Oct.

4, 2010 First Copy free

theAccent.org Volume 13, Issue 2

FANTASTIC ARCADE DEBUTS GUIDE TO THE TEXAS BOOK FESTIVAL pg. 10

IN AUSTIN pg. 9 FIND THE BEST FOOD CARTS IN AUSTIN pg. 7
news • education
news • criMe and saFetY

University Controversy over handguns

Center opens in
Fredericksburg
Austin Nicholas
Staff Writer
Faculty and donors celebrated the opening of the Hill Country
University Center (HCUC) on Sep. 23 in Fredericksburg.
The HCUC program began at Fredericksburg high school in 2003
in portable trailers. Since then, the program has expanded due to the
support of HEB, Texas Tech, Austin Community College, Concordia,
and Angelo State.
The center was founded by the Hill Country Foundation in 2003
to cater to the needs of traditional, non-traditional, and economically
challenged students who might not be able to afford to go study
elsewhere at a four year institution.
“Students from different socioeconomic backgrounds can come
to the University Center and have access to the same education they
would receive at a regular four-year University at a much lower price
without having to leave home,” according to Jimmy Sparks, executive
director of the HCUC foundation.
Stationed on a 68 acre campus on the outskirts of Fredericksburg,
the facility features six classrooms, two lecture halls, a science lab, a
computer lab, bookstore, and support space for both students and the
nine staff members that are currently employed in the Hill Country.
The academic structure of the HCUC is a noncompetitive course
schedule, meaning that no institution offers the same major.
Students who do not have transferable credit may begin by
taking ACC core curriculum classes that are applicable to the 4
year university of their choice, and when the prerequisite classes for
transfer are complete, they can be advised on a transfer. After the
process of advising, students have an opportunity to choose a major.
The end goal is to attain a four year university diploma in a smaller,
community oriented environment.
Elizabeth Olvera, a business major at the HCUC, grew up in a
small town 15 miles outside of Fredericksburg. She graduated from a
class of 37 students and attended University of Texas at San Antonio
for her first year of college, but said that because of the class size she
felt like she didn’t even want to go to class.
“I was not used to the class size and it was intimidating,” Olvera
said. After hearing about the HCUC facility, she immediately enrolled
because it reminded her of her home environment. “By going to
HCUC I can stay in the town that I feel comfortable in meanwhile
getting the same education that I would anywhere else.”
Plans for expansion are a topic of discussion for the HCUC
board and with a 68 acre campus, there is lots of room for potential
advancement, according to ACC Executive Vice President Mary
Hensley. Students have received their degrees and have become first
generation college graduates through the programs offered by HCUC.
Dr. Julie Martenson, the Texas Tech Director of Off-Campus-Sites
summarized the goal of the multi-institution program, “At HCUC,
you can take a dusty old transcript, or no degree at all, and hone
current job skills or begin anew- gaining a competitive edge in an ever
developing and challenging job market.”
on campus reignited
Hilary Shepherd
Staff Reporter
It started out as a normal
Tuesday for sophomore Carlos
Marin. Around 7:45 that
morning, he headed to the
Perry-Castaneda Library on the University
of Texas in Austin campus to print out an essay for his reason
English class. to assume
Marin was not aware that just fifteen minutes later, they’ll play out
he would be escorted away from the six-floor building on campus,” he
by officers from the Austin Police Department. said.
“They told me there was an armed suspect in the Texas law
building,” he said. “I just froze.” currently prohibits guns on
The gunman, Colton Tooley, was a 19-year-old campus. Section 46.05 of the Texas Concealed
mathematics major at the University of Texas at Handgun Law states that concealed weapons
Austin. Armed with an AK-47 assault rifle, Tooley are illegal “on the physical premises of a school
walked across 21st street donned in a black ski or educational institution … whether the school
mask. According to police, he shot the rifle several or educational institution is public or private,
times before entering the sixth floor of the PCL and unless pursuant to written regulations or written
committed suicide. authorization of the institution.”
“I don’t think he intended on hurting anyone,” During the legislative session starting in
said Andy Fernandez, a member of the Libertarian January 2011, the issue of gun control is expected to
Longhorns at UT. heat up again after the effort to allow guns on campus
Though no other injuries were reported, the failed last session.
incident has sparked a fierce debate regarding the To acquire a concealed handgun, a person must be
controversial issue of gun-control on college campuses. 21 years of age, pass a background check and complete
“Guns don’t belong in places where the public a ten-hour training course.
has reason to believe that they are safe. I’m talking “Anyone at UT – anyone at ACC – could pass
public institutions for education, churches… there the test without ever having picked up a gun
are just places where you do not expect the need to before. Even I passed the test, and I had never used
be armed to protect yourself in that setting. That’s not a gun before. They shoot at eight paper targets
the purpose,” said Linda Young, special assistant to the across the room. This no way resembles real life
President of public affairs at ACC. situations,” said John Woods, a former Virginia
Like Young, ACC campus police officer Don Mayes Tech student who graduated just three weeks after
believes that college campuses are not the appropriate the shooting.
place for concealed weapons. Woods, who now attends UT as a graduate
“Campus is a place to study, not worry about things. student, advocates for gun-free zones in
You just never know. Some people get arrogant with Texas.
guns, and some people get cocky. It’s just not the place,” “On campus, there
Mayes said. are misunderstandings
Those opposed to gun-control argue that the issue and fights, and the
is simply a matter of self-defense. worst you have on
“Concealed handgun license holders are not you is a pen. I just
kicking down doors. They’re not storming into worry with guns the
buildings. They’re not chasing bad guys through dark situation could be a
alleys. They’re not engaging in stand-offs with snipers lot worse.”
hiding in a building somewhere. They’re not police For Carlos
officers. They’re just trained to use concealed handguns Marin, experiencing
as self-defense,” said Scott Lewis, an ACC student and Tuesday’s incident
member of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus has reaffirmed his
(SCCC). belief that guns
“Our contention is that these gun bans need to be should remain off
based on reason and logic. They need to be based on campus.
more than this emotional, visceral reaction against “No one but a
guns on campus, and that’s really what most of the well-trained official
arguments are. Most of the arguments against it should be allowed
are the same arguments people have made against to have a gun on Adrienne Sparks • Staff Photographer
concealed carry everywhere else, but it’s allowed. And campus,” he said. “If STUDENT REACTION — Reporters
these horrific scenarios that people predict if you let students had them, it interview a University of Texas student shortly
concealed carry on campus, they haven’t played out would just make me after Colton Tooley fired gun shots and killed
anywhere else in the state of Texas, and there’s no feel unsafe.” himself on UT’s campus.

