Students returning to Aus- tin will see improvements to the perimeter around Barton Springs Pool, a well-known local landmark, as a result of the multi-million dollar campaign to renovate the area . This is the first grand campaign Barton Springs has launched in several decades. The grounds improvement project, which is part of a larger Barton Springs im- provement plan, will begin in October, although the city of Austin has been planning it since 2006. Construction projects scheduled for October include improvements to landscaping, water quality and parking lots. There will also be a handi- capped-accessible ramp and a metal grid fence to replace the current barbed wire fence. The three-acre spring located in Zilker Park attracts more than 800,000 visitors every year. “I go to Barton Springs as much as possible — it’s like a staple of Austin in the summer- time,” geography sophomore Amy Leung said. “The people- watching there is prime, and there’s a distinct ‘Austin’ vibe to the whole place.” While working on the plan, the city consulted vari- ous Barton Springs interest groups, such as Friends of Barton Springs Pool and Save Our Springs Alliance. “Barton Springs is very well-loved, and because Aus- tinites have such a close con- nection with Barton Springs, there will always be varying ideas on improvements,” aquatics division manager Tom Nelson said. “However, the grounds improvement projects went through three years of extensive meetings to develop the plan that has been approved by [Austin City Council].” Michael Cannatti, presi- dent of Friends of Barton Springs, said important im- provements to the north side of the pool grounds include the tree court area and the gate. Cannatti said the city aims to do the grounds im- provements in the off-season. “If you want to walk to the south gate, there’s just kind of a rut that’s been eroded by water for years,” Cannatti said. “It’s actually dangerous to walk if you’re able-bodied, and it’s almost impossible if you’re in a [wheel]chair.” The handicapped-accessible ramp will run from the south gate to the south deck to pro- vide easier access to the water. Nelson said the improvement will benefit all visitors by providing them 1Name: 1669/BookHolders.com; Width: 60p0; Depth: 2 in; Color: Black, 1669/BookHolders.com; Ad Number: 1669 super helpful staffwith ourSaving youfrom thetextbookheadacheBookHolders ground level in dobie mall512.377.9543 | open super latelowest textbook pricesone on one customer servicefree local delivery(Same day/next) BookHolders_Aug29_Frontpg_4C.pdf 1 8/21/2013 11:58:12 AMThursday, August 29, 2013@thedailytexanfacebook.com/dailytexanServing the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900dailytexanonline.com bit.ly/dtvidSPORTS PAGE 6COMICS PAGE 5LIFE & ARTS PAGE 8CAMPUSFOOTBALLStudent protest addresses racismSemester kicks off with Big Yell rallyCAMPUSFeelings of unrest spurred into a rally yesterday to op- pose racial insensitivity on campus after a balloon was thrown at government senior Bryan Davis while he was walking outside the Univer- sity Towers apartment com- plex on Aug. 22. The balloon — origi- nally thought to have been filled with bleach — was likely filled with water based on preliminary tests, according to Gregory J. Vin- cent, vice president for the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement. On Tuesday, Davis met with UTPD officers to de- liver the socks, shorts and shirt he was wearing on the day of the incident. UTPD spokeswoman Cindy Posey said the department made its preliminary determination after finding no bleach stain, discoloration or smell on Davis’ clothes and no injury to Davis. In response to the incident, the Black Student Alliance organized a rally in front the Martin Luther King Jr. Statue in the East Mall. The day also marked the 50th anniversary of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech during the historic March on Washington. At the rally, UTPD Chief of Police David Carter, who was among several UT of- ficials in attendance, said the protest was a positive step forward in ensuring the safety of students on and Mack Brown holds the keys to an empire. He’s the most powerful figure on a campus 50,000 strong, pulls in more money than any state-compensated employ- ee, according to a Bloomberg report, and could be the most visible personality in Texas, a state of 26 million. Brown is essentially the CEO of the Longhorn op- eration. He’s in charge of a money-making organization that raked in $103.8 million in income for 2011-2012 academic year alone. But de- spite the monetary success, he’s also overseen a busi- ness that has failed to issue a proper on-field return. The Longhorns have stumbled to seasons of five, eight and nine wins the past three sea- sons, well below the team’s normal standard. In any business, the boss — in this instance the coach — is immediately blamed for a company’s failure. If it con- tinues, he gets fired. With that reasoning in mind, why isn’t Brown’s job at risk? Any other decision maker would be questioned with re- sults like these, especially at a program with the resources that a nearly limitless budget can provide. Nick Saban is Brown’s job can’t be safe if Texas has bad seasonRALLY page 2From the powerful sound of the Longhorn Band to the cheers of “Texas, Texas, yee haw,” a contagious excite- ment rocked the north side of the stadium. About 4,000 people attend- ed Wednesday’s Big Yell, the seventh annual event kicking off the start of the new school year and football season. For the second year in a row, the event took place at the Dar- rell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Psychology senior Rita Hol- guin, Texas Exes student chap- ter president, led the crowd of new students through UT’s traditional cheers and chants along with a recap of the history and tradition of the University. Holguin said she re- members her freshman ex- perience because of Texas Exes events, including the By Nicole Cobler@nicolecoblerMACK page 7CITYBy Chris HummerDaily Texan Columnist @chris_hummerBarton Springs Pool to receive upgrades starting in OctoberBy Amanda Voeller@AmandaLiz94YELL page 2POOL page 2Charlie Pearce / Daily Texan StaffAfter seven years of planning, the city of Austin will launch its largest renovation of Barton Springs in decades. Barton Springs attracts more than 800,000 visitors every year. The grounds improve- ment projects went through three years of extensive meetings to develop the plan that has been approved by [Council.] —Tom Nelson, aquatics division managerCharlie Pearce / Daily Texan StaffAbout 4,000 students gathered at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium for the Big Yell on Wednesday afternoon to kick off the new football season. Shelby Tauber / Daily Texan Staff African and African diaspora studies senior Bryan Davis speaks at a rally held in response to a hate crime. By Alberto Long@albertolong Big Yell and Camp Texas, a three-day retreat for incoming freshmen. “As a freshman, I went to Camp Texas and loved it. I knew that it was something I wanted to be involved in,” Holguin said. Business freshman Mad- dy Flores said the variety of opportunities offered to new students amazed her. “Instead of feeling like you’re one in a million, it’s like you’re one in a few,” Flores said. Flores said she is inter- ested in being apart of Texas Exes and several business organizations, although she has only been on campus for a few days. Student members in Texas Exes were encouraged to at- tend Orange and White Wel- come for free barbecue and door prizes and then walk over to the stadium for the Big Yell. “I think it’s really gotten to be a bigger thing in the past couple years,” said Tim Talia- ferro, Texas Exes Alumni Association spokesman. Taliaferro said 500 people attended the first Big Yell event in 2007, which was one-eighth of Monday’s crowd size. The Big Yell included a Twitter Q-andA from head football coach Mack Brown and a photo of the Class of 2017 to kick off their freshman experience. “There’s a crazy amount of opportunities here,” eco- nomics freshman Matthew Szymanski said. “I just look forward to participate in as many campus events as I can.” Holguin encouraged students to consider becom- ing involved on campus and learn UT history. “We definitely need to support school traditions because we are all about burnt orange pride,” Hol- guin said. “Our logo and colors are known world wide, and we want to make sure our students know why they are represent- ing such a prestigious university.” 