facebook.com/dailytexan Tuesday, April 26, 2011 @thedailytexan >> Breaking news, blogs and more: dailytexanonline.com Calendar World Intellectual Property Day The IC2 Institute hosts this celebration with presentations and a lunch for IP Stakeholders, small businesses and start¥up companies interested in IP rights at the IC2 Institute Global Classroom at 11:30 a.m. ÔErfreut euch, ihr HerzenÕ The Bach Cantanta Project will perform at the Blanton Museum at 12 p.m. The project is a collaboration of music from the Blanton Museum of Art and the Butler School of Music performed by choirs and orchestra under the direction of James Morrow. Texas Softball Longhorns play UT San Antonio at McCombs Field at 6:30 p.m. Tickets available for $1 starting two hours prior to the game and range from $3-$9. ÔIn the AtticÕ This Czech film directed by Jan B‡rta about a doll that is snatched and taken to the Land of Evil will be shown in the Geography Building 102 at 7 p.m. ÔAre our Schools Making the Grade?Õ A forum on the American education system with clips shown from ÒThe CartelÓ will be held at the San Jacinto Residence Hall Multipurpose Room at 7 p.m. David Ramirez Cactus Cafe presents David Ramirez for a free show at 8:30 p.m. Today in history In 1962 NASAÕs Ranger 4 spacecraft crashes into the Moon. Quote to note ÔÔ ÒThis is awesome. We go out week after week to try to get WÕs. Golf is a weird game in that you can go out, play great and still finish second. Having a championship mindset has and will continue to translate into many great things for this team.Ó Ñ Martha Richards Head coach SPORTS PAGE 8 Notable professor, attorney to lose job over budget cuts By Ahsika Sanders Daily Texan Staff In 1967, 26-year-old attorney Sarah Weddington joined forc¥es with the WomenÕs Liberation Movement and took on one of the most perpetually controversial Su¥preme Court cases in American history Ñ Roe v. Wade. She was the first woman to rep¥resent Austin in the Texas Legisla¥ture and the first woman to hold the title of General Counsel to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She served in the White House as an adviser to President Jimmy Carter before coming to UT to teach in 1988. After 23 years at the University and more than a dozen state and national leadership awards, UT of¥ficials told Weddington, an adjunct professor in the Center for Wom¥enÕs and Gender Studies, that she would no longer have a job at the end of the spring semester. Weddington said she was aware of the looming budget crisis but was surprised to hear her position was in jeopardy. CUTS continues on PAGE 2 Andrew Torrey | Daily Texan Staff Adjunct professor Sarah Weddington successfully argued Roe v. Wade before the Supreme Court and served in the House of Representatives, Department of Agriculture and White House for the Carter administration. Young leaders urge regents to maintain UT research By Ahsika Sanders Daily Texan Staff Campus leaders on Monday sent a letter to the UT System Board of Regents to stress the importance of including students in their de¥cisions regarding Òuniversity pro¥ductivity and excellence.Ó Senate spokesperson Michael Morton said the Graduate Stu¥dent Assembly, Student Govern¥ment and Senate of College Coun¥cils joined forces make sure the Regents are aware research is im¥portant for students. ÒWe are appreciative to the Tex¥as Exes who spoke out against some of the reforms that have been proposed and talked about in the Chancellors council, and to oth¥er members who have spoken out against the separation of research and teaching,Ó he said. ÒBut this is a pressing matter that the student voice hasnÕt been a part of yet.Ó Earlier this month, the board formed a task force to travel to multiple public universities to learn from different higher educa- LETTER continues on PAGE 2 Andrew Torrey | Daily Texan Staff Firefighters working with the Standing Rock team from North Dakota extinguish small Òhot-spotsÓ along the fire line established in the hills of Possum Kingdom. Volunteers against the wildfires INSIDE: Firefighters and residents of Possum Kingdom react to the devastation on page 6 Poet Laureate speaks at Ransom Center Texas alumni affirm people were turned away. ÒHe has a way of connect¥ing simple occurrences in nature support for PowersÕ to the bigger universe that only comes with time and experience,Ó POET continues on PAGE 2 vision of University By Jody Marie Serrano like seeing a living treasure, said a Daily Texan Staff retired writer. Gary Cook was one among the At a time when all the voices of sea of 150 students and silver¥the media seem to cover the ec-haired Austinites who made it in to centricities of Donald Trump, see-see Merwin at the Harry Ransom ing Poet Laureate W.S. Merwin is Center on Monday. More than 100 organization, said even without firsthand knowledge, concerns for the president and chancellorÕs jobs are well-founded. ÒWe have very good sources,Ó Leshin said. ÒTheyÕre not out of the woods at all from what I can tell. I donÕt think there has been a deci¥sion either way yet.Ó Powers has been a proponent of academic research, particularly re¥garding how professors should be evaluated. Rick OÕDonnell, the former UT System adviser whose Feb¥ruary hiring spurred discussions on the future of Texas universi¥tiesÕ research, wrote for a conser¥vative think tank on the wasteful¥ness of much academic research, and found himself without a job April 19. Leshin sent an email to about 200,000 alumni and donors after ALUMNI continues on PAGE 2 By Matt Stottlemyre Daily Texan Staff The Texas Exes alumni organi¥zation issued a resolution support¥ing UT President William Powers Jr. and his work for the University. Erin Huddleston, a spokeswom¥an for the independent alumni as¥sociation, said the resolution ad¥dressed prevalent rumors that PowersÕ job may be in jeopardy. She said the organization doesnÕt have firsthand knowledge of the situation, but wanted to follow suit with a similar statement the Chan¥cellorÕs Council made earlier this month in support of System Chan¥cellor Francisco Cigarroa. Because the ChancellorÕs Coun¥cil represents donors systemwide and not those specifically at UT-Austin, the Exes took the initiative to offer the same support for Pow- Tamir Kalifa | Daily Texan Staff ers, she said. United States Poet Laureate W.S. Merwin signs one of his books for UT alumni Shailie Thakkar at the Harry Ransom Center. Merwin has been publishing poetry, prose and plays for over 50 years. Richard Leshin, president of the CONTACT US Main Telephone: (512) 471-4591 Editor: Lauren Winchester (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com Managing Editor: Claire Cardona (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com News O¥ce: (512) 232-2207 news@dailytexanonline.com Multimedia O¥ce: (512) 471-7835 dailytexanmultimedia@gmail.com Sports O¥ce: (512) 232-2210 sports@dailytexanonline.com Life & Arts O¥ce: (512) 232-2209 dailytexan@gmail.com Photo O¥ce: (512) 471-8618 photo@dailytexanonline.com Comics O¥ce: (512) 232-4386 Retail Advertising: (512) 471-1865 joanw@mail.utexas.edu ClassiÞed Advertising: (512) 471-5244 classiÞeds@dailytexanonline.com The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely. If we have made an error, let us know about it. Call (512) 232-2217 or e-mail managingeditor@dailytexanonline.com. COPYRIGHT Copyright 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 LowHigh 88 56 We watched three movies. Southeast Austin killings prompt continued concerns over homophobic violence By Allie Kolechta Daily Texan Staff The district attorneyÕs office may charge a Southeast Austin double ho¥micide as a sexual orientation-moti¥vated hate crime, said a prosecutor from the Travis County District At¥torneyÕs Office. Last Tuesday, Austin police arrest¥ed 45-year-old Jose Alfonso Aviles in connection the fatal shooting of 24-year-old Norma Hurtado and 57-year-old Maria Hurtado. Friends have said AvilesÕ daugh¥ter was at the HurtadosÕ home the night of the shooting and was in a relationship with Norma Hurtado. Once APD completes the inves¥tigation, the Travis County District AttorneyÕs Office will likely meet with them to determine whether or not the double homicide will be pursued as a hate crime, said assis¥tant district attorney Jackie Wood, a member of the officeÕs hate crime task force. Right now, Wood said Aviles is likely to be charged with capital murder. Although it would not add any enhanced penalty to a capital mur¥der charge, Wood said the DAÕs of¥fice may still choose to treat the case as a hate crime. Hate crimes are rarely prosecuted in the state of Texas, she said. In many cases, suspects have not even been arrested, said Da¥vid Escamilla, an attorney for Tra¥vis County. Escamilla is a chair of the hate crimes initiative, a group that works to reduce hate crimes in Austin and aid victims of hate crimes. Escamilla helped form the initiative after two UT students were attacked outside of City Hall returning to their cars from a gay bar, a case that was never prosecut¥ed, he said. ÒIt was shocking to everybody,Ó he said. ÒIt happened right next to City Hall. The incident last week just shows that we still have a lot that we need to work on.Ó The murders of Norma and Ma¥ria Hurtado were without doubt hate crimes, said government se¥nior Ambalika Williams, spokes¥woman for UT organization Queer People of Color and Allies. ÒThe fact of the matter is that we have students coming from every¥where in Texas, and for someone coming to UT, this might be the first time they ever meet someone whoÕs GLBT,Ó she said. ÒIn general, we need to work on awareness.