Texas Gun Legislation

School Campus Gun Violence
1995 2009
1997 1999
74th Legislature SB1164 and HB 1893
HB 2855 allowing guns HB 1035 allowing guns
passed the Texas allowing guns on
on campus failed on campus failed
concealed carry bill. campus failed

Aug. 1, 1966 April 20, 1999 April 16, 2007 Feb. 14, 2008 Sept. 28, 2010
Austin Nicholas • Staff Photographer Austin, TX. 16 killed at the Littleton, CO.15 killed, 23 Blacksburg, VA. 33 DeKalb, IL. 6 killed, 17 Austin, TX. Gunman
University of Texas at Austin when others wounded at killed, 15 wounded wounded 17 at entered campus and
NETWORKING —Elizabeth Olvera (right) introduces herself a lone gunman fired onto campus Columbine High School. at Virginia Tech. Northern Illinois
University.
took his own life
from the campus clock tower.
to Adjunct Professor Ross Bigelow (left) at the celebration of
the opening of the new Hill Country University Center. Bigelow graphic by Elizabeth Brown
currently teaches geography at ACC’s Fredricksburg campus.

arts • literature

Religious experience inspires novel

Hilary Shepherd
Staff Reporter
Sidney Frost is living proof
that anything’s possible. At 73
years old, he currently holds
the title of Austin Lyric Opera
singer, worldwide traveler,
ex-Marine, devoted husband,
Austin Community College
computer science professor, and
Elder at his church. And, with
the recent publishing of his first
novel , he can now add ‘novelist’
to the list.
“One day, my pastor said
something about us having
dreams about things we want
to do, and he told us to just go
ahead and do it, just try it and
see what happens. I felt like that
was enough to do it,” Frost said.
In 2006, he began taking
online writing courses through
Writer’s Digest, and four
years later, was nearing the
completion of his first novel.
Where Love Once Lived, a
fictional Christian romance
novel, follows lives of Brian
and Karen and their journey
to reignite their love with
each other and, ultimately,
God. Former students at the
University of Texas at Austin,
the college sweethearts
experience a period of
separation when Brian
mysteriously leaves town for 30
years.
“He comes back to Austin
looking for that feeling that he
had before – that feeling of love
and all. But it turns out that
what he’s missing is the love of
God, and that’s what he finds,”
Frost said.
Frost, who, like Brian, grew
up in Austin and attended UT,
drew inspiration from his own
life experiences to develop the
characters and themes depicted
in the novel.
“When Brian finds out his
mother has Alzheimer’s, he
drives up to his church and he
sits out in the parking lot and
learns how to pray again. That
really happened to me,” Frost
explains.
Published last August,
Where Love Once Lived has
been deemed an instant success.
In 2007, it won first place in
the inspirational and spiritual
category of the Southwest
Writer’s Contest and first place
in the romance category of
the Writers’ League of Texas
Contest.
And it’s no wonder; Frost’s
knack for writing came to him
at an early age.
“All through high school and
college, I knew I had a talent for
writing. I’d write term papers
for my friends. On the aptitude
test, I always scored high on the
writing part, but the counselors
would say, ‘You’re not going to
make any money doing that’ so
I was looking for some other
career. I tried lots of different
things until I found computers,
and I’ve been doing that ever
since,” he said. “But I always had
a feel for writing.”
Fans of Where Love Once
Lived can expect several sequels
to the book, which Frost says he
has already begun working on.
His second novel, Vengeance
is Mine, is in its final edit and
Elizabeth Brown • Staff Designer
will be released soon. A brief
synopsis of it can be found on SIDNEY OF ALL TRADES —Computer Science Professor
his website, sindeywfrost.com. and published author Sidney Frost poses for his picture.