Accent, 10/19/09

October 19, 2009

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New regulations proposed on downtown panhandling

Hanlly Sam • Photo/Web Editor

PANHANDLING ORDINANCE — A young man that prefers not to reveal his name stands at the corner of Parmer and Metric hoping someone can spare some change. When it is 90 degrees outside and with an empty stomach “anything helps”.

Ordinance would ban panhandling at all times in a greater area of town Jason Haydon Staff Writer

The Downtown Austin Alliance (DAA), along with several residential groups and downtown churches are proposing an extension of the existing ban on night time panhandling. Austin’s current ordinance that regulates panhandling, the Austin City Solicitation Ordinance 9-4-13 originally adopted in 1992, allows non-aggressive panhandling, but includes restrictions on the time, place and manner in which solicitation may legally occur. In December 2005, the Austin City Council amended the Solicitation Ordinance to make panhandling illegal between the hours of 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. in the downtown business district, basically banning the activity at night. The area where the DAA is asking for a full ban on panhandling would cover from the IH-35 frontage road to San Antonio Street, and 11th to Cesar Chavez. The affect panhandling could have on downtown businesses is another reason the DAA is proposing the ban. “We looked at things like does 6th Street live up to its international brand. What could be done to help improve the

safety of the down town area, to make it more attractive to visitors and conventioneers? One of the ways to improve this is to reduce panhandling,” said Lacy Laborde, Marketing and Communications Director for the DAA. “The human services groups all say the same thing, that if people who are homeless want food or shelter, it is available. Often times panhandling is not because of desire for food, but because of addiction problems with alcohol and drugs. One of the things we will be working on is educating the public on what local social service and charity groups to donate money to or volunteer with to help people that are actually seeking help.” Front Steps, which manages the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH), is supportive of the ban because panhandling doesn’t actually serve the best interest of those asking for money on the street. However, general public reaction is mixed. Many feel that if panhandling is banned it may lead to even worse actions. “If panhandling is banned it could easily lead to other things, like theft, and robbery,” said Gary Smeltzer, English Professor at ACC’s Northridge Campus. “If they aren’t hurting anyone, then

the city should leave them alone, and it should be an individual’s choice to give to them, not the city saying they can’t even ask.” The Texas ACLU has not said if they would fight such a ban in the courts, however, they have stated opposition to such an ordinance. “Someone asking for money, or assistance, regardless of how they are dressed, or where they do it is protected as free speech. If they are aggressive about it, that can be another matter, but otherwise, if someone is asking for change to go and get something, say a cup of coffee, they have a right to do that, no matter where they are,” said Dotty Griffith, public Education Director for ACLU of Texas. Many other cities have placed bans like the current proposal into effect. The Austin city council has seemed to be receptive to the idea of extending the current ban. “They came as a conversation, not with a hard copy proposal. We meet with groups all day, every day, to talk about ideas for the future, but until we have something like that in writing with cost and how it will make an impact on the city, it is very had to form an opinion,” stated Matt

David Saenz • Staff Photographer

Austin's Homeless — Auk, a homeless Vietnam veteran sits on the corner of Guadalupe and 29th street. Auk, like many other panhandlers, will be affected by Downtown Austin Alliance’s proposed panhandling ordinance. Curtis, communications director for Mayor Leffingwell. “The panhandling issue downtown is something that causes concern because of aggressive panhandling.” The DAA says that they and other groups will be in continued pursuit of this initiative.

Volume 12, Issue 3

Veteran’s GI Bill benefits delayed Christopher A. Smith Campus Life Editor

Many veterans attending ACC have found it difficult to pay for books, rent and tuition this semester. Distribution of GI Bill benefits by the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) has been delayed and many ACC student veterans, as well as student veterans across the country, have yet to receive the money they are entitled to. ACC has been doing what it can to help those veterans. Tuition payments for veterans who are still waiting on their benefits have been put in a shelter so that they will not be dropped for non-payment. To try and alleviate the problem, the VA began handing out emergency checks of up to $3,000 this month to student veterans who are still waiting for the GI Bill benefits to be approved. Veterans can apply for the check online and receive a check in the mail, or they can drive to the Waco or Houston VA office to pick up the check in person. “Unfortunately there are a lot of guys for whom this is their sole income. They planned on coming back to school, and they banked on receiving this money. Their rent and all of that stuff doesn’t stop just because they are not getting money,” said Randall Luce, an Army veteran and ACC student. Luce is a work study in the ACC office of veteran affairs, and he has talked to and helped many of the veterans coming through the office wondering when their money would come in. The emergency checks have come in just in time said Luce. “If (the VA) hadn’t come out with (the emergency checks), I really think a lot of people would have had to drop out.” “We knew this was coming. We all knew this was going to be an issue,” said Mark Harden, the manager for veterans affairs at ACC. Harden has been working continuously since the start of the fall semester getting veterans registered with the school and all the appropriate paperwork sent to the VA office. He says the increase in student veterans, the popularity of the new Post 9/11 GI Bill, and an overwhelmed VA have led to the delay in benefits. “I’ve had a lot of calls from students distressed. What I’ve tried to do is provide them what I knew,” said Harden. This is the first semester the new Post 9/11 GI Bill has been an option for veterans. The new benefits package pays tuition directly to the school and then gives veterans the money they need for books and a monthly housing allowance. To qualify for the new bill, a veteran must have served at least 90 days of active duty beginning on or after Sep. 11, 2001. However many student veterans have yet to

Teodora Erbes • Staff Photographer

VETERAN AFFAIRS — Terry Cotton, veteran affairs specialist, advises students at her office. Cotton has been helping vets attending ACC deal with the delay in GI benefits. receive their benefits. ACC student and Navy veteran Sean Saenger has been waiting for his Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to come in since the start of the semester in August. Saenger served in the Navy from 2003 to 2007 and then worked at various odd jobs before enrolling at ACC. “I decided to go back to school because it was the original plan seven years ago, and because I was in between jobs, and I needed the money (from the GI Bill),” said Saenger. “They were supposed have our first check at the end of August, which turned into mid-September, which turned into end of September, which has now turned into Nov. 1,” said Saenger of the delays. “Obviously none of us budgeted for that.” To get by, Saenger has had to borrow money from his parents and his girlfriend. On Oct. 14, he drove up to Waco and got one of the emergency checks and was able to start paying them back. Saenger, and many other veterans in the same position, have been going weekly to the Riverside campus office of Terry Cotton, Veteran Affairs Specialist at ACC. “The new GI Bill, it’s a sweeter deal…and the vets are coming home, so more vets are using this resource. Plus with the economy, even the ones that may not have thought about using their benefits, but now are out of work, realize that, ‘hey I’ve got this GI bill that I can fall back on,’” said Cotton of the reasons for the high number of veterans applying for the new GI Bill. Cotton is now advising the veterans that qualify to sign up for the emergency $3,000 checks. In a press release, VA Secretary and Retired Army Gen. Eric K. Shinseki explained that distributing the emergency checks was an extraordinary action, “but it’s necessary because we recognize the hardships some of our Veterans face.”

Students voice complaints, ideas at trustee forum Michael Needham Staff Writer

ACC students at Riverside Campus advised college leaders on Oct. 13 as part of the ACC Student Forum hosted by the Student Government Association. The college representatives who attended were Trustee member Barbara Mink, Dean of Student Services Virginia Fraire, and Campus Manager Frank Taylor. “It was a good opportunity for students to speak out,” Peter Ramirez, an ACC Student, said. The topics discussed included student desk size, computer availability on campus, Capitol Metro bus

routes and parking. There were some questions that were answered at the forum. Taylor explained that the school is currently in the process of purchasing new desks. The type of desk has already been chosen, and the information is currently being sent to the Facilities and Operations Department for processing. “Ideally I would love to have it by the start of spring,” Taylor said. “Hopefully within this academic year for sure.” On the topic of computer availability on campus, Mink suggested that there should be some ground rules that would prioritize which students could use the computers.