Ó CUTS continues from PAGE 1 ÒI always thought that tenure for me was not that important because I thought as long as you were really good at what you do and did a lot to work with your students, youÕd be ok,Ó she said. ÒNow I know I was wrong.Ó Weddington said she received an email on Feb. 8 from Susan Heinzelman, Center for WomenÕs and Gender Studies director, tell¥ing her there would not be fund¥ing for her to continue teaching. The email said the center was facing a 25.9-percent cut total¥ing more than $58,000 and would have to cut faculty positions. Ac¥cording to the UT employee sal¥ary database, Weddington makes $80,899 per year. Heinzelman said because of the 25-percent budget cut spread over three years, the center has no money to hire any teaching faculty this year, though in the past it has hired three to five adjunct profes¥sors a year, Heinzelman said. The money that remains is allocated to fund an incoming cohort of about 10 graduate students. ÒShe is a wonderful teach¥er, sheÕs incredibly supportive to the students, and she is very im¥portant in terms of the history of feminism and womenÕs repro¥ductive rights,Ó she said. ÒBut we have gradually lost the support of the college over the last sever¥al years, even before this current budget crisis.Ó Heinzelman said it is important to note that no one person or en¥tity is to blame because the bleak economy is taking a toll on the whole University. ÒItÕs a horrible situation to be in and we are very distressed,Ó she said. ÒI have tried to secure funds for her appointment but that has been unsuccessful.Ó Weddington currently teaches two undergraduate courses that are in high demand, said Jo Anne Huber, director of government undergraduate advising. She said it is not uncommon for Wedding¥tonÕs classes to fill within a few hours of opening for registration. ÒWe opened our door at 8:30 and at 8:35 a student came in wanting to be on her list,Ó she said. ÒI had to tell him we werenÕt signing peo¥ple up because we werenÕt sure she would be teaching in the fall and he was very disappointed.Ó Alumnus Eric Cuellar, one of WeddingtonÕs former students, wrote a letter to President Wil¥liam Powers Jr. saying the Univer¥sity would benefit from keeping Weddington. He said WeddingtonÕs ÒLeader¥ship in AmericaÓ class, which he took in spring 2010, was the best class he had during his time as an undergraduate at UT. Cuellar said he spent more time in her office than he did in any other profes¥sorÕs at UT, and he believes he is a stronger leader for having tak¥en her class. ÒBeing around a person like that is an experience that I wish every UT undergrad could experience,Ó he said in the letter. ÒI will nev¥er forget Dr. Weddington and her class as long as I live, and I hope you do not forget her either.Ó Although she is identified as a world-renowned speaker and was named one of Time magazineÕs ÒOutstanding American Young LeadersÓ in 1980 for her many LETTER continues from PAGE 1 tion models. SG President Nata¥lie Butler urged the task force not to neglect research while they try to improve classroom efficiency. Since 1929, UT has been a member of the Association of American Universities alongside Ivy league schools such as Har¥vard, Duke, Cornell and Brown. The association is composed of 63 universities in the U.S. and Canada and only accepts univer¥sities at the forefront of academ¥ic research. GSA President Manuel Gon- POET continues from PAGE 1 Cook said. Ò[He has] a quiet sort of wisdom. ItÕs like medicine for the soul.Ó Merwin came to read poet¥ry for National Poetry Month as a part of the Harry Ransom Lec¥tures, a program that brings in¥ternationally renowned writers, artists and scholars to Austin for public events. Appointed the U.S. Poet Laureate in 2010, Merwin has written more than 30 books of poetry. ÒI never wanted the post of laureate,Ó Merwin said. ÒI want¥ed to write poetry and look be¥tween the blades of grass since I was four years old. [Over time] I learned more about poems but the [knowledge] has always been there.Ó James Magnuson, director of UTÕs Michener Center for Writ¥ers, said MerwinÕs poetry has de¥veloped over a long time and has a wonderful stylistic purity and zalez said UTÕs competitive edge comes from being a top-tier in¥stitution that promotes research in all areas of academics, not just natural sciences. Gonzalez said they hope the letter will clarify the student stance on how they view research as an important classroom asset. ÒTeaching and research go hand-in-hand and research is what makes our University the elite institution it currently is,Ó he said. ÒWithout it, we lose part of our identity.Ó depth that seems to appeal to ev¥erybody. ÒHeÕs the wise man of poetry,Ó Magnuson said. ÒHe has ascend¥ed to some other level and has a depth and visionary quality to his work that everyone respects, like [Walt] Whitman, and really something very few others have obtained.Ó Merwin was born in 1927 the son of a Presbyterian minister and had a strict upbringing. He moved to Hawaii in 1976 to study Zen Buddhism, eventually settling in Maui on a former plantation. In his lecture, Merwin said his re¥pressive childhood made him feel like the closest friend he had was the tree. The experience inspired MerwinÕs ÒTouching the TreeÓ poem in his 1988 book, ÒThe Rain in the Trees.Ó Merwin highlighted this expe¥rience to talk about his views on environmental conservation. Butler said if nothing else the student alliance is keeping their eye on the boardÕs decisions to hold them accountable for ac¥tions that will affect UT stu¥dents. ÒAt this point we are monitor¥ing the board and letting them know we are paying attention and students want to be consulted be¥cause the decisions they make ul¥timately affect all of us,Ó she said. The Board of Regents could not be reached for comment as of press time. ÒThereÕs a relation between who we are in our most indescribable and intimate [form] and life as a whole Ñ the life of every living creature,Ó Merwin said. Danielle Sigler, Ransom Center assistant director and curator for academics, said she hoped people not familiar with MerwinÕs work would leave appreciating this dif¥ferent form of literature. ÒItÕs an important art form and at times is underappreciated,Ó Si¥gler said. ÒWe do everything we can to get poetry to a broader au¥dience.Ó Merwin ended the discussion by reading ÒRain Light,Ó a poem about confronting grief at the loss of a loved one. ÒThe washed colors of the af¥terlife/that lived there long before you were born/see how they wake without a question/even though the whole world is burning,Ó Mer¥win read. Syria cracks down on key protest city By Diaa Hadid and Elizabeth Kennedy The Associated Press BEIRUT Ñ Thousands of sol¥diers backed by tanks and snipers moved in before dawn to the city where SyriaÕs anti-government up¥rising began, causing panic in the streets when they opened fire in¥discriminately on civilians and went house-to-house rounding up sus¥pected protesters. At least 11 peo¥ple were killed and 14 others lay in the streets Ñ either dead or gravely wounded, witnesses said. The military raids on the south¥ern city of Daraa and at least two other areas suggested Syria is try¥ ing to impose military control on the centers of protests against Pres¥ ident Bashar Assad, whose fami¥ erected before the sun rose. ÒThey have snipers firing on ev¥erybody who is moving,Ó a witness told The Associated Press by tele¥phone. ÒThey arenÕt discriminating. There are snipers on the mosque. They are firing at everybody,Ó he added, asking that his name not be The attack on Daraa, an impov¥erished city on the Jordanian border, was by far the biggest in scope and firepower. Video purportedly shot by activists showed tanks rolling through streets and grassy fields with soldiers on foot jogging behind them. Witnesses said busloads of troops Let Obama come and take Syria. Let Israel come and take Syria. Let the Jews come. Anything is better than Ò Bashar Assad. Ò Ñ Unnamed resident of Daraa despise their leader. All witnesses spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. Daraa, a drought-parched re¥gion of 300,000 in the south, has seen some of the worst bloodshed over the past five weeks as the up¥rising gained momentum. The area was ripe for unrest: The grip of Syr¥iaÕs security forces is weaker on the border areas than around the cap¥ital, Damascus, and Daraa hasnÕt benefited from recent years of eco¥nomic growth. Meanwhile, Daraa has absorbed many rural migrants who can no longer farm after years of drought. The city of Daraa was where Syr¥iaÕs uprising began in mid-March, touched off by the arrest of teenag¥ ers who scrawled anti-government graffiti on a wall. Taliban insurgents free more than 480 from Afghan prison By Mirkwais Khan The Associated Press KANDAHAR, Afghanistan Ñ During the long Afghan winter, Tal¥iban insurgents were apparently busy underground. The militants say they spent more than five months building a 1,050¥foot tunnel to the main prison in southern Afghanistan, bypassing government checkpoints, watch tow¥ers and concrete barriers topped with razor wire. The diggers finally poked through Sunday and spent four and a half hours ferrying away more than 480 inmates without a shot being fired, according to the Taliban and Afghan officials. Most of the prisoners