2Name: 1705/Long Center for the Perfor; Width: 19p4; Depth: 7.5 in; Color: Black, 1705/Long Center for the Perfor; Ad Num- ber: 1705THELONGCENTER.org(512) 474-LONGINFORMATIONLOcATION701 org701 W. Riverside Dr. Austin, Texas 78704LONg ceNTeR MIssIONThe Center is Austin’s Creative Home, performing artists and organizations Greater Austin region with facilities and that foster excellence, encourage originality promote collaboration. broaden the appreciation and enhance enjoyment of the cultural arts, the Long Center diverse audiences to significant local, national and international artists and performances in a world class venue. ALLLONgsuMMeR eNTeRTAINMeNTFOR eveRyONe AT THe org701 W. Riverside Dr. Austin, Texas 78704LONg MIssIONThe Creative Home, artists and organizations region with facilities and excellence, encourage originality appreciation and enhance arts, the Long Center to significant local, international artists and class venue. ALLLONgsuMMeR eNTeRTAINMeNTFOR eveRyONe AT THe SOLABOR DAY WEEKEND! $20/NIGHTFRIDAY AUG 30THE GOURDS with UNION SPECIFICSATURDAY AUG 31THE RELATIVES with T BIRD & THE BREAKSSUNDAY SEPT 1EL VEZoff campus. “[Last week’s] incident doesn’t appear to be a hate crime,” Carter said. “Regard- less, it created a sense of fear. People ultimately police themselves, and a safe com- munity is one in which peo- ple have an open dialogue and understand the impact of something like this.” Carter said the investiga- tion into the incident is on- going. The clothing has been sent off to an independent forensics lab for further test- ing. Posey said the Univer- sity will pay $500 to have the clothing analyzed and said she is uncertain as to when the test results will be made available. Speakers at the rally said racism and bigotry are prev- alent in many facets of UT culture and urged Univer- sity officials to address issues of race. Racist targeting of students in West Campus is a common occurrence and is indicative of larger issues within the University, said Snehal Shingavi, an Eng- lish assistant professor who spoke at the rally. “Whether there’s bleach in the balloon or not, the sentiment behind that bal- loon is exactly the same,” Shingavi said. “You are not welcome here if you’re differ- ent … These things continue to happen, but the response both from students and the University is inconsistent.” Rally attendees were in- vited to share their stories of racial injustice. Government junior Miru- sha Yogarajah said students of color feel unsafe in West Campus, an area she claims is dominated by a largely white population. About 40 percent of all white under- graduates at UT live in West Campus compared to 38 percent Asian undergradu- ates, 22 percent of Hispanic undergradutes and 15 per- cent of black undergradu- ates, according to an analy- sis of 2010 datasets by The Daily Texan. Vincent said throwing balloons filled with any sub- stance is considered an as- sault, which is a criminal offense, and is punishable under chapter 11 of the Uni- versity’s Institutional Rules and Regulations. “Any person who believes such actions are merely schoolyard pranks is mistak- en,” Vincent said. Cpl. David Boyd, a public information officer for the Austin Police Department, said the department is still waiting for the victim’s offi- cial statement but added that a detective has been assigned to the investigation. With- out a sworn statement, Boyd said, Davis will be unable to press charges. “It’s difficult to say whether this investigation will yield anything,” Boyd said. “Once the statement is made, then the investigation can proceed.” Main Telephone(512) 471-4591EditorLaura Wright(512) 232-2212editor@dailytexanonline.comManaging EditorShabab Siddiqui(512) 232-2217managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.comNews Office(512) 232-2207news@dailytexanonline.comMultimedia Office: (512) 471-7835dailytexanmultimedia@ gmail.comSports Office: (512) 232-2210sports@dailytexanonline.comLife & Arts Office: (512) 232-2209dtlifeandarts@gmail.comRetail Advertising(512) 471-1865joanw@mail.utexas.eduClassified Advertising(512) 471-5244classifieds@ dailytexanonline.comCONTACT USVolume 114, Issue 12TOMORROW’S WEATHERHighLow10275Put it in the trash can and maybe I’ll eat it later. COPYRIGHTCopyright 2013 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. The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely. If we have made an error, let us know about it. Call (512) 232-2217 or e-mail managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com. with a safer route. “It’ll kind of wind back and forth through the woods, and at one point there’ll be a little overlook, so you can stop and take a view from the south side,” Nelson said. The city is making other safety improvements, includ- ing burying the overhead power lines. “There are a lot of positive changes … generously ex- panding what is already be- loved about the south lawn area,” Cannatti said. “They have expanded the south side with a new fence that’s set back [farther], so now there’s more space for the south lawn experience, and it’ll be taken care of better because of the irrigation.” At one point, there were proposals for more ornate artwork at the gate, and al- though Friends of Barton Springs Pool officials said the proposals would improve the pool’s aesthetic experience, many people wanted to keep the pool’s decorations sim- ple, Cannatti said. The city of Austin has been vigilant in ensuring that the wildlife at Barton Springs re- mains protected throughout the construction and renova- tions, Cannatti said. Austin has a federal permit that pro- tects against development at the pool because of endan- gered species, and the city biologist monitors proposals. “Generally, Barton Springs’ attendance is in- creasing, and upgrades are necessary to accommodate current and future visitors,” Nelson said. RALLYcontinues from page 1POOL continues from page 1YELL continues from page 12NEWSThursday, August 29, 2013CORRECTIONIn the August 28th edition of the Daily Texan a quote about racial insensitivity being antithetical to campus climate was falsely attributed. It was said by Gregory J Vincent, vice president for the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement. Charlie Pearce / Daily Texan StaffRenovations to Barton Springs include the addition of a handicapped-accessible ramp, improvements to water quality, changes to landscaping and expansion of parking lots. The renovations will begin October. Charlie Pearce / Daily Texan StaffStudents had a chance to ask head football coach Mack Brown questions about the upcoming season during the football town hall meeting at the Big Yell. Last Week, students submitted their questions via Twitter and only four were selected. Instead of feeling like you’re one in a million, it’s like you’re one in a few. —Maddy Flores, business freshman RECYCLE. The Daily TexanAFTER READING YOUR COPY Check out video coverage of the protest on The Daily Texan’s YouTube channelTexan AdDeadlinesThe Daily Texan Mail Subscription RatesOne Semester (Fall or Spring) $60.00Two Semesters (Fall and Spring) 120.00Summer Session 40.00One Year (Fall, Spring and Summer) 150.00To charge by VISA or MasterCard, call 471-5083. Send orders and address changes to Texas Student Media', P.O. Box D, Austin, TX 78713-8904, or to TSM Building C3.200, or call 471-5083. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Daily Texan, P.O. 