2006 January.qxp

the
Lake Front
JANUARY 2006
OUR LADY OF THE LAKE UNIVERSITY, SAN ANTONIO TEXAS
VOLUME 16, ISSUE 1
Philanthropic
deed makes
OLLU history
Jennifer Herrera
EDITOR
B efore the fall 2005 semester ended, the
university was dealing with ongoing financial
troubles. However, right before Christmas,
the school received news that could not have
come at a more perfect time. The school was
getting a gift ... a really big gift.
A $2.2 million donation was presented to the
school by retired medical Army officer Dr. Janice
Mendelson. The money is to be used to help establish permanent funding for the International Folk
Culture Center (IFCC). Mendelson requested that
$500,000 of the gift be given to the university at its
discretion.
According to Vice President of Institutional
Advancement Jim Eskin, the historic gift, the largest
in the school’s history, has been established as a fiveyear arrangement that will help the university.
One part of the deal addresses funding needed
for the next five years, and throughout this time an
endowment will be established. It is estimated that
COURTESY OF CATHY MAULE
Dr. Janice Mendelson, retired medical Army officer, brought Christmas early to
the university when she donated money aimed to benefit the IFCC.
this funding. Because her father was in the Army, her
family traveled the world.
Friendship is something that Mendelson hopes
to promote through her gift to the IFCC. She believes
the value of friendship is something that can bridge
the cultures into educating each other, thus providing a more worldly experience for individuals.
“My mission is to understand each other,” she
said.
Mendelson “grew up being aware of different
nationalities” and wants OLLU to have the same
experience.
throughout the five years, $280,000 will be contributed to the endowment every year, totaling to
$1.4 million after five years.
Eskin said that he believes that the establishment of the endowment will help the IFCC have a
steady source of funding for the hiring of staff positions when various folk organizations collaborate
with the IFCC. Instead of relying on temporary staff
members, one of the first goals Dr. Mendelson plans
to implement is the job of IFCC staff director.
“She (Mendelson) wanted this person to provide continuity of effort,” Eskin said.
Mendelson’s background holds some of the reasons as to why she chose OLLU as the recipient of
CONTINUED PAGE
3
Budget restructuring
halts commencement
Students look at options
as graduation nears.
Marissa Cervantes
LAKE REPORTER
COURTESY OF JESSE BLANCHARD
Drama professors Richard Slocum (left) and Victor Trevino discuss changes to the program.
Drama program to place
curriculum on new track
Jesse Blanchard
LAKE REPORTER
Years ago OLLU pioneered the weekend
college program in South Texas. Now the
drama department hopes to resume the role of
innovator by redesigning its degree plan to
distinguish itself from the other schools.
Beginning in the fall of 2006 professors
Richard Slocum and Victor Trevino plan to
change the drama program from a general
overview of performing arts, to one that places
more importance on acting, writing and cul-
Inside
tures.
“Drama and the arts are constantly
changing and evolving so hopefully this new
program will allow us to be part of that evolution,” said Slocum.
The current program, which Professor
Slocum described as “vanilla,” is set up as a
base program designed to get certification for
teaching. But changes in the requirements for
teacher certification, as well as the strengths of
the university itself, have caused the drama
department to reconsider its direction.
AFFORDABLE DATING
Valentine’s Day options
for the wise.
CONTINUED ON PAGE
5
3
With all the recent budget
cuts coming into play, OLLU
has decided to save more
money
by
discontinuing
August commencement ceremonies. Students that were
planning on walking the stage
in August now have the choice
to either walk the stage in May
or December, but they still will
receive their diplomas in
August.
In addition, students also
can choose not to participate
in any ceremony and just
receive their diplomas in
August.
There are approximately
150 to 200 students who take
part in commencement every
August. To be able to participate in the May commencement ceremony, students
must be within 12 hours of
SEE WHAT’S NEW
Chesney album a
must-have.
7
“It was upsetting that it
was done so quickly.”
Linda Rivera
SENIOR
completing
their
degree
requirements. As for doctoral
students who want to walk the
stage in May, they must only
be lacking their summer
internship.
The drawback for participating in the May commencement is that students will not
have their degree conferred in
May, will not receive their
diploma at commencement,
and will not have any honors
announced during the ceremony.
As for the students who
are aware of the change, some
found the news unsettling.
CONTINUED ON PAGE
‘UNDERWORLD’
Latest thriller a
blockbuster
blunder.
