T h e u n i v e r s i T y o f T e x a s a T a r l i n g T o n

WednesdayJuly 21, 2010

volume 91, no. 126www.theshorthorn.com

since 1919

By Allie CoChrAnThe Shorthorn staff

Students will have the option to save money on textbooks this fall, as the Rent-a-Text program will con-tinue through the next school year.

Textbook rentals will remain a per-manent option for students, UTA Bookstore director Bill Coulter said.

Rent-a-Text’s cheaper alternative to buying textbooks eases student’s financial strain while increasing their acquisition of course materials, Coulter said.

The Follett Corp., which partners with universities to establish campus bookstores, initiated the Rent-a-Text

program in fall 2009, said Elio DiS-taola, Follett Director of Campus Relations. Introduced as a pilot pro-gram, Rent-a-text appeared in seven university bookstores, one of which was UTA, during the trial run.

Among the seven participating stores, $2 million was saved by stu-dents in one semester of renting books rather than purchasing new or used books, DiStaola said.

“In the pilot we saw, when stu-dents had the option, more than 70 percent choose to rent rather than buy,” he said.

Coulter said he has noticed an increase in students acquiring all of their required course textbooks and supplementary materials now that renting is an option.

“People have said, ‘I will rent this book now, but I would not have pur-

chased it before,’” he said. “If you are finding out you are only spending half of the purchasing price, you can afford to get all your books.”

Geology sophomore Tyler Wright rented a historical geography book for $89.75 that cost $180 new and $138.75 used.

“You can’t rent all your books,”

Rent-a-Text survives trial runStudent ServiCeS

The UTA Bookstore’s program offers an alternative to the high costs of buying.

The Metropolitan Classi-cal Ballet Company unveiled its summer repertory Saturday in Texas Hall showcasing the works of Johannes Brahms in “Brahms Waltzes,” Tchaikovsky’s “Valse-Scherzo,” Piazzolla’s “Café Vic-toria,” and Gounod’s “Walpurgis Night.” The show began at 8 p.m. with a sizeable turnout of ballet connoisseurs and family mem-bers alike. The show began with “Brahms Waltzes” and captured the audience’s attention with the dancers light yet swift move-

ments throughout the piece. By the end of the act, the audience exhibited their satisfaction with a standing ovation.

As the night continued, the Company, directed by Paul Mejia and Alexander Vetrov, delivered a world premiere performance to Tchaikovsky’s “Valse-Scherzo”, followed by “Café Victoria” and “Walpurgis Night.” In a story brought to life through dance, “Walpurgis Night” tells the tale of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and vegetation. From the

spring festival to the Bacchante, the women worshippers of Bac-chus, Pan and the other fauns playing in the open, the Com-pany offers an interpretive de-piction that grants them a final standing ovation from all in at-tendance.

After the close of the show, when asked why the Metropol-itan Classical Ballet Company continues to return to UTA, ar-tistic director Paul Mejia says “we love it here. We look forward to more in the future.”

textbooks continues on page 3

By SArA WAdudThe Shorthorn staff

Following the recent trends of becoming a more green campus, the autocross team is building a hybrid formula race car.

UTA officially went green and built its first hybrid car in 1993, but it wasn’t for racing. The For-mula 10 will be the first formula race car which will be converted into a hybrid car, becoming the new Hybrid 11. The H11 will be ready for the 2011 Hybrid races where it will be debuted in New Hampshire next May for its first race.

Tobias Overdiek, a mechanical engineering junior, is the captain for the hybrid division for the au-tocross team.

“It’s definitely my baby, I’ve been nurturing this project from the start,” he said. The high-per-formance vehicle, as Tobias calls it, will be able to go from 0 to 60 in three seconds and tops out at 90 mph.

Fresh off last weekend’s 10th Annual Autocross Weekend, Bob Woods, a mechanical engineering professor, said that normally the formula cars are powered by 600 cubic centimeter engines. How-ever, the F10 will be powered by a 250 cc engine.

“It provides more challenges, and more technology is involved to go hybrid. And it goes along with sustainability,” he said.

So far Texas A&M has been the only other school in Texas to have constructed a complete hybrid car, which they have been racing for the past year.

The new F10 will have a motor in each front wheel, and will run on lithium ion batteries.

By SAm mortonThe Shorthorn sports editor

The Movin’ Mavs welcomed 32 Journey of Hope bicyclists to Arlington with a 77-8 drubbing in a friendly wheelchair basketball game, but not a single person on the court or in the crowd shed an ounce of disappointment.

It was all smiles in the Mav-erick Activities Center on Friday night as a number of Mavericks welcomed home Mo Awadalla, the Pi Kappa Phi chapter presi-dent who raised over $5,000 in donations this spring in order to make the Journey of Hope trip, a Push America trek from San Francisco to Washington D.C. with a message of understanding for people with disabilities.

“There’s so many people out there who would love to do what I’m able to do and just can’t for whatever reason,” Awadalla said. “ I’ve learned that your body can take anything, that you can do anything you want with a support group like this.”

Awadalla and the Push America team rode into Arlington City Hall around 2 p.m for a Mayoral procla-mation and introduction before cy-cling a few blocks over to the MAC to swim, shower and eat before preparing for the exhibition game.

More than 2,500 miles of fa-tigue was hardly evident on the cyclists, but as Western Michigan graduate Blake Williams noted, “it doesn’t matter if we had a whole day off before this, we’re playing the best team in the na-tion. We’re going to get stomped.”

Kinesiology graduate Aaron Gouge weaved in and out of the Journey of Hope defense, burning them for at least 20 of the Movin’ Mavs points, but said he loved getting to play with such a diverse group of people.

“I think these guys are awe-some. Riding bikes across the country is just crazy to me,” Gouge said. “Doing 100 miles a day? No way. I just love coming out to help

Hybrid to helpneed forgreen

Cyclists make pit stop in Arlington

enGineerinGWheelChAir BASketBAll

The race car will be a first at the university and have the latest technology.