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For information, call 512-462-0492Text “PPD” to 48121 to receive study informationRight now, PPD is looking for qualifi ed participants for a post-surgical pain relief research study of an investigational medication. Surgery for qualifi ed study participants will be performed by a board certifi ed oral surgeon. Receive up to $500 upon study completion and the surgery is performed at no cost. We have a research study. NEWSThursday, August 29, 20133AUSTIN — Republican- controlled Texas may be re- jecting as much of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul as possible, but state leaders do agree with him on curtailing rapidly rising costs that are consum- ing more and more of the state budget. Texas’ constitutional re- quirement to balance the budget and the Republican promise not to raise taxes have combined over the last three years to drive lawmak- ers to adopt policies similar to Obama’s signature health care law, the Affordable Care Act. But it’s more a case of Republicans working in par- allel rather than in partner- ship with Washington, D.C. Since 2011, the Legis- lature has passed laws to reduce costs in health pro- grams for the poor, disabled, young and elderly, with the intention of rewarding healthy results rather than pay doctors per procedure. Squeezing out those ex- tra dollars, though, has been tough. Although Texas is the fifth-lowest state in the nation in per capita spend- ing, Texans spend $146.7 billion dollars a year on health care and costs are rising 7.3 percent a year, above the na- tional average of 6.5 percent. One way Texas has saved money is by privatizing management of publicly funded health care pro- grams, such as Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insur- ance Program. In 2011, law- makers required the Depart- ment of Health and Human Services to contract with health insurers to enroll and manage spending on chil- dren and the poor across the state. This year Sen. Jane Nelson passed a law that ex- panded managed care to the disabled and elderly. By paying private firms a flat fee and allowing them to take care of the needy, Nel- son said, her bill would save money, improve efficiency and allow 12,000 new peo- ple to receive care. Doctors complain, though, that the savings come from cutting reim- bursement rates, which dis- courages health care provid- ers from accepting Medicaid patients. The Texas Medical Association also expressed disappointment that Gov. Rick Perry rejected propos- als to expand the number of people on Medicaid to in- clude the working poor. Texas has the highest rate of uninsured in the country at 25 percent, a number that could drop to 9 percent if the state accepted $10 bil- lion over 10 years to expand health care for the poor. The Texas Hospital As- sociation said it has re- duced costs, creating new procedures for identifying high-risk patients and pre- venting complications, as- sociation spokesman Lance Lunsford said. But since the poor and uninsured often rely on ex- pensive emergency room care, Lunsford said hospi- tals will continue to pass on those costs to the public when those patients don’t pay their bills. Until Texas finds a way to reduce the number of insured, there is a limit to how much costs can be controlled as long as those people rely on emergency rooms and not preven- tive care for their health, experts agreed. —Associated PressJuan Carlos Llorca / Associated PressMexican citizen Maricruz Valtierra, left, and U.S. citizen Edgar Falcon, right, embrace at the U.S.-Mexico border where they were married in El Paso, Texas. Texas forges own health care planBorder divides newlyweds, highlights immigration issuesEL PASO — As Edgar Falcon and Maricruz Val- tierra exchanged vows, they attracted the atten- tion of hundreds of morn- ing commuters Tuesday at the Santa Fe border bridge in El Paso, craning their necks to see the couple standing on the divid- ing line between the U.S. and Mexico. Falcon, a U.S. citizen, now faces the choice of staying in Texas and living apart from his wife, a Mexico citizen, or relocating to Ciudad Juarez, a city with about 1,500 mur- ders last year. Falcon says Valtierra can’t enter the U.S. because when she was 16 years old, her sister tried to bring her to the United States using someone else’s birth cer- tificate. They didn’t find out Valtierra had been declared inadmissible un- til they were applying for her visa as a fiancee of a U.S. citizen. Falcon, like others who married or are closely re- lated to people who have a lifetime ban from the United States, hopes legis- lation to be introduced by Texas freshman U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke will provide relief from their situation. The bill is aimed at providing discretionary authority to judges and Department of Home- land Security officials when the person who is in deportation, ineligi- bility or inadmissibility proceedings is an imme- diate family member of a U.S. citizen. O’Rourke, a Democrat, said he will introduce it once Congress returns Sept. 9. The bill also would re- move the requirement that U.S. citizens have to demon- strate “extreme hardship” in order to apply for a waiver for their relative or spouse. Therefore, if they can dem- onstrate the removal or in- admissibility would create a hardship for the U.S. citizen, the judge or DHS official would have to rule in favor of the family. The bill would also let peo- ple who have been deemed inadmissible for life, like Valtierra, ask for a waiver. It used to be that the immigration officer or the judge would have the authority to grant those exemptions, but over the years, that discretion has been taken away, said Tony Payan, director of the Mexico Center at Rice Uni- versity’s Baker Institute of Public Policy. After the cross-border wedding, O’Rourke told Falcon, “We will work on getting co-sponsorship next week.” For Emily Cruz, a U.S. citizen married to a man who has a lifetime entry ban and won’t be eligible to ask for a waiver for seven more years, the choice was clear. She moved to Ciudad Juarez in 2010, at the height of the city’s drug-related violence, and commutes every day to El Paso. But the financial toll of living away from the U.S. is hard on her family, espe- cially because her husband only earns 550 pesos ($41) a week at a factory. —Associated Press 4A OPINIONCOLUMNLEGALESE | Opinions expressed in The Daily Texan are those of the editor, the Editorial Board or the writer of the article. They are not necessarily those of the UT administration, the Board of Regents or the Texas Student Media Board of Operating Trustees. SUBMIT A FIRING LINE | E-mail 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 brevity, clarity and liability. 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. EDITORIAL TWITTER | Follow The Daily Texan Editorial Board on Twitter (@DTeditorial) and receive updates on our latest editorials and columns. 4LAURA WRIGHT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / @DTeditorialThursday, August 29, 2013Last week, UT-Austin made national head- lines when the viral explosion of former Stu- dent Government President Thor Lund’s blog post created what I’ve coined the “Thor effect.” On the one hand, Lund’s misogyny incited rage among students and non-students alike. On the other hand, Lund’s post did more than offend readers with its misogyny. His post also threatened to undermine the legitimacy of student governance on the 40 Acres. The “Thor effect,” it seems, is far-reaching. Each year, Student Government faces a bar- rage of criticism. Students scoff at campaign funding, mock farcical elections and quickly realize that most campaign promises will never be fulfilled, all leading to a deep sense of disen- chantment on campus with the election process and Student Government as an institution. Thor entered office after a controversy, and now he exits starting a new one. Many comments on the Daily Texan article that first called atten- tion to his blog connected his remarks to Student Government. Some users expressed disbelief that he was ever elected, while others pointed out that the man of the sexist blog post received a large tuition stipend as a perk of his former position. Even though Thor’s term ended last spring, he should have anticipated his continued connection with Student Government in the eyes of the