were Taliban militants. Accounts of the extraordinary prison break, carried out in the dead of night, suggest collusion with pris¥on guards, officials or both. Following a recent wave of as¥sassinations here, the breakout un¥derscores the weakness of the Af¥ghan government in the south de¥spite an influx of international troops, funding and advisers. It also highlights the spirit and resourceful¥ness of the Taliban despite months of battlefield setbacks. Officials at Sarposa prison in Kan¥dahar city, the one-time Taliban cap¥ital, say they discovered the breach at about 4 a.m. Monday, a half-hour af¥ter the Taliban say they had gotten all the prisoners safely to a house at the other end of the tunnel. Government officials corroborat¥ed parts of the Taliban account. They even during winter and the ground would not have frozen while insur¥gents were digging the tunnel. Police showed reporters the roughly hewn hole that was punched through the cement floor of the pris¥on cell. The opening was about 3 feet in diameter, and the tunnel dropped straight down for about 5 feet and then turned in the direction of the house where it originated. But access was denied to the tun¥nel itself, and it was unclear how the Taliban were able to move so many men out of the prison so quickly. Also unclear was why guards would not have heard the diggers punch through the cement floor, and wheth¥er they supervise the inside of the perimeters at night. A man who claimed he helped or¥ganize those inside the prison told The Associated Press in a phone call that he and his accomplices obtained copies of the keys for the cells ahead of time from Òfriends.Ó He did not say who those friends were. ÒThere were four or five of us who knew that our friends were digging a tunnel from the outside,Ó said Mo¥hammad Abdullah, who said he had been in Sarposa prison for two years after being captured in nearby Zhari district with a stockpile of weapons. ÒSome of our friends helped us by providing copies of the keys. When the time came at night, we managed to open the doors for friends who were in other rooms.Ó The cityÕs police mounted a mas¥sive search operation for the escaped convicts. They shot and killed two in¥mates who tried to evade capture and Residents and human rights activists said the regime wants to terrify op¥ponents and intimidate them from staging any more demonstrations. The offensive was meticulously planned: Electricity, water and mo¥bile phone services were cut. Secu¥rity agents armed with guns and knives conducted house-to-house sweeps, neighborhoods were sec¥tioned off and checkpoints were NEWS BRIEFLY UN sees drop in malaria deaths because of international effort The massive assault on Daraa ap¥peared to be part of new strategy of crippling, preemptive strikes against any opposition to Assad, rather than reacting to demonstrations. Other crackdowns and arrest sweeps were reported on the outskirts of Damas¥cus and the coastal town of Jableh Ñ bringing more international con¥demnation and threats of targeted sanctions by Washington. ers took up positions on the roofs of houses and high buildings while other security agents searched hous¥es for suspected protesters. ÒLet Obama come and take Syria. Let Israel come and take Syria. Let the Jews come,Ó shouted one Daraa resident over the phone. ÒAnything is better than Bashar Assad,Ó he said, playing on SyriaÕs hatred for Israel to highlight how much town residents saved several hundred thousand toddlers in sub-Saharan Africa, initiative announced Monday lives in recent years, keeping now die from malaria annually, by Harvard University should international efforts on track to down from nearly 1 million significantly help international confirmed the tunnel was dug from re-arrested another 26, said Tooryalai a house within shooting distance of Wesa, the provincial governor. the prison and that the inmates had But there was no ignoring that the somehow gotten out of their locked Taliban had pulled off a daring suc¥ cells and disappeared into the night. cess under the noses of Afghan and ly has ruled Syria for four decades. used for fear of retribution. poured in before dawn and snip-A relentless crackdown since Kandahar remains relatively warm NATO officials. mid-March has killed more than 350 people throughout the country, with 120 alone dying over the week¥end. But that has only emboldened protesters, who started with calls for modest reforms but are now increas¥ingly demanding AssadÕs downfall. The White House said Monday it was considering sanctions against the Syrian government in response to the brutal crackdown. Allauddin Khan | Associated Press virtually end deaths from the in 2008. efforts to wipe out the disease. He UNITED NATIONS Ñ The mosquito-borne disease by 2015. Secretary-General Ban Ki-encouraged other universities to An Afghan policemen takes a look at the opening of a 1,050-foot tun¥ nel at the main prison in Kandahar, Afghanistan, which more than 480 U.N. chiefÕs envoy for malaria The U.N. says about 780,000 moonÕs envoy, U.S. philanthropist follow suit. prisoners escaped through Monday. says a $5 billion campaign has people, mostly babies and Ray Chambers, says a new malaria Ñ The Associated Press 4 OpiniOn Tuesday, April 26, 2011 | The Daily Texan | Lauren Winchester, Editor in Chief | (512) 232 2212 | editor@dailytexanonline.com gallery VIeWPOINT A united voice Student leaders sent a letter to the Board of Regents on Monday urging them to increase transparency and consider student input in the discussions of possible changes to the UT System. The regents are considering substantial changes to high¥er education at institutions in the System that would ul¥timately diminish the quality of education offered by these institutions. Senate of College Councils President Carisa Nietsche, Stu¥dent Government President Natalie Butler, Graduate Student Assembly President Manuel Gonzalez and 10 college council presidents signed the letter that identified key discussions and student responses to them. The most controversial of the reforms threatens research and questions its value. One ÒreformÓ proposes separating teaching budgets from research budgets Ñ a change that would prove devastating to faculty and students at the University, a top research institution. In response, the letter reads, ÒThe value of our institution rests on its cutting-edge research and world-class faculty. ... Di¥luting the role of research in undergraduate education at UT would decrease the value of the degrees sought by students and would diminish the competitiveness of TexasÕ students when applying to jobs and graduate schools across the country.Ó This excerpt alone shows that student leaders understand both the significance of research at UT and, more importantly, that the Board of Regents is ignoring student, faculty and alum¥ni input, much of which denounces the suggested reforms. The little value the regents place on student input was made clear after Butler wrote a letter to the board following a trip to Arizona State University with regents Alex Cranberg and Brenda Pejovich. In her letter, Butler denounced the at¥tempt to model UT after ASU. Shortly after she sent her let¥ter to the Board of Regents, UT System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa wrote to ASUÕs president apologizing for ButlerÕs letter and clarifying that her views do not reflect those of the UT System. Many of the proposed reforms to the UT System have been embraced by ASU. ASUÕs model is attractive for political lead¥ers, including Gov. Rick Perry, who has called for a $10,000 bachelorÕs degree plan that would necessitate more online learning to lower the cost of education. Additionally, the controversy surrounding the hiring and subsequent dismissal of Rick OÕDonnell reflects yet again the lack of transparency and consideration of students, admin¥istrators and alumni of the UT System. It seemed as though the board heard their criticisms when it dismissed OÕDonnell, a former senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation who was hired as a special adviser to the Board of Regents. OÕDonnell supported a number of changes to the System, in¥cluding the separation of teaching from research. However, just one day after OÕDonnellÕs dismissal, the board replaced OÕDonnell with Sandra Woodley, the former chief financial officer and chief planning officer for the Arizona University System who supports a similar approach to higher education reform. At a time when the regents are considering significant changes to the UT System, it is important that students take a stand together in defense of the quality education that UT offers. Ideally, student opinion would be advocated to the regents through the student regent. Perry recently appointed John Davis Rutkauskas, a Plan II, business honors, finance and French junior, to serve as a student regent from June 1 through May 31, 2012. But last week, Rutkauskas told The Daily Texan, ÒThe [stu¥dent regent] position is not about approaching the board as an activist but as an intermediary presenting the studentÕs opin¥ion, rather than demanding action.