8
4
editorial
Page 2
STAFF
January 2006
SOUNDING OFF
How would you
use $500,000 to
improve the
university?
editor in chief
Alfredo Valenzuela
uvalea
editors
Jennifer A. Herrera
uherrjen
Melissa Gonzalez
ugonzme
staff reporters
Jesse Blanchard
ublanj
Marissa Cervantes
mcervantes2504
Julia San Miguel
usanmj
Gloria Rodriguez
urodrg
KELLY RODRIGUEZ
freshman
layout and design
Chris Burrell
uburrc
photographer
Fabiola Salinas
fcsalinas
advertising
Vanessa Duran
udurav
Raquel Garza
ugarzr
Submission requirements:
The Lake Front accepts letters
to the editor for publication on
the Opinion page of this newspaper. Letters should have the
author's printed name, signature and contact information.
Unsigned letters will not be
published. Letters can be submitted in person or by mail
and become the property of
The Lake Front. The editor
reserves the right to edit letters
for libelous material, grammatical errors, space constraints, and/or offensive language. The Lake Front does
not discriminate because of
age, sex, race, ethnicity,
national origin, disability or
sexual orientation. “Letters of
the Editor” is intended to
serve as a public forum for
issues related to The Lake
community.
The Lake Front is published
monthly during the academic
school year. The Lake Front
newsroom is located in the
University Wellness Center
(UWAC) in Room 105.
Contact information:
The Lake Front
Student Publications
Our Lady of the Lake
University
411 S.W. 24th St.
San Antonio, TX 78207
(210) 434-6711, Ext. 2445
[email protected]
[email protected]
As students return to class for the spring semester, not much seems to have changed; maybe a few
less faces, but that's to be expected. Before winter
break, much of the controversial politics regarding
OLLU's finances were resolved by President Pollack's
"high-quality" decision for the budget shortfalls,
which consisted primarily of layoffs and department
budget reductions.
It seems all the attention surrounding The Lake's
financial crisis has finally died down. Postings on
Myspace.com and the Web-CT message boards, which
were the main systems of communication for students
regarding the money woes, shifted in topic as more
important news broke.
Recently, Dr. Janice Mendelson, a retired medical Army officer, graciously donated $2.2 million to
The Lake. Apparently, Christmas came early for the
university.
With this generous donation, the largest in
school history, Mendelson wants to help establish
permanent funding for the International Folk Culture
Center as well as requesting that $500,000 be given
to the university to be used at its discretion.
However, with fall budget reallocations in full
effect, students are now feeling deductions in the
most obscure of manners and are wondering when
those new funds, courtesy of Mendelson, and the
reconstructed budget will take effect.
For example, in residence halls, the allocation of
toilet paper has dropped from an estimated 10 rolls
per room to three. Due to new budgeting, Residence
Life will be giving, on average, two rolls per person in
hopes of efficiently utilizing its resources. Depending
on the need, Residence Life may increase this number. With countless calls and messages to resident
assistants and Residence Life employees requesting
more toilet paper, housekeeping and Residence Life
may want to rethink this plan.
Last semester, President Tessa Pollack discussed
the possibility of making the dream of a sports program at The Lake into a reality due to mandatory
budget restructuring and a new availability of funds.
With a sizeable donation of $2.2 million, the big
question is, how can the university continue to penny
pinch in areas that affect basic amenities and still
wish to invest in sports?
Incorporating a sports program is not as easy as
one, two, three. If the administration is considering
the creation of a sports program and making it one of
"Maximum" quality, the university would also have to
look at improving existing facilities; however the current lack of restroom necessities shows us all what we
can and cannot afford.
Although student morale had dropped in the fall,
this semester started with a familiar sense of optimism, given back to students primarily due to a
much-needed philanthropic deed.
Those students who were concerned with The
Lake's financial matters last semester should not give
up efforts just yet. With this recent donation, the
school may go through several financial highs and
lows, however, students should be involved more than
ever and continue playing watchdog over the administration and the allocation of university funds.
EFRAIM VILLARREAL
junior
“Give everyone some laptops or free books...and
maybe softer toilet paper.”
VALERIE REYNA
junior
“New equipment in the
UWAC and gym.”
SHAMEKA CUNNINGHAM
senior
“Maintenance and renovating the dorms.”
