A Drop in the Ocean

A Drop in the Ocean

The Story of Jessica Tapp: The Center for Students in Recovery

The Story of Jessica Tapp: The Center for Students in Recovery

The Costs Behind the Price Tag: An Analysis of the Hidden Costs of Mass-Produced Food

The Costs Behind the Price Tag: An Analysis of the Hidden Costs of Mass-Produced Food

Contrary to the public’s popular perception, there are a number of produce items that are cheaper at local farmers’ markets than those sold at supermarket chains around the country. In addition, the cultivation of food using sustainable agriculture methods contributes to the improvement of consumer health and environmental preservation.

The common justifications Americans use to defend their loyalty to supermarkets and corporate production are founded on misconceptions regarding the practice of sustainable farming as a whole. Those who work and participate within the sustainable agriculture movement are proving these generalizations to be false. Even those supermarket items that are less “pricey,” have hidden consequences involved with their consumption that will have a more detrimental and long-term impact on the well-being of the community and cost the individual consumer more in the long-run, said Joy Casnovsky, program director of The Happy Kitchen at the Sustainable Food Center (SFC).

“Taste is a big difference, but there are other costs that need to be factored in,” said Casnovsky.

A majority of Americans dismiss the option of shopping at farmer’s markets due to the perception it will cost them more money. However, a study done in Vermont compared the prices of grocery store products to the same ones sold at the local markets and found that statement was not true, but in fact, 5 out of the 14 items compared were cheaper at the local farmers markets. The greatest differences in price were found among potatoes and eggs, which was not a surprise for those familiar with the costs of producing these items.  

However, these comparisons do not include the additional costs American consumers are facing for the future. The personal and environmental health of consumers is threatened by the methods of farming employed in the mass production of produce and agriculture. The US Department of Agriculture Research Service is advocates the adoption of small farm techniques to eliminate the environmental concerns these corporations pose as well as save taxpayers from unnecessary production costs.

“A cost-effective solution for managing feedlot runoff is needed for small beef cattle feeding operations… The system consisted of a grass approach, a terrace with a debris basin, and a vegetative treatment area... The system effectively reduced the cumulative mass of total and volatile suspended solids and reduced chemical oxygen demand by 80%, 67%, and 59%, respectively,” said the USDA Agriculture Research Service.

Therefore, while some products may cost more initially, they save consumers more money in the future and protect their individual and community well-being. The Sustainable Food Center is a non-profit organization in Austin that serves as one of the several examples of the power of community investment considering only 7 % of their yearly budget is spent on management and operational costs, the other 93% spent on their programs and fundraising efforts.

“There is a disconnect where people say, ‘I don’t have time to cook!’ But, the amount of time they spend on isolated activities like watching T.V. contradicts this…Time management is key,” said Casnovsky.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans spend an average of 2.83 hours a day watching television and only .74 hours socializing and communicating with others in their community. This data supports Casnovsky’s claim that the largest hurtle facing small farmers in the United States is not costs, but an understanding of how to efficiently and effectively utilize their time and resources. In addition, advocates of the grass roots movement highlight the reluctance of individuals to become interdependent on their community members and engage in volunteer work and events, said Jane Levan, owner and farmer at Dewberry Hills Farm.

“Even if you don’t care. If you don’t care about people, if you don’t care about the environment, and if you don’t care that your tax dollars are being subsidized for corporate agriculture, then what you really should care about Is what the hell your food tastes like… When people ask me to tell them about my chicken, for starters I say, ‘it tastes like chicken!” said Levan.

Music to Mend

Music to Mend

The posters on the wall attested to people once befriended and shows once played, but only one frame held memories of faces from the past. It was a photo of a high-school graduate, surrounded on both sides by his four sisters, dressed in a blue cap and gown, his eyes shining with excitement for a future yet to come. He let the frame rest on his knees, his eyes glazed by the ghosts of the smiles that beamed back at him, smiles from a time when new beginnings promised hope for the future and burdens of the past were not as heavy on the heart.

He began with a tone of detached recitation as he navigated through the history of his band’s beginnings, the struggles and the accomplishments that brought them where they are today. For him, these obstacles were minor, norms of everyday life that he accepted as inevitable and moved past without malice or bitterness. For him, music was more than a gateway to fame or form of creative expression. For Matt Callison, music offered an opportunity to return to his family what they sacrificed to bring him where he is today.