“If people are checking their e-mail, they can have 15 minutes,” Mink said. Other questions were not as easy to answer and will require further attention. Mink explained that she and the other campus leaders couldn’t decide on anything at the meeting. “I’m one of the board members, so I can’t say the board will do this or that,” Mink said. “That’s why we’re all taking notes: to get it to its specific place.” Not all topics discussed were serious ones. One student complained about the toilet paper being positioned too low in the bathroom stall. Mink tried to get things back on

track. “I have to make a report of this,” Mink said. “I’m not going to sit in front of the board and report about toilet paper.” Students who were unable to attend the event can still voice their opinions before the board. Mink explained that once a month the Board of Trustees opens the floor to anyone who would like to speak. These meetings are held at 6 p.m. at the Highland Business center on the first Monday of each month. Overall Taylor felt the forum was a success. “It definitely helps us as a college to know which direction we should go to resolve the issues.”

Jose Padilla • Staff Photographer

TRUSTEE MEETING — Director of Student Life Cheryl Richard,

Campus Manager Frank Taylor, Dean of Student Services Dr. Virginia Fraire, and student Malinda Echert listen Tuesday September 13th at the Trustees Meeting at the ACC Riverside campus

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Devons Job market a bigger ’ Sake issue for students than ever before



Halloween Costumes

Devon Tincknell

Staff Writer

When I was a kid, I loved Halloween. By the time I’d gotten down to the dregs of my candy haul, which took almost a month thanks to my parents’ obnoxious insistence on “moderation,” my brain was teeming with ideas for next year’s costumes. The serious stages of costume design started as early as June when my mom and I would check out patterns and fabric at the craft store. Even from a young age, I remember having nothing but disdain for the lack of creativity and shoddy craftsmanship inherent in store bought costumes. Halloween was paradise for a feedback junkie like me. It was a chance to show the neighbors how clever I was, not to mention my mother’s more than adequate seamstress abilities. Parading from door to door delivered more than mere candy. It was about the wonderful, condescending tone that accompanied the inevitable, “Well, if it isn’t a little _____.” No matter how cold, itchy, awkward, or uncomfortable a costume might be, that shred of recognition made it worthwhile. God forbid any idiotic adult should be foolish enough to utter, “What are you supposed to be?” Unfortunately, Halloween just isn’t as fun as it used to be. Unlimited year-round access to candy takes all the “fun” out of fun-sized Snickers, and I’ve finally given up on trick-or-treating. I was able to push it further than is socially acceptable, well up into my high school years, by pretending that it was ironic, but once you’re 23 it’s just not okay to go door to door in a costume anymore. It doesn’t matter what holiday it is. Sure, there is the “Halloween for adults” 6th Street pub crawl, but fighting a crowd for cheap beer lacks the mystery and innocence of true trick-ortreating. Instead of crossing my fingers and hoping for a king size candy bar, I cross my legs in the epic bathroom line and hope the guy dressed like Will Ferrel doesn’t pick a fight to impress the Playboy bunny on his arm. The downtown Austin crowd has never been particularly modest, but somehow the Jager damaged set has managed to translate “wear a costume” into “show more cleavage.” Female

outfits run the alphabet, starting with Slutty Alien and ending with Busty Zebra. Guys aren’t much better. Lucy In Disguise supplies higher quality fare than the plastic Power Rangers masks that irked me as child, but Halloween costumes should be about creativity, not putting a cleaning deposit on your credit card. Those that really put in the effort to construct something elaborate or wear something uncomfortable end up as the loser robot who can’t sit down at a party where the other dudes just went with a fake mustache. New Year’s, Christmas, Thanksgiving, even Columbus Day, all warrant a day off from work, but All Hallow’s Eve gets bupkis if its unlucky enough to land on a week night. For most of my adult life, Halloween has been a half-assed event, curtailed by inconvenient early morning work schedules. The times when I’ve managed to make it out of the house, there’s too much competition from rival parties, and the night devolves into an endless quest for the truly happening scene. Alternately overcrowded and sparsely attended, Halloween parties present too many options, making it hard to decide between that rumored rager and your desperate co-worker’s little get together. Thankfully this year’s Halloween falls on a Saturday, making that night the de facto choice for revelry. A Halloween unlucky enough to land on a Tuesday can mean partying across the weekend until finally, the night itself arrives. Even an extremely well made costume is starting to show wear and tear by that point. Rather than going out on the town to drink with the zombie Michael Jacksons and overweight Brunos, I’d prefer to spend this Halloween at home this year. If I didn’t live in West Campus, where pumpkins get smashed and decorations get trashed, I could happily sit on my porch with a mug of hot cider, a slice of pie, and big bowl of candy bars. When the youngsters approached, I would sound as sincere as humanly possible whilst saying, “Well, aren’t you a darling little Hannah Montana.” The kids who were smart enough to compliment my costume would be rewarded with a king size candy bar.

ACL muddy, fun

Diana Leite Staff Writer

Austin City Limits (ACL for friends) music festival happened on Oct. 2-4 at Zilker Park. But who doesn’t know that? With the number of billboards all over downtown Austin and on the pedicabs (those little carriages ridden by actual people that look too much like slave work, despite the green initiative), only the most distracted Austinites and temporary residents were not aware of the concert until the first week of October. The ones that really didn’t (seriously, under what rock do they live?), for sure found out on Oct. 2. After all, it is very hard to ignore the absurd amount of busses with “Austin City Limits” written on the side. The initiative of offering a whole day free shuttle to all that who were going to the festival was a smart one. It helped people avoid traffic jams, parking problems and the possible accident caused by alcohol intoxicated drivers. On that first day, the sky wasn’t blue, but it was hot nevertheless, and very humid.

With the crazy autumn weather, a day without pouring rain was the best the Austin City Limits goers could hope for. But, that was just the first day. The crowd was eclectic with mothers with their baby carriages, children of all shapes and sizes, senior citizens (some of them looking like they could have been in Woodstock) but, of course, the majority of the crowd was composed of college students. Everybody was dressed as if they were going to the beach. Shorts, flip-flops, baseball caps and sunglasses in all shapes and colors were featured on the green, velvety “catwalk”. T-shirts with funny sayings or some band’s tour schedule on the back were pervaded the festival. Add all the people sitting in folding chairs or blankets, and the only thing missing to make that day a perfect “going to the beach day” would be sand and salt water. Other beach paraphernalia, like sun block smell and tiny bikini tops were there. But, of course, the main attraction wasn’t palm shade or sand castles, but the bands. The first day was so packed with internationally recognize bands and artists that it was difficult for anybody to decide between, for example, The Crocked Vultures and Andrew Bird (the person who made the schedule sure had a sense of humor, provoking a cockfight