The team participates in a friendly game against the Movin’ Mavs.

hybrid continues on page 2 push continues on page 3

linear movements

Accounting senior Leslie Chisolm, left, and the shorthorn reporter Allie Cochran throw a punch during a kickboxing class at the MAC Wednesday. Participants went through a series of various kicks, punches and other exer-cises during the 50-minute work-out session.

online extrAS

•Fitness Firsts: a reporter’s first-hand account of the exercise classes offered at the MAC

• Find out where crime is happening around campus with the interactive crime map, located under the ‘news’ tab

• On-campus today, maybe in space tomorrow — find out what all those children are learning while on campus

It’s all at The ShorThorn .com

By AlySiA r. BrookSThe Shorthorn staff

The point of using a poster is to efficiently and effectively transmit information to an ob-server, said Joe Jackson, Office of Graduate Students associate dean.

Jackson hosted a workshop on poster presentation Monday in Davis Hall. He said post-ers are useful across disciplines, whether for final projects or business meetings. While the workshop was part of a series for graduate students, it was open to anyone who wanted to attend.

“You want to put your thought directly into their head,” Jackson said, making a

comparison to the Vulcan mind-meld technique in “Star Trek.”

Jackson said the important elements of any effective post-er are specificity, simple titles, plenty of “white space” between visuals and between columns of text, direct labeling instead of using arrows, asterisks or leg-ends, and a good conclusion to the verbal presentation.

“It’s a small piece of the nu-

Workshop tackles poster projectsStudent ServiCeS

The instructor stressed simplicity and universal language in presentations.

poster continues on page 3

STORY AND PHOTO BY JAzzMYNE GREER

The Shorthorn: Jazzmyne Greer

Jacqueline Jensen and evgeny Lushkin, as Bacchus and Bacchante, in a whirlwind performance of Charles Gounod’s “Walpur-gis Night.”

Not for human consumptionThe K2 incense is gaining heat for providing a high comparable to marijuana — legally. pAGe 6 | SCene

The Shorthorn: Avery Mackey

“It will be fast or faster than for-mula cars,” Woods said.

The team is hoping to finish the car by October to have it ready for the May 2011 hybrid races. The hybrid car races are basically a spin off from the Society of Automotive Engineers formula races.

Aerospace engineering senior J.P. Merkel was excited to talk about the F10. Last Sunday, during one of the autocross races, he sustained more than a 2.2 G-turn, which measures the pull of gravity during a sharp turn. Normally, drivers will drive and continue at a 0.2 G-turn, which proves the intense speed of the F10.

“Felt like a roller coaster, only in a moving car,” Merkel said about the turn. “It felt like your face was peel-ing, coming off.”

The four wheel drive hybrid is being built for racing advan-tages. The team has been design-ing, planning, and constructing this car for approximately a year and half. Merkel said that usually to turn a car into a hybrid; schools will take their old SAE cars and just stick an electric motor on it. But the UTA students are actually transferring an old SAE car into a legitimate green product.

“The F09 is my baby and the F10 is like my middle child,” Merkel said.

The H11 will also be tweaked for the Hybrid 2012 races.

When asked about going green and reducing UTA’s carbon foot-print, Merkel said a lot of people are moving toward this endeavor.

“It’s a good thing,” he said. “A lot of auto companies are looking into hybrids.”

Sara Wadudnews-editor@shorthorn.uta.edu

Hybridcontinued from page 1

The Shorthorn: Jazzmyne Greer

The UTA Formula SAE’s latest race car will be converted into a hybrid-the F10. The car is still in the design phase, said J.P. Merkel, mechanical and aerospace engineering senior.

FridAyTheftOfficers were dispatched to the Univer-sity Center at 4:13 p.m. in response to a laptop theft. A student reported that someone had stolen his laptop while he was using an ATM. The case is active.

Criminal MischiefOfficers were dispatched to the Univer-sity Center at 7:54 p.m. A non-student reported that a suspect jumped over the information desk counter and dam-aged it. The case was cleared.

SATUrdAydisturbanceA loud noise disturbance in the Central Library was reported at 3:30 p.m. A ci-tation was issued to a student for creat-ing the disturbance at the location.

SUndAydWi, drunk driving A nonstudent was arrested for driving under the influence at 1:16 a.m. near the 1200 block of Sunset Street and was taken to the Arlington jail.

MondAySuspicious CircumstancesA staff member reported that a subject who was not on the Action Lease at Centennial Court apartments located on 717 Mitchell St. gained entry into

an apartment at 1:10 a.m. and caused disturbance. He was issued a criminal trespass warning.

Criminal MischiefAt 3 p.m. someone filed a report that a gate arm located at the north mall entrance of the interior part of the campus, was damaged by an unknown person. The case is active.

CorreCtionS

TodAy

Calendar submissions must be made by 4 p.m. two days prior to run date. To enter your event, call 817-272-3661 or log on to www.theshorthorn.com/calendar

Calendar

Page 2 Wednesday, July 21, 2010The ShorThorn

PoliCe rePortThis is a part of the daily activity log produced by the university’s Police Department. To report a criminal incident on campus, call 817-272-3381.

MFA Summer Exhibition: All day. The Gallery at UTA. For information, contact the College of Liberal Arts at 817-272-3291

national research Experience for Under-graduates Program Summer Camp: All day. Life Science Building. For information, con-tact Tuncay Aktosun at aktosun@uta.edu

new Works: UTA Photography Faculty: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. UT Arlington Fort Worth Center Gallery. 1401 Jones Street Fort Worth, Texas 76102. For information, contact Megan Topham 817-272-5988

Story of Bottled Water (Movie): 11 a.m-1 p.m. University Center Guadalupe Room. Bring your lunch; drinks and dessert supplied. Free. Registration required. For information, contact Becky Valentich at becky@uta.edu or at 817- 272-0199

organizing your digital Pictures: 6-9 p.m. Continuing Education Building Room E200C. $115. Registration required. For information, contact Continuing Education at cedques-tions@exchange.uta.edu

THUrSdAy

Last day to drop classes: All day

MFA Summer Exhibition: All day. The Gallery at UTA. For information, contact the College of Liberal Arts at 817-272-3291

In the last issue of The Shorthorn, the article on the new law requiring trans-parency online incorrectly stated that professors must post their salaries online.