Wednesdays
at OLLU aren’t
just any
other day.
comic by jesse blanchard
The opinions published in The
Lake Front are not necessarily
those of The Lake Front staff
or the faculty, staff, administration or student body of Our
Lady of the Lake University.
The Lake Front publication
strives to inform, entertain and
communicate with The Lake
and its surrounding communities. Advertisement information
is available upon request.
Time for a quality decision
BABYPAN
adviser
Kay O’Donnell
odonm
press
San Antonio Press
“Maybe make bigger dorm
rooms? I would love it if
Ayres was the same as
Centennial.”
... they’re
also Mexican
food day.
Stupid
budget
cuts!
For the
love of
god, no!
6 hours later
news
Degree plan changes focus on new elements
January 2006
DRAMA
Page 3
CONTINUED
“We want to think more in terms of
preparing students for professional
work, or to continue their education in
graduate programs,” said Slocum.
Slocum is currently working on a
degree plan that will offer more acting
and writing classes to students, who will
spend more time learning advanced lessons covering different acting styles and
performing in various media; on stage
or on camera.
“Classes like acting in front of a
camera would be a great investment if
they went further into the topic because
a lot of important subtleties are overlooked,” said senior Jei Villamayor, who
is double majoring in drama and communication arts.
Feedback from students has been
positive in the early stages of development.
“As someone who has been into
“I think it would open up the creative floodgates of the students
here.”
Jei Villamayor
SENIOR
theater my entire life, most of the general courses currently offered are just
refresher classes,” said Villamayor. “By
concentrating on the acting and writing
aspects of performing arts, I think it
would open up the creative floodgates
of the students here.”
Technical classes, such as set
design, will eventually be dropped as
the program will no longer place much
emphasis on those aspects of theater
arts. Considering the size of the theater
program, Slocum feels The Lake is better suited for training actors than
designers or technicians.
Students currently enrolled in the
drama program do not need to worry
about their classes being dropped or
graduation dates being delayed as
Slocum said there would be no negative
effect on current students. Still, Slocum
hopes that current students will take
advantage of the new opportunities.
“The excitement in theater has
always been in the production (writing
and acting), and being a small university, students can come in and take a
much larger role as undergraduates
that they could at larger schools,” said
Slocum.
The process of shifting the goals of
the major began late last fall semester
as Slocum and Trevino began assessing
the qualities of the department’s faculty. Slocum specializes in writing plays
(his most successful being “Proposin‘”)
and Trevino is an actor who has
appeared in movies such as “American
Me”, and television’s “General
Hospital”.
“We started talking about what our
strengths as a department were. And
with Professor Slocum’s background in
writing and mine with performing,
we’re really excited about how this program could expand focusing on those
elements,” said Trevino.
Given the competition for enrollment the university faces from larger
schools with bigger budgets, such as the
University of Texas-San Antonio, or
Incarnate Word; the theater department hopes their new direction creates
an identity that separates itself from its
opposition.
“I don’t think there are any other
schools in the area that focus on writing
and performing as much as we want to,
so in that aspect we could be unique,”
said Trevino.
POLICE BEAT Donation to incorporate cultures
$2.2
Main Building
December 5
Damage to the
University
An officer was dispatched to generate a
report for damage to university property. Upon
arrival the officer made
contact with the complainant, the computer
lab manager, who stated
he noticed one of the
computer monitors was
damaged. Nothing further reported.
Ayers Hall
December 6
Sick / Ill Person
An officer received a
call via the emergency
phone patch stating a complainant,
a
Resident
Student, was not feeling
well. Upon arrival the officer met with the complainant who stated she felt
sick because she had been
taking a "Stay awake" over
the counter drug. EMS
was notified. EMS transported the complainant to
Santa Rosa Hospital.
Nothing further reported.
St. Martin Hall
December 8
Fire Alarm Malfunction
An officer received a
call via the emergency
phone patch stating the fire
alarm at the St. Martin Hall
Annex was activated.
Upon arrival the officer
found no sign of fire and
set the alarm to silent. The
Electrician was notified.
Nothing further reported.
Moye Building
December 9
Damage to University
Property
An officer was dispatched to Moye for a
report of vandalism. Upon
arrival the officer met with
the complainant who stated
someone super glued her
office door. Physical Plant
was notified. Nothing further reported.
St. Martin Hall
December 14
Injured Person Report
An officer was dispatched to St. Martin’s
Hall for an injury report.
EMS was requested.