Karen Kuhn • Staff Artist

Every state needs more funding for unemployment -Staff EditorialThe United States Senate is struggling to pass a bill to extend unemployment insurance. On Oct. 13, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid asked for clearance to pass this bill, but it was shot down by GOP senators who have issues with how the extension would be funded and with the fact that the bill did not equally include all states. It is important that these issues be resolved and this passes quickly to help the Americans who are running out of unemployment insurance. Sen. Jim Webb (D) VA, who co-sponsored the proposal, said in a press release from his office that almost 2 million Americans will run out of unemployment insurance by the end of the year. The unsuccessful bill would have extended unemployment insurance for for audience between the two “feathered” bands) or Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Kings of Leon. It was difficult to get a good spot if one of the excellent bands finished a show just when another amazing band started to play at another stage (especially for the fans who are only 5 foot 3). The most enthusiastic fans just had to come earlier and camp (almost literally) in front of the stage in order to guarantee a good view of the artists. Disregarding the patience and commitment required to stand (or sit) under the greenhouse effect sun for more than an hour, once the concerts did start, the audience was awfully still, behaving like tone-deaf zombies. There was no jumping around, no singing at the top of the lungs, no going crazy. The connections between artists and appreciators just got lost somewhere between the stage and the green grass. The few ones that did seem to be truly enjoying the performances looked like lunatics: shaking it, playing air guitar and air drums, singing with the lyrics and mimicking the instruments sounds as if their lives depended on it. But they were so few and far apart, a singer or two may have gotten really disappointed. No wonder a lot of American artist fall in love with foreign, overenthusiastic fans. Contributing to the overall stillness of the crowd were the freshly self-designated “space” deputies: mostly huge young adults that both blocked the view and the way of those few

the states that have an unemployment rate above 8.5 percent. A possible amendment to the bill would be to extend those benefits to all states. This amendment would help the bill pass more easily the next time it comes to a vote, and it would help more jobless Americans weather tough economic times. Texas, which has reached an unemployment rate higher than it has been for the last 20 years, has still not lost enough jobs to qualify for the extension without this amendment. However, when the over 900,000 jobless people in Texas run out of unemployment insurance, it is not going to be any less hard on them than it would be for the 8.6 percent of unemployed people in Maine or Pennsylvania. This is undoubtedly a complicated issue, but it is one that college students should care more about.

enthusiastic fans who aren’t as vertically blessed as them and just wanted to take a glimpse of the gig while simultaneously cracking bad jokes and offended people who wanted to go by. Who gave them a badge anyway? That green, hot and quiet day was just the first one. The pouring rain that started to fall over Austin on Oct. 3, before ACL’s gates where even opened, and haunted the crowd until Sunday didn’t, however, managed to ruin the mood of those who went for the music and for the fun. In fact, the rain made those who were umbrella covered, dressed in impermeable ponchos (or plastic garbage bags, in the case of the people who missed the weather report) and holding their muddy shoes in their hands wake up from the dead. The second day had big music names, but none of them huge like Kings of Leon on the first day or Pearl Jam on the last, nevertheless the crowd had fun under the nasty weather. The muddy floor prevented the lazy from lying down on their blankets or sunbathing on their foldable chairs. There was no sun. Not having anything better to do, they walked closer to the stages and watched the bands. On Oct. 4, the rain stopped falling. One might have expected the grass to be dry, but the emerald green, velvety grass from the first day had completely disappeared. Zilker Park looked like it had been attacked by an angry buffalo herd overnight, and it didn’t smelled much better than

As young people about to enter the workforce, issues surrounding not only unemployment insurance, but all aspects of the job market should be a priority for college students as voters. College age students are experiencing a record joblessness rate that some experts believe has the potential to cripple an entire generation professionally. According to a Business Weekly analysis, college graduates under 27 years old are having almost twice as hard of a time finding jobs than their 28-50 year old counterparts. Studies have shown that this kind of slow start to a professional career can decrease the amount of income one can expect to make in their life. This bill should be passed quickly, and college students should care about this bill passing quickly and about the job market in general, because it affects them more than anybody else.

buffalo fertilizer either. The rain boots were the new trend, but most of the music appreciators had their shoes on one of their hands and mud up to their thighs. Some looked disgusted, others just tried to enjoy the music despite the fertilizer, dirt and straw goo they were stepping on and a third group just forgot about basic hygiene and dived, head first, on it. The innocent bystander might have thought “did I buy

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tickets for a trash horror movie instead of the concert for a music concert I wanted to go to?” because of the astonishing quantity of mythic monsters among them; first the zombies, then the muddy people. At the end, isn’t it all entertainment? Be it a gig or a horror show, what really matter is the fun people had, and people sure had fun at the ACL.

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Editor-in-Chief..................................................................................................................... Sarah Neve Assistant Editor.......................................................................................................... David Rodriguez Photo/Web Editor...............................................................................................................Hanlly Sam Layout Editor.........................................................................................................................Chris Scott Layout Intern............................................................................................................Karissa Rodriguez Campus Editor..................................................................................................... Christopher A. Smith Office Intern................................................................................................................... Teodora Erbes Accent Adviser........................................................................................................ Matthew Connolly Accent Coordinator.......................................................................................................... Lori Blewett Student Life Director................................................................................................... Cheryl Richard Writers Trevor Goodchild, Jason Haydon, Shiphrah Meditz, Michael Needham,Devon Tincknell, Diana Leite, Adrienne Annas, Sarah Vasquez Photographers Teodora Erbes, Jose Padilla, Tina Schumacher Artists Karen Kuhn ACC President Dr. Steve Kinslow Board of Trustees Nan McRaven– Chair; Veronica Rivera—Vice Chair; Dr. James McGuffee— Secretary, Dr. Barbara P. Mink, Allen Kaplan, Jeffrey Richard, John-Michael Cortez, Tim Mahoney, Raul Alvarez All rights reserved. All content is the property of Accent and may not be reproduced, published or retransmitted in any form without written permission from the Office of Student Life. Accent is the student newspaper of Austin Community College and is printed by the Texas Student Publications. Accent is published biweekly. ACC students may submit articles for publication in Accent to RGC’s Office of Student Life Room 101.1; e-mail articles to [email protected] or fax submissions to 223‑3086. ACC does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, political affiliation or disability. Accent offers ACC’s faculty, staff, students and surrounding community a complete source of information about student life. Accent welcomes your input, as well as information about errors. If you notice any information that warrants a correction please e-mail accent@austincc. edu. Individual views, columns, letters to the editor and other opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the views of Accent.

Drunk y n n i k S Accent | October 19, 2009

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An increase of binge drinking among college students has revealed a dangerous new form of extreme dieting I’ve attended my fair share of college parties over the years. I recall searching the sweaty crowds for a face I recognize in small cramped apartments, weaving my way over to the beer taps and watching a few rounds of beer pong. Attending a real rager is exciting, but a night out on Sixth Street with my closest friends is even better. Our goal for the night is never to get drunk, just to escape everyday stresses and have fun. While I am all for partying hard occasionally, I’ve come to understand the dangers associated with it. However, a new phenomenon concerning college students, binge drinking and extreme dieting, has emerged throughout colleges nationwide and piqued my interest. This new trend is called drunkorexia. To be clear, this is not an official medical term, but the phenomenon is becoming more prevalent among college-aged women. This trend involves individuals who want to lose weight or stay skinny, but still want to partake in drinking and partying. Drunkorexia links binge drinking to other eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa. As a college-aged woman myself, I am intrigued and stunned that some of my fellow schoolmates could be subjecting themselves to this type of behavior, so I decided to learn more about it. Basically, partygoers believe that if they refrain from eating then they can drink without worrying about calories and get drunk faster on an empty stomach and stay skinny. This leads me to believe that drunkorexia is less about wanting to get smashed and more about underlying body image or psychological issues. Students may be engaging in this behavior for a number of reasons including relieving stress, but there are deeper issues that should be addressed for some students. At Austin Recovery, a non-profit drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, Chief Operating Officer Jimmy Ochs explained that during treatment sessions “it was not unusual to have young women admit to limiting the amount of calories of food based on the drinks they were Karissa Rodriguez Layout Intern consuming.” Ochs, a licensed chemical dependency counselor, has treated a great number of young women for alcohol-related dependencies, but was not familiar with the term drunkorexia. “25-30 percent of female patients are involved in eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia,” Ochs said. Ochs explained that most patients will not designate a food problem or are willing to admit to one. He believes this is because patients feel more shame over food issues than chemical dependency issues. Being unfamiliar with the details eating disorders, I contacted the Eating Disorder Center of Denver (EDC-D) to understand how drunkorexia and eating disorders are linked. Over this past summer, the center treated a group of young women for bulimia nervosa and felt the need to inform the public through a press release dated Oct. 1, 2009 about drunkorexia after learning that 75% of college-aged women enrolled at EDC-D met the criteria for alcohol abuse. “Each of them had discovered that if they went without food during the day, they could then get drunker faster on less alcohol,” Clinical Director Tamara Pryor, Ph.D. said. “Although this in itself is not new, the manner in which they described using the alcohol