Ó In the face of threats to higher education, his refusal to Òde¥mand actionÓ is disconcerting, as the crucial role of a student regent is exactly that. While it appears Rutkauskas has no plans to advocate for students, it is relieving that student leaders at UT are speak¥ing out against the regents and in support of preserva¥tion of quality higher education. The letter is a significant stride toward presenting a united student voice against the suggested reforms. The regents have made it clear that they only want support¥ive feedback, but with more students and alumni denouncing the reforms and demanding more transparency, their input will grow increasingly difficult to ignore. Ñ Viviana Aldous for the editorial board Taking politics out of higher ed gallery By Holly Heinrich Daily Texan Columnist Texas universities are vulnerable to the shifting winds of politics. Proposed cuts to higher education funding, the controversial Òbreakthrough solutionsÓ supported by Gov. Rick Perry and the recent firing of Regents adviser Rick OÕDonnell have made that clear. As emails obtained by the Houston Chron¥icle revealed last week, Perry continu¥ally pressured University regents to adopt reforms created by the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conserva¥tive think tank that advocates scaling back academic research and requiring professors to put more emphasis on teaching. These initiatives conflict with the goals for UT that many prominent administrators, alumni and students have: supporting a more highly ranked institution that produces cutting-edge innovations. Research is at the heart of an ongoing war in higher education. This issue is further complicated by misperceptions about researchÕs role in university cul¥ture. For instance, a recent UT System study suggests fears about professors who donÕt spend enough time in the classroom are unfounded. The study found that UT faculty members dedi¥cate an average of 39 hours per week to instruction and instruction-related activities, greatly exceeding the mini¥mum 27 hours of weekly instruction time required by the Board of Regents. Yet this factual information hasnÕt fig¥ured prominently in the research de¥bate. Instead, the discussions have been more strongly directed by ideology, and this has produced instability in our public universities that will continue until universities find a way to distance themselves from the changing demands of politics. Currently, the University depends on the state for a significant (though decreasing) portion of its funding. Since 2003, state funding has notably decreased and student tuition has con¥tinued to pay a rising share of college costs. Since TexasÕ population is grow¥ing rapidly, there is an increasing de¥mand for all state services, especially public education and Medicaid, so state contributions to all public entities, in¥cluding universities, are expected to decrease. Public universities around the nation are realizing they need to reduce their reliance on state funds to stay afloat. Ironically, some have found their solution in the enterprise that has been denigrated by the Texas Public Policy Foundation: research. The University of Wisconsin, for in¥stance, receives about $40 million an¥nually from patent discoveries made by university researchers. Wisconsin has patented products such as warfarin, a drug that prevents blood clots, and a hormonal form of vitamin D used to treat osteoporosis. UT is also working to produce revenue from research and has obtained licensing agreements for innovations in fields ranging from oil extraction to nanotechnology. In 2009¥2010, UT licensing revenues reached $14.3 million. Other universities are balancing the role of politics in university life by re-examining the Board of RegentsÕ structure. California activists have ad¥vocated for a board made up of gover¥norÕs appointees, ex-officio members and officials elected by students and faculty. The California, Washington and Wisconsin university systems have given students a real say in university policy decisions by granting full voting rights to student regents. The Univer¥sity of MichiganÕs board, where regents run for statewide election, is the most democratic, but TexasÕ recent experi¥ence with the State Board of EducationÕs politicized K-12 curriculum suggests a system similar to MichiganÕs would be a poor choice for Texas higher education. It would also be difficult to implement, since Texas has several large univer¥sity systems, each with its own board. It is unclear what the best structure for Texas would be, but now is the time to consider possible reforms. To create and maintain top-tier re¥search universities, we need to ensure that our universities have stronger, more stable sources of funding and are less subject to politically driven pol¥icy changes. We cannot build a stable foundation for higher education if the ground shifts with every election cycle, undoing all the University has worked to build. Heinrich is a government freshman. sUBMIT a FIrINg lINe Email your Firing Lines to firingline@dailytexanonline. com. Letters must be more than 100 and fewer than 300 words. The Texan reserves the right to edit all sub¥missions 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. legalese Opinions expressed in The Daily Texan are those of the editor, the Editorial Board or the writer of the ar¥ticle. They are not necessarily those of the UT ad¥ministration, the Board of Regents or the Texas Stu¥dent Media Board of Operating Trustees. Symposium raises concerns regarding energy research By Katrina Tollin Daily Texan Staff Without adequate funding for research, the United States will not be able to compete in the global energy market, said a Harvard research group director Monday. The Energy Institute at the Jackson School of Geosciences hosted Laura Diaz Anadon as part of its Innovation and Energy Symposium. About 45 people came to see Anadon, the di¥rector of the Energy Technology Innovation Policy Research Group at Harvard University. Energy researchers agree it is necessary to have substantial and accelerating innovations to meet the worldÕs energy needs, Anadon said. She said the United States should address envi¥ronmental challenges to create the industries of the future and increase global energy security. Anadon said government policies, regula¥tions and tax incentives encourage energy so¥lutions in research and the private sector. JapanÕs energy security was drastically im¥proved when the country began offering subsi¥dies to anyone installing home solar units, she said. In another example, CaliforniaÕs stricter effi¥ciency requirements on refrigerator manufac¥turing decreased refrigerator energy consump¥tion by 70 percent. Anadon said the risk of researchers and sci¥entists losing funding mid-project can impede progress, and that one in three will lose 27 per¥cent of their funding every year. ÒYou cannot make big breakthroughs when you are just working on something for two years or four years or even more,Ó she said. ÒYou need stability.Ó The lecture series brings faculty and students from across campus together to share ideas on innovation and energy with a leading expert in the field, said Varun Rai, assistant professor at the LBJ School and organizer of the event. ÒThis increases the level of awareness on en¥ergy issues, but also cutting-edge research,Ó Rai said. The series will be offered as a weekly lecture course for credit beginning in the fall semes¥ter. Energy Institute spokesman Gary Rasp said that students have expressed a strong interest in more energy-related courses, and this is one way that the Jackson School and the Energy In¥stitute have tried to meet that demand. Rasp said recent environmental disasters, along with increased gasoline prices, have helped to raise awareness about environmental concerns and the need for new technologies. ÒEnergy is an issue that is on just about ev¥eryoneÕs mind. Every day there is more and more attention being focused on it,Ó Rasp said. ÒPeople are talking more and more about costs and relative risks associated with one technolo¥gy versus another.Ó NEWS BRIEFLY Downtown may see renovation pending public hearing results Austin residents may see more parks, a revitalized Sixth Street and improved infrastructure downtown if the City Council adopts a new comprehensive plan. The Planning Commission will hold a public hear¥ing tonight to discuss the plan before making final recommendations to the council. The commission will present the Downtown Austin Plan to council members at 6 p.m. at City Hall be¥fore taking public feedback, said Jorge Rousselin, development services pro¥cess coordinator of the planning com¥mission. Any and all portions of the plan are open for discussion, he said. The council directed the commis¥sion to develop a plan that would pro¥vide the community with a clear road map on how downtown should de¥velop, said Michael Knox, co-develop¥er of the plan. ÒI believe the plan we have pro¥duced does that,Ó he said. ÒWe have involved the community ev¥ery step of the way over the past several years.