Upon arrival the officer
met with the complainant
Maintenance Shop
who stated her child fell
December 7
and hit her head. EMS
Graffiti
arrived at location but the
An officer was dis- complainant declined her
patched to the maintenance child to be transported.
shop for a report of graffiti. Nothing further reported.
Upon arrival the officer
noticed markings on a The POLICE BEAT is provided by
Police. Events and dates
yield sign. The Painter was University
are accurate according to police
notified. Nothing further reports taken by on-duty officers.
Names are withheld for the privacy of
reported.
The Lake community.
CONTINUED
Since the 1990 birth of the IFCC, the center
has attracted various global entertainers, including Contra dancers, Scottish dancers, and Aztec
dancers.
As a result of the gift, Mendelson plans to
establish an eight-member advisory committee —
including OLLU representatives Jim Zeitz, Maria
Montoya and Sister Margit Nagy — which will
help advise the center of its direction and help
reach out to the university. Mendelson said she
believes that in the past, the IFCC “did not reach
out adequately to students,” but hopefully
through her goals for the coming years that will
change.
Mendelson also hopes that the IFCC will
raise an awareness of physical fitness as part of
folk dancing. She hopes that courses offered at
the center may be counted as university credit.
Eskin said that he believes that Mendelson
is an example to us all as she “reminds us this is
a challenge ... for the rest of us.”
community news
When good things happen to troubled kids
Page 4
January 2006
Alfredo Valenzuela
EDITOR IN CHIEF
In most cases, the public is only
aware of those juveniles who have committed major offenses and their cases
are sensationalized by the media. But
what about those cases, where through
proper supervision the juveniles are
rehabilitated and reintroduced into the
community?
Through the Early Intervention
(EI) program at the Bexar County
Juvenile Probation Department, children have the opportunity to turn their
lives around. With the help of several
specialized units, the first-time offenders are able to work around the justice
system in a preventative manner.
Judge Laura Parker, who presides
over Bexar County 386th District Court,
said, “I want to give these kids some
hope and get them back on track.”
Carla, whose name has been
changed for anonymity, says if it was
not for the EI program she does not
know where she would be today.
Her story
“My probation officer was the
sweetest lady. Having her constantly
checking up on me helped to keep me in
line,” Carla said.
“Her guidance
inspired me to show others, who might
be heading in the direction I was, they
do not have to be a statistic.”
Carla believes the success of a child
in the program depends on the continual supervision by a probation officer.
“If they don’t care, there is no
chance for you,” she said.
For Carla the problems started
when a schoolmate, who had a troubled
home life, pressured her to try marijuana. Unfortunately for the girls, they got
caught passing marijuana in school and
a teacher reported them to the principal’s office.
“The principal told me he was disappointed in me; he always knew me as
a good student,” Carla said. “At that
moment I knew my friend was wrong –
smoking marijuana was not the best
feeling in the world.”
When Carla met with the principal,
she came clean and handed over what
marijuana she had on her. She was
then arrested and taken to the juvenile
probation department.
“Being in the back of the police car
was really uncomfortable, I would not
want to do it again,” Carla said.
On the ride to the probation
department Carla said getting caught
was a sign from God, he was helping her
from doing worse things in the future.
The program
The juveniles who are contracted
PHOTO BY RYAN MURRAY
Rebecca Martinez-Torres, Specialized Diversion Unit assistant supervisor, was
one of the many people that had an influence on young Carla.
in the EI program are from all walks of
life; stereotypes need not apply. In
actuality, the troubled kids in the program come from all over Bexar County,
even those like Carla who attended
Alamo Heights High School.
One of the units in the EI program
which seems to have the most affect on
these youths is Specialized Diversion.
This unit handles those cases of
inhalant and public intoxication offenses along with runaway cases.
“Drug problems are everywhere,”
said Rebecca Martinez-Torres, assistant
supervisor of specialized diversion.
After meeting with the Specialized
Diversion Unit, Carla agreed to six
months of supervision. In addition to
this, Carla had 16 hours of community
service.
“We encourage them to do their
service,” said Belinda B. Courvier, community service restitution (CSR) coordinator.
When a juvenile is contracted for
community service they are not allowed
to do their service hours anywhere they
wish. According to Courvier, each juvenile is placed in locations which must
pass certain criteria by law and at the
same time, certain establishments will
not take juveniles who have committed
August ceremony cancelled
GRAD
CONTINUED
“It is upsetting that it was done so
quickly. I feel that if this has been an
issue since last semester, we should
have been given more notice or it
should have affected next year’s graduation,” said senior Linda Rivera.