public. According to Natalie But- ler, a former Student Government president, even after a student leader has left office, “[He or she] need[s] to be aware that [he or she is] still associated with the University of Texas and Student Government,” and that their “ac- tions will reflect on the institution.” “In order to be an ethical leader, you have to have value congruence. When those values don’t meet up they can cause conflict in vari- ous levels,” said Dr. Smita Ruzicka, assistant dean of students and director of the Leader- ship and Ethics Institute. “It is really impor- tant for each individual to understand that they have to live by their values of leadership and understand leadership isn’t positional.” There’s no doubt that many incoming freshmen heard about the post from this news outlet and several others. For many of these freshmen, the hyped-up media last week was their first impression of Student Government, and it was by no means a good one. But freshmen are an integral component of student governance throughout the 40 Acres. In three years, one of them will be elected Student Government president. If these im- pressionable members of our student body associate the negligent comments of one stu- dent leader with our representative system as a whole, the reputation and integrity of our student governance are undermined. “We have a vibrant campus [that will yield] lots of different opinions,” Dr. Ruzicka said. That diverse student population serves as a safeguard against the actions of one individu- al, in this case, one misguided Lund. Bethany Rolan, an incoming freshman in the Business Honors Program, expressed a similar sentiment. “[At UT], we’re constantly told that there are so many different people and personali- ties and it’s OK to be who you are … and that applies to this situation,” Rolan said. “[Thor’s post] was offensive to me as a girl, but I’m trying to not let it affect my opinion of Student Government,” Rolan said. Rolan said she remained enthusiastic about the possibil- ity of joining it. Moreover, the response of current Student Government President Horacio Villarreal helped re-bolster the organization’s image. In a tactful Facebook post last week, Villarreal addressed his fellow Longhorns, writing that his administration “will always strive to move our university in the right direction with the utmost respect for the thoughts, beliefs, and identities of each and every Longhorn on the 40 Acres.” Lund wrote an offensive blog post. He marginalized women and other members of society. His words infuriated many and they discredited him as a leader. But if Villar- real’s administration upholds its promise, the “Thor effect” may only make a small dent in Student Government’s reputation. Wilson is a Plan II and history major from Canton. By Andrew WilsonDaily Texan Columnist@andrewwilson92 Watch 15 minutes of any Texas House pro- ceeding from the past two months, and you’ll notice that our representatives can’t seem to agree on much. However, according to a 2012 poll conducted by UT and The Texas Tribune, there is at least one thing a majority of our state’s citizens agree on: The death penalty is fairly applied. Despite the popularity of the practice with- in the state, the death penalty has its critics abroad, and opposition to lethal injection has thrown obstacles in its way as of late. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice an- nounced Aug. 1 that, due to voluntary lethal injection drug embargoes by European man- ufacturers, it is running out of pentobarbital, the drug Texas and several other states use in capital punishment. A new source has yet to be found. This raises the question: Should Texas proceed with its scheduled executions despite the dearth of the required drugs? The Texas Department of Criminal Jus- tice appears to be ready to press on with the upcoming executions. In a statement to The Daily Texan, TDCJ spokesman Jason Clark said that “the agency is exploring all options including alternate sources of pentobarbital or another drug for use in the lethal injection process.” The source from which the depart- ment will secure the new supply of pentobar- bital or other drug remains unclear, but it is not considering other means of execution. Utah carried out a firing squad execution in 2010, although that state’s legislature made a law requiring all capital punishments thereaf- ter be from lethal injection. Virginia, which leaves the choice of method up to the prison- er, used the electric chair for its most recent execution. Most of the executions carried out in the 32 U.S. states that allow executions are done with imported lethal injection compounds. In re- cent years, however, pharmaceutical firms in Europe have been declining to sell the drug for the use in capital punishment due to hu- man rights concerns and public outcry, ac- cording to an August report in Time Maga- zine. In 2011 Texas, Arizona and Mississippi were forced to stop using sodium thiopental because its only American producer did not want its product used in executions. Georgia was publicly embarrassed in 2011 when the Drug Enforcement Administra- tion seized its reserves of lethal injection compound, which were revealed to have been imported from a pharmaceutical wholesaler operating out of a driving school in London. An online search of this company (Dream Pharma, Ltd.) reveals an opaque product list of “discontinued products, hard to find prod- ucts, and products that are licensed in other parts of the world.” Georgia, rather than finding a supplier of the drug that is not a step above a street-cor- ner pusher, instead passed a law that classi- fies the identity of the firms supplying lethal injection drugs as a state secret. If the pros- pect of a state ignobly scrounging around for drugs to perform an execution isn’t embar- rassing, a state doing the exact same thing but passing a law to keep it a secret certainly is. Whether the death penalty is objectively ethical in any circumstance is a complex question I feel unqualified trying to answer. However, the drying up of lethal injection drug sources around the world is a signal of a moral shift that Texas and the other 31 states should heed. When South Africa failed to adjust its apartheid policies in the 1980s to align with shifting global opinions on civil rights, it ended in an embarrassing embargo by the United Nations and left the country’s leaders looking like anachronistic oligarchs. If pharmaceutical companies are forgoing profits to avoid the negative associations that come with Texas’ eager use of capital punish- ment, as the Time Magazine piece reported, Texas needs to reassess its use of the death penalty instead of blithely pressing on with all scheduled executions. Matula is a marketing major from Austin. Chelsea Purgham / Daily Texan Staff Horacio Villarreal and Ugeo Williams, Student Government President and Vice PresidentCOLUMNBy Chuck MatulaGuest Columnist @chucketlistWithout lethal injection drugs, Texas should halt executionsHow Student Government should leave scandal behind themEDITORIALAISD: Use realistic grad planLast week the Austin American-States- man reported that Austin Independent School District leaders, including Edmund Oropez, the district’s associate superinten- dent of high schools, want to start Austin’s high school freshmen out on the toughest graduation plan available under the recently passed House Bill 5. This plan gives students greater flexibility by reducing the number of required credits and allowing students to pursue an endorsement, or special focus, in an area such as “engineering” or “business and industry.” The new law requires all Texas high school students to start with a 26-credit plan, with the option to drop down to 22 after sopho- more year. If the school board approves the measure later this year, Austin would take that a step further by starting every fresh- man on the “distinguished” plan, which includes certain higher-level courses. The distinguished plan is also required for auto- matic admission to state universities under the Top 10 Percent Plan. We applaud district