The summary deck for the July 14 story “New law requires more course trans-parency,” should have said instructors’ salaries are among additional informa-tion to be shared.

View more of the calendar at

TheShorthorn.com

View an interactive map at

TheShorthorn.com

news Front desk ......................... 817-272-3661news after 5 p.m........................ 817-272-3205Advertising ................................. 817-272-3188Fax ............................................. 817-272-5009

UC Lower Level Box 19038, Arlington, TX 76019

Editor in Chief ......................................... Mark Bauereditor.shorthorn@uta.edunews Editor ........................................... John Hardennews-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

design Editor .................................... Lorraine Frajkordesign-editor.shorthorn@uta.eduCopy desk Chief ............................... Johnathan Silvercopydesk-editor.shorthorn@uta.eduScene Editor ......................................... Andrew Plock features-editor.shorthorn@uta.eduopinion Editor........................................... Mark Baueropinion-editor.shorthorn@uta.eduPhoto Editor ..................................... Andrew Buckleyphoto-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

online Editor .......................................... Scott Snideronline-editor.shorthorn@uta.eduWebmaster ....................................... Troy Buchwalterwebmaster.shorthorn@uta.eduStudent Ad Manager ................................... Mike Loveadmanager@shorthorn.uta.eduMarketing Manager ............................... Ron Williamsmarketing@shorthorn.uta.eduProduction Manager............................ Robert Harper

FIRST COPy FREE ADDITIONAL COPIES 25 CENTS

THE UNIVERSITy OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON91ST yEAR, © The ShorThorn 2010All rights reserved. All content is the property of The Shorthorn and may not be reproduced, published or retransmitted in any form without written permission from UTA Student Publications. The Shorthorn is the student newspaper of the

University of Texas at Arlington and is published in the UTA Office of Student Publications. Opinions expressed in The Shorthorn are not necessarily those of the university administration.

PerSonavaCtion by Thea Blessener

MetroPlex

By ali aMir MuStanSirThe Shorthorn senior staff

Alumna Sonja Funakura recently made headlines by offering $1,000 to anyone who could help her land a permanent job.

It didn’t work, the 1984 account-ing graduate said.

Funakura said she has been on WFAA-TV, 1080 KRLD-AM radio and CNN, but has had only one inter-view for a contract job which is still looking for appli-cants, she said.

Funakura, who has been unemployed for more than 15 months, is only a fraction of the 8.1 percent unem-ployment rate in the Me-troplex. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, that number has increased by half a percent in the past year.

Funakura said she has seen story after story of oth-ers in the same situation.

“I don’t know what it will take for our govern-ment to wake up and see the truth of the econom-ic downturn, the worst since the Great Depres-

sion,” Funakura said. “I’m going to continue to write to politicians, the president and think of other ideas to get inside a company for a

face-to-face inter-view.”

Students pre-paring to gradu-ate and alumni have resources on campus and on-line to help find work after college, but need to be prepared to work hard and wait for positions to open up.

Wendy Casper. business management associate pro-fessor, said most students at the university have been working while in school. She said sometimes stu-dents might have to stay in that job for a while after graduation while looking for the job they want.

Casper suggests students try to find a job that is re-lated to their field while still

in school.“Sometimes you have to

take a stepping stone job,” Casper said. “Take it for a while and find the right job for you.”

Casper said students and graduates should still keep looking. She said the job market would go up and down through the next 10 years.

“Though jobs are tight right now, there are still several businesses that are growing,” she said.

Career Services associate director Cheri Butler said more than 100 employers are at each job fair, held in the spring and fall semes-ters. She said some major companies, like Lockheed Martin, L3 and Raytheon, consider the university as their prime recruiting loca-tion.

Butler said several large accounting firms and gov-ernment organizations re-cruit from the university using the on-campus re-cruiting program, called Hire-A-Maverick. She said students and alumni have access to the system.

Butler said companies post open positions, which

students can browse and then submit a resume. After a selection process, some people are contacted to sign up for an interview on the Hire-A-Maverick website. Students sign up for a time slot and are interviewed on campus, she said.

Butler said going through Hire-A-Maverick gives students an advantage over posting on larger ca-reer websites.

“Here you know they are here to hire a UTA Student,” Butler said.

Butler said she doesn’t know what percentage of UTA gradu-ates find work after gradua-tion. She said it’s difficult to gauge because approximate-ly 70 percent of the student body works at least part-time.

“If a stu-dent is work-ing part-time and gets a p r o m o t i o n post gradua-tion, it is not

considered a placement,” Butler said.

As for Funakura, she is going to go back to the tra-ditional methods of finding a job.

“I wish the idea would have created more inter-est, because so many other unemployed are watching my situation and hoping if it works for me it will for them,” she said. “Sadly it is not.”

ali aMir MuStanSirnews-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

One alumna is offering $1,000 to anyone who can help her find a job.

Unemployment hits home

uneMPloyMent in north texaS (in PerCent)dallas-Fort Worth-ArlingtonMay 2009 April 2010 March 2010 May 2010 7.6 8.3 8.2 8.1

dallas-Plano-irving (metropolitan division)May 2009 April 2010 March 2010 May 2010 7.6 8.3 8.2 8.1

Fort Worth-Arlington (metropolitan division)May 2009 April 2010 March 2010 May 2010 7.5 8.3 8.2 8.1

Source: United States Bureau of Labor Statistics

“It provides more challenges, and more technology is involved to go hybrid. And it goes along with sustainability.”