Ó The Downtown Austin Plan lays out a vision of downtown for rough¥ly 20 years, Knox said. It includes more than 100 recommendations in¥cluding regulatory changes, pub¥lic investments and organizational changes and has been in the works for several years, he said. The public hearing will be the last commission review before the plan goes to City Council, he said. The City Coun¥cil will choose whether or not to adopt the plan at a public hearing on June 9. Ñ Allie Kolechta Entrepreneurial organizations put students in business By Yvonne Marquez Daily Texan Staff Biomedical engineering junior Juan Carlos Rodriguez started his own clothing line, Platypus T-shirts, last summer. He said his business is still in the startup stages and he is trying to market his apparel. The University EntrepreneurÕs Association hosted a sympo¥sium to help students like Rodri¥guez with startup ideas realize their goals Monday. About 50 undergraduates and Austin business leaders networked at the symposium. Rhetoric and writing sophomore Nick Spiller, an event organizer and founder of UThinkTank.com, a social media site for students with entrepreneur¥ial pursuits, said everyone has the opportunity to help each other. Rodriguez said he wanted to cre¥ate graphic T-shirts that had the right fit and felt nice. He said it takes initiative and the right con¥nections to start a business. ÒWeÕll see where it goes,Ó Ro¥driguez said. ÒItÕs not something I would do for the rest of my life but itÕs something I like doing and seems like a good experience to try out.Ó Clayton Christopher, found¥er of Sweet Leaf Tea, said he start¥ed his company on the worst busi¥ness model in the world. He had no experience in the industry and his product had a two-week shelf life. He said most of the work in the be¥ginning was miserable. ÒThere were days I thought if I could walk away from the busi¥ness and not have filed for person¥al bankruptcy I probably wouldÕve done it,Ó Christopher said. ÒIÕm so glad I didnÕt do it because challeng¥es build character.Ó Christopher said the compa¥ny started to grow when he started hiring people smarter than himself. For years, he said his ego got in the way of the companyÕs growth. ÒKeep the ego out of the way in business and your personal life,Ó Christopher said. ÒIt keeps you from reaching lots of joy and hap¥piness.Ó International relations sopho¥more Liuna Fekravar participat¥ed in 3 Day Startup, an entrepre¥neurship program to allow univer¥sity students to develop a compa¥ny in three days. She worked on a startup called Socialease, a business social network. Fekravar said she and a team of other students want to pursue another startup idea for 1 Semester Startup, a new course for undergraduates working on start¥ups that engineering professor Bob Metcalfe is teaching in the fall. ÒI feel students have lots of po¥tential in terms of changing things with their startup ideas,Ó Fekra¥var said. ÒBut without motivation they usually donÕt get anywhere. With these entrepreneurial organi¥zations, they motivate you to keep going.Ó FIGHTING FLAMES After two weeks of battling some of the worst wild-Baptist Church of Possum Kingdom, held Easter ser¥fires in Texas history, firefighters in the area around vices in their Family Life Center, rubble from the de-Possum Kingdom Lake finally got a chance to rest, re-stroyed sanctuary still strewn in the parking lot next cover and assess the damage as storm systems passed door. The sermon given by pastor Dennis Trammel was through the area this weekend. one of perseverance. The fires have consumed almost 127,000 acres of land, ÒYou are more important than buildingsÓ he told the destroying more than 166 buildings and two church-congregation, seated in several dozen plastic chairs in es, according to the Texas Forest Service. Possum King-the small gymnasium. ÒI would rather be working on a dom Lake is about 70 miles west of Ft. Worth. building, than preaching a funeral.Ó One of the two churches consumed in the fire, First Ñ Thomas Allison Andrew Torrey | Daily Texan Staff The Standing Rock team from North Dakota walks the fire line to check for any remaining small fires. Firefighters from all over the nation were called to help combat the wildfires spreading across Northwest Texas. Thomas Allison | Daily Texan Staff Hank and Mac Brooks wait for Easter services to begin in the Family Life Center of Possum KingdomÕs First Baptist Church on Sunday morning. Their renewal of vows was the last marriage ceremony in the main church building before it burned down last week. Andrew Torrey | Daily Texan Staff A burned out Jeep rests in a destroyed residence in the HellÕs Gate housing area near Possum Kingdom Lake. HellÕs Gate was one of the hardest hit areas, with many homes reduced to scorched rubble. SPORTS 7 Tuesday, April 26, 2011 | THE DAILY TEXAN | Will Anderson, Sports Editor | (512) 232-2210 | sports@dailytexanonline.com BASEBALL Texas State at No. 7 Texas Longhorns return home to face Texas State By Trey Scott Daily Texan Staff A few weeks ago, Texas made a pitching swap. Sam Stafford, who had been mowing down batters on Tuesdays Ñ 2-0, with 23 strike¥outs in four contests Ñ would take his act to Sundays, when his arm would provide more value against better opponents. On their first Tuesday without Stafford, last weekÕs 4-2 win over UT Pan-American, the Longhorns got one inning out of starter Aus¥tin Dicharry, who surrendered two earned runs after only 31 pitches before being pulled. After the first, four more pitchers saw action in relief work. ÒI didnÕt do the best I could,Ó said Dicharry, who was making his first start in a year after rehabilitat¥ing through a bone bruise. Head coach Augie Garrido called it a Òrough start.Ó Trying for some smoother sail¥ing, Garrido has asked Stafford to return to the midweek mound to¥night against Texas State. Though Stafford pitched Saturday against Kansas, he still has enough left in the tank to pitch three days later because he only threw 54 pitches in TexasÕ 4-2 loss. In a March 15 game against the Bobcats, the Longhorns scraped out a 3-1 win, registering just seven hits and scoring only one earned run. ÒLater in the year, weÕll hit bet¥ter,Ó Garrido said after the game. ÒAs it warms up, the hitting will come around.Ó The skipperÕs prediction has come true so far. This past week- Andrew Edmonson | Daily Texan Staff Junior shortstop Brandon Loy warms up before an April 18 game against UT-Pan American. Loy leads the Longhorns in hits and doubles and is batting .331 on the year. In the Kansas series, Loy went 6-13 with two RBIs. end, Texas outscored the Jayhawks Offensive standouts on the year defensive gems. 20-5 in three games, a series in are Brandon Loy and Erich Weiss, ÒI saw the ball well today and which the Longhorns averaged 11 who combined to go 12-26, with stayed with my plan. I came out hits a game and hit .320 as a team. seven RBIs between the two of and played hard and had fun,Ó ÒWe hit balls hard, and we got them last weekend. Loy, a junior, Loy said. our bunts down and ran the bases starred in game one of the Kansas Weiss, who drove in five runs well enough to get people in posi-series, with a 4-5, two-RBI perfor¥tion to score,Ó Garrido said. mance at the plate to go with a few HORNS continues on PAGE 8 WOMENÕS BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK Applewhite picks up five-star commit Senior Nash earns By Austin Laymance Daily Texan Staff The days of NFL-caliber tail¥backs in the Texas backfield ef¥fectively ended with Jamaal CharlesÕ departure following the 2007 season. After three years of a lack¥luster running game, Tex¥as now appears poised to return its once prominent backfield to national recognition. The rebuilding effort would not have been possible without Tex¥asÕ young, new co-offensive coor¥dinators, Major Applewhite and Bryan Harsin. This fall, top-rated running back prospect and Brenham na¥tive Malcolm Brown, who was heavily recruited by Applewhite, will look to reinvigorate the Tex¥as ground game. Brown will get some help along the way in 2012 with five-star recruit Johnathan Gray Ñ the LonghornsÕ top tar¥get in the class of 2012 Ñ who an¥nounced Friday that he will sign with Texas. While Applewhite also pri¥marily recruited Gray, the Ale¥do High School product said the new schemes Harsin is install¥ing from his days conducting the high-scoring Boise State offense enticed him to come to Texas in¥stead of Texas A&M or TCU. With Brown and Gray in the fold, Applewhite and Harsin should have more weapons at their disposal than ever before Ñ another reason why Harsin left a successful Boise State program to come to the 40 Acres. By Sameer Bhuchar Daily Texan Staff Though their season abruptly ended a month ago, that doesnÕt mean the Longhorns havenÕt been hard at work both on and off the court. Kathleen Nash is one of those players. Nash racked up a number of athletic awards during her ten¥ure on the 40 Acres, but her work ethic helped her garner a number of academic awards. Most recently she was awarded the WomenÕs Basketball Coach¥es AssociationÕs (WBCA) Rob¥in Roberts/WBCA Broadcasting Scholarship Award. The $4,500 scholarship is award¥ed to one female collegiate basket¥ball player who intends to pursue graduate work and a career in sports communications and journalism. ÒCongratulations to Kath¥ leen,Ó said WBCA CEO Beth Bass when she announced Nash Trent Lesikar | Daily Texan Staff file photo as the recipient in late March. ÒWe look forward to watching Co-offensive coordinator Major Applewhite signals calls to the offense during the Orange-White spring game. you excel in your field, and hope you will put some ÔpressureÕ on Gray ran for eight touchdowns the season with a state-record this awardÕs namesake.Ó in the schoolÕs Class 4A Divi-59 touchdowns to go with 3,223 The communications field is a sion II state title game win over far cry from her undergraduate La Marque last year and finished GRAY continues on PAGE 8 degree. Nash, a three-time Aca- Senior Raygan Feight bats against Texas WomanÕs University on coaches value the leadership and Wednesday. Feight has started 40 games this year and has become experience of the senior class. At one of the LonghornsÕ leaders both on and off the field. the beginning of the season, head broadcasting award for graduate school SOFTBALL UTSA at No. 5 TEXAS Feight uses experience to lead young Horns By Sara Beth Purdy Daily Texan Staff When Raygan Feight steps up to the plate, the crowd takes notice. Instead of the traditional stadium chant of ÒTexas Fight,Ó the crowd shows its support for the senior with an enthusiastic cheer of ÒRay¥gan Fight!