leaders for wanting to challenge students and encourage them to go to college. Joshua Tang, a campus coor- dinator for Longhorn Teach for America, is correct that it is “important that all students [be] held to the highest expectations.” However, we also realize that the term “highest expectations” must be considered in relative terms, which may mean college for some and vocational training for others. Not every student is bound for college, and pushing those who aren’t will only result in wasted efforts and frustration, for both stu- dents and teachers alike, when they opt out of the plan. We agree with Robert Edwards, president of the UT chapter of Students for Education Reform, who supports the use of career-spe- cific endorsements to better prepare students for the working world. “I believe students will benefit in the long run from a more rigorous curriculum, but I say that with the underlying notion that they have to be in a customizable curriculum such as a vocational program or career path of their choosing,” Edwards said. Instead of requiring all students to start high school on the college readiness plan, AISD should focus on the default plan un- der HB 5. It pushes students to explore and develop skills they can put to good use in their working careers without reverting to the rigid college-only focus of the 4x4 plan that HB 5 did away with. The school district would still do well to encourage students to challenge themselves and consider going to college, but making that decision for them is a step too far. AlabamaArizonaDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIdahoMississippiOhioOklahomaSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTexasVirginiaHORNS DOWN: MANZIEL’S NON-PUNISHMENTThe NCAA has said that it can’t prove that Texas A&M University quarterback Johnny Manziel was paid thousands of dollars for signing autographs. Consequently, he’s been suspended for only half a game. Maybe they should have just required him to wear a dunce hat and called it a day? HORNS UP: FAST FOOD WORKERS ON STRIKEFast food workers in Austin, Dallas, Houston and dozens of other cities across the country are organizing a strike today to lobby for a raised minimum wage. With the current minimum wage set at $7.25 an hour, we believe it’s high time workers started the discussion about how, exactly, such a wage can support a single person, let alone a fam- ily. Consequently, we’re more than willing to forgo those fries and support the cause. HORNS DOWN: THE NEVER-ENDING BRIGGO COFFEE LINEAs new students swarmed campus for the first day of class, the incoming fresh- men began to crowd more than classrooms: Briggo, the friendly coffee-making robot in the FAC, at one point had a queue that kept customers waiting for over 20 minutes. We admire your enthusiasm, Class of 2017, but must you clog up the coffee line? States that still use pentobarbital in executions COMICS & CLASS 5Name: 1717/Spec’s; Width: 29p6; Depth: 1 in; Color: Black, 1717/ Use promo code DailyTexan$150 to save $150 on classroom prep. MCAT® | LSAT® | GMAT® | GRE® PrincetonReview.com | 800-2ReviewPrep to the highest degree. Available: In Person LiveOnline Name: 1550/Princeton Review; Width: 29p6; Depth: 1 in; Color: WINES · SPIRITS · FINER FOODS(512) 366-8260 · specsonline.comCHEERS TO SAVINGS!® OUR SELECTIONISUndefeated. 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East team, on scoreboards34 Little fella36 “Let’s give ___” 37 Get rid of39 Prefix with pathetic42 Juno, to the Greeks45 Brew whose name is an article of clothing when read backward48 Star-studded show, with “the” 51 Utterly dead52 Goggling53 Dance version of a record, often55 You may be fooled at its beginning60 ___ de boeuf62 Org. whose motto is “Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity” 64 Brewed beverage65 Music writer Hentoff66 R.N.’s are in themPUZZLE BY PATRICK BLINDAUERFor answers, call 1-900-285-5656, $1.49 a minute; or, with a credit card, 1-800-814-5554. Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sunday crosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS. AT&T users: Text NYTX to 386 to download puzzles, or visit nytimes.com/mobilexword for more information. Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 2,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). Share tips: nytimes.com/wordplay. Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/learning/xwords. ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172FIBATTNEMPLOYIDITAROSALINENEZIRISPLANETDAKOTAFANNINGSLIMLIICUKESTEPHENHAWKINGGEETIVOSEAPALATALLIMITEDEVAERICEELROBERTBROWNINGKNOXBARACUEHENRYFIELDINGSTEREOTOMESSRIAMTOOELMOLIEDOESNTDEANATTThe New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550For Release Thursday, August 29, 2013Edited by Will ShortzNo. 0725Crossword Today’s solution will appear here tomorrowArrr t5 1 9 7 2 6 8 3 44 2 3 1 8 5 9 7 68 6 7 9 3 4 2 5 19 3 1 8 5 7 4 6 26 8 5 2 4 9 7 1 32 7 4 3 6 1 5 9 87 5 6 4 1 2 3 8 91 4 8 5 9 3 6 2 73 9 2 6 7 8 1 4 57 1 6 9 39 6 2 4 15 7 91 54 2 9 1 9 3 8 4 3 7 6 9 1 8 6 3SUDOKUFORYOUSUDOKUFORYOUCOMICSThursday, August 29, 20135 College football is chang- ing, and Texas is changing with it. Instead of the traditional spread offense, a majority of college football teams are running an up-tempo offense with the purpose of putting more points on the score- board. And to the delight of most Longhorn players and fans, Texas is adapting to this new style of play for its 2013 season. “I’ve been waiting for this offense since I was a fresh- man,” senior wide receiver Mike Davis said. “My fresh- man year, we kind of had an offense like this, but it wasn’t the same.” Texas fans had a glimpse of a similar offense when Vince Young led his team to a national championship in 2005. Young ran a spread- option offense, which is slightly up-tempo. Mack Brown announced that he would run this new attack last spring. Come Sat- urday, Brown and co-offen- sive coordinator Major Ap- plewhite will unveil a game plan engineered over the past few months. “I think the actual playing of the tempo offense is what I want to see, see us manage it,” Brown said. “We’ve done everything that we can do to simulate it in practice. I still think with 101,000 people [in the stadium], players will be anxious. It will be the first time that Darrell Wyatt and Major [Applewhite] have been in- volved in play selection out- side of the bowl game. And I want to see how much we have improved.” With the new pace, Texas should see around 80 snaps a 6 SPRTSName: 1609/Rec utrecsports.orgSEPT. 4PARTY ON THE PLAZAFUNSTARTS HERE6CHRIS HUMMER, SPORTS EDITOR / @texansportsThursday, August 29, 2013SIDELINEJohnny Manziel draws half-game suspension from NCAAFOOTBALL(Clockwise from top left) No. 14 David Ash, Elisabeth Dillon, Daily Texan file photo / No. 44 Jackson Jeffcoat, Lawrence Peart, Daily Texan file photo / No. 1 Mike Davis, Lawrence Peart, Daily Texan file photo / No. 3 Jordan Hicks, Elisabeth Dillon, Daily Texan file photo Longhorns embrace changeIt has been a long three years for the Texas defense. Since their trip to the na- tional championship game in the 2009 season, the Longhorns have allowed an average of more than 23 points per game. They hit rock bottom last year, sur- rendering 5,244 yards — 419 more than any other season in school history. The Longhorns are con- fident that this is the year they’ll turn things around. The players trained this off- season intending to shed the label of “being soft” and rebound from last year. “We’re tired of that,” ju- nior linebacker Jordan Hicks said. “We’ve been working all offseason to get rid of that label. Obviously it’s going to keep coming up just because of the ex- pectation around here at the University of Texas. We understand that. We put ourselves in that position. But this is a new year and we’re ready to show the new Texas defense.” The defensive unit’s ex- perience is a major reason it is expected to be on the upswing. Texas returns nine starters from 2012 and boasts the luxury of having a fourth-year player at every level of the defense. “What’s changed is now you have Jackson [Jeffcoat] in the defensive end room,” defensive coordinator Manny Diaz said. “You’ve got Chris Whaley in the defensive tackle room, Jor- dan Hicks in the linebacker room, Carrington Byndom at corner and Adrian Phil- lips at safety. You’ve got a four-year guy at all five stations of your defense and the difference between having them has been remarkable.” Jeffcoat is primed to be the leader of Texas’ defense. After missing the final seven games of last season with a torn right pectoral muscle, the senior is healthy and ready to become one of the nation’s elite pass rushers. The senior defensive end has racked up 14.5 sacks over 27 career games, in- cluding eight as a sopho- more in 2011. He seconded Diaz’s expectations, saying the Longhorns’ experience and depth make them a dangerous unit that will be much improved in 2013. “We think we can do very well this year because of our experience,” Jeffcoat said. “We have a lot of experi- ence from starters to second teamers. We’ve got a lot of guys that can play ball and that’s exciting to see because you’ve got to stay fresh.” The return of Hicks, who missed the final 10 games of last season with a hip injury, will be significant for a linebacker corps that struggled with poor tack- ling. Steve Edmond and Peter Jinkens join Hicks at the second level of the Longhorn defense. Defense hopes to shed ‘soft’ label in ‘13, restore Texas to Big 12 title contendersOffense will speed play up, use deep stable of talentBy Garrett Callahan@callahangarrettBy Peter Sblendorio@petersblendorioElisabeth Dillon / Daily Texan file photoOffensive coordinator Major Applewhite brings a new up- tempo approach to the Longhorns’ offense to capitalize on the team’s array of athletes. Elisabeth Dillon / Daily Texan file photoCarrington Byndom enters his final season as a Longhorn as a leader of the defense. Byndom racked up 37 tackles and three interceptions last season. DEFENSE page 7OFFENSE page 7MLBDODGERSCUBS RANGERSMARINERS ATHLETICSTIGERS HOUSTON — Johnny Football’s season will start a little late. Johnny Manziel was sus- pended for the first half of Texas A&M’s opening game against Rice on Saturday for what the school called an “inadvertent” violation of NCAA rules by signing autographs. The penalty appears to have brought a quick end to an investigation that could have ruined the seventh-ranked Aggies’ u pcoming season. The school issued a state- ment Wednesday saying it declared the Heisman Tro- phy winner ineligible and that the NCAA agreed to reinstate Manziel after he sits out the first half against the underdog Owls. “I am proud of the way both Coach Sumlin and Johnny handled this situ- ation, with integrity and honesty,” said John Sharp, chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, in a state- ment. “We all take the Aggie Code of Honor very serious- ly, and there is no evidence that either the university or Johnny violated that code.” The quarterback was being investigated by the NCAA for allegedly accepting mon- ey for signing autographs for memorabilia brokers, a violation of NCAA rules that could have led to a much longer suspension. ESPN first reported the allega- tions against Manziel earlier this month. According to the state- ment, Texas A&M and the NCAA “confirmed there is no evidence Manziel re- ceived money in exchange for autographs based on cur- rently available information and statements by Manziel.” Conditions for rein- statement include Man- ziel discussing his actions with teammates and A&M revising how it educates stu- dent-athletes about signing autographs. “Student-athletes are often asked for autographs from fans, but unfortunately, some individuals’ sole motivation in seeking an autograph is for resale,” said Kevin Len- non, NCAA vice president of academic and member- ship affairs. “It is important that schools are cognizant MANZIEL page 7Softball releases fall scheduleThe Texas Longhorns’ softball team will enter this season with big ex- pectations after advanc- ing to the Women’s Col- lege World Series last year and have announced a slate of seven games to warm up this fall. The Longhorns will open their fall schedule with a doubleheader on Sept. 28 against Incarnate Word and Odessa Com- munity College. Texas will also face off with Temple Junior College, St. Edward’s, Texas State and Texas Woman’s Univer- sity. Texas will conclude its fall season with the annual Alumni Game on Nov. 1. The team will return six starting position players and 12 letterwinners from last season’s team while also welcoming seven freshmen. —Matt WardenDefensive tackle Dorsey to transfer Texas senior defensive tackle Ashton Dorsey, a part-time starter last sea- son, will transfer. Mack Brown an- nounced the move in a short statement Tuesday but did not say where Dorsey would go. Dorsey has struggled with a calf injury in training camp and was not listed on the depth chart released Monday for this week’s season opener against New Mexico State. Dorsey played in nine games for the No. 15 Longhorns last sea- son and started two. He ranked third on the team in tackles for loss with 10. His absence has pushed freshman Hassan Ridgeway and Alex Nor- man into the top back- up roles behind starter Malcom Brown. —Associated PressSPORTS BRIEFLY“Just want to thank God for all theses Beautiful women everywhere on campus #UTproblems” Kendall Sanders@DUECE__ TOP TWEETASTROSWHITE SOX I’ve been waiting for this offense since I was a freshman. My freshman year, we kind of had an offense like this, but it wasn’t the same. —Mike Davis, senior wide receiver contest with a range of eight to 20 seconds between plays. But the introduction of a new offense creates many new challenges. In-game substitutions, player fitness and practice methods are all concerns for Texas during its inaugural season with the up-tempo pace. “You just got to be smart about when you substitute on offense,” Applewhite said. “You can’t break the continu- ity and flow of what you were doing. It’s not just sub to sub. It’s sub to be smart.” Additionally, communica- tion must be crisp at all lev- els of the field. During last week’s scrimmage, Brown prepared the ball boys on the importance of quickness when they work the sideline. “There are things like your ball boys have to know to get the ball to the offi- cial as quickly as possible,” Brown said. “The officials have said that you can go faster if you don’t flip the ball away from us. It’s been really interesting.” The new offense shouldn’t change much conceptually, according to Brown. The key point is to keep the same concepts and tactics but just go faster. And so far, Ash is leading his squad in the right direction. In last week’s scrimmage, Ash led a 16-play drive that showed how well the of- fense could work. There’s a bright future for this style of play, which will create more opportunities and points. The coaches know it will be tough for the players physically, but in the end they expect them to revel in it. “You have to love the fact that you’re tired because you know they are too,” Ap- plewhite said. “This is our opportunity.” SPRTS 7CLASSIFIEDSADVERTISING TERMS There are no refunds or credits. In the event of errors made in advertisement, notice must be given by 10 am the fi rst day of publication, as the publishers are responsible for only ONE incorrect insertion. 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Great job for the right per- son, Great house 10 mins from campus. Pays really well + gas. A guy would be great, or an ac- tive gal that can keep up. Look- ing for full year. Call/Text asap. 512-426-6632800 General Help WantedCAMPAIGN STAFF NEEDED! Staff needed for progressive po- litical campaign! Flexible sched- ule and competitive hourly wag- es. Call (512) 981-6380. 