is exactly the same way in which they binge on food after going long periods of time restricting their food intake,” Pryor explained. Upon researching the topic, I first believed that the root of the problem was that young women are constantly exposed to society’s unrealistic views about health and fitness. However, Pryor explained that there are a number of reasons for young women to try practicing drunkorexia. Most notably, “more often our patients experience a lack of self-awareness, low self-confidence, anxiety, depression and difficulty with regulating and coping with difficult emotions,” Pryor said referring to individuals diagnosed with a substance abuse and eating disorder. Since drunkorexia hasn’t been officially classified as a disorder, no formal statistics are available about the topic. “In the fields of substance abuse and eating disorders, the co-existing presentation of an eating disorder and some form of substance dependence is quite familiar, and the individual is given two separate diagnoses and treated for both conditions,” Pryor said. Pryor doubts that drunkorexia will be given its own diagnostic category. Side effects of this phenomenon include academic problems, relationship issues, and significant psychological effects, Pryor said. Also, when under the influence of this type of behavior you are more susceptible to placing yourself in sexually compromising situations, Pryor added. Whatever the reason for following this trend, the biggest concern is the overall health of women who show signs of drunkorexia I believe. “When a person takes the majority of their calories in the form of alcohol, they end up nutritionally deprived. This negatively affects mood states, the ability to focus, remember and recall, and impacts sleep states,” Pryor said. Individuals who engage in drunkorexia needs to receive proper treatment and will need to address both the binge drinking and food issues separately. It’s baffling to me that someone would believe that this was a great way to lose weight. In a fact sheet provided by EDC-D, a patient explained that “it’s another way to just numb out and get rid of this awful stuff in my head,” when asked why she binge drinks in addition to her eating disorder. As a student myself, I completely sympathize with the patient and others who feel the same way. Sometimes I also feel the need to escape everyday stresses and enjoy a night of debauchery. However, consistently hurting yourself by engaging in this type of behavior is simply damaging yourself physically and emotionally and will only make whatever issue you may have about yourself only worse.

arissa Kxplains E it ALL

Advice on how to pick a drink that has less calories, so you don’t have to choose between dinner and happy hour Having just one of most common drink isn’t going to undo anyone’s day, however there are days when you really, really, want more than just one. Instead of going on a liquid diet in order to compensate for a few drinks, take a look at this chart. Just knowing what exactly you’re drinking could help you shave off enough calories to fit in a few extra guilt free cocktails.

Chris Scott • Layout Editor

Sarah Neve

Editor-in-Chief

Wine

About 130 calories

A glass of vino, red or white, comes in around 130 calories for a five ounce pour. While red wine as been praised for its antioxidants and even heart health benefits, it’s still an alcoholic beverage and has residual sugar in it from the grapes. It is still a good choice if you’re the kind of person that will sit and sip a few glasses all evening.

Margarita 250-700 calories

The huge difference in calorie count is because a traditional margarita might only be 250 calories, but the frozen fruity concoctions in fish bowl sized glasses can rack up over 700 calories. Keep the size of your glass in mind, and drink margaritas made with fresh ingredients by hand, not out of a machine that looks like it could dispense soft serve ice cream.

Gin and tonic

Vodka Red Bull About 115 calories

One ounce of vodka mixed with half a can of red bull is just over 100 calories. As with all drinks, a heavy handed bartender can have a huge effect on how much actually goes in the drink. Using sugar free red bull (if you can stand the taste) will knock quite a few calories off this drink. Half a can of the diet red bull is only 5 calories.

Rum and Coke About 180 calories

Switching to diet can shave off a lot of the calories, but it’s the two ounces of rum at about 130 calories that really makes that number jump. Order them tall with diet soda for a drink that will last a little longer for fewer calories. Otherwise toss a lime in there, call it a Cuba Libre, and only drink them on occasion.

Beer

About 64 calories

About 64 -350 calories

Gin on its own is just about the same as vodka or silver rum at only about 64 calories an ounce. However, Tonic water is like club soda’s evil calorie laden twin. It might not taste like it, but those cute little bottles of tonic water they keep behind the bar are just as bad for you, ounce for ounce, as coke.

Beer is tricky. Most light beers will be about 100 calories, but when you get into the wide range of beers available, it easy to end up with a beer that is well over 200 or even 300 hundred calories a bottle. Avoid holiday and seasonal brews, and anything with the word “malt” written clearly on the label.

All calorie counts are approximate

Shots

About 90 calories

Most hard liquors will come in right round 60 calories an ounce, but most shots are 1.5 ounces. That’s around ninety calories a shot. If you start drinking shots with mixers in them like cordials, or juice, the calorie count will skyrocket. Another problem with shots is that they don’t last very long, so you move on to another drink faster.

Jager bombs About 200 calories

Jagermeister is about 100 calories a shot, Red Bull is about 100 calories a can, tossing them together in a pint glass and chugging the mixture with your friends is not only going to leave you with a wicked headache, it’ll add an explosive 200 calories per Jager bomb.

Scotch/bourbon on the rocks About 70 calories

These have a slightly higher calorie count shot per shot than other spirits, but they also taste better on the rocks with maybe just a splash of water, whereas vodka, rum, gin and the like are more traditionally mixed with other things and therefor higher in calories. If you drink whisky sours or bourbon and coke, all you’re doing is adding more calories to a drink that is perfectly good on its own. Karen Kuhn • Staff Artist

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Students learn to teach Trevor Goodchild Staff Writer

Students from around the state that are going into teaching gathered at ACC for the conference, Reading the Future: Preparing Texas Educators Today for the Students of Tomorrow, on Oct. 10. The conference, sponsored by ACC’s Center for Public Policy and Political Studies (CPPPS) and the Arts and Humanity Division was at the Highland Business Center From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. students from St. Edwards University, University of Texas, Huston Tillotson University and ACC listened to presenters speak about the future of education and what skills they will need to be effective teachers. Director of the CPPPS, Peck Young and the Dean of Arts and Humanities Division, Lyman Grant put this event on with a focus of teaching Spanish speaking students. The importance of literacy was a center point of the presentations given. “Texas is going to be a majority-minority state. We already have in Del Valle school district, Manor school district and AISD, that the majority of students are Hispanic,” Young said. The first speaker was former Mayor Gustavo L. “Gus” Garcia. He has served on a number of community and professional organizations such as the Texas Society of CPAs, and the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (who awarded him the Lifetime Achievement Award). In 1972 he was elected