A senior at the University of Texas, Matt is majoring in English, with a minor in Radio Television and Film. However, his interests span from recording music to graphic design, evident in the variety of posters and memorabilia that lined the walls of his two-bedroom apartment in West Campus.

The air was quiet, but not uncomfortably so. The stereotypical sounds of the drunken passerby and cars blaring the latest dubstep hits were but distant whispers of a time passed. It was a space of serenity transplanted into a world of chaos. It was a space of untainted creative passion foreign to the world it was centered within.

“The first impression that I got from Matt Callison was that of someone you immediately wanted to be friends with. He just seemed like a laid back and genuinely happy person,” said Lorna Ebner, acquaintance and fan of Matt’s music.

His face was welcoming, unaltered by common anxieties that pervade the mind when one is asked to verbally assert their perception of the past, present, and future. There was no trace of fear in the rhythmic tone of his voice as he recounted the history of Lonesome Ghost, a journey that has stained listeners with the colors of beauty and hardship emanating from their lyrical musings.

“I thought they had a very unique sound that has a sense of nostalgia to it. I may have a limited view but a lot of the indie music I hear seems to follow some pattern set forth by previous bands,
and while their methods may not be completely original the amount of bands that try to do what they do is few and far between,” said James Gorman, writer for Kollection music blog.

Matt and his best friend from Dallas, Tanner Robertson, started the band their sophomore year of high school. Matt had only recently learned to play guitar in the eighth grade, but that did not deter him from becoming as equally skilled as the rest of the band.

“I taught myself… and I was getting a lot better over a short period of time because I was playing a lot… and the next natural step was to try and make a band,” said Matt.

Since that time, music has remained a natural facet of his everyday life. The band played their first show at the end of their sophomore year, and played approximately 30 shows throughout high school under the name “Slow Rewind.” However, college no longer loomed in the shadows of a distant future. They were forced to face the inevitability of their diverging paths.

As a last hurrah, they spent the summer after graduation recording four new songs under the name Lonesome Ghost. Since the album’s release, the band’s popularity has grown and they have been featured in Nylon magazine, online advertisements, various MTV programs, and have opened for big name artists at SXSW.

“I would say a majority of the time, the bands we are playing with are actually my favorite bands…That’s really been a big motivational tool to see the people I idolize and have a realistic perspective of it and see what’s still very far away, but how attainable it is. They’re just normal people,” said Matt.

Matt is using this time to work on a few solo EPs he plans to release at the end of this year. However, he made it clear this was not an attempt to go in an opposite direction of the band, but a means to fill a void while everyone is busy preparing for college graduation.

But, behind the success of Lonesome Ghost, Matt’s driving passion has always been his family. His parents’ separation and his mother’s unemployment have created a financial and emotional strain he is determined to relieve.

Being the oldest child and only son, Matt took it upon himself to fill the shoes of both provider and role model for his mother and younger sisters. For Matt, music is a means through which he can utilize his talents to mend the broken heartstrings of a family disjointed by the divergence of two separate tunes.

“I do have jobs and do my part… but I do know there’s a significant amount of financial investment that’s been put into my future. I think the best way to give that back, and the best way that I can do it, is through music and creating music,” said Matt.

Austin City Council Passes a Curfew for City Parks and Trails

Austin City Council Passes a Curfew for City Parks and Trails

Austin City Council voted to end the 24-hour surveillance of city parks and trails and return to a citywide curfew starting midnight, Nov. 4.

The officers currently patrolling the parks afterhours will be returned to their previous stations in the community, said Veneza Bremner, APD senior officer. Until then, the parks and trails will remain open to the public at all times and will remain under 24-hour police surveillance.

The decision to return to the previously enforced curfew was made during the Austin City Council meeting Oct. 24. There was a great deal of confusion surrounding the proposed removal of APD District Representatives from their assigned neighborhoods. The relocation of DRs to provide 24-hour park patrol would be unfair to the rest of the community, as well as jeopardize their safety, said Johanne Barts, a community member who spoke at the meeting.

“How can you possibly not see the difference in spending a million dollars to service 10 people on trails at night versus allowing the APD to have their DRs out in our areas 

and protecting and assisting and helping the citizens to prevent crime… If they want to 

ride it, let them ride it without the protection if necessary,” said Barts.

APD and City Council members clarified that the DRs will not be removed from their assigned neighborhoods, but were notified as to where they would have been moved had the council ruled in favor of 24-hour patrol.