Bob Woodsmechanical engineering professor

Sonja Funakura

The ShorThornJuly 21, 2010 Page 3

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We’re hiring.Th e Shorthorn is currently taking applications for these positions for the summer & fall semesters:

• Reporter• Ad Sales Rep• Classifi ed Ad Sales• Sports Reporter (fall)• Photo/ Videographer• Illustrator (fall only)

• Graphic Artist (fall)• Copy Editor• Page Designer (fall)• Ad Artist• Online Producer (fall)• Columnist (fall only)

Get a job description and an application today!Student Publications, Lower Level UC

All are paid positions for UTA students. For more information call (817) 272-3188

or visit us online at www.theshorthorn.com

RegisteR to Rent online UTA students can register for Rent-a-Text online at:

http://rental.bkstr.com/TextRental-Web/logon.orca.

PosteR Design Details:

• Plan the design of the poster before making it to save time and effort• Keep plenty of “white space” between visuals and between columns of

text• Keep columns of text aligned with each other• All text and visuals should be clear to the observer from 3-5 feet away• Keep all text horizontal so it’s easier to read• Outline columns or boxes of text with color to draw the eye• Use attention-getting colors, but try not to overwhelm the observer’s

eyes• Don’t forget to put your name somewhere on the poster• Know the requirements of your class, business or discipline when

planning the poster and stick to those conventions. Some require specific style or citation.

Source: Joe Jackson, Office of Graduate Students associate dean

Wright said. “I would if I could though.”

Rent-a-Text operates under the premise that rented books will re-main on course syllabi throughout multiple semesters. Loose-leaf texts, workbooks and study guides are not available for rent, DiStaola said. These texts are considered consum-able editions, meaning they are writ-ten in, nullifying their reusability, he said. Books of certain disciplines also aren’t compatible with the renting principle, as their material constant-ly changes quickly each semester like technology and medicine.

Instructors can refer to the list when choosing their course materi-als or request the addition of books to the list, DiStaola said.

The collaboration of students, faculty and campus bookstores is an important component of Rent-a-Text’s achievement of its goals, he said.

“Students must take advantage of the rent program, faculty must utilize and contribute to the list of rentable texts, and bookstores must offer the program to produce a successful Rent-a-Text program,” DiStaola said.

Follett hopes to see Rent-a-Text available to numerous students in the U.S. and Canada, he said.

allie CoChRannews-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

raise awareness.”Despite being down 44-0 at half-

time, the Journey of Hope team’s strategy of replacing all six (Not a typo, the Movin’ Mavs allowed them to play with an extra player) of its players every five minutes continued with the optimism a team of hu-manitarians would have.

As the clock ticked down to the 17:28 mark of the 2nd half, the crowd roared as a Journey of Hope player banked one off the left side of the backboard and in for the teams’ first two points of the night. The Movin’ Mavs simply smiled, as if they had been quietly rooting for the Journey of Hope to get on the scoreboard.

It was a friendly game that com-bined people with disabilities along with advocates for acceptance, who many had readily admitted to have

never played a game of wheelchair basketball in their lives.

“One thing they always say, other than being impressed by their ath-leticism, is that they’re just like us,” head coach Doug Garner said. “They come out, they laugh, they tell dirty jokes and all that, they just do it in a chair.”

And while Awadalla wasn’t one of the four Journey of Hope players to score a basket that night, his footprint on this campaign will be a bit more lasting than the exhibition game.

“It’s the summer of a lifetime,” he said. And when asked to send a message to any student interested in joining the cause, his message was simple. “Do it, even if you’re just thinking about it, do it. You will not regret it. And I’m not just saying that to get people to do it, this trip fills up by itself without any promotion. I just know I’ll never forget this.”

sam moRtonsports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Textbookscontinued from page 1

Pushcontinued from page 1

The Shorthorn: Brian Dsouza

Psychology senior and Pi Kappa Phi chapter president Mohammed “Mo” Awadalla, center, is greeted by Pi Kappa Phi members in front of the Maverick Activity Center on Friday. Awadalla is a part of Push America’s Journey of Hope, a cross-country bicycle trek that raises awareness for people with disabilities. The teams start from San Francisco, CA and Seattle, WA and will end in Washington, D.C.

merous workshops we offer to help grad students,” said Michael Saenz, Graduate School retention and completion specialist. “We have a few undergrads come be-cause they want to know what it’s like. Anyone’s welcome.”

Public administration gradu-ate student Yolanda Prince said the workshop taught her how to organize a poster effectively and attract observers. She said this information would be useful to her not only in school but in other organizations she is a part.

“I would suggest to anyone that they sign up for these grad work-shops,” Prince said. “You get more out of it than in an online class or a regular classroom setting.”

In the workshop, Jackson cov-ered everything from the basic structure of a good poster to the fine details of design and how to prepare a presentation.

He said when presenting a poster, you should have a 3 to 5 minute verbal overview prepared. The overview should be compre-

hensible to someone outside that area of interest.

Stick to the main point or points, and involve the observer by offering to guide them through the poster with conversation. Do not simply read the poster aloud. You want to engage the observer in dialogue. Also, wear colors that complement the poster’s color scheme.

“An effective poster is testimo-ny to your ability to resist tempta-tion,” Jackson said, advising that a poster is not like an academic paper, and it is better to keep lan-guage short and simple. It’s a time to become more of a minimalist, he said.

Jackson said it is important to know the details of your subject in case they are asked of you, but don’t waste the observer’s time by just throwing them out there.

He said a good conclusion an-swers the question, “What is the point of this poster? Why should anyone care?”

“You’re limited only by your creativity with the subject matter,” Jackson said.

alysia R. BRooksnews-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Postercontinued from page 1

So, your mom has finally decided to join the rest of the social world and create a Facebook profile. Great.

You politely show her the basics, like how to search for and add others as friends. Then you check your account and realize Mom wants to be your Face-book friend. Super.

I’m sure many of you have found yourself in a dilemma like this.