Ó Trent Lesikar | Daily Texan Staff For a young Texas team, the demic All-Big 12 First Team se¥lection in 2009, 2010 and 2011, will graduate next month with a degree in finance and a minor in accounting. She was also named a five-time Big 12 Commission¥erÕs Honor Roll honoree. Former Horns return As current Longhorn players prepare to graduate, some famil¥iar past players have begun to trickle back onto campus. Last week, head coach Gail Goestenkors added former Texas standout Edwina Brown to her squad of assistants in hopes of helping Texas regain elite status. Brown, who played as a Long¥horn from 1996-2000, will take over as the new strength and conditioning coach. ÒWe are so happy to have Ed¥wina on staff,Ó Goestenkors said. ÒShe will bring her mental and physical toughness, along with her vast knowledge of the game, to our program. ÔWinkÕ knows what it takes to be the very best player in the country and she will be a vital asset to the future of Texas WomenÕs Basketball.Ó Brown is one of the programÕs BROWN continues on PAGE 8 coach Connie Clark talked about the importance of conveying last yearÕs disappointing finish to the freshmen, and left the task up to the three seniors on the roster. ClarkÕs warnings have worked so far, as the Longhorns have cruised to a 41-4 record and remain undefeated in Big 12 play 11 games in. Feight took that message to heart. This year, she and catcher Amy Hooks are the only two senior reg¥ular starters. Freshman shortstop Taylor Thom said Feight has been like a big sister FEIGHT continues on PAGE 8 SIDELINE NBA PLAYOFFS TRIVIA TUESDAY ? When was the last time Texas menÕs golf won a Big 12 Championship? TWEET OF THE DAY Answer: 2004 SPOTLIGHT Position: Pitcher Class: Senior Hometown: Coppell, TX Cole Green was chosen as one of 10 finalists for the LoweÕs Senior CLASS Award. The honor recognizes both achievements on the field and in the classroom. Fan voting will combine with voting by members of the media to determine the winner. You can vote at seniorCLASSaward.com. BROWN continues from PAGE 7 most decorated athletes. Dur¥ing her time on the 40 Acres, she was a two-time All-American and first-team All-Big 12 Confer¥ence team member. In addition to receiving the Margaret Wade Trophy award in 2000, an hon¥or that is presented annually to the top player in college basket¥ball, Brown is also the only play¥er in UT history to record at least 1,700 points, 500 assists and 250 steals throughout her career. She is also a former Olympian and WNBA player. Recruit plays All-American game With news coming from all fronts of the Longhorn family of players, both current and past, an incoming Texas player made head¥lines this past month as well. Texas signee Cassie Peoples was one of 24 players in the 10th Annual McDonaldÕs All-Ameri¥can Game on March 30. Peoples, who competed for the West team, is only the ninth play¥er in TexasÕ history invited to play in the exhibition. The womenÕs Mc¥DonaldÕs All-American game be¥gan in 2002, and is reserved for the nationÕs best high school players. GRAY continues from PAGE 7 Peoples scored five points and in 16 minutes of play. The West The Cy-Fair native is the sixth recorded four steals and a block lost 78-66. best player at her position ac¥ yards. He told reporters Friday at a news conference announc¥ing his decision that heÕs pos¥itive he made the right choice with Texas. ÒI feel like thatÕs where I want to be,Ó Gray said. ÒThatÕs my home.Ó Though Gray still has one sea¥son left in high school, it isnÕt stop¥ping him from looking ahead to donning a Texas uniform along¥side Brown in 2012. ÒI think weÕll do great,Ó Gray told the Austin American-States¥man. ÒHeÕs a dominant back and IÕm a dominant back. You just put two and two together, weÕll make each other better and just try to win a national championship.Ó Big 12 gets new TV deal It looks like the Big 12 is here to stay after all. While there were doubts about the conferenceÕs future after Ne¥braska and Colorado jumped ship and left the league with only 10 schools, a new television deal with Fox Sports Media Group should ment with the conference, al¥ready pays $20 million per year to broadcast roughly half as many games as allowed in the new cable rights deal. The Big 12 also has a network deal with ABC/ESPN that runs through the 2015-16 season worth $480 million. Since that deal is al¥ready in place, ABC/ESPN has pri¥ority for choosing which games to televise, meaning Fox will choose from second-tier Big 12 matchups Ñ most will be broadcast on Fox Sports NetÕs regional networks. cording to the 2011 HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings. HORNS continues from PAGE 7 over the weekend, is current¥ly in the midst of a 12-game hit¥ting streak. During the span, the freshman has a .447 batting aver¥age and a .527 on-base percent¥age. Out of 40 games this year, Weiss has gotten on base safely, by way of hit or walk, in 38 of them. Ò[Weiss] continues to hit well,Ó Garrido said. ÒHeÕs a very ma¥ture batter for a freshman and seems to learn from every at-bat he takes.Ó FEIGHT continues from PAGE 7 to her both on the field and off. ÒI take pride in trying to be a lead¥er to these girls since I have been here for three years,Ó Feight said. ÒI want to be that communicator on the field and that leader that every¥one can look up to Ñ a role model.Ó FeightÕs .207 average may not be the best on the team, but she has contributed plenty to the offense. This past weekend, Feight went 3-3 in game one against Texas Tech. It was her first multi-hit game of the season and she also scored two runs. She makes up on defense what she lacks in offense. ÒI think she is one of the best de¥fensive players we have had come through the program,Ó Clark said. Going into the weekend, Feight had a .991 fielding percentage, which is second best on a team that leads the Big 12 and the country in fielding. As a junior, she started ev¥ery game in the infield and has start¥ed in 40 games this season while only committing one error so far. According to Clark, Feight has the ability to take command and can ef¥fectively communicate on the field while building confidence among her teammates. Feight is filling the leadership role left vacant by Lauren Johnson, who graduated last year. ÒIt was a big part for me to come here and follow Lauren JohnsonÕs lead,Ó Feight said. ÒI told the coaches that is what I wanted to do Ñ take over that spot and be that role model.Ó Feight is also becoming a role model for children. After a series against Iowa State, Feight took control of the infield during a clinic hosted by the Long¥horns for youth in the Austin area. The young softball players were able to learn how to properly field ground balls and how to improve their throwing technique. No one on the staff was surprised to see Feight leading that portion of the clinic. Feight and the No. 5 Longhorns host UTSA tonight before heading to Waco for a mid-week conference game against Baylor on Wednesday. preserve the Big 12. The 13-year deal calls for Fox to televise 40 football games begin¥ning in 2012. The dealÕs financial terms were not released, but the Sports Business Journal reported that it could bring in as much as $90 million a year. ÒThis puts the conference in a great place, not just a good place,Ó Texas menÕs athletic di¥rector DeLoss Dodds told the Austin American-Statesman. ÒTheyÕre ecstatic.Ó Fox, per its current agree- MENÕS GOLF SPORTS BRIEFLY Longhorns sit in second Tower to be lit orange tonight to honor womenÕs golf team at Big 12 Championship The Tower will be lit orange Tuesday to honor the womenÕs golf team after its Big 12 Champi¥onship win on Sunday. By Nick Cremona Oklahoma StateÕs Peter Uih- Daily Texan Staff lein, who has been the consen- Tradition states that any time sus No. 1 college player this year, a University team wins a confer- Jelly beans and chocolate eggs and Texas A&MÕs Jordan Russell, ence title, the Tower is lit up in didnÕt keep the Longhorns from who is currently ranked 15th in all burnt orange. This is only the starting off strong in the open¥the nation. third time in school history the ing rounds of the Big 12 Cham- Senior Bobby Hudson, who women have had this honor. Tex¥ pionship Tournament. After two is playing in his fourth consec¥ as previously claimed Big 12 ti¥ rounds, Texas is seated comfort¥ utive Big 12 Championship, had tles in 1997 and 2004. ably in second place, only three ÒThis is awesome,Ó said head four birdies in the first round, strokes behind leader Oklahoma but his 10 bogeys and one dou¥coach Martha Richards. ÒWe go out week after week to try to State. The Cowboys ended the day ble bogey had him finish the day get WÕs. Golf is a weird game in that you can go out, play great with two players tied for first place at six-over. Hudson is also tied on the individual leaderboard, and for 11th place on the individual and still finish second. Having a are at 18-over as a team. leaderboard. championship mindset has and In his first career postseason The third Longhorn sitting in a will continue to translate into appearance, sophomore Julio Ve-tie for 11th place is freshman Toni many great things for this team.