President of the Board of Austin Community College, and in 2001-2003 served as Mayor of Austin. Garcia said there was no higher calling than education. “Whether you’re going to teach elementary or high school, you can shape someone else’s future, and you need to understand that,” Garcia said. “He really hit home for me; even the story about his life hit me because when I first started college I didn’t do so well, but now I’ve found my way and am getting myself back on track,” John Sanchez, education major said. Other speakers at the event included Council Member Mike Martinez, Dr. Donetta Goodall and Dr. Ramon H. Dovalina. Dovalina, who was named President of Laredo Community College in 1995 and also launched an environmental science center emphasized that students who couldn’t speak English well would be hampered in emergency situations or when having to communicate medical needs. “English should be taught through the 12th grade, as of now it is not,” Dovalina said. Part of his reasoning for English being taught all through grade school is that many Spanish speaking students have no reinforcement to learn English at home. Dovalina said that after taking a class, they (english as second language students) go home and are surrounded by Spanish speaking family members and Spanish speaking television and radio programs. “This doesn’t encourage them to retain any fluency in English

Accent | October 19, 2009

News Briefs Golf Fiesta to raise money for Latino scholarships

The ACC Chapter of the Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education (TACHE) will be raising money for Latino scholarships at the first “Golf Fiesta Team Scramble.” The golf tournament will be held Oct. 27 at Riverside Golf Course. The tournament will begin with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. and there will be an award ceremony at 1:30 p.m.. The deadline to sign up is Oct. 20, and there is a $75 fee per person or $300 per foursome. “The money from the tournament will go toward Hispanic student scholarships here at ACC,” said Shari Rodriquez, President of the ACC chapter of TACHE. Trevor Goodchild • Staff Photographer

TEACHING CONFERENCE — (From left to right) Austin City

Council Member Mike Martinez, former Mayor Gus Garcia, and Dr. Ramón H. Dovalina gather together on Oct. 10 at ACC’s Highland Business Center.  They spoke to a crowd of prospective teachers about the importance of literacy in Texas schools. they might’ve gained while taking the class.” “What I loved was the receptiveness of the audience to learning about new ideas for educating bilingual students,” said Carla Jackson, associate director of CPPPS. After the speakers finished, there was an open discussion led by a panel of students with up to 20 years of teaching experience. They answered questions among themselves as well as from the audience. “By having them express some of their ideas and issues, we were all able to learn more about what’s needed when it comes to bilingual education,” Jackson said. Leading the panel was Dr. Giao Phan, Associate Professor and Chair of the Education Instruction Department at ACC. She maintained the interactive discussion between

students and teachers on the panel, centered around the growing number of Hispanic students. The learning of English was definitely vital to Garcia’s career as a CPA and eventually as mayor. Garcia spoke about having a gift with numbers, but not knowing enough English to use that talent. “I couldn’t read tax codes. I couldn’t do anything,” Garcia said. The event wasn’t about simply teaching English, but being able to connect with non-English speaking students and understanding their culture, according to Young. He was not alone in the sentiment of wanting to use the teacher’s role to empower future students. Garcia told the gathered education majors, “you’re the link between what they can be and what they want to be.”

Latino reception familiarizes students with resources at ACC The Office of Student Support and Success Systems will host the second Latino Student Success Reception on Oct. 22 at Cypress Campus from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.. The first was held on Oct. 14 at Eastview Campus. Sylvia Orozco, the excutive and founding director of the MexicArte Museum, was the keynote speaker at the Oct. 14 reception. Marta Cortera, writer and political activist, will be the featured speaker on Oct. 22. The receptions are meant to provide students and their families, as well as faculty and staff, with information about resources available to them at ACC.

Accent covers Obama’s vist to the Presidential Forum on Service at Texas A&M Accent reporters were in College Station on Oct. 16 to cover President Barack Obama’s speech on community service. Obama was invited to the Presidential Forum on Service by former President George H. W. Bush. The event was hosted by Bush and the Points of Light Institute at Rudder Auditorium at Texas A&M University. The contributions of 4,500 Daily Point of Light award winners was honored as well as Bush’s legacy of service and civic engagement. The Accent collaborated with The Battalion, the Texas A&M University student newspaper, to cover the event. To see video, photos and articles about the event, go to theaccent. org

realize your dreaMs. You’ve taken the first step toward your dreams at ACC. Get ready to realize them at St. Edward’s University. We welcome ACC students and can help you make a smooth transfer toward earning the degree you need to land your perfect job.

Take The nexT sTep now!

The disTance is noThing. iT’s only The firsT sTep ThaT is difficulT. — Marquise du deffand

Learn more about our easy transfer process and options for financial aid. (Over 80 percent of transfer students at St. Edward’s receive financial aid.) Meet with our transfer admission counselor, Tracy Canales at an ACC Campus, or contact her at 448-8500 or [email protected].

MeeT your Transfer counselor Tuesday, Oct. 20 from 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m., Riverside Campus Wednesday, Oct. 21 from 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m., Cedar Park Campus Wednesday, Nov. 4 from 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m., Riverside Campus Thursday, Nov. 5 from 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m., Cedar Park Campus

www.gotostedwards.edu

Learn to think. ®

Campus Life

Accent | October 19, 2009

News | page 5

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ACC celebrates cultural diversity Jason Haydon Staff Writer

This semester’s Unity Jam activities will be held at each ACC campus. The Student Life event is meant to expose students to a wide range of cultures and traditions. Each of the 7 ACC campuses was assigned a country by John Jacobs, the Student Life coordinator at the Eastview campus in charge of diversity programming. The Unity Jam celebrations began on Oct. 14 and continue to Oct. 21. On Oct. 14 Eastview presented India, Oct. 15 brought Cuba to Rio Grande, then on Oct. 19 South Austin will present Myanmar. Riverside will celebrate North Korea on Oct. 20, and Pinnacle will finish out Unity Jam with Denmark on Oct. 21. At the Oct. 13 Northridge campus presentation of The Republic of the Congo, traditional food was served including fried plantains, candied peanuts and stew. All the food was prepared from traditional recipes by members of the African Student Association (ASA). The student lounge was transformed with plants and other decorations to make it appear like a jungle. Even the lights in the ceiling were covered with stars, to simulate a night time sky, and to help raise the temperature in the room, and to try and simulate a warm tropical atmosphere. “Right after Welcomepalooza, we started planning and prepping and buying decorations to turn

Teodora Erbes • Staff Photographer

Teodora Erbes • Staff Photographer

ABOVE — Linda Hernandez, criminal justice major, gets a free indian-style Henna tattoo. BELOW — African Student Association members perform a traditional Congolese dance.

INDIAN DANCE — Golda Sahayam, from Austin Dance India, performs at the Unity Jam celebration at Eastview Campus. the student lounge into a jungle. So, it took us probably about a couple of weeks to get the decorations and plan out the food,” said Toniette Haynes Robinson, Student Life coordinator for Northridge campus. “The reason we chose Republic of Congo is that it is known for human trafficking. A lot of people don’t know that, so we have several posters up in the lounge to teach students what is going on. They can get involved with community outreach and other things with the ASA that help to inform about the African continent as a whole.”