790 Part Time870 MedicalREMEMBER! Yousaw itin theTexanevery weeksuper tuesday COUPONSclip and save! recycle1NAME: 1683/EXTEND-A- CARE- DISPLAY; WIDTH: 19P4; DEPTH: 4 IN; COLOR: BLACK, NAME: 1673/ The secondary also looks different to start 2013. Byn- dom returns at cornerback but his counterpart for the past two seasons, Quandre Diggs, makes the move to nickelback. This clears the way for sophomore Duke Thomas to start at corner- back in week one. “What the film said is that Duke is one of our best players,” Diaz said. “We’re not into playing favorites; we’ve got to play players that we think are the best and Duke has earned that right.” Expectations are high for the Longhorns, and a ma- jor improvement on defense could make Texas the favor- ite in the Big 12. SPORTSThursday, August 29, 20137DEFENSE continues from page 6OFFENSE continues from page 6MANZIEL continues from page 6Lawrence Peart / Daily Texan file photoDespite Mack Brown’s success in his time as the Longhorns’ head coach, he is on the hot seat after an unsatsifying cam- paign last year. Texas finished third in the Big 12 with a 9-4 overall record in 2012 MACK continues from page 1and educate student-athletes about situations in which there is a strong likelihood that the autograph seeker plans to resell the items.” He likely will be replaced in the starting lineup by ei- ther junior Matt Joeckel or freshman Kenny Hill. Manziel became the first freshman to win the Heis- man Trophy last season, set- ting numerous school and Southeastern Conference records while leading Texas A&M to an 11-2 mark and a victory against No. 1 Ala- bama in its first season in the SEC. —Associated Pressthe only coach in the Foot- ball Bowl Subdivision who pulls in more than Brown’s nearly $5.3 million salary, and he’s won two national championships in the past three years. Brown hasn’t even sniffed a Big 12 title in the same span. Recently, Brown told Ya- hoo! Sports’ Pat Forde he would not be fired. Actually, he went a step further, in- dicating he wished to com- plete his contract, which runs through 2020. “I want to finish at Texas,” Brown said. “If I’m healthy and we win, I’m going to try to make 2020 [when his current contract expires]. I think it would be fun to do that, get back on an- other roll. People have said, ‘What about your legacy?’ Who cares about your leg- acy? You’re dead when you whave one.” But while Brown may not care about the state of his legacy, the fans and loyal UT alumni certainly worry about the perception of the product. It is a commodity that has been carefully craft- ed over decades, formed around one thing: wins. From 2001-2009, Brown led Texas to 10-plus wins each season, and like clock- work Texas appeared in the top 10 nationally. The pat- tern broke in 2010, resulting in the first losing season the Longhorns endured in the Brown era. The following seasons weren’t much bet- ter, and yet Brown is talking about coaching for seven more seasons. At any other school, a coach would dodge ques- tions about his job secu- rity after mediocre results. Brown avoided answering those questions altogether simply stating what is essen- tially a fact: He’s not going anywhere. Brown’s national title in 2005 earned him a reason- able amount of pull and a deserved benefit of the doubt. But when does that clout begin to wane? He has a close relationship with men’s athletics director De- Loss Dodds, and it’s hard to envision one without the other. Still, if Texas struggles for a fourth straight year, Brown’s job should be more than just in jeopardy; it must be all but gone. The Longhorns have the experi- ence and talent this season to spur toward prominence and Brown’s retirement dream. But if they strug- gle — anything less than eight wins — Brown’s seat should be hotter than hot, it should scorch. It’s just smart business after all. I want to finish at Texas. If I’m healthy and we win, I’m going to try to make 2020. I think it would be fun to do that, get back on another roll. People have said, ‘What about your legacy?’ Who cares about your legacy? You’re dead when you have one. —Mack Brown, head football coach Small porcelain re-creations of deceased United States first ladies sounds like something to avoid. Don’t be fooled. This exhibit, currently on display at the LBJ Presidential Library, is more adorable than it sounds. The First Ladies Collection, created by renowned doll makers the Alexander Doll Company, depicts the country’s first ladies and first hostesses as 14-inch dolls wearing rep- lica inaugural gowns. Series one of the first ladies was manu- factured in 1976 to commemorate the nation’s bicentennial celebration and ceased production in 1990 after the death of “Madame” Beatrice Alexander, the company’s owner. Ranging from Martha Washington to Pat Nixon, the col- lection consists of 38 figures issued in seven series. Visitors of the exhibit gaze into the case, taking in pre- cious details like Mary Todd Lincoln’s crown of flowers and the delicate flip of Mamie Eisenhower’s hair. The classic, wide-eyed, baby-faced look of Alexan- der’s dolls complements the delicate elements of the in- augural gowns beautifully. In addition to their aesthetic value, the pieces offer an adorably doll-sized glimpse into our nation’s past. “For research purposes, it al- lows us to get an idea of the fashions from the different time periods,” curator of the exhibit Michael MacDonald said. “From a visitor’s point of view, it allows the visitor to actually see inaugural gowns. They may not be the originals — they’re on dolls — but most people don’t get to the Smithsonian to see the actual inau- gural gowns. Sometimes this is the closest that they’re going to get.” Even though the library has owned the entire collection since its donation in 2007, it had no venue to showcase it properly until its 2012 renovations. Twenty-five of the first ladies now line the shelves in the library’s Great Hall. The current selection includes Martha Wash- ington, Pat Nixon and, of course, Lady Bird Taylor Johnson. All 38 dolls can be viewed on the library’s iOS application. Alexander herself was an emblem of the mod- ern American woman. In an era where women worked in their husbands’ shadows, Alexander founded her own company in 1923 and turned some of the country’s most beloved characters into highly collectible dolls. The little ladies at the library prove the 90-year-old company’s creations are as captivating as ever. “Every time I come up here, there are people looking at the dolls,” MacDonald said of the ex- hibit’s popularity. These miniature women do indeed take visitors through 185 years of fash- ion, from Washington’s hoop skirt and lace-trimmed sleeves to Nixon’s canary yellow col- umn dress and crystal-encrust- ed bolero jacket and everywhere in between. “You can tell through the times how the fashion changed,” said Margaret Miller, web editor for the LBJ Founda- tion. “It really does reflect the sensibili- ties of the first lady and also the times they lived in.” Beyond the sensibilities of fash- ion, the First Ladies Collection has brought a simple, overwhelming sentiment to visitors young and old: joy. “I think the women get nostal- gic for when they were little girls,” Miller said. “And these women bring in little girls who don’t know about Madame Alexander, so it’s a teachable moment.” The collection is on display at the LBJ Library through Nov. 24. “Lost Planet 3” debuted Tuesday, laying to rest a fran- chise that dates back to the initial launch of the Xbox 360. Unfortunately for gam- ers seeking a fresh layer of entertainment value, “Lost Planet 3” continues the stale game-play experience that underlies its predecessors. Returning to the icy world of E.D.N. III, players will assume the identity of Jim Peyton, a miner who finds himself wedged between the conflicts of human and alien forces. Jim’s “average Joe” appeal may strike gamers as cliche, but his role as the protagonist becomes more profound as the game pro- gresses. In periodic video messages to his wife back on Earth, Jim recounts his har- rowing experiences, giving a whole new meaning to long- distance relationships. This prequel tale makes a respectable attempt to ex- plain the events of the pre- vious two games. Character dialogue is well-acted and many of the plot points are surprisingly well thought out. But the story has its problems. While most of the character interactions are displayed in cut scenes, in- game animations are clunky and distracting. This