Registrar Norma Anderson said
she feels that this special time should
not be taken away from the students.
“One hundred and fifty to 200
students are a big number at a graduation ceremony especially coming from
a small university such as ours.
A letter detailing the changes in
commencements will be mailed to
undergraduate students who have completed at least 90 plus hours and graduate students who have completed 18
certain offenses.
“For instance, if a child has committed a sexual offense we can’t place them
around other children,” Courvier said.
In Carla’s case she was placed at the
North East branch of the YMCA, which is
just one of the many sites used by the
CSR unit.
Last year, juveniles in the program
completed an estimated 62,000 hours of
community service.
The EI program, which is located
right off the Mission Trail at 233 E.
Mitchell St., is divided into several units
such as CSR and Specialized Diversion;
each specializing in various areas that
include school based programs and victim services. These units aim to deter
juveniles from continuing on a dark and
unfavorable path in life.
Last year the specialized diversion
unit had 724 referrals of Class B and C
misdemeanors according to MartinezTorres.
Cases in Specialized Diversion
come in from either police department or
sheriff arrests and non-arrest referrals
from schools where juveniles are given
citations.
First-time offenders have two
options; they can either go to court
where they will be adjudicated or sign
a contract and go on deferred prosecution.
“At that point, the juveniles enter
the program and are under our supervision,” Martinez-Torres said.
Juveniles are in the program
between three and six months. At
point of enrollment in the program,
children are asked to take the
Massachusetts
Youth
Screening
Instrument (MAYSI-2) which is a
mental screening tool used to identify
signs of potential mental and emotional health needs in youths; along with
this test, background information is
documented.
With an 80 percent success rate,
“this program is a good opportunity
for them,” Martinez-Torres said. “If
the children stay on track and do not
lapse their criminal records will
remain clean,” Martinez-Torres added.
To make sure that they keep with
their part of the contract their probation officers keep track of all their visits, curfew checks and drug tests. As
part of the program all juveniles have
to submit to random drug testing. If a
child refuses to take a drug test, they
are automatically referred to see a
judge in drug court.
“Drug test keep the ‘what-ifs’
away,” said Martinez-Torres.
It’s been four years since Carla
has completed the program and has
remained sober. Now a senior in high
school, she looks to the day when she
will walk across that stage as an example of when good things happen to
troubled adolescents.
Carla was in the seventh grade
when peer pressure lured her to experiment with marijuana, since then she
is now an advocate of sober lifestyles.
Life after
“I make it a point to go and talk to
students; I don’t keep what happened
to me a secret, I want to show them
there is hope,” Carla said. “I have
become a better person and I plan to
continue to.”
After high school Carla plans to
attend cosmetology school where she
has found a niche for herself.
Once children have completed the
program they go on to college, the military and make names for themselves
just as Carla has set out to do.
As of Sept. 30, 1,434 juveniles
have been contracted in the EI program. Of those 1,434 1,065 juveniles
have successfully completed the program. In comparison, 369 were not as
fortunate, however these numbers
show three out of four juveniles will
complete the program.
An evening with
Robert
Rivard
San Antonio Express-News Editor
Rivard will discuss the state of journalism, bilingual
media and his recent book, “Trail of Feathers,” about the
1998 disappearance and murder of Philip True, the
newspaper’s former Mexico City bureau chief.
A book signing will follow the lecture.
ANDERSON
plus semester hours.
For those students who have
already applied and put August as a
completion date, a letter will be mailed
containing information about graduation changes.
Tuesday Jan. 31
5:30 p.m.
Sultenfuss Library
Community Room
Brought to you by
The Lake Front, OLLU’s student newspaper
Lakeside Production Crew, a Communication Arts organization
news
January 2006
Affordable
1
Dating 0 1
option one
Demo’s Greek Food
2501 N. St. Mary’s
Mon-Thurs 11am-9pm;
Fri-Sat 11a.m.-10p.m.
Price range $10-$15 per
person
Mc Nay Art Museum
6000 N. New Braunfels
Tuesday-Friday
10a.m.-4p.m.
Admission - Free (Except
during select exhibitions
and special events.)