Ó gas recorded eight birdies over Hakula, who carded a two-over The Tower lighting also hon¥ his two rounds to finish at one-first round and a four-over second ors sophomore Madison Pres¥ sel, who became just the second over. Vegas is also in fourth place round to finish the day at six-over. womenÕs golfer in program his¥tory to win the Big 12 Champi¥ on the individual leaderboard. Sophomore Cody Grib - Junior Dylan Frittelli shot six-ble turned in a three-over first onship with a tournament-re¥ over on the front nine, but was round and a four-over second to cord score of eight-under. She able to salvage the back nine for end the day at seven-over, tied joins Big 12 individual champi¥ a four-over first round. In his for 18th place individually. on Heather Bowie of the 1997 second round, Frittelli had four Texas tees off at 8:50 this Texas womenÕs golf team as the birdies, finished the day at six-morning with Oklahoma State only Longhorns to accomplish over and tied for 11th individ-and Oklahoma, who is in the feat. ually. Frittelli was paired with third place. Ñ Stephanie Yarbrough RECYCLE¥ make it on the air in 2011? It seems unlikely. Mod¥ern reality TV is more like an alternative method of storytelling, a way to restructure a fictional nar¥rative by calling it Òreality.Ó ItÕs a shame, because ÒAn American FamilyÓ proved 40 years ago that reality, the kind without quotations, is rife with compelling drama all its own. them coming undone. Could this kind of genuine real-life drama ever your copy of The Daily Texan 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. C L ASSIFIEDS | Photos by Jono Foley How to Tie a Turban To wrap a scarf into a turban on your head, begin with a large square scarf. For a clean, sharp look, tie your hair into a bun so that the turban will completely cover it. For a more feminine look, let tousled hair down. HATS continues from PAGE 12 jubilee of summer events, like Sunday brunch, week¥ends in the South of France or the upcoming royal wedding and horse race. With the royal wedding looming, magazines such as Vogue and People have dedicated pages to guessing what hat designer Philip Treacy is creating. Treacy is the man behind the crystal-encrusted asteroid headpiece Lady Gaga donned at last yearÕs Grammy Awards. After the Kentucky Derby, itÕs certain there will be magazine spreads of ladies in their best or most bizarre Sunday hats. Besides mint juleps, the most common association with the derby is women in hats. While wearing a hat bedecked with stuffed dead birds, bows and tulle is fun, it is not appropriate for ev¥eryday wear. The grandeur of a hat can make it diffi¥cult to incorporate into an ensemble Ñ even the casual baseball cap can sometimes make or break an outfit. But the downside of a hat is also works to its advan¥tage. When worn tastefully, the stand-alone nature of hats make them easy accessories that add oomph to conservative ensembles. In style for this spring and summer are bowler hats, floppy Ô70s-style summer felt hats, fedoras and turbans. In sync with the retro trend, round Charlie Chaplin¥esque hats and large brimmed hats make perfect exag¥gerated accent pieces for this seasonÕs long, billowing skirts and dresses. Men should ditch the overwrought trend of fedoras in favor of newsboy caps, straw bowler hats or Panama safari hats, which have the same top structure as a fe¥dora but with a wider brim. Whether itÕs making a bold statement with a tur¥ban or a lighter appearance with a cap, try topping off your outfit this season with a hat Ñ with or without a stuffed bird. TV continues from PAGE 12 PBS that followed the daily lives of Santa Bar¥bara family the Louds. At the time, it was a stir¥ring new enterprise in television, eliciting discus¥sions and great controversy for its depiction of the LoudsÕ eventual divorce and the inclusion of TVÕs first openly gay man, Lance Loud. ÒAn American FamilyÓ is also largely consid¥ered to be the antecedent to modern reality tele¥vision. After watching excerpts from the series online (the complete series has never been avail¥able on video), there are curious cues to current reality TV trends that give even the assorted dra¥mas of the ÒReal HousewivesÓ franchise some unexpected gravitas. Like most reality shows, the subjects of the series come from an affluence likely foreign to most of the people who actually watched it. Even 40 years ago, reality TV was all about watching beautiful rich people cry their pretty tears into martini glasses. What also holds true is the empathic potential for reality TV to relate lifeÕs banalities across socio¥economic divisions: In one scene, Loud daughter Delilah, her hair tightly wound in curlers, fidgets as she labors through a dull phone conversation with her father. In another scene, the Loud chil¥dren, out of what appears to be sheer boredom, attack each other in the backyard with a garden hose. They may be wealthier than most of their viewers, but they face the same quotidian hurdles as the rest of us. Where ÒAn American FamilyÓ differs from current reality TV is also often a main point of contention for opponents of the genre. Unlike current reality TV programs, the drama in ÒAn American FamilyÓ is not ginned-up, at least not in the same way shows are now. Sure, cameras following you around can affect your behavior and crafty editing techniques can help parse the¥ater from the slightest of scenarios. WhatÕs differ¥ent about ÒAn American FamilyÓ is that thereÕs an almost entire lack of direction to the production, including no confessionals. Most unlike current reality TV, you never im¥mediately get the sense that any of the scenes in ÒAn American FamilyÓ are staged. Although upon the seriesÕ airing, the Louds were vocal about their discomfort in how Gilbert chose to edit down the 300 hours of footage, watching it 40 years later the unraveling of the LoudsÕ marriage comes through powerfully unfettered. ThereÕs a particularly sobering moment in epi¥sode nine that one would never see on current re¥ality TV: Bill returns home from business out of town to Pat, his wife, who tells him to move out. What follows is 10 devastating minutes: The cam¥era follows as Bill calls to book a hotel reservation and pack his clothes; Pat sits silently on their bed. You can see both of them straining to main¥tain their composure in front of the camera and for those few brief minutes, the show is almost un¥bearably, chillingly real. A marriage that spanned 20 years and bore four children ended in a sin¥gle night, and all of America was the audience to 10 LIFE&ARTS BooK review The uncoupling Critique of modern life fails in ÔThe UncouplingÕ By Katie Stroh ple and the most popular teachers in Daily Texan Staff Stellar Plains. ThereÕs their daughter Willa, a shy teenage girl experienc-In AristophanesÕ comedy ÒLy-ing her first twinges of desire for her sistrata,Ó the women of Athens de-new boyfriend Eli. ThereÕs the young cide to end the interminable Pelo-and beautiful school psychologist ponnesian War by withholding the Leanne and her sadly sweet lover, one thing they believed their men the married school principal. And couldnÕt live without: sex. thereÕs Bev, the unhappy, overweight Meg WolitzerÕs new novel ÒThe school counselor. UncouplingÓ transplants Aristo-However, WolitzerÕs efforts at re¥phanesÕ story into the modern age. latability result in uninteresting char-The quiet New Jersey suburb of Stel¥acters. The inner monologues of ev¥lar Plains functions as WolitzerÕs ery person in Stellar Plains end up modern-day version of Athens. The blending together and no single per¥town is tight-knit, wholesome and son seems to have any kind of com¥relatively free from scandal, intrigue plexity or real personality. or dramatic events. Even the drama teacher Fran, That is, until a new drama teach¥whom Wolitzer professes to be so er comes to Eleanor Roosevelt High radically unconventional and blunt and puts on a production of ÒLy¥for Stellar Plains, blends into the mo¥sistrata.Ó A strange thing begins to notony of the novelÕs bland character happen to the women of the town: landscape and fails to contrast with Seemingly under a spell, the wom¥the other townspeople. en lose all desire for their husbands, In addition, Wolitzer and her boyfriends and lovers, and turn away adult charactersÕ patronizing views from sex completely. of their teenaged children and stu-The best that can be said about dents are an incredibly grating qual¥ÒThe UncouplingÓ is that itÕs oc¥ity of the book. The parents and casionally mildly entertaining and teachers of Stellar Plains constantly doesnÕt draw itself out. Wolitzer remark on the apathy and techno¥writes with a light, conversational logical obsession of the townÕs teen¥tone and the novel skips along at a agers without trying to understand brisk pace. ItÕs easy to get through the entire novel in one sitting. or engage them in any way. Rather than making ÒThe Un-If Wolitzer means for this to be couplingÓ a truly enjoyable read, some kind of social commentary or this breezy tone reflects how shal-clever satire, it comes off as incred¥low ÒThe UncouplingÓ ultimately is. ibly flimsy and not at all humorous. Without giving away the entire plot, Instead, it reads as condescending the whole mystical sexual shutdown and shallow. is essentially pointless by the novelÕs Most irritating of all is the strange, anticlimactic end. Wolitzer fails to unnatural dialogue. Wolitzer often find any kind of real meaning or re-seems to have no concept of how real flection in her premise, which is so people actually talk, especially teen¥creative and has so much potential agers. Almost every exchange of di¥for social commentary. alogue sounds robotic and painfully Wolitzer tries to create a relat-awkward to read. able cast of characters that might ÒThe UncouplingÓ touts a won¥live around the corner in any sub-derfully clever premise that unfor¥urb in the nation. ThereÕs Dory and tunately belies its disappointing, Robby Lang, a happily married cou-weak execution. The Uncoupling Meg Wolitzer Genre: Romantic comedy Pages: 270 For those who like: Jane Austen, Helen Fielding Grade: D+ SUPER SUPER $500 $159 OFF Dry cleaning ofPlain Laundered $20.00 or more Shirts Please present coupons with incoming or-Please present coupons with incoming or¥ders. Coupons not valid with other offers or ders. Coupons not valid with other offers or 3 Pant Specials. Only one coupon per visit. 