The ASA also performed a coup’e d’ecal’e dance. Coup’e d’ecal’e is modern hip hop out of the Ivory Coast that is heavily formed by percussive rhythms from the Congo. Performer Owen Nyatanga said that the ASA students that performed the dance spent two months learning the choreography. “I could hear the music and then saw part of the dance. It was totally sweet,” said Northridge student Alex Foster. “I just wish I had made it in time to try some of the food.” Tina Schumacher • Staff Photographer

Rio Grande book store moves to its new home in parking garage space Shiphrah Meditz Staff Position

The ACC Book store was closed from Oct. 12 to Oct.19 as it moved to its new location on the ground floor of the Rio Grande Parking Garage. Students and faculty who once had to cross a busy road to reach the old book store now can find needed supplies only a few feet away from their cars. Jeanette Lien, the book store general manager, states her plans for the future of the store. “We just want to become more and more a part of the campus life. We hope that students will feel part of the book store.” In addition to the retail location moving, the book store’s office and warehouse are also relocating to 2305 Donley Drive, Austin, TX 78758. They plan to open around Oct. 26. “The garage was built with the book store in mind,” explains Marilyn Lee-Taylor, the Rio Grande Campus Manager. “I think it would be (a benefit) because students can get out

Karissa Rodriguez • Staff Photographer

NEW BOOK STORE — Final arrangements are made for the coming opening of the new ACC Rio Grande Bookstore.

their cars, buy their books, and come to class. It’s so convenient and easy.” The approximately 2400 sq ft store was planned along with the parking garage to give students better access to the campus. In the new store, students will find all of the distance learning textbooks, the majority of continuing education books,

and all the required textbooks for classes at the Rio Grande campus. Also, Lien mentions that the quantity of snacks and meal substitutes will go up compared to the previous selection. Bryan Babbs, the store supervisor, also expressed his hopes for the new location. “With the move, I think we’ll better serve the students.”

Life & Arts

page 6 | Campus Life

Accent | October 19, 2009

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Halloween’s happenings Adrienne Annas Jason Haydon Shiphrah Meditz Sarah Vasquez Staff Writers

Austin Ghost Tours For those who love a little local history with their ghost stories, Austin Ghost Tours (AGT) has just the ticket. Each tour lasts an hour and a half and takes you on an invigorating jaunt around downtown Austin. The Tours meet at the Moonshine Patio Bar and Grill, take you down 2nd Street, to the Driskill Hotel and back again, stopping along the way to impart details about Austin’s more gruesome past. This includes a ruptured dam that killed hundreds of people, a scalping, and a serial killer as prolific as Jack the Ripper. AGT boasts several different routes and runs year-round. The tour guides are incredibly knowledgeable and can spin a ghost yarn with flair. It has been said that many of these tours experience paranormal activity so bring your camera! For those who are looking for an adrenaline-induced gore fest, this may not be for you. However, for anyone who loves to learn a little more about their city while hearing a creepy story, you will not be disappointed. The varied Tours run through Oct. 30 and are $20 a piece. Visit hauntedtexas.com for more details.

Mansion of Terrror If you tend to cover your eyes,

jump out of your seat when you watch a horror film or have to watch a happy film afterwards so you can sleep at night, then the Mansion of Terror is not for you. Located at I-35 exit 251 (behind Walgreens) in Round Rock, it was named one of the Top 8 Haunted Houses by The Travel Channel last year. Through the two separate themed houses, Mansion of Terror and Illusion Manor visitors get to experience a real life horror film scenario as actual characters, such as Blood Frenzy’s serial killer, Jon Eric Springwood or the zombies in Death Asylum. Blood Frenzy might include you leaving with blood splatters on your clothes, but do not fret, it washes out. However, rain ponchos are for sale at the door if you would prefer your clothes to be undamaged. Each attraction showcases an obvious labor of love for owner, Norm Glenn, as new themes are introduced each year.with planning and structuring starting as early as January. The costumes worn by the actors are very elaborate, and the makeup artists have an acute sense for detail. With Mansion of Terror, rated #1 in the country by Lionsgate Films (Saw sextuplet, Crash and Gamer), this is obviously not a job they take lightly. Tickets are $15 for one house or $20 for both houses and it runs through Oct. 31.

hosts two attractions; House of Torment, a traditional haunted house, and new for 2009, Illusion Manor, a fun house gone schizophrenic. The haunted house is located at 523 Highland Mall Blvd, Austin, TX 78752, across from Macy’s in the parking lot. House of Torment runs through Halloween, from 7 p.m. until midnight. The lines are long, but you can purchase tickets in advance on their website: http:// www.houseoftorment. com or call 512-4079449 for more Sarah Vasquez • Staff Photographer information. TERROR MANSION — One of the monTickets are $14.99 sters from the Blood Frenzy kills time. for one attraction, and $19.99 for all net proceeds, this year, to the both. On Oct. 23 they will be hosting a blood drive Breast Cancer Resource Center of Central Texas. In 2007, they as well. Prizes and some tickets raised $5,000 dollars and in 2008 will be given away to donors. they raised $10,000 dollars. Nov. 6, 7, 13 and 14 they will be Scare for a Cure is unique in presenting “Dark Stalkers,” a that they offer a fully interactive limited capacity attraction: same haunted house, no lights and one experience: full contact is allowed for their cast. glow stick per group. Tickets are They will be operating Oct. $20.00 and they recommend an 22-25 and 28-31. Three tours are advance purchase. Dark Stalkers offered: Regular Level, Red-Level requires a signed waiver due to for more fearless individuals, and the nature of the event. green-level for the faint-of-heart. Green and Regular admissions Other Options are $20 dollars and Red is $25.

House of Torment

Although not yet open, another haunted house of mention is Scare for a Cure located at 7400 Coldwater Canyon Dr., Austin, Texas. It is a non-profit that will donate

Consistently rated as one of the best haunted houses in the country, by multiple publications, House of Torment

France’s new reign of terror Devon Tincknell Staff Writer

Though even casual moviegoers have noticed that Hollywood has run out of ideas, this drought of original thought has been especially devastating in the world of horror. The last decade has triggered a severe case of déjà-vu for horror and gore fanatics as every viable franchise, and many forgotten duds, has been raised from the dead, brainless as the drooling zombies they star. Legitimate classics like “Halloween” and “Friday the 13th” have been ‘re-imagined’ alongside remakes of unremarkable 80s slasher pictures like “My Bloody Valentine” and “Sorority Row.” The last horror movie to actually create something unique was “Saw,” whose elaborate torture laden premise (perhaps a symptom of cultural guilt over the War on Terror?) has since been beaten to death with five sequels in as many years. Instead of forking over $10.50 at the theater to see “Saw VI” or the “Night of the Demons” remake, horror aficionados would be better suited heading to the local video store to check out the deeply disturbing and refreshingly original French films “À l’intérieur” (Inside) and “Martyrs.” While American audiences have been suffering through a glut of dead MTV extras and CGI monsters, France is experiencing a horror renaissance. This Halloween, those that don’t mind subtitles are strongly encouraged to avoid the theater and curl up on the couch instead with one of these modern macabre masterpieces. Be warned, you might want to leave the lights on. Merging old school Hitchcockian suspense with brutally realistic violence, “À l’intérieur” delivers terror that far and away surpasses the usual ‘something went bump’ jolts. After losing her husband in a car accident several months earlier, the melancholy Sarah (Alysson Paradis) is struggling

