW Austin home. All utilities and internet in¥cluded. $600. Austinoa¥sis1@yahoo.com or 951¥973-4575 conduct entertaining hands-on, after-school programs and/or chil¥drenÕs birthday parties. Must have dependable car, experience with el¥ementary age children, afternoon availability two weekdays between 1:00pm -5:00pm M-Fri call or apply online: www.madscience.org/ austin 512-892-1143 x ID 3084000 6 Life&Arts Thursday, August 4, 2011 | The Daily Texan | Julie Rene Tran, Life&Arts Editor | (512) 232 2209 | dailytexan@gmail.com Blogs, guide books prove helpful to travelers needing suggestions By Rachel Perlmutter Daily Texan staff On a recent trip to Paris with my family, we chose to stay in an apartment rather than seek the usual hotel experience. Between the three of us, we had no French proficiency, no concierge and be¥cause of the costs involved in us¥ing American phones overseas, no smartphones. A family of iPhone addicts marooned on an island of meager Internet connection from our living room, we were forced to survive off the grid for a week for the first time in years. Others looking to travel abroad, especially those looking to stick to their budgets, are likely to face similar reductions in their Inter¥net access. What this means for tourists is a lot more true, unas¥sisted spontaneity (actually find¥ing a cafŽ on a whim, not Goo¥gling one on the go) and a little more advanced planning than is usually necessary. While you can use travel books, the Web proves most helpful for making your trip truly memorable. Using a classic guide such as FrommerÕs or Rick Steves will en¥sure that you hit all of the high¥lights and avoid any traumat¥ic food incidents, if thatÕs your goal. They provide detailed maps of each neighborhood with din¥ing recommendations for varying price points. As comprehensive as these guides may be, they are not very personal. They leave little room for creating your own travel experience, and you run the risk of embarking on a formulaic journey through coun¥tries with enough cultural stock for 20 vacations. Even the recom¥mended restaurants, as charming and authentic as they may be, of¥fer English translations on their menus and seem booked entirely by tourists each night. While using these guides (par¥ticularly in their book form) can be a vital navigation and informa¥tional tool out on the streets, trav¥el blogs can provide helpful ways to personalize your experiences. The firsthand experiences provid¥ed by reputable bloggers can cre¥ate a sense of comfort and ease when trying to find the best piz¥za place in a country known for its beef tartar. Like Òparis (im)perfectÓ by Sion Dayson, the antithesis of tour¥ist guidebooks. DaysonÕs blog pro¥vides a much needed balance to usual stops such as the Louvre and Notre Dame with offbeat restau¥rants, art exhibitions and other cul¥tural treasure troves. And, Meg ZimbeckÕs self-ti¥tled blog on eating in Par¥is proves a great alternative if youÕre looking to branch out of your tour book. The author sam¥ples cuisine from all over the city and provides a comprehensive take on the fair, including cost. All that said, travelers using the web should be discerning when choosing which sites to take ad¥vice from. Essentially, be sure to check a siteÕs credentials, or if itÕs a blog, the writerÕs. What kind of experience do they have with the country theyÕre writing about? Have they actually been there? How many followers do they have on social media platforms? These just a few questions to ask before taking their advice. Finding travel blogs for the des¥tination of your choice can be the difference between a good trip and one that seems perfectly crafted for your tastes Ñ be it food, museums, nightlife or any other area of inter¥est. The old-school guides will get Unequal blame game you to the things you canÕt say you missed, but the travel blogs will help you score the meals and shops you wonÕt forget. EditorÕs Note: This is the last in¥stallment in a three-part series on underage drinking, focusing on the role of bartenders. By Gerald rich Daily Texan Columnist Any system of rules and regu¥lations based on controlling alco¥hol requires some level of trust be¥tween all the players involved. However, when youÕre a bar¥ tender you can never fully trust anyone who walks into the bar since they could either be a mi¥nor with a fake ID or a cop on a sting operation. ÒAs a bartender, youÕre constant¥ly dealing with situations that can end in fines, community service, jail time or loss of your license and your vote,Ó said one bartend¥er who has worked downtown and around campus for three months but chose to not be named. ÒThe stakes are extremely high because failure to respect the law results in unfair consequences. ItÕs not some¥thing you want to gamble with.