“We haven't gotten rid of any DRs… We have not withdrawn that notice pending the 

outcome of this item, but none have been moved… Outside of emergency operations 

we normally give our employees a 28-day notice consistent with contract when they're 

going to be moved,” said Art Acevedo, Austin Police Chief.

The curfew will be enforced by APD, and violators caught using the parks or trails after they are closed will be subject to legal consequences.

“The law states that the curfew is 10 p.m. Therefore, any cyclists found on the trails would be at risk of receiving either a warning or ticket for breaking curfew,” said City Council Member Mike Martinez.

However, the return to a citywide curfew has caused unrest among cyclists who use the trails at night to avoid drunk drivers and other perils they face when using Austin streets for transportation. There is an alternative to the curfew that would allow the parks to remain open at night without using unnecessary taxpayer dollars or sacrificing their safety. The DRs do not patrol neighborhood streets at all times, therefore 24-hour surveillance of parks and trails is unnecessary, said Roy Whaley, a citizen speaker at the meeting.

“And if the chief has concern about the outlaw population in our trail system, in our park 

system, then address that. Do not make us all outlaws. Address the trouble spots which 

they say they know,” said Whaley.

In addition, the study APD used to determine the number of officers needed to protect trail users during afterhours was revealed to be insufficient and inaccurate. The police chief admitted to formulating the average number of late night trail users by observing the trail for 10 minutes, and watching 10 cyclists ride by, said Whaley.

Although the council ruled in favor of the curfew, they did so out of financial necessity and a lack of a better alternative. City Council members were only given two options on which to vote: enforce a 10 p.m. curfew, or remove DRs from their neighborhood posts so they can patrol the parks and trails at night.

However, there may be an alternative proposition available in the future. There is an ongoing search for a solution that will protect the safety of both trail users and neighborhoods without compromising the security of either, said City Council Member Kathy Tovo.

“I believe we should regard trails as critical parts of our transportation infrastructure, and…I am hopeful that with some more time, we can achieve a solution that allows the trails to remain open with appropriate levels of police patrols but does not cost $1 million per year,” said Tovo.

Until a more efficient compromise is achieved, the curfew will remain in place and drivers are encouraged to be aware of their surroundings when using the streets.

“Our City has seen cyclist and motor vehicle fatalities increase over the past year, and these trails provided a safe alternative for late-night cyclists as opposed to the streets… I will always encourage our nighttime drivers to share the road with our cyclists, and to take caution to prevent any potential tragedies,” said Martinez.

UT Fosters Hope for Students Recovering from Addiction

UT Fosters Hope for Students Recovering from Addiction

       The perceived failure associated with drug addiction jeopardizes the successful recovery of UT students who are struggling to overcome dependency, said the Director of the University of Texas Center for Students in Recovery.

      The bias surrounding addiction isolates those who are suffering from substance dependency from the network of support they need to maintain their sobriety. The University of Texas should promote a respectful and empathetic approach to students who are in recovery, said Ivana Grahovac, Director of the Center for Students in Recovery.

      “Society portrays addicts and alcoholics as the absolute bottom of the barrel,” but “They will be amazed at their positivity, the strength, and the resilience,” Grahovac said.

      College drug abuse may not be a new issue facing universities, but its consequences remain severe and can result in addiction, overdose, and potentially death. As more students face their addictions, the need for university recovery programs is growing.

      “Historically, drug use among college students seems to be a rite of passage and that is unfortunate. I can say with current existing recovery programs like the Center for Students in Recovery, a solution can now be found on campus,” said Joseph Sanchez, President of the Recovery Alliance of Austin.

      The UT student body perceived 75 percent of UT students to be users of illicit drugs, however, only 8 percent of students reported the actual use of these narcotics, according to the 2010 National Collegiate Health Assessment conducted at the University of Texas. It is evident there were fewer UT students using drugs than originally perceived, but drug abuse among college students is still prevalent concern facing university administration.

      In 2012, 8.5 percent of people ages 12 and over were diagnosed with substance dependence. In addition, the percentage of illicit drug users between the ages of 30 and 65 increased from 2011 to 2012, according to the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.  

     

      These statistics reflect the risk of an increase in long-term addictions if universities fail to provide recovery programs for their students. Experimenting with various drugs during college can evolve into a lifetime of addiction, and can affect individuals of any background. Resources like CSR serve to recognize the issue of drug abuse as a reality that must be accepted, as well as provide those students who are in recovery with a positive community of support.