Like many of you, I questioned what type of conflict would arise if I added my mother as a Facebook friend. As-suming that my mother wasn’t that into the whole social networking thing, I didn’t think of it much. But the more I showed her the ins and outs of the Facebook world, she became Sherlock Holmes, investigating every little picture she deemed inappropriate.

She criticized my harsh language in my status updates, where I should be able to freely express myself.

She also meddles in my adult life.If she reads that I’ve just been out

partying with friends, she will harshly criticize me for going out too often. So, because mother knows best, I was forced to delete certain pictures and watch my potty mouth, just to keep peace with her.

I’m sure some would choose not to add their mothers at all. But remember, then she might complain that you have

something to hide. She also might be a little hurt that you won’t share this part of your life with her. The solution to this problem is to go ahead and add Mom. She will be happy that you’ve accepted her among your list of social world friends.

Beforehand, however, lay the groundwork. Simply explain in a loving and kind way that you are an adult. As long as there aren’t naked pictures float-ing around the net, she has nothing to worry about.

If she doesn’t like what she sees on your page there are ways to block her

from seeing your status updates. Or you could simply suggest to Mom that she maintains the right to delete you from being Facebook friends.

Ultimately, this should not put a strain on the relationship you two share. After all, it’s just Facebook. You will forever be her child, and a social networking site can’t change that.

OPInIOnabout opinion

Mark Bauer, editoropinion-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Opinion is published each Wednesday.

rememberThe Shorthorn invites students, university

employees and alumni to submit guestcolumns to the Opinion page.

The ShorThorn

Page 4 Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Editor-in-chiEfMark Bauer

E-maileditor.shorthorn@uta.edu

The Shorthorn is the official student newspaper of the University of Texas at Arlington and is published four times weekly during fall and spring semesters, and weekly during the summer sessions. Unsigned editorials are the opinion of thE Shorthorn Editorial Board and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of individ-ual student writers or editors, Shorthorn advisers

or university administration. lEttErS should be limited to 300 words. They may be edited for space, spelling, grammar and malicious or libelous statements. Letters must be the original work of the writer and must be signed. For iden-tification purposes, letters also must include the writer’s full name, address and telephone num-ber, although the address and telephone number

will not be published. Students should include their classification, major and their student ID number, which is for identification purposes. The student ID number will not be published. Signed columns and letters to the editor reflect the opin-ion of the writer and serve as an open forum for the expression of facts or opinions of interest to The Shorthorn’s readers.

Editorial/our viEw

Forward-thinking

The university community should be proud that UTA leads the way in budget and transparency

When Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Texas House Speaker Joe Straus asked state agencies to make plans to reduce their budgets, the uni-versity took it in stride.

Then, when the state again asked for those same state agencies to make addi-tional budget cuts, the university collec-tively winced, but then went into action.

And last year when state legislators unanimously passed House Bill 2504, which goes into effect this fall and re-quires more transparency for course information, the university merely has to make a few tweaks rather than a com-plete overhaul.

Throughout the last year, the admin-istration has proven that it’s forward thinking by already operating a conser-vative budget, as well as providing more than adequate course information and professor pro-files online.

“Our intent is to be responsive to the directive from

state leadership to reduce operating costs. However, we will do this without compromising the momentum we have gained in recent years. UT Arlington is on an aggressive trajectory to become a major national research university dur-ing the next decade, and we will not take any actions that could undermine those plans,” President James Spaniolo said in a Feb. 5 message in response to the budget cut mandates.

If the university truly wants to be-come a nationally recognized university within the next 10 years, it’s on the right track. The community needs to hop on board and trust in this shared vision. We would caution not to follow blindly, but the current administration’s track record shows that it is at least capable of making the hard decisions, even if the outcomes are to be determined.

It’s easy to judge from the sidelines and point out missteps or flaws in any decision-making process, but the uni-versity should be praised for not falter-ing during tumultuous times.

We may be Mavericks, independent in thinking — but if we can agree on one thing, maybe it’s that there’s no better time to be a Maverick.

— The Shorthorn editorial board

Since 1919

discombobulation by Houston Hardaway

join tHE discussion

Comment at our website:www.TheShorthorn.com

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Justin Bieber.Why did I start my column

with the 16-year-old pop star’s name? Simple. He’s the hottest

item in the world right now, and if my goal is to have the most read column in the history of column writing, I need to fit in as many hot keywords as possible. Justin Bieber is the hottest, ergo, it lends itself to the front of my list.

Twilight. See how this works? Really, I could

probably just write a column pitching Bieber as the tweenage heartthrob Edward Cullen and be done with it. But that’s not my vibe. I’m writing for a college crowd, one that prides itself on educational read-ing habits and stuff. And for the most part, college folk aren’t interested in 16 year olds with trademark hair-flips or vampires who have more angst than, well, any other teen-ager, werewolf or shape shifter.

The Texas Rangers are getting hot again. I guess I could throw them in here, too. And who’s this LeBron James cat I keep seeing on SportsCenter?

Then there’s this oil crisis in the Gulf that people are talking about.

Or are they?BP, the British-based oil company re-

sponsible for the spill, recently capped the well and stopped it from gushing oil into the ocean for the first time in three months. The cap could hold tight until the relief well is drilled sometime around mid-August.

But the oil cap didn’t get as much play as I thought it would. After three months, peo-ple sort of lost interest and started paying more attention to Lindsay Lohan and how she cried in court. The judge sentenced her to roughly three months in jail for probation violation. But since it’s such a long sentence, we’ll most likely lose interest in that before too long anyway.

The internet, Facebook and Twitter have made us the most informed — or at the very least, capable of being the most informed — generation in history. We’re also the first generation that can play video games with our children. And win.

But what good is such an accolade if we don’t do anything with the infor-

mation we acquire? Maybe being so connected is actually part of the

problem. Unplug the computer. Turn off the phone. Be alone for a while.

A lot of people poke fun at the Double Rainbow Guy, but his reaction, while a little creepy, is also a little endearing — people still find the little things in life to be excited over. Right?