3 Pant Specials. Only one coupon per visit. ¥ All Work Guaranteed ¥ Household Items Cleaned ¥ Same Day Laundry & ¥ Alteration Services ¥ Dry Cleaning Service (M-F) ¥ Same Day Saturday Service (se¥lected locations) Open Monday - Friday 7am - 7pm Saturday 9am - 3pm 3637-B 3207 Red River Far West Blvd. 501 W. 15th (Next to TX French Bread) @ San Antonio 338-0141 472-5710 236-1118 SUPER Tuesday, April 26, 2011 CommenTAry Courtesy of The Associated Press Donald Trump is considering a 2012 presidential run against President Barack Obama. Celebrity CEO may run for president By Aleksander Chan The Terminator gained serious political respect estate change for Trump Ñ and he should Daily Texan Staff as a moderate Republican whose magnetism know, with his millions made from his real es¥endured despite the drooping approval ratings tate ventures. Like most non-celebrity politi-Donald Trump Ñ mega-millionaire, star of suffered by lame-duck incumbents. And now cians, the best way to hold a higher office is to ÒThe ApprenticeÓ and pre-eminent comb-over that heÕs done working in politics? HeÕs return-work your way up the ladder. guru Ñ is making headlines for his announced ing to showbiz, launching a comic book and Sonny Bono, fresh from leaving Cher, en¥ exploratory committee into a potential presi¥ animated series aptly titled ÒThe GovernatorÓ joyed a successful political career as the may¥ dential run in 2012 on the Republican ticket. with Marvel head honcho Stan Lee. or of Palm Springs and later as a U.S. Represen- Trump is hardly the first celebrity to run for Arnold is a less polarizing figure than tative of California. Former ÒSaturday Night public office, and his ample war chest stands to Trump, and based on some of TrumpÕs on-LiveÓ star Al Franken, who first gained atten¥ keep his name in the mix through the election air flubs Ñ notably for not knowing Roe v. tion for his progressive politicking through season. But how likely is he to be successful? WadeÕs precedent as a right to privacy Ñ heÕs a talk radio show and a series of bestselling By examining his fellow celebrity politicians, it facing an uphill battle even if he wasnÕt bet-books, won the extremely close Minnesota might be possible to distinguish where exactly ter known for his on-air persona. The failures senate race in 2008. Trump falls on the presidential spectrum. of some celebrities running for office hold sa-But Trump has never been marked by mod- Trump, and perhaps all ambitious celebrity lient cautionary tales. esty; his Ògo big or go homeÓ attitude would pols, yearns for the kind of esteem Ronald Rea- Comedian Stephen Colbert also famously seemingly preclude him from taking stepping gan held. Reagan is better known for his defin¥ ÒranÓ for president in 2008, attempting to be stones such as a senate run to eventually get ing presidency of conservative politics, his sup¥ on both the Democratic and Republican bal-him to D.C. So finally, thereÕs the celebrity pol¥ ply-side ÒReaganomics,Ó ending the Cold War lots. A spectacular failure, the whole endeav-itician perhaps closest to TrumpÕs own person¥ and the Iran-Contra affair than his acting ca¥ or seemed like a grand gesture for ripe material ality: Howard Stern. reer. ReaganÕs presidential prowess so overcame for his show, ÒThe Colbert Report.Ó The radio shock jock won the Libertari¥ his initial celebrity status that itÕs often remem¥bered as an afterthought. While Trump hasnÕt made a name for him-an Party nomination for his 1994 run for gov-But few non-celebrity politicians have self as a comedian like Colbert, itÕs difficult to ernor of New York, but when a law requiring reached the success of Reagan. The only oth-know just how serious he is about running. him to disclose his address and financial re¥er presidential celebrity examples for Trump The Democratic Party wasnÕt amused with cords reared its head, he withdrew. It raises the to potentially follow would be Obama and Colbert in 2008 and refused to accept his bid. question as to what exactly SternÕs motivations Kennedy Ñ neither exactly in his wheel-If by some bizarre sequence of events Trump were for running: Was he a legitimate politi¥house. Though he could follow the lead of clinches the nomination, will the Republican cian or an oversize personality caught up po-Arnold Schwarzenegger. Party be willing to validate it? litical theater? Trump appears to be leaning to-Over his two terms as California governor, The White House may be too drastic a real ward the latter. print COUpOnS Online at: http://www.dailytexanonline.net/coupons/ TEXAS STUDENT MEDIA The Daily Texan ¥ TSTV ¥ KVRX ¥ The Cactus ¥ The Texas Travesty SUPER SUPER ON ÒTHE DRAGÓ 25 AUSTIN 3025 GUADALUPE ST. AREA SALONS (NEXT TO WHEATSVILLE CO-OP) FREE WI-FI 512-476-4255 ¥ ¥ $3OFF $10OFF www.supercuts.com www.supercuts.com Coupon valid only at participating locations. 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PointSouthBridgeHollow.com 512-444-7536 SUDOKUFORYOU 8 5 2 9 3 5 7 3 2 9 7 8 3 6 1 2 5 9 7 3 5 6 1 9 4 8 2 7 9 2 YesterdayÕs solution OKU YOU 2 1 6 3 4 8 9 5 7 5 4 8 7 9 6 2 1 3 3 7 9 5 2 1 6 4 8 7 9 5 2 6 4 8 3 1 6 8 1 9 3 7 5 2 4 4 2 3 8 1 5 7 9 6 1 6 2 4 8 9 3 7 5 9 5 4 6 7 3 1 8 2 8 3 7 1 5 2 4 6 9 12 LIFE&ARTS Tuesday, April 26, 2011 | THE DAILY TEXAN | Amber Genuske, Life&Arts Editor | (512) 232 2209 | dailytexan@gmail.com TV TUESDAY By Aleksander Chan Reality television is often thought of as the ugly stepchild of modern television. Unless itÕs a competitive series of slightly esoteric taste (such as the food¥iesÕ ÒTop Chef Ó or the fashionis¥tasÕ ÒProject RunwayÓ), itÕs hard for a reality show to gain much respect. ItÕs easy to see why. While ÒJersey ShoreÓ may be an Spring season boasts varied hat trends 1970s reality show offers insight, depth By Julie Rene Tran Daily Texan Staff Although hats have been a popular fashion staple for years, aristocratic fanfares such as the upcoming Kentucky Derby and royal wed¥ding between Prince William and Kate Mid¥dleton are putting hats in more prominently in the public eye. From glamorous, Hollywood-in¥spired turbans to big top hats, headdresses are the latest buzzword in fashion this spring. The latest mainstream head trend Ñ quite a controversial one Ñ is the turban. Known as ÒpagriÓ in India, the headdress surfaced in American fashion in the Ô20s and became icon¥ic in the glamorous Hollywood scene in the Ô40s. Leading women such as Joan Crawford, Gloria Swanson and Ava Gardner wore elab¥orate printed turbans, pinned with diamonds and crystals, on- and off-screen. Most memo¥rable was Norma DesmondÕs leopard-print tur¥ban in ÒSunset Boulevard.Ó Despite recent discussion over the politi¥cal correctness of the turban as a fashion state¥ment, designers such as Prada, Hermes and Christian Dior have incorporated it into todayÕs looks and set the tone on their runway. From PradaÕs series of jewel-garnished turbans in its spring 2007 collection to RihannaÕs modern, black leather-studded turban spotted last July 4, this headwear has made a splash in past years. Now it has entered the mainstream and is even featured in this seasonÕs Urban Outfitters look book. Because itÕs not every day that you see or wear a turban, donning one takes courage, even for the fashionista. Make a turban debut with a solid color, then ease into a vibrant print. Fortunately though turbans are not the only hat trend this season. Gracing this seasonÕs Chanel resort collection are stiff, wide brimmed hats and feminine in¥terpretations of top hats, all of which echoes the HATS continues on PAGE 9 entertaining trifle, it does little to dispel reality TVÕs reputation as the lowest of the lowbrow in popular entertainment. ItÕs bizarre then to look back at the genreÕs roots. HBOÕs new miniseries, ÒCinema Verite,Ó in¥spires a nostalgic look back into reality TVÕs storied history. ÒCin¥ema VeriteÓ is based on the mak¥ing of 1973Õs ÒAn American Fam¥ily,Ó a 12-part documentary on TV continues on PAGE 9 STORIES VIDEOS PHOTO GALLERIES & MORE @dailytexanonline.com Better clinic. Better medicine. Better world. Everybody counts on having safe, effective medicine for anything from the common cold to heart disease. But making sure medications are safe is a complex and careful process. At PPD, we count on healthy volunteers to help evaluate medications being developed Ð maybe like you. 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