Photos Courtesy of Canal Horizons and La Fabrique de Films

to go on with her life. A full nine months pregnant, Sarah is scheduled to deliver on Christmas Day. Relaxing at home, she is interrupted when a mysterious woman shows up at the door and demands to be let in. The intruder threatens Sarah and reveals an intimate knowledge of her life. The initial encounter is creepy, but things get exponentially worse as Sarah is stalked and attacked by the unknown sadist. “À l’intérieur’s” premise is fairly trite, but it is first time writer/director Alexandre Bustillo’s and director Julien Maury’s masterful execution that wrings fresh material from a tired concept. The pacing of the film starts and stops appropriately, lulling the viewer with moments of calm before unleashing a torrent of savagery. Special effects and gratuitous gore normally obscure any notions of tension or atmosphere, but “À l’intérieur” manages to seamlessly alternate between both. By the end, the audience is unsure which is more terrifying, the bursts of graphic violence or the moments of apprehension that precede them. Either way, “À l’intérieur” succeeds spectacularly where so many recent movies have failed. You will never look at a pair of scissors the same way again. Coming at the genre from a completely opposite angle, “Martyrs” is alternately unforgettable and unwatchable. Giving “Martyrs” a thorough description would be a crime, since much of the viewing pleasures are derived from the cinematic u-turns it takes along

the way. Like the “Saw” and “Hostel” films, Martyrs concerns itself with our current, voyeuristic infatuation with torture. All of these films contain despicable acts performed on innocent victims, but “Martyrs” is unique in providing an explanation for why these people are tortured beyond weakly rationalizing the filmmaker’s desire to show gore. From masked slashers to blood thirsty monsters, horror films are populated with characters that do evil just ‘cause. Their cruelty exists only to put the heroine in peril, and there is no understanding or motivation to be gleaned from their actions. “Martyrs’” circuitous route to its final act keeps viewers in the dark, but when the exposition is finally delivered, it is as shocking as it is philosophically intriguing. “À l’intérieur” takes the standard horror formula and tightens it into something grander and more eloquent than a high dead teenager body count. “Martyrs,” on the other hand, takes fragments that we have seen before; torture, ghosts, revenge, and re-creates them with more thought than they were ever given. The result is two spectacular films decidedly different in their approach to horror. Aside from being French, the only similarity between “À l’intérieur” and “Martyrs” is that both will unnerve you far longer than anything else you see this October. Watch them now and have fun spending Halloween with the lights on and no scissors in sight.

Wild Basin’s Haunted Trails is located at 805 N Capital of Texas Hwy Austin, TX 78746-3301.This should be a great nature walk that combines calorie-burning with screams!

Adrienne Annas • Staff Photographer

GHOST STORIES — Austin Ghost Tours guide, Monica, imparts a chilling tale for the adventurers of the tour. You may even be pulled aside to act as a spook. Be warned, it is a 60-90 minute hike through the woods, so wear proper shoes. Tickets sell fast, and are $35 per person (ages 13-16 admitted only with a legal parent or guardian). Call 512-327-7622 for more information.

Sixth Street, Halloween Night guarantees over 100,000 partiers, live music, clubs, hot costumes, and more. Hold on to your possessions, Bring money for a cab, or designate a driver. Remember that the cross streets close early in the evening, so be prepared to walk.

Accent | October 19, 2009

Gentlemen Broncos mixes sci-fi, salty gnats in new film David Rodriguez

  Notable,  w and L i v e e N David Rodriguez

Assistant Editor

What do a flesh pocket, a defecating snake, and rocket equipped stags have in common? They are all contained in the hilariously campy, science fiction infused, teenage angst film “Gentlemen Broncos.” “Gentlemen Broncos” is the most recent comedic endeavor from couple and creative duo Jared and Jerusha Hess. The Hess’s co-wrote “Napoleon Dynamite” and “Nacho Libre.” Jared directed both “Napoleon Dynamite” and “Gentlemen Broncos,” with the latter taking on an even more exaggerated, middle-America quirky feel that is indicative of his Utah roots. The movie is centered on an odd and reserved budding sci-fi writer, Benjamin Purvis (Michael Angarano, Lords of Dogtown), who attends Cletus Festival to hone his craft. The camp’s key-note and only speaker is the renowned Dr. Ronald Chevalier (Jemaine Clement, Flight of the Conchords). Chevalier is a highly celebrated fantasy author who happens to be experiencing writer’s block, which leads him to plagiarize Purvis’ story “Yeast Lords: The Bronco Years.” Chevalier’s plagiarism coincides with Purvis’ story’s success at home when a local hack director buys and then begins to film an out-ofcontrol adaptation of “Yeast Lords…” careening Purvis’ once simple, nightgown peddling, geodesic dome dwelling life into a whirlwind of revelation and camp. The film is presented in a uniquely triangular format of Purvis’ vision of his story containing the Kansas-esque, hickish, bearded tough guy Bronco (Sam Rockwell, Moon). Juxtaposed with Chevalier’s effeminate version, which he aptly renamed The Chronicles of Brutus and Balzaak. Brutus (also played by Rockwell) in Chevalier’s version has also raided one of Kansas’ singer’s closets and talks with a lisp, all while doing battle with cyclopes. The real life drama to complete the triumvirate is Purvis’ wrangling with the slaughtering of his story by the hometown director Lonnie (Hector Jimenez). The film is hilarious. Testicles have never been so fascinating. Rockwell’s dual performance is unforgettable and producer Mike White’s (co-writer of School of Rock) performance as Lonnie’s sleazy producer, Dusty, is a telling addition. Following its September 24 Fantastic Fest premiere, the Accent sat down with Rockwell and White to talk about Brutus/Balzaak, the director and salty gnats. According to White, Mr. Hess originally wanted both Brutus and Balzaak to be played by two separate actors, but when Rockwell agreed to come on board that changed.

Campus Life | page 7

Assistant Editor

Literature “Gimme Something Better: The Profound, Progressive and Occasionally Pointless History of Bay Area Punk from Dead Kennedys to Green Day,” is what the lengthy title states. This oral history compiled by Jack Boulware and Silke Tudor follows the vein of “Please Kill Me” and “We Got the Neutron Bomb,” both fabulous oral histories of the meteoric ascent and just as meteoric descent of punk music and the culture that surrounded it. The book will be available Oct. 19 from Penguin. “I am the New Black” is a biography from the hilarious Tracy Morgan (30 Rock). According to Morgan, “My life growing up was a twisted Bronx version of The Color Purple.” This probably will not be all funny. The biography will be available Oct.20 from Random House.

Teodora Erbes • Staff Photographer

GENTLEMEN BRONCOS — (From left to right) Jared Hess, Michael Angarano, Sam Rockwell, Mike White, Jerusha Hess and Dr. Ronald Chevalier (Jemaine Clement) answer questions at the premier at the Paramount Theater in downtown Austin on Sept. 24, 2009. Rockwell: “I think I kind of talked him into it. I think I pitched the idea?” With Moon and now Gentlemen Broncos, Rockwell has showcased the juxtaposition of a slightly homosexual and hilarious individual versus a redneckish and caustic character with the latter. An egotistical mislead hero with a dying and skeptical proletariat with the former. The actor has an affinity for the dichotomy. “I get comedy…and there seems to always be a little comedy in the drama and drama in the comedy.” Rockwell states that his heroes were Robert DeNiro and Bill Murray, Robert Duvall and Richard Pryor. Rockwell: “It is very liberating to just go over the top…not worry about being realistic or anything, in both worlds. Bronco was kind of maybe a little bit of the character in “The Green Mile” that I did... the looks were modeled from guys in the band Kansas, both looks.” “I actually did this right after Moon, and I was really excited… I thought I was going to do Brutus with an English accent, so I was tapping people who were in London ‘cause I was trying to get a posh British accent. I was going to do like Brando in “Dry White Season;” I was trying that voice for a while. I actually thought this was going to be really easy, and when we were in front of the camera, it was easy, it was just effortless ‘cause Jared was easy to work with. But I didn’t realize all the makeup and the gnats…the conditions were crazy, we were out in the Salt Lake…you’re itching, and you got this crazy suit…I couldn’t …take a piss you know…there was no fly on this thing. I had no idea…schedule for three weeks.” According to White filming in the Salt Lake was more than a vicarious