Pfft. Whatever. Soon, Justin Bieber will do another hair-flip, Twilight will release another movie, and Lindsay Lohan will be out of jail.

And when it happens, people will be around to retweet it.

We’ve got our priorities

mixed up

To add or not to add

We’re wasting our knowledge on

Bieber fever and vampire angst.

Should we accept Mom’s friend request?

mark bauEr

bauer is a journalism senior and the shorthorn editor in chief.

join the discussion by commenting at theshorthorn.com.

cabrEra moorE

moore is a criminal justice/criminology senior and the shorthorn copy editor. join the discussion by commenting at theshorthorn.com.

The Shorthorn: Thea Blesener

Wednesday, July 21, 2010 Page 5

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

ACROSS1 Turkish title5 Kind of appetizer

platter9 Refs throw them

14 Nobleman’smistress

16 Artist Neiman17 It may be drawn

without thinking19 In the know20 Buck’s partner21 Emergency PC

key22 Sylvester

Pussycatnemesis

27 A/C unit28 Paul’s “Exodus”

role29 MGM co-founder30 Fridge or

freezer: Abbr.32 Pollution-policing

org.34 Fountain orders38 Dubious diet ad

promise42 Record players43 Response of

feignedinnocence

44 Spill the beans45 Con48 Powder parter50 Asian occasion51 Mentally agile56 Network

absorbed by TheCW

57 Long-jawed fish58 ICU test59 First out of the

gate, and what17-, 22-, 38- and51-Across all get

66 Synagogue scroll67 First felony

conviction, insome states

68 Poet’s Muse69 Certain squad

member70 “__ off?”

DOWN1 German cry2 ___ few rounds3 Item in a fried

side with catfish4 “The Sopranos”

chef Bucco

5 Delt neighbor6 GI entertainers7 Co. that has

sponsored manysoaps

8 Not 19-Across9 __ shot

10 Guitarist Paul11 The Little

Mermaid12 Ninny13 Matches audio

to video, say15 Aggressive sort18 He preceded

and followedO’Brien

22 March VIP23 Attracted24 “Holy Toledo!”25 Energy26 Mil. truants27 Ivory units?31 The purple one

is NewHampshire’sstate flower

33 Fire preceder?35 “Encore!”36 Good __:

repaired37 USMC rank39 Drop shot, in

tennis

40 “No kidding!”41 Increase46 Frat party attire47 Dazed49 Latin clarifier51 Bit of term paper

color52 Enthusiastic

about53 Prefix with

structure54 Big name in air

conditioning

55 In once more60 Sylvester, to

Tweety61 “So that’s your

game!”62 “What’d I tell

ya?”63 “That wasn’t

nice!”64 Early MGM

rival65 Three times, in

Rx’s

Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved

By Dan Naddor 7/21/10

(c)2010 Tribune Media Services, Inc. 7/21/10

Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

(c)2010 Tribune Media Services,Inc.7/22/10

DR. RUTHQ: What should a deployed Army of-fi cer do to put his or her mind at ease that his or her spouse will be faithful?

A: The direct answer to your ques-tion is to just not think of the possibility. If someone who is far from his or her spouse for a long period of time -- a deployed soldier or a student or someone who is working in a for-eign land -- begins to think about the spouse cheating, that’s going to make him or her miserable. It won’t have anything to do with the facts, unless there are clear signs of cheating. So it’s best to just not allow such thoughts to dwell in your brain. When they crop up, push them out. And, of course, try to maintain as close communication with your spouse as possible. There are no guarantees in such situations, and sometimes the danger to a relationship increases when the two get back together, be-cause they might not get along as well as they thought they would. But since allowing feelings of jealousy to over-come you won’t help anything, the best thing is to not give in to any such doubts and do all you can to maintain your faith in the relationship.

Q: As the grandmother of a 15-year-old (my son’s daughter) who is in a

one-year relationship, should I sug-gest birth control? Or does this imply permission?

A: Do you have reason to believe that the girl’s parents aren’t on top of this situation? Be-cause if not, my advice to you -- and to any grand-parent -- would be to keep quiet. The use of birth con-trol should be something that is discussed between the parents and the child. Having you interfere could only complicate matters. But having said that, let me answer the second part of your question by saying no, teaching about birth control does not imply permission, as long as the lessons are accompanied by the mes-sage that such permission is not being given. That’s why it’s better to give such lessons before a child is in

a relationship. And maybe your grand-daughter has been taught what she needs to know. Parents are often loath to admit that their child has reached an age when sex might be a possibility, and that’s a mistake. But since all chil-dren are going to have to learn about birth control at one time or another, giving that lesson to a 15-year-old who is dating is quite appropriate, as long as whoever is giving the lesson makes it very clear that the lesson is not being accompanied by a permission slip.

Dr. RuthSend your

questions to

Dr. Ruth Westheimer

c/o King Features

Syndicate

235 E. 45th St.,

New York, NY

100171 9 3

6 3 1 48 4 6

6 5 4 92

4 5 7 83 5 4

4 8 1 29 7 3

Instructions:Fill in the grid so

that every row,

every column and

every 3x3 grid

contains the digits 1

through 9 with no

repeats. That

means that no

number is repeated

in any row, column

or box.