Ó While the Texas Alcoholic Bev¥erage Commission and the UT Police Department conduct sting operations that take note of Greek lifeÕs events and alcohol-related in¥cident statistics to decide when and where theyÕll strike, the bar¥tender is held more liable than the minor. ÒThe difference between you be¥ing fined and going to prison and the bartender being fined and go¥ing to prison is if you destroy your For WEB ExclusivE ID. The consensus among my [un-mands from customers as well as ev¥derage] friends in that situation is ery single law. to get rid of the fake IDs before There are roughly only 250 anyone asked to see them,Ó added TABC agents for the entire the bartender. state, forcing them to rely on lo- This is where the ability to con-cal law enforcement, bartenders trol the substance fails. A bartend-and convenience store owners to er or store owner who serves a mi-uphold laws. nor faces a Class A Misdemean-In the last round of minor sting or with a fine up to, but not ex-operations, where the TABC had ceeding, $4,000 and/or one year minors ages 16 to 18 without IDs in jail. The minor could potential-attempt to purchase alcohol, there ly receive the higher Third were a total of 9,256 discreet Degree Felony if theyÕre stings from June 15, 2010 caught with a fake ID to 2011. While that may that has a penalty of a seem like a lot, Hous¥$10,000 fine and 2 to ton, the fourth largest 10 years in jail. But, city in the U.S., has a if no counterfeit is total of 7,584 currently found on their person, active retailer licenses. the charge is reduced to the lowest misdemean¥or, Class C, and a maximum fine of $500. Although it was unclear from the interviews conducted how ex¥ploited this potential legal loop¥hole is because of the sensitive nature of the issue, current legis¥lation does place more blame on those who would enable a minor to acquire alcohol. ÒIf there wouldnÕt be any adults giving alcohol to minors there would be much fewer of them drinking and fewer deaths,Ó said Carolyn Beck, TABC director of communications and governmen¥tal relations. ÒI havenÕt heard any¥thing about minors destroying the ID, though. Who is the TABC more likely to believe? The bar¥tender or the drunk minor?Ó Controlling a substance such as alcohol is extremely difficult, es¥pecially in Austin during festi¥vals such as South By Southwest. I know from personal experience that minors have purchased alco¥hol when bars became inundat¥ed with inebriated festival-goers. Bartenders respond that it is diffi¥cult to keep up with all of the de-So, how can we fully regulate and control alcohol? Or any substance for that matter? In Texas, we rely upon those who deal with the daily hand-to-hand trans¥actions and hold them more liable than the minor, a responsibility bar¥tenders and other alcohol purveyors should live up to. ÒItÕs all a part of the game,Ó said Paige, a bartender whoÕs worked downtown since February 2009 but asked for her last name to be with¥held. ÒYou must card everyone and know the consequences if you donÕt. Either you do that or your ass is on the line.Ó Still, bartenders are faced with steep disincentives to keep the sub¥stance under control. ÒAs a bartender, you have to be smart and just assume everyone else is smart,Ó said the first anonymous bartender. ÒWe donÕt want anyone to hurt themselves. This is just our job. We make human errors, though, and I think the system is broken if our customerÕs human errors result in unequal punishment. [Bartenders] are agreeing to be arrested for crimes that weÕre not trying to commit.Ó Leave us a tip at thirstyatx@gmail. com. @dailytexanonline.com STORIES VIDEOS PHOTO GALLERIES & MORE SUDOKUFORYOU MondayÕs solution OKU YOU BASKETBALL TEXASÕ MOST IMPORTANT LONGHORNS Philly forward Acho set for successful senior season chooses Texas after breaking ties with Pitt By Nick Cremona Daily Texan Staff The Longhorns added a seventh member to their 2011 recruiting class with the verbal commitment of power forward Jaylen Bond on Tuesday afternoon. The Philadel¥ phia, Pa. native, listed at 6-foot¥ 7 and 220 pounds, made the an¥ nouncement via Twitter, say¥ ing ÒJust committed to the Uni¥ versity of Texas, thank God for this opportunity!Ó Bond should compete for playing time immediately be¥ cause of the early departure of Tristan Thompson to the NBA. He had initially committed to 10 EditorÕs Note: The Daily Texan one of the defenseÕs most productive will introduce one important long-members. Each of his last two sea¥ horn football player each issue. Here sons have been better than the last, is No. 10 of the TexanÕs 10 Most Im-with Acho registering 11 tackles as portant Longhorns. a freshman, 49 as a sophomore and 87 last season. ThereÕs no reason to believe that he canÕt continue the trend this season, and he has a great shot at eclipsing 100 tackles. Like Temperatures are ap-his big brother, heÕs smart, athletic proaching 110 degrees, and hardworking. classes are drawing near Question marks currently sur¥ By Christian Corona Daily Texan Staff play for Pittsburgh in April and everyone is trying to round the Texas program, but the 2010, but because of a schol¥make the most of the last few linebacker position is not a cause of arship crunch decided to de¥weeks of summer. It can only concern. Senior Keenan Robinson commit this March to play at mean one thing Ñ football season is a preseason first-team All-Big 12 a prep