James Avery
Craftsman
Ingram Park Mall
6301 Northwest Loop 410
681-6766
Prices starting at $20
Page 5
Gloria Rodriguez
LAKE REPORTER
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, any form of celebration
of love and devotion can put a halt to the flow of cash. As college students,
it is already a challenge to keep money in your pockets without the added
expenditures of a romantic evening. However, even on a limited budget
there are plenty of options to show your loved ones how much you care for
them. Listed below are five mix-and-match date options which cost less
than $75.
option three
option two
T.G.I. Friday’s
29 N.E. Loop 410
Three-course meal for
$14.99
Botanical Garden
555 Funston at New
Braunfels Avenue
9a.m.-5p.m.
Admission - Adults $6,
students $4 with proper
ID (cash only)
207-3250
www.sabot.org
Godiva Chocolates
406 Northstar Mall
Price range - $3.50-$20
Johnny Rockets
245 E. Commerce St.
Sun.- Thurs 11a.m.-8p.m.
Price range - $8-$15 per
person
‘A Raisin in the Sun’
Opens Feb. 10,
evening shows and a
weekend matinee.
Students $13, general
admission $16
Jump-Start
Performance Co.
108 Bluestar
Build a Bear
North Star Mall
7400 San Pedro
Price Range $20-$40
option five
option four
The Cove
606 W. Cypress
Tues-Thurs 11a.m.-11p.m.
Price range - $6-$12 per
person
Sip
160 E. Houston
Mon-Thurs 7a.m.-8p.m.
Price range - under $10
per person
Flowers
H-E-B Central Market
4821 Broadway
Wednesday $1 roses,
lilies $5, tulips $12.99
8 am - 4 pm
Luna
Hump Day Blues
6740 San Pedro Ave.
9p.m., admission $5
Sam’s Burger Joint
Puro Slam Poetry
330 E. Grayson
9p.m.-2a.m.
admission $3
Body Massage
Ablaze Bodyworks
9914 San Pedro
530-0910
Price $30 for a
30-minute massage
news
Optimism keeps local editor going strong
Page 6
Jennifer Herrera
EDITOR
Before entering the field of journalism every
fledging reporter must understand that the job ahead
is far from being easy. Journalists often must wear
many hats in their career field; one person who has
succeeded at this is San Antonio Express-News editor
and executive vice president Robert Rivard.
Rivard will be the guest lecturer Tuesday, Jan. 31
as part of the Communication Arts Lecture Series. He
will speak on topics concerning journalism and read
from his book, “Trail of Feathers.” The event, to be
held in the Sueltenfuss Library Community Room,
starts at 5:30 p.m.
Rivard has had an extensive career in journalism, spanning more than 20 years. He worked his way
up by landing jobs at such places as the Brownsville
Herald, where he was a sports reporter, to landing a
job at the now-defunct Dallas Times Herald.
He later was sent to open a news bureau in
January 2006
Central America, where he covered the region’s civil
wars. Rivard left the newspaper world for awhile and
took a position at Newsweek where he served as the
magazine’s Central American bureau chief.
In 1990, he returned to Texas where he served as
deputy managing editor for the San Antonio Light. He
held the position until the newspaper closed in 1993
when he joined the Express-News staff and became
managing editor in 1994; in 1997 he was promoted to
his current position.
Rivard acknowledges himself as an “editor of (a)
transition period,” a period in which newspapers and
Internet Web sites are merging their powers to create
a more update and accessible source of information.
“We (The Express-News) have an overwhelming
dominance on the Internet,” Rivard said.
He believes that the state of print journalism is
not as bad as people perceive it to be. However, he and
the paper have had their share of difficult times.
Rivard has had to deal with cutting his staff due
to revenue declines, a problem that affected many
newspapers around the country in part due to the
Jayson Blair scandal.
For people interested in a career in journalism,
he stressed the importance of writing as much as possible and of learning more than one language.
“Come as well trained as possible … become the
best you can,” Rivard said.
Although stress comes with his job, Rivard’s
biggest challenge, however, was the 1998 murder of
Mexico City bureau chief Philip True.
Rivard wrote “Trail of Feathers,” a book detailing
his experience regarding True’s death, including how
he traveled to the Sierra Madre and searched for the
men who killed True.
Rivard said he has always regarded himself as an
optimist. He said the experiences he had during his
travels to Mexico relating to the True murder had a
profound affect on him; however, they did not change
his views on society.
“I never lost my faith in humanity,” Rivard said.
entertainment
January 2006
Page 7
Live @ Lunch
Cary Judd preforms for
students during Live @
Lunch which is sponsored by Campus Activities.