      Three years ago, there were only 13 universities that offered recovery programs for their students and today there are approximately 70, Grahovac said. Despite the progress that has been made so far, 70 is a small number in comparison to the four thousand universities located throughout the United States.

      “It is not a treatment for a clinical program, but a support service… It’s a new way of living and it requires a lot of support and empathy,” Grahovac said.

      This support is necessary for a successful recovery because these students face physical obstacles of addiction as well as social obstacles of prejudice and rejection.

      “Due to the stigma and bad press that people in recovery get around drug addiction there is huge fear of being type-casted, so to speak, as a ‘bad’ person,” Sanchez said.

      Those who are living in long-term recovery should voice their story and promote the breakdown of stigmas surrounding addiction, said Sanchez. He hopes their success will encourage others to seek help for themselves or their friends, and prevent young-adults from developing serious conditions because they were afraid to ask for help. The UT recovery center advises students and staff to become educated about drug abuse to help prevent future addictions.

“I had a friend who checked himself into rehab a few months ago. He isn’t attending college anymore, and I’m not sure how he is doing…I think with some help and continued guidance, the ending of this story would have been much different,” said UT senior, Amanda McCoy, who’s friend left UT to get treatment for heroin addiction.

There are several cases of student-drug involvement that mirror the conditions McCoy described, but a majority of situations could have been prevented had someone recognized the signs of addiction and sought help immediately. Students should support their peers and encourage them to view their struggles as lessons for personal development.

“Because of the recovery, you haven’t lost anything, but you are achieving from a much higher paradigm,” Grahovac said.

Students who are recovering from addiction are prevented from successfully acclimating to a life of recovery by those prejudices that focus on the failure of their addiction instead of the achievement of their recovery.

                        “It’s a perception that can change, but with much effort.  We must de-glamorize                                     the negativity around addiction and start focusing on the obtainable solution,                                     recovery,” Sanchez said.

Financial Fraud on the UT Campus

Financial Fraud on the UT Campus

Students at the University of Texas are advised to make an individual effort to protect their financial security. The University of Texas Police Department and the Information Security Office provide resources to aid in information security, but cannot guarantee the safety of personal and financial information when using the UT database.

Technological dependence and comprehension have increased simultaneously over the past decade, but accompanied by these developments is the issue of information security, said UTPD sergeant Charles Bonnet. This means the more adept society becomes at using technology, the easier it is for criminals to access information without your permission. The unauthorized access of personal information threatens financial security. More importantly, when valuable information such as a social security number is compromised, it jeopardizes the credibility of an individual’s identity.

“This fraudulent type of activity has increased worldwide for a number of reasons, including the increase in online banking, online shopping, and other ways that someone’s personal and financial information is out in cyberspace where criminals can get to it,” Bonnet said.

Financial fraud complicates this issue because it threatens both the immediate and future security of an individual. In addition, it’s more difficult to trace the source of the theft and apprehend the criminals.

“This fraudulent type of activity has increased worldwide for a number of reasons, including the increase in online banking, online shopping, and other ways that someone’s personal and financial information is out in cyberspace where criminals can get to it…Students need to be aware that information put out on the Internet is accessible to criminals, and even mundane facts can provide valuable information to someone looking to do harm,” Bonnet said.

There have been several incidents involving students and faculty members reporting their bank account or debit/credit card information as stolen according to the recent UTPD daily crime reports. UTPD was unable to comment on the results of these incidents because the cases are still open. However, they were also unable to address whether or not financial fraud crimes have increased or decreased on the UT campus in recent years.

“UTPD conducts a thorough investigation, sometimes with the cooperation of other state, federal, or local police departments with the tools and expertise.  Additionally, we rely on the UT Information Security Office, which provides us with great assistance after an incident occurs.  That is also the entity that maintains the digital security of campus,” said Bonnet.

Therefore, financial fraud crimes require the assistance of trained specialists whose technological expertise exceeds that of UTPD. The director of the Information Security Office was unable to comment on the recent fraud crimes, but recommended students review their Security Awareness webpage to learn how to increase their information security.

The site provides common guidelines for information protection, but does not offer any alternative measures that increase financial security beyond these basic measures. Essentially, the tips provided advise students to be vigilant and question the security of the site before providing information or purchasing products online. But, can students do any thing else to guarantee their money and identity will be safe? Or is the ambiguity of cyber-security a result of a larger inability to monitor and regulate the exchange of information via new technologies?