school. At Plymouth is upon us. selection and Jordan Hicks, the top-Whitemarsh High School near Texas wants to bounce back rated linebacker coming out of high Norristown, Pa., Bond averaged from a 5-7 campaign last year, but school two years ago, is poised to 18 points, seven rebounds, four itÕs going to need some help from a prove he belongs in the starting line¥assists and two blocks a game. few experienced veterans and tal-up. Along with Acho, a second-team With the lack of depth in ented upstarts. All-Big 12 pick in 2010, they make up the Longhorn frontcourt, Bond College football teams always one of the finest linebacker corps in could very likely become a key have holes to fill as players gradu-the country. contributor to this yearÕs squad. ate, transfer, leave for the NFL and Saint MarkÕs School won five Although he is still technical¥suffer injuries. For Texas, no hole games in 2006, Sam AchoÕs senior ly committed to Pitt, Bond in¥may be bigger than the one left by year. In 2007, EmmanuelÕs last sea¥tends to enroll at Texas in the All-American defensive end Sam son at the Dallas prep school, his fall, and the Longhorns have Acho, the LonghornsÕ leader in team won all but one regular sea¥until August 19 to figure out his tackles for loss and sacks in 2010. son game. The Longhorns are hop¥eligibility. Pittsburgh still has to Thankfully for Texas, his young-ing for a similar turnaround. Acho EMMANUEL ACHO release Bond from the nation¥er brother still has a year left. may not be as dominant as his big al letter of intent he signed in Emmanuel Acho is set to be a Tex-brother, but heÕll be a big reason outside linebacker 2010 in order for the process to as starting outside linebacker and why Texas bounces back this year. be finalized. SOFTBALL FOOTBALL Despite his sophomore slump, Horns needs Gilbert to start By Trey Scott Daily Texan Columnist ItÕs so easy to (incorrectly) la¥bel Garrett Gilbert as the start¥ing quarterback. Much too easy. Sue Ogrocki | Associated Press ThereÕs a quarterback battle be- Taylor Hoagland belts a two-run homerun during the World Cup tween four players starting Friday Softball title game. Hoagland led Texas with 15 homeruns last season. when the Longhorns begin the first day of fall camps, but the way I see it, this case is closed. The only people who seeming¥ HoaglandÕs homerun ly havenÕt determined Gilbert as the starter is the coaching staff. HeÕs on the cover of every re- Derek Stout | Daily Texan file photo gional college football magazine Garrett Gilbert started all 12 games in 2010, but is mired in a four¥ helps Team USA win out there from Athlon to Sport¥ way competition for the starting quarterback job. If Texas wants to ing News and is the designated avoid another frustrating season, Gilbert must win that competition. starter in the college football vid¥eo game NCAA 12. Any conver-bounds in the vocal leadership de-of saving this proud program to a fifth consecutive title sation or story regarding the four-partment and that he was help-true freshman. some starts with his name. ing guide the players through the ItÕs going to have to be Gilbert, Why? Well, obviously itÕs be-summerÕs 7-on-7 drills. and thereÕs reason to believe that By Sara Beth Purdy StatesÕ fifth consecutive World cause he was the starting quar-Whittaker didnÕt publicly say the second half of his career as a Daily Texan Staff Cup of Softball title. Japan handed terback last year. But more im-who would win the starting job Ñ starter will be better than the first. the U.S. National Team their only portantly, the public has figured canÕt imagine thatÕd go over well This is a guy who, after throwing TexasÕ rising junior Taylor loss in 2005, the year of the tour¥ something out that they hope PR-wise Ñ but a couple of play-two interceptions in the 2009 BCS Hoagland hadnÕt been playing namentÕs inception. The tourna- Mack Brown already knows: ers on the offensive side of the ball Title Game, one of which went at her best as she stepped up to ment is hosted in Oklahoma City, Without Gilbert, the Longhorns have told me, with conviction, that for an Alabama touchdown Ñ it bat in the bottom of the sixth in-Okla. each year by the Amateur are in trouble. Gilbert is their quarterback. seems weird to say that somebody ning of the World Cup of Soft-Softball Association of America Whoa now, big stock to put into As we head into the fall, Tex-ÒthrewÓ a shovel pass Ñ rebound¥ball Championship game against based in the United States. a guy who had a 10:17 touchdown-as looks as if a team that surpris-ed with a two-touchdown second Japan. Earlier in the game, de-In preliminary play, the Unit¥ to-interception ratio last season, I ingly has a large share of its piec-half. He stared down the best de¥fensive problems had plagued ed States went 4-for-5; their only know. Yes, it is a strange thing to es in place. The defense should be fense in the nation and didnÕt look Hoagland and, even though loss was to Canada, which took say about a quarterback who Òdi-a nasty one, the receivers are su-as scared as he should have been. the United