PHOTO BY
ALFREDO
VALENZUELA
Grab your Stetson and hit the road
Biggie album an Eminem knock-off
Kenny Chesney has done it again. “The Road and the Radio”
is an impressive new CD that goes back to the old country telling
roots that his fans loved.
It is just the quick fix to help listeners forget about all the
problems of everyday life. With a soft country sound
mixed with a beat that touches the heart, it is easy to
get lost in it all. Whether at home, work, or on the
road, Chesney's latest effort will help soothe
any bad day, that is if you don't really pay
attention to the words.
Listening to the lyrics a second time
around, only one track stands out, “Who'd
You be Today.” The music is great, but if
you are looking for a CD to really be able
to listen to and enjoy the lyrics of, it would
be advised to steer
clear of this album.
Chesney
is
an
amazing
country
singer, but this album
is not one of his best. It
seems to fall a bit short of a
No. 1-selling album.
For diehard Kenny Chesney
fans, don't be too disappointed about this CD - it is a
good album, but just not one of his best efforts.
Notorious B.I.G.'s latest album, “Duets: The Final Chapter,” is
a last-ditch attempt at putting B.I.G. in the spotlight. Released in
December, the album is just a repeat of old B.I.G. verses thrown in
with new beats and recent rap heavyweights. Artists contributing to
this album include Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, Ludacris and
The Game.
The first track off the album, “It Has
Been Said,” sounds
like a knock-off of
Eminem's
“Lose
Yourself.” The beats
are hard as is the
rapping, but you never
once hear B.I.G. and the
verses that made him famous.
“Nasty Girl” is the best track on the
album. Nelly, P. Diddy, Jagged Edge and
Avery Storm blend well together. That is
something the rest of the artists on the
album lack. As talented as they all are, some of these
artists do not sound good together.
“Duets” brings new beats and rhymes to B.I.G.'s verses, yet, it
is a disappointment. Only true B.I.G. fans should waste their money
on this half-hearted album.
Julia San Miguel
reporter
Marissa Cervantes
reporter
Rating:
Rating:
MUSIC
GUIDE
BOX
deftones
A
NIC
RO
T
C
ELE
E
TIV
NA
R
E
ALT
TRY
UN
CO
P
-HO
HIP
CK
RO
P
PO
February Music Calendar
4
4
7
KEITH URBAN
AT&T Center
“JAGERMEISTER MUSIC TOUR"
Disturbed
Sunset Station
A Life Once Lost
Bloodsimple
KID ROCK
AT&T Center
11
MONTGOMERY GENTRY
SUGARLAND
AT&TCenter
12
LOS KUMBIA KINGS
AT&T Center
18
CHARLIE DANIELS BAND
LYNYRD SKYNYRD
19
WAYNE NEWTON
21
“TASTE OF CHAOS” Freeman Coliseum
DEFTONES
THRICE
AS I LAY DYING
ATREYU
FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND
STORY OF THE YEAR
AT&T Center
AT&T Center
IN
LAT
entertainment
Page 8
January 2006
‘Underworld’
Beware, it bites!
Melissa Gonzalez
EDITOR
In Len Wiseman’s second bloody
installment to the vampire vs. werewolf
war, “Underworld: Evolution,” the vampire huntress, Selene (Kate Beckinsale)
continues her quest in taking on those
who betrayed her as the feud between
lycans (werewolves) and Death Dealers
rages on.
Selene
teams
up
with
the
vampire/lycan hybrid, Michael (Scott
Speedman), as they begin tracing their bloodlines and prepare for the ultimate battle
between head vampire, Marcus (Tony Curran)
and head lycan William (Brian Steele).
Beckinsale
is
the
neo-stereotypical
horror/action heroine in this film, a true gun
slinger with messy hair, a pale complexion and a lust
for tight, wet leather jumpsuits. She basically replicated what past female action stars have done in the
past; beat the villain and look good doing it. Even
though she executed this perfectly, her character
lacked depth and individuality.
Speedman, known for his character Ben
from the hit television series, “Felicity,”
attempts to display his acting skills but
with little effort. He did take a risk assuming the role
of a vampire/lycan, but he seemed to fall back into his
typecast role as the attractive boyfriend of the main
character.
As a continuation of 2003’s, “Underworld,”
which grossed an estimated $100 million at box
offices worldwide, “Underworld: Evolution” opened
at the top spot with an estimated $26.8 million in the
U.S. Although figures looked good, the film itself was
less than impressive.