experience, it forced an exodus of sorts. “I had never really dealt with bugs like that before. It smelled like eggs, sulfur in the air. So I went the first day, I was like ‘I got to go. I have a lot of stuff going on back in L.A., Jared? I’ll see you guys.’ And I literally didn’t come back until the last day.” Rockwell exclaimed, “We had those like bee-hive masks so bugs can’t get in your face. It was insane. We had like zipper suits on.” Rockwell: “If it wasn’t for Jared, it would have been a nightmare, but Jared is such a lovely guy.” According to the actor, shooting the movie was unlike anything he had ever done before. Bronco versus Balzaak is genius camp. Both were way over the top. White put it best as he said “It was cool. I mean, I love how they’re on the two poles of the masculinity spectrum.” With a sheepish laugh he looked down, his face covered by an oversized red truckers hat with the words YEAST LORDS emblazoned across it. Rockwell’s attraction to sci-fi camp could stem from his character in “Galaxy Quest” or his love for the genre. He has worked with, arguably, the most prolific sci-fi director in American history in Ridley Scott (Blade Runner), but the film Rockwell did with Scott was about present day hustlers instead of deadly androids or aliens. “I almost did “G.I. Jane” with Ridley, and then I didn’t. I sort of dropped out of it, so I thought he was never going to hire me again. But then he did, and I was really excited. “Matchstick Men” was really fun ‘cause it was just a couple of actors. There was no special effects or broadswords or gladiators. So, I think Ridley was in a good mood, you know, he didn’t really have to deal with a lot. It was just like an acting piece. So that was

a small movie for him, but it was a big movie for me. A lot of the set design on Moon was an homage to Ridley’s stuff in Blade Runner [and Alien].” What is on the horizon for White and his apparently cooperative yet eclectic mind? “I am going to direct a pilot for HBO with Laura Dern (“Inland Empire”), we’re shooting I think…at the end of the year. I wrote it. It’s like a half-hour show. It’s kind of about… this woman that Laura is playing…she has a nervous breakdown…she has to go away to get help. She comes back… enlightened, she thinks she’s found the answers to life…she goes back to her work and her life, and she’s gonna’ change the world. It’s called “Enlightened,” it’s pretty weird. HBO’s into it… so far it’s been pretty smooth.” While White has been collaborating with the best station on television, Rockwell is working on the next Marvel potential blockbuster: “Iron Man 2.” “It’s like Iron Man, and more, a little more fighting…more characters. There is a new superhero that Scarlett (Johannson as the Black Widow) does. Rourke (Whiplash) is…a great addition to it, and Cheadle (War Machine)… there is a lot going on…it was a complicated piece to put together. I’m playing Justin Hammer. I’m the fast talking weapons dealer. Downey (Iron Man) is gonna be amazing in this one.” “Gentlemen Broncos” will hit limited theatres Oct. 30.

“Look at the Birdie: Unpublished Short Fiction” is another posthumously published compilation from one of the greatest American writers ever: Kurt Vonnegut. His previous collection, “Armageddon in Retrospect” is fabulous. The stories will be available Oct. 20 from Random House.

Music Dead Prez will be performing Tuesday Oct. 20 @ Emo’s located at 603 Red River, 78701. There is also an entrance on the Sixth Street side. These guys have been churning out politico, hype and intelligent hip-hop for a while now. C-Ray Walz, Zeale, Tavana and DJ Kyd Slyce will be opening up. The doors open at 9 p.m. and tickets are $16 pre-sale at Waterloo Records and $20 at the door.

Theatre Salvage Vanguard Theater (SVT) and Doctuh Mistuh Present: Evil Dead-The Musical. This production has the seal of approval from Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell themselves. Michael McKelvey the stage and musical director for Sweeney Todd will be bringing his expertise to this rendition, a definite plus. SVT is located at 2803 Manor Road, 78722. The last show is on OCt. 23, 11:15 p.m. and tickets are $15 and $10 at the door for students and seniors. Look for a well worth it $5 upgrade to the show at the door. Staged By the Bell, live episodes of Saved by the Bell will be presented by the United States Art Authority. This production is actually taking real episodes of Saved by the Bell and performing them, campy and nostalgic. Catch the “The Zach Tapes” at The Institution Theater at The Spider House, 2906 Fruth St., on Sunday Oct. 25 and Sunday Nov. 1. at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10.

Movies Antichrist is renowned and highly stylistic Lars Von Trier’s latest film. Antichrist explores the dark nature of the homo-sapiens through the medium of sex in a desolate cabin called “Eden.” Willem Dafoe (Daybreakers) and Charlotte Gainsbourg (21 Grams) star in this dark horror film. The film opens Oct. 23 at limited theaters. Ong Bak 2: The Beginning is acrobatic and inventive martial artist Tony Jaa’s (Ong Bak) most recent installment to the hopefully growing Ong Bak series. The movie is a revenge story, but packed full of awesome stunts and bad guys getting clobbered creatively. The action flick will open at select theaters on Oct. 23, and it is available now, exclusively, on Video on Demand. For more notable, new and live suggestions visit theaccent.org

Hi Ballin’ at the Alamo Devon Tincknell Staff Writer

To refer to the Alamo Drafthouse as ‘just a movie theater’ would be a gross oversimplification. Thanks to alcoholic beverage service, cult movie screenings, and grandiose interactive events, the Alamo Drafthouse has become an Austin institution and an integral part of what keeps this city weird. When Alamo founder Tim League announced that he was starting a new venture, a cocktail lounge/diner of sorts, Alamo patrons knew it would be anything but ordinary. The Highball is not only a cocktail lounge/diner, but also an arcade, bowling alley, karaoke hall, and ballroom. Occupying the space left vacant by the Salvation Army next to the Alamo South Lamar, the Highball had a soft opening during this year’s Fantastic Fest, giving festival goers and intrepid members of the public a sneak peak of what the Highball has to offer. The vintage 1950s bowling lanes were up and running, inventive cocktails were being poured with proficiency, and skee-ball fanatics were taking advantage of the free skee action. The only mystery the Highball held back was the seven themed private karaoke rooms. With clever names like Xanadu and Low Places, each of the seven private rooms is tailored to a musical theme ranging from disco to heavy

Teodora Erbes • Staff Photographer

ALAMO'S HIGHBALL — Alamo’s newest attraction will draw the attention of those who can afford more than just a movie. metal, country, and beyond. Sadly they were not on display at the Highball’s soft opening, but that minor setback merely relocated the karaoke to the spacious Highball dance floor. The crowd who shows up to the Drafthouse’s $1 midnight screenings and orders a small popcorn will most likely consider the Highball out of their budget, but the temptation of a graffiti covered hip hop karaoke room will inevitably entice a few nights of splurging and spending. Thankfully, those that can not afford to dine on fried goat cheese risotto every night will still be able to stop by and enjoy the fun of the interactive

parties. Tim League operates on a business model that looks more toward providing fun than maximizing profits. The Alamo Drafthouse has proven to be an endless source of creativity and mirth making, whether it is sponsoring a floating pirate party or providing a proper sing-a-long eulogy to Michael Jackson. Cramming karaoke, bowling, dancing, dining, and, do not forget, drinking into a single storefront might seem overly ambitious, but those are just the regular offerings. Once the Highball officially opens, you can expect things to really get rolling.