States was clinging home the bronze medal on the rectedÓ Texas to its worst sea-premely talented and the Long-With a full year of experience to a 4-2 lead, a strong Japanese third night of the tournament. son since 1997. Actually, it some-horns will have their deepest sta-under his belt, Gilbert should be team was threatening to take Hoagland, who started the na¥ times looked as if the team stood ble of running backs in some ready for whatever challenges are the momentum. tional team season on the bench, no chance last year as long as Gil-time. ThereÕs too much at stake to thrown at him this year. Or at least, With a full count and a team-started five of the six games dur¥ bert remained at the helm. But if go with a quarterback with zero heÕll be more ready than the other mate on third, Hoagland con-ing the tournament Ñ though you can, think back to his high experience, which is what Texas three quarterbacks. nected on a pitch from JapanÕs she made an appearance in the school days at Lake Travis. He would do if it turned to anybody This quarterback competition is new pitcher for a home run, her sixth game. The Longhorn fin¥ won two straight state champi-not named Gilbert. Arguments one of two things: legitimate or first of the World Cup. It gave the ished the tournament with a .600 onships and rewrote an almanac will be made for Case McCoy, staged. If itÕs a real one, Gilbert United States a comfortable 6-2 batting average with three RBI of records along the way. He was mainly because of the bloodlines, will come out of fall camp as the lead and helped them on their and three runs scored. She also the Gatorade and Parade Nation-but there is probably a reason the top guy anyway, given his expe¥way to a 6-4 victory. achieved a fielding percentage of al Player of the Year. ThereÕs a rea-Texas coaching staff never turned rience and newfound command ÒWeÕve been up, weÕve been .824, lower than her average for son he was offered by Texas, a rea-to him after Gilbert had thrown over the huddle. And if itÕs just down because of inexperience the Longhorns last season. son he was considered the second-his fifth interception against Kan-for show and he is in fact TexasÕ and youth,Ó head coach Ken Erik-The World Cup of Softball best quarterback in his class be-sas State last year. Connor Wood secret starter, then the coaching sen said. ÒI have to commend the marks the end of the U.S. National hind Matt Barkley. You have to be-was a big time recruit, but not staff knows something the rest of young lady from Texas. She made TeamÕs summer schedule, meaning lieve Gilbert hasnÕt forgotten how much has been heard about him us Ñ the media, the magazines, a bad play then comes back with Hoagland will return to Texas to to play the position. The players this summer, save for a few trans-the videogame corporations Ñ a clutch hit that was basically the begin fall training with the Long¥ trust him now. Fozzy Whittak-fer rumors. David Ash contin-have already figured out: difference in the score tonight.Ó horns, who hope her champion¥ er said at Big 12 Media Days that ues to get rave reviews, but donÕt Garrett Gilbert is the guy. He has The win secured the United ship ways can rub off on the team. Gilbert had improved by leaps and bet on Mack entrusting the job to be. SIDELINE MLB RANGERS TIGERS CARDINALS BREWERS DIAMONDBACKS GIANTS TWEET OF THE WEEK Kevin Durant @KDTrey5 No lie, jus had one of the best times of my life at Rucker park... wow! I love NY... Harlem waddup..S/O my brotha @ YoungSapp6 SPORTS BRIEFLY Durant dazzles in New York City, drops 66 at famous Rucker Park The chance of there not being an NBA season isnÕt keeping Kevin Durant from working on his game and captivating basketball fans. The former Longhorn poured in 66 points Tuesday at the revered Ruck¥ er Park, a renowned streetball court in Harlem. Durant, who was won the league scoring title each of the last two seasons, connected on nine of his 11 three-point attempts. The following day, Durant, who averaged 27.7 points per game last season, scored 41 in a Pro City sum¥ mer tournament game at Baruch College in Manhattan. He only hit two three-pointers in the contest, but one of them tied the game at 137 and sent the game to overtime, where DurantÕs squad pulled away and won, 146-143. Ñ Christian Corona Former Texas punter McGee joins Colt McCoy in Cleveland The last time Richmond McGee punted in a competitive football game Texas won a national cham¥ pionship. McGee, TexasÕ starting punter for three seasons (2003-05), agreed to terms with the Cleveland Browns Wednesday, two days after the Chi¥ cago Bears released him. Cleve¥ landÕs first option at punter, Reg¥ gie Hodges, suffered a torn Achilles tendon Tuesday and was placed on injured reserve, leaving the Browns without a punter on the roster. Mc- Gee, who averaged 39.6 yards per punt at Texas, now joins fellow for¥ mer Longhorn, starting quarter¥ back Colt McCoy, who guided the Browns to wins over the New Or¥ leans Saints and New England Pa¥ triots. McGee has not punted in an NFL game but that should change this season. Ñ C.C.