Numerous characters, a plethora of slow points
and a special effects and wardrobe combination which
reflected that of “The Matrix” and “Resident Evil,”
made “Underworld: Evolution” a horror washout.
Less-than-spectacular special effects are actually
the one thing that saves this film from being a total
flop. This movie had a decent plot, however, it lacked
luster. Likewise, the conclusion closely imitates
1998’s “Blade”; a better attempt at a vampire flick.
If judging this film independently, it doesn’t
stand up by itself, but if viewed as a sequel, it retains
its attraction as a gore-fest, which is slightly entertaining even as simple as this
film turned out to be.
Rating:
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS BURRELL
Soderbergh film in theaters,
on DVD at the same time
(U-WIRE) A new industry trend may turn moviegoers into
homebodies.
The DVD of “Bubble,” directed by Steven Soderbergh and produced by Todd Wagner and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban,
will come out just days after its Jan. 27 theatrical release.
Most DVD releases occur from three to six months after a
movie hits theaters, depending on box-office sales; however,
Magnolia Pictures and HDNet Films, both owned by Cuban and
Wagner, will have a six-movie series in which the DVDs will go on
sale Jan. 31.
As if that weren't enough, “Bubble” also aired Jan. 27 in high
definition on the cable television channel HDNet Movies.
The movie explores a love triangle and murder among doll factory workers in a small Ohio town.
University of Texas-Arlington communications assistant professor Michael Stefanone recently discussed the change in his communication technology class.
“It seems like a logical step to combat piracy,” he said. “People
are realizing that the copyright (law) -- as it is -- is out of date.”
Stefanone said he thinks that making movies available in every
form almost simultaneously will decrease piracy. He said that
though the experiment could backfire on the producers, it is worth
trying.
“It's a big move, which means (piracy) is a big problem for the
industry,” he said. “This isn't going to be the final blow to the
industry.”
He said he heard in October about moving “Bubble”'s release
times, and he thought it was interesting because the industry is
abandoning the distribution chain that maximizes profits.
Although, if movie lovers want to see it on the big screen, the
limited release will play at The Magnolia theater in Dallas.
Closing the gap between releases will allow companies to consolidate promotional efforts, he said. The industry could save
money and cut back piracy by switching, Weiss said.
“I think it won't do well because usually there are two different
press releases, and it's all going to tumble together,” film junior
Hilal Hourani said.
Meredith Moore
The Shorthorn (U. Texas-Arlington)
RATING
GUIDE
BOX
DON’T
BOTHER
PHOTO COURTESY OF FOCUS FEATURES
Heath Ledger (left) and Jake Gyllenhaal star in ‘Brokeback Mountain,’ directed by Ang Lee.
A loss of innocence, a gain in awards
Alfredo Valenzuela
EDITOR IN CHIEF
“Brokeback Mountain” has not only
caught the attention of the conservatives but
the film industry as well. Winning four Golden
Globes and several other prestigious awards,
“Brokeback Mountain,” though heavily driven
by its homosexual love story, proves to be a
work of art.
“Brokeback Mountain” tells the story of
two young men who meet during the summer
of 1963 while sheepherding in Wyoming. They
form an unconventional friendship. The epic
tale proves to us all the power of love.
The film, which is directed by Ang Lee, is
loaded with imagery and symbolism. For
example, while sheepherding, Ennis (Heath
Ledger) is supposed to stay out with the herd
at night, but as inclement weather sets in, he
decides to spend the night with Jack (Jake
Gyllenhaal). That night, the men give in to a
MEDIOCRE
DECENT
moment of passion.
When Ennis returns to the herd, he finds
that half of them have been killed by wolves. A
tragic sight, yet the graphic images of flesh and
blood symbolize the passion and loss of innocence from the night before.
Lee's directorial portfolio consists of
“Hulk,” “The Ice Storm,” “Crouching TigerHidden Dragon” and “Sense and Sensibility,”
films which all differed in genre.
Imagery in film has always proven to be a
factor in cinematic works of art. Likewise,
some screenwriters and directors take pride in
pushing the limits of societal acceptance.
“Brokeback Mountain” incorporates both of
these elements.
With the Oscars coming up, Focus
Features will clearly have gold-plated, molded
metal to take home. The questions are how
many and in what categories?
WORTH
YOUR $
CLASSIC