142569387596873124387412695675348912831927456924651738763295841458136279219784563

Solution

Solutions, tips and

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at www.sudoku.com

EMPLOYMENT

DRIVER/DELIVERYBIG BOUNCE AND SLIDE CITY is hiring weekend drivers to de-liver bounce houses. Cell phone, transportation, and valid Drv. required. Call (817)460-0003

GENERAL

THE SHORTHORN is currently accepting applications for the fol-lowing positions for the Summer & Fall Semes-ters;

- Reporter- Ad Sales Rep- Classifi ed Ad Sales- Sports Reporter (fall)- Photo/ Videographer- Illustrator (fall only)- Graphic Artist (fall)- Copy Editor- Page Designer (fall)- Ad Artist- Online Producer (fall)- Columnist (fall only)

Get a job description and an application TO-DAY! Student Publications Dept. University Cen-ter, lower level. All are paid positions for UTA students. For more in-formation call (817) 272-3188

FOOTBALL OFFICIALS NEEDED

Earn $$, stay activeJrHi&HS, Eves&Wkndsdues&uniform req, sum-mer thru mid Nov. 888-393-6660 www.fwfo.org

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FULLY FURNISHED APARTMENT $605 a month + electric bill. Lease take over, 10-11 school year. interested or more info call Jeffrey at (832) 896-283

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Dear Parents/Friends of JMA:

Subject: Assignment of Accreditation Status to the JEAN MASSIEU ACADEMY.

The purpose of this letter is to inform you that the 2009-2010 accreditation status of the JEAN MASSIEU ACADEMY is Accredited-Probation. Under state law, the accreditation statuses that may be assigned to districts include Accredited, Accredited-Warned, Accredited-Probation, and Not Accredited-Revoked. A status of Accredited-Probation means that a district exhibits deficiencies in performance that, if not addressed, will lead to revocation of the district’s accreditation status.

The JEAN MASSIEU ACADEMY has been assigned an Accredited-Probation status due to the ratings assigned to the district in the state’s ACADEMIC ACCOUNTABILITY RATING SYSTEM AND/OR FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY RATING SYSTEM. Specifically, the JEAN MASSIEU ACADEMY was assigned ratings in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 of Academically Unacceptable and in 2009 the Financial Accountability rating of Substandard Achievement.

The district is taking the following steps to address the areas of identified deficiency:

(1) Has applied for and been accepted under Alternative Education Accountability, which allows an adjusted accountability rating,

(2) Has increased individual tutoring for TAKS test-takers (3) Has increased the Highly Qualified percentage of staff on campus (4) Has implemented C-Scope, a TAKS-aligned curriculum (5) Has taken action to raise funds through various activities adopted by the Board of

Trustees

Under law, if the current accreditation concerns for the district are not addressed, the district may be assigned an accreditation status of Not Accredited-Revoked. A Not Accredited-Revoked status means that that TEA no longer recognizes the district as a Texas public school. Districts with an accreditation status below Accredited also may be subject to additional accreditation sanctions as referenced in statute and rule.

For more information regarding the assignment of accreditation statuses to school districts, you may access the TEA website at http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/accredstatus/. This website will provide you with background information as well as links to the Texas Education Code and current commissioner’s rules related to accreditation.

If you have additional questions regarding the assignment of an Accredited-Probation status to the JEAN MASSIEU ACADEMY or if you would like additional information about the district’s ongoing improvement efforts, please contact:

Katherine E. Johnson, Superintendent/Principal

817-460-0396

July, 2009

IMPORTANT ACCREDITATION

INFORMATION

FAITH CHAPEL510 Summit

www.arlingtonfaithchapel.orgIn the heart of the Metroplex with the Metroplex at heart

Sunday 9:30 a.m. Morning ServiceSunday 6:00 p.m. Evening ServiceMonday 7:00 p.m. Miracle and Healing ServiceWednesday 7:00 p.m. Mid-week Bible TrainingSaturday 8:45 p.m. FREE Family Friendly Movie!Under the Stars/Drive Up/Tune Car Radio to 107.7 FM Or walk up and watch on the lawn — bring blanket or chairs!

Sceneabout scene

Andrew Plock, editorfeatures-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

onlineWhat are your thoughts on K2? Go to

theshorthorn.com and comment on this story about synthetic marijuana.

The ShorThorn

Page 6 Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Scene is on the lookout for the music that dictates your life. This week we look at the songs that get you to class with a beat.

Walking Playlist

sleigh bells – “crown on the Ground”“It’s got a really big thumping beat and it’s a good pace to walk to. It’s not like typical pop music, it has very sharp notes in it and has a great intonation,” biol-ogy senior Lauren Hardy said.

trey songs – “already taken”“I like it be-cause it has a slow beat. It’s nice to listen to because it gives off posi-tive energy,” engineering junior Valon McCall said.

Each week, Scene gives you the reviews that are happening in the entertainment world.

Dreams become reality in a new mystery thriller that messes with your mind.

The film centers on a world where technology allows people to dream vividly and interact with each other in dreams that ap-pear as clear as reality. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Cobb, a thief who enters deep states of uncon-sciousness in order to steal se-crets and personal information. This rare ability turns him into an international fugitive and he en-lists in the help of keen, wealthy and intuitive accomplices to help him get back everything he lost. Juno’s Ellen Page and Joseph Gordon-Levitt from 500 Days of Summer also star as dream trav-elling assailants.

The movie, while intriguing and mentally engaging, leaves you feeling confused and trying to recap the entire movie in your head to make sense of it.

Despite all the mind games, the explosive, captivating scenes during dream sequences make this film worth watching.

Viewers who want to stay on track with the film should pay close attention to clues left throughout the movie to better understand what’s going on. Try getting the popcorn before it starts.

— Alanna Quillen

playingwhat’s

center Review

listto-do

lauren Hardy, biology senior

Valon Mccall, engineering junior

‘incePtion”starring: Leonardo Di-Caprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page Director: Christopher Nolan ranking: 7 out of 10

andreW PlockThe Shorthorn scene editor

Synthetic marijuana products, such as the self-labeled incense K2, are taking heat politically as a new wave of narcotics mimic the effects of traditional marijuana in a concentrated dose.

city and state governments are working on, and have been, banning the substance that accounts for multiple poison control cases and has been linked to the death of a recent high school graduate.

created by treating or spraying various herbs with syn-thetic cannabinoids — lab-created chemicals that simulate the narcotic effects of marijuana’s active ingredient THc, or tetrahydrocannabinol — K2 and similar takeoffs are gain-ing attention not only domestically but worldwide as well.