Former UT student, Will Generous, was a victim of credit card fraud when he purchased football tickets at the UT Box Office. His friend’s credit card information was the first to be compromised when his credit card company reported attempted purchases in California. About a week after his friend received a notification from his bank, Will also received an alert from his bank describing the same patterns of fraudulent activity.

Fortunately, the credit card company detected the issue before any money was stolen, but nonetheless, the private information of two individuals was illegally accessed through the UT database.

“After this incident, I was astonished at UT's lack of internet security with their box office…Regardless, it proved to me that my personal and financial information with the University is not as safe as I was previously led to believe,” Generous said.

While financial fraud crimes may be a product of developing technology, victims like Generous question what else the University of Texas could do to protect financial security and provide a peace of mind for students. The consequences of his particular fraud were minor and stemmed primarily from frustration, but had the circumstances been different, the damage of this fraud could have been much more sever, said Generous.

“Fortunately the credit card that was compromised was one meant for daily expenses and had a relatively low credit limit. However, had it been my card with a higher credit limit, things might have turned out differently,” Generous said.

A Call for Vigilance in Jounralism

A Call for Vigilance in Journalism

Women should continue to remain involved in the social changes occurring today to ensure the protection of their rights tomorrow, said a New York Times columnist in her lecture Monday. She delivered a personal account of the evolution of women’s rights and gave examples of extraordinary women who persevered through sexual discrimination.

Gail Collins encouraged journalists to perceive the challenges facing the field not as hardships, but as opportunities to change the way they write in the future. Her chronicle of the struggles women faced was both historic and modern. She described the individual experiences of her friends and colleagues, which served as an illustration of the persistence necessary to establish a female presence in the workforce. However, she urged women not to forget the sacrifices these women made, and to remain vigilant and engaged in the transformations occurring in our modern society.

Collins commended those women who pioneered their way as educated professionals, but said that unlike herself, they did not reap the benefits of their efforts.

“Those women did not get the benefits, in general, of their fight… All benefits went to people who came in one second later, like me,” Collins said.

Collins did not take credit for breaking the boundaries of sexual discrimination and social taboos that faced these women, but said she remains in awe that she was able to see such a transformation happen in her lifetime.

 “It’s the best thing I think about when I think about my life,” she said.

Collins said women and journalists should remain actively engaged in their society and serve as agents for change. She did not ignore the reality of the struggle necessary to maintain the modern standard of gender equality, but said there would be a reward for such passion and dedication.

“Please pick some subjects to write about that you really love because it’s very possible you won’t make much money for a while… but it will be worth it, it really will,” Collins said.

The barriers women encountered during the Civil Rights Movement and the barriers they face today are similar because they both offer opportunities to reform and recreate the perceptions today’s society holds and the manner through which they are expressed.

“It happened in my time and it happened for you guys… and we can do anything else we put our minds to. I’m absolutely convinced of it,” said Collins.

Former University of Texas graduate, Jane Rollwood attended the lecture and agreed with Collins’ concern for the future of women’s rights.

“I fear that so much happened in such a short period of time, and people don’t realize that could slip away… It’s not something you can have forever,” Rollwood said.

There is an immense amount of progress yet to be made as the public learns to combine the domestic realm with the professional workplace. Rollwood attended the lecture accompanied by her friend Cindy Hager, who formerly worked for a publishing company in Austin. Hager highlighted a current issue facing women in the professional realm.

“The more women who enter a profession, the less that profession earns in general…there’s a lot of work to be done, particularly in this state,” said Hager.

The audience asked Collins several questions which expressed concern for the future of digital journalism and a fear that women’s equality is being threatened by the influence of today’s pop culture on youth. Collins said that while these issues are difficult to overcome, young journalists and women should remain hopeful about the future and take advantage of this opportunity to reshape journalism.

“You are going to change the way people write… you are going to change not just the method, but the way it sounds, the way the thinking goes from you’re your head to somebody else’s head,” Collins said.

The lecture addressed the past, present, and future of gender equality as well as journalism’s role as an advocate for its development. Collins said that these times are hard, but the innovations occurring in technology and media are exciting, and point towards a promising future for journalism. 

“This stuff is incredible, and you’re the ones who get to do it. There’s never been a time when you’ve had so much power to transform the whole profession again,” Collins said.