prob- lem becomes more appar- ent when using the glitchy shooting mechanics. The quality of “Lost Plan- et 3’s” plot is not enough to remedy other crucial pitfalls. Game play has remained much the same, hinging on third-person shooter tactics to reach objectives. Play- ers can now control giant mechanical suits reminis- cent of the movie “Pacific Rim,” but fighting large alien monsters becomes a predict- able dance of dodging and button mashing. The game’s artificial intel- ligence is yet another serious disappointment. Akrid, the alien enemies in the game, are taken down by shoot- ing vulnerable joints and extremities. But with over- powered weaponry and lim- ited difficulty settings, this task is easily accomplished and quickly becomes a mo- notonous 15-hour exercise. Human enemies are even less entertaining to engage with, requiring minimal effort to outmaneuver and kill. Though it’s advertised as an open-world shooter, “Lost Planet 3” is an empty land- scape that lacks sufficient detail to explore. Traveling is cumbersome and there are no tangible rewards for ven- turing into every corner of the levels. It’s almost as if de- velopers Capcom and Spark Unlimited hit “copy” and “paste” with the level designs. Nevertheless, the game’s graphics engine is impressive. Devastating snowstorms, tow- ering mountains and sinister- looking enemies set an ap- propriate mood for the game’s plot. Mazes of dilapidated buildings and ice-crusted ma- chinery immerse players into a foreboding environment of war and survival. As far as multiplayer goes, players can kiss a cooperative campaign goodbye. Online multiplayer seeks to fill the deficit with limited success. Online players join matches where the objectives are spontaneously generated. A game that begins as capture- the-flag may later evolve into a game of elimination. These dynamic scenarios force teams together toward one goal, making for many adren- aline-fueled situations. But the online longevity of “Lost Planet 3” is questionable. Will the game’s subpar characteris- tics motivate players to come back in the next couple of months? Probably not. “Lost Planet 3” brings little to the third-person shooter genre as a whole and little to the Lost Planet series. The new mechanical suits help diversify the combat, but many of the game’s stron- gest points are outweighed by an unpolished gaming experience that sticks to the beaten path. “Lost Planet 3” will ultimately meet the next generation of gaming con- soles as a mediocre relic of a mediocre series. 8 L&AName: 1709/UTOPIAfest; Width: 29p6; Depth: 5 in; Color: Black, 1709/UTOPIAfest; Ad Number: 1709 “THE MOST INTIMATE HIGH-QUALITY FESTIVAL IN THE COUNTRY!” WHAT TO DO IN AUSTINMUSIC 98.9UTOPIAFEST IS A CO-PRODUCTION BETWEEN TRAVIS SUTHERLAND & ONION CREEK PRODUCTIONS // ART WORK BY EMILY ALBRACHT BYOB FREE CAMPING & PARKING CAPPED AUDIENCE TWO STAGESNO MUSIC OVERLAP FAMILY FRIENDLY YOGA DISC GOLF SILENT DISCOGALACTIC !!! EOTO AARON FREEMAN (GENE WEEN) HE'S MY BROTHER SHE'S MY SISTER GRUPO FANTASMA BLACKALICIOUS MAX FROST WHEELER BROTHERS LUCIUSUME BERNIE WORRELL WITH BROWNOUT ROBERT ELLIS THE BELLMEN HOORAY FOR EARTH WHISKEY SHIVERSNADIS WARRIORS STAR & MICEY GHOSTS ALONG THE BRAZOSORGONE HOLIDAY MOUNTAIN MY RUSSIAN PRINCESS DAY & WEEKEND PASSES AVAILABLE AT UTOPIAFEST.COMSILENT DISCO ARTISTS ANNOUNCED SOON! SARAH-GRACE SWEENEY, LIFE&ARTS EDITOR / @DTlifeandarts8Thursday, August 29, 2013Miniature womenCAMPUSBOOK REVIEW | ‘THE HAPPY ATHEIST’GAMESBy Elizabeth Williams@bellzabethThe development of the blogging world over the past decade or so has re- sulted in an explosion of wonderful popular science writing. Science news cov- erage was once limited to only the most significant stories, but we now have thousands of experts in spe- cific fields updating readers on a daily basis, often with colorful commentary. Among the best of the best is Paul Z. Myers — also known as PZ Myers — a biology professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris. Myers writes for Pharyngula, a blog focusing on science, skepticism and atheism. Thanks to Myers’ insightful, direct and often witty writing, Pharyngula has developed a monthly readership in the millions. Myers recently published a light but enjoyable com- pilation of essays about his feelings towards reli- gion in his first book, “The Happy Atheist.” And, though the title isn’t meant ironically, it takes no more than a few pages for Myers to make it clear that whatever it is he’s happy about, religion ain’t it. “Mainly what religion does is make people believe ludicrously silly things, sub- stitute dogma for reason and thought and sink into self-destructive obsession as they fret more over their reward in the next life than their accomplishments in this one,” Myers writes. Gee, PZ, tell us what you really think. One of his favorite exam- ples of religion’s lunacy in- volves an incident he refers to as “Crackergate,” in which Myers held a communion wafer hostage, threatening to do something unspecific, but horrible, to it (other than, for instance, chew it up, swallow it and let his stomach acids dissolve it). The Catholic community responded with enough emails to overload his in- box, ranging from pleas not to harm the cracker to retaliatory threats. Unfortunately, this kind of personal and specific example of religious ab- surdity is hard to come by throughout the book. My- ers isn’t cherry-picking or even incorrect about most of his points; it’s just that the bulk of his examples (including, for instance, the repeated attempts by fundamentalists to push creationism into schools) are old news by now, al- ready covered just as well by others. This isn’t to say that My- ers is a bad writer. Far from it: He’s quite a good one and it’s unlikely Pharyn- gula would have reached its current popularity were it not for his written voice. Rather than dance around issues, Myers ad- dresses them head on, us- ing ridicule as his primary rhetorical device, giving the religious community more logs to add to their “atheists are insensitive” fire, much to the chagrin of the accommodationists in the community of non- believers. Perhaps they’re right, but it’s hard to ar- gue that the mocking tone doesn’t make the writing more fun to read. For this reason, “The Happy Atheist” won’t win many converts. And that’s the biggest problem with the book: it’s unclear who the intended audience is. The opposition won’t re- spond well to Myers’ sar- casm, but there’s also noth- ing new here for those who read Pharyngula on a regu- lar or even semi-regular ba- sis. Sure, these words may not have appeared on the blog in the order the book presents them, but the content remains stuck in familiar territory. Myers is a busy man, jug- gling his research, teaching, public speaking and blog- ging (not to mention des- ecrating crackers), but per- haps for his second book he should tackle a more ambitious or specific topic, such as one area of belief that particularly bugs him, like treatment of women or inherent racism. His first effort is by no means a failure, but considering the wealth of wonderful books on atheism already fighting for shelf space, “The Happy Atheist” is somewhat in- substantial and unneces- sary, which is ironic since Myers wouldn’t hesitate from applying either word to religion itself. By Robert Starr@robertkstarrFranchise’s final game lacks depth, falls shortTHE HAPPY ATHEISTAuthor: PZ MyersGenre: Religion/PhilosophyPages: 208Similar titles: The God Delu- sion, God Is Not Great, the Pharyngula blogLOST PLANET 3Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, PCDeveloper: Capcom and Spark UnlimitedPrice: $60MADAME ALEXANDER’S ‘FIRST LADIES COLLECTION’Where: LBJ Presidential LibraryWhen: Through Nov. 24By Stuart Railey@stuart_raileyHappy atheist covers familiar territoryPhoto courtesy of Capcom Jim Peyton, the protagonist of “Lost Planet 3”, operates mas- sive mechanical armor to battle enemies and traverses the frozen landscape of E.D.N. III. Fashionista dolls reflect changing styles of first ladies in historyPhoto by Shelby TauberDaily Texan StaffFirst LadyJacqueline Kennedy