Not for human

consumption Synthetic marijuana gains

heat for being too much like the real thing – and legal

This Friday Theatre Arlington opens its play The Dixie Swim Club with Melanie Mason, a UTA communication adjunct lecturer, playing the role of Jeri Neal McFeeley. Theatre Arlington describes the play as a poignant comedy about five Southern women, who reunite every Au-gust to recharge their relation-ships and renew their spirits. The show runs from July 23 to Aug. 22.

the dixie sWim clubWhen: 8 p.m. FridayWhere: Theatre Arlington, 305 W Main St.Arlington, Texas 76010 Box Office: 817-275-7661cost: $19 general admission. Discounts available for stu-dents, seniors and groups of 10 or more.

student accountIt wasn’t until he heard

from a co-worker on probation for marijuana charges that broadcast se-nior Landon Vassek first found out about K2.

Vassek said the em-ployee smoked the sub-stance as an alternative to marijuana because it didn’t show up on drug tests he had to take.

“At first I didn’t be-lieve him,” he said. “Then I looked it up online and found out it was sprayed with synthetic THc. It gets you high for sure.”

Vassek said the effects simulated the feelings from marijuana but the high didn’t last as long. choosing the more natu-ral over the chemically-created K2 is what would be his first choice.

“I know they’re ban-ning it because they say it’s worse for you, but you know then they should legalize pot if that’s the case,” he said. “People are only smoking K2 because pot is illegal.”

Uta’s stanceIn 2011 UTA will undergo a smoking

ban that will limit the use of all tobacco products on campus. As of now, cigarettes and similar products can be smoked as long as they are 50 feet from entrances and are completely prohibited in resi-dence halls.

Heather Snow, Office of Student con-duct director, said although smokers find it’s hard to be 50 feet away from doors, K2 is technically legal as long as the product isn’t used with the paraphernalia that is associated with drug usage.

“We’re not wanting to promote it,” Snow said. “We see it on the same level as any other drug.”

Snow said along with any smoking violation where K2 was involved, the uni-versity would employ educational sanc-tions as a means to inform students about drug education. This is the same process minus the punitive sanctions an offender of smoking marijuana on campus would go through.

K2 hasn’t been heard much on campus, Snow said. She hopes the usage is rivaled to Salvia —a legal hallucinatory drug – in that there are very few cases.

“Two years ago we heard a lot about Salvia,” she said. “Salvia use was very lim-ited and treated the same way as we would treat K2.”

K2 FutureAs the popularity and

usage of the narcotic grows, many cities and states have begun banning the product.

The city of Allen has recently banned the sub-stance and Mansfield has limited the sale of the sub-stance to 21 and over.

These two nearby cities join eight other states and many european countries in the banning of K2 and its counterparts.

As for now, the Arling-ton city council is on their July break and K2 has not been put on any agenda. city councilwoman Lana Wolff said she had no in-formation on the issue, nor has any citizen inquired about the substance.

Texas State Sen. Flor-ence Shapiro, R-Plano, has recently announced that she wants Texas legislation to ban K2 when the next session begins in 2011.

When Shapiro appeared on the Fox news chan-nel she said she’s writing legislation to ban the sale, manufacturing and pos-session of the product.

local head shopsSeveral head shops in the Arlington area commented

only on the sale of the product by saying K2 is an incense, not for human consumption or for aromatherapy pur-poses only, and gave the prices for the different scented incenses.

Gaurab neupane, owner of High Times Lifestyle in Arlington, said the incense gets a lot of customers in his store. Most range from young to old, typically he said from ages 18 to 65. neupane said any future ban of the product in Arlington would not hurt his business.

“It doesn’t bother us. This is just any other business,” he said. “Business could slow down without K2, but that’s because it’s so hot right now.”

In 2006, K2 and similar alternatives became available to customers online and continues to be a source as cities ban the substance from stores and gas stations. Much like any drug that is illegal to buy, any person in pos-

session of K2 in banned areas like Allen face fines of up to $2,000 if

caught.

Health concerns

As Huffman had stated, the compound is still untested on

human subjects, leaving little knowl-edge about its long-term effects. current

brands are also unregulated, which makes its chemi-cal contents undefined. Anthony Scalzo, a toxicologist at Saint Louis University is

researching the effects of the synthetic drug. Scalzo told the As-sociated Press teenagers are having hallucinations, severe agitation, el-

evated heart rates, vomiting, seizures and other reactions to the substance. The American Association of Poison control centers reported that there

are 732 exposure cases involving synthetic marijuana products including K2, Spice and other brands for 2010 alone. This is up from 13 in 2009. K2 has recently been reportedly linked to the death of an Iowa teen. The Des Moines

Register reports that during an apparent panic attack after smoking the substance with friends, 18-year-old David Rozga told friends he was “going to hell,” and later on that evening, committed suicide.

about K2Developed in a lab at clemson Univer-

sity in South carolina in the 90s, organic chemist John W. Huffman synthesized the substances JWH-018 and JWH-073 as part of his laboratory research at clemson, which was funded by the national Insti-tute on Drug Abuse.

Huffman explained in a statement that the substances were developed to under-stand the relationship between the chemi-cal structure and biological activity of substances known as cannabinoids. The synthesized products were only tested on mice and the long-term effects are still unknown.

“cannabinoids include THc — the ac-tive ingredient in cannabis plants — but also other substances that interact with the cannabinoids receptors in the brain and other organs,” Huffman wrote in his statement. “These receptors don’t exist so that people can smoke marijuana and get high; they play a role in regulating appetite, nausea, mood, pain and inflam-mation.

Huffman told the science, health and technology website, Livescience.com, that details were published in a book chapter and he thinks the first usage as a drug was somewhere in europe.

“Apparently somebody picked it up, I think in europe, on the idea of doping this incense mixture with the compound and smoking it,” Huffman told LiveScience. “You can get very high on it. It’s about 10 times more active than THc.”

Photo Illustration: Andrew BuckleyandreW Plockfeatures-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu