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Your Day 2News 3, 8World View 4Opinion 5Sports 6

BY BRYAN BASTIBLE, ERIKA RIZOThe Shorthorn staff

Physics Department Chair-man James Horwitz, 60, died unexpectedly Saturday in his

home.As of press time, the Tarrant

County medical examiner’s Web site had the cause and manner of death listed as “Pending.”

College of Science Dean Paul Paulus said the department’s first focus is on dealing with the shock of losing Horwitz. He said the College of Science will eventually

look for an interim chair. They’ll have to talk to the Provost about when they can search for a per-manent chair.

Paulus said Horwitz was a pleasant individual.

“I was surprised and shocked, because I just saw him last week in a meeting,” he said. “I was look-ing forward to another good year

working with him.”Physics lecturer Nila Veera-

bathina said she worked with Horwitz frequently.

“It’s very sad and my heart is broken, and he is still in my mind every minute,” she said. “I was also working on the International

Physics department chair diesFACULTY/STAFF

Long-time professor James Horwitz died Saturday at age 60.

HORWITZ continues on page 8

BY SARAH LUTZThe Shorthorn staff

Some students and teachers will turn their attention to climate change Thursday in the University Center Rosebud Theatre and across the country with the National Teach-In.

The event features several speakers and pre-sentations covering perspectives on climate change.

“The idea of the Teach-In is to get youth moti-vated on their own cam-pus for an event with implications at a larger national level,” said Xa-rissa Holdaway, Nation-al Wildlife Federation’s campus e-news coordi-nator. The group is one of the event’s partners. “The really great thing about it is there’s a lot of flexibility for each cam-pus to figure out what’s important to them as far as this environmen-tal issue we’re facing.”

Holdaway said that more than 1,000 insti-tutions are participat-ing, and 700 campuses are setting up Web casts with area lawmakers to convey their views.

Chelsea Roff, Environmental Society vice president and organizer of the university’s in-volvement in the Teach-In, tried to get Texas sen-ators to attend, but they were too busy, she said.

The ideas discussed in the Teach-In will not go unheard by influential people though, be-cause some will be at the university’s presenta-tion, she said.

UTA holds National Teach-In on Thursday

SUSTAINABILITY

The day-long event features presentations by experts talking about climate change, followed by a roundtable discussion.

BY SARAH LUTZThe Shorthorn staff

With one less gas station near campus, students are turning to the 7-Eleven on Center Street, the only nearby supplier of gas and food.

The Diamond Shamrock at the corner of Abram and Coo-per streets closed in November.

Bill Beasly, who represents the land’s owner, said he was looking to sell or lease the property, which is still zoned to allow a gas station.

“There have been several people interested in buying,” he said. “But the market is going to determine who it goes to.”

Beasly could not say when something else would move in, but Diamond Shamrock, the previous tenant, will be leasing the property until the end of March.

7-Eleven store manager Patsey Green said she hasn’t noticed any spike in business since November, but students have always flooded her store.

“The majority of our busi-ness, probably about 85 per-cent, is the students,” she said. “The most popular item we sell to the students is probably the roller grill and energy drinks — lots of energy drinks.”

Green said since the semes-

Diamond Shamrock’s closing leaves 7-Eleven only area option

ARLINGTON

Steps may be taken to make the store more convenient for customers.

GAS continues on page 8

BY JASON JOYCEContributor to The Shorthorn

As a University Police SUV passes through one of the university’s parking lots, Lt. Jonathan King pauses to share one of the tips of the trade he’s picked up over his years with the department.

“You want to look for glass on the ground,” he said, “You might miss some-thing if you look at car windows. If it’s got tinted windows, you might not notice a broken window if you aren’t looking for glass on the ground.”

For King, the observation is one part of his daily routine. For the outside observer, it’s a glimpse into the working life of the more than 80 men and women respon-sible for ensuring the university’s safety and security.

Around 4:45 p.m. King learns that there’s been a fire at a duplex near campus. Though it’s not on university property, he decides to drive by to check on the situa-tion.

At the scene, four Arlington Fire De-partment engines are stopped near a du-plex. Charred beams, a gutted front room and residents milling on the front lawn are evidence of the blaze.

The fire’s already out, but firefighters and fire-scene investigators swarm over the property, so King radios in to the Uni-versity Police dispatcher that he’ll be han-dling traffic control until Arlington Police arrive on the scene.

Among the residents is alumnus Evans

Inside the Patrol Car

University Police lieutenant allows a glimpse into his work shift

James Horwitz, Pysics Department chair

The Shorthorn: Andrew Buckley

The 7-Eleven on Center Street is now the only nearby convenience store to supply both food and gas to students of the university. Store manager Patsey Green said she has not noticed any spike in business since Diamond Shamrock closed in November, but students have always flooded the store.

“Sustainability tends to center around science and really for change to happen, we’re going to have to reach across disciplines.”

Chelsea Roff,Environmental Society vice president

The Shorthorn: Michael Rettig

Lt. Jonathan King gazes out the window of a University Police SUV.


Arlington fire fighters inspect a duplex near Abram Street after putting out a fire. TEACH continues on page 8RIDE continues on page 3

MEMORIAL SERVICEWhen: 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 6 Where: Wade Family Funeral Home Chapel, 4140 W. Pio-neer Parkway, Arlington, TX 76013

2009

LOOKING FOR A PIECE OF THE GOVERNMENT BAILOUT? Check out the cartoon

“Discombobulation” on page 5

THREE-DAY FORECAST

CORRECTIONS

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THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON90TH YEAR, © THE SHORTHORN 2009All 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.

YOURDAY

FEB.

4

Tuesday’s story, “Possibility of Tier One status uncertain,” contained several errors. The story should have said the university is discussing the pursuit of additional support to help it toward the goal of becoming a national research institution. Also, the story should have stated a lawmak-er’s role in that pursuit could include filing a resolution sup-porting such a concept. Such a resolution would be separate from any bill tied to funding such a resolution. Also, the story should have stated the university’s undergraduate population is about 19,000 students.

Friday’s story, “Honor code re-instated after years of inactiv-ity,” cadet Cpl. Aaron Renaud was speaking hypothetically about cadets stealing from one another in ROTC. Stealing is not going on, he was merely referencing it as an example.

For the full calendar, visitTHE SHORTHORN .com

Page 2 Wednesday, Feburary 4, 2009THE SHORTHORN

— National Weather Service at www.weather.gov

TodaySunny• High 55°F• Low 40°F

ThursdayWindy• High 65°F• Low 50°F

Friday Windy • High 70°F • Low 55°F

TODAY

Student Alumni T-Shirt Day: All day, campus wide. For information, contact Tega Edwin at 817-272-2594 or [email protected].

Wind Power Generation — A prominent form of renewable energy: 7–8 a.m., 601 Ned-derman Hall. Light breakfast provided. Reservations, please. For information, contact Roger Tuttle at 817-272-3682 or [email protected].

Liberal Arts Employer Panel: 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m., Central Library sixth floor. Free. For information, contact Career Services at 817-272-2932 or [email protected].

Habitat for Humanity: noon, University Center Bluebonnet Ballroom. Discussion of volun-teer opportunities and plans for the spring semester. Free. For information, e-mail Habitat for Humanity at [email protected].

Study Abroad Information Ses-sion — Focus on Asia: noon–1 p.m., UC Blanco Room. Free. For information, contact Blake Hart at 817-272-1120 or [email protected].

BY DUSTIN L. DANGLIThe Shorthorn staff

On-campus housing renewals for residence halls began Tuesday for the next academic year, while those commut-ing are stuck deciding whether to continue the drive or try and find a home on campus.

“Same hall, same room” registration began Tuesday, while “same hall, different room” and KC Hall renew-als begin today. The ability to transfer to a new resi-dential hall starts Thursday. The time for renewals ends at 11:59 p.m. Saturday, and students who fail to renew must apply like every other incoming student.

Apartment Life director Molly Albart said renewals give those already living on campus the first shot at the room and hall that they want before new students. She said students should be prepared and already have an idea of where they want to be next semester.

“It’s a very short time frame so make sure you know what you want,” she said. “Think about where you want to be, even if you don’t know for sure you can still change it before the week is over and once you receive the contract as well.”

Students living in apartments don’t have to worry about renewals until the summer.

DUSTIN L. [email protected]

Here or There?Students express opinions

about living on or off campus

Sociology senior Davi Sallee renews her hous-ing contract Tuesday in the Arlington Hall computer lab. Students registering for the same room in the same hall began registering Tuesday.

Theatre arts freshman Nikki Singer said she chose to live on campus even though her family lives in the area. It’s more convenient and cost efficient for her to live on campus rather than to make the drive every weekday, she said. She’s spent this academic year in Arlington Hall and plans to stay there next semester because of the privacy it offers.“A-Hall has suites, and I like my own space,” she said.

Undeclared freshman Troy Williams said he had to live on campus because his family is from Houston. He likes it because he can walk to class and everything he needs is right there. It even allows him to par-ticipate in clubs and activities that suit his interests like intramural basketball.

History senior Kaylee Pelham said she enjoys being close to the school and people living on campus.“I was a resident assistant, and I got Brazos [House] and in two weeks I fell in love with our community,” she said.

Theatre arts freshman Leslie Jones said even the cafeteria food isn’t too bad.“The food is the same all the time, but the grilled cheese is awesome,” she said.

STUDENTS FOR LIVING ON CAMPUS

STUDENTS FOR COMMUTING

RENEWAL START DATESFeb. 3: Same Hall, Same Room, (Arlington, Brazos, Lipscomb, Trinity 1st and 2nd only)Feb. 4: Same Hall, Different Room and KC HallFeb. 5: Any Hall, Any Room

Accounting junior Bonnie Freeman lives in Arlington and likes having her own place. She said she’s too old to live on campus. Having her own place gives her privacy and freedom where she doesn’t have to follow rules like those in residence halls and doesn’t have to deal with living with other people, she said.

Nursing freshman Sarah Nastiuk said she decided to commute because it’s cheaper, and she doesn’t mind her 30-minute drive. Living at home allows her to spend more time with her family and boyfriend. She likes being able to attend classes at the university and keep her job back home.

Mechanical engineering senior Stephen Dickinson lives in an apartment within the city. He suggests that younger students, fresh out of high school, would probably benefit more from a dorm where they could live within a university community, while the freedom of an apartment makes a better choice for older students who don’t want to be forced to have a roommate or a meal plan.

Psychology senior Erin Crandall said she doesn’t mind driving 30 minutes. For her, the decision was a financial one, but she did spend time in Arlington Hall. Although she misses being close to all of her classes and friends, she doesn’t miss the food. She said living on campus and commuting allows people to have a different college experience.

The Shorthorn: Meghan Williams

VS.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009 Page 3 The ShorThorn

Your #1 source for the latest in Sports


Above: Lt. Jonathan King watches as a UTA police officer pulls over a car on Cooper Street.

Left: King listens to Jovita Simón, Lipscomb Hall residence director, after responding to a smoke alarm in Lipscomb Hall. The alarm was triggered by students cooking pork chops.

Maranga.Maranga said he and the

others living in the duplex have been told by the Ar-lington Fire Department that they should look for alter-native housing since utilities to the duplex have been cut until the building is restored.

Twenty minutes after ar-riving at the scene, Arlington Police arrive to take over traf-fic control and King heads back to patrolling the cam-pus.

It’s a quiet night fairly typical for a 3–11 p.m. Friday patrol, he said. It’s too early for parties and late enough that most faculty, staff and commuting students have left campus.

For the next hour or so, King patrols the campus, checking parking lots and admonishing the occasional parking violator.

Then the calm’s broken at 6:40 p.m. by a call from dis-

patch reporting a fire alarm in Lipscomb Hall.

“We get four or five of these a night,” King said while swinging the SUV into a U-turn to respond to the call. “It’s usually someone cooking popcorn or pizza. Next thing you know, there’s 600 kids standing in their pajamas in the snow wondering what’s going on.”

The culprit at Lipscomb Hall turns out to be a group of residents who had been cooking pork chops for din-ner.

After handling the alarm, King returns to the streets, taking time to point out loca-tions that have been known for out-of-control parties.

Tonight, there are none to be found. The houses are dark and silent, blending in with every other house in the neighborhood.

“It’s still too early in the night,” King said. “They’re still out buying the beer. Mid-night to 7 a.m. is when we get most of the public intoxi-cation and noise complaint calls.”

After a brief stop for din-ner, King spends a couple more hours on patrol, then makes a last stop to check on one of the police depart-ment’s new academy gradu-ates running radar on Cooper Street with his training of-ficer.

For the University Police, making traffic stops isn’t a matter of racking up the number of citations issued, it’s a way for the department to make the public aware of their presence around the university, he said.

“It really surprises people when we stop them,” he said.

At around 9:30 p.m., King heads back to the office to do two shifts worth of paper-work. He has been working since 7 a.m. and his second shift won’t end until 11 p.m.

“I was supposed to go home at 3 p.m., but I had to fill in for the guy that was supposed to work second shift,” he said. “With luck, I’ll be home before midnight.”

Jason [email protected]

Ridecontinued from page 1

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

For a crime map, visit The ShorThorn .com

Tuesday

InvestigationUniversity Police were called to Arlington Hall at 11:50 p.m. for a report of a student smoking in his room. The responding officer made contact with the student and issued a disciplinary referral.

Burglary of a habitationA student at Centennial Court apartments contacted University Police around 5:30 p.m. to report a burglary of his apart-ment. When police responded,

the student told them that his laptop had been stolen from his apartment over the weekend.

Accident – Hit and RunA police officer was dispatched to the University Village apart-ments at 900 Greek Row Drive to investigate a report of a hit and run involving two vehicles.

Medical assistPolice responded to a call for as-sistance at the Maverick Activities Center at 500 Nedderman Drive. When an officer arrived around 12:43 p.m., he was informed that a student had injured his knee.

Police rePort

UTA becomes first north Texas school to get Society of Human Resource Management certification

Business administration

By ali mustansirContributor to The Shorthorn

The College of Business Management is the most recent of 38 universities in the world to receive the So-ciety of Human Resource Management Certificate of Alignment.

The SHRM certificate adds to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation. The AACSB accreditation is a requirement for the SHRM certification. UTA is one of only 551 universi-ties worldwide to gain the AACSB accreditation, and one of five schools in North Texas.

As the only school in North Texas to offer a true Master of Science in Human Resource Man-agement degree, Dennis Veit, MSHRM lecturer and graduate advisor, said that the certification was very important.

The SHRM certifica-tion is a requirement for the next certification level that the school is set to re-ceive, the Human Resource Certification Institute Ap-proved Provider seal, al-lowing UTA courses within the program to count for recertification in human resources.

After completion of the MSHRM program, stu-dents are encouraged to take the Professional in Human Resources exam. The PHR is the equivalent to the bar for lawyers or the American Institute of Cer-tified Public Accountants for accountants.

“One strong feature of our MSHRM program is that by completing our program you will be pre-paring yourself to take the Professional in Human Re-sources certification exam,” Veit said. “All of our gradu-ates who have set for the PHR exam have passed.”

ali [email protected]


World VieWThe ShorThorn

Page 4 Wednesday, February 4, 2009

in texas

CPS drops custody case of Jeffs’ daughterSAN ANGELO — Texas child wel-fare authorities have dropped the custody case involving a 17-year-old daughter of jailed polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs, saying court oversight is no longer needed.

Child Protective Services on Monday dropped its custody case on the girl, who was allegedly mar-ried to Raymond Merrill Jessop in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints the day after she turned 15. Jessop, 37, has been indicted on charges of bigamy and sexual assault of a child.

in the nation

MySpace: 90,000 sex offenders removed RALEIGH, N.C. — MySpace says about 90,000 sex offenders have been identified and removed from its huge social networking Web site.

North Carolina Attorney Gen-eral Roy Cooper said Tuesday the new figure is nearly double what MySpace officials originally an-nounced last year.

Cooper and Connecticut At-torney General Richard Blumenthal have led efforts to make social net-working Web sites safer. MySpace executives sent the updated num-bers to Blumenthal’s office Tuesday.

Last year, the attorneys general got MySpace and rival Facebook to implement dozens of safeguards. That included limits on older users’ ability to search the profiles of members under 18.

Habitat for Humanity co-founder dies TuesdayATLANTA — A millionaire by the time he was 30, Millard Fuller gave up his fortune and invested his life in Habi-tat for Humanity — a Christian char-ity that has built more than 300,000 houses and turned poor people into homeowners by using “sweat equity” and no-interest loans.

Fuller, who co-founded Habitat with his wife Linda, died early Tues-day morning near his south Georgia home after suffering from chest pains, headache and difficulty swal-lowing, his wife said. He was 74.

The couple was planning to celebrate their 50th wedding anni-versary in August with a 100-house worldwide “blitz build.” Those plans will likely go forward without him.

in the world

Militants cut supply line to NATO in Afghanistan PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Militants blew up a bridge in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday, cutting the major supply line for U.S.-led troops in Afghanistan with an explosion that turned the narrow span into a jagged metal “V.”

It was the latest, and perhaps most serious, attempt to block sup-plies to the U.S.-led mission against the Taliban.

The length of the slender metal bridge slanted to one side and was blocked by an overturned truck that spilled dozens of dusty bags into the pavement. Traffic from the bare hills continued on foot, with Afghans and Pakistanis, including women in burqas, hurrying their baggage over the dry riverbed.

— The Associated Press

Daschle out as health nominee

israel strikes tunnels, Gaza militants fire rocket Tuesday

iran claims first launch of its own satellite

washington

Middle east

Middle east

the associated PressWASHiNGToN — Tom

daschle withdrew Tuesday as President Barack obama’s nominee to be health and human services secretary, dealing potential blows to both speedy health care re-form and obama’s hopes for a smooth start in the White House.

“Now we must move forward,” obama said in a written statement accepting “with sadness and regret” daschle’s request to be re-moved from consideration. A day earlier, obama had said he “absolutely” stood by das-chle in the face of problems

over back taxes and potential conflicts of interest.

The stunning daschle development came less than three hours after another obama nominee also with-drew from consideration, and also over tax problems. Nancy Killefer, nominated by obama to be the gov-ernment’s first chief perfor-mance officer, said she didn’t want her bungling of payroll taxes on her household help to be a distraction.

“They both recognized that you can’t set an example of responsibility but accept a different standard of who serves,” said White House

press secretary robert Gibbs.daschle, the former Senate

democratic leader, a strong and early backer of obama’s presidential bid and a close obama friend, said he would have been unable to operate “with the full faith of Congress and the American people.”

“i am not that leader, and will not be a distraction” to obama’s agenda, he said.

obama had given das-chle two jobs — to be White House health czar on top of the post leading the Health and Human Services de-partment — and daschle is relinquishing both. The de-velopments called into ques-

tion whether obama will be able to move as quickly as he has promised on sweeping health care reform — one of the pillars of his first 100 days agenda and expected to be among the hardest to ac-complish.

“it really sets us back a step,” said Sen. dick durbin, d-ill. “Because he was such a talent. i mean he under-stood Congress, serving in

the House and Senate; he certainly had the confidence of the president.”

Said White House spokes-man Gibbs: “We’re looking for a new nominee, but the problem has existed for quite some time and the work toward a solution to make health care more affordable won’t stop or won’t pause while we look for that nomi-nee.”

the associated PressJerUSAleM — israeli

warplanes bombed the Ga-za-egypt border Tuesday, aiming for tunnels used by Gaza’s Hamas rulers to smuggle in weapons and supplies in strikes launched after a Palestinian rocket hit a city in southern israel.

despite the continuing attacks, the violence is still

far below that seen before or during israel’s three-week offensive in the Pal-estinian territory. egyptian mediators are seeking a long-term truce; on Tues-day Hamas offered a one-year cease-fire.

A Grad rocket exploded Tuesday morning in Ash-kelon, an israeli city of 122,000 people on the Med-

iterranean coast about 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Gaza. The blast damaged vehicles and buildings, but no one was hurt.

it was the first time Gaza militants had fired a Grad since israel’s offensive ended Jan. 17. other rockets fired since then have been small-er, homemade versions.

israel hit back at night-

fall. Warplanes blasted the 8-mile (14-kilometer) Gaza-egypt border after warning residents to leave — alerts that have become routine preceding almost daily air-strikes on the tunnels. The israeli military said the planes hit five tunnels, a rocket-launching site and a Hamas outpost. No casual-ties were reported.

the associated PressTeHrAN, iran — iran sent

its first domestically made sat-ellite into orbit, the president announced Tuesday, a key step for an ambitious space pro-gram that worries the U.S. and other world powers because the same rocket technology used to launch satellites can also deliver warheads.

For nearly a decade, iran has sought to develop a national space program, creating un-ease among international lead-ers already concerned about its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

The telecommunications satellite — called omid, or hope, in Farsi — was launched late Monday after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gave the order to proceed, according to a report on state radio. State television showed footage of what it said was the nighttime liftoff of the rocket carrying the satellite at an unidentified location in iran.

A U.S. counterproliferation official confirmed the launch and suggested the technology was not sophisticated. Speak-ing on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence gather-ing, the official said it appeared it “isn’t too far removed from Sputnik,” the first Soviet orbiter launched in 1957.

The TV report praised the launch as part of festivities marking the 30th anniversary of the 1979 islamic revolution that toppled the U.S.-backed Shah and brought hard-line clerics to power.

AP Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta

Former Sen. Tom Daschle speaks to the media after a closed session meeting with the Senate Finance Committee on Monday in Washington.

AP Photo: Tsafrir Abayov

Israeli police examine the remains of a rocket fired by Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip, in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon on Tuesday.

OPINIONABOUT OPINION

Cohe Bolin, [email protected]

Opinion is published Wednesday and Friday.

REMEMBERThe Shorthorn invites students, university

employees and alumni to submit guestcolumns to the Opinion page.

THE SHORTHORN

Wednesday, February 4, 2009 Page 5

complished” and “major combat operations have ended” mean. Gen-erally speaking, when casualty rates increase, the mis-sion isn’t accom-plished and major combat operations haven’t ended.

•While we’re talking about the war in Iraq, let’s discuss in-telligence gathering. This is an important part of prewar planning. Some guy saying that someone else has nuclear weapons doesn’t necessarily prove it. Find more than one source.

•One more thing, the word nuclear is pronounced noo-clee-er.

•When one of the country’s coolest cities is all but wiped out by a hurricane, flying over it in Air Force One doesn’t constitute an inspection. Ac-tually landing, taking a look

around and talking to a few people is an inspection. It also shows that you care.

This summary of the Bush years could go on forever, Mr. Obama, but those years are over. We have a new era to look forward to. As a can-didate and President-elect, you laid out

some very lofty goals.•You want to get us out of

Iraq, but responsibly, not in one fell swoop.

•You plan to strengthen the civil rights laws that we have.

•You wish to fix the econ-omy and have surrounded yourself with smart people to accomplish that.

•Best of all, you are a com-mander in chief eager to hear and listen to citizens’ ideas.

Things are looking up.Best of luck to you, Mr.

Obama. Don’t screw it up.

— Rob Morton is an interdisciplinary studies se-

nior and a columnist for The Shorthorn

OPiniOnabout opinion

Cohe Bolin, [email protected]

Opinion is published Wednesday and Friday.

rememberThe Shorthorn invites students, university


The ShorThorn

Wednesday, January 21, 2009 Page 5

OPINIONABOUT OPINIONCohe Bolin, editor

[email protected] is published Wednesday and Friday.

REMEMBERThe Shorthorn Opinion page will be back next semester with new columnists and plenty of

opinions to enjoy.

Friday, December 5, 2008 Page 5THE SHORTHORN

EDITORIAL/OUR VIEW

A Cautious Tale

Although the holidays will be different this year, remember what is important

It’s official. The U.S. economy has been in a recession since Decem-ber 2007, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research on Monday. This is no surprise to many students who have financial obliga-tions other than tuition like support-ing a family or mortgage payments. With the Christmas holidays coming, everyone is struggling financially and should consider moderation in Christmas shopping.

A Bloomberg.com article states this year’s Thanksgiving sales rose

less than one per-cent during the three day period after the holiday compared to last year’s numbers. The article also states the obvi-ous: “Cautious” consumers are shrinking spend-ing this year and big spenders have curbed their holiday budgets because of knocks they’ve taken in the stock market declines.

Charles Evans, Chicago Federal Reserve Bank presi-dent, was quoted in a Reuters article that the economy is “contracting markedly” as consumers are planning to spend less and jobless rates rise.

Priorities should take precedent when deciding a budget and gift list this holiday season. More than likely, many people will have to sacrifice a less-lavish gift giveaway this year, but it’s important to keep in mind that feeding and sheltering your fam-ily outweighs any expensive gift.

It would be wise to keep the gift giving to a minimum. Some may de-cide to give gifts only to immediate family. Once again, priorities come into play when being frugal this year.

Keeping up with expensive life-styles should be thrown out the win-dow. We are in critical times.

With that comes struggle, which brings out the best in people — be it creativity or unity. Finding inex-pensive gift ideas can stretch a short budget. Make homemade food bas-kets filled with baked goods or trin-kets. Take some copies of photos of your family and friends and use some inexpensive frames to give a memen-to that marks a good memory.

Craft-making is the best way to go because it shows the receiver that love and hard work went into their gift. Those on your gift list will un-derstand — the economy affects ev-eryone.

Gifts are overrated. Spending the extra time with family and friends is more important than gifts received or given.

Realize that this season will be very different compared to the past. If you don’t get exactly what you want or if your neighbors don’t drop by their usual gifts, it’s not because they forgot or don’t care, but likely that they too are struggling through the slumping economy.

— Julie Ann Sanchez for The Shorthorn editorial board

EDITORIALROUNDUPThe issue: Christmas is coming — and everyone is financially strapped.We suggest: Don’t spend too much, keep expectations low and find cre-ative, inexpen-sive gift ideas.


XyXyXy: XyXyXyXyXyXyXyXyXyXyXyXyXyXyXyXyXyXy. XyXyXydayXyXy Xy, 2002

Volume 83, No. Xywww.theshorthorn.com

Since 1919

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFEmily Toman

[email protected]





Wednesday, August 27, 2008 Page 5THE SHORTHORN

EDITORIAL/OUR VIEW

Babysitting AdultsDrinking age restrictions ineffective, group recommends changeAcross the country, 128 college

presidents and chancellors have signed the Amethyst Initiative, opening a dialogue about lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18.

This will be ineffective. The original law that changed the drinking age to 21 was ineffective too. Minors drink whether the law is there or not.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving is hopping mad about the initiative, saying that lowering the drinking age invites more alcohol-related fatalities.

The law was at 18 years old until the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984. Like most laws Congress passes, this one was a little ambiguous. A person under 21 is not allowed to buy alcohol or possess alcohol, but the law does not prohibit drinking alcohol.

Of course, there is the minor exception. In Texas, if with parents or a guardian, drinking is allowed. If you marry someone who is over 21 while you are not yet 21, you also get to drink.

The initiative says the current law isn’t working. Students turn to binge drinking, which can lead to dangerous consequences.

Students also choose to drink illegally rather than wait for the big 21. The initiative says that lowering the age limits will curb binge drinking and clashes with the law — making underage drinking seem less glamorous since it would be legal.

Some minors get fake IDs or get older friends or classmates to buy the alcohol, but almost everyone agrees that underage

college students tend to drink when they leave home for the first time. The parents aren’t around so students are going to experiment — maybe irresponsibly.

Many stories of 21st birthday celebrations involve 21 shots of liquor, or variations of binge drinking that often end in drunk driving deaths or alcohol poisoning.

Parents and MADD say university officials are not taking responsibility for students’ underage drinking. College presidents and proponents of the initiative

say minors will find a way no matter what the law says.

So where does the responsibility

lie? Most college students are over 18, so they are considered adults. They can vote, get married, buy tobacco, serve in the military and live alone.

In taking responsibility in these areas, it should also be up to the 18-year-old adult to take responsibility for themselves on the issue of drinking. It isn’t up to the university to babysit adults.

How is that possible? Would the uni-versity perform room inspections in every dorm to sniff out the alcohol? Then there are the students who live off campus — what would the protocol be then? Stu-dents and parents would not be happy about their university becoming a police state.

The simple fact remains: the law doesn’t work. The fact that it is illegal may even make drinking seem more enticing to minors who might feel that it’s a way to rebel.

MADD says drunk-driving accidents have decreased since the law has been in effect, and Nationwide Insurance produced a survey saying that 72 percent of adults think lowering the drinking age will make alcohol more accessible to minors.

Yet we also have to consider that the law that raised the drinking age was passed in 1984, a time when the laws concerning alcohol were generally more relaxed. Get-ting a DWI in 1984 was a cakewalk com-pared to what a person goes through now, which is actually a good thing.

According to the Alcohol Policy Infor-mation System, about 5,000 underage drinking related deaths occur annually, from car accidents to homicide or suicide.

President James Spaniolo says that more research needs to be done before the university can take a position.

Underage drinking is not going away. More laws are not the solution. They could be a part of the problem.

-The Shorthorn editorial board

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 twice weekly during the summer sessions. Unsigned editorials are the opinion of THE SHORTHORN EDITORIAL BOARD and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of individual student writers or editors, Short-

horn 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 identification purposes, letters also must include the writer’s full name, address and telephone number, although the address and tele-

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

THE USUAL BY TAYLOR EMERSON GIBBONS

The Shorthorn: Antonina Doescher

Your View - PollsDo you think the drinking age

should be lowered to 18?Answer online at

www.theshorthorn.com

Let’s take a new look at The Shorthorn.The student-run newspaper has two goals

— to present accurate information about issues connected to the community and pro-vide a forum for readers. We will use every section in the paper to accomplish just that.

Let’s take a look at what matters to you: surviving in today’s economy, the inevitable question after graduation, “What now?”, staying sane in a stressful environment and, of course, making sense of election coverage thrown out every day.

We’ll tackle issues that affect your pocket book, education and overall well-being. We’ll put to rest the election rumors that float around in national news. We’ll shed light on important research happening here and what it could mean to you.

While some would say the news section is the brains, the opinion section is definitely the heart of The Shorthorn. We’ll tell the facts, state our stance and solicit feedback — that’s where you come in. We want to know what you think. Send us your letters, write a guest column, look for weekly polls on the page and vote online. This is your forum.

Take a look at www.theshorthorn.com. It continues to expand with multimedia telling compelling stories about what’s happening in the college community. It’s your stop for election coverage and updates that will highlight student involvement and break down key issues. And when breaking news happens, you can find it there too.

But let’s not forget to take a look at entertainment. The Shorthorn will soon

launch its new weekly entertainment guide that will cover issues, culture and events on and beyond our campus.

Not into sports? Take another look the section. There’s more to athletes than player statistics.

From the U.S. president to the Student Congress president, it’s a semester

of new leaders and ideas. So join us in taking a new look at The Shorthorn — the outlet for it all.

--Emily Toman is a journalism senior and editor-in-chief of The Shorthorn

Fast-Food FiascoAdvertiser interruptions diminish the dignity of

the Olympic GamesIt was amazing.Hundreds of people ran across the huge

stage, quickly assembling into the perfect dove shape as the lights on their suits glowed different colors. They quickly disbanded and created a new form, just as precise as the last, but more acrobatically technical as performers stood on

each others’ shoulders.Just as the Chinese

performers disassembled and prepared to stun the audience with another eye-boggling feat, it happened.

“Is it possible to fit a square peg into a round hole?” an annoying, countrified voice said from the TV. “Well, if that square peg is Whataburger’s new patty melt, and that round hole is your kisser, you

betcha.”This was one of many commercial

interruptions inserted periodically throughout the four-hour 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony broadcast on NBC. I know many people out there may be super excited about Whataburger’s fancy new cow-and-melted-cheese-on-bread creation, and this revelation may have had a few of them in their cars on their way to the fast-food restaurant halfway through the commercial. But everyone’s priorities are different. Personally, I would choose a quadrennial universal event over fast-food.

It’s no surprise that advertising has taken over our lives. Everywhere we turn, we are exposed to hundreds of ads or gimmicks to make us want to buy. Ironically, we have even become walking ads with our iPods, labeled shirts and jeans, sports hats and other “look what I bought” paraphernalia.

What irks me is that advertisers trod on sacred ground by infiltrating and tarnishing the ceremony with 30-second sales pitches.

Since the summer Olympics take place once every four years, the rare occurrence warrants a lower dosage of advertising exposure. I’m aware that the broadcast didn’t come for free, but a different money-making tactic could have been followed. Often, movies broadcast for the first time on noncable stations are presented commercial-free, thanks to the particular sponsor who chose to throw in the cash. Surely the Olympics opening ceremony deserves better treatment than the television premiere of “Superbad” or “27 Dresses.”

Granted, the telecast was not live. With an average 12-hour time difference from China, Americans were just beginning their days when China’s former Olympian Li Ning ran around the top inside edge of the now-famous Bird’s Nest arena to light the Olympic flame and end the ceremony. Because the event many Americans saw was prerecorded, it lost viewing value. Footage editors had time to sift through the entire ceremony to cut out sections they felt would be appropriate slots to give their paying advertisers a chance to push their wares.

President Bush’s State of the Union was broadcast commercial-free. That boring clus-ter of hours certainly deserved a Whataburger break.

The main thing lost in the commercial-ridden ceremony, besides five minute chunks that were tossed aside to put in fast-food commercials, was respect. Apparently when it comes to making the big bucks, even a world event fails to garner a little bit of appreciation and a four-hour moment of advertising silence.

Until advertisers come to their senses and leave our brainwashed heads and empty wallets alone, I’m going to go get myself a patty melt.

— Ray Edward Buffington IV is a print jour-nalism senior and columnist for The Shorthorn

RAY EDWARD BUFFINGTON IV

EMILY TOMAN

Take a GanderThe Shorthorn editor-in-chief welcomes the new school year,

encourages readers to pick up the newspaper

The law was at 18 years old until the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984. Like most laws Congress passes, this one

the law does not prohibit

Of course, there is the

drinking is allowed. If you marry someone who is over 21 while you are

The initiative says the current law isn’t working. Students turn to binge drinking, which can lead to dangerous

Students also choose to drink illegally rather than wait for the big 21. The initiative says that lowering

presidents and proponents of the initiative say minors will find a way

no matter what the law says.

So where does the responsibility

state.The simple fact remains: the law

doesn’t work. The fact that it is illegal may even make drinking seem more enticing to minors who might feel that it’s a way to rebel.

have decreased since the law has been in effect, and Nationwide Insurance produced a survey saying that 72 percent of adults think lowering the drinking age will make alcohol more accessible to


[email protected]





Friday, August 29, 2008 Page 7THE SHORTHORN

EDITORIAL/OUR VIEW

Home Sweet Where?

Bad information, poor communication costs students time, money, stress

As students go back to school this week, campus security will again be an issue.

Recently, The Shorthorn reported that crime had risen from last year’s data.

So it will not be surprising that campus security will again come to the fore, especially when it comes to guns.

Most of us remember the incident involving a student allegedly carrying a gun in his car last semester, which revived talks of gun-friendly policies on our own campus. The memory of Virginia Tech is still fresh in our

minds.It is to avoid such violence that the Harrold

school district, a small district near Wichita Falls, has, with Gov. Rick Perry’s support, passed a decision that makes Harrold the first school district in the nation to pass such a measure.

The resolution, passed last week, allows teachers to carry guns at school if they have a state permit and district authorization.

The logic behind the decision is simple: If licensed teachers carry weapons, defense against a potential murderer will be made easier and quicker.

But, the very fact that guns are now allowed in schools, where our children theoretically receive the education they need to be a part of society, is worrying — even scary.

Only Thailand and Israel have policies allowing armed protection in schools.

In Thailand, it is to defend students and faculty against Muslim separatists who have been waging a bloody war since 2004. In

Israel, armed guards are employed to potentially fend off terrorists from Israeli schools. In both countries, the necessity of these measures is imposed by a state of war that involves potentially serious attacks on civilians.

If the U.S. now also resorts to such extreme defense measures, should we then understand that the nation is at war? I mean, at war with itself.

If this is the case, then guns will not solve the

war, and only deep reflections on society will help. If it is not the case, then arming everybody may backfire.

A professor trained to shoot and licensed to carry a gun may himself become a weapon if he turns mad.

The fact that citizens have to provide for their own defense points to a failure of the law to do it. The problem now becomes to create better laws. If

not, every one will enforce his own law, and the Constitution itself will be the final victim — it will become useless.

Possessing a weapon is not in itself deadly, neither is shooting it for fun. But when guns are associated with madness and lack of self-control, they become deadly and no one can predict madness.

The question to ask should be: Why are there school shootings in America?

In Switzerland, where every single household owns a weapon — every person is a citizen-soldier, no such shootings are reported. The problem then lies in the heart of American society.

If schools, which were founded to make better citizens, are themselves victims of social violence, then they have failed in their role. School shootings and violence are the most dramatic symptoms of a deeper illness. And guns are not the cure.

Only a deeper analysis of the roots and conditions of social violence will provide an explanation and shape better, long-term policies.

And America will avoid an undeclared, underground civil war.

— Sylvain Rey is an anthropology senior and columnist for The Shorthorn

SYLVAIN REY

The Wrong AnswerArming teachers fails to address the deeper problem

Nontraditional students attest to the value of post-secondary education. A degree

can mean the difference between retirement or pushing the tea cart at Luby’s Cafeteria. Younger people with degrees are far more likely to get three or four jobs in their careers that

include annual vacation time and health care, rather than two or three job changes per year with no paid vacation while enduring fixable health problems that worsen from neglect.

A degree is a profound benefit in America. Sadly, formal education is primarily found in academia — an

institution that has a venerable and deserved reputation for incompetence.

One example is the ridiculous UTA financial aid system.

Students typically plan their semesters far in advance. Many are required to get advising before registering, then they must do so well in advance of the start of the semester. Students decide if they can afford to be full or part time, then make job decisions accordingly.

Before financial aid decisions are made,

students sign up for a certain number of class hours, and the result is posted in the university system.

Financial aid, however, does not consult the documented plan of the student and base disbursement decisions on this information. Rather, the system assumes a full course load and awards grants, scholarships and loans to cover the maximum possible expenditure of a full-time student. The most likely logic for this is to make certain that the full-time student has every centime available to get his or her semester rolling.

If a student has chosen not to attend full time and made the decision clear by registering for less-than-full-time hours, he or she is still issued the full-time funds, and when financial aid decides to do its homework after the fact, it discovers that it has fully funded a part-time student and snaps the money back again.

Financial Aid Office notifies the Bursar’s office of the award amount, and the Bursar withholds owed tuition and fees and only disburses the remaining amount to the student. When a pupil gets that lovely, life-saving check, he or she can reasonably assume that tuition and fees are covered, and must budget the check received for a semester’s worth of books, rent, ramen soup, etc.

Regretfully, the financial aid process is

slower than most students are, and the Bursar’s office is less than diligent about skimming off the university’s percentage before sending the leftovers to the eager student.

Standing in line at the start of a semester at the Bursar’s office, or sitting with a “now serving” number slip in hand at the Financial Aid office, reveals that this flawed concept frustrates the best plans of the most-prepared and forward-thinking student.

Nontraditional students often have much more experience in the private sector than in academia and other government bureaucracies. For many, it’s quite a culture shock to see how lenient university administration is toward mediocre, and worse, performance.

One of the most important lessons a student can get at a university is the collateral education of example, poor and good. Before launching into the private sector, be certain to know that this management style is only effective in the specialized bubble of academia.

And if you want a career where incompetence is not grounds for dismissal, steer clear of the private sector and get a cushy position in an institution of higher education.

— Cliff Hale is a film junior and a copy editor for The Shorthorn

Heaps of HypocrisyStudents must be diligent and forward-thinking to succeed, but the

favor isn’t always returned

CLIFF HALE

Students who applied for on-campus housing ran into problems this semes-ter — there wasn’t enough to go around. University Housing should be more or-ganized and accountable for its mistakes.

More than 4,000 students live in campus residence halls or apartments. With enrollment increasing, housing will remain an issue.

The reported waiting list numbers weren’t concise — some students took apartments off-campus and didn’t in-form housing so the list was incorrect, said Matthew Hendricks, Housing Op-erations assistant director.

He said the list now comprises fewer than 100 students, and housing is still available at Centennial Court and John-son Creek apartments.

Hendricks said his department “will continue to monitor demand for hous-ing and make decisions about building more housing based on the number of

students inter-ested in living on campus.”

Some stu-dents felt the department gave them the run-around. At ori-entation in July, one freshman, who asked not to be named, was told by a receptionist that no wait list ex-isted at all.

She was given a letter that said to show up on

the first day of classes to attempt to grab a dorm room from no-show stu-dents on a first-come first-serve basis. This seems like a chaotic situation — show up, wait around and get assigned to a room if someone doesn’t show up.

She settled for an off-campus apart-ment, living alone, which is more expensive. She said she feels less safe than she would on campus. But at least she found a definitive solution instead of just showing up the first day and hoping she got a spot.

Some students who decided to stay at home and commute are suffering from gas prices, and the inconvenience of a commute.

Confusion like this could have been avoided if housing communicated with students more efficiently.

The lack of communication creates a negative experience for incoming freshmen and other students living on campus. Accountability for mistakes made will give the University Housing more credibility when trying to diffuse the situation.

Better communication and more proactive measures in anticipation of such a scenario will make the back-to-school transition much easier.

— The Shorthorn editorial board

EDITORIALROUNDUPThe issue: Students on wait-ing lists weren’t in-formed of housing availability and had to find other places to live.We suggest:University Housing should commu-nicate better with students to prevent confusion in the future.




THE USUAL BY TAYLOR EMERSON GIBBONS

Do you think the university takes

responsibility for administrative errors?

The Shorthorn: Marissa Hall

Yes43%

yourVIEW

No57%

THE SHORTHORN .comAnswer online at

Results from Wednesday’s Poll:

Do you think the legal drinking age should be lowered to 18?

Number of voters: 47

The Shorthorn: Eduardo Villagrana


[email protected]

In the past two years, I’ve experienced Austin’s South by Southwest festival,

been a part of President Bush’s press corps for a few hours in Houston and contemplated my future at 4 a.m. on a

Washington, D.C. stoop.I still wonder just

what’s ahead for me after I graduate from the university this month.

One thing’s for certain: None of the above highlights could have happened if I didn’t work at The Shorthorn, and there’s even more coming up because of my time here

at our award-winning student newspaper.But where does one begin writing their

final Shorthorn piece?I’m only repeating others, but the

’horn was my classroom here. I should probably be a little ashamed of my GPA, but I learned so much covering Maverick Country that it’s not even worth it to hate

on any classes or instructors.One thing said to me in the good

ol’ Fine Arts Building that has stuck with me is when a professor called me presumptuous.

That professor was probably right to say that, but damn it, I don’t think I regret anything done here.

My college stay was more challenging and worthwhile having worked as a reporter, Scene editor and editor in chief at The Shorthorn, even if some on the outside only knows me as their friend’s cousin or that guy in their class that’s somehow graduating.

For those asking just what I got from the ’horn, it taught me how to better observe and report what I learned from people in general — fellow students, staff and administration. I got an education through them, hearing stories and packaging them together for others to hopefully notice while they listen half-heartedly to a lecture.

Was the obstacle course that was my life always fun? Hardly. Sleeping under your desk after a late night at work and

still being late to your 8 a.m. class sucks, as does not getting respect for your “athleticism” while others on the team were heavily scouted and gifted by the pros.

We all know time’s precious, but unlike money, it comes free to everyone. I spent a good amount of it down in The Shorthorn basement, and when I could get away, I made sure to enjoy dancing in Dallas, late nights at Waffle House and just talking to friends and family — I love you all, for your chides, support and sometimes for your simple presence.

I’ll miss the ’horn and the university, but it’ll be nice to do those things without so many conflicting tasks and responsibilities in the back of my head.

— Anthony Williams has written more than 130 articles, columns, reviews and more in his six semesters with The Shorthorn, with help from God and Shirley Caesar in the tough times. The broadcast news senior will be remembered for his eagle eyes, his love for Beyoncé and his timeliness.

Graduation means leaving behind more than just classes




Do you plan on spending less this Christmas?

THE SHORTHORN .com

Answer and see results online at

Results from Wednesday’s Poll:

Do you think we should bail out the auto industry?

yourVIEW

Different Strokes We can get along without pretending we’re the same

Suppose we had two dif-ferent cars, of different

model, year and color. Suppose in order to erase dif-

ferences between these two cars, we painted them the same color and rearranged some of the equipment inside. Would that make the two cars the same? Obviously not. They would still be of a different brand and year and would still look different.

Yet this is our attitude when we try to erase differences between two cultures in order to make them look simi-lar — to try to make them more respectable to each other.

This attitude is prevalent today in the relationship between Islam and the West, and it may not be the best solu-tion.

Indeed, the West has taken the number zero from the Arabs — who took it from

the Indians — and both the West and Muslims have dis-covered and used the works of certain Greek philosophers to various degrees. Also, looking at Muslim medieval architecture, one may be surprised to find many Roman architectural ele-ments.

But do those similarities make us similar?

They don’t, and they are not suffi-

cient to do so. If we share

a common heritage be-cause we

took the zero from

A r a b s , does it

mean that we both share a com-mon heritage with India, where this numeral originated?

Greek philosophy is not suffi-cient either. If both the Muslim world and what was then called Christendom, the medieval West, borrowed some aspects of Greek philosophy — Aristotle in particular — it doesn’t mean they reached the same conclu-sion.

Both Christian and Muslim philosophers used it to express very different categories of thought and reached very dif-ferent conclusions.

If knowledge of Greek phi-losophy in Islam was limited to Aristotle and a few others, it was much more far-reaching in the West, where the influence of the medieval Greeks and the rediscovery of Plato and Latin authors combined to shape the Renaissance.

Philosophy strongly in-fluenced early Chris-

tianity through the Greek language — this is absent

from Islam. If we re-

ally are the same, then

why do

we have Roman law and com-mon law, which are unknown in Islam?

Western thought, its particu-lar conception of the human being as sacred and its cosmol-ogy are di-rectly rooted in the Chris-tian faith that has defined the West for so long.

This con-ception does not exist in Islam, which has taken a different way.

If we both have the influence of Greek phi-losophers, our interpretation of them was ultimately shaped by our diverging conception of man and his relationship to the divine. This is what makes the West and Islam different. If we faced military threats from China, would we also try to find “common origins” between Chi-nese and Western civilizations, even if it involved rewriting his-tory?

Being different does not mean we must slit each other’s throats and send armies against each other.

But artificially erasing dif-ferences is dishonest, with the other culture — but especial-ly with ourselves. We cannot pretend to promote friendship where there is dishonesty and falsehood.

-Sylvain Rey is an anthropology senior and a

columnist for The Shorthorn

Obviously not. They would still be of a different brand and year and would still look different.

Yet this is our attitude when we try to erase differences between two cultures in order to make them look simi-lar — to try to make them more respectable to each other.

This attitude is prevalent today in the relationship between Islam and the West, and it may not be the best solu-tion.

Indeed, the West has taken the number zero from the Arabs — who took it from

make us similar? They don’t, and

they are not suffi-cient to do so.

If we share a common heritage be-cause we

took the zero from

A r a b s , does it

in particular — it doesn’t mean they reached the same conclu-sion.

Both Christian and Muslim philosophers used it to express very different categories of thought and reached very dif-ferent conclusions.

If knowledge of Greek phi-losophy in Islam was limited to Aristotle and a few others, it was much more far-reaching in the West, where the influence of the medieval Greeks and the rediscovery of Plato and Latin authors combined to shape the Renaissance.

Philosophy strongly in-fluenced early Chris-

tianity through the Greek language — this is absent

from Islam. If we re-

ally are the same, then

why do

SYLVAIN REY

ANTHONY WILLIAMS

The Shorthorn: Eduardo Villagrana

Encore for the Fans

CANNON FODDER by Isaac Erickson

The Shorthorn: Marissa HallNumber of voters: 17

No23%

Yes77%

Editor-in-chiEfJoan Khalaf

[email protected]

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 twice weekly during the summer sessions. Unsigned editorials are the opinion of thE Shorthorn Editorial Board and do not necessarily reflect the opin-ions of individual 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 identification purposes, letters also must include the writer’s full name, address and telephone number, although the address and tele-

phone number will not be published. Students should include their classification, major and their student iD number, which is for identifica-tion purposes. The student iD number will not be published. Signed columns and letters to the editor reflect the opinion 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

Introduction to Inequity?Though new officials are San Antonio-based,

all areas should get fair treatment

Change is in the air in Austin, especially concerning higher education and the UT System.

With the appointment of a new system chancellor and a new speaker of the House, and multiple high-level bills concerning en-rollment and tuition, expect many changes – good and bad – once the session is over.

One area of the UT System that seems poised to see good changes is San Antonio.

Francisco Cigarroa, the new UT System chancellor, is the former president of the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. He will now be charged with helping lead an or-ganization that includes nine universities and six health institutions.

Two are in San Antonio, the aforemen-tioned Health Science Center at San Antonio and UT-San Antonio.

The state’s new speaker of the House, Joe Straus, is also from San Antonio. Don’t think this won’t allow for some favor-able results for the two San Antonio schools.

Cigarroa seems to be towing the com-pany line. In a Jan. 9 press release, he called the UT System “a leader in higher edu-cation, health care, re-search and service.”

But local loyalties do not die easily and,

more likely than not, UTSA and the Health Science Center will see a good share of favor-able legislation by the end of the session.

it’s to be expected. if President Spani-olo were the newly elected chancellor or Rep. Chris Turner, D-Burleson, were the newly minted speaker of the House, those affiliated with UTA would expect things to go their way too.

At the same time, it is essential that Cigar-roa, Straus and the rest of the movers and shakers in Austin pay careful attention to education as a whole, not just as it concerns San Antonio.

Both UTA and UT-Dallas are fighting to become Tier One universities, receiving credit for their dedication to research and graduate/doctorate degree programs. Other institutions also need the proper funding to continue providing the caliber of education Cigarroa speaks of, and without the resourc-es, it’s impossible.

It is vital for the new San Antonio duo to keep in mind other system institutions, just as they would expect those institutions to keep them in mind if the situation were reversed.

The old saying goes: Together we stand, divided we fall. The reputation of the UT Sys-tem does not rest with one or two institutions, it lies in the combined reputation of all 15.


Editorial rounduPThe issue: Both the new UT Sys-tem Chancellor and the Speaker of the House are from San Antonio — this could signal an appearance of favorability to the two institutions located there. We suggest:The Chancellor and Speaker should ensure that all 15 institutions in the UT System will be driven to higher stan-dards while utilizing available resources.

Joan khalaf

rob Morton

T h e 81st Legislature is in session, the first black president has just taken office and believe it or not, many at the university will be affected by it. The presidential election is

over, but ongoing issues still exist to be ham-mered out and discussed.

That’s where The Shorthorn comes in.Get news tailored just for you —

a UT Arlington student, faculty or staff member. If you don’t have time to pick up a copy of The Shorthorn, please check out www.theshorthorn.com, where you don’t have to necessarily read stories to enjoy The Shorthorn.

We have our first daily “news On the Go” podcasts on the Web site to get what matters to you quickly. Other podcasts, like sports, will come soon. Vote in online polls, find

out how others voted in the print issue and post comments on stories. Also, see where crime is happening on campus with our new crime map.

Listen and see print stories with online multimedia — videos, soundslides and photo galleries — you can’t get anywhere else.

Read entertainment, sports and opinion blogs on our Web site, where staffers write on those topics.

Get fast box scores and see our February softball/baseball preview in the Sports section. Find out what you can do this weekend that you didn’t know about in The Shorthorn’s Thursday entertainment insert, Pulse.

The Shorthorn provides great opportunity for journalism and nonjournalism students — but it’s not just a learning tool. The publication is a representation of the university voice.

The Opinion section is unique in that it allows you to let 10,000 readers know what’s on your mind without stepping out-side. Submit guest columns or letters to the editor to let us know what’s grinding your gears.

Use The Shorthorn as your No. 1 source for information af-fecting you. We’re here to provide coverage on issues and events you care about. Stick with us as we bring the most current and breaking news that you need to know about.

Above all, let us know what we can do to represent you better as a student-run newspaper.

— Joan Khalaf is a journalism junior and editor-in-chief of The Shorthorn

Your newspaperStudents, faculty and staff input welcome

A Welcome Letter of Caution and Hope

The outgoing administration’s mistakes shouldn’t be forgotten, Mr. President

Dear President Barack Obama,

Congratulations! As of Tuesday, you are the 44th President of the Unit-ed States. The first African-American to hold the office, too.

This is historic, but as George Santayana once said, “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” So let us take a moment to review some of the mistakes the outgoing Bush adminis-tration has made in hopes that you don’t do the same.

Some are big, some are small and some are just funny, but they all affect how the country and its president are viewed.

So, without further delay and in no particular order, here are former President George W. Bush’s best flubs that you may want to take into consideration:

•When your chief of staff enters a room and whispers

in your ear that the nation is under attack, sitting with a group of kids for seven min-utes and continuing to read “The Pet Goat” isn’t the best decision. We understand the desire to not scare the chil-dren by jumping up and run-ning out like the building’s on fire. Maybe a “Something’s come up. I have to go,” would work.

•When thinking about what countries to invade, think about the reasons long and hard. Going into the country that harbors people who murdered 2,998 Ameri-cans? OK. invading a country whose only crime against us is a leader who liked to talk smack about your dad? Not so much.

•We understand that this country has oil interests in the Middle East, but 4,226 lives doesn’t sound like a good price for petroleum. We trade money for oil — not blood.

• Learn what “Mission Ac-

The Shorthorn: Robert Villarreal

discoMbobulation by Houston Hardaway

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFJoan Khalaf

[email protected]

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 twice weekly during the summer sessions. Unsigned editorials are the opinion of THE SHORTHORN EDITORIAL BOARD and do not necessarily reflect the opin-ions of individual 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 identification purposes, letters also must include the writer’s full name, address and telephone number, although the address and tele-

phone number will not be published. Students should include their classification, major and their student ID number, which is for identifica-tion purposes. The student ID number will not be published. Signed columns and letters to the editor reflect the opinion 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

Power to the StudentsThose applying to colleges should be able to choose which test scores to submit to those institutions

Starting in March, students who take the SAT can choose the best score to give to a prospective college or university without revealing each score and how many times they have taken the test.

The program, called Score Choice, allows stu-dents to send their best score from an entire test, but combining individual sections from different test attempts is not allowed.

With Score Choice available, students may have more opportunity to gain admission to the college of their choice.

This is great for students who suffer from test anxiety because they have more than one chance to better represent themselves without repercussions.

The program could help increase the undergradu-ate population at the uni-versity and give potential students a better chance at getting accepted. But even upon admission to a uni-versity, some are forced to take remedial classes due to a bad score on a portion of a test.

Students shouldn’t be judged solely on standard-

ized test scores, which do not reasonably measure intelligence. And doing so is counterproductive to the goals of higher education. The UTA Admis-sions office stated that it already takes the highest test score when considering applicants.

According to www.collegeboard.com, Score Choice will give students more control over their scores. The program is optional, if students do not choose to use it, all their scores will be sent.

Stanford, Cornell and other universities have decided not to participate in this program and will keep considering all SAT scores from students, ac-cording to The Stanford Daily.

Score Choice’s opponents have expressed con-cern over a disadvantage with students who can-not afford to take the SAT multiple times, accord-ing to a Newsweek article. They say wealthier stu-dents would have a better chance to get a higher score if they pay to take the test multiple times.

Critics also say College Board is implementing this policy for financial gain because of the rising popularity of the ACT, according to an article in US News & World Report.

There is a small loophole, reported by The Cornell Daily Sun: On www.collegeboard.com, a student doesn’t have to submit every score that a college requests. They receive a warning, but can still refuse to provide all the scores.

College Board said in the Daily Sun article that test score submission is up to the student, and the colleges don’t have the option of accessing all scores from a student against their wishes.

Score Choice will help give students a little more control over their SAT scores, giving those who have trouble taking the SAT a better oppor-tunity to shine.


EDITORIALROUNDUPThe issue: A new program, “SAT Score Choice,” will allow students to choose which SAT scores colleges can see when applying for admission. We suggest:Score Choice will help students who have issues taking standard-ized tests show their best work, making it easier to get into cer-tain schools.

DISCOMBOBULATION by Houston Hardaway

Usually, this sort of news wouldn’t grab my attention,

but when Circuit City announced Jan. 16 that it filed for bankruptcy and was going to close all its 567 U.S. stores and lay off its 34,000 employees, there was reason to be concerned.

As many of us know, Circuit City was the second largest electronics retailer in the U.S., after Best Buy.

So when the second-largest business of its kind announces bankruptcy, it’s a sign that something serious is going on — all the more so when all 34,000 employees find themselves joining the unemployment list.

But that’s not all. At the same time as this was happening, lists were released of all the big companies that will

somehow be affected by the crisis.

The list included names like Coach, Sears, Gap, Macy’s, Abercrombie & Fitch, Nordstrom, Tiffany & Co. and Starbucks.

Now these are not the only players in our economy, but their difficulties are a sure sign of the crisis’ severity.

Gap could loose up to 30,000 employees, Sears up to 7,000, and so on.

In all, an additional 100,000 more employees could be out of a job in less than a year, representing only the biggest companies that have dominated the scene for the past decade.

The extent of foreclosure and bankruptcy by companies previously

thought too big to be hurt reveals that they cannot be safe pillars of the economy.

Can we — should we — let the economy be ruled by a few big players that control most of the game?

We are seeing what can happen when this is the case.

Even if it travels 20 mph, an 18-wheeler slipping off the road will still cause more damage than a car traveling at the same speed. Similarly, if employment and the economy depend only on a few giants, the damage can be far worse if the giant crashes. We have here giants with clay feet.

Since the damage is already done, the new administration should

seriously consider giving financial incentives to small- and medium-sized enterprises.

The United States could thus be following the European example, where small and medium businesses thrive well where incentives exist.

What’s more, we all know what small businesses mean: better product quality, better service and a friendlier atmosphere.

Helping them and strengthening them could soften the effects of the crisis by giving jobs to those now unemployed.

They could also be the pillar of a cleaner, small scale economy.

— Sylvain Rey is an anthropology senior

and a columnist for The Shorthorn

Too big to fail, or too big to exist? Having many smaller companies instead of a few giants

may help ease the financial crisis

Don’t Buzz Me, JoeCaffeine is a nice starter, but shouldn’t become the engine

It takes a lot for me to get going in the morning. When my alarm first sounds, it takes a minute to adjust

to the fact that another day has started. But while I am roaming my dark

apartment trying to remember where I put my glasses, brushing my teeth and flipping on “Saved By The Bell” reruns, it happens.

The curse of the morning caffeine kick begins to make its way into my mind, and I know the little devil known as coffee is at play. The smell of the hazelnut, the sound of my Mr. Coffee percolating — it’s all delicious heaven.

Students rely on so many different caffeine fixes to get them through the day. With an on-campus Starbucks and vending machines full of soda and energy drinks, when the caffeine call starts, there are many ways to answer it.

If you look in my refrigerator, you could literally make a pyramid out of Red Bull cans. It’s sad how much I rely on energy-boosting drinks to get me to the finish line. I see so many students carrying coffee cups and energy drinks around

campus. It has become a popular ac-cessory.

I give so much money to the coffee and energy drink corporations I should get something in return — perhaps my own brand of energy drink. A buzz-worthy shot with all the endurance needed to accomplish everything on my schedule without side effects. But in all actuality, my personal gift from these energy-lifting super brews is a nosedive into tiredness, laziness and withdrawals, leaving me wanting an-other fix.

These power-producing drinks leave you worn out because of the in-gredients. Both ginseng and guarana are added to energy drinks to help boost the caffeine and make it more effective. And in the case of coffee, caf-feine helps to stimulate your central nervous system, leaving the drinker energized and alert. When these ingre-dients wear off, unfortunately so

does that nice feeling of control.

With pressure to get schoolwork done

and “all nighters”

becoming part of our vocabulary, more students rely on that grande-sized serving of liquid help.

There doesn’t seem to be a limit to the lengths we will go to get our caffeine. It has be-come a crutch we all tend to lean on, and the time has come to put caffeine in its place.

Caffeine, while delicious in all its forms, is not supposed to be consumed in excess. It’s great to get you going, but relying on it to make it all day is not healthy.

I guess that includes reducing my habit to one cup of coffee a morning. But I still get to overdose on “Saved By The Bell.”

— Macy Galvan is an English senior and a columnist for The

Shorthorn

Red Bull cans. It’s sad how much I rely on energy-boosting drinks to get me to the finish line. I see so many students carrying coffee cups and energy drinks around

does that nice feeling of control.

With pressure to get schoolwork done

and “all nighters”

— Macy Galvan is an English senior and a columnist for The senior and a columnist for The senior and a columnist for

Shorthorn

MACY GALVAN

The Shorthorn: Robert Villarreal

SYLVAIN REY

Page 6 Wednesday, February 4, 2009The ShorThorn

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Conference season is well under way with 10 games left to play for our men’s basketball team — which stands at an under-achieving 3-3 record in SLC play.

Saturday, the Mavs suf-fered their first loss at home and their second de-feat to Texas State, a team picked to finish last in both preseason conference polls.

All the talk surround-ing this team during the summer was that last year’s conference title run was a “fluke” and would not or could not be duplicated.

So in response to the whisperings around the league, the Mavericks said they would use it as mo-tivation, prove everyone wrong and try to become the first repeat champions since the 1992-93 Louisi-ana Monroe Warhawks.

Last year’s team finished 7-9 and had to save its sea-son on the road against Stephen F. Austin, giving the Lumberjacks their only loss at home.

UTA entered the tour-ney as the 7th seed and used the underdog role to fuel its drive toward the school’s first-ever title.

One question begs to be asked: Has this team lost that competitive edge?

Granted, there’s a lot of basketball to be played, and a lot can change from now until the March 3 sea-son finale. But a gauge of

how legitimate this team will be down the stretch comes tonight against Texas A&M Corpus Christi — a co-leader of the West Division that’s far exceeding pre-season expecta-tions.

All the mo-mentum the Mavericks gained from beating SFA on Jan. 21 has been lost in their last two defeats. Losses that easily should have been victories.

Even though scoring (78.3) is up from last year (73.4), the team’s defense has declined, allowing 73.6 points a game. No team, since the 2003-04 UTSA Roadrunners, has won a conference championship while allowing more than 70 points per game.

There is precedent for fast-paced teams to win it all, but, even as head coach Scott Cross teaches in every practice, the defense must become the strong suit of this team again.

The question after last season was who would be that emotional spark for this team with the depar-tures of Jermaine Griffin and Larry Posey. Never did we expect the defensive presence to fall off like it has.

Where has the shot-blocking presence of Trey

Parker gone? Who is going to take it upon themselves to be that lock-down defensive player on the outside to get the steal when it’s needed?

This team can score for days, we’re all witness-es to that. What we haven’t seen,

aside from one occurrence against SFA, is a team that can stop the other team from scoring.

Now, we’re left to won-der how this set of Maver-ick players will finish out the season. Will they put together a string of games and establish themselves as one of the dominant SLC teams? Or will they with-er under the pressure of the newfound recognition from winning the title?

Only Cross and the play-ers can determine that and with just 10 games to play, it’s time to get that fire back and prove to everyone that last year was legit, and this team is the real deal.

Nothing positive comes from entering the tourna-ment as a sixth seed this year.

— Stephen Peters is a journalism senior and can

be heard weekdays from 7-8 a.m. on Sports

Banter in Morning on radio.uta.edu

Measuring Up Men must improve their defense if it

wants another SLC championship

sports column

The Shorthorn: Stephen Peters

Since beating three straight teams in the mid major top 25 the Mavs have lost two straight games and have fallen two games back in the West Division. The Mavs would finish 6th if the playoffs started today.

stephen peters

Wednesday, February 4, 2009 Page 7

Q: As a future teacher, I would great-ly appreciate any advice you can give meon the best ways to educate kids on theprevention of AIDS and safe-sex methodsthat might inform students how to preventthis type of tragedy from happening tothem.

A: The first thing to knowis that scare tactics don't work,at least not in the long run. Soyou have to truly educate kids,giving them real facts thatthey can understand. Forexample, teens must knowthat AIDS is not just a diseasethat affects homosexuals.They also have to understandthat while now there are drugsthat can prolong life, they arevery expensive, have sideeffects and won't hold off theravages of AIDS forever. So,instead of telling young peo-ple that they'd better not havesex or theygoing to catchAIDS and die, you have togive them the real informationso that they can make thatconnection on their own. Andthen, of course, you have tomake sure they understand how to protectthemselves.

Q: I am a healthy 39-year-old female.I am very active with running, skiing,cycling, hiking, etc., and have been for myentire adult life. My husband of 13 yearsis a loving and devoted husband. Myproblem is a diminished libido. I havealmost no sex drive, and have noticed thiseroding during the past eight years or so.

I also had problems with my menstrualcycle until I started using a wild yam top-ical cream (natural progesterone). Afriend recently mentioned that she saw aTV show interviewing women with no sexdrive. The problem was too little testos-

terone. I can believe this, sinceI also have become afraid todo a lot of things I used toenjoy (mountain climbing, fastskiing, fast bicycle riding, etc.)and my husband thinks I amtoo sensitive most of the time. Ihave an appointment to see adoctor (female, thank good-ness) about this next week.Should I bring up this hypoth-esis about testosterone? I'dappreciate your comments.Many thanks. This sex-driveproblem is causing my hus-band much frustration, and I'dlike to retain the quality of ourrelationship.

A: You should ask yourdoctor about the testosteronetheory, but whatever your doc-tor says, there also could be apsychological component toyour loss of sex drive. It could

be related, at least partially, to the state ofyour relationship. How much of all thisphysical activity do you do together? Ifyou both work, and if you use up much ofyour free time running, skiing, etc., whilehe stays home, maybe you're just notspending enough time together. So, afteryou see your doctor, take a look at yourrelationship and see whether that mightalso be a contributing factor in how youtwo relate.

CROSSWORD PUZZLEDR. RUTH

Dr. RuthSend your questions to Dr.Ruth Westheimerc/o King Features Syndicate, 235 E.45th St., NewYork, NY 10017

Instructions:Fill in the grid sothat every row,every column andevery 3x3 gridcontains the digits 1through 9 with norepeats. Thatmeans that nonumber is repeatedin any row, column or box.

Solution, tips andcomputer programat www.sudoku.com

Solution

Guide

ANNOUNCEMENTSCampus Org.

FLoC hosts Paint Your Ride with Maverick Pride on Feb. 9th from 12-2 in A-Hall and Greek parking lots. Love ya!

Egg Donation

$5,000-$45,000

PAID EGG DONORS for up to 9 donations + Expenses. N/smokers, ages 18-29, SAT>1100/ACT>24GPA>3.0 [email protected]

EventsCome and

PAINT YOUR RIDEwith MAVERICK PRIDE!Monday Feb. 9th Noon - 2

at Arlington Hall lotand Greek lot.

Lost & Found

Found: on Jan 22, a silver band in front of Texas Hall. Call (817)272-5354 to de-scribe and claim.

Organizations

UTA Habitat for Humanitymeeting Noon, Feb. 4th, U.C. Bluebonnet South. All inter-

ested students, faculty & staff welcome! For more info:

[email protected]

ANNOUNCEMENTSPersonals

Happy almost Birthday Kaity Wilson!! LOVE YA :)-twin

EMPLOYMENT

Childcare

Male or Femaleprogram instructors needed to work in childcare, hours are 3:00 - 6:30pm, M - F. Morning hours avail-able from 6:20 to 8:05 am. Call 817-468-0306 or

go to 2820 Matlock Rd

Energetic, outgoing, patient student needed to work with a 12 year old boy with autism, approx. 20/hrs week. $10/hr 817-504-2113. leave msg.

CHILD CARE POSITIONS Bowen Road Day School lo-cated 5 mins from UTA is looking for College Students to work afternoon hours 2:30-6:00 M-F. Experience with children a must.

Apply online at www.bowenroad.com/appli-cation. or call 817-275-1291

(817) 275-1291

PART-TIME BABYSIT-TER NEEDED N. Arlington, CPR certified and references required. (817) 633-2592

Needed:Someone to do in home res-pite care for 3 medically frag-ile children. Some flexibility in hours, Approx. 20 hrs p/week. Must pass criminal background check.

817-4623-779General

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

HIRING STUDENTS

Now hiring students to read government flood maps for

banks. No experience neces-sary. Competitive starting wages. Part-time a.m. and

p.m. shifts available.Great Experience

Apply in person.LPS Flood Services.

1521 N. Cooper St. 4th floor Arl, TX 76011(817)548-7128.

Make up to $75 taking online surveys.

www.cashtospend.comNeed an assistant for 2

stockbrokers. Self starter to run errands & solve prob-

lems. Office on Camp Bowie, FTW. Top Dollar if qualified. Learn about finances, stock-

market , ETC. Send resume & schedule (availability) to:

[email protected] avail. Immediately

(239)-248-2888APPOINTMENT SETTER

for financial professionalM-Th, 12 hrs per wk

6:00-9:00 pm 817-226-4032

The Shorthornis currently accepting appli-cations for the following po-sitions for the Spring Se-mester;

• Reporter• Sports Reporter• Ad Sales Rep• Photographer• Editorial Cartoonist• Illustrator• Graphic Artist

Get a job description and an application TODAY!Student Publications Dept.

University Center,lower level.

Also available online at:www.TheShorthorn.comAll are paid positions for

UTA students. For more information call;

817-272-3188

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Seeks P/T Rep.

Must be able to work flexible hrs. 10-25 hrs/wk, daytime,

evenings & weekends; Sales, customer service or retail experience required.

Fax or e-mail only, cover letter & resume to:[email protected]

fax: (817) 665-6100Customer Service, incoming calls only, p/t afternoon/eve-ning, $7-10/hr. Apply in per-son. Sears Driving School. 214 E Abram (817)856-2000P/T Youth Minister Wanted for Covenant United Method-

ist Church in Arlington.Call Reverend Mike Redd

(817) 891-2111

STUDENTPAYOUTS.COMPaid Survey Takers needed in Arlington. 100% FREE to join. Click on Surveys.

SURVEY TAKERS NEEDED: Make $5-$25 per survey. GetPaidToThink.com

Hospitality/Service!Bartending! $250/day

potential No experience nec Training provided age

18+.ok 1-800-965-6520 x.137

Bartender Apprentice wanted$$$$$$$$$$$$

Showdown(817)-233-5430

Office/ClericalThe Shorthorn

is seeking a Receptionist for the spring semester. Must be a UTA work-study stu-dent available to work MWF, 10-1 & T/Th Noon -1

Apply online atwww.uta.edu/snapjob

For more information call817-272-3188

Teaching/TutoringArlington ISD is hiring sub-stitutes, visit www.aisd.net

or call 682-867-7290 forfurther information.

Conversational English Study Group facilitated by graduate students 817-275-7596 or 682-438-9169

UTA student needed for be-ginning Japanese tutoring form my son 682-438-9169

Technical

TECHNICIAN“WILL TRAIN”

Part time, Near UTABring in your resume

Cartridge World3648 Matlock Rd.

Arlington, TX. 76015817-557-0300

HOUSINGApartments

Benge Oak ApartmentsWalk to UTA. 1 Bd/1Bth

$425 Move in special $199. (817)291-3385

Cottonwood Park now leas-ing 3&4 bedroom apts. Please contact for more info (972)263-0744 or e-mail at [email protected]

Condos

CONDO FOR RENT(2bdr/1.5bath) New Carpet, New Paint/ Near UTA/ Call for Details 817-269-6028

For Rent - condo. 1 bd/1 ba. Large living area, walk-in closet, wood floors. $500 in-cludes water. Available now.

682-367-7963 or682-554-2473

HOUSINGDuplex

Great rentals for Students!! 2bd/2.5ba townhome

$800/ mo; 1/2 month rent free 3bd/2ba lawn serv. provided

$925/mo; $500 deposit.All newly built. Walking dis-tance to UTA!! 817-274-1800

Homes

For Rent - 4 bed, 2.5 bath, 2 car garage, 2 living areas, $500 per person/mo. + util, huge backyard. Near Lake Arlington (817)944-9456

3bd 2ba $199/mo5bd 5ba $258/mo 5%dn,

30yrs @8%Start Saving Money! For List-ings 800-544-6258 ext T597

Roommates

Roomie wanted! $450 all in-cluded 2br/2ba apt. Pet friendly, smoking outside, high speed internet, chill en-vironment. Cell: 469-585-2813. E-mail:

[email protected]

TRANSPORTATIONAutos

CARS FROM $500!Police Impounds/Tax Repos!For listings; 800-544-1092

x4536

Motorcycles

2006 GSX-R600 $62992005 FX500 $4299

M/C. Visa, Discover OK817-572-4414

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NEW SCOOTERS$999 + tt&l

M/C, Visa, Discover OK817-572-4414

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MERCHANDISEFurniture

Furniture and appliances. Fire sale prices. Couch, recliners, refrigerator, washer and dryer. All good working con-dition. Call 817-404-8794.

EMPLOYMENTChildcare

EMPLOYMENTGeneral

EMPLOYMENTTeaching/Tutoring

TRANSPORTATION

Motorcycles

Visit us online!www.theshorthorn.com

Page 8 Wednesday, February 4, 2009The ShorThorn

ter started, the store has been focusing on catering to the students — asking for feedback on what they would like to see.

“If there’s anything that they come in and we might not have, if they ask us for it and we’re able to get it, we’ll get it,” she said. “A hot food pro-gram is supposed to come, [corporate] said around June. We’re going to have hot pizzas, hot wings, and there’s going to actually be an oven where we cook them in here.”

Architecture junior Josh Campell said he buys soda and snacks at the gas station but really needs a business that offers more food and later hours.

“I’m all the way in the Architecture Building, and I always need cof-fee or food at 3 a.m.,” he said. “I really think what we need is a grocery store near by — it could help lower prices of some of the surrounding business-es too.”

Maggie Campbell, Downtown Arlington Management Corporation president and CEO, said prospects for a grocery store are slim, but she re-mains optimistic.

“Everyone involved in economic development, from UTA to the city to the Chamber of Com-merce, has said we need a grocery store, but it has to work,” she said. “We need more housing units, and we need more students living close by to get the numbers where we need them to attract a grocery store.”

Campbell said the area around UTA does not offer an ideal location for a 40,000-50,000-square-foot area most grocery stores require, in addi-tion to the space for large loading docks, a parking lot and the traffic pattern that accompanies a gro-cery store.

“There’s a couple things that have long been on our wish list,” she said. “A gro-cery store is one of those.”

Sarah [email protected]

Gascontinued from page 1

“We’re taking this to the mayor of Arlington, to the president of the university, to North Central [Texas] Council of Government, say-ing these are the ideas that people came up with, and these are the changes that we want to see,” Roff said.

She said five experts will present their knowledge on sustainability topics. Each expert’s 30-minute presen-tation will be followed by collaborative dialogue with the audience.

“Sustainability tends to center around science and really for change to hap-pen, we’re going to have to reach across disciplines,” she said. “We’re going to have to look at the science of global warming, the culture of un-sustainability and how to make it a sustainable cul-ture.”

Former President’s Sus-tainability Committee co-chair Jeff Howard, an urban and public affairs assistant professor, will discuss the university’s carbon footprint and what society is learn-ing from carbon footprint analyses.

“For example, what does it mean that our cherished ‘American lifestyle’ is based on carbon dioxide emissions far more massive per capita than those of other nations,” he said. “And what do car-bon footprint analyses teach us about our relationship to our great-great-grand-children, who will inherit a planet transformed by drought, flood, famine and disease?”

Sarah [email protected]

Teachcontinued from page 1

Year of Astronomy with him and he was very inspiring and motivational for that, and he was our driving force for the In-ternational Year of Astronomy activities.”

Physics professor Kaushik De said everyone respected Horwitz.

“We are going to miss him a lot,” he said. “He was a dynamic leader for the department.”

He said Horwitz always made sure the Physics Depart-ment continually strove for a higher goal.

Horwitz provided the right environment, made sure the de-partment was well-supported and the department’s work was recognized, De said.

Planetarium director Levent Gurdemir said Horwitz hired him in 2006. He said Horwitz had an open-door policy.

“I never heard him say, ‘No, we don’t have time to talk,’ ”

Gurdemir said.He said Horwitz initiated

activities in the department like physics picnics, get-togethers and birthday parties for staff.

“He was a very good person, friend, administrator, supervi-sor and chair,” Gurdemir said. “The Planetarium was very im-portant to him, and he always supported us. We will truly miss him.”

Horwitz worked at the uni-versity since November 2004. Before coming to the univer-sity, he worked as an associ-ate director for the Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research at the University of Alabama in Huntsville from 1987-2004, while also work-ing as a physics professor there 1978-2004. From 1976-1978, Horwitz was a postdoctoral fel-low for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Horwitz was also a research assistant for the Uni-versity of California San Diego from 1970-1976.

Bryan BaStiBLe and erika [email protected]

Horwitzcontinued from page 1

The Shorthorn: Jacob Adkisson

cheSS mateSLeft, undeclared sophomore Spencer Sylo and film and video sophomore Patrick Ready play chess Tuesday afternoon on the Central Library mall.

gaS Station Location

The Shorthorn: Brad Borgerding

Former Diamond Shamrock

7-Eleven

For a complete Teach-In schedule, visit

The ShorThorn .com

Documents

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